Deep within the dense jungle, concealed behind thick foliage and towering trees, two native observers Kara and Moro moved cautiously among the tangled roots and moss-covered rocks. They were hunters and scouts of the Vhalar, a reclusive race unaware of the galaxy beyond their world and entirely ignorant of the off-world civilization's existence.
For generations, the Vhalar had thrived hidden within this lush planet, their villages nestled in the shadows of ancient waterfalls and towering cliffs. They had no concept of space or stars only the life and predators of their world, and the shadows they lived in.
"I hear something strange," murmured Kara, her voice barely above a whisper as she crept through the undergrowth, eyes fixed on the horizon. "A great roar something big, unnatural approaching from the sky."
Moro, silently listening, tilted his head toward the sky and heard faint vibrations a deep hum beneath the sounds of rushing water and bird calls. The pair moved to their secret hideaway beneath the waterfall of the Great Veil, a massive cascade that concealed their clandestine village from predators and rival clans.
As they settled behind the rocks, their eyes fixed upward, their jaws dropped in awe and terror. The horizon darkened as a massive ship pierced the sky far larger than anything they had ever seen, shimmering with unnatural light and strange shapes that pulsed with energy.
"What is that?" Kara wondered aloud, gripping her spear tightly. "Is it some monster of the old times? A giant beast returning?"
Moro shook his head, wide-eyed. "It moves like never before... this is no beast. It's a giant something alive, but not like anything we know. It smells… of the shadows, of the deep ground. That thing is from the sky yet it is not one of us."
They watched in silence as the colossal vessel entered orbit, slowly veering above the treetops, casting a faint shadow over the entire jungle. Its shape was unknown an alien behemoth, gliding silently in the void, waiting.
"We must report to the clan," Moro said hurriedly, voice trembling. "They will want to know. But we must hide ourselves if predators or rival clans see us too close, they might attack."
Kara and Moro hurried back through the tangled roots, disappearing into the depths of their village beneath the waterfall, where their clan leader, Zalor, waited in the shadowed chamber, hidden deep within the cliffs. The water's roar concealed their whispers as they relayed the sighting of the strange sky-ship utterly unknown, utterly terrifying.
"A monster from the skies," Zalor whispered, eyes narrowing. "We have only heard stories… of shadows and ghosts. But now we see a spirit made of fire and shadows large, watching, waiting. We must be careful."
In their ignorance of space travel and the universe beyond, they only knew that something unprecedented had entered their world, something that belonged neither to the forest nor the mountains, and yet threatened to awaken fears buried in the deepest shadows of their ancestors' legends.