While I spoke with my mate, Elder Krathi had given permission to a human official to fly into Krada. On top of bringing Serena’s belongings from the Federation base camp, he was apparently also legally authorized to preside over human bindings. Kayog had warned me we would only experience the expedited form of their ritual, giving me a quick overview of the process. I just never imagined it would be this dismissive.
As I stood face to face with Serena on the square in front of the statue of the Goddess, the male standing next to us asked that we repeat after him.
“Serena Bello, do you freely take this Ordosian male, Szaro Kota, as your lawfully wedded husband?” he asked.
“I do,” Serena replied.
“Szaro Kota, do you freely take this human female, Serena Bello, as your lawfully wedded wife?” he then asked me.
“I do,” I replied.
“Kayog Voln, do you confirm bearing witness to Serena Bello and Szaro Kota freely exchanging their desire to be legally married to each other?”
“Yes, I confirm it,” Kayog said.
“By the power vested in me by the United Planets Organization, I declare you husband and wife,” the male said. “Congratulations, you may kiss the bride.”
Although shocked by the brevity of this ceremony—if it could even qualify as that—I repressed a smile. Earlier, Kayog had explained kissing to me, which I was familiar with since Ordosian practiced it. Apparently, as that had tripped a number of mates he’d paired with humans in the past, he now made sure to warn them to avoid future awkwardness when the officiant requested they do so. My mate lifted her face towards me, her expression unreadable as I leaned forward to press my lips against hers.
They were pleasantly soft and warm, just like the palm she pressed on my chest, as if for support. Serena’s touch was fleeting, as was the kiss. Before I could properly savor the sensation, my mate pulled away from me, and gave me a timid smile. I instinctively flicked my tongue, tasting her response. Although she tried to hide it, my tongue bothered my mate. And yet, it constituted an integral part of me and of my species as a whole that she would need to grow used to. And in her presence, my tongue constantly itched to come out.
Her scent tasted exquisite. Delicate and fresh, like the clean air of the early hours of a sunny day, before the morning dew evaporated from the leaves and before the wind mixed the scent of the waking world into a big melting pot. And underneath it all, that tiny drop of heat, the same one that had emanated from Serena the first time we spoke by the border, after I brought the dead Flayer to her. Her timid attraction to me taunted me in the most peculiar fashion. I intended to savor it in its fullness, once Serena shed her thoughts of leaving and began embracing our union.
“Please sign here,” the human male said, snapping me out of my musings.
Serena pressed her thumb in the box on the interface of the male’s datapad. I repeated her gesture in the neighboring box once she was done.
“Congratulations again,” the male said, putting away the datapad in the satchel hanging on his hips. “I wish you both the very best.”
Although he spoke to both of us, the way his gaze lingered on Serena expressed clearly he thought she would be miserable. That angered me. While I probably never would have even contemplated pursuing a human female in a romantic fashion, Serena was my mate now, and I intended to make this permanent.
“Thank you,” Serena responded gently.
I merely nodded and turned my gaze to the three Elders standing nearby.
“Congratulations, Serena and Szaro on your union. And welcome, Serena Bello, to the Krada tribe of Trangor and to the great Ordosian family,” Elder Krathi said. “Tonight, we will celebrate your union according to our tradition so that you may officially become part of the people.”
“Thank you, Elder Krathi,” Serena said politely.
The other Elders smiled at us before leaving, the rest of the tribe who had come to bear witness also scattering with the same unimpressed expression on their faces. Tonight would make up for it.
After exchanging goodbyes with Kayog, I picked up the two large bags containing Serena’s meager belongings from the base camp.
“I will take you to our dwelling,” I said, my hood itching to shrink with embarrassment.
While I had secured a prime location for my dwelling, it was nowhere near ready for a mate. Over the years, I had imagined how I would painstakingly build the perfect nest for my mate, designed specifically for her as a testament of how well I knew and adored her—an understanding acquired over months, if not years, of assiduous courtship. Instead, I was welcoming a mate I didn’t know and barely understood into the barebone canvas of a home.
As with most premium estates, mine was carved directly into the mountain that offered natural protection on two sides of the village, framed to the north by the Bayagi River.
