"These clothes are fancy," I say to Zalu as we walk towards the cafeteria for breakfast.
Last night in my room was magical but also a little scary. After Zalu left to go home to her mate, I decided to head to bed. The plush covers and fluffy pillows were calling my name. But when I turned out the lights and silence fell, I was able to hear the roars and calls from the animals outside. It was intimidating, to say the least.
"All Harvested women are dressed in the finest outfits that represent their planet. These clothes are nothing compared to the dresses you will be wearing during the tournament," Zalu replies, and I look at her in surprise before glancing down at the beautiful blouse and straight-leg slacks I put on.
"How do you know so much about Earth and what we like," I ask as I try to picture extravagant gowns.
"Just because humans don't know about us doesn't mean we are ignorant to you," Zalu says as she points toward a table.
I follow the line of her finger and smile when I see a green Kea talking to a human female just like me.
"Would you like to be introduced," Zalu asks, and I nod.
We approach the two, and I begin to overhear the Kea explaining things just as Zalu did yesterday. As Zalu stops at the table, her fellow Kea looks at her with a bright smile.
"Morning Jali (Jail-ee), I see your harvested has arrived," Zalu says, and her friend nods.
"This is Fiadh (fee-ah). She was the closest to death I have ever seen. We were just discussing the tournament," Jali says, and my eyes dart to the girl staring at me.
Her pale blue eyes and reddish-brown hair scream Irish just as loudly as her name. I offer her a smile, but her lips don't even twitch. My smile wobbles and falls quickly.
My time here has been so amazing I forgot what I was feeling 24hrs ago. I got so caught up in finally being healthy and having a future it was easy to push the whole alien planet thing to the back of my mind.
"Hi. My name's Krystal. I got here yesterday," I introduce myself while sticking out my hand.
She tentatively shakes my hand, and I try smiling again.
"If you are afraid, don't be. The people here are really nice. Zalu has been nothing but kind," I say, and Fiadh finally grins.
"Am I that obvious," she mumbles, and I laugh.
"A little," I reply, and Zalu places a hand on my shoulder.
"I will go retrieve our food," she says, and I nod before taking a seat at the four-top table.
"So what's your story Fiadh," I ask, and she chuckles before shrugging.
"I was sick, and now I am here. I didn't have much of a life," she says, and I glance towards Jali before looking back at Fiadh.
"What did you have," I ask, and she stares at me for a second before looking down at the table.
"I don't want to talk about that anymore. I'm not sick now, and I want to move on," she whispers, and I nod before glancing away, embarrassed.
I'm not real sure how to connect with this girl. We both come from Earth, and we were both sick, but that's where the similarities end. She obviously wants to forget while I don't mind remembering it. My sick days weren't great, but I had my mom. Maybe a different topic...
"Are you from Ireland originally," I ask, and Fiadh nods?
"Your English sounds so American," I reply with a cautious smile, and she looks at Jali with a confused expression.
"It's the translator. Krystal sounds Irish to you, and you sound American to her. Zalu and I sound different than we normally do as well. The tone of our voice is correct, but our pronunciation is different. If you knew how to read lips, you would realize our mouths don't match the words you hear," Jali explains, and my brain basically implodes with realization.
I knew Zalu wasn't speaking English this whole time, but I didn't connect all the dots about how extensive their technology really is. It even adjusts accents.
"What other questions do you have, Fiadh," Jali asks, and I look back at them both curiously.
"Who is all in the tournament? What do they look like," Fiadh asks after a moment, and I look at Jali expectantly?
Zalu described the Coks to me and a group of people that aren't in this tournament, but she didn't mention anyone else. Maybe Fiadh and I can connect over our hesitancy to mate with some hyped-up soldier.
"Okay, this is a long list, so don't feel bad if you don't remember everything," Jali says as Zalu returns with our breakfast.
She hands me my bowl and sits down in the chair across from me. Fiadh and I nod, encouraging Jali to begin. Jali takes a deep breath and sets down her bowl. She looks past us as she begins, and I realize this is going to be long.
