Broken

by C. R. Jane

  The cold settled in fast, and being wet, the chill had me shivering.

  Another snarl came from up ahead, and I skidded to a stop, clutching my bag to my chest. I gasped for air, glancing left and right. I jolted sideways, deeper in the woods, the ground stabbing my feet with each step.

  Another growl came from that direction too.

  Panic strangled my chest, and with instinct taking charge, I rushed to a nearby tree with a low hanging branch. Threading the bag’s strap over my head, I threw myself upward and snatched the branch. I climbed the tree with my feet, then drew myself up and swung onto the branch, my heart pounding. But I was too close to the ground, so I scaled higher, finally taking a seat fifteen or so feet off the ground and trying to catch my breath.

  I scanned the grounds only to see the purple boar dart past the tree, making his musical notes, which seemed so wrong. No signs of the other females.

  Another growl sliced through the afternoon, and I shuffled closer to the trunk, clutching it, convinced whatever made that sound wasn’t the boar.

  Night crawled over the sky, and howls continued along with numerous other animal cries and noises. I made the decision to spend the night in the tree, even if I had to stay awake to avoid falling out. Better to take my chances up here then down below.

  Settled with my back to the trunk, I shifted until I found the most comfortable position and slouched back, my legs straddling a thick branch. The bark pinched my ass and here I was spread and naked out in the open. I ought to be mortified, but my only worry was that no bugs found me.

  Staring up through the canopy, I found three moons, two of them so close, it felt like I could reach up and touch them.

  Despite the beauty of this place, a sense of emptiness swept through me. Here I was on an alien planet, so far from my home, but the irony was that I never felt at home on Earth either. Not since losing my parents. With the Vepar’s reaction to my presence on their planet, it told me all the missing people from Earth couldn’t have been brought here, so where were they? Were Mom and Dad still alive somewhere?

  Please be alive.

  A half snort, half musical sound shuddered me awake, and the first thing I saw was the ground swinging toward me as I was falling out of the tree.

  Panic gripped my heart as I frantically grasped for the branch, my body lurching sideways. Adrenaline soared through my veins and I let my legs swing outward while I gripped the tree, dangling there, my body swinging back and forth.

  I stretched my legs down to find leverage on the next branch down. I shuffled toward the trunk, and quickly let go of the branch to wrap my arms around the tree. In slow motion, I climbed down, my breaths rushing in and out of my lungs so hard, I must have sounded like a grunting beast.

  Morning streaked the sky in purples and oranges. I dropped to the forest ground. With my back pressed to the trunk, I checked my surroundings when the terrified cry came again and from my right. I flinched, not daring to move, except the cries weren’t of an attacking animal, but despair.

  Without hesitation, I went to investigate because to hear any animal in distress killed me on the inside. Or what if it was one of the other women in trouble? Around an oversized shrub with golden berries, I spotted a tiny purple piglet with the tiniest tusks tangled up in vines and tree roots. All three eyes were wide and the little thing was thrashing for escape, shaking with terror.

  “How did you get caught up in there?” I bent at the waist and leaned down to help him.

  He pulled from me, his back legs wrapped up on the vines, so I made busy work of tearing them off him, one bit at a time.

  “Is this a trap?” I asked, but he just made small crying sounds that broke my heart. With him free, I picked him up, his little belly round like he’d just eaten. Thrashing in my hands, I set him down away from the shrubs and freed him. He stood there and squeaked once more.

  “You’re welcome. Now you better get out of here.”

  I took my own advice, needing to reach the target by the end of today, and marched toward the mountains. My stomach growled but I could live without food for one more day.

  Twigs snapped under my feet, stabbing my soles, and if I could have anything right now, it was shoes.

  The snap of foliage came from behind, and I jerked around, my heart hitting the back of my throat. My gaze fell on the small piggy tracking after me.

  “You can’t come with me. Go back and find your family.”

  He halted and stared at me, all three eyes blinking, so I turned and kept going. Looking over my shoulder frequently, I saw that he kept following me.

