by Stella Dawn
He reaches out to clasp my forearm, a customary greeting amongst our people.
“Well met, Tsunis,” he says. “What news of your mission with the human woman?”
“It’s going well, Father. Eliana is very intelligent and I trust she’s doing her job well. I’m certain she’ll do us all proud – Taryne and Captain Yos were not wrong in selecting her for this task,” I tell him.
“Good, good – I’m glad to hear it,” he says, “but I feel that’s not why you’ve come to me today.”
“No, it’s not. When Eliana and I were down on the beach observing the tide pools I noticed a group of six Xoks observing us. They made no move to approach us and did not speak, but their presence seemed…threatening somehow. I’m not sure what their motives were, but I put a quick end to our day and brought Eliana back to the colony,” I tell him.
His face, wizened with age and experience, becomes instantly pensive.
“Hmmm,” he says, long and drawn out. “We have no immediate quarrel with the Xoks. They’re an inquisitive people, so I’m sure they were just curious about what you and Eliana were doing. And, as you know, a human woman is a rare commodity in this part of the galaxy. They may have never seen one before.”
“You’re right, of course, Father. I’m not sure why my guard is up – just that it is. Their quiet observance made me very uneasy,” I tell him.
“As they were not aggressive, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. As you say, they were merely watching you, but maybe it wouldn’t be remiss for us to post extra guards around our perimeter. I’d rather err on the side of caution when it comes to our protection,” my father says.
“I agree. I’ll round up them up and instruct them to patrol in pairs. Two sets of eyes are far better than one,” I say.
“Good. Now that that’s settled, return to your hut and prepare for the dinner celebrations. We must honor and welcome our guest, especially as she’s responsible for my son’s life,” he says.
“She’ll be mad that I didn’t tell her,” I say to him.
“That’s fine – every female is always slightly mad. You’ll learn that in time, once you’ve found a mate of your own,” he says, a knowing gleam in his eye.
“I’ll see you soon, Father. Thank you for your counsel,” I say, bowing to him before I take my leave.
He is far too perceptive for his own good.
17
Eliana
As I continue my work, there comes a knock at my door. I stop what I’m doing and I turn to see Tsunis standing by, carrying a light blue robe that overflows to his feet. The robe’s covered in embroidery, and tiny pearls are stitched at the sleeves and collar. I stare at the robe with intrigue and then at Tsunis, noticing that he’s wearing a similar outfit, but the blue is a darker shade with hints of green and gold here and there.
There’s a feast tonight in my honor for saving Tsunis’s life. Since I don’t have any good clothes for such a feast, Tsunis had one made for me that’s suited for the occasion. Once I dress, Tsunis leads me to one of the larger huts hand in hand. The hut is lit up by hundreds of lights in all sorts of shades of cool and warm colors. It’s if fireflies decorated the ceiling.
Every member of the colony is inside, wearing similar robes as they stand around a long table. The table is covered in all sorts of food, and immediately my mouth begins to water. I’m not sure what most of it is, but it all looks delicious.
There’s a jello like substance that’s topped with fruit and cream, and beside it is roasted vegetables sprinkled with strange smelling spices. There’s also boiled eggs stuffed with potatoes, baked potatoes stuffed with scrambled eggs, and a few other variations.
What I’m most interested in is the display of butter rolls that are caked in powder, honey and jelly. A sweet, sweet smell comes from it, mixing in with the other kinds of smells that flow through the table. I’m tempted to snatch one of those rolls, but I probably should eat them after the meal.
Before we all sit down, Tsunis’s father raises a cup in the air and says, “Tonight, I want to honor our special guest from the planet of Earth. She has saved my son’s life, and so I want to propose a toast in her honor. To Eliana.” His father raises the cup in my direction, and so does everyone else.
“To Eliana,” they all say together before they drink.
I smile awkwardly, not knowing what I’m supposed to do. I’m flattered, I’ve never gotten this much recognition in my life. My face heats up from embarrassment, not knowing where to look before glancing at Tsunis. He’s looking straight at me as he drinks from his cup, and he leans over to kiss me on the lips. My heart goes soaring and my face is burning. The kiss is short but it feels like it goes on forever. I glance to see everyone staring, but they aren’t surprised. Tsunis’s father even has a small smile on his face. He then gestures for everyone to sit down, and we all do so. My cheeks are still heated, but Tsunis’s comforting voice soothes me.
“Are you doing alright? I’m sorry if this is overwhelming,” he says.
“It’s alright, thank you for making this a bit easier,” I tell him. “I’ve never had so much attention before.”
“I figured,” Tsunis notes, “I don’t believe I properly thanked you, so, thank you, Eliana, for saving my life.”
“You’re welcome.” I smile.
“And I really do promise to be more careful next time,” he adds, “it would’ve been quite embarrassing if the son of a clan leader died from a fish bite.”
I chuckle. “It would, but it was poisonous after all.”
“Right.” Tsunis nods and starts to collect some food onto his plate. I do so as well, but Tsunis halts me from putting a black squash with a yellow stem onto my plate. “That’s very spicy, you sure you want to eat that?”
