《Falling Star》 Chapter 001 - Whats that sound? Chapter 001 - What''s that sound? ? ? ? The day was cool, although shining brilliantly to the east were Goldang and Azurang. Within the periphery of an ancient forest was a boy, a scion of the Ras Clan, who went by the name ~Ras OxBee~. OxBee, or Little Ox as he is affectionately called, was not tall. In fact he was one hundred and forty seven centimeters (147 cm) despite his peers being much taller. Which for him was a somewhat undesirable circumstance, caused by late puberty it seems. OxBee was of a woodish-brown complexion, which could be forgiven if it was mistaken for copper-brown. However there was no mistaking OxBee¡¯s hair, which was clearly of a glossy azure shade, which quite frankly, matched perfectly with his brilliant radiant blue eyes. OxBee¡¯s hair was well groomed, combed in finely braided locks with a few colourful beads attached to their ends, and reached down to his upper back. It was a style rather reminiscent of the Jata hair style worn in ancient times on Earth. But even with its long history, the Jata was in fact, a vogue amongst his peers within his clan, or at least that was how he remembered it. OxBee was not muscle-bound, however it was evident that he was well built. Yet, that was not his most unique feature, for above all else, OxBee was considered handsome. He could still remember his earlier childhood, where he was regularly chased after by adoring girls. It seems, such an handsome feature was even a little mysterious, due to his entire facial features appearing to have been carved with every possible proportion aligned with the Golden Ratio, or so he had heard. Thus, with such an handsome appearance, who amongst us could say truthfully, that OxBee seemed ugly or repulsive in anyway? None! For even the blind would find themselves wanting to catch a glimpse, much less a person who was fully able sighted. Yet, despite his good looks, his Jata braided hairstyle, and even his knob-like earrings in his tragus, OxBee had a natural masculinity which was quite apparent to anyone who saw him. OxBee¡¯s clothing choice was a bit novel. He wore a forest-green one piece, which when looked at, was rather reminiscent to the diving skin overall worn by sea divers. His one piece suite had beautiful golden patterns adorning it, and over this OxBee wore a loose-fitting black shorts, with pattern of green trees and golden falling stars. His shorts was very comfortable, flexible, and manoeuvrable. While on his feet was a pair of sturdy black shoes, reminiscent of those worn by soldiers. OxBee wore a wristband around both his wrist, that were constructed from several cylindrical rods closely and solidly fitted together. It was made out of an unusual metallic crystal, similar in appearance to his staff and its double slotted holster. In the ancient forest, OxBee was seated in a lotus position against a most conspicuous tree in this section of the woods. The tree was a great ancient looking evergreen tree, at least seventy meters (70m) tall, and yet by no means was this the tallest tree this ancient forest had produced. With both palms resting on his knees and facing the sky, and a blueish metallic crystal staff resting in his palms, which was 149.5378619cm at its tallest, which was rather precise for some reason. OxBee looked completely relaxed, calm and at peace as he meditated. While it was the norm for the young, and people in general to meditate and cultivate themselves, there was still a question to be asked. Why had OxBee chosen an ancient forest for his meditation practice? Could he not have done this at home? After all, it was not like these woods were without a shred of danger. Well, the answer was rather simple and straightforward. Since, it was widely known that forest, especially ancient forest, are natural producers for great amount of ¡®Environmental Qi¡¯, and as a result, such ancient forest were highly valuable towards meditation and Qi cultivation. Yes, OxBee was meditating as well as cultivating his Qi. OxBee had long come to know such seemingly common knowledge, and as such, these practices had become a routine of his. However, such ancient forest could no longer be found on Earth. And yet this boy, OxBee, was clearly seated in a lotus position meditating within the periphery of such an ancient forest.