Page 17 of Orange Lake
I sighed. Arms akimbo, I made a 360 degree turn. This place is straight out of a National Georaphic magazine. There is actually two mountains and hills surround this place. The lake is inside the castle grounds. Yes, this is a castle if I ever saw one. On the ground though, you won’t feel it because they look like big houses or mansions side by side. There are just few people living in here from what I saw. There are also less domestic pets like the horses. But they do have pests like cockroaches. Maybe cockroaches can live in a meteor so all planets have one. I don’t see any cats or dogs. There are more birds.
What looked like cars line up the streets below in a very orderly manner. I also realized that Crix’s house is indeed a mansion and maybe only three-story high. It is the tallest building because the other mansions are just one floor. Considering they live near the river and lakes, I wonder if they don’t get any floods. On this side where I am standing, I saw an actual plank of wood, not concrete floor. There’s the stable where they keep the horses. Some toil the land beyond the grasslands. There are smiths, what looked to be grocery stores, some bars. Some smaller houses that are colorful like the colors on Crix’s robes when I first saw him.
If I squint my eyes, I can just imagine everywhere I see is green and blue. There seems to be no crystals on the rivers but the lake and other small lakes outside, reflect some partial blues and greens.
I paused. Could this be an alternate universe? Or I’m just projecting what seems familiar in my surroundings? But the way this castle is setup, it’s almost like on Earth.
Up ahead, I saw a turret. There are no trees to shade me now so I walked towards it. A wooden door is ajar. Without knocking, I pushed it open. Lo and behold, I saw Crix, Jigen and Volks in various stages of undress. I thought the noise I heard were of men working.
I slowly retreated. The three were all looking at me as they went about their business. Roo went to the opening of the door, made a polite bow towards his masters, then silently close the door.
Roo’s face was blank. Yet, I can see he is trying hard not to laugh at me. I am probably like a shocked virgin or something. Inside those doors, aside from Crix, Jigen, and Volks, are what I can only call instruments of doom. Or more like instruments or tools in a Fifty Shades of Grey movie. I hope to God Zirc and Roqs are not into those kinds of play. I will probably not survive it.
The noise continued inside as if nothing happened.
“Let’s go back,” I told Roo, my voice damn it, squeaked. It’s easy seeing or reading about it in movies or books. It’s a totally different experience to see it in live action!
Roo tilted his head slightly. Though his face is blank, his eyes are indeed laughing at me. But behind it, I sense he is proud of his masters.
So, one thing I learned on this walk, in this side of the planet, the manasties like BDSM. Not so different from Earth after all.
Chapter 6
COONE
Brynn
Two weeks, they said. It’s been two weeks since the incident happened. My nights and most of the late afternoons are spent with either Zirc or Roqs, and lately with Roo.
Sigh. Zirc and Roqs.
I feel special but at other times, I felt like I am a voyeur or a silent witness to their love. It saddens me that though I can see they really love one another, they say they are not mates. Roqs explained to me one morning when Zirc was the first one to leave. He said that true mates had a different sound or rhythm to them. They are more in sync with one another and the sex are much more intense. I huffed at that. What could be more intense than the past few weeks?
Roqs could not explain it either. But normally, in a tribe, there are more mates but they are a minority. When there is a true mate, it is a wide celebration.
“Are your parents a true mate?” I asked, and still find it hard to believe that each of them have two fathers. The Chamber, ran by the best doctors and scientists in this planet, keeps the fertilized embryo in tubes. How tragic that they do not know the love of a mother. I used to live with a boyfriend in his rented apartment when I ran away from my foster parents. I later realized how lucky I am to have them as my parents. I reconciled with them just five years ago.
When my boyfriend left without any word, it was a good thing I was of legal age and had a steady job. The landlady made me stay with a lesser rent fee. Later, I found out my ex-boyfriend ran away with his friends due to drug money. Good thing nothing backfired to me. Or maybe it was because my landlady’s pseudo boyfriend is a police officer. She said they are just friends but I know they are more than friends. I don’t want to pry about my landlady’s past as she doesn’t pester me with mine. We sort of respect one another but I will find myself at odd times thinking of buying her stuff that will make a good collection in her apartment. Or clothes that will look good on her because I think the police officer will surely notice.
I had another boyfriend but we parted on good terms. Long distance relationship is hard to maintain.
I wiped the tears in my cheeks. Having this much free time is not good for my mental health. I suddenly missed my parents, all of my friends, Mrs Rogers and Captain Paris. I even missed my job. I like to work. It helps define my purpose in life and society. Yet now, I am floating, thinking of mates of all things!
Roqs never answered my question. He tried to ignore me sniffling. I can see he’s uncomfortable. If I understand correctly, his parents are true mates because it was the only condition that will enable them to have children.
“Do you have siblings?”
“No, that is more rare. The last time anyone had siblings had been more than a millennia,” he said with a faraway look in his eyes.
I turned around another set of trees. From yellow, the leaves here are much closer to green, making them almost yellow green in color. Green reminds me of Earth so I decided to explore more. I can still see the tower of the big house. The top is pointed, forming a big triangle at the top. There are distinct purple markings on it, which they said attributed to Crix’s Purple Tribe.
“Alpha,” a nul bowed deeply to Roqs. He’s the buddy of Roo I saw the other day. He and Roo greeted each other warmly compared to others. “Master Crix called. He is here.”
Roqs looked at me debating. I shooed him. “Go. I will not go far.”
Roo is not here. I heard that someone is coming over today and they are preparing for it.
“Don’t go too far,” he gave me a stern look. “Zirc will come and get you for dinner.”
