Claimed by an Alien Warlord

by Stella Dawn

  “Hello, sorry to interrupt. My name is Eliana. Have you seen Tsunis around? He’s supposed to be my guide, but I can’t seem to find him.”

  The two women just look at me for a moment. They’re still smiling, friendly even, but neither seems to be willing to say anything to me. Finally, one shakes her head in response and I don’t bother trying again. I thank them both and apologize again before turning back to the rest of the colony. I was hoping that Tsunis had shown up during my brief foray into the camp but no such luck.

  Glancing around, I find another small group of women and step up again to introduce myself. Again, all I get is sympathetic shaking heads and silence. A weird part of me wants to blame this on Tsunis as well. Some joke he’s playing on me. Making sure no one talks to me just so he can laugh about my frustration and my ‘delicate feelings’ later.

  The thought makes me flush in anger and I turn away from the women and go towards some of the men. I take a deep breath and square myself up before walking over, not bothering to put on a smile. I don’t care if they think I’m nice or if they like me. I need to make sure that at least someone in this colony takes me seriously because that’s the only way I’ll be able to get any work done at all.

  “Hello,” I call out once I’m within range. “Hello, I’m looking for Tsunis.” I keep the question out of my voice, sticking to a firm statement. My hands are at my sides, not defensive or aggressive. Just neutral and looking for Tsunis.

  None of them even look up from their work.

  “Excuse me. Where’s Tsunis? I need to see him before I can get started on my work.” Tone still neutral, maybe a little more intent.

  Fucking nothing.

  I go up to one of the men and put my hand on his arm. “Where is Tsunis?”

  This, at last, gets a reaction. The Ih’il I grab stops working and doesn’t move for several seconds before he lifts his dark ebony eyes to mine. He doesn’t say anything at all, just holds my gaze. I let go of him and stand there for another couple seconds but then I see that the rest of the men in the immediate area have also stopped working. They’re all looking at me now.

  Fuck that.

  “Tell him I’m looking for him.”

  I don’t think there was any sound of fear in my voice but I can feel it in my chest fighting against fury and frustration. Turning back to my own hut, I’m raging against myself and Taryne and Yos and especially Tsunis for getting me all the way here and then abandoning me to weird silence and inhospitable stares of the rest of these people.

  “I can’t do this. Not if there’s no one to help.” I feel tears pricking at the corner of my eyes and I hate it. It’s not sadness at all just pure frustration and I’m sure that Tsunis is going to show up just in time to see me crying and decide I’m worthless after all.

  Back in my hut, I grab my communicator and start typing out a message to Taryne.

  [This is impossible. I’m finally here and no one’s talking to me and Tsunis has gone off somewhere. I’ve already wasted several hours and I have no idea when he’ll be back--]

  The door swings open with an audible creak and my heart stops, certain that some of the men have come to do God only knows what to me. But an irritatingly familiar voice greets me instead.

  “I heard you were looking for me. Miss me already?” It’s Tsunis, dressed and already dirty like he’s been up for hours. I’m only glad my tears never materialized so when I turn to him it’s with sparking determination and is more than a little derision.

  “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

  10

  Tsunis

  I’m immediately dismayed when I enter her hut and she’s playing on her device. I suppose she might have a legitimate reason for using it, but I can’t escape the idea that she would rather look at her data than actually do any work.

  “I was looking everywhere for you,” she snaps

  “Yes. I heard.”

  “Well where the fuck were you? No one would talk to me. It was weird.”

  “I told everyone to leave you alone. You made it clear you are here to work and that you had no interest in forming relationships.”

  She stares at me with a blank face, slightly shocked.

  “I don’t think I said exactly that, but what do you want from me? A thank you? I’m fucking isolated here. I need information. I can’t be ignored by every single person here. Not when I have work to do.”

  “I understand.”

  She glares at me. “Where is this water I came for? I know there must be an ocean on this planet. I could smell it when we landed. Now I can taste it. Why can’t I see it?”

  “I’m taking you there right now, but you must change. You need the long-sleeved shirt and pants with the microfiber coverings. You will get eaten alive by bugs out there. I’m not using an Earth euphemism. I’m being utterly serious. People have been devoured in seconds without the proper gear.”

  Her mouth turns down and her eyes go wide. I can tell she is trying not to react badly, and I give her full credit for that.

  Without a word, she picks up a pile of clothes and heads to the bathroom to change. Disappointment sticks in my chest. I was hoping to see her change in front of me. I don’t know if she is just inhibited or if she is deliberately trying not to inflame me. I suppose I can understand that.

  She comes out looking very professional. She gathers up some equipment and puts on the heavy boots. I hand her the wide brimmed hat and she takes it but doesn’t put it on. I just shake my head as I turn away. It’s not my business if she doesn’t want to take proper care of herself.

  We move into the main part of the village and now that I am with her, plenty of people come forward to say hello. I take extra care introducing her to a couple of the females. Only one of them is Ih’il and she was pair-bonded a long time ago. There are so few of our women left.

