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.

Iren's eyes parted ways from the Colko's as the sound took him by surprise. He saw a pair of workers fighting each other, a smaller third one standing beside the brawling aliens with a look that showed distress. Yelling broke out as Onfae guards jumped into action, their weapons raised high in the air as a means to break the fight.

The two figures responsible for the scene- a lanky light red alien and a pudgy, almost muscular orange alien- were throwing punch after punch, with the red alien looking like he wanted to murder his foe. The latter only grinned deviously at him, showing sharp blade-like teeth in pure mockery.

Truth be told, Iren was impressed with the shorter one's resistance. He allowed himself to be pummeled several times while teasing his enemy. Although their body structure showed little to no muscle, the lanky alien was giving everything he had in those punches.

"Stop it!" that annoying female Onfae, Hasa, growled out. The heavy war hammer collided with the shorter alien's back, eliciting a grunt from him, but other than that the two still fought.

Their fight caused everyone to get up off their seats and witness the event in a circle around the match. A few of the workers began chanting, each rooting for a different alien. Iren simply stayed put, not because the fight wasn't interesting- as a matter of fact, he was looking at the match like he'd done numerous times when watching his fellow Ahnerovan brethren battle each other for fun- but because his sights were stolen by an unfamiliar entity.

Sat on a faraway metal table a few ways away from the brawl, was the same little alien he'd seen on the fields some time ago. The puff of yellow-orange fur on their head was tied back so it almost looked like the alien had none to begin with. Their mud-colored eyes were set on the fight, though their face was contorted to make it seem like they didn't like the scene playing out in front of them.

Iren's skin pulled upward in surprise. He couldn't quite explain it, but this weird and undiscovered alien made him infinitely curious. Especially at how much they looked like him, yet not at the same time. Almost as if they were very distant cousins to the Ahnerovan, but didn't quite fit in with the alien family tree.

What species were they? And what were they doing here?

The Paladin hadn't noticed how hard he was staring at the smaller entity until said alien suddenly connected eyes with him. Even from this distance, Iren could see how those tiny dirt-like irises widened. The soldier could feel the panic rising within them, though it was probably due to the fact that their body became still as a rock.

Iren blinked. The alien copied him.

His head tilted a bit sideways. The tiny alien stayed still.

The sound of projectiles firing in the air interrupted Iren from inspecting the alien further. "Everyone, get down on your stomachs!"

The Ahnerovan willed his eyes to stare at the room, surprised to see at least forty Onfae guards holding Vrazier bows and arrows, all pointed at the workers currently sitting in the large lunch room. Even though there were hundreds of labor workers, the lack of weaponry from the prisoners basically meant the Onfae had an unfair advantage over them.

The soldier within him saw the bows and was about to leap into a fighting stance, when Iren realized that even with his skills, having forty weapons pointed at him didn't level out his odds. In fact, he was still recovering from his injuries and his back tendrils still weren't fully functional yet. So, he opted with giving the Onfae a dirty look not necessarily obeying their orders immediately, but still not doing something stupid, as he used to do so in the past.

He growled curses under his breath as his stomach came into contact with the cool metal flooring, not liking the notion of playing along as a weakling to the enemy. A few seconds passed when the thumping of footsteps sounded out around him. Two Onfae guards passed his laid-out form, their bows and arrows still raised but thankfully, not pointed at the Ahnerovan.

Their sights didn't meet his. Clearly, they were only passing by.

He allowed his eyes to follow the guards and raised his head to see what was going to happen next. Ten guards stopped in a circle around the brawling aliens, whose faces displayed fear and apprehension. Barking orders amongst themselves, the guards had the two culprits strapped in no time while they kicked and snapped at their captors to try and free themselves.

While the guards and the two workers yelled to each other, a heavier set of footsteps took center stage and brought Iren's attention behind him. His eyes fell on a taller Onfae individual, whose dark brown attire and beady black eyes caused unwanted memories to flood his head.

When the newcomer found the soldier's gaze, a sly smirk etched on the corners of the creature's mouth. The Ahnerovan let a low growl in response.

"Usually, I see violence as the answer to releasing unwanted energy," the high-rank Onfae said out loud so his voice could be heard throughout the cafeteria. "Unfortunately, fighting during lunchtime not only is unpleasant. But downright idiotic."

The taller Onfae halted in front of the two aliens. Both looked like they wanted to be someplace else. Or at least, be looking at someone who wasn't as imposing as the alien in front of them.

