Tah flew me towards a patio platform of a very wide tree that was the width of a house. From this distance I could see several Sarfnars sitting in a circle.

"Is that it there?" I asked pointing.

"Yes," Tah answered.

"But there is no building on that platform," I said, "Where do you go if it rains?"

"Inside," Tah said.

"Inside what?"

"The tree."

"The tree?!" I said a little shocked. "Wait. You mean that the tree is hollow!"

"Yes of course," Tah said. There are three to five levels inside a learning tree. This learning tree is for children your age."

"Oh," I said amazed. "Your trees make mine back home look like thin twigs. Our trees are tall but never that wide."

Tah finally landed on the platform of the learning tree. A greenish brown Sarfnar walked up to us. He was obviously the teacher. His blonde hair had streaks of gray.

"Greetings teacher," Tah said as he gripped the green brown Sarfnar's arm.

"It great to see you after all these years," the Sarfnar said. Then looking at me he said, "and this is our newest student?"

"Yes," Tah said. "As you may know, this is Chante. Chante this is your teacher Rolah-Lo-Tak."

"Hello," I said nicely.

Rolah nodded. Then he turned to the young Sarfnars who were busy talking.

"Children!" he called out, "This is own newest student Chante. As you may know, she is the newest member of our Clan."

"Greetings Chante!" The class chirped.

I had a feeling this was all an act. But I didn't show it. I scanned the class for anyone that might give me trouble. I didn't see anyone from what I can tell.

Tah bent down and whispered in my ear. "Rolah is a good teacher," he said. "He was my teacher when I was young. He talked to the class before you came so you shouldn't have any problems."

"Alright," I said. "I hope."

I gave Tah a wave goodbye before I followed Rolah and the my new classmates inside the learning tree.

After walking down a flight of winding stairs, we walked in our room inside the tree. I was surprised that it almost looked like any normal classroom back home. There were desks that looked something like small round tree stumps. There were no seats. I wasn't surprised because Sarfnars either stand or sit on the floor. The only time Sarfnars sit on "seats" is when they are working or doing something formal. They are not really into the furniture thing.

There was something like a blackboard on the tree bark wall in front of the desks. It was a light brown color.

"To your desks everyone!" Teacher Rolah said. "Chante your desk is the middle one in the front."

I sat down on the floor in front of my desk. On my desk was a flat, white clipboard sized sheet. It was called a "writing board". It works something like those erasable marker boards and a write-on-screen hand held computer.

"Everyone plug in your writing boards to the port cable on your desks," Teacher Rolah said.

I looked on my desk and found the pitch fork shaped cable end and plugged it in the side of my writing board. Teacher Rolah then pressed a button on his writing board and an image popped up on the light brown blackboard. It was the Sarfnar alphabet.

I guess writing is our first lesson, I thought to myself.

After the first few hours of school, it was recess time. All of the young Sarfnars were outside near the learning tree playing games. Some were flying, climbing trees, racing and playing other games.

As they were playing, I stood there watching in the distance. I knew that I couldn't do the things they were doing. It took about one earth month for me to get use to the heavy atmospheric pressure of this planet. My legs still felt like cylinder blocks.

While I was standing there thinking, two young male Sarfnars walked up to me. One was a greenish blue and the other was a yellowish green.

They swaggered up to me. They didn't look very friendly.

"Greetings," the blue Sarfnar said. "So you're the new creature that's in our Clan."

"I'm not a 'creature'," I said feeling offended. "I am a human being. And my name is Chante."

"Alright Chante," the yellow-green Sarfnar said, "We can't have weaklings in our Clan."

"I'm not weak!" I exclaimed.

"Then prove it!" the blue Sarfnar taunted "Climb that tree over there."

I looked towards the tree he was pointing to. It was a sequoia sized tree, quite small by Sarfnar standards.

Not with even the slightest hesitation, I started to climb the tree. I didn't want anyone to think I was weak.

The bark was thick and hard like rock. I couldn't get a strong grip. A few of my nails broke.

"AHHH!" I yelped as I lost my grip and fell off the tree backwards into the dirt.