“I’m afraid my dwelling isn’t prepared for a mate, let alone a human one,” I said apologetically, as I opened the door. “You must tell me what you require, and I’ll see to it as quickly as possible. For now, I’ve asked Irco to bring a couple of chairs for you to put by the table,” I said waving at them next to the large stone table that occupied the space in front of the sink near the large windows.
Serena nodded absentmindedly while her gaze roamed over the otherwise barren room. The light grey stone of the walls, almost white, had not been perfectly polished and smoothed as they would be reworked once I knew what type of design would suit my mate. The floor, too, was a little rough, although very clean. No decoration adorned the walls, no shelves displayed trophies or mementos. The only things to see in the room aside from the table and two newly added makeshift chairs, were the sink and the two glasses on the shelf above it.
Despite her best effort to keep a neutral expression, Serena couldn’t have been less impressed.
“The rest room is this way,” I said, dying with embarrassment, irrational though it was. Negligence wasn’t the reason for my dwelling being this bare.
“A restroom?! You have one here?” she exclaimed, her face lighting with a mix of relief and delight.
While her reaction pleased me, it also seriously confused me. Why wouldn’t I have a place to rest?
“Yes, this way,” I said, gesturing at the first door to the left of the hallway from the main room.
I opened the door and led her in. As soon as she entered the room, her face fell.
“Oooh, a rest room, not a restroom,” she said, scrunching her face.
I blinked, not understanding how putting a longer pause between the two words made a difference.
“What were you expecting instead?” I asked, confused by her reaction.
“I thought you were referring to the hygiene room, which is what we call a restroom… one word,” Serena explained. She then indicated the room. “This is what we would call a bedroom. But then, you guys don’t have beds,” she added, casting a glance at my heating plate.
“Oh, we have a hygiene space,” I replied with a sliver of relief.
“You do?” Selena asked, turning to look out the open door.
“Yes, but not inside this dwelling,” I amended. Her shoulders drooped, disappointment seeping back on her face. That stung. “I will show you where it is after we are done here. This chest of drawers contains my adornments,” I continued pointing at it. “Irco will bring one for you in the next hour. You can also give him the description of all the furniture you require for sleeping, and sitting, or anything else.”
“Okay, that would be nice,” she said with a grateful smile.
“Please do not be disheartened by finding this dwelling so inadequate,” I said, holding her gaze unwaveringly. “This barren state is normal for a non-mated, non-paired Ordosian male. We prepare the nest specifically for the female we chose over the long period of courtship, which you and I didn’t have. For now, I can only get you the essentials so that you can function. I will make this dwelling worthy of you over the days and weeks to come.”
Serena shifted on her feet, a guilty expression descending on her features. “You don’t have to go out of your way. Seriously. I… I’m sorry if my reaction made you feel bad or embarrassed about your home,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I know nothing of your people. You’re the first sentient species with a tail instead of legs that I’ve interacted with. But I’m realizing now that, beyond our physical differences, your culture is even more foreign to me than what I could have imagined.”
“Based on what little I’ve seen so far of human culture, I agree that you will have a great deal to adapt to. But I will help you through that,” I said with a smile.
“I appreciate it. I only ask that you be patient with me and especially that you do not take offense at my reactions,” Serena added, making a strange expression. “I have an excessively expressive face, and looking at me, you’d always think things are far worse than they truly are. So, don’t get discouraged either if I look depressed or upset. It’s just my face being silly. If there is truly a problem, I will speak up.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“Which brings us back to this furniture stuff,” Serena continued. “You don’t need to have anything fancy made for me. I’m a simple girl. I’m used to roughing it out in the woods. Functional is good enough for—”
“No,” I interrupted sternly, making her recoil in surprise. “You are my mate. You will get nothing less than the best. That is not negotiable,” I added when she opened her mouth to argue. “Come, let me show you the rest.”
She made a face at me that seemed to hint this discussion wasn’t over but complied as I led her across the hallway to the door facing our rest room.
“This is the only other room that isn’t completely empty in this dwelling,” I said while opening the door.
I didn’t know what reaction I had expected from Serena, but not for her jaw to drop and her eyes to fill with stars as she gazed upon the contents of the room. The look of wonder on her alien—but pretty—face sent the most pleasant shiver down my scales.