  The rest are mixed breeds, not much good for breeding but the sort of strange misfits you get when you have an open colony. I’m sure we don’t have any human women here but there may be. I can’t say I’ve ever noticed, even though it’s likely that some of our people have intermarried.

  The women all introduce themselves and start talking. There is a slight language gap, but they get through it quickly and start pointing and laughing like they are old friends. Eliana carefully takes note of their names and the huts they live in so she can visit later.

  One of the women asks me if it’s okay to speak with Eliana if I am not there. I tell her that’s perfectly fine, that the woman can engage with her as much as they like. I warn her not to let Eliana interact with the men, though. It’s still impressing me how gorgeous she is. I’m sure everything in a five-mile radius with a dick is homing in on her.

  I want her to have friends. I know what it’s like to be alone in a strange place. These women aren’t from her race, but they seem to be giving her comfort and that’s all that matters. Hopefully she won’t get too lonely.

  We walk through the village up to the sharp ridge that rises behind it. As we walk towards the top, I see Eliana’s head come up as she scents the sea and hears its rush. The sight gives me great pleasure but I’m not sure why. She enjoys the water as if she has the soul of an Ih’il.

  When we reach the top, she cries out in wonder. I stand back, smiling as she goes completely still, staring at what lies below with wide open eyes.

  Down before us, the edge of the hill falls away sharply. Dense forest fills the edge and then fades away into a strip of pure, white sand. Beyond that is all blue, magnificent, deep, never-ending ocean.

  The beach down at our feet spreads into a canal that wraps around the settlement, joining a river inland which flows in the opposite direction, towards Xoks territory. This lagoon is always quiet even if the sea beyond it becomes rough.

  Almost in a daze, she starts to descend the hill. I guide her towards the sandy track and follow her down. She can’t take her eyes off the water.

  Around our heads big insects buzz, their mass
ive proboscis pointing at us and tapping on the protective clothing. She doesn’t even notice, just keeps her eyes fixed on the shore.

  When we walk out onto the beach the insects begin to thin out. They prefer the vegetation to the beach.

  She strides right to the waterline and looks out over the bay. Just in front of us is the massive mountain that sweeps the opposite side of the river and borders the lagoon. Beyond our bay the wide ocean calls, beaconing us into her eternal embrace.

  I hear Eliana sigh with pleasure. She brushes hair back from her forehead and eats up the skyline with her eyes.

  She looks back at me with a big smile and I’m amazed by the change in her. Upon seeing the water, she has completely changed, like all her worries have just melted. I’m surprised when she starts to move to the right instead of further down the beach. There is nothing that way but rocks.

  Straight away I notice she’s looking in rock pools and I feel like an idiot. Someone who likes nice views may well have walked down the beach to observe the river and the cradle of land that holds the bay. She’s not here for sightseeing.

  The rock pools are the best place to find local organisms. Of course.

  She peers into the ponds, sometimes touching the water and rubbing it in her fingers, smelling it. She pulls out little pieces of moss or seaweed examining them and even tasting them.

  I’ve never seen anyone so excited about anything before. Its touching how enthused she is just at seeing the beach. I try to follow her as she pulls out her little device and starts taking photos and videos, leaving voice notes for herself as she goes.

  She’s completely forgotten my existence. Her fascination with the ocean has taken over everything.

  I keep walking after her, easily making my way over slippery rocks and sharp-edged shells. She keeps her feet and moves across the rocks just as easily as an Ih’il and I wonder how such a thing is possible. She has a real affinity with the water and all of its surrounds.

  I keep her in sight with some difficulty. She is so excited she only takes a quick note before moving on to the next pond. Sometimes I hear her exclaim loudly as she leaves her voice note, showing surprise at something she has just seen.

  She stops and looks behind her, fixing her eyes on me and waving. She makes no attempt to come back so I keep slithering over rocks until I can keep following her.

  She’s truly in a world all her own. She doesn’t need anything at all except the sea.

  It’s like she has the soul of an Ih’il. I didn’t think a human could have such an affinity for the waves and her moods.

  I find this fascinating. It might be worth putting up with her delicate nature just to figure this out.

  11

  Eliana

  I’m not sure why he’s trying so hard to be nice to me all of a sudden. We spent the whole trek here not talking and yet here he is, introducing me to the town like I’m an honored guest.

  He frustrates the fuck out of me, seriously. I’m not sure which part is more annoying. His complete ignorance of me and anything I might be going through on the trip here or his total flip to suddenly being a gentleman.

  It might just be because he is taking an interest in helping me, but he looks more appealing to me than he did before. His body is long and beautifully muscles, long lean swimmers’ lines. His black eyes freaked me out at first but now they seem like an ocean’s depth. Somewhere I might find treasure if I looked long enough.

  While we were trekking here his body language was very closed. Here in the village it’s much more relaxed. He even smiles. I like the way his face changes when he’s happy. I wonder what it’s like to kiss him and what his skin would feel like under my fingers. His hair is thick and dark, curling like seaweed and I want to run my fingers through it.

