“No, I’ll sell it,” I said. Unlike the Overlord’s Heart, the totem didn’t swallow the light in the room, nor did it feel warm when I touched it. I still hadn’t given the obsidian-jeweled amulet to Elle for inspection, and I wondered whether I’d ever hand it over. The item seemed too precious and too powerful to register with the RTF.
Elle frowned at me. “You are acting strangely.”
“I’m just a little nervous about staying with Olav,” I said.
“Of course.” The point clerk gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, and I suddenly had the urge to pull her toward me.
I laid my left hand on the center of her back, and I felt her flinch a little at the touch. The scent of her shampoo wafted toward me as she turned her head, and I stared into her hazel eyes. They were flecked with spots of gold, and her long eyelashes fluttered as her hot breath fell on my face. Her lips were only a fraction apart, and they trembled as though enticing me to kiss them.
I doubted she would tell me to stop if I kissed her. I had almost lost Elle in the Watchtower, and it made me realize how much she had come to mean to me.
But I felt the same way about Casey. Not to mention my growing feelings for Dr. Lenkov.
No one had ever warned me about the beautiful women aboard RTF starships, and I groaned silently at my dilemma. I tried to think about what Dad would do in this situation, but I’d hardly known him. All I remembered was a vague notion of honor, so I figured I would do the honorable thing.
Which meant giving Elle an awkward pat on the back and then pushing her gently away from me. She seemed like she was expecting more, and my desire for her would have given it to her. But I also knew this wasn’t the time nor the place, and I didn’t want to lead her on when I wasn’t sure about my feelings for Casey and Natali.
So I sighed and let the thought go.
“Let’s finalize the transaction,” I said.
Elle gulped and then stepped away from me. “Yes. That is a good idea. You have to go soon.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Low on time.”
“I understand.” She smiled, ran her fingers over her tablet, and then handed it to me.
Point Clerk Elle McGrath Purchase:
Undocumented Master Saw: 500
Undocumented Gauntlets: 25
Amplifying Totem: 3,000
Squire Nicholas Lyons Purchase:
Knife of the Storm - Registration x3: 300
Scaled Plasma Rifle - Registration: 100
The point clerk peered over my shoulder, and I could feel her breath tickle my neck. “Does that look acceptable?”
“Sure does,” I said as I handed her the tablet and took a step back.
She was really making it difficult to control myself. The only thing stopping me from pressing further was the thought of how Natali and Casey might react. All three women had attractive qualities that made me want them. Natali was intelligent and caring, and she’d conquered her low-birth like I had. Casey could make me laugh like no one else, and she shared my penchant for interesting runes. Elle’s bravery rivaled my own, and I imagined fighting alongside her in future battles with the Grendels.
Not to mention all three were among the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in my life.
I didn’t have time to make a decision now, so I got ahold of myself as Elle finalized the transaction and my new balance registered on my prot-belt.
Current Kingdom Balance: 6,520
Total Kingdom Points Earned: 19,025
“I almost forgot,” she said. “Do you have the Grunt claws? I can add 1,000 KPs for them.”
“What are you planning on doing with them?” I asked as I emptied the contents of my belt pouch into the motorized cart.
“It’s a surprise.” Elle winked as she updated my account.
Current Kingdom Balance: 7,520
Total Kingdom Points Earned: 20,025
“There is something else I wanted to talk with you about,” Elle said as she traced a toe on the ground in front of her.
“Yeah?” I was half-expecting her to ask me where we might take our relationship.
“You should not blame yourself for your mutation.”
“I have killed a lot of people,” I said as my shoulders dropped. “If I could have somehow controlled my ability, they might have--”
“Please, Nicholas, let me finish,” Elle took my hands in her own and then stared into my eyes. “Fate has given you the gift, and you will learn how to control it someday. My Medusa-link has put me in trouble many times in the past, but I have come to harness it. But the issues it caused still follow me, and if those at the Facility were to discover my mutation, then they would surely take me there.”