“You don’t think I can handle it?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Tsunis stares at me with appreciation and then shrugs. “Go ahead then, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I cut into the squash and take a small bite. Immediately, it feels like my tongue is on fire. I grab for my water and take a huge gulp. However, my tongue is still burning as if little sparks of flame are endlessly prickling on my tongue.
Tsunis holds in a chuckle by covering his mouth. “I told you.”
I glare at him and try to find something else to eat to get rid of the pain. I take some beans and rice and start eating those. I admit it is my fault for eating that, I thought I could’ve taken it but I didn’t. Fortunately, it does start to go away and but there’s still a prickling sensation on my tongue.
One of the clan’s members pokes me on the shoulder, and places a cube shaped bread onto my plate. “Try this, it helps to get rid of spiciness.”
“Thanks,” I say and bite into the bread. It tastes both salty and sweet, almost like I’m biting into butter. The spice goes away like that, my tongue feels perfectly fine now.
Tsunis gives a nod of acknowledgement to his fellow Ih’il. “Thanks, Roli.”
“Yes, thank you,” I tell him and finish eating the bread. Now I want to eat nothing but the bread, it tastes so good, but since it is so sweet I assume it’s not that healthy. I force myself to put the bread down so I can eat the rest of the meal. However, the delicious sweet buttery taste of the bread lingers on my tongue. Well it’s better than having my tongue feeling like it’s on fire.
For the rest of the dinner, other members of Tsunis’s clan come up to talk to me. Even Tsunis’s father comes up to thank me once more for saving his son. I don’t feel embarrassed. anymore, rather, I feel contented. The clan makes me feel like I belong. I’m chatting. I’m laughing. I’m having a good time. I look to Tsunis, he’s smiling at me. Happy that I’m happy. Even though I’m more engaged with other conversations, Tsunis is still right by my side, smiling at me.
After dinner, Tsunis takes me back to his hut. We start to make out, but I pull away, realizing how late it is.
“I should go to bed,” I tell him.
He g
ently takes my shoulders. “I want you to stay with me, please.”
I look deep into his eyes, they’re black but carry so much emotion in them. So much passion, I can’t look away. I can’t disagree with him.
“Alright,” I agree with a shy smile.
He smiles as well and we return to kissing. As we kiss, we slip out of our robes and stand in the middle of the hut exposed. His hands run over my body and I shiver with delight. Tsunis then gently leads me back against the wall. He grinds into me as his cock rubs across my skin. When we finish kissing, he trails his lips downward and touches me in ways I’ve never been touched before. My body already feels like it’s going to explode, but we just got started.
Tsunis goes down on me, and his tongue does wonders to my pussy. I shiver once more, and yelp when he adds in his fingers. He starts slow, but moves faster and faster until I moan out in delight. I wrap my arms around him so I don’t lose balance, and he picks me right up.
Tsunis then slides me onto his cock. As usual he’s taking it nice and slow in me, and then he starts thrusting faster and faster as we lock eye contact. His strong arms hold me tight while my own arms are slipping, but it doesn’t matter as he has a great hold of me as he keeps up his stamina.
He groans as I can feel his cock throbbing inside me. He’s about ready and so am I. Tsunis leans towards my shaky breasts and clamps his mouth around one. His tongue licks quickly against my nipple and releases a great moan into it.
I moan as his seed spills inside me and my arms break free from the overwhelming sensation. Tsunis still holds a tight grip while my arms remain at my side. He’s shaking, but still has the strength to hold and kiss me. Our tongues dance against each other for a few more wonderful moments until we break away. He brushes his hand against mine and we lock eye contact once more before continuing on.
After our time of passion, we’re both lying in bed. Tsunis has fallen asleep, but I’m wide awake. I stare up at the ceiling, wondering if I’ve fallen in love.
18
Tsunis
Early the next morning I wake with Eliana in my arms. I can barely believe it. She is soft and warm, her scent clean and rich. I cradle her closer, feeling her stir at my touch. The moment is so magic, I don’t want to break it.
I know I will have to, sooner or later. She needs to get up to the bay and I have clan duties today with my father. No moment can last forever, but this one has an enduring quality.
I wonder if I’ll wake up like this every morning after this. If I could be that lucky.
I pull her tighter and her eyes blink open slowly. She grins.
“Hey.”
“Hey back.” I can’t stop smiling.
“We should get up. It’s light.” She shifts out from under me and gets up, reaching for her clothes.
“I didn’t finish taking samples yesterday, there are a few things I need to look at.”
“I have to go and help my father today. I’ve got one of my best guards going with you. His name is Dracks.”
She looks at me with a smile, but her eyes are kind of sad.
“Oh. I was looking forward to spending more time with you.”
I pull her into my lap as I shuffle to the edge of the bed.
“That’s just how it is, I guess. You can’t take a day off your scientific study. I can’t get out of my clan duties. We can spend time together tomorrow.”
She hugs me tight, leaning in for a kiss.
“I’m going to get dressed and go, but I want to see you for lunch time, okay?”
“Okay.” I really can’t stop smiling. She has such an effect on me, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.
