Kanda's Alien: A Scifi Romance (Dagrinian Love 2) (11 page)

His sunny yellow eyes
flicker and then brighten. He nods and goes behind a rough metal
counter. He comes back with a fat handled knife with a flat dull
blade that is tinged with red. I don’t even want to know how it got
that red tint. I watch as he twists the handle and reveal a chip
buried in the hollowed out handle. He grins and twists it closed
before holding his hand out.

As my info screen
directed, I dig in my cargo pocket and pull out a cobalt jewel the
size of my fist. We exchange goods and his smile widens revealing
sharp fangs.

“
Thanks for your business.
Come back again in two moon cycles,” he says in a strangely polite
voice for someone who has scary pronged things hanging on the
walls.

I nod and put the knife in
my pocket. I squeal when blue flames surround me. I raise my arms
like that will protect me. When I don’t feel burned, I blink and
I’m back on the couch. The market is gone.

Holy crap! That was
amazing.

I see a pink light
flashing on the practice unit so I press it. A message appears
before my face.

Congratulations! You have
succeeded!

Pride zips and zings
through my chest. I put the unit on the couch and leap to my feet.
I do a little dance and laugh out loud. That was so exhilarating! I
want to do it again. My dry mouth has me getting a quick drink of
water before I go on my next mission.

I wish Rogan could see
this. He would love it. My heart sinks for a moment. I only wallow
in the feeling for a bit. Knowing he wouldn’t want me to be sad any
more than I want him to be sad, I blow out a breath and get another
drink. I eat a bit of sindot fruit and then go back to the couch.
It’s time for another mission.

I press the far right
corner of the screen and then the next mission icon. With the unit
in my lap, I rub my hands together as I start reading the specifics
of the mission. I notice for the first time that there is a list of
weapons that I’ll have on me. I skim the laser gun, knife, and
explosives directions. They don’t seem difficult.

Next I look over the
mission. Oh, now we are getting somewhere. I get to save a
dagrinian female from a group of beings called lowdretians that are
holding her for ransom. They are in the shit now.

I press the screen and the
world pops up. Shit. Ebony grass that is taller than me is blocking
my view. I move some aside but all I see is more dark grass. I’m
glad I get to wear clothes while on missions. Naked skin would be
chaffed by this thickass grass in no time. Maybe I can get some of
these badass clothes for real.

I pull up my map. The scan
button is flashing but I need to know where I’m going before I
start scanning. The map shows…

Grrrrr. That’s all I get
before I see sharp black claws, dingy yellow fangs the size of my
forearm, blazing coal eyes, and dull brown fur. I scream and throw
my arms up as the beast strikes. My heart is getting in as many
beats as it can before it stops forever.

I scream again as death
comes for me. Red flames surround me. Ahh, fuck! I’m going to hell.
I can’t recall doing anything that bad. I blink a few times and to
my amazement I’m back on the couch.

I scowl at the unit I’m
clutching. As my heart slows, I realize that humans are not
superior to dagrinians in this matter at all. The unit had me
believing I was in another world. That sucks. So does dying on a
mission. I wonder if I can keep that fact from Klimen.

A red flashing light
catches my attention. I press it and a message appears in front of
me.

You failed! If you had
scanned the area you were in before you checked your map you would
have seen the bryon beast coming and you could have shot your laser
gun through the grass and stunned it.

“
What a fruit loop I am. I
didn’t have to die. Lesson learned.” To shake off my death, I get
up and roll my shoulders a few times. I get a drink and go back at
it. I have to save that female.

This time when I appear in
the thickass ebony grass, I hold up the wristband unit and scan the
area. No beastly heat signatures turn up on the screen. Whew,
that’s good news. I have no intention of being killed again. Black
claws and dingy yellow fangs are not the way to go.

Using my hands, I push the
tall ass grass aside and make my way closer to my target. On top of
a slope where the grass is shorter, I get a glimpse of colorful
huts that look like they are made of mud. The rich colors can’t be
normal mud. The ray of hues goes from the palest pink to a rich
rosy terra cotta.

I point the unit at the
village and smile when one of the pink salmon huts lights up. Got
you. I start down the slope and once I’m closer I scan for heat
signatures. Damn, there is one being in front of the hut I need to
go in. This means I have to create a diversion.

I think about the weapons
I have and search my pockets until I find the explosive and the
detonator. I quietly make my way through the dark grass. Without
the bright sun overhead I wouldn’t be able to see a
thing.

Voices carry on the wind
every so often. I hear what sounds like a person hammering. Good
all of the sounds will make it harder for the lowdretians to detect
me.

Raising my unit, I scan
the area and see a hut on my screen. Two heat signatures are in it.
I have no desire to blow anyone up. Creeping through the grass, I
move on to the next hut that is far enough away from my target to
give me a chance to complete my mission.

I scan it and do a little
dance when I see that it’s empty. Pressing forward, I advance until
I’m at the back of the terra cotta hut. I set the explosive as the
screen said and head back to my target through the grass from hell.
On the way I do a scan to make sure I’m not being stalked. No
vicious beasts are after me this time.

Confidence flows through
my veins. I will succeed. When I’m near my target’s hut I pull out
the detonator. I don’t want to destroy anything, but damn it, they
shouldn’t have kidnapped a dagrinian. Plus, these beings need to
pay for not making the grass safer. Those beasts should have been
eliminated from the planet a long time ago. I shake my head in
disgust. Lazy, that’s what these beings are.

