Page 15 of Survivor
As king, one of his mandates was that every Zarpazian citizen receive a language implant at birth. The cosmos was a vast place, home to many species and languages. My father never wanted his people to face a moment where they could not communicate. Our translators were neural networks capable of adapting to new languages within minutes. I wondered if Lucy was the first human my father had ever met. He lifted his head, drawing in a deep breath. I watched his nostrils twitch and steeled myself for his inevitable reaction to the human scent.
Only it never came. My father simply smiled.
“Hello, Lucy. It is nice to meet you. I am Vysar.” He took her hand and held it in his palm.
“I hope we’re not intruding,” Lucy continued, completely charming my father. “Vraxxan said I would be safe here.”
“You will be.” My father’s free hand moved to his chest, palm flat over his heart. The gesture of a sacred vow from a Zarpazian warrior. When his eyes cut to me, his expression became decidedly less charmed.“Only, may I know what you are in danger from?”
“Right now, I’m worried about the monkeys,” Lucy gave a nervous laugh, her gaze drifting to the creatures that surrounded us, weapons raised.
“The Peecha?” My father chuckled. “They are harmless.”
“They don’t look harmless,” I commented, my gaze holding on one of the bigger males and his spear.
Vysar raised his hand, a string of guttural words barking from his lips. Without a word, the Peecha turned and disappeared into the trees.
“Peecha are the natural inhabitants here.” My father’s gaze followed the retreat of the creatures Lucy called monkeys. “Sentient, though early in their development. Their language is rudimentary but easy to understand. They will not hurt your female.”
I should tell my father that Lucy wasn’t my female, but the denial wouldn’t quite form on my tongue.
“Thank you,” Lucy visibly relaxed when the sounds of the jungle resumed, signaling that the Peecha had fully retreated.
“Of course,” my father gave a curt nod, smiling at Lucy. The gaze he shifted to me was less charming. “Now, to my question, why does Lucy need protection? I do not mean to offend, but what species is this lovely female?”
“Lucy is human.” I let my grip settle around her wrist again in a protective grasp. “And we are here because Mother is trying to kill her.”
My father sighed deeply, as though the very mention of his mate exhausted him. “I am not surprised to hear this. Why does your mother want to harm this human?”
With the deep red sun beating down on us, cradled in the shade, and the sounds of the jungle a symphony around us, I told my father about the events since his exile.
I told him how my younger brother, Vreses, had excelled at training and learned quickly how to shift his scales and relished inflicting pain and drawing blood. I told him how, with my mother’s backing, Vreses became known as the deadliest assassin in the universe. I told him about the plot to kill Duke Ako and Vreses’ role in it—a role cut short when a human female discovered his deception and killed him to protect herself and her mate.
Upon hearing of Vreses death, my mother devolved into a rage, determined to punish anyone involved in Vreses‘ death. Initially, she put a million-credit bounty on the human female’s head. A bounty not to kill her but to capture the female and bring her to Zarpazia, where my mother could deliver the killing blow herself. Thankfully, the Alliance Prime put an end to the insidious plot, even though she had to threaten to blow Zarpazia—and my mother—out of the cosmos to do it.
Vysar correctly guessed, as I finished that part of the story, that my mother remained undeterred. If she could not kill the human female responsible for Vreses’ death, she would punish an innocent for it—a symbolic retribution.
The laugh that barked from my father’s lips when I concluded with current events squeezed around my heart like a warm hug. As did the way he gazed at Lucy with a mix of mirth and respect.
“This tiny human defeated your cousin Seibring?” He laid a hand on his stomach, laughing harder.
“Well, in all fairness, I used a blaster,” Lucy confessed, her lips twitching.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if you had used a neutron cannon,” my father chuckled. “For a Zarpazian warrior—especially one who can shift their scales like Seibring—to be brought low by a creature as tiny and delicate as you....” His chuckle turned into an all-out guffaw. “Oh, I wish I could have seen it.”
“I brought Lucy here because this planet does not exist on any known star charts.” My heart ached for the next part. “Mother hid the site of your exile from everyone. I discovered your location by accident.” Not an accident. I’d purposely hidden and eavesdropped on a conversation between Mother and her closest adviser. I’d been a youngling still and determined to find Vysar. In my youthful mind, exile with my father beat court life with my mother. It still did. “I knew if you still lived, you would help me protect her until the Alliance can intervene and neutralize the threat.”
“It will be my honor,” Vysar straightened, clearing his throat to rid himself of residual laughter. “Is there anyone on Zarpazian that supports your movements?”
“I’m sure there are many,” I sighed. “The queen rules with fear and threats. The people miss you, Father.”
“As I miss them,” he said in a somber tone.
“I’m sorry about your son, Vreses,” Lucy said softly, her hand reaching out to touch my father’s forearm. His blue eyes watched her movements, their expression dark.
“Vreses was not my son,” my father’s voice sounded wistful. Vreses was not of his blood, but he had raised him as his own until the day my mother’s push for the king’s exile succeeded. “I loved him, but he did not choose an honorable warrior’s path.” His dark blue eyes shifted to me, beaming with pride. “You have grown well. I see honor and courage in you.”
“Hear, hear,” Lucy concurred with an emotional whisper.
