by Maia Starr
Chapter Five
Orylis
I made my way to the vast gardens on Renden: a maze of greenery and flowers almost overshadowed by the massive waterfall that flowed out from the floating island.
The plenks were everything my mother said they would be—majestic, lush, bustling with people.
The humans were something to look at, as well. I didn’t think they would be, but their curvaceous figures and long hair were wildly endearing, as much as I would prefer an eniwan over human company.
I had to admit, being here made me jealous. Jealous that I had been living in the wilds my whole life like a savage when these people were bathing in crystal clear lakes and depositing information on their tongues through dissolvable strips called nanodats.
The mainland, my home, was dangerous: with wild beasts and poisons threatening the Parduss at every turn.
My mother, charming and graceful as she was, made peace with the wilds after fighting one of the largest beasts there were and letting all the creatures watching see her true power.
Nothing could touch us out here.
Having a truce with the mainlands meant we had more access to food and hunting game than the Gilds, who only breached the outskirts of the wildlands for food.
This was basically our only bargaining chip with the Gilds. Access to our home.
And what did they offer us in return?
Three humans.
Three.
Bringing back three humans was worse than bringing back one at all. There were fifty Atherien left to three humans.
Who would get to mate with one? Just choosing someone would cause divisions in our ranks. Besides, what difference would three Atherien dragonlings a year make for us in the grand scheme of things?
“You scared me!” came a sudden scream: a wallop of a smack landing across my face and startling me cold.
I backed up: my face contorting into a deep frown that was laced with the pulse of tiny sharp pains.
“You slapped me!” I screamed back, grabbing my face with my hands.
“Oh, stop, it didn’t hurt that much!” the girl said, watching me cautiously.
I cradled the side of my face, rubbing it to get some feeling back and the woman started to laugh: bringing her fingers to her mouth and giggling through them.
“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?” I sneered and then looked up at her.
She was… stunning.
I cleared my throat awkwardly and straightened myself.
Her beautiful hazel eyes were the first sight to catch me, following by her short brown hair: a flood of bangs around her eyes that she flipped out of her face with one fluid movement.
“H-hi,” I said.
“Hi,” she repeated, still laughing as she neared me: inspected my face.
Her eyes were big and expressive, already revealing the humor she found in assaulting my face.
If we got the humans, I decided, this was the one I wanted.
She rolled a shoulder in my direction, clearly proud of herself. “I guess I don’t know my own strength,” she said in an overly-exaggerated tone.
“Clearly,” I said, rubbing the side of my face. “Do you regularly go around slapping people you don’t know?”
“I’m Hazel,” she gestured, extending a hand to me. “You?”
I thought about my answer and then took her soft hand into mine. “Orylis,” I said, deciding to be truthful. “Atherien.”
“I can tell,” she offered a flirtatious grin and gave me a once over before gesturing her hand up and down her body before saying, “Human.”
“Wow, thanks,” I snorted, and my eyes traced her long, slender neck and her leggy frame. “That one was a head-scratcher.”
“So, hey,” she said, coming dangerously close to me and pushing me back with a hard press of her fore and index fingers. “I heard you were a tough sell at the meeting today.”
“You did?” I stiffened, running a hand through my hair. “From who?”
Hazel shrugged and wandered deeper into the thick brush: the maze we had both found ourselves in. I followed her down the waving paths and glanced up at the night sky: a low hum of insects and other night creatures coming to life getting louder the deeper we entered into the flora.
We reached a bend in the maze that was full of purple flowers: vibrant and opening to the moonlight.
Glow-torches also lit the path, offering just enough light to make everything seem warmer, even against the cold wind.
“From someone,” Hazel finally answered, spinning around to face me so that she was now walking backward. “You’d better start being agreeable.”
I could feel a smirk pulling at the left side of my mouth and I rose a curious brow. “Is that right?” I tested. “And why’s that?”
She raised a brow as though the answer was obvious.
“Can I be honest?” she said carefully, crossing her arms as she walked.
I lifted my shoulder and then let it fall. “Well, you’ve already slapped me. I don’t see why you’d hold back now.”
She let out a throaty laugh and shook her head. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”
“Finally,” I mocked.
She stopped walking and took a breath before walking up to one of the oversized flowers. She leaned in to smell it and then brushed her thumb gruffly across the petal.
“You need us,” she said. I went to speak, but she raised a finger to me to cut me off, “Blah-blah-blah, don’t say you don’t! Otherwise, why would you even be in the plenks? The Dendren isn’t big on making deals and as far as I can see he isn’t going to offer to help you out again, so don’t screw it up.”
I set my jaw. “A little harsh.”
“That’s life,” she said simply.
I thought about what she said. As far as she knew.
What did that mean? Who was she in contact with to know anything about what the Dendren would or would not do? Was she his mate?
“What are you doing out here?” I asked, walking up beside her and leanly lightly against the massive green wall.
