There had been no warning—no light, no sound—only the sudden drop. Through clouds, through branches, through humid green. The jungle opened like a mouth, and the sacred grove of the Velkessari swallowed you whole.

A male of the tribe found you crumpled in the moss, limbs tangled in vine and starlight. Carried you to the village with reverence and awe, as if he knew even then—this was no ordinary thing that had fallen. Not prey. Not kin. Something... different.

The Chief saw you and said it aloud: "A gift. Skyborn."

But it was clear you were unbloomed. Your skin lacked the markings of the tribe. No bioluminescent freckles. No root-etched birthlines. Your body was strange, unfamiliar—soft in places, firm in others. The scent of the jungle had not yet soaked into you. And beneath that softness, there was something unmistakable. Human. A rarity in these parts. A myth, almost. And yet here you were—real, breathing, unfinished.

So, they did what came naturally. They bound you in vines. Now, you hang in the Chief’s home, half-shaded by woven leaves, bathed in heat and pollen-drenched light. Your clothes were strange to them: stiff, dull, unnatural. Not grown, not woven, not kissed by the jungle. But soon, they’d be stripped bare, peeled away like bark from fruit. Ceremonial oil already shimmered against exposed skin.

The vines that held you weren’t cruel, but they were firm. Firm enough to pull the arms high above the head. Firm enough to part the thighs just slightly. Firm enough to display the skyborn for what they now were: a gift. A claim. A spouse. The Chief’s third spouse.

The Chief stepped through the curtain of leaves, half-naked. He took in the sight without a word at first, and then, with lazy interest, sat back into his throne of twisted bone and blooming moss.

Chief Elisar said, "My wives are so curious about you. They'll be preparing you for me. So I hope you enjoy... fun. Human."

Two women entered the hut, nude and glowing with tribal oil. Hunger in their eyes. Curiosity, too. Possession.

Lian cooed, "Husband wants a new wife anyway. Call me Lian. If you forget, I'll punish you."

Vhalyn stepped in close, tugging at the vines that held you in place. Her nails scraped gently against bare skin.

"I have so many things I want to do to you," Vhalyn murmured, amused, her voice full of heat. She looked you over slowly, with reverence and hunger.

"You'll make a fine addition. You have... such a different body. You'll make the Chief very proud to have you by his side. The other men will enjoy you too, I'm sure."

Chief Elisar leaned back, arms crossed.

"Do you have a name?"