"Kohgrash, neyk," Vok'Rul scolded, sounding annoyed.

"Neyk," Viktor mocked, sitting under the alien's desk with no idea what that word meant. Cross-legged, the human was perilously stacking up some of the random toys Vok'Rul had gotten him when he had first arrived here. He still had no idea what some of them did, but there were ropes, blocks, some balls (that didn't even bounce that high, much to his displeasure), and a few simple puzzles. Regardless of what they did, they were made of excellent stacking material.

There wasn't much to do in the manor, outside of interacting with Vok'Rul. When they had gotten back from Nikolas's house, Viktor had slept nearly the entire day. He had been poked awake by Vok'Rul multiple times during his extended nap, much to his disgust. A solid kick to his hand had stopped the concerned alien from interrupting his rest for the remainder of the night, though.

It had been three days since they had reached some sort of mutual understanding. Whatever advice Sonja had given the alien seemed to have stuck. Vok'Rul never crowded Viktor, only initiating contact when the human went to him first. He stopped moving quickly whenever the human was in the room. He also gave him a lot more fruit than before. Oftentimes, he put some of those sugar water apples and purple starfruits in his dish along with the jerky. It was an interesting combination of flavors, to say the least.

In return, Viktor kept his promise to Nikolas and tried to let Vok'Rul in. It was harder than he'd thought it would be, and there were certainly times when he failed. But, Viktor did try. He interacted more with Vok'Rul than he had before. It helped that the alien took his irritation and desire to stop more seriously than before.

The trip to Nikolas and Sonja had helped them both. Viktor wouldn't say that they were best friends, but he was slowly beginning to trust the alien. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to keep the alien in his sights at all times, anymore. It was a relief, really, to be able to relax somewhere.

Lost in thought, Viktor failed to realize that his tower was slowly sagging to one side. He looked at the fallen tower in dismay. "Damn," he muttered, thumping his head back onto the solid wood behind him.

The desk was roomy underneath. It was similar to any human-made desk back on Earth. It reminded him of the US President's desk, grand and showy. As with everything on this planet, though, it was about twice the size of regular desks. Which meant that Viktor could practically stand (if he slouched and bent his knees a little bit) underneath it.

There were a bunch of wires stuck to the walls of the desk. When Viktor had first touched them, they had felt slimy. He kept away from them after that. Weird alien electricity. They were connected to the computer on the desk, which Vok'Rul was using. Or he was trying to, at least. As soon as he noticed Viktor had claimed the underneath of the desk as his spot, he tried to give the human some space. Instead of comfortably sitting at the desk, Vok'Rul had turned the computer to the side instead. It was touching, really.

The alien in question said something, likely in response to his failed attempt at a tower. Viktor stomped on the urge to chuck a block at him. Political assassination was not something he wanted on his resume.

A knock on the door interrupted Viktor's second attempt at the tower (honestly, it wasn't really going that well. He could not get the ball to balance properly on this cube). He shuffled out from underneath the desk to peer around the desk suspiciously. Vok'Rul called out, and the door opened soon after, revealing Thruul.

Viktor blinked, glancing away for a moment to remind himself that it was not the ringmaster in front of him. Thruul was nice to him. He was as far removed from the ringmaster as he could get.

The large alien was carrying a tray of food. The delicious scent wafted over to Viktor, and he heard his stomach growl in response. Vok'Rul seemed surprised to see him, which served to irritate the cook. Viktor frowned nervously as the big alien set the tray down on the desk, his voice growing loud with irritation as he spoke to Vok'Rul.

Vok'Rul, nonplussed, simply moved some of his work out of the way to accommodate the tray. After it seemed like Thruul was done lecturing him, Vok'Rul began eating. Instead of leaving right away, Thruul stuck around, speaking with Vok'Rul in a loud voice. It grated on Viktor's ears.

The big alien looked around the room, likely commenting on the decor. It wasn't Viktor's fault that Vok'Rul kept messing up the pile he placed all the toys in. Honestly, it was bad enough that he had toys in the first place. He wasn't five, after all, but it wasn't like there was much else to do. At least there were a few puzzles mixed in.

