by Elin Wyn
The kodanos stepped back, let out a silent howl, and opened itself up. Fully expecting a barrage of talusians to come flying at me, I braced myself, but nothing happened. It was empty.
I didn’t have time to think about it as it swung at me again. Meanwhile, Tella had been firing neutralizers into the back of it, all to no avail. Fantastic.
As I swung my knife again, fully expecting a long and painful fight, the kodanos started to secrete some sort of gas. My head started to feel funny as my vision blurred. Everything changed color and began to blend together in a swirling vortex.
The last thing I remembered was dropping my knife and Tella screaming my name.
Tella
I screamed as Rokul fell to the ground. The kodanos, previously unaware of my position, swung around to face me.
My first instinct was to clamp my lips shut. Screaming was never a good idea in a situation like this. But when the kodanos took a step away from Rokul’s body, I realized this situation could be the exception.
“Hey!” I lifted my hands over my head, clapping and waving them to hold the attention of the kodanos. I trilled my tongue as I backed away. With luck, the kodanos would step away from Rokul. Unfortunately, my distraction worked too well. The kodanos let out a roar and burst forward with shocking speed.
Recalling how I took down the other kodanos last time I was in this section of forest, I sprinted toward the nearest tree. I pushed off the ground and reached for the lowest branch, with the intention of pulling myself out of the path of the raging kodanos. Wood splinters pierced my palm as I gripped the branch. I swung my leg to the trunk to use it as leverage. As soon as I put the weight of my foot against the trunk, the bark caved in. The branch I gripped snapped under my weight. This tree was dead.
“Shit!” I scrambled away from the tree as it began to collapse. The trunk fell forward, striking the charging kodanos. As the kodanos thrashed at the dead tree trunk, I got to my feet and ran. I made sure not to move closer to Rokul, but I didn’t want him out of my sight, either. My stomach clenched in fear as I imagined a living vine wrapping around Rokul’s leg and dragging him off, deep into the wood, for me never to see again.
Something fell out of my jacket pocket. I crushed it beneath the sole of my boot as I ran. It was one of the empty vials that once contained an experimental neutralizer. Something else fell out of my pocket, as well.
It was some kind of miracle that I didn’t step on it, too.
It was the dart I’d purchased from the Rigkon market the day I met Rokul.
I doubled back and scooped it up. Thankfully, the chamber containing the thick red toxic liquid was undamaged. The dart was meant to be used with some kind of gun that I didn’t possess.
Rokul might’ve had something in the armory that would’ve worked, but I’d stupidly forgotten to ask about it.
I’d completely forgotten about the whole thing, to be honest, what with all the chaos of a new plant form, attacks on settlements, and a big red goof that had taken up far too much of my thoughts.
Dodging the kodanos wasn’t difficult. The invasive vines of the Puppet Master might’ve made it quicker and more aggressive, but it still couldn’t make tight turns without the risk of toppling over. I wove between the trees, keeping the kodanos on my trail, as I tried to figure out how I was going to inject the toxin.
I moved in a wide circle with Rokul at the center, always in view. When I reached an area opposite to where I’d been hiding earlier, I spotted an overgrown tree trunk almost completely hidden from view. Hoping it wouldn’t crumble beneath my feet, I leaped onto it and scrambled to the highest point.
The kodanos lumbered closer. I’d planned to jump onto it and drive the tip of the toxic dart into the thinnest part of its bark exterior at the base of its thick neck. The issue was, the kodanos wouldn’t turn its back to me.
It was close enough to strike at me. If I didn’t move, or do something, I’d end up in the same condition as Rokul. A faint hissing sound caught my attention. The air around me smelled…strange. I couldn’t place it. Instinctively, I held my breath. The air around the kodanos looked blurry. I realized it was secreting some kind of gas, which wasn’t something a normal kodanos was able to do on its own.
