by Vi Voxley
Eredin headed right for one of the warriors, who raised a sword to cut his head off his shoulders. He paid the danger no mind, sidestepping the first blow, aware that Rago had also reached the man he'd been aiming for.
Another sword went by Eredin's head so closely he could feel the sharpness of the blade. Refusing to turn his head, Eredin went right for his target. Understanding dawned in the warrior's half-golden eyes and Eredin saw blind fury at the insult of being thought the weakest.
Good. That's all I need.
Anger was a tool in the hands of a good fighter and Eredin used it to his advantage. The warrior's next blow went wide as Eredin dodged and turned, twisting between the six warriors inches from cutting the thread of his life.
Then he went in, catching his target's sword arm out of the air, feeling one of the others stab him in the left shoulder. Grunting, Eredin refused to let go. There was a moment's panic on the warrior's face but then he recoiled. The hand that Eredin was holding bent down, coming close to his bare neck.
Eredin struck out with speed and precision beyond that of the warrior. The gold in his eyes was showing its true colors as he forced his bones to brace against the impact and punched his hand right at the breastplate of the warrior.
It resonated in his flesh, yet his goal was achieved. The warrior gasped like his lungs had collapsed and his grip faltered.
Eredin didn't stay to see if he was okay. The sword now in his hand, he immediately returned to where he'd started, meeting Rago again.
"It's over now," Rago said simply. "With swords in our hands, it's as good as done."
"Agreed," Eredin replied, looking at the warriors gathering around them, pulling the noose around their throats tighter.
A bit further away, Rago's victim lay in a puddle of blood, coughing loudly.
"Go right," Rago told him and Eredin hummed in response, prepared to put their dislike for each other aside for the time being.
For the next ten minutes, at least.
They kept fighting, meeting the elite warriors head-on and taking them down. There was nothing to be done.
The gold in their eyes marked Eredin and Rago out as the lucky few whose bloodlines were so pure they could harness the body-morphing skills of their species, all but lost these days. The warriors facing them were good, but not good enough to compensate against bodies that could force exertion into memory.
Eredin broke the arm of the man who tried to backstab him, turning so quickly he nearly missed the mark, sending the warrior flying through the air. Rago delivered such a blow to one of their opponents the man collapsed as if his legs no longer carried him.
Seconds ticked by. They were minutes away from becoming Templars...
Right then, a man teleported right onto the arena.
Eredin knew who it was at once. He didn't need to ask, he could only stare. The messengers – or so they called the ethereal beings – hadn't visited Corolon in many years, not since they'd brought the Haverin kings their queen.
His heart nearly stopped beating. Could it be real? Could the kindly man in front of him be there with news of his own fated?
Now? Of all times, now!?
"My Lords Eredin and Rago," the messenger said, smiling softly. "I am Reuben. I understand the timing of my arrival is unusual, possibly improper."
"Improper?" Eredin demanded, needing to raise his deep voice to be heard over the cries of protest from the crowds watching them. "That's an understatement. We are to become Templars. We are minutes away from vowing never to bond to a fated."
"Then I'm right on schedule," Reuben said with a smile. "I come to you with news and a plea for help. I'll make this quick so as not to waste time neither you nor your lovely fated have. Yes, my lords, you have a fated. Her name is Joanna. She is a Terran and she is going to die very soon if you don't help her."
Eredin felt the world he knew shake and shatter around him. His very being recoiled before the idea of letting the female who was meant for him die. Every desire, every hope he'd ever had to be bonded rose from the depths of his heart, aching for the woman he'd never even seen.
Until that moment, he'd managed to deny that hope, knowing how rare it was for the gods and fate to tease Templars by giving them a fated. He'd managed to push it to the back of his mind, convincing himself it couldn't be.
Now it was back with a vengeance and one look at Rago told Eredin he felt the same.
Why him? Is this a punishment from the gods for broken vows?
Reuben was observing them with the same smile he'd worn the entire time. The rest of the people present were still stunned. The warriors on the arena didn't dare to approach him.
"Will you go to her?" Reuben asked.
More stupid questions.
"Yes," Rago answered for him, stepping forward. "Now."
"Excellent," Reuben said as a portal opened behind him. "I'm glad you're willing to help her but it's not that simple. First I need to ask her if she wants to be saved."
Three
Joanna
"You're going to have to repeat that," Joanna said.
The teleporting man smiled to her in an understanding way as if it was a natural question. Possibly it was. Joanna wasn't aware of the proper protocol for when she was very clearly about to lose her damn mind.
"Do you see him too?" she asked the nearest crew member.
The woman nodded mutely, completely stunned.
"Gladly, Miss Smith," Reuben said. "I understand this must come as a bit of a shock. You're about to die in seven minutes and I think I can help. I know someone who can, to be precise."
"It was eight minutes before."
"Yes," Reuben allowed with an almost chiding smile. "That is the downside of time. It passes. For humans, at least."
Joanna glared, apparently to Reuben's amusement since his smile spread wider.
"Forgive me," the man said. "That wasn't funny. Come with me, please, Miss Smith. You have seven minutes if you're very lucky. If we stay here, I'm afraid your life will be considerably shorter."
