Page 18 of Ruarc
“Atasha, now I see and it makes sense. I often wondered what you were doing in the back fields when the Velgriddix came.”
“Kallen, I saw the ships coming from way up in the sky, and I started running as fast as I could, trying to warn everyone. But by the time I got there, they were already on the ground. I got confused with all the screams and everyone running in different directions. Then, one of the bad bugs grabbed me and I fought as hard as I could, just like you taught me, but he would not let me go. I can remember seeing you running toward me, and I knew everything would be all right. Mam found me on the ground where the bug had thrown me, but I could not remember how I got there. We searched and searched for you, but you were gone!”
Her little face scrunches up as her tears start all over again, and it feels like she is tearing my hearts out. The love she has for Kallen is apparent in the way she holds on to her so tightly; like she is terrified that if she lets go, she will vanish once again. I am so caught up in watching these two together that I almost stumble when I begin walking up a stone ramp that leads to the main entrance.
The moment we are all inside, I hear a vast series of gears engage, and the ramp lifts behind me, sealing us all inside. Setting Kallen and Atasha down gently, I look around at the cave that has been carved out into neat passages and homes. Atasha takes Kallen’s hand in her own, pulling her forward. Noticing several other Ruks standing off to the side, waiting to speak to Kallen, I find myself torn. Should I stay with her and Atasha, or finally speak with mam?
“Come on Kallen, you must see my new room! I have saved all your personal items, and we put them all in the room right next to mine and mam’s.”
I see Kallen look up at me, and I must not have done a good job hiding my emotions from her. “Go on Ruarc, go spend time with mam and your brothers. I will catch up with you later.”
For once I am grateful not to have to make the decision. Turing toward Slavic’s voice, I find them all together in a large room that overlooks the valley below. The moment I step inside the room, mam holds her arms out and I rush to her.
Closing my eyes, I allow myself to be that youngling whose mam’s hugs could fix anything. After several long moments of basking in her comfort, I make myself release her, my mind full of questions as I step back to give her room to breathe.
CHAPTER 11
RUARC
Mam motions for us to take a seat, but I notice none of us have moved further than an arm’s length away; all of us are standing within touching range.
“My sweet young ones, how it does my old hearts good to see you all well and healthy. It also appears that the Gods of Ruk have blessed a few of you with mates. Introduce me to the fire vixens who stand patiently at each of your sides, Slavic and Einar.”
Slavic speaks up first right after pulling Ruby down onto the broad surface of his crossed legs. “Mam, this is my Ruby. We found her along with several other human females on a Velgriddix ship. They were also stolen from their world Earth, but the gods placed her within the path of the Zenith, and even though it was not easy in the beginning, I have never been more blessed.”
Each word he says about Ruby as she smiles at mam feels like claws digging into my hearts. Mam reaches out, running her fingers through Ruby’s long hair with a small smile on her face.
“And Einar, who is the beauty you are holding so tightly?”
“This is my Rowan. She is the sister of Ruby, and her story is the same, yet at the same time, very different.”
“As in life, my young one … no two stories are ever the same, even if they walk the same path.”
Mam stretches her hand out to Rowan, and she takes it hesitantly, squeezing it tightly before curling up against Einar once again. It is easy to see that all of this excitement has been slightly overwhelming for her, but she is sitting bravely against Einar, supporting him as much as he is her.
Glancing around at Falon and I, I see the questions on her face as she looks at my partial mate bond. “Where are Murgul and Bikar?”
I settle against a cushion and allow Slavic to take over from here. “They had to remain on the Zenith. The ship is too valuable to leave unattended, and at the time, Bikar was still scanning the planet’s surface for any signs of survivors, but we found none. I have tried to contact the Zenith several times this rising only to receive nothing back but static. Next rising, Einar and I will take one of the shuttles up and retrieve them so that they too can reconnect with you. How were you able to suppress your heat signatures? If it had not been for Kallen’s stubborn conviction that you resided upon Deapra, we would have left to search elsewhere.”
“The iron ferrite in this mountainside and the design of the caverns deep inside its core has a way of hiding the inhabitants inside. The Velgriddix invasion forced us to leave the fields; a risky choice since we did not know if the mountain was stable. We had nowhere to go or hide to escape them. We were completely helpless against foreign forces, and that wasunacceptable. The gods knew we needed protection, and once again they provided.”
Falon gets up instantly. “Mam, is there a centralized monitoring system or any other working holo system?”
“Yes, two archways down, but we have no real understanding of the language or the symbols on the screens. All the progress we have had so far has been trial and error.”
Falon’s face lights up in glee at the thought of studying something new. His brain is a wonder that never stops, and that is apparent now more than ever. He shoots mam a grin.
“Give me half a tic and I will return with all that is needed to know about this compound.”
When he starts out of the room, Slavic yells out in exasperation, “Falon, I am sure that can wait.”
“Continue your conversation brother, do not wait on me. I will return when I know mam and Atasha are safe.”
“Do you not have questions of your own for mam?”
Slavic’s tone now has a censorious edge to it, but as usual when Falon’s brain is engaged, he is oblivious to anything but his current obsession.
“No! She is alive, and that is all that matters to me. The rest is history I cannot change.”
