by Ella Maven
I threw myself against the front of my box. “Fenix,” I whispered helpless as his box came to a halt on a higher platform. He stood inside next to a large tree with blue leaves. His boots trampled blue grass and green dirt. Next to him was a gray boulder he ignored. His eyes scanned the boxes, stopping on each one, until he found mine.
Our eyes met, held. I waved as a sob bubbled up my throat. Relieved he was alive, but sad as hell we were separated, I could only watch as he gave me one distinct nod. I searched his body for signs of trauma, but his eyes were clear, and he stood strong with his gloved hands loose at his sides.
The crowd, on the other hand, surged toward the platform, eager to get a look at what was inside.
“This is a Drixonian warrior from planet Corin,” the Glazistries announced. “Drixonian warriors are legendary fighters, lovers, and nearly impossible to capture alive. They have incredible defensive weapons with hidden bone blades in their forearms, head, and back, which are called machets.”
“Machets,” the crowd echoed together, like they were receiving an anatomy lesson.
A guard rapped on Fenix’s box. His nostrils flared a moment before he unleashed his machets. The crowd gasped as his black machets shone in the harsh light of his box.
“And this warrior,” the Glazistries said as drew closer to the box. “This warrior isn’t like all Drixonians. He is completely unique. During the battle with the Uldani… We have some Uldani here, don’t we?” A few titters rippled through the crowd before some scattered gray hands raised in the air. The Glazistries smiled. “Well during the Drixonian Uprising against the Uldani, some warriors were experimented on, and this warrior, my friends, is one of them, so he comes with extra abilities.” The crowd murmured, pressing closer to the platform.
“This warrior,” they said, their breasts swaying as they nearly vibrated with glee, “can call fire.”
Fenix
Jennie was alive, and that was the only reason I didn’t tear through this fucking box and lay waste to everyone in here. She was alive, and as long as she stayed breathing, I had to stay obedient.
For now.
I didn’t have the intention to stay here forever, separated from her as we were gawked at by a wide range of species in the galaxy. I’d vowed to protect her, but I wasn’t doing such a great job of it. She was once again locked away and treated like an object, while I couldn’t do a flecking thing about it. Pain ravaged my body, affecting my vision, but I’d recognize her form and jet-black hair anywhere. Her dark eyes beckoned me from across the large cavern. I would have given anything to feel her touch, to comfort her, to assure her I was still all in and would spend my every last conscious moment protecting her.
The Glazistries were talking, and I focused on them. I didn’t want them to know how on edge I was. It’d been so long since I’d had Kixx. The only relief I’d had to get my mind right was when I’d been alone with Jennie, our bodies connected. But now the pain was once again clouding my mind and my judgement. How long did I have before I was useless to either of us?
“Call your fire, Drixonian.” They placed their hands on the shoulders of their son, and he watched me with bulbous-eyed glee.
I’d spent so long covering my hands, first because the gloves blocked a lot of the pain when I touched others, but also because I hated the sight of my scarred, melted skin. I’d been so vain about it, and now… well who flecking cared anymore? Not me.
I tore off my gloves, ignoring the chorus of gasps, and called my fire. Flames burst in each hand, and I set my jaw as the heat spread throughout my limbs. The longer I kept the flames, the harder it was on my body. I glanced down at my fingers where the scales twisted and writhed in the flames.
The crowd pressed against the platform where my box sat, each trying to get a glimpse of the other. Several Uldani in the back shifted uncomfortably, faced with my ruined body, and I sneered at them as they cowered.
A pounding reached my ears as my head began to spin. The heat infested my mind, turning my thoughts into a cloudy mess. My female banged on the side of her box, tears streaming down her face. I watched as if in slow-motion as her mouth opened, but I couldn’t hear her words, I could only watch her distraught face until she lifted her hand on top of her head and made a gesture with her splayed fingers. My name. She was signing my name.
Suddenly a gray fog filled her box, and a light near her head blared. She dropped to a crouch, covering her arms, as the fog continued to pour in. “Jennie!” I screamed as her body swayed. When her head lolled to the side and she collapsed, I drove my fist into the box.
One punch. Then two. But nothing happened. Nothing splintered. The material held up despite my assault.
Furious, the image of her prone body flashing in my mind, I threw back my head and roared. Heat consumed me, flames curled in front of my eyes, and then everything went from bright orange to black.
Fifteen
Fenix
“The Rogastix wasn’t lying.”
“Apparently not.”
“We will need to pay for another import of Kixx.”
“I can get one next by next sunrise.”
“Do it.”
“Word is spreading. We can increase our hospitality prices. All to see the Drix.”
“Well then we have to keep him alive.”
I struggled to wake up, but my limbs were too heavy. The pain was barely there, only a dull ache in the base of my spine. I smacked my lips and the familiar sour taste of Kixx lingered on my tongue. I hated it as much as I welcomed it. If I could stave off the madness, I could maybe live long enough with my wits and a Kixx supply to get Jennie and I off this planet. But how much had they given me? I couldn’t move.
Their voices continued. The next question made me focus.
“And the human?”
“She’s sleeping off the gas.”
