Zorahn POV:

Cold water slammed against Zorahn's black hide as the river current dragged him through tangled roots and jagged stone.

He had been too focused on escaping them; little did he know that they were pursuing another as well (you).

He had managed to stop just in time when the cliff suddenly appeared before him, and relief had barely begun to settle through his body before something crashed hard into the backs of his legs.

He only got one breath in from his two nose holes before the world vanished beneath rapidly moving water.

He burst from the surface, the water tugging him downstream as he sucked in more air.

Further downstream, where the river calmed and shallowed, Zorahn narrowed his eyes as they found the strange creature.

Zorahn dragged himself through the shallows.

His gait remained smooth, which meant none of his limbs had been broken during the fall. Six legs carried him forward in a fluid rhythm as he crossed the shallows.

Using his left upper hand, he swept soaked black-and-purple hair back over his crest.

When he reached the strange creature breathing heavily near the riverbank, he grabbed it by what he assumed was a leg and lifted it for a closer look.

Then he immediately dropped it.

Water splashed up as a sharp hiss escaped him, and his mandibles lowered in revulsion.

He could recall seeing such creatures only once before, from a distance among Ketahn's group, but never this close.

With a heavy exhale, Zorahn approached again and lifted you beneath your arms.

Odd little creature.

His grip remained careful despite his size as he brought you level with his face.

His protective instincts stirred unexpectedly as his six eyes looked at you.

"Lavil kreshan?" (You are hurt?) he asked in Vrix.

Your blank confusion was all that greeted him.

He had only encountered your kind a handful of times while Ketahn's group traveled through the Tangle. Ketahn had chosen one called Ivy as his mate, and somehow Telok, Rekosh, and Urkot had each done the same. Even Ahnset, former Fang and Ketahn's broodsister, had helped protect the strange creatures.

Why were so many of his broodbrothers suddenly choosing humans?

They were not Vrix.

And yet...

His gaze lingered on you.

You were not as repulsive as he had first thought.

Entirely wrong by every measure he knew.

But there was something there. Something he could not quite place. Given enough time, perhaps he could understand why a warrior such as Ketahn had looked beyond species and seen more. He thought as his mandables twitched,

The realization annoyed him.

Absolutely not.

He was not becoming one of them.

You shifted weakly in his grasp, and tension immediately traveled through your body, the scent of fear coming from you.

Of him, most likely.

How ironic.

You were the alien here, yet you were clearly the most frightened.

Slowly, Zorahn lowered himself closer to the riverbed to appear less threatening. His rear legs folded first, followed by the middle pair, lowering his considerable height while he carefully set you back onto your feet.

He kept one lower hand hovering nearby in case you fell, and then awkwardly, he searched for words.

Human language.

He had only learned fragments during the short time Ketahn's group had stayed in his den while traveling toward Kaldarak to escape Queen Zurvashi.

"I am called Zorahn. My honor say take hunan to more hunan. We travel three days to Kaldarak, but first we prepare. We go to my den." He said as he looked around.

The river had carried him far from his den. At least a full day's travel separated him from home now.

His larger eyes fixed on yours as he placed a hand over his chest.

"I weave my words into a bond, hunan." He said with a small chitter, "Zorahn no eat you."

Attempting what humans called a smile, he lifted his mandibles slightly. "Not big meat."

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized that it had not been the reassuring joke he intended. You immediately took a cautious step back