  I kept wondering if his mom was alright after being chased by the women yesterday.

  From beyond the fluttering of the wind and rustling leaves came another sound. Heavy and guttural, it was distinct and I couldn’t place it to anything I’d recognize. I froze on the spot, the piglet rushing to my feet and hiding behind me, and I listened, willing the sound to fade and vanish.

  But it grew louder, closer from the direction we came. The piglet cried, and I backed away because whatever made the terrifying sound wasn’t a boar and it was coming this way.

  The shrubs and trees swayed wildly ahead. The crunch of gravel suggested it might be a deer or even a rabbit, except I wasn’t on earth. And when the snarling growl came again, I doubted with every inch of my being that it belonged to anything cute and fluffy.

  Fear cut through me, so I swung around, swiped the piglet off the ground and ran. I couldn’t leave him behind. My sights set on the mountains close now, and I kept running, not stopping. Distance was all that mattered.

  Someone screamed behind me, high pitched and terrifying. I flinched, fear choking me. I looked back, but a shadow flitted through the woods, and I couldn’t stop now.

  Not when my own scream rose through me. My feet ached and pinched, the woodland jabbing me, snagging on my hair, scratching my body.

  But no stopping.

  Glancing behind me, I saw it and my scream rushed out.

  Running on two feet, a monster the same color as a muddied lawn with yellow eyes was hunched forward, sprinting towards me. What sort of animal was this?

  Eyes glued on me, it unleashed a wailing screech, and I stumbled over a tree root almost losing my footing, but I caught myself.

  I set the piglet on the ground and jammed my hand into my bag, grabbing my blade. I spun to face the oncoming fiend. I couldn’t outrun him and I’d rather face an enemy than let him jump me from behind.

  A sign of desperation had him coming for me, arms stiff by his body, leaping over dead logs, his mouth open like a ravenous tiger. The string of gravelly snarls that fell from his mouth escalated, and with every rushed step he took, the muscles shifted beneath his skin.

  I trembled, barely able to grasp the knife because I’d never fought before, but I had no choice. So I stood my ground.

  Four other figures flanked the monster in the woods, but I couldn’t look away. Couldn’t deal with more of these things coming for me. Each movement of theirs was fluid and rapid.

  Suddenly I felt foolish for thinking I could take this thing on.

  He lunged at me, clawed hands first, mouth gaping open, and all I saw were eyes like sallow lamplight, yet they looked familiar...

  Adrenaline pumped and beat through me.

  Legs apart, knees bent, I grasped the blade, trembling. He was too fast, too strong.

  Within striking range, I swung out my blade to strike his heart, but he dodged my attack.

  He slammed into me, his hand snatching my wrist with the weapon before I could swing it him again. Feet tangled under me, I cried out as I fell backward, hitting the dirt.

  He leaped onto me, his weight pressing down on my body, hissing, his words inaudible. Teeth dug into my shoulder, nails digging into my sides.

  I thrashed and screamed, kicked and convulsed against him. My yells rang in my ears as a piercing pain sliced my flesh. I pressed my spine into the dirt, the heat from the scorching bite mar
ks across my collarbone rising, and my heart pounded to a climbing temp.

  I couldn’t die here.

  Wouldn’t.

  My legs and arms exploded in violent motion, and I fought with everything I had for my life.

  The monster suddenly arched backward, barking a cry of agony.

  He rolled off me, wailing, his arms reaching for something in his back.

  I scrambled backward and rushed to my feet, barely able to breath and my eyes pricked with tears. I stared at him, frozen and terrified. Four knives were jammed into his back, and black goo slid out from the wounds. He kept convulsing, but his jerky movements slowed until he slumped on the ground, his bright eyes fading to black coals and the wisp of mist around his body disappeared with the breeze.

  A pungent stench like rotten eggs struck my senses, and I groaned, placing a hand over my nose and mouth.

  Four of the women from the challenge stood around the monster, including Zeni who eyed me with curiosity. Their chests rose and fell, hands fisted. Blood smeared across their faces and chests, three of them were the same women who’d hunted down the boar. Warrior women, they were the opposite of who they portrayed themselves to be back in the city.

