The Dawning of Fate

“The central market is only a few clicks away so we will walk,” Azandum announces as we exit through the invisible border. I fail to understand how he has so much energy this early. I wonder if they have alien coffee or something because it is at least seven in the morning.

It’s strange to think that just a few weeks ago I was at home reading about aliens and now I’m walking beside one.

“How does this border protect your home if anyone can just walk through?” I ask trying to keep up with his long strides.

“Because not just anyone can pass this border. The only reason you were able to pass yestersun is that I was in the process of recalibrating them when I heard your screams. Otherwise, you would have been obliterated upon contact.” He announces matter-of-factly. I stare at his back in shock.

“And you let me pass through it again?!”

“You were with me this time.” He shrugs. “Please try to keep up. We have much to do today.”

I quicken my pace so that I am now walking by his side. “Which is what exactly?”

“We trek to the central market to register you as a citizen of Icturi. With this, the individuals after you cannot claim you as property.”

“Oh, okay,” I respond even though the fact that I could even be claimed as a property is weighing heavily on me. The idea is hitting a little too close to home. We walk in silence for a while and I notice the ground becoming less grassy and more gravel. This must be a street of some kind.

“Do you have a means of transportation here on this planet? On Earth, we have cars that take us from place to place but I haven’t seen anything close to that.”

“What are these cars you speak of?”

I bite my lip as I think about how to describe a car. “Well, it’s sort of like a metal box with seats inside. Some can have only two seats while others can have more. They move on these rubber wheels and run on an engine.”

He scoffs. “This car sounds primitive and insufficient. Why would anyone want to travel in a box with wheels?”

“It’s not an actual box!” I huff. “It has a design like any other vehicle.”

He raises an eyebrow at me showing his disbelief. I throw my hands up in defeat. “Most people get around the planet on a hover tram. Though that is mostly in the larger cities on other planets. Icturi is a refugee planet. It is not as advanced as many others but it is rich with green forests and oceans.”

“And demon bears that try to eat you. Let’s not forget those.” I quiver at the memory. This earns me a chuckle from Azandum. It is a husky tenor note that does unexpected things to my body. And of course, that takes my mind back to last night when I saw his exceptionally large, ridged penis hanging between his legs. I fell asleep uncomfortably aroused and confused at my arousal.

My eyes constantly dart over to him as we walk. He’s nothing like the other aliens I’ve come in contact with. And by that I mean, he’s not dragging me kicking and screaming or trying to sell me. He even answers my questions. He could’ve easily kicked me off his property and made me fend for myself in the woods. I’m not saying he’s some alien savior or anything but things are off to a good start. Wow, space has really lowered my standards.

When we arrive at the market, Azandum, or Zan as I have been calling him in my head, leads me into a building with lines of people standing in front of a desk. It reminds me of a bank. He informed me that this was the registration center but they deal with other legalities as well.

“Next.” The alien teller calls. We walk forward and are greeted by a woman with bright pink skin. Her voice is a strange grainy sound like there is something stuck in her throat. Round green eyes alight with interest as Zan approaches the counter. “And what can I do for you?” she asks in a sultry voice.

“We are here to apply for a registry,” Zan tells her, oblivious.

She glances at me dismissively then settles her attention on him again. “One registration?” He nods.

“Species?”

“Terran.”

They continue the give and take cycle for a few more minutes.

“Hold out your wrist,” the lady tells me.

I look to Zan and he nods, giving me the go-ahead. I do and she scans a device over my wrist. It beeps then she pulls it away. I look at my wrist and find a teal glowing circle with white swirls.

“This is so cool! What is it?” I glanced up at Zan giddily who was already watching me with those obsidian eyes.

“It is your registration. That is Icturi’s official stamp. This,” He taps his finger on my wrist, “is also how you will give and receive credits.”

“Credits?”

“Yes, credits are the currency out here. I've done research and they are similar to your cryptocurrency of Terra.”

“Are you going to be her primary?” The desk lady asks Zan. He seems to pause for a moment before nodding. Her eyes seem to widen. I’ll ask him about that later.

“Anything else I can do for you darlin’? Perhaps something a little less formal?” She purrs. I snort and duck my head. Zan looks at me confused before giving his eyes back to the woman.

“That’ll be all,” he answers.

“She was so into you,” I tell him.

We leave and are on our way out of the market when an olive-colored creature steps into our path. The being is wide and about the same height as Zan but that is where the similarities end. This creature has grainy skin and quills for hair. Its mouth is turned into a snarl and its back is hunched over.

“What’re you doin’ here Tumerian?” The thing asks in a voice that sounds like it’s drowning.

