When he’d pulled it out, Amina hadn’t objected to the choice. Later he’d realized it might have more to do with all the pockets he’d seen lining the inside of the robe than the comfort of the garment.
“You patted your robe; what do you have hidden in there?” Myrum asked, eyeing the voluminous covering.
Amina rubbed her hand over his chest. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
Her touch distracted him enough not to notice Helmen had opened the door until the cold air of the bay hit him.
“Let’s go,” Helmen said, sounding grim.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Myrum asked before Amina could follow.
“Absolutely,” Amina said. “You’re stuck with me.”
“I think it might be the other way around,” Myrum said. He looked at Gis, who seemed like he was on the verge of being sick. “You can stay on the ship.”
“No, you need me with you,” Gis said, forcing his head up and fluffing the white section of his mane. “The multiverse put us on this path for a reason. I won’t shirk my duty.”
Myrum was surrounded by stubbornness. He grunted and turned to walk into the bay with Amina at this side and Gis following behind.
Three Ossisos left the shuttle. One of them was wearing an elaborate outfit dripping in official-looking medals around his neck that clinked softly as he walked.
The other two were dressed very differently. Their clothes were tight-fitting suits with armored chest plates protecting their torsos. They had several weapons on them. Thankfully none of them were projectiles, but they were still deadly in close-quarters combat. They walked in unison and stopped on the same measure, telling Myrum they trained together often.
These two would be formidable opponents if he was forced to face them in battle.
“That’s Lorse,” Helmen whispered when he drew even with her. “I didn’t think he’d pick you up himself.”
Neither did Myrum. He’d racked his brain for anything about Lorse but only remembered snippets of conversations. It was the same as ever; he had almost no memory after being rescued until later when he was on the Talin ship.
He hated the idea that he might’ve had entire discussions with Lorse and others but had no memory of them.
The clinking of the medals was familiar. He’d heard it constantly while under Ossiso care. He thought it had been some kind of chime in the room to tell the time.
Had it been Lorse the entire time and not a clock?
Lorse came to a stop in front of Helmen, but his eyes were on Myrum. “I’m here to escort Primary Security Coordinator Myrum to Yal Outpost.”
“I’m no longer a primary security coordinator,” Myrum said. “I’m simply Citizen Myrum now.”
“Your humility is as I remember,” Lorse said. “You look well. How is your breathing? Can you maintain your temperature now? I’ve brought many things to keep you comfortable if you become chilled or overheated.”
“I’m fully healed, but thank you for considering my earlier injuries,” Myrum said. As long as they weren’t including his mental deficiencies, he wasn’t lying.
Lorse looked down at Amina. “And this is your pet. It appears to be a young, healthy specimen.”
Knowing Amina’s temper, Myrum was impressed that she kept a pleasant expression on her face and her mouth closed. The collar she and Jossulum had fabricated out of a tubecoupling gleamed in the bright lights of the bay. As long as no one examined it too closely, it could pass as the type of collar common among human pets.
“I’m very lucky to have her in my life,” Myrum said. It was only the truth.
“Yes, you Talins do prize owning a human,” he said, then looked behind Myrum at Gis. “And I see you received my gift of labor. I have minimal staff on the outpost, but if you need another, I can ask my parents to send more souls to serve.”
“Gis is adequate for my needs,” Myrum said, pulling Lorse’s attention away from the Ossiso and back to him.
“Excellent,” Lorse said. “I’ve made special arrangements for you. I encourage you to speak to me if you have concerns about anything I have planned.”
“As you are the reason I’m still alive, I have no objections to your plans,” Myrum said. This seemed to please Lorse a lot.
“Yes, that’s true,” Lorse said softly, almost to himself. He lifted up a hand to reach out but pulled it back. It was as if he wanted to touch Myrum but remembered they were in public.
