Page 13 of Fated to the Alien Chieftain

And the view is even more impressive.Krogoth rummages through his giant bag of supplies. Before long, he takes out a large wooden keg like object with a couple of oversized cups. Oneappears to be made from horn, the other from bone.They look so cool!

“Can you guess what this might be?” Krogoth chuckles, as he extends a long razor-sharp claw from a finger to punch it into the wooden keg.

“I can already smell it from here,” I laugh, enjoying the fruity, aromatic scent of Stardust Sunrise.

Filling the cups, he hands me the tankard made from bone.Is this made from a cyloillar skull?I examine the container, almost spilling the precious liquid within. The ground shakes beside me as Krogoth seats his immense self beside me.

We both take a gulp of the large drink. It has a potent fruity taste which fills my senses. Ah, the perfect refreshment after a long day of running at super speeds. “You know, I never used to like Stardust Sunrise,” Krogoth says, as he turns his cup, examining the drink within. “I found it too sweet, but now it reminds me of you and I relish it now.”

“You’re a big sweetheart, Krogoth,” I reply, smiling up at him. “What can I say? I have great taste,” I quip, casting my eyes over Krogoth from top to bottom.

Krogoth chuckles, noticing my implied meaning. “I fantasized about this moment. During my travels through the scorching deserts of Nardune, where I would’ve traded Elerium for a single drop of water,” his eyes are drawn to the crackling bonfire. “In my delirium, I pictured this exact spot, drinking Stardust Sunrise with you, the female I love. Strange, isn’t it?” He finishes.

Krogoth has spoken little of his time imprisoned by the Council of Elders or his subsequent escape and travels. Many seemed to think what he’d done was impossible. But from the pieces I had gathered, he had suffered much achieving it.

“Oh Krogoth,” I squeeze in next to him, eager to offer comfort. “You brought us here, and you made this happen. You’re a guy that knows what he wants and goes after it.”

“Like at the Proving celebration?” Krogoth retorts, his voice tinged with both sadness and anger. “I brought shame to us both,” he tosses random bits of dirt and twigs into the campfire. “If I was better at politics, you never would have had to bear yourself as you did. It was my intention for you to have fun and look back on your proud day with fondness, but I failed you,” he finishes, taking a swig of his drink.

I feel my face heat from the memory of it.Still amazed I did that, and more amazed that it worked!“You can’t control everything! How could you have known the bloody Council of Elders was going to pop in for a visit?” I ask, placing my hand on Krogoth’s wrist, desperately wanting him to forgive himself. “Besides, I did have fun! And you know what else? I don’t regret baring myself if it helped you and helped the Clan. We’re free now. No more council chasing us, no looming trials or prison sentences, no more creepy Zyraxis. It was an amazing day when you think about it!”

Krogoth gives my hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you still enjoyed it,” he beams.

Silently, we both stare off into the fire, enjoying each other’s presence for a while. The rhythmic flickering of the flames is almost hypnotic. There’s something about the dancing of flames, the warmth it provides, and the sound of crackling wood. It reminds me of my time as a child when my father would build one on the beach for our extended family.

The thought prompts me to take out my cell phone. With its Elerium power supply, it still shows a charge of one hundred percent. I open the folder which contains my pictures with Pete, my old ex, and I scoff at the sight of him.

Looking through them now, I feel nothing. Before I met Krogoth, or rather before he abducted me, these images brought up a cocktail of emotions. Feelings like anger, betrayal... and the worst of all, longing. Yes, longing for that cheating bastard, longing for the good times, longing for a future that was lost. He used to seem so athletic and big, but now he looks like a boy. I’m glad those feelings are gone now, that finally I’ve moved on. I finally delete the folder of Pete’s images without a second thought; the chapter is closed and the lessons learned.That Roxy no longer exists.

Next, I move to my cherished folder that holds the images I was looking for. The pictures of my parents still fill me with a sense of comfort but also sadness. Even though I’ve seen these pictures a thousand times, I treasure each one. I wish I could believe the visions in Sunaisor had been real, that I really got to speak to them. But I simply don’t.

“Krogoth, what did you see at your Proving?” I ask, unsure if he’ll tell me. Few ever spoke of their experiences in the temple. The Klendathians consider the visions to be private messages from the Gods.

“It was so long ago now,” Krogoth says, before pausing, his eyes lost in thought. “My parents, they spoke to me,” he reaches to grab more wood from the pile and tosses it into the blazing campfire. “They told me I’d be a great Chieftain, to trust my instincts and follow my heart.”

Similar to my experience. Some technology that reads memories and delivers roughly the same message?“You’ve definitely proved them right,” I say, squeezing tightly next to Krogoth. “I saw my parents, too. See them here?” I ask, as I hand him my cellphone.

He cautiously pinches it at a corner like he’s holding the tail of a poisonous snake. Until a smile brightens up his face. “Gods, you look even tinier in this image,” He laughs.I shouldn’t havepicked an old one!“How could you even stand with such small feet?”

“Like normal, you big oaf!” I shout.

He chuckles as his eyes narrow, inspecting the image more. “I can see you in them, especially your mother’s eyes.” He smiles, handing me back my cell. “You have brought much honor to them. I’m sure they would be proud of you.”

I think they would be.Slowly, I take a drink as I admire the color of the water as the flickering fire reflects and dances over its surface.

“Are you glad you stayed?” Krogoth asks, his voice serious.

“Would do it a hundred times over,” I reply, without even having to think about it.

He wraps his massive arm around me, pulling me even tighter. Silently, we listen to the crackling fire and enjoy the peace. The sun has almost fully set, with the white-purple light of the moon now mixing with the orange and reds of the campfire, casting strange moving shadows over the area. With the heat of the fire coupled with my golden armor, a sheen of sweat forms on my forehead.That water looks very inviting...

I take off my armor carefully, setting down each piece gently, which seems silly after all the abuse it had endured. Krogoth watches with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you know if the water is safe?” I ask as I wiggle out of my leather undergarments, exposing my nakedness.

“How your body looks reflecting the moonlight is a blessing from the Gods,” He replies, his eyes boldly running up and down my body.

A blessing? Can he not see these horrible scars?It’s only because of the dim light that I have the confidence to reveal myself. Still, I’m happy he still finds me attractive at least. I do a twirl for his enjoyment. “A beauty from every angle,” Krogoth sucks in air through his teeth.

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