Vok'Rul was right. Rukka was really mad when he didn't show up for whatever meeting they had planned.

They had left the mansion sometime mid-morning, dismissing the confused staff who were already preparing the jewelry for Vok'Rul. In the car, Viktor had been enjoying the view from the floor of the car - he still didn't like the feeling of the seats and preferred the ground - when Vok'Rul's ringtone filled the car.

He muttered something grumpily when he looked at it, glancing at Viktor as if to say I told you so. He answered it with a cheerful, forced, "Rohsh, Rukka!"

Rukka immediately began hissing and growling, not letting Vok'Rul get a word in edgewise. Viktor scrambled up from his seat, digging into the alien's pockets to find his earpiece. "Kohgrash-" he protested, wheezing when his knees dug into his abdomen. After a frantic scramble, Viktor managed to shove his translator into his ear, switching it on with a smug grin.

"-ou cannot just shed your responsibilities to go wandering off with your pet whenever you please, Rul! We both have jobs to do, and you must pull your weight! The festival is right around the corner, if you remember," Rukka seethed, her hologram flickering angrily.

"What festival?" Viktor chirped cheerfully, enjoying the sheepish look on Vok'Rul's face as he tried and failed to look innocent in the face of Rukka's wrath.

"I am sorry, Rukka. Kohgrash wanted to go back to the zoo. His sire is in there," Vok'Rul explained.

Rukka huffed angrily, "I suppose that was the mammal that he was talking to before he ran off." She was silent for a moment, before heaving a sigh. "Fine. I can say you are lapsing in your recovery. You owe me, Rul."

"Thank you, Rukka. You are my favorite hatchmate." Vok'Rul told her gratefully.

"I am your only hatchmate, Rul. Remember that. And before you go across the planet to some zoo, call me first, next time."

"Of course," Vok'Rul agreed cheerfully, grinning at Viktor. Rukka hung up with another glare and huff aimed at the other.

"Phew," Viktor exhaled, sliding off Vok'Rul to retake his seat on the floor. Vok'Rul rumbled his agreement.

"So what was Rukka talking about? Festival?"

"Ah, I suppose you were... occupied when last year's occurred," Vok'Rul said, idly messing with Viktor's hair. He really needed a haircut. It was getting much longer than he'd normally like it to be. "A few weeks after we had taken your kind from your planet, our annual festival happened. It is a time, much like that banquet you attended with me in the mansion's ballroom, where many Vokkrus get together to show their yearly projects. Many of my people are talented individuals, and this festival is a chance for them to show their skills. There are many foods, drinks, and games. It is generally a pleasant experience."

Viktor perked up. It sounded interesting. "Do you have contests for the projects?"

Vok'Rul tilted his head, as if unfamiliar with the concept. "No. There is no winner. Everyone has a chance to show off their work. I believe this year will have many items to do with your species, however. Perhaps you can test them," he said, eyes wide with hope.

Viktor nodded slowly. "I can do that. Do you think other humans will be there?"

"It is very likely."

The rest of the trip was spent peppering Vok'Rul with random questions that came to mind. By the time they got to the zoo, Viktor's headache had returned. He knew it would only get worse, especially as they went into the establishment, but he was reluctant to turn it off. He wanted to keep talking with Vok'Rul, even though it probably made the alien look a little crazy.

The driver that had taken them here was elderly and unassuming. It hadn't looked back or spoken up once during the whole trip. Viktor had faith in Vok'Rul that he had reliable staff (sort of... Viktor could only get attacked by staff so many times before he stopped trusting them, after all), but it still made him wary to be around others he didn't particularly know. So, he kept an eye on the driver throughout the trip. But it did nothing except drive.

Maybe talking to yourself was just normal on this planet.

They rolled to a stop outside of the zoo. Instead of getting out right away, Vok'Rul looked guiltily at Viktor.

"What?" Viktor asked, squinting suspiciously.

"I'm afraid that since humans are still viewed as animals, you'll have to wear this," Vok'Rul said regretfully, picking up Viktor's harness he had failed to notice the entire time in the car. He blinked.

"Okay," he shrugged.

"Really? You do not have a problem with it?" Vok'Rul asked.

"Not really. It's not like it's constricting or anything." And it wasn't. The material was actually really lightweight. Viktor could forget about it most of the time. Hell, he fought in the damn thing multiple times.

Vok'Rul hummed in thought, looking at Viktor appraisingly for a few moments before helping the human into it, despite his insistence that he could get it on by himself just fine. They were walking into the zoo a few minutes later.

