Shield [New World Book 1] (4 page)

The creature wouldn’t get far. It wasn’t very fast or graceful. Obviously stealth wasn’t its strong point. How dare they try to storm his planet? Their invasion was thwarted by Rask’s security beams. Their cloaking device on the craft was nonexistent. Their shield was pitiful. Now they thought to fight him on land? A full-blooded warrior Castian. A Castian warrior who had just hit his prime moons ago. Foolish beings.

Rask could hear it up ahead. It wasn’t very quiet. It had no flight pattern. It was crashing pell-mell in different directions. It bumped off a tree and skidded over a rock. Then it stumbled and fell face first before him when it changed direction. It looked up from his feet, its mouth a wide ‘O’, screamed then jumped up and ran again. Rask scratched at his head, his talons clicking against his armor. The action was his ‘baffled habit’ normally when unarmored. He dropped his hand.

Strange little being.

Why wasn’t it fighting like the others? It was much smaller than its litter mates. Perhaps part of its defense was to wear him out while he watched it blunder an escape. Rask slowed his pursuit. The creature was crawling before him. It was gasping for air. It turned and crawled backwards. Now that was a different tactical maneuver. Perhaps it would jump for his throat. It seemed in possession of claws. White dirty claws.
What an odd color for a creature.
Do they have no sun where they come from? And what the hell does it have for feet?
Small objects encased them. Rask could see they were tied on.
How is it supposed to get leverage on the spongy turf?

The creature banged into a tree and rose slowly. Its little claws splayed before it. They were hands really, but with long nails. Rask cocked his head to the side in interest; it certainly was a curious little thing and he thought to study it before he would kill it. It was so small. The material it wore was odd. The thing’s hair was white. It flowed down its back. The eyes were strange, paler than the sky. Never had he seen this color of blue. In their depth was mirrored hopelessness and aloneness and it was strangely haunting to see such desolation. The face, upturned to meet his gaze, had slender bones. It wasn’t unpleasant to look upon and Rask decided it was a pretty species. Rask stepped closer.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

Rask stopped. It had been years since he had heard words spoken in the ancient tongue. From his studies he had learned the language, but it was centuries old, taught by a few of the older males. He knew for certain this creature wasn’t Castian. It was way too small; there was no such thing as a puny male Castian.
Perhaps a subspecies? It has to be a lower life form.
There wasn’t much bone mass under its white shield. Rask took a good look at the being then growled. Two large rounded bumps were outlined under the being’s clothing. It had to be two concealed bombs under its shirt front.
Suicide mission?
It didn’t matter, since Rask had his armor on, and his shield was up; he was indestructible.

“Go ahead and blow,” Rask taunted in the ancient language.

“Blow what?” it said.

How soft its voice sounded. Rask breathed in deeply, his nostrils flaring. He smelt its fear. His ears detected a soft clicking sound. Perhaps the bombs were charging.

“I see your bombs. You have not concealed them well. Or did they move when you ran?”

“What?”

It sounded confused.

When it spoke, Rask saw even white teeth. It really should not have retracted its fangs. It made it look vulnerable—or even more vulnerable than it already appeared. The harder he looked the more he realized the soft clicking was coming from the teeth.
That is odd, it couldn’t generate a charge to the bombs with its teeth…could it?
Its jaw trembled. Rask frowned. Perhaps it was a young raider. It looked young; it smelt young. There was another strange odor to it that tugged at his memory.

Rask stepped forward and gripped one of the bombs high on its chest. When he squeezed to set off the explosion, the creature cried out and swatted at his hand, then cried out again when its hand connected and clanked with his hard armor. Rask squeezed again. He was careful not to pierce the bomb with his talon. The creature gasped and gripped his wrists. It felt like normal flesh. Rask moved his talons across the creature’s bare arms. How odd, this was no shield; it was firm but too soft. If he chose to, his talons could rip it to shreds. Rask removed his hand to grip the creature’s throat. He was able to wrap his talons right around until his claws clicked together on the other side. It gurgled, the eyes widened and it released a heady musky scent of fear. The little being was terrified of him. He could feel its pulse pounding under his hand. He released some of his pressure. He was certain he could have crushed it to death. It was obvious to them both that Rask was the superior being; the little thing had opted for submission. Perhaps that was the other strange odor. Castians never surrendered in submission; he had no idea what the smell of it would be.

“Put up your armor, I wish to test your strength,” Rask demanded.

“My what?”

The creature was making strange sounds in the back of its throat. It wasn’t growling at him, and it seemed distressed. It should have known if Rask wanted it dead, it would be already.
Couldn’t it sense that?

“Your shield, put it up,” Rask demanded.

“I don’t have one,” it replied in a shaky voice.

Rask frowned. Their ship had a shield. The others must not have had time to raise their shields when he caught them off-guard. Or perhaps like the vessel they were in, their body shield was too flimsy to be of any use against Castians. Rask was being more than fair with this little one. It was old enough to have a shield; perhaps it was too embarrassed to show it. He put more pressure onto its neck. The creature gurgled again. Rask bent low giving it a good long look at his razor-sharp fangs. He could smell the creature’s desperate tiny intakes for breath. Still it refused to raise its armor. He squeezed harder cutting off its air supply entirely. Then Rask raised his eyes in surprise. The creature’s eyes were leaking. Great God of Dargon, he was squeezing its fluid out! The wetness dripped down its face and chin toward his talons. Rask released his hold. It had to be a trick. The creature gasped in air.

