“The spirits are strangely restless this revolution. I cannot help but see this as a sign. Oigr’s return shall mark our history.”
Deena shivered as a tingle danced over her skin. Her heart sank. She knew more than ever that she couldn’t take Oigr away from his home. The passing hour was making that more and more apparent. She blinked back tears and shared a smile with Goral.
Chapter 10
OIGR DISEMBARKED. HIS eyes narrowed as he took in the ship hangar. The desert winds were cruel to technology. The starships and distance hoppers were meticulously kept in working order in immaculate ship hangers. Nearly everything inside was automated, aside from the few engineers belonging to the lineage responsible for the maintenance.
A broad male of average stature looked up at him from where he worked calibrating the engines of a nearby hopper, his finger hovering over his comm pad as he stared wide-eyed.
“You’re here! I mean—welcome, magved. I am honored to serve you.”
The male placed two of his fists over his heart and bowed formally. Oigr struggled to contain his grimace. Instead of feeling the rush of pride he felt in his youth, the title was disconcerting. He hadn’t been magved in a very long time and it suited him as well as an ill-fitting glove.
Oigr raised a hand, halting the younger male’s flow of words. There was only one thing he cared about—only one purpose for his presence there.
“Where is Elglor?”
The engineer fumbled with his comm pad and flushed.
“He’s in the paliad.”
“My father’s house.”
It wasn’t a question. There was no doubt at all that the chieftain’s house was his father’s house and by right no one else’s. Not yet.
“Yes, magved.”
Oigr took a deep breath to control his rage against his cousin’s arrogant presumption. Fastening his yellow gaze on the other male, he narrowed his eyes.
“One other question. He brought a human with him. Where is she?”
The engineer averted his gaze.
“Your sister, Veenagoral, demanded her right to see to your female’s needs. She resides in her home.”
“Veena? My sister has mated an engineer?”
The male met his eyes and nodded.
“Oh yes, three revolutions ago she mated with my brother Melglog. It was a very happy occasion for our family.”
Oigr didn’t recall Melglog. The male had likely still been a youngling when Oigr went into exile, but knowing that his sister was happily mated and seeing to the welfare of his female eased some of his worry.
He could now see to Elglor without concern that the male had his mate beneath his control.
There, he admitted it. Courtship rituals be damned. As far as he was concerned, she was his mate and he dared any among his caravan to dispute it. The whole of his being felt severed when he was apart from her, as if his spirit’s song was only a fraction of a melody playing back upon itself. Incomplete like the stuttering mating cries of songbirds that inhabited the oasis, singing sadly for their mates.
He clapped the engineer on his upper-right arm, startling him.
“Contact your brother and tell him that I request Goral and my mate be brought to the paliad as soon as possible. I will deal with Elglor, and then we will see about any other unpleasantness.”
The engineer bobbed his head, his smile broadening.
“Of course, magved. It will be my pleasure. In truth, few among the caravan, even we humble engineers who dwell all through the revolution here within the tech dome, support your cousin. There are rumors.”
That got Oigr’s attention.
“Rumors?”
The male glanced around as if concerned they might be overheard. Oigr could appreciate the worry. If his cousin had spies, he likely would not hesitate to harm or even execute those who verbally opposed him. Elglor had a reputation for being cruel even when he’d been a younger male. Oigr would not put anything past him.
“There are rumors that your father didn’t die naturally. His health was as good as always and then suddenly one morning he does not awaken. This was shortly after the people arrived at Dormgal for the winter and he took his place once again in the paliad at the heart of our city.”
Oigr’s brow furrowed. That was suspicious.
“Was there anything noteworthy observed? Perhaps by someone who has regular access to the paliad?”
The male shook his head. “No, magved, except it was remarked upon that it was almost peculiar the way he lay when he was found. It was almost ceremonial, the way he was stretched out on his back, his necked tucked down against his chest and his four hands lying over his heart. One doesn’t consider that a natural position of sleep... but I am not a specialist.”
“The healer didn’t find anything out of the ordinary?”
“Old Messil is still the healer of our caravan. She examined the magvedorsha. There were no wounds and she detected no sign of common poisons. She ran the scanner for everything that is known on Vrol.”
“What about toxins from outside of Vrol?”
The engineer blanched.
“But, magved, where would anyone acquire something from offworld with which to poison the magvedorsha? You know our imports are regulated. No foreign plants or animals are permitted on Vrol, and our ships are inspected for smuggled goods whenever they come into port.”
“What of Elglor’s personal ship?”
“Of course!”
Oigr tapped one thick black fingernail on his shormal spear.
“Do you still keep logs of all ships that come in?”
“Naturally, and we upload them into a planetwide database for the benefit of other caravans.”
A thought occurred to him, one that stemmed from his youth when, on one occasion, his flyer came down in an off-route location and it had taken two rotations before his father’s favored warriors had been able to retrieve him. Something about the static of the energy field interfering with precise tracking over vast unrouted areas.
“What of unauthorized landings? Is Vrol still having problems tracking ships in undesignated routing zones?”
