Awoken from the Deep

by Octavia Kore

  “Oh.” Esme glanced over at the open door to the house where Xuvri had disappeared a moment ago. “If you think it’s going to help, then you should go. We went days without you, I think we can manage an hour or so alone while you’re at the temple.” Their mate said with a grin as if she could feel Ky’s hesitation to leave her on her own with Eina and Xuvri. “And I bet Trakseer wouldn’t mind babysitting me and Xuvri just a little longer.”

  Trakseer’s exaggerated groan echoed through the courtyard, and Ky grinned. While she was excited to start a new life with her family, Ky was thankful that some things hadn’t changed.

  Chapter 20

  Esme

  “Do you believe your male was poisoning himself?”

  Esme frowned at Trakseer’s question as she watched the gate to the courtyard swing shut behind Ky as she stepped out into the busy street. “What?”

  “Do you think Xuvri was poisoning himself like Kythea said he was?” Trakseer asked.

  “I don’t know exactly what was in the syringe, but if what Xuvri said was true and it was something given to the Grutex warriors, then I doubt it was anything good. But I’m also not sure I would call it poison.”

  Ky seemed to suspect that whatever Xuvri had injected was the cause of his erratic and violent behavior, and Esme was inclined to agree. Xuvri hadn’t told them any more about the shots, but Esme hoped she might be able to get more information from him now that they were out of the ship and inside the safety of the village.

  “What would you call it?” Trakseer asked, sitting on one of the stone benches outside the home.

  Esme adjusted the sling and peeked down at Eina. “A drug, maybe? Humans can develop addictions to drugs, and if Xuvri really has been taking this stuff since he was young, then maybe that’s what we’re dealing with.” She shrugged. “I don’t know if he’s going to experience withdrawal or anything like that. This is all new to me… to all of us.”

  “What do your people do for this… addiction?”

  “It depends on the person,” Esme said, her eyes going back to the door where Xuvri had disappeared a few minutes before. “Not everyone responds well to the same things, but my dad was an alcoholic and he was part of a twelve-step program. There are other things though, like working with therapy animals.”

  Trakseer’s face pinched in confusion as he looked up at her. “Twelve steps? Can these steps only be taken on your homeworld?”

  “That’s not what I—” Esme shook her head and snickered. “Never mind. It’s been so long that I don’t even remember all of the steps anyway.”

  “And these therapy animals? What are they?”

  How was she supposed to explain this? Trakseer wasn’t like the Grutex or the Venium, who seemed to have a basic knowledge of the different animals on Earth. Esme had no idea how to explain cats or dogs or any of the other animals people used for therapy back home.

  “There used to be a place close to where I grew up that used horses to help people with depression, anxiety, addiction… all sorts of things. I learned how to ride there when I was a kid. I wonder if you all have anything similar.”

  “Describe these horses for me.”

  “Well, they’ve been used throughout history to farm, pull carts, and hunt. They walk on four legs, are normally pretty big, come in different colors… Anything like that?”

  Trakseer hummed, pursing his lips as he seemed to consider. “Perhaps the vouken? They seem very similar to your horses, and there is a herd here within the village.”

  “Could we see them?” Esme asked. “Maybe we could introduce Xuvri to them and see if there’s a possibility of using the vouken for therapy?”

  “If you are not too tired from the journey here, I can take you to Tairgon’s farm.”

  If these animals were as similar as Trakseer seemed to believe, then maybe they could help Xuvri. Esme still didn’t understand exactly what had been in the syringes Ky destroyed, but she knew it couldn’t have been anything good. If Xuvri was struggling, then she wanted to find a way to get him through it.

  Trakseer rubbed his hand over the spikes at the back of his head as he glanced over at Esme. “If this works for your mate, perhaps being with the vouken may help you as well.”

  A rustling sound drew Esme’s attention and she looked up just as Xuvri stepped through the doorway, all six of his red eyes focused on her. The way he looked at her still unnerved her sometimes, but she slid her arms beneath the sling where Eina rested and smiled. “Finished?”

