Bladen

by Arcadia Shield

  “It’s not when I’m a part of these games,” said Grace, her hands balling into fists, one fist clutching the blade. “I’ve seen how wrong they are...” she stopped talking as Tyran raised the blade and pointed it at her.

  “Quiet now,” said Tyran. “I’m surprised Bladen’s been able to bear you, all that whining and bleating about how wrong the games are. He likes his women stronger than that. But maybe you have some talent I’m missing. Do you do everything he tells you? Get on your knees and suck him dry or spread your legs every time he needs relief?” Again, his gaze raked over Grace’s body.

  Grace glared at him. “I don’t have any talents you’re ever going to find out about.”

  Tyran laughed again. “From that sweet little hand holding I just witnessed, you have a certain appeal I’d like to discover. But believe me, when I get my hands on you, I’m going to do more than whisper in your ear and tell you how cute you are. By the time I’ve finished with you, you won’t be able to walk.”

  “Enough!” growled Bladen. “Grace is no one’s toy. You do not speak to her in that way.”

  Grace felt her cheeks heat up but refused to drop her gaze from Tyran. “You’re never going to touch me.”

  “Oh, I will if I want to,” said Tyran. “We might have some fun together before I kill you.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” Bladen stepped forward, a blade in his hand. “And show Grace respect.”

  “Like you were doing,” laughed Tyran. “I always knew you were soft when it came to females, but that was embarrassing to witness.”

  “Vortens don’t treat women like objects,” said Bladen. “You know better than that. Or has your time as a Fraken slave messed with your head?”

  “I know what women want,” said Tyran, “and it's not to have their hands held and told they’re beautiful. They like to be held down and dominated, shown no mercy, and made to scream.”

  Bladen shook his head. “You have a disgusting view of women.”

  “Maybe you’d like to educate me,” said Tyran, as he twirled his blade in his hand again.

  Grace grabbed hold of Bladen’s arm, anxiety making her heart pound. He was in no condition to fight. “Don’t let him anger you.”

  Bladen shrugged off her hand. “Tyran needs to be taught a lesson.”

  “And you’re going to teach me,” sneered Tyran. “Looks to me like you’re out of condition. And what’s wrong with your leg?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me,” said Bladen.

  Grace could see the sweat beading on Bladen’s forehead, and he hadn’t even begun to fight. There was no way he’d be able to defend himself against Tyran.

  “Let’s just leave,” said Grace.

  “That’s not possible,” said Tyran. “I’ve been sent here on a mission, and until I finish that mission, neither of you gets to leave.”

  “What’s your mission?” asked Grace.

  “To kill both of you,” said Tyran.

  ***

  “That’s not going to happen,” growled Bladen, as he took a step towards Tyran. His veins flooded with hot battle fury, and the ache in his leg faded as adrenaline pumped through him. He despised Tyran for speaking to Grace so disrespectfully and was determined to protect her from whatever sick fantasy Tyran had in his head.

  He looked over at Grace and saw the worry in her eyes. “Stay out of the fight. Keep behind me, and don’t let Tyran get to you.”

  Tyran laughed. “I’ll get near her when I want to.” He winked at Grace.

  Grace glowered at Tyran but did as Bladen asked and backed away towards the rocks.

  “I offer you a solution before you challenge me,” said Tyran. “Finish this game the way the Fraken expect it to go, and you will be able to leave with your life. You will no longer take part in any Fraken games and will be expected to serve them in a different capacity. But you will keep your life and will not have your honor disrespected. The Fraken see value in having you around, although I cannot see what that is.”

  “I’m not going to kill Grace,” said Bladen. “And I will never work under the Fraken. I am a warrior, not a slave.”

  “The collar around your neck suggests otherwise,” said Tyran. He exposed his own collar-free neck. “You see, you are no better than your prey. You’ve been fooled into believing you are taking part in these games as a free Vorten, but you’re deluded.”

  “And you’re not selected to be in these games because you’re not good enough,” said Bladen.

  Tyran snarled. “I choose my own path.”

