I had to be careful. Deciding that no good could come of this talk if we continued, I ended it right there and did not respond. Instead, I focused on getting as much of my equipment into my bag as possible. There ain’t no way I was leaving anything important behind on this crazy bitch of a shuttle.
I prioritized the tools, weapons, and technical goodies, deciding to leave my extra set of clothing behind. I also only took the emergency rations, the extremely lightweight but tasteless ones. The only thing I couldn’t compromise on was water. I took all the H2O I could carry because I was sure every drop out there was contaminated by the scourge’s fungus.
With my pack ready to go, I took a quick peek at the survivor forums as I waited for Bael’k to return. There were dozens of private messages waiting for me when I logged on, and more than a handful of friend requests. There was no way I could read all of that, but one of the handles caught my attention: The Ainsley Brothers.
I almost regret not taking you on this mission myself and giving up on all that fame and fortune. Trust me when I say that you have my respect forever, Kiera. And if you don’t end up joined at the hips to that equally brave hunter, I re-extend my offer for dinner. No pressure though.
Either way, good luck on the mission, and come back in one piece. The world needs its Keeper of Knowledge.
Jordan Ainsley
PS. If you end up mated to that hunter, this message DOES NOT EXIST.
That had me grinning ear to ear. But I didn’t reply, not yet. I had no clue how the next few days would pan out.
There was most definitely something sparking between me and Bael’k, as so evidently pointed out by his proper, rule-following shuttle. But we’d already clarified that very first day that neither of us was looking for anything serious.
But somehow, after the passion and spark I’d experienced with Bael’k, Jordan just didn’t appeal anymore. I mean, I still thought he was a great catch. Maybe I’d change my mind after the mission.
But as long as I was still here with Bael’k, I wanted to see where things went with us, no matter how temporary. His disapproving shuttle could suck it.
Chapter 16: Bael’k
“Is this really a dwelling for just one family?” I asked as I took in the entranceway to the mansion for a second time.
I’d been searching for signs of the scourge the first time and hadn’t noticed all the details. But I had noticed the sheer size of the estate, and that had me questioning whether I was securing the right location. The humans had referred to the destination as a home. But this place was large enough to house an entire army.
“Yup.” Her eyes were wide too. “The owner must’ve been rich as fuck.”
I had seen many human homes, and none had looked like this. Luckily for me, this one had tall fences all around the premises, meaning I had only to close the front gate to prevent any of the ground scourge from entering.
Then it was a matter of hunting any scourge that had gotten trapped, unable to return to their nest. I found only a handful and dispatched them easily, luring them to the shadow of a large tree to avoid drawing the attention of the flyers. So far, I was rather disappointed by the lack of fighting and action despite being inside a Dead Zone.
I might have to embellish this story if Jorg’k asked about it. Or perhaps I could describe the thousands of scourge we saw oneither side of the highway on the way here, without clarifying that we’d avoided them all by following Kiera’s carefully plotted path. Jorg’k didn’t need to know that Kiera’s skill in conflict avoidance had meant we hadn’t needed my talents of conflict resolution yet.
Now that I wasn’t actively hunting for scourge, I began picking up on details I’d missed the first time I was here.
The large slabs of stone lining the floors were veined with white and silver streaks, the pattern like a churning river, but forever frozen in time. Polished to a high shine, each piece had been cut with precision and fitted so tightly together that it looked seamless. It was smooth and cool under my feet, and my claws clicked against it with every step, the sound sharp and amplified by the large space.
In front of us, a wide staircase with a dark, intricately carved wooden banister curved up to the second floor. The lofted ceiling stretched up above us, and the midmorning sun poured in through the generous window over the double doors we’d entered through.
“Oooh! Look at the size of that chandelier.”
I followed Kiera’s gaze to the golden structure hanging above us, glittering with thousands of tiny crystals. How had I missed that the first time around? “My translator says chandeliers held candles. I see no wax.”
She chuckled. “It’s electric. No candles, just lights. It’s an old word that we just kept using.”
But despite its opulence, there were unmistakable signs that marred its grandeur, and the longer I looked, the more they stood out. Holes from Earth-made firearms were scattered across the foyer. Dark stains on the red carpet in front of thestairs told of lives lost. And there was damage from scuttler claws everywhere. One slab of the marble flooring was cracked like a flyer’s spike had speared it once right down the middle.
Kiera glanced down the hallway to the right. “A little dark and dusty, and probably full of spiders.” She turned to the left. “Bigger and brighter, and probably fully looted out. Which way first?”
I knew what spiders were. They were small arthropods native to Earth that somewhat resembled our scuttlers, but without claws and with more eyes. Aside from a few venomous ones, they were relatively harmless, but some human females still feared them. I’d witnessed a female slay a scuttler with an axe to the head, only to turn around and screech at the tiny eight-legged creature. I did not understand it.
“I apologize. I didn’t check for Earth arthropods.”
She just laughed, and she relaxed. Grabbing my arm, she tugged me to the left. “Let’s go this way first.”
Each room was as opulent as the entrance way, some even more so, with large, heavy furniture, much of it intricately carved. There was an abundance of decorative items, and heavy, multi-layered drapes framed the windows.