The point clerk let go of my hands and turned so her back faced me. “My mother sent me to the Stalwart as a way of keeping me ‘off-the-grid,’ so to speak. I was displeased by her decision, and I am still unsure about the crew, but this assignment is not as bad as I expected. More dangerous, yes, but I almost like it.”
“I feel the same,” I said. The danger posed by being a member of the Stalwart’s crew was monumentally better than the Deira Sector Outpost. “How are you faring after the Bloodrat increased your abilities?”
“The enhancements have mostly worn off,” she said.
“Mostly?”
“My Medusa-link is more powerful than before the Bloodrat enhanced it, but not to the extent as when I controlled the three warsuits. I gather your abilities will be the same, so I would suggest avoiding any portals or teleportation unless you are in a controlled environment.” The point clerk’s penchant for lecturing returned, and I was relieved the heat of the last few minutes had dissipated.
At least, part of me was relieved. The other part wanted to gaze into Elle’s eyes while she drew nearer to me, and then our lips would touch and--
“Nicholas? Promise me you will not try your abilities until you are in a safe place. I have kept your promise not to look further into the crew’s past, so I would appreciate if you--”
“I promise,” I said with a smile. The grin was easy to make since I didn’t plan on using my abilities for the duration of this mission on Ecoma.
Then I remembered how I would be spending the rest of the time on this planet.
“Unless Olav decides to disobey the captain’s orders, and then I’ll be teleporting out of there,” I said.
“He won’t break them,” Elle said. “At least I hope he won’t. Can he really hate you so much?”
“Yes,” a male voice said, and I spun to see Zac standing in the doorway.
“Zac!” I yelled in surprise. I hadn’t seen him at all while on Ecoma since he’d been staying aboard the Stalwart with the rest of the artillerymen.
“Heard you were going to be spending a few days with Olav, so I figured I’d give you a little advice before I head to the Den Ark,” he said.
“I better be going,” Elle said. “The Stalwart will be leaving soon.”
Zac and I helped her load the equipment I’d sold her into the motorized cart.
“Good luck, Nicholas.” The raven-haired woman touched my arm lightly, and I sighed as she exited the room.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Zac said. “I can see Grendels weren’t the only things you’ve been slaying since I saw you last.”
I exhaled and dropped onto the mattress. “Nothing’s happened between Elle and me. Not because I don’t want it to. It’s just complicated.” I thought about the best way to explain my troubles to Zac, but couldn’t think of a good way to phrase it, so I went for the blunt option. “I have two other women I’m thinking about.”
The artilleryman grinned as though this was the best news he’d heard in years. “Many women is a good problem to have, my friend. Well, it’s good if they’re all feeling the same way. Even better if they’re willing to share. I’m guessing Casey is one of the other women, but who’s the third?”
“Dr. Lenkov,” I said.
“Get the fuck out!” Zac
said with a laugh. “Almost every bloody guy on our ship has tried to go there.”
“I haven’t been ‘there.’ I’m only thinking about going there, and the doctor keeps giving me hints. Well, I’m not sure if they’re hints, or if she’s simply being really, really nice.”
“Careful about assuming. You might get yourself into trouble.” The artilleryman walked over to my bed and glanced at my new equipment. “Are you taking this gear with you?”
I shook my head. “Captain Cross forbid Olav and me from bringing any Runetech except our prot-belts.”
“Good,” Zac said as his expression turned serious. “I think you should bury your love troubles for now. You have to deal with a hairy berserker who’s hellbent on seeing you suffer. My intention for this little visit was to give you some advice on the matter. But after a bit more thought, I’m wondering whether condolences might be in order? Maybe you should tell me what epitaph you’d like?” He chuckled dryly.
“You were going to give me some advice, so what do you have?” I sounded a little too hopeful, but I was struggling to solve my problem with the berserker.
“Well, I heard about an old crew member turned traitor. Did a real number on Olav so that’s why he hates you so much.