“Your trick won’t work with me,” Rask said and grinned. “This fluid is some type of shield-melting substance. Isn’t it?” he demanded.

“Please let me go.”

Rask frowned. The tone of its voice was pitiful and raspy. “Tell me what the fluid is,” he demanded again.

“Tears. I’m crying because I’m afraid of you. I can’t help it.”

Tears?
Rask had never heard of such a word. “What is the substance?”

“Water and salt.”

Its fear created tears as a weapon? Rask’s armor acted on its own to protect him at times so it was plausible. Rask knew it was afraid. Rask’s armor detected no threat when he lifted a talon finger to the moisture on the creature’s face. A sharp claw scooped one up. The substance felt like water, it smelt like water and it was warm. This wasn’t dangerous.
What the hell are the creature’s defenses?
It has to have something, anything.
The being’s tears were falling faster. It looked so weak and fragile. It was shaking before him and Rask had an idea. His hand rose to its throat and he squeezed once more.

“No please, no,” it gasped.

The musky odor of terror reached his nostrils.

Ah, he got it now. Rask loosened his grip. It was a shame he had killed the other two. Their form of defense was their helplessness. Yet he had seen the larger creature kill its own litter mate. That alone made him think they were dangerous. What odd creatures to use helplessness as a weapon. But it worked. He suddenly felt no need to harm it. It would appear the defense suited it. His men would find this little thing amusing. They wouldn’t hurt it once he told them it was helpless—a new pet. Still he wanted to be certain it carried no tricks. Rask wrapped his arm around the being’s arms, holding it still. His hand went down into the back of its pants. The little creature screamed it would be ripped apart with his sharp claws but he dropped the shield on his talons so only fingers touched it. Still it struggled. It was laughable really. His finger searched inside its behind for weapons. As he went deeper its screaming stopped and it pleaded louder. It was too tight, no weapons would fit there.

When Rask removed his finger and released it, the being slumped to the ground. It was hysterical and crying out something. Rask pulled it up and cocked his head.
Rape?
What is that?
It didn’t want him to rape it.

“I don’t understand that word,” Rask said.

There was something else he needed to search. The creature was practically limp in his grasp now. It hardly weighed anything. Rask held it firmly again. His hand went down the front of its pants to check behind the creature’s male sex. Once more he dropped the shield on only his fingers and hand not wanting to rip its organs apart with his claws. It began struggling wildly. Rask determined now it must be hiding something. His fingers probed faster for a weapon. He found nothing and was stunned. There was nothing there, absolutely nothing.
Where does its sex go?
A finger then found its way up into another hole.
Two holes?

What the hell kind of thing
is this?

“What are you?” Rask demanded.

The creature was gasping and whimpering and the tears flowed faster than some of the rivers Rask had seen. It was warm inside the little being’s body and moist. The insides squeezed around his finger and released. It was a pleasant though strange feeling. The strange scent of the creature was stronger and Rask felt an odd sense of predatory need. The sensation increased as the creature became hotter and moister. Rask removed his fingers and gave his head a shake. He could smell a unique odor on his finger and damned if it didn’t invade his senses.
Another form of defense?

“I’m human,” it cried out.

Rask had heard of humans. They were said to be ghastly creatures with no social skills and bloodthirsty with no real leadership. His people tended to stay far away from that corner of the galaxy.

“Where is your human sex?” Rask asked curiously.

“Where you touched me,” the human replied.

Little arms crossed over the things he had thought were bombs. It was cowering and shaking pitifully. This being was no threat. It looked so cute he couldn’t be annoyed.

“But there was nothing there,” he said with exasperation.

“My sex is inside like any other female’s,” it cried out with seeming irritation. It swiped at its eyes with the back of a hand.

Rask’s eyes widened in surprise; he stumbled back as though struck, stunned.
Female?
The female race was extinct; it had been for almost four hundred years. Rask didn’t even remember his mother. It wasn’t possible.
Is it possible?
But it had to be telling the truth, the sex was either removed or up inside. No creature would remove its sex for battle and if it did there wouldn’t be a hole, just smoothness. Rask could feel his heart begin to race until his shield controlled it. Extra oxygen flooded his nostrils and he calmed. The ramifications alone would be astronomically beneficial if humans and Castians could mate. If this really was a female creature. Maybe that’s why it was so small, so defenseless.
Great Lord of Dargon, it is utterly defenseless!

“Those other creatures I killed, were they female?” Rask asked with sudden horror.

“No they were men, the male of my species.”

They were protecting their female. That’s why they fought him. She had screamed in fear and the males reacted.
“Did I kill your mate?” he asked. He remembered that much about females.

“No. They were the captain and co-pilot. We crashed on your planet. We mean no harm. Earth is destroyed and we were just going to a new planet.”

“What planet?”

“We call it Ulsy. It was given that name as a nickname but it stuck. They shortened it from ‘you’ll see’. No one knew what to expect.”

“You are on Dargon now. What are you called?”

“Grace.”

“My name is Rask. I have never met a female. At least not any I remember.”

“Why?” she asked.

Her hidden gaze then glanced up with trepidation at him. Thankfully her disturbing tears were slowing…he had been wrong—tears can melt shields. Her puddle-filled eyes made his heart flip. Once he understood her smell, he remembered it. Something in his blood was taking over. He grew tired of her cowering away from him when she smelt so good. Its headiness was like a drug. What was happening to him? Rask’s armor lowered when he felt all threat of assault pass. He wasn’t certain if the drug in her scent was safe and right now he didn’t care.