In Search of Home

Chapter 12

Wherever they went, it certainly wasn't back to Earth. 

The police or whatever similar force they had here had dropped them off after a short trip in the carriers. Unloading from their floating vehicles had woken Viktor up from a groggy slumber. He hadn't wanted to leave the warmth Aiko had offered, especially after months of no human contact except for quick snatches of friendly pats from Pedro. Some unfamiliar alien had peered into the cage, which prompted Pedro to shout at them to go away and slap the door noisily. 

The noise startled Viktor out of whatever hazy sleep-induced state he had clinging to him, and he sat up. He must have lost more blood than he realized. He was still quite dizzy. He leaned heavily on Aiko for support. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, squeezing. 

Without the bars, Viktor could really see them fully. They looked as awful as he did. Matted hair and eye bags framed their faces. They looked much skinnier than they had when he had first met them in the back of the ringmaster's truck. Even with the daily meals they had gotten, expending that many calories in constant fights were bound to lead to malnutrition. 

The carrier they were in was set down on the ground, followed by a couple more thumps. The aliens outside their little cage chattered on for a moment before the roar of the vehicle started and disappeared. Viktor shivered as a gust of cool air went into their cage. Could they please get carted off somewhere warmer? 

His silent plights were answered as they were lifted off the ground again. "Wha's happ'n?" Viktor slurred slightly, still leaning onto Aiko and blearily trying to look outside the cage door. Thankfully, the crate they were in was rather roomy. They were all able to sit up straight, though their legs were entangled together. Not that anyone minded. 

"They're taking us inside. I think Ezekiel and Nikolas are in the carrier in front of us. The others must be behind us. I don't see any of the other animals," Pedro reported, leaning around to watch the carrier in front of them. 

"Maybe they took those to another facility," Aiko said, shifting slightly. Viktor sat up, shaking away the dizziness the best he could. He'd feel better with some food in his belly. 

"I'm hungry," he complained to the air. Aiko snorted, patting his head fondly. 

"Can't beat the teenager outta you, huh?" Pedro said from up front. "Look, they're setting us down." 

The carrier settled on the ground with a thump. The door opened when an alien thumped on the top of the carrier. The three humans didn't move a muscle. They heard Ezekiel's indignant shout from ahead of them, followed by a curse from Nikolas. Pedro ducked his head to look, but whatever the aliens did to Ezekiel and Nikolas's carrier, they did to theirs. Before they knew it, the end of the large carrier was tilted harshly, and all three of them tumbled out onto the cold floor. 

Still a bit dizzy and dazed from the blood loss, Viktor was easily scooped up around the middle. His head swam as he was lifted from the ground, and he clutched the large hands tightly, digging his nails into the tough skin. He let out a little whimper of confused fear. 

The aliens in the arena had never grabbed him like this, usually preferring the scruff of his shirt or nearly choking him with the collar. The alien holding him said something, to which the other aliens responded. Viktor was dropped lightly on a table nearby, quite like the one that was in the office of the arena, but without the straps. The alien walked away, inspecting some papers that were on top of the carriers they had come in. 

He looked to the ground, biting his lip. It was a far jump, but nothing he hadn't done before. Hopping around his school had left him jumping whole flights of stairs. This wasn't too bad of a drop. He looked over to the others, who were getting shepherded into large cages, quite like any regular holding room in a regular vet clinic, except human-sized.