Chapter 27 - Prax
~Some time before~
I wake up slowly, sore all over. I’m lying on a cold floor. My thoughts are a mess. Where the hell am I, and what am I doing on the ground? And why do I feel like I got blackout drunk and then beaten to a pulp? My ears are ringing like crazy, but I can hear sounds nearby.
I bolt upright, claws out, eyes scanning the area.
Everything comes rushing back. The hangar. Bully. Neela.
I frantically look around, heart racing. Relief washes over me when I realize her body isn’t here, not among the ones scattered across the frozen floor. She’s not here!
“Well, looks like you’re not dead after all,” says the man stepping up beside me.
I turn my head and lock eyes with the Asgarnian, Pherebos—light purple eyes, glowing with intelligence.
“Prax, I never got the chance to thank you for what you did for my Dedicated Soul two years ago, but I’m doing it now.
When Akifumi sent out an alert about you, I came without hesitation.
We’ve been waiting aboard the Prianka, our flyer, for eight days before we could land here—had to give SILMAR, our AI, time to adapt us to Martian life.
Not the friendliest planet, I’ll say that!
But the view’s not bad!” he adds with a wink.
Stunned, I stare at this echo from my past, who’s now telling me he came to save me.
“You said ‘we’?”
“Well yeah, there are three of us.”
I turn and spot her—Ileana. The beautiful Human who turned my life upside down two years ago.
“Prax!” she says warmly, noticing I’m awake. “It’s good to see you again!”
“You too,” I reply, locking eyes with her pale gray ones.
I want to know if she still affects me, if I’m immune now.
The answer’s obvious—no, she still gets to me.
But the chaos swirling in my head has nothing to do with romance.
It’s a mix of joy at seeing her again, relief that she’s doing well, and deep gratitude for the help she gave me.
I owe her, no doubt about it. She was the one who called out things I should’ve been ashamed of.
She pushed me to change. That shift in perspective led me to enlist. And that mission led me to the woman I love—Neela.
“Prax, can you summarize what happened here? You’re the only one who can explain why there are both Human and Penubian corpses scattered around,” Pherebos asks.
“You said there were three of you. Who’s the third? Akifumi?”
“What the hell would our Admiral be doing here? He’s en route to Mars with a fleet ship—should be here in three or four days. Prax, let me introduce you to Wingo, our third teammate!”
I stare in disbelief at a four-legged creature with a tiny trunk, a limber body that’s a bit… plump. Definitely edible. He locks eyes with me—huge golden eyes, full of curiosity.
“Uh-huh. Before you get the wrong idea,” Ileana says, a little sharply, “Wingo is an intelligent being, and under no circumstances are you to try anything. He’s my friend.”
I clear my throat and try to hide the culinary thoughts swirling through my brain at the sight of their new partner. I get to my feet—painfully, because everything hurts.
“As for the recap, be my guest. You go first. When did you arrive, what did you find? More importantly—did you come across a young Human woman?”
“We landed just a short while ago,” Ileana replies, holding a scanner in front of me. “We made sure the area was secure before inspecting the bodies. You’ve got two cracked ribs and several internal hematomas. I have no idea how you’re still standing.”
“Neela… the young woman… did you see her?” I press again.
“Prax, there’s no one else here besides the ones in this hangar,” Pherebos explains gently. “And you’re the only one still breathing. Outside, there’s just a two-seater ship someone abandoned—probably not yours, I’m guessing.”
I look up at him, pain tightening my chest. They came too late. Bully took Neela!
Before I can even react, I feel a sharp sting in my neck. I whip around, claws extended—only to find a blade at my throat.
“You’d better sheath those claws when you’re around my partner,” Pherebos warns coldly. “I know I owe you a lot, but I swear—if you touch her, you won’t leave here alive.”
“Everyone relax—it’s my fault,” Ileana cuts in. “I’m sorry, Prax, I gave you a painkiller without asking. I got distracted.”
I retract my claws as Pherebos lowers his blade. We both eye each other with mutual suspicion.
The pain fades fast, and with it, my thoughts clear.
“Let’s talk outside,” I suggest, stepping out of that cursed hangar that’s definitely not helping anyone think straight—not with all these corpses littering the ground.
Once we’re outside, I immediately notice the transport ship is gone. Only a two-seater remains, along with the vessel that brought Pherebos, Ileana, and their... pet.
I give them a full rundown of the situation—what’s going on in Cydonia, the shady deals in Arabia Terra, and how some colonists thought it was a brilliant idea to do business with Bully and his gang.
Ileana winces when she hears the name of her former jailer.