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Wait a moment, one may say to hirself. How could this then be? If such an ancient forest no longer existed on Earth, how could OxBee now be found presently meditating in one? Was this a dream? A vision of some sort? Maybe this was glimpse into the past of a time long since gone? Ah, or perhaps this was a movie, or some sort of new virtual reality game? All of those, were all reasonable explanations, were they not? Yes, but none were actual reason. For this ancient forest was located not on Earth, but on a planet called Dunia. A planet located in the Golden Azure Tang Star System, a star system referred to as the GATS System by the natives of Dunia. While officially, the major star was called ¡®Golden Tang¡¯, it was commonly referred to by Dunia¡¯s natives as ¡®Goldang¡¯. While in contrast, the minor star, officially called ¡®Azure Tang¡¯, was referred to as ¡®Azurang¡¯ by Dunia¡¯s inhabitants. With the GATS system being a binary star system, looking up into the sky was always a wonderful thing for OxBee. Since this would often fill him with a feeling of being on a far off world on some amazing adventure and so it should, albeit, OXBee didn¡¯t always feel this way. Even though Dunia had two stars, it was certainly not a dry and arid planet. On the contrary, Dunia was more of a tropical-like planet, filled with many huge, wondrous, ancient and pristine forest. But, do not for a second be pulled in and deceived by those wondrous and beautiful forest. For within those forest roamed danger, and if one was not strong enough roaming such forest alone would be no different from courting death. Death in the form of wrongdoers, death in the form of beast. Beast which appeared in all shapes and sizes. Some of which were very cunning, as they boasted an ¡®instinct-intelligent¡¯ which was uncannily high. As these animals were¡­. Still, Dunia was a beautiful and a fertile planet, and such fertile planetary conditions were due to many factors. Chief of which was the number one industry one Dunia, which benefitted from the orbit of Azurang around Goldang. For it was the balance between these two stars which lead to the creation of a large habitable zone, a habitable zone in which Dunia was favourably positioned. Thus, if one were to compare Dunia¡¯s GATS system to Earth¡¯s Solar System, then the star ¡®Goldang¡¯ would be twice as large as the Sun and similarly positioned in the centre of the system. While the star ¡®Azurang¡¯ would be approximately one seventh (1/7) the size of the Sun, and similarly positioned to Neptune. With Dunia on the other hand being located in a similar position to the asteroid belt. ______________________________________________________________________ As the pair of stars, Goldang and Azurang rose in the east, OxBee continued his Qi cultivation. What could be perceived if one were observant, was a very faint bluish hue around OxBee. In fact, this very faint bluish hue appeared to be fog-like in its nature, and was actually dispersed throughout the entire ancient forest, appearing quite reminiscent of morning fog. But what exactly was this bluish fog-like hue? Amazingly, this bluish fog-like hue substance was sucked in, or more accurately, it was inhaled by OxBee with every subtle breathe he took. Looking at it, it was akin to seeing someone inhale smoke. As a matter of fact, even when OxBee was not inhaling, this bluish fog-like substance could even be observe being subtly pulled towards him. How could this be? Was not this fog-like substance practically air? Such questions were perfectly logical, but so too was the answer. For in actuality, this bluish fog-like hue was really ¡®Environmental Qi¡¯, and was the very reason why OxBee came to the periphery of this ancient forest to do his Qi cultivation and meditation. So powerful is ¡®Environmental Qi¡¯, that if a non-practitioner of Qi were to be totally exhausted, and were to then walk in or be taken through such a ancient forest overflowing with ¡®Environmental Qi¡¯, that they would in a very short period of time, begin to feel invigorated and revitalized just by being within the vicinity. If only such forest still existed on Earth, would the human beings of Earth dedicate themselves to the art of meditation and Qi cultivation? Would they practice with a similar level of enthusiasm to how this little boy on Dunia was now practicing? No one could answer such a question, for the reality was that Earth no longer had such ancient forest, and despite its global re-forestry campaign, those newly planted forest were still too young. With the days on Dunia being marginally longer than the days on Earth, time seemed more abundant on Dunia. Consequently, OxBee would often dedicate several hours per day towards gathering and cultivating his Qi, after which he would then attend to his daily duties. However this was not an issue, since the amount of hours in a day on Dunia was Twenty Eight Hours (28 hours) when compared with the amount of hours in a day on Earth. Still, on this particular day however, OxBee would be unable to complete his usual routines. For little did he know, heading towards him at this very moment was a monster, or so it seemed. It did not take long before OxBee was able to hear sounds. The sound of rustlings trees, the sound of heavy impacts rushing towards him from an easterly direction. ¡®What is that sound?¡¯, OxBe thought upon hearing the rustling of tree in the forest. ¡®Something is headed this way¡¯ OxBee thought to himself ¡®and it is approaching fast¡¯ he continued, as he quickly started exiting his meditative state. The sounds grew louder, as OxBee¡¯s now present sense of urgency intensified. ¡®Not Good.