by Erin Raegan
“He is in full rage,” Uthyf sighed. “We know not what to do. There has not been a Dahk to gain a Pythe in over a century. This is both cheerful news and terrible timing.”
“And to a human of all beings!” Klando cried. “Ugly things, and weak. The female is no prize for our Commander.”
“She is his Pythe,” I growled menacingly, “Human or not, she will have your respect.”
Klando flushed deeply. “Apologies, it is just shocking.”
“Even so, she will not be welcomed grandly on home world,” Jirt sniffed.
I sighed, now was not the time to fight bias. Tahk would have to handle the situation. I nearly grinned as I thought of how he would take the piss right out of his bigoted Lieutenants.
“What do you wish us to do?” Uthyf asked not unkindly. He had much respect for the Commander, as they grew up together and went to academy nearly year for year.
“We don’t have the time for the ceremonies,” I said sadly. It would no doubt offend the nobles back home. “We have no choice, we must reunite them.”
Jirt gasped, “You cannot mean for them to mate without the rituals!”
“We cannot take the flight back to home world and be back in time for the humans, their survival is already perilous.”
“You would have them mate in the old way?” Uthyf asked, I had to agree with his agitation. It was simply not done, not for millennia. When a Pythe was mated to her male, there were precautions taken. The male was chained and made to fight the rage for days. It tired him and allowed a safer mating. It was his gift to his Pythe, proof he was strong enough to fight for her, that he may be strong enough to protect her all his days. Not every Dahk survived it. But it was necessary, the old way was savage, and the Pythe was often grievously injured in the mating.
Since the Old King eradicated the practice, the ceremony was the only way. The King would bless the union along with the healers, and the Dahk would remain chained as the female took her mate, eliminating his rage. It was a celebrated and public event. The Dahks closest household would hold vigil during the mating. Tahk’s First Mother would be most saddened by her loss of ceremony.
“What would you have us do? We have no chosen blessed healers, they are all on home world. The warship only has those in training other than Tohn. The King is not here!” I sighed exasperated. We had a mission, and this was no good use of time.
“We could appoint a Commander.” Klando looked to his polished claws.
“Blasphemy!” I cried, all warriors on the deck froze in rage. “The King would not forgive it. Tahk must lead the army and no one else.
“But the situation―surely the King would understand.” Jirt’s flushed face inched to the comm screen.
“No. What you speak of is treason. Only the King may appoint a Commander. That is Tahk. This discussion is over.”
“Very well, send the female to the warship. We will prepare him,” Klando sighed. “Who will stand vigil for the mating?”
“Tahk would want his first and second there,” Uthyf growled at the older Lieutenant. “He would not want his alien mate made a spectacle.”
“Inform the healers, and prepare them, we do not know what injuries she may befall.” I rubbed my crown. We did not even know how to care for an injured human.
“It shall be recorded for his House, and the King,” Jirt scowled. This was not an unreasonable request; the King would want to bless the union in any way possible. Even after the event.
“Now, should we not wait for him to fight the rage at least?” Jirt asked again with a gleam in his eye.
“We have no time, if we do not campaign for war soon, the humans will be extinct.” The King would rage for days if such a thing were to occur. No one knew why he felt so strongly for the primitive species. But I did not question my King, more importantly I did not question my Commander and he took on the King’s mission without question.
“And the Vitat, what do we do in the meantime? They cannot sense our ship on their tale, but Tahk showed himself on Earth, they could have had a chance to comm their mother ship.”
Uthyf was right, we were invisible to them now, but that may not last long. Though not because of the Commander, he made sure of that when destroying them. We were not prepared to fight a war above Earth without our Commander. We needed the fight on the ground first, or we would lose our element of surprise. Unfortunately, galactic law did not allow an Intergalactic war on a primitive planet without huktbores permission. Ridiculous.
“Ready the troops for ground and have every available flyer able to attack at a moment’s notice.” I switched off the comm before they could argue. It may not be the right call, but Tahk was not here to make the right one.
