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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

X ara kept close to the Xenobeast as they moved through the jungle.

Night had fallen hours ago, but rather than making the trek more dangerous, darkness seemed to reveal new dimensions of the landscape.

Bioluminescent fungi carpeted the forest floor in patches of soft blue light.

Hanging vines pulsed with amber warmth. Even the predators that stalked the shadows announced themselves with glowing eyes or luminous patterns along their flanks.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, stepping carefully over a fallen log crawling with tiny phosphorescent insects. “Like walking through a living constellation.”

The Xenobeast grunted, his attention fixed on the path ahead. His tendrils swayed with each step, occasionally brushing against her shoulder or neck—a touch that once would have terrified her but now felt like reassurance.

“How much farther?” she asked.

“Close.” His silver eyes flicked to her face. “Stay behind me. Don’t touch anything without asking.”

She nodded, suppressing a smile at his protectiveness. Even now, with danger closing in from all sides, he worried about her brushing against the wrong plant.

The jungle thinned as they approached a series of stone formations that jutted from the earth like ancient fingers reaching for the stars. Xara recognized them as the same structures she’d glimpsed when she first arrived—what she’d mistaken for trees supporting fruit vines.

As they drew closer, the formations revealed themselves as towers—not built, but grown. Living architecture that pulsed with the same bioluminescence as the jungle floor. Bridges of woven vines connected the towers, swaying gently in the night breeze.

“Is this...?” she began.

“Tal’Shai village,” he confirmed.

Xara stared in wonder. From a distance, the village had appeared primitive—just lights in the darkness. Up close, she saw the intricate network of living structures, the harmonious integration with the surrounding environment.

“It’s incredible,” she breathed.

The Xenobeast made a low sound in his throat—not quite agreement, not quite dismissal. “Different from your cities.”

“Very different,” she agreed. “But no less advanced.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he’d never considered the comparison.

As they approached the base of the nearest tower, movement caught Xara’s attention.

A figure detached itself from the shadows—tall and slender, with long limbs and a sinuous grace that reminded her of a praying mantis.

Its skin shifted colors in the darkness, iridescent scales rippling from deep blue to purple to green.

The Tal’Shai.

Xara’s scientific mind cataloged details with hungry fascination.

The being stood upright on two legs but looked equally comfortable on four.

Its face featured large, multifaceted eyes that reflected the bioluminescent light in prismatic patterns.

No visible mouth, but a complex array of breathing slits along what she assumed was its neck.

Most striking was how it communicated—not with sound, but with a rippling dance of color across its scales and subtle movements of its limbs.

The Xenobeast stepped forward, positioning himself slightly in front of her. To her surprise, he responded with his own set of gestures—economical and lacking the fluid grace of the Tal’Shai, but clearly understood.

The Tal’Shai’s colors shifted rapidly, then it reached up to touch a band around its neck. A soft, mechanical voice emerged.

“The Solitary One returns. With company.” The translated voice held no inflection, but the being’s colors pulsed with what Xara interpreted as curiosity. “This is unexpected.”

“Need to speak with elders,” the Xenobeast said. “Important.”

The Tal’Shai’s eyes swiveled to study Xara. “The soft one from the fallen sky-shell. We have observed.”

Xara felt a chill. They’d been watching her all this time?

“I’m Xara,” she said, stepping forward despite the Xenobeast’s protective stance. “I’m a scientist—a biologist—from Earth.”

The Tal’Shai’s colors rippled again. “Names are given, not claimed.” It tilted its head. “But you may be called Xara if you wish.”

Before she could respond, the being turned and gestured toward one of the vine bridges. “The elders will receive you. Follow.”

As they ascended into the canopy village, Xara struggled to take in everything at once.

What had appeared to be simple towers from below revealed themselves as complex living structures—part plant, part fungal, part something else entirely.

Rooms and chambers had been grown rather than built, their walls pulsing with the same gentle bioluminescence as the forest floor.

Tal’Shai moved throughout the village, their scales shifting in constant communication. Some worked with what appeared to be living tools—vines that responded to touch, bulbous growths that produced substances collected in woven baskets.

“This is incredible,” she whispered to the Xenobeast. “They’re not just living with nature—they’re collaborating with it.”

“Bioengineering,” he replied, his voice low. “Advanced. Different approach than Zarkari.”

“Different and better,” she murmured. “This is sustainable. Harmonious.”

He glanced at her, something like surprise flickering in his silver eyes.

Their guide led them to a large chamber near the crown of the tallest tower. Inside, three Tal’Shai waited—their scales more muted in color than the others, their movements more deliberate. Elders, Xara guessed.

The chamber itself was a marvel of living architecture. The walls pulsed with slow, rhythmic light. Furniture had been grown from the same material as the structure, seamlessly integrated. At the center, a pool of clear liquid reflected the bioluminescent ceiling.

The Xenobeast stepped forward and began a series of gestures. The elders responded in kind, their colors shifting in patterns too complex for Xara to interpret.

After several minutes of silent communication, one of the elders touched its translation device.

“The Solitary One speaks of danger coming to our world. Metal-shells bringing death.” The elder’s colors darkened. “We have seen such before. Long ago.”

“They’re not here for you,” the Xenobeast said. “Here for me. And her.”

“Yet their presence threatens all,” another elder replied through its device. “The balance is disturbed.”

