Nival (boyxboyxboyxboy)

Santh

Chapter 2.

The group followed suit, though a few stayed behind to watch the younger boys.

"Come!" Mian took his arm, led him to the cliff wall, and began to climb.

Another male, compact with muscle, shoved Matthew in the back and the human stared despairingly up at the cliff. "...I can't climb that."

Mian turned with an incredulous stare and several aliens barked with laughter. The male behind Matthew grabbed his hand and thumbed one of his blunt fingernails.

Mian scuttled back down and presented his back. "Get on."

Matthew considered the boy's slender build doubtfully. His muscles shook with exhaustion and - even if Mian was strong enough to carry him - Matthew feared he would lose his grip and fall to his death.

But he was stranded in a world of ice and there was no other way up or down. He climbed on shakily, and tightened his arms and legs, as hard as he could.

Mian straightened with a grunt and hooked his claws into the ice.

Snow scattered down from the aliens above and Matthew scrunched his eyes shut.

A terrifying while later, he felt Mian's muscles bunch, as he heaved them over a ledge, and then they were blessedly horizontal.

Matthew cautiously opened his eyes and yelped with horror. They were balancing on a thin wall of ice over a seemingly endless drop. Mian snarled and tightened his claws.

"Hold still!" The boy barked and Matthew froze; muscles so tense, he could barely feel them.

He squeezed his eyes shut, pulse hammering in his throat, and Mian continued onwards. Soon, a shine of light painted the inside of his lids red and the air warmed.

He squinted through his lashes, just as Mian ducked through a tunnel, and shimmied into a chamber.

The inside of the mountain shone with black minerals, like a geode, and the polished peaks glittered from the glow of a roaring fire.

The remaining aliens climbed in behind them, and one slapped Mian on the arm, with a few gruff words of approval.

It took Matthew a moment to unlock his cramped muscles and slide to the smooth stone floor. His legs trembled and his eyes couldn't seem to focus.

"Hey, hey." Mian steadied him and Matthew blearily noticed that the boy was only a few inches taller. "Can you walk?"

The cave felt like a sauna, but Matthew was starting to shiver, and his nose throbbed terribly.

He didn't know what he looked like, but Mian's black eyes widened and he hastily reached for Matthew's suit - snarling when the slippery material slid through his claws. "Take this off!"

Matthew fumbled for the zip with clumsy, swollen fingers. His digits were so frozen, he could barely grip the plastic tag.

The alien watched his movements closely, then pushed his hands away, and unzipped his suit the rest of the way; revealing Matthew's t-shirt and jeans. Mian blinked.

"Why?" The boy exclaimed, with a growl of frustration, and pulled at his clothes.

"Mian?" A soft voice spoke.

Mian's ears perked and his frothy tail swished.

"Fie, come help me!" He demanded and Matthew blinked dazedly at the small boy, stepping hesitantly away from a group of curious onlookers.

He was delicate and slender. With a gently rounded face and overly large black eyes.

"He's harmless and wounded." Mian ripped into Matthew's t-shirt and exposed his shivering, hairless chest. The alien yelped and hastily felt the torn fabric. "This wasn't fur, was it?"