Chapter Thirty: The Tribe of Versaerth

Lucilia was setting up the camp along with the rest of the crew, but she was starting to get worried. It had been over half an hour since Ren and his group were supposed to check in.

Lucilia started to panic as more time passed and the other crew members could physically see her worried. Some of the servants and knight pilots even volunteered to go look for them, which helped calm her down, but she still wanted to go out there as well and look for Ren.

Three teams split up into groups and searched the woods around the camp, finding very little; however, one of the teams spotted footsteps in the mud nearby the water stream, which caused the groups to start looking around as best they could.

"Princess! I found something." one of the knight pilots yelled out.

"What is it, Novia?" Lucilia asked the red-headed guard nearby.

"I found Ceti's backpack...and blood nearby it." Novia said.

These words sent a chill down Lucilia's spine.

"No...there's no way...NO" Lucilia's mind started to panic.

She sprinted to where Novia was and saw Ceti's backpack, filled with some crushed fruits on the ground and blood on the pack.

"LOOK AROUND THIS AREA NOW!" Lucilia ordered everyone.

"Ren, don't you dare do this to me; we finally... no, Lucilia, we haven't found any bodies, just blood. I can't assume anything until we find more evidence of anything worse...just please, Ren, be safe!"

*Unknown Location, Ren's Perspective*

"Ugh..." Ren sat up, grabbing his head as he had a massive headache.

"This needs to stop happening to me..."

Ren opened his eyes and took a look at his surroundings. He was in a wooden hut and lying on what seemed to be a bed made out of fur.

"Where am I..." Ren thought to himself.

Ren stood and lost his balance, causing him to nearly fall before he saved himself by grabbing the bed.

"I need to figure out where I'm at...and where Aleyda and Ceti are."

Ren stumbled his way through the hut, passing by what seemed to be a kitchen. Even with something like a sink, just without a faucet, the only light in the hut is from lit candles around the rooms.

"Judging by what I'm seeing, I think we aren't alone on this planet." Ren thought to himself as he made his way to the wooden front door of the hut.

He used all of the force he could to open the door, causing it to swing open, making him fall to the ground.

"That hurt..." Ren said out loud.

"Mother, he's awake!"

"Someone tell the queen."

Ren could hear voices around him but was surprised. "I can understand them."

"Well, it's good to see you're finally awake." A woman's voice spoke from right next to him.

Ren looked at the person speaking and was shocked by what he saw.

A figure whose skin color was green, scales at certain points of their body, and horns on their head, along with shoulder-length black hair, and she was about as tall as Ren and was wearing clothes that barely covered anything.

"Now get up; the queen wants to speak with you." the woman said.

"What are you...?" Ren asked.

"All will be explained by the Queen; I don't have the right to say anything. Just get moving." The woman said showing two fangs from her mouth.

Ren took another look at the woman and thought to himself "Wait...odd skin colors, scales, sharp teeth, and horns—what are they? They kind of remind me of dragon girls from anime's."

The woman took Ren over to the biggest house he could see around, and three guards who also looked similar to the woman who was guiding Ren opened the doors.

As Ren walked through the house, with the guidance of the woman in front of him, he spotted something that he couldn't believe.

A woman who looked taller than most basketball players, who had long black voluminous hair, her body an ashen gray color, and her eyes a piercing goldish color, however, even if Ren tried, he couldn't help but notice the massive chest she had.

"Those things could suffocate a man..." Ren thought to himself.

Her body, even though she was tall, was very appealing, as she had beautiful curves on her body, which made the few bits of clothing she was wearing even more appealing.

She had a fabric going across her chest, mostly just covering where her nipples were, and another fabric sash covering her lower parts as well.

"So you are finally awake...tell me, where are you from?" the woman said.

Ren knew right now he was in no position to withhold information; he didn't know a thing about these people, especially this woman.

"Earth." Ren said.

"Earth? I had never heard of that planet." the woman said.

"I don't suppose you would've; my people don't leave our star system very often." Ren said trying to create a conversation with the draconic woman in front of him.

"So then tell me, if that's true, what caused you and those other people to land on my home?" the woman asked.

"We didn't know if this planet had a species already living on it, so we came to investigate." Ren said.

The woman frowned, looking at Ren.

"So tell me...why do you lie?" she asked.

