Savage Seed by Ivy Sparks

14

Leslie

Kade droppedme off at his tent—one of the larger ones in the village—and told me I was welcome to anything inside. After dressing himself, he left me, giving me one last reassuring nod that’d I’d be safe while he was gone.

Alone now, I observed my surroundings. To my surprise, it was bright and breezy inside, partially from the bone-white material the tent was made of, and partially from the opening at the top, which allowed sunlight and fresh air to pour inside.

As I looked around, I discovered Kade’s belongings were sparse by human standards. It seemed he and his people were used to subsisting on the bare essentials. I had a certain attachment to my stuff, sure… but there was something calming about seeing and realizing people could thrive with so little.

One thing I did want was some clothes to replace this thin blanket that barely covered my breasts. I studied the tent for a moment, my eyes quickly falling to a small table in the far corner. No clothes, but at least someone had left my knife and necklace in an easy enough place to find.

With nothing close to a pocket, I left the knife for a moment. But I did pick up the Vyrec crystal and tied the black ribbon around my neck. I wrapped my fingers around the crystal, feeling a tinge of disappointment when it still refused to glow like it had for my mother.

Even if I couldn’t find any clothes, at least I had something that reminded me of home. And my mother.

My mother. I sighed loudly, annoyed by my brain’s insistence on calling up thoughts and memories of her. I had been so angry—was angry still—for what she’d done. And for the flimsy, absurd excuse that she’d found her “fated mate” with, of all people, an alien man. She’d still loved my father, she’d insisted, but those feelings had been nothing compared to what she felt for “Xon,” as he was called.

She had wanted to describe those feelings to me, but at the time I didn’t let her. It didn’t matter to me. All I cared about was the pain her decision had caused me and my father.

But now, as my own feelings for this fascinating alien were growing by the moment, I kinda wished I had. Had I been unfair to her this entire time?

Ugh. I brushed those thoughts aside, determined to find something to wear before someone popped their head in here. Weapons lined three of the walls in the tent, with the fourth wall housing a large, fur-lined bed with multiple blankets and pillows. Were all the tribes people’s beds this comfortable, or was that reserved for someone with clout, like Kade?

I sat down on the edge of the mattress, giving it a couple of little bounces. How nice it felt, after the last few nights spent either sleeping on sandy bedrolls or ceremonial rocks. Suddenly, and without fanfare, a woman entered the tent, stopping just beyond the doorway.

She was pretty and older than me, with dark black hair halfway down her back. I realized then, a thing I had maybe noticed subconsciously but hadn’t pieced together until now, how most of the women’s hair lengths, while long, were shorter than the men’s.

“Sorry to disturb you,” the woman said, bowing her head slightly. “The Omos asked me to check on you and see if you needed anything.”

I frowned. “The O… Omu… The who?” I wondered why my translator implant couldn’t find an equivalent English word.

The woman smiled warmly, amused by my poor pronunciation. “Omos. Our leader’s son. It is his title.”

“Omos,” I stated. The woman nodded, pleased that I had finally figured it out.

“Right,” I breathed, returning to my seat at the edge of Kade’s bed. Or was it our bed? “He’s some kind of prince, isn’t he?”

She nodded as she stepped closer. “Yes. He is our king’s only child, and heir to the throne. One day, when the king has passed, the Omos will become king. You are very lucky to have been claimed by him.”

I didn’t know what to think there. Kade had assured me that his “claiming” of me had been largely to appease his people, and that I’d be free to leave once we figured out how to make that happen. And if someone had asked me just a few days ago how I’d feel about being “claimed” by anyone, I probably would have gasped in offense. But now, here, the thought of being “his,” of belonging to Kade…

I shook my head, lost in thought again, all while standing stark naked in front of yet another stranger.

“Right.” I sucked in a breath. “Could you help me find some clothes?”

Crossing toward a chest I hadn’t inspected yet, the woman opened it and pulled out two skimpy pieces of clothing. They looked like leather or animal hides fashioned into a tube top and an open skirt. Not much, but enough to at least cover my most private parts. That was good, at least.

She handed me the clothing and helped me dress, lacing the tube top at my side against my rib cage, then tying the skirt at the front of my waist. She took a step back, looking pleased. I frowned, making my way over to the chest and rummaging through it.

“And the rest?” I asked.

She looked confused.

“My other clothes?” I tried again. The tube top, while tight and supportive enough to stay in place, wasn’t very big, and the lower half of my breasts were exposed. I guess I should’ve been grateful to be at least partially covered, but I wasn’t quite ready to be comfortable with that yet. “You know, a shirt or something. Maybe some real underwear?” The skirt she had given me covered my ass, but my crotch would be on full display if I wasn’t careful when sitting or bending.

I realized then that the woman was wearing the same thing as me and appeared perfectly comfortable. My eyes widened as I realized this was my entire outfit. “Oh, heck no,” I cried, inspecting the other clothes in the chest. “Are you telling me this is all I have?”

“Are you not pleased?” the woman asked. “Maybe I can find another color?”

