by Luna Hunter
I sound more bitter than I’d like, but the wound has never truly healed.
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” I snap. “I don’t know.”
“Sorry,” Koryn says.
We spend the rest of the hike in silence. The discussion brought back many bad memories for me, and I make another vow to myself not to get involved with Koryn. He’s a warrior, just like my father had been, and that means he can’t be trusted.
I promised myself I’d never end up like my mother: sacrificing her entire life for a man who left her with nothing but a child to raise on her own. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother to absolute pieces, but I saw how much it hurt her. I felt her pain as if it were my own. I carry that pain with me everywhere I go.
Maybe that’s why I’m always travelling. Am I still running from that pain? Am I still running from a family?
A giant branch whips into my face, knocking me to the soft forest floor, rousing me from my thoughts.
“Sorry,” Koryn says as he helps me to my feet, a guilty gleam in his golden eyes. “I didn’t think you were that close behind me.”
“It’s fine,” I say. The physical pain of a bump on my nose beats the hell out of the emotional pain I was starting to feel. Koryn wets this thumb and wipes some dirt from my cheek.
“Are we close?”
“We’re nearing the site,” he answers. “In fact, it’s right there.”
Vines had completely overgrown the entrance to the cave, and if Koryn hadn’t pointed it out to me, I would have walked right past it. He slashes the vines down with a dagger he keeps at his side, and a pitch-black entrance looms in front of me.
I swallow the lump in my throat. Why did I sign up for this mission again?
The air coming from the cave is cold and still. I light up a flare, the bright red light casting shadows all around us.
“Let’s go,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I really am as we descend into the dark mouth. In front of me is a path leading down quite sharply and I watch my step, noticing small pebbles tumbling down every time I move. The sound echoes down the narrow halls.
If there’s something down there waiting for us, it knows we’re coming.
I turn my head to see how Koryn’s doing. He has to crouch all the way down to his knees, as he’s much taller than I am.
“How are you doing?” I ask. “Is it not too tight?”
“Don’t worry about me,” he says. “I’m flexible.”
I bet you are.
After a short hike, the path widens again, before splitting off into four different directions. I illuminate the paths, but all of them seem identical.
“What now?” I ask Koryn. “Which one should we take?”
He looks down at his wrist-com. “The drone is not responding anymore,” he says. “I sent it down into the cave, but its feed has cut out.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Could be nothing. It could just be so deep that it has no signal anymore. That’s the best case scenario.”
“And the worst case scenario?”
“The worst case scenario is something got to it.”
“Something?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
Koryn shrugs. “Unlikely. Forget about it. Probably crashed into the wall or something.”
If those drones can navigate through a sea of trees, I’m sure they can find their way inside a cave without bumping into the walls. I know he’s just trying to put my mind at ease… and I’m thankful for it.
“Let’s take the one on the left,” I say. Koryn nods and takes the lead, lighting up a flare of his own. He attaches a rope to the wall and unrolls it as we go, so we don’t lose our way. My heart is beating like a drum, and I feel like the sound is bouncing off the narrow walls, but nothing happens as we descend deeper and deeper into the cave. We have to take some narrow twists and turns, and use the rope to navigate some steep parts, but it all goes much smoother than I’d imagined.
That is, until we reach the end of the tunnel. Our path is blocked by a wall of loose stones, from the ground all the way up to the ceiling.
“This is strange,” Koryn says as he studies the wall, running his hand over the smooth rocks. “This is not a natural formation. These rocks seem to have been placed here.”
That is not what I wanted to hear.
“What do you mean? There’s someone here?”
Koryn scratches the top of his head. “Or it’s a very local cave-in.”
He starts moving the rocks out of the way, making a way through for the both of us.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I ask, looking over my shoulder. I shine my flare into the darkness, but I don’t see a thing. The world is still except for the sound of Koryn working.
He continues on, effortlessly lifting rocks that no human could ever dream to move. His mauve muscles bulge as he works, sweat dripping down his brow. I have to admit he looks downright hot doing manual labor.
“There,” he says. “Can you wiggle your way through?”
I look at the small hole he created. Claustrophobia kicks in hard. I’m not that slim!
“Err,” I hesitate. “Is no an option?”
He drops his hands to his side, frowning at me, dirt smudged all over his cheeks. I know he’s mad at me, but I have to admit, he’s got one sexy frown.
“Kelly,” he growls. “We need to know where this tunnel goes, before I spend half a day lifting rocks for no reason.”
I take a deep sigh, balling my fists. “Okay,” I say. “I can do this.”
I’m just crawling into a tiny hole in the wall miles underground on some alien planet. What’s the worst that could happen, right?
Koryn grabs my sides firmly, lifting me up from the ground. His hands feel good on my sides – I wish he could just keep holding me like that. Instead, he lines me up with the hole he created in the wall. I look through it, and the pitch-black darkness awaits me. I put my hands over my head, and Koryn takes a step forward, my arms going through first.
I have to wiggle to get my shoulders past the tiny hole, the rocks scraping my arms, my heart beating in my throat. I shoot forward, tumbling onto the ground.
“Are you okay?” Koryn asks from behind me.
