3. Tovan

3

TOVAN

T he signal screeches in my earpiece, a piercing whine that cuts through even my sound dampeners. Frakking crukks. It isn’t just interference; it’s a deliberate, rhythmic pulse, like someone is using a sonic disruptor to scramble my long-range scanner.

“Report,” Arnak’s voice crackles through the comms. “Your impression distorted just now, Tovan.”

I’m sure he meant ‘signal’ not ‘impression’.

My scanner is going haywire because of an unknown frequency and my translator chip is choosing this moment to act up. I give it a light tap where it’s embedded behind my ear and there’s a faint hum that tells me it’s functional again. That should fix it. I’ve been meaning to get it looked at, but the occasional misinterpretations…well, let’s just say they add a bit of humor to an otherwise humorless life.

“Aye.” My brow tightens as I look down at my scanner. “Some kind of sudden interference.”

“What is it?” I can hear Arnak moving around, trudging through the tall grass-feed. I tilt my head in his direction and I can barely make him out in the distance. Almost hidden in the pasture far away.

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s…erratic. Unnatural.” My brow tightens some more as I glance down at my scanner again. “Almost like someone’s playing a melody on it.”

Arnak grunts. “Don’t tempt fate. We’ve already had enough surprises on these surveys. For just one sol, I’d like to have an uneventful shift.”

He’s probably talking about the group of tilgrans that chased us across the plains in the last pastures we were surveying. Or maybe even the malfunctioning farming bot that almost took a few scales off him and me.

But this is different.

I can feel it.

“Maybe it’s a beacon,” Arnak’s voice crackles over the comm. “You know, one left behind before the settlers moved away.”

“Possible,” I grunt, but I doubt it. The signal is too strong. Too sudden. It feels less like a dying gasp and more like a challenge.

“Just keep your scanner locked. Identify the source of that signal and determine what the frakk it is. And Tovan—”

“Yes, I know.” I cut him off. “No engaging without backup.”

The comm goes blank as I tuck it into my trouse. If there’s another surveyor out here jamming my signal, it’s likely sabotage. Some other being who is intent on deterring others from discovering the treasures lurking beneath these soils. He is no ally, but a foe.

I must tread carefully.

My scanner’s beeping intensifies as I approach a cluster of zimi bushes, their fruits stripped from the branches as if raided by a herd of hungry tilgrans.

I’m about to push through when a sound stops me cold. Years of training take over; I drop low, my scales instinctively dulling to blend with the shadows of the zimi bushes. One claw finds the scanner’s mute button without a thought, plunging me into sudden silence.

But the silence isn’t complete.

There, carried on the soft wind, is a sound unlike anything I’ve encountered in my orbits of surveying. It’s…a melody. Music .

My ears flatten against the sides of my head as I crouch low. Still hidden by the bush, I inch closer to investigate. The thumping grows clearer with each step, but instead of grating on my nerves as the scanner readings suggested it would, the rhythm vibrates right through me. A deep, rich melody that quickens my core-beat.

“Tovan?” the comm activates in my ear, but I can’t answer Arnak. Not now. Because I’m frozen. There, just beyond the ravaged berry patch, is a sight that makes my breath catch in my throat.

A female. Of a species I can identify anywhere across Hudo. A human .

I must mutter the word, say something that gives Arnak a clue because his voice sounds in my ear again. “A human ? One of the females that the brothers have mated? Frakk, Tovan. Those females are like gems. I’m coming your way.”

“Don’t you dare,” I growl low, urging him to hush even as my eyes remain locked on the sight before me.

The female is picking her way through the grass-feed, completely oblivious to my presence. She’s heading directly toward me, and for a moment, my core-beat does a frightened, stuttering thing.

She’s…a goddess.

Her hair is wrapped in some kind of bright cloth, the same color as the grass-feed that stretches across the plains. A few dark tufts escape like thick clouds, framing a face that is dominated by gentle curves. Full lips move in sync with her song, and her eyes—by the gods, even from here I can see her eyes are like twin celestial bodies, dark and mysterious.

She sways and the star kisses her smooth skin. It’s a rich, deep brown, like fertile soil after the heavens weep, and she moves with a grace that belies her curvaceous form, each step like a fluid dance through the tall grass.

At one moment, her flowing garments flare, lifted by the soft breeze, but even without that they do little to hide her generous curves. The tunic of blues and reds flows around her like a field of wildflowers in full bloom. Even the mud splattered on her garments seems to have taken on a vibrant hue. And as she moves, twirling to her song, I can see the sway of her hips, the fullness of her posterior…

No. Focus, Tovan.

