Page 21 of Across the Stars (Cosmic Threads of Fate #1)
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MAE
“You have?” Mae let out a soft chuckle, still unable to believe she was speaking to a real dragon—and an intelligent one at that. “Why is that?”
“My rider informed me that the Kutsiu you arrived on wasn’t yours.” The winged creature nudged her hand. “Your true mount is still waiting for you to find it.”
“That is true,” she pathed, shaking her head and looking over her shoulder at Watai. “Can you tell your rider that he gossips like a bird?”
After a brief pause, Watai released her hand, hissing in amusement. He motioned to his mount by raising his arm and pounding a fist in the center of his chest. “ Nyi Iskzo, ” he chanted with each hit.
“Nah-Yi Is-ka-zo?” Mae shifted her gaze between the alien male and his beast. “Nyi Iskzo?”
Watai lowered his arm and gathered the saddle from the balcony, shaking his head and muttering something incomprehensible to her. He gave her a playful grin as he passed and began tying the straps around his dragon.
Mae studied the rider, trying to make sense of the exchange, but she didn’t know enough about him or the world to understand.
“Would you mind telling me what that was about?” Mae made her way to the dragon, her gaze drawn to the mesmerizing swirl of his large blue-green eyes.
She lifted her hand and scratched the scales on his face, eliciting a low purr from the flying creature.
She wasn’t afraid of him anymore. “Is he upset with me?”
“He told me that I’m his, not yours, and that I should be more careful about what I tell you.
” He huffed and tilted his head at his rider before returning for more scratches.
“You repeated it back to him, leaving him speechless. It’s true, even if you haven’t acknowledged it.
I’m yours, too, because we share the same cosmic thread of fate.
I told him cordmates should not keep secrets from one another. He agrees.”
Mae paused her scratching and locked gazes with the dragon. “Your name is Iskzo?”
“He never told you?” The space dragon shuffled his wings as the swirls in his eyes turned various shades of orange.
“Not directly,” she admitted, worried that she’d misspoken. “Maybe. I don’t understand what he says most of the time, so he could have, but I missed it.”
“That just makes what the two of you said even funnier.” He let out a rolling chuckle that sounded like an impending storm. “My name is Iskzo, and I’m Watai’s Z’myuzo.”
“I won’t forget it,” she teased, placing her head against his as Watai often did. “So ‘nyi’ means ‘my’ in the native tongue?”
“That is correct.” He bobbed his head, pressing it against hers. “‘Nyi’ is ‘my’, and ‘nya’ is ‘mine’; both are frequently used in reference to cosmic bondmates.”
Mae cast a glance at Watai and took note of the information. It might come in handy later.
She watched him work on the saddle straps. His mouth pursed and eyebrows scrunched in concentration as his piercing teal eyes focused on the task at hand.
Mae couldn’t help but watch Watai expertly securing the dragon’s saddle straps. She found herself admiring his chiseled physique and the way the sunlight glinted off the highlights in his hair. She felt a flutter in her chest and realized how attractive he was.
His mouth curved into a dazzling smile as he gave a strap one last tug and then patted Iskzo’s side, muttering something to his mount before flicking his gaze to her, catching her staring at him so intently.
“Mae?” He dropped his hand and stepped closer, his eyes scanning hers. “Ayn ekyn zyun?”
“He wants to know if you need any help,” Iskzo explained, nudging her shoulder with his snout. “And if you’re ready to go to the Gathering Hall for the morning meal.”
“No, nothing is wrong.” She raised both of her hands in the air and shook her head, indicating that she didn’t require assistance, before grabbing the nearest strap and nodding. “We can go to breakfast.”
Watai nodded as Iskzo leaned forward, making it easier for them to climb on his back.
She couldn’t shake the feeling of excitement and nervousness that filled her as she swung onto the dragon and settled in front of Watai. She couldn’t believe she was going to fly on a dragon again, free from the confines of a ship’s metallic walls.
She sat in front of him, feeling the warmth of his body behind her and the strength of his arms as he wrapped them around her. She couldn’t help but think about how safe and protected she felt with him.
Iskzo leaned forward, and they were off the landing ledge and soaring through the sky with a powerful leap.
Mae laughed joyfully as the wind whipped through her hair and her vision blurred from avoiding all the branches as they exited the tree. She could feel Watai’s chest vibrate with his laughter behind her, and she knew she didn’t want it to end.
The tranquil sound of the water below and the gentle mist on her skin invigorated her as they flew over the lake.
Iskzo swooped higher, rising above the weavetree. The tribe went about their daily tasks below them. Mae couldn’t help but be struck by the sight. Activity flowed in and out of the massive glowing tree like a busy beehive.
Riders jumped onto their space dragons and took off in unison. Others remained grounded, jumping from branch to branch. She was fascinated by the way they moved in harmony with each other, working together to complete their tasks.
Mae was saddened as they touched down on a landing ledge. She didn’t want to leave Watai’s embrace or the sensation of weightlessness and freedom she’d felt while flying.
Now that she’d had a taste of it, she was hooked, and she wasn’t sure if she could force herself to board the Atlantis again.
Her pilot’s heart yearned for more flight time.
Here, she could feel the elements around her rather than being trapped within metallic walls and electronics.
Flying with Iskzo felt different. It was the closest she’d ever come to owning a flying car, something only the wealthy and famous could afford on Earth.
But she was aware that the day’s work awaited her, and she couldn’t wait to learn more about this new world and the people she was beginning to care about.
She needed to surround herself with people other than Watai if she wanted to learn more about their customs and how to speak their language.
She was aware that he had responsibilities other than caring for her.