I scan my target again and
see two heat signatures. One outside the hut and one inside the
hut. I grin as I flip the switch on the detonator. A second later
rosy terra cotta dirt flies. Voices raise and the guard takes off
running toward my distraction. These aliens must be a little
slow-witted. That works in my favor.

Slipping into the pink
salmon hut is a piece of cake. I see the dagrinian female chained
in the corner. She is dirty and thin but otherwise she looks
healthy. I hold my finger to my lips. Her eyes widen and she looks
over my shoulder and then back at me and nods.

I quickly look the lock
over and retrieve my laser gun. After setting the lock as far away
from the female as possible, I send a blue glowing beam through the
lock. It makes a snapping sound that has me looking at the door. My
shoulders sag when nobody rushes in.

I press my finger to my
lips again and then help free the female. Taking her hand, I lead
her out of the hut and into the ebony grass. Angry and confused
voices fill the air. Keeping a good grip on her hand, I forge a
path through the swaying blades. When I stop to scan for beasts
blue flames rise up around me.

I blink a couple of times
and find myself back on Klimen’s golden couch. What a
rush!

The pink light flashes so
I press it. I smile as I read the message.

Congratulations! You only
died once and then completed your mission flawlessly!

Sooo, now I know this unit
keeps score. I ignore the part about my death as elation pumps
through my veins. I put the unit on the couch and jump to my feet.
I do a little dance and then a big one.

Needing to wet my tongue,
I get a drink and then snack on some fruit. Once I’m satisfied, I
sit down and ready myself for another mission. Where will I go this
time?

This is so freaking
fun!

CHAPTER

12

~ Kanda ~

♥

After reading up on my
latest mission and what weapons I have, I press the mission icon.
This time I’ll be buying some type of medicine. It’s probably
something to save children.

I gasp when the new world
appears. I’m among the largest trees I’ve ever seen and couldn’t
have imaged in my wildest dreams. They are magnificent. A breeze
blows across my face snapping me out of my daze. Not wanting to
die, I scan the area and don’t get any signs of danger.

Now that I’m free to look
around, I do. I blink as I look at the bright sunrays that are
beautifully bouncing off the colorful leaves and branches. I spin
around and look at the wonder around me.

From here I can see trees
that are as wide trunked as whole houses I’ve seen on Earth. They
are as tall as ten trees from the bush stacked on top of each
other. Vines as big around as my arm and some larger are hanging
all over the branches. They snake down at different lengths. The
longest ones touch the ground. The leaves are sparse and a golden
color that shines when the sun’s rays hit them.

The hues of the trees are
amazing. I walk around and see green colored trees that range from
key lime to split pea to rich olive. Mixed in are trees in
brilliant colors of blue that go from the palest morning glory to
the medium blue of a parrot to a deep Mediterranean hue. “This
place is simply amazing.”

A flashing green light on
the unit on my wrist reminds me that I’m not here as a tourist. I
need that medicine. Children could be counting on it. I press the
flashing light and read the message.

Scan upward as well as out
around you. The guard males will stop you and press their hand to
your chest. They can sense danger and dark souls by doing this. You
are here on official business so they will not detain or kill
you.

What? Not detain or kill
me. What if I get a sick guard? He may misread me. Fuck.

Shaking my head, I press
the mission button to see where my target is. Maybe I can skirt
this city and remain almost unseen. Augh! My target is in the
middle of the city. My feet heavily trudge on through the leaf
covered ground. I hope these people are nice.

I only go around a few
house sized trees when I hear a shuffling up high. I look up and
then jump back when I see a huge male riding a thick vine down
toward me. My heart pounds in my chest as I wait to see if he’s one
of the guards. I can’t run or he’ll think I’m planning something
bad. This is not good.

When he lands softly in
front of me and I get a good look at him, my jaw drops and refuses
to work. The sparkgrofian is only wearing dark pants, boots, and a
loaded weapon belt. His skin is slate blue and his muscles are
bulging even though he’s just standing still. His eyes are
beautiful. They are dark gold and they are sparkling.

Heat infuses my cheeks
when I realize that I’m still staring and that he has a grin on his
handsome face that is filled with humor.

Trying to be more
professional, I say, “I’m here to buy some medicine.” He nods and a
dark brown lock of hair enhanced with slate blue falls over his
forehead.

“
I have to check you.
Stand still, little human,” he orders. Since he’s almost as tall as
Klimen, I guess I am little to him.

I brace myself as he steps
closer to me. A breeze carries his scent to me. He smells like
fresh cut grass. I like it but not the way I like Klimen’s scent.
His large hand reaches forward and presses to my chest. I can feel
his warmth on both of my breasts. A fresh wave of heat beats
against my cheeks. This is so personal.

He grins as he curls his
fingers and then pulls his hand back. As boring as his job must be
on a daily basis, I can’t blame him for getting a feel. Excitement
is good for the soul. His touch was gentle, but it didn’t make my
heart race the way Klimen’s touch does.

“
You are free to do your
business,” he says and then grabs the vine and jerks it hard. I
watch as he zips upward and then leaps onto a wooden lookout post
high in the rich olive colored tree.

Whew! That was a strange
experience. I’m glad he wasn’t sick. I check out my map and start
walking. I scan a Neptune blue tree and suck in a breath when I see
two heat signatures that look like they are doing the naughty.
Damn, how did they get inside that tree?