Tharon

THARON

I moved through the cavern, gathering dry branches and kindling for a fire. Niam sat against the rocky wall, her frail form trembling slightly in the cool air. As I worked, she began to speak, her voice soft but steady.

“The Temple... it’s not what you think. It’s not just a building or a place of worship. It’s alive, in a way.”

I paused, raising an eyebrow at her words. “Alive? How so?”

Niam took a deep breath. “It’s a ship. A massive, ancient vessel that crashed here long ago. But it’s not just metal and circuits. It’s part organic, always growing and repairing itself.”

I arranged the kindling, my mind racing to comprehend her words. A living ship? It sounded like something out of the old legends.

“For most of my life, everything was hazy,” Niam continued. “Like I was sleepwalking. But recently, I’ve been waking up. That’s when I helped Lita escape. And I realized the Temple - the priests - they’ll never stop. They’ll keep taking and sacrificing...”

Her voice cracked, and I felt a surge of protective anger. I struck flint against steel, sparking the kindling to life. As the flames grew, I moved to sit beside her.

“Go on,” I urged gently.

Niam’s eyes reflected the firelight as she spoke of a coming festival, of more women to be sacrificed. Of the device she’d had to send the other women out to find, something that might stop it all.

Her words painted a picture of horrors beyond imagining, of technology far beyond anything the Shakai possessed.

When she finished, silence fell between us. I struggled to process everything she’d said. Part of me wanted to dismiss it as the ravings of a traumatized mind. But I’d seen enough of the Temple to know there was truth in her words.

And besides, there was only one thing that mattered to me…

“Do you understand?” Niam asked hesitantly. “I know it must sound insane...”

I reached out, my fingers gently tracing the back of her head where the metal plate had been, the area now covered with shiny new skin. Niam shuddered at my touch, her breath quickening.

“I only need to know one thing. Who hurt you?” I growled, barely containing the rage building inside me.

Niam’s eyes met mine, filled emptiness. “The priests,” she whispered. “The Temple itself. But I won’t let them hurt anyone else. Not if I can help it.”

I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her delicate frame. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing. Not much, just a bit. I breathed in her scent, feeling the beast within me stir with possessive desire.

How long had it been since she’d been able to lean on anyone, to trust them?

Ever?

“I’ll protect you,” I vowed. “No one will ever hurt you again.”

Niam pulled back slightly, her face inches from mine. “I don’t need protection,” she said, a hint of steel in her voice. “I need your help to stop them.”

I smiled, admiring her spirit. This fragile human held more strength than many Shakai warriors I’d known.

“Then you’ll have it,” I promised. “Whatever you want, simply tell me, and it is yours.”

The flames danced in Niam’s eyes as she poked at the fire with a stick. I watched the orange glow play across her delicate features, entranced.

“There’s a way to destroy the Temple,” she said softly. “But it’s hidden away.”

I nodded, tearing my gaze from her face. Of course there would be secrets and obstacles. “That must be why you wanted to meet the other human women in the Teksha mountains.”

Niam shook her head. “I didn’t know that name.”

Confusion stirred within me. “How is it that you know our language so fluently, yet are unfamiliar with something so basic?”

She met my eyes, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “There are devices, like little moons hovering overhead, that feed information directly into the Temple’s systems. We only receive what the Temple itself deems necessary to serve it.” Her lips twisted. “But recently the protocols are malfunctioning. For all the pain of the Tomb, it appears to have some advantages.”

I furrowed my brow, struggling to comprehend.

Niam must have sensed my bewilderment. A light laugh escaped her. “I’m sure none of this makes any sense to you.”

Despite her amusement at my ignorance, her laugh was like the sweetest music. I shook my head slowly. “It doesn’t matter. If you say it is so, then I believe you.”

She turned her gaze back to the flickering flames, a pensive look crossing her face. In that moment, I yearned to pull her into my arms, to shield her from the cruelties of her existence.

But I could not.

This path was hers to walk, this battle, hers to fight. My role was to support her, to offer my strength when hers faltered. For as deeply as I burned for this human female, I would not steal her purpose.

Still...if there came a time when she desired to leave it all behind...

“We should eat,” I said gruffly, pushing aside the treacherous longings. “Traveling on an empty stomach will do neither of us any good.”

From my pack, I retrieved a pair of rations - thick nutrient bars that provided sustenance without need for preparation. I handed one to Niam, who accepted it with a murmur of thanks.

As we ate in silence, I couldn’t help but study her delicate features once more. So frail and tiny, yet possessing a strength of spirit that humbled me.

She finished her ration and set the wrapper aside. “We should get some rest. We have a long journey ahead.”

I gave a terse nod of agreement, grateful for the distraction from my torturous thoughts.

As Niam curled up on her side, her back to the fire, I found my eyes tracing the alluring curves of her body yet again. I clenched my jaw, turning away to douse the flames with dirt.