My 1000-years love

Chapter 14

As I strolled through the ship, I hadn’t even finished the last bite of the pastry I swiped from a romantic dinner when I bumped into the blond, red-skinned “Viking” from the dining hall. He greeted me with a friendly smile.

"What is an ari doing here alone in the evening?"

“The captain let me go for a walk,” I mumbled with my mouth full. ”Got a problem with that?”

“Not at all, ari.”

“Haag,” I retorted, swallowing and attempting to slip past him.

"Can I be of service to you, Haag?" He subtly blocked my path with a slight shoulder movement.

At first, this irritated me, but after a moment’s thought, I realized it was time to start making friends and allies. And these wild Vikings seemed like the perfect start.

"First, warrior,” I boldly declared, “tell me your name.”

"Agron, oh, most beautiful one.” I grimaced with displeasure.

"Second, stop with the terrible epithets and show me where one can get a drink around here. This ‘most beautiful one’ needs to unwind after the last few days.”

Agron chuckled and motioned for me to follow him, muttering under his breath, ”Let Sgan deal with this himself; I can’t refuse a lady.”

A few minutes later, we found ourselves in a forum that now rivaled the best capital city nightclubs in its decor. The music wasn’t too loud, making it pleasant for my human ears. The thrones had been removed, the center of the room had turned into a dance floor, and soft blue light from the walls created a semi-darkness. At the bar near the far wall, flames flickered, bartenders bustled about, mixing cocktails of all colors.

Stunned, I could only say, “I thought your discipline was better!”

Agron smiled again. “We spend several years in space, Haag. People need to let loose, and Sgan understands that very well. So everything is legal. The main condition is full combat readiness at any moment. No one here ever gets drunk, don’t worry. But the weaklings from the science corps sometimes overdo it. They get such a scolding for it that everyone soon learns their limit. But if the lady desires, we can certainly lift her spirits!”

He grabbed my hand familiarly and began pushing through the bodies moving rhythmically. I noticed that most of the revelers were Sgan’s thugs I’d seen during the day. But there were also many tall aliens from the science team. Agron placed a large glass with some rainbow-colored concoction in front of me.

"Drink!" I looked at the creation with suspicion.

"And what about my earthly physiology? Am I going to kick the bucket in thirty seconds? I wouldn’t want to, so to speak, fall flat on my back."

"Lady,” it seemed he had firmly decided to call me that, ”I have no idea what ‘kicking the bucket’ means, but no one has ever died from this. But I guarantee you relaxation."

After a moment’s hesitation, I sniffed the drink, decided I had to endure it since I’d asked for it, and downed the entire contents in one gulp, to the cheers of approval from all around, watching Agron’s eyes widen. The drink was pure fire. No wonder his jaw dropped. He probably never gargled with pure alcohol during a sore throat like some crazy ladies, like me, to shorten the illness.

"Was I not supposed to drink it so fast?” I innocently asked, expecting to collapse any moment. Closing my eyes, I listened to the sensations. A slight dizziness, a feeling of flight and lightness filled me, and I heard the Music.

Ordinary, quite earthly rhythms were overlaid with truly alien ambient sounds. They touched the very essence of my soul, filling me with strength and the understanding that life is here and now. I spread my arms, closed my eyes, and joined the others in this wonderful and strange dance, catching Agron’s understanding smirk out of the corner of my eye.

I don’t know how long I moved with my eyes closed. When the initial euphoria passed, I started observing the people around me. There were both women and men, though many more of the latter. The women were not only scientists but also warriors. There were couples embracing each other unambiguously, including same-s*x couples. Some men looked at me with reverent admiration, not approaching or reaching out. When this started to bother me, I realized I needed another drink.

Agron was found in a distant corner, indulging in passionate caresses with a sultry and totally hairless hottie, clearly from the military. I giggled and asked a tall, blue-skinned bartender to mix a long drink to his taste. He bowed respectfully and, with the words “the best for my Ari,” handed me a fantastic intricate glass. Thanking him and savoring the first sips, I realized I had never tasted anything more delightful. By the fifth sip, when I was still moaning with pleasure, my back started to burn. Not literally. But the sensation was as bright as if someone was burning a hole in it. Turning sharply, I faced a dancing wall of people. No one was looking at me, but my tipsy mind didn’t give up. With the persistence of a drunk, I suspiciously scanned the writhing bodies for the source of my discomfort. Just as I began to relax, not finding anyone, I grabbed my glass and decided to stroll, looking for someone who deserved my righteous anger.

