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Damn! Rael had missed the signs, distracted. There was no time—
The viper lunged for Elian, its fangs bared.
Time seemed to slow. Rael's sharp senses took in every detail of the scene, from the way that Elian's eyes widened in terror, to the flex of the snake's powerful muscles as it prepared to end the human's life.
And then Elian was simply… not there. The snake's fangs snapped shut on empty air, as with a speed that Rael could barely track, Elian was already leaping away, jumping for safety.
He could be fast when he wanted. It came with being so slim and nimble, Rael had soon learned to appreciate. Elian was so much smaller than Borraq, able to move faster than Rael's expectations.
That turn of speed had caught Rael by surprise during his escape, as Elian had flipped himself from what appeared to be a dead sleep and sprinted out into the night.
It hadn't been fast enough, of course. But it had been a good try.
But there was no time for Rael's curiosity at human speed. With a hiss of rage, the snake turned to follow its prey. It lunged after Elian, its enormous body moving in a blinding-fast horizontal strike.
Rael was faster. With a single leap, he was between the snake and its target. He brought his blade flashing down, the honed steel slicing cleanly through the snake's thick body.
Rael's heart pounded, and for once, it had nothing to do with the danger. He sheathed his blade and turned to face Elian. "Are you unharmed?"
"I— I think so. I mean, other than needing a change of pants…" Elian looked up at Rael, those big eyes as blue as a rare clear sky. "Thank you for saving me."
Rael's heart pounded.
It was ridiculous. The snake was already dead, its two halves left behind on the forest floor as a testament to Rael's speed and skill. There was no danger to him or his mission.
And yet, his heart pounded still…
Elian's wide, startled eyes as he looked up at Rael, the heaving of his chest as he caught his breath, the sweat beading on his skin… Rael's gaze strayed to the thin material of Elian's thin shirt, clinging to the lines of his body.
It was ridiculous. Elian was soft and weak, with no survival instincts to speak of. The most fearsome enemy of the Borraq had turned out to be useless, a vulnerable, pathetic thing.
Rael should despise Elian. He had to despise him.
Everything that his body was telling him now, feeling the urge to save the human, to protect him from danger… Well, that was merely his instincts as an alpha, misfiring. Whatever he was feeling was just a lost shadow of real feelings, nothing more.
Rael's gaze drifted to the horizon, seeking a distraction from the infuriating human whose scent seemed determined to burrow under his skin. A glimmer of steel in the distance caught his eye, and relief washed over him.
"There," he said, gesturing towards the distant buildings with a nod of his head. "Outpost Zekara. That's where we're headed."
Elian squinted against the glare of the twin suns. "What is that place?"
"An outpost," Rael explained. "The Borraq have cities on Vasz, but they are few in number, concentrated. Most of us live in our own territories out in the wilds."
He swept his arm in an encompassing gesture, indicating the harsh, unforgiving landscape that surrounded them. "The outposts are dotted across the planet, halfway points between the cities and the wilderness. Places where those of us who live traditionally can come to trade, or receive news from the cities."
Elian nodded slowly, his brow furrowed as he took in this new information. Rael could practically see the questions forming behind those inquisitive blue eyes.
"So, you don't all live in cities then?" Elian asked. "Some of you live out here, in the middle of… all this?"
There was a note of incredulity in his voice. Rael felt a flicker of annoyance. Of course the human wouldn't understand the ways of the Borraq, raised as he was in the artificial confines of his technological havens.
Rael curled his lip. He knew that humans looked down on the Borraq way of life, scoffing at their connection to the wilderness and the traditions that had been passed down through countless generations. To the so-called "civilized" humans, the Borraq were little more than savages, clinging to outdated ways.
Before Rael could bite out a retort, however, Elian surprised him. "That sounds... nice, actually." The human's expression turned wistful. "Ever since pollution wrecked Earth, we've all been crammed into big megacities or living in space stations. There are gardens and parks, sure, but it's not the same as being out in real nature, you know? Like in the old stories and vids..."
Rael blinked, thrown off guard. He studied Elian's face, searching for any hint of mockery or condescension. But the human seemed sincere, a melancholic longing in his eyes as he gazed out at the rugged landscape surrounding them.
It was... unexpected. Rael had always viewed humans as the arrogant technological elite, looking down their noses at any species that still lived off the land. But Elian's wistful words painted a different picture, one of a people who had lost touch with their roots, forced into artificial cages by the very technology they had put their faith in.
