Paladin

iv.

Time seemed to pass by quickly. Iren had no idea how much had passed since he was taken prisoner by the Onfae.

Had it been days? Weeks? A month now? He couldn't tell, especially being cooped up in the big facility without any means to find out. He'd tried to ask the other laborers, but every time the Ahnerovan had dared to talk to them they either ignored him or scurried away.

He'd realized during lunch breaks that no one spoke to each other. The aliens- both familiar and unfamiliar to him- would stick to their usual lunch spots and eat silently. It made sense, seeing as the break lasted no more than ten minutes so socializing wasn't highly possible. Still, the quietness of the rest of the prisoners unnerved Iren.

Sure, he could understand the necessity for some alone time after slaving away in the fields, but even the soldier knew others were silently itching for some well-deserved interaction. He'd caught glances from the laborers every now and then, their faces showing their impatience. But they never went up to him.

Were they scared of Iren? He highly doubted it; while he was a Paladin, he guaranteed none of the other aliens knew of his rank. Being a Paladin was something exclusive from his planet, as far as he and the rest of the Ahnerovans were concerned.

So, why did they stare at him so much?

Not that he initially minded, though. He liked the attention, and back in Ahnava, he was pretty much used to it. Being a high-ranking soldier placed him in the spotlight numerous times. The attention females gave him made him like being the center of it so much that he'd go out of his way to make himself stand out.

It just bothered him that with all the staring, no one had made the effort to stand up and talk to him. They just looked. And the more they did, the more their 'undivided attention' felt like being scrutinized distastefully.

His shifting eyes caught another alien's. A taller alien with dark yellow skin, almost the color of burnt sulfur. He had four sets of eyes, all staring directly at Iren. The sharp fins decorating his head like a sea crown and their characteristic magenta eyes made him part of the Colko species.

The soldier had met some before in his travels through space. Though his work grounded him most of the time, he'd gotten to fly out of his planet and meet neighboring civilizations. Ahnava had strong ties to Colkos, so much so they could be considered allies. Both species shared a deep interest in innovation and militarism, though to different degrees. While the Ahnerovans took a more technological approach, the Colkos took a more natural method.

They experimented with evolution, and surprisingly, it worked for them.

When Iren saw a couple of Colkos slaving around the fields, he was hopeful he'd get them to help him out. But so far, none of them have come forward.

Only this male, who still stared at the soldier without any expression.

Iren maintained eye contact with the stranger, determined to somehow influence the alien to come and talk to him. The sound of metal faded from his ears as he concentrated on having a staring contest with the Colko.

The alien looked back in what could be seen as defiance. It almost seemed like he was telling the soldier, 'You're not going to beat me. Bring it on.'

Always loving a challenge even if unspoken, Iren stared right at his magenta irises as best as he could. A ghost of a grin etched its way across his lips, somehow enjoying how annoyed the other alien looked at him.

'Stare back for all I care,' Iren thought to himself. 'I'm not one to back down so easily.'

Nonetheless, that's exactly what happened. A loud bang reminiscent of metal smashing against a hollow body echoed through the walls of the lunch room, bringing every alien's attention to a group of individuals situated not far off from the cafeteria.