Vok'Rul was good with kids. Of course, Viktor couldn't understand any of the things the alien said to them, but the shrieking laughter and loud clapping from them were pretty good indicators that they were loving him. He did wonder what the alien was talking about to warrant a school visit. Probably some motivational speech. Viktor yawned widely, slouching against the legs of the chair Vok'Rul was sitting on. He reached up to rub his eyes, squinting as the movement attracted the attention of the children.

He had to admit that they were kinda cute. Miniature versions of the grown aliens, these kids were all baby fat and squishy cheeks. Those that had tails sported short and tiny ones, especially compared to Vok'Rul's incredibly long one that was wrapped around Viktor, an inch from touching him. One of them pointed at him, curiously asking a question to Vok'Rul. The tall alien hesitated, glancing at some of the teachers in the back. They smiled and shrugged. Vok'Rul responded to the question.

The alien was talking about him, throwing his name in every other word. One of the kids asked a question, and this time Vok'Rul responded without any hesitation. He sounded sympathetic but firm. The children must not have liked the answer as they let out a synchronized sad sound. Vok'Rul smiled and chuckled. He clapped lightly, glancing at Viktor to see if the sound startled him. Viktor ignored him, focusing on the excited faces peering at him.

Vok'Rul stood up, tail slithering away from its place around Viktor. He felt a bit exposed without it. "Kohgrash!" he said lightly, facing the human. He looked at the small crowd of children, speaking again. He turned back to Viktor, who had gotten to his feet, curious as to what was going to happen.

"Kor, Kohgrash," Vok'Rul said, holding out his hand, palms facing Viktor. Viktor curled his lip slightly in distaste. Vok'Rul walked to the other side of the room. "Pora!"

What the hell, Viktor thought, walking over to the tall alien, keeping his distance from the eager crowd of children. Vok'Rul obviously wanted to show off his 'tricks,' but he didn't know too many. It wouldn't be too hard to figure them out, he supposed. He sighed heavily as he reached the alien, who looked at him with blinding joy written on his face. Viktor suffered through a couple of head pats for his effort. The kids let out a noise that was similar to 'oooh' but much more guttural.

"Lark," Vok'Rul said, bending down quickly to get on Viktor's level. The human stepped back, hunching his shoulders and angling his body away to hide his broken arm subconsciously. Vok'Rul's expression faltered for a moment, and Viktor felt a bit guilty, even if he hadn't meant to flinch away. The human straightened up, squaring his shoulders resolutely. There would be absolutely no way that Vok'Rul would hurt him now, especially in front of witnesses. The thought did little to assuage his guilt.

The alien held out his hand, repeating the word. He spoke to the crowd of children, who responded enthusiastically. Vok'Rul shook his hand out, speaking quietly to Viktor. The human bit back a groan, muttering to himself about tricks and not being some dog on display. He put his hand in the alien's after some deliberation, wondering if he should refrain to make the other look like an idiot in front of a crowd. Vok'Rul shook it and showered him with praise. The kids cheered.

Viktor's incredibly difficult and hard work was rewarded with a treat from Vok'Rul's many pockets. He hummed in delight, grabbing the small pellet from his outstretched hand quickly and shoving it in his mouth. It was the pear-flavored one again, but no less delicious. He glanced at the children as they whined and held out their hands eagerly, yelling norish. The teachers at the back of the room shushed them, bowing at Vok'Rul in apology. Vok'Rul straightened up, holding up his hands as he quieted the kids. Viktor saw him glance down at him, concerned.

Whatever the internal debate the alien had, he seemed to get over it quickly. The alien said something to the kids, who all jumped to their feet in excitement at whatever he told them. Viktor's shoulders jumped at the sudden movement, but he shook it off. They were only kids.

He watched suspiciously as they all formed a pretty sloppy line. Vok'Rul left his side to give each kid a treat from the bags he had in his pockets. Viktor had a pretty good idea of where this was going.

