(this excerpt is from Chapter 3: The Ties that Bind. The chapters in Book 2 are longer than the chapters in book 1.)
As Xenos makes his way through the crowd of people, he remains vigilant of
his surroundings at all times. He is cloaked, and there is no chance anyone,
except Va’lurins, can see him.
He reaches his destination, a small diner tucked between two larger
buildings, it is not fancy, just a simple hang out, much like the fast food
diners on Earth. Dukar enjoys the food at the Vin-dhu, they serve exotic foods for those who have a taste for
things that are hard to get elsewhere. Some Humans are served as food on
Barunda but not on other planets.
The diner has human body parts stored in a freezer in the back. The
owner gets them from a private seller in the city of Doe’sha. The walls of the
diner have cracks on them from previous small quakes in the region.
Ba’jor has always been a hot bed for seismic activity big and small. The
building is much older than the rest and has not been renovated yet. It is one
of the few that remain retro looking. One day the city plans on tearing it down
and putting up a new diner in its place, more secure but for now, it is still
up and running.
The black sleek tile floor is surprisingly clean as many unruly
customers tend to track dirty inside. The table, chairs and booths have a retro
look to them from an earlier time when Ba‘jor was first established. The booths
are black, the tables made of wood, and Va’lurin chandeliers hang above the tables.
The architecture of the chandeliers is exotic but typical of Va’lurin style. Xenos
walks in, presses the button on the utility belt and uncloaks. No one paid attention to his presence. He
looks around cautiously. Sitting at the back of the diner, in a corner booth,
Dukar raises his cup at Xenos, greeting him.
“Do not do that,” Xenos said as
he approached the table. “You should not bring attention to me.” Xenos crowed.
“Do not worry my friend. I knew it was you because of your distinct odor.”
Dukar chuckles, giving Xenos a fictitious grin. Xenos bares his teeth, smiling. “Look my friend, no one here cares who you are. There are no bounty
hunters here.” Xenos looks around, eyeing every hooded man or woman
suspiciously. A Comigaen woman, tall, with red hair walks past him. Her cold green
eyes dart from him to Dukar. Xenos' eyes meet hers evenly. She stares at him,
without flinching, as she passes.
“Don’t worry. The people here
came to eat. They enjoy the food here--like I do.” Dukar said.
“How can you be sure?” Xenos said, speculatively.
“How?” Dukar scoffs. “Because I killed a bounty hunter who was waiting
for you prior to your arrival.” Dukar responds with a self-satisfied grin.
Xeons scoffs. “You always have my back, huh,” he said.
Dukar ordered a
drink for him. “How are you doing my friend?”
“Not well.” Xenos paused, taking a deep gulp.
“Ah, Javarin ale. I have missed it so much. I will buy a bottle to take
back.” Xenos told the waitress. She nodded and left.
“I didn’t know that they have a
human serving here. Ironic.” Xenos scoffed, and laughs.
“Yes it is.” Dukar responds, with a wink. “Humans can be quite useful
other than just for food.” Dukar laughs. Xenos shakes his head.
“I cannot take much more of this, running and hiding. This is unbecoming
of me.” Xenos bristled.
“I agree. Usually others are running and hiding from you.” Dukar
responds with a laugh. Xenos grimaced. “It is shocking to see that the roles
are reverse.” Dukar laughs again. Xenos agrees, with a sigh.
“Emperor Na’gar wants her alive so I must keep her safe.” He groans.
“Sometimes I wonder if she is worth it.” He takes another sip from his drink.
“I am up to my head in serious trouble with the Ny’Karin Empire. Xenos added, fuming.
Dukar agrees.
“Sor’an is relentless. He wants
her back,” he noted. “I have to take her off this planet…. soon.”
“Can you use your ship?” Dukar asked.
“No, I cannot use my ship. I am sure the registered number is in the
main computer and now in the hands of the Ny’Karin authorities. All military
stations orbiting Eur’leau, have the information. My ship would be spotted,
with a magnetic beam they will pull it into the docking port and Chandra will
be on her way to Nykarus. As for me---Sor’an will have my head, literally.”
“Yes, yes of course,” Dukar agreed, pensively.
“I am looking into finding a cargo shuttle to get you off of Atlan at
least. In a few days, I will send you a message and give you more information
about the plan.”
“I will have to leave my ship,” Xenos noted, he is obviously not
pleased. The thought of leaving his ship behind, angers him.
“True, I am sorry friend.” Dukar sincerely stated. Xenos wants to trust
him but considering that the bounty on his head is so high, he is not sure if
Dukar’s true motives for being so generous, come with strings attached. Xenos
gives him an incredulous smile and changes the subject.
“How is the war going on back home?”
“Not good my friend.” Dukar answered giving his friend a grave look.
“Another city was hit. Sor’an has disbursed a toxin into that city and many
have died.” Xenos grimaced. He never realized how despondent he is until Dukar
told him what Sor’an has done. He wishes he was there fighting with the others.
Protecting his family.
“What about the city Kyon? Has the city been hit?” He asked anxiously,
fearing the worst.
“No, not yet.” Dukar responds.
“My wife and children live there.” Xenos conceded, rubbing his eyes
warily for a few second.
“I am sure that your family will be looked after. Emperor Na’gar has
made arrangements to transport many civilians to the moon Cyrus and to Pheobi.
The government has set up underground safe camps where refugees can hide out.”
“Won’t the Ny’Karins find the camps on the moons?”
“No, I believe they are concentrating on Barunda for now. I am sure that
your family will be safe in one of the underground camps.” Xenos shoulders
tensed.
“I must get Chandra to Barunda--soon.” He slammed his fist on the table,
angry over the atrocities Sor’an is committing on his people. Two people at a
nearby table glanced in his direction.
“Calm down no need to attract attention.” Dukar said.
“Yes of course.” Xenos replies. “The sooner I am off this rock the
better. He added.
“Where are you two staying?” Dukar asked, offhandedly. Dukar would much rather be the one to take
Chandra to Barunda. His true loyalty lies with himself, always. Xenos eyed him
dubiously.
“Sorry my friend I cannot tell you.” he looked at Dukar evenly. Dukar
gave him a nod. He is irked but he understands. With such a high priced bounty
in his head, Xenos would be a fool to reveal his whereabouts even to him.
“I understand my friend. However,
when the ship comes to the city, how will you get her here without catching attention?”
Xenos thought about that for a moment. “I will manage. I will think of
something.” Xenos took another drink.
“So my friend, have you slept with her yet?” Another off-handed
question that Xenos is hesitant about answering.
Dukar’s question threw him off a bit. He was never high on subtlety.
“No
not yet.” Xenos’ tone still remains even and abrupt, he gives Dukar a
speculative glance. Dukar’s eyes widen, surprised.
“Why not?’ he asked.
“I am not interested.” Xenos
stated. Dukar laughs.
“Of course you are not.” He
winked, throwing his friend an incredulous smile. Xenos shrugs. “All I want is
to take her to Barunda and collect my bounty.”
(This is another excerpt from Chandra's Quest Book 2: Changes.
Chapter 3. I will be publishing book 2, through CreateSpace in the near future. I have a new illustrator and will be mentioning his name in my next blog entry. He does Anime style drawings.)
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Q& A's
Below is a question I received a few weeks ago
Question: "What is jul’um berry juice." Kaye
Answer: jul'um berry juice is made from the Jul'lum berries. They look similar to Blackberries but larger. They are the size of strawberries, they have a sweet and sour taste to them. They are grown in Southern Atlan, and distributed to neighboring countries and planets in the system.
