Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:35:06 -0400 From: TimTam Subject: The Lion of Light Chapter 6 The Lion of Light By: TimTam This is a work of fiction and contains scenes of explicit gay sex. Any resemblance to actual places, persons, or events is coincidental. If you are not of the legal age to read adult stories, or are uncomfortable with gay themes, please stop reading now and close this document. All rights to this story are reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute in any form without express permission of the author. This story is a prototype story, the first that I have publicly released for others to read. If you would like to provide any feedback, please reach out to me via my email: cassinitelesto@gmail.com. As always, donations from readers are what funds this site's daily operations and future growth. If you like what you have read thus far of the Lion of Light Series, Please consider donating to Nifty.org. Chapter 6 Sitting in the Medbay, as The Vanguard limped the rest of the way to Alpha Centauri, Tethys and I rested as the medical machines tended to our wounds. The whizzing, and grinding of the machines created a steady melody of sounds with a substantial beat and harmony. Listening to the composition they made, I also heard Tethys' steady breathing. Deep inward breaths echoed his strength, and durability. Each exhale was laced with a subtle grumbling sound that resonated with his deep emotions. Through the thin veil of my eyelids, soft blue light filled the darkness behind my eyes, and I soaked up as much of the soothing atmosphere that I could. Disrupting my internal harmony, the Medbay doors whizzed open to reveal our distraught Captain. The expression on her face read clearly of her worries, and I didn't need to read minds or smell pheromones in order to gain that insight. Walking with a quick pace, the loose material around her legs made her uniform swish with each quick step. It didn't take her long to cover the distance to where Tethys and I were being treated. "Thank the Writers you two are safe!" She exclaimed as her sleek platinum ponytail flipped from side to side. My face turned red as my gaze dropped to the floor in thought. I had not thought too closely about what Zia said when she tried to kill me. Flashes of her fangs that glowed blue in the dim lighting of the chamber came to mind, and I worked hard to push that from my mind. Mina placed her soft palm on my cheek as she brought my face to meet with hers. "Lux, May I have permission to-," "No." I cut her off. Mina's face filled with pain as I refused her entrance into my thoughts. "The mission failed," Tethys spoke matter of factly. "The mission?" Mina asked not really focusing on him yet. "The mission to bring supplies to the Proxima Centauri refugees," Tethys clarified. Mina broke her attention from me, and moved to Tethys. Grabbing the brute by his forearm, silence filled the room as she read his thoughts, watching what had happened. I looked back over my shoulder at the two of them, and was met by Tethys' unsettling expression. He seemed genuinely concerned about me, and that made me sick to my stomach. I didn't ever like it when people worried about me. Hell, I made it my mission in life to take care of others first, and worry about myself second. Seeing someone be so concerned for my safety didn't sit right with me. Maybe that's why I never really had a large group of close friends, because I never really was good at letting people in. Mina stiffened as she read Tethys' mind. No doubt she had reached the point of his experience where he found me nearly about to be devoured by a giant arachniform. Her head snapped back over her shoulder towards me, and this time her two long bangs that framed her face swung parallel to her sleek ponytail. If I thought she was concerned before this point, now she was downright terrified by what she had just witnessed secondhand from Tethys' recollection. "Lux," She commanded. Tethys placed his large palm on her shoulder, and shook his head in advisement. She took a deep breath, and then continued. "What happened down there on that asteroid?" She tried to mask her concern, but I was adept enough to see through it. "Nothing really," I shrugged. "After I was shot, they brought me to that arachnid life form, and she tried to devour me." By now, my aloof disposition fully made my own skin crawl. "That's when Tethys came in guns-a-blazing to save the day. End of story." I returned my face forward so I couldn't see Mina or Tethys' expressions. "That's it?" Mina quipped. "That's it." I nodded coldly. "I'm so sorry Lux," Mina took a couple steps closer to me. "I should have never-," Once again I cut her off. "You did exactly what you were supposed to do. We had intruders on board, and Tethys and I are the only ones with any knowledge of combat." I breathed in the cool medical