Chapter 18
Myrum
The Ossiso shuttle landed without issue. Myrum, Amina, and Helmen waited outside the bay door until the large space equalized.
“It’s time,” Helmen said as the display on the wall blipped, indicating the bay had finished pumping in environment. She turned to Amina. “You’re sure you have everything?”
Amina nodded and patted the bulky robe she was wearing. “Yup.”
Myrum had helped her go through her limited wardrobe to find something that looked like what a human pet would wear. They ended up with her in black lounging pants paired with a long-sleeved thermal top.
Except for being soft and warm, neither item was anything like he’d seen the pets back on Kalor wearing.
Then he’d found the robe. It was a nice shade of deep blue and trimmed in silver, and it hung almost to the floor, with long sleeves that widened at the ends.
It looked similar to the omnies human pets on Kalor wore during cold weather.
When he’d pulled it out, Amina hadn’t objected to the choice. Later he’d realized it might have more to do with all the pockets he’d seen lining the inside of the robe than the comfort of the garment.
“You patted your robe; what do you have hidden in there?” Myrum asked, eyeing the voluminous covering.
Amina rubbed her hand over his chest. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
Her touch distracted him enough not to notice Helmen had opened the door until the cold air of the bay hit him.
“Let’s go,” Helmen said, sounding grim.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Myrum asked before Amina could follow.
“Absolutely,” Amina said. “You’re stuck with me.”
“I think it might be the other way around,” Myrum said. He looked at Gis, who seemed like he was on the verge of being sick. “You can stay on the ship.”
“No, you need me with you,” Gis said, forcing his head up and fluffing the white section of his mane. “The multiverse put us on this path for a reason. I won’t shirk my duty.”
Myrum was surrounded by stubbornness. He grunted and turned to walk into the bay with Amina at this side and Gis following behind.
Three Ossisos left the shuttle. One of them was wearing an elaborate outfit dripping in official-looking medals around his neck that clinked softly as he walked.
The other two were dressed very differently.
Their clothes were tight-fitting suits with armored chest plates protecting their torsos.
They had several weapons on them. Thankfully none of them were projectiles, but they were still deadly in close-quarters combat.
They walked in unison and stopped on the same measure, telling Myrum they trained together often.
These two would be formidable opponents if he was forced to face them in battle.
“That’s Lorse,” Helmen whispered when he drew even with her. “I didn’t think he’d pick you up himself.”
Neither did Myrum. He’d racked his brain for anything about Lorse but only remembered snippets of conversations. It was the same as ever; he had almost no memory after being rescued until later when he was on the Talin ship.
He hated the idea that he might’ve had entire discussions with Lorse and others but had no memory of them.
The clinking of the medals was familiar. He’d heard it constantly while under Ossiso care. He thought it had been some kind of chime in the room to tell the time.
Had it been Lorse the entire time and not a clock?
Lorse came to a stop in front of Helmen, but his eyes were on Myrum. “I’m here to escort Primary Security Coordinator Myrum to Yal Outpost.”
“I’m no longer a primary security coordinator,” Myrum said. “I’m simply Citizen Myrum now.”
“Your humility is as I remember,” Lorse said. “You look well. How is your breathing? Can you maintain your temperature now? I’ve brought many things to keep you comfortable if you become chilled or overheated.”
“I’m fully healed, but thank you for considering my earlier injuries,” Myrum said. As long as they weren’t including his mental deficiencies, he wasn’t lying.
Lorse looked down at Amina. “And this is your pet. It appears to be a young, healthy specimen.”
Knowing Amina’s temper, Myrum was impressed that she kept a pleasant expression on her face and her mouth closed.
The collar she and Jossulum had fabricated out of a tube coupling gleamed in the bright lights of the bay.
As long as no one examined it too closely, it could pass as the type of collar common among human pets.
“I’m very lucky to have her in my life,” Myrum said. It was only the truth.
“Yes, you Talins do prize owning a human,” he said, then looked behind Myrum at Gis. “And I see you received my gift of labor. I have minimal staff on the outpost, but if you need another, I can ask my parents to send more souls to serve.”
“Gis is adequate for my needs,” Myrum said, pulling Lorse’s attention away from the Ossiso and back to him.
“Excellent,” Lorse said. “I’ve made special arrangements for you. I encourage you to speak to me if you have concerns about anything I have planned.”