Her voice must be what my scanner picked up. I can tell now, even without looking down at the readings flying across the screen, that the device is going erratic with the approach of this sonic frequency. Because hers is a voice that carries on the wind, a melody both foreign and captivating. The sound is…different; neither the harsh tones I’m used to nor the synthetic beats popular in the settlements. It’s raw, emotional. Makes me listen as if it commands my attention.

Of all the beings I expected to be thwarting my survey, I didn’t expect her .

This isn’t my first encounter with her kind—I’ve met two before, the mates of the Korruk brothers. But those were brief meetings. Despite my interest in learning more about these females, the brothers are like vicious guards when it comes to their mates. Understandable, because since their mating, news has spread.

This female before me, singing and picking her way through the grass-feed, is from a species that has given mine hope. Hope that some of us can break the bonds of profound loneliness if our core-rhythms sing.

This female. She is a gem indeed. Does she even know how precious she is? Obviously not, because here she is, walking without a care in the world, completely oblivious to my presence or the potential dangers, though few, that could befall her out here.

I should alert Arnak immediately. Tell him there’s no need to converge at my location. But something holds me back. Perhaps it’s the peaceful scene before me, so at odds with the tension we’ve been existing under. Or maybe it’s simply the spell of her voice, making me hesitate to shatter this moment.

As she nears the first zimi bush, her song cuts off in her throat, reduced to a mere hum as her brows furrow. She mutters something underneath her breath before walking slowly around to the other bush, and then the next. It appears she’d come here to forage but creatures have already taken their fill and left nothing behind. Her brow furrows deeper before she suddenly goes still, her head lifting as she looks around.

I go still, too. Does she sense me?

I, like all other Kari who heard the news about the Korruk brothers finding their kahls , scoured the archives for information about this new species. Nothing in the sparse records on humans mentioned them possessing auditory or olfactory perception that rivaled, or even surpassed, our own.

Though, that might well be the case. Because the female is standing at alert now, her spine stiff, that furrow still on her brow and her eyes searching around. She must know I’m here and I’ll be discovered soon. She’ll search the bushes and find this large Kari male hidden, watching her. Not exactly the way I’d like to introduce myself. I should reveal my presence before—

But, the female doesn’t come closer. Instead, she backs away. Stupidly, I follow.

As if drawn by some invisible thread, I creep behind the cover of the bush, tracking her retreat. My gaze remains fixed on her, drinking in the sight of her: the way the light catches the richness of her scaleless skin, the determined set of her shoulders, the gentle sway of her hips underneath those flowing garments as she walks. It’s…mesmerizing. She’s mesmerizing.

Perhaps I should approach her. If she’s here, there’s no doubt her lodge is somewhere close. I’d heard that some branch of the Hudoian council was conducting a program to settle these females. I just hadn’t known it had been out in these plains. But now that I do, I can find her lodge. Maybe pretend to be a lost, weary traveler and introduce myself. Maybe she’ll want assistance with something on her farm.

The plan hatches in my mind. Yes, I could do that. Stumble upon her farm and offer my services tilling the soil or something else. That would give me reason to be in her presence. Speak to her. It’s a good plan and I’m settling into it when a sharp, searing pain shoots through my foot. It’s a sensation so unexpected, so at odds to my usual awareness, that it takes me a moment to even register what’s happened.

What in the ten worlds…?

I look down, my core-beat sinking as I spot a wicked shard of black metal that’s embedded deep in my boot—and, in extension, my foot. I can already feel the lifeblood soaking the interior and the hard thrum of veins that have been punctured.

Frakk. This was not part of the plan.

I collapse with a groan, but all hopes of keeping myself hidden are already shattered. The female has no doubt heard me now.

“Tovan?” I forgot Arnak was still connected via comm. His voice is etched with concern. “What’s going on? Stay there, I’m on my way.”

Gods. This can’t get worse. “No. Whatever you do, don’t come. I’ll be fine.” Because if he comes then he’ll also encounter the female and…well…I don’t want him to. Something I can’t quite name is adamant that I be the one to speak to her first. “It’s nothing,” I lie. “ Stay where you are.”

I try to keep my voice low even as pain lances through my leg. Qeffing qrak. Which careless fool left this trap out here? From the looks of it, it’s been lying underneath these bushes for eons. Probably left by the last settler who owned this pasture; a deterrent to wild tilgrans that would feast on this berry bush.

