Chapter two
Delta opened her eyes – then slammed them shut again. Her head felt like it had been cleaved by an axe, and the blinding light made the pain worse. She took a few deep breaths, fighting back a wave of dizziness, and took stock of her surroundings.
She was flat on her back, lying on a thin mat. Under it, a hard surface jerked and rocked beneath her. Definitely not Garez’s transport cruiser. There was a nasty smell coming from somewhere, carried on the current of hot air pouring over her body. The combination made her nauseous.
She put one hand over her eyes and peeked out from a slit between her fingers. Dusty brown bathed in a white glare so hot and bright it hurt to look at it. She groaned.
Close by, she heard whining again. Lord Axum’s envoy was speaking. She struggled to get past the irritating sounds drilling into her brain and make sense of the words.
“Long time… drink?”
“Yes. Please.” Her throat was so dry, she could barely form the words. It was a shock to hear the strange croaking noise coming out of her mouth. Although the chip seamlessly translated everything she said into Borvaani, her voice didn’t have the same high-pitched whine as that of her companion. Thank the Goddess. I couldn’t bear it if I sounded like a siturbium drill every time I opened my mouth.
He lifted her head and held a smelly animal-skin flask to her mouth. She turned away in disgust, but he poured a few drops from it over her lips. The liquid was cool and soothing, and she opened her mouth.
Not water. A strong, unfamiliar herbal taste with a hint of bitterness. Still, she welcomed the relief as it trickled down her parched throat.
After a few more sips, the headache subsided enough for her to struggle to a sitting position. The envoy’s arm supported her back, and she risked opening her eyes another crack. They were in a huge woven basket sitting on a wooden platform strapped to the back of a lumbering beast with a thick leather-like hide. Now I understand the smell – and the jerky rocking motion. It’s like riding on the back of a super-sized elephant. A flat, dusty brown plain stretched out around her in all directions, stark and barren under the glaring yellow sun.
“Where are we?”
“We are traveling across the Kalian Desert on Borvaan.”
“Borvaan? Where’s Garez? And his ship?”
Her companion made a huffing sound in his nose that reminded her of a mare whinnying. “That gray creature? He and his trash heap of a ship are halfway across the vector by now. You’ve been out for three rotations. In fact, I’m surprised you’re awake so soon. Most alien females stay asleep until we reach the citadel.”
She whipped her head around and groaned as another stab of pain hit her.
“Careful. The effects of Garez’s sleeping tonic take time to fade away.”
“Sleeping tonic my ass. If I’ve been comatose for three days, he injected me with a highly potent drug. And since I was the first Earther he bought, it’s one that’s never been used on humans before. If he does this all the time, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’s accidentally killed some of his captives while trying to subdue them.”
The Borvaani gave another dismissive huff. “Our world is a harsh one. Not all aliens can survive here. Better to die an easy death asleep than a slow, agonizing one awake.”
Delta bit off the angry retort she’d been about to make. The envoy had stopped Garez from torturing her. He’d given her something to drink, even helped her sit up. He’d treated her with more decency than anyone had shown since Magnus took her and her fellow crew members captive back on the Luna. There was no point making an enemy of someone whose help she might need to escape.
Shading her eyes from the glare, she took a good look at her traveling companion. The Borvaani was swathed in a long white robe with a hood thrown over his head for protection from the vicious rays of the sun. Shrewd black eyes peered back at her. He had a long, narrow face and leathery sun-bronzed skin. He seemed small in stature under the voluminous robe, as though the unforgiving dry heat had baked all the excess flesh from his bones.
The basket jolted sideways. She put out a hand to steady herself and noted with surprise that her arm was covered down to the fingertips in a white sleeve. Though the cloth was thin and light, she realized how much protection it offered when the sun’s rays landed on her exposed fingers. It felt like she’d just been hit by a flamethrower. Delta gasped and jerked her hand back, pulling her fingers deep into the wide sleeve.
She glanced down and realized at some point while she slept her escort had clothed her in a robe like the one he wore. Though she found the idea of being touched by the alien disturbing, she was grateful for the protection it offered.
“Thank you for giving me this garment.”
Her companion shrugged. “It is necessary to cover one’s body outdoors. You would not have survived long without it.”
She took another look at her surroundings. Brown-beige sand stretched to the horizon, relieved only by an occasional dull-ochre pile of rock. No signs of life. No sun-loving snakes slithering along. No telltale signs of a burrowing sand creature marred the landscape. Not even an outcropping of spindly twigs from a gray-green plant struggling to survive.
