67:40, Day 578, Year 58133

  The Scepter Grove, Shashan, Shashvat Ananda (?????? ?????)

  Xin's eyelids fluttered open, his consciousness surfacing like a fish breaking through the skin of a deep, violet sea. The air was thick with the scent of alien flora, a heady blend of sweet and musk that invaded his senses. He tried to lift his arms, but found them ensnared by supple vines that pulsed with life, binding him to a bed of living plant matter that cushioned his naked form. "Need to…get out." he managed to say.

  As he squinted against the bright light, Xin noticed a table next to him constructed from braided Banyan roots. On top of the strange furniture were neatly folded attire: beige puffer jacket, black-rimmed glasses, green hoodie, silver green Psi Shield Device, Quantum Watch, blue pants, and plain white underwear and socks.

  The surreal garden buzzed with the glow of purples bioluminescent flowers. Giant trees spiraled upward, their bark intertwining with the sinuous embrace of flowering vines. Everything was alive, everything breathed and watched. Xin's heart hammered against his ribcage, a dull echo in the vast expanse of this otherworldly grove.

  He craned his neck, searching for Lorna, his mind awash with concern. What met his gaze was another companion. Emmanuel Boateng — his comrade, his brother-in-arms — laid out like an offering on a similar botanical altar. The man's afro locs were splayed around his head like a relaxed crown, his muscular body lay limp as he made deep moans of satisfaction.

  And there she was, Tanha, their captor in her voluptuous form. Her violet skin glimmered with a subtle iridescence as she rose from between Emmanuel's legs, her full purple lips curving upwards. Her glowing eyes gleamed with satisfaction, the valley of her bosom slick with Emmanuel's release. "You shat so much. My Svadavidhi could barely eat it all."

  "The Tasting. Incredible," Emmanuel sighed in relaxation. "If all Radi-Mons were like you, I would quit this job to join you in a heartbeat."

  Laughter bubbled from her throat, a rich and sultry sound that rippled through the undergrowth. She licked her lips clean before continuing. "The Aether in your stool has quality. The Svadavidhi says you’re a healthy, masculine man. What did you say people call you?"

  "Manny. Easy to remember, right?" Emmanuel lifted his head at Tanha.

  Then, Tanha lowered her head to whisper something to him, voice low and possessive, claiming him with words that Xin could not understand but felt in his marrow.

  "Manny," she said as she rose, her violet eyes glinting with triumph as her fingers caressed Emmanuel’s post-coitus erection.

  "Tanha," Emmanuel responded with a chuckle, his chest rising and falling with easy breaths. The vines on his botanical bed retreated, and his hand reached out, tracing the curve of Tanha's cheek with a tenderness that made Xin's stomach churn. There was no trace of worry in his expression, no sign that he spared even a fleeting thought for Lorna's fate.

  Xin's frustration swelled. His muscles strained against his leafy restraints, the frustration boiling within him so fervently that he could almost feel the heat radiating from his olive skin. They had been taken, all of them, yet only he seemed to remember — or care about — the danger they had been spirited away from.

  "Emmanuel," Xin hissed under his breath, teeth gritted. "Have you lost your mind? What about Lorna?"

  But his words were swallowed by the verdant labyrinth, unheard or ignored, as the vines held fast.

  Tanha slinked toward him, a vision of violet and curves, her fingers tracing the swell of her ample breasts with deliberate intent. Her skin shimmered in the alien glow, the luminescent spores from the flora around them landing on her long amethyst hair. She was like a siren. Every movement, every breath oozed the raw sexuality that she wielded like a weapon.

  "Now, skinny boy. It’s your turn," she purred, voice dripping with desire as she approached his botanical prison. He could feel the heat emanating from her body, a carnal warmth that contrasted the cool, moist air of the grove.

  Xin's gaze hardened, his thoughts lashing back to Lorna, to her safety, to the connection they shared. As Tanha’s smooth hand came to rest upon his chest, he recoiled instinctively, the vines around him responding to his sudden tension, tightening their grasp. Her touch was electric, yet unwelcome — Xin’s mind struggled to decide if it was a spark that ignited resistance or passion.

  The grove seemed to pulse with life, glowing spores drifting lazily through the air, each one a tiny beacon in the dimness.

  "It’ll be over soon," Tanha cooed, her forked tongue flickering out between full lips, tasting the air between them. The spores swirled more thickly now.

  The Svadavidhi’s vines constricted around Xin's form. The alien flora throbbed with emerald and violet life as they lifted his legs up, revealing his buttocks. Xin’s heart hammered against the botanical restraints, each pulse a silent scream. "Hey, can we skip this ‘inspection’ thing? Whatever you need to know, I can tell you."

  "Shh," Tanha whispered, placing a finger on Xin’s lips as she loomed over him, her considerable bosom swaying hypnotically. She leaned forward, the soft mounds of her breasts resting on the botanical bed.

