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T wo days later Darik stood on the platform at the great stone circle again. This time every Badari Warrior and claimed mate in Sanctuary Valley was assembled in front of him, including the cadets and cubs. For the first time ever Aydarr had entrusted the task of patrolling the perimeters and the key points within the valley to their most trusted human allies for the duration of this meeting. The Supreme Alpha deemed it as so important to have all Badari hear of Darik’s trip the ancestors’ world and time that he was willing to take the risk.

Tratus, his mate and his healer had flown from their hidden base in the vast wastelands. His enforcer Rayce was already in the valley on rotation and was in the audience. Darik had agreed to go to the Tzibir base in the near future and give his talk again but for now Tratus and his companions would share the news with their people,

MARL the ancient alien AI was present, floating next to Jill in his usual spot. He’d been at Darik’s first oration so there was no reason to ban him now.

Nicolle was seated on the steps close to Darik, holding Mia, who would be presented to the packs at the appropriate moment. There was fierce speculation in the valley about the new baby after word spread that someone had needed formula and a baby had been seen at the hospital. The humans in the valley would receive a vaguely worded announcement tomorrow simply stating Darik and his mate Nicolle had welcomed a daughter. Badari secrets were held close by the packs.

Hope sat with Nicolle and had promised to be on her best behavior. The three-year-old was fascinated by the baby and Mia was equally taken by her so the parents had decided it would be a good idea to let them get through this adult meeting together. Darik wasn’t going to censor himself for the children so Nicolle and Megan planned to take them out of the circle when he got to the part about how he found Mia in her deserted home.

Aydarr stepped onto the platform and the crowd hushed. “Darik is going to tell you his story tonight, much as he told it to me and his own Alpha the night he returned from his quest. He carries an important message from the Great Mother for all of us and through her grace he accomplished something which will benefit the packs going forward. It’s a marvelous tale, nearly unbelievable but he bears the scar he earned there and he was blessed by the goddess to be able to save one of the ancient ones from the fate their world was to suffer.” He clapped Darik on the shoulder and stepped aside. “The floor is all yours.”

Clad in his kilt and cloak which the goddess had given him to wear on his quest, he moved to the edge of the platform. He thought the garb was a bit on the theatrical side, especially facing an audience of his brothers and their mates dressed for the most part in camo pants and black tee shirts as he would have normally been but Aydarr had insisted the packs must hear the story in exactly the same way he’d told it the first time, right down to the clothes the goddess had provided. Darik cleared his throat and began. “I stole a flyer and made my way to the Great Mother’s grove, determined to obtain her help on a matter dear to my heart…”

As the words poured from him, telling of his adventures and his observations, he sent a prayer of thanks to the goddess for allowing him to return home to his mate and his pack, and to bring his daughter of the heart to safety here. If he lived to be centuries old he’d probably never again achieve anything close to the successful completion of this quest. He’d been blessed to secure a working spaceship for the packs as a result of meeting Nicolle and battling the neoChimmer for their lives. The accomplishment was critical, since it allowed Reede to go to the Sectors to ask for help. Truly Darik was a man in the right place at the right time more than once but this trip to the planet of the ancestors and acquiring the means to ensure the continuation of the Badari people had no parallel. Everything paled in comparison.

Watching the faces of those to whom he spoke, Darik felt a mix of pride and gratitude for what the Badari had become and to be a part of this group of people at this pivotal time in their evolving history.

The Alphas would make sure his words rekindled an even greater fire in the packs to carry the war to the Khagrish and resolve the ownership of this planet once and for all, as the goddess had hoped. And more children would be born, to the joy of all and the securing of a hopeful future once the war was over.

Not a bad legacy for a man to have achieved. Darik had a lot of living left to do and he hoped to be fathering several children with Nicolle in the years ahead but right now in this moment as he laid out his observations and his adventures on the ancestors’ planet, he felt if he had to step into the Afterlife right now, he could take satisfaction in what he’d been able to do for his people during his life.

What more could a Badari Warrior hope for?

With rare contentment he continued his tale, as he had told it once already and would no doubt be telling it many times in the future, always with gratitude to the goddess and amazement at his good fortune in being the one chosen to undertake the quest and succeed.

With his family by his side, Darik was content.

Thank you for reading DARIK’S QUEST! I hope you enjoyed the adventure (and, of course, I’d love a review if you have time and the inclination to write one. Even a few sentences would be much appreciated. Or a rating! Authors relish reader feedback).