My 1000-years love

Chapter 16

The next five days, I was completely at the mercy of the relentless Tragaon. As he said, it was for your own good, my Archaite. Every evening, I skipped dinner, barely crawling back to my cabin after the second training session, and in the morning, dragging my feet, I made my way to the regenerator, hoping that the next morning I might not need it.

On the fifth day, as usual, I woke up to my own groans, but when I met the bottomless, mocking turquoise eyes, I quickly fell silent. In his usual manner, he studied me for a long time. And here I was, hoping, naively.

“Did you get a break from me?”

In response, I could only groan, lowering my head.

“Amusements are amusements, but I also demand your attention, little star.”

“I can’t stand that address. Ever since Earth.”

He moved his hands over my body, and all the pain instantly vanished. And not just that! I felt a thousand times more invigorated and pleasant than after the glass sarcophagus!

“You should have just come to me instead of crawling to the reparative module on all fours every time, entertaining the entire crew.”

“I don’t want to,” I groaned reflexively.

“I figured,” he smirked. “I’m changing your schedule. Trin has already been informed, you will be a bit late. Now you will meet your new teacher. In the morning, you will continue your training, and in the afternoon, you will fly.”

“From where?” Instinctively, I envisioned a scene of my limp body being tossed around the gym.

“For now, on a simulator. When we’re traveling at such speeds that training flights around the ship are impossible. You’ll practice in orbit while I construct the portal.”

“Wow,” was all I managed to say. Although I had insisted on my training with Trin, by the end of the week, I was already regretting his enthusiastic approach. And he had warned me.

“Don’t flinch, Earthling,” the cheerfulness in his voice irritated me wildly. “Tragaon’s torments are only beneficial for you. After daily exhaustion and recovery in the regenerator, your muscle and skeletal structures are only strengthening. Human biology is so plastic, it’s simply astonishing!”

“I’m glad I could arouse your scientific interest,” I blurted out, as usual, meaning something entirely different than what came out.

“You always arouse me,” he leaned over me, bracing his hands on either side of my head since I still hadn’t jumped out of bed. An unforgivable oversight.

This time, cornered, or rather pinned to the bed, I allowed myself to study his face. Usually, out of stubbornness and despite the pressure he exerted, I would talk to him, mostly staring at the floor. Such a strong-willed face. On Earth, you could only see faces like his in movies or advertisements, though it’s clear that there they only show us the play of light, makeup, and actors. Strong-willed, but beautiful. Perfect symmetry, a perfect nose, high cheekbones. Full lips. I wanted to touch them so badly, to run my finger over them. Are they really that soft? No, he had kissed me, and they were so firm, firm and smooth as... I gasped. Sgannar froze like a statue. While he’s so motionless, can I touch his lips? It seems he’s in his anabiosis again. Surely, there’s nothing wrong with that. I ran my fingers over his cheek. The skin felt a bit rough. As if he were the captain not of a spaceship, but of a pirate ship. It seemed as if it were hardened by cosmic winds and the light of a thousand suns passing by. But to the touch, it was soft and smooth. My whole palm followed my fingers onto his cheek. Amazingly smooth. No signs of stubble. I wonder if it’s like that everywhere? What about his chest and... lower? My thumb instinctively reached for the archon’s lips. I gently traced them and closed my eyes. It’s indecent for a man to have such skin. Although mine had become soft after the regenerator. I traced his lips again. What would it be like to touch them with my own lips? Myself? Not to kiss, just to try?

Sgannar’s eyes sparkled even more; he took a sharp breath. And then I realized he hadn’t been breathing all this time, allowing me to explore him, to get used to him. Like taming a beast, it flashed through my mind. He fell onto his elbows, and our faces were two inches apart. But he didn’t move further, freezing again. I briefly immersed myself in his eyes but found the strength to tear away from them, or else I’d be completely lost. Eyelashes. So thick, envying any earthly beauty. And despite all this, he was so masculine that the desire arose on its own, against any reasoning. A small scar ran through his right eyebrow, and there was a notch on his eyelid. Only now did I realize that the lingerie kindly provided by T-GInArA was soaked through.

“A scar? I thought you healed all injuries in the regenerator.”

Sgannar inhaled again and croaked, “The regenerator wasn’t available then. I recovered on my own.”

“What happened?”

“A thousand-year war.”

“Ah,” as if that told me anything.

“I’ll tell you later,” he whispered even quieter, his eyes wandering over my face. I froze, desperately wanting him to kiss me. Just gently. I wanted to taste him, to feel his sweetness again. And he didn’t disappoint, gently touching my lips, lightly nibbling. It was even a bit ticklish; the tingling in my lips became insistent, growing into an itch, demanding deeper and more passionate kisses. But… he turned away. Oh, no! Is he teasing me? Although he’s right, I’m not ready yet.

He looked at me again, calmer this time. And for the first time, I smiled at him, with relief and gratitude. Seeing his boyish smile in response, I even laughed softly, unable to resist kissing the scar on his eyebrow that had so intrigued me. He stood up and offered me his hand.

“Come on, you’ll be flying, little human.”

“Why not just call me a gnome then, why be so gentle with me? Yes, big bad raath?” I grumbled good-naturedly.

Rising to the top level, we found ourselves in a large hangar filled with small flying devices. It looked mostly like flying capsules with movable arms. Like a helicopter, but without the rotor. We approached one of them.