  “They always stink when they die,” the one with bull-like green horns said. She had matching tiny scales running along her temples...also matching her nipples.

  I could barely find my voice, let alone speak.

  The monster’s body seemed to morph into a dark fog, wisping away from his body, and that was when the truth hit me and I knew exactly who this was.

  Khonsu,” I hissed.

  “You got that right,” the brunette added.

  “Thank you.” I looked up at them, my teeth chattering, and I clenched my jaw to stop.

  “He attacked our camp this morning,” the blue haired female with round hips added. “There aren’t supposed to be any Khonsu in these woods. It’s a protected sanctuary.”

  I nodded, remembering the stories from the Vepar about the Khonsu hunting females on their planet, how a large portion of their world was now uninhabitable.

  “We better move,” the woman who sat next to me in the ship instructed. “There could be more.”

  I turned and reached down for my bag, when my shoulder screamed with pain. Deep teeth marks, puffy and bloody sat over my shoulder, more peppered toward my collarbone under my mouth. Searing pain tore over my skin like someone marked me with a branding iron. The urge to fall to my knees and curl in on myself grew as something primeval settled inside me. All I felt was the scolding ache. I used my hand to wipe the blood dripping down my arm, but it was useless. What I needed were stitches and a bandage.

  In slow motion, I crouched down and reached for my bag, only to find the little pig curled underneath, so I snatched him up as well and stuffed him in my bag before turning to the women.

  They stared at me expectantly, no one moving.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, praying they wouldn’t have an issue with my little hitchhiker.

  “Which direction do we need to go?” the Brunette asked, while her two friends collected their blades from the creature.

  “Don’t you know?” I shifted the strap to my uninjured shoulder.

  “We’ve been following you,” Zeni spoke up. “You’re close to the three Vepar and they gave you the answer, didn’t they?” Sarcasm lined her accusation.

  I shook my head. “They’ve told me nothing. But I’ve been following the valley, figuring it would be a faster walk than the other.” I didn’t dare tell them the elf Vepar’s hint and swallowed hard as they all started marching past me, deeper into the woods. I had no idea if they believed me or not.

  When Zeni strolled past me, she halted and sniffed the air. “Come, let’s go. There’s a plant I can find to help cleanse your injuries.”

  Stumped, I wasn’t sure whether to trust her or not, but I joined her on our fast walk through the woods, and I cringed on the inside each time I stepped on something sharp. She never made a sound. No one did, they just all kept moving.

  Zeni fell behind me, but I kept moving. It wasn’t long before she caught up with me. “Let me put this on your wounds.”

  I nodded, needing anything to stop the sting from the bite, and I sure didn’t want to catch any alien virus from his saliva. There was also the matter of whether he had infected me with his poison. The last thing I needed was to start hallucinating out here in the middle of nowhere.

  Zeni had several small leaves she’d crunched in her fist and small droplets of green juice rolled over their surface. She reached over and placed it over the bite mark.

  The sting felt like she’d dabbed vinegar on my open wound. I bit down on my lower lip until that hurt and shut my eyes as she rubbed the leaves across my lesions.

  When she finished, I opened my eyes to see she had hers shut, almost swaying on the spot and licking her lower lip.

  “Are you alright?” I asked, and her eyes snapped open, something dark swirling behind them.

  Her mouth pulled into a grin so wide, it scared me a bit. “Absolutely.” Her voice dripped with honey, and my breath hitched all the way down to my lungs because I shouldn’t have trusted her or believed she wanted to help me.

  “What did you put on my injuries?”

  “Healing potion and you’re welcome. More than you deserve for stealing my Vepar.” She strolled through the woods to catch up with the other women.

  Goosebumps slid over my flesh, and a chaotic onslaught of panic crawled through me. I made a mistake and let down my guard. The wounds burned but was that the leaves doing their job or was she just being a bitch?

