Page 1 of Saving the Alien Chieftain

Chapter 1

Roxanne

New beginnings

“Welcome home, Pebbles.”

Krogoth’s words, along with the incredible sight of his home planet,our home planet,sends my mind reeling trying to process it all. The brilliant purple-colored sun, dotted with huge eruptions, throws huge violet flares into the void of space as if it’s a living entity raging against the universe itself.

Only a week ago, I would look out from my office window to see nothing but gray dreary buildings, people with their heads bowed down rushing to work, to make ends meet, people like me... All that seems so petty now, literally a world away, and I don’t miss it one bit.

Of course, there’s danger here. I’ve already escaped from capacity twice and had strange creepy aliens shoot at me. But being here with Krogoth, I feel truly alive for the first time.

As our ship draws nearer to Klendathor, the greenish-red planet expands in our view port, looming larger with each passing moment. It’s a breathtaking sight, with its lush and rugged beauty captivating our gaze. Unlike Earth, Klendathor appears to be mostly covered by landmass, with a vast expanse of water stretching across its surface like a colossal oceanic heart.

Suddenly, the blue shields around the ship spring to life, shimmering brightly as blazing heat dances along its surface. What kind of life awaits us down there? With excited anticipation, I stare wide eyed as we push deeper into the atmosphere. The brightness becomes so intense it’s hard to not look away.

Krogoth must notice my discomfort as he takes my hand and gives it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. We lock eyes for a moment, amid the sparklingly blue shields and white light that emanates from the view port. He looks so handsome, smiling down at me with his shining purple eyes as he stands like a towering muscular giant, his long glossy black hair parted over his shoulders.

As abruptly as the re-entry started, the blinding light fades and the ship finally penetrates the atmosphere. I rush closer to the view port, hoping to get a better look. My nerves give way to excitement. A whole new planet for me to explore and discover. I don’t want to blink and miss anything as I stare at this alien vista. From this height, I see a giant spiraling tower emerge from some ancient ruin as we move through the atmosphere. The ship passes through huge billowing clouds, between which I greedily cast my eyes, trying to take it all in. The light from theKlendathian sun has a slight purple taint to it, giving the view a strange otherworldly hue.

“Look here.” Krogoth moves closer, pointing towards a particularly dense area of huge, towering red-colored trees. “You see? That’s Draxxi, where my clan lives,” he says with excited pride.

“So that’s where we’re going to live?” I turn to glance at him quickly. He nods his head in affirmation. “Ah! I can’t wait to get there. It looks amazing,” I state, bouncing on my toes. I squint through the viewport, my face practically smooshed up against it. Hoping to see homes or anything within Draxxi territory for a glimpse of what life is like here. But sadly, I can’t make out much amid the dense foliage.

“And there.” Krogoth again points, this time much further up towards an area unlike the rest. It has no foliage and looks like an extensive desert area. “That’s the Desert of Nardune, home to the Sanaxus Clan. If you look hard enough, you might notice the catacombs’ entrance where we honor the dead.”

I scan the Desert of Nardune with my eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the catacombs. Just as I’m about to give up, I notice a stone structure that looks like an entrance flanked by two statues. They look small from up here, but down on the planet they’re probably humongous. “Oh, I found them!”

Looking around, I notice an area that’s sparse in vegetation with mighty, majestic black mountains that look even higher than Everest stretching to the clouds. Some are active volcanoes, spewing forth molten magma. “What about this place?” I ask, pointing out the view port.

Krogoth scoffs. “That’s the Peaks of Scarn, where Clan Magaxus calls home. War Chieftain Gorexius’ clan.” His hands curl into fists and his knuckles turn white.

Touchy subject.I take his fist in my hand and give it a gentle kiss to ease his tension. Just then, a great flying creaturecomes roaring into view, giving me a sudden fright. I stumble backwards at the narrowly avoided collision. This... flying monster is massive. It swoops into view again, looping around in circles. It has webbed wings, two huge clawed feet, a sleek long tail, and a protracted muzzle full of sharp teeth. But the weirdest thing of all is it appears to be completely featherless but instead is scaled,like a bloody flying dinosaur!

“Good thing we didn’t hit it…” Krogoth says as he begins adjusting the ship’s course using the console. “I hate having to scrape them off the ship.”

“What is that thing?” I ask, my eyes darting back to look at the strange creature.

“It’s an arrohawk, deadly fast. If they catch you unawares, you’ll be killed in an instant,” Krogoth states casually, as if he’s talking about the weather.

Meanwhile, I feel like my stomach is about to fall through to the ground at the prospect of getting devoured by one of these things. “Um, Krogoth… Do arrohawks ever travel to Draxxi?”

Krogoth shrugs. “Yes, sometimes.”

“What if it tries to eat me? It’s not like it’s a little cute dove flying around out there,” I assert, trying to hide my growing fear.

Krogoth laughs, his huge shoulders rocking up and down. “I will protect your tininess,” he finishes, flashing me a fanged tooth smile.

I exhale loudly. “No, seriously, Krogoth. What if I’m in Draxxi, minding my own business, and one of these things shows up?” I ask, staring intently at him.

Krogoth’s smile drops as he moves closer to brush my cheek with his huge hand. “There’s no need to fear, Pebbles. Predators avoid the clan territories, for we are the strongest predators of all. And they will not penetrate the hunter’s borders.”

I feel a little better at his words, although it hardly seems like a fail-safe plan. But I decide to park my concern for now andmake a mental note to keep my wits about me. I watch as the arrohawk swoops around in view. It appears to be chasing a smaller feathered bird. The arrohawk is faster and bigger. The smaller creature uses its smaller size to maneuver in tight turns in an effort to avoid the jaws of the terrifying beast.

It’s fascinating to watch, although I’m sure it isn’t for the poor creature trying to escape. After a moment, the smaller creature dodges behind the arrohawk’s back. It then makes a break at full speed, heading towards the great sea area of Klendathor, seeking safety. The arrohawk, realizing its mistake, turns and gives chase at incredible speed.

“The puffrio has no chance,” Krogoth says, peering out the view port, taking an interest in the battle for survival unfurling before us. “It cannot out fly an arrohawk,” he states, hand under his chin.

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