“It’s not the color,” I sighed. “It’s that there’s no protection. There’s no…” I grabbed the bottom of my skirt and made a lifting motion. “Underwear! There’s not much of anything, to be honest.”

The woman smiled politely again and seemed to be holding back a giggle. Despite her wrinkles suggesting that she was older than me, there was something youthful about her demeanor. “If you require different materials, I am sure we can find you something you would like.”

I drew in a breath and ran a hand through my hair. Would Kade take offense if I changed my outfit? Would his people? I felt like I was on shaky ground as it was, and that Kade was already sticking his neck out for me. Maybe it was best to just suck it up for now.

“No,” I replied, dropping Kade’s garments back into the chest. “No, that won’t be necessary. Thank you.”

I realized I didn’t know the woman’s name, so I walked over to her and held out my hand. “My name’s Leslie.”

She took it and gave me a gentle squeeze. “I’m Ria. I have been assigned to you.”

Assigned to me? What was that supposed to mean? “Like a…” I didn’t want to say spy, but I couldn’t think of another word for it.

“You can relax, Leslie,” Ria said. “I’ve spent some time with humans, and so I have a good idea how your people work. That’s why I volunteered to help the Omos.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You’ve spent time with humans? How’d that happen? I didn’t think your tribe was open to dealing with us.”

“They’re not,” she admitted. “And if it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep this between us.”

I nodded, eager to hear more.

She glanced about as if to make sure we were alone, then she confided, “I was on a hunting trip with one of our hunting parties many years back and got separated from the group. A sand storm set me entirely off course, and I wandered for days, with little water. Then when I fell off a rock outcropping—”

“Oh no!” I interrupted, fully enraptured by Ria’s tale.

She nodded. “Yes. I broke this leg.” She grabbed at her right thigh, which looked none the worse for wear. “Thought I was done for, for sure. But a small group of outsiders—humans—found me. They took me to what you call a ‘hospital’ and nursed me back to health. I got to know a few of them and found them to be interesting. And they told me stories of not just their home world, but other worlds as well! I had no idea everything was so… big!”

“Mm,” I said with a smile. “I remember my first trip off my planet. It is big out there.”

Ria opened her mouth excitedly, ready to ask me for all the stories I’d heard as well. But she caught herself, refocused, and returned to her story. “I stayed with them for a few weeks, learning as much as I could. About humans, about the planet, about the galaxy… It was overwhelming, but so exciting!”

I nodded, encouraging her to continue. I could say the same about my time here.

“But, eventually, I knew I had to return home. So the people I had been staying with were kind enough to take me back to my village, dropping me off just far enough for my people to think I had found my way back on my own.”

I laughed at the thought. “They must’ve thought you were pretty badass.”

Ria laughed, tapping at the translator in her ear. “There’s no translation for ‘badass.’ But I think I know enough of your language to get your meaning. Anyway, here I am now. You can just think of me as your assistant.”

“And nobody knows any of this?” I asked. “Not even Kade?”

She shook her head. “And it’s better if they don’t. Can I trust you Leslie?”

I made a sign as if zipping my lips, then tossing the key away. Ria looked at me, confused. I tried to explain, “Zippers. Do you know what zippers are?”

“Oh!” she exclaimed, recognition lighting up her face. “Human men use those to keep their cocks from falling out!”

I laughed, doubling over as I tried to get a hold of myself. It felt wonderful, and I was instantly grateful for my new friend.

Ria laughed with me, lacing her arm through mine and leading me toward the exit. “Come, let’s find something to eat. You must be hungry after last night.”

Heat forced its way to my cheeks and Ria smiled kindly, saying, “Our way of life is much different from what you’re used to, I know. But don’t worry. There’s a great pleasure to be found here. You’ll see.”

The suns were harsh as we exited the tent. Ria led me toward a tent next to the sea, this one with two doors: one in the front, where we were headed, and one in the back that was open to the ocean. The waters lapped at the shore a mere three feet away from the edge of the tent. “Are there no tides here?” I asked as I followed Ria inside. “The tent is so close to the water.”

“This season is low. The water will move again in a few weeks, then we will move the tent.” She turned to another tribesman who was gutting a fish the size of his arm and told him to bring us something fresh.

The man eyed me without saying a word before reaching for a basket to his left. He placed a few cutlets of meat on a flat shell and passed it to Ria. She nodded her thanks and turned to me. “Eat, yes? Come, let’s get some fresh air.”

I thanked the fisherman and smiled, but he just looked away. I decided to think nothing of it, focusing on Ria instead. She led me to a nearby grove of sparsely leafed trees and sat in their shade, beckoning for me to join her. She crossed her legs, and I glimpsed her crotch.

I must have looked away too quickly because Ria laughed, an airy sound that didn’t fit how muscular her body was. “I understand humans are uncomfortable showing themselves freely, Leslie, but my people are not. There’s nothing to feel embarrassed about, or ashamed of here.”

I understood how cultural differences worked, but I was still careful to keep my lady parts covered when I sat down beside her.

The village was awake now, and people were emerging from their tents. Although each Xeki had their own unique look, different from the next, there were a few things everyone in the tribe had in common, men and women alike. Tall, muscular builds. Silvery shades of skin. That long hair I’d noted earlier.

