The crowd watching rubbed their eyes and stood up, applauding as she came out.
“My name is Gala-Rekfa, and I am your Avatar.” She inclined her head to the crowd.
Arez smiled. “May we go in so that you can examine the gifts Aster sent?”
She beckoned him, and they returned to the interior of the temple.
“Nice job. It is much more you. Jurad was a traditionalist. This is much more accessible.”
Gala chuckled. “Thank you. It is somewhere I always wished I could go when I was back on Terra. Now, it is home.”
He smiled. “A lovely home it is, too. I think it needs flowers. Choose.”
She reached out and took the bouquet from him with a shy smile. The scents overwhelmed her. The flowers were a rainbow of blended colours. She sat on one of the benches in the courtyard and pulled out a single flower that reminded her of honeysuckle and orange but looked like a bird of paradise.
With Arez watching, she lifted the flower to her cheek, and she rubbed the petals against her skin. They were crisp and strong...not her at all.
She smiled and set the flower aside, reaching in for the next one. This selection was a floppy orchid.
After three flowers were rejected, Arez asked, “What are you looking for?”
“I am looking for me.”
“What?”
“I am looking for the flower that represents me. I know what I am right now, and while I may evolve in the future, that is not what this is about. I am looking for a representation of me.”
He looked at her and cocked his head. “May I make a selection? I have had a little more time with the flowers, and I believe that I know what you are looking for based on Aster’s conversation about you.”
Gala held the bundle of flowers out to him. “Please.”
He quickly searched through the stems, and when he found the texture he was looking for, he tugged it free.
The flower was partially encased in a hard green shell, but when it was turned, there was a tumble of soft, fragrant petals in a vibrant purple with white highlights. The stem was straight and as hard as the shell.
A tiny spark of bright gold was deep in the heart of the petals, and the soft fragrance was notes of rose and lilac with a hint of cardamom.
“This is it. This one feels like me.”
Arez grinned. “I thought so. It is a work in process. I had to yank it out of Aster’s hand before she finished with it. She got mad, so I collected the other flowers and took off.”
Gala smiled softly and closed her eyes as she stroked the petals over her cheek. She shivered, and her nipples tightened at the light caress. She gasped when the petals grazed over her neck, and her eyes opened wide at the throb of her clit. That was new.
Arez was watching her with heated eyes. “You appear to have sensitive skin.”
“It is a new phenomenon. I am getting used to feeling things around me from the fabric of this shirt to the caress of my own hair.”
He blinked. “So, Aster was right. You have not been able to feel the touch of anything.”
“Not until Rekfa fixed me. He repaired the defect that I was born with and helped my body interpret the signals that my nerves had been sending. I was missing the switch box that let my body know what the signals meant.”
“What have you touched so far?”
“Stone, flowers, you.” She blinked when that last came out of her mouth. She cleared her throat and continued. “The wind, the sun, pain and the slide of fabric along my skin.”
“You have only begun to experiment. May I take you on a tour of your new senses?” Arez smiled.
Go with him.
She lifted the flower and smiled at it, setting it on the bench when she rose. “Please. I am interested to see what you come up with.”
He offered her his hand, and he led her out of the reformed temple and out into the crowd waiting to meet her. It was time to learn what normal people felt on a daily basis. The temples could wait.
Alone in the swirling power left behind by the Avatar, the flower chosen by Gala swelled, blossomed fully and seeds were carried away on the wind.
Eating at the food stalls was fun. When she licked the weird combination of ice cream and jam, she ran her tongue around the surface and laughed as Arez stared at her.
“What? Is it on my chin?” She could feel the slick substance running down her jaw.
He smiled and leaned in, licking away the mess she had made before using his tongue to taste her.
She held her hands clear of him so that she wouldn’t smoosh the small cup on his shirt.
She shivered as his tongue delved deeper. Conversation near them ceased as they kissed. They had spent an hour meeting the city folk, and the dessert was her reward for good behaviour.