  Tanha's black tongue slithered out, its forked tip glistening as it flickered across the sensitive skin of Xin's crotch, wading through the grove of his trimmed pubic hair. The sensation provoked a visceral shudder from his core. Each lap sent shivers up his spine, every swipe a reminder of the pleasure he didn't want to feel.

  With a seemingly predatory instinct, Tanha explored him, the sharp tips of her tongue entering his orifice. Her skill was undeniable. Xin's breath hitched, the memory of tender nights with Ume flashing through his mind — a stark contrast to this invasive intimacy. He gritted his teeth, clinging to the thought that Tanha was not Ume, nor Lorna. He could not allow himself to be overcome by such stimulation provided by a soul he barely knew.

  After minutes of his mind going blank, Xin's thoughts splintered amidst the lush, alien grove as Tanha's ministrations faltered. She rose, her frustration palpable, the violet glow of her eyes intensifying.

  "Why does this not work on you?" she seethed, fingers digging into the soft plant matter of his botanical bed. Her serpent-tongue flicked out, tasting the tension that hung between them like a veil.

  "Uh... what?" Xin raised an eyebrow between ragged breaths.

  "Most humans would have shat by now," she muttered, a mix of anger and confusion evident in her voice. Her violet eyes narrowed. "Your resistance... it's unnatural."

  Emmanuel, now adorned in a purple botanical skirt that left his muscular torso bare, pushed himself up to sitting. "Come on, Xin. There's nothing to fear here." His voice carried the languid satisfaction of one who had found unexpected pleasure in strange customs.

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  "Look," Xin's jaw clenched. "This isn't about trust – it's about dignity."

  Tanha's laughter held no warmth. "Dignity? When your kind brought plagues to our people a century ago, was there dignity in that?" Her form seemed to grow larger, more imposing. "We lost thousands to your human viruses. The Tasting isn't a game as you might – it's survival."

  "Plagues? You mean the Nucleus Virus?" Xin raised a brow.

  "No!" Tanha's annoyance grew. "That is more blessing than harm to us. It is your rotavirus and adenovirus that devastate my kind." Her serpentine tongue flicked out in disgust. "Simple stomach bugs to you humans, but they mean death to our crystalline neural pathways.”

  “Wow,” Xin muttered. “We don’t need the Moondust Crystal to defeat Radi-Mons, then?”

  "But those Fenris kuttiya are immune!" Tanha lifted a finger. "Just we, the Rakshasa..." She trailed off, ancient pain evident in her voice.

  The grove itself seemed to darken to deep indigo. Emmanuel's expression shifted, the earlier bliss replaced by growing concern as he looked between Xin and Tanha.

  "Hey, so," Emmanuel started, reaching toward Tanha with a gentleness that betrayed their newfound intimacy. "There has to be another way to verify he's clean or trustworthy, right?"

  "Other way?" Tanha's violet eyes flashed. "The Tasting is sacred. It has protected us since—"

  "Stop this!" The familiar voice, filled with life, slipped through like a cool draught. Xin's head snapped toward the sound, muscles coiled. And there she was, Lorna, emerging from the fringes of the grove, her cerulean gaze anchoring him to the moment. The skin along her neck emitted an azure glow with tension, revealing the altered tissue beneath — her agitation at finding Xin in danger was palpable.

  She stood wrapped in nature's own regalia, the deep purple petals of her dress hugging her ample bosom with organic sensuality, while the midriff-baring ensemble revealed her taut stomach.

  Tanha's tongue flickered out as she quipped. "Did you enjoy your own Tasting so much you came to watch another?"

  "I accepted your customs," Lorna's mezzo-soprano voice carried steel beneath its smooth surface. "But my friends make their own decisions."

  "Do they?" Tanha's full lips curved in amusement. "One such friend of yours seems to find it pleasurable." She cast a knowing glance at Emmanuel, who had the grace to look somewhat abashed.

  The grove's bioluminescence pulsed, casting shifting shadows across their faces as tension crackled between them. Before either woman could advance their confrontation, a rich, resonant voice cut through the charged atmosphere.

  "An interesting gathering of souls we have here."

  A towering figure emerged from the luminous foliage, his skin a deep shade of violet that shimmered with iridescence. Large, curling long ears sprouted from his head, arching backward to add to his formidable height.

  "Vyomendri," Tanha acknowledged, her posture softening slightly. "This Earth-Dweller is... resistant to our ways."

  "Perhaps because you haven't shown them all our ways," Vyom's rich voice carried a note of contemplation. "Not all who enter our Realm require the sacred Parīksha?a. The Nordling, Harald Omdal, showed us that."

  The effect of the name was immediate. Xin noticed Lorna's ivory body going rigid, an azure glow along her neck intensifying. Her earlier confidence seemed to waver for just a moment. Her sapphire eyes widened, her lips parting but no words came.

  Emmanuel's attention shifted to Lorna, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Harald Omdal...some Norwegian psion, right? The Archmage of Buskerud? A pretty anti-Alliance asshole, too —"

  "What did this Harald – person — show you?" Xin cut in quickly, recognizing the dangerous territory they were entering. His mind raced to keep attention away from Lorna's visible discomfort.

