Fated to the Alien Chieftain (The Klendathian Cycle #3)

4. Roxanne

Chapter 4

Roxanne

The traveler

T he light dwindles as the sun sets over the enormous Draxxi trees, casting long shadows over the area. During the day, Krogoth and I have been traveling through the forests. Northeast this time, towards Lanaisor to complete the Mortakin-Tok. The thought of it is exciting, but also frightening. Little is known about what the ritual entails. Even Krogoth seems unsure.

Maybe I should’ve made a wedding dress? Do Klendathians dress up for these occasions?

And what will happen if the Gods don’t give their blessing?

Krogoth has so many hopes attached to the outcome. Both of us undertaking this sacred rite has so many implications for his people. It would prove Klendathians and humans can bond and mate, and all the hope attached to that. I don’t know how the big guy will react if our ritual doesn’t work. He seems totally confident it will, although no one else does. Even when the others wished us well and said their goodbyes, I could see the doubt in their eyes.

I think I would be a little disappointed if nothing happened, but I don’t need some ‘blessing’ to prove our love. We have both fought and nearly died for one another. This would just be a nice cherry on top. A wedding back on Earth! Yes, that would be a nice consolation, assuming we can find an official to ignore the fact he’s a nearly nine-foot mountain of alien muscle. A problem for another day.

I stifle a yawn, raising a hand to my mouth. Yesterday proved to be an exhausting day. Even after the Council of Elders left, the party only grew livelier. Clan Draxxus members continued to pour in, extending their congratulations well into the early morning hours. I found myself engaged in conversations with what felt like the entire population of Draxru amidst the flowing drinks. It’d been difficult to meet their eyes, knowing that they’d just bore witness to my disgusting scarred body. The memory of it shakes my hands. How I summoned the courage to do it is still a mystery to me. But the others had only smiled and congratulated me on my bravery and quick thinking, which soon put me back at ease.

The huge leaves, as big as blankets, crunch underfoot. I tread cautiously, casting my eyes around for any sign of danger. My experience during the Proving is hard to leave behind, despite Krogoth’s assurances this journey would be much safer. Of course, in the very next sentence, he insisted we wear our armor. “Better to be prepared,” he said. I don’t think my eyes could have rolled further back in my head!

All was forgiven when he handed me back my repaired golden armor. It made me giddy with joy and filled me with relief as I held it. With all the slashes and dents it gained during the Proving, it was in a terrible state. I was worried it couldn’t be salvaged, but thankfully the core mechanism was undamaged, so only the armor plating needed to be repaired. When I equipped it again, I flexed my fingers, enjoying the enhanced strength and speed again. It felt invigorating, like I could take on any challenge.

Well, until Krogoth set off at a blistering speed. His incredibly quick and long strides were a struggle to match despite my legs moving faster than humanly possible! When I asked why we had sprinted, he said he wasn’t going that fast! But he wanted to reach Lanaisor tomorrow, in time for the eclipse. Krogoth didn’t say it directly, but I can tell he believes deeply in the religious significance of the event, that it might guarantee the blessing somehow.

Finally, Krogoth slows down as he examines the area. There’s a stream of water leading off into the side of a rocky cliff, which he follows leisurely, but alert. He carries a large brown leather satchel full of supplies over his shoulder that bounces with his every step.

“You look like Santa Claus, carrying that sack,” I quip between ragged breaths.

Krogoth turns to flex his arms, even though he’s encased in his armor. “Is this Santa Claus also a powerful Chieftain?” he asks with a smile.

I chuckle at the rare moment of Krogoth boasting about himself. “Not as powerful as you, of course. But he’s the Chieftain of the North Pole. Who gives gifts to small children.”

Krogoth raises an eyebrow. “Such a generous Chieftain, although he’d be as idle as a tomb on Klendathor.”

His sobering comments surprises me. Things you take for granted back on earth are totally alien here.

Thankfully, unlike the Proving, there is no limit to what supplies we could bring, other than what’s normally forbidden on Klendathor, such as advanced weaponry or transport. From what I’d learned during my time among the Draxxus, it seems subjective most of the time, but whatever is deemed to trivialize effort, especially outside of their homes, is mostly frowned upon.

Krogoth resumes his steps, following the stream as it leads us towards a pool of water beneath a waterfall. I’m relieved when I see it’s not as large or as loud as the one I tumbled down during the Proving. After last night’s festivities, I don’t think my sore head could take the noise of that waterfall. As we look for a place to camp, I notice this is a beautiful, quiet spot with lush vegetation. I’m dying to jump into the clear sparkling pool, and even the sound of water gently cascading from above is relaxing.