¡¯ thought OxBee. Judging by the sounds, it was apparent that whatever it was, gave an impression of being rather larg. Chapter 002 - A Chase! Chapter 002 - A Chase! ? ? ? Having exited his meditative state, OxBee was now on his feet.¡®I wonder what it is, that is headed towards me?¡¯ OxBee thought. Was it something friendly? Was it something dangerous? Was OxBee destined to encounter a¡­¡­. OxBee did not know the answers to those questions, nor did he have the time to ponder them. For now he was looking in the direction where the rustling trees could be clearly seen moving, while the shaking from the heavy impacts of footsteps could be felt, albeit slightly. ¡®I need to get away from here.¡¯ was the thought that now occupied OxBee¡¯s mind. But before a second had passed he already concluded that it was already too late to run away. ¡®Hide within the tree.¡¯, was the lighting-like response which OxBee perceived, as it permeated his conscious mind. And yet, it was a response which was surprisingly inaudible, with no indication of anyone around to offer a response. In a jiffy OxBee scurried up the great ancient looking tree, which just a few moments ago he had been peacefully meditating under. Even though ascending a tree was nothing more than child''s play to him, OxBee had still utilized his blueish looking staff, a staff named Mathema, in aiding him to hurriedly ascend this ancient looking evergreen tree. With a firm grasp on Mathema, OxBee floated up into the ancient looking tree as if he were falling, falling head down slowly into the sky. ¡®I definitely have to avoid been detected.¡¯ OxBee thought, as he hid himself amongst the thick foliage of this ancient evergreen tree. Then, while maintaining his calm, OxBee looked onto the source of his present considerations. ¡°Boom boom, boom boom!¡± was the sound reverberating with the ancient forest, as a monstrous figure manoeuvred its way through the trees making itself clearly visible to OxBee¡¯s now astonished gaze. ¡®It seems to be a giant primate-like creature,¡¯ OxBee said to himself, ¡®truly impressive, this is definitely the first time that I have seen anything like this.¡¯ OxBee thought, as he continued to observe the approaching beast. It should be understood that OxBee, has young as he was, was well traveled and had seen many things. Things such as different types of faunas, exotic floras, along with some very distinct species of humans. So one could only imagine the qualities this creature had possessed in order to have made such an impression on OxBee. Nevertheless, a primate-like creature such as this was a bit more than unexpected. Looking from his vantage point, OxBee estimated the beast to be more than six meters (6m) tall. However, as amazing as seeing a creature of such huge stature was, what truly captivated OxBee¡¯s attention, were what could only be considered as clothing. Clothing? Why would a beast be wearing clothing? A pair of boots, bloodish-red in appearance, which seemed rather sturdy yet comfortable and appeared to have been made out of some sort of thick hide. A shorts that stopped at its knee, fully grass-green in color, very sturdy yet light looking, and gave the impression to have been designed so as to not hinder its wearer¡¯s movements. Wrapped around the waist was its long, thick, yellow fur tail, along with a rather odd looking belt which was jet black in appearance. While hanging by a thread behind the back of this primate-like creature was a rather simple looking brownish-yellowish palm-leaf hat. ¡®It¡¯s wearing clothing.¡¯ thought OxBee to himself with a hint of surprise as he continued to safely observe the creature from the ancient tree. ¡®Maybe it escaped from a circus of some kind? Or maybe it is someone¡¯s pet?¡¯ OxBee wondered. But given his present predicament, OxBee was not foolish enough, to spend his time seeking the answers to such questions. This was especially so, due to an ability of his. An ability which allowed him to perceive that, presently, the creature felt aggressive. With long golden looking fur covering its entire body, including its face, it was still apparent that this massive primate-like creature was robustly built. It had long powerful looking arms, connecting to what could be described as two round sphere on its broad shoulders. OxBee continued to observe this giant primate-like creature, only to now be surprised by the facial features which this creature unexpectedly possessed. What OxBee saw was a face, a face flushed mildly pink which seems to bear a striking resemblance to that of modern Earth humans, albeit partly covered over by long golden fur. OxBee did not know if this was of any significance, but found the create to be very fascinating, in spite of his present situation. ¡°Boom boom, boom¡­..¡±, the sounds from the impact were now strikingly load as the creature neared. OxBee looked on as the primate-like creature continued past the giant ancient looking evergreen tree. The said tree he had hid himself in. Unexpectedly, and even more so unwelcomely, the creature seemed to have slowed its previous brisk movements. In fact, for some inexplicable reason it seemed to be coming to an halt. ¡®Did it notice me?