The two Sarfnars laughed at me.

"That's not funny!" I said angrily as I got up from the ground.

"See?" The yellow-green Sarfnar said to his partner pointing to me. "She can't even climb a tree!"

The yellow-green Sarfnar then grabbed me into a bear hug. "She is a weakling!" He laughed.

"Let me go!!!" I yelled trying to break free. But it was hard. Even though the young Sarfnar was half the strength of a grown one, he was still stronger than me.

I looked down and saw a tail. A yellow-green tail.

"I may be weak, but a have something that you don't have- A BRAIN!!"

I raised up my foot and stomped hard.

The yellow-green Sarfnar yowled in pain as he let me go and grabbed his tail. His green-blue partner stood there with his mouth open.

As yellow-green was nursing his tail, I kicked him right in the shin bone. He yelped again and fell right on his back.

By this time I had an audience. Some of my classmates stopped playing and was watching the fight.

I picked up a stick that was near by and shoved it in yellow-green's face. "You still think I'm weak now?!!" I said with cold steel.

The yellow-green Sarfnar stared at me nervously with wide eyes. I think he got the massage.

Just when I was feeling cocky, Rolah came rushing through the crowd. And he didn't look too happy.

"Chante!!" Rolah said in a angry voice, "What is happening here?!"

"He started with me!" I said defensively as I pointed the stick to the yellow-green Sarfnar.

Rolah looked at me, yellow-green, and his buddy. "You three come with me." Rolah said.

Rolah reprimanded the three of us, even though I didn't start the fight. But he was really upset at the two Sarfnars that started the whole thing because they knew better. Rolah told them that I was a member of the Clan and Clan members don't fight each other. After school when Tah picked me up after school Rolah told Tah about the fight. Rolah was a little more understanding but Tah wasn't. Tah let this known as he was flying back to our home.

"Chante I'm really disappointed in you," Tah said.

"But it wasn't my fault!" I protested. "They started with me first!"

"Yes but two wrongs don't make a right," Tah said as he landed on the patio.

"One of them grabbed me in a bear hug! What was I supposed to do, just stand there???!"

By this time, Yobah and Sharah heard our arguing and came outside.

"What is going on brother?" Sharah asked.

Tah filled Sharah and Yobah on all the details.

"I bet Chante won that fight," Yobah said as he gave me a little wink.

Tah gave Yobah a disapproving stare.

"You shouldn't be so hard on her," Yobah said. "It was Chante's first day of school and-"

"That's not the point!" Tah said. "A large number of the Clan elders disapprove of Chante. The only reason why she was made a member is because of the possibility that her home planet might be the place our ancestors landed on during the war. They'll find any excuse to make Chante look bad."

"I can handle myself Tah, thank you very much," I said. "I don't need you to tell me what to do, you are not my father! I don't know how your people do things here but I was taught to defend myself!"

"What?!" Tah bellowed angrily.

"Tah please!" Sharah said holding Tah back.

"Chante don't you see that I'm trying to protect you?!" Tah said.

"Well you have a funny way of showing it!" I yelled almost crying "I thought that you were on my side! I wish I never met you Tah! I hate you!"

I then ran away to my room with tears in my eyes hating life and the world.

I guess I cried myself to sleep, because when I woke up it was just afterNfoton. The two yellow-red suns just finished totality.

I got out of my bed and looked out of my window at the stone forms of Tah, Sharah, and Yobah, with a lot on my mind. I thought the fight I got into would be in my favor and settle everything; But instead it made it worse. If I've known that being excepted into Tah's Clan was going to be so hard I wouldn't of came here.

But then I would be sent to that health center. I've already been a lab rat for one group of aliens and I wasn't going to let that happen again.

"If they don't want me to be a part of their stupid Clan, then fine!" I said going out side on the patio. "I leave if that's what they want."

I admit it. At the time I was young and wasn't thinking too clearly. Running away on some far distant planet was not a good idea. If I would of stopped and thought for a second I would of realized that.

