This was not his bed, those were not his limbs, and that rumbling was certainly not coming from him either.

  Four large arms wrapped around Harrison, his head nestled into the neck of the familiar alien vibrating in a cat-like purr. The sound might have been uncomfortable if it was any louder, but it was stuck right in between soothing white noise and ‘Holy shit, is that an earthquake?’

  Oh, better—or worse—yet, even his legs were trapped in place, a squishy tail wrapping around them…which was fine, he supposed. It wasn't like he wanted to get up and do things today anyway.

  He let out a sigh, coming to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to eat breakfast, nor begin any of his plans until a certain someone woke up. There wasn’t even anything to distract him in the meantime, so he was forced to just glare at the wall until… Well, until something happened, he supposed. One poke with his elbow into her ribs could wake Sharky up, but he’d just feel like an asshole for it. It really wasn’t that big of a deal to be stuck in place for a little while—at least not big enough to elicit any rude reaction on his part.

  The embrace lasted for quite a bit longer, the ‘amusing’ surface of the wall tempting him to try to squirm his way out, but a few noises from outside the bunkroom door drew his attention. Scrapes of talons against the hard floor; it was a noise he knew all too well from his alien companions.

  A short ‘woosh’ of the mechanism confirmed his suspicions, a glance over at the entrance revealing Akula standing in the doorway.

  “Greetings, Harrison. You asked me to…” Her snout and cheeks flushed a deep blue as she stared at his entwined position inside of Sharky’s arms, all four of them locking him in place. Her eyes widened. “You two… are…”

  Right, he asked her to wake him up if she was the first to wake up…

  He let out an awkward chuckle. “Uh… H-Heyyy.”

  His attempt to be casual was met with silence as she slipped behind the frame, the closing door finalizing her quick exit. His brows furrowed as he wondered what she meant. ‘You two are?’ They were what?

  Wait. Did she think that Shar and him were…?

  She definitely did.

  Damnit, this was going to be awkward to explain. At least the commotion had awoken the paladin, her limbs beginning their morning stretch. He winced as her lower arms held him even tighter into her chest while her upper appendages extended out with a short exhale from his companion.

  She realized his presence somewhere within her habitual routine, bringing it all to a halt as she stared at him for a long few moments. A deep blue flushed her face, hardly looking any different than Akula’s just a minute ago.

  “H-Harrison. What are… Oh dear Godd—s!” She let him go immediately, scrambling to her feet and leaving him alone on the bed.

  He propped himself up on his elbows, more startled by her quick movements than anything. “What? What’s wrong?”

  The paladin’s wide eyes looked him up and down, her words stuttering as she tried to speak too quickly. “I am so very sorry, I-I do not know what happe—d or why or… I have f-failed you and my—lf, this shall never h-happen again, I vow on my life.”

  He just laid there in silence, staring at the… Holy shit, she was shaking. His voice softened, hoping to reassure the distressed alien. “Shar, it’s alright. You’re alright. Everything’s Alright. I’m not sure why you’re so worked up over this, but I’m not upset over this or anything. It’s not a huge deal.”

  Sharky looked at him incredulously, seemingly taken by surprise at his words. “You are not angry with me? Even after I have taken y— to my bedding without—”

  “—The only thing I was angry about was not being able to move. Again, it’s alright,” he dismissed with a wave of his hands. “I completely forgive you. If it bothers you that much, then just don’t do it again going forward, yeah?”

  She stared at him for a few moments, her mouth agape with utter awe. “I… I thank you deeply for your toleration of my acti—s. You have my word, I will do no such thing again.”

  He shuffled off the edge of the mattress, pushing himself up. “Again, it’s alright Shar. No worries.”

  So, that part of the unexpected event was ‘dealt’ with; now there was another alien he had to explain whatever the fuck just happened to…

  This was too much bullshit to deal with in one morning.

  He left the mass of blankets and pillows without a word to seek out the green-skinned Malkrin, Shar quickly catching up. She kept her head down—not just from the short ceiling—following him a few paces away as he started checking around the module for their new companion.

  Akula wasn’t in the bathroom, the living room, nor in the dining area… Was she not in the barracks? He became increasingly more worried about exactly what Akula thought about the scene she saw as time passed. God, his lack of knowledge about their culture would be the death of him one of these days. Was it wrong to see two people of a different sex together in bed? Was it a sin or something for them? Is it because he’s an alien to them?

