Colonies of U'u'kata

Chapter 19 - Matchmaker

"What is a sister?"

"If your mother had another child and that child was female, she would be your sister," Ezra explained. "Or if your father had a child with a different female and that child was also female, she would also be your sister."

"But... you said this Cali is a friend. You do not share sires?"

"No. We don't. Among my people, we often choose brothers and sisters. She's not my sister by blood, or, uh, sire, as you say. She's my sister because I chose her to be my sister. Just wait till you meet her. She's amazing. You'll like her."

Delleth's eyes narrowed. "I will not like her. But... I do like you. And..."

"Delleth, if you're about to try and play match-maker between me and your mother, I'm going to have to stop you right there. Your mother is beautiful, kind, and obviously smart. She deserves all the kindness in the world. But she also deserves to have her own choices and make her own decisions."

Delleth took a deep, frustrated breath and paced to the left, then the right. "I just... unclaimed females are... what happens to them... I can't let it happen to her. But if she's claimed—"

"Delleth," Ezra said, a little less gently than he would have liked. "I understand that you are trying to make sure your mother is taken care of because you feel it's your responsibility. But it isn't. Believe me, she is going to be taken care of. The Uu'k'asht in the Firebird have organizations that specifically care for and ensure the education of females. She's going to be okay and she's going to learn to make her own decisions. You just need to step aside and let her."

Ezra took a deep breath and hoped the kid wouldn't push it any more. The poor boy and his mother needed therapy and Ezra was not qualified to unbox everything they had. But he'd be there for them to help them for as long as they wanted him to.

A buzzing sound brought his head up and he was relieved to see Rhythm come out of the sky and land beside him, his large dragonfly wings kicking up dust and leaf litter.

"Ezra," he said when his wings settled. "Are you ready?"

With a nod, Ezra stepped toward the towering Tilith. With a final glance at Delleth, he said, "It's going to be okay, for both of you. I promise."

Rhythm wrapped his arms around Ezra and before he knew it, tipped over the side of the cliff.

Ezra gave a shout of terror as they plummeted until Rhythm's wings buzzed out and they lifted, rising into the air.

"You asshole," Ezra groaned, gripping Rhythm's jacket as the big Tilith chuckled.

"You'll think it's real funny when I puke on you."

This only made Rhythm laugh harder.

They rose up over the cliff and higher, veering to the east and heading toward another cliff and Ezra was struck with how odd the land formations were. They looked... built. These cliffs had obviously been here for what could have been thousands of years, but they didn't look naturally formed. He supposed the knowledge that Uu'k'ata didn't have moving tectonic plates might have colored how he saw the land, but it still looked just... off. Something that had constantly frustrated his geologist colleagues. Most of them were dead now...

"Where are we?" Ezra shouted over the roar of the wind.

"About fifteen miles south of the crash site," Rhythm yelled back.

Ezra nodded. Since they could fly without being impeded by the land, he supposed it was safer to be far and high from the magic-slinging Uu'k'asht.

They were set down in a clearing and Ezra took a breath before turning around to look at the sight in the center.

Captain de'Lain was wiping his bloody hands on a towel while Zenri, and Riven stood over the hulking, beaten Uu'k'asht, strapped down to a tree stump.

The thick warrior had a swollen eye and blood dribbled from his lips. One of his tusks had been ripped out and his lip hung loosely around the gaping hole in his gum.

Wincing, Ezra wiped his palms on his pants and gulped, heart suddenly pounding. He'd never seen someone get tortured in real life before. He'd watched movies, sure. Who hadn't? But this was...

The Uu'k'asht's metallic eyes fixed on him. His head tilted in curiosity and Ezra remembered the cruelty he'd heard in his voice and words the night before.

"Don't expect much," Captain de'Lain called out. "He's rather well disciplined."

Ezra nodded and dared to make his way toward them, hoping his knees didn't give out, telling himself he was shaky because of the concussion and flight, not at all because he was scared.

When he was closer, the Uu'k'asht's mouth pulled into a cruel, macabre smile. "Ah. you are much prettier in the light," he rumbled. "You look a little like a creature I saw recently. It was... lovely."

Ezra's chest clamped down and his teeth ground as he took a step toward the warrior, fists balling at his sides.

"You better not have—"

Hands clamped around his face, silencing him as Rhythm picked him up bodily and walked him across the clearing.

"Quit kicking me, Ezra. I'm doing you a favor," the Tilith growled as Ezra clawed at his arms and slammed his heels into his knees.

When they were out of earshot, Rhythm set him on his feet and turned him around.

"You prick! Stop fuckin manhandling me and—"

"Ezra listen!" Rhythm snapped. "You just gave him information, not the other way around. No one here has seen a human before so he doesn't know what you are. He may or may not have seen your Cali, but you just told him that the person you're looking for is female and you made it clear you cared deeply for her. If you want to speak with him, you need to give nothing away. Don't react to his taunts. We've been interrogating him for hours and have next to nothing. He's not responding to torture at all so I can only guess he is very well trained. Do you understand?"

Ezra blew out a breath and swallowed his ire, trying to calm his pounding heart as he paced this way and that, shooting glances at the bound Uu'k'asht, who smiled grimly at him from across the clearing.

"You're right. He got under my skin," he finally admitted.

"He didn't just get under your skin. He did it within the first three seconds of getting close to you. This warrior is dangerous. Do not underestimate him."

Swallowing, Ezra felt something click into place in his head.

Underestimate...

"I've been underestimated my whole life," he mumbled, eyes fixing on the Uu'k'asht as he felt the baggie full of mushrooms in his pocket. "I bet he'd be more than happy to do it too."

He looked up at Rhythm and said, "I have an idea. I need a cup, some water, and as many insects as we can find, and a black or UV light"

***Thank you for reading! New Chapters every Sunday, Holidays, and sometimes because I feel like it***

PD: 3/23/2025