Chapter 2

The alarm on my phone was shrieking right in my ear. I cursed softly because I knew I had fallen asleep while I was holding it. It was a bad habit that I didn’t seem to be able to shake off. Well, at least I was wide-awake now and I was lucky I hadn’t thrown the damn thing against a wall.

I inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air flow into my lungs. One thing I was going to miss when I’m at home again: the clean and crisp mountain air. As I walked towards the bathroom, snippets of my dream came back to me. I smiled as I remembered how I was pampered by beautiful Bishojan women. Their ample breasts pressed against me as they snuggled closer. I loved how Cirin’s full soft lips were tracing my upper body while another pair of hands was caressing my rock-hard member.

The warm water of the shower felt great as it sluiced down my body, helping me to reach a massive climax. As I was recovering, I wondered if I ever would be able to enjoy the attention of more than one woman. It was a hell of a dream where the Neutarian I knew were having sex with me. I shook my head, knowing for sure it wasn’t going to happen.

Mitta’s skills cooking breakfast were amazing, resulting in me eating too much, again. I knew I had to tone down a bit, knowing my slow metabolism was not up to it. The rays of the two suns were gentle, warming my body while I lounged on the swing, with my eyes closed. The air was still cool, which was a nice contrast with the heat of the suns.

“Seems you have enjoyed breakfast,” Cirin’s voice sounded right in front of me.

I opened one eye, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Cirin’s happy smile. The cunning girl had managed to sneak onto the veranda, without making any noise. She laughed. “Come on lazy bum,” she cooed, “let’s go!”

Her laugh was contagious, and I couldn’t stop chuckling as I heaved myself off the swing. “Alright Cirin, where are we going?”

She looked at my shoes, which were an old pair of sneakers, and asked, “Are these the only shoes you brought with you?”

I nodded. “Yup. I opted out on extra luggage to save credits on the journey.”

She tapped her finger on her lips, with a cute frown on her face as she murmured, “I don’t think your shoes will survive your stay. We need to visit Ninniachien. She will fit you a new pair.”

“Hold on,” I said shocked, “I’m afraid I can’t afford a custom pair of shoes.”

Her smile was sweet as she shook her head. “Don’t worry, Paul. You, erm, can consider them as a gift from me.”

“From you? Surely, you’re not going to pay for my shoes. That’s, that’s totally absurd!”

“No, it’s not absurd,” she replied calmly, “Ninni is more than happy to help you out and besides, she owes me a favor.”

I stared at her beautiful green eyes, knowing I couldn’t change her mind. I had to admit I adored her plump blue lips, hoping one day I dared to kiss them. I raised one of my eyebrows as I said, “Guess I’m going to have a new pair of shoes then.”

As she took my hand she confirmed, “Absolutely. You seem to forget we are in the mountain region, so it’s important to have sturdy and supportive shoes.”

I knew Cirin was right; if I was to enjoy the amazing environment, I needed something better than the flimsy plastic junk I currently was wearing.

Ninni’s shop was amazing. She had the most sophisticated equipment that had scanned my feet in a flash and ten minutes later my sweaty feet were clad in the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned. As I had expected Ninni was a Neutaria as well, although her face was stunning. Her long lime green hair made her fair skin glow while her mystical gray eyes seemed to make you feel insignificant. But my heart started to beat a little faster as soon as her pink lips had formed into a smile.

She was lovely and insisted on tying up my new shoes, deliberately moving her body into my personal space. I didn’t mind feeling the warmth of her body, but I couldn’t fathom why she did it. As far as I knew Neutarian were persons without any sex-orientated features. My mind was playing tricks on me as I longed to be close with Ninni and Cirin even though I knew they couldn’t have sex with me. It didn’t make any sense why Neutarian women looked so beautiful.

“Thank you Ninniachien,” said Cirin as she hugged her fellow Neutaria, “we are even now.”

Ninni winked at Cirin as she pulled away from the hug. “Go easy on him. He still needs a little more time to adjust to Bishojan oxygen levels.”

Cirin nodded and as she looked at me, with a radiant smile, she said, “Earthlings are tougher than you think.”

