by Hunter, Luna
It’s been two days. I think. It’s hard to tell time in this closet.
My stomach rumbles loudly, audibly pleading for me to give in to Kraxal’s demands. My pride disagrees. It would rather die than give that bastard the satisfaction.
But…
I cannot save Thokar when I’m dead, or when I’m famished.
I have to put my pride to the side — just like he did for me. Thokar wanted to go out fighting. He was willing to die protecting me. That is the Dohan way, I have learned. It would have been honorable.
I stopped him. And now he’s wasting away in a dark cell, all for me — and I’m the one letting my pride get in the way? Oh hell no.
I’m going to rescue Thokar. No matter what. If that bastard wants me to sing and dance, that’s what I’ll do, because I’ll do anything to save my mate’s life.
“Yes, please,” I say, unlocking the door. “I’d like to eat.”
The door slides open, and the Elder chuckles, delighted with himself. He chucks the plate into my room. It breaks and the food is smushed against the wall, drooping down to the floor.
“There.”
Kraxal turns and leaves, obviously pleased with himself.
If he thinks this’ll break me, he’s dead wrong. I will save Thokar. No matter what.
* * *
“More wine?” I ask cheerfully.
I play the part perfectly.
“I’m rather full,” Kraxal complains. “That meal was rather… scrumptious.”
“Yes, you finished two plates!” I say as I fill up his cup to the brim, ignoring his protests. “Come on, you love this wine!”
“That I do, that I do. Very well!”
The Elder gleefully downs the wine, and I look at him and smile broadly.
I never knew I had such talent for acting. When I get back home, I might just have to audition for a holo-novel, because I’ve got Kraxal eating out of my hand.
He smacks his lips as he smashes the empty cup on the table. I fill it again before he can do so much as utter a word.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you wanted more!” I say with a fake-smile.
“Clumsy human,” the old man says. “This’ll be the last cup, really!”
He thinks he broke me. He thinks I’m the subservient little alien housewife he’s always wanted. He’s so wrong it would make his head spin if he knows what I’ve been really getting up to.
He downs the cup and practically drops it on the floor. He’s out cold. Exactly as planned. He’s too drunk to even try a lay a finger on me.
I spring into action.
Bookcases line the walls of this apartment, detailing the entire history of the Dohan species. Thokar’s freedom lies somewhere in these ancient legal texts.
The Chenti coffee brews slowly as I sit down at the dinner table and place a fat stack of books on the table. This is going to be a long night.
Hours pass.
The words all start to drift together. There’s entire books on how to ascertain the value of mate, how much each Clan should pay, how lavish the wedding ceremony should be… but nothing that will help Thokar.
Kraxal’s loud snoring is the backdrop to my studying.
I close another book with a deep sigh. Nothing in there. In the distance the sun is already rising, coating Doxhar with its red glow. Time to put the books back and pretend to wake-up.
Sooner or later, I will find a way to free Thokar.
15
Kayi
The day has finally arrived.
Thokar’s trial.
The Seat of the Elders is packed. Seven of the twelve seats are filled on the Elder’s bench, the Dohan men wrapped in robes bearing the crests of their respective clans. It seems a certain someone sent every clan an extremely urgent message to attend this trial.
And it turns out that you don’t need all twelve Elders to hold a trial. Seven will do.
Some might even say it was Elder Kraxal who did all that. His seal is on the letters, after all. Sure, he may not remember writing those letters, but that’s because of all the wine that he’s been drinking.
Yep. It’s not like poor little old defenseless weak human female me could have orchestrated all of this.
The only reason why Elder Kraxal hasn’t killed me in a fit of rage yet is because he can’t convene his disdain of me with me outsmarting him. The two things are mutually exclusive.
Also I haven’t given the old geezer a lot of time to think it all through. The Elders all showed up today without prior warning. A most unwelcome surprise for him.
For me it’s a god send.
This is what I’ve been striving towards. Why I endured Kraxal’s taunts. Today, I’m freeing my mate.
