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

7. Roxanne

Chapter 7

Roxanne

The Sun and the Moon

“ C upcake stop! Pfft, ah!” I exclaim, trying to fend off the slimy tongue of my avian friend. Despite wearing my exoenhancer armor, I can barely support her weight as she places her two front talons over my shoulders and nuzzles frantically at my face. “You’re such a big girl now!” I continue to scratch and ruffle her fuzzy mane. Her underside is the color of the night sky and her topside is the purest white.

Joy and relief still resonate within me. I was terrified watching the glider chase Krogoth, and when I heard the crash, I feared he was dead. Only because of Cupcake’s timely intervention did he survive at all. “You’re the best girl, aren’t you?” I try to rock her head with affection from side to side, but her fierce strength makes it difficult.

I’m so glad to see her again, even just to know she’s still alive and well after we parted at the temple of Sunaisor. I reach a hand down and start rubbing her fat tummy. She’s been eating well, at least! “What have you been up to, you big silly fuzz?” Cupcake finally relents, sliding off my shoulders with her long tongue lolling out, panting from excitement.

Cupcake barks and wags her tail. Looking behind me, I turn, noticing Krogoth approaching, his eyes cast down, looking thoughtful. “Is everything okay?” I ask.

Krogoth looks up as if noticing us for the first time, “Yes,” he nods, before looking at Cupcake “Don’t let her near there,” he gestures to the wreckage’s other side. “I don’t want her eating Dracoth.”

Who’s Dracoth?

“Ah, you’re done eating smelly Klendathians, aren’t you, Cupcake?” I try to grab a handful of her feathers, but she dodges quickly before spinning happily.

Cupcake turns her attention to Krogoth, watching him cautiously. “Krogoth, I think you should say thank you to Cupcake for saving your ass back there,” I suggest with a smile.

Krogoth chuckles, eyeing Cupcake skeptically before speaking. “She’s as likely to attack me as the others,” he inches closer, however, with his hand outstretched. “Good brutonous,” he repeats, moving nearer.

Cupcake barks noisily. Her bushy tail straightens and she tenses up. Krogoth retracts his hand in an instant. I shake my head in disappointment. “Thought we were over this. You should give her some food,” I suggest, looking at Krogoth, noticing he no longer has the large sack of supplies. “Where’s your satchel?”

Krogoth shrugs. “Probably buried in that crater I created,” he says, rubbing his back, wincing as if the memory of his fall reignites a pain. “Wait here, I’ll go find it.”

I watch as he darts off in a blur of speed amongst the trees while Cupcake preens her feathered wings, making snuffling noises. I briefly wear my warvisor. Two of the dead are still inside the bulk of the ruined glider wreckage.

The fire seems to have extinguished, as the heat levels are only slightly above average now. I remove my warvisor, deciding to pull out the bodies. Krogoth will probably want to know more about them. The back portion of the gilder is completely torn off, and the center is a crushed mess, like a tin can crushed under foot.

I cautiously duck in through the exposed back, waving away black smoke that makes it hard to see. My foot strikes something hard, nearly causing me to trip. Glancing down, I notice the silhouette of a warrior. Gripping him by his shoulder plates, I pull and haul with all my strength. With each forceful yank, the body slides backwards. Finally panting, I position him a short distance from the glider.

I place my hands on my hips as I breathe in heavily, trying to catch my breath. Probably should’ve left this one for Krogoth. This guy’s a lot smaller than the other warriors, too. Strange, despite the warvisor I notice, he is bald. Don’t Klendathian warriors usually have long hair?

Since I rested a moment, it’s time for me to grab the next guy. I turn to Cupcake. “Don’t be eating him while I’m gone, okay?” I point towards the body. Cupcake simply huffs loudly, lying down with her head resting on her talons.

I dash back into the glider once again, swatting away the smoke. The interior is in total disarray, the seating torn and partially burned, with exposed circuits sparking and crackling. Near the front, I squeeze past the misshapen dented section to find the smoking remains of the final warrior. Despite the thick gloomy smoke, it’s clear he has suffered severe burns. The front section must have exploded into a fire.

