Chapter 10: A Village in the Dark Part 2

“What a fool I made myself to be...,” Fengge said as he paused his walk. He turned to see Alaron’tre’til’s lights were still glowing in the extreme distance. Had they walked a kilometer by now? He didn’t know. It was so dark to see, with only his pinned camera light and a hint of distant starlight to help illuminate the darkened scenery around him. All was quiet for some time, but Tonja finally said something.

“Why?” she asked him.

“If this was just me ... just me,” Fengge said with some fluster. “I do everything I can to learn your language. There is ... I don’t know anybody else who even bothers to try learning your language. Every Itrean just learns English and tells the humans not to worry about it. I have to worry about my work. Sometimes I barely even have the time to learn it. I’m not some ambassador ... I was just selected to ... do diplomacy. We didn’t even know if your people even survived or not.”

“You haven’t failed,” Tonja replied.

“I don’t know...,” Fengge took his hat off for a moment to listen to the scenery. A series of light shrills were traveling through the forested path. For a moment, he forgot the looming dangers that may persist around him. The local wildlife still sang around him. Finally, he took a knee to rest his feet. The dirt path through the jungle was persistent and almost never-ending.

“It’s beautiful,” he remarked. “Your home...”

“It is,” she replied to him. “I study past worlds ... other homes of Alara’jal. This place is beautiful.”

He put his hat back on. “Why didn’t you help me back there?”

“I do not understand.”

“You didn’t translate for me ... when I spoke with Noreep.”

“Noreep ClickClick,” she corrected him.

“You just stood there and watched as the others just...” He sighed.

“I could not help you.” She seemed stern in how she replied.

“Why?”

“Because you have ... to convince them. I must be ... careful not to support you. “Noreep ClickClick has friends and family ... and they support her. I have ... less friends than her.”

“Ugh ... and with those to support her, her friends will tell her friends and then tell her friends.” He looked down at the dirt. “I’m trying ... I’m trying.” He held his hands up in the air.

“Noreep ClickClick is an enemy ... but she can change,” Tonja told him. “Look at it from her ... You came here ... Introduce as the human race. You talk about moving ... That will change our way of life. Click*Click Noreep wants power ... and that may cause her ... to lose her status. She ... cannot let that happen. She wants to be ... more powerful.”

“Yeah ... you told me that she tried to have her grandson become your mate.”

“Yes. Tochasa ... I admit that I like him ... at times. He is aggressive but ... not kind. Not a good mate for me.”

“Wait, you’re saying that Tochasa is Noreep’s grandson?”

“Yes.”

It dawned on Fengge when it came to the political power struggle that was going on in this village. But, to learn who it was, further shocked him. He thumbed with his goatee as he continued to think about it.

“Hmm,” he said. “Well ... that’s not good. With your village’s politics, I’m not surprised now that you stayed single.”

She seemed to look away as she thought about it. “It is not ... the life I want.”

“You don’t have to stay here, you know? It doesn’t take much to see that you want to see changes too. I understand if you feel nervous with the whole idea of an alien race coming out of nowhere and suddenly telling you to pack up your bags.”

“Pack up?” Her attention was focused on the trees.

“Yeah, you said it yourself. I made you laugh. You sound unhappy.”

She mustered the courage to admit it. “I feel ... different since you arrived. You are kind ... friendly ... and not like other Alara’jal. My mother ... raised me. She believed humans would come. It might not be in my ... lifetime, but they could. I learn English because, ... I like different things.”

Fengge smiled and held his arms out. “Well ... here’s a human in the flesh.”

“You are so small, but ... there is much passion in you.”

“Honestly, speaking for any other race out there, I think your people are just bigger than anything else that is out there ... at least the ones that are smart enough to make a civilization.”

“All the Itreans are small ... so small.” She smiled. “If my people ... ally with your people, ... the male Alara’jal will be ... overwhelmed with lots of small Itreans. Female Alara’jal might be lonely.”

“Well ... I can’t speak for what is going to happen. It’s an issue at the moment. There aren’t enough male humans to ... replenish what the Itreans lost. The gender imbalance is a major issue. We have to adapt.”

“Adapt ... yes ... yes ... you might be right.” She placed her clawed hand over her snout and closed her eyes. “I thank you for everything ... for today.”

