AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If Alhadya… Dear Gods! How is it possible I’m older than all of them? That can’t be,” Sun kept murmuring, like it was the worst thing in Naran to be older than his nocs.
Chuckling as I sat up, I asked, “How many cycles of the moon are you? I think we are roughly three-hundred and twenty-five?—”
“You mean how many years old am I? No one uses moon cycles like that. And I’m t-thirty next month,” Sun whispered, cheeks burning bright pink. “Which would make me the oldest in our squadron… I started as the youngest soldier, though.”
It was funny how Sun often slipped into military distinctions. But that wasn’t the most amusing thing to me at that moment. It was that he was visibly embarrassed. I poked his cheek as he swatted my hand away.
He was pretty in pink, but that color signaled being embarrassed in humans mostly, even during their heats. For the life of me, I didn’t know why being thirty should be embarrassing or possibly make him horny.
“Is that considered old for a human?” I asked and Sun shrugged.
“...Yes and no. In reality, it is not very old. But many do now grow old in this new savage world,” Sun said, a hint of sadness in his tone.
I was curious to know how some humans stayed young and how others became old despite both experiencing the passage of time, but I figured I’d ask Sun another time. For now, I was interested in learning more about him, and sharing more about myself as well.
“Well, I am twenty-five years old, born in the second winter month!” I held up all of my fingers, plus five, and for some reason that made Sun laugh. “When I awakened by the sea, we did not have snow, only the cold. I was born under the Star of the Ice Dragon. Those born under this sign are strategic, gifted hunters, and abundant cultivators of magic!”
Sun snorted, “Did you read that in one of your books? You had time to study astrology in Bracken’s cave, hm?”
I felt that he was teasing me, but looked past it as he beamed at me, wrinkles pinching the corners of his eyes as he laughed. I don’t think I had heard a more lovely sound than Sun’s laughter up until now.
“Sorry for laughing. It’s a good thing you studied so hard like a cloistered monk in Bracken’s cave. You couldn’t have saved your friends otherwise,” Sun admitted with a gentle smile.
I clicked in agreement, grabbing his hand, holding it over my heart, “Yes, yes. And look on the bright side, now you’re our de facto leader! Humans organize themselves by age and rank, right? Little by little, we can find a new way to live free outside of prison. As our elder, you can teach us the way. Our hearts are in unison, so why not our lives?”
“…Even poison can taste sweet if given in small enough doses,” Sun said cryptically, releasing a weighty sigh as his gaze flicked to the forest and he snatched his hand away in a hurry.
I had the sneaking suspicion he was referring to the tether that bound our souls, and I frowned, suppressing more nervous clicks.
“Enough chit-chat. They’re here. We eat and make camp. And thank you, Clem, I do feel much better,” Sun said with a radiant grin. “Save your energy for later. No more healing me tonight.”
He stood and offered me a hand to help me stand. As I clung to Sun’s arm, his hand absently stroking the fur on my head, all I could think about was them wrapped around me again. Maybe I was in heat, because the need to mate felt more important than our survival as I squeezed him tight.
“Well, poison or cure, being with you feels right. I’m glad we’re friends,” I said, and to my dismay, Sun looked through me, like I was still a ghost and not there beside him.
“There’s no such thing as friendship between a human and a noc. But for now, we can be allies, Clem. As you said, this is a mutually beneficial relationship… Until it is not.”
With that, Sun released me, greeting first our master Bracken and then Kiar, who came back with a massive bounty draped on his long black and white tail. Bracken held his under one arm.
I followed Sun, gingerly brushing my fingers against his, relieved when he peered at me, not through me, grabbed my hand, and held.
His actions said one thing, while his mouth said another.
Not that his duplicity mattered to me, since I’d been lying to Sun since we first met. It would take time to make my brave warrior submit to his new leaders, but that time would come soon enough.
We’d escaped the clutches of those vile traitors, so now I just had to work my magic slowly to help Sun see reason.
Because I didn’t want to be friends with Sun anymore. I would be his everything, and so would our little clan be to him. And as I gazed at Sun’s jagged shadow, an inky spider mark stretching out beneath his feet, I knew our king would have it no other way.
After all, there was joy to be found in absolute submission, especially in a world where a risen Hadi executed his revenge. He would slay anything and anyone, who stood in his way.
Chapter 3
Sun
“What is all this?” I blurted out, astonished by the number of animals draped on Kiar’s tail and held under Bracken’s arm as they returned.
Foxes, rabbits, and large rodents I didn’t recognize, plus one mature deer. Scrawny stragglers not in hibernation, sure, but combined, it was enough meat to feed an army. And there were only four of us, Alhayda not included.