But run away I did. I walked down the winding staircase that was built on the tree trunk. When I got on solid ground, I walked quickly over the hilly terrain. I walked on the grass that was coated with a waxy green-gray substance. The leaves on the trees were curled up in buds on the branches much like an unblossomed flower. I walked through the forest that shouldn't be dead quiet.

"I guess everything on this world goes through some sort of a stone sleep," I said as I was looking at the dark grayish tree trunks.

Soon I walked out of the inhabited area Tah's Clan called home, pondering why my life had to be turned upside down.

But then an idea popped in my head.

The Ship Depot!

The Depot was where Tah landed when I first arrived on the planet. I saw several other ships there that was very similar to Tah's. All I had to do was get to the Depot, nab a ship and-

Snap!

I turned around quickly at the noise. It came from a group of bushes.

"Hello?" I called out with a shaky voice. "Who's out there?"

There was no response. And I wasn't going to wait around for something to jump out of the bush and attack me.

I sprinted away into the forest. But as I ran the forest seemed to change. Instead of the taller-than-life trees of Tah's Clan, the trees were more smaller, more familiar, more earth sized. There were a lot of bushes and thickets here. The grass here didn't grow like a smooth unbroken blanket. The grass here grew in patches. There were boulders and rocks scattered around like salt.

If this place look this dead now, I wonder how it'll look like when Nfoton is over I thought as I was huffing and puffing running.

For that brief second that my mind was distracted, I tripped over a small boulder embedded in the dirt. I fell and rolled down the hilly terrain like a rolling stone, hitting and rolling over rocks as I went.

"Oh! Ow! Ow! Ow!" I yelped.

Up ahead of me, I saw a group of thorny brushes.

And I was heading straight towards them.

I let out a high pitched yell as I anticipated the pain I was going to be in if I crashed into those bushes. I tried to slow myself down. But as fast as I was rolling my attempts were in vain.

A few more rolls later I smacked right into the bush. And then everything went black.

When I woke up, a numb pain ached my body.

"Ohhh..." I mumbled.

I opened my eyes, and saw a green brown shadow in front of me. I blinked a couple of times. And what I saw staring at me was a face. A demon face.

"Ahieeeee!"

I screamed and picked up a rock that was next to me and wacked the creature on the side of the head.

"RRRAHHHRR!" The creature yelped as it fell on it's side.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!!!" I yelled.

The green brown creature felt the side of it's head with clawed hands, as it got up off the ground and spoke.

"Erah Mrray grah-only trying to help!"

The translator that I forgot was still in my ear translated the creature's words. It was obvious that it wasn't a Sarfnar.

I calmed down a little and got a better look at this creature. It was about my height but about two inches taller. It was a greenish-brown color and almost looked like a Sarfnar or Gargoyle only without the wings. The creature had a flat face with a small nose and a mouth that protruded out slightly into a small rounded snout with a broad rounded chin. He, had deep brow ridges that placed a shadow over black and yellow eyes with the pupils being black. The creature stood on five clawed toes with a sharp upraised claw on the middle toe with two smaller clawed toes on each side.

"What are you?" I asked the creature.

The creature stepped away from me cautiously.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you again as long as you don't hurt me," I said.

The creature stepped up to me carefully, and with his head twisted in a quizzical way looked at me. Or more like it, at my ear.

"Oh that's my translator," I said.

The creature pointed to it and motioned to hold it. I took it out my ear and show it to him. He flipped the translator over and moved the tiny switch that was on it to the symbol the meant "Universal". I took the translator and placed it back in my ear.

Oh, I thought feeling stupid, I forgot I had to do that.

"Can you understand me now?" I said.

"Yes," The creature said.

"What are you?" I asked again.

"What are you?" The creature asked me not answering my question.

"I'm not from a round here," I said.

"That is clearly seen," The creature said. "That's why I followed you. To find out why you were wandering into Sapter lands. I thought you were a-"

"Sapters?!" I exclaimed, remembering what Tah told me about them. "You're the evil monsters that almost wiped out the Sarfnars!"

"We are not evil!" the Sapter said defensively. "The Sarfnars are the ones that are evil! They are the ones who treat us like we're a second class people!"

