“Well truth be told, many of them are,” she said.
I found myself engaging in what the humans called laughter and Jessie was amazed as she watched me.
“You laughed Yahn! How did it feel?”
“It feels quite wonderful actually. I want to experience that as much as possible!” I said.
“I’m starting to get hungry,” Jessie said as she removed her pack and began to look for food. There was one tiny section of the rectangular meal pouch that she had left. She referred to it as ‘rations’. It neither smelled nor tasted appetizing in the least.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I will transform into mist and see if I can obtain us some more food. You wait here and I will be back as quickly as I can.”
“No Yahn, please don’t leave me!” she said, clutching my hand. I felt something that I had never felt before when she touched me- like a jolt of electricity.
“I won’t be gone long, trust me. If someone comes in, you will see them long before they see you and you can blast them with your laser cannon.”
“Please hurry back!” she said.
I can’t wait to get back to you, I thought as I turned to leave the cave. I tried to sort through the strange feelings that I had begun to feel towards this Earth creature. I could just imagine what my mother would say if she were still alive.
I transformed into mist and made my way to the Earthling’s ship. Several of them were gathered around eating rations and taking about Jessie.
“I just can’t believe that she would do such a thing,” One of the males said.
“Well when I find her I can tell you it’s going to take all of the restraint I can muster not to kill her!” the one called James said, clutching his wrapped up hand.
“You leave it to the authorities to punish her. If you take the law into your own hands, they will punish you almost as harshly as they will her. Is that understood Private Perry?” their captain said.
"Yes, sir."
“Now, after lunch, we are going to resume our patrols. I want Private Hampton brought back to me as soon as possible. Then she will have to face a court-martial and will likely be imprisoned.”
“Yes sir,” they all said in unison. I waited until they all dispersed in various directions. I made my way to the ship and got all of the rations that I could carry. Just as I began to exit the ship, the only female Earthling came walking in my direction. I panicked and began to transform again.
“No, it’s ok, you don’t have to be afraid of me,” she said. “My name is Wendy. I’m a friend of Jessie’s,” she said. I stopped my transformation and gave her a curious glance.
“You aren’t going to try and capture me?” I asked.
“You’re the one that Jessie helped out are you not?”
“I am,” I answered.
“Is she ok? Is she safe?”
“Yes, she is in a safe hiding place. I just came here to get us some supplies. I’m about to go back to her now.”
“What is she going to do now?”
"I don't know, but I will not let them capture her. They obviously mean to cause her harm."
“They are going to take her back to Earth and more than likely she will be trialed as a traitor and put to death.”
“I will not let that happen!” I insisted.
“Thank you for protecting her.”
“What does ‘thank you’ mean?” I asked. I had never heard such a phrase before.
“It’s something we say to show gratitude,” Wendy said.
“I see, well thank you for not trying to capture me or tell the others,” I said.
“You’re welcome. You had better get out of here before one of the others spots you. What are you going to do?”
"I'm not sure. We could remain in hiding until your team leaves, but Jessie will not be able to survive long term on this planet because of the lack of oxygen. You poor humans cannot generate it the way that we can.
“Well, tell Jessie that I’m thinking of her.”
“I will,” I said and then I ran off in the direction of the crater, carrying the rations. I soon realized that there were a couple of humans from the expedition team off to the north that had spotted me. One of them pointed in my direction and gestured for the others to follow him. I vanished into the crater as quickly as I could and ran through the passage to get to Jessie.
As soon as I got back into the chamber we had been hiding in, I called out to her.
“Quickly, we have to get out of here. I’ve been spotted. There’s a crew of humans to the north headed in this direction.”
"Oh no. Were any of them stationed on the ship?" she asked.
"They were, but they split off to carry out their patrols. I did talk briefly with your friend, the one that calls herself Wendy. She wishes you well," he said.
“So only Wendy was there. That’s good. Here’s what we need to do if you are willing to leave with me. We need to head to the main ship and escape from the planet using one of the escape pods,” she said.
I knew there wasn’t much time to think about it; but I was hesitant to leave Karkast, the only home I ever knew. On the other hand, there wasn’t much left for me here now that all of my loved ones had been incinerated. I realized in that moment that this female human that I had known only for a short time, was the only thing that I cared about.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here and back to your ship,” I said, still pondering my decision.
As soon as we got out of the crater, the patrol was only a hundred yards away. They spotted us as soon as we took off across the rocky plains.
“Come on, they are gaining on us. We have to get to the ship as quickly as we can!” Jessie yelled.
“Don’t worry, we are going to make it!” I said as the ship came into view. Luckily all of the other crews were still out on their patrols or else our escape would be impossible.
As soon as we got to the loading platform, Jessie typed in the identification code and a ramp lowered down from the bottom of the ship. The humans that were pursuing us were now only a short distance away.
“Where are the escape pods?” I asked as I followed Jessie.
“This way, towards the back of the ship. All we have to do is strap ourselves in and program it for launch,” she said. “So, have you decided what you’re going to do? If you stay here they will either capture you or kill you. Once you are captured, you will be taken back to Earth where you will probably be imprisoned or killed,” she said.
