Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
Dealing with that searching gaze was beyond what his mind could do, Riordan thought, as he struggled to stare back at Marn while looking as innocent as possible. To his relief, His Royal Chancellor moved away and, for a while, remained with his back turned to him. While taking in the long grey hair falling down the broad back, Riordan tried to get his bearings back. He should have expected this, his falling out with Xana to reach the ears of the most important Xeno on the ship.
Expected and gotten ready for it too. It was one thing to fool others, and a completely different kettle of fish when His Royal Chancellor was concerned.
"I am still waiting for you to talk of your own accord," Marn warned him. All warmth was gone from his voice, and Riordan felt a chill running down his spine.
"What can I tell you, man?" he tried his hardest to sound casual like always. "We don't see eye to eye on this Cario thing. I mean, I get it that he's upset. With the two lost eggs and everything. But Cario is my friend, and he wouldn't do such a thing." He licked his lips that felt dry like sandpaper. "You can't condemn him without any proof."
"What if we have proof?"
"What?" Okay, so now he found it annoying that he couldn't look the guy in the eyes so that he could tell whether he was bluffing or not. "What sort of proof?"
"Your friend Cario is guilty," Marn said in a toneless voice. "If I told you that, what would you do, Riordan?"
"If? Are we playing with ifs here?" Riordan asked, feeling his eyebrows knitting in a painful frown. Marn had done a pretty good job of relieving all his pains, but now he was giving him a serious headache.
Marn finally turned to face him again. His impassive eyes were a blank sheet of paper. Riordan had no idea what to make of that. "It occurs to me that it would be a good idea to restrain you for the time being. Without your freedom of movement revoked, what will you do?"
"Hey, you can't do that!" Riordan protested.
"Can't I?" Marn towered over him, forcing him to look up while straining his neck. "You know how precious I consider you to be."
"Not really--"
"Do not interrupt me. Your Junior is a wonderful example of what our species can achieve in terms of evolution. And yet, you and Xana keep postponing making other Xenolites. It is a pleasurable activity, is it not? But instead of doing that, you two are causing a drama worthy of your silly entertainment on Earth."
"There's nothing staged about this one," Riordan argued.
Something in the way Marn stared at him annoyed the hell out of him. Still, he needed to remind himself that being diplomatic about it would bring him better results than being his usual self.
"General Lei suggested it, and I'm of a mind to listen to him. You and Xana should be put together in a room and not allowed out of there until you are choke full of eggs. Let's see if you can still roam the ship in search of trouble when your belly is heavy with our children."
"Yeah, nice," Riordan commented. "I see what you did there. So, those eggs aren't just ours, Xana's and mine. They belong to... what? The whole ship?"
"The Xeno race," Marn corrected him affably and smiled.
"That if we don't count those other ships," Riordan said stubbornly. "They must be hard at work at making babies and you somehow caught whiff of it if you insist so much."
Marn caged him between his huge arms, and Riordan pressed himself against the wall. He knew what that stood for. It was the Xeno way to make any Earthian get wet between his ass cheeks.
"Do you not see how easy it would be? To lie on your back, with your legs spread. What's not to like?"
"Um, hello, there are other things in life besides getting off," Riordan said. "And making babies," he added with a sigh. "Come on, Marn, you know me by now. I can't let a friend in need face alone the wrath of your species. I mean, look at Florent. Wasn't I right about him?"
"I don't remember when exactly you came to me with some theory regarding Florent Kasido. You always act first, Riordan. You are surely loyal in your dealings, but so impulsive." Riordan parted his lips while Marn brushed his thumb by his mouth. "Of course, wonderful and an excellent fit for our species, and yet, you sometimes tend to get in the way of things that are beyond you."
"You don't have anything against Cario," Riordan said slowly. "You're keeping him protected so that no Xeno with vengeance on his mind can reach him."
"Should I ask you how you know that?" Marn smiled, seemingly pleased with himself for no apparent reason. "You are free to go."
"What? Just like that? I thought you'd give me an earful or a spanking."
"Don't push your luck, Riordan," Marn growled playfully. "Xana is lucky to have you. And you are lucky that he claimed you so clearly. If not, I might have rethought my decision of not having any other children besides my Xer."
"You're flattering me," Riordan said brightly, not yet ready to celebrate that he was getting off the hook so easily.
"No." Marn eased himself off the wall, allowing him enough room to scurry away. "It isn't like me to flatter without any gains in sight."
"Sure. `Cause you're a tough politician and all that. Now, seriously, if you want some more brats, why not choose a bearer? Not me, obviously."
Marn's lips twitched. "Who am I, Riordan?"
"Um, is that a trick question? You're the big bad Xeno. The biggest and the baddest."
"And therefore, I should want the best. You are the best. But you are off-limits. Unless, of course, Xana renounces you publicly. For good. General Lei would have the right to your womb, naturally, but he's an easier Xeno to convince to share than his stubborn son."