  A tap on his shoulder stopped his pacing.

  “Harr—on? What are we doing?” Sharky asked, shifting between fidgeting with her claws and looking at anything that wasn’t him.

  Right, she probably missed their ‘visitor’ earlier. His hand ran through his hair as he thought of how to properly word what happened, deciding that ‘blunt’ was his best bet.

  “Akula walked in on… us…” He cringed a little. That was a horrible way to phrase it, but not inaccurate. “She left right after and I would like to clear up any misinterpretations of what she thought she saw.”

  The paladin froze in place, her eyes closing in a flinch. Her already weakened posture deflated further, the embarrassment practically oozing out of her. He nodded in sympathy.

  “...Exactly.”

  = = = = =

  No matter how many tiny rooms Shar’khee checked, she could not find the green-skinned Malkrin. She and Harrison had decided to scour the rest of the premises separately after realizing Akula was not within the confines of the barracks. She was tasked with looking around the immediate area, while he went into the workshop, bringing his equipment along.

  Though she would rather her mistake be forgiven and forgotten by his magnanimity, if Harrison wished it, then the water-worshiper would be found. Hopefully, completing such a simple task would mitigate some of the shame that itched at the flesh along her neck, helping to positively affect the star-sent’s opinion of her after this morning.

  It was quite fortunate that the beach was the first place she searched, because fresh footprints within the wet sand could be seen leading off towards where the orange shore cut between the rocks and the ocean.

  The Malkrin she sought was not far off, the green-skinned form coming into view as Shar’khee jogged along the soft seaside sands. Akula sat atop a rock, gazing off into the shining sea, the cloudless sky brightening the whole of the landscape.

  “Akula!”

  The female jumped up in surprise at her approach, her visage slowly shifting to a disgusted expression.

  “About what you saw…” the paladin continued hesitantly, her steps slowing as she came upon the other Malkrin. The air between them weighed down their wary stares.

  Akula stared at her with distaste, almost spitting her response. “You... With the star-sent?”

  “It is not what you th—k. We are not mated, Akula.”

  The shorter female squinted from her rocky perch. “If you are not mated, then why was he within your arms, within your bed?”

  She felt the blood rush to her face. “It… It was a foolish mis—ke I had made in the haze of rest, but nothing happened. He is the star-sent, I w—ld never…”

  She would never? It was wrong, but…

  The shorter female took advantage of Shar’khee’s apprehensiveness, shooting questions faster than she could respond. “How do you expect me to believe you when that is what I saw? Worse off, is he not the star-sent? What does he mean to you, ‘protector of the faith?’ You are meant to be his guardian, no? What are you—one who is not mated—doing being so close to one you are meant to be but a shield for?”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Shar’khee stood up tall as Akula jabbed a talon directly at the paladin’s snout, looking down upon the lowly one and emphasizing the difference in her position above the water-worshipper.

  She held onto the seething spike of indignation and spoke with heavy punctuation in her timbre instead. “We are not so close as you accuse us of be—g. Your only evidence of such is but a misundestanding born of my weary mind at night and the proximity of the one I am sworn to pr—ect.”

  Two pairs of arms folded across Akula’s chest, her critical tone simmering out in a disgruntled manner. “Then what of the armor? Why has a male you are not mated to gifted you such fine protection? You have accepted the proposal, so why do you deny such?”

  “W-well, n-no, he would not… it is not… it…” she stumbled over her words.

  It certainly was not a proposition… Or at least she did not believe it to be one. There was nothing implied with the gift besides its use for battle. Beyond that, the star-sent had his own odd customs, thus it was entirely possible that the endowment was just as she thought: protection, and little else.

  And, of course, she had no belief that the star-sent would even consider her for anything besides her duty; he was wholly focused upon his holy ambitions while being on Ershah… She mentally shook the thoughts away.

  She returned the fisherwoman’s poking queries matter-of-factly. “There is no further motive for the gift besid— my protection, the star-sent does not covet such frivolous things as engagement. It only exists to help me better serve him as a protector.”

  Akula huffed, not keeping direct eye contact, her response mumbled.“At least you have the decency to fight so the male does not have to.”

  Shar’khee let out a low growl. The lowly one must be wishing for death with how she provoked the paladin. She was about to give her retort when a loud crack resounded through the forest, her body twisting to locate the source of the disturbance.

