Page 26 of Mazorium Buys a Human

“How much do you want for the human?” someone asked him.

“Yes, how much?” another one shouted from further back in the crowd. “My family is the wealthiest in our clan. Name your price and we can meet it.”

“I wouldn’t trust him to care for a delicate human,” another said. “They don’t even have a menagerie. What do they knowabout caring for anything? I’m in the Verde Clan, and we are full of healers and scientists. She’ll be well taken care of if you sell her to me.”

“Can I buy the youngling? You can keep the adult and I’ll raise the pup.”

That question had me clutching Nadia to my chest and shifting so she was hidden between us. I must’ve made some kind of distressed sound, because Mazorium looked over his shoulder and started purring.

“You’re safe, Mika. I’d never sell you or Nadia.”

I nodded my head, even as more ridiculous offers were being tossed at him from the crowd.

Another hand reached out from nowhere and grabbed my arm. “Turn this way. I want to see your face.”

I gasped and tried to jerk my arm free, but the grip was too strong. Mazorium realized what was happening and let out a loud rattle. The combination of Mazorium’s intense rattle right next to my face and the harsh grip on my arm made me tear up.

“Don’t touch my human!” Mazorium growled, reaching for the person. Before he could grab the Talin’s arm, several individuals from the crowd wrestled him away.

“You damaged her, you dumb oaf!”

“How could you touch her like that! She could be permanently injured. Didn’t you hear the sound she made?”

While they not too gently dragged the guy off, others started addressing Mazorium.

“Look, there’s water leaking from her eyes. That’s a pain response. We need to get her to the medical bay. She might be seriously injured.”

“I’ll take her,” someone said and moved as if they were going to pick me up. “I know the head healer there.”

I shied back and Mazorium moved so he was between me and the stranger. The problem was that we were surrounded and he couldn’t shield me from all of them.

He sounded a shockingly loud rattle and unsheathed his claws. His quills were up and he was sounding a low, buzzing, warning rattle.

“All of you are traumatizing her!” he roared. “Back away now!”

The crowd didn’t move away, but at least no one was trying to grab me. Of all the scenarios I pictured, this one wasn’t even close. I’d had to worry about getting stepped on or knocked down on most stations, but here I needed to worry about being mobbed!

A rattle echoed from the back of the crowd, making several of them jump and all of them move away. What was going on now?

A commanding-looking Talin stepped up. Judging by the way everyone moved to give her room, she had to be someone important.

When she reached us, she ignored me and turned to survey the crowd. “Everyone here will disperse or I’ll start issuing citations. If you think you could easily pay for a citation, I warn you, I plan to issue one per submark if you continue to linger.”

That got the crowd moving! With mumbled comments and a few upset rumbles, they all walked off, leaving only the four of us.

She turned to face Mazorium, slapping her hand to her chest. “I’m Ithorum, of the Ull family within the Grul Clan. I’m in charge of station security."

Mazorium slapped his hand to his chest and introduced himself, then pointed to me. “This is my pet human, Mika, and her pup Nadia.”

The newcomer turned to look down at me then back at Mazorium. “She and the pup appear in distress. Can I escort you to the medical bay?”

She wasn’t wrong. One of my eyes was still tearing up and Nadia’s fussing at the noise had turned into angry crying.

Mazorium sounded a rumble of agreement. “That was where I planned to go first, if I hadn’t been stopped by the crowd.”

“That situation was unfortunate," Ithorum agreed. “I only found out about your arrival as you were docking or I would’ve been here earlier. I apologize for my tardiness. Do you think the dam can walk or should you carry her? I can carry the pup.”

Up until that last sentence, I was standing near her without worry. The moment she mentioned wanting to hold Nadia, I was quick to move behind Mazorium.