air. "Tethys risked too much by coming after me though. You should have left me, and continued the mission." Tethys began a rather threatening growl from his agitation over my criticism. "No, you were not the only ones with combat training." Mina announced, her posture subdued into a submissive pose. "I have had many years of martial training. My father always thought it was a good exercise in order to align my chakras." An intense cold chill ran down my spine, as I heard her speak. "I was the next best choice for the mission." "You are the Captain." I nearly spat with venom on my tongue, as I imagined my words slapping her across her face. "Your responsibility is to The Vanguard, and your post is on the bridge. I know enough about command structures to know that I am more expendable for the sake of this ship than you are. You made the correct decision." Tethys' familiar hand grasped my shoulder as he covered the distance from his bed to mine. Covering the mark he had placed there, I cringed slightly. "You are not expendable, little one." Tethys' voice was warm and soothing, but I just couldn't shake the shame that I felt. "Would you stop calling me that!" I barked, and shook him from my shoulder. Pulling the upper half of my jumpsuit over my arms, I stopped only briefly to graze the scarring on my shoulder with my thumb. "Tethys, first thing in the morning, meet me at the training facility. You're going to teach me how to fight. Captain, I am requesting permission to return to duty. My next shift starts in 30 minutes." "No, permission denied. We will handle ship operations until we get to Alpha Centauri. In the meantime, I want you two to get some rest. You've been through a lot, and I need both of you to process that." Mina maintained her regality through her orders, but Tethys and I mutually groaned in frustration. "Lux, Tethys, I have decided to restructure our duty shifts moving forward. I cannot have our team split up like we have been doing. I have assigned some of the junior crewmen to take over the night shift. I need both of you on the day shift. In the meantime, I am ordering the two of you to take the next 72 hours off for leave." "Permission to be dismissed Captain," Tethys was not pleased with Mina's decisions. "Not yet." Mina commanded. "Lux, you will train with me. Meet me at the training facility tomorrow at 0600 hours. Understood?" I had no idea that this side of Mina existed. I was so accustomed to the soft, nurturing Captain with so much ambition. I had no idea that such a strong individual resided behind those rose colored lenses that she wanted everyone to see her through. "Understood," I replied. I guess if I didn't want her tenderness, my only other choice was her stern inner disposition. Returning to our quarters, Tethys and I took in the messy visage of how we left it. Our two beds were still joined together, and the sheets hung from my side of the bed onto the floor. I still had not laundered any of my off duty clothing, as evidenced by the piles of garments laying about the place. Nervous to be alone with Tethys, I began tidying the premises. Picking up loose clothes, replacing our dirty bedding, and scrubbing the bathroom sink until the stainless shined with my reflection, I worked hard to distract myself. I tried adamantly to ignore the silent beast that I shared my quarters with. Picking up one of my uniforms from the ground, I reached inside the pocket to find that my lube was still there. As I brought the bottle out to put it away, I struggled to think about how Tethys and I really planned to be intimate with each other. I mean, he was twice my mass easily. His hands and feet are deadly weapons covered in sharp claws, and his mouth was lined with fatal daggers that could easily rip me apart. Not to mention his size elsewhere. He was clearly designed to be intimate only with other Draconians, and I wasn't sure that I would be capable of handling that. In response to my distressed thoughts, Tethys wrapped his large, scaly digits around my hand that held the bottle of lube. Even the size of his hands scared me, as he eclipsed mine so easily. "Do you wish to talk about what is troubling you, Lux?" Tethys cooed softly as he guided my hand to place the bottle near the sink. "No," I replied, leaving his embrace to move my bed back to where it had been. I fully intended to sleep by myself tonight, as I pulled my sheets back to hide under them. At that moment, I began to cry. I struggled to remember the last time I cried like I was then. Maybe it was when my best friend moved out, or when I had my first anxiety attack at work one night. I just wasn't sure what it was that I had been placed here for. If it wasn't for any of this, I'd still be on Earth. But even that life I knew was going to be difficult based on what Zia had shown me. Was she just manufacturing stories to trick me into being