Page 49 of The Warrior's Oath
“Yeah, why?”
“Your pace slowed.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize. Sorry.”
He just grunted and continued on. Nyota kept at her practice, but also focused on staying close. As long as that marvelously sculpted ass was in front of her, she was more than happy to lock her gaze on that target and keep pace.
On and on they moved, the time passing quickly for Nyota as she now had something to take her mind off the actual hiking part of it. Korvin was the eyes and ears of this outing, and she felt entirely confident relying on his years of training to be their warning system. Anything she might see or hear, he would have noticed long before.
The heat grew substantial as the day wore on but eventually the sun passed its apex and began to lower in the sky. They had been trekking all day without her needing to stop once, she realized. This newfound stamina was proving to be pretty amazing.
No sooner had she thought that than Korvin held up his hand, signaling her to stop as he had several times that day. This time, however, his shoulders were relaxed as he sniffed the air. He was scanning the area, but for something else.
“Follow me,” he finally said, leading the way deeper into the brush.
They pushed ahead, their boots compressing the dark soil feeding the lush foliage in this area. Finally, he stopped.
“What is it?”
He pointed to the low tree in front of them. “Quinx fruit,” he said, pulling a yellow-green orb from the tree. “High in protein as well as minerals and liquid. It has been called the traveler’s friend. Here. Taste.”
She took the offering and wiped it on her sleeve, then took a bite. A tangy-sweet rush of juice flooded her mouth, her body feeling a surge of energy as soon as the liquid trickled down her throat.
“This is awesome!”
“Yes. One of the core Dotharian crops within the conglomerate.”
“How do you mean?”
“The Dotharian Conglomerate is an amalgam of many worlds, and many policies within them, all under one central rule. One of the core tenets is that all habitable worlds are to be seeded with edible plant life. Not all varieties will take hold, naturally, but the idea is that no one within the conglomerate should ever go hungry.”
“They literally just go and plant food everywhere they go?”
“It’s not quite as simple as that. There are indigenous varieties to take into account which they do not wish to drive to extinction. But as a basic idea, yes.”
Nyota marveled at the idea. On Earth, politicians were all about themselves, it seemed. Here, some good was actually being done for the common people.
“It’s idyllic,” she marveled.
Korvin chuckled. “Not all conglomerate policies are. But the common good of the citizens is of vital importance. It is believed that even those who lack currency should not face the possibility of starvation. If they but use the sweat of their labor, even the poorest among us will have a full belly.”
Nyota reached for another fruit. Korvin’s warm hand wrapped gently around her wrist. “No, only when they begin to turn yellow are they ripe. The juice of the green ones is still somewhat caustic.”
“Eek, my bad,” she said, trying to reach for a yellowing one instead. His grip remained firm.
“And you must only eat one a day. Due to the high nutrition composition, one can develop digestive issues if one eats too many.”
“Seriously?”
“Trust me. Many hungry parties have learned this lesson the hard way. But I smell Orgla berries nearby. They are delicious and pose no such threat. Come.”
“Lead the way.”
The berries turned out to be growing on a loamy hillside not far away at all, and as they grew near, even without her newly enhanced sense of smell Nyota would have been able to pick up the gloriously sweet aroma.
Fallen overripe berries squished beneath their boots as they walked to the thick vines.
“Dark ones are best,” Korvin said, picking a plump, deep purple specimen and handing it to her.
