Before long, he could hear small feet traipsing after him through the foliage. His red eyes burned bright, helping her to see a clear way; he didn’t want her to bang into anything again. He continued his crooning, another beacon in the dark night. As a warrior, he could sense her fear, and he could sense her strength of character as well. Being a mercenary, Kobe had come across many species, some smaller, some larger, each with its own unique defense ability. Kobe wondered about this human and her ability to defend herself.
Each time he glanced back to marvel at Zuri’s strange structure, she stopped; her hands worked worriedly at the fabric of her bizarre clothing. Zargonnii females didn’t wear clothing, at least none that Kobe had ever seen. Their Holiday was the beginning of his species’ sexual confrontations. Male and female Zargonnii met in the jungle to fight for dominance. Both sexes were naked. Clothes would only be shredded. A female wanted to see a warrior’s strength, the size of his maleness was paramount. To Holiday was thrilling, dangerous and satisfying, even if Kobe had lost his confrontations he still felt he had won. Zargonnii females were a worthy opponent, some of his chosen standing over nine feet in height.
The brilliant blue of the shining Zargonnii space vessel caught Zuri’s attention and he heard her gasp. When he looked back she was standing still, gaze heavenward, mouth agape. To Kobe, it looked like any normal vessel he had seen his entire life. His father was a commander until his death a year previous. Kobe had been expecting his father’s demise. At five hundred years old, his father had walked into the jungle and never returned. His father was past his prime, he would not shame himself or his son by dying a feeble death. He was on a mission to die in battle; the cyron he must have chosen would have been the biggest he could find. It was an honorable death. Kobe missed him. He had been his father’s only son and though Kobe had been on Holiday four times he had not given his father a grandson. Either the females he had mated with had not conceived or had birthed females.
Zuri mumbled a few words, catching his attention; her motion had ceased altogether. Obviously humans were capable of space flight, but perhaps the Zargonnii ship was intimidating.
“Does the ship alarm you?”
She nodded, frowned, shook her head no then crossed her arms and rattled off a number of highly unintelligent words. Looking at her attire, she seemed distressed and pointed at him, her clothes, or lack thereof and motioned to him again.
“There are many male warriors on board, each hoping for a glimpse of you,” Kobe said. Her eyes widened. Hmm, maybe not the smartest thing to say. He only meant the males of his species were curious, they wouldn’t eat her. “If you wish, I will make you a vow and offer my protection. I only ask you at least try and learn my language so we may discuss your planet. I too am curious.” The idea of offering protection made him feel somewhat awkward and uncomfortable. Females on his planet didn’t need a male’s protection for anything. To even think to offer would be construed as ludicrous.
Zuri looked from him, to the ship and back to him. She cast a glance back toward where they had come. Kobe moved closer, assessing her indecisiveness. It must be a human trait; Kobe always knew what he wanted. It was apparent Zuri needed some type of comfort to make her choice, but Kobe had never interacted like this with anyone. Other warriors would scoff at his attempt to offer aid. A Zargonnii female would kick his ass. He needed to show this female how strong he was, that he meant what he said. She didn’t know him, but Kobe found actions spoke louder than words. There was only one thing to do.
Kobe pushed Zuri to the ground with one hand. She was even lighter than she looked and when he unintentionally sent her flying, it surprised him. For a second, he had the urge to go after her. He’d have to remember her apparent weightlessness for later use. Zuri landed with a hard thump and a sharp squeal. Her feet splayed out in front of her in the air. She looked a little ridiculous. Her behind was rounded and the small material she wore was white, giving him a glimpse of her woman’s area. That was something else he would love to see close up. When he had mated before, the Zargonnii females had kept his eyes from their heat; he was curious. Kobe smiled.
“There, you see how strong I am? That should make you feel better.”
Zuri scowled up at him; her feet settled onto the ground before her. “Moron.” The single muttered word was strange to Kobe; normally the female strung a long-winded sentence together. He thought about it for a second. Perhaps it was a human word to plead for mercy, or since he had exhibited great prowess maybe the little female was impressed, she didn’t look terrified.
