The Dawning of Fate

As the day’s sun begins to set and the orange tint takes over the sky, I gather my things and retire from “playing in the dirt” as Zan affectionately calls my environmental studies. As I’m getting ready to take a shower there’s a knock at my door. Sliding it open, Azandum stops abruptly and faces me. Was he pacing?

“What’s up Zan?

“I would like to take you somewhere, now.” I stare at him, a bit taken back by the request.

“You sure? It’s getting late and it’ll be dark soon.”

“I know. That is why I will fly us there,” he announces that like it is old news to him. Quite frankly, it is old news to him but entirely new for me. I can’t deny that I would love to fly with him but I’m a lot more nervous. Despite that, I find myself agreeing.

“I will pack a few supplies and you can pack your clothing. Do not forget your cloak.” With that, he walks away, leaving me to complete the tasks assigned to me. I’m still a bit shocked at the abrupt gesture yet I find myself throwing clothes in a bag giddily.

After we’re all packed and ready to go, we meet by the door. Thunder begins whining and rubbing himself against my leg.

“Thunder, it’s okay buddy. We’ll be back soon. You have to be a good boy and guard the house, okay?” I scratch him behind the ear and follow Zan out the door. Thunder makes a move to follow. “No, Thunder. Stay.” He whines some more but stays put.

“You ready?” Zan asks, pulling the hood of my new, black cloak over my head. I swallow a gulp and nod. He bends down and scoops me up in his arms bridal style. Large wings flare out behind him and my heart starts pounding rapidly in my chest.

“Relax,” Zan whispers to me. His calming voice fills my ears and my eyes drift closed. “Everything will be fine.”

The wind brushes across my face and the only thing I can hear is the whooshing of Zan’s wings.

“If you keep your eyes closed, you will miss the view,” he whispers. I bury my face into his chest and my eyes close tighter.

“Oh yes, the view is amazing in here,” I mumble. He chuckles and it sends a vibration through my body.

“I’m sure it is,” Zan replies cockily. I peek one eye open to glare at him. He looks down at me and the smile on his face beyond beautiful. “Look.”

Hesitantly, I peek over my shoulder and gasp. High above the ground, the lush green forest below is teeming with life. The village market and houses look like tiny specs in the distance as we move further and further away. I realize that we’re flying towards the ragged, snowy mountains. I look back at Zan with curiosity but his face remains stoic.

The further we go, the colder the air gets. Zan’s body somehow stays warm the entire time and I am eternally grateful. Soon, I feel him start to descend. I don’t uncover my face though because the icy wind is cruel against my skin. Zan lands smoothly then carefully places me on my feet. His arm stays wrapped around my waist. “Open your eyes.”

My eyes flutter open and the sight before me steals air in my lungs. Standing on a mountain edge, tears form in my eyes as I take in the unworldly beauty of the opal ocean below. The lustrous twin moons reflect off the surface of the water basking us in their light. Far beyond, the sky and the water meet, sharing secrets the world will never hear. The air is freezing up this high but the view makes up for it in plenty.

“Oh, Zan. I-”

“I know,” he whispers behind me, sounding as awestruck as I. I tear my eyes away from the sight and face him. Opal light dances in the onyx darkness of his eyes. I’ve never seen a man more beautiful. He brushes a stray braid behind my ear and lets his finger trail my jaw.

“There’s more,” he tells me in a low voice as if speaking too loudly will obstruct the beauty of such a moment. Taking my hand, Zan leads me away from the edge. We begin to descend stone stairs carved into the mountainside, the snow crunching beneath our feet. They lead into the open mouth of a marvelous cave. I let my hand glide along the smooth walls as Zan walks us further back. The chilling bite of the air fades into oblivion once we reach a hot spring at the back of the cave. Oh my gosh, I want to scream in excitement. The subtle glow of the spring basks the cave in soft light. Looking at Zan, tears start to form in my eyes. No one has ever done anything like this for me, ever.

“This does not please you?” He asks with a hint of worry in his voice. I shake my head furiously as I walk closer to him.

“No, this is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. My tears are because I am happy.”

“It pleases me to make you happy,” he replies in a low voice. I smile and look back at the spring. “Go, enjoy. I will set up the area for us to sleep.” He seems to hesitate for a moment before pressing his lips to my forehead and walking deeper into one of the two tunnels in the cave.