When she leaned back, he followed her for a moment before he backed away a few inches. “You are right, that is good.”
She blinked, her eyes wide. With her gaze fixed on his, she brought her small bowl back to her mouth and lifted the paddle to her lips once again. She didn’t spill any this time, and he looked disappointed.
He sighed. “So, where do you want to go next?”
“Well, I have turned down clothing, footwear and hair jewelry, so maybe some kitchen supplies?”
Arez laughed. “You cook?”
“When there is no other option. I have had to depend on calibrated thermometers. While I can’t tell when something is hot, but my body still registers burning, I use digital thermostats for everything when I am at home.”
“Home is here now.”
She put her hand to her lips in surprise. “Right. Sorry. I am still getting used to it.”
The light touch on her mouth made her smile. She put the paddle of iced sweet into her mouth and giggled as she enjoyed every moment of it dissolving on her tongue.
Gala tasted the creamy sweet, and she smiled. “I have to admit that the sense of touch is more than I expected. If I had known what I was missing, I might not have made it this far.”
Arez scowled. “What do you mean?”
“Those folks with my previous affliction tend to die of infection. If I had known what life would be like with touch, I would have died of despair. Just let an infection take me.”
He bristled with anger. “Do not say such a thing.”
“Why? The only way I got by was by living day by day. I had to check and recheck my body for injury every moment of every day. It was exhausting, and only my urge to focus on a future that would not take shape kept me going through the long, boring cycle. I was losing my focus. My friends kept me grounded, but it was hard.”
They were standing in the market near the stall where Arez had bought the desserts for them. The locals were watching them, and every now and then, Rekfa looked out from her eyes and nodded to his people.
“So, do you think that they would comment if I bent you over the table and caressed you until you screamed?”
She blinked rapidly at the shift in topic. “What?”
“If I lifted you up, laid you across the table and stroked your sex until you orgasmed...do you think they would approve or be appalled?”
“As there are children in the market, I do think that appalled would be the correct selection.”
Arez smiled slowly. “Would you care for company on the rest of your journey?”
“Um, I suppose so.”
“Good. There is a festival at the next temple, and I believe that your presence would be welcomed.”
The festival is to celebrate the pregnancies brought about by Aster’s arrival. Where she goes, fertility follows. I will do the flying.
Gala finished her snack and disposed of the cup. She licked her lips to remove the sticky residue. “Ready when you are.”
He escorted her to the centre of the market, and with a nod, they both took to the skies.
His flying style was more violent than that of Rekfa. A whirlwind surrounded him, and she glided along at his side with Rekfa controlling her path.
Damroon City was only a gathering of a few hundred. All the cities of Rekfa were built from the same pattern, no matter their population. The large city with the spaceport was the only difference. It had to be expanded with hostels and other lodgings and amenities for the aliens visiting for political purposes.
They landed at the edge of the city and walked in. Women and men were fairly equivalent in population. There were no children present, but several women were showing signs of that changing very shortly.
They bowed quietly as Gala-Rekfa and Arez walked down the now-familiar pathway to the temple. The entire city had the serene feeling of being part of the temple itself.
Arez remained outside while she entered and reshaped the building to her own personal taste. The perfect image of serenity and welcome in her mind.
When she emerged, she smiled at those who had gathered. A meal had been arranged, and she and Arez were invited to sit and join the locals for a celebration.
She paused after starting the meal to ask the woman nearest her. “So, when are you due?”
The woman smiled. “We are all due at the same time. We got pregnant during the Yodin festival. Aster arrived, and they joined near the temple.”
She looked to Arez, “Joined?”
“Fucked.”
“Ah.”
Arez nodded. “When Aster and Yodin get together, there is a fertility wave for five miles. With Rekfa’s blessing, they have been screwing all over the globe.”
