Chapter 15
Erik
I strip off my armor and cover my clothes with my fur cloak.
I hate leaving my sword and shield behind, but I can’t risk anyone seeing it. If this is still a peaceful planet, the sight of an armed warrior is sure to cause panic. I’m already going to look out of place, because I’m sure they don’t dress like we do.
Once I’m some distance from the ship, I call my wolf. It’s been a while since I’ve let him run free, and he’s been clawing at me since we met Avery. The sight of a massive wolf could cause as much panic as my weapons, but I’ll be a lot faster on four paws.
I let out a howl as I sink to my hands and feet, ears sweeping back as red fur erupts across my skin like wildfire.
My clothes and cloak get absorbed as I transform.
Fenrir’s Mark burns as the transformation sweeps through.
It’s not painful, but it’s intense, like the power of the gods racing through my veins.
My bones crack and reshape, then lengthen and thicken. My spine curves as my hands and feet morph into massive paws, claws extending from where my fingers once were. My face pushes forward, jaw jutting into a powerful muzzle filled with razor-sharp fangs.
My enhanced senses simmer to the surface.
My vision sharpens, colors muting as more vivid details become clear.
My ears allow me to hear the rustle of small creatures in the underbrush nearby, and I can detect the distant hum of the city.
If I was closer to my brothers or my mate, I would be able to hear their heartbeats.
“I know it’s been a long time,” I growl. “But I don’t need your might right now. Just your speed.”
The wolf settles into place as we become one, and I shake out my coat.
Then I take off, cutting through the underbrush and forest with eerie silence.
Despite my massive size, moving silently is effortless when I let my wolf run free.
I could sneak up on a bird and snap my jaws on it before it would even know I was there if the wind doesn’t give my scent away.
This is freedom. What Fenrir blessed us with long before the gods blessed us with a mate. My enhanced speed allows me to reach the city in a matter of minutes, and I sprint through the streets, keeping to the shadows so I won’t be spotted.
“Cars, trucks, hmm,” I observe as I look around. “They’re not very advanced based on what I can see. That’s going to make repairing the ship a little more difficult.”
I’ve studied the history of multiple planets. Based on what I know, the inhabitants of this one aren’t a spacefaring species yet, otherwise there would be signs. The technology on their automobiles is too primitive for that. I was hoping they were more advanced.
“Alright, what do they look like? I need to know that,” I grunt as I rush through the alleyways.
This part of town looks mostly industrial. It’s nighttime, and based on the position of their moon, it won’t be daylight for hours. Lights usually signify activity, so I head toward the brightest source I can find. It turns out to be a busy street with a lot of pedestrian traffic.
“Okay, they look like us. Mostly. We should be able to blend in,” I say. “But we’ll need clothes. I’ll stick out in what I’m wearing under my fur.”
I creep through the shadows, studying everyone. They’re definitely a primitive planet. I don’t see any handheld communication devices, like my Vik-Touch. Those usually dominate a planet once technology reaches that point. It certainly did on ours, and I’ve seen similar things on other planets.
“Looks like they still communicate by talking on devices that require a connection,” I muse, watching a man who is smoking a cigarette while he stands in a booth, speaking into a receiver that’s connected to a box. “Shit, that’s even worse than I thought.”
No cameras mounted anywhere. No drones in the air.
The city is eerily quiet, except for the rumble of gasoline and diesel engines as vehicles move down the streets.
Even the lighting looks primitive. There are rows of streetlights that have an orange glow and they don’t emit much light.
Our streets look like daytime, no matter what time it is. The ones we still use, at least.
“Alright, I’ve seen enough. Let me see if I can find some clothes before I go,” I mutter, looking around.
There are several fuel stations open, but everything else seems to be closed except for bars and a few other hot spots.
That makes it easier, because I’m certainly not going to pay.
I find a department store that is closed, and the security is nonexistent.
No cameras. No guards patrolling, like a few of the others I’ve seen.
If the door wasn’t locked, it might as well be wide open.
I shift from wolf to man, my fur receding as Fenrir’s Mark weaves my clothing back into existence, exactly as it was before.
Once I’m on two feet, I open the door with my shoulder.
The glass shatters, but my cloak protects me.
I quickly look around, but the parking lot is empty. Nobody around at all.
“Perfect,” I say, pushing my way inside.
The smell of smoke lingers in the air, like people have been smoking in the store for years.
It clings to everything, and annoys my sense of smell, but I get used to it pretty quickly.
Based on what I’ve seen, we won’t blend in easily, even with clothes, but we won’t be giants, like we are on some worlds.
Just bigger than most of the people here.
I gather an array of clothing. Enough for me, my brothers, and our mate.
I find a large bag that will hold them and grab a few packs of cigarettes from behind the counter.
I’m not fond of our mate smoking because there are risks, but we couldn’t bring any of her vapes with us when we left.
Her clothes didn’t even survive the trip.
If she hadn’t changed into the Intergalactic Alliance uniform, she’d have been naked the entire way.
