“They love to snoop where they’re not wanted. But they know the rules; the warriors’ area is strictly for Vorten.” He raised his voice. “No stinking Fraken allowed.”
Bladen shook his head and pushed a hand through his short, dark hair. “And you think the Fraken are true to their word? Especially after what happened in Axen’s game?”
Lazet shrugged. “If they start asking questions about what we talk about in here, we’d know they’re listening in. It will give us a reason to break this ridiculous tie we have with them.”
“And go against the Elders orders?”
“I thought we were already doing that.” Lazet raised his eyebrows. He’d been burning with curiosity ever since the conversation he’d had with Axen, the first warrior to escape the Fraken games. Axen had told his elite warriors little of his plans, and all Lazet knew was they were not to kill their prey but make the game appear convincing. But what next? He trusted Axen like a brother, more than a blood brother. They were warrior brothers, protecting each other for life. But he wanted to know the next step. Were they really going to bring down these stupid games? Lazet hoped so.
Thunde crashed through the door, slamming it behind him before slumping onto a bench, his broad shoulders raised to his ears.
“Good day at the office?” Lazet grinned at Thunde as he sat next to him.
“The idiot Fraken getting in my way, as usual,” said Thunde. “They’re lucky I don’t crack their heads together. Three times I got stopped and asked where I was going and who I’d spoken to.”
“They’re asking a lot of questions,” said Lazet, “ever since Axen did his vanishing act.”
Bladen pressed a finger to his lips before striding over and sitting opposite Lazet and Thunde. “They’re going to remain suspicious. When I returned from my last trip, they questioned me about what happened.”
“What did you tell them?” asked Thunde.
“Nothing of value. I don’t know where Axen is.”
“And what about his woman?” asked Lazet. “What was that all about? I’ve been trying to figure it out ever since that comms with them. They could barely keep their hands off each other.”
“She looks fragile,” said Thunde. “He will crush her. He should have crushed her during the game.”
“Eloise Harper can hold her own,” said Bladen. “She surprised me when we met. She might be small, but she’s determined. Axen told me she broke her arm during the game but still kept going.”
“Why did Axen keep her alive?” asked Lazet. “And how did the two of them get out?”
Bladen leaned forward, his voice a low whisper. “I can’t say too much, mainly because I don’t know everything. Axen wants us kept in the dark as much as possible, in case the Fraken start demanding information or use truth serums on us.”
“They can try,” grunted Thunde.
“If we don’t have information to give, then we are useless to them,” said Bladen.
“Not that we’d share anything with them, anyway,” said Lazet.
“Axen knows we’re loyal to him, but he wants to keep us protected,” said Bladen. “For now, we act as if everything is normal. We take part in the games, we train, and we do what we always do.”
“And what is Axen doing while we do that?” asked Lazet.
“Making plans,” said Bladen. “Big plans. And you heard his instruction; we aren’t to kill any human women we go up against in the Fraken games.”
“But that’s what we’re here for,” said Lazet. “Not that I’m into killing something so defenceless, it’s hardly a fair fight. But why are we changing things now?”
“That’s his orders. I can’t tell you any more than that.” Bladen sat back and focused his navy-blue eyes on Thunde and Lazet. “Are you still both in? Axen knows he’s asking a lot of you.”
“Of course,” they said in unison.
“But it would be good to know exactly what we’re in for,” said Thunde.
Lazet grinned at his warrior brother. He knew Thunde well and had fought by his side for many cycles. Thunde looked like an overinflated muscle head, but he liked to have everything in order and all the options considered before he set out on a mission. But once he knew what he had to do, you couldn’t shake him from his path. Stubborn was a perfect word to describe Thunde. Stubborn and built like an exo-tank.
Lazet always felt small next to Thunde. He was the youngest and smallest in the warrior squad and always felt he had to fight to keep his place. It was nothing any of the others did to make him feel like that, but it was his own belief that he wasn’t a good fit, always needing to prove he was good enough.