Even with the heat, she shivered at the desolation around her.
“The creature carrying us. How does it manage to withstand the heat?”
“The yamila have lived in the desert for millions of cycles. They evolved as our world grew hotter. Their hides provided natural protection from the sun, but now it has grown so fierce that even these creatures cannot bear it for more than a day at a time. It is from yamila that we make the fabric for our robes and the canopy you see above you.”
“How long is our journey?”
“A few hours more. We must be inside the walls of the city before nightfall.” He shook his head. “No one ventures into the desert after dark.”
“Since we will be traveling companions for a while longer, may I know your name?”
He gave a slight nod. “I am Fatar, galactic envoy of the Borvaani empire of Lord Axum.”
She inclined her head as well. “I am Delta Graystone, first mate of the Earther ship Luna.” She held out both hands toward him, palms up, and repeated the traditional Andromedan greeting used throughout the galaxy when meeting an alien species for the first time. “Blessings and peace to you and to all sentient creatures in the Universe.”
Instead of extending his own hands and giving her the usual response, he frowned. “Your species mates with transport vehicles?”
She stared at him for a moment, then recognition dawned. “No no no. First mate is the Earther term for second in command on a military vessel.”
“You are in the military?”
She nodded. “I am an officer in the Interstellar Federation.”
“Do you have a mate on your world?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer. He was taking her to the ruler of Borvaan. Most likely to serve as a sex slave, judging from Garez’s sales pitch during the inspection she’d been subjected to. Was he asking if she had someone who might come looking for her? Or was he asking if she was a virgin? She decided to answer the specific question he’d asked.
“No, I’ve never married.”
“Good. Lord Axum places great value on unsullied merchandise.”
“Yes, so you said earlier,” she responded drily.
He narrowed his eyes, but she stared back at him innocently. Fortunately, the Tellex chip translating her words into his language didn’t pick up sarcasm.
“Can you tell me about Lord Axum – and the place we’re going?”
Fatar took a swig from the animal-skin flask, handed it to her, and waited for her to drink before replying. She held her breath and gulped down a mouthful. The skin itself didn’t seem to have a foul odor, and now that she’d had time to acclimatize herself somewhat, she realized the smell was probably coming from the creature carrying them. I imagine they don’t have water to spare to wash these animals. I should consider myself fortunate that Fatar doesn’t stink, too.
As soon as the realization came to her, she had an awful thought. Maybe I’m the one who smells. She tried to recall the last time she’d had a bath. The space pirates had grudgingly allowed her and her fellow prisoners on the Luna to wash from time to time. Their leader Magnus kept them fed and bathed to protect his potential profit.
Fatar hadn’t shown any sign of disgust when he came near enough to support her so she could drink from the flask, but she still ducked her head and sniffed in the direction of her armpit. She wrinkled her nose. I smell like I’ve just jogged five parseps, but it’s not the same as that horrid odor. It’s definitely coming from the beast carrying us.
Her companion was giving her an odd look, and she hastily handed the flask back to him. “How long have you worked for Lord Axum?”
“I have been in service to my lord since he took the throne. Before that, I served his father until his untimely death.”
“So you know Lord Axum well.”
Fatar nodded. “Since he was born.”
Delta paused, trying to decide how to frame her next question. It wasn’t unusual for an alien species to collect specimens from other worlds and cage them as exhibits in an interstellar zoo. “Did you purchase me to be a… companion to Lord Axum? Or for him to display me as a novelty?”
Fatar raised an eyebrow. “I would have thought that even a world as distant as yours would be familiar with Lord Axum’s reputation. My master – and now yours – has the largest harem in the galaxy. Its fame is legendary. He owns females from every known alien race. Currently, several thousand of them. So, to answer your question – you will be both companion, as you put it, and novelty. If you please your master, you will enjoy a life of unparalleled luxury, your every whim satisfied. If you do not, you will be punished severely then most likely given as a token of his wealth and power to a visitor from another world.”
Thousands of females from different worlds, all vying to be the favorite. Delta was silent as she processed the information. She was about to compete in an arena far more dangerous than the ones faced by ancient gladiators on Earth. Males fought with testosterone-laden brawn. Females were far more dangerous. They could be the most compassionate, peace-loving creatures in the Universe. Or they could be cunning, ruthless foes, especially if the well-being of their offspring was involved.
All things considered, she’d have preferred facing the ancient gladiators.