“I just needed some air,” she said, her eyes going wide. “I like the gardens.”
“You’d like the wilds, then. They’re like this, but… more.”
A wry smile formed on her lips and she started walking. “I do love the wilds.”
I hurried after her and grabbed her arm, turning her toward me. “Excuse me?”
“I go there all the time,” she said, all cool and confident.
“Ah,” I said with a nod. “You go to the outskirts.”
“Well, maybe if somebody agrees to a truce,” she needled, “maybe then I’ll get to see it one day: ask Theren to take me on the tour.”
My stomach sank. “Theren?” I repeated.
That warrior? I bit my lip. She was with him?
She nodded and looked immediately uncomfortable, perhaps knowing she said too much.
“Then… you shouldn’t be out here with me,” I said, feeling suddenly removed. “Go home.”
“Theren wants peace,” she said, still watching me even as I turned away from her to leave the maze.
“Then that’s Theren’s problem,” I snapped back.
“Why are you making this difficult?” she scoffed, marching up beside me. “He really believes in this alliance, and if you don’t submit to it, you’re going to get hurt.”
I spun around and narrowed my eyes at her. “What does that mean?”
“It-means nothing,” she enunciated each word. “They need to see you’re willing to work with them. Otherwise, your people are finished.”
“Do you know how we were treated in that meeting?” I snapped.
“You called yourself the Dendren!” she yelled through an incredulous laugh. “You insulted them!”
“They insulted me!” I yelled back, taking another step toward her.
Hazel licked her lips and looked down: my eyes followed her movements but got lost in the flat cleavage and wide spread
between her breasts I could see in the deep V of her nightdress.
“Yeah, well, they’re not the ones asking for a favor,” she said simply. “You have to show him you’re willing to submit.”
“And what would you know about it?” I seethed, watching her large eyes go larger at my words.
“About submission to the Parduss?” she spat. “Oh, gee, I must be a complete novice on the subject… oh, wait!”
My eye twitched at that and as I exhaled I let out a noise akin to ‘Pffffft.’
“Yeah,” she said scornfully, nodding toward me. “That’s what I thought.”
“You’re bothering me,” I said, waving her off. “Go lecture someone else. Someone beneath you.”
She stared at me for a moment longer before spinning on her heel and storming off, only to turn back around and yell, “You know, I’m trying to help you!”
“Thank you!” I said, drawing out my vowels and doing a mocking bow as she turned toward me again.
“Yeah, you should be thanking me!”
I rolled my eyes. “And why is it you’re out here, again? Running away from Theren? I guess life with the Parduss isn’t as wonderful as you thought it was!”
“Because I want this to work,” she said evenly, setting her hands on her hips.
I swallowed. “Why?”
“Um… I don’t like death?” she said. “And because Theren cares about it, so I care about it.”
“Is that how it works?” I snorted.
“And besides, if they make peace with you guys then… that means we’d have access to the mainlands.”
“It wouldn’t, actually,” I said tersely: intrigued. “We would have a contract to assign Atherien warriors to your people to do their bidding, but they would still risk their lives to enter the wilds. The better question is, why would that matter to you?”
“I just… want to see it, that’s all.”
“Why?” I asked.
“It gives me a weird feeling,” she said, brushing her hand up against the side of the maze: green spines prickling up against the palm of her hand. “Everything feels alive there. It makes me feel alive.”
I thought about that statement and how very true it was. There was something about the wildlands that felt exactly like she said: alive.
This human was infuriating me and drawing me in at the same time. It made me wonder if they really were the answer, as my mother had suggested.
The very thing we had thought was so beneath the Parduss, bringing humans to Cadir, might be the only thing that could save us.
I didn’t want to bring back any to begin with. Regardless of the ‘truce’ the Gilds claim they made with Earth, those girls were stolen. I didn’t want stolen property.
That thought was enough to shut me up during negotiations: Veynore having to take over and make demands. I just couldn’t bring lower myself to it.
Now this one, on the other hand…
“Come with me,” I said suddenly, and she shot me a curious stare.
She squinted at me and set her hand on her forehead, immediately considering my offer even though she had no idea what I might do to her.
“Where?” she asked.
“To the mainlands,” I said. “I’ll take you.”
“No!” she protested with an offended scoff.
“Why not? You said yourself that your Theren wants to do a tour of the wilds before the truce. Why not see it for yourself?”
She thought about it, clearly tempted, then said, “I’ll go with Theren.”
“Theren won’t let you go,” I said and knew it was probably true. The wilds were too dangerous for the Parduss, let alone a human. There were reasons why the humans were only allowed to wander around the outskirts.
“I can take you there and back tonight,” I urged. “I’ll have you back before
“No,” she laughed and looked down. She was thinking about it. “I don’t even know you.”
“You slapped me,” I insisted. “It’s the least you can do to make it up to me.”
“No,” she said, surer now. “Tempting as it is, I’ll see it one day hopefully, right?”
