by C. R Corbin
"What a charitable warrior you are."
"I am trying to help human."
"Forgive me if I don't trust the word of one of your people. This is the same thing that happened to my brother long ago. Killed by you, butchered, just like the rest of our people." I spat and rolled back over so I didn't have to face him.
"What are you going to do with me once this is all over?" I asked and he sighed.
"I'm afraid that since we're stranded we will have to work with one another...and given that my crew left almost immediately there is a much greater chance of us being found by the humans which means ...well you're free."
"Yay." I said in a deadpan voice, I could see his shadow fidget slightly in the rather uncomfortable atmosphere.
"There is...another reason why I am reluctant to hand you over." he began and I turned over, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah? Does this have more to do with your warrior code bullshit?" I asked and he scowled. I could tell that he was about to reprimand me but gave up halfway through.
"No, it doesn't. You see the moment I saw you...I realized something." he began and I turned over completely, listening intently.
"And that is?" I asked.
"Are you familiar with the...courting customs of Kanosian culture? I am rather unsure about how to put this in terms that you would understand." he remarks.
I shake my head.
"Well in Kanosia a male and a female form a mating bond at first sight and well ...they consummate their love soon after and are bound together for life. They say such a bond is unbreakable and formed immediately, however in my case...." he trailed off.
I knew exactly where this was headed.
"No." I mouthed but he kept his gaze on me.
"That means that...well you're my mate. The first time I saw you I was sure, everything about you signaled to me that I was...well I was yours. A gland in the back of my neck instantly fired off. We are taught to understand the signals sent from this very gland from birth, there is no mistaking it. You are my mate, that much is certain to me he states and I shut my eyes before turning away.
"Oh god no. I am not hearing this right now. How could ...god!" I said in exasperation.
My face was a crumpled up mess. My lips pursed together and my eyes shut while my soft raven hair flickered over my cheeks. In the warm glow of the fire the red on my cheeks was even more apparent than before. He doesn't move or even say anything, all he does is watch me while I paced around the cave before sighing and resting my hands on my hip
"S-so what am I supposed to like stay with you for life? Is that it? Are you going to pin me down and claim me?" I asked and he shakes his head with great vigor.
"Absolutely not. A true warrior does not engage in such detestable actions!" he snarled and I sat back down, crumbling into a mess in front of him.
I think the stress if the day was starting to get to me.
I wasn't even a real soldier for god's sake! I wasn't even meant to be in this situation! For all my prayers that I would end up somewhere on the front lines I never imagined that I would actually be staring a Kanosian in the face, much less staring at him while he informed me that I was meant to be with him. All of my friends, everything I have known for the past chapter in my life was gone and now after the bombshells that my entire base was destroyed, someone tried to kill me, the fact that I’m stuck with a Kanosian, and now the fact that I'm apparently his mate? What the hell was wrong with today?
"Are you alright?" he finally asked after a while. I was completely unsure about how long I’ve been shaking, how long I've been crying. I thought that I understood the darkness and repercussions of this war completely but my current breakdown was less than indicative of that fact.
I could only shake my head, I watched as those golden orbs of his looked down towards the fire.
"This is simply me informing you, as is the custom. You aren't obligated to do anything, you aren't even obligated to feel the same way back. It's just proper to inform you of such a thing is all. I know by the end of this predicament that you will turn around, not once has a mating bond failed. I will not claim you by force, but by your own volition and if not ...well then I am not worthy of being a warrior." he started.
There he goes again with that warrior crap.
"It is becoming clear to me that you would prefer some time alone ...I shall not pester you until the sun rises." he stated and turned away, walking over to the front of the cave and gazing out into the snow to watch while I simply laid there and quivered.
I keep my gaze on him and found myself admiring that physique once more. My eyes travelled from those shining ebony horns to that handsome blue face with his golden eyes. From his muscular, herculean torso and arms to his tree trunk legs. I felt the shame bubbling inside of me as I found myself getting slightly flustered and even...aroused.
Was this normal? A Kanosian and a human couldn't ...ah god what was I thinking about now?
My thoughts slowly drifted over to the emotional side of things. I pondered what kind of man he was and what his history was. I pondered the confession that he had...feelings, I suppose you could say, and to me it was a sort of catalyst in getting me to ruminate these very thoughts. He seemed to be a bit more decent than the run of the mill brute, even if he was a bit ignorant as to just how much suffering his race has inflicted on humanity. He did not force himself on me, he didn't hurt me, he even saved me and now I knew why. Because I was special to him in some way, even though I hated the bastard for the most part there was an inkling of....comfort to be found in the fact that he valued me.
Perhaps it was callous to say considering the fact that most of my compatriots were now dead, but I took solace in that small display of affection that he allowed me.
