At the appointed time, Thur never returned to Brackley. We waited another week, but there was not a word about it. Then Anya and I decided on a small raid. Secretly from the so-called city leadership, we went to a single point on the map, which was the nearest transit point for travelers around Tenebris.

“Something I don’t see is anything terrible and dangerous,” Anya said skeptically when we moved away from the village at a sufficient distance. “They only hung us noodles about terrible forest creatures.” When we were transferred to Tenebris, we were in the wilderness itself, but for some reason remained intact.

- Judging by the stories and records, most of the dangerous animals are nocturnal.

- Here at night and see!

“I hope that before nightfall we will still have time to get to the shelter.” I don’t really want to wander around in the dark, risking running into some hungry alien creature.

“You forgot that we now see perfectly in the dark,” Anya reminded.

- Oh, of course! When we have our eyes covered with this black substance, we ourselves become like a nightmare. But I do not think that local predators are so impressionable.

The transfer point consisted of three houses, which were almost not changed by people. They looked like hefty domes consisting of spiraling dark brown trunks. The largest of the houses inside was somehow converted to human needs, while others remained in its original form. Inside, they consisted of small spherical rooms connected by low circular passages, similar to holes.

“It’s built for worms,” Anya made her conclusion, crawling on all fours from one very small passage.

“There should be big worms,” I said.

- Yeah, no matter how they returned and demanded the release of living space, - annoyed Anya.

At night, we settled in a house that had been converted for people, but could not sleep at all. In such circumstances, the stories of the inhabitants of Brackley no longer seemed silly horror stories for beginners.

- Oh, mom, what is it? - Anya said in a whisper, when a heart-rending howl came from outside.

“I don't know, you can go check it out,” I tried to joke.

- Yes, you go! - she was indignant. - And what is your hand doing on my ass ?!

- How is that? - I was surprised a lot. - Of course paws her!

“I found the time, Elizabeth, and so I almost broke her after the so-called friendly dinner.”

“Your ass has suffered for the common good,” I said with pathos and giggled softly. - I'm just trying to defuse the situation.

“Now your ass has been injured ...” began Anya, but then something hit the door.

Then I was no longer laughing: I instantly fell silent and was afraid to even move. I was so scared only on that glade, when I first came to this world.

The doors here were also far from ordinary, but with their function they coped well. The dwelling could be securely locked, and only those people whom the house considered to be their masters could get inside. Animals in this category did not fall and could not get inside ... or we just did not know something?

Outside there was a thud, as if something had fallen on the ground. After that, a suspicious rumble was heard - someone was busy with the door!

My hair was already on end. In passing I looked at Anya: her “keeper” had already reacted to the fear of the host and formed huge claws in her hands. I also felt how the black mass is activated all over the body, ready to release protective mechanisms. Muscles were poured by taut force, fear was supplanted by aggression.

After a few seconds, the door went wide and a huge black figure appeared on the threshold, lit from behind by fake moonlight.But I was just waiting for this moment: the muscles instantly tightened and obediently pushed the body forward. I was ready to tear apart any enemy, no matter who he was. Already in the middle of my lightning jump in the head flashed a distinct thought that my opponent was also a man. At the same time I received a terrible blow to the chest, which threw me on the opposite wall. Wildly yelling, Anya also rushed to the attack, but she deftly intercepted and literally slammed into the floor.

- Who you are?! - there was a loud female voice.

“Newcomers from Brackley,” I said, trying to get to my feet.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

- And you must be Thur? I asked, feeling my ability to think normally return to me.

- How do you know?

- Well, I just realized it now, Andre told us about you.

- Mmmm ...! - Anya squeezed to the floor.

- Oh, this is more interesting! - said Teyra raising Anya by the collar. - How long have you been taken to Tenebris?

“Already a few months,” I replied. - Andre said you travel a lot ...

- And he managed to tell you a lot?

“Yes, in general terms,” I replied, checking my ribs for integrity.

Our acquaintance with Teira was too unexpected and tough. Andre roughly described her appearance, but the reality somewhat exceeded my expectations. Thayra was very high, probably under meter ninety. Beautiful face with wide chin, dark brown eyes, normal nose with a slightly upturned rounded tip. Black hair was cut short and randomly sticking out in all directions. But first of all, I drew attention to her impressive figure: powerful muscles, wide chest and hips - clearly extraordinary physical data. It became very interesting to me: what was she before, before she found herself on Tenebris. In the morning I decided to ask a question about her very unusual appearance.

- When I was here, it was terribly thin and much shorter. All this, - Teyra strained her impressive muscles, - came to me only three years later.

“The other residents of Brackley don't look so pumped up,” I said.

- And I specifically wanted this result. If you learn how to manage the “keeper”, then you can fine tune your body, ”Teira replied in a satisfied tone. - In Brackley, many were doing the same, it just does not immediately catch the eye.

- And how does it work? - Anya asked, obviously interested in this topic.

- In a nutshell, you will not explain: for a start, you need a certain time to pass - about five to six months. Then you are so comfortable that this black thing will gradually begin to respond to your special desires and needs.

- And can you somehow quickly? - Anya impatiently asked.

“If you can quickly, you can just stuff the grass in your bosom,” Teira chuckled. “So why are you here?” Didn't the mayor of the city tell that it’s dangerous for little kids to walk in the forest?

“We were looking for someone,” I replied slyly. - Rather, they were going to be found with your help, but since you did not appear for a long time, we decided to go on a trial outing

I told about my adventures with Dasha's family, how I managed to escape, and how I was brought to Tenebris again. Along the way, Anya and I added our own thoughts about the planet here, generously spicing them up with scientific terms. Now for us it was most important that Teira believe in my story and help us. To top it off, I showed a scar left by one of these creatures.

After our story, Teyra thought a little, and then began to ask in detail about the appearance of the toothy fairies I met.

“I think I know what kind of creatures you met,” Thur said thoughtfully. - In any case, very similar. This is a very old story. In general, Elizabeth does not just scare everyone with terrible creatures in the forest and treats our raids extremely badly. She is afraid that we will meet someone and give out the location of Brackley. Predators here, of course, also exist, but they ... Read more →