10. Zeleck

10

ZELECK

Jay-duh pulls her lips away, ending our kiss- zing.

"Sorry," she says, her voice breathless. "I was just so excited about the Rakuium. I guess I got carried away."

"Do not be sorry," I murmur, my voice strained. My cock is a hard bar pressed against her belly, and I resist the urge to thrust against her. "I have wanted to kiss- zing you ever since Trauhn described the Terran mating habit. Your taste is even better than I imagined."

"You've wanted to kiss me all this time?"

"More than anything." Now that I have sampled her sweet lips, I would very much like to taste her cunt, and to find the nub of flesh Terrans call a klit and suckle it until Jay-duh comes on my tongue. "I can scent your arousal. Does this mean my kiss- zing pleases you?"

Her cheeks redden to match her lips. "You can scent my, uh…"

"Arousal, yes. Rakuis have an excellent sense of smell."

"Right. I forgot about that." She rolls away and stands. "You're a great kisser, Zeleck. Really, really great. I'm just not ready for more than that right now."

Right now does not mean never.

I stand as well. "The light is fading. We should eat and get some sleep. We can continue our quest at daybreak."

After a simple yet filling meal of dried kerboo and banan fruit, Jay-duh and I relax by the fire. She examines the piece of Rakuium in the firelight, her fingers tracing its jagged edges and smooth, dark surfaces with fascination.

The flames cast a warm glow on her face, highlighting the curiosity in her eyes. I watch her, my chest tight with longing and a growing sense of unease. She is eager to discover Rakuium's power, yet I worry about what she will find.

"I don't understand how this rock creates energy," she says, her voice soft. "It just looks like a rock. Or more like a pebble."

I lean forward, my gaze fixed on her face. "I do not understand, either. Yet, it is a powerful material, even in small pieces. That is why our ancestors used it to make weapons and tools."

"How do we unlock your secrets?" she whispters to the Rakuium, which makes me chuckle.

"You are very curious, Jay-duh. It is an appealing trait."

She grins. "You don't think I'm crazy for talking to it?"

"No. Not crazy. Endearing."

Jay-duh holds the Rakuium in her fist and closes her eyes, speaking to it like she's addressing the gods. "Reveal your power."

When a soft, pulsating light escapes from her fist, I blink in surprise. "Jay-duh, look!"

She opens her eyes, then her fist, as the air around us thrums with energy. The Rakuium in her palm glows brightly, casting an eerie light around her.

"Zeleck, have you seen this before?" she asks excitedly.

"Never." I remind myself to breathe, unable to tear my gaze away. "I have never seen anything like this."

"It's like it's alive…or sentient."

Jay-duh is right. The Rakuium does seem alive, its light pulsing in a rhythm similar to a heartbeat. "Talk to it again. See if it will do something else."

"What would you like me to know?" she asks softly, then gasps.

I move across the fire to sit next to her. "What is happening?"

"I-I-think it's communicating with me. But not through words. Through visions and emotions in my mind." I watch as her features take on a vacant look, as if she has gone deep within herself.

"What do you see?" I try to hide my growing alarm.

"Visions of the past. Your homeworld, I think. Similar to the images Zavra showed us. Cities built with Rakuium…and destroyed by it." Her brow furrows, then tears run down her cheeks. "Oh, God. So much pain and loss."

When she cries out, I fear for her safety and knock the stone from her hand, severing her connection with it.

She looks at me, angry. "Why did you do that?"

"I thought it was hurting you." It is not until I brush away her tears with my thumb that she realizes she is crying.

"It was the Rakuium that was hurting, not me. I could feel its pain. It wants to heal and protect, not destroy." She picks up the Rakuium and places it in my palm. "You need to try, Zeleck. See if it will connect with you, too."

With an uneasiness I hide, I close my fist around the Rakuium. When it begins to glow, and I feel a burst of energy surge up my arm, I almost drop it like a hot ember.

"It won't hurt you." Jay-duh rests her hand on my arm, her touch soothing my uneasiness. "Try closing your eyes. Let it communicate with you."

When I do, the connection is immediate. Visions and emotions flood my mind—the pride of ancient Rakuis as they crafted their cities, the sorrow of battles lost, the Rakuium's pain at being used for destructive means. The experience is profound, moving.

When I open my eyes, the glow fades and the Rakuium becomes a stone once again.

"We need to get back to the village as soon as possible to study the Rakuium in the Cavern of Memory." Jay-duh's excitement is catching, yet the thought of ending our time alone together so soon is disappointing.

"You do not wish to find more Rakuium before we return? We have come all this way. It makes sense to search at least one more day."

After hesitating, she agrees. "You're right. Let's search for another day before we go back."

As we sit together by the fire, a sense of quiet reflection settles over us. Jay-duh cradles the piece of Rakuium in her palm, a tangible reminder of shared experience. The air around us still hums with the energy we unleashed, a testament to the power contained within Rakuium.

Jay-duh yawns. "We should probably get some sleep."

I bank the fire in preparation. "We will have to share the furs I brought."

"Are you sure there's enough room for both of us?" She takes off her weapon holster and glances at the furs, her cheeks flushing.

"We can make it work if you nestle close to me," I say, grinning.

She rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. "It is kind of chilly tonight. I wouldn't mind sharing your Rakui body heat."

"And more kiss- zing ?" I tease.

That makes her laugh. "Not tonight."

We both slip under the top fur, with Jay-duh facing the fire and my chest pressed against her back. I fight the urge to wrap an arm around her waist to pull her closer. I feel her body temperature warm, and she relaxes against me, her unique scent filling my nose.

"Zeleck?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think the Rakuium somehow chose to be found by us? Like, maybe it has a mission or purpose that only we can help it fulfill?"

I ponder her question, the weight of it sitting heavy in my gut. "I do not know. Perhaps the gods guided us to the Rakuium to bring us closer together."

"I told you I'm not a person of faith."

"Yet it takes faith to believe our experience this night was real and wonder whether a small piece of stone has a mission to fulfill."

"Point taken," she says softly, and I can almost hear her mind considering the possibility. She is quiet for a bit, and I wonder if she has fallen asleep. Then she speaks again. "What if the Rakuium is really evil, and is tricking us into doing something we'll regret?"

Her words send a shiver of fear down my spine, and I finally give into the urge to draw her close. "Then we will destroy it before it destroys us."

I stay awake long after her breathing deepens and steadies. I whisper into the dark, a prayer to the gods…and the female sleeping in my arms. "If you leave, my sweet, I would gladly give up everything to go with."