her prey? Was she really an Akashic Librarian? How foolish was I to trust her, even just a little bit? I should have known better, but instead I allowed her to lure me into a false sense of security, and I would've died if it weren't for Tethys. My thin mattress compressed behind me, and the metal frame creaked under Tethys' weight as he laid down behind me. No doubt he hung partially off the bed as he formed the bigger spoon behind me. Once again, his deep emanations serenaded me, as he tried to calm my still very damaged nerves. The sounds were filled with pain, and sympathy, and part of me wished nothing more than to melt into him as I cried. Then again, the stubborn, independent part of me grew angry with him. "Damn it Tethys!" I howled as I shucked the sheets from my face. "What were you thinking coming after me like that?" I wouldn't face him. "The correct response to the situation would be not putting yourself in further danger just to save a human who you believe is your long lost soulmate." By now, my tears grew angry, and I was getting very aggravated with him. "You are my soulmate, whether you believe it yourself or not. I left you to die once before, and I will not do it again." Tethys was stern, but also remarkably gentle with his words. I think that upset me more. "We can't even kiss, damn it!" I howled again as I sat up in the bed to face him. "How the fuck are we supposed to be compatible with each other if our bodies weren't even designed to fit with each other? I can't be Aaliyah! I'm not her Tethys," Tethys sat up to face me. Wrapping his legs around behind me as his tail hung freely off the bed, I weakly threw a single punch towards his firm chest. "And you just haven't figured that out yet." "You are more like Aaliyah than you know Lux." Tethys hummed. "You are not her, you are a different person, I can see that, but you carry a piece of her inside of you. A piece that I loved dearly, little one." Tethys brought me into his embrace, and his claws ran gently through my hair. "We are not as different as you may think. I think that we fit together just fine, like this. I am sorry if I cannot kiss you to show my affection, but you must know that I have it for you. My mark on your shoulder will always be a reminder of that." "But how can I show you my affection?" I began sobbing mercilessly. I knew that it wasn't an attractive look on me, but I didn't care at that moment. "You almost died, because I don't know how to fight. You had to come find me while I stupidly succumbed to Zia's mind games. I'll only get you into trouble, and I'll never be strong like her; Strong enough for you." Tethys' laughter reverberated fiercely against the walls of our quarters as he pulled my face up to meet his. "I think you knew plenty enough, little one. You understood the necessity of outflanking the enemies, even against my protest. You did not miss your shot when you took it, and you showed remarkable courage as you defeated the arachniform. I will always come to find you when you are in trouble, and I love to get into trouble of my own. So do not blame yourself, little one, for getting me in trouble. You are strong enough for me to risk myself to protect you." Taking Tethys' broad snout into my hands, I pulled my forehead to his, so we could see eye to eye closer as I stroked the armored scales on his face. "After all, I am an apex predator, as you have said before. I do not risk my life on prey, only my equals." I could have sworn that the brute was smiling facetiously, if only he had lips. Eventually, 0530 hit, and the obnoxious beeping from my phone broke my peaceful slumber. Space was at a premium last night since the two of us shared one small bed. Drool from my mouth ran down Tethys' meaty bicep, and I cringed at the thought of drooling on him all night long. As I slapped the snooze button on my wrist, I readjusted myself back into Tethys' little spoon. Pulling my leg in from over Tethys', I drew in a deep breath and stretched, smacking Tethys' large head as I did so. Tethys' rhythmic breathing faltered as he stirred behind me. "It is time to get up, Lux." Tethys whispered in my ear as he hugged me tightly. "Five more minutes," I pleaded. "That would be five more minutes of you drooling on me." I choked a bit on my saliva, "Yeah, sorry `bout that." Tethys chuckled slightly at my embarrassment. "Did you sleep well, little one?" Tethys' sharp teeth nipped playfully on my ear, making me leap from the stimulation. "Yeah," I moaned with another stretch. "It seems that you did too." I pointed at the large lump under the sheets between his groin. "Feeling you salivate all over me last night was surprisingly stimulating." Tethys mused the thought. "That's weird, and kinda gross Tethys," I pointed out to him as I straddled his body to get over him. In an attempt to prolong my time in bed, despite his insistence for me to