Silently, Rekfa confirmed it. He wanted an indigenous population, and breeding it was one way to get it. The variety of species on Rekfa were not normally compatible, but the energy put out by Yodin and Aster was a potent mix that managed to fuse even moderately compatible genes into a working biology.
“Interesting technique for building a natural population.”
Arez grinned. “Isn’t it?”
The mix of foods was heavy on the vegetation, but there was enough meat for Gala’s taste. With each bite, Rekfa played out the image of the plant or animal she was eating.
Silently, Gala asked why she didn’t just get the information in a download from the world itself.
I do not wish to overload you with information. It is best that you absorb information organically. Learn as you go.
She smiled and took another serving of vegetables in a light oil and spice dressing.
“That is an amused smile.” Arez ate next to her.
“It is. I am talking with Rekfa. He doesn’t want me to stress myself.”
She crunched into the vegetables and enjoyed the texture.
“It will be odd.” He observed quietly.
“What will be?”
“Pursuing you with a planet’s consciousness in your head.”
The locals who could hear them were fascinated.
“You plan on chasing me? I can guarantee you that Rekfa is not a fan of running.”
“I used to drink and whore with Jurad. Knowing that part of him is still in there is a little off-putting.”
“You seem pretty sure that this is a line of pursuit you want to engage in.” She glanced at him through her lashes.
“I do, but given your lack of experience, it is difficult to come up with a means and method for beginning.”
The locals were staring at them as they spoke softly.
When the meal was done, the men picked up the dishes and joked as they elbowed each other for the best spot at the washing sink. Even Arez took her dishes and scrubbed up.
Silently, she asked Rekfa.
If he can have any woman here, why does he want me?
You will not die in the next forty years, or in the next four hundred. He has wanted a mate, but he had no one to choose from.
So, my lifespan is my attraction?
Part of it.”
Well, it is better than being wanted for my boobs.
She chuckled silently and smiled as Arez rejoined her.
The gathering moved to the sides, and the men shifted the tables. A band tuned up and the songs started. Couples joined and began a dance of steps and turns.
Arez smiled. “Will you dance?”
Before Gala could say that she didn’t know how, instructions were given to her. “Sure. Let’s dance.”
It took more coordination than she normally had, but Arez managed to help her take the first few steps in the dance until she was able to get the hang of the motion. After that, she was stepping, twisting, turning and gliding with the rest of the dancers.
When she collided with him during a slow turn, the full-body contact sent a shockwave through her. The exhilaration of the connection rippled through her.
Arez froze at the same time, and his rapid breathing told her that he was just as aroused as she was.
Rekfa took over.
“Come with me.”
Rekfa wrapped her arms around Arez, and they left the festival by means of flying straight up.
Rekfa flew them to a copse of trees with lush grasses. Gala’s palms began to sweat before they had landed.
She shivered with nervous tension, and her skin did the most extraordinary thing. The hair follicles on her arms and the rest of her rose, and for the first time in her life, she felt what it meant to have gooseflesh.
When she had been small, one of her caregivers had read her a story about a boy who went out to learn what fear was. She had that same feeling right now. She wanted to know what it felt like—what everything felt like—and she wanted it all at once.
Arez looked around and admired their location. “This looks comfortable.”
Gala nodded. “Rekfa chose it for its distance from other settlements. The grass is thick and soft, and the trees are shielding. Even Yodin and Aster have yet to make it to this particular stand of green.”
He turned to her and lifted one of her hands to his lips. “If I do anything you don’t like, tell me.”
“If I do not, Rekfa will.”
The soft but firm curve of his lips caressed her knuckles before turning her hand over and stroking across her palm. She watched as he pressed his lips to her inner wrist and made his way up her arm.
To feel his lips moving on her skin was a completely new sensation. She now had a visual and physical sense at the same time. Her mind was in an anticipatory clamour.
Arez smiled. “Stop over-thinking this and just feel.”
“It is difficult. I want to remember every touch.” She looked up at him through eyes that felt heavy.