Auryn was a normal teenage girl before everything changed. . .  She started to notice differences in her life. She could hear from far away and could start to see easier in the dark. She had met another person, named Zutek, but his human cover name was Zack. Turns out, he wasn’t truly human. He was an alien as well, and so was Auryn. Now she has just completed the ceremony of joining her alien tribe while her human friend is unsure to stay or to leave Auryn. He was unsure of himself until he had the plan of becoming alien, like Auryn. But before any of that could happen, an Alqo got the best of Auryn and many things had gotten delayed.

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Auryn knelt before him, closing her eyes as Zutek rubbed glowing blue ink across the bridge of her nose.

“It’s done,” Zutek said, “You’re one of us now.”

Auryn felt a huge weight being put upon her shoulders as she rose to face the crowd of people before her. She smiled and said, “Thank you for letting me join your tribe. It is a great honor to finally find my lost home.”

Some cringed at the words Auryn had said, while others beamed up at her. Before Auryn could go on, a little girl ran across the clearing and hugged Auryn tightly. 

“We love you, Auryn!!!” the little girl squealed. People in the crowd laughed and giggled. This little girl was Bren, and she was Auryn’s little sister. Following Bren, came Sunzi, Auryn’s baby sister (she was only 3 years old). 

“I wuv big sister Auryn!” Sunzi squealed, before she embraced Auryn in a hug. The crowd laughed further, but then they all decided to join the hug, one by one. 

“Now, that’s true unity if I might say.” Calvin softly said to himself before Auryn pulled him in the hug as well.

“OOF-” Calvin said before he was squished between two others. 

“Well, isn’t this nice. . .” Calvin sarcastically murmured to himself.

“Oh, shut up, Clavin. Hugs are amazing.” Bren said.

More laughter emerged in the crowd.

One by one, they separated and some congratulated Auryn for her joining the tribe.

***

It was morning, and Auryn looked in the mirror. Her image was different, and would take some time to get used to, but not as different as it should be. Because Auryn had started her transformation later than she should have, some of  her human features still remained. Her hair was still the same short length and same light blonde color.Her eyes were no longer the glossy fern green anymore, as they had turned bright yellow with pearly sparkles. Her skin was pale and had tattoos with light blue ink in various designs from head to toe.  It was a sign of respect and being content and a part of the tribe. Her body was thinner and much taller as she remembered her old body was. Auryn sighed as what she saw in the mirror was not her true self that she knew, but she would have to readjust her mind, to say that it was. Her ears twitched as she realized a creak had come from the window. Auryn whirled around as her tail smacked into Clavin.

“AH-” Calvin shrieked as he was hit to the ground.

“Oh my God, you scared me, Clavin. Don’t do that,” Auryn said as she bent over to help him up.

Calvin scowled, “Yeah, I guess since you have ultra senses, I can’t sneak up on you anymore.”

He stood up and regained his balance. He took a look at Auryn, up and down. She had changed from the normal jeans and T-shirt into the clothes of her tribe. One piece of fabric was tied around her waist like a skirt and another was tied around her torso, both fiery orange in color and painted with white details.

“Oh, wow. So, you’re really getting into the Ite spirit.” Calvin said and then shook his head in annoyance, “I’m away for one night and you’ve gotten taller!”

Auryn laughed and sat down on her bed so she was level with Calvin, “Is this good?”

Calvin sighed, “I guess that’s better”

There was a long silence before either one of them spoke. Thoughts were flying around their heads from what will be happening tomorrow to memories from earlier. Auryn looked in Calvin’s eyes and tried to decipher the emotion he was feeling at the moment.

“Do you want to go back?” 

Calvin sighed, “No. I just miss being the same height as you. There is nothing back on Earth waiting for us. I don’t have family to worry about, and neither do you that we have to go to Earth for. I just. . .” He paused for a while.

“Just, what?” Auryn asked.

“I just. . . miss how things used to be. When just you and I were the same species!” 

Calvin half-smiled as if he intended it to be humorous. A moment of silence passed by as they gathered their thoughts. 

