Ninovan (Hypernaturals 10)

Proper Jaw Droppage

I checked my knives, to be sure they are loose in their sheaths. Then the .40 pistol in my ankle holster. I saw Jessica and Morgan all do the same thing. Angel is not carrying for some reason (she is a PI, so she should be. We'll have to have a talk.), and neither is Vera.

We clustered together more closely. Jessica went to point, and Morgan and I at each shoulder and half a step back. Vera and Angel winged out but mostly behind Morgan and I.

Vera whispered, "I wish I had a gun."

Angel whispered back, "They do, and they are way better with them than we ever could be. I have a gun, and I qualified with it, but I hate the hell out of it."

Ahh. Why the PI has no gun.

"I still wish I had one." Vera replied.

"Darling, if I need defending from whatever, I know how to use a gun. I just don't like them." Angel whispered back.

Huh. So, Vera wanted a gun to protect Angel. Interesting. Apparently Angel read that from Vera because she did not say the 'why' of it out loud. Not even as a whisper. I would have heard it.

The buildings we can see from the edge of 'town' are all wooden. There is a log cabin to the far right of current visibility, but the other three I can see from down the path are of wood plank construction. There are metal roofs.

In the open area, people stopped to look at us approaching, and there is an old-school water pump, raised up on a wooden platform. I saw a bucket hanging from the snout of the pump, and the young man that had been pumping stopped to look at us along with everyone else.

There are a variety of clothing styles. T-shirts and jeans, a woman in a very colorful robe, a man wearing a dress that is not a kilt. Very random, and no particular age or style to it.

When we arrived at the pump platform, Jessica said "Hi there." She tossed in a friendly wave.

"Hello" came back from a few people. From our current vantage point, I can see a grassy street, lined with buildings. All are wood and all fairly plain. Most have porches, and all are neat and well taken care of. It looks like there is another street farther along.

More people are now walking to us from the buildings. Maybe twenty in all now.

"I am not quite sure where we are..." Jessica gestured about herself to indicate the village. "... here. This is not on any maps."

I was reaching out with every sense, but what I am getting is very confusing. The people we are surrounded by are very interesting. Skin color varied from as white as Helen to far darker than any of us, and the ebony skin varies in undertone. Hair is every length, color, and texture of humanity. One woman is blonde, blue-eyed, and as dark as Uma, the Vampire Cleaning crew doctor. Striking.

Angel stepped forward, and since we could see that no one is armed in any way, we let her. Guess I am just as protective of Angel as Vera, now that I think about it.

"Hi." She said. "My name is Angel, and I think that this is where I come from. I see some of you ... No, many of you are like me."

A woman that could be Angel's sister stepped forward, and touched Angel's face lightly, with fingertips. "Welcome home, Sister."

One very striking thing so far is how little commotion our arrival has caused. Everyone is silent, watching, and waiting.

"My name is Kaya." She turned to face Jessica. "And welcome to you, my sister. Your presence is powerful. Earthy and intense. Sexual even."

"Sexual is correct. I am Jessica." She introduced herself. "This is my wife, Morgan..." A gesture "And this is my husband Adrian..." And another gesture "And this is our girlfriend, Vera."