Life Never Ending (Part 2)

Posted on Sun Jun 26th, 2022 @ 9:16pm by Kyle Cragen [Reece] & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson

Mission: Tales from the other side of the Mirror
Location: Earth, Japan
Timeline: 1587 AD
1808 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

((Author's note: due to an unforeseen dosage of dumbass, on my part, this part of the story was looked over in the posting. I am hopeful that I finally pulled my head out if my ass and the story parts will start making sense. Thank you for your patience and understanding. -Bill))

***Three days later***

Time had gone by quickly and without any crisis. Kyle left Natsuko's side only long enough to tend to the horses and collect what would be required when she emerged.

Finally, with a soft beeping sound, the Dratoa shut down, lowering her cocoon back down. As soon as she was safely back on the mat, the yellow beams deactivated and folded away. Closing his eyes, Kyle held a blanket up between himself and Natsuko. He then saw the tell-tale mist from the evaporating fibers. He then waited for her to take in her first gasping breath in three days.

Natsuko came awake with a gasp and looked around in half confusion and half fear.

"You're safe," he spoke softly to her in their native tongue. Now that she had gone through her first rasstala, certain parts of her biology had awoken. Part which was the part of her brain that acted like a universal communicator. As a race of listeners, the El Aurian people had to be able to understand who they were listening to. "Take this blanket, warm yourself. Here, drink this broth. It will help."

Natsuko wrapped the blanket around herself and took the broth he gave her. "Thank you... What happened?" She asked softly as she sipped.

Good to his word, Kyle kept his eyes closed until he was certain that she was covered. "That can wait. First, you need to finish the broth, and then clean the residue from your skin. It will turn toxic if not done within a few moments of waking." He turned and pointed out the makeshift tub he had built for her. He had used timbers from nearby trees and a compound of some kind to seal the basin. "It's not permanent, but it will serve your needs tonight. I left some soaps that you will need to use. The green is for your hair, the blue for your skin and the white...delicate parts." He blushed slightly at the end. "Hopefully, the water isn't too hot for you. I prefer a hot bath after I awaken."

Natsuko nodded "And after I bathe?" She asked softly. "Will you tell me what has happened?"

He nodded. "I will tell you everything that I know. There will never be any secrets between you and I."

She stood and headed for the bathtub he had built.

Kyle kept his eyes on the fire, as he slowly cooked breakfast
As their supplies hadn't changed, it was rabbit stew again.

A short while later she was bathed, dried and dressed again in her clothes. She returned to sit by the fire with him.

He handed her a bowl of stew and then waited for her to start eating. Then, as promised, he told her everything. Starting with his childhood in England, the mission his parents, and others like them were on, to observe the young races and determine if they would ever pose a threat to the El Aurian Confederation. Next, he told her of the red-haired woman that he had fist been intimate with, then, the murders of both the woman and his parents, the oath he took to avenge his parents, and the decision he made, after seeing more of humanity.

"While I had no part in starting the conflicts here, which took your adopted family’s lives, I will uphold the oath to my mother. All of humanity must be extinguished. If allowed to continue to grow, one day, they will pose a threat to our people. Our very presence in this cave shows that they are already a threat. They killed my parents in front of me. Who knows what they did to yours."

Natsuko nodded "And what happens when you have killed them all? How will you return home?"

Kyle was silent at that question. "I'm not sure. I think there is an emergency transport, hidden somewhere on this world. My parents had said as much. Unfortunately, before they could tell me where, They were killed and our home was burned to the ground, taking all of the information with it. There are others, like us, on this planet. However, we are spread out. You are the only one I have found so far."

"My family were nice people Kyle, they loved me, treated me well. " She said softly. "Not all humans are evil"

He thought about this for a moment. "That may be the case. However, how are we to know the difference? What do you propose? Instead of killing them all, we only hunt and kill the evil?"

"Do you want to be as guilty as them?" She asked softly. "Put your soul in peril?"