I had to move. If the kodanos didn’t strike me down, then the gas would. With no other option, I leaped forward at the kodanos. I collided with its chest, slamming the dart into its neck with every ounce of my strength. It closed its massive branch-arms around me. It wasn’t able to pry me off its body, so it began to squeeze.
My bones barked in protest. I would’ve cried out if I’d been capable of making any sound. Certain I was going to die, I opened my eyes and looked at Rokul lying on the forest floor.
I hoped that he would wake up soon and get back to the capital alive.
For a moment all of the possibilities with him, the future I’d been so afraid of, seemed so precious.
And now it would never happen.
The pressure on my body suddenly ceased. The kodanos let out a shuddering rattle. Its legs buckled beneath it and it began to fall forward. Realizing I was about to be crushed, I wriggled out of its loosening grasp and rolled as soon as I hit the floor. I took in a rasping breath then immediately realized my mistake. The gas was still in the air. My head felt like it was filled with the numbing extract of a phythmo plant.
The kodanos fell, motionless against the fallen tree trunk. The vines of the Puppet Master burst through every weak spot in the kodanos’s body. They writhed and twisted over each other like they were on fire before shriveling up and turning black.
Well then. Let’s have more of that.
Certain that the kodanos and the Puppet Master’s vines were dead, all I wanted to do was lie down. The spongy piles of decaying leaves that made up the forest floor looked soft and inviting.
Rokul! A sane voice in my mind snapped, forcing my drooping eyelids to open.
“Rokul,” I said out loud, though I couldn’t tell if I whispered or shouted his name. On unsteady legs, I stood up and made my way back towards him. I stumbled and tripped over my own feet often, but as I gulped in untainted air, my mind cleared.
Rokul, on the other hand, was still in the grips of the gas. I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest to make sure that he was able to breathe. I carefully checked him over for more serious injuries, any broken bones or lacerations. There were none, other than a few superficial scrapes that had managed to get through his scales. Satisfied that there were no concerning injuries, I smacked his shoulder.
These arms needed to hold me again. He needed to wake up.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Rokul, wake up!” No response. I gave him a firm shake, tapped his cheeks with my fingertips, and even leaned close to whisper in his ear. Nothing worked. A sinking feeling in my heart threatened to overtake me. I wanted to kiss him, close my eyes, and hear the rain again, be in his embrace, safe in bed.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait this out.” I made an effort to sound cheerful, though I wasn’t sure if he could hear me or not. “That’s fine. I don’t think you get enough sleep, anyway.”
Rokul said nothing, not that I was expecting him to talk. I sat in the silence of the forest for a few moments before I stood up again.
“I should at least try to get you back to Rigkon,” I reasoned.
I stood by his head and tried to work my hands under his arms. He was heavy, far heavier than any human male could ever be. Muscles and bone density must be higher. For a moment I wondered about the gravity of his homeworld. Something to ask about later. Because dammit, we were having a later.
I tugged at his unconscious body, but it was like trying to move a boulder. After a few minutes of pulling, yanking, and jerking, I gave up.
I sat down next to his head with a huff.
“How long is this supposed to last, do you think?” I asked him. “How much of that stuff did you inhale? At least I had the good sense to hold my breath.” I found myself wishing that Ro
kul heard everything I said. I could imagine the snark he’d fire back, but it wasn’t as satisfying as hearing the words from his mouth.
“Do you think the gas you’ve inhaled is the same one released during the attacks on the settlements?” I wondered aloud. “It would make sense if it was. Yet, I don’t recall unconsciousness being a side effect of that gas, just memory loss. I’ll see what you remember when you wake up.” I gave Rokul a pat on the arm.
I shifted so my back pressed against the side of his body. In the silence of the forest, I listened for any sign of danger. I clutched the hilt of my hunting knife and watched the light drain out of the forest. I hadn’t realized it was so late.
