by Fiona Sweet
As the talk around the village ensued, I started hearing the faint yet identifiable sound of hefty gwarn feet padding against the desert sand and in the direction of our village.
I was almost afraid to look and see who it was approaching. What if the gwarns returning were ridden by Rathum and his men and not Varyx with his? My palms were sweaty. I felt nauseated with nervousness.
If Rathum defeated Varyx, then all of the villagers living here had targets on our backs as well as expiration dates for our lives.
I blinked against the harsh sun and cupped my hand over my eyes to shield them from the brutal light overhead. I needed to gain a better vantage point of the returning forces on the horizon.
My heart did a flip of elation when I noticed the golden horns of Varyx glistening nobly in the sun. His shoulders were squared and straightened pridefully and he had a gloriously boastful smile on his face as his features came into view.
He was carrying something—but he was still too far away from me for me to be able to make out the details of what it was.
“They have more lizards than they left with,” one little boy noticed, pointing at the swarm as it narrowed the gap between us.
I glanced down at the boy. He looked to be no more than five or six years old and had fiery red curly hair. He had a peppering of freckles scattered across his adorable nose and cheekbones.
“It looks like the lizard mounts from the dissenters,” I noted. “But the dissenters aren’t the ones riding them.”
It was becoming abundantly clear to me that Varyx and his men had achieved victory.
Sure enough, I noticed that that the villagers who had gone with Varyx—risking their lives to follow his lead across the desert—were now riding the extra gwarn mounts. The villagers were carefully surrounded by the security of the Byromians.
Varyx had needed the extra men, and a few brave souls had been willing to take the risk. Clearly, it had paid off for everyone involved and my heart leapt with joy for their return.
My eyes desperately scanned the perimeter of gwarn mounts, fervently attempting to locate my sister, Beccy. Did she survive? Were they able to find her and rescue her?
Right before I gave up any hope of ever seeing her again, I realized that the object in Varyx’s arms was in fact, my little sister Beccy. She was swaddled in a filthy blanket and most of her face was hidden behind Varyx’s burly arms.
Once Varyx marched close enough for me to get a good look at her face, at long last I met the gaze of my exhausted and terrified little sister. She was being delicately cradled in the arms of my lover—my fate-marked Varyx who had returned to me safely just as he’d promised.
18
Varyx
“Can I come with you to the well to fetch more water?” Beccy asked me, blinking curiously and batting her eyes at me adorably—making the request too high to refuse.
She cupped her tiny hand in mine and gave it a tender squeeze that warmed me from the inside out.
“Sure, why not?” I chuckled and glanced behind my shoulder at Cherish. “That is … if it’s alright with your big sister.”
“It’s alright with me.” Cherish rolled her eyes. “But if she becomes too much of a pain, you can always tell her to go away.”
“Hey!” Beccy shouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she gave Cherish a sour look of resentment.
“I would never do such a thing,” I replied.
“I’m only kidding,” Cherish said and gave her sister a sentimental smile. “How can anyone say no to you, you’re just too precious for words.” Cherish didn’t say it sarcastically, either.
Beccy looked pleased at her older sister’s compliment and turned away approvingly, dancing in the sand like a doll that had come to life.
“But seriously,” Cherish leaned closer and murmured to me discretionally. “If she’s too much to handle, just tell me and I’ll tell her to leave you alone. I know you aren’t accustomed to being around pesky little kids all the time—”
“She’s not bothering me,” I said. “I think she’s cute.”
“Yeah, well just wait a while and we’ll see if you’re still whistling that tune in a few weeks,” Cherish joked.
I smiled. “It’s really no trouble at all. I think it’s great that she wants to help me refill the water wells.”
“Yeah its great until she tries to talk your ear off,” Cherish mentioned. “She’s practically enamored with you.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I reached out for Cherish and pulled her close to me until our chests were pressed together and I could feel the methodical rhythm of her heartbeat.
I became instantly hard when Cherish gave me a frisky look.
“There’s more where that came from,” Cherish said. “When you return.”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible then,” I said with an excited grin.
Cherish pulled away, but not before giving me an affectionate squeeze on my hand.
“Be careful out there,” she said with earnestness.
“I will, I promise.” I gave her a consensual nod to appease her—although there were far less perils out there to contend with now that Rathum and his group had been eradicated.