  I had to believe I’d be okay or I wouldn't take another step, and I hurried after the women, ready to reach the destination and get out of this forsaken forest.

  The rest of the day dragged by. My feet ached, but the pain across my bite marks had subsided. The bleeding had stopped and I couldn’t feel the skin around the wounds, but I kept going, holding my bag and the little pig close to me. I checked the bag again and he’d fallen asleep with his head inside the pot. At least someone was content.

  With the sun starting to lower, our pace picked up as we now traveled along the valley, where pebbles covered the forest floor and few trees grew. The wind grew cold, and I crossed my arms for warmth.

  “Do you think the other women have made it to the final target?” I asked, breaking the silence we’d shared for the last few hours.

  “Maybe,” the brunette spoke with her back to me, everyone just breathing hard and marching onward.

  Hours later with night starting to creep over the sky, my body burning with exhaustion, and fear pricking my chest that we’d miss our target, we emerged into an open field, past the mountains. And up ahead, a circular set of lights beamed, bringing our attention to the ship parked a couple of yards away.

  I small whimper of relief fell from my lips, and I suddenly breathed easier and moved faster. All five of us ran toward it, laughing, and I never thought I’d be so happy to see a spaceship. Holding my bag with the little piggy, I smiled and laughed for the first time since arriving on Veon.

  The elf Vepar was waiting for us, and he handed clothes and water to each of us as we passed him, congratulating each woman. When I reached him, he winked and pressed clean clothes into my hands and water. “Knew you could do it.” He leaned closer. “But you weren’t supposed to bring any of the girls with you.”

  I realized then that he must have been working with Derrial and the men to ensure only I won, but Zeni and the others were too suspicious. It never occured to me, and I felt foolish for being so blindsighted.

  “What about the other women?”

  He shook his head. “They’re trackers show them still heading to the other valley. They won’t make it. Get in the ship, we’re about to take off.”

  Only five women passed the first test, so better than ten. I set my bag down and got dressed rapidly, before collecting my little stowaway and crading him inside the
bag in my arms. He squirmed and let out a small musical note. When I looked inside, he yawned. “Almost there.”

  I hurried on the ship and took a seat as far from the others as possible. If I intended to survive, I’d have to be savvier in my approach.

  When we landed back in the city, each girl was escorted out to a holding place until the next mission. No outside influencers.

  When I entered my room, they shut the door behind me and the familiar sound of a lock clicked in place. Yep, it wasn’t a prison but it might as well be.

  The lights flicked on, and I flinched to find three figures in my room. My back hit the door, only to find friendly, sexy smiles and my three Vepar waiting for me.

  “Are you allowed to be here?” I stepped deeper into a large room only, and I figured most other things were tucked into the walls.

  “We can’t stay long.” Derrial reached out for my hand and pressed my knuckles to his mouth. “But we had to check on you after we heard you arrived in time.”

  The piglet’s head popped out of my bag and made a singsong sound, grabbing everyone’s attention.

  “Why do you have a Raxu in your bag?” Derrial asked, sounding amused. “Those things are super territorial and aggressive.”

  I glanced down and scratched his head as he made a cute chirping sound. “Thane Junior won’t hurt anyone. I’m calling him TJ.”

  Corran burst out laughing and clapped a hand to Thane’s back. “She named a Raxu after you.”

  Derrial couldn’t stop chuckling, while Thane eyed me and the piglet with narrowed eyes.

  “He’s cute just like you, and super persistent,” I added.

  He strolled closer, those emerald green eyes calling to me, framed by the darkest lashes and thickest eyebrows. My attention fell to his lips, slightly parted. Would he kiss me?

  Instead, he reached down and lifted the little piglet into his arms, holding him against his chest. “I’ll take TJ with me. Pets aren’t allowed here.” He leaned over, his lips grazing mine, and I should have pushed him aside but I craved his touch, all of their touches. My mind filled with images of him taking me the other day, and I’d been craving those moments, desperately holding onto the memories. Our mouths merged and his tongue danced with me, while TJ sang his tune between us.