Heart of the Agraak

by S. J. Sanders

  “Just when I thought I was finally starting to adjust to being in the swamp, this completely changed my mind,” Rodriguez muttered in disbelief.

  The warrior to the left of him laughed and pointed toward the retreating beast.

  “Vagourols are fearsome, but they are also cowards if they think something bigger is attacking them. It went to look for something easier to eat. It will not be back.”

  With the threat gone, the pace resumed. Even after they emerged out of the deep floodwaters, they walked for hours without rest. Kaede cast a worried glance toward his mate, uncertain if she could keep the pace. Her face was pale with exhaustion but when he asked if she needed to stop and rest, she shook her head stubbornly. It was only when the sun began to sink low in the sky that Gorul halted their advance.

  Kaede looked about, concerned that they wouldn’t have enough time to erect platforms. To his surprise, upon glancing into the trees, he could see numerous permanent platforms erected above them. Though clearly not intended for more than a small hunting party, their company managed to squeeze into them. The conditions were uncomfortable with the close proximity, but it was feasible if everyone kept still. In the murky light of nightfall, they ate cold rations before huddling against each other to sleep.

  Kaede kept Frahnkee close to him at one corner of a platform, his body curled around hers despite the press of damp clothing between them. Pulling their blankets from their packs over them, he pressed in closer, willing his body heat to warm her.

  She shivered against him, her eyes closed with exhaustion.

  “You know,” she whispered. “I think I’m going to need a vacation after this. How about we go on a honeymoon?”

  “Honeymoon?”

  One eye cracked open to glance back at him and her lips curled slightly in one corner.

  “Yeah. A honeymoon. You and me, newly mated, enjoying some time to relax. Preferably somewhere warm and beautiful where we can enjoy fruity drinks. I always did want to go to Hawaii.”

  He settled closer and chuckled.

  “Tell me of this Hawaii.”

  “I don’t know much, just that it’s beautiful. Everyone always looks happy in the pictures. There are flowers everywhere and long sandy beaches.”

  “And you find sand enjoyable?” he asked with uncertainty. There wasn’t much sand on Agraadax but he didn’t imagine the gritty stuff to be pleasant.

  Frahnkee nodded sleepily against him and he pressed a kiss to her head.

  “Very well, agishi. We will do this honeymoon. We will go to Kaidava, where you can enjoy all the sand and sun that your heart desires.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” she slurred, her breathing slowing as sleep descended over her.

  He held her tightly to him through that night, and the next, and the one following that.

  Day after day they repeated the same routine as they continued at a rapid pace through the swamp. Kaede had to admit that although the route was dark, wet, and completely miserable, it proved to be expeditious. By the end of the fifth day, they were within sight of the breeding facility. Gorul stared at it, his face tight, and Kaede knew that the male was reliving terrible memories. Kaede himself couldn’t look at it without remembering the bodies of dead women inside and the horror of the cells. Combined with the cold, sterile hatchery, it was not something he was capable of forgetting.

  Standing next to the noswal on the sleeping platform, he stared too at the cold hard walls visible through the trees. Gorul glanced at him from the corner of his eye and sighed wearily.

  “This place never should have existed on our planet, much less in the Aminfa. It was bad enough remembering the way my mate looked when I rescued her and the terror of the other females when I took them with my warriors, but to look at it now and know what was done is unbearable.”

  Kaede set a hand on his shoulder in understanding.

  “I would have spared you that knowledge if I could have.”

  Gorul shook his head.

  “No, this knowledge is important to understand what my mate went through, and all the human females in our village. It sickens me to see a reminder of it, but I will not tolerate its presence in our swamp once things are settled between the people of the Aminfa and the people of Aminae. I will see to its destruction personally.”

  Kaede inclined his head in agreement.

  “It will wait. For now, we must rest. Tomorrow in the late hours we will enter the dome-city. I will comm them so that they are aware of our arrival. Then we will make them pay for this and the travesties that they have inflicted.”

  Gorul’s lips twitched.

  “Spoken like a noswal. You would be a good leader for your people, Kaede. And a link to ours by blood. I hope you consider claiming your right to lead your people into a new future.”

  Kaede fell silent as the noswal stepped away. Such an idea had never entered into his consideration or plans. He always thought he would serve. Not lead. There was something about it that felt right, but he pushed it away. What right did he have to make such a claim? His priority was his mate, as the elders reminded him it should be. She might not even want to stay on Agraadax.

  He couldn’t promise anything to Aminae when he promised everything to her.

  He glanced over at his mate where she was smirking at something Rodriguez said. His heart warmed at the sight of her face. Even wearied she was beautiful to him, and that beauty shone through her. He would be happy when he could put the revolution behind him and focus on loving her, be it on Agraadax or another world.

