Chapter 11
Draggar
The smell of roasting meat drifts across the air as I walk through the tall gates that stand wide open.
I have arrived back at my village just as preparations for the evening meal have begun, even though the sky has not yet grown dark. Two of the elders are already seated around the central firepit tending to it and swapping stories of their most successful hunts, their muted coloring a testament to their age.
I steadily skirt my way around the village center so as not to arouse their notice. If the older males spot me, I will not manage to escape them until next season. The pounding of my heart urges me to quicken my pace and find Vrenner, the tribe’s tech, to see if he has any solutions to my problem. All without mentioning the aliens to him. For now, at least. There is no hope of keeping the aliens’ existence completely from him – Vrenner will want to inspect their ship eventually to see if he can recover anything usable from it.
But for some reason I still don’t understand, I am reluctant to share their – her – presence just now.
Once I have determined the aliens’ purpose on our planet, then I will tell Chief Daggir about them and he can decide what action we should take about them. I dismiss from my thoughts any misgivings I have about what might happen to the beings and remind myself they are aliens, not Laediriians, and the only safety I should concern myself with is that of my own people.
I make my way past the training arena, empty of warriors this late in the day. I pass the forge next where Maalin is busy hammering a piece of iron forcing it to bend to his will. He looks up as I pass and nods in greeting before plunging the hot metal into a tub of cool water. Next to the forge where he works is the armory where the tribe stores its extra weaponry. It doesn’t take long before I’ve reached the section of the village where the huts are laid out in orderly fashion.
Vrenner’s small hut sits at the edge of a line of other similar dwellings. The black stones that make up its exterior walls – and the other huts – were painstakingly hewn from the mountains that embrace our territory like a protective arm. My stomach twists at the sight of so many of the huts sitting empty. After our settlement was founded, each one was occupied and our village bustled with activity. But that changed.
After knocking on the thick wooden door, I wait impatiently until the sound of heavy footsteps grows louder. Finally, after a moment of fumbling with the door, Vrenner pulls it open.
He blinks blurry eyes at me and then looks up at the sky in confusion. I sigh.
When my cousin becomes engrossed in a new project, it captures every bit of his attention until he forgets to eat or sleep or even what day it is. Based on the presence of dark circles beneath Vrenner’s eyes and the lines that furrow his brow, he has been completely absorbed in his latest project. Probably since the last time I saw him.
As I step into the messy interior of his hut, I notice a half-eaten bowl of stew on top of a small table. Green mold covers the discarded food. The hearth is full of ashes and looks as if it has not been cleaned in a while. In the far corner, sits Vrenner’s bed with a bundle of furs piled in the center of the mattress. A fine layer of dust coats nearly everything in the main room of the hut, making me stifle the urge to sneeze.
As messy as everything is in Vrenner’s hut, I know that his attached workshop is kept in pristine order with not a speck of dust allowed to land on any surface. Every part, tool, wire, and tube is organized and exactly in its place.
Without saying a word to me, Vrenner turns and disappears back inside his workshop. I shake my head in wry disbelief as I close the door behind me and follow him through the smaller door situated on the back wall of his hut. A herd of magniscould stampede through the village and I do not think he would notice.
Vrenner is my cousin – his father and mine are brothers – but two males have never been more unalike than us. While he has the normal muscular build of a Laediriian, Vrenner’s muscles are leaner and less bulky than my own. Just like all Laediriians, he is a warrior first and foremost. He went through the warrior training just like all young hunters and he did very well. At the end, he earned the right to be a warrior and made his vow to protect the tribe.
But his heart was more interested in the technology of the Ancestors than learning battle maneuvers or practicing with a sword. Our tech at the time was growing older and had a hard time keeping up with the demands of the position, and he was relieved when Vrenner asked to apprentice under him.
The tech position is a vital role in our tribe. It is the tech’s job – in conjunction with the tribe’s medic – to monitor and provide any maintenance the wombs might require. As the tech, Vrenner also has the additional responsibility of studying and repairing the technology the Ancestors brought with them when they fled our home world.
The Ancestors left us with many advanced devices, most of which I do not understand, but I am sure Vrenner does. My cousin is the most intelligent male in our tribe, except perhaps for the medic. As tech, he will have access to the translation devices the Ancestors’ left behind.
By the time I reach his workshop, Vrenner has perched on top of a wooden stool situated in front of the wide table he uses as a workstation. A lamp powered by both solar and lunar energy projects light onto a small jumble of metal components in front of him and he is busy tinkering with them.
I clear my throat, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
I softly call out his name. “Vrenner.” He looks up, his eyes once again clouded with confusion as if he’s just noticed my presence and I shake my head with a bemused grin.
“Oh, Draggar. What are you doing here?”
