by Beth Hoyer
rolled his sleeve.
He stared at Tikcanni as the Highlander spoke in Basic “Eric, I never thought I would live to see this day when I will no longer see you as an enemy for killing my brother. The whipping, I oath to you will stop for your free of the punishment.”
Eric widen his eyes of shock as Tikcanni paused then continued “I see you as someone worthy of being an ally, a friend who I look with respect. Will you see me as the same?”
He frowned as Tikcanni rose up his bare right hand towards him but kept his arms folded.
Tikcanni added “I just hope the day will come when you will no longer see Highlanders as your enemy but your allies worth being friends with.”
Eric sighed softly as he lowered his arms and with his right gloved hand took Tikcanni’s bare hand and shook it.
He spoke as he let go of Tikcanni’s hand “I accept you as my friend for you see me as the same.”
Eric sighed again as Tikcanni nodded his head as the Highlander placed his glove back on his hand rolling down his sleeve. He stood and watched as Tikcanni escorted by Kaddar guards slowly turned around and walked down the gang plank to reach the land deck. Eric groaned loudly as he saw Brianna went to stand in front of him and he felt her arms around him holding him in a hug. He rubbed his hands on her back as he felt tears come to his eyes and continued to groan loudly.
He felt Brianna tighten her hold on him as he cried loudly crying out “Brianna.”
Eric cried and cried as Brianna’s arms continued to hold him in a hug.
He groaned out loudly during a bout of sobbing “Oh why, why did I have to kill a Highlander because of my anger towards Highlanders? I could have left one alive and found another way to express my anger towards the species.”
He broke off to cry as he heard Brianna speaking “It’s alright, Eric. That happened in the past. There’s nothing you can do to change the past but put it aside by moving on. Tikcanni let go of his anger towards you for what happened to his brother so don’t hold onto the pain of the killing, just let it go and free yourself of this torment.”
He closed his eyes struggling to relax from the crying. Eric exhaled air as the rages arrived and breathe through his mouth as the anger went throughout him.
He heard Brianna’s voice and concentrated on the words understanding them “It’ll pass, don’t worry, just ride this out.”
He continued to breathe through his mouth as he felt himself calming down. Eric rubbed her back with his gloved hands as he opened his eyes to look at her in the eyes. Her eyes he saw were filled with affection towards him as she stared back at him. He sighed loudly as he tightened his arms around Brianna while feeling her place her head on his shoulder. He leaned his chin on her head while smelling her hair’s scent as he felt her arms go around him in a hug then they let go to stand staring at the land deck. He stared at her appearance which was beginning to show her age. He could see her hair was white and was frizzy along with her skin no longer smooth but bumpy with wrinkles on it. Eric rubbed her back that felt thin to the touch with his gloved hands.
He exhaled air as he felt a headache and heard Merra’s voice speaking in his mind “Eric, Brianna, some things I think you should know. Terrania is now united ruled by a newly created title holder called Sun Lord who was introduced during the opening ceremonies of the Terrania Unity Games. The Sun Lord I should add rules with his identity hidden wearing a mask covering his head showing no features of his species. I thought I’ll let you know of this.”
Eric again exhaled air as he felt the headache left him as Merra left his mind. He sighed tightening his arms around Brianna who laid her head on his shoulder. He sighed as the light of the sky began to leave which the ceiling lights abruptly turned on illuminating them.
He sighed as the darkness of the night arrived and he spoke “Come love, its night time, let’s go in and get some sleep.”
He let go of holding Brianna who removed her hands to grip his right hand with her left hand. He and Brianna hand in hand walked towards the stairwell and entered it walking a maze of hallways and stairwells till they reached the hallway where their quarters were. He sighed loudly as he let go of Brianna’s hand to enter his quarters with her following him. He yanked off his clothes as Brianna picked up her nightgown from the dresser and went into the bathroom. He went to the dresser on his side of the bed and pulled out his pajamas as he stood which he put on his form. He sighed and laid his form on the bed closing his eyes as he felt himself falling unconscious.