The bioluminescent bacteria colonies began to stir. Though they were fainter than they should’ve been, their glow was still enchanting to look at. Tiny insects flickered in the smoky blue light of dusk.
“I wish you were awake for this,” I said to Rokul. Of course, he didn’t reply.
Now that the sun had set, the warmth it left behind leeched out of the forest. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering. I was tempted to start a fire, but I didn’t want to risk drawing attention to our location and ultimately decided against it.
My teeth chattered as the cold seeped into my bones.
If Rokul was awake, he’d laugh at me and tell me it wasn’t cold to begin with. That wouldn’t stop him from putting his arms around me to keep me warm.
“You have to wake up at some point, okay?” I said, suddenly feeling afraid. What if the gas sent people into comas? What if he wasn’t going to wake up without some kind of antidote? I couldn’t lose him like this.
I found myself wishing I’d walked back to Rigkon while it was still light out. Someone there might’ve been willing to help me bring him back to the guesthouse. Swiggen liked me well enough.
Maybe.
But it was too late to go back to Rigkon now. I couldn’t leave Rokul alone in the dark.
Rokul’s skin was still warm, which was a good sign, right?
I laid down beside him, wedging myself between his arm and his side. Warm and somewhat comfortable, happy to feel him against me at least, I continued to scan the glowing forest. I didn’t feel the least bit tired as I watched the flickering bugs dip and swirl in the air.
With every rustle, my body went rigid and I reached for the hunting knife, but nothing attacked us. Now I felt grateful that Rokul had killed the Helmria Ithalma when we first met. If he hadn’t, I bet it would’ve come after us long ago.
Periodically, I checked to make sure Rokul was still breathing. After a few hours of sitting in the dark, jumping at shadows, I looked at Rokul’s face.
“At least one of us is getting a good night’s sleep,” I laughed.
Rokul
It was too bright when I woke up the next morning. My entire body ached from head to toe.
What the hell did I do last night?
My thoughts were slow to form and fractured, but I was slowly able to piece together what happened. Tella and I were going to test out the neutralizers she and Leena cooked up in the lab. We returned to Rigkon and found an aggravated kodanos. After that, I didn’t remember anything.
When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw Tella sitting cross-legged on the forest floor with her back to me.
“Tella.” My voice was scratchy, like I hadn’t used it in a while. Tella whipped around, the sunlight gleaming through her hair.
“You’re awake!” she gasped, then twisted around and threw her arms around my neck.
“What happened?” I asked. “Where’s the kodanos?”
“Dead over by that fallen tree,” she said. “It knocked you out.”
A memory flashed in my mind's eye. The kodanos towered over me but, for some reason, I couldn’t properly fight back. I recalled feeling suddenly drowsy when it approached me. The air had smelled strange around the kodanos.
“Did it use gas?” I half-guessed.
“Yes,” Tella nodded.
“I didn’t know they could do that,” I said.
“They can’t. I think that new feature was courtesy of the Puppet Master.” As she spoke, I noticed that she looked paler than usual. There were deep circles under her eyes again. She hadn’t looked that tired when we’d arrived in Rigkon.
“How’d you kill it?” I asked.
“I purchased a toxin-filled dart last time I was in Rigkon,” she explained. “Honestly, I completely forgot I had it. It killed the kodanos, but unfortunately, it also destroyed the vines.”
“I don’t have anything to launch a dart.” My brow furrowed.
“I jumped on the kodanos and stabbed it in the neck,” she explained sheepishly. My eyes went wide.
“I can’t believe I missed that!” I exclaimed. “I’ve been eager to see you in action ever since that disgusting flower got the best of you on the day we met.”
“The Helmria Ithalma isn’t disgusting,” Tella shook her head.
“It eats people.” Really, did it need to have anything else before it was firmly in the not-okay-to-keep-as-a-pet column?
Tella released her grip on me and moved back so I could sit up. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got knocked out by a sentient tree,” I laughed. “How long was I out? I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long.” Tella bit her lip and looked away. I frowned, looking around. The light was wrong, not what I expected.