That emptied the hall of all people who figured it didn't just apply to her. Some stayed around, watching from a distance as Joanna ran to the other end of the corridor, peeking back around the corner.
"Safe enough for you?" she asked, not without a sense of irritation. "You better start talking, because I don't appreciate someone appearing out of thin air only to scare me. If I'm going to die, count that I will come to haunt you."
"That would be quite difficult," Reuben said. "You're right, of course. I'll make this brief. Your fateds are waiting."
"My what?" Joanna asked, looking at him, completely perplexed. "You know, I wonder if this entire ship has collectively lost it. That damn Orb... I always thought that if I had some kind of vision before I died, then it would make some sense!"
Reuben straightened his back and said, very formally, like he wasn't spewing utter nonsense:
"I am a representative of Celestial Mates Dating Agency. Normally we wait for people to come to us in search of a match. Sometimes, however, circumstances dictate that we find them. Like in your case.
“I am happy to tell you, Miss Smith, that you are the fated mate of two Haverin warlords. They're exceptionally skilled in battle. I'm sure they would make quick work of your enemies. I can have them here –"
Joanna raised her hand, staring at the man. The words he was saying refused to make sense, but she jumped to the lifeline Reuben seemed to be offering to her. She'd barely listened past the point of "Haverin" and "warlords". Both those words were very good, especially since Joanna figured Reuben wasn't much off in predicting the time the Rivera had left.
"Get them here!" she told Reuben. "By gods, people are going to die very soon! If you have any way to help them, get them here now!"
Reuben nodded, more to himself than her.
"There are conditions to this," he said then. "Nothing is free. Everything has a price. You have to –"
"Yes, yes," Joanna cried as s
he saw the Orochi warriors drop down from the ceiling in the corridor they'd left behind. "Anything, just get help!"
Something glowed behind her, yet Joanna couldn't tear hear eyes away from the Orochi warriors in her ship. They were big and roughly humanoid, if that was what you'd call creatures who looked like someone taught big green lizards to walk.
Orochis had elongated faces with snouts, large teeth and small yellow eyes. The armor they wore was gray and coarse, as if someone had patched it together out of whatever materials they could find.
None of that made the scavengers any less dangerous or deadly. It was a miracle they'd escaped them so far. The only defense they'd had was that the Orochi wouldn't bother with a ship that had nothing of value aboard, but that hadn't been true for a while now.
Joanna wished she knew what the Orb was. If it was just a sacred item, she would have delivered it to the scavengers on a silver platter to save lives.
If the Orb is something else, though... If they want it this much, it must be dangerous and they shouldn't have it. I must go and –
Her train of thought was cut short by the sudden intensity of the glow behind her. Joanna turned and was immediately blinded by gold.
Two men stood behind Reuben, staring at her like she was the most incredible thing they'd ever seen. To realize that, Joanna had to crane her neck because the two warriors towered over her, both more than a head taller. Two pairs of amazing, golden eyes looked back at her.
The warriors were dressed in dark black armors that were obviously made to fit their broad bodies. One of them had shoulder-length icy hair, the other had short hair the color of rye and they were both the most gorgeous men Joanna had ever laid her eyes upon. Despite the perilous situation, she couldn’t help but notice how stunning they both were.
The gazes of the Haverins made her shiver from head to toe, nearly forgetting where she was. The only thing she knew was how fast her heart was beating, as if just being in the same room as those guys was enough to make her ignore the fact that she now likely only had six minutes to live.
Then a scream ripped Joanna right out of her musings.
"Please help my crew. The Orochis..." she yelled, taking a step toward the warriors who reacted like her voice had the power to command them, coming closer at once.
With a quick exchanged look, the icy-haired warrior gave her a nod that looked like a bow.
"We will," he said, his deep voice making Joanna squirm. "Then we will return to you."
They rushed past her, heading right for the attacking Orochis. Joanna could hear the enemies roar and open fire with their short, barking guns.
"Haverins!" she heard one of them call out, the voice hissing and terrified.
Joanna rushed to the first comm console she could see, opening a link to the entire ship.
"Attention all personnel! We are under attack by the Orochi but we have reinforcements! The two warriors in dark armors are here to protect us, do not attack them! I repeat, the two warriors in black are here to help us!"
Shutting off the link, Joanna sneaked back to the corner and looked around it again. Her hazel eyes went wide as she watched the two warriors move in the midst of a squad of enemies, their long swords slashing out and cutting the Orochis wherever they stood. It was a magnificent sight, even if Joanna gasped when one of the enemies struck a good blow the icy-haired warrior barely dodged.
"They are called Eredin and Rago," Reuben said from behind her.
Joanna turned, giving the man a serious look. She’d forgotten he was still there. The battle was still ongoing and she needed to get to the Orb, yet the man spoke like he was still pitching his ludicrous proposal to her.
"Eredin is the one with golden hair," Reuben went on. "They are both Haverin warriors and I'm afraid I didn't choose the best moment to interrupt them. Never mind. They're here now and you have agreed to the Celestial Mates policy."