“You know...,” the paleontologist was thinking. “The question asked earlier. If I was forced to live on another planet because an alien told me to, it’s a difficult question to answer. Here...” He took a breath to admire the greenery of the environment. “I breathe fresh air ... not the toxic environment of outside or the filtered air inside of the city domes. This ... smells like home. If I was told to live somewhere else, I would need to know where I was going to live, who was going to be there, the environment. I think under the circumstances. If I were told to live here, I would do it. But,” he raised his finger as the Alara’jal turned to look down at him. “I need a reason to move here.”

“What reason?”

He folded up his arms. “I was looking to get married eventually.”

“You want a mate?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to have children?”

He nodded his head. “I think so.”

Tonja seemed to smile but was preoccupied with her bodily needs. “There is something ... that I need to tell you, but ... I need to urinate.”

“Oh ... you need me to leave you so you can go pee?”

“No, but I will return.”

Fengge lowered his head as he watched the towering woman leave the dirt road. She walked into the forest to disappear. For a brief while, the paleontologist was left to his own thoughts. There was a deep sense of longing as he remained where he was. Even in the dark, the planet felt like home. As time continued to flow, the need to leave was becoming less and less. Was it possible that Alaron’tre’til was the perfect place to set up a colony? If it weren’t for the resistance to having him there, it would have. He was aware of his thoughts. The camera light would only travel so far. There was the sound of rustling branches in the distance. He already knew that Tonja was putting some distance between him.

As he continued to think, he wondered about the Alara’jal people. They were nothing but fascinating people. His neck hurt from the times that he had to look up, but it didn’t matter. Even today’s events in trying to impress the people would eventually turn over. The paleontologist kept a positive frame of mind despite everything. He knew he had to keep that sense of inner strength and confidence built within him.

However, his thoughts loomed over one particular reason why he felt the desire to stay despite the negative criticism. He put his hand to his forehead.

“Oh ... Doctor Fengge,” he addressed himself. “You need to keep those thoughts away. There is no way a woman that big would have some interest in some lowly spec like me. I went through all of this today ... traveled hundreds of light years to destinations unknown ... just to meet and play with the natives. No ... she wouldn’t have an interest in me. Too soon, and hoping for too much. I don’t...”

Fengge felt a presence behind him that made him stop talking. He turned and looked up expecting it to be Tonja. However, it wasn’t Tonja. It was a male Alara’jal.

“Tochasa...,” Fengge felt a slight sense of trepidation. But, knowing the truth, the paleontologist knew he was in danger again. This was a grandson to an elder that didn’t like him.

“Fengge...,” Tochasa quietly replied. His eyes seemed to scan the forest. He was looking for Tonja, but she was nowhere to be seen. This was the worst scenario. The doctor knew he was alone against somebody far stronger than he was.

“I guess you’re not here to escort me away from the village, then?”

Tochasa’s fierce gaze said it all. He was unarmed, but it didn’t matter. For a second, Fengge was thinking about reaching for his gun and holster. The Itrean then spoke slowly and articulately as possible. He was aware that the human’s knowledge of the Itrean language was substandard. He wanted to make sure that he could understand it as well as possible.

“Oyio ... Tonja,” the big Itrean said. The translation simply meant, “Where is she?”

“I don’t know.” He then repeated it again in Itrean.

Tochasa didn’t appear to know where the other female Alara’jal went to. However, that was what he wanted to hear. He suddenly attacked. His large arm went and flung downward. The Alara’jal was quick. His hand went straight into the human’s side, but it wasn’t Tochasa’s goal to hurt the human, at least not yet. Fengge flinched. His heart was pounding. The colossal size of these Itreans was more than enough to envelope the claws around his stomach and torso. For a split second, the human thought he was going to be slashed or tossed about. It wouldn’t have taken much to be killed. Instead, Tochasa had the man. With little effort, the paleontologist was lifted off the ground. The razor-sharp talons dug and lightly cut into his skin.

“Let go! Let go!” Fengge exclaimed. However, his words were cut off. The giant was unequivocal in raw power. His strength was more than enough to tear into the sole human. He could peer into the giant rounded snout. The hot air of his nostrils almost knocked Fengge’s hat off.

