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Lerix sighed. “Then we will not put it to the test. We cannot risk endangering nineteen very vulnerable potential hostages and Cara would be absolutely livid with me if any of the humans got hurt.”
Varik hissed between his teeth. Of course. He vented his frustration on the dense, tangled growth in front of him. He was not sure if it was his imagination or not, but it seemed that the forest was becoming even more difficult to cut through. He snarled quietly to himself, but an unease settled deep in his cut when the forest grew quiet for a breath. His vibinum pricked as he stopped and slowly turned in place, his hand held up to silence the males closest to him as he warily scanned the forest. A piercing, song-like call broke through the air and his vibinum shot upward in a full crest around his head at a sudden burst of movement that sent a creature larger than his two hands put together flew rapidly over his head with its numerous colorful and sheer wings, the long translucent plumes of its tail sailing gracefully through the air behind it like a number of gauzy ribbons.
Eyes wide, he stared after it as it rose through the air at a steep angle to disappear into a darkened gap between two trees some distance overhead. It was an unusual angle of ascent. Why did it not go straight through the forest? His head cocked as he examined the heavily twisted vines directly in front of him as the sound of the remaining members of their party catching up to them met his ear. He ignored it for the time being, his focus entirely on the puzzle in front of him.
“Does the weave of these vines seem a little odd to you, Jornesh?” he rumbled thoughtfully.
His second in command nodded, his eyes narrowing at the cluster as he prodded them with his blaster. “Like they are wrapped around something, you mean, captain?”
Varik nodded and glanced over at Lerix who stood a short distance away, hands on his hips and head tilted back as he observed what was increasingly appearing to be some sort of barrier in front of them.
“A wall, I would say,” the Kadesh agreed. “And an entrance appears to be up there by the way the kilgee flew.” He rubbed the back of his neck and his eyes lowered and scanned the tangled mess that faded back into the depths of the forest. “There is likely an entrance somewhere on our level but only the gods themselves know how long it would take to find it.”
An ominous feeling pricked at his scales and vibinum. Walls were good to keep intruders out but were also used to keep dangerous things in—and they did not know which scenario they were dealing with here. He would suggest that they explore the perimeter and attempt to identify more specifically what they were dealing with first before making any rash decisions and then… his train of thought escaped him with the loud rustle and snap of bushes just behind him, accompanied by the gleeful shout of the prince’s arrival.
“We climb then,” Gaix declared as he emerged from the woods with his gonsi directly behind him. There was a look of excitement on his face as he joined them, leaving the bedraggled train of his mates to slowly follow as they picked their way through the brush with the assistance of his crew.
Curse of the gods, more the one male looked entirely besotted over the female he was helping. Biting back a groan, Varik turned to address Gaix with his concern.
“Shining Star, a wall here of such size would suggest—” Varik began but the Calysii prince cut him off with a sharp slice of his hand.
“All it suggests is that this must be the outer wall of a great palace, the likes of such we are looking for,” Gaix interrupted gleefully as he rubbed his hands together in excitement. “Which means that we climb!”
Jornesh’s head tipped back, and he frowned doubtfully. “You wish to climb all the way up there?”
The Calysii’s tail flicked impatiently. “Well, not me personally. Calysii are not evolved for such rugged terrain like the Lorgor are. You will have to carry each of us in turn.”
Athdar squinted up at the shadowy entrance and shook his head. “I can make the climb unassisted, but I will travel up with you to make sure that you arrive safely,” he remarked, cutting a cool, distrustful gaze toward the assembled Lorgor.
Gaix nodded and turned immediately toward Varik, a triumphant smile on his face. “Captain Otorol, you will carry me. I trustyounot to drop me. Once I’m safely on the other side you may return to help my mates with their ascent. Make sure that they touch my females as little as possible,” he added, waving a hand in disgust at the other males. “I do not wish my mates to smell of Lorgor.”
A flicker of amusement appeared on more than one Lorgor face, but the expression was subtle and easily missed by Calysii who never bothered to learn anything about Lorgor social cues and interactions. So long as they served obediently, that was all that they cared about. Varik gritted his teeth as he ignored his officers and bowed deferentially to the prince before crouching low so that the prince could mount and secure himself to his powerful back. A sick amusement curled through him, however, at how unsuspecting the male was. He trusted him—a male who claimed one of his own females—to do him no harm and spoke of disdaining the scent of Lorgor on his mates without ever picking up on the faint imprints of Varik’s scent buried within sweet Stacey. Every Lorgor in his crew could rut one of the prince’s precious females and, for all of his obvious disgust, he would never know. The male was beyond a fool but made no comment as the straps of his uniform were adjusted into a harness. Though intended for rescue missions, it was not unusual for Calysii to make use of it for their own needs.
The prince patted Varik’s vibinum like the head of some trusted pet and settled back into the harness. “I am secure, captain. You may proceed.”
Grunting in acknowledgement, Varik stepped toward the tangled vines and looked over at Jornesh.
“Follow us. You will take point to supervise whatever we find at the other side.”