Kyle was quiet again. He had never stopped and considered that he was the same as the humans. Then, as he thought about it, he saw that she was right. Lowering his eyes to the fire, he asked softly, "What of my oath to my mother? When an El Aurian gives their word, nothing can break it, not even time. I swore to her that I would kill those responsible. But then, as each one died at my hands, I saw how there was another responsible for them, and then another and another still. What can I do except exterminate the entire human race, and yet still keep my word of honor?"

"What if they come after us, our people? In revenge? How many times can we be killed and revive?" Natsuko said softly. She reached out a hand. "May I suggest we think about it a bit more?"

Seeing her reach out to him, Kyle reached out as well, and took hold of her hand. It was the first time they had touched in any way. He felt a shiver run up his spine. "Alright," he said after a quiet sigh flowed through him. "We will wait and think."

Natsuko smiled. "There are empty homesteads to the South," She said "My father spoke about them. Maybe we should head there?"

Kyle nodded and smiled. "Very well. The horses are sleeping now, so we will pack and head out at first light."

Natsuko nodded and stood. "I will start here then" she said to begin to clean up.

Kyle watched her move about, cleaning and packing away what wasn't needed. There was a grace about her movements, and a quiet soothing nature about her that calmed him. He knew that she was very special. How special, however, was yet to be seen.

Natsuko continued to pack the items they had used and stored them carefully in the cart. She turned to him. "Are all your belongings on your horse?" she asked softly.

Nodding, "aside from the blanket and bedroll, they are." When he spoke to her, he felt another shiver run along his spine when their eyes met.

"Okay well let's see if we can change that" she said softly. "You may need more depending on what we choose to do."

"Oh?" Kyle asked innocently. "And what more are you referring to?"

Natsuko looked at him. "My father told my brothers that, Power helps you win. And in Japan the one way to get power is to own land and items. It's why wars are fought." She gave a shy smile. "I listened in while he taught them."

"In England, I learned that...while a man can be a warrior, if he doesn't have a home...and a woman...to defend, he is nothing."

Natsuko inclined her head. "So, how do you become something to stop the evil?"

He stood and moved over to stand in front of her, looking down into her dark eyes. "By having someone to defend and protect."

Her dark eyes widened. "me?" she asked softly

There was a new look in his eyes. One of longing and desire. "You are the first woman I've found who can make me feel the way I do. You are special, I can feel it. The El Aurian soul is constantly in search of its other half. I believe that you are the other half that has been missing from my life." He reached out and gently caressed her left cheek.

Her eyes fluttered slightly. "oh.." she breathed.

Looking deep into her eyes, he suddenly felt the strong desire to kiss her. "Natsuko," he said softly. "I want to be with you, but I will not force myself upon you. The humans have done that. You deserve to be treated like a queen, not a thing."

She stared at him."I was raised to be a wife and lady of the house." She reminded him.

"Then, if we are to take over these homesteads that you speak of, would you do me the honor of being my wife and lady of the house. That is, if you don't mind being with gaijin?"

"No one from Japan would want me now after they did what they did." She said softly. She felt so different now since the sleep.

Kyle felt a bond forming between them. Looking deep into her eyes, he whispered. "I want you, if you'll have me?"

Natsuko nodded "If you can give me time?"

Kyle grinned and gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Of course. "We have plenty of time. That's one of the gifts of our people. Barring any unlucky accidents, El Aurian men can live nearly two thousand years. El Aurian women? Well, the longest living priestess on file, lived a fully active life of nearly five thousand years. This is using the human calendar, of course."

"That is a long time," Natsuko replied with a small smile.

Kyle nodded. He then lowered his hand. "But for now, you must rest. While you slept like a human for the beginning of your life, your body is still coming to terms with its reawakening. For the next few weeks, at least, you will still sleep like them. Afterwards, you won't require sleep until you enter your biannual rasstala, or sleep cycle, which you just awoke from."

"So much to learn," Natsuko replied. "I will learn." She moved towards her bedroll.

"I will teach you everything I know. But for now, sleep. I will stand guard. No one will ever harm you again, so long as I draw breath." He then moved to pick up his Katana, then stood between her and the cave entrance, as still as a statue, his eyes and ears searching for any threat.

Natsuko lay down and was soon asleep again, this time a normal human sleep.

~TBC~

 

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