“The blaster was Xylan-issue. A 403 long-range.”
“Oh. Wow. You knew that from hearing a shot in the distance, across the ocean, at night?”
“Yes. I’ve been in the military since the age of ascension. I originally trained with our special forces before I was upgraded to—”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re a badass. I know,” she laughed as she smoothed healing gel on his wound. “No need to go on and on about it.”
He blinked with surprise. No one talked to him this way.
“Okay, you’re all better now.” She closed the first-aid kit, stood up and brushed sand off of her pants. Then she looked up at the position of the sun. “We should get going, it looks like it’s afternoon. If we’re going to find food and water and maybe even shelter, before it gets dark, now is the time. And I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.”
He nodded in agreement and stood, pleasantly surprised at her logic. Then he examined the dense wall of jungle and grinned.
“You’re secretly enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Well, he had to admit that now that this female was intact, he was beginning to consider this the start of his vacation. If he had his gloves, it would be perfect. “This setting is very similar to where I planned to vacation with Uryan, just earlier than I expected.”
“What? Xylan vacation on wild planets like this, for fun?”
“We find it challenging.” He examined the jungle, looking for the best way forward. “I don’t see any path. The jungle itself looks so dense it will be difficult to travel through. But”—he pointed at the shoreline—“we can go around the edge of the jungle that way, along the shoreline. It will be easier to traverse.”
“Okay and I think… Oh no!” she exclaimed, pointing at his claws. “Your…your gloves are gone and your skin is bare.”
He shook his head with a rueful smile.
5
“Tell me the rules of the unmated again.”
They’d been trekking around the edge of the jungle for some time. And he’d told her every rule, which she’d absorbed with the eagerness of a youngling in the academy. He proceeded to explain the rules as if to a small child, reminding himself that this Gravian had been raised among humans on a remote planet. She might be lacking etiquette but was obviously eager to learn. He planned to teach her the Honor Code and the major tenets of the Scales of Xylan Law. No being could consider themselves properly civilized until they could recite the Scales.
And she was keeping up very well with his longer stride on their trek through the alien wilderness. With zero complaints, in very much the same fashion as a Xylan warrior on a hunting expedition. She might even be someone he’d consider inviting with him on such a vacation.
“You are small, but you seem to pack power inside of a tiny package,” he remarked.
She grinned. “I do. And this is all new to me. I grew up without any Gravian attributes. In fact, for most of my life I thought I was fully human. I didn’t find out that my father was Gravian until two years ago. I’ve been learning about the Gravians, but I guess I wasn’t in a hurry to fully assimilate because the concept of being part of this other species seemed so distant and not what I was…and then a few months ago I noticed I could carry heavier objects. And over the last few weeks I could run or walk much farther. And a few days before I left on this mission, I, um accidentally cracked my tablet my because I didn’t know my own strength.”
“This is good news. Congratulations. You should be proud to be claiming your Gravian heritage. They are a proud and illustrious species.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Your sister is Kia of One, Kayzon’s Bride?” he asked, remembering how Kia was now a Bounty Hunter alongside Kayzon. He knew Kayzon was proud of his Bride’s strength.
“Yes, Kia is the oldest and I’m the middle child, then there’s Harmony, she’s the youngest and still living at home with our parents. Do you have siblings?”
He blinked, surprised she’d asked him about himself. “No, my mother died in childbirth. And then my father died soon after,” he explained quickly, and simply.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Does that mean you don’t have any family? No nieces or nephews?”
“I have a large extended family line with the House of Ulmath, but my position as Warlord of Sector One causes me to travel often from Chronos. I have lost contact with much of my line. And…I don’t know any children,” he admitted.
“How is it possible to not know any children? None of your friends have children?”
“I mainly live on warships. There are no children on warships. I have one friend with children, but I don’t ask to see his youngling.”
She was quiet, then she said, “Kayzon is your only friend with a child? That’s it? Baby Kay is the only child you’ve seen, not that you’ve really seen her beyond a vid?”
“Yes.”
“You avoid children?”
His jaw clenched and he roughly pushed aside a fallen branch. “I consider offspring to be screeching, snot-nosed balls of terror. I avoid them at all costs.”
She barked out a laugh. “Really? A big, bad Xylan warlord is scared of…children?”
“I’m not scared of children,” he answered sharply, turning away from her. “I find them annoying. There’s a difference. I have no desire to be around them.”
“So that means you don’t ever want to have offspring?”
“No, I don’t,” he answered emphatically. “I will never have offspring.”
“Okay.”
And then they were quiet as they continued on. He was surprised she didn’t say more on the subject and try to talk him out of his beliefs or some such nonsense. After all, this is what females wanted, right? They wanted him to claim them as a mate and father for their offspring. He was aware of the vid channels that had sprung up about him. He just never checked them and did his best to ignore the strange fascination females seemed to have with the fact that he remained unmated. It was all nonsense. After all, they didn’t know him personally. And he was never going to claim a mate. So what was the point?