  Bladen grimaced and shook his head. “Why don’t I offer you an alternative option?”

  Tyran bared his teeth. “I’m listening. But make it good.”

  “Change sides. Join with me, Axen, and the others.” Bladen didn’t want Tyran working with him; he was as slippery as an Antac eel, but if he could fool Tyran into believing him, it would keep Grace safe.

  “Those are just pretty words. And your side is not the winning one. Axen and his small band of misfits will be no match for the Fraken, or our Elders, when they realize what you’re doing and decide to terminate you. He won’t stand a chance against them when they bring down the full might of the Vorten empire on you.”

  “They won’t do that,” said Bladen. “They’ll understand why we’ve been acting the way we have. They’ll see that being a part of the games no longer makes sense.”

  “Our Elders will not care about a few misguided Vortens who have been blinded by some curves and a willing mouth,” said Tyran, shooting a sneer at Grace. “They’ll send in a squad to take you all out. And I’ll be first to volunteer my services when that order comes through. You’re a fool if you think you can alter things. We have always worked with the Fraken, and these games will always be here.”

  “Not if we join together,” said Bladen.

  “There will be no joining,” said Tyran. He raised his blade and tapped it against the side of Bladen’s. “Less talk, more fighting.”

  Bladen saw the fury in Tyran’s eyes and knew he was wasting his words. He adjusted his weight so that most of it was on his uninjured leg and crouched into a battle stance. He was a better fighter than Tyran when uninjured but would have to take care in this fight; his reflexes would be slower, and he couldn’t risk having his already injured leg damaged any more.

  Tyran swung first, his blade clashing against Bladen’s. Bladen took the impact of the strike and felt his muscles tense. He pulled back and slashed through the air, the tip of his blade just missing Tyran’s cheek.

  Tyran swung again, and Bladen sidestepped the attack. He ducked low and drove his own blade up, grazing Tyran’s stomach.

  “You’re slowing down,” said Tyran, as he circled to Bladen’s right. “Has falling in love made you soft?”

  Bladen gritted his teeth and struck again. He slashed through the air towards Tyran, each time missing him. The poison was affecting his vision, and Tyran’s image was now hazy. As much as he tried to remain calm, his heart was pounding and making the poison slide faster through him.

  “Or is it your age?” goaded Tyran. “Perhaps it’s time you retire from active duty and take a nice guard position, instead. I can see you standing outside some pampered princess’s room all day, attending to her every need and getting fat and lazy as you dine on palace food and wine.”

  “Never going to happen,” growled out Bladen.

  “It’s either that or death,” said Tyran. “And it looks like you’ve chosen the latter.” He sliced his blade over Bladen’s head and pulled back sharply, stabbing towards him.

  Bladen jumped backwards and landed heavily on his injured leg, letting out a hiss of pain as he did so.

  Tyran raised his eyebrows, and a slow smile spread over his face. “So, you are injured. I thought as much as I watched the way you held yourself when we spoke. I didn’t realize it was so bad, though.”

  “It’s nothing,” snapped Bladen.

  “It is something,” said Tyran.
“It’s my advantage over you. And I will use it.” He leapt forward, aiming his blow at Bladen’s neck.

  Bladen parried each blow but could feel his arms grow heavy with every thrust and parry. He had to do something to disarm Tyran and stop him from getting to Grace.

  Tyran pulled back, grinned at Bladen, and then drove his blade at Bladen’s right side.

  Bladen shifted his weight and defended the strike, but in doing so, most of his weight went onto his damaged leg, and his knee buckled. He groaned as he hit the ground and felt Tyran’s blade on the back of his neck.

  Grace gasped, and Bladen looked over to see her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide with fear.

  “Would you like me to save your beloved warrior?” Tyran asked her. “Perhaps if you’re very nice to me, I might consider sparing his life. But you would have to work hard to get me to spare him.”

  “Don’t kill him,” said Grace.

  “Before he dies, I have to hand him over to the Fraken. Then he gets to see his own blood spilled.” Tyran gave a shrug and rolled his shoulders. “But they didn’t say anything about taking away something Bladen clearly wants.”