  Vyom's indigo eyes gleamed with ancient knowledge. "He brought us something of great value. A crystalline shard that —"

  "Vyom, dear," Tanha interjected, her violet form tensing as she stepped closer to Emmanuel. "The Earth-Dwellers need not know of such things until they prove themselves trustworthy."

  "And yet here you are, already willing to be near one of them." Vyom's lips curved in subtle amusement as he gestured toward Emmanuel.

  "The time we’ve spent talking is long enough for me to finish Tasting that kutta." Tanha's hiss was sharp as her gaze returned to Xin. "Twice!"

  Xin felt the vines around him loosen slightly, responding to Vyom's presence. He watched Lorna from the corner of his eye, noting how she'd composed herself, though the azure glow still betrayed her inner turmoil.

  "Let me prove myself another way," Xin spoke carefully, seizing the moment. "You need assurance I carry no threat to your people. My team needs information about the Crystal. Surel there's common ground between these."

  Vyom's indigo eyes studied Xin with unexpected intensity. "Compared to your companions, you have physical presence. But there's something in how you observe. Are you someone who takes apart everything you see?"

  "I'm an engineer," Xin said, the words coming easier now that the vines had loosened. "Software, hardware – I fix things." He shifted in the botanical bed.

  "Perhaps..." Vyom's voice carried a note of consideration. "Our southeastern Hatching Chamber has been failing. Even our Weavers cannot determine why its environmental controls malfunction. The eggs there..." He paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. "None have hatched in this past season. Kathrin is upset."

  "That Hatching Chamber?" Tanha's laugh held a sharp edge. "We don't need human mechanics tampering with our sacred spaces!"

  "The eggs there weren't going to hatch. If they survive his presence, we'd know he's clean." Vyom turned to Tanha.

  "Let me try," Xin said, his voice carrying quiet confidence. "If I fail, quarantine me if you want. But, if I succeed..." He let the challenge hang in the air.

  Emmanuel straightened, his earlier languor giving way to interest. "Though if you ask me, the Tasting is much easier."

  The botanical bed's vines finally retreated, releasing Xin completely. He rose in his nude form, unafraid as all present watched him with narrowed eyes.

  Lorna's voice cut through the tension as she approached him, her bare feet leaving gentle marks on the violet grass with each step. "Xin, what are you doing? You've never even seen Radi-Mon technology before!"

  "Not really, no," he admitted, catching the flash of concern in her sapphire eyes. "But I understand patterns, failures, and solutions. Sometimes the best way to prove you're not a threat is to make yourself useful."

  Beside them, Emmanuel made his way to Tanha, his movements carrying an easy grace. Even as Xin watched from the corner of his eye, the two fell into animated conversation, their bodies naturally oriented toward each other. Tanha's violet fingers traced patterns in the air as she spoke, Emmanuel's deep laugh rolling through the grove in response.

  "The terms are simple," Vyom stated, drawing Xin's attention back. The Radi-Mon's towering form moved with fluid grace as he gestured toward a botanical dress held by two creatures resembling violet Indian Giant Honey Bees approaching and floating next to Vyom. "Fix the Hatching Chamber, and you'll be allowed to join the Rasa Tandava. Fail, and you'll watch from quarantine as your companions participate."

  "Rasa Tandava?" Xin tilted his head, noting how Lorna's posture shifted at the mention of the term. She'd moved closer to him now, the botanical dress that clung to her body rustling, the azure glow at her neck having settled to a gentle pulse.

  A knowing smile played across Vyom's features. "Dining and Dancing," Vyom explained. "Where truth is found in our joining, where barriers between beings..." his gaze flickered meaningfully between Xin and Lorna, "...dissolve."

  As Xin took and draped the garment around his waist, he felt a smooth fabric form over his crotch area, mimicking underwear. The skirt's interior tendrils provided a cooling layer for his manhood, as a calming sensation took over.

  In that moment, Lorna's hand found Xin's shoulder, her touch carrying warmth through the cool air of the grove.

  Her hair, as if spun from sunlit gold, cascaded in braids that crowned her head. Sapphire beads nestled within the plaits winked in the bioluminescence, each a tiny star against her radiant locks, casting her in an angelic aura that seemed too pure for the chaos that churned within him.

  "Hey, Lorna, I’m…” he managed, relief lacing his voice. “I’m just glad you’re okay."

  "You didn't have to offer yourself like this," she said softly, but there was something in her cerulean eyes – respect, perhaps?

  "It was hard for you, too. I've simply picked a different challenge." he murmured as his gaze met the deep blue of hers. "I’ll see you soon."

  "You better," she replied, her hand lingering a moment longer before withdrawing.

  "We’ll go to the Hatching Chamber and let Kathrin sort you out," Vyomendri strode into their midst. "Show us what an Earth-Dweller can do."

  Nucleus: The Dust of Moon is on April 13 (Sunday).

  April 12 (Saturday). As of this message, I've just begun writing it.