Summoned: Book 1 - An Accidental Adventure - Chapter 08

Printer-friendly version

Summoned: An Accidental Adventure –
Chapter 08
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Malachai~
“If no get hand where need go I slapping you.” Malachai stated to the worker she had been assigned to work with.

Or at least that’s what she hoped she had said to him. Learning a new language was always tough. At least this manner of speech seemed easier to learn than Americanized English had been. She was also having a much easier time of it than Felix was, much to her companions consternation.

As she was thinking of him she took a quick glance his way on the other side of the large room where he was helping another of the Indents. At least that was what she was sure what they were called. Basically a type of forced servant or possibly slave, but she was still learning the language so there may be more to it that she hadn’t figured out as of yet.

They were touching up a wall that had been damaged when things that she could only describe as rampaging cyborg beetle buffalo slug creatures had assaulted the room. One of the locals had explained to her that they were the soulless spawn of Xentul and that the things were usually referred to as Ravagers. The things came in all types of shapes and sizes and tended to absorb almost anything they attacked so as to maintain their monstrous forms. One of the creatures had even taken the upper torso of one of the guards that had fallen during the latest attack. It had been rather gruesome to watch… sort of like a train wreck happening in front of her. She could not stare but she could not look away.

Her current task was to hold up a heavy cable while the other Indent tacked it in place with a sort of circuitry laden green gray goop. This room was one o the force wall generation stations that helped defend the boarder from those creatures. Normally more than enough to keep the horrid beasts away. Though specific pointed attacks that weren’t repulsed by the patrolling army could still sometimes break through. She had a chuckle at the thought of some of the politicians back home and how they would react to this countries problem with ‘illegal aliens’.

As to the hand she had been threatened, it belonged to a youth who was absolutely fascinated by her skin and kept trying to touch it. Which was highly distracting, and not only because she found she was highly sensitive. At least her overseers had allowed her a simple body wrap or the distractions would have been many times worse.

She and Felix had finally learned after a few days learning the local tongue that they were in a forced servitude until they were considered fluent enough to be given a new evaluative trial.

Oh, and they were forbidden from using their native tongues. Her back had healed over without blemish from the whip marks but it had shown her how serious they were over it. After those first few days they had been sent to work details as well.

“So sorry.” The youth finally answered.

He was a simple youth, slim and gangly like many teenagers. Unlike them though he had a pair of horns that grew out of his forehead and recurved back over his head. He was something they called a ‘Created’, if she understood it correctly. Though she was still learning the full word for it.

The youngling was under a similar sentence as she was because he had troubles following instructions and tended to forget what he had been told. Which combined with his tendency to stare at the boarders with a power that seamed to draw in the Ravagers got him in to no small amount of trouble. So whenever there was an attack he had to help with the repairs.

“You are NO touchie me.” She repeated for the umpteenth time in their strange rather guttural clicky language.

As bad as he was with her he was worse with Felix. Which was why she almost always got paired with him. At least he was watching her face again as her arms were getting tired holding the cable.

“Jimbal! Work!”

He startled a bit then focused on the gelatinous mass in the bucket he held. He coaxed a portion to crawl onto an applicator stick which he touched to the cable. The ooze moved of its own volition and connected things to their correct points. With the heavy item now secured Malachai could finally put her arms down.

That was one down and only a dozen or two to go. She sighed, re-adjusted her wrap and moved to the next portion.

Later that evening after work had finished up Malachai finally made it back to the communal housing unit she shared with her fellow Indents. Outside of a harsh rule enforcement it was not really too bad. The food was relatively good and they were treating her and Felix with a moderatum of respect. They were even regularly educating the two of them in their language. Hopefully when she and Felix had their re-hearing they would find out more of what was going on.

After she came out of her thoughts she noticed that Felix was sitting off to the side in the common area. His star filled skin only interrupted by his hair on his head and the similar Indent wrap around his waist. She walked over and sat down next to him. Malachai took his hand in hers and leaned into him. At first he attempted to refuse but gave in after a quick scowl from her. The last couple of days of working on him was paying off as he was more accepting of the pretense than before. Her reasoning was sound, especially as it was tempered by her country of birth.

