The Princess and the Human

For a few moments, Kykla just stood there, unable to process what she had just witnessed. How did this bizarre weapon work to be so powerful? It looked like just a stick! It couldn't just be the force of the throw, right? Such a small body couldn't possibly hold that amount of strength!

As Nadine made a step toward her, a jolt went through Kykla's body. What should she do? Should she try and grab Qeylo's gun? No, she had never used one, and if the past moments taught her anything, it was that she wouldn't survive long enough to even raise the weapon. Instead, her gaze remained glued to her adversary. It was still the same small, frail-looking frame the human had always had. Yet somehow, Kykla felt as if she was staring death straight in the eyes.

And then, she finally understood it. Ever since meeting the alien noblewoman for the first time, Kykla had, somewhere deep down, felt some primal urge that she had ignored since she hadn't been able to really identify the feeling. But now, the feeling had broken out of her subconsciousness, and its name was clear as day: fear. The urge she had felt was one to run for her life.

And with a quick decision, that was exactly what she did. Like her ancestors had done when they had encountered primal predators, she ran. Kykla didn't spend much of her time pursuing physical activity, so she was slow for a Tystrie female, but she still was a Tystrie female. Her kind had no equal in the alliance when it came to running. So even if she was slow compared to her own, there was no way Nadine's short legs could keep up with her speed. Therefore, her best bet now was to bring as much distance between them while praying to the Goddess that the bizarre weapon didn't have much reach.

At least the last part appeared to be true since there didn't seem to be a follow-up attack. She quickly scaled the small hill that broke the vision between her cottage and the city of Calhanar, which she for the first time was thankful that it was so close. It wasn't until she reached the first houses that she dared to look back. Thank the Goddess, she had been right about Nadine's speed. The alien only now appeared on top of the hill, far behind her.

Not halting her sprint, Kykla entered the city. Calhanar was quiet this late into the night, so there was nothing in her way. Between the open landing fields meant for public shuttles, there was a myriad of narrow alleyways through which she could shake her pursuer off.

When she felt that her body wouldn't allow her to push it any further, she went around one more corner before sinking to the ground. She was exhausted far beyond anything she had ever experienced in her life and felt so hot that it was like standing in one of her homeworld's many deserts. The wall behind her felt cold under her touch, and she leaned against it in the desperate hope that it would allow her to cool off. She, Kykla, a matriarch of the Tystrie, the right hand of High Priest Isbal, an ambassador of her people, the one trusted with the future of her people, the one who had been blessed with not just one, but two daughters among not even forty children, was hiding in an alleyway like a common thief on the run. In any other situation, her shame would've been so great that she would've wanted to sink into the ground. Right now, she couldn't care less.

She had managed to shake off her pursuer, that was all that counted at that moment. There was no way Nadine would find her among the countless alleys that spread in all directions between the landing areas. And now that she finally had some peace, she could think about her next step. She had failed, spectacularly so, that was undeniable at this point. Maybe there was a way to salvage the situation. She couldn't think of one right now, but if there was, she needed to be alive for it. So, how would she survive that crazed alien who was clearly out for blood?

Well, except for Qeylo, all her other servants were still alive and at the cottage. The shuttle she had been given was also there. She just needed to exit the town again without running into her pursuer, which, considering its size, shouldn't be too hard. She would then take her servants and fly back to the space harbor before Nadine could talk to anyone. Once she reached the Cyto, all she needed to do was to leave in a non-suspicious manner, and once they reached the hyperlane, she would be safe. Everything else, she could think about when she was home. So, as soon as she recovered-

"In case you think you are hiding: you are not, I can hear you breathe."

Pain. Her head, her arms, her chest, basically everything. Not the sharp headache she had tried to endure over the last couple of days, more a sore pain spread out through her entire body. She also felt tired and hungry.

"...just saying that this office is already embarrassingly small, you standing in the middle of it isn't exactly helping with that."

"I can see your point, Lord Jarkiyna, but I'm afraid I have to tell you that you need to deal with that."

Lord Jarkiyna? Who was that again? And the second voice belonged to Mhita, didn't it?

"While we did call you in," Mhita continued, "you are still an outside party and we are still under the emergency protocol. So especially in light of the recent developments, I am not allowed to leave you alone with Her Highness."

What? Emergency protocol? What's going on?

Slowly blinking herself awake, Silgvani tried to voice her confusion, but all that managed to leave her throat was some incoherent mumbling.

"Your Highness!"

Immediately, two figures rushed to her side. As her sight cleared, she was able to make out Mhita's face. Then the other one had to be "Lord Jarkiyna". He looked somehow familiar.

Oh, right, he was the physician treating Kiyrtin. Why is he in my room? ...is this my room?

"Careful, Your Highness. Don't overexert yourself."

"What... happened?" she managed to croak out.

"You had severe calcium poisoning," the doctor explained. "I just took over, but you've apparently been unconscious for days."

"That explains... the emergency protocol. But how..." A cough made her unable to finish her sentence.

"It was no accident," Mhita took over. "You were poisoned. The exact circumstances are still being investigated, but it was really close. Had it not been for Doctor Githaiy and Lady Nadine, it's likely you wouldn't have survived."

"I see. In that... case, could you... call them?"

"That would be a bit difficult at the moment."

"Huh? Why?"

"A lot of things happened. It started three days ago..."

It shouldn't be possible. It couldn't be possible. And yet, there she was. Judging by the sound of it, right around the corner. Kykla didn't understand it, but she couldn't take any chances. She jumped to her feet, and once again, she ran. Making her way through more alleyways, she quickly lost all sense of direction, but she didn't care. It didn't matter where she was right now, all that mattered was that she had to get away. She quickly left her pursuer behind, but that hadn't stopped her last time. Her body was now practically burning but she couldn't just come to a halt. She apparently needed more than just distance and branching paths. And right in front of her, that was that something.

As if the Goddess had heard her prayers, the door of one of the houses opened. A Vanaery, maybe curious about the commotion, stood in the doorframe, and she was not one to waste such a gifted opportunity. With her last bit of strength, she jumped past him and collapsed onto the floor.

"Close..." she tried to command the commoner, but both her exhaustion and her overheating body were getting to her head.

"What's going on? Who are you?"

"Quick...close..." She would've probably been angry with the commoner if she still would've had the energy for it. Thankfully even he was smart enough to realize that an alien with her quality of clothing and ornaments - even if they were a bit disheveled right now - could only mean one thing. So he did the one smart thing and closed the door.

Like from far away, Kykla could hear his voice afterward. He was still talking, but she didn't pay any attention to him. She was simply lying on the floor in a way that definitely didn't suit her status and wheezed as if her life depended on it.

Then, a hard, heavy impact tore her back into reality. The door rattled as something hit it with unimaginable force. The commoner screamed and jumped backward, and Kykla probably would've followed suit had she had any strength left in her body. But she didn't, and so she could do nothing but watch as with the second impact, the door got practically ripped out of the wall. And in the open frame, there she was again. Panting slightly, strange droplets forming on her forehead, but nowhere near as exhausted as she should've been. As she stepped closer, the fear and survival instinct sent Kykla's bodily functions into overdrive again, but she was still too hot, too exhausted to react accordingly. And so, with the alien - no, with the monster looming over her, she passed out.