“That would be deep in the desert, magved. The likelihood of one individual going so far, alone, from the caravan and taking a chance with the predators of Vrol seems slim.”
“But it is possible,” Oigr pressed.
“Well, yes, it is possible.”
“I will convene with a healer and assist her in preparing an upload from the intergalactic database. I have acquired codes to access the database.”
He wasn’t about to go into how he acquired said codes. Rearing Nazzek had required him to tiptoe on the wrong side of the law almost from the start, and it began with the codes to the intergalactic records of toxicology. Nazzek had nearly ended his life as a youngling more times than Oigr could count, from playing with or ingesting things he should not. It was a miracle that male was still among the living and that Oigr himself hadn’t suffered heart failure due to all the accidents.
He was relieved when, instead of questioning him, the engineer glanced down at his comm pad.
“Magved, Vrol isn’t allowed access to intergalactic codes since our planet refused to submit to intergalactic regulations.”
“Who is going to tell them?” Oigr challenged. “We must do what is necessary to seek justice for the spirit of my father and for the benefit of my widowed mother.”
The other cheered at the thought and nodded his head in agreement.
“Would you like me to alert her to join you at the paliad as well?”
Oigr shook his head. He would need to have the results as soon as possible. Though the healer’s house hadn’t possessed an intergalactic comm system when he was here last, he couldn’t afford to waste time locating one at the paliad. And for what she needed to do, he couldn’t trust the systems on Vrol to be as efficient as his own.
“No. Have her come to you here. I am comming you the codes.” He brought his finger to his comm s
ystem to link with the engineer’s comm pad. “As soon as she arrives, take her to the comm system on my ship. They are encrypted to switch every few seconds to identifying signals based off legal planets. This way, the use of the codes will not draw attention.”
“Codes received. I will do as you instruct, magved.”
“As soon as you have any information, comm me immediately.”
“It will be done.”
“Gratitude, Veena... eh?”
“Furshgal, magved,” the male supplied proudly. “Veenafurshgal.”
“Gratitude, Veenafurshgal.”
Oigr inclined his head respectfully and left the hangar, his mind spinning with what he’d learned. He’d assumed that his arrival was a simple matter: retrieve Deena and return with his mate to Earth. The possibility that his father may have been murdered by his cousin added further complications as well as a death to avenge should his suspicions prove correct.
When he arrived at the paliad, it was obvious that word of his arrival had spread. A large crowd had gathered in the courtyard before the house, whispering among each other and watching him with interest. Most saluted as he passed by, and even those who didn’t watched him with cautious respect. No doubt most remembered—or if they were too young to recall had it told to them—his accomplishments of strength and battle acumen. The magved, alongside all the young of the magvedorsha, was trained to be first among warriors. He’d earned every bit of his reputation.
From the balcony above, Elglor leaned over the edge and smirked down at him. Oigr squinted up at him, half-blinded by the intense sun coming through the city’s dome but radiating fury as he lay eyes for the first time in revolutions upon his nefarious cousin.
“Oigr,” Elglor greeted him, both sets of his arms crossing at the balcony’s wall. “I am so very pleased to see you. Thank you for accepting my kind invitation.”
Oigr barked out an angry laugh.
“You call kidnapping my mate a kind invitation?”
A surprised murmur swept through the ground and Elglor raised an impertinent eyebrow.
“You have completed the courtship ceremonies with a human?”
“Enough to know that the songs of our spirits are bound.”
Elglor threw back his head and laughed. He directed an open hand toward the elders gathered close to the paliad.
“You see? He is not worthy. There are no offworlders allowed on Vrol, and he has mated one of them.”
He gestured toward the crowd and Oigr’s breath caught as he turned his head and caught sight of Deena. His sister, Goral, a proud, strong female, stood at her side with her chin raised in defiance against those who dared to look their way. A large male of considerable size stood behind them in a protective stance, his lips pulled back from sizeable tusks, and his frills extended in warning.
Deena was pale, but her eyes found his and she smiled.
Relief swept through him. Everything was going to be fine. His mate had heard his declaration and there was no discomfort or disgust on her face. Instead, her eyes seemed to shine with moisture, her smile inviting.
The elders glanced between one another. An elder female, the seeress among them, consulted a broad bowl in her hands, shaking the bits of bones and tokens that Oigr knew it contained. She looked at the others and offered a stony nod. The most grizzled among them, his bristle the gray of the iron ore that their planet so supplied for trade, stepped forward.
“Be that as it may, the spirits of the caravan have spoken. You cannot be magvedorsha unless you acquire it through Oigr.”
“Then I will acquire it through his blood!”
Elglor leaped from the balcony, landing on the stone floor with a solid thud. He rose to his full height, the muscles of his body flexing with the strength of a male in his prime. Oigr was not intimidated. Though he was no longer in his youth, he was confident in his own strength to deal with his cousin.
A sneer curled the male’s lips as his eyes scanned Oigr from head to toe.
“What right do you have to wear the marks of a warrior, Exile?”
Oigr bared his tusks.
“I dare say more than you do, murderer.”
