Page 39 of Kryxis

“No leaving yet. Wait,” he tried to explain. He went over to the desk and tapped on one of the marks he had made. “Arisa.” Soon.

“Areesa,” she repeated in his language.

“Yes.”

Her face twisted. Her mouth moved, and she waved her hand in an aggressive gesture toward the doors. She wanted to go and get her companion now.

He shook his head which he’d learned was a gesture for no. “Slevas.”Rest,he ordered. He closed his eyes and rested his head on his hand to try to make her understand.

“Rest?” She sounded offended by the very idea.

He grunted.

She spoke quickly at him, and he put up a hand. “We will go soon. But it is…dangeriisss.” He said the strange word in her tongue. “You are injured.” He pointed at her leg. “And tired.” He rested his face in his hand again. “Rest a little.”

She crossed her arms, a fire sparking in her gaze like she was ready to fight. Oh, he wouldn’t mind, but she would succumb to this request.

“I will take you. I will help you get your companion back, but you will rest first if only for a small time.” He tapped on the mark again.

She appeared to be thinking over his words. She mumbled something and pointed to the ceiling. He gathered she realized they couldn’t leave anyway because of the storm. He bowed his head to affirm that, and she sighed. “I rest. But only fer an ow-er.”

“Good.” Though he suspected an ‘ow-er’ meant very little time.

“Then find a wey in. The tunneels?” She pointed to the doorway leading to the plant library. “Yu no tunneels?” She pointed below her feet.

The path underground. “Dangeriss,” he iterated.

“Beecaws infesstid?”

“In-fest…?”

She went over to the husk of the insect creature. “Manee of theese?”

Ah. “Yes. Possibly. Or others.”

She mumbled something about time and a plan then asked a question. “Dew yu have whepons?”

That word seemed familiar. “Whepons?”

She touched the device at her hip. The thing that had attempted to shock him several times but was never able to stop him.

He snorted. “I’mwheponenough.” He tapped at his chest.

Her furry brows rose. “O?”

“Yes.”

“I still wuld lyke sahmting.”

She still wanted a weapon to defend herself just in case. She didn’t expect him to be able to protect her. Another sting.

Without a word, he went to a cabinet and pulled out a small weapon he had found on a dead corpse many cycles ago. Hopefully it still worked. He put it on the table, and when she went to grab for it, he stopped her.

“Rest first. Then I will give.”

She huffed. “Allrite, allrite. Rest.” She started to bend down as if to lay right there at his feet and he growled, stopping her.

“Not the ground. Much better place nearby.”

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