27. Drasuk

27

Drasuk

"They were a bit reckless with their weapon tests," I admit hastily. "A lot of the planet is considered 'no life zones' because of the constant devastation from energy and biological weapon, but they did it to make sure we had effective weapons to defend ourselves."

She continues to laugh, clutching her sides, and I sigh in exasperation.

"It's not funny," I grouse.

When she finally stops laughing, she wipes a tear from her eye. "It's just... it's such a cosmic joke. Creatures that evolved to be so dangerous ended up creating their own predators. Why would you test weapons on a planet you planned to live on, Drasuk?"

"Well, we didn't plan on living there. We thought it would simply be a forward base, but then our manticorid overlords decided to become pacifists."

She devolves into another laughing fit, and I huff as I give up and let her have her fun.

Her cackling at my expense eventually tapers off.

"Giant creatures that shoot lightning? That sounds terrifying," she finally says, her voice tinged with awe.

I rumble a sound that's somewhere between a chuckle and a growl. "The ak'thor are fearsome. Their bodies crackle with raw electrical energy, and their roars can shake mountains. A single one can lay waste to an entire battle-group if you're not prepared."

"And the snake-people?" she presses, her curiosity piqued.

"The xylanth, xhasa in the old tongue," I clarify. "They're a race of winged serpents, soaring through the skies in massive formations, raining fire and death down on their enemies."

"Fire?" she echoes, a frown creasing her brow. "But they're serpents, wouldn't that hurt them?"

I ripple my hide to let her know I don't have much knowledge about it. "They've adapted. Their fire is more like a super-heated venom they spew from their fangs. It burns with an unnatural intensity, capable of melting rock."

"From the looks of you, I would have thought you would be the fire breather."

My spines shift in confusion. "Why?"

"You sort of look like a dragon , but not exactly. Something from legends."

I let out a snort. Who knows what messed up views she has of me based on her own species mythology.

"No. We are mostly impervious to fire because of our planet of origin, but we are nothing like the xylanth."

She whistles, a low, impressed sound. "I can see why you talk so much about being precise and calculated. Your planet is more dangerous than mine. We have predators, but nothing like that."

"Well, it has its uses, since it keeps us from being too soft. Long before the manticorid pacifist movement, even the more bloodthirsty families of the Darangul Clan had been bled dry of the urge to act on our age-old urge for conquest. The manticorids left a power vacuum we were in no position to fill, and so we remained on Maln'Kri. The thirst for violence is still there, but thanks to evolution, we drakonids are a very unambitious race."

"You are saying conflicting things, Drasuk. You are either violent or not."

"What I mean is there is violence and then there is a need for conquest. We have the former, but lost the latter. We are peaceful in the galactic sense, but our old ways haven't been forgotten. We are at the farthest reaches of drakonid-dominated space. That isn't to say we are left alone, though. Far from it."

"Genali and braceaaer?"

"Mostly genali. Our body parts are sought after."

"Maternal copulators," she grits out.

Odd wording, as usual, but I appreciate the sentiment.

We stand in silence for a moment, the weight of my words settling heavily between us.

"No wonder draks are all about fighting," she finally mutters.

I let out a huff of air, a sound that could be interpreted as either agreement or amusement. "It's in our blood, the need to protect ourselves," I state simply by way of agreement.

"Right," she concedes, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Because what better way to ensure your new home is safe than by turning all the cute, cuddly, single-celled organisms into lightning-spewing monstrosities?"

I open my mouth to retort, but she holds up a hand, silencing me.

"Alright, alright," she says, a hint of sympathy softening her voice. "I get it. You were young, you were scared. We all make mistakes."

I scowl, the sting of her words unexpected. "We were not scared," I growl.

She sighs, a weary sound that seems to carry the weight of her own battles. "Look," she says, her voice softening, "I'm not judging. Just pointing out the irony of it all."

There is a truth to her words that I can't deny. A truth that has always left a bitter taste in my mouth. In the mouths of all Maj'Ras.

She turns away from me toward the water.

"That's beautiful," Kira breathes, her voice filled with appreciation and her gaze fixed on the inviting water.

The sight of her standing there, bathed in the dappled sunlight, sends warmth through me.

I like it.

"This is perfect," she says, a smile gracing her lips. She unclips the straps of her backpack, her movements fluid and practiced.

I watch, mesmerized, as she shrugs it off and drops it to the ground. Then, with a swift movement, she wades into the water.

Without a word, she moves deeper and deeper, the sunlight glinting off the droplets that cling to her.

"If this place has fornicating leeches ," she mutters, her voice barely a whisper, "I'm going to kill something."

The unexpected humor in her words snaps me out of my daze. I let out a startled snort, and then a surprised laugh.

" Leeches ?" I ask, the word unfamiliar to me.

"Blood-sucking worms," she explains with a grimace. "They're not a threat, just annoying."

A satisfied sigh escapes her lips as the cool water envelopes her up to waist level, sending shivers down my hide.

I watch, transfixed, as she swims toward the center of the pool, her movements graceful and powerful. The way the water clings to her curves sends a jolt of desire through me.

Why... why can't I look away?

My breath hitches as the top half of her dark leathery skin falls away, revealing a form I hadn't dared to imagine.

She isn't covered in a black hide, as I had assumed. Instead, smooth, brown skin stretches across her body. The water cascades down her in damp waves, clinging to the curves I hadn't noticed before.

Heat flares in my belly, an urge that surprises me with its intensity, causing a stirring and tightening in my belly.