Chapter 52: Devour.The next few days passed in a blur. Octnavin fought, and so did Sloan. Sloan won his next two fights, but the winning lost its dazzle. Now Sloan felt like a dog in the dogfights that Octnavin called this. He had hated the idea of being a pleasure slave to the great ruler of the Dagerstanteens, and yet now he was a slave to the folantos. Sloan didn't think the irony was funny at all.Sloan didn't remember falling asleep, but he was in Octnavin's warm embrace when he woke. He thought the mighty ruler was supposed to enter the arena again, but he was happy to find that Octnavin had not left yet.The alien was awake, and he traced Sloan's tattoo as if distracted. After Sloan rubbed his eyes and yawned, he caught the flickering lights of the dome. Aliens were fighting in the muddy arena as per usual. In the silence, they both caught the muffled sounds of screams and the breaking of limbs. Sloan wished he had a clock or a way to scratch lines into the walls. He had no ide

Chapter 54: Octnavin can't always win.After Sloan was yanked out of his dream with Murry, he rubbed his eyes and glanced at the walls of the empty cell. When he finally shook himself awake enough to move around, he headed to the water basin and washed his hands and face. He tried to clean his teeth. After he stripped out of his tattered shirt, he washed the garment in the water hole. He rung out the cotton and then gazed at his once prized band t-shirt. The fabric was splattered with so much blood and dirt the logo wasn't visible anymore. He recalled the one from the dream and sighed.Wiggling, Sloan slipped off his pants next. He tried to wash them in the rock basin. He wrinkled his nose at his ripped jeans. Never in his life had he been so filthy. Not even after his mom lost their apartment and they were homeless for six months.A low hum signified the platform was heading his way. Sloan glanced to where he expected to see Octnavin stepping off the elevator. Typically, the king of t

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 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 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