Eric dreamed an eye sight view of himself lying in bed as if standing in front of the wall opposite from the area and the view shifted to show Brianna walking out of the bathroom doorway carrying her nightgown which she quietly placed in the dresser. The view showed Brianna looking towards the bed at himself with a sad look on her face then placed hands on the alarm clock and he heard small beeping sounds then she removed her hands and laid her form on the bed on top of the blankets while still wearing her clothes eyes staring at himself lying in the bed before closing them then the view went black.
Eric jerked to hear the beeping sound of the alarm along with confusion raging throughout him. He frowned as he sat up and leaned over Brianna turning the lamp on while shutting off the alarm. He stared at Brianna lying asleep in bed on top of the blankets while wearing her blue dress and shoes on her feet who didn’t stir. Sighing he got up from the bed yanking off his pajamas and grabbed his clothes from the dresser which he put on his form. He went to sit on the bed as he put on his socks and sneakers then he stood up to stare at Brianna who was still sleeping. He frowned as he went to Brianna’s side of the bed and gently with a gloved hand placed a hand on her head.
He frowned some more as Brianna spoke with a cranky tone weariness in her voice “Eric, I’m tired and I can’t shake the tiredness so let me sleep some more.”
Groaning softly Eric left Brianna and the room gently closing the door behind him. He went to the cafeteria to the dishwashing machine where he picked up a tray and loaded it with dishes and silverware which he filled with food and drink from the processing units. Sighing he went to a table and sat eating and drinking then once done he put the dishes away in the dishwashing machine then went to his quarters to stare at Brianna laying asleep.
Eric frowned as he thought “I might as well explore the ship.”
He walked towards the double doors at the end of the hallway and entered the stairwell which his feet led him through a maze of hallways and stairwells till he entered a familiar hallway with doors at the end which he recognized led to the whipping room. Eric growled some sound as annoyance arrived within him. He walked into the room where he could see a fence underneath a spotlight with chains hanging next to it. Growling loudly he stormed pass the fence to the whipping machine and its switch console nearby it. He felt anger arrived with a roar he charged at the whipping machine’s console which he grabbed yanking it off the floor with sparks flashing. He held the box pole in his hands and threw it repeatedly towards the ground. Growling he threw the console at the fence which it hit then tumbled towards the floor falling apart. Eric stormed towards the whip attached to a metal pole and grabbed the pole which he yanked out of the floor with sparks flashing. He angrily threw it towards the floor repeatedly as the whipping pole fell apart at each hit. He threw the whipping pole towards the fence which hit then tumbled towards the floor falling apart. Eric roared loudly as the rages arrived clouding up his eyes sight with whiteness. He growled roaring nonsense sounds as the rages ran through out him. He shut his eyes and breathed through his mouth while struggling to calm down from the rages. He breathed hard panting as the rages left him clearing up his eyes sight. Sighing he ran out of the whipping room running a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached a wall with a monitor next to it in the middle of a hallway. He touched the monitor with his hand then the wall slid opened like a door and showed him a large room with vertical tubes jutting from the floor with wires attached on top going to the ceiling.
He speed walked into the room as a compelling instinct feeling told him to where to go. He walked pass vertical tubes sparing them no glances till he reached a tube with series of wires inside attached to tan bumpy object that his instincts told him was a brain. He walked up to the brain’s tube and placed a hand on the glass wall staring at the brain inside. Eric jerked shutting his eyes as a headache arrive pounding in his head. He groaned putting a gloved hand on his forehead as the headache abruptly left him. He jerked his hand from his forehead opening his eyes as confusion arrive through out him. He stared at the tube his hand was on and its contents with a frown as nothing came to his mind telling him what it was. Eric lowered his hand stepping back from the tube as an image of Brianna sleeping in bed while wearing her blue dress came to his mind.
Eric spoke “Brianna.”
He darted out of the room running a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached his quarters while panting for breath. He still panting entered the room to see Brianna lying asleep on the blankets in bed. He went to the bed and sat and took one of her hands holding it in his gloved hands.
He spoke softly “Brianna.”
Brianna he stared at as if sensing him opened