  I can’t stop smiling to myself as I think my naughty thoughts. I really hate pretty boys and Tsunis is good looking without being a showoff. It’s much easier to notice his attractive attributes now that he is relaxed.

  I want to forget about the whole walk here. I’ve never had anyone ignore me like that before. Whatever test he was putting me through I hope I stuck it to him.

  When we reach the crest of the ridge, I actually think I’m going to cry.

  The ocean curves into the little bay, part of it funneling up between this land mass and one opposite. The one across the water appears to be a single peninsula, as there is only the ocean behind it, not land. From this ridge there is just nothing but water as far as the eye can see. I suppose that the river moves inland and from here forward the entire planet is one great sea.

  I start hurrying down the slope before Tsunis can react. I hear him following me as I slip along the sandy path. The ferns and other tropical plants reach out for me, yielding clouds of insects that try to get through my clothes. I hardly notice them as the water gets closer and closer to me.

  I could run I’m so eager. The only thing that stops me is my aching muscles.

  I stop at the edge of the water, admiring the tall crag above us across the lagoon. I imagine from above it would look like a huge curve, a half circle. It appears to be mostly rock but is covered in beautiful greenery.

  I just stand and absorb the water and sky for a few minutes. They both go on forever until they merge in some far off, blue place that can’t be seen by eye. My gaze is fixed on the mouth of the lagoon, a wide rocky section where the water sighs in and out on the whim of the tide.

  What would it be like to take a boat out there? To just sail into the endless blue, to find that place where the sea meets the sky? For a moment, my chest hurts with an impossible, romantic dream. It’s not for me to go out there. I should think myself lucky I’ve been allowed to have this much.

  I start walking quickly along the waterline, heading for the rocky edge of the beach. Rock pools are a great place to start looking for life. I can’t wait to get some gear on and have a dive, but I’ll have to do chemical testing before I do that.

  I hurry along the rocks, easily gaining purchase on the slick surfaces. I take pictures and make notes, seeing so many creatures that I know nothing about. Some appear to be like earth creatures, like anemones and clam shells. Others are stranger than hell and I can’t wait to get a closer look at them.

  I don’t stick my fingers into the ponds, not even a little. I’ll need a full kit to start analyzing samples and I’m not going to risk a chemical burn just in case this water’s chemical makeup is different to that found on Earth.

  As I pass a large pool a flash of bright pink catches my eye. I kneel down straight away and position my camera over top. It’s a fish, a very small one with bright pink scales and very beautiful fins. They are thin like lace and float around the little animal like silken veils.

  Tsunis comes towards me, finally catching up. He kneels down beside the pond.

  “What are you doing?”

  “This is the first really interesting organism I’ve found so far.” I position my camera slightly differently and get a few shots. While I leave myself a couple of notes, several more of the pretty fish emerge from holes in the rocks. They move rhythmically up and down the walls, eating the slime that grows on the rocks.

  If they like seaweed, they are probably not carnivorous. The bright colors would probably mean it was poisonous on Earth, but I have no idea of the evolutionary chain on this planet. I see a few bigger fish further down the channel and they seem to be leaving the little ones alone. I’m surprised. They are very small, and it seems like the bigger fish could decimate them if they wanted to. Perhaps they really are poisonous.

  Tsunis watches the little fish with amusement. He listens to me making voice notes and asks a few questions about my investigations. I’m so happy to finally be near a big body of water I open up to him easily, launching into different categories of fish species and how to identify each creature by its attributes.

  He seems fascinated and looks between the fish and me.

  “It’s pretty.” He says, smiling as he tra
ils his fingers over the water. The little colorful fish bob to the surface, spinning and showing off their lacey tails and dorsal fins. They are very bright pink with patterns of bright white. They move so fast sometimes they look like a pink haze along the rocks.

  “They are pretty.” I say slowly, looking up the channel. One of the big silver fish is slowly swimming towards the little pool. He’s the size of a trout and I’m worried we’re about to see the entire pool of pink fish get decimated.

  I get ready with my camera. Whatever happens, I need to observe it without interfering with them. That’s what I’m here to do.

  “They aren’t scared of us.” Tsunis waves his hand over the water again, watching them point their little faces up and shimmer near the surface.

  “No. Not much bothers them.” I’m not paying much attention, watching the big fish come slowly down into the pond. I hold my camera up and Tsunis shuffles back a little, watching the big fish with interest.

  The big fish barely gets into the pond before the little pink fish turn as one and dive on him. They are ridiculously fast, flashing pink scales that remind me of darts. More little pink fish come flying out of holes in the rock and it only takes seconds for them to tear the big fish to shreds.

  They move through the blood and floating scales, making sure there is nothing left. Then they calmly resume their snacking on the rock wall.

  I can’t hide my grin as I look up at Tsunis. He seems a bit shocked.

  “There you go. Never underestimate the pretty delicate ones.” I can’t resist putting a nice mocking tone into my voice. “The ones you think are fragile will actually tear you apart.” I wave a finger at him, unable to wipe the smile off my face.