Harem - English version [onc2024]

Chapter nine

Unfortunately I was wrong. I don't get to see my furry friend anymore and I wonder if that is the reason why I suddenly feel so alone at the dining table in room 3, in this strange house, on this unknown planet. I've always been surrounded by people who had my best interests at heart – whether I wanted them to or not – and now that Ray is dead, I miss Malahkii even more.

I was ten years old when Earth ceased to exist, but that was just old enough to experience all the previous horror and the far from smooth escape from the dying planet. The climate became increasingly inhospitable⁸³ and that is why we had to move to somewhere where we could survive.

My family - except for me - consists entirely of highly respected heroes⁸⁷, since they led The Great Evacuation. However, their fame isolated me from my peers and I refused (quite defiantly, I might add) to follow the well-intentioned advice of those who thought they knew better than me. Finally, because living with me became a nightmare, they sent me to the battle school in Juua to be disciplined.

Ray was there and he convinced me to explore the universe with him. Of course that seemed much more interesting than playing one of those boring superheroes what I was destined to be. I left school without their permission, so I know I'm dead to them¹³.

I shake off all these memories and take a bite of the drink in front of me, ignoring the sounds of the others around me. My species is - contrary to what Simix said earlier - very average in when they need to eat something; the ^w^, for example, is linked to a large device day and night, which seems very inconvenient to me. Of course, their cute appearance makes up for a lot. Maybe I'll go over there and cuddle it.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the colorless fellow harem mate from earlier sliding towards me. It's the one who, in his bubble voice, accused me of killing Windy, what I, strictly speaking, did indeed.

He is flanked by three others and none of them look happy. Perhaps from now on I should react less passively to upcoming events. I continue to chew my food lazily, but I'm making sure I keep a firm grip on my cutlery.

'Sim1,' says Bubblemans, as he sits down next to me without an invitation.

I turn to him and I tell myself that it's okay for me by starting being polite. It doesn't help that the other three stay right behind me, where I can't see them. I swallow my bite and say: 'That's right, what's your name?'

'I'm DMTR,' he says.

'Dimitri,' I repeat.

DMTR hits the table with the flat of his hand, which unfortunately has little effect because he will fall apart with a breath of wind.

'DMTR,' he snaps.

'Fine, fine,' I say. I never said I was good at accents.

Just as I pretend to take another bite, the other three strike. DMTR has made sure his folowers have strength where he lacks it, so I suddenly have to deal with their lethality. One has a smell that even zombies cannot survive. Could that be Windy's family? She smelled like that too.

It's difficult to hold my breath and fight back at the same time, but I ignore that by confidently stabbing my fork into the left-most attacker's torso. It suddenly has four holes there and something poisonous green squirts out of the creature. It screams so loudly that the hairs on my arms stand up and my ears ring. Now both my sense of smell and hearing are disabled and I still have two opponents to go – I'm not counting DMTR.

The two grab me roughly and one wrenches the fork covered in green sludge from my hand. I manage to rub some off on her and I grin happily. After that, however, all I have left is my knife.

The rightmost one, a Yrach'kwa just like Firj, wraps four tentacles over my wrist, my hip, my waist and my chest. Exactly at that moment I realize that I'm not much of a hugger and I protest loudly. She wraps a fifth tentacle over my mouth, only managing to emit mumbling sounds. If it continues like this, there won't be many of my senses left.

I wiggle my wrist and manage to cut a tentacle from her. Just to be sure, I keep staring at it, because what if her limbs grow back? Fortunately, that turns out not to be the case, but her three mouths together produce such a high tone that the hairs on my arms now stand up permanently. I can even feel my hair starting to break away under the force of the mortar that the snail has smeared into it. That saves time in my evening ritual - if I'm still alive enough to experience that by then.

The teeth in my mouth start to rattle and I have to drop the knife because my whole body starts shaking. I get so nauseous that I pour out my entire dinner in great waves on my enemies. At first I didn't even realize it, but that turned out to be my saving grace.

They quickly release me and the Yrach'kwa says, 'Iel.'

It makes her stop with that very high tone. My legs collapse beneath me without strength and I start to convulse on the floor, something I do more often in this room than I feel comfortable with. My hair spreads over my body like a protective blanket and I am grateful for that.

Zandr apparently thinks this is the right time to storm into the enclosure, flanked by Simix. Perhaps he was warned by the high-pitched noise that undoubtedly sounded throughout the house. His look is disapproving as he stares at me. He is probably deeply disappointed that I have managed to make a mess of his household again.

Will he really take me to the arena this time? Do I still want that now I've seen what exactly it entails?

DMTR and his cronies stand guiltily next to each other, except for the one with the holes. Apparently I killed that one too. I think they die very quickly here.

'Did you do that?' Zandr's black eyes are unreadable for a change, but his metal finger jabs at the dead member of his harem.

Oops. I look at it as if I am seeing it for the first time and in the meantime I quickly consider my options.

'Maybe,' I say. I manage to get up on my knees, which makes me feel less vulnerable. Rationally I know it doesn't matter at all.

Something sparkles in his eyes. Given the circumstances, I'm going with anger.

'Explain yourself.'

He looks at me and I take a deep breath to start at the beginning, when DMTR opens his mouth and bubbles, 'She stuck her fork in Corly.' Everyone knows they won't survive that.'

'Is that right?' The cyborg looks at me intently.

'Yes but...'

His eyes turn a bit colder as he picks me up from the floor. Miraculously, none of my stomach contents spilled on myself and as soon as I'm dragged away from the stinking alien (I suspect Corly), the sky visibly clears. I hear Simix giving orders to clean up the mess, but then the gentleman closes the door behind us and I am alone with him.

The scream of the Yrach'kwa has done wonders for my hair, which bobs softly behind me. I have no idea where he's taking me, but I can think of a few things. I won't like any of them. That's why I open my mouth to defend myself, but before I can say anything, Zandr snaps: 'Not a word.'

I think he could do with that in a more friendly manner. But I'm very good at listening and that's what I do. Silently I walk towards my fate.

***

⁸³Prompt 83. Earth's climate is becoming increasingly inhospitable. Humans have located another planet to live on, but there's not enough room on the spacecrafts for everyone. Who stays and who goes?

⁸⁷Prompt 87. You come from a family of highly respected heroes. All three of your big brothers are known as powerhouses, but you rarely see them because they always save the city. One day you realize that the only way to see all your brothers is to become a villain. It turns out you're better at it than you thought, and family dinners suddenly become the most fun time of day.

⁴⁹Prompt 49. Being a superhero is just too boring. Let's be a villain!

¹³Prompt 13. Every family has that one member of whom no one speaks, and that's you.