  “You cannot have Grace.” Bladen felt Tyran’s blade dig into the flesh on the back of his neck and a hot trickle of blood ran down his ear.

  “I’ll take her if I want to,” said Tyran. “And you can’t do anything about it. You are weak, a failed warrior, and you should be asking me to end your pathetic existence.”

  Bladen raised his head, willing to bargain for Grace's life, just as Tyran brought the hilt of his blade down on Bladen's temple, and everything went black.

  Chapter 12

  Grace cried out as she saw Bladen slump onto the sand, his arms spread out on either side of him and his head turned to one side. Blood leaked from the wound on his forehead where Tyran had struck him.

  Her panicked gaze went to Tyran, who stood over Bladen’s body, a smirk on his face.

  “How could you fight him?” she asked. “You’re supposed to be on the same side.”

  “I’m on the winning side,” said Tyran. “Your warrior lover has picked the wrong battle. And if he gave you the impression he was going to help you get out of this game and away from the Fraken, then he is mistaken. He has lied to you.”

  “I don’t believe you,” spat out Grace.

  “I don’t care what you believe,” said Tyran. “I know the truth. And the truth is, you need to come with me. The Fraken are very interested in you and the information you have about these Vorten traitors.”

  “I have nothing to tell them.” A shudder of fear ran through Grace at the thought of being around Fraken again. Their cold scaled skin and sharp teeth made her jittery.

  “You will have plenty to tell them,” said Tyran. “Bladen will have told you about his escape plan in the hope of impressing you. And they want to see what this Vorten will do to get you back. How far will he go to save you? Call it an added twist to this game. The audience will love to see that. An injured warrior and a damaged, feeble woman in need of a rescue. It’s a tragic love story, one with a guaranteed bloody and ruinous ending.”

  “Bladen doesn’t care about me,” said Grace. “And he hasn’t told me anything. If you take me, you’re wasting your time.”

  “From what I’ve witnessed, he’s very taken with you,” said Tyran. “And he will do a lot to get you back. Vorten are loyal when they discover something worth fighting for, and fight long and hard to get what they think they want and need.”

  “He doesn’t want me.” Grace hated the way her words wobbled out of her.

  “Let him be the judge of what he wants.” Tyran nudged Bladen with the toe of his boot. “When he comes to and sees you’re gone, he will react. This is a part of his punishment, taking away something he wants and making him fight for it. It will help him realize who the truly powerful groups are. It is not him and the pathetic warrior squad he is a part of, but the Fraken and our Elders. Bladen needs to learn this, and he has to do it the hard way.”

  Grace held up her hands as Tyran stepped towards her, panic flooding her veins as she saw the hungry glint in his eyes.

  “You don’t need to fear me,” said Tyran, “well, not too much. Would it help if I held your hand?”

  Grace narrowed her eyes at the sarcasm oozing from Tyran. “Keep away from me.”

  “Not a chance,” said Tyran. “But try not to worry about your warrior. He isn’t too badly injured. Although, I think whatever the spider did to him will be his downfall.”

  “If you know he’s injured, then why not help him?”

  “It takes the fun out of it,” said Tyran. “And Bladen’s a determined Vorten and will fight until his last breath leaves him. That will be enjoyable to watch. I have been waiting to get my revenge on him for too long.”

  “You’re worse than the Fraken,” spat out Grace. “How can you leave him like that? He needs help, but you just injured him more.”

  Tyran smiled at Grace as he grabbed her arm and dug his fingers into her flesh. “Come with me.”

  Grace shoved against Tyran’s solid chest and then slapped him across the cheek, adrenaline spiking through her like angry, hot fire. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  Tyran grabbed a handful of Grace’s hair and yanked her closer. “You will come with me. And be worried for your own safety, not that of a failed Vorten.”

  Grace slammed her fist into Tyran’s arm, but he didn’t even wince as he yanked her around and shoved her in the back. “Start walking. It’s time you meet the individuals who are really in charge.”

