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Chapter Nine

Alliana

We arrived inside the perimeter of the nearest colony cluster not too far from the ravines and caves with a few hours left of daylight. He maneuvered around to untie our ropes. “No convicts are allowed here so it’s best that you not look like one.”

I didn’t miss the slight grin or his tone of amusement.

“Sounds like you’ve stayed here before,” I said.

“I have while tracking a criminal who didn’t want to be found.”

“No criminal wants to be found,” she replied.

“I beg to differ,” I grumbled.

She chuckled, shaking her head. “You’ll have to tell me about this bounty hunting one day.”

“It’s boring work. Trust me. Come.”

Xaixek turned around and began tromping us through the colony to a larger hut—one that I assumed you either bartered, traded or paid for the rental of a pod for the night.

It was difficult to adapt to the primitive, almost savage lifestyle of a Zunatorian, but I tried to remind myself that back on the apocalyptic Earth—the accommodations weren’t much better. There weren’t exactly any five star resorts popping up anywhere on either planet. They were all either ashes or crumbling blocks on stone.

We entered the shelter. It provided more warmth inside that I relished in. The owner blinked with boredom as we entered, staring at us expectantly as we approached his shiny metallic reception counter.

“Can I help you, Xaixek?” He asked in a subdued voice.

“Hello, Hebro. I need a pod, but only for this night. I will be gone by morning.”

“Certainly. Will it go on your k’ali?”

K’ali was something like credit, I knew that much.

Xaixek nodded. “And let me ask you something, Hebro. Have any suspicious visitors come through here recently?” Xaixek asked, cocking his head as he quizzically peered at the shelter owner.

Hebro shook his head. “Not that I’ve seen. There was a dust storm and a ton of debris was flying about—but other than that, I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. The little ones went out and collected quite a few gems from it, anyway.”

“Thanks,” Xaixek said. “If you see anything odd, let me know. My uncle was murdered and I have a killer to track down.”

“Oh no. My condolences. Has he been given honors yet. I shall attend,” Hebro explained.

“I’ve been occupied one way or another and the ceremony is probably over.”

“Then I will make an offering to the gods for his safe passage into the Afterlife.”

We walked outside to get to the pod which was about ten units down from the renting office. Once we were inside, I felt at ease and safe from the elements and any other dust storms that threatened to pop up. There was only one bed, a unit that could be folded down from the ceiling and then lifted up again to double as a sitting area.

“You can have the bed,” Xaixek said, picking up a block of fire starting agent and throwing it into a pit. A fire immediately blaze brightly within the fireplace.

I swallowed when sadness clouded over me. Months ago, Roult had said the same thing. I told the bed and he made separate sleeping quarters in the main living area. With my sorrow weighing down on me, I sat down on the bed.

I was starting to lose my focus on where I should be and what my purpose was. Much like Xaixek had described himself, I felt like a wanderer, drifting from place to place without any foundation to call home. I could see why Roult wanted that now. A sense of purpose kept him grounded. And a sense of purpose was what I most needed in my life as well.

As soon as Xaixek got the fire started, he plopped down next to the hearth with a long, drawn out sigh. He plucked the belt clip from his satchel that we’d found back at the littered crash site.

He turned it over slowly and carefully in his giant, calloused hands and began inspecting it. He had a sentimental look on his face that I related to. Loss was just part of life, and I felt some residual empathy for him for what no longer was.

“Were you and Roult close?” I asked softly, gazing at him and the way his skin seemed to glow with the warmth of the fire blanketing us.