Page 50 of Kidnapped By the Alien Chieftain

Delight floods through me as he mentions cooking something special for me. “Ooh! What are you making us?” I ask eagerly, my mouth already watering at the idea of eating something other than weird jelly rations.

“I have a wild boracks which I hunted hung out in the back kitchen cooler. It should be perfect now for us to enjoy,” he says with a proud smile.

I try to hide my disappointment as he mentions the boracks. “Boracks… the same animal the milk comes from?” I say, teasing him. “Poor thing was probably waiting to be milked when you blasted her.”

“Pfft! This was no domesticated dairy animal but a wild, savage beast! I hunted it in the great forest of Draxxi for half a day, tracking its movements, trying to catch up with it. It must have had my scent, for it evaded me for many hours. Until, at last, it stopped to drink at a river, having been pressed so hard. Then I took my opportunity, pouncing upon it, my arms wrapped round the beast’s neck. We wrestled together until it finally grew exhausted, and I threw it to the ground, victorious. I finished the proud creature off with my claws,” he says, pacing back and forth during his retelling, almost as if reliving every action over.

“Besides, we Klendathians shun using technology for hunting. It’s taboo,” he says with a serious expression.

“Wait, you don’t use technology. Why?” I ask, suddenly surprised by this revelation.

“We use some, but only for domestic purposes. However, it is passed down on our myths and legends. The Gods look down upon it, teaching us it ultimately will weaken us as a people. We must be able to survive without it,” he explains as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world…his world.

“But that doesn’t make sense. We’re in a great big freaking spaceship traveling between stars and you shoot blue laser bolt things out of your gauntlets,” I say incredulously.

“We borrow all our advanced technology from the Scythians, except for our warvisors. Five hundred years ago, the elders and some chieftains, overcome with greed for technology and the prospect of making a mark in the universe, accepted a deal with the Scythians. They turned their backs on the old ways, the old teachings, and now the Gods punish us.” Sorrow fills his voice, and he casts his eyes down.

“I’m sorry, Krogoth. I didn’t mean to bring up old wounds,” I offer as I go to him and give him a tight hug.

“It’s fine, Pebbles. You need to know the truth. My people call this event ‘The Scythian Schism.’ Before it, we had an isolationist existence at peace with the universe. Living simply not because we weren’t capable of building more advanced technology but because we followed the precepts. The majority of technologies the Scythians give us are instruments of war, but they are for hunts of a different sort, so we shun them back home, striving to follow the old ways.”

I’m such a fool. Once again, my curiosity causes others harm. Krogoth is happily bringing me news about our date and now I have him upset remembering all this traumatic history. I desperately want to change the topic to something more upbeat.“That explains why you bravely wrestled our dinner. It’d be a shame to waste it.” I smile at him.

“Indeed, we shall honor him with our careful preparations and eager tasting,” he says, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Good, I can’t wait, Big Guy,” I say, my grin matching his own wide smile.

“Meet me in the Command Bridge in… two hours.” He rubs his nose against mine as he turns around heading out the room.

Such a big sweetheart. Wait, I’ve only got two hours to get ready.

After spending some luxurious time in the bedroom’s shower before drying and brushing my hair, I slipped into my old Earth clothes. The soft fabric against my skin feels weird after wearing those robes for so long. But now, as I look down at myself, wearing my green dress, white blouse and overcoat, I don’t feel like myself at all anymore. Familiar last minute outfit doubt creeps in, and I quickly change back into the bespoke robe I had created for myself before.There, this feels much more comfortable. Oops, I better rush or I’m going to be late!

I stand before the Command Bridge door, my heart racing with anticipation and nervousness.Strangely, I feel almost as nervous now as I did during all the harrowing events of the past few days.As I wait, I take in the surroundings. The black walls of the corridor are cool to the touch, and the hum of the ship’s engines fills the air. It makes me wonder how different his planet will be after his earlier revelation.How exciting it will be to visit Klendathor with Krogoth before going home.

It’s only been a short time since my fateful date with Robert, but it might as well be a lifetime. Time has slowed to a crawl, andeach day brings new experiences and challenges. The contrast between my awkward, hollow dating experiences previously and this otherworldly adventure with Krogoth couldn’t be more stark. It’s like comparing a dry breakfast bar to a gourmet restaurant’s juicy steak.Jeez, I must be hungry!

As the door whooshes open, I step through, and immediately, my senses are assaulted by the rich aroma of meat cooking. My mouth waters at the tantalizing scent, and I can hardly contain my excitement. “Smells delicious!” I exclaim, unable to resist the temptation to inhale deeply.

Krogoth is standing at the table, busily preparing something, and he turns around in a whirl as I enter. “Good timing, and looking beautiful, Pebbles,” he says, grinning. “The table has just been set.” I take a moment to survey the room, and to my surprise, I see Krogoth has transformed the cold, metallic command bridge into a sophisticated dining area, complete with candles and great solid wood furniture.

I take in his appearance, and I’m momentarily taken aback. He’s wearing a huge, purple tuxedo-like garment, the shirt adorned with large white ruffles that stick out of the chest and sleeves. I notice he has fastened a red scarf around his neck and tied back his once long, glossy black hair in an absurd man bun. He looks like he’s about to enter a fancy-dress competition. It’s the complete opposite of his usual fierce warrior persona. Despite trying to suppress my laughter, a small giggle escapes my lips.

I approach Krogoth, my eyes taking in his unique and eccentric attire. “Ah, that’s… an interesting look you’ve got there,” I say, moving towards him.

“It pleases you?” he responds, turning to face me. “I fabricated these based on Astraxius’ notes. It mentioned formal attire such as this.” He moves his arms to encompass his shape, drawing my attention to the large white ruffles protruding from his purpletuxedo. “This material around the neck is a liability! What if an enemy intended to choke me? Your males are strange creatures.” He finishes loosening the scarf around his neck.

I smile at his attempt to look more like a human man, but I shake my head. “The effort is sweet, Krogoth, but I’d rather have the real you, not an imitation of something you’re not.” I step closer to him and untie his scarf, freeing his neck. I take out his hair tie, allowing his long, glossy black hair to tumble down in waves. “Much better,” I say playfully, looking at the rest of his attire. “I’ll get to the rest of you later.”

As I turn to survey the room, I notice the huge ornate dark wood table and two chairs behind Krogoth. The table has plates covered with a cloche, hiding some deliciousness within. I make my way towards one of the enormous chairs and attempt to hop up onto the seated portion. My face turns red with embarrassment as I realize I can’t reach it. Suddenly, I feel Krogoth’s huge hands grip me by the waist, hoisting me up onto the chair so that my legs dangle off the ground. I feel like a toddler on a highchair.

He lets out a short laugh. “Tiny Pebbles. We’ll get smaller furniture for your visit on Klendathor,” Krogoth promises, pushing my chair closer to the table.

“I’m not tiny; you’re just overgrown!” I retort, a smile playing on my lips.

He smirks at me as he moves around the table, lighting strange-looking candles that cast flickering shadows on the walls. With a few taps on his console, he turns off the room’s normal lights, filling the room with a warm, intimate glow. “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, candles and everything.” I gesture to the flicking flames.

“The translations in the notes are incorrect. I nearly built a bonfire until I double checked the English.” He chuckles as he settles into his chair, the wood creaking under his weight.

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