Yeah... clearly, my ex-partner hasn’t evolved for the better.
“I can reassure you on one thing,” Pherebos comments. “No ship left Mars a few hours before we arrived. However, several did move from this zone to the coordinates at Cydonia. Your Human’s still on the planet. So, hope’s not lost!”
“Well, even if she had left Mars, I’d hop in that two-seater and chase them to the edge of the damn galaxy!” I say with full conviction.
“Okay, but that’s not the case yet. How many are we dealing with?” Ileana asks.
“Before Bully knocked me out with my own pistoblaster, I was fighting three. Add Bully himself and whoever else he might have stashed somewhere. Not to mention the colonists under his thumb.”
“Strange he didn’t just shoot you,” Pherebos muses. “Big mistake on his part.”
“I don’t think he realized. I had two pistoblasters—one set to lethal, which I used on two of his men, and the other set to stun, meant for the Humans.”
“Ah, so he left you unconscious thinking you were dead. That gives us a tactical edge,” Pherebos remarks.
“And what—you're suggesting the two of us attack them?” I ask, surprised. “There are at least five Penubians, likely more if he’s got similar forces at the second site. And they’re equipped with armor-piercing weapons, just FYI!”
“We’re four,” he says, like it’s obvious. “You’re forgetting Ileana and Wingo. Plus, they’re in Cydonia now. You can contact that Kiran guy, can’t you?”
I stare at him, dumbfounded. Is he serious? He’s counting his partner and their... furball as a strike team to help us rescue Neela and the other Humans? That’s… unexpected. I remembered Pherebos as a confident, skilled warrior, master of blades and nerves.
Has he gone soft with sweet little Ileana around? Is that what’s in store for me if Neela agrees to stay with me after I get her back?
“Nightfall’s coming soon,” Pherebos declares. “I say we head for Cydonia under cover of the heavy cloud layer. That gives us until morning to plan our next move.”
“Wait! I don’t remember seeing Pallas when Bully captured Neela.”
“Pallas?” Ileana asks, confused.
“Yeah, the young manul who’s been following us the last few days. Give me a minute.”
I walk to the edge of the clearing and let out low trills that might carry far enough to reach his ears.
A faint meow answers, and I take off at a sprint to find the little feline. When I spot him, he’s puffed up and looks completely lost. I scoop him up and shower him with soft purring and comforting strokes.
By the time I return to the Prianka, Pherebos just raises an eyebrow at the sight of Pallas. No comment.
“Oh my goodness, he’s adorable!” Ileana gushes.
She really does have a lot in common with my sweet Neela.
“I need to reach a housing unit so I can contact Kiran,” I say. “I have to explain what’s happening.”
“Why not go straight to him instead?” Pherebos suggests.
Now that’s a solid idea. I’ve never been to his place, unfortunately, but I can take us to Neela’s. Once we’re there, I can call him to meet us.
Half an hour later—after grabbing my pistoblasters I’d forgotten in the hangar—we step into my Purrsong’s house. Her scent is almost gone now.
Pallas doesn’t hesitate, heading straight for the abandoned bed.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll contact Kiran right away. He doesn’t live far from here.”
I activate the CCC and select channel 3.
“Kiran, if you can hear me, meet me where we last saw each other!” I say.
“What the hell are you doing?” Pherebos blurts out, eyes wide.
“Well... contacting Kiran, Neela’s brother.”
“With this prehistoric gadget straight out of the most primitive planets?” he scoffs.
“It’s the only one that works on Mars,” I snap back. “If, like me, you think that’s pathetic, feel free to bring it up with Akifumi when he arrives.”
Since I’m not sure Kiran’s listening on channel 3, I repeat my message on the other two Neela told me about—channels 59 and 23.
“There. If he’s got his CCC turned on, he’ll be here within fifteen minutes. In the meantime, I’m bailing for five. I need a shower. I can’t stand this stench any longer.”
A few dozen minutes later, I’m clean and ready to face my girlfriend’s brother. He’s going to be furious—and rightly so. I failed to keep my promise to protect Neela. I wasn’t able to keep her safe, like I swore I would.
“He’s coming,” I say flatly, hearing the approach of his snowbike.
He bursts through the door moments later, visibly panicked and pissed off.
“Furball! Isn’t it funny to find you lounging around my sister’s place, sipping her tea, while she’s nowhere to be seen? And who the hell are these people?” he chokes out, catching sight of Pherebos.
Sure, Ileana looks human—but no one would ever mistake Pherebos for anything Earth-born. The guy’s nearly seven feet tall, long pale hair braided on one side, pointed ears, and glowing lavender eyes. Hard to miss.