Page 13 of Saving the Alien Chieftain

“That’s amazing. We don’t have to do any chores at all?” I ask, my voice filled with excitement.

“Not one,” Krogoth replies, pulling out a chair from the dining table. He lifts me up onto it with care. “Don’t worry, I will get the furniture adjusted to your size soon,” he assures me, a note of promise in his voice.

I gaze at Krogoth, my eyes searching his face for any sign of distress. “That would be nice. But where did you sneak off this morning? I was worried about you… That blow you took last night scared me,” I confess, my voice tinged with genuine worry.

“To get you this.” Krogoth presents a box, and as he opens it, a tantalizing array of food is revealed. “AHI, assemble meal,” he says. Within moments, the little, maybe evil, drones emerge and expertly arrange the food on plates before us. I watch in wonder at the efficiency of it.

He continues, his tone somewhat subdued, “I confess I did use a healing pod.” His gaze drops, as if admitting to a hidden weakness. “I carried too many injuries. I need to be strong for what may come.” He looks at me, determination etched across his features.

I nod approvingly. “Oh, that’s good, Krogoth.”I wonder if those healing pods could cure my throbbing headache.“There’s no point you running around in pain,” I say as I cut up the delicious smelling food that reminds me of bacon and egg. “But it feels like you’re not telling me everything. Stay strong for what exactly? You can talk to me. We’re a team now,” I gently press.

Krogoth’s sharp claws deftly spear portions of breakfast before he devours them. He meets my gaze, a moment of contemplation in his eyes. “I don’t wish to burden you with political matters,Pebbles. You have a whole new planet, culture to learn and friends to make,” he replies, his voice measured.

“I understand that, but I can’t relax, seeing you so worried and doubtful.” I take a moment, gathering my thoughts. “You could’ve been killed last night, Krogoth. I thought we were going to be safe here. Not only do we have to worry about the Scythians, but now it’s also the Klendathians?” My voice is charged with a mix of fear and frustration, surprised at my own words.

Krogoth’s gaze meets mine, a flicker of uncertainty dancing in his eyes, a rare sight that unsettles me. A heavy sigh escapes his lips. “I fear what it may mean for us. The full extent of it is unknown even to me and I can’t think of a solution,” he admits, his voice tinged with vulnerability as he looks down at his plate.

This must be bad.My stomach twists into knots, the fear nearly overcoming me.But I force it down. I will be strong for him and not allow anything to drive us apart. Not when we’ve come so far. “I’m not going anywhere. Whatever happens, we can survive it together,” I say fiercely. My gaze locks onto his, willing him to see the depth of my commitment.

Krogoth suddenly stands, his words ringing with a solemn intensity. “Then you are stronger than me, Pebbles, for I swear I will die before letting anything happen to you. If it means I have to send you back to Earth to save you, even if the bond drives me to madness, I will do it,” he declares. The fervor in his voice is shocking.

His meaning hits me like a physical blow, a sharp pain radiating from my chest. “You… You would send me back to Earth?” I fight to keep my emotions in check, but tears threaten to spill from my eyes.

“That’s not my meaning,” Krogoth insists, drawing closer and tenderly brushing away the tears streaming down my cheeks. “It won’t come to that… I just need time to plan.” His eyes reflecthis own distress at seeing me hurt. “Please don’t cry, my sweet Pebbles.”

Krogoth attempts to lift my chin with a gentle touch, but I avert my gaze, unwilling to let him witness my tears. “I need to speak with Xandor,” he says, swiftly tapping his wrist console. “I’ve transferred twenty-five thousand credits to you. Consult AHI, get whatever you need.”

His offer of money feels like salt in a wound, stinging my pride even further. “Is this our bond, then?” I retort, my words laced with bitterness. “You can confide in your friend, but I’m left in the dark?” The resentment cuts through the air.

As Krogoth turns to leave, a pang of regret washes over me, seeing the hurt in his eyes. “We’ll speak later.” He leans down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. With deliberate steps, he marches out of the dining room. As soon as I hear him exit the front door, unshed tears erupt from my eyes.

