In Search of Home

Chapter 30

Surprisingly, Vok'Rul was gone when Viktor woke up the next day. 

It was even more surprising when he realized that this was the first day he had slept in while on this planet. Viktor had never been a morning person, having hoarded all the sleep he possibly could when he had been back on Earth and nothing more than a simple teenager. But since he had been thrown into the arena, getting up at dawn had proved more beneficial than not. It wasn't a habit that he had found himself breaking even after he had gotten out. 

The sun was still low in the sky, but it wasn't peeking out of the ground like he had grown used to seeing. When Viktor stepped out of the closet, stretching and managing to crack his back in a few places, he was greeted with a full bowl of jerky. 

"Weird," he grumbled, taking a small piece and nibbling on it. He definitely would've heard Vok'Rul come into the office. He scrubbed the tiredness out of his eyes, leaning back and looking at his food bowl in thought after he was done. Maybe he had been more tired than he thought last night. 

After they had gotten back from the small park, Vok'Rul had hidden away the little box he had gotten somewhere. Viktor had tried to follow him, curiosity outweighing whatever thoughts he had had about that sketchy alien servant guy. The sneaky bastard somehow managed to hide it away before Viktor could see where he put it, though. After all that, Vok'Rul had gone into his office to do whatever it was alien politicians did on their alien computers, and Viktor was left to fend for himself. Not that he minded too much. He had a lot to think about.

The relief that Nikolas was still alive and well was palpable. It also gave him renewed hope that he'd see the others someday soon. Maybe they had been adopted into the area, too. Viktor missed them, a lot.

It wasn't terrible, living here with Vok'Rul. Sure, Viktor would definitely prefer to be on Earth, but he didn't really have any choice in that right now. He missed the conversation, though. There was only so much charm in talking to an alien who couldn't talk back, after all.

Today, though, Vok'Rul was not in any of the usual places he went after waking up. Usually, the alien got up after Viktor did, fed him first thing, and went off to the bathroom. After that, he'd bother Viktor incessantly until the alien fucked off downstairs. A quick peek between the railings told Viktor that the alien was not making any sort of food down there. He wasn't in the bathroom or his bedroom, either.

Twinges of worry bloomed in his chest. Viktor wondered if he had slept right through a political kidnapping. Did those happen? 

"Don't be stupid," he said to himself, staring down the staircase skeptically. Vok'Rul was probably downstairs in that dining room, or maybe even outside. It's not like Viktor cared where he went. He resolutely ignored the small part of him that was afraid of what would happen to him if Vok'Rul decided he didn't want a human pet anymore. 

Mind made up, Viktor gritted his teeth and started the arduous trek down the stairs. It was easier now that his arm didn't scream with every movement, but it still took him a while to get down. He couldn't really grip anything with his arm in a cast. 

Feet on solid ground, Viktor quickly made his way to the dining room, fully expecting Vok'Rul to be sitting in one of the chairs. Disappointment filled him when he realized that the alien wasn't even in their wing. "Okay," he said to himself under his breath, turning towards the doorway with a determined look. "Just go find him, then." 

He tried justifying his search for Vok'Rul by telling himself that he just needed those pills for his arm, nothing more. Definitely not for companionship or anything. Nope. 

He had never really been alone in the time he had been on this planet. Surrounded by humans or aliens, Viktor always had someone or something to talk to. It was just a bit weird waking up alone.