That must be it.
Kobe smiled brighter. Moron must be a word for great strength. “Yes I am this—a moron. A great warrior moron.”
Her eyes widened in stunned surprise. “Dumb ass.”
Excitement filled him, she must be very impressed with him. He struggled with her words for a second. “I will be your dumb—ass—moron protector.” Surely that must make her feel better.
Zuri muttered something under her breath and smacked his hand when he offered to help her up. Her hand rubbed her behind and hip. Kobe became concerned; he sensed her discomfort. There was no time to ponder, the bright red fire wave was sent from the ship and Kobe could feel the welcome, gentle draw of the vessel as he and Zuri were pulled aboard. The brilliant light was beautiful, absorbing into his heated eyes. Inhaling deeply, Kobe let the scent of the radiant beam seep into his lungs. The surrounding beam always made him think of his father.
The light tug stopped the second they boarded the ship. Kobe could feel his feet on the solid deck. His gut tickled for just an instant then settled immediately, he turned and smiled at Zuri. She was a paler white than his fur.
“Zuri?”
She gasped, gagged and voided the contents of her belly all over his booted feet.
* * * *
“Oh my God. That was horrible. What the hell was that? Shit, this ship is huge. This thing is the size of a football field, it’s shaped like a football field,” Zuri complained as she still gasped for breath, her fists ground at her eyes. “What the hell were you trying to do, blind me? My God the smell. What the fuck was that light, that stench, fire and brimstone? Burnt toad guts? My lungs have been violated by noxious, putrid gasses. Violated I tell you.”
Zuri blinked her watery eyes rapidly. Her fear of her situation disintegrated at the humiliation of losing her pathetic dinner. At least she wasn’t surrounded by the big ass aliens anymore. It was a nightmare come to life. There had to have been a hundred powerful warriors waiting to gawk at her in her underwear, a sea of furry testosterone. She had cleared the hanger with her stink; the warriors had stood openmouthed for a mere second before scattering in all directions when she gagged again.
Her nose wrinkled as she gazed down at Kobe’s boots. Hunks of her dinner stuck to him, a few chunks falling when his big ass boots hit the floor as he moved. Now, Kobe was practically muscling her down a corridor, grumbling about his filth-ridden footwear. Zuri’s tummy lurched miserably.
“What do you mean you didn’t know human females could stink?” Zuri was outraged when she caught some of his words. “No, you dumb ass moron, it’s not my defense mechanism. What do you think I am, a skunk?”
“I don’t understand you, but am now guessing ‘dumb ass moron’ is not a term for powerful warrior,” he grouched.
“This is not my fault,” she continued to complain as he dragged her along. He kept her at arm’s length. “You took me on the roller coaster ride from hell without so much as a warning. What did you think would happen? An enthusiastic weee?”
“I told you, I don’t understand you, but I’m certain I don’t like your tone,” was his reply.
Zuri tossed up her arms and waved her hands melodramatically in the air. One second, she had been standing on the ground in relative darkness, the next moment a streak of red lightning grabbed her body, ripping her from the ground. Her bones felt altered, her insides were tossed into a blender. It was like being sucked
up a tiny straw; her teeth had actually tingled and her eyes must have protruded as though some freakish cartoon. Her feet had hung onto her ten toes for dear life as she was sucked upwards. Her scream had been cut off abruptly when she hit the tarmac, almost shattering her knee caps. Her guts, which had dropped to the pit of her belly, were rudely sent jolting upwards. Vomit had spewed so fast from Zuri’s mouth, it had shot out her nose.
Ick.
She shuddered just thinking about it and stuck a finger up her nose before snorting. Kobe sent her a disgusted look and with a shove sent her into a room. They stood staring at one another, each scowling. Zuri took a good look at him, feeling a little confused; she was positive he had been larger than he was now. His teeth weren’t nearly as sharp or long; there were spaces where there hadn’t been before. His body sported strange wrinkles, not ugly wrinkles; they were more a ten-pack on his bald stomach. There were no longer long claws at the end of his fingers. It had been so dark out and she had been so scared, maybe she imagined all of it.