"Wow, now my head is full of fuck," Riordan joked. "So, I'm free to leave?"
Marn gave him a knowing smile. "Unless you want to stick around and have us know each other better."
"Nope, I'm good," Riordan said quickly. "I mean, I believe you know me well enough. It works for me."
Marn did him the courtesy to bow shortly, which was weird, seeing who he was. But damn, that Xeno knew how to switch on the charm like a motherfucker. Any human bearer needed to guard his ass around His Royal Chancellor or he might end up full of eggs before he could blink.
"Hey, do you guys know where I could find Kyle?" he asked as soon as he was out of Marn's quarters.
The two lizard guards turned to look at him, saying nothing. Their unblinking eyes were unnerving. Riordan couldn't shake off a sort of apprehension. After all, while these guards were from Xana's mom's planet, nothing said that they were one hundred percent loyal. There had been lizard guards present on Gamni Gafilos's ship, and when Jasno's masters had rushed to the place of the `crime', the security detail had been with them alright.
"Right, you don't know him as Kyle. The bot that used to belong to me. Now he's head of security," he explained. As he spoke, he became unsure of his own words. Was it wise to let them know he was looking for the bot? Marn would surely learn about it and maybe find it a good reason to put him in a breeding pen until he learned proper obedience.
"We will communicate your whereabouts. You will be contacted."
Okay, that was another weird thing, Riordan thought. So, they would just tell Kyle, and Kyle would come looking for him? It looked like he had pressed his luck enough for a single day. The best course of action was to get back to the boys and daddy-in-law and play nice for a bit. If Xana found out something, he would contact him somehow. After all, Marn seemed in no hurry to destroy Cario's future with Drato and had to have his own doubts about the whole thing.
It's been a long day already. And Junior and Dario were probably missing him. At least, he hoped so. They were growing so fast, Riordan told himself a little joke to ease the unsettling sensation in the pit of his stomach. Too bad his gut didn't have to good habit of saying exactly what the hell it was trying to say. It just made him fumble in the dark like an idiot.
"Why do you keep looking at the door? Expecting Xana to come back, after the sort of show you pulled today?" Xeus asked, examining him curiously.
"It was a bit out of character for me," Riordan said. "But I thought he liked me a bit better than--" He huffed and lay on his back, closing his eyes. The boys were frolicking in the big tank, and they were kept blissfully unaware of all the drama for the time being. He had Xeus to thank for it, of course.
"He likes you more than that. I'd say that it is out of character for him to get involved in such petty disputes."
"Ah, right. Well, I suppose I should let him have his little fling with that doll face." Even as he said that lie, Riordan felt his cheeks getting stiff. Marn was talking about a strong bond between Xana and him. What was that all about? It was definitely a lot more than he could have ever envisioned such a bond to be.
"You're lying. Who are you waiting for?"
He couldn't outright say it. But if Kyle appeared there, demanding to speak to him, how would that look? Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to come clean about some things to daddy-in-law, at least to appease him and throw him off that scent for the time being.
As if just thinking of his bot could summon him, the doors opened and Kyle wheeled in.
"General Lei," Kyle said in his usual serene voice. "As the chief investigator of the Cario Hamen case, I am here to interrogate Xana Lei's bearer. He is a key witness."
"By all means," Xeus said and moved to the other side of the room. He dove into the water tank and started playing with the two boys as if he had expected Kyle to appear.
Riordan gave Kyle a startled look. "Did you announce your visit?"
"Yes. General Lei was told of my coming here. Master Rio, I know you wanted to see me."
"Did you just lie earlier?"
"No. I am the chief investigator in this case. I must hear all the details you have to tell me regarding the case."
"Should I worry? Are you on my side? Or... you know, you need to play nice for Marn?"
"His Royal Chancellor is interested in nothing but the truth. So am I."
"Can I fully trust you, Kyle?"
"As always, Master Rio."
"Cario didn't do anything wrong. And Jasno, that guy didn't even have any eggs inside him."
"That is incorrect," Kyle said. "I interrogated Jasno Berida, and so did His Royal Chancellor. There is no trace of lying in his speech."
"I see." Riordan rubbed his forehead. "Still, that doesn't mean anything. Could it be that he was made to believe he was pregnant?"
"By whom?" Kyle asked placidly. "According to the available reports on his physical health, there are obvious traces of insemination. Very recent. Jasno Berida did carry two eggs in his womb for a short period of time. Before the incident."
This was getting frustrating. Yes, he only had Florent's intuition that told him Jasno had had no eggs inside him. But that didn't make it less credible. It would have explained that this whole thing was a terrible ploy. To what end? That was a question Riordan didn't have an answer for.
"Kyle, listen to me closely. Florent Kasido, you know the guy, he says that there were no eggs, that he couldn't feel them. Those Xenolites never were inside Jasno's womb."
"Impossible. According to all the data I acquired--"
"What if the data is wrong?"
The light inside the room turned from white to blue to red, as a loud alarm blared through. Riordan jumped to his feet, as Kyle turned to face the door.