"Kohgrash, pora," Vok'Rul called, gesturing for him to come here. He said the word for food, which was extremely tempting. Viktor, even after weeks of being well-fed, had to admit that he was very food motivated. He'd do anything for some real food, though. He thought fondly of the fruit hanging in the trees in the mansion's backyard. He sighed wistfully.

Obediently, because he wasn't about to give up free food, Viktor walked over to Vok'Rul, stepping a bit behind the taller alien. He scoffed at himself, eyeing the children with wariness. They were just kids. He hadn't had any issues with them while he had been watching Vok'Rul give them a speech. They looked eager to give him treats, though. They were looking at him hopefully, holding out their hands, palms up. Some were bouncing on their feet while others were frozen still.

Viktor glanced up at Vok'Rul suspiciously, whose shoulders drooped just a little. Ugh. Viktor tried to ignore the guilt that welled up in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to let him down. He supposed he could grab a couple of treats off the kids and be done with it.

He stepped to the first calm kid he saw, inching forward. The kid, delighted at being picked, cooed at Viktor, stretching forward to offer the treat. Viktor deftly grabbed it, quickly as he could. The kid smiled, eliciting protests and whines from the other kids nearby. Vok'Rul said something, and they all quieted again. He stepped towards another kid, gaining a bit of confidence that they wouldn't suddenly reach out and touch him.

Eventually, he had gone down the entire line, the proud owner of a bunch of treats. Vok'Rul had moved back to the chair in the front and called Viktor over when he finished collecting the treats. He didn't pay too much attention when Vok'Rul started talking again, settling himself on the floor beside the chair, idly chewing on the pellets. He was brought out of his food-induced daze when the kids started getting up and filing from the room. Some of them smiled at him as they left, and he waved, a bit bemused.

The rest of the day went on a similar track. Throughout the day, classes came into the small room, one after another. Viktor was lucky they hadn't chosen to do this in a larger setting. The noise probably would have reminded him of the arena. As it was, the kids kept getting older and older, taller and taller. Thankfully, the older they got, the more seriously they took whatever speech Vok'Rul was giving. They had brought in chairs around the midday mark to allow for the older students to sit somewhere that wasn't the floor. Fortunately, it seemed that most weren't too interested in him whenever Vok'Rul started talking, but unfortunately, that meant no more treats.

He supposed he should count his blessings. The pile of treats on his lap had started to get a little ridiculous. Eating all these dry pellets had started to make him thirsty, so he was biding his time chewing on them.

Viktor gingerly rested against Vok'Rul's tail, getting a bit stiff from sitting on the ground nearly all day. Vok'Rul didn't falter in his speech, but Viktor felt his tail curl a bit tighter around him. He huffed. He hoped the alien wasn't getting the idea that Viktor was going to be all cuddly and friendly with him, all because he was reclining on his tail. It's just way comfier than the floor.

His movement attracted the attention of some of the kids in the front row of chairs. They smiled at him but didn't seem too intent on bothering him other than looking. Idly, he threw one of the pellets in his hands at the foot of one kid who looked bored out of his mind. That made two of them. It was one thing to suffer through school-mandated speeches from inspirational people but a completely different thing to suffer through them while being unable to understand the language.

The kid perked up, kicking the pellet back at him. Viktor sat up a bit straighter, propping himself on Vok'Rul's tail. Finally, some entertainment!

The kid and Viktor passed the pellet back a couple of times before one of the teachers sidled up to the kid and scolded him in harsh whispers. The kid looked embarrassed and stopped kicking the pellet back to Viktor when it rolled over to him. Viktor let out a long-suffering sigh as he collapsed back onto Vok'Rul's tail, staring up at the ceiling.

His arm was starting to throb uncomfortably. Not to mention, his cast started to become increasingly itchy. Sitting up slowly, Viktor placed his dwindling pile of treats on his lap and tentatively moved his arm around, flexing his fingers. He gritted his teeth against the wash of pain, immediately stilling. It was a miracle he had never suffered broken bones in the arena, only collecting a variety of bruises.

