Zasha's Capture (manxman)

Chapter 3

The last thing Zasha had expected to see in his secret hiding place was the frightening, and enormous figure of another race slumped against a wall. 

He had been shocked senseless as he activated the endless flame orb. It was a product of his sister's earliest strides in sorcery, and they had hidden here long in the past.

The sight of another being in the enclosed place with him almost frightened him enough to make him faint. The creature was huge and fearsome looking. When the man had shushed him and assured Zasha he meant him no harm, Zasha had noticed the wound the man had indicated with a nod of his head. Zasha could tell it was deadly.

Unsure of what to do, but certain the creature could not harm him, Zasha studied the stranger carefully. He was unlike anything Zasha had ever seen. Even slumped against the wall, he could tell the creature was tall. Taller that any other person Zasha had encountered. 

Unlike Zasha's slender, willowy race, the creature's muscles were large and heavily defined. His hair was in varying sizes of dreadlocks, and it spilled all around him. The locks would probably hang to his knees, if he were standing. The eyes that were regarding him were completely golden, faceted with different shades of gold. The only break in the color was a vertical black iris, like a serpent.

Those eyes made Zasha shiver for some reason.

The alien's skin was completely smooth, and upon closer inspection it appeared to shimmer in the light. Zasha realized that it was varying shades of gold, brown, and black. Its face was a light golden brown and darkened towards its hairline, and down either side of its throat. The edges of the lighter color gave way to the mixture of other color that flowed together seamlessly, creating geometrical patterns.

Like its body, there was no hair on its face, neither eyelashes nor eyebrows, instead there was darker skin on the area around its eyes, and where brows would be. Its lips were also a few shades darker than the surrounding skin. Geometrical patterns were visible on all the skin Zasha could see, and they appeared to continue down the creature's chest, exposed by the gap in its clothing.

Zasha was brought back to the seriousness of the injured man's plight. The creature's jerkin was torn, and stained with blood. Its leather leggings had not escaped the blood and were also covered with earth.

"You..." Zasha could not even speak. He had never heard of such a race as this frightening, yet beautiful thing before him. He could sense it was a dangerous creature, but that did not change the fact that it was more attractive to him than any other being he had ever seen.

"I...I am dying. I'll not harm you." The man was saying.

"You're dying?" No. Zasha did not want him to die. He inched closer.

"Yes. Very soon I believe."

Zasha could hear the slowing sound of the creature's voice. He was startled when a forked tongue darted out to taste the air.

The creature was much nearer to a serpent than Zasha had guessed. Now that he was closer, Zasha could see the patterns he noticed earlier were on scaled skin, and they were almost exactly like one of the poisonous serpents Zasha had been warned of since childhood.

Movement around the stranger's body drew Zasha's eyes, and he realized what he had thought were dreadlocks were actually a myriad of tentacles, each one looking like a serpent unto itself. Some were thick as his wrist and others thinner than his smallest finger. They were writhing around on the ground slowly, almost contentedly, Zasha thought.

He had decided. He would not allow this being to die, even though it was supposed to be an enemy. Everything in Zasha told him he must save this creature.

"I'm sorry." Zasha did not know why he was apologizing for the wound. For some reason, he felt certain he played a part in it.

"How many cycles are you? You almost look like a child."

"I'm twenty eight cycles." He kept talking to the dying man, trying to distract him, as he moved closer, needing to be close enough to touch the wound.

"Is that an adult in your race?" The creature was close to death, so very close.

"Yes, though I still look like this." Finally. Zasha was close enough to touch the cause of the creature's deterioration. "I'm...different."

"Hmm." The creature said, as Zasha laid his hands on him, not a moment too soon. He threw back his head, and poured his power into that gaping tear. Praying to Areala that such a wound was not beyond his ability.