"What is going on?" he whispered.
"A Xeno on Xeno incident has just been reported," Kyle reported calmly, clearly unaffected by the blaring alarm. "It pertains to the case. Now, you must excuse me, Master Rio."
"Kyle, wait," Riordan shouted, a sharp feeling of dread twisting his insides. "What Xenos? What happened? Is Xana alright?"
"I do not have the permission to tell you. But I will because of my imperative to serve you. Master Xana was attacked."
Riordan tried to step forward and follow Kyle but he was held back by a powerful arm. "Riordan," Xeus said sternly, "you must not leave this room."
"But Xana--"
Xeus increased his hold on him. "Let those in charge handle it."
That couldn't be. Xana would have send a thought to him, right? Xeus wrapped both arms around him, preventing him from getting away. What had they gotten themselves into? How bad was it?
"No, father," he protested with tears in his eyes, "this is my Xana you're talking about!"
"Your Xana? Weren't you upset with him for disagreeing with you?"
"Let me go!" Riordan aimed his elbow just right to make Xeus release him with a surprised grunt. "I'm sorry!" he yelled over his shoulder as he rushed to the door.
Xeus was too fast to get away from him, and he used his tail to trip Riordan and pull him back. "Don't you realize how important you are for our species? And you don't give a damn about your child now?"
Riordan heaved and tried to push himself up from the floor, but Xeus's tail was apt at keeping him down. He cried tears of regret and despair as he struggled to get away. "I asked him," he said, choking on his words, "I asked him to do this."
"Do what? Confess everything this moment."
Riordan opened his mouth, but the doors opened suddenly. Xeus seemed just as surprised as him, but there was no time for that. A dark shadow moved through, and Riordan felt a vise-like grip taking hold of his throat. He brought his hands up in an effort to get rid of his attacker, but there was no use. The shadow pulled at him so hard that he felt his body stretching beyond humanly possible, since Xeus was holding him from the waist.
"General," a cavernous voice whispered, "if you don't let go of this human, he'll suffer the same fate as my master. Do you recall? He died at your hands."
Gamni. The shadow was talking about Gamni. Xeus had killed that fucker by ripping him in two, and that was the exact same way this dark fucker wanted to have him killed. Riordan felt Xeus's grip easing and now, he was pulled up into the air and then smacked against the floor as if he were a toy thrown about by a reckless child. The pain shot through his body, making him grunt. But the grip on his neck was already leaving him lightheaded so his mind didn't quite register what was happening to the rest of him.
A howl followed, and Riordan dropped to the ground in a heap. He looked up and saw the shadow wrapped around Xeus while the general hissed and tried to catch it. His hands seemed to seize nothing but air, and Riordan watched in disbelief as that unnatural fight happened in front of his eyes. But the shadow had a physical weight, a shape, or else how could he have strangled him until only earlier?
He got on all fours as he tried to get up. Droplets of blood fell like rain from above and he looked up only to see Xeus bleeding from long cuts on his torso. The stern general didn't cry out in pain, and only swirled and moved, trying to get a hold of that nasty attacker.
The boys, Riordan thought, wishing that the wall Xeus used when wanting to keep the young ears protected of adult conversations was still in place. He hoped that the attacker couldn't cross it, but nothing felt real now. He stumbled, weakened as he was, and the pains in his body hit him all at once.
He searched blindly ahead with his hands, trying to feel that invisible wall, to make himself certain that it was there. Behind him, a thud followed and when he looked over his shoulder, he watched in horror as Xeus was on the floor now, the shadow perched on top of him, pounding at him, by how the Xeno's body jerked uncontrollably under the force of the rapid attacks.
His hands met nothing but air. Could it be that he could cross the wall, even if it was there? But only him, he tried to get himself to believe and forced himself on his knees, crawling to the water tank. Junior and Dario were glued to the wall, watching wide-eyed, most surely scared of seeing such a scene.
"I have to... protect you..." Riordan whispered hoarsely, the air burning in his lungs.
"I don't think you can protect anyone, bearer," the shadow's voice rose behind him, making his blood come to a curdling stop in his veins.
Riordan turned to stop the new assault. His arms came in contact with a solid mass, like he had felt the attacker's body before, and he pushed back with all his might. Tendrils of dark smoke moved from the shadow, wrapping around him, his neck, his head, pressing against his eyes, making him see nothing but red stars.
Water splashed, somewhere behind him. Not like he could see anything. The shadow was pressing his shapeless fingers into his eyes, reaching inside his skull, making the pain unbearable. Hisses shot through the air, and it was as if he could see the sounds, slivers of white in a sea of red.
Another sound. Like a weapon, a laser of some sort. And then, a relief. No more pressure on his eyes, although the pain only transformed without going away. Where the weight had been pushing his eyes deep into his head, a flood of blood rushed in.
"Master Rio," he heard Kyle's voice, but he couldn't reply.
tbc
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