Her silken hand lingered on mine while the introductions were made, the somehow intimate contact eliciting a vague unease within me. Most of the women were young like myself, their formidable minds disguised by their even more impressive femininity. A gorgeous cerise flower adorned the ears of those who possessed them, but even the blossoms were outshone by the gazelle-like beauty of a shy Accaran female who watched me with huge liquid eyes. Clad in an emerald green sarong, her taut, lithe body and slender muscular limbs easily resembled the animal that roamed the African plains. A pair of delicate, white tufted ears shifted in response to the slightest sound, her dark snub nose twitching at my proximity. Her wild, alien beauty at once repelled and attracted me.
"Marese, I'd like you to meet Leika," Adine said, noting my reaction. "She'll be sharing your quarters. We pair our students to create a sense of teamwork and companionship. This bonding process is an integral part of the program."
Leika hesitantly approached and touched my hand. Her soft, tawny skin had a curious suede-like quality to it and left a pleasantly warm resonance on my fingers. Limpid sable eyes drew me into a brief trance. I stepped back, startled by her intense gaze.
After the other women had an opportunity to introduce themselves, they showered me with hugs and drifted away in pairs. Many had a distinct scent that lingered in the air. I briefly wondered if my own had left its particular calling card.
Adine led the way through a plush tropical forest toward our quarters. Though she chatted amiably with me, Leika kept her distance. Occasionally we passed tranquil pools or bubbling streams where I caught glimpses of magnificently plumed fowl undisturbed by our presence. Parrot-like birds bawled raucously from unseen nooks. Sunlight filtered through the verdant shrubbery, bathing the forest in surreal light. I wondered if I could possibly feel inclined to study in such a magical environment.
The mossy earth felt cool beneath my feet as we approached a breathtaking waterfall spilling into a deep blue lagoon. Attracted by a variety of gleeful cries and squeals, I noticed several of the women frolicking and swimming in the crystalline waters. Some dove in from the adjacent rocks while others sunbathed naked on the narrow beach.
A series of urgent cries drew my gaze toward a large flat boulder on the north side of the lagoon. Heavily misted by the prismatic spray of the nearby waterfall, it took a moment for me to recognize the entwined forms of three women. Sandwiched together in a delirious frenzy of rubbing, the shimmering curtain obscured the exact nature of their activity. Some of the other women paused to watch, inspiring one, apparently a hermaphroditic species, into a state of arousal. Her chameleon like skin transformed from a buttery yellow pattern of striations into deep vermilion blotches. Crouching on a ledge below the boulder, she began to stroke an orifice on her abdomen. It yawned open to reveal a peculiar beak-like object that she fondled with rapid strokes.
I felt the heat of Leika's gaze and self-consciously turned my attention to Adine. Unconcerned by the sexual activity in the lagoon, she casually pointed to a number of cozy huts tucked haphazardly amidst the surrounding foliage. Windchimes gently tinkled from the waterfall's downdraft. Though I stared at the primitive bamboo structures, I could not quite blank out the climactic cries of the women on the boulder.
)