Ninni snorted. “I’ve heard other stories.”

Cirin gave Ninni a playful slap on her bottom. “Shut it! Paul is special.”

Ninni turned towards me. Her laugh made me feel like a little boy, showing off his toy car collection of three beaten up cars. Her gray eyes twinkled as she said, “You better watch it, Paul. Before you know it, you’re on top of Bisha.”

“Is that the mountain where the monastery is?”

“Oh my, yes the Dragan monastery is on Bisha,” gushed Ninni, as her attitude changed completely. She moved closer to me, studying my face. “You are different.”

Cirin’s face darkened a little as she responded firmly, “Alright, Ninniachien. Thank you for your services.”

A range of emotions ran over Ninni’s beautiful face and responded meekly as she backed away, “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.”

I looked at my brand-new shoes and as I stood on my toes, jumping up and down a little, and replied warmly, “I’m sure I will. Thanks again Ninni. You’re the best!”

It was strange to be pulled away by Cirin, as if we had been with Ninni too long. But then the penny dropped; Cirin had become jealous because of the sudden interest Ninni had in me. I could only smile, realizing my tour guide wanted to have me for herself. It still didn’t make sense to me, as they both were Neutarian.

As we stepped out of the shop Cirin sighed heavily. Now I was curious what she was thinking. I wanted to know whether she was upset about what had happened in the shop.

“Erm, Cirin. Can I ask you a question?”

We walked on for a while before she answered upbeat, “Of course.”

“Are you upset with Ninni?”

“No, not really.”

Her answer sounded evasive as if she was hiding something. “Oh okay,” I answered, “that is interesting.”

“Is it?” She asked with a small voice.

“Were you a little, erm wary, perhaps?”

She snorted.

“Look,” I said with a gentle voice, “you warned me that a Neutaria could be unpredictable. I just want to know and understand you better.”

“Oh alright,” she conceded as she was looking at her shoes, “I was starting to get a little jealous.”

“I don’t understand, Cirin. She just was interested in me.”

Cirin stopped walking and as she took both my hands in her hands, she said, “Paul, you are different. Most of the men visiting our world are only interested in one thing.”

I opened my mouth to speak because I was here for exactly the same reason, but she continued, “Not once you’ve asked me, or others you’ve met, about it. You are interested in our culture and cuisine. You are the first man I’ve ever met who knows about the Dragan.”

“Well,” I murmured, “for me it’s obvious that my credits are going to be well spent. Meaning I want to make the best out of it. And as Tawa has said I’ll probably meet someone soon enough.”

“She is right,” Cirin murmured as she looked down at my hands.

I gently squeezed her hands, not knowing what more to say about this uneasy subject. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine. She looked vulnerable as she asked with a small voice, “are you in for a hike?”

“Erm, I guess so.”

“I mean a proper hike,” she continued hesitantly, “perhaps making a visit to the Dragan monastery?”

I looked up at the mountain where the clouds were hiding the top. I reckoned it was a multiple day hike meaning we had to camp for a few nights. I knew my condition was okay as long as we took enough time to rest.

“I would love that,” I said slowly, “But I guess we need the gear and food to stay up there for a few days.”

She nodded enthusiastically. “We can reach the monastery in two days, and we can stay a night there.”

“Okay, but how about the nights during the trips to the Dragan monastery and back?”

“There’s a hidden place we can use,” Cirin said with a happy smile, “There’s a small cottage built in a cave. We only need to bring food and some sheets.”

“How about water?”

“An empty flask is enough. There are plenty of places en route where we can fill them.”

It all sounded great, and it was almost too good to be true. “So, what is the catch here Cirin? I mean an exciting hike, sleeping in a secret hide-out, visiting the Dragan monastery. What do I miss?”

She laughed nervously. “Nothing much, except you’re going to be stuck with me for four days. And ... your phone will be reduced to a camera and a flashlight.”

I chuckled as I slowly shook my head, remembering Ninni’s warning. “So actually, Ninni was right.”

It was the first time I saw her cute face getting a healthy blush. “I, I,” she stammered, “I guess so. It’s just a suggestion, we also can go to the coast if you prefer.”