“I brought you a student, Kal, she needs to learn to fly in combat conditions and save her...,” he looked pointedly at my rear, “her life, of course. Do everything you can. This is your priority for the next month,” he said, addressing the helicopter, and disappeared. I was left alone in the enormous hangar, my jaw dropping. For several long minutes, I just stood there, thinking that the helicopters were alive, like T-GInArA, and that one of them would wink mischievously, I would climb inside its belly, and it would take me for a ride.

“Will you take me for a ride, big bird?” I stroked the warm, rough side.

In response, a board with a body lying on it suddenly shot out from under the “big turtle.” The body was in huge virtual glasses, smeared with oil, surrounded by tools.

“Damn it, I knew it,” it hissed angrily, and slid back under.

I was so stunned that I couldn’t even bring myself to get angry..So I just got down on all fours and peeked under the machine.

“I’m not exactly what you were told. Actually, they call me Haag here. Until I remember my real name.”

There was silence in response.

“Hey, who are you? Are you going to hide there forever?”

Silence.

“That’s kind of childish.”

Silence and heavy breathing.

“I have time,” I lied. Trin could wait. “I’ll guard you here.”

And I sat down on the floor cross-legged.

A few minutes later, the body shot out, passing me like a bullet, tearing off the glasses as it went. Throwing them on the tool table and clenching his fists, he turned around angrily.

“Hell,” was all I could say when I recognized the gloomy guy with the fiery gaze as my new “teacher.”

“Same to you,” he spat out.

Now I was angry. There were still a hundred and fifty people on the ship. Was he the only pilot who could teach me? I turned and went to find the archon. He hadn’t even bothered to stay and make sure we would get along. He knew this Kal was a misogynist and a general i***t. I felt his scorching gaze on my back. No, since I had the chance, I had to confront him and find out why he was burning a hole through me the size of myself. And why I felt it on a physical level.

I turned and walked back. He still hadn’t taken his gray eyes off me. As I approached, without losing momentum, I hissed:

“Tell me, dear friend, what the hell gives you the right to glare at me so angrily every time that I feel it physically? Soon, there’ll be a hole in my back from your gaze. You clearly have a grudge against me, but I don’t understand why!”

He stepped back, bewildered and slightly confused. But I kept pushing.

"Do you mean to say you don’t know about the properties of your poisonous eyes, buddy? My back burns when we’re in the same room! What the hell!” I lost my temper.

He turned away.

“I don’t know. It shouldn’t be like that. I have some raath blood in me. But it’s probably just your abilities. Maybe empathy. You feel my attitude towards you.”

“What did I ever do to you?”

“Not to me!” he shouted, turning back to me.

And then it hit me.

“To Laor?”

He gave a short nod.

“Your friend? Or lover?” I asked.

“Don’t be stupid.”

“My level of stupidity should concern the Archon. I asked you a direct question.”

“What did he do to you that got him thrown into space like unwanted waste?”

“Wait. Is that what everyone on the ship thinks?”

He was silent for a long time, pressing his lips together in disdain. So, I decided to be smarter. After all, if this guy had such strong feelings for the handsome Laor, maybe he had the right to know more than Sgannar’s vague excuses. If the whole crew thought the same, I’d be in trouble. So, I sat down on a nearby bench and began.

“Understand, I lived an ordinary life by your standards. I remember that clearly. Now I have partial memory loss. I don’t know my name, my job, or the city I lived in. I know the Archon kidnapped me right from my home, took me from my two sons, you understand? Without a word. Then I woke up on the ship. I remember lying naked on the floor in some kind of slime for a long time. I woke up in the reparative module and saw Laor. He explained that some frequencies in my body had been altered and now I was invisible to my children. Then… I don’t know, something drew us to each other. A strange trust developed. And I… I was a free woman. I was then. Understand, no one explained to me that I was now the Archon’s woman, and all that nonsense. Laor insisted, and I didn’t understand why I should resist if I wanted it too.”

Kalon slowly approached and squatted in front of me, looking into my eyes.

“And we just… well, you understand…”

“He f****d you?” my companion asked harshly.

I shamefully stared at the floor. Although I should have been outraged by his rudeness. I didn’t know if I had the right to tell this to a stranger. Whether I had dishonored the Archon.

“We both wanted it then. If you are a man of honor, I ask you… let no one else on the ship know this.”

He was silent.

“Then Sgannar burst in. He almost killed Laor. And I… how was I supposed to know I had to be faithful to someone? Only later was it explained to me clearly.”

Kalon sharply moved closer to me, making me recoil. His nose stopped two inches from my neck, and he inhaled deeply.

“He hasn’t taken you yet,” he whispered with closed eyes. “Why?”

“I didn’t…”

“Didn’t give consent?”

I nodded silently.

“Did you like Laor?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“Not like that. Yes, but not… Damn it, it was a one-time thing for me, understand? The first and last time in my life! Laor should have foreseen the consequences! He knows everything here! And I woke up with amnesia and in space! I had no idea life existed here! So you have no right to blame me, and stop staring holes into my back every time!” I jumped up and headed for the exit. Caelon caught my elbow at the door.

“Come tomorrow. We’ll start lessons.”

I hesitated, then nodded without looking.

Already in the corridor, I turned back and saw him watching me intently. The usual burning sensation was gone.

“No one?” I asked.

“Never.” And I trusted him completely.