  Another… In the direction of the castles. The way it echoed through the sky was familiar, yet she could not place what it was. A few strained moments passed before two more booming sounds went off in quick succession.

  Those thunderous bangs…

  Harrison!

  There was no time to waste. She gave Akula one last look before turning back towards commotion and breaking out into a sprint.

  Her taloned feet tore across the sand as she approached the noise, fearful of what she might find awaiting her. The cracks only grew louder and louder as the castles atop the hill came into view, the echoing blasts ringing through the air in rapid succession raising her panic in equal measure.

  She was a fool for leaving him for even a moment. It was her duty to protect him, and she had abandoned her post! Her run was frantic, legs thrusting her mass off the soft grass as fast as Malkrinly possible, and even that paled in comparison to the hammering of her heart.

  Another boom. Good, he was still alive. As long as he was fighting, he was breathing, and she could reach him before it was too late. She hoped to get there in time. She had to. No, she would.

  The abhorrent scum would pay for their insolent aggression the Goddess’ chosen. Their limbs would be ripped from their bleeding carcasses by her own hands, used to beat their brethren, and then she would teach this planet that even mindless beasts could be taught true terror.

  The chaos of the battle was just within reach; she could hear the taps of lanceolate legs along the workshop floor. Her peripheral vision was a but a mere blur, yet she knew she was getting closer, and that was all that mattered.

  Her frantic pace stuttered to a slowed jog as the damage of the castle became apparent.

  Something broke through the hastily patched door—its metal rope covering torn and shredded, while the walls were spattered with a slew of viscous green blood that trailed further into the building. Holes from Harrison’s magic warped and dented the thick metal of the walls, viscera of the invading creatures following hollow ejections of his mystical staff littered along the floor like declarations of his domain. They were in. He was alone.

  A chill ran down her spine at the thought, then adrenaline as rage took fear’s place.

  Her thumping footsteps echoed throughout the cavernous fabrication room, blood pounding in her ears as claws reached and gripped corners she couldn’t be bothered to slow down for. There was no time to care for the damages she caused. There was no delicate touch left to give.

  There was only fury to fill her veins, then death to be delivered.

  Two beasts surged towards her through the rows of machines, serrated maws snapping the air in front of them as they slammed off the metal confines in competition for the new prey. She had neither spears nor armor, but she had a divine purpose and that would serve as her sword and shield.

  She flexed each digit along all four arms, baring the sharpened talons to slaughter those which would stand in her way.

  The abhorrent charged head-on, lunging straight at her. Her legs launched her form off the ground and over their frivolous attacks. Foolishly, one stopped right below her, allowing her wrath to come crashing back down atop it. The spear-like claws of her hands cut deep into the stunned creature's carapace, the consuming force cracking and splintering its shell. Her other arms raised instinctively as the other hurled itself right into its demise, two red-skinned limbs bearing enough force to pierce through its exposed underbelly. A shrill screech echoed throughout the cavernous room, then a hollow crack, the wane of its shriek signifying its last dying breath upon now closed fists.

  She ripped herself free of the limp beasts. Now she could proceed.

  Now it was silent.

  But that bode no good will either.

  What of the star-sent? Where was Harrison?

  Her head snapped towards any and all clues in the bloodied room, all of her senses focused on locating the lost male. He must be somewhere nearby. She could not lose him. She would not allow it.

  A primal yell echoed through the castle from the entrance hallway. Her legs started moving before her mind could catch up with what she heard, pulling her through the lines upon lines of divine equipment and the mound of carcasses littering the singular doorway.

  She grabbed and pulled each limp body out of the way, nearly tearing the shells off of the beasts as she hurled them behind herself.

  Through. She needed to get through. She needed to reach him.

  Gore and green ichor dyed her limbs, but she flicked the vile liquid away like tainted water. In the way. It was all in the way.

  The dull thud of one last corpse against the metal floor opened the path forward, her legs finally being able to wade through the remains. Noises breached her ears, grunting and frantic breaths just ahead.

  There. The room with the whirring machines. She was closer, yet not close enough. She must not falter. Not now. Not again.

  Her feet dragged through the piles of carnage, the sound of her Goddess’ chosen’s shouting echoing through the corridor. With one final push, she freed herself of the bog-like mass of remnants and out of the hallway.