The door to the warrior room signaled a Fraken was waiting outside. Fraken had to seek permission before entering. It was a rule the warriors enjoyed enforcing.
Bladen stood and unlocked the door. It slid back to reveal a Fraken, Three Claws, standing erect with a lightning stick in his hand, his scales covered by light molded black body armor.
Lazet and Thunde both rose, their hands resting on their weapons belts.
Three Claws’ yellow gaze drifted over them before stopping at Lazet. “It’s time.”
Lazet placed his gun on the bench, grabbed his kit bag, and slung it over one shoulder. “I’m ready when you are, handsome.”
Bladen rested a hand on Lazet’s shoulder as he passed him and leaned towards his ear. “Just remember the rules, no killing.”
Lazet nodded. “I’ll put on a good show for the audience. They won’t have a clue what’s going on.”
Bladen thumped his shoulder once.
“Stay safe, Quark.” Thunde raised a hand.
Lazet grinned. “Always do. This game will be easy.” All he had to do was keep himself alive, save the human, and get the hell out of there, and into whatever plan Axen had in store for them all.
Chapter 2
“Strip and wash.” The Fraken shoved the cudgel end of his lightning stick into Melody’s back.
She stopped walking and turned, glaring up into his cold eyes. “You don’t have to keep shoving me; just tell me where to go.”
The Fraken shook his head and sneered at her. “Decontamination. You’ve been there before.”
Melody shuddered. All the women had been thrown into the decontamination unit when they’d been dragged off the Capella. They’d been covered in foul smelling powder that had burnt their eyes and then had to stand naked under freezing water before being given injections with who knew what.
The Fraken bared his sharp teeth. “It will get the filth off you. All the parasites will be gone.” He gestured with his lightning stick, and Melody reluctantly turned and continued walking.
“In there,” said the Fraken, tapping Melody’s left shoulder.
Melody recognized the room. It had a dozen shower units and an open plan area with a single bench running down the middle. She recalled the way the women had screamed when the Fraken entered and started shoving them around when they first arrived. Several women had been taken and never seen again. She hoped their deaths had been quick.
“Get on with it,” growled the Fraken.
“Only if you don’t watch. I never take a shower with someone whose name I don’t know.” Melody folded her arms over her chest and turned to face the Fraken. Up close, she could see each individual scale on his skin. They gleamed under the harsh overhead lighting as if they were slicked in oil.
The Fraken’s gaze ran over Melody’s body. “Some of my comrades enjoy human flesh, but there’s only one thing I like doing to it.” He clicked his teeth together.
A trickle of fear ran through Melody’s stomach. She stomped to the furthest shower unit, removed her clothes when she was inside, and then switched on the water. As before, it was freezing cold. She grabbed a stick of soap and rubbed it swiftly over her body. It left a slimy trail over her skin that she couldn’t wash off, no matter how hard she tried.
“You’re done,” said the Fraken. “Out here.”
Melody
grabbed her clothes and held them in front of her.
“You won’t need those,” said the Fraken.
“I’m not going into the game naked!”
“We’re equipping you,” said the Fraken, giving a snort of laughter.
Melody kept hold of her clothes. “What kind of environment are you sending me into?”
“The environment you will die in.” The Fraken shoved a pair of black boots, a thick thermal coat, black trousers, and a black top at her.
Melody glowered at him. The Fraken could create any kind of game environment they wished. They used a mixture of terraforming and advanced holographic technology. From the looks of the clothing she’d just been given, she was going to be somewhere cold. And she hated the cold.
Rubbing the water off her the best she could, Melody pulled her damp hair off her face and dressed in her new clothes.
“Over here,” said the Fraken. He handed her a bag. “Food, water, and a Medi-kit.”
“How kind of you,” said Melody.
“Doubt you’ll need it,” said the Fraken. “You won’t last a day.”
“That won’t be much fun for your gamblers,” said Melody.
