Feast: A Rough & Twisted Sci-Fi Romance

by Lizzy Bequin

  The woman herself was older than Ika, and the edges of her eyes bore creases that spoke to a hard life. But she was still very pretty, with lustrous blond hair, a healthy glow to her tanned skin, and a pleasant twinkle in her eyes. She was dressed in a long tunic made of animal hide. One strap of the garment had been unfastened to give her littlest child access to her breast, and Ika suddenly realized that the little one was feeding.

  That idea was shocking at first, but after a moment Ika’s own breasts seemed to warm and her nipples tingled slightly with envy. She liked the idea of nurturing a tiny life with food provided by her own body.

  “Well hello there,” the woman said simply. She had a funny accent, as if the native language of this planet did not fit comfortably in her mouth.

  Ika signalled for Slaine to put her down, and the ukkur gently set Ika onto her feet. He kept his hands on her shoulders to steady her, which was nice as she was feeling a bit top-heavy with her new belly. Her other mates and Rolf crowded closely around her.

  “Hello,” Ika answered, and after a moment she asked, “Are you the First Woman?”

  The woman just chuckled.

  “It’s such a silly title, but the ukkur insist on using it. And as I’m sure you well know, once the ukkur get an idea lodged in their stubborn brains, it’s pointless to argue with them about it. Anyway, it’s better than the names the nith call me, I suppose. As for you, you can just call me Alyx. And what is your name, my dear?”

  “My name is Ika.”

  Alyx smiled. “Ika. A very pretty name.”

  The chubby little ukkur at her breast had stopped feeding and now smacked its lips as it drifted off into sleep. Very gently, Alyx handed the tiny thing over to Krogg, and Ika was touched at the way that he cradled the small being in his huge arms. Some of the other little ones clung about his legs, and Ika realized that he had been the one who made these little ukkur by putting his sap into Alyx.

  Alyx adjusted her garment to cover her breast, then stepped forward to look at Ika more closely in the waning light.

  “Krogg tells me that you do not carry a nith mark. Is this true?”

  Ika nodded.

  “Would you you mind if I have a look?” Alyx asked politely.

  “I don’t mind,” Ika said. “But…”

  She darted her eyes toward the other ukkur crowded around her—Thusar, Gunnar, Muk, Slaine, as well as old Rolf.

  “Ah yes, of course,” Alyx said with a wry smile. “The ukkur have a tendency for overprotectiveness, don’t they?”

  Alyx tilted her face upward to address the towering ukkur. Despite her small stature, she seemed not the least bit intimidated by them.

  “If you don’t mind, I would like to inspect your mate, Ika. I will not harm her. I merely want to examine the skin on her hips.”

  The ukkur muttered and passed communicative glances between themselves. Finally, Thusar nodded to Alyx.

  “We agree.”

  Ika intuited that they did not have a problem with Alyx examining her body because she was another woman. As such, they were not jealous of her.

  Alyx gave her a knowing wink, as is she too had experienced this ukkur possessiveness in her day. Then she bent and very carefully pulled aside the flaps of Ika’s garment, exposing one hip and then the other. When she saw that there really was no mark on either side, she muttered to herself.

  “Incredible. Absolutely incredible.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ika said. “Why is it incredible that I don’t have a mark?”

  Alyx stood upright and brushed the hair back from her face. She placed a comforting hand on Ika’s shoulder to set her at ease, and Ika found that she liked this woman more and more with each passing moment. She realized she had never spoken to another woman before, and she was grateful that her first encounter could be such a pleasant one.

  “There is much about this that I do not understand either, but I’m sure we will get to the bottom of it together. For now, I imagine you and your companions are weary from traveling, and no doubt you are eager to sit down. Come inside. Tonight you and your companions shall dine in my dwelling, and we shall talk.”