“Hybolt, send over the new translation codes for the humans to Dahk One.” He nodded and thundered away, his heavy stomps betraying his agitation for the Lieutenants disrespect. He rose under House of Klando and never hid his animosity towards the noble.
“Olynth,” I sighed. The warrior stood at attention. “Ready a transport for the human female. Yilt and I will meet with the crew before following. I want a full unit with her. We cannot trust Jirt with her safety.”
Chapter 13
Peyton
“Ohmish, thssogd,” Vivian moaned over a bite or strange fruit. It tasted like cotton candy but looked like pineapple.
“These aliens sure know how to wield a skillet,” Colt crowed and dived back into some kind of meat Vivian and I passed on, I had no idea what that was. Yilt assured us our human bodies could digest it properly, but I was just not okay with stuffing some unknown animal in my mouth. If it even was an animal in the sense us humans thought. Colt had no problem with it though, neither did Bobo for that matter. Viv and I stuck with the roots and fruits of the Dahk. Yilt assured us all we ate grew from tree plants and the ground. It was still alien food, but we were hungry enough not to ask too many questions.
“So, you guys are here to save us?” I asked Yilt while drinking a strange tasting tea. It was sweet and sour, weird but pleasant.
“Yes. Our King has commanded it of us.” Yilt had been telling us a little of the Vitat― the white aliens that were basically here to wipe out our planet. They wanted to enslave and eat us, but mostly they wanted our sun. I don’t know how they planned to take it, it was pretty big, but I didn’t give it too much thought. I was still hung up on the enslaving and eating part.
“So, what’re you doing up here in space then? Shouldn’t you be down there kicking some prophylactic ass?” Colt tossed a bone to Bobo. I looked away, so I didn’t hurl all over the black shiny table.
We were in their cafeteria, or what they called a Great Hall. Dozens of aliens sat at tables eating and growling at each other. They watched us with curiosity, but I had yet to feel any hostility from any of them. They were too far away to make out words, so their language sounded more like the growls and gruffs we had first heard from them. Yilt’s speech was still growly but with the implant I just sort of knew what he was saying. Everything was weird.
“No, we follow the Galactic Law.” Yilt’s bleached ridges gleamed from the low blue light in the hall. He was looking less JT and more Spike the more time I spent around him. All the aliens had different ridges, not at all like hair, but they seemed to wear the ridges like humans did hair. Some were short, some longer, some colored, some spiked. Yilt’s was the most hair-like I had seen so far. But they were part of his body, I didn’t think a haircut was something these guys would participate in.
“What law?” Colt’s brows scrunched up and he held his hand out for Bobo to lick clean. I pushed my plate away.
“Galactic Law. Every species membered to the Galactic Council follow Galactic Law. It is the way. Only the most savage of species run amok on their own. Vitat are not members,” Yilt growled low.
“Right, so what law is preventing you from wiping out those light bulb monsters?” Vivian asked, she too had pushed away her plate. Colt grabbed both of ours and scarfed them dow
n.
“Leet Boollb?
“Uh, the Vitat,” she flushed.
“Ah, we must not wage war on a primitive planet without the species aware.”
“I’d say we’re aware now,” I muttered to myself.
“Yeah, we’re aware, you can go ahead!” Vivian was tearing up again. We needed to get back to the ranch, I didn’t know how much longer she’d last without Hector.
“I thank you Veeveen, I am honored. Unfortunately, we must contact your world leaders.”
“Heh, good luck with that,” Colt scowled at Yilt.
“You do not think they’ll grant us entry?” Yilt tilted his head at Colt.
“Those fart-heads won’t come out of their hidey holes long enough for you to ask.” Colt grabbed the cup Yilt had been sipping from and chugged it. The man had no fear.
Yilt hummed low. “Galactic law will not allow us to intervene without it.”
“You’ll just let us die then?” Vivian sniffled.