The Fraken closed the gap between them, and Melody smelt his rancid breath on her cheek. “They’ll be happy to see you dead. As will I. You’re trouble.”
“You mean, I don’t curl into a ball in one corner and cry every time I see your ugly scaled face and beg you not to hurt me?”
“You’re disobedient,” said the Fraken, “an embarrassment to your race.”
“I don’t care what others think about me.” Melody glared up at the Fraken. “And I refuse to be beaten by you.”
“Walk.” The Fraken shoved her in the shoulder, and Melody stumbled backwards. He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back before yanking her towards a closed door.
“I’ll beat your stupid game,” muttered Melody.
The cudgel end of the Fraken’s lightning stick shoved into her kidney and made her gasp. “No one has beaten our games.”
“Not true.” Melody looked back at the Fraken. “You’ve been beaten before.”
The Fraken snorted. “Not by a human. That’s never going to happen. And you’re up against a Vorten. They never lose. A few of our weaker warriors have been killed, but that doesn’t mean the prey got out alive. We have other ways of dealing with them.”
Melody gave him a sideways look. Something in the Fraken’s harsh tone made her wonder. Despite the fact she didn’t believe Eloise had escaped, something had happened that he wasn’t happy about. He wasn’t gloating over Eloise’s death for a start, and Fraken loved to gloat about the successes in their games. It gave her a tiny glimmer of hope. If Eloise had found a way out, maybe she’d left a clue to help everyone else. Melody shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Eloise had no way to leave clues. No, she was dead and in the ground.
“Stop.” The Fraken paused by a door. “Give our audience what they want. Make your death spectacular.”
“I’m not going to die.” Melody ignored the rush of adrenalin in her veins. This was it. She was about to enter the game.
The Fraken grunted out a guttural laugh. “You’re not going to survive. If I have to come in there myself and kill you, I will. I would take great pleasure in that.”
“Get ready to be disappointed,” said Melody. “I’m going to do everything I can to ruin this for you.”
The lightning stick smashed into the side of her head, spinning so quickly that Melody only registered a blur of movement. She fell to her knees and clutched her head. Her fingers came away bloody.
“That’s for being disobedient.” The Fraken opened the door to the game, and a cold swirl of wind swept in around them.
“Fraken scum,” muttered Melody.
The Fraken grabbed the collar of her coat and dragged her through the game entrance. He threw Melody forward, and she tumbled to the ground, her head pounding and vision blurry.
Melody flipped onto her back, feeling wetness seep through her clothes as she lay there.
The Fraken pressed his foot to her throat and smirked. “Welcome to your game. Have a good death.”
Melody gasped for air but refused to drop her gaze.
The Fraken grunted, backed away, and closed the door. Melody finally allowed the fear shakes to take over, now that she was alone.
She tried to stand, but her head throbbed and her stomach rolled. “Five minutes of rest, and then I’ll move.” Melody swiped blood out of her eyes. “Five minutes, that’s all I need.”
***
“What delightful opponents have you got lined up for me, this time?” Lazet strolled behind Three Claws as he led him towards the game.
“You’ll soon find out.”
“Not even a tiny clue?”
“This one shouldn’t be a challenge for you,” said Three Claws. “But these prey are a favorite of the audience, right now.”
“So, I’ll be out in time for a late breakfast?”
“If you choose to be.”
Lazet felt his fists clenching and forced himself to relax. He longed to take down the Fraken. They enjoyed nothing more than humiliating other races and taking what wasn’t theirs.
“You’ve been instructed to put on a good show,” said Three Claws.
“Whose instruction was that?”
“Your Elders,” said Three Claws. “They support our games, and so will you.”
Lazet gritted his teeth. They had to obey their Elders requests, and it had long been agreed their elite warriors would take part in these games.
“When do I ever disappoint?” Lazet forced a grin.
Three Claws snorted and adjusted his grip on the lightning stick he held.
