We wandered about as Odelm identified the different plants and their uses. All had a purpose—some were used for dyes and inks, others provided fresh fruit or nuts. The ship had about three years’ worth of food for the crew stored in the storage bay. The terrarium was designed to supplement those stores. They also provided the seed stock if they were able to locate a suitable planet to colonize.
He explained the Destiny was an older vessel, gifted by the Aldawi for their assistance in the Yaarkin War. While the Aldawi were upgrading their fleet with their newly acquired technology, Prince Zirene had asked the Circuli princes what they’d like as a reward. The princes had requested a vessel to allow them to search for a habitable planet to establish a colony. All told, Destiny housed about a thousand Circuli, half not bonded to a nestqueen.
The lake—okay, probably more like a deep pond—was a favored recreation spot.
It was the perfect temperature for a swim and had a submerged cave system for exploration. In addition, it was fully stocked with fish—again helping supplement their stores as well as providing a hunting ground to keep the Ulax warriors sharp.
As Odelm led me across the grassy field toward the pond, I looked up at the dome. Lights from distant stars and the immensity of space amazed me. Perhaps because I’d had few opportunities to look out at the stars—my cabin on the Yaarkin ship didn’t have a porthole. I’d been fascinated by the views ever since I boarded the Destiny. I’d be able to come back and lie on the soft grass and stare out at the passing planets and never be bored—
I slammed into something hard and gasped as I fell backward.
Before I could hit the ground, a strong cool hand grabbed my wrist and four tentacles wrapped around my torso, halting my fall. I was yanked upright and cradled tightly against Odelm’s body, my hands pinned between our bodies. Blinking hard, I stared up at him, willing my stomach back down out of my throat.
Worried, Odelm looked down at me, scanning my face. As he saw me relax, his lips tilted up in a small smile.
“You have to be more careful. What distracted you?” Odelm queried, his light tenor voice laced with humor.
“I was lost in the beauty of space. Don’t you ever want to stop and just look at the stars?” My cheeks heated in embarrassment—both at my absentminded absorption in the view and the feel of his tentacles wrapped around my stomach.
He tilted his head up to the dome, and I followed his gaze.
We stayed that way, staring up at the stars, for several moments.
“I come here often to relax and swim, floating on my back and looking up at the stars. Getting lost in my thoughts... It has been a favorite pastime of mine since we started this journey. It never gets old,” he confessed.
Odelm stiffened and looked down. Startled, he tried to jerk away as he realized the position we were in—we were thoroughly entwined. He stared at his tentacles in shocked betrayal and hastily unwrapped them from my waist, then took a few unsteady steps back. His tentacles wrapped tight around his torso as he turned away from me. Taking a few deep breaths, he stood, head down.
“I brought you in here to see the pond. I thought you might enjoy it since it is one of my favorite places.”
He paused, and I thought I heard him mutter, ‘especially since the Ulax nestqueens are rarely here’—but I wasn’t sure.
He continued, his voice stiff. “I thought perhaps you would like to go for a swim?”
“I don’t know how to swim,” I murmured, unsure why he’d closed himself off, just when we seemed to be relaxing around one another.
“It is okay. Wudox cannot swim either,” he tossed over his shoulder as he walked toward the pond.
I hurried to catch up.
“What do you mean Wudox can’t swim?”
“You know how leaves float? Buoyancy?” He avoided looking at me, focusing on the pond in front of us.
“Yeah, I’ve read the basics, but what does that have to do with the Wudox?”
We reached the pond's black sand beach. The sand felt warm under my feet, and the air held an odd tang. I dug my toes in the soft sand and looked at Odelm, waiting for an answer. He stared out at the still pond. There was no one in the pond at the moment, though we were not the only ones in the terrarium.
“In many ways, they are a lot like plants, just as the Ulax bear many similarities to fish. Wudox cannot swim. Their bodies force them to float. The petals on their backs act like leaves and prevent them from diving. It is a funny sight to see them try.” His voice brimmed with laughter.
“Why is that so funny?”
“Because we like to drag them around the pond. Sometimes, someone will leave them in the middle of the pond just to watch them try and get back to the beaches. It is possible with a lot of effort and flopping,” Odelm chuckled, before sobering. “We would never do such a thing to a nestqueen. They would likely retaliate, and it would not be pleasant.”
Odelm took off without any further explanation, splashing into the water. When the water reached his knees, he dove in, barely causing a splash.
Excitement rushed through me as I stepped into the water, enjoying the feel of the liquid on my skin and the sand under my feet. The warm water felt divine. I paused, a peal of laughter escaping me as I spun in circles along the water’s edge, my face and arms raised to the sky. I had never felt so free, so alive. I sent another prayer of thanks to the Stars, the Fates, or whomever was watching over me.
I