“What is it, Tella?”
“You were out a while” she said. “The kodanos knocked you out yesterday.”
“We’ve been out here all night?” I exclaimed. That’s why she looked so exhausted. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”
“I stayed up to make sure nothing came after us in the dark,” Tella explained. “It wasn’t that bad.” Now it was my turn to wrap my arms around her.
“Humans aren’t supposed to stay awake for that long,” I murmured. “Are you well?”
“I’m a little tired, but it’s not that horrible for a human to stay up all night every once in a while.” I felt her smile against the skin of my neck.
“Weren’t you cold?” I asked.
“A little. But even unconscious, you’re an excellent heater,” she laughed.
“We should get you home immediately,” I insisted.
“We should stop in the guesthouse first,” Tella replied. “You don’t seem to have any wounds, but I think you should let me clean you up before we head back.”
“Absolutely not,” I said firmly. “You’ve been up all night. You need to sleep.”
“Let me check to see if you do have any wounds and I’ll take a nap in the guesthouse before we head back,” she suggested. “Your scales protected you from a lot of damage, but I couldn’t check your back. You’re too heavy.”
“That’s what they’re there for,” I grumbled as she began to prod my body.
“You still got your ass kicked by a plant,” she teased.
“It cheated with knockout gas.”
“Sore loser.” She rolled so that she was halfway on top of me. I could tell she was holding herself gingerly so avoid putting any of her weight on me. I wrapped an arm around her lower back, bringing her fully down on me.
With her face so close to mine, it was impossible not to kiss her. Her lips were soft and tasted sweet, like berries.
“Did you have a late-night snack?” I asked her.
“Possibly,” she admitted before bringing her mouth back to mine. My arm ached as I lifted my hand to cup the back of her head. With my other arm, I coaxed her over so she was lying completely on top of me.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered against my mouth. I laughed against her lips.
“I hate to break it to you, but you’re not nearly as big and strong as a kodanos.”
As her body relaxed against mine, the sensation behind the kiss shifted into something heady and hungry.
I wrapped my arms tighter around her, holding her against my chest, sliding my hand down to knead t
he lush curve of her ass.
My mind returned to our first night together, when we stumbled along a barely-there dirt road.
We were strangers, then. And drunk.
And I wanted her even more now.
From the way Tella gently rocked her hips against me, I felt that she agreed.
“I was terrified you weren’t going to wake up,” she whispered between kisses. “When you spoke to me, I’d never felt so happy in my life.”
I slid my hand under her shirt and stroked the soft, bare skin of her back.
“The only thing better than waking up to you watching over me is waking up to you sleeping soundly beside me,” I whispered back.
I nudged Tella so that her legs fell on either side of my waist. She rocked her hips again, stoking my arousal.
“If you keep doing that, you’ll be in trouble,” I growled and nibbled her earlobe.
“Haven’t you noticed? I chase trouble,” she murmured back.
That was my undoing. I pressed myself against her.
“I want you now,” I hissed. “All of you.”
Never had I had less control than I did in this instant.
“Take me,” she ordered.
It seemed she had the same overriding needs that I did.
I wouldn’t need to be commanded twice.
She raised herself, and my hands went to the waistband of her pants, shoving them past her knees to reveal her sweet sex to me.
Her hands were quicker and defter than mine. She freed my hardened cock from its constraints. Hands gripping her hips, I dragged her over my length once, twice, watching her eyelids flutter as she ground against every ridge.
I could be drunk on just the feel of her honey against my skin. But I wanted more.
Sliding my arms under her succulent thighs and spreading her wide, I lifted her up, over my face.
“Hold on, beautiful,” was the only warning I gave her before I brought my tongue to her folds. My mouth closed over her blooming flower of a perfect pussy and I sucked her clit, licked her lower lips until she screamed my name.