“Are you promised to a mate?” he asked, suddenly finding this information important. Maybe she planned to have a ceremony on her home planet with a human male? Or there was a Gravian she was promised to through her father’s connections? Both of which he found strangely annoying.
“No.” She shook her head. “No.”
“The males you are traveling with are all unclaimed and yet none of them are your potential mates?”
“No, of course not. We’re just co-workers. In fact, I’m certain they’re all secretly thrilled that I disappeared. Nothing would make them happier than if I never came back.”
“What?” he chuckled. “The males you are traveling with don’t like you? This seems highly unusual.” And then he remembered how she’d pinned one to the table, and his smile widened.
“One or two of them are putting up with me, maybe one is a friend, but Maksim hates me with the intensity of a thousand suns.”
Zhoryan laughed again. The female was amusing. “A thousand suns? Why?”
“Because I’m female.”
“Why would any of those males resent your presence simply because you’re female? That’s nonsensical, a female joining a mission is a value add.”
“They’re angry because I bumped out a male they felt would be more qualified. They feel there’s no need to educate women, it’s a waste. On New Earth woman are meant to bear children and care for family and ideally, not to work outside the home. The men in my group consider me a freak of nature—a woman who wants to learn and work and isn’t interesting in marrying.”
“You never want to find a mate and bear children?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I adore children. I want a large family one day. I want a mate and offspring. I’m okay with taking my time and waiting. I love the idea of going off to University first. I want to see the universe and learn all I can and gain new experiences before I set
tle down and give all my attention to a husband and children. I just…want to take care of myself. I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”
“You are the first woman to do this from your planet? The first female to leave for University?”
“Yes. There are many schools for males on my planet, and more being built every day. But there are hardly any schools for girls. Girls aren’t considered worthy of education. In fact, Maksim was trying to remind me of the conventional wisdom on my planet—that men are smarter than women.”
He threw his head back and laughed heartily. He was going to have to share this tidbit with Uryan later, they’d have a good laugh over strange human customs. “Do you know my second-in-command is a female? And my mother was a highly acclaimed scientist. Xylan and humans are able to mate, therefore our species cannot be far apart biologically. I am assuming the difference between male and female brains in humans is as negligible as it is with Xylan. It is therefore inefficient to use the brain power of only half of your citizens. Females make up generally fifty percent of your population and if you’re only using the knowledge and ideas from the males and cutting off those from the talent pool in the other fifty percent of your population… It is literally a detriment to your growth as a species.”
“Exactly,” she answered, throwing her hands up. “That’s how I feel, and how a group of women and men I know feel, but mainly everyone else is mired in the old ways. New Earth just recently opened up to the four sectors and all kinds of technologies and ideas are flooding the vids and chat rooms and people are having a hard time with so much sudden change.”
“Primitives,” he muttered.
“We might be primitive, but I have hope for New Earth. We’ve come far already. Tell me, how are women treated on Chronos?” she asked.
“Males and females are equals.”
“I noticed on your ship that your crew is both male and female.”
“Yes, but in order to enlist in battlefield training, a warrior, whether male or female, has to meet certain weight and strength criteria. This criteria is met more often by men than women due to their size. So there are more males in the military in battle service. But women are better, on average, at administration, diplomacy and logistics. My second-in-command is Lysista of Thirty-Three. She is a fierce warrior. We train together often.”
“I hope to have a career someday too. I’m here to study Hydrology and Water Management at Kolothan University. We’re being sent to receive a degree and bring back knowledge to improve the life of the citizens of our planet.”
“I know. It’s a good idea.”
“Yes, it is. And those men think I’m only on this mission because of who my parents are.”
“What do you think?”
“I think I’m on this mission despite who my parents are and I’m smarter than all of them combined.”
He grinned. “You are.”
“You think so?”
“You’re stronger and more cunning than I thought you would be.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Oh, thanks.”
They were both quiet again as they continued along the rocky edge of the beach, where the sand ended and the vegetation began.
“How is it that no knows about this planet?” the Gravian female finally asked. “It seems habitable. I’m surprised no species has tried to claim it yet.”
“This area of space used to house an ancient civilization but is now empty. This is not a route the Xylan usually take but, in this instance, the quickest route between New Earth and Kolothan was through this section. It is technically intergalactic space. I was told original space charts call where we’ve landed ‘Ship-Trap Planet,’” Zhoryan answered as they turned around a bend in the path. “The crew dreaded this place. I don’t know why…”
“Oh, look,” Janet exclaimed, as a sweeping vista came into view, revealing an ominous building, sitting on the edge of sheer cliffs. “I bet the beings that live there know why this is called ‘Ship-Trap Planet.’”
His lips thinned, because any Xylan living hidden on an unknown planet couldn’t be the best of warriors. But, they needed help and this was their only option. It would have to do.
“I don’t want to go to the spooky mansion either,” Janet quipped, “but it’s not like there’s a resort around here…” She started forward.