Butterflies float around in my stomach as I remove my clothes. That’s what Zan does to me, makes me feel like a high school girl all over again. At first, I dip a toe in the water before slowly sliding my entire body in. I let out a deep sigh as the heat soothes my muscles. The water rests just below my shoulders. My eyes flutter closed as I back float and give myself over to relaxation. Steam rises and coats my skin in kisses.

Sometime later, a tingle dances along my spine, a tell-tale sign that I’m being watched. “You can join me if you want,” I voice out loud without opening my eyes.

“I shouldn’t,” he murmurs.

“I won’t steal your virtue, I swear,” I tease. His deep chuckle resonates throughout the cave.

“I’m afraid my virtue is long gone, little Terran.”

Floating back upright, I open my eyes and look up at him. The temperature of this water pales in comparison to Zan’s scolding gaze. “Join me.”

He stands there unmoving and then leisurely begins to remove his shoes. When his hands reach the waistband of his pants, he raises an eyebrow at me. I giggle softly and turn away. The shift in the water around me lets me know he’s entered. I bite my lip, trying to get my heartbeat under control. Purple hands slide along my arms causing me to flinch in surprise. Steadily, Zan begins to knead the tension out of my shoulders. His thumbs press and circle into the back of my neck. A soft, drawn-out moan escapes my lips. A low purring sound seems to be coming from Zan’s chest and I unconsciously lean into it. His strong arm snakes around me and rests beneath my collar bones, holding me in place. Time seemed to slow just for us at this moment. There wasn’t a need to make conversation or act on our desire. We were content in each other’s embrace.

Eventually, Zan whispered that I needed to eat and we each dried and put on clothes before walking hand in hand towards the fire he’d built. Zan was chivalrous enough to turn away whilst I dressed. I thought it was adorable. Two piles of warm furs are laid out a safe distance from the fire. We sit and Zan lets me roast my meat over the fire while he slices his with a claw.

“How did you find this place?” I ask, turning the meat over on the stick.

“When I first landed here, I flew to the top of this peak and just stared out over the land. My life then was very much different than it is now. At the time, there was a tribe that lived within these mountains and they offered me shelter. Lunars later, a disease spread through the mountains, carried by another traveler, and the tribe died off. I’ve only been back here a few times since. You are the first person I’ve brought with me.”

My cheeks flush and I smile while removing the finished meat from the fire. “Zan, how old are you?”

“I stopped counting lunars ago.” He looks at me from across the fire.“Why?”

I shrug, “Just wondering, I figured you were old.”

“And does this bother you?”

I shake my head and honestly, it doesn’t. He doesn’t look old but somehow I knew. He carries years of knowledge in his onyx depths that you can only learn with age.

We finish eating and share our goodnights. I lay on my back staring at the ceiling as sleep evades me. The fire cackles softly illuminating the cave walls. I glance over at Zan who’s lying with his back facing the fire. A crazy idea forms in my head. Before I can change my mind, I silently crawl over and climb onto the furs with him.

“Echo,” he starts, his voice sounding strained.

“Shh. Go to sleep.”

He exhales audibly and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. The butterflies were dancing around my heart now. And so I slept, content in his warmth.

When morning comes, the intoxicating scent of burning pine floods my senses and a smile spreads across my face. My eyes flutter open to a broad purple chest and when I drag them up, the man who owns it is staring at me.

“Good morning,” I greet.

“Yes, it is.” The husky tenor of his voice sends a fresh wave of excitement straight to my core. Zan inhales and intense eyes settle on me.

“We should start packing,” I suggest.

“That would probably be wise,” he agrees whilst burying his nose in my hair. Neither of us makes a move to get up though.

Ultimately, I’m the one who makes the first move. Zan groans and holds me tighter. I laugh. “Some of us have responsibilities, Zan. I have a dog to feed.”

“The beast can find his own food,” he murmurs.

Laughing, I hit him in the chest and he reluctantly lets me go. Once we have everything packed, we make our way out. I spare one longing glance at the hot spring before we exit the cave. “We will return,” Zan tells me as he lifts me in his arms. I nod, wrapping my arms around his neck as he takes off, sending us sailing through the air.

As soon as my feet touch the ground, Thunder comes running out of the house and jumping on me and I fall to the ground, giggling happily. He licks me ferociously.

“I missed you too buddy.” I scratch and ruffle his head.

Once Thunder calms down, I get back up on my feet and glance at Zan who’s looking at the dog with distaste.