“Minding my business, Xoid. You should follow my example.” Zan replies evenly before moving to step around the creature. Instead of allowing us to pass, it steps back in front of us. Zan wraps his hand around my arm possessively and pulls me close to his side.

“Your people don’t know how to mind their business or did you forget?” Xoid growls. I’m not sure if that is his name or his species.

“I have not forgotten the suffering that was shared because of the war. Let’s not cause more pain by bringing up things of the past.” Zan grits. I can see the muscles in his jaw flexing irritably.

“Pain?! You know nothing of pain! I lost my entire family in the war! You Tumerians took everything from me. Maybe I should do the same to you.” The Xoid bellows before narrowing his eyes on me. The grip on my arm tightens.

“You will not touch her,” Zan growls.

The Xoid sneers and lunges for me but before he could get to me Zan pushes me out of arm’s reach. Large black wings snap out from behind him, taloned claws and deadly fangs extend, and his obsidian eyes narrow into dangerous slits. I stumble backward in terrified awe as the man I was just walking with transforms into the raging beast that contrasts his seemingly calm demeanor. Crouched low, the two beasts circle each other in the center of the market. The creature charges first. Zan flaps his wings once, shooting up into the air, and diving back down onto the Xoid’s back. One strong purple arm wraps around the Xoid’s head while the other holds it in place. The creature whirls around aimlessly knocking precious items off merchant stands. I duck behind one of the tents and stare in wonder as Azandum holds the beast.

“Do not make me kill you Xoid! Stop this nonsense at once!” Azandum bellows. The Xoid roars in response and rams his back into a post. My breath hitches as Zan grunts in pain. Clawed hands scratch at purple arms attempting to dislodge them from his neck. Zan roars with renewed strength and flaps his large wings lifting both he and the Xoid into the air. I watch as he drags them higher and higher. He appears to be talking to the man but I cannot make out the words. Suddenly the Xoid is sailing through the air until he hits the ground with a bone-shattering crack. Green liquid leaks from his head onto the russet sand. I drag my eyes from the body on the ground back to Azandum as he floats back down graceful and lands beside the creature with a somber expression on his face.

He places his fist to his chest and nods at the dead man. “Matu and Fati bless your journey home.”

Zan rolls his shoulders back and his wings fold firmly in place. I slowly step out of my hiding spot and walk towards him. He remains to stare at the man’s body. Tentatively, my hand makes contact with his arm. Hissing fangs flash at me before they retract almost immediately. I drawback in wide-eyed fear.

“Forgive me. Come.” He takes my hand in his and we walk away from the market. Our hands stay intertwined the whole way back to his estate and strangely, I am okay with that. When we get inside, he walks me to my room. As he leaves, I fight whether or not to tell him what I’m thinking.

“Zan?” He looks back. “You tried,” I say. He simply nods and walks away.

I sit on the bed and think about what happened today. Remembering Zan transform like that on a whim causes a slither of fear. So, this is the guy I’m putting all my hopes in? Gentle one moment and a raging beast the next? I could see it in his face that he did not want to kill the Xoid, but the creature left him no choice. For some reason, this is weighing on him. Maybe it has something to do with this war they were referring to. So many questions, not enough answers.

I didn’t see him for the rest of that day. I got hungry and in the kitchen, I found a plate of vegetables waiting for me already. I didn’t think eating by myself would bother me since I’ve done it most of my adult life yet for some reason it did.

In fact, I didn’t see much of Zan for the next few days. The most we’ve interacted with is a slight incline of his head as he passes by. Why is it bothering me? I’ve barely known this guy, yet I can’t help but want to be around him. When Zan’s in the room it’s like the entire space and everyone in it is attuned to his presence. That might sound overbearing and suffocating to some but for me it just makes me feel less alone.

By the fourth afternoon, I am fed up with this little ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ game we’ve been playing. So instead of going back to my room after dinner, I go in search of the big purple alien, though I have no idea where I am going. This place is a lot bigger than I initially thought. The further into the house I venture, the more I feel like I’m snooping in places I don’t belong. I just so happen to find a very useful medicinal supply cabinet. Why did I decide to look in there? I have no idea because there was no way Zan’s large body would fit in that small space. Suddenly I come upon a set of stairs that lead down and follow them. Trepidation starts to creep up my spine the further I go. I feel around for some sort of light switch but find nothing. At this point, I am just ambling around in the dark.

A warm breeze floats across my skin. I turn towards it with my hand out but feel nothing.

“Zan?” I call out but get nothing in response. The hairs on the back of my neck tingle with the presence of something behind me. I turn around but I can see nothing at all. My breathing starts to get heavy as fear latches on. Deciding to keep moving, I face forward but stop in my tracks when I feel hot breath dance across my face.