Thruul's eyes landed on Viktor, who was half-crouched and half-stood, by the desk. Both froze, Thruul in slight shock and Viktor in nearly overwhelming fear.

"What?" he barked out, voice wavering slightly. Which was stupid. Because this alien was not the ringmaster, no matter how similar their faces and the irritation lacing his tone.

"Rohsh, Kohgrash," he said gently, smiling with too-sharp teeth. Viktor shoved some of the wariness away. The ringmaster had never smiled like that. His smiles had always been bloodthirsty, cruel.

"Rohsh," he grumbled, eyes flickering to Vok'Rul when the alien started to eat from the tray. Both aliens were watching him, which made him uncomfortable. As soon as he said the word for hello, Thruul exclaimed happily, making him flinch a bit at the sudden noise.

Vok'Rul immediately gestured at Thruul, snapping at him sharply. The big alien looked apologetic, which was a bit weird to see on a face so similar to the ringmaster's, and quieted down. He spoke rapidly, albeit quietly, and gestured to Viktor.

Discomfited, Viktor edged around the desk, trying to see if he could make a quick escape out of the office. Thruul was nice and all - he had gotten him water that one time, likely at the cost of neglecting his other duties - but the teenager didn't enjoy him being in his space too much.

Another glance at the aliens showed that they were watching him, so the chances that he'd be able to get out unseen were rather slim. They'd probably end up following him or something. The last thing he wanted was to feel like he was being chased.

What was the word for stay, again? Maybe he could tell them to stay put and not bother him. He had the feeling that wouldn't work too well, though.

His decision was made for him, unfortunately, when Vok'Rul called, "Kohgrash," and said a slew of other words he couldn't quite follow.

"Um, what?"

They didn't answer. Typical.

They were still staring at him, though, which was less typical. Viktor squinted at them, trying to figure out what they wanted. Vok'Rul repeated some of the words, this time a bit slower, but they were none that he had managed to attach any meaning to. Viktor probably only knew about ten words, and most of them were words that he could replicate. The grunts and the clicks were something else entirely.

Growing a bit frustrated with the lack of answers coming his way, Viktor decided to ignore the pair. They were probably just laughing at his expense.

They must have decided that he wasn't worth the effort to explain whatever they had wanted him to do because they went back to chatting with each other soon after Viktor turned his attention away from them. He still kept his sights on Thruul, who was leaning against the desk with one hand propped on his hip and the other carrying his weight on the desk. Vok'Rul was relaxed, though his eyes kept meeting Viktor's. He reclined in his chair, picking away at the tray of food occasionally.

"Nothing to worry about, Viktor," he whispered to himself, managing to find the courage to creep out from the relative safety of the desk. Vok'Rul wouldn't let Thruul hurt him, and Viktor had to work on the paranoia that came with having someone who looked like the ringmaster in the same room with him. It was easier when he had gone to get water a few days ago because he had been the one to initiate that contact.

He picked his way across the room to his own food dish. Along with the regular dried jerky, there were now little bits of the dried food pellets he enjoyed. Even if it made him feel less human to be eating out of a dish with food that resembled a dog's dry kibble, Viktor just found himself appreciating that he actually had food to chew.

Gnawing on a bit of jerky, Viktor crouched behind his food bowl with his back against the wall. If it ever came down to it, the food dish would do absolutely nothing to protect him unless he threw it with an absolutely stellar aim, but it made Viktor feel a little more secure.

The two aliens chatted some more while Vok'Rul slowly finished off his food. Viktor didn't really know what they were talking about, but he kept his attention on them regardless. They spoke his name often, but they never looked over at him. Once the taller alien was done, he stood up. He tried picking up the tray, but Thruul swatted his hands away, picking it up himself. They made their way out of the office. Viktor tried not to look like he was plastered to the wall in order to keep out of Thruul's way, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded.

Against his better judgment, combined with the fact that he had nothing better to do, Viktor followed them. He pressed his cast against his stomach as he jogged across the living room to catch up. They were halfway down the stairs by the time he got to the stairwell. He saw Vok'Rul look up, smile, and gesture for him to come here.

Rolling his eyes because he was going to do that anyway, Viktor perilously made his way down the steps. It was much easier now that he had a couple of weeks of practice under his belt, but his cast still made it a bit difficult. It was harder to get around when one of your hands couldn't quite close all the way.