I still despised all that he stood for. After all a man that has ventured here simply to capture me as a hostage all because his boss asked him to was quite the problem. That he had no moral qualms with all the harrowing orders that have been lobbed at him was infuriating. Rarely did he stop to think that this war was wrong, all he ever thought about was that it was for the sole purpose of some distant idea of honor that I had nothing but contempt for. As kind as he may have seemed it was likely due to that abhorrent ideology of his, an ideology that may have saved me, I had to admit, but an ideology that was still rotten in my eyes. I could deduce most of that based on how he spoke of his Kanosian heritage, how he spoke of their honor code with a great deal of pride.
"You should turn in. Or perhaps you would be more comfortable if I stepped outside?" he asked me and I kept my gaze on him, he was barely clothed and his armor didn't seem that warm either. His spot near the entrance couldn't have been warm. It would be cruel of me to send him outside, but at the same time I didn't want him right next to me.
So I simply turned over and fell asleep.
#
Fherin
There was the idea that I could be mad at her. There was the programmed ideal in my mind that I should exact a great deal of misfortune and harsh rhetoric unto whomever would speak ill of Kanosia or its ideals.
But I couldn't' with her.
I understood how I was in the wrong, I understood the repercussions completely and yet all my life I had been taught to never pay them any mind, to always follow and do as I am told. My immeasurable love for my people and my planet has led me on such a journey and now...well I can't help but wonder if her words had some merit.
She was my mate, I was going to claim her by the end of all of this, I knew that for a fact. I knew that by confessing I had planted the seed of the ideal, now it was up to me to navigate through such a scenario. I had no clue as to how these sort of relations worked, between a Kanosian and a human I mean. This was uncharted territory and there were no records that could inform me of how to go through with the process. Even if there were then I wouldn't be able to access them at this very moment.
I knew that she would be mine however, she had to
be. For how could I love so strongly, how could I value her so strongly without her being my mate? There was only one mate granted to you per lifetime and I knew from the moment I laid my eyes on her that she was the one.
That soft, curvaceous body.
Those glittering green eyes.
That intense fury in her heart that excited me even more.
I was growing mad just from thinking about it!
I could feel something swelling inside of me. There was a distinct hardness in between my legs that was growing as I watched her sleep. Those ample breasts of her's rose and fell with every breath she took and those locks of jet black hair fall over her cheek in a way that can only be described as ...free. There were streaks of black across her cheeks and her eyes and I can't help but smile at the peaceful expression that pervaded her face.
My eyes wandered downwards to her curvy buttocks and her thighs, she was incredible...absolutely incredible in every sense of the word and I loved her for it. That hardness in between my legs was only growing more intense the more I looked at her so I turned away at the last moment to give myself a moment to collect myself.
"Beautiful. True beauty. I will claim you, I will have you by your own will. For that is my purpose, to protect you and to claim you as mine." I muttered and she only continued to rest in that peaceful slumber while I turned to watch the outside.
Thanks to Kanosian physiology Kanosians spent less time sleeping and more time simply standing in this strange state where our minds would remain dormant and we would rest in the depths of our consciousness. All the while my eyes were kept open and all my senses were working, if there was an anomaly in my vision or my hearing then I would instantly pop back into action. It was a genetic trait that was granted for use after eons of living on the dangerous fields of Kanosia.
I can't help but wonder how I would go about claiming her as mine. There was nothing in her voice or her gaze that indicated that she wanted to have anything to do with me at all, but I was never one to give up. To lose her would be to lose my mate forever, to die alone with no legacy to speak of. That would not be the case, she would come to love me and I would come to cultivate my love for her. I was determined to not only see every part of her body and to pleasure her completely but to also be there for her, to craft that intense anger that manifested in her eyes whenever she looked at me into an intense passion, a passion that could be found nowhere else except for when she looked at me.
And then my thoughts turned towards Denos.
I would have to bring him in, he tried to have me killed but more importantly...he tried to have her killed. To intrude on another man's life was a serious infraction in Kanosian culture. To intrude upon his mate...well almost all sense of law lost its meaning once he did that. I was beset with such a terrible feeling of anguish and anger for but a moment once the explosion occurred. Seeing her in harm's way simply caused this swelling fury to bubble up inside of me and I would not stand for it any longer than I had to.
We would hunt him and he would pay, both for his contempt for all sense of Kanosian honor and also for the fact that he had done this...to her. I shared her anger as if it were mine, I shared every emotion that swelled through her heart and I knew very well that she wanted to make this bastard pay in the same sense that I did.
CHAPTER FOUR
Natalie
I awoke in the midst of the terrible night. There was lightning in the sky and the snow was falling. A cold breeze swept over my body and dashed along the dying flame as I looked around the cave, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
I didn't know why at the time. Why was I so interested in seeing him?
Our introduction had ended in a great deal of bitterness and a part of me was sympathetic. After all the man didn't seem that bad and should he still be here, perhaps we could be civil for but a moment. We were stuck in this mess together after all and well ...I wanted to get along with him if we were going to be in such a mess.
"Fherin?" I called out and no one answered me. That is until I heard the growling.
