108 CHAPTER 107 THE MIENS

Matt backed away as the other pink and black creature made its way towards him. If screams were a bullet, then he was sure that he would have fired a vast number of them at the creature. It is not real? A voice whispered in his head, but he back away nonetheless, not willing to find out. He scanned the green cube, hoping to find solace or a way out. How long before he ran out of wit? How long before he loses consciousness again?

First, it was the sand. Then Jeff and his brothers. Now, these scary looking, pink creatures. What other tricks were kept install for him? Was this how Ham felt when he came into this frequency? But Ham had not come to this word with Nebula. Or could it be that he himself was lost? Could he ever go back to Anadan or would he keep on dying and resurrecting until Chris and Pinna finally decide that he too was lost and decide to find him?

The cold went down his spine, and he shivered. He wouldn't let any of his friends go through this agony and insane nightmares. He didn't even wish such for his enemies. Looking at it now, he was proud of his actions. He was glad that he had come into Nebula on Pinna's stead. Was this what the girl could have faced if she come here? No…if anyone deserves to be suffering, then it should be him. He had done so many terrible things that he was not proud of. Killing Sandra was the worst of them all.

"No tengas miedo (don't be afraid)" The hoarse voice of the pink creature standing closer to the glass said. 

Matt had not understood what the creature had said, but the tongue was oddly familiar. Without needing a soothsayer, he placed a name on the accent. There was only one Lineage in Anadan that speaks as though they had no teeth left in their mouth, and that was the people of Olic. 

He was not good with Olic. It was one language in the four tongues of Anadan that he had not mastered and would never master because he was not planning on mastering them. It was a bloody nausea to his soul. The last time he had tried, he had bitten his tongue with his teeth and that had left him in the hands of the healers for some days. 

"Estas bien (Are you okay?)" The creature said again, placing its hands on the green glass.

From the voice, it was easy to tell that the creature was a male. It had two fingers on the almost red palms. A dark line trailed from the palms into the white jumpsuit of the creature, and from Matt's guess, he was sure they rounded his body. They appeared again, however, on his face, running from the side of his cheeks, spreading out in heavy contour on his lips and ascending upwards to his forehead. But for the lines, Matt would have called the creature beautiful. Those gray rich eyes of his blended with the silver hair, which made the color of the cloud look like a joke. While there were three fingers on the left hand, the right hand of the creature was missing. It seemed to have been chopped off from the shoulders by something which Matt did not know.

"Creo que entienden mas a Araen (I think they understand Araen better)" The other creature said, coming to stand beside the silver hair creature.

Matt had no idea what they had said, he couldn't even tell from their body language. Whoever the last creature was, Matt could see the authority lurking about him. He carried his shoulders to draw attention, and the pomposity that matched his soft words seem too subtle for his ego. Like the silver-haired creature, this other creature also has three fingers and had two complete hands like a normal human being. Pink skin covered his body, with dark lines running in an identical fashion like those of the silver-haired, but less numerous and less shiny. His dark hair matched the lines that trailed his body, but they contrasted with the gray, deep-set eyes on his pink skull.

"Don't be afraid," It said, stroking back the dark hair. The gray eyes glint with the white light. Rich and vibrant, both in color and in grace.

"Who…" Matt coughed, hoping to clear the fright from his voice, "Who are you?" 

"My name is Boze," The dark-haired creature said, "And this," He gestured to the silver-haired creature standing abreast from him, "Is Xerta, my assistant captain."

Matt swallowed, but he hated himself for doing so because it made the fear in his stomach obvious. Boze had dropped that line intentionally, Matt could tell from the way he was looking down at Xerta. It was as if he was trying to remind Xerta that he was in charge.

"What is this place?" 

"Oh," Boze chuckled, flashing the fangs on his lower jaw. "This is Saturn, the only home of the Miens. The land of Vudga."

"So you mean I am not on earth?"

The two creatures exchanged disturbing looks with each other. Matt tried to read the unspoken words from their body language alone, but it was difficult as neither Boze nor Xerta seemed to show anything related to what might be running in their minds.

"Earth is not here," Xerta said in his hoarse voice in a rather timid way. 

"Hey," Boze stepped up to the glass and placed his three fingers on them, "What Xerta meant to say was that Earth is no longer in existence. Earth had been destroyed a very long time ago."

"Destroyed?" Matt asked, not able to believe his ears. How can the earth be destroyed? Perhaps in this frequency Earth had been destroyed. He tried to think, but his thought was in shambles. 

"But you have to worry," Boze said, smiling mischievously.

Something coursed through Matt's stomach, and he found himself hating the creature at the spot. Those lustful looks in his eyes depicted a craftsman, who knew how to play around his schemes in other to attain his selfish ends.

"We are going to take care of you, we are going to help you."

"I don't want trouble," Matt said, using the corner of his eyes to find the exit. "I am only looking for my friend. Have you seen him? He looks younger than I, but with muscles."

Boze exchanged a disturbing look with Xerta again. They look uncomfortable and Matt could sense the tension hanging about them. Boze shifted his weight to the other feet, as if contemplating on the right words to say. He stroked the black lines on his forehead, before lifting those gray eyes of his towards Matt's direction.

"If you mean a creature like yourself? Then I am afraid not. We haven't seen anyone one of your kind."

"I must find him," Matt sighed, not trusting a singled word Boze had said.

"We can help you find this friend of yours," It was Xerta who spoke this time. Boze turned an alarming look at his direction, but the silver, one-handed creature, seemed not to be paying attention at the moment.

"We can help you." 

"You can?" Was all Matt said.

He kept observing the two, and the knowledge struck him without effort. The way Xerta returned Boze's gesture with calmness and reassurance, said it all. They were friends, and a very close one at that.

"Yes," Boze said. The disapproving looks were still on his face, but it seemed as if he was only playing along just to make his friend Xerta less furious.

"We would help you find this friend of yours." He finished and smiled, but it never reached his eyes.

"Oh, the way you said." Matt pointed out, referring to Boze's words, "You want something in return, don't you?" 

Boze smiled and this time, the smiles spread through his face, forming a small crinkle at the sides of his eyes. 

"You are clever, creature." He said, nodding his pinky head in approval.

"My name is Matt, and it would be better for everyone if you just spell out your condition already."

If Boze and Xerta were offended by his cold words, they didn't show. They were pretty occupied with naming their condition to be vexed by his verbal assault.

"Here is the deal," Boze said, "We will help you find this friend of yours, but first, you must do as we say, and secondly, you must tell us everything about where you came from."

"And if I don't," Matt asked. His question this time bought a reaction from the two as they shifted their weight uncomfortably.

"If you don't," Boze shrugged, "Then you leave me no choice. You will become my slave for the rest of your life."

Matt wanted to laugh, but he restrained himself. These creatures obviously do not know what he was capable of. They think that they can tie a rope around his neck and tell him where to leap or where to lie. He would play along, though. He would hang with them well enough until they help him find his friend.

"Okay," Matt said, hoping his voice had not betrayed him by revealing the amusement in his stomach.

"I will do as you say. I will tell you all about my world. But first, you must help me find my friend."