"Would you like to see any of the animals?" Vok'Rul asked, looking around peacefully.

Viktor looked around, too. Immediately, his eyes zeroed in on the bodyguards trailing after them. He grinned, waving at them. Hopefully, this visit would go a lot smoother. Still, it made him a little nervous to be in the zoo again.

"Why do you do that?" Vok'Rul asked him.

"Do what?"

"That odd gesture with your hand." The alien mimicked a wave. Viktor stared.

"Are you serious?" he laughed, baffled when the alien didn't smile in on the joke. "Wow. Incredible. Uh, it's just a wave. You do it for things like saying hi or goodbye or to get someone's attention. Do you not do that? That would explain why no one's waved at me back."

Vok'Rul spread his fingers, twisting his wrist in a wave again. "Hello!"

Viktor grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. "Nice."

The alien looked confused again. Viktor rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you that one later. Can we go see my dad, now?"

They walked side by side to the human exhibit, though Viktor was itching to just run. Vok'Rul held the leash loosely in his hands, swinging it idly. Viktor's head was throbbing with all the noise and chatter of the other aliens. He could hear multiple conversations, all swimming through his earpiece and translating in his head. It was almost overwhelming.

Unfortunately, despite having been here for a year, the human exhibit still remained the most popular in the zoo. The crowd of aliens was even larger than the one he had pushed through when they had visited for the first time. Viktor felt a prickle of unease snake along his spine.

How would this play out? There was no way Viktor would be comfortable leaving his dad in a zoo, again, for god's sake, but he knew that Vok'Rul wasn't all-powerful. He probably wouldn't be able to just free random animals at a zoo by claiming they were sentient. Even passing around the translator and letting Viktor speak with them would be unlikely to work.

They certainly couldn't steal his dad. Viktor wasn't exactly sure what the justice system was here - what with mentions of that Mirror and all - but he knew that Vok'Rul likely wouldn't escape all consequences of stealing an animal from a zoo, no matter how powerful he was.

But, Viktor thought as they got closer to the exhibit, what else could they do?

"Would you like to be carried, Kohgrash?" Vok'Rul's hand landed on his head, and he jumped in fright. The crowd was wiring him up more than he thought.

"Oh, um," he cleared his throat, trying to save some face. "No, I'm good, I'm-" There was a loud howl coming from Oorah's species exhibit, and his hands started trembling along with his voice. "Actually, yes. Please."

Viktor forgot how nice of a view he had in a crowded place like this up in Vok'Rul's arms. He could easily see the heads of every alien in the vicinity, along with multiple exhibits. His eyes locked onto the human exhibit. He couldn't see any of the humans in there, much less his dad, but he knew they were likely in there.

"How are we gonna get in?" Viktor mumbled into Vok'Rul's ear. The alien hummed.

"Leave it to me, my little Kohgrash," he assured.

It was remarkably easy to get into the exhibit, as Viktor soon found out. All they had to do was ask one of the staff members to see the head of the zoo. Understandably, they were remarkably flustered in the presence of Vok'Rul, especially so after the attack. They kept apologizing for their grievous errors, even going so far as to offer Viktor some food to assuage his temper - he had been glaring at the staff members the entire conversation, uneasy and nervous.

It certainly helped that he could understand what they were saying, though.

Vok'Rul requested they be able to interact with the humans in the exhibit. "For enrichment, for all parties," he said, nodding to Viktor. "He has been unable to see any other members of his species since his time here." A blatant lie. "He was quite excited to see them during our last visit. And well," there had been a tactful pause here, "it had ended with him so stressed and upset when that Ghhorrah had attacked us."

The staff looked sympathetic and understanding, and most prominently, eager to do anything to absolve them of their guilt. So, in under an hour, Viktor and Vok'Rul were standing in a large room underneath the zoo's floor.

It made Viktor sick to his stomach.

He had only been to the zoo a couple of times back on Earth, and only on field trips when he had been much younger. They had never gone into the insides of a zoo, only meandering through the exhibits as any other paying patron would. So, he had no zoo experiences to go off from what he saw here.

However -

The cage was large, taking up more than two-thirds of the room. It, just like the ones in the arena, stretched the entirety of the room, wall to wall, ceiling to floor. The bars were thick, just like the arena's, and at the bottom of the door, there was a flap. There was dull brown straw littered in a corner, floating troughs of water in another.

Just like the arena.

"No," Viktor said, stepping closer to Vok'Rul. "No, no, no."

