Page 7 of An Alien for the Future

I must mutter the word, say something that gives Arnak a clue because his voice sounds in my ear again. “Ahuman? One of the females that the brothers have mated? Frakk, Tovan. Those females are like gems. I’m coming your way.”

“Don’t you dare,” I growl low, urging him to hush even as my eyes remain locked on the sight before me.

The female is picking her way through the grass-feed, completely oblivious to my presence. She’s heading directly toward me, and for a moment, my core-beat does a frightened, stuttering thing.

She’s…a goddess.

Her hair is wrapped in some kind of bright cloth, the same color as the grass-feed that stretches across the plains. A few dark tufts escape like thick clouds, framing a face that is dominated by gentle curves. Full lips move in sync with hersong, and her eyes—by the gods, even from here I can see her eyes are like twin celestial bodies, dark and mysterious.

She sways and the star kisses her smooth skin. It’s a rich, deep brown, like fertile soil after the heavens weep, and she moves with a grace that belies her curvaceous form, each step like a fluid dance through the tall grass.

At one moment, her flowing garments flare, lifted by the soft breeze, but even without that they do little to hide her generous curves. The tunic of blues and reds flows around her like a field of wildflowers in full bloom. Even the mud splattered on her garments seems to have taken on a vibrant hue. And as she moves, twirling to her song, I can see the sway of her hips, the fullness of her posterior…

No. Focus, Tovan.

Her voice must be what my scanner picked up. I can tell now, even without looking down at the readings flying across the screen, that the device is going erratic with the approach of this sonic frequency. Because hers is a voice that carries on the wind, a melody both foreign and captivating. The sound is…different; neither the harsh tones I’m used to nor the synthetic beats popular in the settlements. It’s raw, emotional. Makes me listen as if it commands my attention.

Of all the beings I expected to be thwarting my survey, I didn’t expecther.

This isn’t my first encounter with her kind—I’ve met two before, the mates of the Korruk brothers. But those were brief meetings. Despite my interest in learning more about these females, the brothers are like vicious guards when it comes to their mates. Understandable, because since their mating, news has spread.

This female before me, singing and picking her way through the grass-feed, is from a species that has given mine hope. Hopethat some of us can break the bonds of profound loneliness if our core-rhythms sing.

This female. She is a gem indeed. Does she even know how precious she is? Obviously not, because here she is, walking without a care in the world, completely oblivious to my presence or the potential dangers, though few, that could befall her out here.

I should alert Arnak immediately. Tell him there’s no need to converge at my location. But something holds me back. Perhaps it’s the peaceful scene before me, so at odds with the tension we’ve been existing under. Or maybe it’s simply the spell of her voice, making me hesitate to shatter this moment.

As she nears the first zimi bush, her song cuts off in her throat, reduced to a mere hum as her brows furrow. She mutters something underneath her breath before walking slowly around to the other bush, and then the next. It appears she’d come here to forage but creatures have already taken their fill and left nothing behind. Her brow furrows deeper before she suddenly goes still, her head lifting as she looks around.

I go still, too. Does she sense me?

I, like all other Kari who heard the news about the Korruk brothers finding theirkahls, scoured the archives for information about this new species. Nothing in the sparse records on humans mentioned them possessing auditory or olfactory perception that rivaled, or even surpassed, our own.

Though, that might well be the case. Because the female is standing at alert now, her spine stiff, that furrow still on her brow and her eyes searching around. She must know I’m here and I’ll be discovered soon. She’ll search the bushes and find this large Kari male hidden, watching her. Not exactly the way I’d like to introduce myself. I should reveal my presence before—

But, the female doesn’t come closer. Instead, she backs away. Stupidly, I follow.

As if drawn by some invisible thread, I creep behind the cover of the bush, tracking her retreat. My gaze remains fixed on her, drinking in the sight of her: the way the light catches the richness of her scaleless skin, the determined set of her shoulders, the gentle sway of her hips underneath those flowing garments as she walks. It’s…mesmerizing.She’smesmerizing.

Perhaps I should approach her. If she’s here, there’s no doubt her lodge is somewhere close. I’d heard that some branch of the Hudoian council was conducting a program to settle these females. I just hadn’t known it had been out in these plains. But now that I do, I can find her lodge. Maybe pretend to be a lost, weary traveler and introduce myself. Maybe she’ll want assistance with something on her farm.

The plan hatches in my mind. Yes, I could do that. Stumble upon her farm and offer my services tilling the soil or something else. That would give me reason to be in her presence. Speak to her. It’s a good plan and I’m settling into it when a sharp, searing pain shoots through my foot. It’s a sensation so unexpected, so at odds to my usual awareness, that it takes me a moment to even register what’s happened.

What in the ten worlds…?

I look down, my core-beat sinking as I spot a wicked shard of black metal that’s embedded deep in my boot—and, in extension, my foot. I can already feel the lifeblood soaking the interior and the hard thrum of veins that have been punctured.

Frakk. This was not part of the plan.

I collapse with a groan, but all hopes of keeping myself hidden are already shattered. The female has no doubt heard me now.

“Tovan?” I forgot Arnak was still connected via comm. His voice is etched with concern. “What’s going on? Stay there, I’m on my way.”

Gods. This can’t get worse. “No. Whatever you do, don’t come. I’ll be fine.” Because if he comes then he’ll also encounter the female and…well…I don’t want him to. Something I can’t quite name is adamant thatIbe the one to speak to her first. “It’s nothing,” I lie. “ Stay where you are.”

I try to keep my voice low even as pain lances through my leg. Qeffing qrak. Which careless fool left this trap out here? From the looks of it, it’s been lying underneath these bushes for eons. Probably left by the last settler who owned this pasture; a deterrent to wild tilgrans that would feast on this berry bush.

Trying to pull the metal from my boot, and in essence my flesh, fails on the first try. Stupid, archaic traps. I try again, a low groan rumbling in my throat as I adjust my leg and try to dislodge it from the spiked trap. It’s a no-go. I’ll have to stand to free myself, but the pain is too fresh, too strong.

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