Beccy began tugging on my leg—which mind you, was far bigger than her entire body. She wasn’t afraid of me in any capacity, no matter my enormous size in comparison to her. Not even my bestial appearance and golden horns seemed to unnerve her.
Cherish explained the reason Beccy had become so fond of me was because I saved her life and cared for her in the days after her abduction by the vicious Rathum. Beccy didn’t have a father figure to look up to anymore, and now she was inadvertently giving me the role to play.
I wanted to live up to the potential of her deceased father and honor his memory as close to the real thing as I could.
I saw so much of Cherish in this little girl, both in features and in personality. Then again, I saw traits in Beccy that I recognized in myself too, and we weren’t even related. She was adventurous and an explorer at heart, just like me. It just reiterated the fact that I’d made the right decision with Cherish at my right hand. Living together was going to prevent all of us from dying alone.
We were living proof that two species could coexist peacefully after all, once the bad seeds of the group had been ‘dealt with’—to put it diplomatically.
We were working to rebuild the community of the village, since there were already existing houses and huts—we may as well add on from where life already existed.
We had the oasis nearby, although it was at least a day’s walk away, or a little faster on a gwarn. Now I understood just how exponential of a risk the villagers had taken when they dared to journey to the neighboring oasis.
It made me understand just how desperate the villagers had been to try and obtain viable food and water resources. The villagers had literally put their lives on the line to feed their struggling families because they had seen no other way at the time—as dangerous as it was for them to complete successfully.
I felt so ashamed of the way my people had behaved by dictating who could use the oases and who couldn’t—when everyone on this planet needed to use the resources in order to survive, not just the native Byromians.
“Are you ready?” I asked Beccy, glancing down at her. I cradled the tiny little girl’s hand as we walked around the hut where we lived, gathering supplies for our two mile trek through the desert.
Cherish lightly touched my arm before I could leave. “Thank you,” she whispered, looking moved by something.
“For what?” I asked.
“You really are the kindhearted and noble man that you appeared to be at first. You weren’t just hiding your true colors under the shroud of righteousness. You were the real deal, all along.”
I smiled. “I’m glad you are able to see the truth behind my actions.”
“I see it, alright—and I appreciated it.” Cherish cut me an affectionate smile.
She grabbed m
e by the backside and yanked me close to her warm and feminine body once again. This time, she softly pressed her mouth to mine as our tongues caressed together.
When she pulled away, my heart ached with longing for her and my cock throbbed with spontaneous desire. I wanted her—but it would have to wait until we were alone together in the dark.
We gazed into each other’s eyes with that spicy flare of chemistry that made my heart pound.
“It was just my circumstances making it hard for me to decide how to act,” I confessed.
Cherish’s smile was patient. “I know. It was the same for me.”
“This is a cruel world with struggles and pain that are difficult to overcome, but whenever I look into your eyes, I know that the world will be okay and that the good will outshine the bad.”
“Light always diffuses the dark,” Cherish agreed calmly. She was still holding my hand. I relished in the warmth she brought to my soul. “Things aren’t always black and white.”
I frowned, not taking her meaning. “Can you explain?”
“Not everyone can automatically rise up and be the hero. There’s always someone who is going to be disgruntled and disagree with your policies. It’s like … trying to reign in a democracy. Everyone is going to have their own opinions about how things should go.”
I wasn’t familiar with the term ‘democracy’, but I allowed her to continue.
Cherish had a peaceful expression on her face. “Making the right choice for the greater good of everyone is what’s most important.”
“I agree.” She was right.
Cherish’s eyes flickered with melancholy. “Life is too short to hold grudges or act on explosive feuds between two enemies. There are just not enough people left on this planet. We can’t afford to let hate win. It has to be love that conquers all in the end.”
“Your word is as good as gold in my opinion.” I leaned in and softly kissed her on the side of her delicate cheek.
I was compelled by the incredible truth in her words.
“I want you to be my wife,” I said, formally asking for her hand in marriage as my fate-marked. “I don’t want to take any chance of peace and community away from you ever again, and I swear on my own life that I will vow to protect the sacredness of this village and all who dwell here for the rest of my waking life.”
Cherish hesitated for a moment, but then her lips curled into an affectionate and encouraging grin that instantly made me hard again.
“Yes, I’ll be your wife,” she said and snaked her arms around my waist, but she was so small in comparison that her hands failed to even meet in the middle of my back.