Trying to pull the metal from my boot, and in essence my flesh, fails on the first try. Stupid, archaic traps. I try again, a low groan rumbling in my throat as I adjust my leg and try to dislodge it from the spiked trap. It’s a no-go. I’ll have to stand to free myself, but the pain is too fresh, too strong.

Frakk. I might need Arnak to come after all. So much for an uneventful sol. And the female—gods, the female!

As I attempt to pull myself up, movement catches my eye and I look up to see deep brown ones locked with mine.

I freeze. It’s the female. And…gods…she’s beautiful .

The words lodge in my brain, scattering all coherent thought.

What now? Thank the gods Arnak is far away. He would never let me live down the fact that a tactical specialist like me, one who fought and faced the war, is completely out of my depth at the sight of the small female before me. My courage, my bravery, has deserted me, leaving me as awkward as a hatchling trying to fly for the first time.

She’s here. Peering at me through the leaves of the bush between us. And I…what do I do? How do I salvage this?

I am at once startled by the fact we’re facing each other and the fact she actually came to investigate the noise I made. Like a fool, I am frozen, watching as her gaze skips down my frame before landing on my boot and the offending piece of metal still lodged there, quite obviously piercing through.

“Good sol,” I say. Those brown eyes shift back to my face and my words hang in the air, like a thin veil failing to hide my embarrassment.

I’ve come upon a human—a rare gem to us Kari, and I’ve just revealed myself in the most undignified manner possible. This isn’t just a bad first impression; it’s a spectacularly awful one. As her eyes shift over me, I can feel my scales burning with shame. By the gods, I’ve dreamed of encountering one of these unmated human settlers, dreamed of one making my core-rhythm sing, and this is how it happens? Caught in a bush like a clumsy chit? Arnak will never let me live this down.

“A slight miscalculation.” I try to sound nonchalant, as if my lifeblood isn’t flooding the earth between me. “I assure you, this is not how I usually make an entrance.” The female stiffens at the sound of my voice and I curse myself further.

I think she will run away. Protect herself from this strange situation. But she doesn’t. Instead, something changes in her face and those eyes swallow me whole.

The female lifts one side of her brow before placing a fist against her hip, making her elbow jut away from her. “Miscalculation?”

Ohhh. Oh gods. Her voice is just as rich as when she’d been belting that melody.

“Honey, it looks like you tried to tap-dance on a rusty sawblade and lost the rhythm.”

Honey ? My head tilts slightly, pain and embarrassment forgotten as my gaze heightens on her. That word translates to something sweet. Something to be devoured.

I reach up and give my translator a tap, sure it’s gone haywire again. The faint hum that usually signals rebooted and fixed the error remains stubbornly absent. It’s…working. But that can’t be. That means the female really just said I look edible?

I—how do I respond? She wants to devour me? Usually, the thought of any creature wanting to consume me would bring discomfort. But I can see her blunt teeth. They most certainly can do me no damage, and the thought of them along with those full lips pressing against my scales has the opposite effect. Instead of disgust, a jolt of heat courses through me, going right to the center of my trouse and leaving a tingling trail in its wake.

“You must be in so much pain.” Dried leaves and small twigs crack underneath her boot as she takes a step forward. “That there is a stroke of bad luck if I ever saw one.” She gestures toward my boot with a jut of her small chin.

Bad luck? I almost chuckle. If she only knew… This “bad luck” might be the most fortunate event in my otherwise predictable existence.

“Something like that.” I try to keep my voice neutral and fail. It comes out as a low growl. Thankfully, that doesn’t deter the female.

“Looks like you need some help,” she mutters, pushing the bushes out of the way as she comes closer. At the same time, Arnak’s voice comes through my earpiece.

“Tovan? What’s that sound? Is the female there?” It sounds like he’s running, which means he’s still heading my way. And I don’t want him to. I resort to speaking to him in the old tongue.

“Gameshla friardi.” In other words, “ Arnak, if you value your mating prospects, turn around and walk—no, run—in the opposite direction. And take your curiosity with you .” Thankfully, the female doesn’t understand a word I just said. Probably thinks I’m cursing the gods for my misfortune.

“Did you trip over a piece of space junk or somethin’?” She’s close enough now that I catch her scent on the air. Grushi flour and something sweet. I can already tell without going nearer that the sweet scent is coming from her skin. Her direct essence. Would it be too obvious if I took a deep breath?

