Page 7 of Alien Warlord's Fury
"The terrain between here and there is unstable, corrupted by Nexus energy. You need me."
I hated that he was right. Hated the smug certainty in his voice. Hated how my markings responded to his proximity, the silver light pulsing in rhythm with his gold.
"Fine." The word felt like gravel in my throat. "Your lead. But if your caution costs those children?—"
"It will not," he cut me off, voice like steel. "We leave now. Your supplies are inadequate."
"This is all I have."
"No. It is not." He turned, clearly expecting me to follow. "We will retrieve proper gear from my dwelling."
I hesitated, glancing back toward the settlement. If anyone saw us...
"No one will see," he said, seeming to read my thoughts. "The council meeting continues. The guards patrol the outer perimeter, not the inner paths."
Reluctantly, I followed him through the shadows, keeping to the spaces between dwellings. His movements were silent, efficient. Mine felt clumsy by comparison, though I'd spent years learning to move undetected through Hammond's compound.
Nirako's dwelling sat near the edge of the Aerie section, partially built into a living tree. Inside was sparse, functional. No personal touches, no decorations beyond a few weapons mounted on the walls.
He moved to a storage compartment built into the trunk of the tree and retrieved two packs.
"These contain everything we need. Water purification crystals, high-nutrient rations, medical supplies, weather protection." He handed one to me. It was lighter than it looked, the material unlike anything I'd felt before.
"What is this made of?"
"Woven bark fibers treated with Nexus-resistant resin." He pulled out a blade and offered it to me, hilt first. "This will serve you better than that scrap metal."
The knife was beautiful—bone handle carved with Aerie symbols, blade of some dark metal that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. I took it, testing its weight. Perfect balance.
"Why are you really doing this?" I asked again, softer this time.
He busied himself checking the contents of his pack. "The younglings must be saved."
"The council doesn't think so."
"The council thinks in terms of the collective. The many over the few." His hands stilled. "Sometimes the few matter more than they know."
It wasn't a real answer, but it was more than he'd given me before. I slid the knife into the sheath at my belt.
"We leave through the eastern passage," he said. "It is less used, less guarded."
"And after that?"
"We follow the ridge line until dawn, then find shelter. Travel only at night when Hammond's patrols are thinner."
I nodded, adjusting the pack on my shoulders. It fit perfectly, distributing the weight evenly across my back. "How long to reach the compound?"
"The distance is significant, made longer by the corrupted terrain," he replied. "It will take many days, even moving quickly."
Many days. More days of those children suffering while we crept through the forest. My markings flared at the thought, sending sharp pain through my chest.
Nirako's eyes tracked the silver light. "Your control deteriorates."
"I'm fine."
"You are not." His voice softened, almost imperceptibly. "But you will be. The bond—" He stopped abruptly.
"The bond? What bond?"
