Chapter Nine #2
The entrance area reminded her of Japanese cities or Las Vegas, with their flashing neon signs, and what she could only describe as AI beings walking out from the signs and talking to the patrons as they came in, encouraging them to go to restaurants, gambling establishments, clubs.
The patrons were equally varied. You could meet some strange creatures on Earth if you were an ordinary person, but as a wolf, she was just used to it—her normal was what humans considered strange.
But after these few moments, Brogan gained insight into what humans would feel like if the paranormals were in the majority on Earth.
Brogan got another nudge from Camber. “You’re looking like a tourist, Wolf. These are just all different kinds of races, from around our realm.”
“Sorry. I am a tourist.”
There were different colours of humanoids, green being one of them, a small but slender one that just walked right past her, being one of them. Short, tall, brow ridges, facial ridges—all were all on display by those around her.
But the more she got used to it, the more she could see some similarities between the varied patrons and the paranormals and mythological beings she’d heard talked of on earth.
“Where are we going?” Brogan asked.
“We have to meet Ziggy on the gaming floor. Just follow me. The elevator is over there.”
Brogan looked ahead at the packed crowd waiting to get on. “We can’t go on there. It’s too dangerous for you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve done this a long time.”
“These people that want you will have many more people after you, since you infiltrated one of their bases. Not to mention the fact that you’re now travelling with a wolf,” Brogan said.
“Do you realize how many floors down the gaming hall is? It’s deep inside the moon.”
“Look, I’m a tracker. I know how these people’s minds work. You’re being good enough to take me to the wolf planet, and in the meantime, I pledge myself to keep you safe,” Brogan said firmly.
“I don’t need anyone to look after me.”
“You really are stubborn, aren’t you? I’m going watch out for you, so just get used to it.”
Camber’s eyes lit up with fire, and in turn Brogan’s body lit a fire in her. Her incisors elongated, and a burning low down in her stomach ached for Camber. She wanted to bite and lick, and Camber’s scent was filling her senses.
“Brogan?” Camber touched her shoulder. “Brogan? Why have your eyes turned yellow?”
“What?” Brogan said more harshly than she meant.
Camber had noticed her, yes, but luckily, she didn’t seem to know what her yellow eyes meant. This was just a stupid attraction. Camber couldn’t get away from her quickly enough.
But she felt attached to Camber already. Enough to want to keep her safe. The rest…she just hadn’t been with another in too long.
“Calm down. Have the showgirls distracted you?” Camber said.
“No, and why did you think showgirls—what if I liked men?”
Camber laughed but said no more.
“Are you saying you judge a book by its cover? I could love men,” Brogan said firmly.
“It’s not about your cover—it’s an energy thing. Besides, I know the way wolf society works. It’s not about gender, it’s dominant and submissive. Do I lie?”
“Just find another way, will you?” Brogan said with extreme annoyance.
Camber sighed heavily. She led them out of the busy line for elevators and over to the side windows that looked out over the moon.
Camber took out her small computer pad.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m recoding my translator so I can talk directly to Ziggy. She’s always moving around the gaming tables. You look at the nice view.”
Brogan growled low in her throat. Camber was annoying her more and more now. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way about?
But she did walk the few steps over to the windows and take a moment to enjoy a sight she would never have seen in her normal life on Earth. She watched as what she assumed were maintenance people walked around on the ground, to and from some surface buildings.
They were wearing a lighter, more streamlined suit than she was used to seeing Earth astronauts wear. Although they were in the clear atmospheric roofing structure that enclosed the moon, they must have to wear safety gear to do their jobs.
Brogan had the urge for her wolf to run on the dusty grey surface below her. But she was also terrified of the inky, never-ending blackness, punctuated by pinpricks of suns so very far away.
She wondered if any of those pinpricks of light were her own sun, and if she would ever get back home.
Brogan’s attention was torn from the space outside to Camber’s voice.
“Ziggy, we need another way to get down, it’s too crowded…Yeah, okay…I’ll let you know.”
Brogan walked the few steps towards Camber. “So?”
“We can use the staff elevator. Ziggy’s unlocked the door and elevators. The staff are being told on their internal communications that two people are coming down, so they don’t cause a fuss if they see strangers in the staff areas.”
Brogan gave her a fake smile. “Ziggy’s thought of just everything.”
“What have you got against someone you haven’t ever met?” Camber said.
“I can picture her. Flashy shiny suit, glamourous.”
“Good looking, you forgot that part.”
“Are we going or not?” Brogan said.
Camber pointed to a staff room. Brogan grabbed her hand and pulled her past the noisy crowd. She was worried that someone could take Camber in an instant.
“Calm down, will you.”
“I’m trying to keep you safe, Map Keeper,” Brogan said.
When they got past the crowd to the staff door, Camber pulled her hand from Brogan’s. “Why don’t you say my name a bit louder, Wolf, and let everyone know who I am.”
Camber pressed her hand against the door, and it unlocked, sliding to the side. Camber stormed through it without looking back.
Morrigan hadn’t visited anywhere with such a warm temperature in a long, long time. Centuries ago, she had visited cultures on Earth with such super-heated climates, like Egypt and some parts of the Americas. That intense heat didn’t suit her at all.
That’s why she’d settled in the north of Europe, where the climate was most like her home planet—pleasant summers, rainy days, and cold winters.
And so she couldn’t feel more uncomfortable if she tried in this dry heat, wearing a heavy Abnobian uniform, although she loved the flowing cape attached to the shoulders.
She’d changed her appearance as soon as she touched down on the planet, to a male Abnobian god. She enjoyed playing with gender, and this was a good opportunity, since she hadn’t done it in a while.
It was going to be difficult for her to approach the Temple base without a guard of Drazani. The gods didn’t go around without their show of force.
She spotted one Drazani talking to a local Oiprian guard. This was her chance to gather a guard. “Drazani?”
He hurried over to her and bent on one knee while bowing his head.
“Rise,” Morrigan said.
“My god, where is your guard?”
“I sent them on a separate mission, which is none of your concern.”
“No, my god.”
“Go and gather a team of four,” Morrigan said.
He did look as if this was an unusual encounter, but they were bred to their very genes to obey their gods. So no matter how unusual, they would follow their orders.
While the guard was away on his mission, Morrigan took the form of a bird and sat on a rooftop, waiting for him to return. It would cause mayhem if the Oiprians saw a god just hanging around in their market.
Some of these people would be lucky to see one of the gods once or twice in their life, so it would cause quite a stir to see one just standing around.
The Drazani soon returned to her. There were now five of them.
“How can we serve, my god?”
“I have been sent by the council to find out what happened here, but with littlest fuss, not to alarm anyone. Can you take me to the hangar where the ship went missing, but not through the main entrance?”
“Yes, my god. I can take you through the side entrance, which is where the two fugitives entered.”
Interesting, Morrigan thought.
“Take me there.”
Once they started walking, Morrigan asked the lead Drazani, “Do we know who they were?”
The lead Drazani looked surprised that she didn’t already know, but luckily, they were built to obey.
“It was the Map Keeper and a wolf. We don’t know anything about her.”
“What happened after that?” Morrigan asked.
“They stole a ship and killed two Drazani guards who were on board,” he said.
“Any idea where they were headed?”
He shrugged. “All we know is they disappeared once out of the atmosphere.”
Morrigan had to get back to Margot.
“Could you all guard this side door? I shall return shortly.”
“Of course, my god.”
They all kneeled and kept their heads down.
Once Morrigan was out of their sight, she changed into the kiko bird again and flew to the shuttle that she’d travelled to Oipra in, and set off to reveal what she’d learned from the Drazani.