Taming the Giant_A Kindred tales novel Read online

  “We can’t wait for the fruit to ripen,” Bram said, frowning. “We have no time to spare. The asteroid is only a few weeks out.”

  He made a motion and the viewscreen in the command center split, so that half of it showed a view of deep space. There was a chunk of ice and rock hurtling through the blackness—what his people called a “world-killer” because its mass was big enough to destroy all life on a planet.

  It was headed directly for Alanah’s home world.

  “Less than that.” Ren shook his head as he stared at the monstrous, deadly hunk of ice and stone. “Thank the Goddess we found this little planet in time. Especially when we had only your dreams to go on.”

  “Dreams are enough when the Goddess is involved,” Bram said, his eyes traveling to the lovely figure of his intended again. “She would not have led us to this planet or allowed me to dream-share with Alanah if we were unable to bond with them.”

  “But they’re only a little more than half our size,” Ren protested. “We’re too large. Maybe the Goddess only led us here to save these females and bring them to another planet where they can find males of their own size to mate with and flourish.”

  “Our ancestors knew the risk when they split off from the main branch of the Kindred to make a trade with the Jor’gen race,” Bram said stolidly. “They knew the genes responsible for our larger than average size would go into overdrive and yet they still chose to join with the Jor’gen. Now our females are all gone and we are forced to go looking for new trade partners—females compatible with us genetically. The women of Alanah’s planet fit the bill. You said as much yourself.”

  Ren shook his head, his many brown braids rustling across his broad shoulders.

  “You’ll have to convince them of that,” he said, nodding at the females on the viewscreen.

  “I will,” Bram said quietly. “I’m going to go tomorrow—it’s the day of the High Court. Alanah will sit upon her father’s throne and anyone who wishes may make a petition of her. I’m going to go as a supplicant and request a private audience.”

  “Will you go alone?” Ren asked. “And dressed as you are?” He nodded at Bram’s dark blue uniform shirt and black leather trousers.

  “Alone is best,” Bram said decisively. “A whole squadron of us would scare them—I don’t want that. My size will be frightening enough as it is.”

  “And your clothing?” Ren raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s quite different from their homespun garments. They’re still using spinning wheels and looms to manufacture their clothes.” He barked a laugh. “Hell, they probably still think their sun spins around their little planet instead of the other way around and the stars are the campfires of their ancestors who died and went to live in the sky.”

  “It’s true they’re pre-industrial,” Bram acknowledged. “And it’s also true that convincing them to come with us would be easier if they weren’t—if they had even a little technology.”

  “Our tech is going to look like magic to them,” Ren predicted darkly. “Evil magic if you’re not very, very careful my friend.”

  “I’ll have the simulator make me clothing that works for their society,” Bram said. “Alanah has seen me in uniform during the dreams we shared but it will be less jarring for the rest of her people if I am dressed as one of them.” He ran a hand over his braids. “She is an intelligent female—she might be frightened of me and our advanced tech at first but she’ll see soon enough she has nothing to fear.”

  Ren snorted. “Nothing to fear but losing her entire way of life, you mean.”

  “They’ll lose that anyway—along with their actual lives—if they’re still planet-side when that world-killer hits,” Bram said grimly. “We have to get them out of there—but I want them to come willingly.”

  “Do you think that’s even possible?” Ren asked. “We’ll be giants to them, Bram. We’ll look like monsters.”

  “I know.” Bram sighed and ran a hand over his long, black braids again. He wore them twisted into a club at the back of his head with a few trailing strands banded in metal hanging down his back. “I know that and I’ll do everything in my power to convince Alanah it’s in her people’s best interest to come with us.”

  “And if she doesn’t believe you? If she and the rest of the females won’t come?” Ren raised an eyebrow, his emerald green eyes glowing like coals.

  “Then we’ll take them to the ship by force.” Bram spoke the words reluctantly. “But I don’t believe it will come to that. They’ll obey Alanah—she’s their leader.”

  “And you’re ours—our captain.” Ren bowed his head. “Forgive me for doubting. It must be as you say—the Goddess wouldn’t have led us here if there was no hope.”

  “Thank you, Ren. Your good will is important to me.” Bram bowed his head in return, briefly, and then straightened up. “Well—I must go get ready,” he remarked. “I have much to do before I bend my knee at Alanah’s throne as a supplicant tomorrow.”

  “May the Goddess go with you,” his friend said. “And grant you success.”

  “Thank you.” Bram nodded. He looked at Alanah on the viewscreen once more, admiring her long, dark hair with its muted red highlights and her serious gray eyes. Much would depend on the impression he made when he entered her presence for the first time tomorrow. Though he had been dream-sharing with her for months, he wasn’t certain how she would feel when she saw him in person. His large size might put her off completely but he hoped not. He sensed the courage inside her—it drew him as much as her beauty.

  Gods, to have a female of his own…to hold her in his arms and kiss her sweet mouth…to spread the petals of her pussy and worship her with his tongue… It was what every Kindred male dreamed of—a dream his people had almost given up hope of ever achieving until he’d started dreaming of Alanah.

  Goddess, he prayed. Let the dream become a reality. Let me hold her in my arms and love her, despite our differences. Let her see past my body and perceive my soul as I perceive hers. Hear my prayer and, grant it will be so.

  Chapter Three

  “She put a spell on my cluckens and now they won’t lay! My daughter and I are suffering for want of the eggs—what are we to eat for breakfast, I ask you, my Princess?”

  The woman with frowzy dishwater blonde hair pointed at her neighbor, a woman who didn’t look very different from her except she had brown hair instead of blonde.

  “She’s lying, my Princess!” the other woman exclaimed shrilly. “I ain’t no black magic worker! I never came near her blasted cluckens in my life. It was her who kept sending them over to my yard to dig for worms and scratch for bugs. Even though I asked her not to since—”

  Alanah sighed and tried not to look as weary and bored as she felt. She’d been sitting for so long her bottom felt as cold and hard as the throne she was seated on and her mind was nearly as sore as her behind.

  It seemed like she had to deal with the same ridiculous problems over and over and over again. She bewitched my cluckens and now they won’t lay…she cursed my two-horn and the milk is sour…her fence is two inches over the line on my side of the property…her (pick one) doggen, catkin, child keeps wandering into my garden…it never ended.

  As she tried to keep her composure, her eyes happened to wander to the right where Thiera, the Elder Witch was standing, watching impassively. The older woman was wearing her traditional court dress—a long, black woolen gown with a headdress and cape of shiny black feathers which framed her angular face dramatically. The outfit made her look wise and forbidding—Alanah was certain the women who came before her wouldn’t dare to whine and complain nearly as much if it was Thiera they were addressing.

  Indeed, the Elder Witch would have been more than happy to take over this duty—as well as all the duties which came with ruling. After Alanah’s father had died, Thiera had tried to persuade her to give the throne over.

  “The weight of this responsibility rests too heavily on your young shoulders,” the older woman