Page 53 of Asmodel

“Hold hands, and I promise to get everyone there.” Asmodel’s expression carried a hint of mischievousness in it. “Mostly in one piece.”

“Mostly?” Raxx squeaked.

Izzy couldn’t hear Asmodel’s answer if he gave one. She became numb, as if every cell in her body fell asleep. Unable to move or speak, the world around her became a conglomerate of light sparkles interspersed in a black unknown.

And then nothing.

It’d been a while since Asmodel teleported more than just himself. Especially with people who didn’t have any psionic abilities to help. Before he began, he sent his mind on a quick astral projection to ensure the place Talira described still stood. No reason to teleport into a pile of rubble. Good thing she was right that the palace withstood the violent earthquake.

Thankfully, they reached the inner sanctum of the royal palace without a hitch. The images of the area had been quite clear in Talira’s mind, even other ways to enter it. Some paths known to the public. Some… not so much. Seems like the fiery little scikvak had snuck in on more than one occasion to meet the zaltrixan male, Jaltaar. How interesting.

As he suspected, there was more to that scikvak than he let others see. He glanced at Talira. Maybe their desire for each other was the catalyst they needed to get the two scikvak races to work together.

The four of them ended up in a dark chamber large enough for fifty people. Asmodel took a psychic sweep to ensure they wouldn’t get attacked by other scikvak or that yellow Krystalii. The large group of scikvak in the room didn’t notice them.

“You still with me, JR13?” Asmodel whispered to the bot resting on his left shoulder. He could feel the light tips of the bot's feet scraping across the back of his neck.

“All good, organic one,” the bot’s tinny voice was whisper soft. “Echo and I are analyzing the surrounding structure. Looks like it’ll hold for now, but if that changes, I’ll give you a shout-out.”

Asmodel grunted in acknowledgment. He glanced around the room.

A group of scikvak were focused on a massive bed that dominated the room. Or rather, they were focused on the prone figure laying on the angle-shaped structure.

The head of the bed was made of dark hardwood bent in a circular shape that ended in a round overhang over the top. Littered around that dome and the frame were intricate carvings.

The bedding was some kind of plush material that reminded Asmodel of sheepskin mixed with silky fur.

The tapering open front allowed plenty of room for the large male scikvak, Supreme Alpha Regent Korvex, lying motionless on it. His eyes were closed, and his large paws were tucked under his chin. His muscular frame relaxed as if in sleep, his tail slightly twitching.

Even in this position, it was easy for Asmodel to sense the power and grace of the leader’s inherent strength. While there wasn’t any outside evidence of a mortal wound, he didn’t need his psychic ability to determine the male would soon take his last breath.

“Jaltaar!” Talira rushed to the side of the bed where the young male kneeled beside the monarch.

At the sound of her voice, Jaltaar’s head jerked in her direction. Without hesitating, he stood and caught her as she threw her arms around his neck, nuzzling her head against his neck.

As if a switch was thrown, Asmodel, Izzy, and Raxx were surrounded by growling zaltrixan guards pointing various weapons at them.

“Talira.” Jaltaar wrapped his arms around her waist, his eyes closed.

The grief coming off him in waves was palpable and hard to ignore.

“How did you get here?” Jaltaar’s voice was muffled against the female’s neck. He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Oh, Talira. He’s dying and I can’t do anything about it.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Asmodel ignored the sharp spear mere inches from his neck.

“We don’t know.” Painful sorrow laced Jaltaar’s voice. He pulled away from Talira and glanced between Asmodel, Raxx, and Izzy. “When the Krystalii woke up, she was out of control. She screamed at him—” He nodded at the prone monarch. “—and he suddenly collapsed.”

Another zaltrixan continued. “Then the alien floated in the air, and the next thing we knew, she hit us with massive earthquakes.” The elder wrung his paws. “Half the population of Panterion Prime perished in the rubble while the other half are trying to save those they can.”

“Everyone from Nekojin is coming to help.” Talira ran a paw across Jaltaar’s whiskers. “If you’ll let us.” She glared over her shoulder at the weapons the guards leveled on Asmodel, Raxx, and Izzy.

A different elder rushed to Talira. “We need nothing from you, you disgustingzihu…”

“Viscount Syrin!”

The crackling command from the intricate bed rang out loud enough for everyone to hear. Complete silence followed.

“Father!” Jaltaar rushed back to the bed and grabbed the elder zaltrixan’s hand. “Are you…”

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