Thruul was in the doorway of the kitchen, obviously wondering why Vok'Rul had suddenly stopped. His face lit up delightedly when he saw Viktor making his way down the stairs. The teenager peered at him suspiciously, but otherwise ignored him, a bit too focused on the tricky stairwell.

"Hey," he said to Vok'Rul, edging away when the alien reached over to help him down the stairs the rest of the way. Thankfully, the alien dropped his hands, and Viktor felt another surge of gratefulness for Sonja. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to deal with anyone picking him up anymore. "Why the hell did you choose a place with a spiral staircase as wound up like this one? This is crazy."

Vok'Rul just smiled at him fondly, the look on his face so similar to his dad's when he got all teary-eyed about Viktor, more so when he had been younger and his mother had just passed, that the teenager had to look away. "Should've gotten a regular staircase," he said instead of dealing with what exactly that look meant, gratefully landing on his feet when he hopped the last couple of steps.

Thruul and Vok'Rul made their way out of the latter's personal wing, throwing looks over their shoulders to see if he was following. They wandered down to the kitchens, talking the whole way there. Viktor wondered what they were talking about. Ever since his first couple of days here, Thruul hadn't come by Vok'Rul's rooms to speak with him. They were probably catching up.

Approaching the kitchens gave way to a rise in noise. Pots and pans clanged together, and voices rose and fell as everyone shouted orders at one another. It wasn't quite as busy as it had been the night of the ball, but it was certainly still overwhelming. Viktor wondered if there was going to be another feast, or something of similar nature later today. He hoped not.

The clamor dimmed as Vok'Rul entered with many voices calling out a "rohsh'a." The noise soon returned to a higher level, but it was slightly muted in the presence of Vok'Rul. Viktor wondered if he noticed.

Viktor stuck to the doorway, unsure if he wanted to go in. On one hand, this was the most adventure he had seen in the past three days, and he didn't want to miss his chance at finding something entertaining to do for a few hours. On the other hand...

The noise reminded him of the cheering crowds in the arena. The only solace was that the arena hadn't had any pots and pans to clash about, nor was there any running water, beeping machines, chopping, slicing, and sizzling noises. The way the murmurs of the workers lifted up and down, though, was something he remembered too well.

He sat out in the hallway. There were large windows scattered through it, and it wasn't hard to find one where the sun was shining in. He missed his sun.

Viktor watched the aliens that he could see through the doorway for a while before he heard footsteps coming up on his right. Quickly scrambling to his feet, Viktor warily watched the corner. From around it came the alien that he had - and still has, really - a bad feeling about. The one that had grabbed him from behind, the one that stared at him for too long, as if he were dirt under its shoe, the one that whispered conspiratorily behind Vok'Rul's back.

They met eyes, the blue of the alien's mirroring Viktor's brown with slight disgust and wariness, respectively. Viktor slowly lowered himself into a slight crouch, ready to either flee or fight. His heart was thrumming unsteadily in his chest. The adrenaline wasn't quite there, yet, but he could feel it simmering below the surface of his skin.

The alien carried some papers surreptitiously, clenched in its fist and half-hidden behind its back as if it were expecting someone to round the corner and steal them. Once it saw that it was merely Viktor in the hallway, despite his closeness to the doorway of the kitchens, it sneered at him, curling its upper lip cruelly. Having been on the receiving end of many sneers from fiercer aliens than the one before him, Viktor bared his teeth back, unimpressed.

The mistake it made, however, was that it relaxed. Viktor noticed immediately the changes in the alien, the way its arms loosened at its sides, the way the papers were not clenched so tightly in its claws.

Viktor had no idea what was on those papers. He didn't even know if this alien was really bad or not, just that he had an awful feeling whenever he looked at it. He did know, though, that the alien needed those papers, based on the way its eyes flickered down the hallway. It started to step forward, likely intent on making its way to the many doors that led outside.

Viktor, by nature, had never been a suspicious person. He had always been far too gullible for his own good. Too many times had his dad gotten one up over him by pointing up at the ground and knocking his nose when he looked down. He tried to believe the best in people, or perhaps he was just too lost in his own head to see what others truly meant by their actions.