¡¯ OxBee thought, as this giant primate-like creature came to an halt and started to survey its surround. Turning around with eyes perusing its environment, the creature¡¯s gaze came affixed directly at the ancient looking evergreen tree.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡®Darn it!¡¯ said OxBee to himself in annoyance, as it was now apparent that the creature was certainly aware of the presence of something nearby, and by nearby the creature knew it was within the ancient looking evergreen tree. While not as vigorous as when it was running, OxBee could still feel the impact from the creature¡¯s footstep as it walked, with a human like motion, towards the ancient looking evergreen tree. However OxBee did not pay much attention to the creatures motion, as he had already thought that the creature could have been trained to walk in such a manner. Instead, what OxBee soon realize was that the face of the creature had clear signs of exhaustion and fatigue. ¡®Maybe it was tired from all the running it had done earlier?¡¯, OxBee pondered. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s possible,¡¯ OxBee thought to himself, ¡®I may just be able to outrun it.¡¯ as if he was a bit uncertain in accomplishing this deed. As the creature came ever closer, the urge to dart towards his village began to stir within OxBee. But then OxBee thought of something, ¡®even if I did reach the village, wouldn¡¯t I just be bringing danger along with me and placing everyone there at risk?¡¯. OxBee was right. There were no guarantees that after arriving at his village, this creature would not then turn its sights onto someone else, someone less capable of evading such a dangerous predicament. ¡®I can not allow that!¡¯ OxBee thought adamantly to himself. ¡®I will definitely have to lead it away from the village.¡¯ he concluded. ¡®But where should I lead it to?¡¯. This was indeed a very important question, as OxBee could not just run about haphazardly in this ancient forest without direction or planning. Kneeling on a thick limb of the ancient tree, OxBee separated Mathema from the middle into two equal halves, which he then placed into its holster neatly worn and firmly attached onto his back. If one could observe where Mathema was separated into two, it would appear as if it was cut cleanly in half by a nano-precision laser. So smooth and precise was Mathema separated, and yet, there were no lasers to be found. As OxBee pondered and observed, he came to realize something ¡®Judging by the trajectory the creature had been running on, it appears to be in parallel with the coastline.¡¯ he thought to himself. This was significant, for it meant that if OxBee wanted to flee, he would only have one option. Running south of the creature¡¯s path would lead OxBee to the coast, and to what would then turn out to be a dead end. Running north would lead him further into the ancient forest and was definitely a no-no, as OxBee knew that far more dangerous creatures dwelled within those woods. This only left two directions, the direction that the creature came from and the direction it was heading in. Even though it was not on a direct path with OxBee¡¯s village, OxBee was still reluctant to take the risk of head into that direction. And so, only one direction remained, and that was the direction whence the creature came. The creature had now arrive at the ancient evergreen tree. Parting the foliage of the great ancient looking evergreen tree, this primate-like creature not only saw, but looked OxBee squarely in the face. OxBee did not feel any apprehension nor fear, but somewhat strangely, what OxBee felt was a surge of curiosity that arose a mysterious and fascinating feeling instead. However this experience was quickly disrupted, as not a moment later, the primate-like creature began to climb the great ancient looking tree. As it ascended, the primate-like creature proceeded to open its huge maw, which then uttered sounds, sounds unrecognizable to the no longer present OxBee. OxBee bolted. If OxBee had not reacted so fast, he could have observed something highly intriguing, something that could have possible changed his mind. But who amongst us would concern themselves with such things when one¡¯s life and limbs may be in danger? ¡°Whoosh!¡± From out of this ancient looking evergreen tree appeared a relatively tiny looking figure, that is, when compared with this mammoth of a creature. Appearing on the ground, OxBee immediately made his way in the direction from which the creature came, albeit slightly more northerly. While making his departure apparent to the creature, for it to give chase. Realizing this, what can only be describe as a look of dread and panic appeared on the creature''s face. How is it that this beast, this wild creature, was capable of such intelligent and strikingly accurate expression of human feelings & emotions? Or were these expressions merely due to the fact that dinner was now escaping? No one could say for certain. However, anyone who saw this would without a doubt say, ¡®this beast was no ordinary creature¡¯. In a rush, the creature descended the tree, as it followed after OxBee. A chase. ¡°Boom boom, boom boom!