What if this bloody thing explodes again? The thought spurs me on. Quickly, I grab hold of the warrior and struggle by pulling and tugging. This guy’s heavier than the last one. With each yank, I grunt until I finally drag him out of the back of the gilder, leaving him to rest beside the other warrior. Exhausted, I sit down to catch my breath, only to see Cupcake sniffing the air, her nose turning towards the charred remains. Uh oh.

“Nooo! He’s not for eating!” I shout, as Cupcake rises to her feet, inching closer to the remains, while she snuffles the air. Krogoth returns, carrying the large satchel on his back, drawing both of our attention and filling me with relief. His purple eyes assess the situation.

“What was she doing?” Krogoth asks, looking sternly at Cupcake.

“Er... Nothing,” I struggle to think of an excuse. “She’s just hungry. Give her some of our food.”

Krogoth reaches into his bag, rummaging around. “Most of our things are squashed to a pulp.” He takes out some cuts of cooked meat and throws it towards Cupcake. “The food is still good,” he says, as she catches the food in midair with surprising speed.

Cupcake dashes towards Krogoth, wagging her bushy tail, delivering sloppy licks on his face. “Pfft,” he spits out.

“Aw, so sweet seeing you two get along,” I say, smiling.

Krogoth reaches into the bag again, trying to fend her off with more meat. Cupcake greedily snaps it out of his hand, swallowing the whole thing without chewing. “Gods, we’ll have nothing left at this rate.” He takes out another large cut of meat and throws it far away into the woods. “Last piece.”

Cupcake hops into the air, gliding after the food. Krogoth wipes the saliva from his face. “She’ll be too big to handle soon.”

“I know.” The realization hurts, but he’s right. We can’t take care of her. “I hope she will still visit us.”

Krogoth moves to inspect the charred body, and I get up to join him. “Good job pulling them out.” He bends down to dust some char from the badly burned armor. “All Magaxus.” He turns his attention to the other body. “Interesting.” He rips off the warvisor. Revealing the heavy tattooed face of Zyraxis, I gasp in surprise.

“Zyraxis!” Krogoth spits the word out like it’s poison. Zyraxis’s orange eyes stare off into the distance, his last expression of terrified shock etched on his face. “Saves me the trouble of having to kill him myself.” He turns his head from side to side, revealing a large swollen bruise on his head.

“Is that what killed him?” I ask, gesturing to his wounded head.

“No,” Krogoth laughs. “That’s from the tankard pelting him on the head the other day.” He reaches his hand under Zyraxis’ armor, searching. “His ribs are crushed, probably died on impact when the glider hit the tree.”

I move my hand to bite my nails before remembering I’m wearing gauntlets. “Why would he come himself?”

Krogoth stands, playing with his wrist console. “This was his last chance to kill me, before his clan discovered he was no longer an elder. The final desperate suicide mission of a traitorous liar.” He runs his wrist console over the scene.

Hearing Krogoth’s words fills me with anger. “I hope he rots in hell for what he put us through!” I shout. “Running in terror, chased and hunted by killers forever,” my fervor surprises me.

Krogoth gives me a quick hug, kissing me gently on the forehead. “The Gods will punish him for his treachery, Pebbles,” he assures.

His words and kiss are soothing as I take deep breaths, trying to calm down. I watch for a while as he continues scanning and typing on his wrist console. “What are you doing?” I ask, curious.

“Notifying the Council of Elders. This was a violation of our sacred laws, and they’ll want to investigate the matter.” He turns to look at me. “If Clan Magaxus are held responsible for this, they could all be declared exile.” He takes a deep breath before continuing, “But I wouldn’t support such an action. This was Zyraxis’s doing.”

“What if it wasn’t only Zyraxis, but this war chief guy you’ve mentioned? Isn’t he from the Magaxus clan, too?”

Krogoth shakes his head. “No, War Chieftain Gorexius would attack directly, with overwhelming force.”

I shrug, not entirely convinced, when I’m buffeted by flapping wings. Cupcake barks loudly, ensuring no one can be in any doubt that the giant fluffy avian monster has returned. She licks her muzzle as she eyes the two bodies. Ah crap, not this again.

