Page 35 of Saving the Alien Chieftain

Jarxius laughs. “Anything I can do to help you complete the Proving, Rocks, just ask.”

“Right, time for a stroll along Taru’s path.” Xandor moves to leave the building. “Thanks, Jarxius,” he says as he waves his hand behind him.

I wave goodbye to Jarxius as we step outside, still feeling giddy from the healing pod’s effects. “He is nice,” I comment to Xandor.

Xandor harrumphs, “He’s a good healer, but guards those pods like he’s protecting his Mortakin-Kis pussy.” He chuckles at his own words. “You did well convincing him.”

Probably because you abuse the pods!“Thanks. Telling the truth is better than lying,” I reply.

Xandor snickers. “That depends on what that truth is. Anyway, we need to go back the way we came, past your house again.” He leans in closer, his large head alongside mine, as he points towards the sky. “You see that star there? That’s called Ecneius tear. It always points north, and as luck would have it, that’s the direction Sunaisor lies, the Proving’s end.”

Squinting my eyes, I struggle to locate the star amidst the daylight.Klendathians must have better eyesight than us humans.For a split second, I can see it sparkle in the distance. “Oh, I see it!” I exclaim in excitement.

“Useful if you lose your way,” Xandor says as he moves with haste. It’s a struggle to keep up with him as he heads back on the now familiar path home. “I’m taking you half a day out along the Taru path, so you’ll at least know the start of the route like the back of your hand.”

We walk in companionable silence, the path becoming familiar. As we approach the small hill before Krogoth’s house, a thought strikes me. “Wait, should I go grab my exoenhancer armor?” I inquire, turning to face Xandor.

Xandor shakes his head decisively. “You won’t need it for our field hunts. With me, you’ll be learning the lay of the land, how to survive, what’s dangerous and what’s safe.” He laughs “Don’t worry, I won’t be chasing you around for hours like Rylar… I have the beasts to do that for me.”

A flutter of anxiety surges within me. “But I thought the first day was safe within the hunter zone?” I ask, suppressing the urge to bite my nails.

Xandor’s eyes twinkle mischievously. “Relax, I’m just joking. But always be on your guard, Rocks. Sometimes the hunters miss their marks.” I gaze into the dense forest ahead of us with increasing suspicion at his words.

After a while, we arrive at a serene river, its waters flowing with a mesmerizing blend of blue and violet hues.I wonder if the sun gives that strange purple taint to everything?A flock of black and white birds with sharp beaks take flight, their calls filling the air.

“You can eat a few of those annoying Razorbills if you’re fast enough to catch them,” Xandor suggests, approaching the flowing river. A wave of nausea washes over me at the thought.“But more important than a yummy Razorbill dinner is water. You can survive many months without food, but without water.” He sucks in air. “You’ll be dead in three to five days.”

As I approach the river, Xandor stops me with a hand. “Most important of all is checking your surroundings.” My heart nearly leaps out of my chest when he moves with lightning speed, claws outstretched, and plunges into the riverbank. A hiss pierces the air as he emerges, with a horrible scorpion snake hybrid looking monster impaled on his claws.

My pulse quickens at the gruesome sight. “What the hell is that thing?” I gasp.

“Vipertail, dangerous little bastards. This stinger here is extremely poisonous.” Xandor snaps off the creature’s tail and squeezes some oily-looking substance onto the tips of the arrows he’s carrying on his back. “Their poison becomes our weapon.” He smiles, bringing the grotesque, horrible thing closer to my face. “You can eat it too, once you remove the tail.”

I recoil in horror, repulsed. “No thanks, I’ll pass on the disgusting murderous scorpion snake monster!” I exclaim.

Xandor playfully wiggles the horrible thing in my face. “Why won’t you eat me? I just want to be Rock’s friend,” he jests in a silly voice.

I swat his hand away, sending the creature tumbling into the river. “Fuck off, Xandor! you’re going to make me throw up,” I retort, my heart pounding.

Xandor shrugs casually. “You might be glad of it one day.” He pauses, scratching his head. “Where was I? Yes, the river is very important. All living things need water, so predators lurk, knowing thirst will draw in their prey. Always be cautious when you’re near one.”

My mouth feels dry with worry, thinking about what horrors lurk further into these woods. Horrors that I’ll soon have to face. It’s overwhelming trying to remember all the things Xandor istelling me. Some are common sense, but others take more effort to commit to my memory. But nothing will stop me from trying, not even the fear of death.

Xandor strides towards a thicket of dense foliage, methodically searching for something. He pushes and pulls, determination in his every move.

“They usually hide in these bushes,” he explains, then kicks over a sizable stone. “Got one!” He grins, holding aloft an alien creature’s skull. “This is a cyloillar skull. See here?” he inquires, poking his finger through a hole in the skull. “Only has one eye, which makes it a great flask out here.”

Xandor heads to the river, rinsing the skull with its waters before filling it up. “Make sure there’re no brains left inside. It’ll make you sick. Then when it’s filled, you bung the eye socket with a stick or twig.” He offers the skull for my inspection.

I take it in my hands, but all I can think about is what the rest of this creature looks like and if it’ll try killing me, too. “Thanks, Xandor, that’s a good tip.”

Xandor resumes leading us along the riverbank, and I shadow his every move, trying to mimic his actions. “You follow this river for another half day, then look to the Ecneius star north. It will take you right to the temple.”

“What happens when I get to the temple? Do I just turn back again?” I whisper, my curiosity piqued.

Xandor stops abruptly. “You go inside and receive a vision from the Gods,” he replies, locking eyes with me.

“A vision from the Gods? As in your Gods appear from the sky and speak to you?” I ask. The Klendathians all seem to take it for granted that their deities exist as if it’s a simple fact.

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