Today, I’m changing Doxhar.
“Order, order!” Elder Kraxal yells as he slams his gavel down. The Seat of the Elders is filled to the brim — it seems every single Dohan in the Qrul Pyramids has come to the trial.
I spot Viliana and Sarina cross the hall, side-by-side with some elder men. We exchange a quick wave before the proceedings start. Before my plan comes to fruition.
When the room has settled, Elder Kraxal clears his throat.
“Bring in the defendant!”
The doors on the far side of the room open, and Thokar is led into the room, an excessive amount of chains on his wrists and ankles. When I see the state he’s in, my heart just breaks. Frankly, he looks like he just got the shit kicked out of him, but my mate still walks in with his head held high, his eyes scouring the room.
The moment he sees me he lights up, and that familiar smile forms on his gorgeous face. I bounce up and down with glee and wave like my life depends on it.
The room erupts in murmurs straight away.
“Murderer! Traitor! Bastard!” are just some of the curses thrown his way. Thokar doesn’t care. He walks up to the bench with his shoulders squared and his jaw held high.
“Order!” Kraxal yells again. “Thokar, you stand accused of murdering Gopax. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“You’re one to talk,” Thokar growls. “Yes, it was my hand that ended Gopax’s life — but it was you who sold me out to the Uttux, wasn’t it?”
Kraxal interrupts him by banging his gavel repeatedly on the table. “Enough!” He cries. “I don’t see why we’re even here, he is obviously guilty. Guards!”
“Not so fast, Kraxal,” an Elder says. His robe bears the symbol of a raven, which I recognize as Elder Dixran of the Beeryn Clan. I’ve learned a lot about Dohan culture the last few weeks.
I pray that it proves enough.
“I didn’t travel all the way past the Harkin Plains here just to leave within five minutes. Let the man speak!” Elder Dixran says.
“He’ll speak only in lies, Elder Dixran,” Kraxal says.
“Pardon me, but isn’t this your son?” Elder Kia interjects.
“Yes, but that shouldn’t stop justice from being dolled out, correct? Kraxal says, exasperated.
“Yes, yes, but I also heard some rumblings about your son bringing news of universal breeders — shouldn’t we talk about that first, rather than this murder trial? I have to say, if we convened the Council of Twelve every time someone got killed in our Clan you’d never see your home again! But this breeding business, now that has piqued my curiosity,” Elder Kia continues on.
The other older men murmur in agreement.
“NO!” Kraxal screams as he slams his fist on the table. “Apologies for my outburst,” he says as he adjusts his robes, “but I must insist we follow our laws to the letter. They are the foundations of Dohan culture, and they have to be adhered to strictly! Without them, we have only chaos! By the Ancestors, our laws are the only thing we have left!”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” I say as I step forward.
The Elders all look at me.
“Excuse me?!” Elder Kraxal says. “Only Dohan may speak!”
“Who is that?” Elder Dixran says.
�
��One of the breeders mentioned, perhaps?” Elder Yrey offers.
“I can see that,” Elder Dixran says. “Very much so, yes.”
“Kayi,” Thokar croaks.
I walk up to him. His two guards block my path, their spears pointed at me. I want to throw myself at Thokar, but I must hold back for just a few seconds longer.
First, I’m about to school these guys.
Kraxal slams his gavel again. “Guards, take her away! And throw her in the cells, for disturbing a trial!”
“I have permission to speak,” I say. “According to the laws which you claim to follow!”
“Nonsense! They are Dohan laws. You have no voice here.”
“Not as a human perhaps, but I do have a voice… as a gini.”
The seven Elders collectively raise their eyebrows.
“Thokar is my gini, and I am his. We are bound by the mating bond. That gives me the right to defend him, does it not?”
“It does, yes,” Elder Dixran says.. “Though non-Dohan mating bonds are rare.”
“But not unheard of,” Elder Kia says. “Believe me, I’ve bonded with a few alien females in my day, ha! I’ll allow it.”
