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She looks at the blade. "We slaughtered your people," she says. "I should have known."
They killed all of us. All of us, except me. Strangely, I survived.
"This is the bond we both share. Our connection. It is the ugliness that slowly blackens our hearts," I say.
I grab a small folder of old photographs. It's been years since I looked at this stuff. It's miraculous it even survived. In this first picture, I stand as a boy near our small home.
We used to sit and tell stories together. It was an open community, a place where you could be yourself.
That's not to say that this was a time of purity. The elders raised us with strong caution. I try to explain what it was like, but I fear she won't be able to understand the other side of the coin.
"Earth’s invasion had been going on for more than a century. Little by little, they’d claim small victories. Death was always in the back of our minds like worms rising from the ground after rain.
“During dinner, we would watch the bombs fall over the eastern province of Ruyka, where the most elaborate cities and trade routes turned into ruins. Next, Earth Federation made a deal with the Gerkis aliens.
“Together, they allowed the Red Sands to prosper as a two state province. We were supposed to be the next target. All the reports said that Earth Federation would push us out of hiding. The youngest alphas thought we should stay and accept the military in peace. To submit to their ugliness. They thought Earth would welcome and integrate them into society. Of course, Earth Federation didn’t want any of that. The soldiers craved blood."
I flip to another picture. It's my brother. He's holding a Kayenpa horn, one that he cut off himself after graduating into adulthood. He would have been a father; the finest one this planet had ever seen.
She grabs my hand and laces her fingers through mine. "There was a split in the debate. The chieftain elders called for war. Out of all the others, we could be the tribe to hold them back. We wouldn't have to forfeit like the Gerkis. Our land differed from the Red Sands. We had dense swamps surrounding us. Large trees acted as protection. Nature was on our side," I say. "None of it helped. They torched the place. They tied and dragged the women to the center of town. They killed them all. Killed my brother and his mate. Killed the only friends I ever knew. Do you want to know the worst part?" I ask, immediately regretting it.
She sits in silence as the night comes back to me. I have no idea how she feels, but her eyes dart away. Does she pity me?
I remember wading in the swamps, watching the flames swallow our homes. I remember drifting away, slowly spinning, like all of it was some terrible nightmare. In shock from Earth Federation’s brutality, I fled for safety, but they caught me on the other side of the bank.
"They beat me and tied me to a tree. Scarred my face and chest with the burning metal of their knives. And my torture ceased to bring them more laughter, their cruelty increased. They stabbed me twice and left me to die," I say.
"You survived," she whispers, as if it's a good thing.
"Most of me. But I bottled up that anger and let it swell inside of me," I say. "The Syndicate found me. They took me in as their own. They taught me how to kill. Taught me how to be ruthless. And when I was old enough, I took my tribe's blade and killed every soldier that came in my path. I made sure everyone knew my name."
Now, they want to repeat history.
She looks away as a tear rolls down her cheek. I don't want to cause her any alarm. That's not why I'm telling her this. I want her to understand how life can turn into a tragedy. She needs to know how high the stakes can get. We are up against two empires.
I'm hoping I can turn us into a happy ending.
"It's better that it's over. I'm just tired of the guilt. Tired of worrying who might kill me next," I growl. "I'm tired of being shut out of existence like I'm a third-class citizen. I'm tired of Earth controlling our breeding patterns and mating rituals. They forced me into a life of hell, and so I lived with fire in my eyes. Forgive me if I can’t trust your friend, but it is not so easy to trust in humanity."
I let her look through the photographs before shutting them back in the box.
She leans her head against my shoulder, kisses me tenderly, and looks up to let me know that she's here with me. She doesn't know what to say, but that's not my expectation.
She promptly stands and attempts to pull me up. "Come on. I have an idea," she says.
Before I can stand, she steals the box from my hands and runs out of the shack. She shouts, "Bring lighter fluid. Lots and lots of lighter fluid!"
"Okay..."
I grab a torch and some fluid. There is no b
reeze, and the way the light filters through the clouds is mesmerizing. As I walk, I marvel at the purple sand and the way it shapes the surrounding rocks. How could I ever leave this place?
She is sitting in the entrance of a nearby cave, using her heels to form a small pit. She lines a few rocks around the edge and places the photographs inside.
"Lighter fluid," she says.
"You're acting crazy," I say.