They didn’t know what the local culture’s views on women were. Even with the fact that there had been women on the court that had sentenced them here. They may have been exceptions to the rule rather than the norm. Since the two of them were being treated in part like slaves there was also a good chance that they may be intended or seen as property. So if they were seen as a ‘Couple’ prior to the next hearing then it may be more likely they would be kept together.

Or at least that was her thought process on this.

So far it seemed to be working, even if Felix was highly uncomfortable with it. She was getting less and less so as the days progressed. The pleasant feelings she was beginning to feel was by no means love by any measure. She was not some sexually repressed American so she knew how to separate the feelings of the body from the feelings of the mind and soul.

“Felix?”

He looked over at her. They were the same height now, even if this position comfortably put her head on his shoulder. He hrmmmmed at her and shifted a little to get more comfortable. As the wraps were really just stretchy tubes of some type of sturdy fabric it meant that she wore a tube dress and Felix was effectively in a skirt.

“Close legs. You spread wide again. How call it? Manspreading?”

Her friend couldn’t really blush with the skin he had but she felt it get hotter under her cheek.

Across the room a woman named Jan had been enjoying the view. Even though she knew she had been caught at it she didn’t look away. Rather she switched her view to Felix’s chest. Of course it wasn’t just about keeping them from being separated. There was a sort of hierarchy and politic among their fellow Intents to consider.

Just as Malachai didn’t have many of the social inhibitions and hang ups of Americans, she also understood how women in lesser developed nationalities often only gained their status from the men they were attached to. For some reason no matter how many times she explained that to Felix he seemed to remain obtuse to that fact. Which made him a lamb in the woods to the potential wolves around them.

“Did you learn anything new?” He whispered in English to her.

Even with the potential risk of the lash she was glad to have a language the two of them could use mercilessly as a way to communicate if needed.

“Yes, Jan want sleep with you.”

Of course she also enjoyed being able to tease him in a way that only they could understand. Felix did his best not to look directly at the woman across the room from them as Malachai poked at him. Particularly as it was Jan that was licking her chops like a wolf anticipating a tasty meal. Figuratively at the moment but she was sure it was also literal at times.

“That’s not helping Mal.”

“Then put arm around me. We take couples bed. Jan think we be fake.” She cuddled in closer to him.

Around the room several others lounged or rested after the days work awaiting their evening meal. After which was either interviews, therapy, or education. Or any combination of the above. Malachai felt Felix shake his head from her position.

“I can’t do that. It just feels wrong Malachai. You know I’m straight, it’d feel… I don’t know…”

She let loose a long string of curses in Romani, her native language. A couple of other Indents looked over in concern as she got up and moved to sit down on Felix’s lap facing him. Malachai leaned in closely to him. Her hands moving in a manner she knew would cause a stirring in his loins. “I no Guy right now. Also, you no be able to poke me with your meat. You think I want sex like this? I make you woman if you try with no my okay.” She gave his earlobe a sharp nip with her teeth. “I serious though. Jan move on you soon. She think you open. If you open then you think no man make move on me?”

The last bit finally managed to get through the dimensionally displaced collage geek. He pulled back as much as he could given their relative positions and put his hands on her shoulders. She allowed herself to be pushed back to arms length. His larger violet eyes almost seemed to float in a starry sky. Set in soft and now slightly African-European features. His silky white hair gave a shocking yet complimentary finish that managed to complete his alien allure. All together being on his lap and looking at him made her heart flutter and body quicken. That was under her control though. Besides, she was sure that as dense as Felix was he had no actual clue how he affected women in his current form.

Though with his most recent encounter with the ‘get a clue bat’ smacked lopside his head brought out a protective side of his that really annoyed Malachai.

“Oh god Malachai… Oh GOD! I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Quietly.” She whisper scolded him in her breathy voice as they were still speaking in English.

It seemed to have an effect on him, but she was not about to let anything go too far. Instead as a way to not get awkward between them she got off his lap and sat back down beside him.

“So…?” He asked hesitantly.

“So… you put arm around. Hand on waist.” She leaned into him once more.

Across the room Jan folded her arms in annoyance now that Felix seemed to be finally making up his mind and followed orders.

