by Stacy Jones
Goddess hold her.
The ritual was repeated for every fallen member of the tribe. By the end, the sun was low in the sky, its rays setting the burial ground aglow in vibrant purple and red. Akksha looked beyond exhausted. She was swaying on her feet and more than one of her wounds was bleeding anew, but no one, not even her mates, tried to help her. It was as if this was her duty alone, her burden to bear, her responsibility as Mother of the tribe to send her children to their final resting place.
As the last echo of their voices faded, their entreaty to the goddess to keep their dead safe dissipating into the forest, a sense of peace washed over the tribe, a feeling of serenity as their loved ones were laid to rest. The sorrow of their losses lingered, but there was a palpable sense of acceptance, of unity, and of hope for the future.
Life on a primitive alien planet could be dangerous and all too brief, but that meant the beautiful moments shined even brighter. There was no time to wallow in sadness, to hold on to your pain. You had to make the decision to live, to appreciate each new day you were gifted, and to love those around you with a fierceness that matched the primal beauty of your surroundings.
As everyone turned to leave, they passed by her, brushing their fingertips over Lily's arms, hair, and back, telling her without words that she was one of them, that she was tribe.
She felt a small hand slide into hers and glanced down to find Sahas beside her, staring up at her. She felt her mates close in at her back, felt their undying support and love in the caresses they gave her, in the soft purrs they made.
For the first time since losing her mother and being abandoned by her father, the sadness that hid in her heart was gone, replaced by the love of her men, by the acceptance of a people not her own, and by the hopeful blue eyes of a child.
I am home.
T he weeks following the attack were spent healing from their injuries and losses. Lily carried the scars of the battle on her skin, but she wore them with pride. She’d fought and survived. Beyond that, she took a measure of satisfaction that she matched her oversized wildling.
They spent time fortifying their defenses by making the traps and lookout nests more permanent and started work on a perimeter wall. From all accounts, they’d killed all the invaders that attacked them, but there was no guarantee those were the only ones present on the planet. Besides, unless it died from the wound Lily inflicted, the werewolf creature controlling the pantari was still out there somewhere, and something inside her told her that wasn’t the last they’d seen of it.
Tension and fear of another attack kept everyone on edge for a long time, but when days turned into weeks and nothing happened, they settled back into their routines. They remained watchful, and work on the fence continued, but life went on.
Once Akksha realized Lily was treating tribe members in secret anyway, she reluctantly offered her the choice to become a formal Healer. Lily consented readily, even though she knew the leader’s motivation was to save face. The ceremony was beautiful, and she was honored to be accepted so completely. But, her new position also meant she worked closely with both Arruk and Drrak’s mother, Srrka, and Tor’s mother, Akksha. It took a while, and more than one heated argument, but Akksha gradually lost the majority of her hostility towards Lily, for which she was thankful.
Lily still found it difficult to relate to the females of the tribe, but learned to accept them as they were, just as they had her. They were alien—it wasn’t fair of her to try and measure them up against the idealized view she had of human mothers.
Trrak grew like a weed, getting larger and larger until Lily and her guys had to build an add-on to their hut to accommodate him. It took a little while, but he was eventually accepted by the tribe. With the exception of the horrible teething phase he went through where he chewed on everything he could fit in his huge mouth—which was a lot—and the tribe nearly voted to have him banished before he could destroy any more of their homes, spears, and tools, he was quickly becoming a favorite among the children and even a few of the adults.
Once they got over their wariness, even the tribe’s citris came to love him, crawling all over his big body and snuggling down in big kitty piles for naps, as if they saw him as one of their own. It made Lily wonder what the pantari’s relationship had been like with the inhabitants of the forest before the werewolf creature began training them to be vicious killers.
With practice, and his ever increasing size making it easier, Trrak learned to navigate the trees more efficiently and slowly overcame his fear of heights. He became so proficient that Lily came up with the idea to fashion a saddle, of sorts, and ride him like some kind of branch-leaping horse through the trees. Her mates, Frrar and Drrak in particular, nearly had heart attacks the first time, but they got used to it. For the most part. She felt like an alien warrior princess flying atop her fierce tiger-wolf-alligator steed as they leapt through the thick limbs of the forest. She still loved being carried by her guys, but having a bit of independence was liberating.
Skaa’s children, Sahas and Atur, spent more and more time with Lily and her mates as time passed, until she made the decision to officially adopt them. They built a second add-on to their hut for the children to sleep in when they were away from their fathers. Lily loved them and would have felt nothing but joy at claiming them as her own, if the reason behind it wasn’t absolutely heartbreaking.
Their fathers Atuk, Siir, and Rakor were dying, fading away a little more every day.
Lily began spending her days with the males, bringing them food, forcing them to eat and drink, trying to do something—anything —to stop their decline, to save Sahas and Atur the pain of losing their entire family.
Despite her tireless efforts, Siir and Rakor never recovered. They passed away within a couple of months. Atuk, however, slowly began to get better, a little stronger every day. Lily knew why. He had imprinted on her. She’d grown to care for him over the many weeks of nursing him, but—despite knowing that if she didn’t take him as her mate she and the children would be forced to watch him die a slow death all over again—she had conflicted feelings about having another mate. One she hadn’t chosen for herself.