  Xuvri grunted, his gaze shifting toward Trakseer as he moved between them, forcing Esme to take a few steps back. “It is safe to enter.”

  Esme laid her hand on his arm and willed him to calm himself, trying her best to do for him what Ky often did for her. There was a moment of hesitation as Esme eyed him, hoping he wouldn’t lash out at her like he’d done on the ship. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but there was still something not quite right about his behavior. He wasn’t completely himself yet.

  Whether it was a result of her calm intentions or simply the contact between them, Esme wasn’t sure, but she sighed quietly when Xuvri’s muscles relaxed beneath her palm.

  “We’ve got a little while before Ky comes back, and I thought maybe we could see some more of the village before we check out the house.” Esme smiled up at him. “If that’s okay with you.”

  Xuvri cocked his head and reached out to brush his hand over Esme’s hair, curling the loose strands around one long finger. “Wouldn’t you rather rest?”

  “I promise we won’t stay out long. Eina will be up soon to eat anyway, but Trakseer mentioned something and I’d really like to have a look while we’re waiting on Ky to get back.” Esme watched Xuvri’s hand drop as he stared down at the sling where their baby slept. “Please?”

  “If you wish to explore something in the village, then we will.” Xuvri turned narrowed eyes on Trakseer and placed his hand on Esme’s lower back, but said nothing else.

  They followed the chieftain out of the courtyard, and Esme couldn’t help the curiosity that filled her as her gaze swung from one thing to another. The streets of the village were lined on either side with homes and buildings Esme had only seen in history books and on television documentaries. Being here was like walking in some alien version of Ancient Greece. If she hadn’t known she wasn’t still on Earth, Esme might have been fooled into believing she’d been thrown back in time somehow.

  The people they passed were just as curious about her as she was about them. They stared unabashed, gaping down at her and whispering to one another as they passed. Esme could feel their excitement in her mind, and her heart raced as their emotions thrummed through her body. The sound of children’s laughter reached her, and Esme grinned when she spotted the little ones running around in one of the courtyards. They weren’t much different from kids back home, but their features were an interesting mix of Grutex and Venium, each one of them beautiful and unique.

  They chased after a ball made of what looked like stitched leather, screeching and giggling as it was passed back and forth between them. If Esme and her mates stayed here, if they made this place their home, Eina could grow up like these children. Their daughter, and any other children they added to their family, could grow up in a place surrounded by others just like them, who understood them.

  It still amazed her that she wanted to have a family with Ky and Xuvri, that she was actively planning it now, but Esme was tired of fighting the things she was feeling.

  A large, intricately carved and painted statue stood in the center of the open area up ahead of them. “Beautiful,” Esme whispered, craning her neck as they approached it. There were three individuals wrapped around one another, their bodies touching in such an intimate and familiar way that Esme almost felt as if she were intruding on something when she looked at them. Two of the aliens looked somewhat familiar to her, but it was as if they were an older, less defined version of what she knew. One was Venium, like Jun’s mate, Brin,
and the other was clearly Grutex.

  The alien in the center looked nothing like any of the beings she’d ever come across. She seemed feminine, with a celestial air about her that drew Esme’s eye. She was humanoid, with long, willowy limbs and feathers that framed her face and flowed from her hips. Massive horns rested atop her head, arching up beautifully like a magnificent crown.

  “Who are they?” Esme asked.

  “The female is Una, the Sun Goddess,” Trakseer said, indicating the being in the center. “This one here is her mate, Ven.” He gestured to the Venium. “And their mate, Nem.” His hand moved toward the Grutex. “They are the Moon Gods, and together, they formed the sacred three, the original triad. It is our belief that our people are a product of their union, that we are their children.” Trakseer glanced at Xuvri. “Even those considered to be tainted and wayward. According to our legends, the formation of a triad is a blessing by the Moon Gods, who are the ones that bring bondmates together. Una gives us wisdom and protection, strengthens our bonds with one another. You two just so happen to be mated to someone who has made it her life’s mission to know everything there is to know about them.”