In order for her to grow, she needed to learn how to be independent and find her place in the tribe.
Moreover, she needed to prove herself and stand before the council in order to get her belongings back in time.
The fate of the moon may depend on her ability to adapt to the world she’d discovered.
Watai quickly unclasped himself, swung his leg over the side, and leapt off Iskzo. He turned around and offered Mae his hand as his mount crouched to assist her in dismounting.
She unhooked the straps and grabbed Watai’s hand as she slid off of Iskzo, smiling.
As soon as Mae took a few steps away, Iskzo dropped, tucking in his six wings as he dove toward the ground. Watai wrapped his tail around her waist as she leaned over the ledge, trying to keep an eye on their ride for as long as she could.
Her focus shifted to the other dragons, which flew back and forth, dropping off their riders on the numerous landing ledges that led to large arch entrances in the tree’s trunk. It felt like she was in the middle of a space station hangar, only it was shaped like a massive glowing tree.
Watai led Mae through a large archway, hand in hand, his tail still wrapped around her waist as if he was afraid she would get lost.
The entrance led to a massive cove teeming with people, all gathered around multiple massive smokeless bonfires burning on top of piles of rocks in a circle of large stones.
Off to the side, tables and baskets were brimming with strange-looking fruits and vegetables that Mae had never seen before. Watai motioned for her to take a closer look, and she hesitantly stepped forward, feeling a little overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights and smells.
Mae examined the unfamiliar foods with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, wondering how she would determine what was safe to eat.
While her tests had confirmed that the air and water were safe for humans, she was going in blind when it came to food. It was times like this that she wished she had access to her testing equipment or had woken up a biologist to help determine the safety of the environment.
Watai came to her aid and made her decision for her, picking up a fruit that looked like a cross between an apple and a pear and handing it to her. He then picked up a vegetable that looked like a green artichoke and motioned for her to try a piece.
Mae hesitated for a moment, wavering between hunger and caution. Finally, she took a bite, trusting that Watai would be able to get her help if anything happened to her.
To her surprise, the fruit was sweet and delicious.
As she swallowed the bite, Mae smiled with delight. Watai seemed pleased with her reaction. He proceeded to show her the rest of the different foods, as well as where to get water skins or fill bowl-shaped cups with colorful beverages.
She was astounded by the variety of colors, shapes, and textures, as well as the delicious aromas wafting through the air, which made her mouth water. She was eager to try the rest of his people’s cuisine.
Watai led Mae to the back of the eating cove, next to the largest bonfire in an expansive open area. Watai motioned for her to sit next to him and his family.
Mae was a little nervous because she didn’t know what to expect.
She had already tried her hardest to ignore the wide eyes, pointing, and whispering. While there were a few other people with lighter skin in the cove, they were much taller and had tails and horns, which she lacked. This only served to make her stand out.
But as she sat down, her tray of food and water skin on the ground in front of her, she was greeted with friendly smiles and nods from the alien beings gathered around the fire.
A twinge of discomfort lingered, however.
The man beside Watai’s sister, whose name she didn’t know, seemed to be studying her intently.
His gaze was cold and unfriendly, making her feel unwelcome.
She tried to shake off the feeling and focus on the conversation around the fire, but she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious under his watchful eyes.
Watai’s father greeted her neutrally, but his demeanor was much warmer than the younger male who was staring at her. The beads from his elaborate headdress danced with the movement when he nodded his head. His eyes were guarded, despite a brief smile.
She focused on the love and warmth that emanated from Watai’s mother and sister in an effort to block out the discomfort.
She wondered what she’d done to earn the male’s suspicion, and if she’d ever be able to earn his acceptance. She tried to push the thoughts to the back of her mind and focus on making the most of her time with Watai’s family.
Mae tried to keep her emotions under control, but her heart was racing as she ate breakfast with them. She couldn’t shake the impression that Watai’s mother was evaluating her, but she had no way of knowing for sure.
She had no idea what they thought of her or whether they approved of her connection with Watai. Despite her best efforts to put on a confident front while dining, she was acutely self-conscious the entire time.
Watai took a large piece of raw alien meat from a nearby basket and placed it on one of the large stones near the fire. He then motioned for Mae to come closer and demonstrated how to cook the meat on the stones beside the large bonfire.
The meat sizzled and smoked, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
As she ate her meal, her gaze drifted to the ceiling, mesmerized by the glowing patterns that seemed to dance and change above her. She’d never seen anything like it before, and the beauty of it all took her breath away.
The aliens around her continued to talk and laugh, their strange language filling the air. Mae couldn’t understand what they were saying, but she didn’t mind. She was content just being in their company, fascinated by their different culture and customs.
She looked around the cave, noticing the intricate carvings on the walls depicting stories and imagery that she couldn’t comprehend. She was in a completely different world, and she was grateful for the opportunity to experience it.
The carvings reminded her that she needed to figure out how to keep track of how many days had passed since she’d landed. Time was of the essence. She was already in love with this moon. It would be easy for her to lose sight of why she was here and the critical mission she was on.
Maybe she could somehow ask Watai for a knife, so she could mark a stick or something to count the number of days she was here.
As the morning meal progressed, the aliens gathered around the fire began to pass various dishes around. Mae made sure to try them all, not wanting to miss out on what his people had to offer, while keeping track of a few of her favorites to eat whenever they were available next.
She was delighted by how delicious it all was and excited to learn more about the different flavors and textures.
Mae was developing an intrinsic connection to these people, though they came from different worlds. Even in the short time she'd been here, she was beginning to feel like she belonged and had found a new home.
All she had to do was win Watai’s family over.