“I’m fine,” I say, dusting myself off. I have some scratches, but I’m not hurt. I grab a flare from my pocket and fire it up, bathing the room in light.
My heart skips a beat.
Countless brown, glowing eyes stare at me from the darkness.
8
Koryn
“Kelly!”
Her scream pierces my eardrums. I punch the rocks with all my strength, clearing a path. My knuckles split open, blood dripping down on the rocks, but none of that matters.
I hear rustling, heavy breathing and growling from the other side of the wall. Kelly doesn’t reply.
This planet is supposed to be deserted. What in Zora’s name is going on?!
I clear a path, using all my strength, throwing the rocks away so hard they split open against the cave wall. Once I clear a path I take a run and dive straight through, smashing through the entire wall.
Kelly’s flare lies motionless on the floor in the middle of the room, casting shadows all over the walls. Half a dozen figures surround me. They’re large and humanoid, matching me in length. Dark, menacing eyes stare at me from the darkness. They bare their fangs at me, growling.
I’ve never met a foe like this.
“Where’s Kelly?” I growl, my fists raised.
One of the beasts charges forward. I raise my hand, and his teeth sink into my arm, cutting straight through my jet-black armor. I wrap my arms around his neck, and I’m surprised to feel dark, thick fur. I squeeze tightly, forcing all the air out of his lungs, and moments later he collapses, unconscious. The blood gushes out of my arm, but I raise my fists again, ready for the next strike.
“Who’s next?” I bite. “I can do this all day.”
One of th
e beasts steps forward, his paws raised up in defense.
“Calm down,” he says, his voice a low crackling roar, like a tree falling.
I take my first good look at the creature. He’s humanoid in shape, and as tall and broad as I am, but his entire body is covered in a thick, deep brown fur. He’s naked except for a leather cloth that hangs around his waist. His eyes are a deep, dark brown, his fangs ivory. The fur around on his chin is slightly gray, betraying his age.
“You speak Universal?” I ask, surprised, my fists still raised.
“Yes,” he growls. “And you’re intruding in our home.”
“Where’s Kelly?” I ask again.
“The soft one? Taken to our leader. Lower your arm, tall one.”
He speaks gently, but there’s a clear threat lingering beneath the surface. My eyes go from one creature to the next. I’m surrounded, outmuscled, and my arm is bleeding profusely.
Begrudgingly, I lower my fists.
“I apologize for my friend,” he says, pointing his paw at the unconscious bundle of fur on the floor. “He’s still young and reckless, and it’s his mating season. My kind can get… unreasonable at those times.”
“Who… or what… are you?” I ask.
The furred man smirks at me, exposing his menacing fangs. “I could ask you the same thing, Zoran.”
“You know my kind?”
The hairy bundle of muscle shrugs. “Perhaps. Come,” he says, pointing me the way. “Everything will become clear.”
The men clear a path for me, every one of them staring me down, and I follow the road in front of me. I’m keenly aware I’m their prisoner as they lead me deeper into the caves.
There’s a whole network of tunnels down here, and there’s dozens, nay, hundreds more of these creatures. They all stare at me as I pass, their big, brown eyes filled with surprise. Torches illuminate the walls, and I glance into the holes as we pass. This is a primitive society, living in caves like Zorans did thousands of years ago.
I thought most, if not all, species in the universe had been mapped by now. These bear-like people are a total surprise to me.
“Koryn!”
Kelly comes charging towards me the moment she sees me. Seeing that she’s fine fills my insides with warmth. If they’d harmed her, I swear I would have torn every single one of them apart, limb from limb.
“Oh my god, your arm!”
She grabs my hand, blood dripping down my fingers and onto the floor.
“It’s fine,” I growl through clenched teeth. To tell the truth I’m getting rather light-headed, but I don’t want to show my weakness to these beasts.
“You’re not fine, you need help! Flint, get me some supplies now!”
We’re in a huge open space, now the narrow cave opening up into a large dome. Against the far wall, on an elevated platform, stands a wooden throne. A man sits atop it, his fur a shade darker than the others, a crown made of twigs resting on top his head. He gets up and strides towards us, his face unmoving.
“Are you okay?” I whisper. “Did they hurt you?”
Kelly shakes her head. “I’m fine. Flint will explain everything.”
He nods, and two smaller creatures sprint away. A moment later they return, holding bandages. Primitive. It’ll have to do for now.
Kelly guides me to a seat, where she starts bandaging my arm. I watch her work, her brow furrowed as she cleans my wound. For a second I thought I lost her. I’d never have forgiven myself if I did.
The leader extends his paw towards me. “You must be Koryn.”
I shake his furry hand. “And you are?”
“Flint,” he says. “The leader of the Berans.”
“Where are we?”
“You are in our home,” he says. “I’d apologize for the welcome… but we weren’t expecting visitors.”
“Likewise. This planet is uninhabited, according to our scans,” I say.
Flint nods. “We haven’t been up to the surface in generations.” He stares off into the distance, his lips a tight line. “I hope your arrival is not a bad omen.”
He looks me up and down, his brown eyes scanning my frame. “We’ll have a feast tonight, to celebrate your arrival. Any questions you have will be answered then.”