  ***

  The interior of Alyx’s tent was a simple dwelling with furs to sit on, a small stone-encircled fire in the middle for warmth, and a few pots and baskets around the sides for storage. While the dinner was prepared, Ika and Alyx sat and chatted casually while a dozen little ukkur scurried about playfully.

  Ika learned that Alyx had three ukkur mates. One of them was Krogg, the army leader, and another was Jale, the ukkur who had first approached them after the battle. The third mate was named Ravnar, a brutal looking beast of an ukkur. Despite his scary looks, however, Ravnar was very sweet and loving with the little ukkur who climbed all over him, goading him into wrestling matches that he would pretend to lose.

  The atmosphere was one of love and security.

  Ika was also happy to see how well her own companions hit it off with the others. Muk joined Krogg to aid in the preparation of the meal over the bigger fire outside. Gunnar spent most of his time conversing with Ravnar, who was a master trapsmith. Thusar talked with Jale, who filled him in on the details of the ongoing war with the nith. As for Slaine, he spent most of the time before dinner entertaining the silly little ukkur by making funny faces.

  Only Rolf seemed not to be at ease. His new companion Kate was with him, and they were trying to teach each other words in their own languages so they could communicate better. But every so often, Ika noticed Rolf glancing at her swollen abdomen with a pained look of concern on his face.

  At last the dinner was served. They ate sitting or lounging on the comfortable furs spread on the ground.

  It was a feast like Ika had never had in her life. Tender, perfectly seasoned krelk steaks slathered in a savory gravy and a side of vegetables and tender roots that had been slightly charred to give them a caramelized flavor. For dessert, they had a soft flaky pastry filled with tart darkberry jam and drizzled with a creamy ksh infused frosting. Ika was really impressed with all the different textures and flavors Krogg was able to get from simple ingredients and tools, and she was pleased to see that Muk was taking notes from the older cook.

  Ika could tell that she was going to like it here. She had only been in this canyon for a few hours, and it already felt like home.

  But eventually the laughter and pleasantries of dinner died down. Ravnar and Slaine took the little ones outside to play, and the tent grew quiet except for the crackle of the fire in the middle of the space. It was time for serious conversation.

  It was Alyx who finally broached the topic.

  “Ika, if you don’t mind, I would like to learn about your origins. I want to know where you came from.”

  Ika blushed. She was uncomfortable being the center of attention.

  “I would like to know that too,” Ika said. “But all I really know is that Rolf found me in his den when I was little.”

  “Is this true, Rolf?”

  The gray-bearded ukkur now looked especially nervous. His face was a stone mask of worry, and he couldn’t take his eyes away from Ika. He nodded silently.

  “Would you mind telling us the circumstances of how you found her?”

  Rolf’s shoulders slumped as he let out a long, heavy sigh. Ika had never seen him look so tired and worried before.

  “I’ll do my best,” he said quietly. “It is not easy to explain.”

  Ika’s pulse quickened. Rolf had always told her that he had found her in his den, a gift from the gods. But now it seemed there was more to that story.

  Rolf began to tell his tale. He stumbled over his thoughts and struggled to find the right words to explain how it had happened. At first, Ika was upset that he had not told her before, but as his story went on, she began to understand. It was a very difficult story to explain, and she had trouble visualizing the images he described.

  As Ika understood it, Rolf had returned to his den one night eighteen years ag
o to find two Ikas on the floor of his cave. One was a grown-up Ika, and one was a tiny little thing, even smaller than the smallest little ukkur they had seen. The little one had been attached to a long tube that was coming out of the bigger one’s hole. The big one had a nith marking on her hip, but the little one did not. The big one died, and the little one lived and grew up to be the Ika who was sitting there now listening to the tale. The ring which Ika wore around her neck had come from the one that had died.

  Despite all the amazing things that Ika had witnessed in the past few days, the story was almost impossible to believe, but she knew that Rolf would never lie about such things.

  Through it all, Alyx listened and nodded thoughtfully.