"Kohgrash?" Vok'Rul murmured, looking at him with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I can't go in there," he rasped, nails digging into his throat. Vok'Rul moved and he jumped in fear. The alien crouched in front of him, showing his hand before reaching up to rest it on his shoulders. The claws curled over him. The other one lightly grabbed his wrist. "No - don't make me, Vok'Rul, please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You're okay, Kohgrash. You are not back there," he whispered fiercely, pulling his hand away from his throat firmly. Viktor lurched backward, pulling his arm out of Vok'Rul's grasp. He stumbled backward, and Vok'Rul shuffled forward, reaching out to him. "No one is putting you in there, my little Kohgrash, I promise you."

Viktor bared his teeth, eyes unfocused. His gaze flickered around the room, to the staff members watching worriedly from the wall, to the bodyguards lingering in the doorway, and to the cages. Something touched his face, and he flinched, reaching up to swat the hand away from his cheek.

"Shh, Kohgrash, you're okay. Look," claws touched his wrist, brushing against his bracelet, "you didn't have this with you, did you?"

No, he didn't. He didn't -

"Sire-" someone said, stepping closer. Their claws scraped against the floor, keys jingling against their side. Viktor whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. "-we have a specialist for mind sickness."

It broke the trance he found himself stuck in. "I'm not sick," he whispered, lips barely moving. He took great shuddering breaths, sucking in lungfuls of air until he couldn't anymore. All he could smell was the straw.

Vok'Rul breathed a humorless laugh, reaching out to squeeze his shoulders. "Oh, little one," he whispered ruefully. Viktor felt fragile under his touch. Like he could crumble the second the alien pulled away. "There is no need, thank you," he said to the other alien, still keeping his voice low. "Though, I would like to speak with them later, if that is alright?"

"Of course, sire," the alien stammered, bowing lowly. Everyone in the room was quiet for a second. The only thing Viktor could hear was his own ragged breathing.

"Do you have any fruit?" Vok'Rul inquired, still keeping his hold on Viktor. Second by second, the teenager calmed. Nothing could hurt him when Vok'Rul was right in front of him.

"Yes," someone said slowly. "We have many kinds of fruit. We soon found out that mammals are omnivorous. Their nutrition and health had been waning on a meat-only diet."

"Scurvy," Viktor choked out. Vok'Rul tilted his head at him.

"Might I request a sample of the most popular one? My Kohgrash likes fruit. I believe that it will help calm him."

There was more rustling as the aliens hastened to fill Vok'Rul's request. Viktor concentrated on his breathing, trying not to look at the cages. After what seemed like a blink of an eye, something round and cold was being pressed into his hands. He flinched slightly, jerking his hands away before he realized it was just a piece of fruit.

Of which he had never seen before. He threw himself into inspecting the object, holding it up to his face to take a breath. It smelled like cardboard.

"What the fuck," he mumbled at it. It was almost completely spherical and about as big as a small watermelon. Surprisingly, though, it was extremely light. It was bright yellow, almost competing with Vok'Rul's eyes for the most vibrant color. It had bumpy skin. "What's this?"

"It's a limeon," Vok'Rul said.

Uh, okay. Viktor was pretty sure a limeon was an actual word. Like a cross between limes and lemons or something. This... was definitely not a lime or lemon. He skeptically looked at the fruit again before glancing up at Vok'Rul. The alien nodded, gesturing for him to go on. He dug his nails into the fruit, pulling apart the peel with ease.

"I will never understand how they do that so easily," someone muttered to another. "I mean, look at its claws! There's basically nothing on them."

"I dunno," was the quiet reply, "but you've seen them. They are a crafty bunch."

"Yeah, they've almost escaped like five times. Imagine if they were as smart as a Ghhorrah!"

Viktor's arm tensed, but before he could chuck the fruit at the aliens' heads for the insult, Vok'Rul grabbed his elbow in a vice. "Try the fruit, Kohgrash."

"Fine," he bit out, not really hungry. He bit into it angrily, making sure to get juice all over the place. Vok'Rul gave a little sigh but simply smiled at him encouragingly.

It tasted like pineapple. It didn't have the tingling feeling, which was unfortunate. Viktor always thought that was the best part of it. "S'good," Viktor mumbled around his mouthful.

"I'm glad you like it," Vok'Rul said cheerfully, picking him up after asking nonverbally if it was alright. He shifted the human onto his side, tucking him in close. "Is there a way into the enclosure?" This he asked the staff, who seemed much more relaxed now that Viktor was in Vok'Rul's arms. Viktor suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at them. Bunch of cowards.

