Page 22 of Pandora: Alien Games

I should have taken her with me, forget about the bounty for the Rash. Now she’s coupled with Ashok and it’ all my fault. I’m the only one to blame. The bitter taste of sadness crawls inside me. I can taste it in my mouth and it made both my hearts beat faster.

I should stop. She’s a small female who’s going to bring us a whole bunch of trouble.

Banoo cried out. Sometimes he and I are so in tune, he knew what I felt before I had a chance to feel it myself. Today he felt my frustration. My friend walked faster, knowing speed will improve my mood.

The ride down to the city would take at least one full day and Banoo was doing what he could to cheer me up. He started running, his entire mass moving with unexpected speed.

“Race?” Hassym called from the left.

“You won’t catch me.”

Hassym leaned closer to his Ren and whispered something into the ears of the large beast, Dahary. Dahary picked up pace and soon we were shoulder to shoulder. Speed is my jam. That and the hunt are the two things that make me feel free.

Ashok was behind. He would not risk awakening Pandora just to join our game. Eray appeared next to us in a cloud of dust.

“We’re going to piss off Ramy.”

My only reply was that I leaned closer to Banoo and he ran even faster. The sand pythons could be a problem for one lonely rider, but they would never dare to attack three of us.

Hassym, Eray, and I raced each other, trying to touch the fading line of the horizon. It was a race we loved, even as kids. Whoever gets first to the son of Ra is the worthy one. No matter how hard it was and how impossible, during those seconds when we raced each other over the sands with our hair and tails flying in the wind, we believed we can get further, touch something that was impossible to grasp before.

Ramy’s voice boomed behind us. “Stop!”

He sounded as if he was everywhere at once. In a way, he was. The alpha and the pack were connected by the magical crystal that each of us had embedded in his chest. The crystal was not only for show. It was a way for the alpha to communicate with us.

“You made so much noise and left Ashok and Pandora behind, you idiots. What if sand phytons attack them? Stop right now and wait for your brother.”

“Ramy, Ashok doesn’t need help,” I said. “He’s a big boy.”

“Pandora can’t fight,” Hassym whispered and ran toward the direction we came from. Hassym was famous for his sixth sense, the way he’s able to detect and determine danger. He rode back hard, and that was a clear sign something wasn’t right.

“Banoo, catch up with Hassym.”

My beast understood me. I leaned even closer to catch up with my brother who rode as if all hell had broken loose and as if a sandstorm was on his tail.

A few heartbeats later, I could hear Pandora scream. But it was not a scream of fear, to my surprise.

Pandora

I woke up startled when Ashok shook my shoulder. I turned my head to him, he touched his lips with his index finger, telling me to remain silent. The guys have only four fingers, including an opposable thumb.

Ashok pulled out one of his swords, a shorter curved one, and gave it to me. I looked at it, astonished at what they expected me to do, but I grabbed it. He made a gesture for me to stay with his Ren and be silent.

Ashok jumped down from the back of the Ren and leaned forward in a pose that made him look feral and dangerous. The small hairs on my back stood up as I scanned the sands around us. Everything looked the same for me, but it was far from me to judge Ashok’s decision to get ready for whatever. This place looked quiet but is full of dangers I still didn’t come close to grasping. My heart beat faster and my mouth went dry.

Something moved in the sand. It was like a rippling movement under the golden surface I couldn’t define.

Ashok’s body was tense. I couldn’t stop myself from admiring his strong muscles and the way he held his sword. Ashok was white as snow and his hair shined under the dark sun. Still, his skin seemed fine with the heat because he felt cooler than me each time I touched him.

I wanted to take a sip of water, but my instinct told me I should not move, not in the least.

A scream pierced my ears. It was a shrill yell, something that made me shiver in fear. Dozens of snakes broke the surface of the sand, long fangs ready to sink into Ashok. The sand looked like a forest of creatures that moved and snapped. Ashok cut into them, but each time he killed one head, another would pop up and attack him. It was as if these creatures thought as one and orchestrated their attack.

I wanted to jump down and help, but I would only harm him. Ashok moved with incredible grace and purpose. He didn’t need me to assist him in any way. Fear crawled up my spine, turning the heat into an icy panic. My knuckles were white already. That’s how hard I was grabbing the pummel of my sword. I tried to wipe the sweat out of my eyes. Breathe, silly. It’s all good.

I leaned closer to the Ren and stroked his head. I should find out his name.

Banoo wandered over to me. Even though things between me and Edoo were weird and tense, Banoo was happy to see me and behaved like a huge cat, allowing me to scratch him and play with him.

---