“Perfect,” Krogoth says as he lays down the bag. “I’ll get some firewood,” He darts around the area like a giant hyper squirrel gathering nuts.

He never asks for my help, even though I would like to. “I’ll help!” I exclaim, as I too become a not-so-big wood gathering squirrel.

I approach each branch or twig as if it secretly hides a vipertail. You can never be too sure out here in these massive forests. Carefully, I kick each item over, inspecting it for a moment before finally adding it to my collection. My footing wavers as I struggle to balance my bulging collection of wood,

When I eventually return to the pool of water, I find a giant ten-foot pile of wood stacked tightly together. What the hell! I laugh as I add my own feeble offering to the impressive totem, which I decide is dedicated towards Krogoth’s typical overachievement.

“You planning to stay awhile?” I look at Krogoth, who is setting stones and rocks, forming a circle. “Like a few years, maybe?” I gesture toward the Krogoth’s totem of overachievement.

He looks up at the pile. “I may have gathered too much, but it will be useful for our return,” he smiles as he takes some branches, breaking them into smaller pieces and adds them to the circle.

That’ll last a hundred visits! “Won’t the fire attract beasts? I was told never to build one out here.”

“Relax, we are still within my hunters' borders. Plus, I won’t let anything harm you,” he looks up confidently, before he returns to clacking two white stones together above some dried leaves.

His unflinching purple eyes and massive size and strength fill me with a sense of security. I know he can handle anything the Draxxi forest could throw at us. But still, I can’t help but wonder how he would handle a stampeding herd of aurodons chased by a pack of bloodthirsty hydraliths.

“Voiding thing!” Krogoth exclaims in frustration, as he continues to clack the stones together, bringing tiny, barely visible sparks.

“Want me to try?” I offer.

“I’ve nearly got it... Yes!” He shouts, as he cradles a burning leaf towards his circle of sticks like it’s the most precious object in the universe.

“Good job, Korgy!” I clap as the burning leaf soon ignites the rest of the sticks.

I sit on the lush red grass with my back to a heavy moss-covered rock. It’s surprisingly cozy, here with the pleasant heat from the fire and soft running sound of water, the wildlife chirping and barking in the distance.

And the view is even more impressive. Krogoth rummages through his giant bag of supplies. Before long, he takes out a large wooden keg like object with a couple of oversized cups. One appears to be made from horn, the other from bone. They look so cool!

“Can you guess what this might be?” Krogoth chuckles, as he extends a long razor-sharp claw from a finger to punch it into the wooden keg.

“I can already smell it from here,” I laugh, enjoying the fruity, aromatic scent of Stardust Sunrise.

Filling the cups, he hands me the tankard made from bone. Is this made from a cyloillar skull? I examine the container, almost spilling the precious liquid within. The ground shakes beside me as Krogoth seats his immense self beside me.

We both take a gulp of the large drink. It has a potent fruity taste which fills my senses. Ah, the perfect refreshment after a long day of running at super speeds. “You know, I never used to like Stardust Sunrise,” Krogoth says, as he turns his cup, examining the drink within. “I found it too sweet, but now it reminds me of you and I relish it now.”

“You’re a big sweetheart, Krogoth,” I reply, smiling up at him. “What can I say? I have great taste,” I quip, casting my eyes over Krogoth from top to bottom.

Krogoth chuckles, noticing my implied meaning. “I fantasized about this moment. During my travels through the scorching deserts of Nardune, where I would’ve traded Elerium for a single drop of water,” his eyes are drawn to the crackling bonfire. “In my delirium, I pictured this exact spot, drinking Stardust Sunrise with you, the female I love. Strange, isn’t it?” He finishes.

Krogoth has spoken little of his time imprisoned by the Council of Elders or his subsequent escape and travels. Many seemed to think what he’d done was impossible. But from the pieces I had gathered, he had suffered much achieving it.

“Oh Krogoth,” I squeeze in next to him, eager to offer comfort. “You brought us here, and you made this happen. You’re a guy that knows what he wants and goes after it.”

“Like at the Proving celebration?” Krogoth retorts, his voice tinged with both sadness and anger. “I brought shame to us both,” he tosses random bits of dirt and twigs into the campfire. “If I was better at politics, you never would have had to bear yourself as you did. It was my intention for you to have fun and look back on your proud day with fondness, but I failed you,” he finishes, taking a swig of his drink.

