Chapter 6 Kiera
KIERA
The rest of the tour passed in a blur for Kiera because all she could think about was getting back to the huge gray wolf and taking him home.
All the while Dr. A’flerzz and Iyanna were discussing various plants and they were loading the schoonies, (which looked a little like long—necked llamas but with scales instead of fur) into the back compartment of the shuttle, she was dreaming of wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his furry ruff.
She didn’t know why but the big guy had really stolen her heart, and she couldn’t wait to get him back home to the sanctuary and take care of him. He’d been neglected long enough—she was going to make him her special baby, she decided.
The minute the schoonies were loaded and everything was ready to go, she hurried back to his cage.
The minute he saw her, the huge wolf was on his feet. He rushed to the cage door, whining and pawing at the bars.
“It’s okay, boy–we’re getting you out. You’re coming home with me, just like I promised,” Kiera reassured him.
Dr. A’flerzz’s long, insectile fingers hesitated above the lock.
“You are absolutely zertain about thizz?” they asked, their compound eyes staring uncertainly at Kiera.
“One hundred percent,” she said firmly. Now that she’d had a little while to think things over, she wanted the huge wolf more than ever.
“Very well, then he izz yourzz,” the alien scientist buzzed.
They opened the cage and the wolf came bounding out. He jumped into Kiera’s arms, putting his huge paws on her shoulders and licking her face with a long, taffy—pink tongue.
“Okay, all right!” she said, laughing. He was much taller than her on his hind legs–he actually had to lean down to lick her.
“Are you sure that’s safe?” Iyanna asked, looking on anxiously. “He really is enormous, Kiera!”
“He’s just excited–he’ll calm down in a minute.”
Kiera stroked the fluffy ruff and then took the wolf’s head in her hands. She stared into those strangely human—looking, golden eyes and spoke directly to him.
“Quiet down now, boy. I know you’re excited to be going home with me, but you have to behave if you want to come in the shuttle.”
At once the huge wolf stopped licking and wiggling. He dropped to all fours and pressed his big, furry body against her side.
Though he was obviously trying to control his emotions, Kiera could still feel his entire shaggy body trembling as he pressed against her. Oh yes, he was extremely excited to be going home with her, but he was clearly doing his best to behave.
“What a good boy you are,” she praised him softly, stroking his silky fur. “What a good, good boy.”
Iyanna stared at her, a look of wonder on her face.
“I just don’t get how you do that. He really seems to understand everything you say!”
“Of course he understands—he’s a very smart boy.” Kiera smiled.
To be honest, she had to admit to a bit of surprise herself–she had always had a way with animals, but she had to admit, the wolf obeyed her better than any other creature she’d ever worked with. He really did seem to comprehend the meaning of her words.
But she told herself he was just really intelligent. After all, even if he did mostly look like a wolf from Earth, he clearly wasn’t. Maybe his species was semi—sentient or something. She would find out more about him once she got him home to her animal sanctuary.
Though Iyanna was clearly nervous about riding home with an enormous alien wolf in the shuttle with them, Kiera’s new pet was completely docile during the trip.
He settled down between the pilot’s seat and the passenger seat and put his head on his paws.
He didn’t even cause a fuss when the Monstrum Mother Ship folded space for them.
While she was unloading the schoonies, who gave him nervous side—long looks as they scrambled from the back of the shuttle into their new breeding pen, he stayed right by Kiera’s side and didn’t even move a muscle–though his long nose twitched as he scented the air of the wide, open plains the sanctuary was located on.
“Good boy,” she murmured, ruffling his fur. “I know they’re interesting, but they’re not prey–nothing here is prey.”
He chuffed once, as though he understood and she scratched behind his ears, which made his eyes turn into slits of ecstasy.
Once the schoonies were safely stored, Kiera gave Iyanna a tight hug.
“Take care of yourself.” Her friend looked at her anxiously. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
Kiera laughed and squeezed her friend.