His officer nodded, and Varik tipped his head back, looking up the imposing height of the wall. He was aware that his movements were being shadowed by the gonsi as the male took position at his right, his weapon readily visible at his side—insurance against Varik dropping the spoiled prince on his head like he wanted to. Grabbing a firm handhold on the vines, he cautiously ascended, keeping his movement slow and precise to prevent error. Although he did not particularly care if the prince survived or not, he did not wish to die be either fall or Athdar’s blaster and leave his mate alone in the world. For her alone he practiced more care than he recalled ever doing before, dragging himself up inch by inch until at last he was able to swing into the cavernous opening into which the kylgee flew.
It was dark but there was a pinprick of light at its far end that suggested an opening at the other side. Keeping one hand on his blaster, he walked forward. Gaix’s wait was insufferable, but he knew that the male would not volunteer to be in a position of vulnerability. He would remain on Varik’s back until he was certain that there was no immediate danger that required escape. He mentally struggled with each step he took, putting even more distance between him and his mate but he trusted his crew to look after her. None of them would touch her unless it was necessary but every single one of them would do whatever it took to protect her. That was the only thing that allowed him to traverse the remaining distance until the cavern opened up to a staircase descending into the ruins of what once must have been an achingly beautiful palace.
Although the roof had collapsed over parts of the palace, and the numerous windows had been left open to the elements as if it had been unexpectedly and suddenly abandoned, which allowed all manner of plant life inside, it was still a sight to behold. The sweeping, graceful lines were evident, boasting of its artistry visible even at a distance, as were the beautiful figures of a Kadesh pair just outside the entrance. Male and female, both wearing elaborate crowns and carrying wands with pointed ends that resembled spears. The couple was everywhere along the gates and the staircase descending toward the entrance, from the large statue that stood to the left of the doors to scenes carved upon the walls nearby. Jornesh whistled softly in a low airy sound from between his sharp teeth as he looked around.
“Ah, Aisha and Ishta,” Lerix murmured as he joined him, the female Destiny staring wide-eyed at their surroundings from his arms. Varik wanted to reprimand the male for not waiting for the all-clear, but he was familiar enough with the particular female in his arms to know that she had likely demanded to not wait. As the prince appeared unconcerned by her presence, he let it go, focusing instead on the words of the Kadesh. “They are twin deities and bringers of love, children of the goddess of love and desire. You can see her just over there.” He nodded toward the far side of entrance that was dominated by an image of a regal and heavily bejeweled female. “It appears the prince was a devotee.”
“A devotee to love and desire,” Gaix murmured as his gaze scanned the interior of the palace with interest. “A male after my own discipline. I too worship all pleasure and passion. A worshipper of love itself. This is a pilgrimage that will earn me great esteem among my peers.”
Lerix lifted his brow politely at the statement but refrained from commenting. Varik maintained his own stoic expression as he waited patiently for the prince’s order even as he inwardly scoffed at the male’s self-description. A chaser of pleasure Varik could believe—but love? It seemed unlikely considering how Gaix treated the females he called his mates.
“You may let me down, captain,” the Calysii ordered with another firm pat on his vibinum.
Ignoring the irritation that once more rolled through him, Varik gratefully complied, sinking down to his haunches while the gonsi assisted his prince with dismounting. The straps rattled against his back as the male’s weight finally shifted on him. Relieved, Varik straightened once more to his full height and tried not to sigh in exasperation when Destiny sailed past him in a hurry to get to her mate. As one of Gaix’s favored “breeders” that he boasted of and spoiled indulgently, Varik had to wonder if she would be as pleased to be rescued from her mate, and if he would be doing the right thing by stealing all of them. Yet, at the same time, they didn’t have time, nor could they risk questioning the females individually. It had to be all of them.
Bowing politely to the pair, Varik turned on heel and headed quickly back down the tunnel and descended back down the wall as rapidly as he felt he could accomplish safely. He accomplished in a quarter of the time but once his feet were on the ground, he could not go directly to Stacey as he wanted. He would have struggled too much to relinquish her and return for another female, so he walked silently past her, his heart pinching painfully at the look of hurt on her face as he made his way to another female and polite bowed before extending his hand. The female gave him a nervous look but smiled as she placed her hand in his and he whisked her past his mate, his jaw clenching against his overpowering need to go to her. Eighteen females still needed to make the climb and with Jornesh supervising things now from above, that left six of them to transport them up. That left three for each of them.
With a warning look at each of his males which none of them failed to understand and to which they responded with brisk nods in return, Varik adjusted the straps around the female, tightening her firmly to his back. He could not look back and meet his mate’s eyes but began the ascent again, this time moving slightly quicker with the modest of weight of the human female perched on him. Her warm little body pressed against him, her arms curling around his neck, but he tolerated it and her little odd sighs that he could not understand the reason for until he was finally able to relinquish her to Jornesh. His first officer seemed to find it funny the way the female pouted when he handed her over, but Varik had no patience for such things. Besides the male seemed to have it covered. Jornesh’s head bent with an indulgent smile as he offered his arm. The female gave him another wistful look but took it, allowing Varik to make his escape without issue.