Tochasa then began to say several words in Itrean. Fengge was powerless and could only grunt and call for help. However, his body was being crushed, cutting off his vocal range. Finally, there was enough to understand what the Alara’jal said. It was a threat. It was anger towards seeing Fengge and Tonja being together. It seemed more than just an act of friendship to Tochasa. They were getting close to something that would endanger his grandmother’s position. This was a jealous quarrel.

“I...,” the paleontologist coughed. He was gasping for air. “Not ... trying ... to take her ... from you...” He tried to say it in Itrean, but it only made Tochasa even angrier.

Help ... Fengge’s mind was draining. There was a minor cracking sound as the claws dug deeper into him. The ferocious Tochasa opened up his mouth. Several glaring sharp teeth could be seen. Was he going to eat him or at least take a bite out of him? Fengge knew a single chomp would end him. The Alara’jal possessed one the strongest biting force to be ever seen. Not even the Goagoa bone could handle the onslaught of these titanic chomps. However, there was a noise in the distance. The moment that this happened, the grip suddenly began to lessen. Tochasa knew that Tonja might be returning. It was all that Fengge needed.

In the moment of hesitation, Fengge summoned the last of his strength and pulled his left arm free. In his left hand was his pistol. Tochasa’s gaze was focused to his left, only noticing the fact that the human was armed. The barrel was pointed directly at Tochasa’s mouth when the paleontologist pulled the trigger.

A gunshot rang. A bullet slammed into the Alara’jal’s top teeth and gumline, penetrating deep. Fengge didn’t let up. He kept pulling the trigger repeatedly in the wake of panic. Everything happened in split seconds. The paleontologist was pulling the trigger as fast as he could. He couldn’t miss at point-blank range. Bullet after bullet was being expelled. At the same time, the Alara’jal felt a wave of pain. Even if the shots were tiny to him, they were still powerful enough to penetrate into his jawline, bone, and snout. It might have been possible that Fengge could have scored a headshot into Tochasa’s brain.

“RAARRR!” Tochasa howled. He practically flung the human and pulled back. Fengge was tossed a short distance. All that the paleontologist could remember was that he was falling. In less than a second, his body and back slammed into the dirt. He didn’t even notice the fact that Tochasa’s tail swung over him, narrowly clubbing him. He felt pain, but the human was only stunned. He crawled through the sands, trying to gain some distance. The pistol lay on the ground. Its slide was locked back, empty of bullets.

“Ugh ... ugh!” Fengge remarked. His fingers dug through the sand some more. He was breathing and alive, but as he was summoning the strength to get up, Tochasa had already regained himself. The Alara’jal was ready and about to charge at the human. There were hints of bleeding coming from the Itrean’s mouth as he held his arms out. Finally, his mouth and jaws were opened wide.

There was no hope to escape him. Fengge was well aware that outrunning him wouldn’t have gotten him anywhere. He was unequipped and all but overpowered by the colossus that stood before him. Tochasa was a footstep from either crushing him beneath his clawed foot, slashing him with his claws, or leaning down to chomp his body in half. Fengge closed his eyes and waited for death to overtake him...

Suddenly, Tonja came crashing through the brush. She was at full gallop, slamming into Tochasa with all her might. Her elbow connected to Tochasa’s hip and sides. In the male Alara’jal’s fervor, he had all but neglected the fact that Tonja had closed in on him. Tochasa was staggered, and Tonja wouldn’t let up. Both of them roared at each other. Their voices echoed in the forests like a never-ending wave. Fengge backed away more and more. Finally, the two enormous body masses were driven off the road and into the brush.

Tochasa was doing his best to regain his footing, but Tonja was relentless. Finally, Tochasa shifted his body to the left and pushed off of her. Using the move, Tochasa swung with his right arm. His fist connected to Tonja’s left breast, but it was a weakened strike, worn down by the shoved momentum of his body. If anything, it only pushed him back.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Tonja yelled out to him. It was said for Fengge’s benefit, but she repeated it in Itrean. She swung with her left deformed hand. The four claws landed and shredded into Tochasa’s right arm when he flew back.

Fengge could hear the conversation. Tochasa said one word to her. It was the Itrean word for traitor. It only angered Tonja. She flew into a bloody fury and started to swing wildly into him. The paleontologist could only watch from the distance. He reached into his pockets and knew that he only had one magazine for his pistol. The hunting and current fight had taken their toll, denying him additional rounds to use. He then pulled out his machete and kept himself at the ready. A few times, he coughed as he stood.

