In Search of Home

Chapter 61

Viktor knew that Vok'Rul was talkative. 

Before he could understand the alien, he was constantly talking - muttering to himself or speaking out loud to Viktor. It hardly mattered much to him, really. His voice was soothing and a constant reminder that he wasn't back in the arena, stuck in some sick daydream where things were better. No, Viktor enjoyed the low murmuring in the background. It was white noise. Easy to filter out, considering he didn't know the language. 

Now, that they had gotten the translation devices working, the alien would not. Shut. Up.

Viktor and Pedro had spent the next hour simply enjoying one another's presence, sprawled out on the dusty ground near the furnace. Viktor had fished out the leftover jerky he had shoved into his pocket earlier and tossed one to Pedro. They both idly chewed in companionable silence, slowly digesting both the food and the sudden influx of information. 

At least, it had been relatively silent until Vok'Rul had sat down next to them and immediately launched into conversation. 

"Do you think he knows my thing is off?" Viktor asked Pedro when the alien paused to take a breath. Pedro laughed.

Vok'Rul looked sheepish, grinning widely. He took the hint and reached over to flick Viktor's translator on. It started buzzing, just a bit louder than the first time. Thankfully, Viktor's headache had quelled the moment it had been shut off. Maybe their conversation would last a little longer this time. "Can you hear me, little one?"

Viktor nodded, stretching out his limbs before sitting up. "Loud and clear." 

Vok'Rul's voice dropped to a whisper, "I apologize, Kohgrash. I was not aware I was being loud." 

Viktor grinned with amusement. "It's just a saying, Vok'Rul. You're not really loud." 

"Sire, I can bring you a chair," Blacksmith anxiously hovered behind Vok'Rul. 

"That is not necessary, Trosk, thank you," Vok'Rul said kindly. Blacksmith made a humming noise, reaching down briefly to pat Pedro on the head before returning back to her workbench. Rukka was nearby, looking fiercely annoyed at the phone in her hands. 

"I must apologize to you and your species, my little Kohgrash," Vok'Rul said, voice regretful. 

"Uh, it's no big deal," Viktor said, a bit awkwardly. He had no idea how to respond to an apology like that. Three months ago, he would have been righteously angry, liable to launch into a flurry of fists before accepting any sort of apology. 

"Please tell me you just didn't say 'it's no big deal' to an apology that was probably about abducting us," Pedro piped up, taking the opportunity to sit up as well, joining the conversation. 

"What else am I supposed to say?" Viktor lamented. 

"It is an awkward situation," Vok'Rul said with a little bit of amusement. His gaze was fond. "When we found your Solar System, we were surprised that there was even life there! All of the other planets surrounding your star were particularly nasty if the reports I read were true."

"Um, thanks? I think," the teenager said. Vok'Rul immediately started speaking after he finished. 

"It was remarkable! Your planet is very unstable compared to ours. Weather beyond what we have ever seen, fluctuating temperatures all across the planet, various habitats, and so much biodiversity! It was incredible to read about. We thought that perhaps the intelligent species had abandoned your planet to move to other, more suitable places. There was a lot of debris surrounding the planet, and the temperatures were uninhabitable in most places. The sheer amount of water on that planet would deem it uninhabitable to most species I've met, even ones that rely heavily on it! Truly, I am impressed that your species, all cute and squishy, were even able to prosper on such a planet-"