The Alien’s Reward by Luna Kingsley
Chapter 12
Vah’all
Taunher Pond isthe one place I wanted to take Sarah yesterday before we were interrupted by some of the warriors intent on scaring her off. It isn’t large but there’s plenty of plants that grow there, many she might find interesting.
There are plants with medicinal properties on the island, but I don’t know much about them. It’s out of the area of my expertise. Hopefully, having the opportunity to explore might satisfy her cravings for knowledge about the world around her.
“What kinds of creatures live in the water?” she asks, crouching down by the edge. I still haven’t solved the issue of finding her clothing that actually fits her curvy body type so she’s stuck wearing my clothes—too-large shirts that would hang down to her knees if she didn’t tie them at her waist and pants she’s forced to roll over at the waist multiple times. After our time at the pond today, I’ll have to take her to see some of the elder females who might have something more appropriate, even if it is still too big for her much smaller human frame.
While I’m busy admiring her in my clothing, a tiny tan pandacle the size of my fist jumps out of the water. It flips in the air, showing off its shiny underbelly before disappearing under the water.
“Oh!” she says, her bright eyes full of surprise as she turns to look at me. “What was that called? I’d say it looked like a fish but it had those legs on the back. So strange.”
She shakes her head, watching the water to see if it’s going to re-emerge. “We call them pandacle. They’re common in the waters on the island. We use them often in the food we eat.”
“Have I tried it?”
“Not yet. I can make it happen for you tonight if you’d like.”
“I’m not picky,” she says, moving along the edge of the water to examine more of the plants. She touches the petals without causing damage while inspecting the stalks, sometimes sniffing them too. Many of them are in bloom because it’s warm enough during the day before the temperatures drop overnight. “These are so pretty…and they’re not used for anything? They’re just nice to look at?”
“They might be used for something…I just don’t know much about them. I do know the first night you tried to escape, you were going to eat a poisonous berry that is actually used for medicinal purposes.”
She scrunches her face and glares at me, clearly not happy to be reminded.
“Once things have been settled with the council for good, I’ll arrange to have you meet with the doctor who treated your friends. You can learn all you’d like to know about medicine and treatments on Bameh.”
Her face drops and I already know this isn’t what she wants to hear. “I appreciate that, Vah’all, but our intentions were to learn about medicine from all over Cruna.”
“Then Bameh will be a good place to start.”
With my arms crossed over my chest, I continue to watch her closely as she explores the pond. It isn’t my intention to keep her on lockdown in my home, but I don’t trust her enough to leave her on her own. Not only that, not everyone is happy with the council’s decision to allow her to stay. Until I know she’s safe to roam on her own, she’ll stay within my sight.
“Is this how you always spend your days? Or am I keeping you away from your responsibilities?”
“Stux’an will contact me if he needs me. On a normal day I’d be at the military base but it isn’t necessary. Not unless they have a specific mission for me.”
“So they call you when a ship enters your territory?”
“That’s all I’ve been needed for in a long time. Other than that, we train together to keep our skills sharp.”
“But you haven’t had to use them in a long time. Because no one knows you exist up here beyond the clouds.” She’s studying me, gauging my reactions to her questions. Maybe she’s hoping I’ll see the logic behind her doubts but she doesn’t know enough about the elders to understand why we do things this way. Taking her from the crash site was impulsive. Now I’m thinking about what I need to do to get her to understand our way of life. I must figure out what I need to do to get her to accept me and then a life here. “Is this what you’ve always wanted?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you were little…is this what you envisioned for yourself? Was it your only option or did you have other choices?”
She’s moved away from the pond now, more interested in hearing about my life than the exotic plants and creatures that lurk beneath the water. It takes a while to realize I’ve been staring at her, trying to piece together an answer in my head. Since it’s taking so long for me to answer, she continues to elaborate. “I only ask because I know there’s a doctor who works in your medical center. I guess I never stopped to think about what the elders do, but there must be different professions available to you? Or did you always want to be a warrior?”
I sit down in front of her, attempting to mimic her and cross my legs in the same way. “When I was young I used to fantasize about flying all over Cruna. I wanted to go everywhere and explore everything. Whether that was because of being told it wasn’t possible…I don’t know. I’ve always felt like there was so much more out there beyond the cloud layer but I squashed those thoughts because it would never become a reality.” A light breeze rustles the trees, makes the plants sway before lifting her hair off her shoulders like it’s going to carry it away. “Is that why you’re here? Aside from learning more about medicine. Did you have a desire to see the differences across the galaxy?”
She glances off into the distance, a lost expression dancing across her face. “I lost someone close to me back home. It has been years since it happened but it’s still hard to be there without constantly being reminded of the tragedy.”
“This tragedy is the cause of your nightmares?” She nods even though I already know it to be the truth. She’s running from her painful past and I intercepted her along the way. “Who did you lose?”
“My sister,” she says, clearing her throat at the same time she drops her gaze down to her hands. “I’ve been running while trying to find a way to heal but also working toward a medical degree all at the same time. My head is a mess but I’m doing all that I know of to work it out.”
“Why did you choose to pursue a medical degree?”
“The night my sister died, we were in a really bad car accident where we hit a tree and she was thrown through the front window. When I finally found her, she had impaled herself on a branch. Well, I panicked when I saw it and pulled the branch out before using my shirt to try to stop the bleeding. Except by pulling it out, I only made the bleeding worse which caused her to bleed out even faster than if I would’ve just left it in.” Her hands form tight fists in her lap as her eyes glaze over, the pain of her past mistakes obvious in her vacant stare.
“You were only trying to help,” I say in an attempt to ease her guilt.
“I should’ve known better. A mistake like that—” She shakes her head as unwanted tears streak down her face. “It creates too big of a burden to carry. So I made a promise that I’d learn all there is to know about medicine and treating sick patients so I never find myself in a situation like that again.”
I reach out and use my fingers to touch her soft skin but she doesn’t want my comfort or she doesn’t think she deserves it. She gets to her feet and paces along the edge of the pond, closing herself off from anymore conversation about our pasts. There’s still more I’d like to know but it’ll have to wait for another time.
“I lost my parents when I was a young boy. My mother to sickness and then my father in an unexpected training accident. After that, I was raised by the warriors at the military compound because they were already like family. That’s why I became a warrior and it’s why I feel indebted to do whatever is asked of me. You and I are different in so many ways but we both understand loss.”
Sarah’s expression is soft, her demeanor calmer after my confession. “I’m sorry you had to go through that when you were so young. It must’ve been awful.”
“It wasn’t easy. It was definitely lonely. But at least I had a lot of my parent’s friends looking out for me.”
She stares at me for a while, like if she studies me long enough, all of my secrets will come spilling out. When she still hasn’t said anything after a few minutes, I’m not sure if confiding something so personal worked in my favor or against.
“Have my friends been taken from the medical center? I’d like to see them again. Do you know where they’re staying while all of the details are being figured out?”
Talking about such personal things has clearly agitated her. Instead of being content to explore the pond, she’s ready to leave and rejoin her friends, wherever they may be. I want her all to myself but my desires aren’t the ones that matter right now. They’ll have to wait. But that shouldn’t be difficult considering I’ve been waiting years for her to show up.
“I’m not sure where they are but we can easily figure it out. If that’s what you need right now, I’ll take you to see them again.”
She almost smiles after exhaling a deep breath but the calm doesn’t last long. Before I can take her anywhere, the sky is darkened by an incoming hoard of warriors, all descending on the side of the pond where we’re currently standing.