"I would not recommend going into the enclosure, Your Majesty," the lead staff member, some short maroon alien with a tail that barely touched the floor, said, bowing lowly as it addressed Vok'Rul. "Mammals are known to be particularly volatile with strangers." Its eyes slid to Viktor, and he simply bit into his fruit, tearing off a chunk.

"I assure you, that is no problem. Mammals are very social, as I am sure you have noticed. Kohgrash will simply communicate that I am no threat," Vok'Rul said pleasantly, cutting off any protests by turning around to the door that led into the enclosure with a flourish. Viktor snapped his head to the other side, keeping his gaze away from the cages. "Well, then! Onwards!"

"You're so dorky," Viktor said, a small smile creeping onto his face. Now that he faced the opportunity to see his dad again, he could feel the excitement bubbling up inside him.

Viktor had to blink against the sudden light as they stepped into the enclosure. The temperature inside must be controlled because it was slightly warmer than the outside air. Trees that seemed much smaller from the outside towered over them. Trodden paths were worn into the grass. It was nice, Viktor supposed, but he couldn't imagine being stuck in here for a year. Though, anything would've been preferable to the arena.

"Aw, grea', s'another fuckin' alien. Get outta 'ere, y'great red bastard!" A woman with a heavy Scottish accent yelled.

"That one sounds much different than you," Vok'Rul observed, seemingly unbothered by the hostility shown to him. He dropped Viktor onto the ground. Viktor peered around curiously, stepping away from Vok'Rul in order to get a better look. He wasn't able to see anyone, though. All he saw were curious aliens, pressing their faces against the glass in interest.

Some started to recognize Vok'Rul, pointing at him and talking excitedly. Viktor could barely hear their voices from inside here. Thankfully, no one was thumping on the glass. That would probably get old really quickly.

"Hey! There's a kid with it!" someone else yelled. "Hey, Oskar! Isn't this your kid?"

"What?" Viktor heard his dad shout back, sounding much further away. There was a loud bang.

"Dad!" Viktor yelled loud enough to strain his throat.

Someone jumped down from the tree line with a muffled thump. It was an unassuming man, probably in his thirties. He had dirty blond hair, which matched the rest of his disheveled appearance. Viktor recognized him from the mad scramble that had been meeting up with his dad for the first time since being abducted.

"Hey, kid," he said cautiously, eyeing Vok'Rul. His eyes flickered to him briefly. "You Oskar's kid, ain't'cha?"

"Hello!" Vok'Rul said cheerfully, waving at the man (a bit too enthusiastically). The man looked skeptical but did a short wave back. The alien beamed.

"Yes! Is he coming?" Viktor asked anxiously, twisting the bracelet around his wrist.

"Sire!" An alien barreled out of the door they had come through, looking rather flustered. It was flanked by two of the bodyguards that had accompanied Vok'Rul and Viktor. It quickly bowed to Vok'Rul, before turning its attention to the man in front of Viktor and him. "You- You-" it stammered, looking increasingly awkward. "I mean no disrespect, Your Majesty, but you cannot just walk into an enclosure unprotected!"

The man took a few hasty steps backward while Viktor whirled around to face the newcomer. Vok'Rul, though he tried to hide it in his polite expression, looked irritated and exasperated. "I understand mammals are quite dangerous, but I assure you that I am in no danger."

There was another muffled thump behind Viktor, and he whirled around (again - Viktor was starting to get dizzy) to see a redheaded, curly-haired woman. Unlike the man, her appearance was well-kept, though she had some streaks of dirt across her hands and arms. "What's all this about?" she asked, her accent announcing that she had been the Scottish woman talking from before.

"Uhh, well," Viktor started, unsure quite how to explain to them that the leader of this planet had figured out they were sentient and he had requested to see his dad. "Um. Well, it's kinda a long story-"

"Viktor!" his dad came sprinting out of the tall grass toward him, and Viktor was already moving before he had stepped out of it.

"Dad," Viktor grinned, colliding harshly with him. They wrapped their arms around each other, trying their best to squeeze each other to death. His dad swung him up off his feet, laughing.

"Sire, your mammal!" he heard the alien cry out in panic. "Someone, get a tranquilizer!"

"That is not necessary!" Vok'Rul commanded. "Does he seem harmed to you?"

Viktor's dad peppered the top of his head with kisses, laughing and crying at the same time. His face grew red with embarrassment, but he grinned despite it. It felt right to be in his arms again. He finally had his dad back!