The Onfae male then glowered at them, using his height as a means of intimidation. "And I don't take lightly to idiocy in my facility." The workers, who looked as if they didn't have a clue as to what the Onfae was telling them, only looked back at him in fear. It seemed their despair was fuel to the high-ranking guard because he took their stunned expressions as an unspoken victory.

He then looked at the guards behind the laborers, whose stances were rigid and their sights set on the walls behind their superior.

"How about we allow our fellow employees to explore a bit of Movnosa?" the Onfae inquired, but it felt more like a threat than an invitation. "I'm sure they're thrilled at the idea of experiencing our famous fire rains, is it not, my fellow brothers?"

The guards set into motion and pulled the prisoners by their bindings forcefully. Their cries bounced through the metal walls, goosebumps and dread coursing through everyone's systems. Iren saw how some of the laborers refused to look at the guards for fear of being the next victim of the Onfae's unnatural torture.

Even though the Paladin was sure most- if not, all- didn't understand a single word the Onfae superior had said, the threat was all but evident. And the way he grinned at the workers' wails caused chills amongst the prisoner ranks.

Their cries died when they stepped out of the lunch room, the remaining Onfae guards taking the lead and ordering everyone to stand up and head to the fields. Iren complied, but more so because he was curious as to what the high-ranking alien had said.

Fire rains? What was that?

"Move it, Ahnerovan!" Hasa shouldered him.

He managed to stop himself before hissing at her and instead followed behind a newly formed line of fearful laborers. Scorching light once again sizzled at his sensitive skin when Movnosa's heat fanned him. Today was hotter than ever, it seemed. And while Iren had no clear idea as to why, the soldier merely thought it was because of their suns' tendency to want to burn the planet into ashes.

The Ahnerovan was far from right though.

As soon as he stepped foot on the fields, a surprised cry far off to his right caught him off guard. His head spun toward that direction, his eyes widening when he saw a dark red and black glow dancing against the warm winds. Another cry rang out, this time to his left.

Looking closely, he saw the same billowing glow on top of the cracked soil.

His hearts sank when the term 'fire rains' became clear in his mind. The Onfae literally had meant fire raining from the sky. And the laborers had been forced to step out in the open to endure the harsh Movnosa weather.

Guards pushed some of the petrified workers. "Don't just stand there! You're equipped for a reason! Now, get back to work!"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, some looking down at their attire for answers, others staring at the Onfae as if they were crazy. The soldier copied his fellow prisoners and checked his clothes, seeing synthetic leather and fiber close enough to pass off as faulty cotton. Though his clothing wasn't too elaborate, he could feel how strong the materials were for the harsh Movnosa weather.

But were they durable enough to stand against fire rains?

A flame whizzed close to him and landed near his uncovered feet. The dark red aura surrounding the flare burned around it, almost boiling Iren's skin to form new blisters. The soldier had fought against the Onfae-made black fire, but never had he seen its natural form in person. Now, he knew of the devastation black fire could make- withstanding Ahnerova's finest natural disaster shields, but he was unsure how chaotic the original version could be.

He decided against finding out when another flare rained down near him. Instead, he palmed his clothing as if he had lost something in his pockets.

A sharp sound of sorts rang out above the commotion of panicked laborers, catching his attention instantly. Far away, almost to the back of the group, stood the same short and weird-skinned alien whose sights were set on him.

Their dainty hands were strapping their shoulders. Making sure Iren was focusing on them fully, their fingers disappeared beneath an almost invisible layer of leather and pulled out holding a longer sheet. Slowly, they allowed the fabric to cover their shoulders and head, causing the layering to billow above them like a hood.

Their hands returned to their sides, but they still looked at the Paladin.

Iren, astonished that the alien had addressed him, followed their actions though more cautiously. His tendrils found the hidden fabric beneath the leather pauldrons and pulled it out as the alien had done so.

Another flame sputtered from the open sky, this time landing on one of Iren's back tendrils. A loud hiss escaped his lips when the burning intensity of the fire broiled his skin. He didn't need to turn around to see how bad it looked as he could feel his skin boiling and bubbling from the fire rain, and instead pulled the hood above his naked head in a hurry.

He felt another flame fall, this time heading for his skull, but it seemed the fabric had done its job of stopping the fire from burning him. His eyes followed as the flare cascaded from his head and slithered across his neck, down his shoulders, and finally landed on the ground below.

The Paladin was impressed, more so by the fact that natural black fire acted as if it was liquid in Movnosa. Grinning, the soldier turned to look up at the alien, whose dirty-colored eyes caught his.

