Page 2 of Abalim

This high-pitched squeal came from one of the strangest looking females Abalim’d ever seen. At first glance, he’d swear the petite little female was barely out of pubescence.

She wore a simple loose black tie and a white blouse tucked haphazardly into a short pleated skirt. On her feet were small-heeled black shoes paired with white thigh-high stockings. Her light-pink skin matched her neon-bright-pink-and-black hair that floated around her as if it had a mind of its own.

The sight of her two sets of arms took him aback. But it was her wide-set pink eyes with shimmering highlights in their black pupils that gave him pause.

Since landing on Hiigar, he’d kept his psychic abilities under a tight leash. But standing in front of these two, he opened his senses a crack to get a feel for who he dealt with. The male was a creature called an Orisha, while the female was a Merkaba. Waves of intelligence and a personality of iron from them both told him all he needed to know. These were the people he was supposed to find.

With a hand over his heart, he gave a slight bow and pretended he didn’t know who they were. “I am Abalim from planet Earth here to see Flygir or Hayami. Are they here?”

“Why’s yous want’s ‘em?” The large Orisha male crossed his arms over his thin, wide chest.

“JR15, please come out and display the video for our hosts.”

The bot’s tiny pointed feet scuttled from behind his head and rested on his shoulder, shivering all the way.

Abalim wished he could send the small thing a psychic sense of calm. All he could do was encourage the small droid. “It’s alright. Go ahead.”

“Okay, Mister Abalim, sir. If you say so.”

The bot folded his legs under him and opened his top eye until it glowed and transmitted a holographic, full-length, 3-D image of Princess Aimee.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the female might have once been a human. But looking at her now, you wouldn’t know it.

From her sleek brown hair with the wide white stripe on one side, now tucked into a loose braid behind her, to her tanned skin that had a slight iridescent sheen to it. Like a human, she had single-colored eyes, but instead of one solid color, hers had an unusual combination of vibrant green with hints of golden-brown flecks. Nestled at her left temple was an intricate tattoo with a clear crystal in the middle. And she had four fingers instead of the three that a normal Zerin had.

“Hi Hayami and Flygir! I hope you guys are doing okay. I sure miss you.” The image clapped. “Baby Ryox is doing fine and demands to see Auntie Hayami all the time.” She clasped her hands together as a serious look came over her face. “Listen, there were more human women kidnapped from the Exchange than we knew. This is Abalim, and we’ve sent him to find one of them, a woman by the name of Althea MacGregor. We’d gotten a thin lead that she ended up at the Galaxy’s Pub like I did. Huh, who’d have thunk that’d happen? Anyway, please help him as much as you can, so he can find her. Thanks, and let me know when you can visit again. Love you both to the universe and back!” The image of the Princess gave a cheery wave before it dissolved.

“Miss happy is she Pretty!” The girlish Merkaba clasped her upper hands together while her lower ones wrapped around her slim waist.

It took a moment before Abalim realized Hayami had called Princess AimeePrettyinstead of using her name.

“All’s right. You’s can come in.” Flygir gestured with his beefy hand for Abalim to enter the smoky pub. “Sit’s there.” He pointed to a small vacant table by the stage. “Hayami bring’s you’s somethin’ to drink.” Flygir’s head whipped around when a loud squeal caught his attention. “You’s!” He wagged a thick finger at an escalating argument between two small aliens on the other side of the room. He lumbered off in their direction.

“Yes!” Hayami clapped both sets of hands. “There sit you. Bring I drink like humans do.” She skipped away, but whirled around and looked at the stage behind him. “Oh! Sweets, here human you see!” She gave a negligent wave to the female on the stage who’d been drumming on a six-stringed musical instrument.

Abalim glanced at the female, who looked like a typical Zerin.

Iridescent light skin, and a purple tattoo on her left temple with a clear crystal in the middle. Her rich sable-brown hair rested over her shoulders in a sleek cascade of curls.

He sat back on the comfortable chair and watched the woman put her instrument down. It wasn’t until she tucked some hair behind it that he realized her ear didn’t swoop up to a point. Nor did she have just three fingers. She had four.

Her sable eyebrows rose. “Oh?” She looked at him.

He was so close to the stage it wasn’t hard to hear her.

“You’re here to see me?” She pointed to herself.

Abalim scratched the side of his scruffy jaw. “Well, I’m looking for a human woman by the name of Althea MacGregor. You wouldn’t know where she is, do you?”

Her joyful laugh made him smile.

She stood and looked at someone behind him. “This guy is looking for a human woman named Althea.” Her mouth lifted into a wide smirk. “Know where she is?” She walked off the stage, holding out her hands.

Abalim watched as a tall Zerin male walked past him and took the woman’s hands.

His long, midnight-black hair, pulled into a braid to his ankles, exposed his pointed ears. No question he was a true Zerin. Each hand boasted three fingers of equal length instead of the four humans had.

The male bent and kissed the female’s knuckles with a low chuckle before turning to face Abalim. “Hello, stranger. My name is Lok. May I ask who you are?”

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