¡± OxBee did not look back, in fact there was no need. He could clearly hear the heavy impact of the creatures footsteps as it landed on the forest floor, and as such was able to discern its proximity. ¡°Just my luck, It¡¯s enthusiastically chasing me.¡± OxBee murmured to himself, as he knew the creature was following real close behind him, and so was hoping that things would not become too dangerous. While OxBee was no slouch, it was no easy task to outrun a creature of this size, which itself moved rather briskly. With every step it made covering several meters, and were several times those of OxBee¡¯s steps. Nevertheless, the turnover rate of OxBee¡¯s strides were no joke. After all, even Earth¡¯s ¡®King of Sprints¡¯ himself, Usain Bolt, would be rendered awestruck if he could witness OxBee¡¯s amazing feat. Were OxBee¡¯s feet truly that amazing? OxBee ran with amazing speed. ¡°While I¡¯ll rather not enter too deep within this ancient forest, I will still try and use the trees here to my advantage.¡± said OxBee softly to himself. Actually, this was the reason why he had earlier headed slightly northerly the moment he bolted. As he had hope that the closeness of the forest trees would hinder the creature¡¯s movements when giving chase. And chased OxBee the creature did. Within less than a minute they had already covered close to a thousand meters. How was it possible to run close to a thousand meters in less than one minutes time? Was this not a child, a child who had not yet gone through his puberty? As a matter of fact, was this child named OxBee even human? Of course OxBee was human. After all, humans were capable of even far greater, and more astounding deeds. And as a Qi practitioner, OxBee had started walking along the path to achieve such astounding deeds. OxBee zigzag through this ever thickening forest of trees, with a nimbleness and agility worthy of any young expert who cultivated hirself. However, to his amazement, OxBee came to realized that even with the ever thickening closeness of the forest trees, this primate-like creature was actually catching up to him. ¡®What¡¯s happening here?¡¯ OxBee thought, ¡®shouldn¡¯t the closeness of the forest trees be slowing it down?¡¯ It was perfectly logical for OxBee to assume this, after all, it was a huge creature. Then, should not a creature of that size find it difficult to manoeuvre through such an ever thickening forest? It should have, however it did not. For if OxBee had looked behind him, he would have seen a gigantic primate-like creature as it ran, swung from thick tree limbs, and used quite distinct movements. Movements that were very intelligent, dexterous and acrobatic to motion its way through the spaces between the closely grouped forest trees. Movements that any practitioner would readily describe as, bodily manoeuvres. OxBee gritted his teeth, as he seemed to be momentarily struggling with making a decision. But as soon as he had gritted his teeth it was obvious that something had changed. Chapter 003 - A Zillion Tome? Chapter 003 - A Zillion Tome? ? ? ? What had changed was that OxBee¡¯s direction became sharply more northerly. In fact he was actually now heading deeper into this ancient forest. What an insane act? Had OxBee actually forgotten his earlier reservations about heading deeper into this ancient forest? Does he no longer care about the greater dangers that dwells deep within the ancient forest? Of course OxBee had not forgotten. In fact, this was the basis for his decision, since OxBee had hoped that the now greater thickness of the forest would be of more help. But on the other hand, if it turned out that the thickening forest trees were still of no help, OxBee had deduced that this primate-like beast was sure to draw another creature¡¯s attention. And It was this which OxBee had planned to take advantage of, as OxBee had hoped that such a situation would grant him the opportunity to make an escape. Thus, leaving the primate-like creature, along with whatever else it encountered, to ¡®duke it out¡¯ as the saying goes. It was now close to five minutes since the chase had begun. Both OxBee and the primate-like creature were still running at a remarkable speed, covering much distance in the process. This meant that they had journeyed a fair bit within this ancient forest, which was evident by a simple glance around. The forest was now dimly lit, as the foliage from above blocked out the brilliant light that shone from Goldang and Azurang. Still, what could be seen were beam of lights streaking through the many ancient trees, trees huger than the one OxBee had earlier ascended. While there was a very slightly noticeable increase in the concentration and glow of the bluish fog-like hue of ¡®Environmental Qi¡¯. While the creature was chasing OxBee this entire time, it was still uttering sounds unrecognizable to him, and this finally caught his attention. Even though OxBee did not understand what the sounds meant, he was now aware they displayed clear patterns of intelligence. ¡®Is it talking? Is it trying to speak with me?