“No, we are honorable Dahk, the Commander will seek out your leaders. I have every faith all will be made right again.”
“Commander? Is that the guy that was humping my girl?” Colt scowled and stood up from the table. Even standing he was several inches shorter than the sitting alien.
“Yes, he is Tahk, our Commander.”
“Uhm,” I coughed and could feel my cheeks heat. “Why was he doing that to me?”
Yilt looked uncomfortable for a moment. His own dark skin flushed darker. The tips of his ears twitched, and he rubbed them agitatedly. For a moment, I didn’t think he was going to answer but then he sighed deeply.
“You are his Pythe,” he mumbled.
“What’s a Pythe?” My eyes grew large and round. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to answer.
“Uh,” He scratched his twitchy ear, “Mate? Do you understand?” He seemed to be looking for a term similar to ours.
“Uh yeah, I got mate. But what?!” My voice got very high and several aliens huddled low covering their ears.
“It is an honor to find ones Pythe, I assure you, Tahk will hold you at the highest regard. There is nothing to fear.”
“Mate?!” I screeched again.
“Oh shit, Pey, I think he means your that alien’s wife now.” Viv’s eyes were as wide as mine, her skin as pale.
“The hell I am.” I slammed my hands on the table and stood up.
“Wyyf? Hill? I do not understand.”
“Understand this, I’m out of here.” I crashed my chair back and took off for the closest door.
“Peyton!” Viv yelled after me. Several chairs scraped along the sparkly black floor as I took off down the hallway.
“Do not fear humans, she cannot go far.”
I ran down the corridor straight into a line of hard alien chests. I bumped back too fast for them to catch me and landed on my ass.
“Female, come with us, you go to your Pythen.” One alien with dozens of pointy ridges scaling down the sides of his head grabbed my arms and lifted me.
“Let me GO!” I screamed and kicked. He winced but didn’t let go of his grip on me.
“Olynth, where are you taking her?”
“Fihk has spoken to the Lieutenants, she goes to the warship to meet her Pythen and finish the mating.”
“So soon?” Yilt looked stricken. I kicked and flailed harder. When my screams got higher a thick hand covered my mouth.
“Yes,” the alien holding me replied solemnly.
“There will be no ceremony?” Yilt’s own voice got impossibly high for these guys.
“There is no time.”
“I understand, but it is savage,” he scowled at the hand gripping me. Savage? Savage did not sound good.
“There is no time,” Olynth said again.
“Peyton! What’s happening?” Viv pushed through the circle of aliens.
“Veeveen, your Pehytohn must go to her Pythen, she will return to you soon.” Yilt patted her head, he got distracted and started tugging on the blonde strands with a scrunched brow.
“What? No, she can’t go!” Vivian scrambled for me, but Yilt grabbed her and held her back.
“Go quickly, before you cause the humans more undo stress,” he patted Vivian again and held his hand across her mouth to muffle her high sobs. “Do not fear, Pehytohn, this is a joyous occasion.”
“Joyous my behind, you let those girls go!” Colt shouted and pushed through. Two aliens stepped forward from the Great Hall to hold him. Bobo was unusually angry as he barked and growled at the alien holding me.
“Cease, mule, or we shall have you for last meal,” Yilt growled at Bobo.
Colt’s infuriated roar followed me through the halls. I kicked and clawed and bit, but the alien Olynth was immovable.
Weakening I slumped in his hold and sobbed. I was going to my Pythen and I was going to mate with him. With an alien! If that meant what I thought it meant, I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted my ranch, and my pottery, and chickens, and my Frederick. I wanted to go home, but catching a look outside another window, home was an impossible distance away from me.
Chapter 14
Peyton
The aliens took me to a much smaller ship, about the size of an aircraft carrier and strapped me in a seat three times my size. They grumbled and growled trying to get the restraints to fit me, until finally they just double knotted everything and called it a day. I gripped them like my life depended on it, which judging by how loose they were, wasn’t very good odds. The little space ship rumbled and shook as it undocked and moved to the warship.
