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  “We are not fated, Aquilian.” The colorful swirl of her eyes tells me she is turning over my words.

  “No, but we could make a choice rather than wait for something that may never come. We are both Darkborn Safia, it is unlikely either of us will ever find our fated matches at all.”

  “Aquilian,” there is hesitation, almost sympathy, in her voice. “I do not think you understand what has happened here.” Something odd seems hidden behind her words, it causes my stomach to knot anxiously, but she shuts me out, keeping her secrets tucked behind her mental blocks.

  “I know that we will never be able to give you what your fated males can, but we could be good mates to you. We don’t even have to do the ceremony, so you face no risk.”

  She ran her hands through her quills “Does Ettrian know about this?”

  I shake my head softly, “I haven’t spoken with him about it. It seemed better to ask you first and then propose the idea to him.” I feel myself reaching up to tug at my quills and force my hand back to my side.

  Safia’s eyes follow my movements before she turns her back to me. I wait anxiously as she runs her fingers over small clay bowls and jars that line the wall, “I will consider the proposal you have put forward, but only if you can successfully retrieve a cinsi bloom and bring it back here to me.”

  “Cinsi bloom?” I frown, not recalling having ever heard of this flower before.

  “It is one of the most sought after medicinal plants, but they require one to travel farther than many in my profession are comfortable with.” Her gaze touches my face before she goes back to her table. “The flower only blooms at twilight and is mostly known by its multicolored, rounded petals. There is a small stem that shoots up from the center, topped with a small cluster of tiny pods. If you can bring me at least one of these blooms I will reward you with an answer.” I’m aware that she doesn’t tell me she will agree to take us, but the possibility of it is enough for me.

  I leave her den feeling lighter than I have ever felt before, and full of hope. I have lived most of my life in this forest and this seems like the easiest task that has ever been put before me. She didn’t turn us down. She didn’t say no.

  I stare at the strange material before me. It’s hard, transparent, and I cannot for the life of me figure out where it came from; this is nothing I have seen naturally occurring on my homeworld. My feet carry me a good distance along the perimeter of the barrier and I’m starting to think that I’ve been caught in some sort of trap, like one of our nets. I’m used to being the hunter, not the prey. I worry what Ettrian will do when he comes back to an empty den tonight. What will he think when he finds I am nowhere in the area we normally hunt? We have never spent more than a few hours apart; if I cannot find a way out of here it seems like we are going to be spending at least this night completely separated. The thought alone makes my heart kick in my chest. Surely he wouldn’t have come as far out into the forest as I am. He had no idea I was coming here for the bloom or even that I’d made the request of Safia. Ettrian was different than I was, not just in personality, but also physically. His light coloring was pleasant, and he had a charming way about him that made him more widely accepted by our people. Well, as accepted as any twin could be here.

  Sun Father, curse it all!

  A sigh fell from between my lips as I ran my fingers through my quill crest, testing out the dome yet again with a kick to the glass. Solid. It didn’t seem like there would be any breaking through here and getting back to my den tonight. The only solace I took in this was that my twin would be safe from whatever, or whoever had captured me.

  My eyes drift to the massive planet that looms over Dimosia, it’s surface swirling slowly. I had spent many hours as a child lying in the fields watching the patterns change above me, letting it soothe my worry away. One day, I had promised myself. One day I would meet the Sun Father in the blue waters of Loruta and ask why he had bestowed this curse upon Ettrian and I. Today was not that day, so instead, I watch as the sun falls behind Loruta, leaving the land in a twilight state. The only light now came from the surface of the planet itself, from the plants, the animals, and even myself.

  My ilo, the small tubes that line patches of my skin, begin to rustle as they pick up the oddest sensation, not quite a tickle against the sensitive tips, but similar. It isn’t anything I have ever felt before. Grasping the mental bond every Dauur possesses, I feel along it, reaching out to where I know Ettrian should be, but I get nothing in return. My fingers itch with the urge to tug at the quills that sprout out of the back of my crest, a nervous habit I have been fighting my whole life. Control yourself lest you pull out even more quills. The tickle is back again, pulling me in the opposite direction of where I had intended to go.

  An ominous feeling settles over the forest and I choose my steps carefully as I try to figure out what is throwing me off. I have been hunting these lands since I was old enough to walk. This place is as familiar as the back of my hands and it is how I know there is something in this forest that doesn’t belong. The tickle continues, making my quills shiver in agitation. I step around large trees with trunks wider than my arms can open, moving over their roots that arch up all over the ground, all the while, feeling the tiny sensations as they brush along my ilo.

  I duck my head as I pass under another root, this one nearly as tall as I am and my eyes fall on two of the strangest looking creatures I have ever seen in my entire life. The bigger one has its back toward me and long, bright orange tendrils hang down from its head. It seems to be communicating with the smaller one, clutching its pale face between hands that shake. The larger one brushes back the nearly white tendrils that sit atop the head of the little one, allowing me a better look at the face. My quills shivered as I stare at the features in revulsion. A pointed nose sits above a small, thin-lipped mouth that opens and closes rapidly, liquid falls from big blue eyes as its little chin trembles. What is that?

