Riley looked up at the blue lights embedded every ten feet, wondering where the cameras were. There was no doubt she was already the prime feature on a big screen somewhere. She stuck out her hand and flipped the bird, waving it around at whoever was watching.
Take Hoda’s advice and find yourself a weapon.
Riley knew she had to use her time wisely, but making the trek down the hall was difficult. Just because she didn’t hear or see anything in the corridor, didn’t mean there wasn’t a surprise waiting for her at the other end.
Riley stopped in her tracks when the hallway opened into a small chamber. She stared at the mangled skeleton lying on the dirt floor. An ax was protruding from its skull.
You need a weapon, Riley coached herself.
Riley’s hands shook as she gripped the handle. She gagged as she rocked the hatchet back and forth, working it free from the bone. Riley couldn’t believe what she’d been reduced to, as she tested the weight of the ax.
I’ve never chopped wood. What the hell am I going to do with this?
Riley hadn’t studied up on offensive moves, or knife work. All the self-defense videos she watched were about getting away from an assailant, once they captured her. She assumed she would only have to defend herself in jail, till the guards arrived. The people she faced, since waking up on Distraho, made back alley muggers and prison bitches look like a litter of cuddly puppies.
So, are you going to just lay down and die? I don’t think so. Man up, Riley.
Riley closed her eyes, and summoned all the anger she’d been repressing, as she thought about what had been done to her and poor Exo. For the first time, Riley was thankful for the little implant goading her on. She might not be a trained fighter, but she had incentive.
Cyprian de Praefectus
Riley didn’t look good as the amphibian guard led her away. Cyprian clenched his fists, repressing the urge to storm after the bastards guarding her. The thought of how frightened she was, and what might be waiting for her, was enraging. Cyprian wouldn’t wish this on his worst enemy. The blood sport was the ultimate greedy perversion. The Topus Overseer needed to die.
“So, you’re really planning on going in there to hunt that female?” Mave asked with a hint of admiration in his voice.
“I paid the credits for the honor, didn’t I.”
“Sounds like fun,” Adeoda grunted begrudgingly.
Cyprian had to ignore the male. Adeoda was just like the other pieces of shit he was competing against. Sick bastards who paid an outrageous sum for the chance to torment a tiny female. There was no way the general was going to let them get near her, any of them.
“Here. Take my bandolier.” Vintor pulled Cyprian aside to give him the collection of weapons.
“Thanks. Hold my disrupter,” Cyprian replied as he strapped on Vintor’s weapons.
This was a fight to the death, but only primitive weapons were allowed. Beyond that, there were no rules.
“You know what you’re going to have to do when you reach Riley, right?” Vintor asked under his breath.
Cyprian glared at Vintor and repressed the rumble in his chest. He didn’t need a reminder of the twisted rules of the game. His hands were tied.
“Sorry. See you on the other side, brother” Vintor said solemnly.
Cyprian nodded to his friend, then joined the group departing for the coliseum. He studied the other competitors as they walked. Many of the males looked like they had no business participating in a competition like this. Cyprian never went after the weak, but in this case, he’d make an exception. The general glanced at the male with sharp quills covering his head and back, then panned to a warrior with a large pincer for a hand, and a barbed, segmented tail. His eyes then landed on the bony armored male near the head of the group. Cyprian wasn’t surprised in the least to see Aculus.
They group was heavily guarded to keep the participants from starting the fun before they arrived at the arena. But a few of the contestants were too stupid to figure that out.
“I should cut your throat right here,” the large gray male blustered as he rushed a slimy squatty figure.
This was the same male that attempted to start a fight with Cyprian in the viewing gallery. The Verrater guards surrounded the moron, knocking him back, before his knife found its mark.
“Save it,” the lead guard hissed.
Cyprian heard the excited din before they crossed beneath the arches leading into the massive arena. One by one the guards escorted the contestants to a private balcony along the mezzanine, as their name was announced to the boisterous crowd.
“When the siren sounds, descend the steps and try not to die,” the Verrater instructed Cyprian.