“Alright, I think I got everything.” I look around before I shift.
Once I’m one with my wolf again, I carefully pick up the bag with my fangs, making sure I don’t cut through it. I won’t be able to do more research until it’s daylight. I saw a few libraries, so that should be the best place to start, since there are no computers for me to access.
I move through the city undetected, then speed up once I’m in the woods again. My sense of direction takes me right back to our ship, even though it’s still cloaked. I look around until I spot the trail my brothers left, then follow it to a cave.
I shift once I’m close and pick up the bag. There is already a fire going, and based on what I can smell, my brothers have already found some wild game to cook. I’m glad, because I’m always hungry after calling my wolf.
“Welcome, brother. What did you find out?” Ivar asks.
“Similar to us,” I say, dropping the bag on the ground. “Primitive. They don’t even have handheld communication devices yet. They still need wires to communicate.”
“They don’t even have smartphones yet?” Avery asks. “Even Earth had those.”
“Probably less advanced,” I say, taking a seat on a rock. “How long until the meat is ready?”
“Not much longer,” Sigurd replies. “I found a deer nearby.”
“He murdered Bambi’s mom,” Avery sighs. “But it does smell good, even if I’ve never had it before.”
“Bambi?” I ask.
“She means I killed a female deer. Apparently, you don’t hunt deer unless they have antlers where she’s from,” Sigurd chuckles.
“Ah,” I say, gesturing to the bag. “Once it’s daylight, we’ll need to do some more research, but we’ll have to do it on foot.”
“Shit, they’re that far behind?” Ivar mutters. “It’s going to be a pain in the ass to repair the ship, huh?”
“Maybe,” I admit.
Sigurd reaches for the bag and opens it up. He pulls out a few items and holds them up. “This is some fancy stuff,” he says.
“I grabbed a few catalogs so we can assemble our outfits,” I say. “And there’s some cigarettes in there for you, mate. Prefer if you don’t smoke too many of them, but I don’t think they have vapes here.”
“Honestly, I think I’ll pass,” Avery says, wrinkling her nose. “I need to quit anyway.”
“I like that plan better,” Ivar says. “Can’t have you poisoning yourself once you are carrying our child.”
“I would never do that while pregnant. Are you crazy?” Avery asks, the look on her face suggesting she’s offended by the insinuation.
“Things work differently on other worlds, so just being cautious,” Ivar says. “But I’m glad to hear that.”
My brothers sort through the clothes. Avery lays out a few dresses and examines them, then she picks up the catalog. After flipping through it a few times, she raises a brow.
“Yeah, based on what I see here, this planet is way behind Earth,” she says. “Like 1950s or something. Just look at some of these advertisements. They’re so demeaning to women.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask.
“Kitchen appliances, household goods. No man in sight, just women slaving away with smiles on their faces,” she points out. “And look at this one. It says if you don’t wear Lotus Blossom perfume, it’s your fault if your husband finds a woman who does.”
“Guess I should have gotten you some of that,” I tease. “Wouldn’t want us to go chasing after another woman simply because she smells better.”
“You guys go chasing after another woman and you can forget about me being your mate,” she grumbles, glaring at me. “I’m serious.”
“We’d never betray you like that,” Sigurd assures her. “You’re our mate. No other woman will appeal to us, no matter what she smells like. Your sweet honey is the best scent in the universe.”
“Too bad I can’t bottle it up and sell it,” she says, her expression softening to a grin. “Maybe I could give Lotus Blossom a run for their money.”
“You sell it and I’ll be your best customer,” Sigurd grins. “But I’d rather drink straight from the source.”
“Alright, enough jokes,” Ivar says. “What’s the plan? We put on these outfits and blend in? Do some research?”
“For starters, yes,” I confirm. “We’ll need to determine how advanced they are.
What kind of technology we have at our disposal.
The ship that brought us here is probably the most advanced piece of technology on the planet right now.
We need to make sure they don’t find it, otherwise they’ll tear it apart trying to find out what it is. ”
“The cloak will hold,” Ivar says. “The rest of the ship, I’m not so sure about.”
“We’ll need money,” Avery says. “Unless we’re just going to eat deer the entire time we’re here.”
“Money? Nah,” Sigurd laughs. “We’re Vikings. We don’t pay for shit. If we can’t get it by pillaging and plundering, then we don’t need it.”
“Let’s hope there is something worth pillaging and plundering,” I sigh. “Otherwise, we may be stuck here for a while.”
It’s not the first time we’ve been marooned on a strange planet before.
We were stuck on one for a year after our second mission failed.
We tried to go after an Intergalactic Alliance transport ship, hoping to find some humans that were being transported to their new home.
There were none on board and our ship suffered heavy damage during our escape.
Took me a long fucking time to make repairs, and their technology was better than what I’ve seen here.
But we’re survivors. We have our mate. If we end up stuck on this planet, at least we have her. She makes everything worth it.
Still, there’s no place like home, even one that’s been ravaged by a plague.