The female Sandrokas of the village have long ago departed, leaving the fierce Drandroka males with no mates to warm their beds or to stroke their towering cocks.
The mighty Turic returned to the village many moons ago with a pink Sandroka who he claimed as his mate. The Saku Avery told the Drandroka that two more pink Sandrokas, alone and afraid, needed to be saved. The fierce Straykeer knew that one of those pink Sandrokas would be his mate. He has been looking for her ever since.
“Yusita and Waskata are returning to the village,” Yusita says. “Come with us, Straykeer. Pontuck found one of the pink Sandrokas. The other one is surely gone to the Land of the Nevatrun.”
Furious heat rushes through Straykeer’s fierce body at Yusita’s words. She is not dead. His mate is not dead.
“Then return to the village,” Straykeer says, narrowing his eyes. “She is out here and the ferocious and dominant Straykeer will find her.”
The cowards Yusita and Waskata look at each other with worried faces. “She is gone,” Waskata says softly. “We have searched the peaks of the snowy mountains and combed the thick bushes of the forests. There is no sign of the Saku’s friend, Mandy.”
“You cannot stay out here forever,” Yusita says. “Or you will join her in the Land of the Nevatrun.”
“Then so be it,” Straykeer says, clenching his jaw tight. He would rather die than stop searching for his mate. For his Mandy.
She is waiting for him and the ferocious Straykeer will come for her.
“It is not just the robust Yusita and the courageous Waskata returning,” Yusita says, lowering his turquoise eyes to the dirt. “All of the Drandroka are heading back.”
“All except, Straykeer,” the dominant Straykeer says, squeezing the handles of his bone swords. He slides them back into the sheaths strapped to his muscular back.
“Straykeer is wasting time,” he says, raising his chin as he marches past them. His strong shoulder bumps into Waskata as he continues his search.
“Wait,” Waskata says.
Straykeer takes a deep breath before turning. “What?”
“You must see,” Waskata says. “It is over.”
Straykeer’s hulking muscles quiver. “It will be over when the ferocious and dominant Straykeer holds his mate in his arms. Not before.”
The two cowards sigh as Straykeer turns and marches into the forest, leaving them behind.
So he is the only brave Drandroka left. He knows that Mandy is waiting for him.
He will find her.
Even if it takes many more moons to do so.
***
Many more moons come and go and Straykeer is still searching.
He has passed the valley of the truikleas twice and crossed the cold water of the lungert river three times. He cannot find his mate but he does not stop looking.
If he stops, his Mandy will surely cross to the Land of the Nevatrun and he cannot let that happen. He will not let that happen. She will be safe in his arms even if he has to wear his feet down to his knees.
The ferocious and dominant Straykeer pushes to his feet and wipes the sleep out of his eyes as he yawns. He eats some juicy palang fruit from the sakar plant as he prepares to walk another day to find his mate.
“Krakalore!” Straykeer gasps when he looks to the skies. Strange large birds are floating down from the clouds. The palang fruit rolls from his hands and tumbles to the ground as he stands up to watch.
But they are no ordinary birds or creatures from Zandipor.
They have lights like the blinking lights of the Rock Man and they make strange humming noises as they glide through the sky. There are many of them, as many as the Drandroka in the village.
Straykeer’s stomach flutters with fear, a most uncommon feeling for the ferocious warrior. But it is not his safety that he fears for, it is Mandy’s.
She is vulnerable and alone without Straykeer’s protection. And something tells Straykeer that they are coming for her.
But they will not get her. Mandy is Straykeer’s mate.
Her thick dangling nose is his along with her strong robust chin. They cannot have her. They will not have her.
Straykeer runs with the speed of a thousand rorkers through the forest.
His feet are sore from the hard days past but he does not stop. He pushes harder.
Because if they are coming for his mate, he must get there first.
three
“Mmmm,” I moan, stretching out on the hard dashboard. I managed to sleep. Only about two hours but still, I’ll take it.
I drop my head back down on the hard metal and my eyes fly open when I feel an unfamiliar feeling. Vibrating. The back of my head is bouncing around on the dashboard like a popcorn kernel in a hot frying pan. “What?” I gasp, springing up to a seated position.
“Oh, God,” I whisper, slowly looking around. The dashboard is as lit up as my uncle Stu on Christmas Eve. Lights that have been out since the crash are blinking furiously and the engine is making a loud whining sound as it wrestles back to life.