"The Vaals are a strong people with even stronger ties to their family. They resemble humans the most. They look like the people from the Earth's country, Africa. They have three participants in this Harvest. All three are brothers. The Coks are next. They are a resourceful people. They come from a hot and sandy planet. They live primarily underground to avoid the heat and to be close to their water source. They have fifteen participants in this Harvest. Due to the harshness of their planet, they are known to be excellent fighters which is why they have so many. Their skin is a tan color. The Hassins have six fighters participating, and like us, they range in color. Their tones are more metallic-like, and their features are sharp. Their planet is a cold one. They are thick beings and loud. They are typically the life of the party, as humans say. Shikazs are from a planet filled with tall trees. They are very uniform in color. Their skin is a rich brown, and their eyes are dark green. They enjoy solitude and have small families. There are five of them competing. Makskins have the harshest planet. But they have built domes that encapsulate their cities, so the environment is controlled. Their skin is typically a burgundy shade, and there are five of them competing as well. Glortinons have an interesting appearance. They are light in color ranging in pale yellows, but what makes them fascinating is their glow. Their skin has taken in so much UV light from their many suns that it literally glows. Their planet has no night. They have six competing in the harvest. Froles are fast. They come from a planet that has almost no trees. They are wild-like in personality and features. Their skin is striped from their head down to their toes. They are striped so they can blend in with the grass. They see great at night and are similar to the big cats on your planet when it comes to hunting. They typically choose females from their own planet. They have seven males competing. Next are the Bronkorks. They are the largest beings fighting on our side in the war. They typically stand over seven feet tall and have orangey skin. They come from a planet full of mountains and hills. Like the Hassins, they are loud and boisterous. They have five competitors.
Last but not least are the Gaimos. Their planet is swamp-like. They have thin pupils and scales on certain areas of their skin for protection. They tend to be quiet. Three Gaimos are competing. Two planets had no competitors this harvest, and those are the Keas and the Peulos. The Peulos come from a watery planet and like to swim. They are blue or green in color. Kea's are all around you. We are the most colorful. We view everyone as family and hate conflict. Fighting in this war is hard for our people. That is why Keas host the Harvest. We are the most trusted," Jali explains, and my brain rattles as it tries to categorize the different males that will be competing for our hands."Wow," Fiadh breathes, and I nod in agreement.
I can't think of a better word to describe what was just explained to us.
"Oh, look. The other humans have all arrived. That was faster than usual," Zalu suddenly says, and my eyes snap to the door.
Two of the human females look similar with their beautiful dark straight hair and almond-shaped eyes, but the third is an elegant dark beauty that has the presence of a queen. The Keas escorting the three of them lead the women to our table, and my back straightens a little.
"Fellow Harvestees, may I present. Zuri, Xiu, and Jia. They all just arrived," the blue Kea says, and I stand up.
"Hi, my name is Krystal. That's Fiadh," I say as I look back at my Irish counterpart, who is blushing.
I turn back around to the three newcomers and smile. I hold out my hand, and Zuri, the dark beauty, gives me a smile back before shaking my hand. When I move to Xiu, she shakes my hand but bows her head a little. I copy the motion to be polite. Jia slightly giggles at my hesitancy, and when I shake her hand, she gives me a wink.
"Where are you from," Zuri asks as I sit back down.
"I am from Ohio. Umm, well, the United States. Where are you three from," I answer, fumbling a little?
"I am from Africa," Zuri answers, and I nod before looking at the others again.
"China," Xiu says shyly, and I smile again.
"That's cool," I reply before looking at Jia.
"California in the United States," She says, and a slight sense of comfort fills me.
At least someone can relate to me.
I grin as Jia gulps down another fizzy drink we got with our room service. When I asked Zalu about the drink, she had smiled and waved good night instead of answering me. So we have been learning what it is on our own. The purple liquid seems to make you feel drunk, but it doesn't make you wobbly or incoherent in any way. It is basically a grape soda that gives you the giggles. "So, what's your story," Jia asks me after I finish describing my first day here, and I giggle as she flops down on the couch beside me. "My story? You came to my room to learn my story," I ask, and Jia smiles. "Pretty much. You seemed nice at breakfast and the most approachable. So spill," Jia replies, and I nod while placing my empty plate down. "Okay, well, I'm from Ohio. My family consisted of my mom and me... And I have been sick off and on the majority of my life," I explain, and Jia looks down at the piece of fruit she is playing with in her fingers. "Single mom, huh," she mumbles,
I can't help but tear up as I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Zalu is an absolute artist.My makeup is light but flawless. The mixture of brown and pale green eyeshadow applied to my eyelids makes my blue-green eyes pop. The pale pink lipstick Zalu brushed my lips with gave them a plump, kissable look. My hair has been swept up into an elegant bun, and the dress...The light green lace ball gown I am wearing is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I truly feel like a princess."Are you happy," Zalu whispers from behind me, and I spin around.I wrap my arms around her waist, and she giggles before returning my hug."I am honored," she says quietly, and I release her before stepping back."I have never felt like this before. I feel breathtaking," I admit, and she nods while her cat-ish eyes grin at me happily."I am happy I could help. Are you ready," Zalu asks lightly, and my butterflies return.She watches my expression closely, and I nervously lick my lips befo