“We need help,” Xara said, stepping forward. All eyes turned to her—multifaceted orbs reflecting her image back at her in fractured pieces. “Not to fight. We wouldn’t ask that of you. But perhaps there are other ways you could assist us.”

The elders’ colors rippled in what she hoped was consideration rather than offense.

“The soft one speaks boldly,” the first elder said. “Why should we risk involvement?”

The Xenobeast tensed beside her, but Xara placed a gentle hand on his arm.

“Because we share this world,” she said simply. “Because what harms one part of an ecosystem eventually harms all of it. I’m a biologist—I study how living things interact and depend on each other. If these invaders come, they won’t stop with us.”

The elders conferred silently, their scales shifting in rapid patterns.

“What assistance do you seek?” the third elder finally asked.

The Xenobeast stepped forward again. “Warning systems. Toxins that won’t kill but will slow. Knowledge of terrain.”

“We do not provide weapons,” the first elder stated firmly.

“Not asking for weapons,” he replied. “Asking for protection. For all.”

Xara watched the exchange with growing fascination. There was history here—a relationship she hadn’t fully understood. The Xenobeast moved differently among the Tal’Shai than he did in the jungle. Less predatory. More... respectful.

And they responded in kind.

“The Solitary One has honored our boundaries for many cycles,” the second elder said, its colors shifting to a deep blue. “He has kept the balance. Warned us of dangers. Diverted threats.”

Xara glanced at the Xenobeast in surprise. He’d never mentioned this.

“We will provide what assistance we can,” the first elder decided. “Not for war. For protection.”

Relief washed through Xara. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until that moment.

The elders dispatched several younger Tal’Shai, who returned carrying woven baskets and pouches. One by one, they presented their offerings:

Vials of shimmering liquid that, when exposed to air, would create a thick fog to obscure vision.

Seeds that, when crushed, released a paralytic agent that affected most warm-blooded creatures but dissipated quickly.

Living sensors—small, flat organisms that would change color in response to unfamiliar vibrations or heat signatures.

Maps grown into living tissue, showing hidden caves, unstable terrain, and the territories of the most dangerous predators.

As each item was explained, Xara marveled at the sophisticated bioengineering behind them. These weren’t primitive tools—they were advanced biological technologies, developed through generations of careful observation and experimentation.

“This is incredible,” she said, examining a sensor organism that curled around her finger like a living ring. “Your understanding of biological systems must be extraordinary.”

The elder’s colors shifted to what might have been pleasure. “We do not separate ourselves from the world. We are part of it. Knowledge flows both ways.”

“I would love to learn more,” Xara said earnestly. “If we survive this, of course.”

“Perhaps you will,” the elder replied. “The Solitary One has chosen well.”

The Xenobeast made a sound that might have been embarrassment.

As they prepared to leave, laden with the Tal’Shai’s gifts, the first elder approached them one last time.

“The Solitary One has walked alone for many cycles,” it said, its colors pulsing gently. “We have respected his choice, as he has respected ours. But all things change. All things evolve.”

The elder’s multifaceted eyes turned to Xara. “You have brought change to him. Now change comes to us all.”

With that cryptic statement, they were escorted back to the jungle floor.

As they made their way back through the darkened forest, Xara couldn’t contain her excitement.

“That was amazing,” she said, careful to keep her voice low. “Their whole society is built on symbiosis and mutual adaptation. The bioengineering alone is centuries beyond what we have on Earth.”

The Xenobeast grunted, adjusting the pack of Tal’Shai gifts on his shoulder.

“And they clearly respect you,” she continued. “You never told me you had a relationship with them.”

He shrugged. “Not much to tell. Stay out of their way. They stay out of mine.”

“It seemed like more than that,” she pressed. “The elder called you ‘The Solitary One.’ Like a title.”

He was silent for several steps. “They name things by their nature.”

“And your nature is to be alone?” She touched his arm. “Not anymore.”

His silver eyes met hers, luminous in the darkness. “No,” he agreed softly. “Not anymore.”

They walked in companionable silence for a while, the jungle’s nighttime chorus surrounding them. Xara’s mind raced with everything she’d seen and learned.

“Do you think it will be enough?” she finally asked. “What they gave us?”

“Not alone,” he admitted. “But combined with what we’ve prepared... maybe.”

“They called you a protector,” she said. “Said you warned them of dangers.”

He looked uncomfortable. “Just practical. Safer for everyone if predators stay away from their territory.”

Xara smiled to herself. Even now, he couldn’t admit to kindness.

“You know,” she said, “for someone engineered to be a weapon, you’ve done a remarkable job of finding other purposes.”

He stopped walking, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

“What?” she asked.

“Purpose,” he repeated, the word strange in his mouth. “Never had one before. Not one I chose.”

“And now?”

His tendrils reached out, brushing against her cheek with surprising gentleness. “Now I do.”

The simple declaration made her heart swell. She leaned into his touch, savoring the connection.

“We should hurry,” he said after a moment. “Need to check on pups.”

Xara nodded, though she was reluctant to break the moment. As they resumed their journey, she found herself thinking about the elder’s words.

All things change. All things evolve.

They were facing terrible danger—enemies with advanced weapons and no moral compass. But they weren’t facing it alone. They had each other. They had the pups. And now, they had allies.

For the first time since discovering the beacon, Xara felt something like hope.