“Holy cow! This is freaking amazing!” Serena whispered.
She slowly stepped inside the armory, her eyes flicking in every direction to admire my weapons. She would stop only for a moment to gape at a bow, a dagger, or a spear, before moving on to the next table or rack.
“You can touch,” I said, pleased beyond words by her reaction to my greatest pride. Ordosian females had little interest in hunting gear.
“Really?!” she asked, beaming at me. When I nodded, she replied, “Thank you!”
And touch she did, with a gentle caress from the tips of her dainty fingers or the brush of her knuckles. My mate handled my weapons with the care and reverence of a lover… as it should be.
“This is exquisite craftsmanship,” she said with undisguised admiration.
“Thank you,” I said, puffing out my chest.
Her head jerked towards me, and she gave me a stunned look. “You made them?”
I nodded. “Yes, my mate. Every single weapon in this room, I made with my own hands.”
“Any chance I can bribe you into letting me use them one of these days?” she asked, batting her eyes in the oddest, yet most adorable fashion.
I smiled. “That could be arranged,” I replied, happy we had found a common ground—our first, I hoped. My mind was already bursting with ideas of weapons I could craft for her. “Come, let me show you the rest of the house.”
She nodded and cast one last awed look at my armory before following me into the hallway.
“There are seven more rooms, which can be reshaped if needed,” I said while giving her a glimpse of them. “They were originally meant as rest rooms for my future offspring, a playroom or study room, or whatever else my mate would have seen fit. Think of what you would like to do with the space.”
I didn’t miss the way she frowned—before quickly hiding it—when I mentioned offspring. I’d always wanted younglings, at least two, but more like four or five, hence the large number of rooms. Since the birth of Mandha’s son, Eicu, that desire had grown even stronger. On a few occasions, I’d seriously considered siring a young on one of the many non-mated females of the tribe that had expressed their interest in bearing my offspring. But I’d resisted the temptation as I’d wanted to raise my younglings in my own dwelling that I would share with their mother, my bonded mate.
I gave Serena a sideways glance. I didn’t know if we were compatible. Humans carried their young to term just like our females. But assuming my seed could even take root in her womb, what would our offspring look like? The picture of a young hunter, with golden brown scales the color of Serena’s skin, her harmonious features, a long, thick tail, and as wide a hood as mine popped in my mind. I silenced the violent longing that struck me. My mate was nowhere near ready to even consider laying with me—assuming we were compatible. And even if we did and managed to conceive, there was a real possibility our offspring would come out looking human with legs.
And I would still love it and happily welcome it.
That realization pleased me as much as it stunned me. I had six months to convince my mate to make our bonding work, and I fully intended to succeed, as I normally did with all of my endeavors.
“This is the terrace,” I said, opening the large door at the back of the dwelling.
“Oh. My. God!” she whispered when I moved aside to let her out.
Serena froze and gaped in disbelief and wonder at the breathtaking view of the hidden valley inside of the mountain, of the two waterfalls, and of the river that ran 75 meters below. A thick stone railing delimited the large balcony that measured ten meters wide and five meters deep. Birds added their voices to the hum of the waterfalls as a variety of peaceful herbivores roamed around the shore below.
My mate approached the railing, walking with a dazed expression as she took in her surroundings.
“This is a true paradise,” she said. “It’s beyond enchanting. It’s mesmerizing.”
“I am happy you like it,” I said, making no effort to hide how much her reaction pleased me.
“There are no words to describe just how much I love it,” she said.
“And this is but the first of the many wonders of your new world that I will show you,” I said shamelessly.
She snorted, immediately understanding my less-than-subtle underlying message by referring to this as her new world.
“I look forward to it,” she replied with a smile.
“There is a hover platform and a hidden path accessible through here to go down to the river,” I said, pointing at the barely noticeable gate in the back corner of the railing. “In the upcoming days, I will take you down for a walk in the valley. It is a sanctuary where we shelter very unique but peaceful creatures that would otherwise face extinction had they remained in their natural habitats. Trangor is a dangerous place.”
“That will be awesome,” Serena said with a spark in her eyes that ignited a pleasant heat in the pit of my stomach.
