In Search of Home

Chapter 48

"A zoo?" he whispered to himself incredulously. He looked up at Vok'Rul, mouth working silent questions. "I don't know if you know this, but I don't do well with animals," he eventually told the alien, face twisting into a disgusted scowl. His free arm started to pick at the cast on his other, nervously twisting the strands of plant matter between his forefinger and thumb. "Like, really don't do well," he stressed when the alien tugged him forward on the leash. 

Nohkka was ahead by nearly ten feet, tugging on her parents and jumping in place. When the two adults noticed that Vok'Rul and he had slowed, they stopped. Much to the child's despair. 

Viktor found his legs working again when Vok'Rul tugged on his leash gently once more. His stomach did flips. He felt like he was going to throw up his breakfast. The meat he had gotten earlier didn't seem so appetizing, now. It sat like a rock in his gut.

The outside of the building, which was a large fence, really, was illustrated with bright colors, mashed together to make passable animals that were found on this planet. While Viktor could admit that he was a little curious about the fauna of this place, he was not enthused to be walking into a place where he knew he'd likely see the species of the animals he had fought in the arena. 

"If I freak out, it's your fucking fault, man," he moaned, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as they started walking toward the ticket office. He could hear the yips and chattering of the animals, and he worked his hand into the fabric of Vok'Rul's clothing, white-knuckled. 

If he had thought their capitol/town hall building had been full of aliens, then this was ten times that amount. It was mostly children running around, pointing and pulling their parents; much like Nohkka was doing to Kac, now. 

The alien manning the ticket station became flustered as soon as they noticed Vok'Rul, but Viktor was too busy looking into the zoo to pay attention. He shuffled closer to the alien, pressing his side against the alien's hip and leg. 

"Kas tih, Kohgrash!" Nohkka's sudden voice in his ears made him jump, and he flinched under her hand when she reached up to pet him comfortingly, but she didn't notice. 

"Not okay," he muttered under his breath. "Or whatever you said." He barely gave her a glance, steadying his gaze worriedly onto the crowds of aliens milling through the exhibit. If he didn't have a freak-out thanks to the animals, he was sure the noises of the crowds would do it for him. 

"Tor'Rul," Nohkka said, hand still on his head and moving back and forth slightly. "Kohgrash ka ktish!" To him, she simply said, "kas tih," again. 

Her hand left his held only to be quickly replaced by Vok'Rul's. He could barely suppress the surprised flinch that left him, too wired from the unfamiliar surroundings. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. 

"It's a zoo, Viktor," he said out loud, sort of proud of how little his voice shook. "They're in cages. Secure cages. Very secure. Hopefully." 

He looked up at Vok'Rul. The alien was a walking bad luck magnet. He consoled himself by remembering that the last few trips had been alright. It had only been the first trip to the school that had gone awry. Almost a month ago. 

The adults finished paying for their tickets (or whatever they were doing, Viktor hadn't really been paying attention) and started their way forward. Nohkka stuck to his side for all of five minutes before she got distracted by the first exhibit they walked past. 

Half-hidden behind Vok'Rul's legs and clothing, Viktor peered into the exhibit, heart thumping wildly in his chest. He didn't know what he was expecting, but small little bird-like creatures were definitely not it.