  “Do you all form triads?” Esme asked, stepping closer to the statue.

  “They have been rare in recent years, but now that the gods have returned to our land, it seems as if we might be blessed with them once again. Already, I have been made aware of two triads.”

  Esme rolled her eyes as she glanced at Trakseer over her shoulder. “That gods business is so crazy to me. I know you all believe this, or did, but I can tell you for a fact that I am not a goddess. I’m just a plain ole human being.”

  “Just a human?” Xuvri grunted and shook his head.

  The doubt on Trakseer’s face told her he wasn’t buying her protest. Esme found it hard to comprehend how he could look at her, or any human for that matter, and see gods and goddesses when they had Una’s statue to compare them to. They continued on through the village streets until the houses began to thin and give way to open fields filled with neatly kept rows of crops. One of the homes had a stone fence jutting out from its side, encompassing a smaller stone shelter. Movement within the dark, doorless space caught her attention, and Esme squinted. Four milky white eyes blinked out at her from inside before a slender, snake-like hooded head appeared.

  “What is that?” she asked, pointing toward the goat-sized creature as it crawled down the wooden walkway. Its body was long and slender, like a snake or a hairless ferret, with six legs and a whip-like tail.

  “It’s a gershion,” the chieftain said. “They are egg layers, and this small herd provides the majority of the eggs in the village. The gershion, as well as smaller aquatic animals in the rivers here, are a natural prey source for the vouken, which is why they are not kept on the same farm.”

  These guys were prey to the vouken? Esme’s brows furrowed as Xuvri urged her forward. She glanced back over her shoulder as she curled her arm beneath Eina within the sling. What the hell was this thing that Trakseer claimed was so similar to a horse?

  A couple of the farming families were outside their homes, working in small gardens or tending to their fields and they called out greetings as Esme, Xuvri, and Trakseer passed by. Being off of a ship and actually getting to experience an alien society this way was showing Esme that aliens weren’t so alien after all.

  While the specifics weren’t the same, these people lived in a way that wasn’t completely unfamiliar to her and was almost… normal. They had families, jobs, homes, and they loved the same as any human being back on Earth.

  “Tairgon!” Trakseer shouted, waving his hand high above his head as they approached what looked to be the last home perched on the edge of the woods. A tall, slender male with long braided white hair turned away from his work and waved back. Like Ky, this male was more Venium in appearance.

  He smiled at them as they approached, the corners of his bright green eyes creasing invitingly. “Trakseer. It has been some time since you came out this way. Is there something I can help you with?”

  “I had hoped your vouken were up for some visitors today.” Trakseer gestured toward Esme and Xuvri.

  The male eyed them for a moment as he wiped his hands on a rag hanging at his hip. “They rarely get visitors, and I think they would be happy to see new faces. Come,” he said with a jerk of his head. “I will introduce you.”

  Esme looked up at Xuvri as she slipped her hand into his, giving him an encouraging smile before following both of the other males around the outside of the farmhouse. They walked along a wall nearly as tall as she was, made of multicolored stones that extended farther into the forest. Tairgon stopped near the tree line and whistled softly as a breeze moved through the branches of the trees within the walled off section.

  “Here they come,” he said with a smile. “Just stay where you are and let them approach at their own pace.”

  Esme frowned as her gaze swept the field occupied only by large boulders and swaying trees. Was this some sort of elaborate joke they were playing on them? “Okay, seriously? I don’t see any—holy shit!” She gasped, clutching Xuvri’s arm and stumbling back a few steps when she saw a massive creature weaving its way through the dark, twisted trunks of the trees.

  Slowly, Esme was able to distinguish the body of the creature from the foliage that camouflaged it so well, and what began to take form was not at all what she’d been expecting. This was nothing like a horse. Not even a little bit. It looked like an illustration from the old fairytale books her Nana read to her as a child, the dragons that scaled castle towers and kept princesses trapped inside as they fought the knights and princes sent to rescue them.