get up, the large form trapped me on top of him as he shifted beneath me. His large hands grasped my hips posessively, and he brought his face to present my chest with several delicate nips. One landed squarely on my nipple. "Ouch!" I hissed. "Watch where you put those things you big oaf!" I playfully smacked his snout away, and that only brought out a series of ruffled feathers and playful growls from Tethys. Tossing me playfully beneath him in response to my slap, Tethys quipped, "If I cannot kiss you, you might as well suffer my bites instead." Tethys then continued his playful biting, and when he came back to my nipple, this time he drew a circle around it with his long tongue, carefully ensuring that it firmed up for another little bite. "Tethys!" I shouted with a mixture of fear, and intense desire. "Okay! Okay! I'm awake now!" Rising from the bed, I grabbed my uniform as I made the trek to the commode. "Who needs coffee anyway, when you have a 500 pound theropod in your bed to wake you up in the morning?" Tethys laughed as he slowly situated himself on the side of the bed. "Are you calling me obese, little one?" Tethys hummed his question. "Theropods have hollow bones. I have not weighed more than 200 Kilos. 220 with wings and a full stomach." My mind cringed as I struggled to convert metric units into imperial. "I will never understand how hollow bones are stronger, and can support such behemoth creatures," I trailed off as I stuck my toothbrush into my mouth. "My species integrates an inorganic carbon polymer to strengthen our skeletal structure. Denser bones snap easier." Tethys slowly made his way into the sonic shower, patting my shoulder in slow motion. I felt bad for him, another night without his basking light meant another day of sluggish behaviors, and limited mobility. "What do you think you're doing?" I said spitting my toothpaste into the sink. "I will walk you to the training facility," Tethys spoke slowly as the sonic sound waves disinfected his body. "Tethys, it's 0545." I spoke as I brushed my hair. "By the time you get there, I'll be late." Tethys only grunted in response, not bothering a witty comeback. "You stay here, and lay under your lamp, and I'll bring you back something to eat. Got it?" Tethys nodded. Rushing down the corridors to find my way to the training facility, it was much more lively as we began reviving crewmen. Repairs needed made, and duty shifts were resuming now that we were close to Alpha Centauri. I had forgotten just how many Lyrans manned the vessel. After all, the Vanguard WAS a Lyran ship. Nonetheless, I was pleased to feel the living energy of my crewmen wandering about the corridors. Sidestepping a group of Lyran officers, I made my way around the last corner before being greeted by two immense doors. As I pressed the button on a panel by the doors, the large mechanical blockades opened with a familiar swishing sound. Inside the training facility, the darkly hued walls were illuminated by a stark green glow from the lights. In the center of the room sat my Captain with a ring of candles around her. She sat meditating atop a large pillow, and her bare feet stuck out from beneath her obviously ceremonial robes. Her robes were a creamy shade of white, that nearly matched her platinum locks. Her hair sat tousled in a bun on her head. She displayed serenity, and composure as she focused her attention towards the burning flame in front of her, not disturbed by my entry. Unwaveringly, she remained in position, maintaining slow controlled breaths. Her index and middle fingers on each hand were joined together as she focused her thoughts. I only took a couple of steps into the room, before her peaceful figure greeted me with a smile. "Good morning Lux," She spoke peacefully. "I suppose so," I responded, unsure of what I was supposed to do. "It's nice to see that many of the crewmen have been revived. I never liked being alone on this ship." I hesitated. "Yes, the changing parameters of our mission has warranted the early revival of The Vanguard's crew." She hummed agreeably. I coughed from unease, as I tried to guess what I was expected to do next. Mina took note of this, as she opened one eye to glance at my wavering posture. "Please, come sit with me Lux," She requested, as she motioned towards the navy blue pillow sitting in front of her. The pillow was large, with a velveteen texture, and gold piping and tassels at each corner. I obeyed her request, and sat on the pillow before her. Facing Mina, only her ring of candles separated the two of us. "So, I would've thought open flames would be banned on a massive space vessel hurtling through vast distances in the void," I spoke lightly, slightly confused at what we were doing here. I was supposed to be getting training on hand to hand combat, and not meditate on what I should be eating for lunch. Mina's posture eased as she moved her hand through the candle in front of us. Revealing to me that these were just holographic flames, she answered one of my questions. "I thought that before we started, it would do us some good to open our minds a bit with some meditation," Mina started. "No thank you," I mumbled. "My mind is perfectly open. Besides, I've only been able to meditate once before. It was comforting, but I feel like I've been shut out of that realm since I was very young." I spoke much more freely with her today, and I smiled a bit for letting myself relax. "Shut out?" Mina asked, perplexed by my choice of words. Her eyes scanned me up and down briefly. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say that meditation has never worked well for me." "Tell me about that experience. I might be able to guide you through it if you'll let me." Mina's voice was serene, and full of focus. Her gaze returned to the holographic flames around her. I cleared my throat. "Well, first I remember closing my eyes, and pictured my thoughts vanishing with each car that passed by." I closed my eyes trying to repeat the steps I took to meditate last time. "Cars?" Mina asked for clarification. "Earth ground vehicles. I lived very close to a populated street, so I found it easy to pinpoint one car and attach a single thought to it as it drove by." I continued. "There are no cars here, Lux." Mina conceded. "Try weaving your thoughts into a single stream, and watch them drift away in the smoke rising from the flames." I did as she requested as best as I could. "What happened next?" "I imagined that my blood turned to sand, cycling through my body like the sands of an hourglass." Mina hummed her acknowledgement. "Very good. What do you feel when you do this?" She asked. "I feel like my body is still, and numb as I focus on the rhythm, and fluidity of my body." "Do you feel that way now?" Mina coached. "Yes." I said calmly. "When everything goes black, I imagine myself in an oasis. Everything on the platform there is everything that I have created. The sounds of water trickle down a stream in spiral motions around me." "Lux?" Mina interrupted. "Do not go too far. That platform is not where you belong at this moment." "Where is he?" I asked as I looked around inside my mind's eye. "Where is who, Lux?" Mina's voice grew with concern. "The man wearing the mask of a ram. His eyes were beautiful, and his skin was the color of honey." By now I had become totally lost in the land of my creation. "Lux? Come back to me Lux." Mina's voice was gentle though it belied some of her concern over how deep I was going. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, as I found him right where he was last time. "There you are," In that moment the man's eyes opened, peering into me with such precision as he once again pushed me down into my body like he had done last time. Coming to my senses, I saw Mina had left the sanctum of her pillow, and was crouching in front of me. "I'm sorry, I can't meditate like you." I frowned. "Lux, that was not meditation. That was astral travel." Mina sat on her heels, as she moved my hair from my face. "I have never met anyone who has left their body so quickly before. You are very skilled." Mina smiled reassuringly. "You said you have only tried this once before?" I nodded in agreement. "Well, I think my mind is sufficiently clear," Clapping my hands together, I waited for Mina's next suggestion. "Indeed." Mina looked perplexed as she rose to her feet. "What say we move on to more physical work?" I rose to stand beside her. Mina cleared her throat as she returned to her center. "Very well," Mina spoke as she dismissed the holographic flames from the room. "The most important thing to remember when engaging in martial combat, is to always remain in your personal center at all times." Mina then displayed a few very balanced gestures as she moved her arms fluidly in front of her torso. "Without balance, the soul loses focus on the objective. Fighting requires more than just stamina, and brute force." Mina lifted one foot to her thigh as her hands now joined together in a praying motion. "Effective combat requires harmony, including the alignment of all of your Chakras in order to subdue your opponent." With the gracefulness of a dancer, Mina then swung her leg behind her, as her torso lowered in front of her. Using her momentum, Mina then completed a full front flip while never touching the ground. In the same fluid motion as she righted herself, she then spun her arm into a karate chop, stopping just before reaching a pressure point on my shoulder. In a friendly gesture, Mina then patted me on the cheek before bringing herself back into her original balanced position. "I think that move is a bit too advanced for me," I said rolling my eyes at my Captain. "Maybe we could start with something a little bit easier?" I questioned sarcastically. Mina