The Dawning of Fate

My brows pinched.“But Zan-you- haven’t mentioned anything changing. Does my blood not affect you?”

“Our changes will not be as obvious as yours. My seed will change so that when I pump you full of it, it will have no issues taking root in that sweet cunt of yours.”

His response sent a wash of arousal over my body. The image he painted in my mind was so vivid it felt like I was living in that exact moment. When we stopped outside of Bevtor’s place, I turned into him and he pressed me into his body with a purr.

“Cut it out. Everyone here can smell it when I’m horny.”

He chuckled, his hand slowly stroking up and down my back. “And it is by far the best smell that has ever graced my senses. Though, my seed is not the only thing that has changed. One of which you and my anchor took notice of fairly quickly.”

I craned my neck back to look into his eyes. “You.”

He nodded his head. “Yes. Your blood is far richer in iron than my own. It tastes like liquid metal. As you know, little one, iron is an excellent conductor of electricity. Your blood is increasing my anchor’s neurotransmitters in his mind which has allowed us to integrate far better than any other mated pair.”

“There are others?”

He looked around slowly, a pensive sort of expression on his face before looking down at me. “There were. It has been many lunars since then though so I am unsure whether they still remain alive. There are many of us still waiting.”

“For what?”

His lips curved. “Well, for you, my little storm. You are the catalyst that we’ve all been waiting for. You and my anchor were chosen to bring back the honored tradition that the Tumerians have lost in their greed. All of my people reside within the spirit realm now, waiting to be bonded to our mates. Our physical forms are no more but the goddess kept our spirits alive and whole. The Tumerian people are our anchors. They act as hosts for our spirits and in turn, we offer them our strength and wisdom. However, in recent times, Fati and Matu have forbidden us from bonding with our anchors. The Tumerians have become arrogant and undeserving of the gift. If we were to bond with them as they are now, it would ensure tyranny.”

“You are mind speaking?” Kyrin asked, curiosity edging his tone. “I was not aware that this was a gift of your species, Eterai.”

“So much is unknown to us about the Terrans. They remain under lock and key by the Interplanetary Counsel,” Bevtor commented.

“And for good reason,” Azandum’s drakul responded. Our comrades stiffened, tension bleeding into their bodies. “Look at the chaos that has ensued just from my mate’s existence alone. I do not regret the day she landed on my borders but I would spare her people the struggle by taking out the one who seeks to claim them. He will not stop at one. Dronan will take and take because as a warlord, he feels as though that is his birthright. I will show him the error of his ways.”

Amondis growled low in his throat. “Who are you and what has been done to my wombmate?”

Zan turned his head, looking into the eyes of his twin. “We have much to discuss, don’t we? Fear not, he is as I am. We are one. I will explain all to you,” he glanced at Tahla, studying her for a moment before a smile split his lips. “And your al sisi in time.”

There was a small intake of breath from the other Tumerian before he nodded stiffly, though a little skepticism remained.

Zan looked down at me, taking my face in his hands. “I leave you, for now, my little mate. Though know that I am always here. Come and visit me sometime, will you? My domain is as much yours as it is mine. All you need is follow the bond and I’ll be waiting to take you to the skies.”

I nodded and he kissed me deeply. I felt his presence bleed back into the recesses of Zan’s mind and knew that when I looked at my lover now, the Tumerian was at the forefront.

I smiled and he returned the gesture.

“Hello, my mate. Did you enjoy the company?” I nodded slowly. “I guess we shall endure these changes together then, hmm?”

I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him close to me. He always knew just what to say. I would be lost in this new world without him.

“What is the beast you carry within you, Tumerian?” Bevtor demanded, outraged. A cold, blue flame lit in his eyes. That thing is not of this galaxy. Its strength is immense. Are your people’s greed so grand that you would resort to such tactics for power?”

Zan regarded him with a stern, yet patient stare. “I carry my people’s history within my very being. That which we were meant to be all along, but our greed, as you say, has stripped us of the honor. No other is like me, so you need not fear, for I have fought beside you in battle, yet you still stand. You question my honor by insinuating anything further. This slight, I will let pass. No further will be tolerated.”

The two men stood, staring at each other before Bevtor dipped his head in a gesture of respect. It would seem as though they have reached an understanding. I guess being a species of war, they bonded through the violence. Duality at its finest. Even the bloodiest of battles could forge the strongest of friendships.

“We must be on our way,” Kyrin announced. “It will be much more difficult to evade Dronan’s eyes now that he knows you are within reach but we must make it to the docking port.”

“You are coming with us?” I asked him, surprised.

He gave me a sharp nod. “Eterai, you are my charge. Perhaps I did not explain myself clearly. I will be by your side from here on. I am your guide, your sounding board, your advisor, friend, comrade, your sword, and shield. I am he who will plow forward, carving a path so that you may walk undeterred into your destiny.”

Goosebumps peppered my skin at his declaration. “But, your sons. Your people. How could you just…leave? You have a whole life here. You can’t just up and take off because I showed up. I don’t want you to do that. They need you here. Your home is dying. Don’t you want to do something about that?”