I was so excited and overcome with ecstasy in the moment that I scooped her up in my arms and swung her around as we kissed. A magical, fiery sensation sizzled around us as we passionately locked lips.
It was then that I heard the sound of cheering erupting from all sides. I opened my eyes and paid attention to my surroundings. A massive crowd of delighted spectators had formed a circle around us, cheering us on and applauding our fresh engagement with smiles of approval.
Cherish’s eyes twinkled with euphoria. “It appears as if the Byromians and humans might actually be able to live together in harmony, after all.”
I kissed her deeply. “At least we know we have other’s who are rooting for us.”
Epilogue: Cherish
It had been months since the Byromians and the humans had banded together to live as one. Things had been going exponentially better than I could ever have dreamed in a million years, and the future looked bright and promising.
With the help with the local villagers and the Byromians, the manpower had paid off and we had been able to turn the primitive village into a farm settlement. There was good soil there—but we still had the problem of not having enough water.
As a way to deal with the lack of water, Varyx had discovered the ingenious idea to create irrigation systems underground from the nearby oasis. The engineering process took a while, but we’d finally made it happen. This new system helped tremendously in enriching the soil and improving the living conditions on the land. We weren’t starving anymore, nor were we thirsty. We could bathe and groom ourselves properly, and it was a way to improve our way of life and our wellbeing.
We were a thriving community now, and I was elated to be sharing this new, more comfortable and secure life with Varyx by my side. Joshu had made a full recovery from his broken leg, and Beccy was as spunky as ever, always wanting to be Varyx’s little shadow and help him work around the village as much as she possibly could. She was a happy little worker bee and I knew Varyx adored her and loved to take advantage of her eagerness to assist him.
The village wasn’t just owned by the humans—but the Byromians had a full share in its ownership as well. We were beyond proud to share in all the glory that hard work and dedication—blood sweat, and tears had brought to the village as a cohesive unit.
We still had a long way to go, but we were far more capable and comfortable than we had been at this time a year ago. Now, as the planet made another rotation around the sun—the promise of a brighter future was on the horizon.
I glanced down at my swollen belly and stroked it adoringly. I was with child—Varyx’s of course, and we were excited to soon be establishing a family of our own. Joshu and Beccy might have been even more excited—if that was possible—about getting a little niece or nephew. I couldn’t wait to meet the life inside of me, and I was even more thrilled that he or she was going to be an equal part of me and Varyx.
Varyx had already gotten to experience a bit of a practice run before officially diving into the role of father. He treated Beccy and Joshu as if they were his own flesh and blood, something that warmed my heart. He was so compassionate and patient with them and I was ecstatic every time I witnessed the three of them interacting and bonding with each other.
Beccy and Varyx were especially close. I couldn’t wait to expand our blended family. It was going to be a wonderful experience that I was tremendously looking forward to. Beccy had such a maternal and nurturing spirit at heart, I had no doubt about it that I was going to have a wonderful little helper in Beccy once the baby was born. Jothu would be a great role model too.
“How are you feeling?”
I turned around at the familiar voice of Varyx behind me. He was approaching with an adoring expression on his face.
“It’s hot, but I’m feeling good today,” I acknowledged.
“You look beautiful.” Varyx scooped his massive arms around my waist and buried his face into my neck, showering my tender skin with kisses.
“You’re just saying that because you feel obligated,” I scoffed.
“I’m not.” He sounded stoic. “You are radiant … glowing, even.”
“I think that’s just the sunlight,” I joked.
“Give yourself more credit,” he said and squeezed me affectionately from behind.
“I’m happy,” I said, sighing with contentment.
It was the truth, plain and simple.
“Things are going well around here,” Varyx said. “Before long, if the courting goes as planned, we will have a bustling village.”
“I can’t wait,” I admitted.
The Byromian men and the human villagers had already begun to show interest in each other—seeking out relationships with each other that Varyx and I hoped would become successful partnerships where families could be grown from love and biological similarities. You never knew when an Earthling and a Byromian might become fate-marked.
We had unity together, and that was something to be grateful for. As I melded into the arms of my new, fate-marked husband, I counted my blessings that stretched as far as the eye could see, up to the skies where the universe had brought us together.
Thank you!
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- Fiona Sweet <3