I loved pleasing my mate.
“This concludes the tour of the house. I will now take you to the hygiene area,” I said.
“Wait,” Serena said with a frown. “I didn’t see any kitchen or cooking area. No fridge, cooling units, or larder. There’s only the sink for water in what I’m guessing is the dining area at the entrance. I mean, no hygiene room is strange enough, but no kitchen? Don’t you get hungry?”
“Ordosians have no need to dedicate an entire room in each of their dwellings for such things,” I explained with a slight frown of my own. “If a room isn’t going to be used daily or at least every two or three days, there’s no point having it in a house.”
“Well, don’t you have to eat every day, and relieve yourself of all the things you eat at least a couple of times a day?” I asked, flabbergasted.
“Every day? Thankfully no. Do you?”
“Yes!” Serena exclaimed. “Humans normally eat three meals a day, not to mention the snacks in between. And we use the hygiene room on average as many times daily. Some people even more frequently than that.”
I stared at my female in horror. “THREE? Goddess… We haven’t fed you since midday yesterday. We’ve starved you and deprived you of relief! I am so sorry, my mate! I did not know. Why didn’t you speak up? I will fetch sustenance for you at once. What do—?”
“No, no, Szaro, I’m fine,” she interrupted while placing a soothing palm on my bare chest. “I had some energy bars in my backpack. I ate some yesterday, and another for breakfast this morning. I won’t be hungry for another couple of hours. However, my bladder isn’t too happy with me right now and could really use a break. So, visiting that hygiene room some time really soon would be a good idea.”
“Of course, my mate. This way,” I said, leading the way back out of the dwelling through the front entrance. “After that, we can look into addressing your nutritional needs.”
“How often do Ordosians eat?” Serena asked as we exited the dwelling.
“I tend to eat once every two or three weeks, unless I am heading out on a long ranging expedition. In that case, I eat a very large meal that can hold me up to a month,” I explained as I led her through the square and down the path to the northeast that opened onto the hygiene cave, almost beneath the waterfall. “I will not need sustenance for another couple of weeks. Younglings eat more often. Little ones, like my nephew Eicu, must eat at least once a week, although it tends to be closer to once every four or five days. Younger ones will eat small meals every other day.”
“Wow, I guess it must be convenient to not have to worry about food for weeks when you’re out on the trail,” she said, eyeing me with incredulity. “So much for family dinners,” she mumbled under her breath.
I opened my mouth to respond, but my mate’s gasp silenced me. I loved the way her face lit up as she discovered my world. While I understood her reaction on the terrace overlooking the river, this struck me as amusing. People rarely stared in awe at the cleansing room. It was basic, and functional—a place where you scrubbed the dirt off your body and emptied your bowels. Still, it forced me to look at it with new eyes.
The natural cave of pale stones had many openings in the ceiling through which water rained down, allowing for at least fifty people to shower at the same time. The water pooled on the recessed ground, ten centimeters deep, and deep grooves on an incline, narrow enough to allow us to slither over them, drained the water towards the large window at the back of the cave so that it could fall out through the bars of the protective railing. The view onto the valley from here was once more stunning. Glowstones embedded in the walls illuminated the space.
“This is gorgeous,” Serena said with sincere admiration. “You guys really know how to leverage the beauty of nature.”
“We are its guardian,” I said proudly, puffing out my chest.
I advanced into the water and gestured for her to follow. She hesitated and looked at her feet.
“Are you afraid to wet your shoes?” I asked.
“No. These boots are waterproof,” she replied, shaking her head. “I just don’t want to sully the water.”
I laughed. “Once the water hits the ground, it is considered wastewater that gets filtered on its way down to the river in the valley.”
“Wastewater?” Serena asked. “But it—”
She froze, her eyes widening as she gave the cleansing room a second look. “Wait, these are your showers? This is like one big communal shower?”
“Yes,” I said, confused by her sudden mood swing.
“Yeaaah… No. That’s not going to work for me,” she said, involuntarily taking a step back. “We don’t do public nudity. At least, I don’t.”
I blinked, then let my gaze roam over her. The majority of her body was indeed covered in leather. Every human I had ever encountered always wore many pieces of clothing, sometimes in multiple layers.
