Monsters Under Mistletoe

2. Kyavri

Chapter 2

Kyavri

M y pouch was heavy with the credits I’d just earned, and my satisfied smile was as wide as that of the scrap merchant I’d done business with. Around me, people scattered left and right, fleeing at the sight of me, and I decided to take satisfaction in that too. I was a Hoxiam, a feared creature in the Zeta Quadrant, and I was only allowed on Strewn because of a special license granted to me by the Master of Strewn himself.

Now there was a scary creature, but you didn’t see the plebs on the station running in fear of him. No, it was my smile and the sight of my thick blue pelt that made them scatter. Probably the smile most of all, I had to admit. But I had good reason to be smiling—a whole pouch full of good reasons—and I was in a celebratory mood. I needed a drink.

“Hey, Kyavri, you there, man?” Otol said over my com device. The mechanic and I were old friends, and he was currently doing me the great favor of checking my pride and joy, my scavenger ship, the Roramor. I’d been competing heavily with another scavenger in the field to get the prized parts I’d just sold, and Roramor had sounded a little off when I docked.

“What is it, Otol?” I asked, my grin fading to make way for a bit of worry. If the Ovt mechanic was going to tell me that Roramor needed repairs, I could see the pile of credits dwindling before my eyes. I maintained her and serviced her, so she was at the top of her game, but if something was off…

“Who did you say you were up against out in the fields?” my buddy inquired. He got flack from his crew for hanging out with me, the Hoxiam who could eat him in a single bite, but he said he got a kick out of it. We both knew I’d never eat him, or any living person for that matter, despite the reputation my species had. Well, never unless they really, really deserved it, maybe.

“I didn’t,” I barked at him, my eyes catching on the new and rather popular bar on the C-deck. A former mercenary owned it, and not just any merc, but one from the notorious Varakartoom. That meant Thar’oc was top-tier, and rumored to be a former sniper and assassin. I’d hung out with him once, during which I counted at least twenty-two notches in his horns. Each represented a kill he admitted to. I believed it because he was a pretty impressive SOB.

“Well, I’m going to guess and say it was Yatzel. He was sniffing around not long ago, and he appears to be looking for a fight.” Otol didn’t sound particularly worried when giving me that warning, and I took a relieved breath. This wasn’t about repairs that cost money. “Anyway, Rora is fine; it was just a loose bolt you could hear rattling that I tightened. Have a good one.”

My com flicked off; Otol was always abrupt like that. I stopped in the thoroughfare to stare at the bar again while trying to figure out what the blazing sun was going on with it. The name ‘Rikki’s’ was emblazoned in neon lights along the front as always, named after Thar’oc’s human mate. Today, whole boughs of greenery were nailed to the facade beneath it, decorated with gold strands and flickering, gaudy lights.

The effect was… bizarre. It was a bit psychedelic and strange, like something out of a fever dream. It drew the eye, and the place looked to be absolutely hopping inside, with a whole queue of various aliens lined up outside as they waited to get in. If the idea was to attract more business, it was certainly working.

I shrugged; why not? This place was as good as any, and now I was curious. The line was not an issue. The crowd moved out of my way when I approached, and the bouncer who stood guard at the door gulped before waving me inside with an awkward, nervous smile. That was pretty much exactly how I expected everyone to behave—nothing new, but it still rankled a little. I was not a sentient flesh-eater, even if I was a carnivore. They had nothing to worry about.

I stepped over the threshold and into more bizarre but oddly festive decorations and a whole crowd of humans. Not much caught me by surprise, but this definitely did. This many humans in one place? It was dangerous—for them, and for those guarding them—even on a space station like Strewn, where slavery was banned.

More green spiky plants hung from the walls, along with more lights, gold, and gaudy spheres. Everywhere I looked, aliens were gawking around clusters of humans, eager to interact. Thar’oc was making a killing at the bar, slinging drinks, and with some relief, I noted that several of his mercenary friends were hanging out in the corner. Good— with them around, people would think twice about nabbing themselves a tasty human. Err… not tasty, that was the wrong word. Coveted.

My eyes were drawn to someone in the corner, and my mouth instantly filled with saliva. I was probably hungry, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the small figure. Despite my hulking size, I still had to shoulder my way through the crowd. They were so preoccupied with each other and with the strange group of humans that they barely even looked at me.

It was a female—had to be, because she was so damn small. Pale skin, a scowl on her face that made it clear she was not enjoying the festivities around her, and the most luscious mane of sable hair falling around her shoulders. My claws itched to touch that softness, even though my claws never itched for that kind of thing. I had long ago accepted that out in space, I would have to be content by myself. Not even paid company was willing to put up with a Hoxiam. Not that I’d really tried; I was not that desperate.

She was nursing a cup of something that smelled spicy but looked disgusting—whitish and thicker than liquid should be. Judging by her curled-up nose, she didn’t seem to enjoy it much either, but everyone around her seemed happy to enjoy the odd drink. Her prickly frown had kept even the boldest of aliens and humans from approaching, and the darkened corner did the rest.

When she looked up at me, she had to tilt her pointy chin back pretty far; I could tell her eyes were as blue as my pelt. An odd sense of warmth settled deep in my chest, and then my heart thudded once, very loudly, and again, like a thunderstrike. Oh no… I rubbed my sternum roughly with a knuckle and then snarled when an unfortunate, drunk Xurtal male stumbled into me.