I stayed silent and set my jaw.
“Besides,” she continued, hesitant now, “that offer could just be a trap.”
I leaned my head back. This girl was smarter than I thought.
“You’re right,” I said. “It is a trap.”
Chapter Six
Hazel
My head was throbbing.
The dull ache pulsed through my temples and then down the back of my left ear.
I stirred in the far-too-plush bedding I was laying on when it occurred to me.
I didn’t remember going back to sleep.
All around me I could hear the calls of the wild birds shrieking ‘WOO-WOO-W’UH-WOO’ in stereo. The sounds made my headache throb even harder.
There were low hums and murmurs like the sounds of frogs on a lake, or whatever the Cadir equivalent was.
These noises intertwined, leaving me unbothered until a shrill, high-pitched squeak sounded off in my ear that jolted my eyes open from the glue of sleep.
I swallowed nervously as I looked around at the small, purple sandstone building I was in. It was like a hut, with smooth, nearly glowing purple walls and a single bed inside.
A fur rug covered the ground, but beyond that, the room had little décor or thought given to it.
I knew from the sounds outside that I was in the wilds: that nearly constant vibration of wildlife outside.
That bastard took me.
Orylis, or whatever the hell his name was.
I remembered getting out of bed and sneaking away from Theren. I promised him I wouldn’t go exploring while the truce was going on… but I wanted one last venture.
It was only the gardens. Practically the backyard of those who lived in the Renden council chambers. There shouldn’t have been any reason to worry. And yet…
Orylis was outside. At first, he was charming. Then he became utterly infuriating.
It wasn’t my business to meddle in their truce, but I thought I could reason with him.
he tried to grab me and we struggled against each other.
The next thing I knew, everything was going black. Now here I was, likely in the dangerous mainlands. No protection. No way back.
I covered my face with my hands and took a steadying breath.
Get your shit together, Hazel.
I could hear hurried, angry voices from outside and instantly recognized one of them to be Orylis.
My foot hit the ground silently, and I edged along the wall of the cabin to the crack in the doorway and tried to hear what they were saying.
“What do you do that for?” one man whisper-yelled, smacking Orylis up the back of the head and looking toward my tent.
The man had dark skin, darker than mine, and a bald head.
He ran a hand down the back of his own head nervously, and Orylis frowned at him.
“I didn’t like their deal,” Orylis said defensively. “Did you?”
“No, of course not! But this wasn’t the way to handle it. And what?” the man scoffed, “You couldn’t have let me in on your impulsive decision here? We barely had two days in Renden before you screwed it up!”
“What, I’m not the Dendren of your dreams?” Orylis snipped.
The other man’s eyes went wide, and his tail flicked back and forth in sharp, short bursts of nerves or frustration.
“Hardly,” the man said. “You’ve waged war. That’s what you’ve done.”
“That’s what you wanted,” Orylis said, pacing around a massive campfire.
“No, that’s what I proposed back when your mother was alive. You know, back when we actually had the time to build our army? Do a surprise attack? You’ll lead them right to us, now!”
“Isn’t that even better?” Orylis argued. “We have the upper hand. We know the land. Besides, it’ll be impossible for them to make it out this far.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he nipped with irritation for being questioned. “The forest is too thick! It’s not like they can track her without a signal. They’ll need to get into the brush, and they can’t.”
“Fine,” the heavily-armored man waved him off. “You are the Dendren. This is your plan. I just hope you’re ready to see this war through. Otherwise, we’re no better than we were before.”
“No,” Orylis corrected, “We are. We have one female now. That’s better than nothing.”
“You were the one griping about only getting three,” the dark man laughed, rubbing a hand up the right side of his face.
“You’re not listening to me,” Orylis said evenly. “Do you know who she is?”
My heart sank as I watched them. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t just eavesdropping on a casual conversation. They were talking about me. I had become their… what?
Ransom?
“She’s Theren’s mate,” Orylis said carefully, and the other man’s eyes went wide.
“Huh,” was all the man said.
A gentle silence filled the air, and finally, the man asked, “So, what are you thinking? We exchange her for ten girls?”
Orylis nodded. “We’ll see what we can get out of it. Otherwise, we war.”
“What am I doing?” I whispered to myself, backing away from the door.
I shouldn’t just sit there and listen to them decide my fate—I should get the hell out of here.
The strange cabin was small and there was only one door.
I set my jaw, drawing myself closer to the doorway to see where each of the men were.
To my unlucky surprise, they were both directly outside of the door, sitting by the fire.
Which meant my best shot was either to wait for them to come in… wait for them to leave… or run.
I decided to run.
I took a few careful, steadying breaths and made my way toward the door and then ran as fast as I could. I passed the two of them by the fire and they immediately started running after me.
My body hit the brush of the woods. I could feel the scrapes the branches and sharp leaves were leaving on my bare skin as I delved deeper into the thicket.
