by Ella Maven
I sat down, and Skags crawled in my lap, wet from his swim. I smoothed my hands down his wiry coat as he wriggled and sought to get comfortable. While Cravus had been gone, before I fell asleep, I’d managed to make the blanket he’d given me into a garment with a hood that made me feel more protected. For now, I pushed it off my head, running my hand over my short hair. It felt so good to have a clean scalp. Plucking at some flowers nearby, I fiddled with them while Cravus worked. He skinned the animal and cut off hunks of red meat. After that he made a small fire and slid strips of the meat onto sticks to cook it.
The smell filled the air, and I inhaled deeply. The smoke tickled my nose, and I sneezed just as an image hit me. Outdoors standing barefoot on green grass. A flowery fabric swirling around my legs. A female who looked like me stood nearby, her belly swollen and round. Everyone was laughing, and nearby a man—a human male—holding a cooking utensil stood over a big black square that smoked. And that smoke… it was similiar to what Cravus was cooking.
In a flash, the image was gone, and I wanted it back. I’d been happy there. Incredibly happy. Hopeful.
Cravus made a sound, and I came back to the present. His gaze was on my lap, and I looked down to see that I’d woven the stems of the flowers together in a circle. I stared at it a moment, unsure what I’d done, when my hands lifted of their own accord, and I placed the ring on my head. The flowers tickled my scalp and forehead, and I shimmied my shoulders at the feel, a small laugh escaping me.
“I don’t know what this is, but my fingers did it on their own,” I murmured. I went to take off the ring of flowers, but Cravus stopped me with a gentle touch on my palm. I stared at him, but his gaze was on my head before he finally met my eyes. “Toke sirrup,” he said, then tilted his lips in a soft smile.
Of course, I didn’t know what he meant, but he seemed to be telling me to leave it. And that smile… it caused that ache in my lower belly that I’d had in my dream. Right before he’d kissed me. A heated warmth that made me shift my legs. He inhaled sharply, and his pupils dilated a moment before he turned away from me quickly. He poked at the meat on the stick, almost viciously.
His profile was strong and powerful with a broad straight nose, full lips, and square jaw. The spikes on his shoulders looked wicked. I reached out to touch one, and the tip wasn’t razor-sharp to the touch, but I was sure it could do some damage with a little force. This was clearly an alien species meant to battle and fight. I wondered where the rest of his family was.
Were we close?
Would he take me to them?
I hated not being able to ask him questions. Well, I could ask him questions, but I wasn’t getting detailed answers. Skags had fallen asleep on my lap, and I scratched his ears.
For my own sake, I had to ask one question, and I hoped the answer was easy. “Can I trust you with my safety?”
He went still and then slowly turned on the balls of his feet where he crouched near the fire. The flames flickered in his fluorescent eyes before he gave me one firm nod.
And that had to be enough. He could have been lying, but my heart told me he wasn’t.
Cravus
She seemed ready to take flight at any moment, whether it was to run away or fly into pieces. The tears and trembles, I could handle. But if she ran… what right did I have to chase her? Sure, I wouldn’t get paid for this job, but as far as the Rinian Council was concerned, I was dead. And so was she.
I had no intention of delivering her to the council, not now I knew she was a human, even though I trusted the council. They had assured us that they’d ousted the council member—a Ubilque named Garquin—responsible for selling out Karina to her former captor. This transport was one of their amends, they said, in an effort to slow the trafficking so rampant in the Rinian Galaxy.
But this had gone all wrong. This female wasn’t like Karina, who’d managed to live on her own in the galaxy for several cycles while disguising herself. This human as vulnerable, innocent, and unaware of all the dangers. She had no memory.
When I’d killed the buril for our dinner, I’d first traveled back to the scene of the ambush. There had still been wreckage of the hover truck and the platform trailer. While most everything had been burned, I’d managed to recover a few first aid supplies and a few pieces of spare clothing for the female.
