An Alien Love Bk. 02 Ch. 17

Hi all! I have been trying to finish my Ice Era Chronicle, (Hands of Clay) and so I took a short break from this story. But no worries... I'm back! I am thinking about doing another story for the aliens down the line, once this one is finished. It's percolating like a coffee pot. We will see.

In the meantime, here is chapter 17

Thanks for reading,

~M. from C.M. Moore

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*Chapter 17*

Saving the Ruler of the Dagerstanteens.

As Keltrix cradled Octnavin to his chest, his Nebos moved on and around the alien's shoulders like a cape fluttering in the wind. They stood side by side as the platform rose, and Sloan kept his eyes glued to the bag Octnavin was encased in. He prayed the ruler would make it.

"Take that Nebos." Keltrix cocked his head at the Nebos around his neck.

Sloan grabbed the Nebos and shook out the cloth. The silk had formed into pants.

"My cat is uncomfortable naked," Keltrix added.

"You know Murry isn't a cat, right?" Sloan asked as he slipped up the silk pants to his waist

"I know what he is. He is my everything," Keltrix said simply.

They reached the dome, but the platform didn't stop and park like it normally did for the fights. They kept moving upward. Sloan glanced around the arena as they rose. The mud was sprinkled with dead Folantos. There had to be hundreds of them. Sloan wanted to feel bad about the massacre. He didn't. The Dagerstanteens were spread out everywhere in the area. When they began to rise over the dirt, Sloan watched as the warriors systematically continued murdered the Folantos. The warriors moved with silent precision and grace. The Dagerstanteens were killing machines. Not a sound was made while they sweep like locust over the snake-girls. However, when Sloan and Keltrix reached the top of the dome, the sea of fighters stopped on their killing spree. Both Keltrix and Sloan stared out over the carnage. All eyes went to the bag in the alien's arms.

"They know that you carry their ruler?" Sloan asked. "I tried to save him."

"Yes. They know I carry our glorious leader." Keltrix's eyes swung to Sloan. "You did much to save my sibling. Do not think I offer any condemnation. My grand ruler will live, probably because of you."

"Don't tell Octnavin that." Sloan shrugged. "He would probably hate the idea that a mere human saved his life."

Keltrix chuckled. "You are right."

When the platform lifted out of the mirrored dome, everything happened so fast that Sloan had a hard time keeping up with the changes. He was shoved into a tiny transport with Keltrix and Octnavin. The egg shape was white with only two seats. His mud-covered hands left marks everywhere he touched.

When they got out of the pod, the three of them ended up in the hallway of a spaceship. Every time they passed any Dagerstanteens, the warriors would stare at the bag. Sloan could feel their concern for their leader like pulsing waves. Octnavin often worried he wasn't doing a good job as the leader of his species. But the alien was wrong. This was love and devotion in the Dagerstanteen's eyes. They wanted Octnavin to live and be well. Sloan could tell.

They ended up in a pristine hospital-style room. Sloan was directed into a corner while Keltrix set Octnavin on a huge waist-high metal table. More Nebos, all shades of pink, flooded the room. Three Dagerstanteens rushed around Octnavin's body with instruments Sloan had never seen before. Keltrix stood in front of Sloan shielding him from whatever they were doing to the ruler of the Dagerstanteens.

Sloan wasn't sure how long he stood in the corner staring at Keltrix's back when Murry appeared. The skinny young man hugged Keltrix and whispered in the alien's ear.

"Thank you, Murry-Cat." Keltrix hummed. "That would help."

Murry untangled himself from Keltrix's tentacles and then smiled at him.

"I'm Murry."

"I remember." Sloan paused. "Thanks for finding us."

"No need to thank me. I should be thanking you." Murry glanced back at the table where Octnavin was still as death. "I'm glad we got you out of there in time. I can take you to sleeping quarters. We need to stay out of the way while they work."

Sloan glanced at the exit as his stomach rolled. He hated the idea of leaving his alien.

"I feel like I'm abandoning him."

"You're not abandoning him. He's going to be fine and you look like—"

"Shit?" Sloan asked.

"A little. You look like you could use a year of sleep and a couple of pizzas." Murry gestured to the door. "You know that's the only thing that I don't like about living with Keltrix. I miss real pizza."

"Wait." Keltrix reached out before Sloan and Murry got to the exit of the room. He slipped a sense tentacle around Sloan's waist and held him for a moment.

"Is he?" Murry's eyes jumped to Keltrix.

"No."

"I'm fine, okay?" Sloan pushed at Keltrix's grip. "Don't worry about me. Focus on Octnavin."

"We will." Keltrix nodded. "My sibling will live."

"Come with me." Murry led Sloan to the door. They tipped-toed over the piles of pink Nebos and out into the spaceships silk-covered hallway.

Sloan struggled with the idea of leaving Octnavin, but he knew he wasn't much help in the hospital room. He wanted to see that the king was going to be alright, but he figured he would have to use his connection to the ruler in his brain.

Through the halls of fabric, Sloan followed Murry. The man seemed completely comfortable on the spaceship and with the moving silk under his bare feet. Sloan now realized Murry's genie-style clothes were Keltrix's Nebos as an outfit.

"I take it you've been on this ship before."

"Once or twice."

They reached a simple bedroom with only the eating coffee table and a bed. Murry let them into the room and then stood in the doorway.

"There is a bathroom." Murry pointed to a door in the corner. "I'm big on them putting those in for us. Do you know how to get food? I can show you the table. It's not always tasty, but it's good for you." Murry laughed. "Damn. I sound like Keltrix."

"I know how all this works." This wasn't the fake beach house, but Sloan remembered the table. As he walked toward the bed, Sloan gathered that this room contained Octnavin's Nebos. Everything was covered in pink silk. The bed, floor, and pillows looked like it was decorated by a five-year-old girl thinking princess the whole time. "Just make sure they look after Octnavin, okay?"

Murry nodded. "Do you want me to stay and keep you company?"

"No. I'm going to crash."

"If you need anything, Keltrix or I will stop back and see you."

"Did they pick up JP?"

"He's back on the ship healing too."

Sloan nodded as Murry smiled and left the room. The silence fueled Sloan's concerns for Octnavin. Once alone, Sloan began to pace the room.

He only lasted five minutes before he started to hunt for his connection to his alien. This was the first time he felt resistance from Octnavin. The ruler was probably trying to protect him from the pain. Since Octnavin was weak, Sloan barged into his brain. He picked up on JP and Keltrix and Rhylent. He even caught a little of Murry's thoughts. Sloan tried to stay out of everyone's way, but he was desperate to know that Octnavin lived.

He wasn't sure how long he sat in the room and sat in a corner of Octnavin's mind when he finally heard the whisper.

He inhaled. Fuck. Octnavin was in agony. The wave of torture brought him to his knees.

~Get out of my mind, little pebble.~

Sloan had ever been happier to hear the king of the world bark a command at him or call him a pebble.

~You're alive.~ Sloan stayed firmly in the connection basking in his joy and fighting the pain.

~I am.~

~What should I do? Come see you?~ Sloan looked to the exit. He could find his way back to Octnavin. It wouldn't be that hard.

~No. Clean yourself, eat, rest. Leave my mind.~

~I'll leave your mind if you promise to see me when you're better.~

~I promise.~ Octnavin sent that warm hug feeling in a gentle wave.

Sloan pulled away from the connection and then got up off the floor. First thing, a shower. He eyed the mud and blood that covered his chest and arms. Maybe two showers. As Sloan headed to the bathroom, a grin teased his lips. He could rest and eat, but only as long as Octnavin was somewhere being the dick-warrior-ruler he was.