I gave up everything to make a life here with Krogoth and he would toss me aside to ‘save me?’ Ever since he exploded into my life, all I’ve been doing is saving myself.What a joke.Maybe I was wrong to trust him, just another man like the liars and cheats back on Earth. That doesn’t ring true, but I’m too upset and angry to care!

Screw this. I will not twiddle my thumbs, waiting for him to call the shots. I’ve a planet to explore, and I’m going to build a life here whether he likes it or not.

Chapter 6

Krogoth

Trainer

Stubborn female!Her parting words echo in my mind, searing me with the heat of a sigma star. As I march towards the forging grounds, I express my frustration by punching a hole into one of the nearby great trees. Pain erupts in my hand, but it’s nothing compared to the turmoil rampaging through me.How did it get to this?One moment we are enjoying breakfast and the next we are struggling to look at each other.

Bah, I’m a Klendathian warrior, a chieftain. I have responsibilities, duties to Pebbles and to Klendathor.Can she not see what I do, I do for us all?I am not a skilled socialite nor a brilliant scholar who understands the nature of love. And there is no one to turn to on this matter. No Klendathian has bonded with a female in centuries and the old ones had mostly perishedduring my father’s uprising, fighting to save their Mortakin-Kis.A grim thought.

The forging grounds beckon with an irresistible pull, an arena where I can unleash my pent-up energy and frustrations. Marching through the great forest with determined strides, some passersby catch the intensity in my gaze, instinctively giving me a wide berth. Others offer the honorific “Chieftain.” I nod automatically, but I barely notice them.

Why can’t Pebbles see I only want what’s best for her? To keep her safe above all else? Isn’t that what a Mortakin-Kai should do for his female? No, she only latches onto the words about sending her back to Earth for her own safety, as if that is what I want to happen! It was foolish of me to even reveal that much, seeing how she reacted. How could she misunderstand my clear meaning? It’s infuriating!

And this insistence on learning every detail of potential dangers? Details I wouldn’t even share with many of my battle-hardened veterans, let alone the female I love, the female I want to protect. What good would come of it? She claims she wants to know, but does she really? Or is it out of a false sense of duty?

I remember the fear in her eyes when we fought the Scythian Seeker Swarm. She showed immense bravery and even now the memory fills me with fierce pride. But I can see the toll the experience has taken on her. In our entry to Klendathor, seeing the giant wild beasts shook her. How can I tell her about my likely execution or exile at the hands of the Council of Elders? I fear it will break her.I know it will break me.

The sun overhead is still low, indicating enough time for a detour to the forging grounds before meeting Xandor. Yet, despite the familiar surroundings, a sense of uncertainty grips me unlike ever before. With my dear old friend Astraxius gone now, the future is unclear. If he was here, he would know the answer. Sure, I’d probably be neck deep fending off some hordeof rabid aliens, but you could always trust his path was the right one, like how he led us to Earth, led me to my Pebbles. Now I can’t see any way out of this mess. Maybe taking Pebbles and fleeing into exile was the best choice for both of us? No, that’s a coward’s choice! The very thought shames me.

I arrive at my Clan Draxxus forging grounds. Humble compared to the elaborate compounds used by Clan Virennix, but none could deny the legacy of the heroes honed here. The clearing in the forest contains everything needed to turn inexperienced young males into hardened warriors. I remember coming here for the first time as a small boy, my father eager to teach me the ways of battle. It appeared so large and imposing back then. Now it feels like a home away from home, a sanctuary for the uncertainty that plagues my mind.

I wait for a group of young Klendathians to pass, their faces sweaty and darkened with effort as they sprint up and down tracks. Nearby, another group practices their aim by firing volleys from arc blasters at Nebian battlesuit targets in the distance. I continue towards my destination, the sparring arenas. As I approach, I’m glad to see a group of young warriors gathered, listening eagerly to their instructor standing in the middle of the shallow sandy arena pit.

---