Tochasa managed to score a knee to Tonja’s stomach. The ground shook from where the two fought. Tonja was dazed from the stomach hit, but she managed to grab his foot when he kicked at her again. With a hard-twisting motion, she spun the ligament producing a crunching sound. It was unknown if she had broken the Alara’jal’s foot, but it was enough to cause him to veer off. What could be seen was that Tochasa was limping on his one working digitigrade leg. He was vulnerable.

Tonja pressed the attack. She leaped forward and threw her fist into him. He tried to throw a fist back in return, but without both of his legs, he couldn’t keep himself stationary to hit her. On the other hand, she scored a direct hit to the bottom of his snout. His head went upward. Like a predator, she grabbed him with both of her hands, clenched her claws into his hips, and opened up her wide jaws. By now, Fengge could see some of the activity. Tonja brought her razor-sharp teeth and mouth upon Tochasa’s throat and neck.

“My word...,” Fengge said. “Is she going to?”

Tochasa screamed in pain. His tail and body lashed about, but it only brought more effort by Tonja to continue her attack. She was breathing hard. Her jaws clamped harder. Blood was beginning to pour from male Alara’jal’s neck.

Fengge knew that Tonja was winning. She grabbed both of his wrists and held them upward. Her teeth continued to drill into him. Finally, Tochasa said two words in the Itrean language. It translated to, ‘I surrender.’”

With that, Tonja quickly released him. She opened her mouth and shoved him away. It looked like Tochasa had been in a fierce battle. Blood was dripping from Tonja’s teeth. All desire to end his life ended the moment that Tochasa surrendered.

“Fascinating ... ab...,” Fengge tried to say, but he fell to his knees in pain and exhaustion. Tochasa retreated, limping and bleeding. He went in the direction of the village. Tonja’s bloodlust had come to an end. She shook from where she stood. She looked at her claws and could see the blood. A small number of tears could be seen on her face. They ran down her snout and into the dirt below.

Fengge had to look out for himself first. He quickly activated his augmented arm and scanned himself. Blue lights could be seen analyzing him. The scans gave him the full report.

“Well ... the good news...,” Fengge remarked with a cough. “Nothing is broken ... but ... light cracks in the rib cage ... muscle tissue bruised.” He pulled out a small hypo syringe from his pants. He quickly brought the stimulant to his neck and pressed the applicator switch. He injected himself with some sort of blue fluid. Almost immediately, the pain began to die down. He then rechecked his vitals. The first aid medication was doing its job.

He fell to the dirt. If Tochasa returned, then he would be powerless to stop it. His body would heal, but a part of him wondered about Tonja. There was so much that he wanted to tell her. He could only hope that she was alright. But ... exhaustion was taking its toll. His eyes fell tired from the fight. His body had been drained of all energy. Before he knew it, his eyes closed, and he collapsed to the ground...

“Ugh ... hm ... meh...,” Fengge mumbled. He felt his body was light, almost like he was floating. His senses barely registered anything except that he was in the air. His eyes showed him a hazy image of the ground below. He must have been eight feet from the surface. Mild brush would slap his sides. He was moving, but he didn’t know where he was going. There was warmth pressed to his body. No ... he was close to someone...

He was being carried but to where? It didn’t matter. He fell unconscious again...

“Wha!” Fengge woke up. His back lay resting on the dirt. His vision was covered in darkness. His camera light was turned off or damaged. He was somewhere in the forest, far from the sandy road. There was so much flora, that it was impossible to see the village. If anything, he might have been in the middle of nowhere. Only the sounds of alien bugs and other wildlife filled the scene.

Pain?..., The paleontologist smacked his hands to himself. He leaned up into a sitting position and felt for bruises, injuries, anything. There were hints of damage to his body, but nothing outrageous. His hat lay near his hand. He thought he could hear breathing, but that wasn’t what he was worried about. He then tapped his augmented arm and initiated a second body scan. He breathed a sigh of relief with the news.

“Nothing ... no permanent damage from what I can see,” he told himself. “Although...” He rubbed the side of his head. “I will probably be feeling some of that pain when the morning shows up.”