  Grace stumbled to the ground and coughed harshly. Tyran grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her to her feet. His gaze ran over her before shoving her away. “You’re sick.”

  “Of course, I am,” snapped Grace. “I’ve been held prisoner by your masters and then shoved into a game. That’s hardly going to make me well.”

  Tyran’s eyes narrowed as he studied Grace from a distance. “Really sick. I’ll be surprised if you last long when the Fraken start... talking to you.”

  Grace wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I imagine they’ll be as kind as you are.”

  “Anyone who displeases the Fraken doesn’t get to live for long.”

  “Is that why you follow their orders?” asked Grace. “Too scared of overgrown lizards with sticks and an issue with their egos?”

  Tyran laughed and jabbed at Grace with his blade. “I’ll be sure to let them know that’s what you call them. They always take compliments well.”

  Grace looked back at the fallen form of Bladen. He hadn’t moved since he’d hit the ground, and her heart shrank when she saw blood mixed in the sand.

  “There’s nothing you can do for him,” said Tyran, as he glanced over his shoulder at Bladen. “Your warrior does not deserve to be saved. And you serve a different purpose now.”

  Grace spun around and sprinted away from Tyran, determined to get back to Bladen and see how badly he was hurt. She only made it a few steps before a muscular arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her backwards.

  “I have an idea now why Bladen is so taken with you,” said Tyran. “You have a mind of your own. That has a certain appeal.”

  “Let go of me!” Grace struggled in Tyran’s grip, but all he did was tighten his hold and squeeze the air out of her lungs until she felt dizzy.

  “As much as I admire your passion for him, we don’t have time to waste.” Tyran loosened his hold on Grace and grasped her shoulder. He grabbed hold of her throat with strong fingers. “Stop fighting me.”

  Grace clawed at Tyran’s fingers as her air supply was cut off. She kicked at his shins, causing Tyran to growl and shake her by the neck.

  “Give up,” he breathed into her ear.

  Black dots flashed before Grace’s eyes as she ran out of air. She gave Tyran a final kick, before slumping forward.

  ***

  As Bladen’s eyes opened, a cascade of pain hit him. His leg throb
bed, his head pounded, and his stomach cramped. There didn’t feel like an inch of him that hadn’t been bruised or cut.

  He groaned as he shifted onto his back and blinked at the early morning light. How long had he been out? He remembered fighting with Tyran and being hit on the head. But then what? And where was Grace?

  Horror crawled down his spine at the thought of Grace being with Tyran. He tried to stand but almost blacked out in pain. Bladen knew he needed to fix his injuries before he could do anything to help her. He scrubbed sand out of his eyes and crawled to the abandoned kit bags, before pulling out a Healing Stick and several Medi-patches. The cut on his head was deep, and blood had run into his right eye. He washed away the blood and then applied the Medi-patch.

  A quick check of his damaged leg confirmed the poison was continuing its treacherous spread through his body, so he changed the Medi-patch on the bite and ran the Healing Stick over some of the cuts and bruises he’d sustained in his fight with Tyran.

  Just the thought of that traitor made Bladen growl in fury. Tyran was trying to take over from Axen and that couldn’t happen. Tyran’s plan had to end and Tyran himself would come to an end when Bladen discovered him. He would make that end a painful one.

  Grace must have been taken by Tyran. She wouldn’t have abandoned Bladen after he’d been injured. They were developing trust with each other and something more, something that unsettled Bladen and made his heart lurch when he thought about what might be happening to her.

  Bladen stood slowly and tested his injured leg. It took his weight this time, but it wouldn’t for much longer. He was living on borrowed time and, if he didn’t get out of the game soon, it would be over for him and Grace.

  He collected the kit bags and began to follow the two trails in the sand that led away from him. The fact Grace was still walking gave him hope and meant Tyran hadn’t injured her, or at least badly, so she was able to walk unaided.

  What did Tyran want with Grace? If he was hoping she’d reveal how they were getting out of the game, he’d be disappointed. Grace knew the basics, but not enough to tell Tyran where they would escape from or what the coded message was.