Page 16 of Pandora: Alien Games

The leader stopped in front of it. He called himself Ramy. He had strong, muscular legs and wide shoulders. He dismounted the animal he was riding and stepped in front of the wall. I didn’t see the top of the wall. It was solid and appeared from nowhere. The cave where Edoo took me was in a small stone outcrop, but it wasn’t as steep as this wall that blocked our path.

Ramy spread his arms and lifted them over his head.

Ashok held me. His body was cool and made me feel comfortable, tempting me to get closer. My left arm rested on his arm. His right hand touched my lips to ensure I remained silent. The other Anubis were silent, too.

Ramy’s palms showed upwards. The air started to sparkle around him. Two small tornadoes emerged from his palms. Again, weather phenomenon was foreign to me. How wonderful this was.

I held my breath as small cracks and sparks appeared around Ramy. Then the most incredible thing happened. The tall, yellow wall of rock cracked and moved. The crack opened. All I could think of were sliding doors. This was a natural sliding door in the middle of the desert.

This day could not get weirder.

Ramy raised his arms and his hands touched the top of his head. A blue light flew toward the crack.

Wow. Amazing!

Ramy jumped back on his animal. The beast stood there as if it not bothered by anything that went on. They guys’ faces looked calm, too. This was nothing special to them.

Ramy was the first to step through the crack. We followed.

8

Edoo

I entered the cave and she was gone. Gone!

“Pandora Sky! Pandora!”

She was gone. Silly little female. Why did she leave?

It’s all my fault. She woke up and I was gone. What made me believe she would wait for me? I couldn’t tell her to wait. It was all on me.

Banoo released a moan that was so sad.

“I know. I miss her, too. She’s stubborn. So stubborn. She doesn’t even know what’s out there. There are Rash and sand pirates and sand pythons and the Gods only know what else. She’s all alone out there.”

It was dark. I only wanted her to wait one day. I had received my reward for the Rash. The Caliph was ecstatic and the reward was more than generous. The gems clinked inside my pouch and I traded them for the most beautiful small dress I could find. Anubis females are as tall as we are, and to find a garment that would fit Pandora I picked a dress fit for a girl. It was so pretty, in shades of the sky at noon, with silver drops all over. I was excited, like a young pup that fell for a female for the first time.

“Banoo, I don’t even know in which direction she went.” My chest hurt. My hearts were breaking. I imagined her trapped by Rash that would bite into her soft, warm flesh. And all because of me. I should at least have tried to keep her safe.

To do something.

The night in the desert is beautiful. All the stars and foreign worlds are so close that I feel as if I could stretch my hand and touch them, one by one. I would pluck them all and give them to Pandora.

Banoo walked in front of me, trying to pick up her scent. There was no way we could pick up her scent on the sand.

Never in my life have I felt like this. Fuming, wild, ready to burn down the planet just to get to her.

Was she with the Gods already?

I couldn’t help myself. I kept imagining Rash tearing at her hot, sweet flesh with their dirty, nasty, bony fingers and claws. They would shred her to pieces, their disgusting maws full of pieces of her sweet, juicy flesh.

No!

“She’s fine. I’ll find her,” I whispered to Banoo. Even I had to be silent in the desert, I’m alone in the open and the electric feeling of an upcoming electric storm grates at me. Electric storms are dangerous. I rushed Banoo to move faster. There was a small rock formation not far away that could offer us shelter.

Images of Pandora filled me. Her blue eyes, the taste of her skin, the way she moved and the way her eyes looked when she tried to explain something to me.

I had enough coin to go to town and buy a translation chip. That way I could understand her, at least the most of what she said, enough for me to communicate and learn her words. Find out what she’s searching for. Find out where she’s from. And then....

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