“That is good ... that you are well,” a familiar deep female voice echoed near him. Fengge pressed his hand to his chest and activated the camera light again. The surrounding area had been lit up for his eyes to see. He was in a small alcove of an open area. The grass was soft and delicate. Night flowerers illuminated by the light would glow with blue and yellow fluorescence.

“Tonja?” he called out to her. Within a few seconds, he turned his head to gaze up at Tonja. She was not that far, sitting cross-legged. She was catching her breath but stable. It was difficult to tell, but Fengge could see the scar tissue on her body. It didn’t look serious, despite the sheer ferocity of the battle. However, he could tell that she was more winded and fatigued. Her rounded snout was looking down at her shirt before she looked directly at him.

“Yes?” She replied.

“Tochasa? Is he gone?” He asked.

“Yes ... I chased him ... away.”

“Where are we?”

“Far from the village ... my safe place.”

“Your safe place?” He looked around some more. Only his light helped reveal more of the surrounding area. There were at least twenty feet of grass and open grove. Branches, flora, and wide bushes acted like a wall that surrounded them. A half-grown tree served as a spot for Tonja to rest her back. Despite the darkness, it was a comfortable place. The grass floor even felt soft and cushioned.

“I read the English book ... here,” She commented. “Quiet ... remote.”

“As long as no Goagoa come through here. Not in the mood to be under someone’s foot.” He padded his sides. His pistol and machete were gone. He sighed but was quick to smile despite everything.

“Are you sure you are alright?”

“Of course, ... that was ... quite...”

“I know,” she interrupted.

“Quite marvelous.”

She seemed a little surprised to hear him say that. “Tochasa nearly killed you.”

“And he almost did, but ... you came and saved me. I owe you one.”

“Tochasa...”

“How long have I been unconscious?” He activated his augmented arm and began to check the time. “I was out for ... four hours. You carried me here?”

“You are ... very light.”

“Heh...,” he chuckled a little bit upon hearing that. “I guess I am.”

There was a little bit of a pause in discussion. Tonja continued to check over herself. She momentarily lifted her shirt to check her injuries.

“How badly were you hurt?” He asked.

“Tochasa left some marks ... I think I’ll be alright.”

“Should we head to the village?”

“No ... no ... I want to be here. I want to be alone ... with you.”

The paleontologist felt a wave of happiness overcome him to hear that. “You do?”

“Yes ... I like you.”

“I admit ... I feel like I have a friend ... meeting you today. I think any other Alara’jal would have just watched as Tochasa would have killed me.”

“Yes ... no ... many would, but ... not all.”

“Why now? Why did Tochasa want to kill me?”

Tonja wiped a single tear that fell from her reptilian eye as she remained stalwart. “He was jealous...”

“Oh ... that’s right. He is Noreep’s ... excuse me ... Noreep ClickClick’s grandson. It was he that was supposed to become your mate. But jealous?”

“He wanted to be my mate ... I admit ... I liked him ... but he wants power more ... more than love. Cares more ... for his family.”

“And here I come mucking all of that ... heh ... almost shot today ... almost killed by plants ... almost killed by the wildlife ... now a jealous suitor, but ... Tochasa wanted to kill me because ... of me just being there.”

“Yes ... He was capable of this ... but I still didn’t expect it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be ... you can’t control his feelings. I’m a stranger in a strange land ... a place of no government but still has its politics. It’s as you told me. I’m a threat to everyone’s livelihood. Now you had to defend me.”

“Yes...”

“What about you?” He asked her. “Where did Tochasa go?”

“He will go back home ... he will tell the others. But ... nothing more. Fights happen. Some know Tochasa to be ... I don’t have the word.”

“Brazen? Aggressive?”

“Nobody will find us here. Tired ... tired of being elder. Problems ... problems...”

“Then rest...,” Fengge smiled. “It’s been a long day for me ... honestly ... surprised that I wasn’t out longer.”

“You talked ... when you slept.”

Fengge shrugged. “Happens sometimes.”

“You ... said something ... I am beautiful.”

The paleontologist scratched his head. “Well ... you are.”

“You like me?”

“I don’t know ... you’re a friend, but ... so much is happening at once. This has been the busiest day I have ever had. I’m glad to have it ... wished to have it happen ... but ... experiencing it, I might be cautious about asking for it again. I don’t think my body could handle that.”