“We could do it, you know. You could stay. I’ll just be a bit bigger.” Auryn said. She tried to erase the emotion of needing him from her face. Because Calvin was a human, and wasn’t an Ite, rules state that no average humans are allowed in Iteria. 

Auryn didn’t fool Clavin, and he sighed heavily, “  I want to be bigger.” Then his eyes lit up.

“That’s it. . .” Calvin murmured to himself. 

“What’s it?” Auryn asked.

“I have to go, Auryn. I will be back in a few days.” Calvin said casually.

This was news to Auryn, and her heartbeat grew faster.

“Days? Where are you going?” Auryn asked, trying to steady her breath. If it was going to be days, she couldn’t stand to have him gone for that long of a time. 

Calvin nodded, and hugged Auryn tightly.

“I’ll be back.” He reassured her, “I promise. Please stay out of trouble”

Even though her body was huge, she felt like Calvin was protecting her. She shivered at his touch, for he was extremely cold to her naturally warm temperature. The moment felt lasting until Auryn felt Calvin’s hands shaking beneath her. 

“You can let go, you know,” she assured him, and patted him on the back.

“Don’t. Look. Behind. You. Please, do exactly as I say.” Calvin said in a strict tone. The voice didn’t even sound like his own. It was more. . . demanding and expressionless.

“Urm, okay.” Auryn said, clearly confused.

Calvin let go of Auryn and slowly walked towards the window at the other side of the room. Auryn followed his movements. Clavin turned behind him and shook his head strictly at Auryn ‘no’. Auryn froze and pointed towards the window sill. Standing there, ready to strike, was a full grown Alqo. The Alqo’s face was twisted into a snarl as a deep growl emerged from their throat. 

Fear could be seen in Calvin’s eyes, as he had never encountered an Alqo before, but Auryn had. She stepped forward in front of Calvin, and crouched on the ground to be at level with the Alqo, but wrinkled her face to show anger. When battling an Alquo, you have to act like the bigger predator. Auryn tried to snarl like Zutek had taught her to. A deep sound rumbled in her throat and emerged onto the tip of her tongue. The growl spilled out of her mouth like liquid, filling the space around the room. The Alqo rose into a position to strike at Auryn as she got into a position to launch at the Alqo. 

Before Clavin knew it, a fight between the Alqo and Auryn was taking place. They moved so fast, all you could see was a blur of black and white while gusts of wind flew in all directions. The Alqo took a standing position, that’s when you could see its full height. The Alqo looked like a black panther, but more deadly. Blood dripped from the Alqo’s teeth, as Calvin realized, it wasn’t the Alqo’s own blood. Auryn had a bite mark on her arm, but that didn’t stop her from unleashing the power she had in her body. Auryn’s eyes were furious and turned a dark black with the slightest bit of a white gloss as she bared her teeth, making sure to show the shard edges, and snarled at the Alqo. She turned to a crouched position and jumped on top of the Alqo. Auryn pinned his head to the ground and pulled her knife out of her satchel on the side of her waist. The Alqo thrusted and moved uncontrollably trying to throw off Auryn, but Auryn never moved. She forced the Alqo’s body closer to the ground and jammed her knife into the neck of the Alqo. A snarl mixed with a whimper escaped the Alqo's mouth, before all was silent. 

Auryn was shaking as she tried to gasp for breath. A warm liquid trickled down her arm as a deep pain was the source. Auryn groaned and fell off to the side of the Alqo. Clavin rushed to Auryn’s side and led her to her bed. Auryn’s light pale skin was drained to look the palest shade of white. Her body had decreased in temperature due to her blood flowing out of her body. A wet cloth was put to the wound, but Auryn flinched and yelped. The cloth drew back immediately before slowly being pressed against the wound again. Auryn was breathing heavily and trying not to pass out.

“Auryn?” Calvin asked in a panicked tone. His calm mood vanished and was replaced with worry and fear. Auryn’s eyes then started to cloud over her vision.

“Just stay awake, okay?” Calvin pleaded and started to wrap Auryn’s wound.

Auryn groaned weakly and said, “I’m sorry”, before her eyes and body failed her, and passed out.