“No, Cupcake! They’re not for you!” I exclaim, trying to push the voracious brutonous away from the remains. But, it’s no use. She’s too big and strong now, and she easily brushes me aside. I turn round to see her happily wagging her tail as she brutally picks at the charred remains of the warrior with her talons.

“Krogoth stop her!” I exclaim, looking at him in disbelief.

“I can’t without hurting her. Is that what you wish?” He asks, calmly watching Cupcake savagely tear strips of flesh from the corpse.

“No...” I turn my head away from the grisly scene dejectedly. Sadness and anxiety churn in my stomach. “I’m sorry, Krogoth. I just hate when she does this. If she grows up thinking it’s okay to go around eating Klendathians, then she’ll be hunted and killed. If only there was some way to teach her to stop.”

Krogoth’s eyes show sympathy. “This is her nature.” He gestures towards Cupcake who is raking her claws over the body’s chest armor.

“What about dogs from Earth? They are domesticated and trainable, but were once wild animals.”

“She is no timid borack, nor a pack animal eager to please. She is a queen of the skies, an apex predator. Solitary and deadly.” Krogoth looks at Cupcake with respect painted on his face.

“All animals can be trained, even solitary ones,” I insist.

“Then you would break her? Tie her up? Watch her wither and grow sickly? Having never known the joy or beauty of which she is capable?” Krogoth says, his voice rising a rare sign of his frustration. “Such a thing violates the teachings of our Gods.”

As if to emphasize his point, Cupcake tosses the charred body into the air, watching it fall while wagging her tail, then barking eagerly as it crashes noisily to the ground, before pouncing on it to start aggressively shaking it.

Krogoth laughs, watching Cupcake play with the body. “When the Council of Elders find these remains, they might think we cannibalized them.”

I smile. “Does it count as cannibalism if I’m a human?” Cupcake throws the charred remains towards me, forcing me to leap out of the way, nearly tripping in surprise. She lies on her talons, waiting excitedly, expecting me to throw the massive, heavy body back to her.

Krogoth raises an eyebrow. “That depends on who you ask.” He then looks to the sky, which has an unusual level of darkness at this time of day. “Come, the eclipse is nearly here.” He offers me his giant hand.

Together, hand in hand, we move away from the scene of carnage. The sounds of Cupcake dragging her new favorite toy echo through the dense woods until she whimpers in frustration, finally leaving it behind, panting from exhaustion. I can hardly take my eyes from the ancient temple of Lanaisor. With its strange central spiraling tower that reaches into the heavens, the end is beyond sight. How did they build something like this? And how does it not collapse? The gentle flutter of butterflies in my stomach evolves into a storm of tornadoes with each passing step.

We reach the odd clearing section again. My instincts prompt me to pause. There’s something unnatural about it, the way the trees all end in a perfect circle some distance around the temple. Like a caretaker working tirelessly, keeping nature at bay. It’s also the perfect place for a trap, which we’d just experienced firsthand.

“I’m nervous. What if there’s more Magaxus waiting for us?” I ask, looking at Krogoth standing on the last line of trees.

Krogoth gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “They would not have kept reserves.” But still he places his warvisor on and scans the area. “It’s clear,” he declares after a moment, causing me to release a deep breath.

Cupcake nudges my back with muffled yelps, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin as my nerves unravel to a delicate thread. “Easy, girl!” I blurt out. Cupcake licks me in the face before leaping into the air. With her majestic wings outstretched, she flies towards the temple.

Krogoth gasps, “She’s leading you to the temple,” he takes off his mask, revealing a look of wonder on his face. “Was Rylar right? Did the Gods send her to guide us?” he asks excitedly.

I feel uneasy at his words; the implications send a tingle down my spine. It’s hard to deny the strange events that have taken place, and with Klendathor having such a wild primordial aura surrounding it, you could easily believe some ancient spirits dwell here. But I’m convinced there’s a more logical explanation. There usually is... right?

“She probably likes the look of the tower,” I answer dispassionately.

Krogoth scoffs. “Always the skeptic.”

“What can I say? I’m a hard girl to impress.” I shrug nonchalantly.