The combat field was the size of a rota racecourse. The dirt floor was peppered with stone obstacles that looked like ruins of buildings. The arena was lined with portals, spaced a dozen yards apart.
They must lead to the next level.
The auction house had to be making a killing. There were at least a thousand seats in the coliseum. Row after row was filling fast with spectators, all eager to witness the carnage that would ensue. Cyprian didn’t know who was more reprehensible; the ones who wanted to bludgeon each other to death, or those who paid to watch.
A holo-screen flickered to life overhead, showing Riley larger than life. Cyprian snarled when he saw they forced her to strip out of her dress. Riley wasn’t entirely nude, but the tiny strips of violet fabric did little to cover her breasts and crotch.
Riley was locked in a dimly lit warren of tunnels, but the holo-screen showed her clearly as she moved through the cavern. Cyprian expected Riley to be traumatized, since she seemed perilously close to the edge, when the guards ushered her out of the gallery. Except that’s not what he saw. Riley had found herself a weapon. She swung the small ax once, then twice, testing its weight. Riley looked up, her eyes searching for the surveillance.
“Bring it on assholes,” she growled. Riley had decided to fight.
That’s my Little Manx.
The crowd cheered at her valiant display. The general admired her spirit, but she was still flesh and blood. Cyprian’s thoughts flashed to the image of June, bloodied after being attacked in the salvage yard. As wild as the colorful little human was, she was no match for the kind of male who could make it through the game that was about to ensue. It was his job to assure that didn’t happen.
I’m coming for you. Hang on.
“Let the competition begin, and may the best contestant enjoy the prize,” the tentacled Overseer bellowed from a prominent balcony.
A horn blared and Cyprian launched himself down the stairs, blade in hand. He wasted no time going for the opponent descending the nearest staircase. The lanky, yellow character jumped high in the air, doing a flip. Cyprian crouched low as the warrior soared over his head. The yellow bastard wielded a staff with a spiked ball on the end of a chain. Cyprian rolled, avoiding the mace, as it whipped toward his head. Cyprian grabbed the razor chain from the arsenal on his back, and launched it toward the male’s long gangly legs. The chain bit into the male, eliciting a bellow of pain and anger, as it wrapped around his ankles. The roar was short lived. A long spike burst through his chest, killing the warrior instantly.
Cyprian looked past the dead opponent to see his next foe. The male with long spikes protruding from his head and back, yanked another spine from his built-in armory, and launched it at Cyprian. Cyprian dodged right, while whipping his wrist to free his flail from the dead yellow male. As the chain came free, another sharp spike was flying toward him.
Cyprian barely grimaced as the nasty barb grazed his thigh. He swung the chain in a circle in front of him, using it like a moving shield. The metal links repelled the next few barbed projectiles. Cyprian grabbed a stiletto off his bandolier. Cyprian waited for an opening instead of throwing his weapons in rapid succession, like his opponent did. The spikey male used both hands to launch his built-in spears one after another. Just after the bastard rel
eased one spike and was reaching for the next, Cyprian threw his blade. The male’s eyes widened when the blade struck him in the neck, sending blood spraying.
As Cyprian fought his opponents he wisely kept one eye on the other competitors. Just as he suspected, Aculus was holding his own on the killing field. This was not the time to approach the armored male. Cyprian had been in enough battles that he knew not to expend his energy on this level. This stage of the contest was meant to cull the herd.
Out of the corner of his eye, the general noticed the doors along the perimeter of the arena begin to raise. Cyprian saw the warrior with the pincer claw rush toward one of the openings. The moment the male entered the portico, the passage sealed shut behind him. Cyprian did a quick head count of those still standing. It far outnumbered the doors that remained. Cyprian quickly disengaged from his competitor, and headed toward the nearest portal.
“You running in fear?” the gray beast gloated.
Cyprian ignored the dim-witted warrior as he ran for the opening. He spun when he heard heavy footfalls directly behind him.
“Not so fast. That’s my door,” the gray bastard snarled.
Cyprian dodged the knife coming toward him, as he grappled with the leathery creature. Cyprian punched the male in the face, then wrenched free of the warrior. As Cyprian turned, he caught sight of a pale worm body slithering through the nearest opening.