only smiled. "If you insist. First try bringing yourself into balance. Imitate my current stance," Mina encouraged. Doing as she asked, I brought my hands together close to my chest, and proceeded to balance on one foot as the other rose towards my thigh. I was more wobbly around my ankles than I would like to admit. I would have thought that all those years of running cross country might have prepared me for this. It did not. "You're doing great Lux! Now try closing your eyes, and focusing on slow, steady breaths." I did as Mina asked. "You are focusing too much on your external appearance. Try bringing your body into synchrony internally." I scoffed at her confidence. "And how do I do that?" I asked, still struggling to remain upright. "Focus on your breathing. Measure your breaths. Control your exhalations. Find your center of mass, and bring your body into alignment with that." As I focused on her instruction, I did notice that my ankles began to feel less stressed by my constant corrections. My breathing slowed, and it felt like I was holding onto a little bit more strength every time I took another breath. "That's great!" Mina spoke encouragingly. Hearing her robes swish as she made a new postural change to her stance, I maintained focus on myself. "Now I want you to bring your left leg back slowly from your thigh. Keep in mind your center of balance as you do this." I tried my best to mimic her instructions, but as I heard the massive doors open, I lost control over my body and fell on my nose. "Gah!" I gasped in pain as I heard a familiar rumbling laughter fill the space around us. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I looked up to see that Tethys had come to watch me train. "Tethys! What are you doing here? I told you to spend the morning under your basking lamp." I gave the behemoth lizard an unremarkable scowl as my hair hell in my face while I propped myself up on my elbows. "I had to see for myself what kind of martial training a Pleadian could provide that I could not." Mina flashed an unapproving glance at Tethys. I simply sighed in frustration. "And?" I asked expectantly. "It's just as I thought, she is trying to teach 3 dimensional techniques in a 2 dimensional environment." "And what does my Draconian First Officer think should be done about it?" Mina asked, flashing her rank proudly towards the immense predator in the room. Tethys hummed in thought. "You could start by removing gravity from the environment. You want him to find his center of mass? Try having him float around for a while before he figures it out for himself." Tethys replied confidently. "I don't think that will be necessary-," but before I could finish my statement, Tethys had already pressed the button by the door, and I found myself drifting slowly off the deck. "Tethys!" I howled. "Put me down this instant!" My demand for immediate reaction fell on deaf ears as Tethys mused the sight of Mina, and myself floating a few feet above the ground. Finding myself beginning to tumble forward, I couldn't help but notice my Captain remaining upright as she levitated a few feet behind me, then in front of me. As I watched her form spin around me as I began to twirl endlessly, I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit motion sick. While I spun uncontrollably around in circles, Mina maintained a perfectly upright position relative to me. Tethys only chuckled at my expense as he crossed his arms with the pleasurable sight of me looking like an idiot. "Lux, remember what I told you about your center of mass," Mina coached politely. "Focus on your breathing, and where your body is, instead of those of us around you." "That's easy for you to say," I retorted stubbornly. "You're not the one getting space sick." Despite my agitation, I tried to focus on what she said as I closed my eyes. Paying special attention to my breathing, I began to move my center of mass backwards to right myself. This resulted in my body now moving in the opposite direction, and I was now performing backflips in zero gravity. "This isn't helping!" I shouted as I felt my face begin to lose color. I might be sick after this. My discomfort didn't last long as I heard the door to the room open again. Hyakk's glossy eyes met everyone else's as he halted upon entering the room. Stopping beside Tethys, where the gravity was still holding the two of them down, the alien's thin frame let out a shrill eak of surprise. "Oh! Oh my!" Hyakk remarked as he observed the two of us floating within the room. By now I was approaching the tall ceiling as I continued to try and steady myself. "I thought this room was unoccupied. My apologies. I was alerted that the grav-plating in this room had been deactivated. I came down to investigate the potential of a broken conduit." I sighed as he made no effort to restore the gravity in the room. By now I found myself