¡¯, were the thoughts that came to OxBee¡¯s mind, as he now paid keen attention to those sounds. ¡°Surely not!¡± Oxbee exclaimed in disbelief. As he was now convinced that what he had heard gave the impression of actually being a form of language. ¡°Is this creature intelligent? Is it actually a sentient being?¡±, OxBee said to himself. ¡°If this is true, was it trying to communicate with me all along?¡±, said OxBee as he now verbalized his thoughts. OxBee was now at odds. This was because he was now considering the reality that, this may very well be an intelligent sentient being, a human being. This notion was not so far fetch as to prevent OxBee from accepting it. As a matter of fact, OxBee had actually met other human beings, human beings who were from separate and distinct human species. In fact, one of the very first friend OxBee had made on Dunia, was a human girl unlike himself, a human girl who went by the name ¡®Sky¡¯. However, unlike the primate-like being now chasing OxBee, Sky was a human being from a species known as ¡®Cheruboid¡¯, while he himself was of the human species know a ¡®Humanoid¡¯. In fact, if anyone from Earth were to see Sky this very moment, they would be greeted with a sense of familiarity. After all, solely in appearance, Sky was very similar to those fairies spoken of in various Earth mythologies, with a light body of a rather small stature with beautiful wings used for flight. Nevertheless, baring magic which did not exist, such physical appearance and features were actually the distinct characteristic of the Cheruboid human species, of which Sky and her people belonged. With his mind thinking of Sky, a human being from a separate and distinct species whom he had previously encountered, OxBee pondered. ______________________________________________________________________ At this very same time, somewhere on Dunia, a little Cheruboid lady, no taller than forty nine centimeters (49cm), stopped mid-air in her flight reminiscent of a hummingbird. As her mind, for no explicable reason, had being continuously thinking about OxBee for several minutes now, she seemed lost in thought. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± asked an elderly looking Cheruboid who was flying alongside Sky. ¡°I-I¡¯m not certain.¡± responded Sky a bit tentatively, due to her being so engrossed in her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s just that, for several minutes now , I have been feeling somewhat uneasy for OxBee.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Responded the Elderly Cheruboid with an air of wisdom and dignity about him, ¡°Do not worry, I¡¯m sure the little fellow is doing fine.¡± said this elderly Cheruboid, who himself was not more than half a meter (50cm) tall, as he tried to comfort Sky apprehension regarding OxBee. ¡°I do hope you are correct Grandpa Zan¡± replied Sky to the elder Cheruboid, ¡°Though I do think I should at least go and take a look.¡± Grandpa Zan looked at her with understanding eyes, but he still had his own responsibilities so he went on to remind her ¡°You do remember that your aren¡¯t...¡± Sky interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ll just be taking a peek,¡± she said, as she headed for a nearby tree branch to sit on. She knew what Grandpa Zan was about to remind of, but she was still determined. ¡°However, if he¡¯s in danger...¡± ¡°I know I know¡± replied Grandpa Zan. As he too knew what this affectionate lady who cared deeply about her friends was about to say. Seated meditatively with her eyes close, Grandpa Zan watched as Sky extending her consciousness sensor a few breaths later. ______________________________________________________________________ While OxBee was been chased, it didn¡¯t seem like he was aware that Sky was concerned about him. How could he? Was he a telepath? No, OxBee did not realize since he was not a telepath. And even though others might be, OxBee was not. Albeit he did possess a closely related capability. OxBee¡¯s facial appearance had changed. Still, this was only due to the fact that whatever OxBee had been pondering about prior, he had now resolved. ¡®It¡¯s very likely that this is actually a human being. But if it is indeed a human being, why was he chasing me?¡¯, was what OxBee thought to himself. Arriving at the possibility that this person may be harbouring nefarious intent, OxBee spoke one word, ¡°Uzumi!¡± ¡°Er ist jetzt auf einem Abfangkurs¡±, was the reply that came immediately and quietly, so as not to be audible to those nearby. However, if someone from Earth were to hear Uzumi¡¯s response, they could would very soon realized that this was the Deutsch language spoken on Earth. Wait, why was someone, who was on a planet not in the Milky Way Galaxy, but instead on a planet located on the other side of the universe speaking the German language? ¡°Good.