It was a strange courtship they shared, both of them knowing what was happening, but unwilling to say it aloud even as they grew closer—him because he was wholly unprepared, hadn’t known such a thing was possible, and her because she didn’t know how she felt.
But, he was so kind, so thoughtful and giving, such an amazing father, and he fit in so well with her mates that, over time, she couldn’t help but fall in love with him .
Life was good and Lily was happy, happier than she could ever remember being. She’d built a home for herself, had a family who loved her and whom she loved with every piece of her heart. And all it had taken was being accidentally abducted by alien poachers, hauled across the stars with her cattle for company, and dumped on a primitive planet.
Serendipity– finding something good, even when you aren’t looking for it.
Lily smiled at that thought as she looked up at the stars glittering through the leaves and branches above, then turned back to her mates. She caught Tor staring suspiciously at her eyebrows. Feeling mischievous, she waggled them then chuckled when he reared back in alarm.
That will never get old.
THE END
GLOSSARY
Shakti – the alien planet. It is about the size of Earth, nearly covered in landmasses—about 30% of the surface ocean. Also the name of the shevari Goddess.
Ishmae – the little moon in constant orbit around their planet. It is about one third of the size of our moon. It doesn’t have the mass to generate enough gravitational pull to keep water on the surface, which is why they have to dig holes and stab them with spears to access drinking water.
Sakra – the big moon. It is on an elliptical orbit around the planet and only comes close once a year. It has roughly twice the mass of our moon, and as such, causes severe disruption to the planet. It’s g
ravitational pull draws all the groundwater to the surface, causing massive, widespread flooding. It also causes storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. The people and creatures of the planet have become attuned to the moon and can feel the effects of its approach, giving them an eight-to-ten day warning every year to get to safety. The moon’s disruption lasts for an average of twenty days —one cycle— before it continues on its orbit and moves away again, while Ishmae finishes its cycles around the planet. Being on opposite sides of the planet is the only thing keeping Ishmae from getting sucked into Sakra’s gravitational pull.
Shevari – native people that live exclusively in the forest, broken up into multiple tribes. They have a matriarchal society. They, like most of the creatures on the planet, have seven limbs: four arms, two legs, and a prehensile tail. They have three fingers, roughly two inches longer than average human fingers, and a thumb on each of their four hands. Females are, on average, six to six-foot-five inches tall. They have large canine teeth, used for defense against predators and to control or dissuade males. Males are, on average, six to six-foot-three inches tall. They also have large canine teeth, slightly smaller than a female’s .
Sha tree – massive trees in which the shevari live. They are similar to California Redwoods, but their branches start 10-20 feet from the ground. The bark is black, while the leaves are wide, frond-like, and solid white.
Pantari – thought to be a natural predator to the shevari. It has recently been discovered the pantari have been trained to hunt and kill the shevari people by an alien being not native to the planet. Pantari are, on average, eight feet at the shoulder, have four arms, two legs, and a thin whip-like tail. Each of their paws end in black talons, similar to the talons on a bird of prey. They have black eyes, close white fur, and vertical yellow stripes on their limbs to help them blend into the flora on the forest floor. The hinge of their jaws is directly below their pointed ears, meaning they can open their mouths very wide, like an alligator. Thankfully, they are not proficient climbers.
Pasha – female shevari. Also a term used for breeding-aged females or as a term of endearment for a female by her males.
Cycle – based on the 20 day orbit of Ishmae. One month.
Year – 20 cycles of Ishma e
Gifts – a series of goods or items given to a Pasha before Presenting to show her the male’s interest.
-Initial Traditional Gifts – food, supplies, survival-oriented items to show the female they will help provide for the family unit.
-Secondary Traditional Gifts – baskets, hut, pouches; items needed to build a home together.
-Personal Gifts – thoughtful items that differ from person to person. These are items that show a female how thoughtful and observant each male is, so a female will know the male will make an attentive mate.
Presenting – when a male shows himself after Gifts have been accepted.
-Stand perfectly still for as long as is required of them, until the female makes an approving sound, to show patience and dedication.
-Extend their limbs and flex their muscles, to show they are strong and healthy, able to protect mate and younglings.
-Make their tails dance to prove sexual maturity and show their willingness to mate .
-If accepted by the Pasha’s citri, they will either hold the citri or its kit and feed it to show they will be good, gentle fathers.
-At the end of Presenting, if a Pasha has not dismissed them, the male will wrap his limbs around the female, very gently trapping her. This is to show that they are trustworthy and will never use their strength against their Pasha. The female shows her trust if she does not fight to be free. The male shows his trust by putting himself within biting distance of a female’s larger, sharper teeth. The closer the male brings his face to the Pasha’s teeth, the more trust he is showing.
Search – the hunt for a mate.
-Females– when a female comes into maturity, she has the option to choose her harem from males within her tribe or, if none of the males suit her or all are claimed by other Pashas, to leave her tribe and find mates from neighboring tribes that are also out Searching. Females always Search alone.
