Shield of Fire

Crini’s body tenses, alert of the beings on sight that are gathered a few metres away. Her eyes narrow until they become two thin lines. She tries to distinguish their forms but the steam emanating from the hot springs does not make it easy for her.

She tries once more until she catches a big blueish form approaching her. Crini turns slightly and finds Jato, letting his hold from the edge of the pool opposite. He swims with such elegance and stealth, he seems like he is dancing in the water. His purple eyes are fixed on her and his golden irises glow in the faint azure light.

“What’s the matter?” he asks as he takes position next to her.

“We’re not alone” Crini whispers and motions with her head towards the side she was looking at earlier.

Jato lifts his head beyond Lura and Triana - who are engaged in a discussion, omitting completely the rest - to get a better view. Crini tries to suppress a gasp of surprise when she sees the thin line composing Jato’s irises expanding to form two golden circles, almost swallowing the purple around them.

She blinks once and when she looks again at him, his eyes have turned to normal. “These are Vortes,” he says indifferently. “You want to take a better look? I can lift you.” Jato smiles at her, revealing two rows of crisp white sharp teeth. Crini plants herself on the edge of the pool, unintentionally scared by his sudden gesture but immediately she forces herself to calm down.

He was just kind to you Crini, relax. He won’t eat you.

Crini parts her lips, mirroring Jato’s expression. “All right,” she nods at him. Turning his back to her, Jato lets his body sink, until his collarbone is at surface level. He gives a look over his shoulder, motioning her to approach. Crini lets her hold from the edge, reaching for Jato’s back. Her hands move along his shoulders, circling around his neck like a vine while her legs spread and wrap around his ribs.

Glued like a leech, Crini signals to him that she’s settled securely. With a slow movement, Jato begins to lift himself up until his chest is out of the water level. The change of temperature - even to the slightest - gives Crini a wave of shiver running down her spine and her skin fills with goosebumps.

Crini stands higher than everyone. The steams are fewer at this level and she can get a clearer view if she focuses.

Silver. That’s the first thing she notices and blinks. Silver…fur?

Their forms are clearer now. Crini stares in shock. Silver-furred creatures - reminding her of some animals called foxes back on Earth - are gathered around a small pool further away. One is laying by its side with a series of little heads covering the view of the belly. A mother. They seem so nice and calm that Crini is overpowered by a need to get closer and touch them. She parts her lips to speak but Jato gets her before her voice gets to come out of her mouth.

“They may seem nice but beware of them. They are extremely feral and they won’t stop chasing you until they get you. Devious little things.” he whispers.

“Could they attack us now? We should inform the others.” Crini mimicked Jato’s tone not to raise suspicion and cause panic around. But most importantly not to get the attention of these little creatures - well, little for Ethnians, for Crini they were nearly her size.

Jato lets a soft chuckle turning his head to the side to face her. “Relax Crini. They won’t harm you. In fact, nothing can attack us - or the opposite - while we’re in here. You see, hot springs had always been regarded as sacred and healing places from the early times of life in these lands. This is something known to any species. It’s a part of the law of nature.”

Jato speaks the words with such care and respect that moves Crini. Clearly, being for almost a decade in this place, thrown into a storm of new reality and norms of so many different life forms, Crini was now learning about the history of this world. And started to see more similarities than differences.