¡± replied OxBee, with a tone that was more calmer and relaxed than expected. Still, who was OxBee speaking with? Was there someone else here?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. No, no one else was there, albeit a little Cheruboid was now observing. Uzumi¡¯s response came from the two ordinary looking knob-like earrings fasten onto each of OxBee¡¯s Tragus. Were they really just earrings? Looking at OxBee¡¯s ear, such earrings could never draw a person attention in a million years. Oddly enough, what could and often does draw the attention of others, were the inconspicuous features slightly below OxBee¡¯s ears and close to the top of his nape. For what was perceived there could only be described as gills. Gills that were rather inconspicuous, yet observable. Gills? Why was it that OxBee had gills? Not wanting to lose his focus, OxBee affixed his eyes on the path ahead, as he tried to keep some distance between himself and this mass of brute strength giving chase, despite him no longer feeling the earlier aggression from the fellow. However, not even a few moments after OxBee had communicated with Uzumi, something happened. ¡°Humanoid!¡±, was the sound that OxBee heard, and the sound was of a word which OxBee recognized. With the surprise, OxBee¡¯s body jolted, as he had clearly heard someone speaking. But what he found to his astonishment was that he recognized the source of the voice. However, the source of the voice was not coming from his earrings nor from our observer, but instead it was coming from the thunderous voice of the primate-like being which still gave chase. Still, the word was not uttered in the same language which the primate-like being had used before, nor was it spoken in the language used by Uzumi. On the contrary, this word was spoken in the dialect which OxBee had responded to Uzumi in. A dialect spoken by the people within OxBee¡¯s village, a dialect spoken by the Neysian people. ¡°So I was right after all.¡± said the primate-like being. ¡°Before you did not understand me, but now you do, don¡¯t you?¡± said this gigantic fellow as it spoke yet again with a thunderous voice. It seems that this primate-like being had realized, simple by the fact that OxBee had reacted earlier when he had said the word ¡®humanoid¡¯, that OxBee now understood his speech. Not willing to come to an absolute halt, OxBee turned his head quickly, glancing at the being that had just spoken to him, as he tried to ascertain its true intentions. ¡°What do you want, why are you chasing me?¡± OxBee shouted, as he continued moving at a rapid speed. ¡°Little humanoid, do not be afraid, I mean you no harm¡±, said this giant primate-like being. Was this really true? Or was this simply a ploy used by this giant primate-like being, to coax his dinner into lowering its guard? There were no outward responses from OxBee, nor were there any real changes in his speed, as Oxbee knew that there were no real advantages to be gained by him stopping right now. ¡®Just a little bit longer.¡¯ OxBee thought to himself. ¡°Please stop, it would be dangerous if we continued heading deeper into this ancient forest¡±, said this strapping fellow. However this time with a sudden burst of speed ¡°whoosh¡±, this huge primate-like human unexpectedly appeared in front of OxBee. Surely this little boy, who was not even one and a half meters tall, and now facing off with what was actually a seven meters plus gigantic being, must be frightened out of his wits? Did this huge primate-like being always possess such speed? If so, why had this huge fellow not done this earlier? Clearly such speed was not normally, ¡®a Qi Master¡¯ Sky thought to herself, as she still observed. Fear, apprehension, dread, anyone would forgive OxBee for experiencing any such feeling. But did OxBee actually felt this way? One would thing this to be true, and maybe it would have been, however OxBee was not the least bit scared. Not scared? Was he just been stupidly brave, or was OxBee blind to what was now in front of him? Did he not notice that this huge primate-like fellow which had just obstructed his path with a burst of extraordinary speed. No, OxBee was not been stupidly brave, nor was OxBee blind. Instead, at that very moment, OxBee had heard a subtle voice, a voice that arose his confidence by uttering three words in his ears. ¡°Er hat eingetroffen.