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“They look so much like Earth animals.” I tilted my head and snickered. “Well, except for the glowing patterns on their coats and the fact that they’re blue and silver.”
The night enveloped the Valosian landscape, shrouded in darkness under the watchful gaze of three moons that cast an ethereal glow on the alien world. The pond shimmered like liquid silver, mirroring the celestial trio above as if capturing their essence within its depths.
Cobalt blue dearth stood by the water's edge, their large eyes reflecting the moonlight. Their swift, agile forms darted back and forth, each sip from the pristine surface executed with a caution born of constant vigilance against any lurking predators.
On the other side of the pond, majestic silver elksen grazed on tufts of blue and silver grass that swayed gently in the cool night breeze. Their long, branching antlers reached toward the starlit sky like intricate works of art. Their silvery-white fur gleamed under the moon's radiance.
Across the pond, silver elksen feasted on tufts of blue and silver grass, swaying gently in the cool night breeze. Their long, branching antlers reaching for the starlit sky. They seemed at peace in this tranquil moment, their senses heightened yet serene as they partook of nature's bounty.
“You learned to fly this craft just so you could take me on a nighttime safari?” I whispered into the silence that had settled around us.
“I did.” He smiled at my shocked expression. “You shouldn’t look so surprised. As much as you play with that spotted beast, and talk about your studies of Earth creatures, I had to find a way for you to safely explore the Huren jungle.”
“Do I really talk that much about animals?” I wrinkled my nose. “You must find me boring.”
“Not at all. It’s fascinating the differences between our worlds. I can’t image what your Earth looks like.”
I reached for the bag of berries that tasted like a cross between a pear and an apple and popped one in my mouth, but before I could finish chewing an enormous winged creature swooped down out of nowhere and snatched a dearth off the ground. With a single flap of its wings, it soared high into the night sky, clutching the dearth in long, lethal claws as the other animals scattered.
“Was that a fucking dragon?” I gulped. It was unlike me to drop an f-bomb, but after the thing I just saw, it was warranted.
“Wetlock,” Gunnox supplied as the animals calmed and returned to grazing. “And the beast lurking just inside the treelined is a full-grown patooga male. Larger than its female counterpart, but when he pounces on that unsuspecting elksen, you can get an idea of the size Chompers will grow into.”
“Really, where?” I squinted into the shadowy jungle but saw nothing but the thick of the alien foliage.
“Just past that maylute tree.” Gunnox wrapped an around around my shoulders and leaned in close, pointing at where the creature lay in wait.
“I still don’t se—” I squeaked as a blue and silver spotted saber-toothed tiger lunged out of the vegetation, snatching an elksen in its powerful jaws and then darting away. “I was so not expecting that.” I turned to Gunnox. “How much smaller will Chompers be compared to what I just saw?”
“A couple of fates shorter.”
“No wonder you’re not a fan of having her as a pet,” I remarked with raised eyebrows. “The typical pets we have on Earth are nothing like that. I mean dogs and cats are predatory animals but they're a great deal smaller and tamer.”
“I would very much like to see your world.”
“It’s nowhere near as wondrous as this.” I gestured at the glowing jungle. “But Earth is pretty amazing. I guess it’s all what you get used to.”
Gunnox pressed a palm to the center of his chest. “Your longing for home equals mine.”
“But you are home.”
“Huren is not my home though I’m thrilled to be on Valosian soil again. I have not been to the Trisess Forest since Sia Havvar was ruler a yeron ago.”
“Oh my God, I’m so selfish only thinking about myself. You were a victim of abduction too.”
Gunnox nodded gravely. “Taken from the forest while hunting with Drekkor.”
His face fell into a mask grave with sorrow. Whatever horrors were flitting through his mind matched the whisper of turmoil echoing within me. I stayed silent, not wanting to barge in on his private thoughts but wanting to comfort him all the same. I laid my hand on his heavy forearm as he broke his silence.
“Trisess territory is marked by the Sein River. None of the predatory beasts roaming the jungle can cross the raging rapids, so it’s safe on the ground and the heavy canopy protects us against wetlocks that sometimes fly our skies,” Gunnox's eyes glazed over, lost in a distant memory. “The river protects us but also poses a problem with game. Last time I was with my clan, we were running out of game to hunt and Sia Havvar was unable to negotiate with Clan Huren to allow us to hunt on their land.
“Now the world is different. I still can’t wrap my head around the lifetime of rivalry suddenly set aside. To see all three clans intermingled inside a dome I had only ever viewed from a distance.”
He gave me a withering grin. “The Valosian female who was to become my mate succumbed to the germ I recently learned hadn't been brought back by Sia Sakkar as we had all thought, but dumped into our atmosphere by the Gretolics’ masters, the Grites who were trying to destroy their own creation.”
“I had no idea.” A surge of jealousy rocketed through me, followed by a healthy dose of guilt.
“I’ve hated Clan Huren unjustly. From what I’ve learned since returning, Sia Havvar was harboring the Gretolics and even planned to hand over twenty Valosians in exchange for a dome-penetrating weapon.” He shook his head. “Not that I would volunteer to be abducted, but I’m glad I wasn’t here to witness the betrayal of the only Sia I’ve ever served.”