He scooped his treats up with his hand, pushing himself off the floor with the help of Vok'Rul's tail. He saw it twitch as he dug his elbow in to help himself up. "Sorry," he muttered, patting it with the back of his hand, still clutching his treats.

Vok'Rul was still talking with the class. Occasionally, one of the kids would ask a question, which usually prompted more of them to ask more questions. Otherwise, it was mostly the tall alien chattering on. Some of the kids seemed to be hanging on every word. Others looked like they'd do anything else than be here.

There was an odd buzzing noise just on the edge of his hearing, but it seemed that everyone else heard it crystal clear. Most of the kids jumped to their feet in excitement. Must be lunch, Viktor figured, watching a bit warily as one of the teachers raised their voice over the loud clattering of chairs scraping against the floor and feet stomping on the ground. He shuffled closer to the chair Vok'Rul was on as the class let out a synchronized word. Probably a thank-you. It was a little comforting that even an alien planet lightyears away had similarities to Earth. It made him homesick.

Vok'Rul stood, carefully making sure his tail didn't sideswipe Viktor. Suddenly aware of how close he was to the alien, Viktor scooted away with a huff. The tall alien lifted his hand in farewell as the kids exited the room. The principal from earlier approached them when nearly everyone had filtered out of the room. Viktor could hear a thunderous uproar from the hallways. Definitely lunchtime.

"Pora, Kohgrash," Vok'Rul said after he finished chatting with the principal. The tall alien exited the room, closely followed by the bodyguardS. Viktor hurried to keep up. His legs were pretty short in comparison.

Every step jostled his arm, sending sharp pain up through his shoulder. The medication that Vok'Rul had given him earlier in the day hadn't lasted very long. He hoped that the alien had some more on hand, but he wasn't too sure how he'd ask for it. He wished he knew more words in their language. Viktor held the cast close to his chest, pressing it against himself with his other hand. The pain diminished once his arm was no longer moving, which was a relief.

The last thing he needed right now was to lag behind in a school full of children. Alien children, no less. He knew what human kids did to dogs when they were unattended. He'd probably get forced to play dress-up or do tricks. He shuddered. Viktor thought he'd rather fight again in the arena.

Well, he thought, bile rising at the back of his throat as memories of the arena surfaced in his mind, maybe not.

He shrugged off his thoughts, nearly jogging after Vok'Rul as he rounded a corner. One of the bodyguards fell behind, looking back at Viktor with an unimpressed look on his face. Viktor merely scowled at him. He wondered why Vok'Rul was in such a hurry, though.

Eventually, Vok'Rul slowed outside a door within the school. Viktor bit back a sigh. It seemed that they weren't quite done with the school speeches today. The bodyguard closest to Vok'Rul opened the door, holding it open for the taller alien, Viktor, and the other bodyguard. All four of them piled into a small room. It was lined with a few tables and chairs. Like all the other rooms Viktor's been in, they were extremely large compared to him.

Vok'Rul settled at a chair. Not a moment later, the door behind Viktor opened. Jumping in surprise, the human quickly turned around, watching as a short alien walked in with a large platter. Curious, Viktor watched as the platter was set in front of Vok'Rul, who spoke politely at the alien. The short alien bowed deeply before exiting the room in a hurry.

The smell of food quickly filled the room. Viktor felt his stomach rumble. While he had enough treats to last a lifetime, they weren't nearly as filling or appetizing after the twentieth one or so.

"What're you eating?" Viktor asked the alien, walking over to where he sat and hopping slightly to try and see the platter. All he saw was the bottom of the table. Figures. The bodyguards behind him sat at each end of the table, picking some food off the platter. Vok'Rul looked down at him with a smile, reaching down to pet his head. The human frowned at him.

Viktor walked over to the chair next to Vok'Rul, dropping his handful of treats on the seat. The chair was made out of slippery plastic-like material, so it was a bit of a struggle, but Viktor managed to climb onto it eventually. He stood on the chair, a bit triumphantly. He could see over the top of the table easily, now.

He heard Vok'Rul chuckle at him, leaning back in his chair. His arms went back to the platter of food. Viktor hmphed at the other, reaching over to grab something off the platter.