  Ripping teeth gnashed just inches from her star-sent’s face. Harrison laid on his back, withstanding the teeth of an abominable beast by using his shotgun as a barrier, both hands gripping opposing ends of the staff and forcing it into the gaping maw of the creature. Beads of sweat ran across his forehead from the strain, a snarl belying the effort it took to repel the creature. He had been doing well, but this was a fight he was going to lose.

  No. This was a fight she was going to finish.

  Her four arms hauled the beast into the air, the abhorrent screeching as pressure was applied.

  A racking crunch. Her hands crushed the shell, her arms bulging as poorly-contained ire flowed outward.

  A sickening rip. The sinuous muscles holding its legs together came undone fiber by fiber.

  A wet smack. One leg joined another in a pile behind her, continuing until the limbless body of the beast was all that was left to smash against the floor. One thrust through the exposed innards and she gripped the mass of organs encased within, closing her claws around them, pathetic squelches sounding out to announce its end.

  One last whine came from the lowly creature as the crushed offal finally caught up to the lifeless carcass. She wiped off the smeared blood on her claws, looking down at the star-sent. His chest heaved with heavy breaths, his hands laid limply on the ground beside him as he stared directly at her, his speech coming between ragged exhales.

  A wry smirk formed upon his lips. “Fuckin… Hell… Shar…”

  She all but collapsed on top of him, her delicate touch bringing up his limbs to be inspected as she rapidly assessed his condition. Was he hurt? Was he bleeding? Did he have any broken bones? Was he traumatized? How did he manage to keep himself alive? And the most important question: “Can you forgive my failure, Godd—s-sent Harrison?”

  He chuckled heartily, then fell into a coughing fit, worrying her greatly. “Christ. If it weren’t for you and my bug-repellant here—” He shook the shotgun lightly. “—I would have been dead. You sure as hell didn’t fail, Shar. You’re a Goddamn lifesaver.” His eyes closed, his head slowly coming to rest against the green-stained floor.

  Why had he rested his head? Was he passing into death? He was not bleeding externally, was it internal? Had she gotten to him too late? His skin felt hot underneath her hands as she attempted to shake him awake. “HARRI—N! YOU MUST NOT LEAVE!”

  He flinched, hissing in pain. “Ah, fuck! I have bruises like… all over that arm… And I’m not fucking dead. Let me rest for a second.”

  Oh. He was just exhausted. That was good.

  She rested upon her shins besides the star-sent, watching over the resting male. His chest expanded and contracted through each repetition of blessed breath. She did not know what else to do, so she took the time to clear some of the pieces of abhorrent off of his skin and clothing, both the carnage outside and atop him revealing a particularly gorey fight.

  She was so very happy he was still alive. His boundless abilities never cease to amaze. Her digit passed along his cheek, pushing off a glob of drying blood, his lips curling into a slight smirk in reaction.

  He opened one eye to look at her. “You can save the passionate caress for after we clean up here. Viscera doesn’t really set a good mood.”

  She stammered out a response.“What? I w-was not c-caress—g you. I was only—”

  His jovial laughter filled the room, a full smile covering his cheeks as he spoke. “I was only joking. Don’t take it seriously.”

  Ah… Of course. Only joking and… nothing more. She crossed her arms and stared him down, pouting all the while. “I did not find it humor—s…”

  He tried to suppress his smirk, but another bout of chortling burst from the seams. “It’s a damn shame that I did.”

  His shaking hands came up to rub his face, his mirth unfortunately being lost after a single moment of reprieve. “It’s also a damn shame that there’s now a whole workshop-sized mess to clean now. Ugh. Bugs sure do like to bleed everywhere when I blow their damn heads off.”

  “Do not w—ry yourself of such trivial matters; I shall sort the issue. Pl—se, Harrison, rest for the time being,” she cooed, doing her best to reassure the weary male.

  “Hey, no. I can help—”

  The attempt to get up was halted by Shar’kee softly pressing down upon his chest until he laid back down, shutting his argument down; her palm could feel his racing heartbeat through his dirtied shirt the entire time.

  She needed him to calm down first so that he would not exert himself too much. Recuperation after combat is a crucial part of being able to fight another day. “Please rest,” she bid. “You may join me once you have fin—ly caught your breath and are no longer shaking.”

  He exhaled, holding up his hands to examine their incessant quivering before returning his focus to her. “I suppose I could do that.”

  She stood from her place besides Harrison, staring warmly at her star-sent. “Excell—t, I shall see to it that this castle is cleared of the abhor—nt.”