“Do you know anything else about the person?” I asked. Olav had already spoken with me concerning the traitor, but I figured a little more information would help me crack the knight’s outer shell so I could have a decent conversation with him.
“Not much,” Zac said. “All I know is the rest of the crew have mostly gotten over it. But Olav won’t forgive or forget, so I think you’re the stand-in for whoever betrayed the crew first.”
“So Olav was close to the person?” The traitor’s identity seemed like something worth knowing, even if I wouldn’t know what to do with the information. At least I could more easily avoid any of the berserker’s triggers.
“Sounds like it,” Zac said. “Maybe avoid the whole ‘traitor’ conversation while you’re with Olav. I doubt he’ll take kindly to reliving old scars. Good luck, buddy.” The artilleryman gripped my shoulder affectionately before he left my quarters for the docks.
I sighed as I collected my equipment and stacked them neatly. I then glanced at the time and realized I needed to get going. I hurled my duffle bag over my shoulder and walked through the organic passageway. The place was deathly quiet with the knights and squires gone, and there were hardly any Ecomese around either.
When I arrived at the elevator, Olav was wearing the uniform of the RTF Space Knights. The midnight black outfit was only broken by an armored prot-belt with an ornamental Grendel skull for a buckle. The berserker barely glanced at me as I stood alongside him.
I reached for the elevator sensor, and he grabbed my arm and threw it back. I rolled my eyes and prepared for a fistfight, but Olav didn’t come for me.
“We’re waiting for our escort,” he said without looking at me. “Apparently we’re not allowed to travel alone.”
“Eh,” I grunted, and we started at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds.
Just as soon as the tensions reached their height, an Ecomese official clad in the transparent white robes came with a squad of what was probably the last few enforcers on the Ark and escorted us to Level 14. The area was similar to the rest of the huge vessel with its pulsating flesh-colored bulkheads.
“Is there a reason why we’re on the same deck as the Dax?” I asked the official after remembering where the prime minister had sent the Star Spear and his initiates.
The evolved man gave me a pleasant smile. “You are effectively prisoners, as are the Dax.” He continued walking as if his words weren’t at all offensive.
“You’re wrong,” Olav grunted as we followed. “We’re not prisoners.”
The official smiled broadly and spoke with a condescending cadence. “The Prime Minister has said that you are not to leave your residence. If you attempt it, the enforcers are authorized to use their weapons to stun you. I promise it won’t be pleasant.”
“Like I said, you’re wrong.” The berserker glared at the enforcers on either side of us like he was calculating the threat they posed. “We aren’t supposed to be prisoners, and we shouldn’t be locked up with the fucking Dax!”
“These are our orders!”
I predicted a fight might break out between the knight and the Ecomese enforcers, but I was hesitant to interject. Still, Olav was unpredictable, and he could very well kill this official and the other evolved humans in his anger. I opened my mouth to speak, but Olav cut me off.
“I want to speak with Captain Cross,” Olav said, and a vein on his forehead bulged in frustration. “Now.”
“He has already left for the Gor Ark, along with the Prime Minister. Even if they were here, I have been ordered that you have no contact with them until your sentence has passed.”
Olav groaned before sighing in resignation. “At least give us a decent place to stay. With lots of beer. And lots of food. Maybe some skin-holos, too.”
“You will be more than pleased with the place we have prepared for you,” the official said.
We stopped outside a door with a complex arming system. Unlike the rest of this level, it was constructed of metal. The official approached the door and held his palm to the scanner. After a laser flashed over his hand, the massive metal locking cylinders receded and the door swung open.
“This is your residence!” The Ecomese official held out his arm in welcome.
“You really don’t want us getting out, do you?” I said as I marveled at the thirty-centimeter-thick door.
Olav stared into the passageway. “Not bad at all.”
I was surprised to hear the berserker’s appreciation for our prison, but the reason became clear when I examined the passageway beyond.