“She needs to behave. Tell her we can hurt the Drix in many ways that won’t kill him. That’s what will happen next time she acts out.”
“Yes, your Glazistries.”
There was a dual sigh. “What are they saying about her?”
“They found her boring in the box, but when she seemed panicked for the Drix… well we had a lot of interest in that.”
“They enjoyed her pitiful protest?”
“It was her willingness to risk punishment in order to call to the Drix, and his response to her falling. Everyone enjoys a good story.”
“A good story…” The Glazistries murmured.
I’d heard enough. With a groan, I lifted to a sitting position to find myself in a barred cage in their room.
Brokas, their son with a hand-picked male of their choosing, sat on a chair just outside my bars, watching me. Little flecking creep.
I lay on a soft bad, completely nude, and covered with a soft fur. Where had my pants gone? I made sure to cover myself, since they already stared at me in a lustful way that made me want to hurl. Noticing my wakefulness, they turned from their conversation with a high-ranking guard—if his uniform adornments were any indication—to waltz over to my cage, as if they hadn’t nearly destroyed my world.
The room spun a little and I clutched my head. They’d given me a higher dose of Kixx than I usually took. My stomach cramped, and I bent over with a sharp curse. Coughing, I choked back the bile which threatened to rise.
“You did well. Even your tantrum was appreciated,” said the Glazestries.
“Can I touch him?” Brokas asked.
“No, dearheart,” they said. “Not now.”
He pouted and I snarled at him. He didn’t seem fazed.
“Is Jennie all right?” I asked.
“She’s fine.”
“I want proof.”
Four bulbous eyes stared at me and they fluttered their neck vents in what seemed like annoyance. “You don’t trust us?”
I barked out a laugh that sent a sharp spike of pain into my skull. “No.”
“When she wakes up, we will show you.”
“She better wake up soon,” I growled.
“Tsk, watch your tone with us.”
I gritted my teeth and kept silent as I imagined all the ways I’d wring their necks given the chance.
“We can hear you plotting our demise, but one thing you have to understand is there is no way off this planet for you and the human except death. And even then, we’ll scatter your ashes on the surface to be torn apart by the winds.” They stepped closer and stretched their joined hand through the bars for me, but I shifted out of their reach. “You belong to us, and now we know we can keep you more docile with Kixx and holding the human over your head, you’ll make us even richer.”
“The Kixx will eventually kill me. You have to know that, right?”
“Sure, but it will take some time.”
I laughed again. “It will take less time than you think.”
That kept them quiet for a moment. “Well then, I guess we’ll have to be creative and use it sparingly.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
They kept me in the cage. I was allowed out to use the expeller and the cleanser. They gave me a pair of tight pants in a shiny black material, and a new pair of boots. A rotation passed, then another. Then… I was pretty sure another passed. I couldn’t remember. The pain lurked below the surface, barely held at bay by the scant amount of Kixx they doled out to me when I couldn’t stand.
When I tried to ask for more, the Glazistries told me I’d just had a dose, and I couldn’t remember if that was true or not. I had to take their word for it.
Sometimes, they’d stroke my face, and although their touch spiked my skin like needles, it reminded me of another touch in another time. A past life, maybe? This touch had been warm, and soft, and had made me happier than anything in my life.
So, I allowed it and listened as they cooed in their matching voices. When the pain became too much, I retreated to my furs and dreamt of another hand.
One day, they showed me a screen with a small figure on it. She was eating, her dark hair hanging in her face as she sat with her legs crossed on a fur.
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked.
The Glazistries liked that question. Their eyes bulged. “Just some entertainment. Do you enjoy looking at her?”
“Entertainment?” She looked familiar, and I reached for the screen, but they yanked it away. My head pounded. “I can’t… Are you sure? Who is she? I know her, right?”
“You don’t know her,” they said, leaning toward me. “You don’t know her at all.”
I knocked the heel of my palm into my temple. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. So, do you enjoy looking at her?”
She then lifted her head and stared straight at me through the screen. Those eyes. I knew them. I’d looked into them while I was inside of her. I knew it. “Jennie.” The word came to my tongue without thinking. “That’s Jennie.”
The screen went black and I surged forward, shoving my fingers through the bars to grab it. “Wait, wait!”
The Glazistries cursed. “Not yet.” They tossed the screen to a guard. “He will forget soon.”
I sank to the bottom of my cage, gripped my hair, and screamed. I couldn’t remember what I forgot. I couldn’t remember at all.
Jennie
My head throbbed and my stomach churned with what felt like a hangover from hell. Whatever gas they’d filled that box with had taken forever to wear off. When I came to, the guards informed me I’d lost three rotations.
Three.
Beside my head on my bed, I found a small orb, and at least that made me smile.
Heera must have retrieved one for me, so I’d have some pretty light when I woke up.
They gave me a sweet drink that calmed my stomach, and after that, I wolfed down a whole tray of food until I felt like my belly would burst. I’d badgered the guards about Fenix, but they refused to tell me anything about him other than he was alive.
