Aurora didn't bother hiding her scream as she was pulled along at what felt like a million miles an hour, the cold wind ripping straight through her thin clothes. A rough hand had hold of her wrist. With a firm yank, Aurora found herself sitting on . . . A hover bike? Her saviour pulled her arms around their waist. She understood the message. Hold on tight. 

A second hoverbike came up beside them. Arthur and Lydia were on board, holding onto their own piolet and ducking down to protect themselves from the wind. Relief washed over Aurora, quickly replaced by worry. Who had saved them? She looked up at her pilot, unable to see anything but their black clothing and helmet, before having duck behind, eyes watering.

'Dienna?' The voice that spoke, Aurora's saviour, sounded female. 'Dienna?' she asked again, this time with more force.

'I'm sorry?' Aurora called over the wind. 'I don't understand.'

The woman let out a groan, tilting her head back with the motion. 'Da kuna en wepsh.' Once upright, she said, 'English?' It sounded like "en-glish". 'Do you speak English?'

'Yes!' Aurora yelped as they took air. 'I speak English,' she said once on the ground again. Well, as close to the ground as they could be on a hoverbike. 

'Humans.' The woman let out a laugh. It wasn't a happy one. 'I asked if you were okay.' 

'Wha - yes. Yes, I'm okay,' she said. 'Confused a lost, but it could be worse.' 

'Imor con fi!' The woman looked over her shoulder--Aurora couldn't make out her face behind her helmet's visor. 'Never say that. Something bad always happens. It's the ultimate . . . Jinx, I believe the word is in your language.'

Oops. 'Is that gonna be a problem?'

'Niye!' The woman revved the engine. 'Hold on tight! I'm not planning on stopping!'

Aurora realised her plan and grimaced, holding the woman tight as she aimed the hover straight at the shadows. They plowed through them. The shadows stretched with a silent scream, vanishing. The woman pulled the bike to a stop and let out a triumphant cry. Then the shadows split into two separate beings. 

The second hoverbike stopped between them. This driver also sounded female. 'Si amo dala te amor keh.'

Aurora's piolet imitated the other woman in a high pitched voice before saying, 'Si uni ta, Xix.' 

Aurora's head shot toward the woman. Xix?

She wasn't done. The woman gestured toward Aurora, her voice becoming almost scathing. 'Nada o ka'ha Humans deh kuna eimwah!' 

'Den!'

Aurora didn't know what was being said but had the feeling she should be offended by whatever it was. Even so, she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut. After all, these people were the ones saving them.

The two bikes took off again, Aurora's pilot muttering something under her breath very fast. She noticed her trying to hear her.

'We're taking you back with us,' the woman said. 'We'll figure out what to do with you when we get back.' If we get back. Aurora gripped the woman tighter at the unspoken words.

* * * * * * * * *

The hoverbikes raced side-by-side into the night. Lydia seemed to be asleep, her head pressed against the back of the other woman, Arthur holding her in place. He looked like there was too much adrenaline running through him to even bother trying to fall asleep. Aurora was in pretty much the same shape. They managed to exchange glances every now and then, making sure the other was okay.

Aurora was struggling to decide whether or not the two women should be trusted. On the one hand, they had saved them from probably death. On the other, they were on what appeared to be another world, riding hoverbikes, and being chased by shadow creatures. 

She and Arthur came to the agreement they needed to know more about their saviours. Of course, that proved easier said than done. Well, for Aurora. Her cousin and his pilot seemed to be having a nice conversation. The woman she was stuck with ignored all her questions. 

Where are we? No answer.

Where are we going? No answer.

Is this Earth? No answer.

Are you an alien? No answer.

The woman was becoming visibly frustrated with each question, her entire body tensing. She probably didn't know whether or not to trust her tagalongs but was holding in her own questions. The woman on the other hoverbike, however, seemed quite happy to answer Arthur's questions. This one . . . 

'Could you at least tell me where we are going?' Aurora tried after another few minutes. She was shocked to get an answer. 

'Home.'

Home. Because that was such a helpful answer. 'And by home you mean . . .'

'A place where one lives.'

Yeah, I walked right into that one. 'Like, another planet?'

She sighed. 'Yes, another planet.' 

The woman took one hand off the handle bars, holding it out in front of her. A blue light shot from her hand. A blue light, much like the one that brought the three here in the first place, appeared in front of them. Both bikes aimed toward it.

'Could you please tell me your name?' Aurora asked.

The woman answered, 'Amneris.' 

They disappeared into the light. 

* * * * * * * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For translation of the conversation, please see chapter 6 as it is the exact same conversation