-Males– when a male comes into maturity, if not immediately Chosen to join an existing harem or start a harem with a newly matured female, he has the option to either Present himself to a female or leave the tribe to Search for a Pasha from a neighboring tribe on her own Search. Males will almost always travel in groups.
Harmony Cycle – once a Searching Pasha has Chosen her harem, the males will build her a temporary hut, called a Harmony Hut. They live in this hut for, on average, ten days. The female shevari will mount her Chosen males repeatedly, until a strong bond has formed and the males have fully imprinted on her.
Citri - very docile prey animal often kept as pets by the shevari. Very intelligent and easily trainable, citri have a symbiotic relationship with their shevari protector. They alert the tribe to danger and gather food from hard to reach places. In return, the shevari protect the citri and its kits for life. They are, on average, two feet tall, covered in fluffy white fur, and have seven limbs; four arms, two legs, and a long fluffy tail. Their eyes are solid black, have a narrow, extended muzzle, and floppy ears. They resemble a cross between an aardvark, a cat, and a rabbit.
Frrtlk - six-limbed, tailed, monkey-like creature, about the size of a small gorilla. They’re covered in thick, coarse, pale yellow fur. Very territorial. Live on the lowest branches of the sha trees. Do not like eakkrs.
Eakkr - six limbed, tailless, mammals about the size of a fully grown labrador. Covered in thin black fur with leathery membranes stretching along the undersides of both sets of their front legs. They resemble giant flying squirrels with bright white beaks. Excellent gliders. Live on the lowest branches of the sha tree. Do not get along with frrtlks.
Anskrim - name translates to water death. Vaguely humanoid water people. They resemble mermen-like water dragons with facial features closer to that of a female angler fish. Large, white, cloudy eyes dominate their faces with wide, fang-filled mouths. Sentient beings, very dangerous. Have been known to leave the water for short periods of time to hunt. They are usually confined to the small oceans on the planet but, during the time of cleansing, when the planet floods, they’re free.
Arrawaa - a bird-like creature. They are covered in glittering green feathers, a rare color on the planet. They fly at high altitudes, gliding on air streams, and rarely venturing lower. If seen in the forest, it is considered a blessing from the Goddess. Their song sounds like that of a Siren; both beautiful and haunting.
Atr - lavender grasses growing in various heights throughout the planet.
Skris - beautiful flowers from the field where Lily met Drrak. They range in color from the brightest purple to the deepest blue. From the center of each bloom grow multiple long red stamen. These stamen wave in the air and, when their pollination time is upon them, spin rapidly to propel the flower into the air in order to travel to other parts of the forest. Once they land, each stamen will detach and become a root from which a new flower will grow.
LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
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Passt- peak, orgasm
Paskk - center, pussy
Tul- for, to
Ta- are
Shhk- your, yours
Me- I
Mer- me
Mek- my
Shh- you
Shaar- life
Nu- and
Faerrska- heart
Kut- about
Kur- how, what, why
Uk- did, do, wil l
Maak- hear, listen, sound, noise
Tuuk- see, watch, look, show
Suuk- speak, say, tell
Ha- is, am, be
Na- no
Ak- yes
Naa- not, stop
Herii- keep, kept, take
Uknaa- cannot, do not, will not, does not
Rrukt- scare, scary, scared, danger, unsafe
Ua- us, we
>
Au- them, they
Frrn- that, this
Nak- the
Arras- again, more, all, anything
Iarrnu- fault, guilt, burden, responsibility
Fa- it
Sharak- empty, gone, missing, bereft. Also the word for the pain relieving eggplant-like vegetable.
Sha- enormous trees dominating the forest. Are, on average, two-hundred to four-hundred feet tall. Covered in rough black bark and have broad, frond-like, white leaves. Home to most of the species living in the forest.
Ita- have, had
Cul- been, from
Tinsa- tiny, small, petite, little
Tak- tai l
Takk- tails
Kun- hold, carry, lift
Kah - let, allow
Danke- bite, bit, bitten, biting
Sehr- safe, okay, fine, good, like, enjoy
Arri- trust
Norak- where
Roaer- fierce, brave, strong, protect
Miink- soft, gentle, sweet, kind
Druur- find, found, search. When capitalized means Search - the journey to find a mate or Pasha.
Krarr - thanks, grateful, happy, my thanks
Skr- water
Shaerii- Chosen, a Chosen male
Shevak- Mother
Yrrta- catch, grab, snatch, grip
Ana- also, with, too, in
Arrya- nutella melon
Taushuka- adorable, endearing, cute, amusing
Harek- harem, a female’s group of Chosen males
Mehashk- translates to ‘I am yours’, their word for ‘I love you’
Iarrshaa- imprint, bond
Tuurrska- Present
Rasht- anger, angry, aggressive, upset, mad
Aout- help, assist, aid
Anim- dead, die, death
Vreta- kil l
Teho- sure, positive, decided, certain, mind made up
Khalik- home
Taska- sorry, regret, remorse, apologize
Vatorr- accident, mistake
Helirr- Gift, giving to a female during the Presenting ritual
