Page 14 of Found By the Alien Warrior

She paused, her yellow eyes piercing through me with a cold stare. "Aurik got you in trouble, and now look where you're headed."

I bristled, finding myself defending him. "Some jerk touched me. He wouldn’t have let go if Aurik didn’t make him stop."

"The guards would’ve stepped in.”

“He did it faster.”

“Are you pleased?" Vessa set her costume aside. "I understand how thrilling it feels for your weaker species to have a champion in your corner, but some fighters don't have a lot of, shall we say, intellectual finesse." Her forked tongue flicked out as she spoke the last word.

"He's not ignorant. Even if Aurik wasn't there, I would've gotten punished.”

“How?”

“I might be human, but I was about two seconds away from flinging hot soup on that hair tugger myself."

She narrowed her eyes. "It sounds like you and Aurik need to learn to cool down."

I realized I had my fists clenched. The tension I felt from being in this place against my will showed in my body language. I got my hair pulled by a handsy gladiator and my head chewed off by Vessa in less than a day.

I dropped my hands at my sides. Vessa’s words stung, but I switched gears. She was cool-headed and strong, someone who might be able to help Aurik and me escape. I didn't mention our plans to her but launched into questions instead. "Korga says you're going with us?”

She smiled, resuming her costume polishing. "That's right. More warriors to face and battles to win, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"What can I expect?" I asked, eager to prepare myself for the trip. If I learned anything so far about this galaxy, it was filled with all flavors of hazard.

The slanted pupils of her eyes widened, giving them an almost childlike sparkle as she described the thrill of traveling to new places and facing fresh challenges. "There's nothing like battling it out in front of a new crowd, feeling the adrenaline coursing through your veins as you fight for survival."

I didn’t want to think about fighting for survival, and yet, wasn’t that what I was doing? I may not have been tearing it up in the ring like the fighters, but I had to keep going until Aurik and I could get away from this place. I tossed my clothes into a vat to start the cleansing cycle. "So where are you from?"

“Ophidias, in the Haven Nebula,” she answered, almost bored, as she worked on a stubborn spot on her armor.

I had no clue where that was in this galaxy or any other. “What’s your home planet like?” I wanted to find out how she ended up here.

“Green. Muggy weather.” She shook off my attempt at dialogue. “I heard your planet has jungles, too, so there is no need for me to explain.”

Sensing her reluctance to delve deeper, I let it go for the time being. I washed my laundry and went to go help clean the female living quarters before I had to leave in the morning.

I was awakened super early the next day as Korga’s guards banged at the door. Vessa’s head appeared over the partition of my cubicle.

“Get up. The ship is ready to leave.” Her command came with a sharp hiss and a motion with her clawed hand for me to move.

I stumbled out of my cot and ran to the bathroom to get ready. I had barely tugged my shoes on when I came out to see a handful of the other females gathering at the door to leave. They carted their belongings in satchels. Vessa tossed a bag at my feet.

“I packed your things for you. This should’ve been completed yesterday.”

I didn’t bother telling her I was busy cleaning our living quarters while she spent the day shining up her gladiator gear. I ran after her, my satchel bumping against my back with each step as I reached the guarded doors to the complex. A false sense of freedom came over me when I got outside and saw a big space cruiser, all sleek grey metal and shiny enough to make Vessa’s costume jealous.

As I moved forward on a shaky platform with the others to board, the whole thing felt massive. The ship's wings stretched out like they were about to take off into orbit. When I reached the entrance, it was like the door to another dimension. I half-expected it to whoosh open with blinking lights and synthwave sci-fi sound effects, but it just slid open, quiet, to reveal a dim hall that split into two corridors.

I stood beside Vessa. “Where are we headed to first?”

"Zephyra. It's a world of gas clouds and floating islands " She cast a doubtful glance in my direction. "I'm not sure how a human like you will do there."

"I need to be sure," I mumbled, my anxiety spiking at the thought of another unfamiliar, hostile environment.

As I stepped onto the ship, Gornoc the Gearmaster appeared before me, holding a small nosepiece. "You'll need this to breathe when you’re outdoors on Zephyra." He gave a gruff toss of his metal-horned head before he handed the nosepiece over.

"Thanks...I guess." I eyed the tiny device with some suspicion.

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