pushing off of the ceiling a smidge in order to bring myself back down. "Well if there are no repairs to be done here, I will leave you all to..." Hyakk evaluated the situation with his large compound eyes. "Your zero gravity training." "Hyakk!" I shouted with the utmost frustration. "Don't you dare leave me here like this!" Hyakk flinched at my directness before nodding his understanding. "As you wish, but might I recommend righting yourself before you come down. You will have a long way to fall when I turn the gravity back on." "Just do it Hyakk! Please!" I begged him, and Mina nodded her approval. Just as he had warned, as soon as the gravity to the room was restored I did in fact fall a great distance. Landing flat on my back, I felt my breath get expelled from my lungs with immense force. I groaned with extreme discomfort, and I took in the fact that I was the only one experiencing difficulty here. "You all are just a bunch of self righteous jerks! You know that?" I scanned the room, throwing out harsh glances at my three companions. "I knew that this would have been too much, too fast for him Tethys." Mina spoke crossing her arms in mild frustration. "It was a better learning lesson than watching you teach him how to dance," Tethys threw the ball back at Mina. But before either of them could continue their squabbling, I promptly intercepted the pass. "There is nothing wrong with dancing, Tethys." Standing now, I brushed the wrinkles from my clothes. Tethys snickered at my remark. Before Hyakk could even take his chance to leave the room, I swiftly shut him down too. "Hyakk, is this room capable of connecting to my phone, and playing some of my music files?" "Uh, yes." Hyakk's mandibles flickered with his unease. "You should have full wireless connectivity with that access panel over there." Pointing to the panel on the far side of the room, I began to walk towards it. "Great! Dance is a lot more than just a compilation of eccentric body movements Tethys. Dance, between two partners, is a dialogue between them. It expresses a conversation that doesn't require words to understand." Tapping a few icons on my phone, I looked back at the confident Draconian. "I take it you have never danced before?" Tethys hissed his disapproval of my question, and shifted the position of his arms as he crossed them the other way. "That's okay. I'll do all the talking. You just come over here and be my counterbalance. You think you can do that?" I asked him knowing that the brute would not back down from any challenge. "Dance between two partners is often expressed as an exchange of ideas, and emotions. Oftentimes, one partner moves while the other remains steady as the counterbalance. Then they switch, and the first person balances the other dancer." Holding out my hand for Tethys, I waited for the music to begin before making any moves. Taking my hand reluctantly, I couldn't help but to smile sheepishly at the stunning partner I would be dancing with. "When the music starts, your job will be to act as my center of mass. I will move around you, and you must keep me from falling. Understand?" Tethys nodded sharply, clearly uncomfortable with his predicament. In the next moment, the room became enveloped with the sounds of soft violins, and the sharp staccato notes of an accordion. Hyakk, and Mina watched as my lecture over dancing turned into a conversation within the smooth notes of the tango music that played around us. Slowly, I approached the large Draconian, expressing everything I wished to say in the form of movement. As I danced around the stiff man, Tethys struggled to keep me moving around him. As I moved Tethys backwards around the room, his large feet were continually getting misplaced, and he stepped on mine, causing me to fall to the ground. Tethys growled with his disapproval over our failure, but I couldn't help but laugh knowingly at the clumsy alien. "Tougher than it looks huh?" I baited. "This time try moving yourself preemptively to keep me moving, but also to keep me from falling." Tethys growled again, though this time the sound was more challenging than it was one of agitation. Now Tethys knew what to expect, and he was much more attentive to where his body moved in relation to mine. Knowing this, I decided to up the anti a bit by throwing in some more upper body movements. With each new twist, and kick, I moved my torso in opposite motions hoping Tethys would respond by catching me before falling. His response was much better than I expected, and he really started embracing his role as my counterbalance. After a while of these movements, I spun myself out to let myself fall backwards hoping Tethys would catch me. Tethys lunged forward to brace my back, causing his kneecap to come in harsh contact with the floor. He had not expected this move. "You were supposed to let me be your center of mass," Tethys growled