"Lie? I don't know what I'm lying about." Ren said.

"The woman who was with you, the one who was fighting the Sogaris we talked to her earlier" the woman said.

"Ceti? She's alive?" Ren said.

"Yes, my scouts killed the Sogaris before it could do serious harm to the woman you call Ceti; we also have the other woman as well; she is being treated by our healers." the woman explained.

"They're alive...thank goodness." Ren said, taking a sigh of relief.

"We questioned the Ceti woman, and she said your people came from a planet called Volaria. Care to explain why your stories don't match up?" the woman asked.

"Well...you want the long version or the short version." Ren asked.

"Tell me the truth, that is all." the woman said.

"Well, long story short, the people of Earth and the people of Volaria are at war. I was a soldier for Earth and was captured by the Volarian military. Things happened, and I joined a small group of them in coming here to this planet." Ren explained.

"So you were a warrior; what do you plan to do now that you know of our existence?" the woman asked.

"Well, I would like for my group and yours to become allies." Ren said.

"Allies?" the woman asked.

"Yes, we could share knowledge and technology and help each other on this planet." Ren said.

"What would we gain from this agreement?" the woman asked.

"We could help your people; we have advanced medicine so we could treat any sickness you have; we have food so we could help with supplies; and we can protect your tribe if you ask us too." Ren said as he was trying to get the woman to agree.

"We don't need your protection; after all, your weapons did nothing against the Sogaris." The woman said.

"We have better ones; the weapons we had were more for military use; but we do have better weapons. You're the queen here, right? We both want what's best for our people; let us help you, and in turn, you can help us survive the many unknowns of this planet." Ren said.

The woman put her hand on her chin, thinking of what to do. She could tell he was being truthful, which made her trust him more; after all, he could've lied but even admitted he was captured before.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Ren, my name is Ren." he said, introducing himself.

"Ren...my name is Ashastha, and for now we will agree to your deal, provided your people don't try to harm ours. If you break the agreement, war will be declared."

"I don't want that as much as you don't, Queen Ashastha; just let me get back to my people, and I can tell them about our agreement." Ren said.

"No." Ashastha said, making Ren turn around. "It is getting dark, and the woods are even more dangerous at night than during the day. A Sogaris would be the least of your worries. Stay here in the village with the other two women you came with. When dawn reaches us, you and two of my guards may return to where you came and bring some of your people here, and I wish to talk with your leader."

"I understand. Thank you for your hospitality." Ren said.

Ren was happy he managed to broker a deal, and hopefully it would last.

"Just a warning, Queen Ashastha, if you intend on sending scouts to that base first, they may open fire out of precaution. Please don't send anyone there until I get there." Ren said trying to warn Ashastha.

"Your people are violent, aren't they?" Ashastha asked.

"No, but mistakes can always be made, especially since myself and the two who came with me are now missing." Ren said.

"I understand. I'll tell my scouts to retreat. Now, Ren, I will warn you. Don't make me regret allowing your people to stay here." Ashastha warned, her golden eyes glowing as she said this.

"I promise I will do everything I can to make sure you don't." Ren said.

"Now, anything else you want to ask of me?" Ashastha asked.

"Just one thing: what is this planet called?" Ren asked.

"Versaerth, and we are the people of Versaerth; it's only the remaining people." Ashastha said.

"Is it really just you?" Ren asked.

"Wars were fought, other tribes were destroyed, and yet we remain; however, there are many issues with that." Ashastha said.

"Like what?" Ren asked.

"Our male population is non-existent since they died in the wars, meaning we no longer have means to reproduce, like our people can live for thousands of years, so we have time to fix that problem." Ashastha explained

"No males? So does that mean?" Ren asked before Ashastha interrupted.

"You are the first male of any species we have seen in over seven hundred years." Ashastha said. "Before you go, though, are there any other males with you?"

"No, our entire ship is female except for me." Ren said.

"Interesting...well is there anything else you wish to ask of me?" Ashastha asked.

"It can wait, Queen Ashastha; first I'd like to check on the girls who came with me." Ren said.

"Very well, I will talk to you later, Ren, from Earth."

Ren bowed his head in thanks before leaving the house and thought to himself "Well, that was...something."

In the house, however, Ashastha had a different thought.

"Could he...save us?"

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