I was about to argue again but then I paused. "Second class people?" I said surprised. "I thought the Sarfnars believed in fairness." But then I looked down and sighed. "But I shouldn't talk. The way the Tak Clan has been treating me, they haven't been the champions of truth, fairness, and equality lately."

The Sapter nodded like he understood. "It's sometimes best to hear both sides of the story. That's what my father always say."

"My name is Chante," I said. "I'm sorry I was so mean. What is your name?"

The Sapter suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, but I don't have a name yet," he said. "But I will get one after 3 more seasons. Unlike the Sarfnars we are not named at birth. We are named when we are older so that the name will match the personality and character of the Sapter. Until then all the young ones are called Ser-Lar"

"That makes sense. I guess I call you Ser-Lar then," I said. "So what are you doing wandering around during Nfoton? Aren't you suppose to be in stone sleep?"

"Our people don't stay in stone during the whole Nfoton,"Ser-Lar explained. "I was on guard duty when I saw you. I didn't know what you were. I thought you were some new creature sent by the Sarfnars to spy on us."

"Well you don't have to worry about that," I said.

"Why did you leave?" Ser-Lar asked.

"I felt unwanted I guess," I said.

That's when I told him the whole story, of how I got kidnapped from my home and ended up here.

Ser-Lar seemed shocked after I told my story. "They let you in their Clan but they still treat you like an outsider? Somehow that seems logical. The Sarfnars treat us that way too. Ever since the great war, the Sapters had suffered from the mistakes of our ancestors."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"Come with me," Ser-Lar said.

Sar-Lar got on all fours and slowly galloped down the rocky hilly terrain. Unlike the Sarfnars or the Gargoyles, the Sapters were more built to walk on all fours. When the Sapters did walk on two legs they don't walk standing up straight, but slightly hunched over in a lower stance.

I started to follow him but I sharp pain went through my ankle.

"OW!" I yelped.

"What is wrong?" Ser-Lar said running back towards me.

"I think I hurt my ankle when I fell," I said.

"Then I will carry you," Ser-Lar said. "Get on my back."

"I don't know," I said unsure as I looked at Ser-Lar's small frame.

"Don't worry," Ser-Lar said reassuringly.

So I rapped my hand around Ser-Lar's neck.

"AHHHHH!"

I was yelping as Ser-Lar went swinging through the trees like a mad monkey, and with me on his back. Climbing up the trees with claws biting into the bark, and then leaping off the tree and then falling downward to land on another tree, traveling southward on the hilly terrain.

Since the trees were more spaced out from each other, Ser-Lar had to drop down to the ground, run, and then race up another tree.

"AHHHHH!" I yelled out again as I closed my eyes and felt a downward drop that made me want to hurl.

After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again. I noticed that we were entering an area with less trees. The area was more prarie-like in a way but only more dryer. The grass was a greenish brown color and there were bare patches in some places. The trees that grew here and there were earth sized, with trunks that were thin like twigs. A short distance a way were a small village with domed shaped dark brown buildings that were made out of a combination of wood, mud, stone, and straw.

Ser-Lar trapeze jumped off the tree and landed on the ground with a thud.

I quick slid off his back.

"Okay," I said catching my breath, "Now that was scary, but it was fun in a way."

"We are now at my Troop's home," Ser-Lar said.

"A Troop?" I asked. "You mean like a Clan?"

"Yes," he said.

"Why does your home look so sickly?" I said as I pointed out to the thin trees and the short grass.

"The environment in this area is unstable," Ser-Lar said. "We can have good weather one season, and a drought the next. Right now we are in a unusually long drought season. Most of the underground water has dried up. Most of my people are out looking for water. If no water is found soon we might have to leave."

"That is awful," I said feeling sorry for Ser-Lar. "Can the Sarfnars help?"

Saer-Lar looked down sad. "By their law, the Sarfnars won't interfere in our affairs."

I became angry. I would never had thought that the Sarfnars were like this. They were supposed to be the good guys.

"Can you tell me more about your people?" I asked.

"Come with me," Ser-Lar said as he walked towards the village.