“It appears to be a primitive…snare,” I reply. And I managed to get caught on it . “Highly effective, I must admit.”

She raises her brow once more, deep brown eyes flicking to me before a soft, unexpected laugh makes her grunt. “A snare? Those are for catching rabbits, not…whatever you are.”

I’m caught off guard by her laugh, but it’s the fact that she’s pretending not to know what I am that has me curious. I get the sense she knows exactly what I am. This isn’t a demure, shrinking female, that’s fearful in the presence of a large male she knows absolutely nothing about. There’s a sharpness in her gaze, an intelligence that both intrigues and challenges me. And that voice… I wish for her to continue speaking. Would impale my other foot and both my claws if it meant more conversation.

“I’m a Kari,” I venture anyway, more to keep her talking than for any other reason. “Homeworld Karicek minor. They call me Tovan. Tovan of the line Kamesh.”

She’s studying me and I’m not sure how to read those eyes. “Well, Tovan of the line Kamesh. Looks like you need a hand, yeah?” She frowns before looking behind her in the direction she came from.

“A hand?” Is my translator acting up or is she referring to her claws? I glance down at mine. I already have two. I don’t need another one.

For a moment, I’m caught between horror and fascination. Do humans possess the ability to detach and regrow their limbs? I know some chitinous species are capable of such feats, but surely not humans. And even if they could, how would possessing a human claw assist me in any way? She means for me to use it to replace the foot I’ve impaled? The logic doesn’t make sense. I would be…a sight. That is sure.

I find myself tilting my head, studying her arm with newfound curiosity. “I… appreciate the offer, but I’m not certain how that would help my current situation. And wouldn’t the loss of a limb be…inconvenient for you?”

Her head snaps back in my direction, and I realize she’d still been looking off in the distance in the direction she’d come from. The frown on her brow disappears in a single instant as she snorts, her eyes widening on me. Have I offended her? Possibly it would have been wiser to thank her for the thought while convincing her there is no need for such a sacrifice.

I open my mouth to do this when, suddenly, the female bursts into laughter.

It’s a warm, rich sound that fills the air around us. Her whole body shakes with it; the large mounds on her chest, even the swell of her thighs.

Gods… My throat goes dry. That heat that sparked within me heightens. I have never seen anything more—

She stops laughing to stare at me open-mouthed and eyes wide. “You thought I was going to…to give you my actual hand?”

I blink at her. “Weren’t you?”

This sets off another fit of bubbling laughter.

Heat creeps up my scales, a wave of embarrassment so intense I swear I can feel the color shifting beneath my skin. But I can’t help but be captivated by her laughter. It’s like a melody, swelling up from somewhere deep inside her, a sound so full of life that it makes my chest ache with a longing I don’t understand.

“It’s just an expression,” she finally says, but she’s still laughing, though more subtly than before. “It means I’m going to help you. I won’t be detaching any limbs.” She sobers some more. “That’s not something I’d willfully do.”

“Noted.” I dip my head slightly even as I store away every single bit of this interaction. Her way of saying things is colorful. Like her.

Her gaze falls back to my boot and she crouches, tilting her head as she looks at it. “Not sure if I have anything that can cut through that thing there.” She glances up at me before pointing a digit at my boot. “Looks like it could’ve done some real damage. I don’t suppose you can simply free yourself with a tug?” She pauses. “How long have you been stuck here?”

Oh frakk. She’ll know I’d been creeping about watching her now. “Not…not long.”

“Hmm,” she hums a tone in her throat. “Doubt I can help you off that thing.” Her gaze skips over me. “You’re a big fella. Best to call for help.”

I stiffen. No. Not only will that mean more spectators to this shameful injury, but more beings here will only mean I’ll leave this little bubble sooner. The one where it’s just me and a human female and no one else for leagues—well, except Arnak, but if he listens he’ll stay away.

“Just let me—” She reaches into her flowing garments and takes out a communicator.

“No need.” With a deep grunt, I stand, bracing on my good leg as I pull my other foot upward, dislodging it from the long shard. Frakk. Me. A deep groan of pain threatens, only held back because the female is looking at me. Can’t go wailing like a chit that’s lost its mor now. There’s a beautiful female in my presence. By the gods, whatever you do, Tovan, do not show weakness.