I watch her dress and get ready, stealing kisses whenever I can. As she walks towards the door, I feel a sad, nagging feeling and I tell myself not to be so sentimental. This will be the first day since we met that we didn’t spend together. Of course, I’m going to miss her.
She kisses me and says goodbye as she hoists her pack, heading out the front. She meets Dracks and they set off.
I watch them go, trying to identify this horrible feeling I have. For a few seconds I just lean on the door, watching Eliana’s cute ass in her long pants. She’s chatting away to Dracks and he’s grinning back at her. I’m glad they are getting along.
I shake my head, getting inside to put on some clothes and tame down my thick, turquoise hair into something partially respectable.
My father is waiting for me in the main tent and he sends me straight back out again, helping with harvesting and movement of supplies on our northern end. For a while now clan members haven’t bothered to show up for harvesting or rationing and the distribution has been uneven. At least, people claim that it is. The only way to stop the complaints is make sure someone in authority is overseeing.
It’s a rough job and as the sun starts to rise to its zenith, we all start to feel hot as we throw vegetables into the wagons. It’s been easy to blank my mind while I was exhausting my body with painful repetitive movements, but as soon as I slow down, Eliana comes into my mind. I’m so distracted it’s like she’s all around me all of a sudden.
I’m supposed to be making my way down the supply lines, making sure crops are going to the right places in the village. Instead I wander down the rows with my head in the clouds, barely paying attention to the wagons of produce.
I know after this I’ll get stuck in the hut with father going over petty disputes. Normally I would revel in the chance to get inside after so much hard work in the sun, but today I can’t stand the thought.
I need to learn basic diplomacy in disagreements around the village. As clan leader, it will be my responsibility to resolve these and I’m still not very good at it. I tend to lose my temper and tear the argument apart. Father is trying to teach me how to negotiate.
It sounds like hell. I don’t want to go. I want to go find Eliana, have that lunch we promised to each other this morning.
I don’t know myself right now. I don’t think a single thought has ever dominated me the way she does. As I watch the wagons roll away, I realize it’s because I don’t want to stop thinking about her. I can’t help laughing at myself.
Fuck it. She’s more important than clan disputes. I’ll track her down, have a bite to eat and I’ll get to bask in her for a while. Then I can move on to the truly painful work of settling the tantrums of my village.
I hurry down the track, thinking it must be late morning. Plenty of time to find Eliana for lunch.
When I see Dracks running towards me, pushing farmers out of the way, my chest feels like it’s been grabbed by an icy claw. My brain adds up the details and I know what must have happened, but I refuse to believe it.
“Tsunis!”
“Dracks.”
“Eliana, she’s gone!”
A moment of rage fueled panic begs me to punch him right in the face. I just scowl and stare him down.
“What were you doing?”
“I turned around to take a piss! I swear it was that fast.”
“Did she run away somewhere? Hiding behind a rock? Did she fall in the water?”
He shakes his head. “I checked all around. Her stuff was there, notebook, bag all that. She’s gone though.”
I grab his arms and shake him. “Did you see anything? Anyone?” I already know the answer and I can’t fight the rage that’s rising inside me.
“Well… There were some Xoks. They weren’t close. They were just staring at us.”
I shake him hard, ready to spit expletives into his face for his stupidity. He shouldn’t have taken his eyes off her! I wouldn’t have, not ever!
“Fuck.”
Dracks backs up a step, trying not to provoke me.
I keep trying to calm my mind. I know that red hot rage won’t do Eliana any good.
I start hurrying back towards the village, pushing farmers out of my way. I take the rest of the way back at a run. I don’t slow down, going through my hut for a couple of bone daggers then runni
ng to the main hut to grab a lance.
My father is waiting for me.
“Tsunis.” He sits on his big clan chair on the little podium. Behind him the very best of our traditional weapons are hung. Things that made us deadly without tech. I stride right up to his chair, wondering what he could possibly say to deter me.
“I’m not doing the village dispute thing father. I have to go and save Eliana. The Xoks have her.
He raises an eyebrow, concern crossing his features. He didn’t know.
“That is of the highest priority, my son. She is too valuable to lose. What happened?”
“We don’t know exactly. Dracks said that she just disappeared and there were Xoks nearby.”
“So, we don’t know it’s them. Not for sure.”
“Father! You know they were watching us the other day. Closing in. We discussed it.”
“Yes, but we have no way of knowing if it was actually them that took her. There are many predators in the jungle that could come out and take her that fast.”
“You aren’t making me feel any better here, father.”
“My point is, you cannot just wage war against them on suspicion.Yes, we will go to their camp, and check and we will determine if she is there and what we should do about it. But you aren’t running off into the jungle to crash their camp.”
“Alright.” My eyes are still fixed on the weapons behind his head.
“No. You aren’t taking my spear, either.”
I’d grin if the situation wasn’t so serious. I didn’t think he’d be so sentimental about the lance.
“Okay son, let’s make a plan.”
I still have the urgency running through me. Every single second I’m frantic, wondering what they are doing to her. If they are hurting her, or worse.
I can’t calm down, but I can hold myself like an arrow in a bow, ready to fly the second I am released.