  When he was finished talking, Rolf drew a deep breath, and he relaxed a little, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

  “I’m so sorry, Ika,” he said. “I should have told you all of these things a long time ago. I just didn’t know how to do it. And I was worried that some day you would leave me, and I would be alone forever.”

  Ika’s eyes throbbed and began to leak. She did not try to hide it. She crossed the tent and put her arms around Rolf’s neck in a tight embrace.

  “You don’t need to apologize,” she whispered. “I’m just grateful that you have told me about it now. And I’m grateful for all the years that you cared for me and raised me.”

  “I did a good job, didn’t I?” Rolf said. “Just look at what a strong woman you have become, Ika. I’m so proud of you. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

  He touched her belly, and the little ukkur moved inside.

  “But I’m worried,” Rolf went on. “I’m worried that when the little ukkur comes out of you, you will die, just like what happened with the woman you came from.”

  Alyx had moved closer, and now she put a reassuring hand on Rolf’s shoulder.

  “You do not need to worry, Rolf,” Alyx said. “Ika is not going to die. I promise you that.”

  “How do you know?” Rolf asked.

  “Because in my previous life, my job was bringing babies into the world. Little ukkur, I mean. I am an expert at getting them out safely, and I will help Ika do that when the time comes, which will be very soon. Tomorrow probably.”

  Ika felt a twinge of anxiety at that news, but she felt relieved that Alyx really would help her through it. Rolf seemed slightly relieved too. But only slightly.

  Alyx gestured toward Ika’s necklace.

  “May I take a look at that, Ika?”

  “Of course.” Ika lifted the ring pendant so that Alyx could inspect it in the firelight. After a moment, Alyx hummed and sat back on the floor, nodding her head and thinking.

  “Well, I think I have some idea of how you got here,” Alyx said at last.

  “You do?” Ika asked, feeling both excited and scared.

  “I do.” Alyx looked at Rolf and then at Thusar and the others. “I need to speak with Ika alone for a little while. This is a very personal matter, and I think it would be best if I tell her by herself first. Afterward, she may choose if she wishes to share it with you.”

  Ika expected Thusar and the others to complain, but they did not. They agreed immediately. Clearly they understood that this was a very sensitive personal matter. It was her identity, after all.

  “Good,” Alyx said and took Ika by the hand. “Come with me, Ika. There is something I want to show you.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Alyx led Ika out of the tent. It was night, and the canyon was lit by dozens of campfires. The newcomers had been organized into smaller groups to be fed and provided with additional clothing.

  Together Alyx and Ika walked to the very end of the canyon where the natural stone walls opened onto a dark prairie of grass that was rippling like water in the wind. The entrance to the canyon was guarded by several ukkur armed with spears who bowed deeply to Alyx as she passed.

  Apparently these ukkur really respected and revered the First Woman.

  They ventured out into the darkness until the sounds and light of the encampment faded. The sky was clear, and the velvety blackness overhead was aglitter with stars.

  “Do you know your constellations?” Alyx asked. “I’m sure Rolf taught you, right?”

  Ika nodded.

  Alyx gestured toward a cluster of stars in the northern part of the sky.

  “Then you know the abolith and hunter.”

  “Of course,” Ika answered.

  Rolf had taught her all the constellations when she was little, and she loved to look at them and name them off in her head, so she had no trouble now identifying the constellation that Alyx was referring to.

  “Good, good. Do you see the star at the tip of the hunter’s spear? The bright one that glows like pale gold?”

  “Yes.”

  Ika had always held a special fondness for that star. Perhaps it was the color of it, she wasn’t sure, but for some reason she had always felt a special connection to it.

  It seemed like Alyx felt that connection too. She stared at that pale yellow star with a look of nostalgia.

  “That star is named Sol. From here it looks tiny, like a little sparkling jewel. But that is only because it is so far away. In fact, it is just as big as the sun that rises and sets on this world. Perhaps even a little bigger.”