I glanced at the corner of the cave where he had laid his weapons and armor and found that they were gone, for the most part. I stepped out into the snow and watched as lightning slid across the sky, in those brief flashes I caught a glimpse of him, he was somewhat near the entrance but far enough so that those beasts did not pester me.
By beasts I meant Hirudens.
They had long snouts that contained many rows of teeth. The snouts allowed them to tunnel into the snow to find the critters that would dig through the snow for food. Sometimes they would hunt large prey and many times that larger prey was indeed humans. I bite my lip and gazed at him as he swung his axe around, he caught one on the face and tossed its furry body off to the wayside before one more leapt onto him from behind and grabbed onto his back with its sharp claws. Those claws were traditionally used to break of snow or to cling onto ice, as such they needed to be powerful.
"Argh!" he cried, I could tell that it had pierced his armor. He grabbed the creature with one arm before swinging it and striking three more of the creatures that were ready to lunge at him from the front.
I had to do something didn't I? There were about 10 creatures there, 3 of them were dead.
"I'll handle it!" he snarled out and I backed away slightly, nodding before venturing back into the cave. After all I was no warrior.
I get to the entrance and heard something dashing up towards me. I looked behind me to see one of those creatures ready to lunge at me. I screamed and grabbed a small laser cutter from my belt before swinging it in a wide arc. I manage to catch the beast in one of its eyes before I get to my feet. I was already shivering and the snowfall didn't help much. The creature, on the other hand, was completely adapted.
"GRAH!" it snarled as it leapt at me once again. I drag out my wrench to strike him with it before the weight off my chest is suddenly lifted, I gazed upon the beast as it dashed through the sky, two powerful hands had gripped its back and flung it away. Fherin's claws dug into the flesh and the monster was sent hurtling through the sky.
I looked upon him in all of that snow and moonlight, he gazed down at me with the three moons behind him. I sighed in relief and he offers me a hand which I take. I looked back towards the beasts, he has killed them all. How was he struggling once I arrived and was suddenly able to dispatch them with great efficiency as soon as I was in danger? Perhaps my value as his mate had driven him.
"Thanks..." I muttered and he only nodded before guiding me back inside. Only now did I notice that I was shivering. My suit was covered in the snow so he quickly drew out one of the flame tablets that I presumed he had collected and tossed it into the dying fire. The heat shot back up and I sighed as I sat in front of it. I took off my suit and was left in my base layer once again. He soon does the same with his armor.
"Thank you for saving me. I really mean it." I stated and he smiled.
"What sort of warrior would I be if I couldn't protect my own mate?" he asked and I stared at the fire, pondering what he had just told me.
"Listen ... You're right, if we want to get out of here then...well we should be a bit more receptive." I remarked and he gazes at me intently before nodding.
"I....I feel the same. I'm sorry for what I had said earlier, about my honor and that "slander" that I accused you of. We have to put aside our differences, seems like even I forgot to do that." he remark.
"You're not going to sleep? I could keep watch." I offered. My voice was still cold and stiff, I still distrusted him somewhat but I knew that he still had my interests in mind, at least partially. His protection proved that to me.
"Don't need to. You?" he asked and I shake my head.
"No, I’ll be fine."
What had driven this sudden change? Was it the fact that he had protected me with such vigor? Was it me getting over the grief of losing my base? Was it this strange...mating bond that was supposedly forming. I had no idea what
it was exactly but...I found myself wanting to be a bit more genial. Perhaps it really was the mating bond, I didn't really care to wonder what it was at this point. I knew that it was in our best interests if we at least kept it civil, at least to maintain a comfortable atmosphere.
"Do you hate me?" he asked, breaking the drawn out silence. I looked at him and sighed, although we had agreed to keep things somewhat cordial, I couldn't lie.
"I hate what your people have done. You?...Well I don't know. I did at first but I realize now that a great deal of my grief was simply placed on you when you were the only one around. I know that now and well ...I don't know what to tell you. I hate everything that you stand for, all of that honor, this war, Kanosian ideals ...but I can separate the ideal from the person somewhat. I can't exactly blame you for valuing your culture so much, I do the same." I remarked, surprised at this sudden understanding that I was showing.
"I really am sorry about your base..." he explained and I bite my lip.
"I know." I said in a frigid tone.
The grief came again to wrack me once more and I was shaking as I thought of everyone that we had lost. I wasn't close to most of them but to some I was, Sarah, Leland, and the thought of them not being here ...well it was incredibly painful. I shut my eyes as the tears began to fall, even with all these years spent in the war some tears still ran but they didn't run for long.
"How long have you been in this war? In human terms?" I asked him and he glances at the floor, his eyes lighting up with the glow of introspection.
"It's been.....7 Kanosian years which means about 10 human years I would venture to say." he stated. Kanosia was bigger than Earth which leant itself to the time difference. Has he been involved in this slaughter for this long, and all of that time he simply dismissed the war as being for the good of Kanosia? I found the anger threatening to swell but I had to remind myself of what I had just said.
He grew up in this system, to tell him to wake up would be like telling me not to admire music or value democracy.