I’d panicked because they made him use his fire too long. I could tell by the strain on his face, and the way his body had shook. I’d only wanted it all to stop and hadn’t considered they’d punish me for banging on the wall. It didn’t really matter though; I’d do it again even if I’d known.
After I passed out, I didn’t know what happened. Sometimes when I closed my eyes, I heard a dull roar, and my name screamed in a heated anguish.
Two more rotations passed, and I began to grow even more fretful. What was happening to Fenix? How much pain was he in? Did he know I was alive? I lay on my bed, picking at the edge of the fur as I stared at the ceiling. The orb had faded, leaving my cell dark and depressing. I practiced talking until my throat ached, but I felt confident my voice was stronger now.
A shuffle sounded outside my cell. Hopeful, I ran to the bars to find a small round face peering at me from the outside walkway.
“Heera.” I reached for the orb she stuffed it through the bars. Fluffing it like a pillow, I smiled at the soft light. “Thank you, friend, for leaving me an orb while I was sleeping.”
“I’m so glad you woke. I visited as often as I could and made sure you were breathing.”
“What happened after I passed out?”
Her face fell and she glanced down.
“What?” I gripped the bars with shaky hands. “Is Fenix okay?”
“I’m not sure,” she said softly. “H-he saw you pass out and he screamed your name. Then…” she shook her head. “I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but his entire body went up in flames and then he collapsed.”
“No,” I whispered. “He never… he’ll be in so much pain.”
“I heard he’s the Glazistries personal pet. They keep him in their private room. I also heard a cargo ship came the next day with a supply of Kixx.”
I sighed as I sank down onto my knees. “Shit, he’ll be so defeated. He hates taking it. But it’s better than being in pain.” I bit my lip, remembering how he told me Kixx was killing him. How long could he hold on? Were they dosing him right? So much was out of my control, and I hated it.
“Heera,” I dropped my head into my hands. “I’m so worried about him.”
Tears streamed through my fingers as I sobbed. A paw stroked my hair, and Heera’s voice cut through my hysterics. “I know,” she whispered. “When my planet was overtaken by the Plikens, my whole clan was separated, sold to different areas in the galaxy. My friends, my family. I think about them every day. Are they alive? Are they in pain? Would they be better off dead?”
I swiped at my eyes as I gazed at her kind face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask what you’ve been through. I can’t imagine. I have some consolation that my family is safe back on Earth.”
She maintained her kind smile. “I’ve had longer to come to terms with this than you. It’s okay.”
“Why are you so kind to me?”
“Hilbobs are committing to defending the innocent. I could sense the good in you right away.”
I gripped her paw. “You’re a good soul, Heera. Tell me your story.”
She talked in soft, reverent tones about her resourceful home planet and close-knit clan. When they were torn apart, she despaired for many cycles as she was sold over and over again—she’d worked in the mines on Vixlicin before performing tricks on space stations until she’d been sold here, where she’d been for most of her life. “I can’t do anything I wanted to do in my life while here, but I can try to make a difference where I can. I help out the other creatures sometimes. But you… you seemed more loss than most.”
I let out a sob of laughter. “That’s an understatement.” Collecting myself, I asked, “So what is it you want to do, Heera?”
“I want to learn some healer abilities. I want to do good for others.” Her pale cheeks flushed. “And I want to become a mother. But I have no hope of finding mates.”
“Mates?”
“We mate two males to a female.”
I smiled. “That sounds tiring.”<
br />
She laughed. “Our males are very devoted. They form in pairs and pick a mate that suits them. I have dreamed of what my pair would be like many times.” She sighed wistfully. “But it is not to be.”
I leaned closer. “Heera, Fenix and I want off this planet. I still have hope. And when we leave, you’re coming with us.”
She patted my cheek. I could tell she didn’t believe me. “Okay, human Jennie.”
“I mean it.”
“I know you do.” Her eyes watered, and she blinked away the tears. “I know you mean it.”
“Where’s the hilbob?” shouted a guard, whose voice sounded way to close for comfort.
Heera slapped her paw over her mouth to muffle her panicked squeak. She plastered herself against the bars of my cell as if trying to squeeze through, but her body was too big for the narrow spaces.
I frantically gazed around my cell, wracking my brain for a way to distract the guards or hide Heera.
“Where is that little shet?” the guards murmured. “Brokas wants to see her.”
“I hate that little brat,” Heera muttered.
“What does he make you do?” I whispered in alarm.
“I have to dance for him. It could be worse.” Her large eyes darted around. “What am I going to do? They are outside my cell, and I can’t get back without them seeing me.”
Right now, she was hidden in the alcove of my cell in front of the bars, but as soon as they reached my cell, they’d see her.
A small crevice in the alcove caught my eye. It wasn’t large enough for her whole body, but it would provide some degree of cover. I shoved her into it. “Hide yourself as much as possible. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound.”
She nodded and conformed her body into the crevice. Her eyes shone. “Shut your eyes, Heera. Damn those are luminous.”
Closing her eyes, she went completely still just as the guard’s footsteps drew closer. Pitching my voice as loud as I could, which strained my vocal cords nearly to their limit, I called out, “I need some supplies, please.”