"Oh, my baby boy," his dad sniffled, squishing Viktor's face between his hands and tilting his head up to see him. "You've gotten bigger."

Viktor squinted, remembering Pedro's similar claims. "...Really?"

"No," he chuckled. Viktor scowled, but the effect was likely ruined by the large grin plastered across his face.

"Your face," his dad sobered up pretty quickly, running a thumb down his cheek.

"Uh, yeah," Viktor laughed a little awkwardly. He glanced over his shoulder to see Vok'Rul and the three other aliens looking on in wonder. His eyes flickered upwards, and the crowd surrounding the exhibit looked larger. It was only the muffled sounds that stopped Viktor from freaking out. "Long story," he said quickly, untangling himself from his dad's arms to hang on his hand. "Wanna meet Vok'Rul?"

"What's this?" his dad asked instead, tapping the translator in his ear. Viktor blinked at the loud sound.

"A translator!" he explained excitedly.

"Nay, yer kiddin'," the woman scoffed, looking intrigued nonetheless. The disheveled man stepped closer to take a look.

"Oh, Viktor. This is Poppy and Matt. Guys, this is my son!" his dad said proudly, clapping his hands on Viktor's shoulders and shaking him slightly.

"Spittin' image of ya, Oskar," Matt said gruffly, shoving his hand out. Viktor clasped it. "Nice to meet'cha. This guy wouldn't shut up about you."

"Aye, blabberin' on and on, that one," Poppy agreed, shaking Viktor's hand as well.

"Nice to meet you, guys," Viktor said politely.

"Joe is hanging around the huts, but he's another guy we have in here," his dad explained the lack of the other man Viktor had seen during his last visit.

"Kohgrash," Vok'Rul called. Viktor looked over at him with a grin. The bodyguards were still hovering but didn't seem as worked up as earlier. The zoo attendant looked like it was seeing the humans in a new light.

"Come meet my alien," Viktor begged, looking beseechingly at his dad. "You didn't get to last time." His dad looked worried, wary, and nervous, but complied, following behind him closely. Poppy and Matt stayed behind, shoulders tense. Viktor had to hide the amused smile on his face. As if they could take on four aliens if it came down to it. Not that it would, of course.

Vok'Rul crouched (and was as tall as his dad standing, the big bastard!) and offered his dad a wave and a smile. "Hello, sire of Kohgrash."

"How do you know that?" the alien behind him asked. Viktor eyed it warily. Vok'Rul scoffed, gesturing to his dad.

"Look at them. They are very similar, are they not?" The alien stammered a weak reply.

"Dad, this is Vok'Rul. Vok'Rul, this is my dad!" Viktor introduced them with a smile. His dad gave him a weak one back.

"Are you sure that thing in your ear is a translator? Not some mind control device?" his dad asked worried, reaching up to push his bangs out of his eyes and feel his forehead. "You're not sick, are you?"

Viktor swatted his hands away after a moment. "I'm not sick, Dad, I'm serious. It is a translator. We're working on proving our sentience and stuff."

His dad remained skeptical. Viktor tried to not let it bother him too much. He knew that it was a lot to take in. It seemed like his dad and the other humans hadn't been exposed to aliens too often if the way they were all holding themselves stiffly were any indication.

"Your Majesty," the alien said formally. "I insist that we return indoors. Vokkrus have had limited interaction with mammals, and I fear we may be giving them undue stress."

Vok'Rul, who had been watching Viktor and his dad's interaction intently, eyes wide with wonder, said nothing for a moment. He gave a little sigh before standing. He picked up Viktor's leash, which had been dragging behind him, still attached to the harness. "Come, Kohgrash. Perhaps you can entice the others into following you indoors?"

Viktor, less than pleased with having to leave, grabbed his dad's larger hand, tugging him forward. "C'mon, Dad, these dumb zoo aliens don't want us in here anymore. We can go inside, though!"

Poppy and Matt declined the offer, more than happy about staying in the vegetation and doing whatever it was they did all day. His dad followed him, a little reluctantly. However, as soon as they reached the staff door that Vok'Rul and Viktor had used to get in, a pair of aliens came out, wielding familiar stiff leashes.

His dad quickly backed up, growing defensive. "Viktor, they won't let me in that way. Believe me, we've tried multiple times - Viktor?"