¡± These were the three words which came from the voice of a lady, a voice that was truly beautiful and soothing to be heard. After all, this was the voice of Uzumi, the source of which originated from OxBee¡¯s knob-like earrings. It was now apparent that what Uzumi voice came from, were no simple earrings, but an earpiece of some kind. Maybe this knob-like earpiece wasn¡¯t even just an earpiece? Why was OxBee wearing such a thing? And whom was this Uzumi lady who had spoken to OxBee? These were all great questions. Yet, still more pressing, were the questions of, who exactly had arrived? Where did this person come from? How had they caught up to OxBee so quickly? And were they the only person to come? After all, if things actually went bad, was one person truly able to make a difference here? Especially when considering that this huge primate-like fellow appeared to be a ¡®Qi Master¡¯? While OxBee knew the answers to all those questions, the one most comforting was the fact that his aid could indeed make a difference, and wouldn¡¯t hesitate lending a hand if needs be. Still, other than OxBee and this giant primate-like being, nothing could be seen in the immediate vicinity. And yet the voice of Uzumi had clearly told OxBee that someone had arrived, and that someone, was now here. Was this person capable of such stealth? So it seem. OxBee had now come to a halt, as he stared at the huge being now in front of him. What caught his eyes however, were what appeared to be bloodstains on the jet black belt of this strapping fellow. Even though OxBee was curious about where the bloodstains came from and wanted ask, he did not. After all, would a wise person stir up a hornet''s¡¯ nest, when non-interference was the prudent choice? OxBee remained on guard. ¡°Humanoid, why did you run?¡± asked this gigantic primate-like being, as if he had already forgotten OxBee¡¯s earlier question towards him.. ¡°You looked like a dangerous beast¡±, replied OxBee ¡°although your clothing gave me the impression that you might have been someone''s pet. I thought¡­.¡±. ¡°A pet? Azillion Tome a pet¡­..¡±, said this strapping being as if he had just heard the funniest joke ever, as he broke out into boisterous laughter which shook the ancient forest ¡±Aha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha ha¡±. ¡®Ah, so he¡¯s from the Azillion Clan.¡¯ thought Sky as she observed what was transpiring. ¡°A zillion tome?¡±, replied OxBee questioningly, as the laughter subsided. All the time wondering what such a large quantity of scholarly books had to do with anything at this moment, or if perhaps it was the fellow''s name. ¡±Aha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha¡­..¡±. Yet again this huge fellow broke out in laughter, this time even louder than before. OxBee could not help but to smile at how cheerful this huge fellow seemed to be. However he did not interrupt him, nor had he participated in the amusement. He just waited calmly for the primate-like fellow to finish enjoying his laughter. ¡°Little humanoid, you are very funny.¡± said a thunderous voice that was clearly unforced. ¡°You can call me OxBee¡±, replied OxBee as he introduced himself. ¡°Well Ox¡­ Ox-Bee¡± replied the primate-like being with some reservation, ¡±my name is Azillion To-me, ¡®To¡¯ as in today and ¡®Me¡¯ as in mellow, and not ¡®A Zillion Tome¡¯ like you said.¡± said To-me as he correctly enunciated the syllables of his name to OxBee. ¡°Please forgive my careless mistake Mr. To-Me.¡±, said OxBee respectfully, as he lifted both hands to his chest while folding his left hand into a fist and cupping it with his right. Yet, OxBee still maintained a straight posture. After all, OxBee was a member of the ¡®Ras Clan¡¯, and members of the Ras Clan never bow, nor do they ever kneel. ¡°Say no more.¡± To-me responded. ¡°Actually, you can call me ¡®Tome¡¯ since everyone else pretty much does, or ¡®Azi¡¯, either is fine by me.¡± said Tome with a smile on his face. ¡°Ok, Mr. Tome it is then.¡± replied OxBee more casually, yet still respectfully. ¡°No no no, just Tome is fine, and if you truly insist, then Big Brother or Brother Tome. After all I¡¯m not much older than you are.¡± replied Tome in a friendly manner. Not much older than OxBee, who was still a boy who had not even gone through puberty. Was this seven meters (7m) tall human giant just a child himself? ¡°How young are you, ...Tome?¡± OxBee asked in an enquiring manner, as he decided to leave the Mr. off as requested. ¡°Hmm, me, I am just sixteen Cycles young.¡± Responded Tome in is thunderous yet friendly voice. ¡°Sixteen Cycles.¡±, replied OxBee. ¡°You are much younger than I had thought.¡± OxBee said after doing a quick calculation in his mind. It should be understood that a ¡®Cycle¡¯ represent a year on Dunia, which is longer than a year on Earth. As one Cycle on Dunia is equivalent to, 457 Days and 8 hours on Earth. So someone of sixteen Cycles would be older than 20 years and 17 days and younger than 21 years and 110 days on Earth. ¡°See, there is no need to be calling me ¡®Mr.¡¯, as if I am some middle age uncle.¡± replied Tome in a joking fashion, as he mimics the posture and facial expression of what a middle age uncle would look like to him. ¡®Oh I do think he¡¯s rather amusing. It seems I may have been needlessly concerned¡¯ Sky thought smilingly. Upon seeing Tome¡¯s performance, OxBee could not help but to burst out in laughter. ¡°Ha ha ha, ha ha ha¡±, OxBee laughed. ¡°You¡¯re actually a pretty amusing fellow yourself, Big Brother Tome¡± OxBee remarked to Tome. ¡°I try, I try.¡± said Tome smilingly, as he caressed the hair on his chin with his left hand, attempting impersonate an elder with a wise and dignified air. ¡°Ha ha ha¡±, laughed OxBee again, as he found Tome¡¯s actions to be rather humorous.