Now, though, he regarded everything with wariness and suspicion. A different planet meant different dangers, and Viktor wasn't going to succumb to just anything after he had survived the arena by mere luck. He had been certain that he had been nothing more than bait for Oorah, and it had only been the fact that he had been a new species, unheard of and underestimated, that allowed him to survive.

And with the way this alien was holding itself, glancing around as if it expected someone to jump out at it, Viktor knew that it was probably up to no good. He had no clue about the political climate on this planet - for all he knew, Vok'Rul could be some sort of ruthless, evil dictator. But Viktor liked to think that he was pretty good at judging someone's character, and Vok'Rul didn't seem the type to hold whatever government he was ruling with an iron fist.

It stepped forward, casting one last disdainful look at Viktor before turning its attention to the kitchen doorway. It looked like it'd rather be anywhere but in this current corridor, but it likely didn't have a choice. It passed the doorway as casually as possible and was about to continue on its way before Viktor stepped in its path.

Heart beating rapidly and loud enough that he was sure the alien could hear it, Viktor said, "I wouldn't go anywhere, alien. Those papers look like they don't belong to you."

The alien scowled, trying to sidestep him. Viktor followed its movements easily. It wasn't as tall as Vok'Rul (he had yet to meet another alien who could even match his height), but it wasn't short as some of the aliens he had seen, either. It hissed something at him, flicking the hand that held the papers out in a shooing motion.

It made some odd sorting of hushed humming noise before whispering sharply, "Kohgrash!" It started to get a mean look in its eyes that didn't bode well for Viktor.

It kicked at him when it realized he wouldn't move. Viktor quickly scrambled back, adrenaline surging through his veins as he prepared for a fight. The alien's foot missed him by barely an inch. He grabbed onto it quickly, using all his strength to pull the alien off balance.

Surprisingly, it worked. The alien fell backward with a loud cry and an even louder thump as it landed on the ground. The papers flew out of its hand as it tried to stop its fall, its relaxed grip unable to properly hold them as it fell. It got onto its hands and knees quickly, scrambling after the papers. It looked frantic, fearful.

Viktor was quicker, though, and he lunged for the papers, gripping them tightly in his hands. The alien snarled angrily. In his haste to get the papers, he had gotten too close to the alien, which it took to its full advantage.

The alien grabbed the back of Viktor's head with one of its large clawed hands. He had never been more aware of the dagger-like claws than now. They were close to his eyes, too close. Viktor cried out in fright and defiance as the alien slammed his head repeatedly on the hard floor. His head seemed to crack open, and Viktor could feel hot blood pouring from his skull and nose, dripping into his eyes and mouth. He felt sudden overwhelming fear that the alien was going to kill him, but it mercifully released him.

It tried wrestling the papers out of Viktor's hands, but he held on tight, even dazed. He quickly shook off his dizziness, trying to squirm away from the alien, despite the fogginess on the edges of his vision.

Suddenly, it was gone. Its clawed hands released him, and he felt the alien step over him in a hurry, booking it down the corridor. Viktor groaned weakly, lifting his head against the wave of nausea to see three guards tackle it. Feeling vindictive, he dropped his head back onto the cool floor with a weak smile.

He felt hands grab his shoulders, and he unconsciously bared his teeth, cracking open his eyes blearily. He dropped his snarl when he saw that it was just Vok'Rul.

"Here," he muttered, lifting his head and closing his right eye as he felt blood trickle down onto it. He shoved the papers in the alien's direction. The alien didn't seem to notice, barking orders at the aliens around him. "Papers," he said loudly, shaking them. He tried sitting up, but Vok'Rul pushed him back down. The alien grabbed the papers, finally, after Viktor shook them hard again.

Relieved, Viktor slumped back onto the ground. He was really dizzy. A slow, sluggish headache started to make itself known as his adrenaline wore off. He breathed in slowly through his nose and out his mouth, trying to get his bearings back.

When he said he wanted adventure, he wasn't quite sure this is what he had in mind.

***

Vocabulary:

neyk: stop, no

rohsh: a friendly greeting, such as hello or hey

rohsh'a: a formal greeting, usually accompanied by a bow