Punished

could defend themselves against the imperial incursion they were convinced was coming. Although the Zagrath were not yet aware of the incredible property of the planet, as soon as they were, the planet was in danger. Living forever was something the empire couldn’t resist, and something they wouldn’t allow the primitive Kimitherians and humans to possess. The people of the planet would find themselves removed and dumped onto another planet while the Zagrath built up Kimithion III for their own people and solidified their power over the galaxy as immortals.
I gritted my teeth. It was something I would never allow to happen. But it meant that the planet did need to have some sort of defenses. And a population that knew how to fight.
“Today is the first day of training,” I told him. “I am supposed to meet the trainees outside the square in the amphitheater. Can you tell me where that is?”
“The amphitheater, yes. It has been a few moons since we held a performance there, but I am glad it is getting use today.” The alien’s yellow eyes didn’t blink as he cut them to the side. “Walk out of the square toward the shallows until you pass through two high pillars. You will see the livestock pens to one side and the stone amphitheater to the other.”
I thanked him again, walking where he’d indicated. In the distance, the bright turquoise water of the expansive shallow pools was easy to spot, small boats skimming across the surface. As was indicated by the tea, the planet took much of its bounty from the unusual waters, and most of the food and drink I’d had so far had come from it. As a Vandar who’d been used to plenty of red meat and ale, I had not yet adapted to a diet high in algae and kelp.
“Raas Bron had better hope he does not see me again,” I muttered to myself, thinking again about the Vandar life I was missing.
The square was no longer empty as I walked through it, as residents came down from the cave dwellings above and moved around me in a flutter of cloaks. They gave me a wide berth, but I felt their eyes on me, nonetheless.
“Corvak, there you are.”
The voice made me stop and turn. I recognized the human male who’d come to my quarters the night I first arrived and the Kimitherian who’d been with him. They were both ministers for the planet and had been the ones to rope me into teaching their males to fight. I didn’t know if I was glad to see them, or wished to draw my blade.
“Terel,” I greeted the human, turning fully toward them both and squaring my shoulders. Then I nodded to the alien with blue-green scales. “Kerl.”
They smiled at me, although the Kimitherian smile looked more strained.
“You are ready to teach our males how to be Vandar warriors?” Terel asked, holding his cloaked hands together so there was no skin showing.
I didn’t tell him that it would take more time than I planned to spend on the planet to teach untrained males to fight like Vandar. Since we were trained to wield a blade almost as soon as we could stand and our youth joined raider hordes as apprentices, the Vandar had thousands of hours of battle practice before we ever met an opponent. That would not be the case here. I did not intend to spend the rest of my life on Kimithion III, no matter what the people on the planet thought or Raas Bron had intended.
“I am ready to begin,” I said. “Becoming as skilled as a Vandar will take a long time.”
“Of course,” Kerl said. “We understand.”
“But we do have all the time in the world.” Terel opened his arms wide. “And the longer you remain on the planet, the longer you will live, as well.”
My stomach tightened. The idea of forever on a rudimentary planet away from my fellow Vandar and away from battle made bile rise up in the back of my throat. I swallowed hard, telling myself that this was not permanent. I would find a way back to my people—exile or not.
Kerl cocked his head at me, his yellow eyes unblinking. “He is not used to the idea of so much time.”
“I am focused on the task at hand,” I said. “And if you truly believe the Zagrath are an imminent danger, we do not have all the time in the world.”
Terel and Kerl exchanged a worried look, then the human leader nodded. “You’re right, of course. We sometimes forget that the rest of the universe moves faster than we do.”
I bit my tongue. I really wanted to ask them how, if they’d lived so long, they hadn’t bothered to develop better weaponry or planetary defenses or even better tea, but I reminded myself that I was a guest. Until I got the hell off.
I cleared my throat, aware of many furtive glances darting my way. “I should get to the amphitheater and start my work.”
The two males stepped aside and watched me go. I had a feeling most of the aliens in the square were watching me. After all, I did stand a head above the tallest of them.
I hadn’t reached the far end of the square when there was a flutter of movement close to me and someone was pressing something warm into my hand. I jumped at the touch, but the person had melted into the crowd by the time I turned around. When I glanced down at the loosely wrapped bundle in my palm and inhaled the scent drifting up from it, I nearly moaned out loud. It was a roll of bread—fresh, yeasty bread—without a trace of green or algae in it.
Without hesitating another second, I jammed the entire thing in my mouth as I scanned the cloaks behind me. I had no idea who had done it, but I wished I could thank them. I hadn’t had decent bread