“As you are the reason I’m still alive, I have no objections to your plans,” Myrum said. This seemed to please Lorse a lot.
“Yes, that’s true,” Lorse said softly, almost to himself. He lifted up a hand to reach out but pulled it back. It was as if he wanted to touch Myrum but remembered they were in public.
Myrum was even more curious about what had gone on between him and Lorse.
When the Ossiso accepted the overture from Holian for Myrum to visit, they’d all thought Lorse was probably bored.
A visit from an effusively grateful Talin would be mildly entertaining to an Ossiso living far away from any significant hub or planet.
The way he was acting wasn’t like someone dealing with a tedious life.
He was acting more like he was greeting a lost love.
“Come along; we have much to do,” Lorse said, stepping back and to the side, indicating Myrum should walk with him.
Helmen stepped to stand between Myrum and Lorse. The Ossiso guards started to move, but Lorse motioned them to stay.
“What is it, Captain?” Lorse asked in a frigid tone.
“As we arranged, I will remain in orbit around your outpost until Myrum is ready to leave,” Helmen said.
Lorse gave her an unpleasant look. “Yes, we agreed to that, didn’t we?” He regarded the captain for a moment then spoke again. “If Myrum decides to stay with me, you’ll leave, correct?”
Helmen responded without hesitation. “I’d need to meet with Myrum in person for verification. Once I’m satisfied my contract has been fulfilled and you’ve sent me the promised wealth, I’ll leave.”
It was good that Amina warned him this conversation might happen and not to take it as truth. Helmen was going to say whatever she needed to make Lorse think she could be bought. Still, he needed to play his part.
“Stay?” Myrum asked, even as he stepped past Helmen. Amina and Gis rushed to stand shoulder to shoulder behind him. He almost sounded an amused rumble when they bumped shoulders.
“You just told me you’re a citizen again,” Lorse said, completely ignoring Amina and Gis. “You’re no longer working for your empire, so you have plenty of time to spend with me. Leave your mind open to remaining with me until you’re no longer entertained by my company.”
Myrum forced out a rumble of agreement. “I’ll think about it, but I still have obligations to my family and clan.”
“Of course,” Lorse said. “We can discuss everything at length.”
He gestured for Myrum to board the shuttle. He and Lorse walked up the short ramp, followed by Amina and Gis and the two guards.
The ship was a standard short-range shuttle on the outside but the inside was configured in a way he’d never seen before. The standard three or four rows of seats had been removed to make space for a table with two seats.
There was also a small area for food preparation, and an elaborately carved crate took up a section of bulkhead.
At the very back was a thin pad that looked a little odd all by itself.
Two Ossisos wearing matching uniforms were standing at the back of the shuttle.
Their eyes were focused on the floor, their bodies tense and waiting for orders.
Everything about the shuttle, guards, and staff screamed of wealth. It was clear Lorse was used to comfort in every aspect of his life.
The two guards moved past them to take the command seats in the front. Gis moved to stand with the other two servants at the back of the shuttle.
Lorse took one of the seats at the table and pointed to the one across from him. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
“Amina can sit,” Myrum said, urging her to what was the only unoccupied seat on the shuttle. “I don’t mind standing.”
Lorse jerked in his chair, clearly appalled. “No, it can’t sit there as if it was a person. It’s a pet without a soul, not one of us.” He pointed to the thin pad. “I’ve provided a place for it to sit during the flight.”
Myrum felt Amina tense and meet his gaze. They knew she wasn’t going to be treated with respect, but they hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
“I’m afraid this won’t work. Amina is a delicate creature who requires more than a paltry pad in a corner to remain comfortable and safe. I’m sorry for inconveniencing you, Planetary Expansionist Lorse. I will make other arrangements to visit you on the outpost.”
Myrum tried to move them off the shuttle, but Lorse was quick to stand up and block their path, his medals clicking loudly at the unexpected motion.
“I didn’t realize you were so attached to this human. If it’s important that the creature sit on a chair, then, of course, I’ll accommodate you.” He sounded a humorless laugh. “Letting it use a chair isn’t such a problem. It’s not as if you’re asking me to talk to it.”
“No, of course not,” Myrum agreed, catching Amina’s expression. Far from looking angry, she was biting her lip, trying not to laugh.