Vok'Rul's voice was sharp when he snapped out a "Kohgrash!" at him.

Viktor stilled, warily looking at the alien, eyes blown wide. He quickly retracted his arm, shoulders tensing up as if he expected a blow. Subconsciously, Viktor started to bend his knees, ready to flee. Vok'Rul had never raised his voice in the week he had known him. His heart hammered in his throat.

Vok'Rul's expression was complicated. He extended his arm in Viktor's direction, hand open. The movement was quick, too quick, and Viktor flinched, bringing up his good arm to cover his head. He glared balefully at the alien, baring his teeth. Threatening had never worked with the ringmaster, who had brought to heel the most vicious of animals in the arena. But Vok'Rul was not the ringmaster.

Admittedly, Viktor had thought that Vok'Rul may have been different. He cursed himself for his naivety, for the feeble hope that had started unfolding in his chest as the alien had continued to show acts of kindness. He was stupid to think that he'd have anything nice on this planet.

The knock over his head that he was expecting never came. As soon as Viktor threw up his arm, Vok'Rul yanked his arm back as if he were the one about to get smacked.

A stalemate washed over them; Viktor was unwilling to move for fear of attracting Vok'Rul's anger, while Vok'Rul was afraid to move lest he startled the human. Even the bodyguards had stopped eating their lunch to watch. The only sound Viktor could hear was his harsh breathing accompanied by the erratic beating of his heart thumping in his ears. The tense silence between them was broken when a knock on the door came.

Vok'Rul turned, and Viktor used the blessing in disguise to scramble off the chair with haste. He made it to the floor in time to see the door open, letting in the bowing principal. He murmured something to Vok'Rul, but Viktor was too preoccupied with calming himself down to really care what they were chatting about. He really wished he had somewhere to hide.

As it were, Viktor found himself sequestered under the table. It was high enough for him to stand under, but it kept him out of Vok'Rul's sight from where he sat. Thankfully, the table was long enough that he didn't feel too close to the bodyguards accompanying the tall alien. He crouched low to the ground, watching Vok'Rul warily.

Whatever the principal said prompted Vok'Rul to stand up. Viktor hated the way his body twitched, the muscles in his legs tensing and ready to flee. He forced himself to relax. It didn't really work.

"Kohgrash?" Vok'Rul said, dismissing the principal with a wave, who scurried out of the room with a bow. He probably caught the tension that lingered in the room. The tall alien crouched to look under the table, keeping his hands on the table's edge. Viktor narrowed his eyes.

"What?" his voice sounded shaky and unsure. He was surprised at the sharp sting of betrayal he felt. "What!?" Viktor barked out more sharply, suddenly angry at himself and this alien. This alien he had, inexplicably, trusted.

"Pora," Vok'Rul tried, voice full of guilt, slowly removing one of his hands from the table and stretching it out towards Viktor. Viktor wished he had something to throw at the stupid creature.

"You have got to be out of your fucking mind if you think I am going over there," he growled, shuffling backward awkwardly and as best he could while crouching. Vok'Rul sighed heavily, straightening up. Viktor whipped his head around as he heard and saw movement to his sides as the bodyguards stood along with him. They walked over to the doorway.

Vok'Rul and the bodyguards talked for a long time. Viktor was curious about what they were chatting about, but not enough to smother his anger and get out from under the table. He was perfectly fine down here, thank you very much. There was another tentative knock on the door, some muffled words from outside it, and a sigh from Vok'Rul. The three of them walked over to the door. Viktor wondered with a small twinge of panic if they were going to leave him here, before viciously beating it back. He didn't care. He definitely did not care.

Still, maybe he was a bit alarmed that Vok'Rul and one of the bodyguards left the room completely, shutting him in with the other one. After a silent minute of hearing nothing but his harsh breathing and footsteps receding outside the doorway, Viktor sat on the ground, pulling up his knees to his chin.

He tried to ignore the angry, frustrated tears that stung behind his eyes.

***

Vocabulary:

kor: stay

lark: shake

pora: come