We walked towards the dark brown mud brick stockade that surrounded the village. In front of the tall wood gate that was the entrance was two Sapters holding a weapon that looked like a cross between a staff and a shotgun. They saw me and didn’t look very happy.

"What is tha-"

"Don't worry fellow Ser-Lars," Ser-Lar said, "She is a friend. Her name is Chante and she is called a 'human'. She was taken in by the Sarfnars."

"So why is she not with them now?" One of the Sapters asked.

"I wasn't really wanted," I said. "So I ran away."

The Sapter nodded like he understood.

"You know, the rest of the troop is not going to be too happy when they come back from the hunt and finds her." The other Sapter warned.

"They won't know," Ser-Lar said. I just want to show Chante around."

At that moment, one of the Sapters pointed up.

"Look!" He said, "Sarfnars!"

Ser-Lar and I looked up. Gliding downwards from the sky was a group of six Sarfnars and I quickly recognized three of them. Tah, Sahrah, and Yobah.

"Chante!" Tah called out as he landed.

"Chante we were worried about you!" Sahrah said with concern.

Tah quickly grabbed me and pulled me away from Ser-Lar.

"What were you doing with her??!!!!" Tah demanded as his eyes glowed.

Ser-Lar's two fellow Sapters sensed a confrontation and drew their weapons.

"Nothing Sarfnar!" Ser-Lar snarled. "I was treating her better than you were!"

Tah tried to grab Ser-Lar.

"Tah don't!" I said as I was pushing him back. "He didn't hurt me!"

"Tah, he is only a juvenile!" Sahrah said. "If he intended to hurt Chante he would of done so already!"

"So why did he bring her here?" Tah snapped.

"She was wandering into the Sapter lands," Ser-Lar explained. "It was better that I found her instead of someone else."

"Thank you for protecting her," Sahrah said.

Unlike Sahrah, Tah wasn't very thankful.

"All of us Sapters aren't bloodthirsty killers," Ser-Lar said.

Tah glared at the Ser-Lar as he picked me up roughly. The sudden movement sent a sharp pain up my ankle.

"Let's go," Tah said as he leapt in the air and flapped his wings. All of the other Sarfnars did the same.

I looked back a Ser-Lar and gave him a little wave goodbye.

Ser-Lar waved back looking a little sad.

When we got back home my ankle was rapped up, and Tah and I had a long talk.

"What did you think you were doing running a way from home?" Tah said upset. "Didn't you know you could of be killed? When I woke up and found you gone I had 2 search parties out looking for you!"

"If you and your people cared about me, you had a funny way of showing it!" I said. "Ser-Lar was right about your people. You are so quick to judge."

"I don't believe you said that!" Tah said upset. "That Saptor was young and didn't know any better. What if he was an adult male guard? You would of been killed! The Sapters are cruel savages Chante, they are not like our people!"

"Well that's not what I've seen," I said. "Ser-Lar didn't kill me on first sight. Didn't you know they question someone who enters their home land? They don't kill intruders on sight. Your people won't give them a second look because they have different ways and because their ancestors almost wiped out your people hundreds of years ago. I mean get over it! It's not right to blame some one for something that their great, great, great, great-grandfather did a long time ago. You Sarfnars are nothing but snobby nosed people! You can't even treat me with respect! I bet when you first met me, you thought I was a weak and helpless creature!"

I stopped when I realized that I was crying.

"That is not true Chante!" Tah said. "And I'm sorry if my people haven't been treating you very well. Most of us are accepting you. You just have to give it more time. And I sorry about the way we treat the Sapters. You have to understand that in the past their people caused us a lot of pain. And even now their descendents are out there in space causing us trouble."

"But why?" I asked confused.

"You are too young to understand right now," Tah said. "I'm sorry that I was so hard on you about the fight you had in school. I wasn't looking at the story from your point of view. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too for running away," I said. "I'll never do that again."

"It seems like we both learned our lesson," Tah said. "Chante in time I hope you'll be happy here."

"Yeah I hope so too," I said as I looked out my window as one of the suns was setting in the sky.

To be continued...