“Stay here with the other females, I’ll find you some clothes and see you get water.” His tone was a deep growl, he sounded annoyed. “Your attack was unnecessary. I told you we wouldn’t hurt you. The warriors were just curious. I hope you are out of ammunition. It may not be deadly, but it’s disgusting.”
“I puked; it wasn’t all fun and games for me, mister. It was an accident.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“Ugh,” Zuri said in exasperation. Wildly, she made gestures to indicate her vomiting wasn’t on purpose.
“Yet you managed to hit only me.”
Tough shit, moron.
Kobe was gone, storming from the room; the door slid closed behind him and Zuri looked around with curiosity. Now that he was gone, her thoughts centered on what he had said. Other females? Had they found other survivors besides her crashed shuttle? That would be wonderful.
“Zuri,” came a shout. “Thank God, I thought these creatures had eaten you.”
“Cash, Leo. I’m happy to see you both. Where are the other women?” Zuri asked. She filled with relief at the sight of them.
“What other women?” Leo asked.
“The alien who brought me here, Kobe, he said there were other females.”
“No, no one but us two,” Cash replied.
“How odd. I was positive he said females.” Zuri looked around the high-ceilinged, large room. Outside a large square window, she could see space. The ship moved fast, there was no sign of any planet. Oversized furniture was sparse but looked comfortable. She then shivered involuntarily. “It’s cold in here.” Goose bumps dotted her legs and made the fine hairs on her arms stand tall. She felt a little self-conscious standing in front of her friends in just underwear and a t-shirt. There were no blankets in the room.
“Tell me about it; I’m afraid my nipples could poke out an eye,” Leo muttered.
Zuri cast her glance at Leo’s unclad chest. He wore only ripped shorts, all three were barefoot. Leo was on the hefty side of burly and was the type of man who looked better with clothes on. He was close to Zuri’s five-foot-seven height but outweighed her by a good hundred and fifty pounds. What Leo lacked in looks he made up for in personality. Always a joker or prankster, Leo was a genius at making people laugh. Leo was comfortable with his size and who he was. Zuri found him to be a great friend and sweet man.
“I’d give you mine but it wouldn’t fit; you need a t-tent, not a t-shirt,” Cash said with his normal snarky bite. Cash was close to six feet with a gangly build.
“We could always use your t-shirt to shove it in your mouth, Cash,” Zuri said sweetly. “Oh wait, it’s still too small to fit properly.”
“Alright, enough. Never mind, Zuri, I can defend myself,” Leo intervened. Zuri knew he could, she couldn’t help herself. Cash was mean-spirited, his words nasty most of the time. Zuri and Cash had been vocally sparing for a year now, it just came naturally. “We have bigger problems.”
“Yeah, even bigger than you,” Cash shot back.
Annoyed, Zuri couldn’t help herself. “No worries, Leo. It seems when the Gorgano attacked they got into my head and messed with it. I can understand these beings. They’re going to eat Cash first. They like to start with small appetizers.”
Cash went white and Leo grinned. “Ah being fat finally has some perks.”
“If you know so much, then what the hell are these things?” Cash said. “They look like a cross between polar bears, yeti, the abominable snowman and big foot. What the hell do they want?”
“They are called Zargonnii warriors. Some kind of mercenaries, I think. The creatures on the planet, 2BKs, thought we had overstayed our welcome when they started getting killed,” Zuri replied.
“That wasn’t our fault,” Cash stormed in outrage. “How could we know so many aliens wanted to use us for target practice? They sold us out. Pathetic excuses for aliens. I never did trust them.”
“I feel bad they were killed because of us. It’s because of them we are still alive,” Leo said, his look thoughtful. “They did try to help us. And the Gorgano didn’t return. Do these, 2BKs, want us dead?”
“They wanted us extracted, not annihilated. They are apparently a peaceful culture and when we came along, they weren’t certain what to do—until they started coming to our rescue.”
“So what are these Zargonnii things going to do with us?” Cash asked.