“He missed you too,” I told him. “Didn’t you Thunder?” Thunder makes a sound that resembles a scoff and shakes his large head. My mouth hangs open in shock. Oh my god.

“You were seconds away from becoming a new fur for my bed, beast. Never forget that” Zan hisses at Thunder before walking off.

I shake my head and follow him inside. “Zan, do we have time to go to the market today?”

“Yes,” he answers as he starts storing away the unused meats. “We will go after your training.” I nod and go to change for my lessons.

I finally figured out the right material combination for yoga pants and I am super excited! Yoga pants and a hoodie was my go-to outfit back home and I’ve missed the comfortable clothes so much. I made so many, each in different patterns and colors. Today I chose the purple pair and the sleeved crop top to match.

As I jog outside, Zan’s narrow slits follow my every move. I stop in front of him and wait for my instructions.

“These threads,” he starts, eyes studying every inch of my body. The thorough inspection causes delicious tingles to rush through my veins. “I like them.”

I blush and voice my thank you. For the next hour or so, we run through my stances and I practice dodging shots.

“Good work. You are improving quickly,” Zan praises. “Do you need to gather anything before we go?”

I nod and run into the house. After I find the torn cloak, I rip a piece long and thick enough to fit. Thunder trots into the room when I call him and sits still while I tie the thread around his neck. I make sure it’s not too tight and then we are on our way back out the door. Zan looks at Thunder then back at me.

“Absolutely not.”

“But Zan! I want to take him for a walk and now’s the perfect time to do it,” I reason.

“And what will you do when he attacks someone at the market? Domesticated or not, Thunder is still a wild animal.”

I glance down at Thunder then back and Zan and sigh. Squatting down, I untie the makeshift leash from around his neck and ruffle his fur. “Sorry boy, the big bad alien said no.”

Thunder whines before setting his sights on Zan with a growl.

“Vratting dog. You can bring him but if he attacks anyone, I won’t be held accountable.”

Excitedly, I tie the leash back and we leave. On the way there, I run around with Thunder in the open clearings while Zan watches with amusement. As we get closer though, I call Thunder to me and take him by the leash. I snicker to myself as we enter the market and people’s eyes widen. I’m sure we look like an odd trio. A beastly animal on a leash, a Terran female, and a Tumerian warrior. Thunder growls low when people get too close but overall he’s behaving well. I will give him a treat later.

Zan takes hold of Thunder’s leash while I wander around the market. He’s never too far behind. Searching around, I find the merchant stand I’m looking for and traverse to it. It’s deeper into the market’s throng but I guess it would be for what he sells. As I approach, he eyes me with salacious interest and I cringe.

“What can I do for a little thing like you?” He slurs. The merchant doesn’t tower over me like most of the aliens I’ve come across do. He seems to be about my height. The charcoal-colored skin is lined with some form of tattoos.

I ignore him as I study the different blades on display. Moss colored eyes follow my every move. Picking up a few, I test out their weight. Most of them are too heavy but I do find a nice red dagger with silver trimming. I test its weight in my hand, swinging it around a bit then nodded.

“How much?”

“500 credits. I’d be happy to change that price for something in exchange,” he adds with a smutty grin. I roll my eyes and hold out my wrist. He shrugs and scans a device over it. When the counter reads 500, I pull my wrist away, gather my new weapon, and leave the merchant stand.

As I’m on my way back, strong arms grab me and the breath is knocked out of me when I’m suddenly sailing through the air. When we land, I spot shades of purple through my coughing.

“Azandum, what the-

The face staring back at me has the same color and the same features as Zan but the long scar running down his left eye tells a different story. I gasp and stumble back into a wall. Suddenly the Tumerian has his arm pressing into my throat but I have my blade at his stomach.

“How do you know that name?!” He growls in my face. “Tell me!” He bellows. I press the blade deeper into his skin and he hisses.

Loud barking and pounding paws fill my ears but I don’t take my eyes off the man in front of me. The uncanny resemblance to Zan is shaking me to my core. The Tumerian diverts his eyes as Thunder rounds the corner charging for him. I ram my foot between his legs, and he roars, but before he can retaliate, another pair of purple arms wrap around his throat.

Both Tumerians inhale deeply and suddenly Zan releases him and stumbles back looking completely in shock. I’ve never seen him so off-kilter. The man who attacked me is wearing a similar expression. Looking at them both near each other, I gasp. They’re twins!

“Azandum?” The Tumerian calls, his voice is confused and hopeful at the same time. Zan doesn’t respond, he just stares.