Iren's eyes widened a bit when the alien delivered him a small smile. He grinned back at them, silently wishing to know their language to give his thanks.

The Onfae's yelling brought the soldier back to the chaos. Several laborers had seen the tiny alien's demonstration and had their hoods on top of their heads, while the few remaining were struggling to take out theirs. Guards stationed around the fields began to push workers toward their spots, annoyance clear on their faces.

Iren walked to where he'd been working all week before one of the Onfae dared to touch him, mindful of the raining fire whenever he placed a foot onward. The cart with plants was still there before he and the rest had gone off for lunch, though he noticed one set ablaze from the fire rain.

"Protect the plants or else we'll burn you!" One of the guards barked out.

The solider's eyes rolled at the Onfae's pitiful attempt of a threat and instead focused on planting the rest of the crops. Seeing as his methods for breaking the stone ground had improved throughout the days in the campsite, he managed to plant the remaining vegetation in no time. All except for one; the ashen plant.

The moment his tendril-now-turned finger came into contact with the plant's leaf, it became black powder and poofed out of existence. Iren, now curious, went on to touch another leaf and the same thing happened.

'Weird Onfae crops,' he thought to himself. 'But if this is what happens when living things come into contact with fire rain...'

Screaming ruptured his train of thought. His inner warrior jumped at a chance to protect himself from foes, though quickly he realized he wasn't being under attack. He willed his hearts to stop beating erratically as a means to calm himself.

The moment he looked at his right side, he knew the situation was worse than what he first thought.

Far away from the fields he and the rest of the prisoners were working on, the soldier's eyes caught onto tall figurines standing in the open. Two of them held bows in their grasp, while a third one stood proud before them. The Ahnerovan saw as their tops were covered in hoods, most likely from the same fabric his hood was made out of.

But that wasn't the thing that caught Iren's attention.

It was two silhouettes, running around the open air while flailing their arms in panic. Even from a long distance, Iren could hear the wails of despair that threatened to tear their vocal cords out. He barely managed to see the distinguishing light red and orange colors of the two aliens who'd fought in the lunch room, when their skin became almost unrecognizable.

Flames engulfed their bodies as if they were ammunition to a bonfire. Fire rained down from the sky in torrents, almost setting the surroundings ablaze. The sky had darkened to an ashy red, the clouds completely black. The air was becoming too thick to breathe in, which caused several workers to cough out.

Iren didn't care though. His eyes didn't tear away from the horrifying scene happening before him.

The two aliens stopped their attempts to get rid of the fire, probably because they'd realized that black fire was almost impossible to fan out when in large quantities. Their energy dispelled, and their bodies tumbled to the stone ground like boulders. Their yells were the only proof that they were still alive, but slowly dying.

A few gasps rang out behind Iren's back. He didn't turn back. He couldn't.

Not even if Hasa came and smashed him with her hammer. Not even if he would be taken to be punished in one of the Onfae's underground torture chambers. Not even if he was forced to relive Covek's betrayal all over again.

These aliens... Although he didn't know them... They didn't deserve this.

Nobody deserved this. Nobody deserved to die like this.

Burned alive. And by aliens who only laughed at their pain.

It angered him. It angered Iren so much. Even though he was still recovering, he wanted nothing more than to leap at the high-ranking Onfae and kill him with his bare hands. To rip his skin to shreds and let the rest of his brethren presence his death by the same aliens they'd tried to steal from for so many years now.

To display his head on a vrazier arrow and throw it in their superior's faces like the scum that he was. To twist his and the two guards' bodies so they'd be discarded mass, thrown in the Yelven river as the vermin they are.

With a final yell thrown out for good measure, the two bodies lay still on the ground. The fire coating their figures raged on, the only thing left alive. The Onfae soldiers and their superior watched their bodies disintegrate, causing chills to run down Iren's skin.

How could they be so cruel? How could they stand in front of two aliens they'd selfishly kidnapped to have them as slaves, and laugh at their dying corpses?

It seemed he wasn't the only one thinking this, as he'd finally looked away from the heart-breaking event to look at the rest of the workers. While the majority were focused on their work, a few had dared to stare at the fiery death their two comrades had succumbed to.

One of the laborers watching the scene just so happened to be the Colko. And once he felt Iren's eyes on him, he dared to look back at him.

They stared at each other, though no sound left either one of them. However, a silent agreement was made between them.

They were going to help each other out. They were going to escape this hellhole. No matter what it takes.