Not here of all places, Viktor thought, muscles seizing in fear at the sight of the leashes. One of the aliens lifted it sharply, and Viktor pulled back harshly, tripping over the unfamiliar terrain and landing painfully on the ground. His arms flung up to cover his head, hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Kohgrash?" Vok'Rul said with concern. "You two! Out! Leave us!"

"Hey, Viktor, what's the matter? What's going on?" he heard his dad say. Something touched his shoulder, and he reflexively threw a punch. It connected. "Oh, fuck!"

"Kohgrash!" Something else was touching him, and he was lifted up.

"No," he snarled breathlessly. "No!"

"It's just me, my little Kohgrash, just me," Vok'Rul cooed worriedly, holding him tightly.

"Let go of him, you fucking monster!" his dad screamed. Something tugged on his foot.

"Get a tranquilizer!" the other alien demanded. The pressure on his foot was abruptly pulled away. Viktor felt Vok'Rul take unsteady steps forward, pushed by his bodyguards.

"No," Viktor repeated, strangled, "Dad? Dad, it's - it's okay!" He was choking on his own breath. He tried to say something else, but the words wouldn't come. They were lodged in his throat. Fear filled his entire body. "I'm okay. Vok - Vok'Rul, stop, let me see him."

"I fear it is out of my hands now, my little Kohgrash," the alien whispered in his ear. Viktor managed to unwind himself enough to catch a glance at his dad, angry and yelling at the staff members that were ushering him back into the enclosure. Poppy and Matt were running toward him, shouting their own obscenities.

"Dad," Viktor sobbed, watching fearfully as something was shot into his dad's chest and made him crumple to the ground. "No!"

"Will they be harmed?" Vok'Rul's voice was tight with barely controlled anger as Viktor wailed and struggled in his arms. He gave up the fight when the door shut behind the aliens with a resounding bang.

"N-No, sire, of course not! They will just be sedated until they are calm. Is your mammal alright?" The alien's voice was filled with worry, likely wondering if they had made yet another blunder regarding their leader's safety. "He was not harmed in the struggle, was he? We have excellent veterinary care here!"

"That is not necessary," Vok'Rul hissed, the sound reverberating in the metallic room. He took a deep breath, tail scraping against the floor in a way that made Viktor flinch slightly, reminded of Lilac."I appreciate your agreement to our admittance inside the mammal exhibit, but I will be taking my leave, now."

Viktor tore out his earpiece with a shaking hand, clutching it tightly. He didn't want to listen to any more alien blabber. He shoved his hands into his eyes, trying and failing to block out all of the stimuli bombarding his senses.

Vok'Rul spoke stiffly to the other aliens before leaving the room in a huff. Viktor's surroundings only got louder. The alien murmured something soothingly in Viktor's ear, but without the translator in, he had no idea what he was saying. He was loathe to put it back in, especially with his growing headache.

The crowd outside, eager to get a look at Vok'Rul and Viktor after the very public 'attack,' was loud and oppressive. It took everything Viktor had not to snarl and shout at them. Thankfully, the bodyguards Vok'Rul had tailing him were adept at their jobs. They shoved a path through the crowd with ease.

"I wanna see my dad," Viktor said sullenly, trying to ignore the catch in his throat. "If he's okay. Can we look?"

Vok'Rul hummed his agreement, circling back to get close to the enclosure, much to the displeasure of their bodyguards. Still, Viktor managed to find the strength to drop onto the floor, knocking onto the glass in a succinct pattern. Matt appeared out of the vegetation cautiously, looking around with confusion until Viktor's waving caught his attention.

Matt's shoulders slumped with relief as he offered a wave back. Viktor pointed to his own chest before shaping his hands into a heart and then pointing at Matt. Matt nodded, giving him a thumbs-up. Viktor returned the gesture, relief flooding through him. He waved again, and Matt did the same before disappearing into the brush.

Vok'Rul picked him up again, giving him a look of total confusion. Viktor's head thumped onto his shoulder. "Told him to tell my dad I love him," he explained tiredly. "Can we go home, now?"

Vok'Rul hesitated before ruefully shaking his head. "Neyk," was his only explanation unless he wanted to shove the earpiece back in, which he didn't want to.

"Fine," Viktor sighed, lifting his head once they started moving away from the human exhibit. "But I want some more of that fruit." He had dropped it when his dad had tackled him.

He kept his eyes on the enclosure until it was out of sight, a frown on his face. He hoped that his dad was okay. Every time they came to this place, something awful happened. This zoo sucked.

***

Vocabulary:

neyk: stop, no

rohsh: a friendly greeting, such as hello or hey