Page 31 of Selected By the Dragon Alien
Ellion looked to Ara. “Ara, can you take Turi to your lands on the other side of the mountain? The Axis won’t look for her there.”
Ara’s form shifted from her terian form to something sharp and edgy. “Yes. She’ll be safe, Ellion. I swear it.”
He nodded, relieved. “Thank you.”
“And you?” Turi crossed her arms. “You’ll face the Axis alone? The fortress is a ship.” She began to pace, searching for a solution. “We could learn to operate it.”
“Not enough time.” Ellion knew they were up against impossible odds, but the thought of Turi being tortured and returned was unbearable. “Whatever the fortress is, it can’t help us right now. You need to take both journals with you. They’re the only record of what came before one hundred twenty-five years ago.”
“They’re going to alter your memory, too,” Ara said. “You need to leave as well.”
He knew this was likely the Axis’ intention, but he had no plan to turn himself over quietly. Ellion faced the female who had become his entire world. He knew the risks of what he was about to do, but he also knew that he would do whatever it took to protect Turi from the clutches of the Axis. “Ara,” he said quietly. “Take Turi to your lands, now. The Axis’ shuttle will be here soon, and you both cannot be caught.”
Ara’s shadowy form nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. “Come, Turi. There is an access route to the Skrac valley through the fortress’s north tunnels.”
“Wait.” Turi’s agonized voice made Ellion turn to her.
His gaze softened as he took in her stricken expression. He reached out, pulling her into his embrace. Her heart pounded hard, a mirror of his own frantic pulse. Lowering his head, he captured her lips in a fierce, passionate kiss. He poured all the love and longing he felt for her into it. It was a kiss that spoke of promises and potential, of a future they might never have.
“No matter what happens,” he murmured against her lips, “never forget that I love you, Turi. You are my heart, my soul, my everything.”
Turi’s eyes shimmered, but she nodded, her hand reaching up to touch his face one last time. “I love you too. Come back to me, Ellion.”
With a final, lingering look, Ellion released her, turning his gaze to the fortress doors. He knew that what he was about to do would likely mean his end, but he would not let the Axis take Turi. She deserved a chance at a life free from fear and oppression.
He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. The days of delivering reports and overseeing the settlements were over. It was time he took his place as a true Zaruxian warrior—a role denied him for nearly six centuries.
Ellion strode toward the massive doors of the fortress. His wings extended to their full, majestic span, casting long shadows across the polished stone floor. The doors opened at his approach and he passed through them, possibly for the last time.
He leapt into the sky, wings grabbing the air and putting him aloft. The cool evening air rushed to greet him as he flew out to meet the enemy.
TWENTY
Turi’s heart thumped as she raced through the dimly lit tunnels beneath the fortress. The air was cool and damp, and the walls were tight around them, but she didn’t slow down. Ara, her shadowy companion, led the way, her form flickering in the faint light that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. Turi’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. She clutched the heavy cloak tightly around her shoulders, the fabric soft against her skin. Beneath the cloak, nestled securely in a sturdy pouch, were the journals—Ellion’s lost memories, a record of his past and possibly the key to their future.
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, a steep, twisting path that delved deep into the heart of the mountain. Turi’s legs ached with the effort, but she pushed on, fueled by a desperate urgency. She knew that the Axis’ shuttle was on its way, and with it, the promise of a fate worse than death for both her and Ellion. She wouldn’t let that happen. Not if she had anything to say about it.
Finally, they emerged from the tunnel. She stumbled out into the open air. Turi blinked at the colorful light of the setting sun. The sky was a tapestry of fiery oranges and purples, while the tunnel they had just left behind was shadows and gloom.
They had arrived in the Skrac lands. But as Turi looked around, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of dismay. The landscape before her was a desolate wasteland. It made the tired lands of her home settlement look lush in comparison. The trees were gnarled and twisted, their branches bare and lifeless. The ground was cracked and blackened, as if scorched by dragon fire. There was no grass, no sign of life, just an endless expanse of barren, blasted earth.
“Welcome to Rakid,” Ara said, her voice breaking in the stillness. “This is our home.”
Turi turned to Ara. “How do things live here,” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“The land is alive,” Ara assured her. “It’s different from every other biome on this planet. Here, life thrives in unexpected ways. The trees may look dead, but they are very much alive. This is their healthy, normal state. The ground, too, is full of life, if one knows where to look. That life is different from that on your side of the mountain.”
Turi took a hesitant step forward, her eyes scanning the seemingly dead land. She could feel the faintest traces of warmth radiating from the ground beneath her feet, a gentle pulsing that seemed to resonate with the steady beat of her own heart. It was as if the land itself was alive, a hidden world of wonders disguised by the harsh, unforgiving exterior.
As they moved deeper into Rakid, Turi noticed small, hardy plants poking through the cracks in the earth, their leaves a vibrant shade of blue that seemed to glow in the dim light. Strange, insect-like creatures buzzed through the air, their translucent wings shimmering with iridescent colors. Even the trees, with their twisted, gnarled branches, were home to a variety of birdlike creatures, their calls echoing through the stillness like a haunting, otherworldly melody.
Ara led Turi to a small, sheltered area nestled among the twisted trees. Here, the ground was covered with a soft, spongy moss that absorb the impact of their footsteps, muffling the sound. Ara’s form shifted and changed, taking on the appearance of a Terian once more. She moved to a low, flat rock and lifted it, revealing a dark hole. “We’ll be safe in here,” she said.
Turi was well past doubting Ara. She was eager to be out of sight. The Axis could send drones out to scan the surface. Without a word, she lowered herself into the hole and let go. With no ladder, she clung to the side.
“Let go, Turi,” said Ara. “It’s soft below.”
She closed her eyes and dropped, landing on soft, spongy ground. It was a good distance. Enough to jar her bones despite the soft landing. Ara followed, closing the hole above and plunging them into darkness.