Navigating through the dancing mass, where I felt almost like a hobbit, I emerged by the wall and immediately locked eyes with the reason for my burning back. It was so obvious I even laughed. This was another broad-shouldered hunk, standing at almost six and a half feet tall, with a barely grown blond buzz cut and piercing gray eyes that continued to burn a hole through me. “Nice skull shape,” I drunkenly thought and giggled again. But then I caught myself: this doesn’t mean he can stare so brazenly. Enough with the local playboys! After the second one, I had developed a sudden immunity to their charms. So, planting a free hand on my hip, squinting fiercely, huffing a bit, stamping my foot, and huffing some more, I decided he was sufficiently intimidated by my formidable appearance, had understood everything, and wouldn’t do it again. Still glaring, I spun around, swaying slightly, but decided to reinforce the effect by shaking my fist over my shoulder. The subject snorted and immediately resumed his mask of indifference.

Returning to the bar, I demanded my divine nectar be refilled and then plunged into darkness.

I woke up because I couldn’t breathe. In the darkness, my body was trapped in a vice-like grip. The alcohol had completely worn off, my head was as clear as a bell, but the air was treacherously running out of my lungs. Panic washed over me, and I started struggling out of the soft, claw-like embrace with groans and squeals. A soft light turned on, and I saw my nightmare—Sgan—holding me tight with his enormous arms, one leg thrown over my stomach, smiling smugly in his sleep.

"Sgan, you’re suffocating me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

The jerk sprang up, blinking in confusion.

"What are you trying to do, kill me? Why did you bring me on this ship if you wanted me dead? You could have just done it on Earth and saved yourself the trouble," I ranted. Sgan looked bewildered and distressed, which gave me unparalleled satisfaction. I could have yelled forever. But unfortunately, my usual restraint woke up too quickly, and the stream of curses dried up on its own. Taking a deep breath, I declared:

"I don’t remember giving you permission to share a bed. You could crush me." I couldn’t resist taking another jab at his size.

"Sorry, darling, I just..." He trailed off, looking even more confused.

And then, unbelievably, my heart betrayed me. The emperor of two galaxies, unknown to me, was sitting there, sleepy, confused, and worried, speechless and unable to meet my eyes. He reached out but then let his hand drop weakly onto the bed. I shook my head disapprovingly and got up.

"Please assign me another bed." That was a mistake. Sgan stood up abruptly, his face losing the guilty puppy look.

"Haagnarath,” he said, which cut into my ears, ”I apologize for cutting off your air supply a bit. But you will sleep with me. I didn’t consider your fragile Earth physiology, but it won’t happen again. I can control myself in my sleep. Next time, my embrace won’t be so dangerous for you." He finished with a slight smirk.

"I don’t want your embrace! My sleep is my personal territory! You promised, after all!”

"I promised to give you three months to get used to me and not take you by force.”

"Not take me? What kind of phrasing is that? Have you been reading trashy novels? We’ll see who takes whom,” I muttered under my breath.

"Oh, I’ll take you."

I could only snort and turn away.

We didn’t sleep until the ship woke up. I lay back on my side of the bed, forcing him to move as far away as possible. He watched me with his ironic smile, lying on his side with his head propped up by his hands. I defiantly studied the ceiling.

"When will we reach the Zaor mines?" I asked, sticking to my favorite topic.

"In a month, as I said yesterday."

"Will you release Trin?"

"I keep my promises."

“Yes or no?”

"Yes.” This was good. He was making concessions, and that was a small victory.

"I need something to do for this month."

"What are you interested in?"

"Martial arts. I want Trin to train me."

"Why does my fragile bird need martial arts?"

"Because she’s fragile. As I understand it, you don’t live in paradise either, oh Ancient One," I remembered Diarth’s recent reverent address, but of course, I tried to infuse it with all the venom I had accumulated. ”Pirates attack almost every week, and I won’t allow myself to be locked in a high tower without windows and doors in your palace either. I need to be able to defend myself."

"Agreed.” He nodded with satisfaction, still smiling. ”We think alike."

“And I need to learn to operate some of your vehicles.”

“Planning an escape, my dear?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘dear’ is the right word. And thank you for considering me a dumb hen. If you sniffed me out from your galaxy, god-knows-how-many parsecs from the Milky Way, it would be the height of idiocy to think I could escape you on a pleasure craft."

"Not on a pleasure craft. But on a warship like the T-GInArA, you could, if you reached the Second Universe. I wouldn’t sniff you out there."

"Why would I go to the Second Universe? They say there are gray wolves there. Good girls with two kids shouldn’t go there. They’ll bite."

