Page 33 of Selected By the Dragon Alien
The Hecrons erupted into murmurs, but the hostility had eased. Yuric, however, remained silent. His gaze fixed on Ellion as he processed this unexpected revelation.
“You care for a Terian?” Yuric asked, rubbing his chin. “You, an overseer of the Axis, have formed an attachment to one of the very beings you were charged to oppress?”
“More than an attachment.” Ellion’s voice was steady as he locked eyes with themasar. “I love her, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure her safety. The Axis have ordered her memory to be erased and her to be returned to the settlements. I cannotallow that to happen. They likely plan to erase my memory, too. They’ve done it twice before.” He revealed the metal implant behind his ear. “That would return me to the loyal Axis overseer who fights you when you step too close to the settlements.” Ellion shook his head. “I don’t want that. You are not my enemy.”
Yuric’s gaze turned considering. The skepticism in his eyes gave way to a grudging respect. “Love is a powerful motivator,” he said, his voice carrying a note of approval. “It can drive even the most unlikely of allies to stand together. And I do not enjoy fighting you either, Overseer. Your claws are sharp.” He turned his arm, revealing a ragged scar that Ellion had given him.
Ellion nodded, feeling a flicker of hope. “Asking you to trust me is a lot, Yuric, but I will do anything to protect my mate. Together, we can protect not only the Terians and the Hecrons, but also secure a future for ourselves—withoutthe Axis.”
The marketplace fell silent as Yuric considered Ellion’s words. The tension in the air was almost palpable. A heavy weight seemed to press down on everyone present.
Ellion stood tall before Yuric, knowing that at any moment themasarcould give the order to have him killed on the spot. The square was hushed, save for a few sounds—the hum of charged blasters, the low murmur of voices, and the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. Ellion could feel the weight of countless eyes upon him. The Hecron warriors watched his every move with a mixture of curiosity and hostility.
Yuric’s eyes bore into Ellion’s own. The Hecron leader was a formidable presence, his armored hide gleaming in the sunlight. “Your words are bold, Overseer,” Yuric replied with a wave of his hand. “We pity the Terians for their plight. It is why we never attacked them directly, but they are deeply in thrall of the Axis.”
Before Ellion could respond, a sudden commotion drew the attention of the crowd. The Hecrons parted. Their weaponslowered and a female Terian emerged from one of the nearby buildings. She was small and slender, her fiery orange hair a contrast to the earthy tones of the Hecron town. Her eyes, a bright shade of aqua blue, were filled with a fierce determination as she walked toward Ellion and Yuric.
Ellion watched her approach, finding Yuric’s reaction to her very interesting. Themasar’sgaze locked on this female so intently, it was as if she was suddenly the only person in the square. This had to be female 440-2, the runaway who found refuge with the Hecrons. It appeared she found more than that. She’d captured the interest of theirmasar. The warriors seemed to respect her, too.
The Terian female stopped beside Yuric, her gaze fixed on the Hecron leader. “Yuric, listen to him,” she said, her soft voice carrying a surprising note of authority. “The overseer has never brought harm to our people. It is the Riests who are brutal, who enforce the Axis’ cruel laws.”
Ellion could see the change in Yuric’s eyes. The Hecron leader clearly valued her opinion.
“If you have something to share, do so,” Yuric said to her, his gaze shifting from Ellion to the Terian female.
“My name is Fortu,” she replied, raising her chin. “I am from Settlement 112-2 and returned there after my bondmate from 112-4 rejected me, and no one else wanted to take me. I did not produce children, you see. I chose to join the Hecrons rather than live under the oppression of the Axis and their Riests. I hope you don’t intend to return me. I will not go.”
Ellion nodded to her. “I know who you are, and your circumstances. And I will not return you to the settlement unless you wish it.”
“Good.” She placed a hand on Yuric’s arm. “Then you know my original bondmate was Thraip, the same male that Turi—the female you seek to protect—was promised to,” Fortu continued,her voice growing stronger with each word. “Thraip is cruel. He has a temper that strikes fear into the hearts of our people. If the overseer loves Turi enough to come here, to the heart of the Hecron territory, and ask for your help, then he is not lying. He truly wants to protect her.”
Yuric’s gaze shifted back to Ellion, his expression thoughtful. “One day I will kill this Thraip,” he muttered, his voice low and rumbling. “If what you say is true, then it seems that the overseer and I have a common enemy.”
Ellion seized the opportunity to press his advantage. “We do, Yuric,” he said. “I wish I had realized it earlier.”
Fortu nodded, her gaze filled with a fierce determination. “I have seen the overseer’s actions firsthand,” she said, her voice carrying a note of conviction. “Even as an agent of the Axis, he showed mercy to us where others were cruel. He has the power to bring about change, and I say we hear his plan.”
Yuric let out a deep, rumbling sigh, his gaze shifting from Ellion to Fortu and back again. “Very well,” he said, his voice echoing through the marketplace. “I will agree to a truce, Overseer. We will hear your plan to strike the Axis from this planet. But remember—if you betray us, there will be nowhere you can hide. We will come for you, and we will show no mercy.”
Ellion unclenched his jaw and nodded in grateful recognition to Fortu. “I would expect nothing less,” he replied. “I swear on my life and my honor as a Zaruxian that I will not betray your trust.” He took a deep breath. “What is the skill of your doctors?”
“They are more than competent.” Yuric’s brow furrowed. “We have some off-world technology, but not as much as we’d like. What does that matter?”
Ellion pushed back his hair to reveal his implant again. “I’d like them to remove this. It’s how the Axis manipulate my memories when it serves them. I’m hoping that removing it will restore some of those memories.”
Amusement passed over themasar’sface. “You are putting your life in my hands, Zaruxian. A bold move. A risky one.”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the Hecron town, Ellion held Yuric’s gaze. “My fortress is a starship,” he admitted. “It’s possible that I once knew how to operate it. If my memories return, we could use the weapons in the fortress to destroy that communications array that blights the sky. And it’s too large for one person to operate.” He gritted out the last words. “I’d need help.”
Yuric smiled wide, revealing his sharp fangs. “How can I refuse such an offer?” He gave a sharp wave to the warrior closest to him. “Summon Virani. Tell her she has a new patient.”
TWENTY-TWO
Turi’s fingers moved over the datapad’s glowing surface, her eyes scanning the lines of text that filled the screen. The words, written in Ellion’s precise script, spoke of a time long past, a history that had been deliberately hidden from her people. The dimly lit chamber beneath the surface of Rakid was silent, save for the soft rustling of pages as Ara, in her shadowy Terian form, pored over the ancient journal that Turi had found in the fortress library.
The hours slipped by, unnoticed, as Turi delved deeper into Ellion’s missing memories. The journal entries were a mixture of factual reports and personal reflections, a chronicle of the Zaruxian’s internal struggle as he sought to reconcile his duty to the Axis with his growing compassion for the Terians under his watch. It was a tale of awakening, of a heart slowly thawing from centuries of enforced isolation and cold detachment. Then, she read something that made her heart race.
“Ara,” Turi’s voice broke the quiet, her tone low and urgent. “I think you should see this.”