“They’d need more than that to communicate with their next-door neighbors, though,” Esme mused. As if Trexus-2 was simply eager to prove itself to her, our shuttle’s safety systems beeped angrily, as objects appeared on the radar screen, directly behind us.
The white dots moved quickly over the green glass. A split second later, we watched them zoom past us—smaller, catamaran-shaped vessels that flew as fast as Earth’s military planes. There were six, each of them painted white, with long glass panels on the top and the sides. The air rippled behind them, and green lights glimmered from their bottoms. They didn’t look like regular fixtures, but rather something akin to an alchemist’s fire… strange and unsettling.
“They’re using some kind of magic,” I whispered, sweat dripping from my temples.
The flying ships slowed down and performed a straight dive into the ocean waters, not far from the red-and-green ships. Their white silhouettes vanished beneath the shore, their rapid movements startling the ocean and moving the frigates, ever so slightly—like a playful nudge, at best.
“What do you think those were supposed to do?” Esme asked me. “Show of force?”
“I think they would’ve at least fired a weapon in the air or something. Right?” I replied. Our shuttle looked significantly more advanced, a boomerang-shaped vessel with an alloy frame and an intricate fusion of space tech and magic, but it was obvious that the people of Trexus-2 had learned a thing or two about flight, around the same time as, if not just a little bit later than, our Earth.
“Right. So, reconnaissance, then?” Derek suggested.
“Maybe, but those are definitely not reconnaissance.” Esme gasped, staring ahead.
Red flares were shot from the edge of the city, leaving a crimson smoke tail behind as they swooshed past our shuttle. They’d been fired accurately, forming a path for us to follow. From what I could see as Derek and Sofia decided to swing us between the red lines, the people of Trexus-2 had definitely seen and prepared for us.
“I’ll take that as an invitation to land,” Derek muttered, steering the shuttle downward.
We were led to a massive, stone-plated landing strip less than a mile from the harbor. It arched around the city’s edge. The closer it got, the better I could observe the architectural details. Needless to say, my breath had run short at the sight before us.
This place was superb. Its buildings were massive, with elegant brickwork and masonry, the façades painted beige and red, with sharp archways and enormous, sloped roofs. The windows were all shuttered, but wide open during the day. Flowers adorned every corner and junction, splashing red, green, and yellow wherever my eyes settled for a second or two.
Gnarly gargoyle-like sculptures held up the roofs, their jaws wide and fangs sharp against the upper winds. A palace rose in the distance, with pointy towers and wrought-iron balconies, a dark gray giant overlooking the entire city. Around it, sumptuous villas and building complexes stretched for several miles, with parks and streams and stone bridges forming an elegant pattern. I was instantly struck by the gothic feel of it all.
There was grandeur on the outside, the wisdom of ages infused into each brick and stone block. I could only imagine what awaited on the inside…
“Preparing for landing,” Derek announced, flipping another set of switches before he steered the shuttle in its hovering position.
My heart was already stuck in my throat, my mind buzzing with anxiety and anticipation. What would they be like? Were they welcoming us, or were we landing in a trap?
“If they wanted us dead, they probably would’ve fired something more potent than red flares at us,” Sofia said, noticing my strained expression. I felt the sweat trickling down my face. All the experience and preparation in the world wasn’t enough for what would come next. This feeling would never change, and both Esme and I knew it.
The thrill of the unknown would forever be the same, whenever we set foot in a new and foreign world. Amal took deep breaths, closing her eyes for a few moments, as the shuttle finally reached the landing strip.
“Okay. Time to introduce ourselves,” Derek said.
He sucked in a breath, gawking at something outside, his lips moving slowly. I followed his gaze and understood his hesitation. As soon as we’d landed, uniformed soldiers had poured onto the landing strip, forming a thick line just outside our shuttle.
They looked a lot like us, and it startled me. Human-like, with athletic figures and tastefully tailored military garb. They didn’t carry any weapons, though, and I couldn’t stop myself from taking it as a good sign.
“They’re not armed,” Sofia said.
“We shouldn’t be, either,” Derek replied, giving us a brief glance. “Leave the weapons here, for now. You all have access cards for the shuttle.”
I nodded, not disagreeing with the decision. Unlike Esme, I wasn’t a fan of weapons in general. I’d done more damage with my claws and fangs when I’d had to.
“What are they doing?” Esme asked, carefully analyzing the soldiers.
“I believe they’re waiting for us to come out,” Nethissis murmured, clutching her satchel.
Derek and Sofia were the first to remove their safety straps as the shuttle’s engines quieted down. Esme and I followed, along with Nethissis and Amal. We stopped in front of the shuttle’s ramp, Derek’s hand hesitating over the control button to his side.
He nodded. “All right. This is it.”
Esme gave me a faint smile, and I braced myself for whatever might come next.
“Ready?” Derek asked, looking at us.
We both nodded back, waiting for a similar reaction from Amal and Nethissis. When they silently confirmed that they, too, were prepared, Derek pressed the control button and the ramp went down with a loud click.
Sofia, Esme, and I pulled on our head covers and masks, given the broad daylight awaiting us outside. Derek, the lucky bastard, had no need, much like Amal and Nethissis. For now, I was fine with that, as long as he did the talking first, like we’d discussed, and assured these people that we were not hostile in any way.
Just slightly light-sensitive.
Derek
My heart was pounding in a way I’d never felt before.
This wasn’t the first time I was making contact with a new civilization, but it was the first time I was doing it in order to get something that might elevate my entire species. Thousands of vampires relied on me and this prolific crew to succeed. Perhaps it was the pressure of this precise thought that made me sweat a little.
Then again, I could also blame it on the view expanding before me as we calmly and slowly came down the shuttle’s ramp. This city was incredible. It reminded me of old Renaissance and Victorian images of Paris and London—an architectural mixture that composed a true ode of love and worship to buildings such as Notre Dame, among many others. I couldn’t ignore the similarities in the design lines and the materials used to erect this city’s many wonders, but I could also see the differences. The line arching left, instead of right. The gargoyle-like beasts that held up the roofs, looking rather different—another kind of gnarly, I thought. There was an otherworldly feel to this world, this city… yet it was imbued with a sense of familiarity. I was confounded.
We’d need days to explore and understand it all, I realized. For that, we had to play nice with the hosts. I did not regret my decision not to carry weapons off the shuttle.
“Derek, there’s a lot of them out here,” Sofia murmured beneath her sun mask.
Indeed, at least a hundred soldiers had gathered, each of them watching us carefully, their eyes glinting in the sunlight. In front of them, I recognized what had to be some kind of welcoming committee. Three males and one female of different ages, wearing elegant tunics and a long, dark red velvet dress, respectively.