“I realize why this is a non-issue for Ordosians,” she said in a reasonable voice. “Your species is essentially always naked. But then, your naughty bits are hidden. With humans, once we take our clothes off, everything is hanging out for the world to gawk at. That’s a no-no.”
“Naughty bits?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Our genitals,” she explained sheepishly.
“All right…” I said slowly, not sure what her point was. “And?”
“And we don’t expose ourselves in public. Only to our mate in private,” she said. “That’s why human dwellings all have at least one, sometimes two or more hygiene rooms. And in public showers, there are usually dividers with curtains or occluding doors so that we can wash in a common setting while preserving our modesty.”
“I see,” I replied, although I didn’t quite get it.
Sure, I understood her words, but failed to see the logic in it. Humans knew how other humans were made, based on their gender. Why hide it from each other? Why only show their genitals to their mate? There was nothing wrong with others seeing, as long as they didn’t touch. For many of the species we watched over, flaunting the reproductive attributes of their mates was not only a source of pride but a display of dominance. Only the best male could secure the affections of such a stellar female. But there would be time later for me to inquire further about this odd human behavior.
“If we erect an occluding wall or curtains around one of the water holes, would that work for you?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “But there would need to be a bit of space away from the raining water for me to dry myself and get dressed again,” she added with an apologetic expression.
“That will be arranged,” I said, before glancing at the small amount of skin she had visible. “You must dry? Your skin doesn’t shed the water?”
“Not exactly. I mean, water clings to us for a while, although it will evaporate over time if we don’t use a towel. But it’s even worse with my hair. It will stay wet for hours if I don’t dry it,” she replied. “Why? Don’t you stay wet?”
I shook my head. “Wait, I’ll show you.”
I moved towards one of the holes and let the water rain down on me. After a few seconds, I returned to my mate. By the time I reached her, almost every drop had already fallen off.
“Are you kidding me?” she whispered as she raised a hand toward me.
My abdominal muscles contracted in anticipation but, to my great disappointment, she stopped herself at the last minute, yanking her hand away. I was curious about the feel of her hand on me, but also about the texture of her soft, scaleless skin.
“Sorry,” she said apologetically.
“Do not apologize, Serena,” I said in a gentle voice. “I am your mate. You have the right to touch me whenever you please. Go ahead,” I said encouragingly.
She hesitated for one more second then proceeded. I barely repressed a shiver as she carefully brushed her fingertips against the scales of my left arm. It tickled in a teasing way. But I wanted a real touch… which she denied me.
“This is really cool,” she said, dropping her hand.
Although the term ‘cool’ sounded strange in this context, I understood her implied meaning.
“The waste chutes are over here,” I said, leading her to the slightly elevated left side of the area.
The ground there was dry and a waist-high wall with a holding bar separated it from the cleansing area. In a wide recess on the ground, ten discs, at a two-meter interval from each other, covered the waste holes.
“This is where we empty our cloaca,” I explained. “There is a sensor that will open the chute once someone gets in position. Since you don’t have a tail, we may need to do some testing to find the right angle for you or make some adjustments for this to work with your anatomy.”
The wary look on Serena’s face—including a hint of horror—made me realize this would not be well-received either.
“There is enough space between the chutes for us to add a privacy enclosure for you,” I added preemptively. Although that appeared to mollify her a bit, my mate still had that ‘this-is-absolutely-not-good-for-me’ expression on her face. “Let me show you how it works.”
I advanced to the edge, where the recess began, then turned to look at my mate.
“You place your hands on the bar like this for support,” I said, doing it at the same time. “As you can see, the disc automatically opens, revealing the chute. As an Ordosian, I only have to advance further to align my cloaca with the hole.” Although I didn’t need to relieve myself right this instant, I opened my cloaca to show her. “Now, my scales are parted above the chute, and the recess keeps me from entering in contact with it. Once done, I press the interface here on the bar.”
I did it, and a strong stream of water shot out, cleansing the opening of my cloaca, the water then falling into the chute. I closed my scales then backed away, the disc closing over the chute as soon as I was far enough.
I single look at my mate’s face sufficed for me to know this was definitely not going to work.
