Episode 4

Planet Glabrus, Alpha Julius

I am seething with the information I've received, pacing back and forth, waiting for Tarcila to walk through the main gates to explain her actions. As the Alpha leader of this Pack on our planet, I'm well known to all. I am relentless when necessary. I stand as the largest and strongest among all Glabrans, yet I abhor needless violence. Learning that Tarcila has allowed her team to hunt the Maginians as though they were senseless animals has pushed my patience to its limit.

She barged in, her hunter's uniform on, her demeanor furious.

"That pesky little thing, once again, has thwarted my plans and caused me considerable loss."

"You got what you deserved. Will you never learn, Tarcila? You persist in breaking rules. Do you truly believe you live above the law and do not need to adhere to it?"

"Spare me the lecture, Julius! My losses are bad enough. That insignificant creature once again destroyed an entire mine and freed all the slaves. I am livid, I cannot bear listening to your nagging." – Indeed, she was livid.

"You need to hear yourself; what you are saying is preposterous."

"Preposterous? The only preposterous thing is our loss! Where do you think the materials and money for the spaceport construction are coming from?"

"That was your initiative; I never supported that construction, you are the greedy exploiter in the family. What is your plan?" – I asked merely to attempt to dissuade her from making another grave mistake.

"I will stop that disgusting little wretch." – She snapped and stormed off towards her room, undoubtedly concocting some vile plot.

Though we shared a father, our mothers differed. No one ever discovered who my mother was. One day, my father returned to the Pack after several months away, an infant in his arms. My parentage was without question; I bore our family's birthmark, a dark spot between the eyebrows, accentuating my noble stature.

As I grew, certain truths captured my father's attention, leading him deep into the forest to reveal that my mother was a Maginian, a keeper of the ancestral magic that commands the elements, and I inherited this gift. From then on, he trained me—even without powers, he had my mother's book of spells, and having spent ample time with her, he learned a lot.

I kept these powers and my Maginian heritage secret from everyone. The Maginians were deemed vermin by the Glabrans, hence Tarcila's belief that she could enslave them to feed her workforce. If my origins were known, my respect would vanish, and thus would my leadership—though any challenger would need to be stronger than me and win in combat to claim the title of Alpha.

So, I moved along the corridor, and with no one around, I vanished, heading to Tarcila's room, unseen, watching her scheme, her team listening in via the communicator. She aimed to seize more males on Magino and capture the meddlesome pest that caused her so much trouble. Yet, she did not reveal her strategy, given Maginos' vast population of powerful, element-manipulating mages.

After leaving, I went back to my quarters, for I must find a way to thwart Tarcila's plans. I make several decisions regarding the Pack, inform my second-in-command that I require a few days of meditation—a common practice for me—and leave him in charge. I depart unnoticed, donning a long hooded cloak that shrouds even my face, and head to the hangar housing Tarcila's team. Approaching, I overhear them discussing their raid on the planet Magis.

I stow away aboard the cargo ship, effectively concealed among the barrels stored there. Soon after, Tarcila arrives.

"So, boss, what did the Alpha say? Did he give permission?"

"What that fool says is irrelevant to me, especially about permission. Today, I catch that wretched creature and avenge my losses while seizing double the slaves." – She boards the craft, followed by the chuckling males.

Little does she realize the object of her disdain is stronger and more intelligent than she. I overhear two males conversing nearby.

"Doesn't she know who she's referring to as a ‘wretched creature'? How can she not have heard of her?"

"Serena of Prestom, hunter of leeches, formidable and beautiful!"

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind catching her myself—just to tire her out with pleasure."

"If the chief hears you speak of the female like that, you're…" – one gestures a throat-slitting motion.

"Are you saying you wouldn't?"

"Well, alright... Let's take our seats; the ship is about to take off."

I remained motionless, levitating slightly above the floor to avoid the jolt should Tarcila pilot the ship. We soon reached our destination, and I made myself invisible, searching out a safe exit from the rear window. I spotted a castle atop a cliff, and using the solitude, I opened a portal, stepping out into one of the towers.

Descending the spiral staircase, I landed softly and passed through an arched doorway into an abandoned wing of the castle. I hurried to the main hall and, seeing no one, used magic to detect someone asleep in a ground-level room. Entering the chamber, the noise awoke the occupant who sat up in alarm.

"Leave at once, Gordom. You've claimed your due for this lunar month."

"I am not Gordom. Your people are in danger; I seek Serena of Prestom."

She leaped from bed, blade at my throat in an instant.

"Who seeks Serena of Prestom?"

"Alpha Julius, leader of the Glabrans."

"What do you want with her?"

"I am no enemy, Serena. Release me; your people and you are in peril. We waste time; the ship hovers in space above."

"The Suckers have returned..."

She released me, rushed to the window, and with a swift motion, shrouded the entire area in a thick black fog. Good, Tarcila would be blind. But then, Serena vanished, leaving me astounded. I took a deep breath to catch her scent and froze, realization dawning.

"She is mine! I've found my destined one."

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