So I don’t. I keep that grunt of pain at bay, watching as the female’s eyes widen, a mixture of shock and…is that admiration? in their depths. I can’t be sure, but it’s enough to make me stand taller, my chest puffing up a little.

“Holy hell,” she breathes, clawless digits still frozen on her communicator. “You just…pulled yourself off that thing?”

I manage to jerk my chin in affirmation, but frakk, this qeffing hurts. “It seemed…the most efficient solution.” Really, it was a distraction. One that’s working better than I thought it would. Now she doesn’t have a reason to call anyone.

The female shakes her head, one brow lifting while the other descends. She’s giving me a strange look. One I can’t decipher.

“Efficient? You’re bleeding all over the ground, you know that?” Then her brows dive, her gaze falling no doubt to my boot. I don’t even look. I can only remain focused on her. “Lord, forgive me. That looks nasty.”

Is that…concern? Is she worried about me? A stranger to her?

“That’s…a lot of blood.” The female’s brows furrow some more and when she looks up at me this time, I am transported to another realm where the world around us disappears. “A graze shouldn’t do that. Must have taken off quite a bit of flesh.”

A graze? Oh, she has no idea. I glance down at my boot only because staring at her for too long will no doubt spook her. Sure enough, thick dark liquid is seeping through the sole. Now this is going to take a few sols to heal.

“I suppose,” I start, trying to keep my voice light, “I suppose this puts a damper on my plans of winning any ground races today.”

She snorts, a sound I’m beginning to find oddly endearing. “Well, at least your sense of humor’s intact. Can’t say the same for your foot, though.” She takes a step closer. “You need medical attention, Tovan of the line Kamesh. That’s not a scratch you can just walk off.”

Her concern is sending a flow of warmth through me. Maybe it’s the reason I don’t tell her I’ll heal without medical attention. That I’ve had worse injuries than this and survived. Setting the foot down, I take a step. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I am quite capable—”

My words are cut short as I stumble, my injured foot unable to bear my weight.

The female moves faster than I would have thought possible, her arm suddenly around my midsection. She’s supporting me, her soft body braced underneath mine. My core-beat stutters as the contact sends a jolt through my system that has nothing to do with pain.

“Mmhm, you’re real capable,” she mutters. But the way she says it tells me she thinks I’m nothing of the sort. Usually, this would wound my ego. But right now, she could call me every deprecating thing she can think of if she just remains pressed up underneath me like this. “Hold on.” She drops a rock I didn’t realize she’d been gripping and grabs my claw. Forcing me to brace on her shoulder for support, she removes the bright headpiece from where it’s wrapped around her head. Thick, dark coils are revealed, forming a mane that is quite unlike my own.

I’m entranced by it. My focus pulled to her beauty and then in a separate direction—to the sensation of her softness beneath my claw.

It takes all my willpower not to flex that claw. Not to probe the soft flesh I can feel just underneath my palm. Gods, this is hard.

“What are you—” I begin, but she cuts me off with a sharp look.

“I’m trying to help you.”

Before I can process her words, she’s crouching low beside my injured leg. With deft movements, she begins to wrap her head covering tightly around my leg. Her actions are swift and purposeful, betraying a level of practical knowledge that surprises me. Despite her earlier amusement at my expense, there’s no hint of mockery in her movements now—only a focused determination.

I hiss involuntarily, more out of shock than anything else.

“Sorry,” she apologizes, but she doesn’t slow her actions. “But we need to stem this bleeding.”

I go silent. I can only watch in fascination as she works, her small clawless digits moving with surprising strength and skill. The bright fabric is wrapped and secured tight and the gush of pulsing lifeblood slows in my boot.

“There,” she says after a few moments, straightening. “That should hold for now.”

I flex my leg. “Your skills are…impressive.”

She shrugs, but I catch a hint of pride in her eyes. “Just basic first aid, darling. Nothing fancy.”

Darling ? My translator chip doesn’t usually cut out so frequently. It certainly must be now because it’s telling me the female just called me a term of endearment. That can’t be the case. The archives said this is a prey species that is soft and easily frightened. The female before me is neither of those. This is…perplexing.

“You know, most females would feel unsafe at the sight of a strange Kari.”

She raises an eyebrow at me as she adjusts herself beneath my arm once more. Another snort as her gaze sweeps over me, slow and deliberate. “I’m not scared of you.”

I’m not sure whether to be offended or amused by that statement. Before I can decide, she’s speaking again.

“Come on, tough guy. My place isn’t far from here. We can at least get that foot cleaned up before you bleed out trying to prove how ‘capable’ you are.”