"True.”

"So?"

“I’ll teach you. I’ll teach you everything you want to know," Sgan suddenly burst out laughing, scooping me up and rolling off the bed with me.

"Archon Sgan, you’re behaving childishly!" I protested, breaking free from his grasp and heading to the bathroom.

At the bathroom door, standing with my back to him, I asked, ”Will you also tell me how to kill you?"

"I will."

"Why?" I turned around in surprise. He was still smiling.

"Because I can trust you with my life. And because you won’t."

"Are you so sure?”

“As sure as I am of myself.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“You just don’t know yourself. But I know. You’re not a killer, my Haag.”

“Do you doubt that I would kill for my freedom and children?”

"Not for a moment. For protection, absolutely. And how. But you’re not a killer. You have a warrior’s spirit within you. And despite your fragility, it is as strong as the spirit of my best war veterans. But I’m not a threat to you, or anyone you love. Or even to your beloved planet or galaxy. You feel this, and you feel me, even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself. Under those conditions, you are incapable of cold-blooded murder.”

“Believe me, my state is far from cold-blooded right now.”

"I know," he said, dragging the words out. ”I love your passion.”

"It’s not passion, you thick-headed i***t! It’s the rage of a person deprived of freedom! Lock a tiger in a cage, start cooing at it like you do with me, and one day it’ll tear your throat out!”

And… I destroyed our fragile truce again.

Sgan instantly teleported to me and reverted to his signature irritated whisper.

"And what, you had a lot of freedom on your Earth, dear? Didn’t live in a cage?"

"No,” I bleated uncertainly, but Sgan decided to finish me off.

"You’re trying to say that the three-room box in a giant multi-story anthill is the pinnacle of your freedom? Or that wimp, indifferent to such a treasure as you, whom circumstances foisted upon you as a husband? Are you trying to say you chose him yourself? Or did he just happen to be the best of the worst options when your maternal instincts were screaming, burning your brain with hormones, telling you that you needed to reproduce?”

"We had some good times together once," I tried to object, my voice pitifully small.

"How long?" He kept pressing. ”A couple of years? That’s laughable. True soul connection, real love, unity, respect? Do you think all that can just vanish in two years? No!" He barked. ”It never disappears! Not even in tens of thousands of years! I know! If you had at least a dozen of my guys to choose from, if you were truly free to choose the prince you dreamed of as a child, would you have chosen your ex-husband?"

Maybe on your Earth, you travel wherever and whenever you want? Or do you work at something that gives you complete soul satisfaction? Have you realized all your dreams? What freedom are you talking about, darling? Your planet is not for freedom; it’s for trials and endless lessons from the universe."

In his last sentences, he tried to soften his voice as much as possible because tears were streaming down my face. I was crushed. And when, after a few moments of deafening silence, he started to wipe my tears with his finger, I flinched and shoved him in the chest.

"At least I hate you now! What soul connection? I wouldn’t have chosen you either, you emotionless piece of alien!"

"Why ‘a piece’?" He whispered, bewildered. But I was already fleeing to the bathroom.

"Just clear your mind! Look at me with a pure soul, without grievances and hatred! And you’ll understand everything!" He yelled through the closed door, his thunderous voice full of desperation. And a slight feeling of satisfaction briefly touched my wounded soul.

“Alright, am I not a strong woman?” I groaned, getting up from the bathroom floor where I had spent a good hour sobbing. ”We’ll manage somehow. The main thing is for him to build the portal. And then I’ll look at you with a clear mind, you uncouth blockhead.”

Women’s tears are a great invention of the Creator. With them, a woman can cry out her anger and despair, grievances and hatred; they can cleanse her and make room for determination and the pursuit of new achievements.

Leaving the bathroom, I found no one. Leaving the cabin, I found Diart.

“Hello, my young friend,” I saluted, earning puzzled blinking and a respectful bow. He seemed tense again. ”What useful information do you have for me today?”

"Oh, today I have prepared an excursion to our science center for the esteemed Archaite!"

"That’s all well and good, but yesterday you called me Haag.”

“But the Archon... he didn’t like it!”

"You’re addressing me, not the archon. And I order you to drop the formality and return to the lightness of our conversation from yesterday! Otherwise, I won’t enjoy your excursions at all," I frowned sternly.

After a bit of hesitation, Di nodded uncertainly, but then, rubbing his hands, began to speak, ”Today we will visit our greenhouses and the deep space research department!”

“Greenhouses with cosmic dill. Just what I need.”