  Chapter 30

  The vaults were just as dismal as Frankie remembered. If possible, even more so. After being in the village, the stench of them was nearly unbearable. Several of the villagers glanced around with distaste as they took the long route to the temple. The entire time, Frankie was aware that they were all being stared at. Not that she could blame them. It was unlikely that they’d ever seen what the tribes and their forefathers looked like. Seeing dozens of tall, imposing males and females heavily armed with long wicked tails was quite the sight. As they passed by the males of the lowest raniks, she could hear the whispers behind them.

  “They are small,” a warrior grunted to her side. The female was looking at the males they passed with open curiosity.

  “They are of the lowest ranik. They don’t have credits for adequate food for themselves or their families if they have one.”

  “A disgrace,” the warrior said with a curl of her lip. “It is of no matter. If I see one of these small males who appeals to me, I will take him back to the village and care for him. Let us hurry to this holy place your mate speaks of. I am eager to resolve this situation.”

  Frankie chuckled as they made their way through the labyrinth of the roads until the solid dull stone of the temple rose before them. Although she knew the priests were expecting them, the place looked almost deserted to her. Frankie raised an eyebrow at Kaede. He responded by his hand, asking her to be patient. He stepped forward among the ranks until he arrived at the front. Approaching the door, he placed his hand on an old, worn scanner. It flashed briefly, and then nothing.

  After several minutes, the door creaked open and a priest looked out. His eyes widened and he waved them inside. As soon as the door closed behind them, he laughed nervously as he looked from one warrior to another before turning his attention to Kaede.

  “Kaede, I knew you said that you would be arriving today with people of the tribe, but honestly I didn’t quite expect this. They are truly beyond all expectations. Please, all of you, come with me. I will take you to the rooms where you may get settled.”

  The priest led them through several long corridors before opening a heavy door that looked like what Frankie would equate with a medieval chapel. Beautiful tapestries hung everywhere depicting the charities of Agmuk. The warriors looked around with fascination as they entered. The priest lingered by the door until he had everyone’s attention.

  “Please, make yourselves comfortable. In t
he chests you will find bedding. I am afraid you will not have much outside of the hard ground to bed down on, but you should at least be warm. I will go see to your meals. You missed the evening meal due to the late hour, but I made certain to keep plenty of food set aside for your arrival. I will have it brought to you presently.”

  With a quick bow, the priest shuffled out, leaving the warriors to their own devices. Large Agraak males and females swarmed through the room, pulling upon the aforementioned chests and dragging out the various thick blankets and the folded reed mats that were used in a manner similar to pillows. These they dispersed equally amongst themselves so that all were adequately comfortable and settled by the time several youths entered bearing platters of food.

  At least that sight should be fairly consistent with what they were used to.

  As was the custom in the village, the warriors waited until all the platters were set among them. Then Gorul spoke the words of feast and praise and Kaede followed up with asking for the blessing of Agmuk upon their efforts, she who bestows plentitude and joy. With an approving rattle of their spines, the entire company ate with the sort of communal efficiency that had become a common fixture in their village but one that Frankie was still getting used to. Coming from a culture where everyone had their own plates and loaded up on whatever they wanted for their consumption, the Agraak only took from the tray what they intended to eat in that moment. Sounds of delight filled the air as they sampled the food set out in front of them.

  From a platter of fruit, Frankie snagged a small melon that Mogwai was partial to and handed it over to him. With a pleased chirp, the bitia tucked the fruit between his middle paws and took off into one of the higher perches. She could just barely make out the bright pink fluff where he curled up with his own feast. Noting that he wasn’t inclined to come down again any time soon, Frankie turned her attention once more to enjoying the meal in front of her.

  The voices of the warriors droned in a sated fashion and the plates were near bare when the door opened again. Priest Crix entered the room and walked briskly despite his advanced years toward them. With a patient grace, he sat on the bench just behind where Kaede and Gorul sat on the floor and inclined his head respectfully.

  “Kaede, Noswal Gorul, I am immensely relieved that you have arrived.”

  “Priest Crix,” Kaede returned with a nod, a greeting which was echoed by Gorul. “We hastened from the swamp hearing that there is an execution planned. Who approved such madness?”

  Crix grumbled and adjusted his robe.

  “The Emperor himself ordered it. He in his infinite wisdom decided that since the Intergalactic Council is determined to not give him what he desires, that he will make an example out of them, as well as encourage new relations with entities outside of Union space. Securing an ally inside Union space would be highly desirable for those planets.”

  “That is irrational. We know little of species outside of the Union. He would align Agraadax with an unknown entity that could destroy us all.”

  “I see it is a good thing that we have come,” Gorul said. “The elders were uncertain to what extent war would impact us in the swamps. This news is most disconcerting.”

  “When are the executions to take place?” Emagul asked urgently as he shifted closer.

  “Tomorrow at the open of the market. It is promised to be a great spectacle. I hear they are speaking of dispersing prizes among attendees and gifts for hatchlings,” Crix said with disgust.

  “How medieval of them,” Frankie muttered under her breath.

  Kaede gave her a curious sidelong look.

  “We will need to organize quickly then. Whatever happens, we cannot allow the executions to proceed. If they do, it will set off a chain reaction that we will have great difficulty recovering from.”