Swirling patterns marked the eaves, ivy crawled along the walls, and the floor was fashioned with polished marble. Paintings separated the plants every few meters, and they were all Triumvirate in origin. I recognized the Caledonian pieces immediately, and I wondered whether they were originals or copies. King Justinian’s great grandsire, King Seneca was depicted slaying a Grendel with his famed broadsword while the legendary First Pioneers gathered Arcane Dust after clearing a Grendel portal.
Although this place was far more elegant than anything I’d grown up with, I was filled with a strange sense of nostalgia for my home planet, Dobuni. Even with Olav for company, I could see myself enjoying the time spent here.
“This is your room, Space Knight Kjeldsen.” The official gestured at a doorway on the right a few meters down the hallway. As Olav hurled his sack of clothing into the room, the empath walked backward until he was almost at the giant exit door.
“Where’s my room?” I asked him before he could leave.
“You’ll be sharing it with the knight,” he said.
“What!” Olav yelled from inside the room.
“Others guests are occupying the suites elsewhere in this residence,” the official said.
“Other guests?” Olav spat. “I didn’t agree to no others. It was meant to be the whelp and me. No one else.”
“I have my orders,” the empath said before the door pulled shut behind him. The locking mechanisms clanked, and I knew there would be no chance of escaping.
Olav and I were stuck here, along with three enemy Dax.
Chapter 15
Whistling drifted from the other end of the corridor, and I guessed it was coming from one of the Dax. I could smell spiced meat wafting from the same direction, and my empty stomach groaned. While all I’d eaten today was the meager protein gruel the Ecomese served us, I was hesitant to seek out the kitchen when the Dax were in there.
I turned back toward my assigned quarters and found myself with a decision: enter the room with an angry berserker knight, or meet the Dax. Sir Uram had always been kind to me, but I wasn’t sure he would remain that way after the way he was treated by my captain.
When I peered in
to the room, Olav glared at me and dropped his bag onto the bed furthest from the door. Inside the room were two narrow cots only half a meter apart, and I imagined struggling not to touch the berserker in my sleep. That wouldn’t end well, so I’d probably drag the mattress into the hallway to avoid an altercation with him.
I offered the man a smile as a step toward reconciliation. In return, the vein on his shiny forehead bulged and pulsed like a wriggling worm.
“It’s bad enough that I’m stuck with you for a week! Now there’s fucking Dax? This is unbearable!” Olav marched to the door and shoved me in the chest so I stumbled backward. The anger simmering beneath the surface bubbled over, and I went to rush into the room, but the berserker grinned and closed the door in my face.
I was left outside with my bag still slung over my shoulder and wrath burning in my stomach like hot acid. I slammed my fist against the door and ground my teeth. I wished I could break into the room and release my fury on the knight. The door was only a minor inconvenience for me because I could teleport inside. I had seen the room’s layout, so I didn’t need to worry about appearing in the middle of solid matter.
But what would happen after I teleported? I could probably score a few hits on Olav, but he’d already proven himself a better unarmed fighter than me inside the Stalwart’s battle room. If I was going to survive the time in here without serious injury, then I needed to avoid a physical altercation with the berserker. I sighed and tossed my duffle bag onto the floor.
This wasn’t a good start to working out our problems. Olav seemed incapable of forgiveness, and I couldn’t see a way of winning him over. I shouldn’t have doubted Captain Cross’ orders, but this whole situation seemed like a terrible idea.
The delicious scent of cooking food was still floating in the air, but I was hesitant to trace its origin. Instead, I stared at a painting to the left of the doorframe. The artwork depicted Castle Stirling, the home of Queen Catrina. I cherished the memory of her wishing me well on my graduation, and I whispered a silent prayer for her long life and good health.
The more I looked at Castle Stirling, the more my anger at Olav increased. How could he think I was a traitor? I loved our queen and the Caledonian Kingdom more than anyone. I had given my life in service for them, to hunt Grendels and acquire equipment to arm the Space Knights.
Space Knight Book 2 Page 24