I cough to stifle the chuckle that wants to emerge, and instead jump right into my request. With my cousin it is usually best to get right to the point while you have his attention before it gets captured by something else.
“I was wondering about the Ancestors’ devices.”
“The Ancestor’s?” He has already turned back to the tool in his hands. It resembles a small knife with a pointed end, but he pauses and looks up at me in question.
“Yes. I would like to know more about the translation devices they used. I believe they can translate all of the universe’s languages.”
“What? No, they cannot translate every language spoken.” My heart crashes into my stomach with disappointment before it soars high into the clouds with his next words. “But the translator chips are capable of gradually learning new languages that are not already in their database. The chips translate speech into Laedirich or Galactica using conductive technology and artificial intelligence. I have one implanted inside me. It is quite genius technology and allows spoken words to be translated with a nearly unnoticeable processing delay.” Before I can ask him any questions, Vrenner goes on to explain in detail exactly how the translator chips work.
Once his speech has begun to wind down, I interrupt him. “Do you have any more of the translator chips?”
His concentration has already drifted back to the assortment of components scattered on his workstation, and he answers me distractedly. “Uh, yes, I do, but they need to be repaired.”
“Could you repair them?” I try to keep the hope I feel out of my voice, but it is difficult.
“I could.” He looks up at me, his thick brow furrowed and his silver eyes questioning me. “Is there a reason you suddenly have need of a translator chip?”
I am not a male who enjoys lying. My father taught me that a male is only as good as his word, and the thought of lying to my cousin sours my mood. But it is not the right time to reveal the existence of the alien females to him, yet. So, I decide to bend the truth just a bit.
“I am interested in the technology. In all of the tech the Ancestors left us. As first warrior, I should have more knowledge of the technology that our tribe has.” My statement is met with a skeptical look and a raised brow from Vrenner.
It’s clear he doesn’t believe me, and I admit it’s not a very good excuse.
He chuckles, his brow ridge still raised in shock. “You? Cousin, you once said the only technology you need is your sword.” Vrenner laughs again, his mouth curving into a grin and his teeth flashing in the light. His voice is rife with disbelief at my explanation, and I want to bristle at his reaction.
Instead, I gesture towards the jumble of metal parts splayed out on the workstation before him, hoping to distract him from his line of questioning. “What are you working on, now?”
“It is a power source.” My cousin returns his attention to the project he’s been focused on and carefully uses a small pair of pliers to pry lose a thin wire. “For one of the wombs.” My blood freezes at his words.
“Which one?” I wait for his answer, every muscle stiff with alarm.
Vrenner glances at me with understanding, before he shakes his head and quietly replies, “The second womb. The first womb is healthy and well to my knowledge. But this one? The backup power source has failed, and I need to fix it in case the primary power source fails, too.”
I feel my heart start beating again at his words, and I suddenly realize how much his answer mattered to me when it would not have before. I’ve barely given the wombs a second thought over the years, but now. . . Now, everything is different.
Vrenner turns back to his work and speaks without looking up. “Your request will have to wait until I am finished with this. Two days should be enough time for me to finish with this power source and repair a translator chip for you.”
My smile is laced with eager anticipation at his words. I notice Vrenner eyeing me with curiosity, but I don’t care. Just two more days and I will be able to understand my female. . . the females. Maybe then I can find out why they are on Laedirissae and why the alien named Hell-lii is never very far from my thoughts.
I bid my cousin farewell and head towards the door to leave. Just before going through it, I pause and turn back to him. “Thank you, cousin. Oh, and be sure to eat something and sleep. We cannot have our best tech growing sick on us.”
He rolls his eyes at me, but his lips twitch with a grin that reminds me so much of my brother’s. He and Vrenner were the same age and frequent playmates when they were younger. “I am the tribe’s only tech.”
“Exactly, but still the best.” I return his smile before heading back through his hut and outside.
I want to stop at my own hut for a while to rest and gather a few supplies, then I will make a quick excursion to the Tussoll’s territory to see if I can find more answers to my questions. Once that is done, I will travel back to the clearing to check on my fem – no, to check on the females – before returning to retrieve the translator chip from Vrenner.
Who are you trying to fool?
I want to return to check on Hell-lii who has drawn my attention like a magnet.
Like the other females, she is a strange creature with features unlike any I have ever seen, and yet, I cannot keep my thoughts from straying to her. I find myself wanting to know more about her apart from just why she is here on Laedirissae. I want to know where she is from, what her planet is like, her thoughts, and everything about her. There is an ache in my chest that urges me to return to her and a hollow feeling that has grown bigger since I left her.
Why does she make me feel this way and why is it only her and not the other two females who bring forth these feelings?
By the time I reach my hut, my stomach growls and reminds me that I have subsisted primarily on trail rations over the last few days. I check the cold storage beneath my hut and find meat and a few other things that I can make into a quick hearty meal. It is a few moments time before I have a fire roaring in the small hearth and a pot filled with the ingredients and simmering away.