  Could that be true? Ika knew that the stars were far away, but if that yellow star were as big as the sun, then it must be very far away indeed. An almost unimaginable distance. The universe must be even bigger than Ika realized.

  A few days ago, she would not have believed it. But now, after everything she had seen and learned, Ika would believe almost anything.

  Alyx went on.

  “There is a world that goes around that star. A world much like this one.”

  That idea was more difficult for Ika to picture. A world going around a star? She struggled to accept that concept, but she chose not to interrupt.

  “That world is called Earth,” Alyx said. “It is where I come from. It is where all the humans come from Ika, including you.”

  A frightening jolt ran through Ika’s body.

  What Alyx was telling her seemed impossible, and yet…she could tell that the woman was not lying to her. Her tone of voice was clear and confident.

  “Earth?” Ika muttered. “But how can I be from Earth? Rolf said that he found me here when I was little.”

  Alyx nodded quietly and thought for a moment.

  “Ika, I’m afraid there are parts of your story that we will never know. I can only guess the outlines of it based on what Rolf has told me. But I will do my best.”

  Alyx seated herself on a low boulder. She patted the space beside her, inviting Ika to join her, which she did. As they both stared up at the night sky, Alyx spoke.

  “That ring that you wear around your neck is inscribed in one of the languages of Earth. It says ‘Mara.’ That must have been your mother’s name.”

  “Mother?”

  “Yes. The woman whose belly you grew within, just as a little one is now growing inside of you. Back on Earth, your mother had a mate. Perhaps they were mates who were bonded for life, or perhaps not. There is no way for us to know. What we do know is this—Mara’s mate put his seed inside of her, just as your own mates have done with you, and it formed a baby. That baby was you, Ika.”

  Ika’s heart raced as she listened to Alyx’s tale. It was so strange, like listening to one of the old stories that Rolf had told to her when she was little. But this story was real, and it was about herself.

  “But how did I get here from Earth?” Ika asked.

  “The nith,” Alyx answered, and Ika shivered. “A long time ago, before you were made in your mother’s belly, the nith traveled across the stars and found humans living on Earth. The humans were having many problems. There were too many humans, and they were not able to make enough food to feed everyone. But the nith offered to help them by giving them ksh, which contained much more nutrition tha
n anything grown on Earth.”

  “But why would the nith help the humans?” Ika asked. “That doesn’t sound like something the nith would do.”

  “You’re right. And the nith did not simply give the ksh away for free. They traded. They exchanged the ksh for the one resource that Earth had in great abundance—live humans. The leaders of the Earth gave the nith humans, and in return the nith gave them ksh.”

  “And the other humans just allowed that?”

  Alyx shrugged.

  “Humans can be very cruel, Ika. Very cruel and selfish. The leaders justified it by only giving the nith humans who had broken the laws of Earth. Every human that has been sent here is a lawbreaker.”

  Ika chilled slightly. Did that mean Alyx was a lawbreaker too? She wondered what laws this kindhearted woman had broken, but she chose not to ask, feeling it would be rude. So instead she asked the next question that came to her mind.

  “Does that mean my mother was a lawbreaker?”

  Alyx nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.”

  “What law did she break?”

  “It’s impossible to say, Ika. We will never know that. But it does not mean your mother was a bad person.

  They were both quiet for a moment, while Ika let that information settle in. Then Alyx went on.

  “When your mother was traded to the nith, you were already growing in her belly. Maybe the humans who traded her did not realize this. More likely, they simply did not care. As I said, humans are capable of great cruelty. Even worse than the nith, perhaps.

  “So, your mother was brought to this planet with you inside of her. Like all humans who come here, she was sent to the slaughterhouse to be butchered as meat for the nith, but somehow she managed to escape. She fled through the forest and finally found Rolf’s den, which is where she took shelter when you came out of her body. We call that being born.”