Son of a metcor. Where was that bastard hiding?
The portal slammed shut, forcing Cyprian to look for the next opening, a dozen yards away. Near the door, a rotund slimy warrior was fighting a male with a shell on his back. They were so caught up in their conflict that neither seemed to notice the fleeting opportunity nearby.
Cyprian’s ashen opponent also noticed the door, and started running toward it. The general was hot on his heels. He grabbed a blade and launched himself at the gray male. Cyprian dipped low, slashing the tendons at the back of the warrior’s knees, as he passed. The distracted fool dropped to the dirt, flailing his useless legs.
Cyprian kept an eye on the slimy fat male and his shell toting opponent. It wasn’t till he reached the opening that either one seemed to realize their error. The slimy male’s cheeks bellowed in frustration as he stomped toward Cyprian, but it was too late. Cyprian waved a hand at them, wearing a smug smile, as he stepped backwards through the open door.
The portal slid shut sealing Cyprian in, and he took a deep breath.
One level down.
“Successful contestant there are five key cards that will lead to the next level. Find one and you will be that much closer to your prize,” the automated voice of the Overseer announced.
Cyprian did some quick math. There were only five access cards for roughly a dozen males. He started running down the dim corridor. Cyprian wasn’t the first competitor to reach this level, he needed to hurry. The general was forced to slow his stride when he realized the tunnel floor was becoming slick, as it made its downward descent. The floor grew thick and marsh-like, the deeper he went. Cyprian was surprised to find vines snaking along the stone walls of the passage. Pale blooms erupted wherever there were lights overhead.
The passage suddenly gave way. The hole had been obscured by the mass of growth. Cyprian gripped the vines as he fell, but released them when hundreds of tiny thorns bit into his palms. He hit the ground several yards below, landing in a crouched position.
Movement caught his attention, a second before a broad ax sliced the air. Cyprian leapt, grabbing hold of a vine. He ignored the stinging nettles, as he swung out of range of the surprise assailant.
Cyprian waited for the scaly bastard to lift his ridiculously large ax to launch another assault. The general swung, planting his boots in the warrior’s chest. The male went sprawling to the marshy floor, losing grip on his broad ax. The fool should’ve chosen a more balanced weapon. Bigger was not always better.
Something massive darted out from an adjacent corridor. The beast moved faster than Cyprian’s downed competitor. The creature’s giant jaws latched onto the scaly warrior’s leg and bit it off in a single bite. The beast lifted its head and swallowed its prize without bothering to chew.
The scaly warrior howled in pain as he scrambled back, desperately reaching for his broad ax. The doomed male was too slow. The four-legged beast lunged and bit a large hunk out of his midsection.
Cyprian stayed deathly still as he hung by the barbed vines. He studied the vile hairy beast as it consumed its meal. The creature resembled the massive metcor on Cadi, except its hair was green from moss and algae. The glutton’s long muzzle was three times larger than Cyprian’s head. As the beast crunched through the dead warrior’s spine, Cyprian got a good look at its razor-sharp teeth.
Time to make my exit, before it comes looking for another meal.
Cyprian grabbed another vine, with plans to repel to a safe distance, before making a run for it. With a huffing growl, the green metcor turned its head toward the ceiling. Cyprian froze. The beast reared on its hind legs and began nosing through the vines. Its tiny black eyes seemed to stare past Cyprian, as its nostrils flared. Something around the beast’s neck captured Cyprian’s attention.
The damn thing is wearing a collar.
But it wasn’t just a collar. There was a rectangular object dangling from the leather choker.
That must be one of the access cards. Mother of Kali, Cyprian cursed the twisted Overseer.
Cyprian held his breath as the giant muzzle got closer. He might have found one of the coveted keys, but he didn’t consider himself a winner. Just as Cyprian thought his number was up, the beast dropped back to the ground and continued with its macabre meal.
Obviously, it has poor eye sight, but how in torment did it not smell me with that massive snout?