I watched her eat her meat, chewing hungrily and making small happy noises in her throat. The sound of her light laughter when she dropped the crown of blooms on her head would ring in my ears forever. Her fingers had worked deftly, quickly. She knew how to braid, even if she didn’t remember how she knew.
“Bloom,” I murmured.
She glanced up, tilting her head in a question as she paused mid-chew.
I plucked a bloom from the ground and pointed at the petals before pointing against her. “Bloom.”
She blinked, and then resumed chewing. “Bloom.” She jabbed her thumb at her chest.
That name fit her. I nodded, and a smile spread across her face. Her cheeks warmed. “I like.”
“Me too,” I said.
I didn’t want to stay where we were for too long. I couldn’t be sure there weren’t more roving bands of Gattrix looking for us. We needed supplies, more food, and most importantly—a way for Bloom and me to communicate. As determined as I was to take her home with me, I wanted to explain and at least give her some sort of choice, when she clearly hadn’t had one in a long time.
I packed up our things, and Bloom understood quickly we needed to leave. I watched her as she moved with agile steps. I wondered what she did on Earth, who she was loved by. I imagined a lot of people missed her—I could already tell her instincts were to care for others.
She’d saved my life, and she’d taken the turret under her wing, who clearly adored her. She talked to Skags often, and always shared her food to make sure he was well taken care of. I’d even seen her fashion a little brush out of a plant bur to tug through his fur.
Before taking on this mission, I’d studied a map of Gorsich closely. I couldn’t be sure of our exact location, but I had a general idea and where we were and where we needed to go. We traveled through the wooded area, using the trees as cover.
It took most of the rotation, and we stopped frequently for breaks, as Bloom had been in a cage for a long time and wasn’t used to walking this much. But she trudged on, committed to traveling on her own even though I offered to carry her on my back. I was thankful she had shoes, although they were council-issued—flat without much sole. On a few of our stops, she took them off and rubbed at white blisters on her small toes.
I knew we were close when the trees began to thin out, and hills rose on either side of us. When I saw the smoke of cooking fires floating above us, I sighed with relief.
Virzhat was less a town and more a place to hide, a series of tents and primitive structures nestled into the valley between the craggy cliffs of two mountains that had decided to get close, but not too close.
The terrain was nearly impossible to get to, the plant life was minimal, and it made sense why the ones who lived here chose this place—no one would come here willingly. Or even unwillingly. The Rinian Council probably left it alone as long as the residents kept quiet.
And it was the one place I knew I could show my face and obtain goods without drawing too much attention. Sure, I could blank, but I had to communicate to get what I needed, and that wasn’t possible camouflaged. Also, I had Bloom and Skags with me, so blanking wouldn’t do our group any good.
I could tell Bloom was tiring from our trek. She was skinny, without much muscle, probably from her time spent in a cage. I wondered what she looked like when she was healthy. I imagined round hips, and fuller breasts. Not that I had any opinion about the shape of her body, but I knew that the weight she carried right now was not enough, not even close, not when I could see her ribs and her muscle tone was too soft from her confinement.
Still, she kept up as best as she could. When we started down the dirt
path toward the center of town, she stuffed Slags in her cloak, and pulled up her hood until only the lower half of her face was visible. I pushed up the fabric around her neck, effectively hiding her appearance. I hoped most would practice discretion at a place like this, but I couldn’t be too careful.
Usually, vendors flew flags to identify their species, but in Virzhat the scraps of fabric were solid nondescript colors only advertising their wares. They lined the entrance and called out to us in barked tones to check out their stalls. For a small settlement, the center of town was surprisingly busy. We drew attention as newcomers, and I tried to settle some nerves with a purchase. I had a few czens in my pockets, so I bought Bloom and I some fruits. She nibbled on a fleshy rishel while I finished mine in a few bites. While walking, I surveyed the place for someone who seemed to be comfortable here, a long-time resident, someone who knew things.
There was an odd collection of species here, but most of them were not a predatory species or warriors. Most were similar to what I saw in the cages transported to the Rinian Council—peaceful animals and sentient species who were easily manipulated and exploited. This was a hideout for them, a new start, and I could already tell my size and the weapon strapped to my back were not welcome.
