AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The ferry was already hovering with its ramp extended inside the filled-to-the-brim hangar. Besides visiting the Cryons, I also delivered goods they would trade for with some of their own, and not to forget the gifts for King Crough.
Damn Daryus for turning a lord protector into a merchant trader and damn Zahryan for talking me into the cursed card game.
Scowling, I entered the ferry while trying to console myself that every moment spent in the bastards' company meant one moment closer to my departure. At least I didn't have to share the space with all thetrading goods, they would be brought down later, during myaudiencewith the King of the Cryons.Audience, I scoffed. The bastard had the audacity to call it an audience instead of a scheduled visit.
"Minor inconveniences," Ryggs mumbled next to me, reading my scowl just right.
"I blame you, you know that right?" I growled.
He chuckled. "If I remember correctly, I was the one suggesting we retreat before the card game started."
I smiled wryly. "If you hadn't called it that, I might have done so."
He laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. "You always had a weakness for words."
I glared at him. "And you might need to expand your vocabulary from only consisting of battlefield words." An evil grin crossed my lips. "Or, I might just send you to one of Daryus's new schools, what does he call them?"
"Academies?" Ryggs pretended to shudder. "They will be our downfall yet."
I agreed with him on that, wondering what good these schools would teach our younglings that we couldn't teach them on the battlefields. But Daryus was nothing but a forward-thinking emperor. He didn't just swallow up other species and their star systems like his predecessors, butstudied them and adapted to whatever he deemed higher-evolved customs than ours.
His latest acquisition, a planet inhabited by a race that called themselves Hettitas, were a very advanced, intelligent species who excelled at buildingacademiesto further their knowledge.
"Emperor Daryus swears by the Hettitas' achievements." I played Devil's advocate.
"Vra—yes—and look where it got them."
I snickered, conceding Ryggs's point. With all their technology and intellect, the Hettitas had neglected to build an army to defend their paltry little planet. And when the Moggadesh came to rob and plunder them, it had been us they begged for help.
For some reason Emperor Daryus decided that the knowledge the Hettitas had accumulated was enough of a reason to bring the Imperial Forces' wrath down on the Moggadesh and protect the miserable Hettitas.
In return we now built academies under their tutelage and were forced to send our younglings to attend them for at least four years. I sighed, happy that I didn't have any offspring yet.
Ryggs did though and I hadn't heard him stop groaning yet that all five of his younglings had left to attend one of thenew academies.
"Every time they come back, they think they're wiser than me." He imitated one of his youngling's voices. "Father, you need to use elfrim fertilizer on the pillug crops—main food for cattle—instead of dung."
I laughed heartily, imagining how well that must have gone over.
"I made that little shit sleep with the cattle for the rest of his stay." Ryggs's laughter joined mine.
"We have landed," a computer voice announced, interrupting our jovial moment and turning our expressions sour. If anybody despised the Cryons more than me, it was Ryggs.
"Fucking slavers." He spat on the ground before he followed me down the extending ramp.
Sir Priough, King Crough's first attendant and advisor, awaited us. The slimy creature bowed deeply when he caught sight of me. "Lord Protector Garth, an honor to have you visit us again, so soon."
I ground my teeth. He probably knew that visiting his planet was like visiting a snake pit for my people, and I would bet my last credit that he was also aware that we, as lord protectors, were forced to rotate that honor, because none of us could stomach being here.
"The honor is ours," Ryggs replied in my stead when I only grunted.
For all his faults, Ryggs could be downright charming when he needed to be, especially toward people he couldn't stand. He intimated once that he imagined himself driving his sword down the other's throat, which was how he managed a smile. The grin that almost curved my lips at remembering that tidbit vanished quickly at the sight of several alien beings as they were unloaded from transporters. They didn't look like any species I had ever seen before. Much shorter than us Pandraxians, with nearly translucent skin that didn't look very thick but came in a variety of colors, like their hair.
Fascinated, I stared from one to another. I had never seen such a variety in one species before, they had to represent different races. And yet there were obvious similarities, making me assume they came from the same planet. Interesting.
Their clothing, despite the majority looking bedraggled, ripped, dirty, and smeared with blood, suggested a certain degree of evolvement and intellect.
"Looks like you discovered a new race." Ryggs kept up the conversation with Sir Priough.