“You can only bond once, you know that, Kia,” Dixran says, shaking his head. “But I’ll allow it as well.”
“Nonsense!” Elder Kraxal screeches. “We cannot allow this abomination to pervert our court!”
“You shut your mouth right now!”
That deep, earthly growl is coming from Thokar. His muscles are so damn big that he breaks the chains on his wrists by merely flexing. His eyes are as black as the night, his veins bulging. He’s ready to defend my honor and die for it.
“That’s a mated Dohan alright,” Elder Yrey says. “We are all convinced.”
“But!”
“Overruled, Kraxal. Human, you may continue,” Yrey says.
“Thank you, esteemed Elders! You are no doubt familiar with the case. Thokar has slain Gopax, yes. That much is true. But he did it defending me. Gopax was in the process of assaulting me when Thokar intervened and saved my life. And as scholars, I’m sure you’re all familiar with the dare I say legendary Elder Quario.”
“Uhm, yes yes, of course we are, but will you… refresh our memories as how this pertains to this case?” Elder Dixran says. “My mind is not so fast as it once was, you see.”
“My pleasure.”
I walk over to my seat and pull out an ancient book I swiped from Kraxal’s library. I place it on the bench in front of the Elders, and open it to the correct page. All right in front of them, so they can see exactly what I’m doing.
“I present to you the case of Tolax versus Clan Kolas, a landmark case in Dohan history. I’m sure you all know it by heart, but I’ll refresh the memory of the crowd. You see, it has been clearly established that a Dohan male cannot be held responsible for the harm that he causes when protecting his fated mate. If his fated mate, or his gini, is threatened, he is allowed to do anything, and I stress, anything to keep his gini safe. Thokar is my fated mate. When Gopax tried to claim me, he committed the gravest of sins — and signed his own death warrant. Ergo, Thokar is innocent and therefore, must be freed. Thank you.”
I take a step back and breathe.
Booyah, bitches.
The seven Elders all hunch over and scour the text I laid out for them.
“Hm,” Dixran says. “This is indeed a genuine edition of the Sacred Texts… where did you get this, human?”
“I believe this is from my personal library,” Kraxal says through gritted teeth.
“Correct,” I say with a big smile on my face.
“What the female says holds up,” Elder Kia says. “The laws pertaining gini’s are a bit… faded in my mind, with them being so rare, but… if it’s good enough for Elder Quario, it’s good enough for me… yes, yes, free the man.”
“What? No!” Kraxal says. “No, you’re wrong!”
The other five Elders all side with the Elder Kia. I’m balling my fists out of sheer joy.
“It hasn’t been proven they’re actual fated mates!” Kraxal says.
“Just look at Thokar,” Elder Dixran says. “That’s the look of a man who wants to claim his mate. It’s good enough for me.”
“Oh, I’ll prove it once and for all,” Kraxal says as he stands up. He reaches down and pulls out a sharp, serrated knife. My mouth goes dry. “If Thokar and the human female are truly fated mates, he’ll protect her at all costs, correct? He would possess otherworldly strength and reflexes in order to do that, yes?”
“Yes, yes, according to the legends,” Yrey says. “What is your point?”
“Simple. I will kill the human female. If she is truly my son’s gini, he’ll stop me. If he can’t, he’s guilty and will be promptly executed. The Council has spoken!”
Without waiting one more second Kraxal throws the knife right at me.
It flies through the air as if in slow-motion, turning, turning, the whole world disappearing around me as the blade draws closer.
I close my eyes and wait for the blow.
It doesn’t come.
Breathless, I open my eyes to see Thokar standing in front of me, clutching the handle of the blade mere inches from my face.
He caught it.
“Proof enough for you?” He growls as he throws the blade down on the floor. He turns to me, swipes me off my feet, and kisses me deeply.
The cheers that rise up all around us I ignore. My world is just Thokar now. It’s only his hands on my neck, his tongue brushing against my lips, his hearts beating in synch with mine.