“Well my options don’t sound too appealing, so I guess I’m coming with you,” I said. We made our way to the back of the ship at the same time that the human crew began to board it. We could hear their voices:
“They got on board the ship, Captain, I saw them!” A familiar voice said. I realized it was the one called James; the one Jessie had shot on my behalf.
“They are making for the escape pods. We must not let them activate one!” the captain said.
“Quickly!” I said as Jessie tried to remember the activation code.
“Hmm, let’s see. Oh yes, it’s the captain’s birthday- zero, six, five, fourteen…” A round, metal door came open and Jessie pulled me by the hand into the escape pod. It was small and round with only enough room for six beings to sit. Jessie pressed the controls on the main control board and the pod door shut just as the Captain and James came into view.
“Open this pod door now, Jessie!” The captain shouted.
“No!” Jessie said and she continued to type commands into the main control board.
“What are you doing? Shouldn’t we be taking off?” I asked.
"It takes a minute for the pod to power its boosters. I'm typing in an override code so that the captain can't gain access," she said.
The captain was furiously typing away at the control panel outside of the pod, but the door refused to open.
"Damn, she's typed in the override code. Now we can't get inside," the captain said. "Listen, Jessie, you are only making things
harder for yourself. You know as well as I do that this pod is programmed to return to Earth. If you return there, you will be arrested and your Karkastian friend will more than likely be eliminated."
“I’ll take my chances!” Jessie said. It only took a second for the power boosters to charge.
"Strap yourself in, we're ready for takeoff!" Jessie said.
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Rex
The Finding
I didn’t think; I just shot.
The herd of hicorn—wild, free-roaming goats with four large, spiral horns—meandered lazily around the vigibrach tree without the slightest sign of unease. Despite their skittish nature and tendency to run at the slightest noise, hicorn were notoriously easy targets for hunting tribesmen, and they were useful from horn to hoof. In fact, most hicorn were killed with a weapon made of a brother goat’s horn.
The goats were safe from me today, though. I wasn’t hunting for prey. I wanted the predator.
On the opposite side of the herd, its golden eyes fixated on a particularly large hicorn, crept a broad-shouldered sabrecat with teeth as long as my forearm. Its fur was nearly as golden as its eyes, and it blended into the tall plains grass without a problem. The moment I spotted it, I aimed and released my arrow. A fraction of a breath later, the sabrecat screamed coarsely, sending the hicorn into a panicked frenzy, and crumpled into invisibility amidst the grass. I let the goats scatter away before wading through the waist-high plains flora to claim my prize.
It was still breathing when I reached it, but barely so. The arrow had slid cleanly between two ribs and successfully punctured its heart. It was the ideal kill for harvesting meat and pelt. I would, of course, bring the beast back to the village, but I was interested in its sabres. They were the ideal close-range weapon. The curvature fit perfectly into my hand, and the pointed ends were so sharp they drew blood with the merest graze.
I preferred hand-to-hand combat. Most of my warriors were skilled marksmen and dangerous sharpshooters, but I reveled in the beauty of a kill up close. I was renowned across Albaterra for my lethal melee; it had been that trait to tip the scales in my favor for Tribe Elder after the civil war had left the Campestria Kingdom without one. Some of the other Elders had been wary of appointing me due to my youth, but the youngest tribe Elder in A’li-uud history had been one hundred and seventeen, so it was overlooked.
The sabrecat let out its last breath and finally became motionless. I crouched down beside it and ran my fingers through its fur. It had a thick coat, beautifully intact with no mange to be seen. It would make a lovely blanket. I wrapped my fingers around the arrow’s shaft, eased it off the body, and wiped it clean of blood once it was extracted.
There was something magnificent about death. It commanded respect and care, but, more than that, it served as a reminder of the Grand Circle. I lowered myself further to the ground until one knee pressed into the soil, and I dropped my gaze to the creature’s open, lifeless eyes to silently thank it for its sacrifice. To have foregone this action would have been egregious blasphemy. It was A’li-uud law to revere our planet for all of its gifts. To treat the cat’s end without entitlement would have been to spit on the laurels of the Grand Circle. It was a crime punishable by death.
My ears pricked as I heard the sound of footsteps coming up from behind me, but I didn’t move from my position. The steps ceased when they drew just a few strides nearer.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, Wise One.” The voice was that of Ca-es’a. He was an unshakably loyal warrior who had joined the ranks as a child when his parents became casualties of the civil war. He was perhaps the warrior I trusted most.
I got to my feet and turned around to look at him. Were it anyone else, I would have continued with the preliminary cleaning of the sabrecat, but I had great respect for Ca-es’a and demonstrated it.
“I was finished,” I said. “What happened?”
“We just received word that the Tribal Elders have called for an emergency Forum. I was sent to fetch you at once.” He stood stiff and straight-backed as he spoke. I normally would have given him permission to relax, but the news of the Forum had me distracted.
