Kennedy & the Yautja

Chapter 5 - Embers in a Fire

The days passed quickly once the rain moved on. With the return of the sun came a temperate alien companion. His wounds healed rapidly; they were just new scars on his torso.

Vah'keil rose to his feet with Kennedy's help on the fourth day. He wasn't happy that she insisted on helping him.

Such a massive ego was shocking. She had never seen one so big before. In this new world, being cocky would get you killed. Kennedy had seen this same attitude be the downfall of many people. Since childhood, the lesson of helping others was instilled in her. It was almost a requirement.

"Southern manners," her momma used to say.

Helping the big alien was harder than she thought, but eventually they managed to get him upright. Once he was on his feet and walking, Vah'keil stiffly walked around the room. He inspected every inch of the abandoned bookstore. She had watched from her perch atop the counter as he touched the dusty spines, his wicked claws shockingly gentle in their curious touch. Kennedy hadn't bothered to say anything and enjoyed the quiet with him, taking in the sight of the massive seven-foot alien.

Standing up, he was huge. He stood taller than her own five-foot-eight frame. When they stood in front of each other for the first time, she felt so small. She was tiny compared to him!

The big guy's newly healed wounds were almost at the height of her face. She could reach out and touch his muscled abdomen if he allowed her. Seeing him on his feet also reminded her how dangerous he was. The skulls on his belt thunked ominously against one another with every move he made. Her eyes were drawn to them no matter how hard she worked to focus on something else.

Instead, she focused on his body as he walked. The way his red and black skin glittered wickedly in the candlelight looked beautiful. Vah'keil was a being of fire. The black stripes on his skin flickered above the heated bed of embers that was his base color.

His stripes rippled with the movement of his muscles. Watching him was like watching a copperhead snake, poised to strike his victim at any moment.

Vah'keil was beautiful—and deadly.

Something fluttered in her belly at the sight of him. An instinctual alarm bell told her she should be running away while she could, but the sensible person that she was had the wheel. Her current task was to see his full recovery. The alien could take care of himself, sure, but she was raised better. Before the incident that changed her life, she had been training to be a medic. Helping others was something she wanted to do.

In a world where greed and selfishness ruled what was left of society, she wanted to be a beacon of light in the darkness. The world was fractured, but while she was here, she could try to make it better.

Making friends with such a fearsome being could prove advantageous in the long run, too.

"Vah'keil, how are you feeling?"

He looked fine, but it could've been an act for all she knew. Typical men. They never changed, even if they were from another planet. She offered a smile to hide her amusement.

The alien paused, his finger tapping the spine of a book. He glanced at her, a soft trill echoing from his mask.

"Sooo," she chuckled. "Are you feeling faint or dizzy?" Mentally, she ran through the compendium of medical knowledge that she knew.

He shook his head in the negative.

The brunette hummed to herself, rising to her feet. "Do you have any chills?"

Again, no.

Slowly, Kennedy approached him, taking stock of the way he stood, her eyes falling to his wound. Clinically, she observed the way he held himself. She was looking for any hint that told her he was hiding his pain. Her hands settled on her hips when she stopped a few feet in front of him.

"Aches or pains beyond the obvious?"

"No," he replied, using a voice clip.

The mental compendium spun, searching for anything else she could ask to gather information, but she came up with nothing. While pondering what else she could ask to ascertain his condition, her eyes slid to the front windows. She was reminded of the real reason she was in Chattanooga in the first place.

Home.

Soon, she and Vah'keil would part ways, and she'd continue the long journey to Nashville. The weather was pleasant once again. Right now would be the perfect time to get a head start. A quick glance at her alien companion, if she could even call him that, resumed his exploring. A crazy idea formed in her mind as she made her way to peek outside.

Three Zekes lumbered down the street. They were in various stages of decomposition, all wearing ragged, torn clothing that barely hung on their bodies. Milk-white eyes stared into the nothingness as the parasite commanding their bodies led them on an endless search for another victim to spread the contagion.

Going out this way would be dangerous, but in her earlier search for a restroom, she found the rear exit to be unreachable. Moving all of the containers and boxes would only draw attention. To leave, they would have to move forward.

She clenched her hands to relieve the stress she felt building within her chest. Another day, another day of killing Zekes to reach her goals.

"Vah'keil," Kennedy called, turning to eye him.

When he paused to meet her gaze, she continued. She took a calming breath and let it out slowly and long. He cocked his head to the side in question while he approached her. Her eyes slid to the human skull swaying at his belt, the sight bolstering her resolve.

"Would you like to accompany me to Memphis?" Her eyes folded over her chest. "There's surely plenty of...uhh...things for you to kill along the way. We could work together."

The alien clicked softly, in that strange staccato. He mirrored her posture as he seemed to contemplate her offer. In doing that, his beefy biceps bulged, emphasizing how strong he really was. Those instinctual alarm bells rang again, trying to sound the alarm, but she ignored them, of course.

If he had hunted a tiger...and humans, then surely he would accept, right? With him by her side, she could have someone to talk to. Traveling such long distances alone sucked.

"Maybe..." she waved her hand in the air, searching for the right words to convince him, "you can hunt Rebels if you want. They enslave everyone they encounter. They're slavers. It might win you brownie points back home."

Again, continued silence, minus the soft clicking. This time, however, he chittered and nodded.

"Hunt. Bad guys. I'll. Bring. Honor." He replied. It was said in those creepy voice clips.

"My only requirement is that you use your real voice. Those recordings are creepy, fella."

Vah'keil snarled, a rumbling threat in his throat. He chuffed.

"I will not. Speak. Your filthy. Language again." With that, he shook his long locs and walked off. She watched as he strapped on the remaining parts of his gear.

Lucky her. Meet someone from outer space who didn't have manners and was also a total child about things. She could pick 'em alright! A small part of her admitted, though, that she found him adorable. He was like a giant, overgrown, immature cat.

This was going to be an interesting trip.

When he was geared up and ready, he came to stare out the window, peering through the filth that coated it. Kennedy snagged the books that looked interesting, grabbed her gear, and joined him, her machete at the ready.

After a few calming breaths and letting Vah'keil clear the shelf from blocking the door, she gripped the doorknob. There were a few minutes of shared silence between the two as they prepared for the coming fight. They shared a look before rushing out together.

Kennedy took the one on the left while Vah'keil went after the other two. Hisses from the Zekes pierced the silence of the city when they were spotted.

With more pep in her step, Kennedy jumped into the fray.

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A/N: This is a bit short but I hope y'all like it!