  This one had no wings, but it did have long, terrifying spines that hung down from its forelegs like the striped, flowing fins of a lionfish. A large frill expanded as it lowered its head, watching Esme and Xuvri with glimmering violet eyes.

  It was larger than any horse she’d ever encountered and made the males Esme was standing with look like children by comparison. The body was covered in black and red scales with patches of tiny white dots scattered across it, perfect for blending into the forest. Sharp teeth the size of her middle finger stuck out on either side of the mouth, gleaming in the sunlight as it drew closer.

  I’ve changed my mind, Esme thought, clinging to Xuvri’s arm. I want to go back to Ky’s house and forget that these things are kept here so close to us.

  “This is Ita,” Tairgon told them. “She is our oldest female. Have you come to greet us?” he asked the creature and received a grumbling growl in response. “She is curious about you and the youngling you carry in your sling.”

  “She’s what?” Esme glanced down at Eina to find her wide awake and attempting to eat her entire fist. “She knows that?”

  Trakseer laughed. “The vouken are smart creatures, and endlessly curious.”

  “Well, I don’t think I want something that looks like it could swallow me whole to be so curious about me and my daughter.” Clawed feet dug into the soil, and Esme worried her lip, imagining how easily they could dig into her. “I described horses to you, and this is your idea of similar?” She narrowed her eyes on Trakseer before more movement in the trees caught her attention.

  There were more of them out there, she realized as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. One of them was much smaller than the female, coming about halfway up her body, but still standing as tall as—if not a touch larger than—Xuvri. It was mostly black with a white muzzle and socks that crept up its wobbly legs.

  Behind the little one was another vouken, this one even larger than Ita and devoid of her white speckles. The red and black pattern swirled over the body, and the large spots on its frill looked eerily like another set of gigantic eyes. The vouken dipped its head, nudging the little one’s hindquarters until it gave a little screech and bounded forward with a toothy grin that made Esme’s blood turn to ice.

  “This is Otheo, Ita’s youngest offspring. He was born
only a few days ago and is still learning how to use those powerful legs of his.” Tairgon chuckled as the baby bounced excitedly, his body slamming into his mother’s side. Ita huffed, her nostrils flaring, and Esme imagined it was vouken for ‘cut it out.’ “The big male back here is Zadinir. He is Ita’s mate and Otheo’s sire.”

  “You guys actually ride these things?” Esme asked.

  “Ride them?” Tairgon frowned at Trakseer. “Vouken are not for riding.”

  “They are mostly used for hunting, some farming, and protection against the more persistent wild predators,” the chieftain told her. “Is this not what you said about your Earth horses?”

  “No. This wall can’t possibly be high enough to keep them inside.”

  Trakseer shook his head. “It is not to keep the vouken in, but to keep the smaller animals out. Gershion who escape from neighboring farms enjoy taunting the vouken.”

  “You said the gershion were their prey, though.” Xuvri frowned. “Shouldn’t they avoid the vouken?”

  “I never said they were intelligent,” Trakseer mumbled.

  Ita clicked her teeth together, the frill around her head flapping as she tossed her head up and down. “There is something about you she likes, something that she senses within you.” Tairgon said, tilting his head. “You can approach the wall.”

  Esme’s eyes widened. “Do what?”

  “Step closer. She will not hurt you, Ita is merely curious.”

  Curious… Esme thought. Sure. Curious about what she tasted like was more like it, but when she looked at Ita, really looked and lowered her mental walls, Esme felt a pull toward the creature and her offspring. It wasn’t anything like what she’d experienced with Ky and Xuvri or with anyone else on the ship or within the village.

  “If I get eaten, I’m gonna come back and haunt the hell out of you,” she grumbled, moving around Xuvri and taking a tentative step toward the stone wall. Her mate held fast to her hand, refusing to release Esme. “Okay, this is as close as I’m getting.” Esme told the vouken.