“Thanks, Ca-es’a,” I said. He nodded once in acknowledgment, and I motioned to the fallen cat. “Take this back to the village. Have it cleaned and gutted, but make sure the sabres are kept for me.”
“Yes, Wise One,” Ca-es’a replied. Before the last syllable fell from his lips, however, I had already departed.
The Forum was held inside the gates of P’otes-tat Ulti, which marked the single point where all eleven Kingdoms of Albaterra met. To reach P’otes-tat Ulti on foot was a sixteen-day journey from my village, and flying was still nearly two days away. Tribe Elders, however, were granted the power to travel with the winds, a ritual in which our souls gripped the aether of Albaterra, and it moved us through space and time. It was no harder to do than blinking, but it was a sacred practice and one never to be abused.
Moments later, I stood outside of the intricate gates of P’otes-tat Ulti. A breeze brushed across my cheek, and I saw another Elder beside me.
“Rex,” he said acknowledging my presence with a nod of greeting.
“Nice to see you, Duke,” I replied. “Do you know what this is about?”
“No idea.” He stepped forward to the gates, and then his body passed through the thick bars as though they weren’t there at all. I followed suit and kept pace with him as we walked to the massive doors that would admit us to P’otes-tat Ulti.
The doors were exquisite in their perfection and intimidating in their guard. Upon their appointment, all tribe Elders were told of P’otes-tat Ulti’s secrets, starting with the doors. They were constructed of each kingdom’s finest and strongest materials. I could see hicorn horns and the teeth of sabrecats in their eye-bending designs, meshed amongst the sparkling purple aspex minerals of the mountainous Montemba Kingdom and the Altisuam wood from the Truncata rainforests. Duke pressed his fingertips to a section of aspex just as the doors opened and granted us entry.
As usual for the Forum, the chamber was dimly lit by firelight and smelled of Albaterran musk. Duke and I were the last to arrive, but the room was silent despite the other nine Elders’ presence. We took our seats—mine to the left of Duke—and waited for the Forum to begin.
Vi’den, the Elder for the Kingdom of rolling hills known as Finiba, stood. He was a very tall, very thin A’li-uud of great age and renowned wisdom. In his calm, clear voice, he said, “we shall take presence. Elder Vi’den Et’Solum Fini’tribus of Finiba.”
The others around the circle of firelight stood one-by-one, just as Vi’den had, and announced their names and kingdoms.
When it was Duke’s turn, he got to his feet and said loudly, “Elder Du’ciact Et’Petrum Montem’tribus of Montemba.”
I allowed the proper moment of silence to pass before mirroring the action. I rose from my seat, looking through the smoke rising from the fire, and spoke. “Elder Rexstrenu’us Et’Herba Cam-pes’tribus of Campestria.”
“Forum shall commence,” Vi’den announced.
We all took our seats again, save for Vi’den, who started to explain the topic of the Forum.
“It has come to our attention that our galaxy has been penetrated. At least four human ships have breached the borders of Andromeda, and one, in particular, is very near to Albaterra.” Suddenly, there were several sounds of fury and unhappy surprise at this news, but I remained quiet to find out what we already knew about this. “The course of action is at the discretion of the Tribe Elders.”
“Blast’em all!” Shouted the burly Elder of the cave Kingdom.
�
�Take them hostage!” Another one said.
“Detonate Earth!” Another one shouted.
The outcries of rage layered over one another until the chamber was filled with the din of angry voices. I looked at Duke, and he, too, looked irate.
“What do you think?” I asked, my voice low.
“I don’t know,” he muttered sourly, “but they certainly need to be stopped.”
I nodded in quiet agreement. Vi’den waved a commanding hand through the air to silence the yelling Elders.
“We will discuss this peacefully and rationally,” he said, his tone firm. “This is not a matter to be handled with rash impulse.”
“Peace be cursed!” Barked back the cave Elder. He slammed his fist on the arm of his chair. “They’re pests, the lot of them. Exterminate them now before they infest Albaterra.”
“I agree,” I said suddenly. All eyes turned to me. Some of the Elders seemed surprised by my input, but the expression on some of the others’ faces made it clear they didn’t care to hear my opinion. I was used to such a response; my young age tended to impair my credibility, as far as some of the Elders were concerned. “We can’t wait for the A’li-uud race to be at risk, or, worse, injured, before we take action.”
There was a smattering of agreement, and Duke gave me one hearty nod of approval.
“We need to find out what they want,” said Ma’ris, Elder of Albaterra’s only underwater Kingdom. His voice was garbled and gravelly, almost as though he spoke with bubbles in his mouth. I had to strain to understand what he was saying. “We need to question them.”
“As honorable as I find your amicable intentions, Ma’ris, humans are not known for their honesty,” Vi’den replied.
“There are ways of making them talk,” Duke snarled with surprising viciousness. The cave Elder grunted his agreement.
“They don’t know about us, though,” I interjected. “What is the great danger?”
Volistad: Paranormal Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Alien Mates Book 3) Page 44