  I step back, moving slowly, but I must have done something to call attention to myself, because the little one’s eyes lock onto mine and it emits a vibration that assaults my senses. The larger one spins around, revealing similar features and it too begins assailing me with harsh vibrations. Sun Father save me. I stumble backward, baring my teeth at them as they continue. It is obvious I have startled whatever these things are so I try raising my hands, showing the pair I mean them no harm. In truth, I would rather not be anywhere near them. They are abrasive, unsightly, and don’t belong here.

  The quills at the back of my crest begin to rattle together, creating a vibration that seems to stop the harsh ones coming from the beings in front of me and for the first time, I notice that at least one of them looks to be a female. An ugly female, but a female all the same. If this is her kit then I need to be cautious.

  Dauur females are ferocious when they feel like their kits are threatened. The little female moves toward me as if she is not afraid which has me scrambling backward even faster than before. There is no way in Dimosia I am going to let that touch me. I attempt to reach out with the mental bond, but I need to be in close proximity to a new being for it to work the first time. My hands come back out, cautioning the little one as I speak through the bond, “Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

  There is no response from the small one. Instead, I am met with what feels like a blank wall. Darkness. By the Sun Father, these being are as stupid as they are ugly. The small one collides with my leg, her body pressed close against me. Her face tilts up and her eyes lock with mine, big and blue, they do something strange to my heart so I attempt to gently shake her off. “Shoo. Back to your mama now.” Still nothing. She reaches a tiny hand out and runs a finger over the horn on my calf. “Hey! Don’t touch there! It’s very-”

  I don’t even finish the sentence before she jerks her hand back with a sharp vibration. The mama emits softer, soothing ones as she drops down to the little one’s level, fussing over the small injury. Red liquid seeps from the tip of the finger, and the m
ama turns, shooting daggers my way. “I tried to warn your kit. You cannot place the blame for this on me, female. Perhaps you should teach her to behave.”

  A vibration runs through me when the little drops of clear liquid start to run down the little one’s cheeks again, making me pause. What is the fluid? Why is it expelling it? I scent the air, wondering if this was some sort of defense, but all I can smell is the forest around me and the sweet floral scent of the female. She smells far better than she looks. I take another deep breath into my lungs and feel a twist in my stomach. Enough of that. I look back at the little one and panic shoots through me at the amount of liquid now spilling from her eyes. Was this too much to lose? What if losing so much kills her? I certainly do not want the ugly little one to die, it is only a kit after all.

  I look around quickly, snatching up a couple of leaves from the quiltia tree nearby. Where is Ettrian when I need him? He is better at comforting others than I am. The mama doesn’t seem concerned at all that her kit is spilling liquid at an alarming rate and this puzzles me. I shove the leaves at her face, “Here. Stem the flow with these.” But she only stares up at me in confusion.

  My quills rattle in frustration and I push past her, dabbing the little one’s eyes and face. The kit’s lip trembles and the liquid seems to come to a stop. She stares up at me and an odd possessive, protective instinct comes over me. I had never really been around a kit before and this experience has done nothing but show me that perhaps I should continue to avoid them altogether.

  The female behind me begins her incessant vibrating again and smacks my hand away from her kit’s face, her mouth moving strangely as her brow furrow above her eyes. Maybe it is some sort of warning. They have no male present to look after them and the world I live in can be cruel to those who try surviving on their own. These two have no defensive qualities that I can see. They would not make it through the night if they did not receive help. “Calm down. I’m only trying to assist you.”

  I think maybe she understands me because her vibrations stop and she stares at me. Finally. Her eyes are wide and brilliantly green and if she were a Dauur female, this color would tell me she is happy. She vibrates again and her hand waves in my direction. I feel a tickle along the bond and it makes my heart kick in my chest as the female points at my head. “Will you please stop your vibrations? They are incredibly abrasive.”

  My quills shake and I reach back to run my fingers through them out of habit just before I notice the amber colored light coming from behind me. I spin around to find the source, but I see nothing aside from the trees and plants. The hand in my quills tightens and I feel the telltale snap as one of them breaks off in my grip. Sun Father take it all. I curse and bring it around to make sure it came off in one piece, but what I see astounds me. A brightly glowing amber quill sits in my hand instead of the solid black one I was expecting and my whole world tips as I stare down at the evidence that my life has changed without me even realizing it.

  Chapter 3

  Ettrian

  A bright light blinds my sensitive eyes the moment I open them. There are not even lights like this on Dimosia. Where am I? I look down at my body and pull against the bindings that hold me in place. A rattle works through my quills, the vibrations growing in intensity as I fight harder against the straps that secure me to the table.

  With my bond I try reaching out to my brother, or even another member of my tribe, but there seems to be something like a wall around my mind, cutting me off from the only people who can help me. A large creature with bulbous eyes looms over me, its skin looks hard and is a putrid green. A slight vibration curls over my quills that seems to emanate from the thing standing before me. Hooked hands run over the side of my face, pressing on my skin as if it is searching for something. I am not sure if there is anything of interest for it to find there.