Tonja smiled. “Me too.”

There was another pause. She looked at the ground and lay down on her side. Her body stretched to the edge of the grove. With her great mass, finding a place of seclusion would be difficult. Finally, she stuck her elbow to the grass and rested her hand on her head. Her enormous tail lightly slapped the bark of the tree. For a little while, Fengge saw a human woman in her. Regardless if she was a dinosaur or not, she was a living, breathing individual, full of life. It felt wholesome in some way. However, Fengge’s eyes were drawn to her deformed hand.

“We might be able to treat that,” Fengge remarked.

“What?” She asked. She looked to where the paleontologist pointed, and she flexed her left hand. “Treat?”

“Your hand. You don’t have a proper thumb.”

She put her other hand to it and held it close to her chest. “Shameful...”

“What?”

“I don’t need help.”

“I remember ... on the ships, I journeyed to here. There was another Itrean. She couldn’t talk ... supposedly some deformity. Another Itrean referred to her as a Golarren.”

“Alara’jal ... we forget, but ... I still ... I hate seeing Itreans ... seeing this.”

Fengge flexed his hand. “I can promise you that we have the means to help you.”

“For Itreans as big as ... me? What about your arm?”

“An optional surgery. An augmented arm, courtesy of Mars.” He wiped his bald head. “Could have had an augmented scalp and have hair again, but ... people know me as the bald paleontologist. Can’t ruin my reputation now, can I?”

She flexed and fidgeted with her clawed fingers. Finally, a hint of a smile appeared. “You are happy with yourself?”

“I can’t appease an audience if I don’t have the charming personality to go along with it,” he said with a sense of pride.

“You like my hand?”

“It’s you. Besides ... I can’t say no to the person who just helped me. I just want to make sure that you are alright.”

She seemed pleased to hear that. “I will heal.”

There was another long pause as he momentarily looked up. The paleontologist sat back and relaxed. A part of him felt like he should get some more sleep. Another part of him felt like contacting the Drake and notifying him of his current status. However, he held back on the idea.

“Should I contact my ship or not?...,” he asked himself. “Nah ... I don’t have much to report on.”

“You are not leaving?” she asked.

He thought about the issues and the attempt on his life. “No ... I came here for a reason. I can’t give up.”

She appeared even more pleased to hear his words. “You really like it here?”

“I think it’s wonderful. Being here with you out in the wilderness ... I would trade for a few broken bones if it meant having this experience. I can only imagine that you would be there to help me out.”

Her large rounded snout was aimed away, with only her eyes to peer into him. “There is something ... that I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“My mother told me stories ... when she was at Zalri’eko. She saw the human ... he was with another Alara’jal.”

“Oh? There is more to this?”

“She briefly saw him. From her, she ... spoke with another female Alara’jal. They ... were to depart in ... a big ship.”

“The human went with this other Alara’jal?” He asked.

“Yes. They were holding hands.”

“Really?”

“My mother believed ... the two were mates. They took the ship ... and left together.”

There was a lot for him to consider. This lone human hundreds of years ago must have had his own adventure. Perhaps none of it would ever be recovered, but somewhere out there, he had someone to be with. But questions lingered in his mind.

“He left ... but he never returned to Earth,” he wondered. “I wonder why he didn’t ... but ... it sounds interesting.”

“He had a ship ... but never returned to your people?” she commented.

“It would have made our history books, that is for sure. There had to be some reason for it, though. But ... he wasn’t alone.”

“When I learn English ... I thought about the story. I think ... of the Alara’jal warrior ... she finds an alien ... become mates ... and travel into space. I like to think that...”

“The first human to encounter an Itrean ... my people will find it really interesting. And,” he put his hand to his chest. “They’ll have us to thank for ... for setting the records straight.”

Despite the day’s hardships, the night felt peaceful and harmonious. Tonja was looking at the human more than she ever was before. It took some time for Fengge to evaluate his feelings as well. They were stories that were passed to her to be passed to him. However, there was a solid hint that the man was understanding. He could see it in Tonja. She had a deep lingering desire to be with one of these ‘aliens,’ perhaps much more than she ever implied. As he continued to think about it, a subtle smile appeared on his face. Regardless, someone had beaten him to this moment. The person who did was someone that had long since passed.