Ch. 4.1

The Human Bearer

4.

Okay, so he was dressed head to toes in something that looked like a brown tunic. His hair was combed carefully, but the rebellious strands were still making a bit of a ruckus.

"I suggest wearing a cap, master Rio?"

"If it's the same as the rest, I say pass. I'm going to look like a monk."

Kyle remained silent.

"Don't tell me I still look fuckable in this?" Riordan stretched his arms.

"By master Xana's standards, you still look fuckable, master Rio," the bot replied.

"Wow." Riordan smiled. "If I put on that ugly ass cap, will I still look fuckable for Xana?"

"Yes," came the prompt reply.

"Damn." He grimaced. "What would take then? To make me unfuckable?"

"I suppose, but it is only a speculation, that the only way to do so would be by ceasing to be alive."

Riordan stared at the bot. "Kyle, you have such a fucked up sense of humor." He shook his head.

"I had no intention to make a joke, master Rio."

"Then you're just funny by accident."

"By accident? Unintentionally?"

"Exactly," Riordan confirmed. "Now take me to Tasha, so we can get this rolling."

***

The shopping district had been modeled to accommodate human bearers mostly, so Riordan didn't feel out of place. If it weren't for the young Xenos using the fountains to bathe and frolic happily, it would have looked like any other mall on Earth.

"Hey, bearers," some young Xeno threw in their direction.

"Don't look," Tasha warned and quickened his pace.

"Okay," Riordan agreed.

For him, it seemed pretty stupid to act like damsels in distress over some catcalls. But Kyle was there, together with Tasha's bot, and the words of caution spoken earlier were fresh in his mind.

A young Xeno slithered his way, blocking their path. He was almost as tall as Xana, and his platinum hair fell in a cascade on his naked shoulders. Riordan stared. So the Xeno was as good as naked. The scales of his bottom half were a light green, a tad different from what he had seen in his own master. The youth's eyes were black, and Riordan felt a chill running down his spine. Xana was warm. This young Xeno was cold. When he smiled, he looked like a hyena. He was still beautiful, but his ugly nature was seeping through his façade.

The Xeno seemed interested more in Tasha, though.

"Hiding your pretty hair again?" the Xeno whispered seductively.

He removed Tasha's cap and grabbed the redhead by the nape, pulling him forward.

"Hey, pal," Riordan intervened. "How about you see about whatever it is you guys like doing and let us be? We may be bearers but we're taken."

The young Xeno seemed taken aback by Riordan's audacity. He narrowed his eyes while staring at Riordan thoughtfully. "Who are you?"

Tasha freed himself from the Xeno's grip with some difficulty.

"Let's go," Tasha told Riordan and they began walking.

Riordan threw a look behind, only to see Kyle and the other bot blocking the Xeno's path.

"Tasha, know this," the Xeno yelled. "The day you're let go, I'll be inside you so deep that you won't be able to live without my seth!"

"Who's the creep?" Riordan questioned.

Tasha was white as paper. "Some Xeno that doesn't let me be."

"That's why you wanted company?"

"In a way, yes. Two guarding bots are better than one."

"Tell Marn. Have this idiot eat dirt."

"That would be pretty difficult. Seeing that he's Marn's son."

"What? I thought you were the one to give your guy an heir."

"Well, I don't know exactly what Marn is thinking, but he wants another child, besides Xer."

"That the asshole's name?"

"Yes. For some reason, he has it bad for me, and there's nothing I can do about it. I told Marn, and he just replied that Xer is doing what his age dictates."

"And by that, he means he has no issues with his son being a total dick."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Tell me again how awesome your guy is." Riordan grabbed his friend's arm.

"He's better than most." Tasha looked away. "Look, Riordan, on Earth, I was a nobody, okay? Nobody gave a damn about me. Here, at least, I feel like I have a purpose."

Riordan was about to reply, when he realized they were surrounded by a posse of young Xenos. He tried to look behind and call for the guarding bots, but he was grabbed by a strong tail.

"This one's old," he heard his captor complaining.

He drew a long breath and focused. The sudden hit to the stomach took the Xeno by surprise and he dropped Riordan to the ground. He used the breather to try to break free. On his hands and knees, he managed to break the enclosure.

"Kyle!" he yelled. "Call Xana now!"

His bot reacted. Riordan could tell the Xeno was looking at him, and by his body posture, the guy was surprised. He didn't have time to ponder more, as he was grabbed by his legs and turned upside down, the long garments entangling his body and suffocating him. He could tell there were at least several tails wrapping around his legs, pulling them apart. Soon, one of them was tearing away what qualified as his underwear, and he was certain his ass was now barred to the bunch of perverts.

"His body is nice," he heard one of his attackers commenting.

"I cannot wait to fill his belly," another said.

"The redhead's not bad either," a third said.

"He belongs to Xer. Touch him, but don't put your seth in him, or Xer is going to have your tail."

Riordan struggled. He was not going to get banged by some horny Xeno teenagers. Using his core strength, he moved and reached blindly for anything he could punch. The posse was not that good at dodging, because he heard a grunt.

"I'm going to destroy him," the one who got hit yelled.

"Destroy who, child?" Suddenly a deep low voice interrupted the ruckus. "I think that's my bearer you are talking about."

Xana, baby, good timing, Riordan thought and grunted as he was dropped to the ground again.

"I know who you are, boys," Xana said. "This will reach your parents' ears."

Something between a hiss and a boo was the immediate reaction.

"We have full rights. We're of age," one replied.

"Ah," Xana replied. "Rights come with obligations. If I find my bearer with as little as a scratch on his body, you will have to compensate. What is your most important estate?"

"I don't have any," the youth spat.

"So your parents will have to pay instead. Child, don't make the mistake to aggravate me."

"Who are you calling a child, Xana? You're barely two years older than us!"

The sound of something heavy and hard cut through the air. Riordan watched with unhidden satisfaction as the youth grabbed his cheek.

"Counselor Xana Lei for you, child. I'll see that you, young ones, won't be allowed to mingle with bearers so much. It is obvious your base nature fogs your minds. One day, provided that you're worthy, you will have your own bearers. Then you will understand my pain today. Be gone. Your parents will be notified."

To Riordan's surprise, the rambunctious group scurried away without another word. He got up from the ground with a groan. Xana was wearing a long black tunic. And he looked damn fine and sexy in it.

"Good to see you." Riordan smiled at him, but his smile froze when he noticed the deep frown on Xana's face.

"Order your bot to take you home this instant," Xana said sharply. "Tasha, I notified Marn. Go to your house."

Riordan was on the point of saying something, but Xana was already moving away, and he was only left to stare at the guy's disappearing tail.

***