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CHAPTER TEN

Visla

Later that night, I was flipping through several announcing stations where various scientists from the different settlements broadcasted the weather. I’d been told it was the equivalent to listening to Earth’s equivalent of a newscaster on a radio. The weather on Xalxa was so volatile, especially between the settlements. One day it could be hot as Hades and then the next day, a never-ending downpour would fall from the sky.

Just about every Aurrakian scientist on Xalxa 5 predicted heavy rains over the next few days. That was a plus for me, because after the rains, the streams were flooded with diamonds and jewels washed out from inhabited regions and down from the mountainous and cave regions where most vowed never to climb or descend. I could only hope that my heat would have faded when the storm cleared. In the past, I never worried about my heat becoming activated. I could count on one hand the number of times it had happened since I became a woman. I was always in my room working away or by the river’s edge with groups of other women, so men scenting me out never became an issue.

Just as I was about to flip to the next station, someone knocked at the door. I figured it was one of Khol’s guards bringing more of my stuff inside from my room at the castle, but when I opened the door to find Khol standing there, I smiled.

“Why are you knocking at your own door?” I asked, stepping inside and letting him in.

“It’s your home now, remember? I’ve sold it to you.”

“Sold it to me? I could hardly afford to pay you.”

“Did you forget our arrangement?”

“Oh, the crown, you mean?” I asked. “What if I’ve changed my mind?”

“I’d find some way to convince you.”

“And if you couldn’t?” I teased.

He shrugged. “Then I’d be without a crown, I guess.”

I sat down and watched as he removed his weapon’s belt and placed it on the table by the door. “Do you like your new home, the castle?”

“It’s…big. I’m used to sleeping on the ground.”

“On the ground?” I laughed.

“Yes. It’s quite peaceful. Sometimes I hear the creatures moving about through the sediment. They have their own language you know and various calls of distress. Sometimes I can make out a squeal or a grunt of victory whenever I have my ear to the ground.”

“Wow. My sense of hearing isn’t all that evolved. I’m only human.”

“Of course.”

“Where was your home before this?” I asked.

“Nowhere. I traveled everywhere. We lay our heads wherever we land. But when we visit the King of Kings, we’re usually given our own quarters for a year or two before we head out on the next mission. This was how I came in possession of this hut. My horde provided a service to him once or twice before. Yet, Magdul seemed to prefer conquering by means that involved treachery of our kunwe which he wouldn’t have dared asked me to become a party to his ruse when he learned that I was loyal to Oderas.” He looked around. “No one else has occupied this hut in the time since I was last here. Most of his guests would’ve preferred the castle, I think.”

“You are a conqueror in your own right. Treachery isn’t your thing, but you enjoy killing. Am I right?”

He grinned. “I just love putting bad monsters out of their misery.”

“Monsters? Are there really planets filled with mindless monsters? Feral beasts? Headless creatures? And slimy vermin?”

He laughed. “Yes, there are. Sometimes they even infiltrate places where they do not belong. But during our raids, we reduce their populations before they ever find their way to our home. Some have managed to do just that, and the outcome is not always pretty.”

“I’ve heard. These beasts can decimate an entire settlement when citizens aren’t prepared to defend themselves,” I said. “That’s where your horde and other hordes like yours come in.”

“Yes. We clean up where others vow never to tread.”

“What about the space pirates? The so-called hybrids of the galaxy. How many of those have you encountered?”

“We encounter them all the time. We compete for air space and sometimes for the same territory. And things normally do get ugly when it comes to resources. They are not our enemies though. Neither are they our allies. I don’t think any King has ever effectively bartered or allied with space pirates, to be honest. To my knowledge, none of never pledged their allegiance to any one king.”

“Since you are the king of the colony, will you still lead your horde on these raids?”