I want to protest, to insist that I can manage on my own. I don’t want her to believe I’m some weakling. But pretending means I can stay in her presence a little longer, and the warmth of her body against mine, the strength in her arm as she supports me…it’s oddly comforting. If I’m being honest, the prospect of spending more time with this intriguing human is far from unpleasant.

“Frakk, Tovan. It sounds serious. I should come.” I stiffen. I’d once again forgotten Arnak is still live on comm, listening to everything . His voice, sounding in my earpiece, is beginning to be a nuisance. I only manage a growl. Hopefully, it’s enough for him to get my meaning. Stay the frakk away .

“Very well, female,” I say this as if reluctant. Can’t let her know that if I had a choice, I would follow her across the plains, injury or not.

The first step makes us sway and her skin, softer than I could have imagined, sends tingles through my scales. No longer dulled, my scales are a riot of purple, pink, and blue that are doing a horrible job of hiding my excitement.

As we begin our slow, awkward journey from behind the zimi bush, the female uses one hand to ward away the branches till we reach the tall orange grass-feed once more. There, we pick our way across the plain, silence enveloping us. I find myself filling it with soft grunts as if to convince her I’m still hurt because I can tell she’s deep in thought. Probably sorry she came out to forage now. Instead of the berries she sought, she’s taking back a burden.

Putting most of my weight on my good leg, I test out a few steps with the other, ever mindful of the soft body pressed against mine. It becomes evident a few clicks into the journey that I don’t need her assistance at all. Yes, there’s no doubt there’s a hole in my foot, but I can manage.

Will I tell her to let me go? I almost scoff. Shameless male that I am, I continue to pretend that I need her bracing against me as we make our way.

“What the frakk are you doing?” The voice is a whisper in my ear and I turn to look over my shoulder as we go. I can see Arnak now, just a few leagues off but completely visible. He’s watching us.

I glare at him, using my free claw hidden behind the female to gesture that he should keep the frakk away.

He’s a stubborn qeffer. I’m not surprised that he simply stands there. I watch as he rests his scanner, leans on it as he watches us go and I remember now that I left mine lying in the bush. Perhaps it’s for the best. It would only make her ask questions about my purpose in that pasture, the answer to which I might not be able to provide.

“Almost there, now,” the female says at my side. She glances up at me, those deep brown eyes catching the light. “It’s just over that rise.”

I stare at her, probably for too long because her brows furrow slightly.

“Thank you, female. For your help. It is more appreciated than I have words to say.”

She studies me for a moment more before she jerks her chin. “Sure thing. I couldn’t just leave you out there to suffer. We humans have big hearts. We do the right thing. We help each other.”

My lips twist slightly. “I’m not human.”

“Oh, I’m aware.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Is it a good thing? I can’t quite tell.

“But you helped me anyway.”

“I helped you anyway.”

She stops so suddenly that we almost topple. When she looks up at me, there’s a hardness in her eyes that makes me briefly aware of everything between us, even every breath she takes. “Now, look here. I’m helping you because that’s what decent folks do when they find someone hurt.” Her gaze never wavers from mine. “I’m going to get you patched up because I can’t in good conscience leave you bleeding out here. But don’t mistake my kindness for weakness.”

The steel in her voice leaves no room for argument. She’s warning me. Making it clear that despite her help, she doesn’t see me as an ally. I jerk my chin slowly, a mix of admiration and wariness coursing through me. This human is far more perceptive and formidable than I initially gave her credit for.

“I understand,” I reply. “You have my word, female.”

She studies me for a moment longer, as if trying to gauge the sincerity of my words. Then, seemingly satisfied, she nods. “Good. Now let’s get moving before you pass out and I have to drag your scaly behind all the way to my cottage.”

I grunt a laugh, humor that never used to come easily flooding through me, as if I hadn’t forgotten how to laugh orbits ago. It's… unsettling. Pleasant, but unsettling.

As we resume our slow progress, a newfound respect rises for this human. She’s compassionate enough to help a stranger in need, yet cautious and strong-willed enough to set clear boundaries. It’s a combination that I find unexpectedly appealing.

For the first time in cycles, my sol isn’t going exactly as I intended. It’s a strange new feeling. One that sends a skitter through me. A ripple of unease.

One that makes me wonder if perhaps… I’ve stumbled upon something far more valuable than any rare ore, something that could change the course of my existence forever.