llow eyes narrowing in accusation, but a misch

ly shrugged. "No

e deep emerald color of his scaled skin glimmered in the soft sunlight filtering t

blossoming on her lips. Her eyes, the color of emeralds,

esembling a sulking child. "Are you kidding me, Ro? I w

he turned away confidently, "you needed to aim more precisely. Perh

ature preserve. It had been their tribe's sanctuary for as long as any N'kara could recall. Th

d chided as Phuro departed, his

ping over a fallen tree. "I can't keep eve

they all possessed scales in shades of emerald and jade, Phuro's skin had a more human-like tone. It still had an underlying

r mother had warned. "They worry you will attrac

far humans had spread across the planet. "Mother, they already know about us," sh

ad responded with exhaustion, "b

ales to please them? Maybe I'll get right on that as soon

oralizing. She could easily blend in while traveling to

erald sheen in the sun and the faint points of her ears, but she had lear

ath and strayed into the dead leaves, fallen branches, and hanging vines decorating the less-traveled areas of the preserve. She

o long as Ninded, her cousin Agrti, and her brother Banith had her back,

' disapproval of her appearance, Phuro couldn'

elling on what we can't

r purpose as she wandered through the forest. While most of her tribe found comfort withi

e the freedom her ancestors indulged in. The forest wasn't stuffy or cr

caves," she

napped her back into reality. She couldn't believe she had wandered into the part of the preserve often visited by humans. Yet, two figures app

He wore khaki pants and a blue button-down shirt, which seemed out of place in the rugged setting. His partner, a towe

ked up, and she focused the conversation. Despite the dista

?" The burly man

rection they were heading. "We still have

em, her keen eyes studying their every move. Unlike the humans she had watched before, who seemed to wander aimlessly through the

ical sites within the city instead of th

her weight, she quickly retreated behind the thick trunk of a pine tree and held her breath, anticipating their

they continued without a glance in her directi

s attempt to listen in. "...It is truly inspi

, Doctor," the muscular man stated