Page 7 of I Married Amreth

“But not Elias. The coward fled,” she replied in a clipped tone.

“We expected as much,” the male said dismissively although anger lingered in his voice. “No matter. This female will do.”

“I… I’ll do what?” I stuttered, another wave of fear sweeping through me.

He bared his fangs at me and hissed angrily. Simultaneously, a powerful energy blast emanated from him. It didn’t hit me physically, and yet it felt as if my brain had been bitchslapped. Aveil of darkness descended before my eyes, and oblivion claimed me.

Chapter 3

Amreth

Ireveled in the intense sense of power blasting out my Lumiak always procured me. My fingers tingled as pure electricity flowed out of my hands as I refilled the crystals of my Light Quadrant. The crystals provided energy to the inmates serving their sentences in the less savage area of the four Quadrants of my Sector. Those Quadrants were ranked from Light to Dark, the former hosting the least dangerous criminals, the Gray Quadrant Q2 and Q3 holding increasingly foul individuals, and the latter containing the worst of them all, mainly unredeemable.

The survival chances of the inmates exponentially decreased based on the Quadrant in which they were incarcerated, as did their quality of life. In accordance with the law, as the Warden of my Sector, I had to provide my prisoners with the minimum requirements for their survival. That meant a certain amount of food, energy to power their basic electrical needs, a place to shelter in, and the means to improve their lot.

Food and energetic resources were provided in a flat amount every month. However, should they so choose, prisoners could work at harvesting and transforming some of the natural resources located in their Quadrant. It was entirely on a voluntary basis. But I would buy at market rate whatever they produced. In turn, they could use those credits either to upgrade their living conditions, acquire additional crystals for greater power reserves to be spent over that month, or to put in a savings account that would give them a comfortable leg up once they were released.

As was often the case in most Sectors managed by other Wardens, my Light Quadrant fared a lot better on that front. The inmates made a coordinated effort to be productive rather than spend all their time protecting themselves from the other prisoners—or plotting against them—which tended to be the norm in Quadrants Q2 to Q4.

And yet, for the first time in nine years, the extra crystals the inmates had acquired in my Light Quadrant wouldn’t be filled, nor would there be any leftovers owed to them. Thanks to Gaelec, they enjoyed that extra comfort for a while. During his twelve-year sentence, he performed impressive maintenance and optimization work. He wisely devoted most of his time here learning new skills that allowed him to improve all their lives in the process.

The first signs of decline appeared after the seventh month mark. The fools kept whining about how their living conditions had deteriorated. But that was all on them. They had known all along that Gaelec’s time among us was quickly drawing to an end. Someone else should have stepped up and learned what they could from him so that they could pursue his work after his departure. But they had been too lazy.

Their loss.

Still, it warmed my heart to know that, nine months after his liberation, Gaelec was not only thriving, but he had been paired with his soulmate who was now expecting their first child. Despite the countless rehabilitation programs I put at the disposal of my inmates, far too few people took advantage of them, and especially those from his species. I could only hope that his success story would be an inspiration for other Nazhrals like him.

In a silly way, thinking of Gaelec made me feel like a proud father. Well, okay, more like a proud big brother. After all, I wasn’tthatold.

But I am growing older and feeling lonely.

The face of Malaya flashing before my mind’s eye immediately filled me with shame. Too many times over the past few years, the fleeting thought that she could have been my mate would resurface. It shamed me all the more that she was my best friend’s soulmate. Granted, I was notin lovewith Malaya, but I did love her. While genuine happiness filled my heart for my friend Kronos, I couldn’t quell the envy seeing them always awakened deep within.

I ached for that same type of wonderful connection they shared. Their love felt like a living entity that you just wanted to grab and hold forever.

That means your stupid self needs to socialize more to find your one and only.

Sadly, that was easier said than done. There weren’t all that many females overly keen on settling on a prison planet. The worst part was that Kayog could not even assist me in this endeavor. Us Obosians were far too advanced to fall under the umbrella of the Prime Mating Agency. And the odds of another wrongfully accused mate conveniently landing on Molvi needing the protection of a Hell Lord—like had been the case with Malaya—were slim to none.

Just as I was starting to fill Q2’s crystals, my com went off. My jaw dropped upon seeing the name of the sender. Kayog was requesting a call with me in forty-five minutes.

“What in Tharmok’s name is this about?” I whispered to myself.

My mind immediately went wild with speculation. Was it news of Gaelec? Had the Temern found a match for yet another inmate? Could the highly improbable wrongfully accused mate I’d been thinking about just moments prior actually have turned up?

I forced myself to focus on my tasks rather than losing myself in pointless conjectures. I swiftly filled the crystals of my other Quadrants. While I was a strong proponent of upholding the laws and dishing out fair but stern punishment to those who broke them, I wasn’t heartless. Looking at how little the prisoners from Q4 had produced over the last month discouraged me. Their earnings would barely top off their basic energy reserves. As they utterly failed to ration their usage, they would run out early and suffer this month… again.

But that was on them. My task completed, I took flight from the small island upon which the crystals rested. A small body of water surrounded it, filled with the kinds of fiendish creatures that would wreck anyone foolish enough to attempt to cross it in order to tamper with the Sector’s power grid.

I flew over the forest that divided my sector into the four Quadrants. No guards were necessary to keep the prisoners from escaping as the even more dreadful creatures that inhabited the forest made certain anyone foolish enough to venture too deep would meet a horrible demise. I absentmindedly tracked the Faernych populating my forest. Those giant, five-headed, draconic creatures constituted the main guardians there. Their acid and lethal venom could kill in minutes. Their insane flight speed also made them nearly impossible to outrun.

Finding everything in order, I flew up the mountain bordering my Sector, and at the top of which my dwelling had been carved directly within it. Even before I landed on one of the countless terraces looking over the breathtaking view of the landscape, I telepathically broadcast my emotions to my Nundars. Having sensed my arrival, they would start preparing dinner right away. But I wanted to wait until after my call with Kayog was completed.

Like every Obosian, I hosted a clan of Nundars, who we usually called our familiars. The highly intelligent species lived as recluses and fed off the energy we emitted. In exchange, they took care of all house chores, including cleaning, cooking, and even repairs or construction. The best part was that they also possessed impressive magic of their own, allowing them to defend our homes in our absence against potential invaders, as well as tremendous healing powers. Those talents had allowed Kronos’s own Nundars to save Malaya when rogue Faernychs attacked their home.

As I entered my office while removing my breastplate, a thought suddenly struck me. Malaya was expecting their first child. Could this be the reason Kayog was reaching out to me? He had shown an almost paternal affection towards her. Were he and Linsea planning some sort of baby present for them and wanting my input?

A few minutes later, my com went off again with the incoming call. I settled in front of my computer to accept it, projecting it onto the screen. My warm smile upon seeing his face immediately stiffened. Although I couldn’t read auras through technology, his face lacked the usual joyful enthusiasm that I always associated with the Temern.

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