  “Indeed,” agreed Emagul. “The reparations that will need to be made by Agraadax are already extensive. Not only to compensate the families of those humans who suffered loss, but also to rectify the return of the Arobi to their homeworld and the costs associated with it. All upper ranik properties and wealth will be liquidated in order to provide these payments. Agraadax is also looking at being highly regulated for the next several spans of revolutions and temporary revocation of its status in the Union to a territory under the control of the Council. Still, there are many species who consider even this too light of penalty. It would be wise to avoid any further incidents.”

  “Crix, please comm your contacts in the other dome-cities. If all messages have been received by the tribes, and if they have been fruitful, the cities should find themselves in the company of approaching tribes. Our allies will need to bring them into their cities so we might coordinate our efforts.”

  Crix inclined his head and stood hastily.

  “Consider it done, Kaede. Is there anything else you need?”

  Kaede looked over at Gorul but the noswal gestured in the negative.

  “No, we are well. Please wake us after the sun rises over the third spire. The hour will still be early yet, but I wish to train these warriors in regard to some of the tech they may face as well as how to use the stun blasters. It isn’t much time, but we will have to do as we can with the time we are allotted.”

  Inclining his head once more, Crix departed and conversation filled the room once again. Frankie leaned into Kaede’s side, considering where they might be able to sneak off for a bit of privacy when a warrior stood abruptly.

  “Noswal, the warrior Grish was telling me of the translators they use, and that the city has the ability to implant them. Will our warriors with human mates be permitted to receive this technology?”

  “Yes,” Gorul reassured the male in a calm voice. “We still have much that requires our attention before we can consider such things, so be patient, warrior. Once we have secured Aminae and provided access to the Fleet and Intergalactic Council, all warriors interested in acquiring a translator are free to get one. For now, it is time to rest. The morning will bring trials with it.”

  The warrior respectfully bowed and sat once more among his fellows, the whole group of them wearing smiles. Conversation resumed until the males began to depart one by one to find their sleeping place. When only a handful of warriors remained, Frankie stood and stretched. Kaede glanced up at her, his eyes tracking the shift of her muscles and the upward lift of her breasts as she raised her arms above her head. A possessive gleam lit up in his eyes and he quickly looked around to be certain that none of the other males were watching. Frankie bit back a grin and feigned a yawn.

  Taking her bedding in one hand, she slipped into one of several small, private vestibules off the side of the worship room that was likely utilized for private prayer. With just enough space to stretch out and a single bench to sit on, Frankie threw down her bedding. She was leaning over, straightening the padding and blankets when she felt a warm presence press against her from behind and the wonderful scent of citrus musk filled the air around her.

  Strong arms wrapped suddenly around with an iron grip and a tail snaked around one leg, pulling it to the side as he pressed her forward against the bench. She looked over her shoulder at Kaede, who grinned devilishly behind her. He’d already removed his dupar and held in one hand a small wadded up cloth that he set on the bench beside her. His sex, already wet with precum, twisted against her as he pressed closer. With wide eyes she watched as his hand slid over her cheek to firmly cover her mouth as he yanked her anidupar aside. Her eyes narrowed in challenge at him and his grin widened.

  She certainly wasn’t the only noisy one between them.

  Frankie understood then what the cloth was for seconds before he put it in his mouth and bit into it with his sharp teeth. His muffled growl could barely be heard from the other side of the gag. He pressed forward, smirking around the gag, upsetting her balance so that her head dropped, and her body slid forward, forcing her to catch her weight on her hands. Pressing her palms into the wooden bench she tilted her hips eagerly. The hand over her li
ps was tight enough that it fueled her desire, but not uncomfortably so, especially not when the other hand toyed with the sensitive flesh between her thighs, sliding against her slit to nudge her clit insistently.

  She moaned against Kaede’s hand and a shiver ripped through her body. She opened up to him, spreading her legs wider. Nudging her backside against him, she made her message perfectly clear. She needed him now. She didn’t know if it was because of the uncertainty of tomorrow, or just the dangerous situation they found themselves in, or the days of abstinence since they’d been traveling through the swamp. Her arousal flowed free from her body, mingling with his precum as he slid his cock back and forth, heightening their pleasure.

  Her legs shook with need that felt like it traveled from her clit to her knees. She growled in protest, but she choked on it when his hips jerked forward, impaling her on his thick, twisted shaft. Once the length was rooted deep within her, the tentacles unfurled and spread, sending darts of pleasure through her as they caressed her inner walls. She could feel his tail tightening around her leg as if anchoring himself, and then he pulled his phallus out to the tip, his tentacles writhing inside as he plunged once more within. The thrust was rougher and deeper than how their lovemaking usually began, as if carrying a sense of urgency with it.

  Understanding that urgency all too well and needing more—more intensity and more pleasure—she leaned her chest into the bench to present herself at a better angle. She felt Kaede’s approving rumble as he leaned over her, his chest sliding against her back as he snapped his hips forward, plowing into her with hard, deep strokes.