“You always get so worried about me–I’m fine.”
“But you’re all alone,” Iyanna pointed out.
Kiera shrugged.
“I have the work—bots.”
“Yes, but they’re no good for conversation–they’re just programmed to do the grunt work.” Iyanna frowned. “You’re basically all alone with no one to talk to. Well, unless that creep, Higgs comes over.” She made a face and Kiera made one as well.
Higgs was the canthor rancher from the next valley over. He was humanoid and the only other person around, which was the main reason she’d agreed to go out with him.
That has been a mistake–he’d taken her to see his slaughter pens for their first, (and last) date–a horrifying experience.
Kiera couldn’t stand to see animals being harmed for profit and watching the cow—like canthors being rammed down an automated slot and shot in both their heads, (because they had two,) as they screamed in fear and agony was more than she could bear.
She’d excused herself from the date as soon as she could and she’d regretted going out with Higgs ever since. Especially since he came over to the sanctuary from time to time and tried to get her to come out with him again.
So far, though, he’d been respectful when she declined.
Kiera tried to keep an eye out for him so she could be conveniently elsewhere when he came over.
Mostly she kept to her home-dome and so far, he hadn’t bothered her there.
It had actually been a few weeks since his last visit and she was beginning to hope that he’d gotten the message that she wasn’t interested in him at all.
“I’ll be fine,” she said to Iyanna firmly. “Higgs hardly ever comes around anymore. And anyway, now I’ve got my good boy to keep me safe.” She stroked the wolf’s head–he was so big that it was level with her ribcage.
The wolf chuffed as though he understood her and leaned closer, rubbing against her almost like a cat–a move that nearly knocked her over.
Kiera laughed and patted his head.
“Easy boy! Take it easy.”
Iyanna smiled.
“Well, I guess you’re right. Nobody in their right mind would mess with you with that guy around.” She nodded at the wolf, who had shown no interest in her at all, except to sniff her hand when she offered it briefly and with obvious reluctance.
Clearly he was a one—person wolf and he’d chosen Kiera as his person. A fact that made a warm rush of happiness bloom in her chest. She had always loved being chosen by an animal and though it had happened often in her life, it felt more significant somehow this time.
She hugged Iyanna one more time and then waved as the shuttle took off. Then she sighed.
“Well, alone again, boy,” she remarked to the wolf. “But not really–now I have you. So how do you like your new home?”
She gestured at the sanctuary with pride and satisfaction. Plo’nix, the second moon of Had’lor Prime, was an Earth—like planet in that it was in the temperate zone of its solar system, and it had a breathable, oxygen rich atmosphere. However, there were some big differences.
For instance, the sky wasn’t the familiar blue of Earth at all—it was a soft, luminous shade of turquoise that deepened to indigo at the horizon, like spilled ink.
Two pale rings—faint as chalk marks—circled Had’lor Prime overhead, and every so often the enormous gas giant itself loomed in the heavens like a watchful eye, its swirling bands of jade and gold so vivid they didn’t seem real.
The air smelled different too. Not bad—never bad—but other. There was a clean, mineral tang to it, like rain hitting warm stone…mixed with a faint sweetness, almost like crushed mint and wild honey drifting on the breeze from the low, velvet—soft ground cover that replaced ordinary grass.
Under her boots the earth had a springy give—the “meadow” was actually made up of millions of tiny, cushiony plants the deep green color of moss, shot through with threads of silver that winked when the light hit them just right.
The sanctuary itself spread out across a wide, open plain surrounded by gentle hills—hills that looked familiar in shape but not in color.
The rock here had a reddish, rusty cast, like Arizona sandstone, and in the shallow valleys grew stands of tall, reed—like trees with trunks the color of cinnamon and leaves that shimmered in sheets of pale violet.
When the wind moved through them, they didn’t rustle like Earth leaves—they chimed, softly, like a distant wind—harp.
