Joley was a stunning world with a dozen minor continents just above or below the equator which made them tropical. The rest of the blue green world was water with two huge ice caps. The kingdom had no idea how to develop it, in fact the queen refused to allow the developers in. There were hills on every continent but no mountain ranges.

Everyone thought it was paradise but those that settled here learned there were predators in paradise. Most of the colonist lived along the coasts. Less than one percent pushed into the interior of any continent. Rollen was listed as a mostly uninhabited continent with only ten thousand people living or working here.

I grew up on Kair and then the ship Claw and finally Everest and then Mist and Addison and a few worlds just as wild. Mist came close to this world but without the huge insects. My name is Jason Urr Saj Kairliious, I am the youngest litter mate of the clan leader’s second mate’s fourth litter. A mouth full and only meant I was far down the line.

I grew up on those other places because my grandfather on my mother’s side sent me to clan Istaban. Father was not that pleased but mother knew I wanted to go and see other places. Like all Kaire matings you must learn to accept and help your mate. So I was allowed to go and got more than I wanted.

Living and working on the Istaban clan ship was not always easy but it did teach me. Plus their warrior training was probably better than Nor. At thirteen I walked away from the ship on Everest. I explored and learned and a year later moved on to Mist and a year after that to Addison.

The forest and creatures of Addison drew me like no where else. I still left and went to another colony world and one after that until I reached Joley. I worked outside the port first, learning about the animals at the containment and study area. After that I had a chance to move to Rollen and work with a scientist listing new animals he found.

I lived in a tiny one room apartment and saved my money. Yes I went from place to place but do not think I never called home. I spoke with my mother often and sent her what could be considered chapters on my life. I never knew or expected anything to come of it. I was ready to take a solo trip deep into Rollen to follow a river.

The day I was ready to leave, the weekly transport from the starport arrived. Like always I left my door open and was adjusting the light load on a travel float I was going to use. I looked up at a cough and found two Kaire shes looking at me. I was eighteen and both shes looked my age or a little younger.

One was a dark green with reddish strips and the other orange with grey strips. The first grinned as she walked closer, “do you always go without clothes?”

I smiled, “I am Kaire and we do not need clothes. Besides it is to warm for clothes.”

She stopped and one hand touched my chest with the claws barely out, “your mother suggested we come. She has given us copies of your ... journals.”

She looked down as I shivered and a low growl slipped out. She smiled, “I am Zera No Sa Aough and I see you.”

My eyes widened and I hesitated before I decided, “I am Jason Urr Saj Kairliious and I see you.”

She pressed her claws into my chest, “I claim you tom.”

I grinned and the other she laughed and strode to us, “I am Candy Nas Saj Kincade and I see you.”

Zera smiled and moved and turned and bumped my shoulder, “claim her.”

I looked back and forth before I nodded, “Candy Nas Saj Kincade I claim you.”

She pressed against me and looked into my eyes, “I accept.”

I looked at them and then at the float, “um ... I was going inland to explore an area beside a lake.”

They grinned and Zera started for the door, “let us bring in our travel cases and we can go shopping.”

I was surprised they only bought the basics. They looked at other things or gadgets but did not buy. We bought more spices and supplements and rations. I also bought a large screen tent on an inflatable grav floor. That would lift us off the ground and out of reach of predators. To keep it working I bought a very small cold fusion reactor.

I had to push the girls so we would be on time for a transport headed inland. They repacked their things onto my float. We made it with a few minutes to spare and loaded the flyer. It lifted and Zera and Candy stripped and put their clothes in the float. I grinned as I looked at their bodies.

They put utility belts on with weapons and then slung a water bladder over their shoulders. Zera grinned as she sat in my lap, “I have just finished my advanced training in geo survey.”

I caressed her hips and tried to look away from her nipple, “I am still studying animal behavior and bio structure.”

Candy laughed as she sat beside us and caught a hand and put it on one of Zera’s breasts, “my studies were plant based drugs and medicine.”

I began to knead Zera’s breast and she started to purr. It was awhile before I saw the flight crew peeking at us when I held Candy down. We were done and they looked at me and spoke together, “now you are our mate.”

I grinned as Zera laughed and Candy giggled and slowly stood and turned to sit. I looked at the crew and gestured and they came back grinning, “it was our claiming.”

It was a couple of hours before the transport slowed and we stood. They were not going to land and began to hover as the crew chief lowered the ramp. I jumped down onto the shore of a huge inland lake. I guided the float off and the girls jumped and joined me. I nodded to the crew and they waved as the transport lifted and started moving away.

I looked into the untouched forest before I looked at the girls, “keep your eyes and ears open.”

I gestured to their weapons, “be ready to use those.”

I turned and pulled on the float leash and we walked out of the open and into the shade of very large trees and thick bushes. A few moments and the sounds of the forest surrounded us. I moved slowly and searched for anything and everything. It was not long before the forest went silent and I froze and then dropped the leash and lifted my rifle.

The predator charged through the bushes like a wild bull or a large cat. It was neither and had large neck frills that were spread out. It was almost like a lizard or reptile but I was not sure as I aimed and fired. The large round punched through the head and it crashed to the forest floor. I moved forward carefully to check it and did a careful exam.

On the head it had two streaks of bright red that ran forward to the nose. I used a stick to open the mouth and saw several rows of backward facing teeth. A bio scan showed it was a cross between a reptile and an amphibian. It was over three meters long with a third of that the tail. It was smooth skinned but had sparse hair at the back of the head and along the spine.