“Did you learn anything else?” He said as he nuzzled her obsidian dark hair. With her body still aroused it drove her to near distraction. The techniques she had learned in her prior life as a guy didn’t work on her body much to her dismay. She would need other ways in the future she knew.

“Yes, they think we created to copy fallen Hero’s. To make fear and confusion.”

Felix kept his reaction in check as he processed what his opalescent skinned friend said. “That actually makes sense.”

It was Malachai’s turn to look confused. “How make sense? That make no-sense. We no these people even if look way that.”

Felix laughed quietly. “It makes perfect sense. That room, the old man, us, the way he made everything disappear. These bodies are like Frankenstein’s Monster. We just ended up being the brains instead of someone else.”

They were silent for a spell as the others in the room went about their own business before Malachai spoke. “So we’re…”

“Yep.”

“And these bodies…”

“Yep.”

“Damn… that screw everyone up.” She stated, as much to herself as to him.

They would have continued talking except that one of the guards entered and motioned to all of them. It was dinnertime it seemed.

Once down in the eating area Jan and one of the other Indents sat down on either side of the two dimensionally displaced friends. At least the male was one of the more pleasant ones. Malachai took a moment to remember his name. Erdez if she was correct. She knew this could not be a coincidence no matter what anyone else would claim.

On Felix’s side Jan was leaning in. About as much as Erdez was attempting to do so to her.

“So what ------- understand ------- that ------ - you are ----- really without?” He asked her politely. She was only able to understand every other word or so. Simple statements and the like she could usually get, but the more complex statements she still had troubles with.

She looked downward for a moment as she attempted to figure out what he had said. “You ask about abilities?”

Her grasp of the language was still halting, but she believed she got it right. Erdez nodded, seemingly happy that she understood.

“No remember.”

Internally Malachai felt that he was kind as well as handsome in his own way. If she needed to attach herself to someone besides Felix she could do worse. Even if he could be a bit strife ridden in his approach and manner, he was much more welcome than some of the controlling and overly aggressive locals she had encountered. Unfortunately she was not from here and having been on the other side of the gender divide only just a short while ago. That made thinking of anything like a regular physical relationship to be rather repulsive in any format.

Jan on the other hand was being just as predatorially flirtatious and touchy as possible. Felix was doing a good job of avoiding any commitment to anything. Though Malachai did find herself puling the other womans hands off of her friend a time or three. Or three dozen. Until they knew more of this strange land the two of them had to act as if they were in the middle of a poisonous snake pit.

Tread carefully and avoiding all sudden strikes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End Chapter 08

So, that’s Malachai’s and Felix’s catch up. James is Up Next! Debating which order after that, any feedback is as always welcome. The story may be for the most part outlined and much of it written, but nothin is set in digital stone. Well… except Chris. He is kind of stoned… heh… (bad pun, my dad got me on that one the other day.)

Consider popping over to my Patreon, Advanced chapters located there!

https://www.patreon.com/alyssnancyonymous(link is external)

TTFN everyone!

up
51 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

Comments

Apart from the whip..

Podracer's picture

This place could be a lot worse. Not surprising that a place under siege from those horrors should take a firm, martial law like approach to anyone dropping in. Still complicated though. Malachai will be needing further clue-bats it seems. Not just for Felix either.
I do like the separate situations the friends are in, though it reads like you are telling chapters of completely different stories at this point.

Teri Ann
"Reach for the sun."

Clue Bats

Alyss.Nancy.Onymous's picture

Thanks for the comment Podracer! I always enjoy reading them.

Yes, they are now in separate places, totally different stories that will have an actual intermingling eventually. This series is kind of an epic saga once completed (Unlike Mirror Changed my other TG novel online right now). I have like 9 books fully outlined in all right now. I've loved writing Summoned for the last few years. Thanks to Erin Halfelven, Amythest, and QuietValerie's example on here and other places I decided to get off my tuchus and actually let people read them.

Oh, and yes, Malachai is like the wisest of the group. He, now She, actually pays attention to things unlike say Felix who is your average munchkinny murder hobo. Or James who just goes with the flow often to his own detriment or Nick who just loves chaos and energy. Chris is often the only one who looks at things, but he's too coldly analytical usually.

Heh... clue bats....