I walked by a small building where a Uripon stood outside. A few others surrounded him, chatting in low tones, but when I drew closer, they scattered. He remained, watching me closer, his gaze shifting to Bloom as his horizontal pupils lengthened. He didn’t seem scared of me though, which was a good thing.
I stopped in front of him, and he clicked his beak at me, but otherwise remained still. Uripons were a nervous type, with hooves, greasy feathers, and a small skull.
“A Kaluma. A Kaluma. Well, I’ll be. A Kaluma. Haven’t seen one in ages.” He twittered the two sets of wings that grew from his back and ruffled his head plume at a nearby lurker. “Hey Rip, remember that big one that came through, oh, what was that, ten cycles ago? Yeah, yeah, you big ones. A Kaluma. Not a Drixonian. Not a Rogastix. A Kaluma.”
“You’ve seen one?” That got my attention. The only Kaluma I knew that had been off planet was… I shook my head. No way.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Hmmmm. Maybe not. Maybe that wasn’t a Kaluma. You are. But not him. Maybe not.”
Bloom shifted closer to me, maybe unsure of his strange speech patterns.
“Have you been here long?” I asked him.
“Been here long? I’ve been here since the Gattrix raids. Remember those, Rip? The Gattrix raids.” He ruffled his plume again, and a ripple went down his back. “Nasty stuff, those raids. Nasty.”
I wasn’t sure what he was referring to, but Gattrix were a nasty insect-like species with a hard thorax and a venomous spit. Karina still bore a scar on her shoulder from one.
“Is there anyone here good with tech?” I asked slowly. “I’m looking for some comms possibly. Maybe a navigator.” I didn’t want any of that, but I also didn’t want to let on about what I actually needed.
“Tech? Ah tech. We all need tech. Navigator is good. Hard traveling out here. Don’t get many new ones. Mostly by word of mouth. Word of mouth to those that need us. Don’t like newcomers a lot, especially big ones with weapons.” He fluttered his wings with a clicked beak.
“Just looking to speak to someone about tech. Then we’ll be gone. We are peaceful.” I held my hands up, palms out, but I knew what I was and what I looked like. The Uripon didn’t look too convinced.
Suddenly the Rip lurker spoke up. “He’s got some. He’s the one to ask.”
“Who?” I said to him.
“Go away,” shouted the first Uripon, and Rip ducked out of sight. “Telling everyone his business. That’s his business. Not your business. His business.”
“Who?” I asked him this time.
The Uripon let out an angry squawk. “If you hurt, we hurt you. We have weapons. We can defend. Hurt you, big warrior. And this little one too.”
“I won’t hurt anyone,” I insisted.
He went into a series of annoyed shudders and trembles before pointing with a wingtip to a small, closed tent near the back edge of the settlement. “There. He has tech. Tons. But he can be nasty. Yells. Don’t mess. Don’t mess and don’t hurt.”
“No mess. No hurt.” I gave him a nod in deference for his help. “Thank you.”
I began to walk, nudging Bloom to fall in step beside me as the Uripon called after us. “No hurt and no mess!”
“He’s loud,” Bloom murmured. “And kept making the same noises over and over again.”
“They repeat themselves a lot,” I said, even though I knew she wouldn’t understand me. I hoped this he had a translator implant. I wanted to talk to Bloom more than anything.
The tent was quiet, a slight breeze flapping the edges of the stained, ripped fabric. Through a small slit, I saw movement inside, but when I pulled back the edge and stepped in, Bloom on my heels, no one was there. I gripped Bloom’s shoulder tightly in case we had to bolt. The tent was full of tables of dusty tech and wires. Something sparked on a tarp, and I got the impression the owner of this tent had just been working on it. “Hello?”
There was a moment of silence, and then a deep voice spoke from somewhere above me. “What do you want?”