And everywhere, all around the enclosures, were the scent barriers and safety fields the Monstrum engineers had installed—mostly invisible, except when the light caught them at an angle and they flickered like heat shimmer.
Kiera loved that part. It meant she could give even the most dangerous predators room to roam without worrying they’d ever get out and hurt anyone.
To her left was the petting—zoo section—her pride and joy—ringed by cheerful signs written in Standard Galactic and in English, for the human visitors the Monstrum planned to bring once everything was fully finished.
The theebles from Hama’ba’ba Nine were already out, scampering over their padded climbing structures like neon kittens with bird beaks—lime green, hot pink, and electric blue fur glowing against the muted landscape. One of them saw Kiera and immediately cheeped,
“Kiera! Kiera! Kiera!” in a ridiculously high voice, while another bobbed its little beaked head and echoed,
“Good boy! Good boy!”—clearly repeating what she’d said earlier to the wolf.
She groaned and laughed at the same time.
“You guys never shut up!”
But that was exactly what she loved about them, after all. Since she was the only living person on the sanctuary–most of the grunt work being performed by the work—bots the Monstrum had bought for her on Frag’ma Six–it was nice to hear another voice now and then.
Beyond the petting zoo were the larger habitats—wide stretches of land enclosed by tall, blue, transparent barriers that kept each species separated without making them feel caged. The new schoonies’ pen was near the edge of a gently sloping hill, where they’d have room to graze and trot and run.
Up close, the creatures really did look like long—necked llamas at first glance—until you noticed the scales instead of fur, the ridged plates along their spines that shifted and flexed when they moved, and the way their eyes glinted like polished amber.
They made a low, musical humming sound as they explored their new space, noses dipping to sniff the strange silver—threaded plants.
One of them gave a cautious little snort, then nibbled a tuft…
and immediately sneezed, rattling its whole long neck.
Kiera smiled. They’d settle in. It always took a little time.
And farther out—far enough that even the curious humans would stay safely behind the viewing lines—were the habitats meant to make visitors’ eyes go wide and their mouths drop open.
The chooley enclosure was one of the prettiest–a rolling, misty grove filled with pale gray “mushroom trees” and soft, floating seedpods that drifted like lanterns.
The chooley itself was curled in a nest the size of a kiddie pool–all fluffy lavender fur and enormous, expressive eyes shifted color like a mood ring depending on how it was feeling.
Right now they were a dreamy sea—glass green…until it noticed the huge wolf standing at Kiera’s side. Then the eyes flashed bright, alarmed purple and the Chooley let out a tiny, offended squeak, as if to say, Absolutely not!
Kiera laughed.
“Oh, don’t be such a diva,” she said affectionately. “You’re perfectly safe.”
At the far end of the sanctuary, separated by multiple redundant safety fields—because Kiera was careful and Commander Rarev was thorough—loomed the Vorn habitat. Even from here, she could see the dark shape moving through the red—stained scrub brush like a living tank.
The creature’s thick body rippled with muscle as it prowled, and when it lifted its head, the air seemed to vibrate with a low, hungry hum.
For a moment, the Vorn opened its jaws—just slightly—and she caught the glint of those three concentric rings of jagged teeth…
and the twitch of the tentacles that framed its mouth, flexing as if tasting the wind.
The sight sent a chill skittering down her spine—fear, yes, but also awe. The Vorn was terrifying…and magnificent. Exactly the kind of animal that deserved a safe place where no one would try to hunt it for trophies or slaughter it out of ignorance.
Kiera breathed in the mint—and—mineral air, listened to the chiming trees, and watched her strange, wonderful sanctuary humming with life…and felt her heart swell.
This was what she’d always wanted–adventure, purpose, and a place where the unwanted and the misunderstood animals of the galaxy could be protected. And standing by her side–too big, too calm, and too intelligent for comfort–was the newest, strangest rescue she’d ever brought home.
Kiera just knew they were going to get along…but she had no idea how strange things were going to get very soon.