Still hand in hand with Krogoth, I step forward into the clearing, now convinced it’s safe. Without the trees obscuring the temple, it’s easier to pick out more details. Such as how open it is. There’s no door, but large arched openings dotted along the walls on every side. Nestled above these openings are moss covered statues standing elegantly in various poses. They appear happy, with smiles etched on their faces, heads held high, carrying children or embracing each other.

The structure looks to be made of stone, although it’s difficult to tell with so much reddish moss covering it. In between the statues are large windows, but instead of glass they’re laced with thin webbing of stone, with incredibly intricate patterns the purpose of which escapes me. As we get closer, the sheer size of the place becomes apparent, filling me with a sense of awe and wonder as it looms over us like a mountain.

The area grows dark, as if a thick cloud has passed over the sun. I glance up, remembering the eclipse is due at any moment. The sight of the huge sun casting a sparkling purple halo around the dark moon takes my breath away. It sits like a radiant celestial ring encircling the entire temple of Lanaisor, like a god beckoning us onward.

“Look, my love, Machsin and Dagdorix are joined. They are welcoming us to do the same,” Krogoth says, his voice laden with reverence.

“It’s beautiful,” I say, unable to take my eyes from the sight.

I lose track of time as we both stand watching, totally mesmerized. The only sound is Cupcake's occasional barks as her silhouette circles the spiraling tower. It’s only when the moon edges away, breaking the halo effect, allowing more light to illuminate the area do we regain our senses. We continue onward, making the short climb up the stone steps of the temple. I take a deep breath before crossing the threshold through an arched doorway.

Krogoth stops to peer down at me, his face all smiles. “You sure this is what you want?”

Suddenly I feel a pang of worry for him, remembering how much this ritual means to him. “I’ll always love you, Krogoth, no matter what happens,” I say, as I give him a quick hug. “Let’s do it,” I say, stepping through the doorway.

I’m immediately struck by the sheer size of the interior. It’s so open and spacious. In stark contrast to the underground temple of Sunaisor’s intense darkness, Lanaisor is dazzling, with its open archways and enormous windows. Wooden benches and tables dot the vast chamber, but the place must have been abandoned for years, centuries even. The furniture is half rotted to pieces and covered in thick layers of dust with moss and dried leaves strewn about. It’s like discovering an abandoned, medieval castle.

Krogoth tuts as he glances around. “The old ones tell tales how during the springtime the females from every clan would gather here to celebrate and pray for their children and fertility.” He runs his massive hand over a nude statue of a female Klendathian, before examining the chump of dust on his fingers. “Now look at it,” he shakes his head ruefully.

I can almost imagine the women chatting over the tables, enjoying meals, while others quietly offer prayers before their favored Gods. It would’ve been an impressive community event for sure. The temple is capable of seating many thousands.

The sound of a razorbill crowing loudly snaps me back to reality, giving me a fright that causes me to clutch onto Krogoth as the black and white animal flees out of a nearby window. Our feet echo off the stone floor as we continue walking, but to where exactly I do not know, trusting Krogoth knows more than I do.

A strange long shadow cast onto the ground gives me pause. Is that a person? I slowly tilt my head, trying to make sense of it until at a certain angle the shadow reveals itself to be an image of two Klendathians embraced in each other’s arms. “Amazing.” I follow the source of the light to see it’s coming from one of the delicately carved stone windows, creating a stunningly detailed projection.

“There’s more,” Krogoth says, laughing and pointing towards another one.

I glance towards the shadow image, tilting my head again, trying to make out exactly what it is. Until I notice it’s a Klendathian, fucking another one who’s bent over. “I wasn’t expecting that,” I say, laughing, feeling a little heat in my cheeks. The female Klendathians definitely weren’t shy.

Up ahead, two massive statues dominate the central space. They rest directly under the spiraling tower portion of the temple, which allows them the extra height. As we get closer, I recognize their faces and clothes, marking them as Machsin and Dagdorix. But instead of a triumphant pose, they instead hold hands together, staring longingly into each other’s eyes. At their feet lies a mostly rotten wooden offering bowl.

Krogoth stands with his hand, rubbing his chin, studying the massive statutes. I hope he has a plan?

“So, what now, big guy?”