Shalia stood as Kuxx slid his pack back onto his shoulders. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay a while? I mean, the shuttle, it’s a pretty simple system once you know how it works. You taught me how to fly, so the least I could do is give you a ride?—”
“While I appreciate the offer, my people are only a few days’ walk from here, and as enjoyable as our time has been, I do needto return. I have been a captive a long, long time, and the walk will allow me an opportunity to regain my equilibrium and prepare myself for re-entry into society.”
“You would be well served to be wary, traveler,” Adzus said, handing him a sturdy spear to carry in addition to the Dohrag weapons he had taken from the dead. “Dohrags may not be a concern at the moment, but there are Raxxians afoot. Only the survivors of the downed ship, for now, but their comrades will undoubtedly arrive soon enough to retrieve them. Do not linger in the wild.”
Kuxx accepted the spear with an appreciative nod, though he was more of a rifle kind of guy. “Thank you, Adzus. You are a true Oraku warrior, and you do your people’s reputation justice.”
The lead hunter, though stoic, as always, nevertheless allowed himself the slightest of grins. “Travel safe, friend.”
Kuxx gave a little nod, then turned and wrapped Shalia in a warm embrace. “You’ll be fine here. The Oraku are an honorable and kind people. You are in good hands.”
“Do you think you might drop by sometime?”
“Who knows what the future will hold? And if you should find yourself in Kronkus, do look me up. But for now, you have a new life to forge for yourself. Having support of those from your world will be a big part of it, and I’m confident Darla will help you. Your aims align, after all. I know you both wish to find a way back to your home planet. But I would suggest you temper your expectations. That will not be an easy thing to achieve, even with her Nimenni warrior’s help.”
“Well, then. I guess I’ll be seeing you.”
“Be well, Shalia. You are an impressive woman, I’m sure you’ll flourish here.” He turned to their host. “Rohanna, again, my gratitude to you and your people. The shuttle is ready to fly as soon as Heydar returns. Please give him my regards.”
“I will,” she replied. “Happy days and warm nights.”
He nodded once, then walked away down the dirt path. Shalia watched him go until he rounded a corner and was out of sight.Rohanna rose and turned her attention back to her human guest. “As for you, young lady. Your skin has taken quite a bit of abuse from our solar rays. It happens sometimes, though yours is a particularly rough case. We will hold off on the application of the runes until you have recovered. One does not apply the pigment to inflamed skin.”
“Do I really need to get inked? I mean, is there some way to?—”
Rohanna’s look grew more serious, but still gentle. “On this there is no negotiation. The law is the law. But I will allow what leeway I can so you can be properly prepared to receive the pigment. You will have a lotion that alleviates the burn brought to you in your lodging. Apply it regularly and your skin will heal quickly.”
A tall, well-muscled, shirtless man watched quietly from across the way. He was quite handsome, she could tell, even at a distance, and his tattoos were thicker than most of the others, the lines drawing attention to his endowments. There was a cocky air to him, that much was clear, but also a hint of something else. Was it sadness? She couldn’t quite tell, but the combination was intriguing.
Rohanna waved him over. He jogged closer, his muscles moving fluidly under his skin, like a big cat.
“Zepharos, please go visit Tikanna. She will have the Flummix lotion our guest will be needing for her burn. Deliver it to Shalia at her quarters.”
“I will do as you ask.”
He gave the new human arrival a quick once-over then turned and jogged away. Shalia watched his sculpted ass appreciatively as he moved. The guy was built, she had to give him that. Even more than Kuxx. A little pang hit her belly. Kuxx was gone, and despite the grown-up way they’d reached closure of their little tryst, she found herself already missing his embrace. It had been a while since she’d been with anyone, and that had been okay. But now that she had experienced a good, solid fucking, her body had reawakened and was craving more.
“You will be marked in five days. Four, if your body is particularly sensitive to the Flummix,” Rohanna said.
“Who was that guy?”
Rohanna raised a brow slightly. “Zepharos? He is one of the more gregarious of our males. I do not know if Darla informed you of our people’s demographics.”
“We didn’t talk about that.”
“Ah, I see. Well, let us just say that there are far more males than females here, and as a result the competition for mates can be a bit fierce. Zepharos, however, has made a practice of visiting females of other villages, not always to the pleasure of the village elders. He is a good man, and destined to become a leader of the Oraku, but he does have his trying moments.”
“Ah, I see. A bit of a player, then?”
“An expression I was not aware of until quite recently. But yes, Darla noted the same thing.”
“He seemed a little, I don’t know, sad, in a way.”
“He is feeling the pain of losing a bonded mate. Finding one is something all aspire to, but his rejected him, and now it seems the player, as you call him, is facing a bit of an existential crisis. Reassessing his life, as it were. And who knows? Perhaps he will mature as a result.” She waved over another member of the tribe lingering nearby. It seemed many were hanging out in the general vicinity, and now she realized they were likely all casually on standby in case the elder needed their services. “Farbal, please show our guest to her lodging.”
9
Shalia’s quarters turned out to be a yurt-like structure. It was mostly a tent, but the walls themselves were made of a clay and wood substance that seemed to work similar to adobe, albeit this was far more finished looking. There was a wooden door mounted in the front and windows dotted the curved structure. Above, however, thick fabric provided shelter from the elements while maintaining an open, airy feel.
