Page 14 of Taken By the Aurelian Warriors

300 years ago, when the throne of the Aurelian Empire was taken by the triad of Emperor Raegan, Queen Jasmine confirmed the rumor.

She was first Bonded to her triad when she was a young woman, around my age.

Three-hundred years have since passed, and she still doesn’t look a day over twenty-five.

If that speculation from the author was true... Could the rest be? There are subtle allusions in the ancient text to somethingelsewithin the curious science of the Bond.

Something...darker.

“The Bond also has purported psychological effects. While there is less evidence, it is believed that the Bond draws out the deepest desires of the affected party, especially any urges to reproduce.”

That one sentence always bothered me - niggled in the back of my mind.

Draws out the deepest desires.

What did the author mean?

Suddenly, there’s a commotion from downstairs, snapping me from the pages of my book and back into reality. I realize there are no longer just illustrations of Aurelians in my home – three of the real thing have just been invited inside.

Downstairs, I can hear the conversation is getting heated. I tense, almost readying myself for the thunderous boom of the Sentinels as they unleash their rifles into the Aurelians should things go sour.

At the same time, I feel my feet move without my mind even ordering them to. I find myself creeping over to the door. I can’t resist my curiosity. Reading from that book both calmed my pounding nerves – but also reminded me about how…stimulatingI find Aurelians, and that there are now three of the genuine article downstairs.

I press my ear against the wooden door, but all I can hear is muffled voices – raised and heated.

I slowly unlock the door – as if anybody could even hear the sound of the well-oiled hinges swinging open – and peer out into the corridor. Imustknow why the Aurelians are here.

Now, I can hear the voices more clearly.

“We know about your new mine, Mr. Carani.” It’s the leader of the Aurelians speaking – his tone respectful, but firm. I can’t actuallyseethem, but I know instinctively that it’s the leader of the triad talking because his voice is so deep and powerful that it resonates inside me.

“Then you came here on false pretense!” My father retorts, with angry bluster. “You told me you wanted to make an offer on myoldportfolio of properties.” There’s a pause. “How the hell did you even find out about my mine in the first place?”

My father is flustered. He doesn’t like people to know more than he does.

I bite my lip. If the Aurelians knew about the Orb-Material deposits, it’s likely the businessmen and trading families of Marn may also have learned our secret. That means we’re vulnerable. Our mining operations aren’t even in full effect yet – and even if they were, we don’t have the resources to hire the massive security fleet required to protect it; especially from groups like the Aurelians.

We’re on the brink of incredible fortune – but this is the time when we’re most vulnerable to losing it all.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Carani,” I’m not sure Aurelians have the capacity to be reassuring, but the leader gets as close as their species can get to it. “Only we know – so far.”

“Buthow?” Father demands.

“Scorp are attracted to Orb,” the leader explains. “We’ve tracked three Scorp Organic ships directly en route to the location of your mining holdings. We blew them out of orbit.”

I hear my father suck in air, about to express his gratitude…

“No, no,” the leader of the Aurelians cuts him off. “Don’t thank us. The first speculators and miners you had preparing your claim would have been ripped to shreds if we hadn’t done so – and you’d be dealing with a nasty and very public Scorp infestation right now.”

I shudder.

Scorp are attracted to Orb-Material?

I never learned that in all my readings about the vicious, parasitic species.

I have seen illustrations of the Organic ships the Scorp travel in, though – the ones like the Aurelians destroyed before they reached my father’s mining operation.

Those freakish ships are shaped like massive, fleshy white eggs. They allow the Scorp species to travel through space – with both living ship and teeming Scorp occupants all seemingly mindless as they drift through the emptiness.

---