Kringl (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

K ringl awoke with a groan, his body wracked with shivers. The biting cold seeped into his bones, making him acutely aware that he was lying on a surface of solid ice. For a moment, he thought he'd been dumped unceremoniously onto the frozen tundra. But as his vision cleared, he found himself staring up at a ceiling of translucent ice blocks.

He was inside a room made of ice. Where were there ice structures in the village? All the buildings he remembered were fashioned from wood. Panic tickled the back of his brain. Unless he wasn’t in the village anymore.

Every muscle in his body screamed as he tried to sit up. His limbs were like rusted machinery, the joints stuck and refusing to cooperate. When he finally struggled to his feet, the world tilted alarmingly, and he had to brace himself against the icy wall to keep from falling.

The memory of the sting on his neck that precipitated his collapse washed over him. He should have known better than to attend the banquet. But how was he supposed to know that his host would sedate him? He’d been on plenty of diplomatic missions, and this was the first time the other side had pulled a stunt like this. Not that he had any galaxy-wide court with which to lodge a complaint. On this remote and barely detectable planet, their ruler was unchecked.

Unsteadily, Kringl made his way toward the only visible exit—a thick door of solid ice. He pushed against it with all his strength, but it didn't budge. Peering through the narrow window, he spotted two elf guards standing watch on either side of the entrance.

A groan escaped his lips. Under normal circumstances, he could easily overpower the diminutive creatures. But weakened by the cold and whatever drug they'd given him, he wasn't sure he could take them in a fight.

Worry gnawed at him as he thought of his ship and crew. Had Velsnickel seized control of his vessel? And what of Joy? Had they discovered her hiding aboard?

Kringl shook his head, even though that did nothing for the throbbing ache. He should not be as concerned about the human female as his own crew. She could never be more than someone he rescued.

“If I rescue her,” he muttered under his breath, the air puffing out in a cloud from his mouth.

Yet even as he tried to push thoughts of Joy aside, Kringl found his determination to save her growing stronger. The thought of her being taken from his ship sent anger pulling through him. He would not let that happen.

He scanned the frigid and stark interior of the icy prison. “I can’t help anyone from inside here.”

Squinting through the narrow opening in the door, Kringl tried to get his bearings and assess his situation. He needed a plan, but they’d taken his blaster, and at the moment he was far from his best fighting form. Even so, remaining in the ice jail was not an option. Not when his crew was at risk.

And Joy.

The desperate need to escape clawed at him. He had to warn his crew and ensure his ship's safety. They might not even know he’d been taken, although he didn’t see any evidence that the Valorians who’d been at the banquet with him had also been taken. He’d seen them fall, but they weren’t in the ice prison with him. He hoped that meant they’d been released.

Kringl drew in a deep breath, the frozen air like fire in his lungs. While his strength returned, at least he could try to glean information from the guards.

"Hey!" he called through the slit in the door. "Why am I being held captive? This is a mistake. I was a guest at your celebration.”

The elf guards shifted uncomfortably but didn't respond.

“Is this what happens to all visitors who land on your planet? Do you always invite them to your celebration and then throw them in jail?”

One guard spun around defiantly. “No one lands here. Not since the humans. We make sure the planet appears uninhabitable."

"Quiet!" the other guard hissed.

Ignoring his companion, the first guard continued. “We are in charge now. Not Santa. And he’s never going to find us.”

Kringl took a step back from the window. The elves seemed determined to stay hidden from this Santa fellow to the point of enslaving people and holding them captive on the ice world.

Before he could ask more questions, a small figure darted into view. A little girl with brown hair snatched the hat from one of the guards and took off running, her laughter drifting behind her.

"Hey!" the guard shouted before giving chase.

His companion hesitated, glancing between Kringl and the sealed door.

“I can’t break through this door,” Kringl said, telling the elf what he wanted to hear before the small creature raced after his friend.

Kringl rubbed his head. Who was the human who provoked the guards? She was clearly a child. Then there was another blur of motion outside his door. What in the seven hells was going on?

Suddenly, a face appeared at the opening—one that made Kringl's heart leap.

"Joy?" Impossible. How was she here when he’d left her on his ship?

"Back up," she said urgently. "It's about to get hot in there."

Kringl stumbled backward, his mind reeling. How had she found him? And what did she mean by—?

A high-pitched whine broke the quiet, followed by a blinding flash of light. Kringl shielded his eyes with one arm, feeling heat pulse across his face. As he lowered his arm, he saw the ice door beginning to melt.