Later that evening as the moons have made their appearance, I lay down in the pile of furs on my bed. I’ve already prepared a satchel with supplies – more trail rations, a full waterskin, a bedroll, and a freshly stocked medic kit – and it is waiting near the door for my departure a few hours from now. It has been a long day – a long few days, really – and it doesn’t take much time before my eyelids begin to grow heavy.
But try as I might, I cannot seem to fall asleep. My thoughts race as recent events fly through my mind, keeping me awake.
I think back to the Xeniiv and the death of their chief. The details Sevix related to me niggle at my mind, and I can’t quite figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together. Then, there is the starvation their tribe is enduring. I am suspicious about Sevvern’s sudden ascension to the role of chief, his accusations, and his relationship with the Tussoll tribe. I do not like to think the worst of anyone, but it is hard not to when it comes to Sevvern. My experiences with him have not given me a positive opinion of him.
My racing thoughts finally settle on the females, or one female.
Hell-lii, my lips form her name.
Somehow, I cannot picture a delicate being like her being a party to any sort of plot to hurt my people. Her smooth, unarmoured skin and bright, shining eyes. The laughter that tumbled from her mouth when she spoke with the other aliens. Doubts plague me about whether she is capable of any ulterior plans. My gut tells me she is innocent of any wrongdoing.
I am eager to return to her. To see her and to make sure she is safe. Finally, my eyes begin to grow heavy and exhaustion washes over me. My last thought before I slip into sleep is, ‘I never knew it was possible for a female to be so beautiful’.
****
When I awaken it is still dark. Light from the Sister Moons spills through the window bathing my hut in a blue glow. Though from the angle of the moonbeam, the Sisters appear to hang low in the sky. Sunrise will be here before long, and I hope to arrive on Tussoll territory by then. I quickly wash and dress before grabbing my supplies and weapons and leaving for my journey through the jungle.
I resist the urge to rush through the village. It would not do for anyone that might be awake to see me in such a hurry. They might ask questions, and I do not wish to answer them. Not yet. I am still unsettled by the doubts that plagued my mind before sleep. What if the aliens are here for an innocent reason that has nothing to do with the other tribes?
Vrenner cannot repair the translator chip soon enough for me. There are too many doubts and unanswered questions that need to be resolved.
Hours pass as I trek deeper into the jungle, but I make good time and manage to arrive at the outer edges of the Tussoll territory just before dawn. The moons set not long after I crossed the river that bisects our land and based on the graying sky that is barely visible past the treetops, the sun is on the verge of rising.
The night is the safest time to be in the deep parts of the jungle. Many of the most dangerous predators on Laedirissae sleep when the sun sets, but when the sun rises, they awaken and begin their hunt for prey. The bioluminescent leaves that have lighted my way have grown dim in the approaching dawn and for now, the shadows of the jungle seem even deeper than they did before. My eyes have adjusted to the low light, but still, a male should always be alert when traveling through the jungle.
In the distance, I hear the sharp crack of a stick breaking under the heavy foot of a creature. Something large is moving through the jungle and it seems to be headed in my direction. My ears swivel as they pick up the loud noises of the creature stumbling carelessly through the brush without any concern that it might alert others to its location.
It must be a juvenile magnis. The beasts are known for being foolish and convinced their sharp teeth and claws will be enough to deter any foe. I soundlessly pull my sword from its sheath and lightly step in the direction of the noisy beast. Young magnisare not as powerful as a fully grown adult, but they have the same teeth and claws and toxic saliva, and their unpredictability and unchecked confidence can sometimes make them even more treacherous.
Especially for a warrior who underestimates them. I am not that warrior.
Despite my size, I step lightly through the brush, my footsteps soundless. When I’m nearly within three swords-length of the interloper, I can finally see its rounded form in the shadows as it most likely searches for its next meal.
The darkness beneath the tall cupressi trees with their large trailing leaves is still too thick for even my eyes to completely penetrate. I cannot see many details of the beast, but its shape and size is similar to that of a young magnis and it has the mottled blue and black coloring of the beast.
Ah, yes, it is a foolish juvenile. Not yet old enough to know to exercise caution when in the depths of the jungle, but old enough to be dangerous.
I raise my sword high in one swift movement, then with a roar that bursts deep from my lungs, I lunge forward prepared to cut down the predator before it can make a meal of me.
Before my sword can pierce the thick hide of the beast, its head draws up and I am finally able to make out its details, just as the sweet aroma I have come to crave reaches my nostrils.
The pale skin of its startled face and the flashing blue eyes so similar to the seas that surround the main landmass of Laedirissae. It is not a magnis or any other four-legged creature. It is an alien.
It is Hell-lii.