in frustration. "Sometimes a conversation goes off track. It is your job to bring me back to center." I smiled facetiously up at him. With the music ending, the crisp sounds of Mina's thrilled clapping brought the two of us back to reality as she approached our still kneeling pose. "Amazing!" Mina cheered with a brilliant smile. "Lux, how were you able to do that?" I couldn't help but blush in my vulnerable state. "I spent a lot of my spare time in high school with the dance team." I patted Tethys' massive chest to release me. It was obvious that he was still stuck in the moment. "When we were working together, you could barely keep yourself centered. But with this dance you expressed so much balance and poise." Mina crossed her arms in thought while Tethys helped me to my feet. His defined pecs moved large volumes of air through his lungs from his exertion. "I think you weren't all that forthcoming about your abilities." Mina's gaze flashed something new. Betrayal maybe? "Actually, I'm pretty clumsy." I smiled at my teacher. "By myself I can barely walk forward without falling over, but when you dance with someone, that changes everything." "Ah, yes!" Hyakk chimed in. "Alone, your spatial awareness and flexibility is limited by your own body, but when you danced with Tethys he became your center of balance. Like an anchor, you were able to move freely around him while he continually righted your course." "That is exactly right Hyakk!" I was beaming at Hyakk's understanding. "Imagine if I had been dancing with you, how much different our dance would have been? Your movements would've been much more accentuated in order to counter my own." "Yes, exactly." Hyakk rubbed his chin as he crunched the numbers of his new formula for dancing. "Like a planet orbits its star," Tethys added so quietly that only I could hear him clearly. "Now you got it!" I reached up to pat Tethys' sharply defined jaw structure, and couldn't help but make eye contact. Tethys' pupils were dilating rapidly as he never stopped looking at me, and that could only mean one thing. His interest had peaked. "We will try again!" Tethys demanded as he pulled me into his grasp by the small of my back. "I think we have had enough training for one day," Mina announced to the room. "There are still ship responsibilities that need to be tended to. Perhaps Tethys should join us for combat training. It appears that you would learn best with a partner to help you." I nodded my acknowledgement to Mina's suggestion before Tethys and I were left alone in the silent space. Staring deeply into Tethys' mesmerizing orbs, I couldn't help but falter a bit in his grasp. Before either of us were ready to relinquish the other, Tethys asked if we could perform the last move of our dance again. The move that required me to fall backwards with Tethys bracing my fall, and bringing me back into position. As I did what he asked in the empty room, I could clearly hear Tethys' heart pounding in his chest. It was such a strong sound that lapped lavishly on my eardrums. Leaning backwards, Tethys' supportive arms cradled my spine, as he lowered me towards the floor. Receding into the moment, I placed my hand over his heart, which was reciprocated by Tethys taking one of my legs in his other hand. It was such a gentle touch, filled with so much deep emotion, I couldn't help but begin to quiver at the feeling he gave me. It was in that moment, that the strong life form then leaned in with his mauw to cover the markings on my shoulder that he had left there. It was such a gentle caress, and his tongue danced playfully across my skin there. "Find something you love more than food, sex, and war?" I humored, trying to diffuse the urgency that I was beginning to feel in that moment. Tethys hummed as he pulled back to look me in the eyes. "Yes, you." I could not resist the sounds of desperation, and desire that Tethys emanated in those two short words. My attempt to end the moment with humor only backfired in my face, and I reluctantly tapped the behemoth lizard again to help me right myself. "I am finding it difficult to be patient with you little one," Tethys cooed into my ear. "You are impressive in every way, and I want you more than anything." I struggled to think about anything other than the two of us having sex right here in the training facility, but I still wasn't ready yet. Author's note: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter everyone! I had a tough time dealing with some personal emergencies, and that didn't provide me with a lot ot free time to keep writing The Lion of Light for a while. Trouble always comes in threes, if anyone understands what I mean. Anyway, thank you all so much for waiting patiently for chapter 6 of tLoL. Hopefully you all will enjoy the read, and I can return to some normalcy of posting new chapters every month. I hope you enjoyed chapter 6!