The warship was the size of Texas and scared me so bad I nearly peed myself. Olynth didn’t speak but he looked genuinely worried over my constant sobbing. He patted me awkwardly and ordered the aliens to guard me with their life. If we were headed somewhere that they needed such an order, I was really worried about the aliens on that big ass ship.
I could see Earth from this vantage, and just on the other side of the planet was a smaller, but not by much, warship. It was white and had dozens of little white ships flying in and out of it. I knew based on the look of those little ships it was the white light bulb aliens. Why they weren’t attacking the Dahk, I had no idea, but I had no doubt those little ships were causing a whole lot of damage at home.
Once we docked onto the Dahk’s warship, several new aliens waited in a large hall for us to exit. They were all the same species of aliens, so I had a little relief there, because so far none of the Dahk had harmed us, they were more straight faced and weary of me. These new Dahk were different though with their feelings towards me, hostility was in spades around these guys. It was also there I saw my first female Dahk. She was smaller than the males, but only by an inch or two, and daintier. Still taller, and larger built than me. She did not have boobs, if she did they were too small for me to make out. I’d have to tell Vivian if I ever saw her again. The thought had me tearing up all over again.
The female glared at me so fiercely I nearly shrank away. She was in a long shiny burnt orange gown. It was thin and outlined all her nearly non-existent curves. Her head was shaped the same as the males, but her ridges were much thinner and decorated in tiny jewels. She looked like she had spiky blades on her head. It was frightening and beautiful at the same time.
“Human, follow me,” she sniffed and twirled away. The aliens guided me to follow her, and I nearly refused to move but Olynth shook his head ominously―a warning―so I jolted quickly and hurried after her.
“Our Commander is waiting for your arrival,” she spat and hurried down a hall. “You have no time to bathe.” She curled her lip. “Your dirty rags are horrid, but there is nothing we can do about that.”
I subtly sniffed my pits. Sure, I smelled kind of ripe, but not so much to warrant that amount of disgust. Maybe they had sensitive noses. It was no problem for me, the smellier I was the better, maybe the Commander wouldn’t want to mate me if I smelled like I was rolling around in pig shit all day.
“Ke
ep your mouth shut and do as Lieutenant Klando says.” She dug her claws into my arm. I winced as they broke skin. That would leave one hell of a scar. The or else in her words was implied.
We reached a set of double doors that were carved and jeweled so beautifully I nearly stumbled. They opened before she even reached them, and she yanked me through.
“Ow,” I whined when her claws scraped new wounds.
“Quiet!” She snapped and jerked me harder. She could use a lesson in manners.
“Human, welcome to Dahk One.” A tall elegantly dressed Dahk spoke from the middle of the room. It was a little brighter in this room than any I had been in so far but not by much, and it seemed the glowing jewels in the walls were much larger than the rest on the ship. It cast an eerie gold light on the aliens. Olynth and his crew bowed deeply to the alien.
“Lieutenant Klando,” The witch beamed.
“Dya, thank you for escorting our guest.” Klando gave her a soft smile before scowling at me. This place was way more intimidating than Yilt’s ship.
“Human, you are not what I would have chosen for our Commander, but that is out of my control. Time is running out for your species. I was told you may be difficult during the mating, I am warning you I have no patience for it,” he growled at me. He was wearing the same leather-like pants as the rest of the Dahk but had a finely stitched black robe resting over his shoulders that flowed down to his feet. Golden threads stitched elegant designs throughout the fabric.
I decided silence was the way to go here, so I didn’t say a word.
“You will do as your Pythen asks, am I clear?”
I shook my head, not in the negative, but bewildered at my situation. How did this happen? I was having a cold cup of coffee with Viv and the world fell apart. This was not a dream and I wasn’t going to wake up.
“What is this?” He shook his head exaggeratedly imitating me. I stifled a snicker. “Answer me human!” He boomed.