I pick up Thunder’s leash and guide him towards Zan. He continues to growl and bark and the other man but he follows nonetheless. Once I’m right beside him, I place my hand on his arm.

“Zan? Are you okay?” I whisper. He blinks a few times, looks down at me then back at his twin.

“Brother,” Zan finally responds and his voice is heavy with emotion. The two walk closer to each other and clasp their forearms. They seem to be having a private conversation with each other as they look into each other’s eyes.

“Let us talk. Come to my home,” Zan tells him as he grabs my hand. His brother follows the movement and nods his head. We all leave and walk back to the estate in heavy silence. Once we’re inside the perimeter, I remove the leash from Thunder and he runs off.

“I’ll give you two a moment,” I tell Zan, moving to go in the house. A hand closes around my wrist and I stiffen with fear, instantly swinging my other arm around. Zan stops the blade in my hand mid-strike and narrows his eyes at me.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-”

He nods in understanding. “This is my womb mate, Amondis,” he introduces.

Amondis thumps his fist to his chest and inclines his head at me. I furrow my eyebrows at him.

“Why’d you attack me?” I ask, stepping towards him. His eyes narrowed into slits identical to Zan’s but instead of the warm, golden color, they are more of a sandstone tint.

“I was tasked to find and return you to your buyer. I was not aware you were under Azandum’s protection. You have my apologies.”

I huff in frustration and walk away from the two brothers. I whistle for Thunder as I make my way inside. He comes running behind me and I toss him a piece of dried meat before retiring to my room. I take a long shower and decide to redo my braids.

Thunder comes in and lays across my lap. “Thunder, why can’t people just leave me alone? All I wanted out of life was a little adventure and a lot of plants. I didn’t sign up for all this shit.”

I sigh, thinking about how much things have changed for me in less than 6 months. “I guess it’s not all bad. I have you and Zan. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost either of you.” Just then, Thunder rubs his head against me and I smile.

I don’t know how much time has passed but once I’ve finished unraveling the old braids, a large cloud of crinkly ginger hair crowns my head. My poor arms are too tired to start on the new ones. My stomach growls loudly and Thunder looks at it, tilting his head to the side. I laugh and pat his big body. “I guess it’s time to eat, huh?”

I enter the kitchen with Thunder and see Zan and Amondis sitting at the table. Two sets of black eyes land on my hair then back on me.

“Hi,” I mumble before proceeding to pile up a bowl of fruits. I’m just about to leave out again when Zan appears in front of me.

“What happened to your worms?”

“Zan, I told you they are not worms. And I’m in the process of redoing them, I just got tired,” I reply, eating my fruit.

“This is different,” he whispers, fingers massaging my scalp. “I like this very much.” I blush then swat his hand away. “Amondis has some information to share with you. Come, sit.”

We sit down side by side, facing his brother. I continue to eat.

“The man who bought you, his name is Dronan. He is a very wealthy and powerful man. He owns a line of casinos and brothels on the pleasure planet Trax.”

“Pleasure planet?”

“It is exactly as it sounds,” Zan answers for him. I raise my eyebrow at him. How does he know? Amondis tries and fails to hide the smirk on his face.

“Anyway, why does this Dronan want me and why me in particular?” Things were going great. I was finally learning about different cultures and getting back into my environmental studies. Now, this.

Amondis shrugs. “This I do not know. I am merely a mercenary.”

I exhale heavily “So what’s that like? If you don’t mind me asking.”

He looks away for a moment before returning his eyes to me. “It’s dangerous and sometimes you have to do morally questionable acts to survive.”

I nod in understanding. “I’m Echo by the way. You should probably know someone’s name before you go spilling your life’s story.”

He chuckles and inclines his head. “Duly noted. I have informed my brother that the men who retrieved you from Niscus were killed upon impact when their ship crashed on this planet. It is a miracle that you survived.”

I nod solemnly.

Zan disappears for a second and comes back, holding the blade I bought, an accusation written in his eyes. “So, this is what you wanted to go to the market for?”

I smile sheepishly. “Well, did you expect me to walk around with one of your swords?”

He scoffs. “Of course not, don’t be ridiculous.”

"The two of you argue like mother and father used to back on Tumeria," Amondis says with mirth.

I make a show of motioning towards the blade. He sighs and hands it over to me, I take it. Upon closer inspection, I see that the silver designs on the handle depict a large beast engulfed in flames.