Lazet masked a smirk. Three Claws was longing to strike him down. But if he did, Lazet wouldn’t hesitate in fighting back. It would give him great pleasure to take down one of his enemies.
Three Claws stopped outside the door to the game and pressed his hand against the access panel. The door slid open, and a soft drift of snow floated in.
Lazet’s already bad mood deepened. He hated being cold. Even though he wore adaptive clothing, and only extreme cold bothered him, he loved feeling the sun on his skin. He adjusted the pack on his back and did a quick check of his weapons harness and belt.
“Have a good kill.” Three Claws stepped back as Lazet entered the game, and the door slid shut behind him.
He took a moment to look around. It was rocky terrain, covered in ice and snow, dead looking trees covering part of the landscape. There was a large forested area off to his right, and a rock face suggesting caves and shelter.
As he walked through the game, he mentally noted landmarks to make navigation easier. Lazet had been in the Fraken games for three cycles and had succeeded in every one of them. Most of his prey gave up when they realized who they were fighting against. The legend of Vorten warriors resounded across this star system and farther into the galaxy.
In the beginning, Lazet had enjoyed taking part. He’d seen it as a way to hone his skills and learn from the other warriors as to the most effective way to kill. It all changed when he’d been tracking a contestant from the Galet race. They were known for their gentle nature and drive to treat illnesses in others. He’d discovered this trembling, half dead male, who’d been delirious with fever, curled in a cave and had begged Lazet for a swift death.
Lazet had looked away when he’d killed this particular prey. It hadn’t felt like a victory kill, but more of a mercy killing. After that, a hollowness grew within him each time he stepped into a game. He had another two cycles of being in the games before he was free. What would he be like after he left? Maybe Axen was onto something with this elusive plan of his. Lazet almost couldn’t remember the time before he’d been involved with the games.
Lazet spotted several birds flying high in the sky. They were most likely sentient drones used to monitor the game when their advanced satellite links weren’t provid
ing clear footage.
Well, he’d make a good game of this. He would do what Axen requested and wouldn’t kill the human woman if she was in this game. But he would have fun stalking her and making the Fraken believe he was intending to kill her. He smiled grimly to himself. It was all he was good at.
Chapter 3
The light was already fading when Melody opened her eyes. Her clothes were soaked through, and her teeth chattered. How long had she been out?
Groaning as she pulled herself to her feet, Melody grabbed a handful of snow and wiped dried blood from her head. That Fraken was going to pay for striking her; anything could have found her unconscious on the ground.
She stalked through the snow, her toes numb and bones feeling like icicles. Her head still pounded from where the Fraken had struck her, but she resisted using any of the Medi-kit. There were only a few wound patches and one Healing Stick in there. She needed to keep them for the worst of the injuries she might face.
As she walked, Melody gathered stones and placed them in her pocket. They’d serve as potential weapons if she came across any Fraken beasts, or worse, encountered the Vorten who was going to kill her. She also grabbed a large stick from the ground; its end looked suitably pointed. She might be able to do some damage with that.
Adjusting it until it was a comfortable fit in her hand, Melody continued walking. She’d need to find a safe place to shelter before night arrived. And from the looks of things, it was going to be a long, dark, cold night. The back of her coat was frozen solid and slowed down her progress. That was another black mark against the Fraken. Yes, she’d make him pay if she ever saw him again. She laughed quietly to herself.
Melody had been walking for an hour when she stopped at the base of a rock face. She strode alongside the rocks, studying the jagged, pale stone. “There must be some sort of opening around here,” she muttered.
Ten minutes of searching led to the discovery of a small cave. It would fit about four people, and after a quick look inside, it appeared to be unoccupied. Melody rubbed her frozen hands together; the Fraken hadn’t supplied her with thermal gloves, and her hands were numb. She tucked them into her pockets and stamped around for a few minutes in an attempt to warm up.
Lazet (Vortex Alien Warriors Book 2) Page 2