Chapter 3 #3
The blood was definitely not part of the human diet though. Well, for everyone but Peony who drank at least a glass of it a day now that she was pregnant. So, it was a good thing that there was a full menu of other foods for them to pick from.
Holly and Hattie were flown to the market in a hover by one of the palace guards.
Servants were no longer allowed to do so since one of them had been killed and Peony had been kidnapped.
As far as Holly knew, they weren't in danger any longer, but it was still a warrior that flew them to the parking platform that ringed one of the large trees, and she was grateful for his presence.
The domini usually landed their hovers against the side of the trees, hanging with the back now pointed downward. They would leave the hover and climb down, using their retractable claws to make the journey with the same ease that they walked.
But for the old and young – who had brittle and no claws respectively – there were landing platforms that hovers could be parked onto in what Holly would consider a 'normal' way and long ramps that spiraled down the tree from the platform to the market.
Since the humans couldn't climb, that was how they got down. Their driver/bodyguard followed after to keep them safe – though he maintained a respectable distance so they wouldn’t feel crowded.
And Holly was grateful for that too. She definitely felt better knowing that she wouldn't be attacked like Peony had been.
Peony went through hell to remain at her Dominani's side, but Holly didn't want to have anything to do with any of that.
She was going to have a nice, normal – well, semi-normal – alien life on an alien world.
And, funny enough, shopping was actually pretty normal.
The bright lamps that slowly cycled through colors to allow the domini to change to match them were different, but otherwise it was like walking through an outdoor mall and bazaar.
Some of the things they could buy were strange – weapons were popular and tail rings were useless to them – but the sellers hocking their items to passersby couldn't be more similar if they tried.
The people that walked amongst the stalls and drifted in and out of the buildings were the same mixture of families and couples and mischievous teenagers – they just all had tails and fangs and a tendency to break into fights at the drop of a hat.
That was probably the hardest thing for Holly to get used to: the fighting.
The domini were a violent species. But it was violence that was carefully controlled and channeled by their philosophy.
Fights were not only accepted but encouraged.
Friendly brawls, like siblings wrestling, were so common that most walked around them like they weren't even there.
It wasn't uncommon for haggling to hinge on a quick fight to decide on the final price.
Insults were often met with immediate, physical retribution.
But the end of each fight was the same. No one was seriously hurt. No one had any hard feelings, even when losing. They were an aggressive species, but their aggression worked its way out in their violence and didn't linger.
They also apparently didn't have an equivalent of PTSD.
Peony still wasn't comfortable going to the market after being attacked here and the domini didn't seem to understand why.
She had been victorious in her battle, so why be ashamed to return?
They truly didn't seem to grasp the mental trauma linked to violence that humans experienced – though they did know about it because the lack of it was a quirk unique to their species. They just couldn’t understand.
Holly didn't like the constant fights. Every time one broke out, even when it was completely friendly, she always jumped.
She had to put distance between herself and the combatants.
Unlike them, she did have a concept of PTSD and the angry snarling and growling sounded so much like violent animals that she couldn't be around it.
Hattie didn't have the same compunction.
“Who do you think is going to win?” She asked as they passed a pair of females that were slashing at each other – though their claws were completely retracted.
“I can't guess,” she answered, mumbling, pulling on Hattie's arm to put more distance between them and the females who were being goaded on by their friends.
Holly rushed past the brawl, though Hattie kept looking back. She knew the moment the battle was won because Hattie let out a cheer, fist pumping the victor in celebration. Holly didn't even check to see the ending.
“This place is so much fun,” Hattie grinned, looking forward again.
“It's certainly never dull,” Holly agreed diplomatically.
She didn't understand how Hattie could be so happy to be here.
To accept all this. Maybe it was because she had a crush on the First Warrior.
Literally the biggest, baddest dude on the planet.
Second in combat only to the Dominani himself, and leader of the entire military.
He was male that honestly scared Holly and he had never even given her an unfriendly look.
Holly didn't mean to, but she couldn't help but compare the big, scarred, terrifying male to the sexy wizard that had come to see her this morning. Romival was probably on the lean side when compared to other domini, but he was still more muscular than a buff human guy. He absolutely wasn’t the same as a human mega nerd equivalent.
Romival didn't scare her though. Even just remembering him made her belly twist with excited interest. Very unwelcome interest, she reminded herself firmly.
“Hey, look at that,” Hattie pointed forward to one of the stalls set up a little further ahead. “Let's go see those.”
Holly didn't immediately recognize the items laid out and hanging up for sale.
However, as they got closer, she could begin to distinguish the individual wares.
The simple stall was selling candies. But not just little hard candy drops.
They were like little, fragile art pieces.
Tiny sugar glass structures in the shape of flowers in a wide array of colors.
Small enough to be devoured in a single bite but so intricate and pretty that it seemed a crime to eat them.
But that was exactly what a pair of domini children – a male and female, she was pretty sure – were doing as the seller smiled indulgently at them.
“They're so beautiful, Holly!” Hattie said, gesturing her forward.
Holly felt a smile pulling at her own lips as she looked down at the offerings. The sweetest thing she had eaten since she had been here were the mushrooms that almost tasted like caramel. Tiny, sugar glass flowers sounded just right.
Since Holly was considered Atem's sister, she had access to the family account.
An account that he continuously made certain was full, and all five of them could draw on it at any time.
Peony often used Atem's personal account, of course, but the others also used the money Atem provided.
Scarlet wasn't comfortable with it, but she had little choice. Besides, she was training to earn her own money already, so it wasn’t forever.
Hattie, on the other hand, had no gumption about spending Atem's money.
She wasn't inconsiderate to the others that used the account, but she wasn't afraid to buy things for herself and others.
Meanwhile, Holly couldn't justify buying anything. Atem had never questioned them about what they bought or why, but she somehow felt like she should only use the credz for emergencies and that she had to justify each purchase.
“The different colors are different flavors,” the candy seller was explaining, pointing out which color corresponded with which flavor. Holly only recognized about half the fruits and mushrooms he named – because their mushrooms were so sweet, they could be a candy flavor.
“Let's get some for the others as well,” Holly said as Hattie debated which two flavors she wanted. She was limiting herself to only two of the crystal flowers though she clearly wanted more.
“Absolutely,” Hattie nodded along eagerly. “Which flavors do you think?”
They were debating which ones the other girls might like when snickers from behind caught Holly's attention. Hattie didn't seem to notice, but the tingle of discomfort sneaking up Holly’s spine made her turn quickly.
She somehow wasn't surprised to see two domini females standing against the wall of the building across the walkway. Both of them were looking shamelessly at her, snickering behind their hands. They weren't even pretending not to stare and only smirked wider when she caught their eyes.
Holly didn't recognize the two, but she wasn't surprised they recognized her. There were only five humans on the planet after all. Spotting them in a crowd of a species that reflexively camouflaged was as easy as spotting a drop of ink on a clean, white shirt.
The females in question would definitely be considered beautiful by domini standards. On Earth, their body types would be called athletic. They had broad shoulders and muscular arms that they bared proudly, making Holly all too aware of her noodle arms hidden in her bell sleeves.