Most interesting were the stripes. They covered each of the alien’s bodies up and down their chests and backs, across their arms and legs, even on their faces. There were some similarities and patterns between them, perhaps suggesting family relations. But each set was unique in its own way.

I found their appearance ironic given the sand tiger that had attacked their village. I wanted to ask Ria about it, but wasn’t sure how to approach the subject. Were they attacked often? Was it the same sand tiger, or was there a pack of them roaming the desert? How many of their tribe had the tigers killed?

Kade’s face flashed in my mind as I remembered our “conversation” about the sand tiger and his parents. It was before he’d given me the ear translator, so I had to make some assumptions. But what had been pretty clear to me was that the sand tiger had killed his mother. It was something I remained curious about, and I made a mental note to ask him about the full story at some point.

Ria handed me the shell stuffed with fresh fish cuts. I looked over it, not wanting to scrutinize it too much, to not seem rude. I did worry if it was raw or not, but then again I loved sushi, so… I took a bite. I hadn’t, until that moment, realized just how hungry I was. And it was good! Surprisingly good. There was a light spiciness to it that gave it a salty flavor I found delicious. Was that the fish’s natural taste, or had the man in the tent been not just a fisherman, but also some kind of chef?

It didn’t matter, ultimately. All that mattered at the moment was how hungry I was, and how great the meal was. Ria watched me as I ate, seeming happy as I cleaned out the entire shell. “Good. You were hungry. I knew you would be.”

The morning routines of the tribe continued to take shape as Ria and I sat and watched. More and more emerged from their tents, walking here or there, with many taking a moment to look our way. There were still some cold looks, distrusting, unsure. But there were also a few nods, and even a couple of tentative smiles.

“You should say hello,” Ria told me. “We are your people now too, Leslie.”

I wondered if Kade had coached Ria on how to ease me into village life. But Kade and I had been together almost from the moment we entered the camp until Ria had introduced herself. No, I concluded. This was all coming from her.

“What do you do here?” I asked her, waving awkwardly at everyone who glanced our way. I did my best to force a smile with the wave, but I suspected it came out like someone forced to read a script in a hostage video. My wave and smile were met mostly with confused and stern looks, save for the children, who smiled broadly and repeated the waving gesture as if it was a new toy just discovered.

Ria tied her hair into a ponytail as she spoke. “I’m a teacher, mainly. Much of my focus is on the children’s education, though I also spend quite a bit of time training them in combat.”

I gave Ria another look up and down. She’d already shown herself to be sharp and intelligent, but judging by the lean, muscular tone of her body, I could totally picture her teaching these kids karate. Or whatever “combat” looked like here.

I noticed a man across the path eyeing me with curiosity. The way he was looking at me… Well, it wasn’t as gross as the way Trag had looked at me. But it wasn’t far off. I looked over at Ria and saw that she was eyeing the same man. Only, instead of the soft, approachable face she had been wearing all day, in its place was a glare that would freeze even the toughest of my miners in their tracks. Her upper lip curled to show the edge of her sharp canines, and after a moment, the man walked away.

I realized then that perhaps Ria was as much my bodyguard as my assistant for the duration of my stay within the village. I was immensely grateful for not only her company, but Kade’s forethought in choosing her.

The hard look on Ria’s face quickly disappeared, and she turned back to me, eyeing me thoughtfully. “You should come to combat class with me later today. We can test what you know.” Her light eyes scaled my body, and she frowned. “You don’t know much about protecting yourself, do you?”

I gave my body and posture a once over. I was sitting with my legs folded criss cross-style, with my back drooping in an admittedly lazy pose. Ria, on the other hand, was resting what I’d thought was casually and comfortably on her knees. But looking more closely, her bare feet and toes were curled tight against the ground.

While I’d adopted a comfortable pose I was used to taking while just sitting around on my couch reading, Ria was poised and ready for anything. Was she always like that? Did she even realize she was in such a “ready to fight” position?

It was fascinating, her casual strength. And I could see that not just in her, but in all the people of her village. Nowhere more so than in Kade.

“I’m not much of a fighter,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. I’d held my own against the sand beast in the desert, but that was more out of adrenaline and desperation. And if Kade hadn’t arrived when he had, I probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer.

Ria’s face was still as she spoke. “In our tribe, those who can’t fight don’t last long. But don’t worry. We will train you, as we train every child.”

I laughed, though she wasn’t wrong. It was a fair enough bet that my self-defense skills wouldn’t hold up against that of a child here in this rugged tribe.

My smile quickly faded, though. Ria had called me “one of our people.” And now she wanted to teach me combat skills. How long did she expect me to be here? How long did any of them expect me to be here?

I sighed and shook my head. There was danger here, sure. But right now this entire thing was feeling more like a fun lark; a modern woman like me being welcomed by a primitive tribe, taught their ways, living with a big hunk of an alien man. But I knew it’d have to end, eventually.

Ria started chatting again, but I wasn’t listening. My mind had shifted back to Kade, and wondering how things were going between him and his father.