SMACK!

  Noah fell out of his chair as a searing pain radiated across his face. He stared up at the raging berserker standing over him, being held back by a similarly fuming Un’Dal.

  “Ne’Ja wait, he is still our chief. Perhaps we should let him explain before we jump to any conclusions. You know just as well as I that our words do not always translate perfectly,” he said. She grunted but reluctantly took her seat again, letting Noah get up on his own.

  “You best explain yourself, No’Ah. Your words are rather condemning.” Un’Dal commented. Noah tried to pinpoint which part had caused such a strong reaction.

  “Where should I start?” he asked, hoping that was an innocent enough question to avoid another riot.

  “How ‘bout you start with the part where you play God and decide whether to have children or not.” Ne’Ja hissed through clenched teeth. Ah.

  “Are there orcs who have done bad things?” he asked. Ne’Ja frowned, squinting at him, but nodded.

  “Of course.”

  “Does that mean that you have done bad things?” he pressed. She looked at him like he was stupid for a moment before it clicked.

  “You are saying that just because your people have done bad things, it doesn’t mean that you have personally?” she asked. He nodded. She considered it for a moment and sighed.

  “You are innocent of these actions?” she asked. He thought back over his words, looking for potential errors.

  “I have never been married. Nor have I been with a woman, so I have not considered having children beyond far-off speculation,” he explained. Ne’Ja seemed to visibly deflate at his words and Un’Dal let out a long breath.

  “It is rare for our people to get to your age without forming a bond, it seems that we made our own assumptions,” Un’Dal replied. “What you have said still reflects very poorly upon your people though, and I wish to understand correctly what you meant by your words. For starters, what do you mean that some choose not to have children? Do they remain alone for their entire lives?” Ne’Ja leaned forward, eager for answers as well. Noah had a sinking feeling that they wouldn’t like his explanation.

  He explained what he knew about contraception and the concept of choosing the right time to have children. He shared about modern medicine and the higher survival rate of children, and finally, he mentioned the option of abortion. His words were quickly cut off by Un’Dal as Ne’Ja began to weep fiercely, refusing to acknowledge his presence when he tried to comfort her. Un’Dal tried to look at Noah as something other than a monster but didn’t hide his disgust as well as he imagined. They sat there for some time, the tension never leaving as Noah waited for Ne’Ja to come around.

  Nearly an hour later, her sobs quieted and she looked up at him. The grief in her eyes twisted his gut and nervous sweat dripped down his back.

  “How? How could anyone do that?” she cried, her words bringing forth another round of sobs. Noah didn’t have any words to say. It wasn’t that he felt guilty about what he had shared, but something about seeing such an intense reaction gave him pause. What do I do? His intelligence stat failed to supply an answer so he chose to sit there, staying in the moment despite the discomfort. Ne’Ja eventually calmed down again and locked eyes with him, seeming to stare into his soul.

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  “I do not like the thoughts of your people, to me you have forgotten just how precious life is, and I dare not imagine what inspires such practices. However, I have fought with you and have come to trust you. For now, I will attempt to put this difference behind us. It may also be said that I have more reason than most to despise those practices.” Ne’Ja whispered. Noah gave her a small, warm smile as he considered her words. More reason than most.

  “May I ask what you meant by your last words?” Noah inquired, softly. He saw a tear streak down her blotchy face.

  “My bonded and I were with child some years ago. She was born frail and did not make it through the night,” Ne’Ja managed, her lips quivering. Noah felt his heart sink in grief at her words and moved to sit beside her. He wrapped a single arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly.

  “I’m so sorry, that shouldn’t have happened,” he whispered, feeling helpless as she leaned into him. After some time Un’Dal spoke, interrupting the silence.

  “This has been quite the long night. Why don’t we meet again in the morning to discuss more details,” he suggested. Noah gave Ne’Ja a final squeeze and stood, nodding at Un’Dal and stretching his stiff muscles.

  “Thank you No’Ah,” Ne’Ja said as she got up and quickly left through the door. A thought struck him as he watched her go and he turned to Un’Dal for clarification.

  “Un’Dal, what is a bonded?” he asked. Un’Dal chuckled.

  “The binding is a special event for us, where two people choose to become one. It is a unique relationship, and someone would only ever have one bonded. To us, it is a deeply personal and meaningful choice. Binding is never forced nor coerced, never taken lightly nor done flippantly. If two desire to be bound, they seek the chief and their parents to test their commitment before truly considering the choice. The pair then complete the trials set before them to prove the authenticity of their desire.” Un’Dal explained.

  “That sounds… Complicated,” Noah commented.

  “It ought to be! Could you imagine if people did such an act half-heartedly, that would cause so much pain!” Un’Dal replied.

  “I see. And what happens if your bonded passes away?” Noah questioned.

  “Ah, that is an incredibly sad affair I’m afraid. To give part of yourself to another is to risk losing that part forever. This is why we take the binding seriously,” he replied.

  “Ne’Ja then…” Noah wondered aloud.

  “Ne’Ja lost her bonded one in the raids not long before our worlds connected. I believe this is why she was so troubled by your words. It is not common to repeat the binding after losing your other half, as it is painful for both parties. She likely believes that she will never have the opportunity to bear children, something that is very precious to us as you have learned.” Un’Dal explained.

  “Oh,” Noah breathed, a swirl of emotions clouding his mind.

  “If that is all, I will take my leave as well. I think it will do us some good to come back with fresh minds, tomorrow.” Un’Dal said. Noah nodded.

  “Thank you, Un’Dal. Good night.”

  Noah closed the door as his friend left and sighed deeply once he was alone. His body was tired from the long travels and tense from the heated conversation. He hadn’t expected to stir up so many emotions with words that seemed so common to his mind. It served as yet another reminder that he was not on Earth anymore and that as much as he loved his tribe, they weren’t human. His new home felt large and empty as he found his way to his bed. The middle floor was set up differently than the one he had toured earlier, having a large wooden bed spread with furs in place of the cots. It was a kind gesture, he knew that, but for some reason, his heart ached and the walls seemed so far away. He took off his dirtied furs and sunk into the bed, thankful at least for a comfortable place to sleep.

  Sleep didn’t come though as thoughts invaded his mind. Flashes of battle, and ideas of how different words could have hurt Ne’Ja less, stole his attention. And when those finally faded he was left with Un’Dal’s words. The binding. While one part of him found their custom extreme, the other longed for that kind of connection with another. Perhaps then he wouldn’t feel so lonely.

  ~

  Alure Galaxy, Sector 849

  Livia lay in bed watching her betrothed through the System artifact. She watched his joyous reunion with his companions and his first impressions of their new settlement. She listened to their plans, and to the conversation that caused so much pain. She watched as he wrapped his arms around the orc woman and then asked about her after she had left. And finally, she watched as he lay in bed as tears of his own began to trickle down his face. It was obvious to anyone watching that he was lonely, and it hurt to know and be too far away to help. She watched him close his eyes and finally slip into sleep.

  “Keep fighting, Noah. It won’t be long now.”