He turns on his heels and strides away, and I unclench my jaw. We’re not in direct danger, but we’re far from welcome guests either.
I want to find that evides and get the hell off this rock as soon as possible.
9
Kelly
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted water this clear.
I gulp it down, a trickle of the goodness dribbling down my chin. I wipe it with the back of my hand.
“More?” Flint asks.
I nod enthusiastically. “Yes please!”
Koryn smirks at me as eats his meal – a freshly caught and cooked fish the size of my arm. I know he doesn’t trust our captors, but now that he has a steaming hot meal in front of him, he’s not quite as disagreeable. Flint invited us to his table, and we gratefully accepted. It’s been a tough twelve hours from our ship to this table, so we’re both famished.
“This is straight from our underground lake, Boulder’s Basin, named after the Beran that led us here,” Flint says as he fills my glass. “We consider it holy, as it’s the source of all our life.”
I pause for a second, my mouth filled with water. “You’re sure it’s okay if I drink your holy water?” I ask.
Flint laughs, baring his immense fangs. He’s a kind and calm leader, but those fangs. They could rip anyone’s throat in half. I glance at Koryn’s arm, his bandage colored dark red. If we were back at the ship I could properly treat his wound, but it’ll have to do for now.
“It’s more than fine,” he says. “It’s an honor, as you are our guests.”
“Guests?” Koryn growls, staring the dark-haired men in the eye.
Even though I dreaded being alone with the Zoran warrior, his eyes the color of the setting sun, my heart filled with joy when I saw Koryn escorted in by the bear-like aliens. I heard the way he fought for me, how he threw himself against the wall to come and save me, and I won’t forget the genuine concern and fear I heard in his voice after I screamed.
I’m happy to have him safely by my side once again.
Flint stares back, his chestnut-colored eyes staring into Koryn’s honey-colored ones.
I pinch myself to see if I’m dreaming. Two seven-feet tall warriors, one purple, the other furry, are staring each other down, their muscles twitching, their brows furrowed.
“Boys,” I say. “Don’t fight over me.”
Both set of eyes turn to me, each man looking equally perplexed, and I burst out into laughter.
“Seems the deep hasn’t affected your sense of humor,” Koryn says. “Don’t mind her, she’s a human.”
“Hugh-mang?” Flint says. “We’re not familiar with them. They don’t appear in our databases.”
“They’re relatively new to the galaxy. Now, care to explain how you speak Universal? Or how your men knew I was a Zoran, for that matter?”
Flint clears his throat, a sound like a tree snapping in half.
“I guess I owe you some answers.”
He takes a sip of water. “I haven’t ever had to tell this tale before, and my Universal is a little rusty. In fact, you’re the first ones I ever had to speak it to, so excuse me if I take my time.”
“You’re doing fine,” I say.
Flint nods a thank-you at me. I’ve noticed that the Berans don’t need words to communicate. All they use is body language or growling, and yet, they seem to have quite an advanced civilization. Their race is an anthropologist’s wet dream.
“The insectoids drove us underground, many, many years ago.”
“The Ygg?” Koryn interrupts.
“I believe that’s what you call them, yes. They came from nowhere, descending from the sky, slaughtering our cubs. We were a different race back then. We lived on the surface, we had
towns, civilizations not unlike your own.
“We were forced to flee. The only reason we’re alive today is because our forefathers hid, and hid well. We’ve built a life for ourselves here, in the deep. We dare not return to the world above permanently, for we’re no match for the beasts.
“However, that doesn’t mean we never see the surface. It’s a rite of passage for every hunter to walk top-side for a day, to remember what we lost. Every decade or so, a derelict ship crashes on our surface. We salvage what we can. That’s how we taught ourselves Universal, and learned about the Zorans, and the galaxy at large.”
Flint stares ahead, his eyes narrow. For a second I fear he’ll shatter the glass in his hand, but he relaxes his muscles a moment later. I imagine being the leader of a people so needlessly persecuted must be stressful, and that’s putting it lightly.
“Then we have some common ground,” Koryn says. “The Ygg are our enemies as well. One of their queens did this,” he says, pointing at the scar running across his face. “We can help you.”
“Maybe,” Flint says. “I’ve told you about us, now it’s your turn. Why are you here? Why have you come down all this way to our caves? This must certainly be the dullest place in the universe.”
“On the contrary,” I chime in. “I think your way of life is fascinating.”
Flint raises his dark, furry eyebrows at me. “Us? We live in caves under the ground like a wounded animal. There is more firepower on your ship than all the Beran strength combined! It is you who are the fascinating one, hugh-mang.”
“You’ve seen our ship?”
The Beran stops mid-chew. “I’ve said too much,” he admits with a sly smile. “We have been keeping tabs on you since the moment you landed, yes.”
“If we knew you lived here, we would have tried to make contact,” Koryn says.
Flint waves him away with his paw. “Let’s forget everything and start with a clean slate. Now, I must ask you again. Why have you come here?”
“We’re looking for evides,” I answer. “According to our readings, your planet is rich with it. It’s a mineral that we need to make a very important cure.”