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“Thank you, Sia.” It felt strange to be addressing the male as ruler of Clan Trisess. Having challenged Havvar for the crown once it was discovered he had collaborated with the Gretolics, the scout had won the right as clan leader.
Synnox, Drekkor’s younger brother, surprised me by pulling me into a brief but tight embrace. We had never been close despite my close friendship with his sibling. "Come back in one piece," he whispered hoarsely.
“I will, along with as many Valosians as I can find,” I answered with the weight of my conviction settling on my shoulders with equal parts determination and apprehension as I left the familiar behind and ventured toward the unknown.
The air was thick with a charged silence as I stepped onto the deck of the Moktian Galaxy Cruiser. Even sitting still, the vessel pulsed with energy. With Kyrran’s mate’s kiss still warm on my cheek and the well-wishes of my clan still echoing in my ears, I took a seat in the back and strapped in.
As the hatch sealed with a hiss, I let my gaze wander over my alien comrades. Nara stood by the viewport, her alien figure outlined by the lush vegetation of the Huren jungle. The ethereal glow from her sleeves of bracelets cast dancing lights on her azure skin, a stark contrast to the harsh reality waiting for us.
Tyrk stood opposite Ruze around a three-dimensional star map projected up from the command console. I didn’t feel the need to join their discussion of the fastest route to a planet which I had never been.
Both stood in profile. Both of the same species, yet recently acquainted. Their horns, black as the void between stars, swept back from prominent brows. Flesh of a hue I learned from Raven was called bronze, was heavily marked in inky contrast of thick designs.
Ruze leaned over the console with silent intensity. His fingers moved with practiced ease, plotting a course to Tirius while the ghost of concern for his lost shoulsis and male companion flickered across his features.
The air within the spacecraft grew thick with anticipation, each breath we drew laced with silent vows to those we sought to reclaim from an uncertain fate. Our collective resolve wove an invisible tapestry, its threads spun from our unbreakable will to defy the odds and bring our people home safely.
"Course locked in," Ruze announced, breaking the quiet that had settled around us, his voice steady yet tinged with the weight of unspoken fears. “Grab a seat, Nara.”
Nara nodded and reclaimed the same seat that had brought her to Valose. Her bright yellow gaze lingered on the viewport, perhaps imagining the feel of Zorin's hand in hers once more. With a swift movement, she strapped in, a silent testament to the hope of a reunion she fiercely held.
Ruze and Tyrk settled into their seats at the command console, their hands flying over the controls with practiced ease. The engines came to life, vibrating through the hull of the ship.
I sat in tense silence, feeling the liftoff begin, and watched with longing as my home world shrank away. It was a bittersweet sight yet filled with apprehension for the adventure ahead. I made a silent vow —the next time I set eyes on Valose, this craft would be filled with my kinsmen.
Chapter Three
SARAH
The cold metal of the shackles bit into my wrists, a sharp reminder of our captivity with each step we were forced to take. The biting sting was an unwelcome companion as we were herded down the long ramp of the ship like cattle. My eyes blinked in protest against the harsh, unforgiving glare of the orange sunlight that pierced through the dusty atmosphere. It was a relentless heat that seared right through me, branding my retinas with its intensity.
A barren landscape stretched out before us, rust-colored and desolate, like an artist's palette devoid of life's vibrant colors. The terrain was riddled with crumbling rock formations standing as silent sentinels on this alien world, their jagged silhouettes etched against the horizon.
My heart pounded in my chest, its frantic beat echoing the uncertainty of why we had been brought here. Each thud reverberated within me, amplifying my dread for what lay ahead on this hostile Gorken homeworld. All ten of us had survived a lengthy journey locked inside a sterile cage with little water and even less food only to be delivered into an unknown nightmare.
A sudden tug on my chain abruptly jerked me forward. I stumbled over rough terrain, barely managing to regain my balance in the long line of girls shuffling along with me. Our collective anxiety hung heavy in the air as we trudged onward under the watchful eyes of the Gorken guards. The alien suns continued their relentless assault, their fiery gaze a constant reminder of our dire predicament.
In the distance, a group of twenty men…no, not men, but definitely male, stood shackled together in a ragged line. Bare-chested and barefoot wearing only loose white pants, their long, silvery-white hair glinted under the twin suns. Exceptionally tall and muscular, it was as if the Gorken had captured a football team doubling as fitness models.
My brow furrowed the longer I stared, then squinted. Nope, it wasn’t the suns playing tricks on my eyes, their ears were definitely pointed like elves. And their skin was undoubtedly silver.
A blast of trumpets commanded everyone’s attention. The Gorken herded us toward a grand procession approaching in a cloud of dust. At the heart of the caravan, astride a bejeweled beast rode the largest Gorken I’d seen so far, hideous and bloated, with rows of sagging teats.
“All hail, Queen Uri!” bellowed one of the Gorken guards.
Every Gorken snapped to attention, their unified voices chanted as one, “All hail the Queen!”
Queen Uri was draped in jewels and finery that glittered ominously under the harsh light of her alien world. Her subjects groveled before her in unabashed reverence. Beneath her ostentatious display of power and wealth, she emanated an aura of savage might and sadistic cruelty in equal measure.
The procession ground to a halt.
At once, several Gorken guards rushed forward to aid their queen's descent from her beastly mount. Their movements were swift and practiced as they set up a ramp made from ornate panels adorned with intricately carved symbols. Hand firmly grasping onto one guard’s spindly forearm for support, Uri dismounted with an air of regal grace that belied her monstrous form.
As soon as the queen touched down on the dusty soil, she was immediately flanked by an entourage of fawning servants who fluttered around her like anxious moths drawn to a flame. They adjusted her jewel-laden robes and offered refreshments which she dismissed with an impatient flicker of her clawed hand.
Her gaze swept over our group first, cold and calculating as if assessing our worth or potential usefulness. Then abruptly, her attention shifted to the silver males. Her eyes narrowed, reptilian pupils, dilating as she studied each of them with a predatory interest that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
The queen’s gaze fell on a particular male, her thin lips twisted into a malicious grin. She made a languid gesture and her guards sprang into action, ensnaring the silver-scaled man before he could even flinch.