Cyprian looked around, and noticed all the pale blooms on the plethora of vines. He couldn’t smell them, but he had to assume they put off a perfume that distracted the green metcor.
The beast took off as swiftly as it arrived, on the hunt for its next victim. A skull and bloody stain were all that remained of its prey.
Well, it looks like I’m stalking not just the other contestants, but the green metcor.
Before Cyprian dropped to the cavern floor, he took his knife and hacked through several of the vines. Once on the ground, he rubbed himself down with the pale flowers. The general scowled as the tiny nettles bit into his skin, but this was better than being dismembered by the vile beast.
Cyprian moved slowly, as he stalked down the passage, following his prey. Abrupt movement attracted the beasts. Cyprian stuck to the wall as he crept forward. He paused when he heard a horrific bellow that shook the corridor. The pained sound stopped an instant later. Cyprian’s steps quickened.
As he entered another vaulted room, he saw the beast he’d been stalking, laying on the floor. The green metcor didn’t move, when Cyprian hesitantly approached, his long sword drawn just in case. The creature didn’t look injured, till Cyprian noticed the puncture wound in its side.
Dammit, Cyprian growled in rage.
The collar around the beast’s neck was missing. He spun around the room looking for the thief. Movement on the ceiling drew his attention.
That damn worm.
The vile slimy creature swiftly slithered across the ceiling, defying gravity with its segmented body. It clutched the access card in one of its tiny hands, as it took off down another tunnel. Cyprian threw his blade grazing the creature. Blue blood oozed from the wound, but didn’t slow the foul contestant. Instead it retreated faster.
Cyprian followed the thief into a large central room, where numerous tunnels intersected. In the middle stood a column with a yellow door.
The sudden blow to Cyprian’s midsection sent him reeling back. The general focused on his new assailant as he brandished his sword.
“I assumed we’d meet eventually,” Aculus sneered at Cyprian.
“Out of my way,” Cyprian snarled.
The damn worm w
as slithering down the column, toward the door that undoubtedly led to the next level. Cyprian attempted to side step Aculus, but the male wasn’t having it.
“We’re both about to lose, you fool,” Cyprian roared.
Aculus followed his gaze, then bellowed in frustration. Cyprian threw a small blade as the worm creature shoved his keycard into the slot. The knife struck the slimy beast in the arm, but not before the door opened.
Both Cyprian and Aculus raced forward. Aculus threw his spear, as the worm entered the portal. The weapon grazed the slithering beast’s torso. Before Cyprian could aim and launch another blade, the door slammed shut. Both he and Aculus slid to a halt, feet from the door. The display next to the sealed door changed from white to red.
“You stupid bastard,” Cyprian roared as he struck Aculus in the jaw.
The bones in Cyprian’s hand cracked when they met the bony armor, but he wasn’t deterred. The disgusting slimy worm was heading straight for Riley.
As the warriors fought, Cyprian’s sword barely chipped Aculus’ bony armor. He’d have to aim for the warrior’s joints, if he was going to have any impact. Cyprian dodged the sharp spear Aculus skillfully wielded. Frustratingly, they were equally matched.
This is going nowhere.
Beyond Aculus, Cyprian caught sight of a massive shadow barreling down the corridor. He froze where he stood. Aculus’ spear struck Cyprian in the shoulder. The sharp metal tip glanced off the bone, and emerged from the other side. Cyprian gritted his teeth, as the searing pain radiated down his arm and torso, but he didn’t dare make a sound. This wasn’t the first time he suffered in battle. And he had far bigger things to worry about. A fraction of a second later the green metcor careened into Aculus.
The hairy beast picked up the bony warrior and shook him. Cyprian was impressed Aculus’ armor stood up to the vile beast.
Cyprian grabbed hold of the spear protruding from his trapezius. He got lucky it didn’t rip free, when the beast attacked Aculus. Cyprian pulled the lance, gritting his teeth as the metal tip scraped his clavicle on the way out. He moved slowly not just because it stung like a bitch. The last thing he wanted to do was attract the rampaging bizarre metcor.
Warrior's Pain (Cadi Warriors Book 4) Page 10