I feel my face heat from the memory of it. Still amazed I did that, and more amazed that it worked! “You can’t control everything! How could you have known the bloody Council of Elders was going to pop in for a visit?” I ask, placing my hand on Krogoth’s wrist, desperately wanting him to forgive himself. “Besides, I did have fun! And you know what else? I don’t regret baring myself if it helped you and helped the Clan. We’re free now. No more council chasing us, no looming trials or prison sentences, no more creepy Zyraxis. It was an amazing day when you think about it!”

Krogoth gives my hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you still enjoyed it,” he beams.

Silently, we both stare off into the fire, enjoying each other’s presence for a while. The rhythmic flickering of the flames is almost hypnotic. There’s something about the dancing of flames, the warmth it provides, and the sound of crackling wood. It reminds me of my time as a child when my father would build one on the beach for our extended family.

The thought prompts me to take out my cell phone. With its Elerium power supply, it still shows a charge of one hundred percent. I open the folder which contains my pictures with Pete, my old ex, and I scoff at the sight of him.

Looking through them now, I feel nothing. Before I met Krogoth, or rather before he abducted me, these images brought up a cocktail of emotions. Feelings like anger, betrayal... and the worst of all, longing. Yes, longing for that cheating bastard, longing for the good times, longing for a future that was lost. He used to seem so athletic and big, but now he looks like a boy. I’m glad those feelings are gone now, that finally I’ve moved on. I finally delete the folder of Pete’s images without a second thought; the chapter is closed and the lessons learned. That Roxy no longer exists.

Next, I move to my cherished folder that holds the images I was looking for. The pictures of my parents still fill me with a sense of comfort but also sadness. Even though I’ve seen these pictures a thousand times, I treasure each one. I wish I could believe the visions in Sunaisor had been real, that I really got to speak to them. But I simply don’t.

“Krogoth, what did you see at your Proving?” I ask, unsure if he’ll tell me. Few ever spoke of their experiences in the temple. The Klendathians consider the visions to be private messages from the Gods.

“It was so long ago now,” Krogoth says, before pausing, his eyes lost in thought. “My parents, they spoke to me,” he reaches to grab more wood from the pile and tosses it into the blazing campfire. “They told me I’d be a great Chieftain, to trust my instincts and follow my heart.”

Similar to my experience. Some technology that reads memories and delivers roughly the same message? “You’ve definitely proved them right,” I say, squeezing tightly next to Krogoth. “I saw my parents, too. See them here?” I ask, as I hand him my cellphone.

He cautiously pinches it at a corner like he’s holding the tail of a poisonous snake. Until a smile brightens up his face. “Gods, you look even tinier in this image,” He laughs. I shouldn’t have picked an old one! “How could you even stand with such small feet?”

“Like normal, you big oaf!” I shout.

He chuckles as his eyes narrow, inspecting the image more. “I can see you in them, especially your mother’s eyes.” He smiles, handing me back my cell. “You have brought much honor to them. I’m sure they would be proud of you.”

I think they would be. Slowly, I take a drink as I admire the color of the water as the flickering fire reflects and dances over its surface.

“Are you glad you stayed?” Krogoth asks, his voice serious.

“Would do it a hundred times over,” I reply, without even having to think about it.

He wraps his massive arm around me, pulling me even tighter. Silently, we listen to the crackling fire and enjoy the peace. The sun has almost fully set, with the white-purple light of the moon now mixing with the orange and reds of the campfire, casting strange moving shadows over the area. With the heat of the fire coupled with my golden armor, a sheen of sweat forms on my forehead. That water looks very inviting...

I take off my armor carefully, setting down each piece gently, which seems silly after all the abuse it had endured. Krogoth watches with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you know if the water is safe?” I ask as I wiggle out of my leather undergarments, exposing my nakedness.

“How your body looks reflecting the moonlight is a blessing from the Gods,” He replies, his eyes boldly running up and down my body.

A blessing? Can he not see these horrible scars? It’s only because of the dim light that I have the confidence to reveal myself. Still, I’m happy he still finds me attractive at least. I do a twirl for his enjoyment. “A beauty from every angle,” Krogoth sucks in air through his teeth.

I stifle a laugh at his reaction, and the fact he’s totally forgotten my question. “Krogoth the water, is it safe?” I repeat.

“The water?” He pauses before tearing his eyes from my boobs to meet my own. “Oh, yes, the water is safe. Will be cold though.”

I’m no stranger to cold water. The terrible memory of the venefex swiping me into the raging waterfall flashes in my mind with shocking clarity. The agony in my side, my vision spinning, the water roaring in my ears as I feel myself falling.

Falling.