Chapter 55: Saving the great ruler.Sloan wasn't sure how long he knelt next to the still form of Octnavin, but suddenly, it was all too much. Octnavin's death started to sink in and wrap its icy claws around Sloan's heart."Fuck you," Sloan screamed over his shoulder at the platform. "Fuck all of you. You want to fight, you cowards? You're all pussy-ass wimps. Come and get me." Furious, Sloan jumped to his feet. They had killed Octnavin. He couldn't believe the ruler of the Dagerstanteens was dead. His warrior, his alien, was gone.Again Sloan hollered at the platform. The wound in his heart and soul was more profound than any loss he'd ever felt on Earth. As his pain and anger enveloped the cell, Sloan found a chunk of rock. He threw the stone toward the platform. When the rock struck the metal, it made a loud ping."Come and get me, bitch-ass snake girls. I'll fuck you up."Once again, the silence pressed in from all sides. Sloan sank to his knees next to the ruler of the Dagerstant
Chapter 56: Time for a shower.Sloan hated the idea of leaving Octnavin, but he knew he wasn't much help in the hospital room. He wanted to see that the great leader would be alright, but he figured he would have to use his connection to the ruler in his brain. Right now, he felt blocked from Octnavin and didn't know how to get around it. Sloan decided that as soon as he was alone in a bedroom, he would force his way into the alien's mind and help in whatever way he could.Through the halls of fabric, Sloan followed Murry. The young man started talking as soon as they began to trot."While you are here, I kind of suggest that you stay in your room until we come for you. Not that there is a lot to do around here. The ship isn't action-packed, but I'm sure after the other place you were, you could use a little rest and relaxation."The man seemed completely comfortable on the spaceship and with the moving silk under his bare feet. Sloan now realized Murry's genie-style clothes were Keltr
Chapter 57: Goodbye.Sloan woke in a bed of soft silks. The Nebos cradled him, and he sighed. As soon as his eyes opened, he checked on Octnavin's mind. The alien was giving commands to multiple advisers and important Dagerstanteens from the court. Sloan backed out of the alien's head and headed to the shower. He washed and then brushed. It was nice not to feel that fuzz on his teeth.When he was clean, Sloan grabbed a handful of pink Nebos and tied a wide strip around his waist. He paddled to the eating table and then stopped. His eyes swung to his left. Octnavin stood in the doorway. "Hey." Sloan tucked some of his blond hair behind his ear. "I like your hair.""It's not blue.""I like it anyway."Octnavin closed the door and took one small step inside the room. He was still missing his middle tentacle, but the rest of him looked like nothing had happened. A bandage of pink wrapped tightly around his middle. The rest of his muscles gleamed, and he radiated with strength and power.
Chapter 58: Heading home.The next morning, Murry brought Sloan a backpack with basic items he would need to travel. When he was dressed in jeans and a hoodie, Keltrix and Murry took him to another white egg-shaped pod. "This goes to Earth?" Sloan asked as he scanned Keltrix. The alien was in a human suit and looked like a tall, young, Asian man with a long black ponytail."We are on Earth now," Murry answered as Keltrix snapped a language band around Murry's bicep."We are?""This ship is parked on the bottom of the ocean while we were sleeping," Murry explained as he sat on Keltrix's lap in the little white chair. "The Learning Institute says they are studying ocean and plant life. The ship cloaks and then parks under the water. We come up in the pod, and JP's assistant, Amy, picks us up in the ocean with The Learning's Institute's yacht.""It works." Keltrix shrugged. "Amy is paid well enough that she does not ask questions.""Does she know about…?" Sloan waved to Keltrix's Asian m
Chapter 59: Home sweet home.Two days of travel was enough to make anyone dizzy and exhausted. By the time Sloan got off the plane to meet Elijah, he could barely keep his eyes open and stay upright. Everything he ate made him feel full to bursting, and he'd only finally settled his stomach by eating raspberry smoothies. Drinking a smoothie, he found Elijah in a car parked outside beyond the baggage claim. Carrying his backpack and rolling his new suitcase, he waved when his friend jumped out of a sleek new sedan. "You're back!" Elijah hugged him and then hopped into the driver's seat. Sloan tossed his bags in the backseat and got into the car. "I have lots to tell you.""What did I miss?" Sloan sucked down his smoothie and rolled down the window. Sunshine warmed his face."You got fired from the coffee shop.""Figured.""And you got fired from the bar." "That sounds about right.""And we got evicted.""Of course we did.""Was it worth it to jet off with a hot rich guy to a tropical
Chapter 60: Not alone.The next day, Sloan chatted with the manager of Dager Gym on the phone. The woman had a spot for Sloan starting next week. According to the lady, JP, as the health center owner, had insisted she hire Sloan because of his "great qualifications." Sloan had no idea what those were, but he needed a job, so he just went with it. As he talked to the woman, he got the impression she wanted him to become her assistant manager. Sloan would see. For now, whatever the work was, the job was fine with him. He needed something…well, anything really… just to not think about Octnavin.Sloan took his motorcycle out for a short ride and got everything he needed to make raspberry smoothies. After he came home and ate, he curled up in the new pink blanket he bought. In minutes, he was asleep, and he took an afternoon nap. By the time Elijah came over with Chinese, he was just getting up. He had no idea why he was so tired. It had to be all the travel. How long did jet lag last? "He
Chapter 61: Calling for help.The following day, Sloan dressed in his pajama pants, shirt, and bathrobe. Nothing else fit. He went down to Elijah's apartment, and all the time, he prayed that contacting this Munroe person wasn't a mistake. Elijah's home was the same layout as Sloan's, except that Elijah had paintings, art supplies, and canvases where the gym stuff was in Sloan's place. Sloan entered and then sat on the couch and waited. According to the phone call, Munroe would show up at ten. Sloan had a sleepless night and could barely stop vomiting. Eating wasn't even happening anymore. He liked the raspberry smoothies, but he felt full. Every time he rolled over, it was like junior would shift and press on his organs. Now even the offspring was starting to get nervous. -You should've told me you were here sooner,- Sloan muttered in his head.-Sooner? English is a complicated language to master in a few days. It takes you humans years to learn it. Cut me some slack.-Sloan snorted
Chapter 62: Sacrifices.After the evening with Munroe, Sloan fell asleep on his friend's couch. By the middle of the night, he was awoken by pain. He attempted to go back to sleep, but now the throb in his belly and back was unbearable. He tossed and turned, but nothing he did helped.Elijah got Sloan his pink blanket, and time stood still. With every move or shift to roll over, he either couldn't breathe, or he thought he would throw up. His belly was almost entirely blue. The skin was bruised and aching. Spider lines rose out of his skin to the point where he thought it kind of looked like he was about to have an alien baby. The thing was, even though he wanted to vomit, he'd barely eaten. Junior was starving, and he knew he was hurting Octnavin's offspring. He didn't know what to do. He did the only thing he could. Sloan kept tossing and turning on Elijah's couch and praying for JP to show.Munroe, who was now a tall blue alien much like Octnavin, paced by the sofa's side where Sloa