Page 29 of Caveman Alien's Terror

“I’m a shaman,” I tell him haughtily, trying to mobilize some authority. “I may do things that seem strange or impossible to an ordinary tribesman. Even own living Smalls. See how she stays close without attacking anyone!”

“There’s no good meat on that thing,” Tarat’ex calls from where he’s sitting at the campfire and munching on the food left by those Skrok guys that Praxigor fought and chased away. “Leave it alone. It will leave when it gets hungry.”

The other one grunts and shoves his sword back in its scabbard with a hard clang. “These are strange times, when we decide to not kill stevik pups because an outtriber shaman says so. Afemaleshaman.”

Tarat’ex chuckles. “Are those the strangest things you can think of? You don’t find it even stranger that there’s an actual piece of Darkness stalking around the jungle, and we three are doing his bidding?”

“An enemy of the tribe that cast me out is my friend,” the first one mutters as he sits back down. “If that blue dragon will destroy them, I’ll serve him any way he wants.”

I find my pack and get out some of the food I brought. It’s not that I have that much of an appetite, but I know that it’s been a long time since I ate and I will need the energy. I offer a piece of fried meat to Luna, but not to the outcasts.

“What do you think?” I ask her quietly. “Will he help me find Cora?”

She attacks the meat with determination and a growl, small fangs scraping against the bone.

“Good point. If he finds what he needs here, he won’t. And by the sounds of it, he’ll leave the planet completely. I forgot to ask if he has a spaceship.”

I lean back against a rock, adjust my dress so it won’t fall open in the front, and close my eyes, pulling my hat down into my face. It’s been a long time since I was this tired. “Luna, wake me if someone has murdered me. But not before.”

- - -

Iwake up a little after sunrise. Luna is curled up next to me, rear tail moving enough to satisfy me that she’s alive.

I hear the outcasts hacking at wood somewhere in the jungle.

“I feel better when they’re not right here—oh!” I drop my hat as I look up.

Praxigor is standing right behind me, staring down at me from very close. “Finally! The lackeys have been working since before sunrise.”

I pick the hat back up and brush debris off it. “Did you find anything?”

“Many things,” he growls. “Stones that are all broken and worthless.”

I stand up and stretch. “I’ve been wanting to ask you, Praxigor. It’s just an innocent question, not an interrogation. No need to get angry.”

“I’m getting angry already, with all this preamble.”

“Oh. I just wonder. How will you leave the planet? When you get your gold, I mean?”

He comes in to tower over me. “I will Change to my real form and beat my mighty wings, circle the planet, and then head for home. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

So no spaceship, then. “Yes. Thank you. Can I ask a followup question?”

He sighs. “If you must.”

“How long have you been here? On Xren? It’s obviously not your home planet.”

“For far too long,” he replies darkly. “Possibly years.”

I get the water skin out of my pack. “Oh. Can you guess how many years?”

“No.”

“I’ve been here for six or seven years,” I tell him. “I know it doesn’t interest you, butIthink it’s interesting that I didn’t meet you until now. Or that the Borok tribe didn’t know about you.”

“I’ll take your word for that being interesting,” the dragon sighs. “You’ll understand that anything not directly concerned with gold is of less interest tome.”

“Yes, I got that. Want some water?”

---