Chapter Four
Thev
I woke up before dawn. Soon, the two suns of Reazus Prime would rise, and it was better to be on the road when that happened. But I looked at the human female nestled in my arms, and I didn’t have it in me to wake her up.
Her skin was back to normal – pale and smooth, the softest thing I’d ever touched. Her short, yellow hair was tousled, strands sticking everywhere in the most adorable way. She was so unlike the female of my species. There were no fair-haired females in my kingdom. Zokunians were all green-skinned and dark-haired. We lived in the deepest, lushest forests of Zorran, and our physical appearance had adapted to our environment.
She opened her eyes, smiled up at me, and sighed softly.
“You’re staring.”
I smiled back. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. What are you thinking about?”
“How different you are.”
“In a good way, or a bad way?”
“In the best way possible.” I threaded my fingers through her hair. “There are no fair-haired, fair-skinned females in the Kingdom of Zo’kun. I once saw a Zolunian female, and her skin was ice-like, and her hair white. But you’re more beautiful than that.”
At my words, she perked up, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“What are you on about? What’s a Zolunian?”
“I’ll tell you all about my planet on the walk to the center of the island.”
“So, that’s where we’re headed?”
“Yes.” I got up and started getting dressed.
“What’s at the center of the island?”
I wasn’t going to tell her. Not yet. More than anything, I wanted to leave her on the ship, where I knew she would be safe. But I couldn’t do it. Yesterday, it would’ve been easy. Today, the hardest thing ever. I needed her by my side. I needed to keep an eye on her at all times and make sure she was safe, that she was fed and in no danger at all. It was better to take her with me. But I wasn’t going to tell her where we were going and what we were going to do there, because then... what if she freaked out and decided she didn’t want any part in it? It would be a smart decision on her part, but I couldn’t stand the idea of not having her with me.
“You’ll see. Come on, we’ll eat first, and then we’ll go.”
After our failed attempt at getting to the center of the island yesterday, I felt inspired to stuff her bag with a few cans of food, water, and medicine. She wasn’t as tough as I was. While I could go for days without food and water without feeling a dip in my energy, she needed to eat and drink every few hours. Also, if she once again fell in a pool of poisonous mud, it was better to have all the medicine I’d gotten on Zorran with me. She insisted on carrying the bag, even after I repeatedly told her that I could carry it. She was a proud one, my Angie. She wanted to be of use. That, or she felt bad because she knew all the food, water, and medicine was for her.
We braved the dark forest once more. She stuck close to me, and I fought the urge to walk ahead. Yes, I needed to get to the cave, and I had to find my sister. But for some reason, Angie was more important than any of that at the moment. At least until we got to the other side of the forest, I would slow down and make sure she didn’t get hurt.
“So, tell me.”
“Zorran is the planet I come from. It has three continents and two oceans. Each continent is a kingdom ruled by a king and queen. The Kingdom of Zo’kun is where I was born and lived all my life. We live deep in the forest, surrounded by giant trees, and we’ve tamed most of the wild beasts. Our soil is fertile, and Zo’kun is the richest and friendlies of the three kingdoms. Then, there’s the Kingdom of Zo’lun, which is in the north, and is cold and harsh. Zolunians have adapted, and their skin is like ice, their hair white, and their eyes blue. And there’s also the Kingdom of Zo’mun, which is in the south, where our giant sun shines the strongest. They, too, have adapted, and their skin is red, and their hair like fire. The three kingdoms are unique and rich in their own way, but I will personally always believe that my race, the Zokunians, are the ones who’ve been truly blessed. And my sister will make a great queen. Years from now, everyone will talk about Ta’sha Sturmblut.”
“Sturmblut? Is that your name, too?”
“Yes. I am Thev’rar Sturmblut.”
She gave me a bright smile. “Well, I’m Angelica Parrish, since we’re sharing full names.”
“Angelica.” The name sounded melodious, and I loved saying it. “I will call you Angelica from now on.”
“You really don’t have to, Thev.”
“And you will call me Thev’rar.”
“Yeah, that won’t happen. Thev is much easier. It flows better, and frankly, it sounds much cooler.”