Chapter 3 Endurance

Zarda walked towards the door of the tiny examination room. He met the new soldier face to face. He was young, like anderson, only he had dirty blond hair. Still, zarda noticed he had no fur or facial stubble to be found. The soldier had a pair of nerdy black glasses resting on his large, round nose. His face was a mixture of zits and freckles. He looked like a pizza. The soldier was a poor sight to lay eyes on. His lips were large, perhaps too large for his mouth. They were so full they made him look like a duck, or as if he were puckering up for a kiss.

Zarda stood still looking down at the skittish soldier. He could smell his fear wafting off from him like cologne.

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked curtly.

The soldier swallowed hard before answering.

"Ye•ye•yes sir. I am afraid of you. Please don't eat me like you did the other."

Zarda was confused, what did he mean by, don't eat him like he did the other? His eyes grew wide with fear. He grabbed up the soldier by his shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"Explain yourself. " snarled Zarda.

Hopkins and delilah looked up in horror. They rushed over immediately to stop zarda from harming the soldier. Their weak attempts didn't faze him. He kept the soldier held up high in the air. The young man was so frightened that he soiled himself. The warm liquid ran down his pant leg and into his lace up boots.

"When you went down yesterday. Soldier Avery ran over to carry you off, but I guess you weren't fully tranqalized all the way. In a quick rage, you sprung up, ripping into his neck with your teeth. Then your body collapsed on top of his. There was blood everywhere. It was hard to walk up the stairs without slipping in it." The soldier replied, with wide eyes.

"What's your name, boy?" Zarda asked.

"My name. My name is private Erickson, sir." He replied, frightfully.

Zarda took in one last sniff and released him back to the ground.

"Go clean up, soldier erickson. You smell awful." He commanded.

He turned to face the scrientist.

" I guess now you two ladies will be escorting me back to my room." stated Zarda.

Soldier erickson fled from the room down the hallway. Hopkins shook her head no. She had too much to finish on labs, she could not take the time to walk him back. Delilah was free to do so. She wouldn't be needed, back in the laboratory, until tomorrow morning.

"Don't worry, anastasia, I can walk him back for us." said scientist Delilah.

She smiled over at Hopkins, who was pleased to hear her volunteer in her place. Without another word, she hurried back over to the lab work and diligently worked on organizing them. Zarda was delighted to have scientist delilah lead him back to his room. As they walked, she was very, inquisitive. She asked him many questions. Zarda was happy to answer and flattered by her peek of interest. She reminded zarda of himself when it came to being so inquiring.

"Would you care to learn more? Perhaps, tomorrow during lunch, or just a casual walk around the facility?" asked Zarda.

Delilah smiled. It was so big that her dimples appeared. Delilah noticed him staring at them and she blushed. Looking away, she answered him back.

"I would love to. I have an even better place we can go to." She said, as zarda's hand reached down for her chin, pulling it back up towards him.

He looked into her green eyes, smiling. Delilah timidly finished her sentence.

"We•we can go to•to the garden just inside the inner courtyard."

Zarda watched her lips quiver, as she spoke out every word.

" Why do you turn away from me when you smile? It is so beautiful. I do not sense that you are frightened by me. So, then, what is it that I'm sensing?" He asked.

Delilah's face continued to blush red-hot.

"I get nervous about my dimples. I was teased by my older brother as a child, and I guess I've never gotten over it. You are such a handsome lion man being. Intimidation is probably a better word to describe what is happening to me." replied the Scientist.

Zarda was intrigued. He held her chin a bit longer as he looked over her face.

"I think they are cute and make for a unique quality to your image. If I were you, I would have eaten my brother. Just kidding. I love my brother too much. I miss him greatly." said Zarda softly, as his voice trembled with sadness.

He turned away to avoid her seeing his tears.

"Now it is you who hides your vulnerability. It's okay to cry, zarda. You need to mourn your loss. I lost my brother a year ago. He went off to war and never came back the same. His crew was hit by a civilian bomb set up by the militia, an anarchist group against their own country. It wasn't even meant for them. Fate had decided differently upon that day. He survived, but his brain was injured. It would never be the same. He doesn't speak or function like he used to, but we still love and care for him. My mission is to find a cure for his brain. It's why I joined on the team, to come and do these experiments. If you, your animal kind, can transform into mighty men and beasts, what's to stop that from curing my brother too." She said, wiping away her tears.

" I may can help, but I need my staff I came in with. Can you get it for me?" Zarda asked.

She looked puzzled at first. "Wait you mean the  wand with an amethyst egrafted into its bark. Yeah, I know where thats at, but at the moment they are examining it as well. I won't have access to it, until two to three weeks from now. It's not here exactly in Nexus. it's at our sister facility called Severance." said Delilah.

"I guess we both can wait. It's not like we're going anywhere, anytime soon. Besides, it'll be nice to have company with the opposite sex. Don't get me wrong, I care for gibbs and  anderson. Try living with just men, cramped on a ferry boat for two weeks.  A females' companionship. Well, that is far better." He said.

Zarda's eyes looked off into a trance. His mind drifted away into a memory. He saw natia's face and her belly surface in his thoughts. She smiled at him and touched his face. He could faintly hear her saying something to him. It wasn't clear enough to make out her words. The vision kept repeating itself like a broken record. When zarda came to himself, he realized, it was delilah's hand that was touching his cheek. It was her voice speaking in his ear.

" Zarda, are you okay? Can you hear me? What's wrong? Who's the female you called out for?" She asked. Zarda looked down at her. "I'm sure you're missing her." said Delilah. 

He didn't realize he had said a word, while in a daze.

"Her name is natia. She is my queen. My first queen to betroth me. She carries my unborn cub. I left them alone and helpless. I left a kingdom back on the Savannah empty of a leaders' rulership, void of a mighty king. Perhaps, I am not so mighty, if I am here, and they are there. What can I do to protect them now?" He asked with worry.

"A lot zarda. You can do more than you realize. Do you have faith? If you do, then that alone will protect them." She replied.

He shook his head no.

"I'm not like my mother, but I'm beginning to see why she turned from Elohim. My faith, it is stained. I need time to heal, but I won't give up on my master. He has been good throughout all circumstances." Zarda proudly stated.

"Sure, I understand. Well, it's late and this is your room. Room seven. I'll see you tomorrow. If by chance I don't show up, it's because of work. You understand right? I do look forward to us meeting again. I have so much to ask and share. Good night zarda." said Delilah sweetly.

"Good night. Sweet dreams delilah. See you tomorrow." replied Zarda.