Glancing up from under the hood of the robe, she caught a glimpse of Sohut’s face.
If he was nervous, he didn’t show it. His face was composed, unreadable, as he led them through the streets.
She had no idea where she was, but it seemed like it was a market of some sort.
There were so many aliens…so, so many and at another time, she’d have taken the opportunity to look at the many different lifeforms the rest of the human race had no idea existed.
But for now, she kept her head low.
Reaching forward, she slipped her palm against Sohut’s, and the only indication he felt her touch was the slight squeeze he gave her.
They were moving for a while, weaving through the throng, and now and then, he’d glance behind them, checking if they were being followed.
Then he muttered something underneath his breath.
“Geblit,” he said.
She wasn’t sure if it was a curse of some kind because she didn’t understand the words, but then he walked up to an unsuspecting alien that was innocently buying wares.
It looked like a Torian and she didn’t know how she knew it, because they mostly looked alike to her, but this Torian wasn’t one she’d met before.
Sohut released her hand to pull the Torian into a choke-hold before dragging him to the alley beside the stall.
Cleo didn’t know what to think.
“Let me go you ruffian!” The Torian was irate, his big balloon, octopi-like head pulsing with veins. When Sohut let the alien go so he could turn around, the alien’s eyes grew into four wide bowls. “Oh no, not you.”
Glancing from one to the other, she had no idea what was happening.
“Yes, me. Fancy seeing you here. I need your help,” Sohut stated.
The balloon-head alien frowned, his glare directed at Sohut as he seemed to not notice her presence yet.
“Nope. Not helping,” he said. “Whatever problem you have, I am not interested. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my darling mate, Cargga, is waiting for her anti-mold crystals.”
The alien began to walk away on limbs that looked so thin, she wondered how he was managing to lift his body weight.
The Torians in the jungle were skinny but not that skinny.
“Geblit.” Sohut held on to the alien’s arm and she realized then that “Geblit” was his name. Funny, because he looked exactly like a Geblit.
“We need to get out of here. Hide somewhere. You can help us with that, can’t you?”
“We?” It was then that Geblit finally looked in her direction. Stooping a little, he moved so he could see her face underneath the large, white hood.
“Oh no, no, no, no,” he began to say and at that moment, Wawa decided to pop his head out.
The green alien jumped back so fast, his limbs splayed against the alley wall. His mouth and eyes were as wide as planets in their own solar system as the color seemed to drain from his skin.
He looked petrified.
“A-A slizz!”
“Quiet!” Sohut plastered a palm over the alien’s mouth but even then she could hear him screaming behind Sohut’s hand.
Wawa seemed unperturbed as she pat his head and he went back into the depths of the hood.
“Listen, forget about the slizz. He’s a pet. We need your help.”