“Stop.” He held his arm out to block her way. “I can see the print of hunting boots.” He bent down to examine the ground, following the imprint of steps. “A hunter was flushing out its quarry. There are drops of blood on the crushed foliage. And footprints.” He looked up, “Footprints that are leading along the edge of this cliff.” He pointed. “And in the direction of that compound.”
She exhaled and placed her hands on her hips. “Well, there’s our confirmation. Looks like we know which way we need to go.”
He nodded.
Darkness was descending on the island when they finally turned the last windy corner in the coastline and reached the compound. The multitude of lights in the pointed tower were a beacon that led their way. As they approached, he could see it was set on a high bluff with sheer cliffs on three sides of the building, leading to roiling ocean below. There was only one way into the compound and one way out—the front door.
He creaked open an enormous spiked gate and walked up the stone steps to the imposing, wooden front door. Zhoryan glanced around with appreciation. The entire compound was an exact recreation of hunting compounds built on the edge of Xylantic forests on Chronos from the ancient era. Nice.
He lifted a knocker, made in the iconic image of the head of a grimacing Rooknos. The pounding echoed pleasantly.
They waited. And waited some more. He knocked again.
“This place is creeping me out,” his female muttered.
And then the door swung open and light flooded the step. And a blaster was shoved in his face.
6
Janet squealed with surprise, because, holy crap, she had NOT been expecting that. Some giant Xylan with a head of wild hair had just shoved a blaster into Zhoryan’s face.
And she couldn’t believe how freaking calm the warlord was about the whole thing. “Don’t be alarmed,” he replied, like a blaster in the face was an everyday occurrence. “I’m not here to bring dishonor to you or your line. I am here to place my honor before yours or any member of your House. My escape pod crashed on this planet. My name is Zhoryan of Eighty-Two of the House of Ulmath.”
She crooked an eyebrow, deciding it must be nice to walk into any situation with the confidence of a Xylan warrior of royal pigment. Although, she noticed he kept his title as Imperial Warlord out of his explanation.
The wild Xylan on the doorstep didn’t drop his weapon a millimeter, and continued to tag Zhoryan with a hard, threatening stare.
“I’m Zhoryan of Eighty-Two,” her warlord tried again, “and this human is my companion, I have vowed to see her safely…”
And then, behind the giant, Janet caught the form of another Xylan walking down an imposing set of stairs. He was as tall as Zhoryan, but a bit thinner and older. And he had the same level of royal pigment and unmistakable snobbish demeanor as Zhoryan—the impeccable grooming and the perfectly braided hair falling halfway down his back, but his hair was threaded with white. He was one of those beings whose hair and the lines on his face made him look older, yet it was obvious he was as fit as Zhoryan.
Oh wow. This was a Xylan-inhabited planet.
“Welcome,” the male answered in formal Xylan, which she could decipher and speak due to the translation chip the Xylan had implanted in her brain at intake. “I accept your vow and I see your honor. I am General Pyzon of Forty-Eight.”
And only then did the giant lower his blaster and gesture for them to enter the foyer of the compound. They both stepped inside, and the door thudded shut behind them.
The general gestured toward the towering giant. “This is my assistant, Ivan of Thirty-Three. He is both deaf and mute, but he is strong and loyal.”
Ivan nodded impassively.
“This is my companion, Janet of One,” the Warlord answered, his voice echoing in the two-story, stone-covered entry. “She is a human in my charge. I have accepted responsibility for her. There was trouble on our Xylan warship and we had to jettison on an escape pod. We crash-landed in the ocean and our pod sank to the bottom of the sea. We have no way to reach our ship in order to seek a rescue shuttle. Can we use your communications equipment to request pick up?”
“Yes, you can certainly use our communications array. The only problem is that due to gamma rays from our sun, communications can only be sent every third diurnal. You will not be able to communicate for two more diurnals.”
“Oh no,” Janet gasped.
Zhoryan’s brow furrowed, his silver threads glinting in the light of the rustic torches. “Do you have a transporter we can use instead?” he asked. “I can code in the exact coordinates without needing to alert the ship and we can directly transport there.”
“We have a transporter, but unfortunately, it is industrial grade.”
“Ah, that is unfortunate.”
Janet felt her stomach sour. This was going from bad to worse.
“But I would be happy to house a Xylan of royal pigment and his companion for two diurnals comfortably in my compound while you wait for the comm to become available. We do not get enough civilized visitors as it is, and certainly first-hand news from Chronos would be welcome.”
Zhoryan seemed to think about this. Think and think. He was taking so long to answer it was getting a little rude and Janet was afraid the general might take back his kind offer and kick them out. And then where would they stay? In the jungle?
“Yes, thank you,” Zhoryan finally answered. “We would be honored to accept your hospitality.”
And right then her stomach growled fiercely with hunger. Everyone heard it, and her cheeks heated.
The General gave her a warm smile. “I was about to eat dinner, but I will wait for the both of you to wash and change.” He looked Zhoryan up and down. “I think you will fit nicely into one of my suits. Ivan will guide you to your room so you can ready yourself for dinner in the great hall.”
Zhoryan's Game Page 4