“Did you mean all of that?” He asks, gazing deeply into my eyes. “Do you accept me as your fated mate?”
“I do,” I answer. “With all my heart, I do.”
An incredible warmth spreads through me now that we’re re-united. I’ve been waiting on this moment for days, weeks, forever, and now it’s finally here. And I’m even happier than I dared to imagine.
“You’re amazing,” he says as he nuzzles me. “You know more about the Dohan than I do.”
“I told you I was going to save you — I keep my promises,” I chuckle. “Are you okay though? You’re wounded.”
“Just some bruises. They tried to break me, but nothing can stop me from getting to you, my gini. Nothing. And nothing will stand in my way ever again, I promise you that.”
A ruckus at the Elder’s bench steals our attention.
“Why are you so upset, Kraxal?” Elder Kia asks. “Justice has been done. Now we can talk about this universal breeder business!”
“Oh, I know why,” Thorax thunders, his booming voice silencing the entire chamber instantly. “He sold me to the Uttux, and now he wants to tie up loose ends! Just like you sold Lotak, didn’t you? Where is he, you greedy bastard? Where did they take him?!”
The Elders turn towards Kraxal with raised eyebrows.
“I swear, this is the strangest Council I’ve attended in a decade,” Elder Kia says.
“Never a dull moment at Clan Qrul,” Elder Dixran chuckles to himself. “What do you have to say to these serious allegations, Elder Kraxal?”
“Lies,” the old man hisses, but the fear on his voice is as clear as day. You don’t need super-human senses to spot his widening eyes or his shaking voice.
“Prove it,” Thokar says. “I have a proposition to the Elders. Each one of you selects your most trusted warriors, and you all send them to my father’s chambers to comb it from top to bottom. I am certain you will find my words to be true. And because warriors from each Clan are there, we can rule out any foul play or corruption. Does that sound agreeable?”
“Absolutely not!” Elder Kraxal thunders. “No man may enter my chambers!”
“I do believe that the Council of Twelve wields absolute power here, not you personally, my dear fellow Elder,” Elder Yrey says. “I agree with the young man’s proposition.”
Elder Dixran, Kia, and the others all nod in agreement.
“No!” Kraxal says, rising from his seat. “This means war! Guards!”
The Qrul guards hesitate, some grabbing their spears, others remaining frozen to the spot.
“Don’t listen to that old fool,” Thokar says. “He’ll start a second civil war just to save his own skin, and drag each of you to your deaths. If your loyalty lies with the Dohan people, you’ll lay down your weapons… and listen to me explain the concept of breeders.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. I guess he’s talking about me. To have a child with Thokar… I couldn’t think of anything that would make me happier.
One Qrul guards drops his spear. And then another. And another. The room fills with the sounds of spears clanging on the floor.
“Traitors!” Kraxal screams rabidly. “Weaklings!”
Elder Kia nods at his men, and two of his trusted soldiers drag Kraxal away.
“We’ll keep him somewhere where he can’t hurt anyone while our men search his quarters,” Elder Kia says. “Now, explain this… human business to us.”
Thokar looks at me and smirks.
“My pleasure.”
16
Thokar
The Seat of the Elders is filled to the brim once more. It has only been a few days since that trial, but it feels like a year ago already. Much has changed.
Now it is my father who is in the defendant’s place, and I am sitting among the Elders.
An unfamiliar spot. I’ve never wanted to be on this side of the bench. I don’t believe in the Elders — my own father is proof of that. Age alone is not a good marker of leadership.
In the new world that we’re creating, the best shall rule. Men like Xaldur.
And men like me, I guess. I asked the Qrul warriors to pick their new leader, and they unanimously chose me. I tried to refuse. They weren’t hearing it.
Meanwhile, Elder Kraxal has lost his haughty expression. Now my father is cowering in fear, clutching his robes like he’s freezing where he stands. More play-acting. If he thinks I feel bad for him, he’s wrong.
The guards have found the proof that I said they would find in his chambers — and then some.