Elglor smirked and pressed a hand to his chest.
“Did I murder someone? That is a serious charge.”
“And one that shall be levied against you once proof comes back to me.”
Elglor attacked, his spear striking forward. Oigr thrust his own upward, knocking the weapon aside. His cousin danced away and laughed.
“How are you going to acquire said proof? It is infeasible to collect that which you cannot ever hope to find.”
Oigr bared all of his teeth in a hard, angry smile.
“Do not concern yourself, cousin. I have my ways.”
The smile slipped on his opponent’s face, and the other male regarded him with a guarded expression.
“I do not believe you.”
Shrugging one shoulder, Oigr hefted his spear and advanced.
“It matters not what you believe.”
The transformation in Elglor’s demeanor was sudden and vicious. Snarling, the male attacked and Oigr met him, the clash of their spears sparking and sending ripples of energy through the air with every impact. They battled like wild beasts, slashing at each other mercilessly, charging and clashing with enough fury that the vibrations shook minor structures around them.
Round and round, they parried and attacked in the courtyard. Both wore the signs of their combat, darkening bruises and ugly lacerations carved into their hides with each pass. Oigr didn’t think anything of it. His body was already littered with scars; he was merely adding a few more to the collection. He returned every ruthless blow, and he could see his cousin’s confident expression fading as he abandoned himself to his anger.
Oigr thrust his spear tips deep into the meat of Elglor’s side—not a vital spot, not yet. Challenge duels were not for sentencing. There would be time soon enough.
The male screamed in pain, his body whipping around, and by chance Elglor kicked out with his foot, striking Oigr in the diaphragm. Oigr staggered back, wheezing as he clutched his bruised ribs with one hand and gripped his spear tighter with the others. He did not withdraw, nor did he turn his back even for a second on his cousin. Keeping the younger male in his line of sight, Oigr regained his breath even as he calmed and focused his mind.
Elglor was younger and had greater energy with which to fight, but Oigr had revolutions of experience, study, and the patience to back up his larger frame. Battles were not determined by brute strength alone. Too many young warriors made that mistake in assuming that their abundant energy would see them victorious, yet Oigr once saw a master elder warrior take down a skilled opponent half his age. Oigr would be likewise victorious.
Elglor charged with a roar, whipping his spear through the air. Oigr tensed, not giving ground nor moving to stand. His body pained him, but he let that go, his entire focus on the male’s rapid approach, timing his breath to the pounding steps of his opponent’s feet.
Just as Elglor arched to deliver a crippling wound, Oigr struck, driving the long, fiery tip of his spear upward, severing his cousin’s arm above the elbow. The stench of seared flesh was terrible, but effective. Elglor lay on the ground, his severed arm flapping beside him. The lower half of the arm and its spear, the blades now deactivated, fell to the ground with a clatter, muffled only by the terrible scream that came from his mouth. Oigr swallowed back bile, stepped forward, and set the tip of his weapon near his cousin’s throat.
Such duties were never pleasant, but he could not shirk the necessity of it.
“Do you yield?”
Pushing himself up heavily by his remaining arms, his cousin groaned and spat blood onto the stones, no doubt having bitten his tongue. He turned his head and glared up at Oigr.
“Go fuck a diseased beast.”
Oigr promptly drew his foot back and kicked him in the head. It wouldn’t do more than momentarily stun him, due to the Vrooduks
’ thick skulls, but it would be enough for Oigr to win the day.
Watching his cousin rolling on the ground in agony, Oigr disregarded everyone else and stepped toward Deena, his female—his mate.
Tears running freely down her face, she pushed forward through the crowd, Goral following behind her. The crowd parted to let them through, though many of them frowned at Deena. Oigr growled at them, his frills puffing out, and they redirected their contemptuous gaze from her as they looked to the ground.
Though sweaty and sporting numerous wounds, he opened his arms and absorbed the gentle impact of her body as they collided. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, and she shuddered. His spirit eased at her closeness, uniting and harmonizing with her own. That was the realized peace of finding one’s mate.
The large male who must have been his sister’s mate grinned as he stepped forward to stand at Goral’s side. Oigr dipped his head in the customary acknowledgment of kin ties, and Garol smiled, her pale eyes bright with emotion.
“Melglog,” Oigr murmured respectfully.
“Magved,” the male returned with a small bow.
Deena pulled back in his arms and narrowed her eyes reproachfully.
“Now what the heck was this all about?”
“I will tell you as soon as I...”
His comm unit chimed and lit up with incoming communications. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he accepted the transmission.
“Speak.”
The elderly female shoved aside the engineer with her hip.
“Step back. I know how to operate a comm just fine.”
“But, Healer M...”
“Don’t interrupt. I am trying to have a conversation with the magved here.” She squinted at Oigr from the other side of the comm. “Well, I see being offplanet hasn’t turned you into a soft wastrel.”
Oigr grinned.
“Greetings, Messil.”
The female huffed, but her eyes gleamed with pleasure.
“Okay, now that pleasantries have been dispensed with, are the elders present?”
A Mate for Oigr Page 8