Chapter 28
Nehemiah had to jog to catch up to the Neyan.
As he caught up, the creature looked at him, but said nothing. After a few moments of awkward silence, Nehemiah finally asked.
“Kelin, right?”
The Neyan looked at him through one large black eye.
“Right what?” he asked in the same clipped, melodic accent as his father.
“That’s your name?” Nehemiah clarified.
“No, but you can call me that.”
Kelin didn’t elaborate any further. After a few more seconds of silence, Nehemiah tried again.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how come humans can’t pronounce your name?”
Kelin gestured to his throat.
“One of your scientists told Father it was something called a syrinx. Apparently, there are creatures like us that have the same thing in your world.”
Nehemiah nodded.
“They're called birds,” he said.
Kelin shrugged, a familiar gesture on a weird body. Then he opened his beak slightly.
A beautiful sound began to echo around the hallway. It took Nehemiah a second to realize what it was. Birdsong. Or Neyansong in this case. A high trill sounded, harmonizing with a low hum. Two sounds, making one. Kelin closed his beak, and the song stopped.
“That’s how we speak to you,” he said. “We use two different sounds. But you only have one. So you can’t speak like us.”
The pair fell silent again. They turned the last corner, and were only a few feet from the door when Kelin stopped.
“What was your name?” he asked.
“Nehemiah,” Nehemiah replied.
“Ne'mia’”, Kelin repeated.
“Close enough,” Nehemiah said.
Kelin nodded. Then without a word, he led the way out into the fresh air.
Nehemiah had forgotten how green everything was. Not just the trees and brush surrounding the base. Even the light was green, the peculiar star shining in the sky.
“Come,” Kelin said. He set off towards the woods at half jog, his talons clacking on the stones, his sword swinging by his side. The sword. Nehemiah had been glancing at it ever since he walked into that room. Zeke had told him that the Neyan swords were made of wood, yet extremely durable. Nehemiah had to see it for himself though.
“Your sword, it’s wood?” he asked Kelin.
Kelin nodded.
“Same wood as all those trees,” he said gesturing to the forest in front of them.”
“So you make them from the trees?”
“No. They are grown for us.”
“Grown? By who?”
“Sidoiyeqa.”
“Who’s Sidoiyeqa?”
Kelin pointed at the star.
“Sidoiyeqa,” he said.
Then he pointed at the ground.
“Sidoiyeqa,” he repeated.
Then he gestured back to the forest.
“Sidoiyeqa.”
Nehemiah's brow was furrowed, trying to make sense of the alien’s gestures.
“So Sido-whoever is everything?”
Kelin stopped and turned to him.
“Sidoiyeqa. He made everything.”
Then he continued walking towards the forest. Nehemiah was still confused, but he didn’t ask anymore questions.
After an awkward silent minute, they arrived at the gate. A lone guard stood watch. He smiled when he saw the duo.
“Morning”, he said as he flipped a switch. The gate began to slide open.
Kelin nodded at the guard, and then headed into the forest.
“Uh…thanks,” Nehemiah stammered as he followed the Neyan.
As soon as they entered the woods, everything was quiet. The bustle of the base was muted by the foliage and rustle of the leaves. Nehemiah glanced at Kelin. He seemed different all of a sudden. More relaxed. As if he had come home. The Neyan inhaled deeply, and the patch of skin at the corner of the beak flicked upward. A smile, Nehemiah realized.
“Come,” Kelin said. “I have much to show you.”