“I was told they mean us no harm. Since we aren’t dead, maybe it’s true. They thought I was attacking them when I barfed which was weird. Kobe said his planet is safer.” This time when Zuri said his name she pronounced it the way he had. The K was guttural, almost harsh. It had apparently been important she learn to say it right; she wondered if her first attempt had embarrassed him in some way.
“Kobe?” both Leo and Cash asked.
“That’s what he said his name was. He didn’t hurt me, so maybe they don’t mean us any harm. Neither of you look any worse for wear.” Zuri looked at Cash. “Unless of course you piss them off in your charming way. Then maybe they really will eat you.”
The door to the cabin opened and Cash shrank back as Kobe approached Zuri. He had obviously changed his clothing and boots. He held out three beautiful long squares of fabric, one he handed over to her. She immediately wrapped it around her hips in relief. The fabric was soft as silk and almost touched the floor. Kobe gave one to Cash who stared blankly at it. Kobe remained holding the biggest one and grinned at Leo. His smile made him appear likeable. He no longer looked angry, more companionable. She remembered he wanted her to learn his language because he was curious about her and Earth. He reminded Zuri of a somewhat furry gentle giant.
“This female has many pleasant squishy curves,” Kobe said. “The hair on her chest, arms back and belly is just only slightly less hairy than some of our females. She is pleasant to look at.”
Zuri’s mouth dropped open stunned, until she burst out laughing. She laughed until tears dripped from her chin. She was surrounded by her friends, and she felt safe. Kobe was huge, but he wasn’t the massive creature the dark had made him out to be. None of them had been harmed; it was such a relief to really laugh, it was hard to stop. For a second, she wondered if she were teetering on the brink of sanity. Here she was alive, not slaughtered. Maybe everything would be okay after all. Leo crossed his arms over his ample chest.
“Well, let’s have it. What stellar joke has the alien got for me?” Zuri noted Leo’s cocky attitude, he must have felt it too, this overwhelming relief that another alien wasn’t out to kill them.
“He thinks you’re a woman,” Zuri said, laughed again then snorted. It was so much fun to joke. She wasn’t trying to hurt his feelings and knew she wasn’t. “What a moron. You’re the most handsome guy here.”
Both Cash and Leo scowled. But there was a twinkle in Leo’s eyes that Zuri loved. He then looked at the aqua-colored material. Zuri couldn’t wait for his rebuttal.
“Look, fuzzy.” Le
o winked at Zuri. “I ain’t no woman and I’m not going to wear a moo-moo.”
“Why is she so mad?” Kobe asked at the look on Leo’s face. “She’s cute. I’m impressed with her breasts; they’re even larger than yours…no offense. Our females only have breasts when lactating to feed our young. Is this female carrying a young one due any day? If so we need to make arrangements quickly.”
Which sent Zuri on another laughing fit. Struggling to breathe and talk, she gasped out: “He likes your boobs, Leo.”
“Oh for heaven sakes, an alien obsessed with man-boobs,” Leo grumbled. “Just eat me first and get it over with. No need for salt.”
Zuri was doubled over.
“This thing can’t possibly think I’m a woman?” Cash said although he looked skeptical.
Zuri stood straight and became serious. She pointed at Cash and gestured in a curious way. Kobe nodded.
“Well yes,” Kobe said. “This one is very nice. She’s a little thin, if a warrior takes this one he will have to be very careful, she’s so delicate. She’s different from you, Zuri. She has lots of dark hair on her legs and arms, whereas you are almost hairless. Did you shed for some reason? Are you from different continents? There are similarities to the three of you, but the other two look somehow…unusual.”
Zuri looked at Cash standing in his t-shirt and shorts. “He says you’re too skinny. He thinks you’re the ugliest female he’s ever seen, so no worries.”
Cash looked relieved then went red. Zuri collapsed on the floor thinking she would honestly die of laughter. Kobe was frowning at her, so was Cash. Leo grinned down at her.
“Explain to this beast we’re male,” Cash insisted.
“How?” Zuri asked, struggling to her knees, wiping her eyes. “You can explain it better. Just whip your dicks out. Even this creature would understand anatomy—maybe.”
C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) Page 4