  Pain slices through my head as something sharp digs into the side of my skull. Everything blinks out of sight as I try to fight off the pain and yank away from whatever it is the creature is using on me. Vibrations run through the space as my quills rattle louder and louder. I try again to press against the mental bond, but still, there is no response. Agony rolls through my body as blackness begins to cloud my vision.

  It seems like only a second has passed when I wake up again. This time I am outside in the familiarity of the forest on my homeworld. Everything seems the same, yet something is different. I look around myself in wonder as the weirdest sensation rolls over me. It isn’t exactly pain, but more of an uncomfortable and overwhelming feeling. I watch as an anra, a creature with a neck that extends high up into the trees, opens its mouth and this time actual pain slices through my head.

  The anra turns to look at me, its head tilting to the side as it stares down at me through the darkness of night. I try reaching out along the bond to get a general feel for its emotions, but the only thing I get is a strange sense of wonder and mild confusion from it. I’m right there with you. Something scurries around my feet, the vibrations running along my ilo when suddenly the branch it’s standing on breaks and the sharp pain shoots through my mind again. What is happening to me?

  It was like millions of explosions were going off on either side of my head and while I could still feel the vibrations that the animals normally gave off when they opened their mouths, I was also experiencing something completely different, something that caused my body to seize and stumble with the pain. I catch myself on a tree as the world around me suddenly grows incredibly loud, like my entire tribe was trying to speak along the bond all at once, but so different. I do not have a name for what is happening to me.

  “So it is working then?” I spun around in the direction that the piercing feeling is coming from. This time I realize that it is not coming along the bond, but it is something external.

  “What has happened to me?” I reach out mentally to the green creature in front of me. I recognize this alien as the same one who was in the strange place I woke up in the first time.

  “You are experiencing what the rest of the civilized races call ‘hearing’.” The alien buzzes, one clawed hand running along the snout that protrudes from its head. “I couldn’t exactly get into your head the way you are able to get into mine. Doing this was the only way to make you understand what we require of you.”

  “Hearing?” I shake my head, trying to rid my mind of the pressure. “What is it you think you can require of me?”

  “Yes hearing, you dimwitted slime. I have given you the gift of sound, you should be grateful.” The creature sneers before continuing. “Within this dome, we have left you a female. She is of kit bearing age. You will mate with this female and see if you are compatible for creating offspring.”

  “Why would I want to mate with an unknown female?” My lips pull back over my teeth into a snarl as I try to shake my head and dislodge the pain his words cause me. The gift he claims to have given me doesn’t feel much like one at all. It is beyond simple irritation.

  “It honestly doesn’t matter what you want, Dauur. You won’t be leaving this dome until you have mated with the female and attempted procreation.” I watch as the green alien plucks a leaf from a tree only to drop it carelessly to the ground. “I have also gifted you a translator with our language, no need to thank me. Given time it will also learn the female’s language so that you may communicate. If you decide not to cooperate with us, we will kill the kit she has with her.”

  At his threat I push off the tree and attempt to grab him, only to collide against a glass barrier with a heavy thud. I slam my hand against it, trying to break through and dig my claws into the alien who makes an awful vibration that rakes against me.

  “I thought that might upset you, hence the dome between us. I will give you one day from the moment you find her to accomplish your task. After that, we will step in and you will both suffer.”

  I want to stay here and find a way to get to the disgusting being, but a kit’s life is being threatened and this is something I ca
nnot ignore. A rammit hops past me as I turn away from the barrier, its colorful feathered ears flutter as it pushes through the underbrush. My kind doesn't have anything on our heads other than our quills and antenna, or at least all the Dauur aside from me. I run the tips of my fingers over the side of my head and startle myself when I reach a sensitive opening that was definitely not there before I was captured. The night is warm but pleasant and the sky is clear so I am able to see and do not complain. I can feel the tendrils of the bond between my brother and I and my steps quicken in excitement. Aquilian is here somewhere! My mood is dark, but just the thought of finding my brother is comforting. The holes in the sides of my head ache again and it worries me that he may have gone through the same thing I just did.

  These beings want me to do something that is unthinkable among my kind, to attempt to mate with a female who may not want me, who won’t even be able to understand me. I only hope that this translator the alien spoke of works and that she can communicate her want or know that I am only doing this to save her kit. Mating a female without her consent is a severely punishable offense and rightly so. This mating is not right, I can feel in my heart. The fact that this is being forced upon us does not sit well.

  What choice do we have? The aliens know where we are. They have trapped us within this dome and threatened to harm a kit. The pain comes back again and I ‘hear’ more sounds. Something is up ahead and this worries me. Am I ready to confront whatever this is in my current state? Peaking around the corner I see Aquilian stumbling backward away from two strange creatures. Is this the female and kit I was told about?

  I move from where I am hidden and reach across the bond to my brother. “Aquilian! I have finally found you! Are you alright?”