I recorded everything before returning to start pulling the float as Candy finished taking samples. Ten kilometers from the lake we found a small clearing along the bank of a river. On one side was a tall tree with a thick limb we could anchor the tent to. I ran a hose to siphon and filter water. I filled water tanks and the cold fusion reactor.

Next we set up sonic barrier posts around the clearing. We made a semi permeant camp with a small cooking area. Before it got dark we went out and scouted around the area before returning. We ate a ration and then as the sun began to set we climbed into the tent. I used the controls while in the doorway and the tent rose into the air.

Through the screen walls we could see the dark forest around us. I turned and stripped off my weapon and utility belt and moved to the wide bed. Before I could lay down Zera was pulling me over her. I woke a few times to animal sounds in the forest. When dawn arrived I was sitting beside one of the screen walls.

I was watching a large six legged animal walk the outside of the sonic barrier. It was about a meter tall at the front shoulders and perhaps two long. It had four separate sets of long fangs that stuck out from the upper jaw. Every foot had long claws that tore at the ground. From its actions it was not hunting or stalking prey.

It was more like it was curious about the barrier. When a large furred predator glided from another tree and landed in ours, the large one below froze. A moment and it continued to walk and the one in our tree crouched to watch it. When it reached the river and slipped in and furred predator climbed up and then leaped.

It glided over the barrier before moving deeper into the forest. Zera chuckled, “that was strange.”

I glanced at the bed to see both of them looking at me, “the other was stranger and I am willing to wager it did not go far. Probably just under the surface and was a type of ambush predator. I think we need to stay away from the river edge.”

They stretched and got up and I lowered the tent. We slipped out and to the shower, there was no hot water but it still felt good. I watched while they washed and they watched for me. We ate and then cleaned up the camp. I looked at the river and lifted the tent a little and closed it. The girls followed as I opened the barrier and we slipped out.

We closed it behind us and began to move into the forest like we were stalking. I was not hunting, we were wearing vid glasses and recording the plants and animals. We recorded bio samples of plants and the minerals in the earth. More than once we saw smaller predators but I kept thinking of the large one I had seen.

We covered a large area by the lake before heading back. It was noon and we were getting close to the camp. I stopped as the forest went silent and began to slowly look around us and searched for anything that had changed. I stopped when I saw the shape under and in a bush to one side of where we had came out of the barrier.

At first it was just a large shape but finally I realized it was the large predator from this morning. I backed up, “we have that predator from this morning.”

Candy peered over my shoulder, “beside where we came through the barrier?”

I nodded and gestured to the right, “we are moving right and around before coming back in.”

Zera hissed, “unless it charges.”

I moved silently and kept my eyes open. We were almost to the barrier when I felt something watching. I stopped and looked around and froze when I saw the being. I slowly shifted and pulled Zera around me and pushed her towards the barrier, “in.”

Candy followed but kept looked back and I waited and backed after her. The being moved as we were going through. I lifted my weapon but he ignored it and strode out of the bushes and trees. I hesitated and then lowered the weapon and held up a hand. What I saw could almost be a Kaire.

He was as tall as I was and grey with black spots. His ears were higher and more pointed like a real cat and his teeth were different. Around his waist was a crude leather belt with a pouch. He slowed and looked at me carefully and spoke. I blinked and slowly pulled my comp, “language, record and attempt to translate.”

I touched my chest, “Jason.”

I did it several times and he tilted his head and finally touched his chest, “Sola.”

I nodded and looked toward where the predator had been. I shifted and gestured, “follow.”

I took a step but he did not move. I looked around again and then gestured, “follow.”

He shifted forward and took a step and I backed through the barrier and waited for him to come through before I glanced at Zera. She closed the barrier and he spun and growled. I cleared my throat and pointed at the predator and he looked at me and followed where I pointed and then smiled ferally. I gestured and backed into the clearing, “follow.”

He did and I looked at Candy, “get me a starcomm to Kair.”

She nodded as I stopped and looked at Sola. I gestured to the ground, “sit?”

I slowly sat but watched him and he finally knelt. I gestured around us, “is this your home?”

He just looked at me and I pointed up at our tent, “home.”

He shifted and looked at Candy and Zera whispering together on the comm. I pointed again and he turned and pointed into the jungle, “Noglis.”

Candy slowly moved to me and knelt while watching him, “the leader of clans.”

She gave me the comm and I listened, “did she explain sir?”

He snorted, “and sent a vid image. Try to get him to speak and...”

Sola moved towards me while looking at the comm. He spoke but I could not understand, “sir, he hears you and does not understand.”

The leader of clans sighed, “try to maintain contact. I am sending first contact teams and notifying the Joley government to get first contact teams from there as well. I will check on the few scientists we have on the planet.”

I nodded, “sir, it is upsetting him to hear you.”

He chuckled, “good luck.”

He disconnected and I nudged Candy, “use your comm and call me.”

She nodded and looked at Sola who was almost growling. She called and I answered and gestured her back, “say your name and touch your chest.”

It took an hour to get him to understand the comm spoke from someone else. That made him relax and Zera brought one of the rations that was more like raw meat with spices. He accepted warily and then brightened after smelling and ate quickly. After we finished, I began pointing to common things and naming them.

When the predator got tired of waiting and leaped at the barrier I spun while bring my pistol up and standing. It screamed and writhed around in pain and I moved to it and fired into its head. I looked at Sola and he was staring at my pistol. I checked the animal and moved back to him. I removed the magazine and the round in the firing chamber.