"Attention, after meeting with your next group, you may retire for thirty minutes. For the last switch, please listen up," the male Kea says, and the female from Hassin, who I was speaking to, stops laughing. I turn my attention to him almost eagerly. Ever since the uncomfortable first round with the Froles, things have run smoothly. The Keas and Hassins being my favorites to talk with, closely followed by the Shikazs and the Peulos. We haven't had any more uncomfortable moments, and I have even made a couple of new friends. The male Kea lists the names and colors quickly as I look around the room with a easy-going grin, but when my eyes land on Zalu, my happy feeling dims a bit. She looks anxious as she stares at the announcer, and the realization hits me slowly as to why. The last group...the ones we haven't met yet. "Makskin, Earth, blue," he says, and a chill runs over my skin. The fact that Zalu is this worried about us talking with Zor is intimidating. It mak
"How did it go with Zor," Zalu asks as she sprays my face with what is apparently flawless foundation in a can.I grin as the memory of Xiu's words run through my head. She was so kickass!"It went well. Xiu handled the conversation, so it remained respectful but dramatic. Zor made some rude remarks, and Xiu returned the favor while not going over the line. It was beautiful," I explain while looking up at Zalu's nervous face.She grins and sets the spray can down before picking up the brush to apply more lip product."Good. I was worried you would let Zor get under your skin. She can be hard to get along with," Zalu says, and I nod slightly since I am trying to keep my lips still.Zalu finishes my makeup touch-ups quickly, and we hurry back to the hall. Just like before, Zalu presses the button to open the door, but the room's new layout makes me pause for a few seconds before I proceed into the room.The colored tables are nowhere in sight, and fancy lights are now hanging from the c
The females begin to take their seats, and I watch the line to ensure I grab the right chair. The last thing I need to do is get into a skirmish with a Makskin over seats. As soon as the smaller Makskin sits down, I follow. Jia sits down beside me, and I focus my attention on the male Kea watching all of us with an excited smile. He looks as if he can't wait to bring in the champions competing for our hands, and that eases my mind a bit. Kea people are sweet individuals. If he is happy to introduce us, the men must not be too bad. "Now then, let us begin. It is my greatest honor to present this Harvest's Champions. We begin with the Commanders—Commander Garlof, age 27, from the planet Cok. Defeated and conquered a Rusckods base with only seven soldiers. Commander Fornis, age 26, from the planet Cok as well. He led a covert mission into Muysocks controlled space. Not only was the mission a success, but he also didn't lose a single soul in the mission. Commander Burk, age 27, fr
"I was just surprised. I figured that would be something Fiadh would do," Jia whispers as we watch the twirling bodies move around the room. I shrug and rub my forearms to hide my embarrassment. "The thought of someone mistreating one of you just brought up a lot of emotion. I didn't mean to cry. I know that made me look weak...I just. My mom was all I had before I came here, and now the four of you are all I have. My bravado and hate towards the stuck-ups just kind of evaporated when I started questioning our safety," I explain, and Jia wraps her arms around me tightly. I manage to wrap my arms around her lower back, and she pats my back. "I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I appreciated you standing up and showing some vulnerability. We needed to be reassured," Jia says, and I nod as she releases me. I give her a small smile, and we return our focus to the dance floor. Xiu, Zuri, and Fiadh have been asked to dance twice, while Jia and I have been asked once. O
BURK POV The feminine voices buzz all around me as I try to pinpoint individual conversations. I don't want a mate focused on my gold status now that we have received it. She will spend our lives flaunting our wealth instead of building our family. "Any luck," Modok grumbles lowly, and my eyes snap open to glare at him? Even his low tone hurt my sensitive ears, and he knows how much I hate when I get interrupted. "No. But how could I if you keep butting in," I growl, and Modok shrugs. He moves closer to my side as his reptilian eyes sweep the room. Between his eyes and my ears, very little gets past us. But there have been times. "Just ask them to dance. I'm going to focus on the Keas and the Earthlings. They should be the least likely to base a good pairing on gold. Nole has already reported back on the Shikazs and the Peulos. It's pointless to approach their groups again," Modok says, and I glance at him. "They call themselves humans. Use their terminology. That group
BURK POV"I wasn't good enough for Commander Garlof, so I decided he wasn't good enough to escort me," Krystal explains with sass in her soft voice. My eyes dart towards Commander Garlof, who is receiving disapproving stares, and I smirk. He thought because the human females were smaller, he didn't have to respect them as he would the others, and now Krystal has exposed his disrespect to the room. As I return my focus to the females, I am approaching the tallest beauty with chocolate skin places her hands on her curvy hips. "I will kick his butt! You are amazing," she says angrily, and I chuckle slightly at the idea of her fighting against the renowned Commander. She wouldn't even be able to handle a poke from his hand, let alone an all-out fight. But the human females seem just feisty enough to believe they could actually win. What they lack in size, they make up for in spirit, something I have come to respect during my years of fighting. As I continue my approach, I w