His features pinched in a pained but solemn expression. “My offspring have been without me for a very long time. The plight that plagues my people is troublesome, one that I too bear the weight of for my listlessness. However, Fate rarely gives you a choice, does she?” Kyrin gave a pointed look at Zan before looking back at me. “You may not want me, which I can accept. However, I will still be there. Even if I must be in the shadows, I will be there. I have led a long life before. Now, Fate sends me on another journey. One of honor, which I will not abandon.”

I looked at Azandum for help. I couldn’t make out the look in his eyes as he studied Kyrin but what I didn’t see him in a rush to deny the Xoid in any way. I guess that didn’t leave me with much of a choice. It’s not like I could make him do anything anyway. With a sigh, I simply shrugged though there were tons more protests sitting heavily on my tongue. Where would he sleep? For how long would he stick around? Why me? That last one seemed to be at the forefront of every situation as of late. I’m not saying I wanted someone else to get kidnapped or anything but shit, but couldn’t people just leave us alone?

“Bevtor,” Kyrin started, turning to his son.

“Spare me the speech,” Bevtor said, walking up the steps leading to his abode. “I will do what I must for our people since it would seem as though your other seedling seeks to drive us into extinction.”

“I will not wish for your safety,” Kyrin announced solemnly. “Though I will pray for your strength and endurance.”

“’Tis all I ask.” Bevtor turned then, his electric eyes scanning over each of us remaining before settling on me. “You are tiny, Echo, but your spirit is as mighty as a thousand winds. I do not wish to see it silenced.” He looked to Zan and Amondis then. “It has been an honor.” And with that, he walked into his home and shut the door.

The pace we set going back was hard, but it was a bit easier to keep up now that I could see. Zan still had to carry me at one point though. Amondis, Tahla, and I all had Dronan’s men searching for us. There was no way we could lollygag any longer. Once we got to the other side of the Abyss, it would only become far more difficult to evade their lurking eyes. It’s not like you could just hide two huge men with wings. Zan slowed to a creep as we got closer to the crevice. Everyone else followed his lead when he dropped to the ground, pressing our bodies flat to the surface. He scored the earth with his claws and dug up clumps of decay and mud.

“What are you-” Azandum smeared the muck onto my skin and face before doing the same to his own. Not a sound escaped my lips but disgust churned within my stomach.

I could feel the tension in the air. They must’ve noticed something so I remained quiet instead of giving voice to my curiosity. In the distance, I could see the lights from the market and could faintly hear the hum of thousands of voices. I glance over and saw that Amondis’ eyes were like liquid fire amidst his muck-filled face and Tahla had those of fierce determination. What the fuck was going on?

“I want that Dregmon found immediately. She cannot be far with her injuries and her species is not as adept at climbing as these heinous People of the Xoid. She must be in hiding. Flush her out and do so with haste. My credits will not be wasted on a corpse.” The man spoke with a smooth cadence. He didn’t shout or yell but his words were as sharp as a needle nonetheless. He made the commands and fully expected them to be fulfilled. The authority with which he spoke said that he would accept nothing less.

Up from the crevice floated a hovertram but this one was different than the others. It was almost like a scooter from back home but the place where you put your feet was much wider and instead of wheels, it flew. On the vehicle, stood three men. Two of them were of the same species that attacked Zan back at the hovel. They stood stiffly, shoulder to shoulder in front of the last man. The last man was humanoid; his skin was a mesh of white, silver, and the icy blue of a glacier. The light from the hovertram reflected on his skin in certain areas, highlighting a textured sparkle that was almost like scales. There was a litheness to his frame but I wouldn’t mistake that for weakness. With his hands clasped behind his back, I could see the sharp fins that protruded from his forearms. I couldn’t see his face but at the back of his head was a mass of thick, writhing condylactis. The man had them pulled back into a ponytail but the bulbous tips still glowed and wriggled as if they had a life of their own.

“Do you have news on the whereabouts of my merchandise?” The question itself was a casual one. But he may as well have asked which one of them would like to die first. Even from here, I could see the fear grip their bodies.

“My lord, the hovertram was damaged and downed but when we searched, it was empty. She still has the nanu. Our technology does not work here in the Abyss, but she must return at some point. We will be able to pick up a signal as soon as she does.”

The man in charge nodded slowly and the two men seemed to relax a bit. Suddenly, in a move that was far too fast for my eyes to track, the creature's head was severed from its body. One of the fins dripped with the black blood of his victim. The remaining soldier didn’t budge an inch or say a word but his body trembled hard enough that we could see it from here. I had no doubt in my mind that this was Dronan and his “merchandise” was me.

Calmly, in a voice that belied his earlier actions, Dronan said: “I will not be told to wait. Find the human and bring her to me. Kill any who aid her. Except for the mate. Leave him to me.”

“Y-yes sir, L-lord Dronan.” The hovertram hums with power before shooting off into the distance. A chill works its way down my spine. That was the man that was hunting me. A man who killed people in cold blood, taking lives without a second thought. Azandum took lives, but every death weighed on his conscious. Dronan, from what I could see, had none. We couldn’t run forever. At some point, we were going to have to face him and I wasn’t too prideful to admit that I feared that day. Actually getting an image of the man who I knew in name only put everything back into perspective. There was a man -whose day job was to conquer and ensure violence- out there seeking to capture me.