“I know you’re here,” I whisper. He doesn’t say anything so I continue. “I-I think that we should talk.”

“Hm,” is his response. The air changes and I can’t feel him in front of me anymore but I know he’s still there.

“I have questions. Lots of questions. And I want answers.” I state with a bit more conviction. He circles me like the predator he is and the fact that I am entirely at his mercy here sends a spike of white-hot arousal and fear through my body causing me to shudder. I hear a deep inhale followed by a rumbling growl that draws a whimper from my lips. Oh, god.

“You shouldn’t be here.” The deep voice sounds from behind me. He is so close I can feel his warm breath tingling on my neck. I almost want to lean back into him but I don’t because that would be completely inappropriate. Right? I turn around to find narrow black slits and golden irises staring back at me.

“Then make me leave,” I challenge. Woah, where the fuck did that come from? If I thought his eyes couldn’t get any more intense, I was wrong. I gasp as a strong arm is suddenly around my waist, smashing my body into his. My nipples instantly harden. Hot breath tickles my ear. What am I doing? I should be afraid not turned on, very very afraid. Yet?

“Careful Echo, when you play with fire you get burned,” Zan growls in my ear before releasing me and grabbing my hand. All of a sudden I’m being led to who knows where but all I can think about is what just happened. As I try to get my hormones under control, Zan leads me into a dimly lit library filled to the brim with books. My breath hitches as I release his hand and take it all in. My earlier arousal is a thing of the past.

“Wow,” is all I can say as I spin around. There’s so much knowledge here, shelves upon shelves of books in all different shapes and sizes. I shriek in excitement. Zan looks at me with amusement.

“This is where I spend most of my time. Come, let me show you.” He holds out his hand for mine and I take it excitedly. He shows me all of the different sections. The entire place is self-organized by purpose and year. After he gives me a mini-tour, we sit together on one of the couches and Zan tries to get me to taste one of his favorite snacks.

“What is it?” I ask, eyeing the tiny mustard-colored balls that look a lot like fish eggs.

He chuckles and holds out the spoonful to me. “There is no point in me telling you where it comes from. It will only make you more confused.” Fair point. “You will enjoy it. Trust me.”

Do I though? Do I trust him? I’ve only known him for a short time yet he’s shown me more kindness than I’ve ever received on Earth. I’ve imposed on his life and more than likely brought danger to his doorstep yet he continues to care for me. Why? I realize from the confused expression on his face that I asked the question out loud instead of in my head.

“Why what?”

I bite my lip and look away. “Why are you taking care of me? I have brought nothing to you but trouble. Yet, here you are showing me something so precious,” I motion towards all the books. “I have nothing to offer in return.”

“I was once where you are. After the war, I had no place to call home, and no way to know if my family survived. But someone showed me kindness and all they asked in return was that I repay the favor.” He answers with a faraway gaze.

“So, you were just repaying your debt?” The spike of hurt that I felt was replaced by relief when he shook his head.

“I have turned many away who have come seeking aid. I could have repaid my debt long ago. Helping you was not about my debt but about you. You’ve endured and overcame drastic events in less than a cycle that many will never face in their entire lifetime. You, little Terran, are a warrior in your own right.”

“Was the person that helped you your primary?”

“Yes, a primary assumes responsibility for their charge in case of emergency or anything of that sort. A person can be their own primary but because you do not know this place, I decided to take that responsibility.”

A lone tear falls from my eyes and I quickly swipe it away. “Well, consider your debt paid in full.” My voice cracks despite my false bravado.

“Why are you leaking?” Zan asks. Of course, the first place I look is at my completely dry pants then I look back at the alien man who is looking at me as if I am the strangest thing on the planet. To be fair, I might be.

“I am not “leaking”. What are you talking about?”

“This liquid that falls from your eyes, what is it?” I burst out laughing causing more tears to fall down my face. Zan is looking at me as if I have grown another head. He probably thinks I’m malfunctioning or something. The thought only makes me laugh harder.

“Those are called tears Zan. It is what happens when humans feel certain emotions strong enough such as sadness, happiness, grief, anger, etc,” I explain. He swipes his thumb across my cheek then brings it to his mouth, tasting my tears. Huh, I’m not exactly sure how I’m supposed to feel about that.

“So, these tears are simply a chemical reaction to your emotional state of mind and they offer no evolutionary advantage to your species?”

I stare in disbelief at how he managed to simultaneously grasp a concept and ridicule it in the same sentence. Nonetheless, I nod in response.

“That’s absurd.”