Joanna frowned.
"You're still going on about that," she said. "There is a battle taking place ten feet from us and you're claiming to be a dating agency. That is the most ridiculous... I've never heard of a dating agency who managed to go to the length of checking their files properly and here you are – playing with time and space. Who are you really? How did you get here?"
Reuben smiled.
"We at the Celestial Mates like to help people find their true love," he said. "And when we say it, we mean it. Time and space, as you said, aren't an issue. We will find people their true match, no matter where – or when – they may be.
"In some special cases, when the people in question are vital to the course of history, we make exceptions to our policies. Like today. Now, Joanna. We need to get to that Orb."
There had been a thousand questions in Joanna's mind. That single sentence wiped them all from her head, though.
"Do you know what it is?" she demanded.
"I know a lot," Reuben said simply, shrugging. "We should hurry. Tell the boys to come with us."
Joanna looked around the corner.
"They don't look like they'll take orders from anyone," she said.
"They will come if you ask," Reuben encouraged her. "Now, Miss. The Orochi can't have it back. It's too dangerous in their hands."
So it IS a weapon of some sorts.
More questions jumped into her head. The urgency in Reuben's voice made Joanna move, though.
"Stay behind me," she warned him, hearing the man chuckle lightly as she rushed out from cover, the gun in her hand.
Up ahead, the warriors seemed to know she was there with some unknown sense. They both moved to cover her approach, never taking their eyes off the melee.
When Joanna reached them, the warriors had just finished off the last of the Orochi that had come through the ceiling and the corridors nearby. Breathing heavily, they turned to her, although Joanna could have sworn they were breathing heavily more from seeing her than the fight.
Before they could say anything, Joanna briefed them quickly, trying her best not to get distracted by them again.
"I think the Orochi are here for something. We found an Orb on one of the planets we were investigating and they were there too. Miraculously, they didn't attack us and we left quickly. They were looking for something as well on that planet.
“Then they began chasing us. I suggested we fling it out of the airlock a while ago, but right now this man here – Reuben – told me to go and get it. We have to stop the Orochi from getting to it first. I don't know what it is but if the Orochi need it, they can't have it!"
The warriors were staring at her with shocked expressions.
"The Orb?" the one called Eredin repeated. "You mean the Orb of the Orochi? How did you –"
"Show us," Rago cut in and without looking back, Joanna started running again.
Questions could wait.
The day couldn't get any weirder anyway, even if it tried.
Four
Rago
He'd never felt elation like that before.
Back on Corolon, when the messenger had appeared, Rago had thought that there was no way he'd let his fated die if he could do anything to save her. His desire to see her, even if just for one moment, overshadowed an entire life of dedication to becoming a Templar.
In his foolish naivety, Rago had believed that he couldn't feel anything more powerful than that. What less than that could make him desert the final ceremony?
Seeing Joanna run through the halls of the strange Terran ship, that presumption was proved so terribly wrong it broke his mind to pieces. Then it reassembled every bit of him around the female, the most gorgeous being he'd ever seen.
"It's through here," Joanna was calling to them as they ran, Eredin and him taking down any Orochi they saw in the hallways.
It seemed the tide of the battle was turning. Rago had heard scared, terrified warnings of the enemy, saw them scatter from them, running back to their ships. Obviously the Orochis had come, expecting an easy conquest. Meeting two Haverin warl
ords, and staunch resistance from the crew, wasn't what they'd been prepared for.
"What is that thing anyway?" Joanna asked, her beautiful voice breathless from running. "You said it was theirs? The way they stubbornly kept coming after us made me wonder if it's sacred to them? I didn't think the scavengers were the religious type."
Her voice sent a thrill through Rago's body unlike any other. No female he'd ever been with – the Templars were not celibate until their induction into the order – had ever made him feel like that, not even close.
They had been nothing more than flickering flames where Joanna was a raging inferno, turning him on with her mere presence alone. His cock ached, so hard it was painful. Not even the fight had been able to take his mind off the female.
My fated.
Rago had never thought he'd see her. He'd never dared to dream she even existed. What were the gods thinking, to punish him by dangling the sweetest thing in life in front of him?
"If it is what we think it is," Rago answered, seeing how her beautiful hazel eyes immediately turned to him, "then we need to reach it before they do and take it back with us. The Orb... it's a weapon. It can be, at least."
Joanna's features twisted into a disdainful expression, yet even irritation looked gorgeous on her. The fierce spirit burned and soared under the surface, a sign she was as strong-willed as she was beautiful.
Rago groaned silently. The truth was right there, blooming in his mind. Come what may, he knew he could never give her up now that he'd found her.
"So I was right," Joanna murmured loud enough for them to hear. "We should have left it there. Is it too dangerous for us to handle?"
That Rago didn't know. The Orb was practically a myth. Eredin had merely guessed when he heard the words "Orochi" and "Orb" together. No one had seen the mythical item in centuries, or more. The true purpose of the sphere was equally unknown, just guessed at.
It didn't change a thing. If it was half it was rumored to be, a weapon capable of unimaginable destruction, it couldn't fall into the hands of the Orochi.