There was something about the tone that didn’t seem… right. It didn’t seem… alive. I glanced around until I spotted a square structure in the corner of the back of the tent. The sound had been coming from there. Where was the tent’s owner?
“I want—”
From behind sounded a loud thump followed by a clatter. I turned to find Bloom had tripped over a wire on the floor and in doing so, her hood had fallen off and her face scarf had slipped down to her neck. She stared up at me with wide eyes as I pulled her to her feet and shoved the hood down back over her face. I whirled around, studying the tent, looking for any threats.
A second too late, I heard the click of laser gun cocking a second before a different voice—way different—growled from the back of the tent. “Don’t move.”
A figure appeared in the shadows of the tent, wearing a pair of pants, knee-high boots, and a tight shirt that stretched across her chest. The female, unmistakably human, wore a band to keep her full, dark curly hair off her face, and her skin was a few shades darker than Bloom’s. The laser gun she held in her hand didn’t waver, not once, and her full lips were pressed together while her brown eyes fired hatred at me.
She spoke again, the weapon trained on me. “The human stays here and you leave. Your other choice is a laser hole in your forehead. You decide because I don’t really care.”
Four
Bloom
She was going to shoot him. This human, who was one of me. And yet she wasn’t scared or trembling or weak. She stood strong and proud, arms corded with muscle and a stomach that had has many ridges as Cravus’s.
But she was going to shoot him.
“No.” The word whimpered from my throat on a weak squeak.
“It’s okay.” The woman’s jaw was tight, but I saw the slightest tremble in her lips. “I’m Zuri. And he can’t hurt you anymore. He’s not the first to try and won’t be the last. But I always win.”
“No.” I tried again, panic rising in my chest as I sought to breathe. Cravus hadn’t moved, standing still as stone at my side, his gaze never leaving Zuri’s hand. “Please, he’s not… doesn’t hurt… me.” I had been getting better at speaking, but now I couldn’t seem to put the right words together.
“Stockholm Syndrome is a thing, honey, and I’ll explain it all once this big fucker fucks off.”
I was crying now, hot tears spilling over my bottom lashes. “Please.”
Zuri stepped closer, her gun still on Cravus, and reached for me. “Come on.” Her finger snagged my cloak and tugged. “Come here. You’re safe now.”
But as soon as I let out a cry of distress, Cravus moved. Or more like… he didn’t move. He just disappeared. Poof. Vanished. Out of thin air.
>
“Fuck!” Zuri screeched and tossed me behind her. “Forgot about these invisible fucks.” Skags fell from my cloak with a squawk just as a table moved and Zuri fired off a shot. I heard a roar, unmistakably Cravus’s voice just as his form flickered until he stood in front of us, his arm leaking black blood, his expression a mask of fury.
“Gotcha,” Zuri sneered before aiming the gun again.
“No!” I screamed, surging out from behind her to throw myself in front of Cravus. “Don’t shoot him, please!”
“Bloom, hut!” he barked in his language followed by a few more gargled commands.
“I won’t shoot her, just you,” Zuri spat in response to him. “I’m a great shot, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
I went to my knees in front of Cravus, trembling so badly that my teeth chattered. “Please don’t hurt him. He saved me. Then I saved him. And we’ll keep saving each other.”
Confusion flickered over Zuri’s face for a brief second before she aimed again. “That’s nonsense. None of these assholes give a shit—”
“Please,” I stood up slowly, directly in front of Cravus who panted behind me, probably with pain and anger. “I don’t know why we’re here because I don’t understand his language, but I think it has something to do with me. Please just hear him out. Let him talk.” Skags raced over to cling to my leg. “We both need him. And want him.”
Her brows dipped, and her top teeth came out to chew at the corner of her lower lip. “He doesn’t hurt you?”
“No,” I said. “If he did, I would have let you shoot him.”
“He’s not holding something over you? Family? Another pet?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have anyone.”
Her eyes narrowed for a brief moment before she finally lowered the laser gun. Her gaze shifted to Cravus behind me. “So, what are you here for?”