by T. S. Ryder
"Listen to me," he hissed. "Your life isn't yours now. I promise I will do all that I can to protect you in the arena, but you have to understand that with this life I'm in a constant state of near-musth, and that will affect you. And if the public wants to see us together, it will happen even if neither of us wants it. You are public property, not mine. The only way you will survive this is if you make the public love you. More drones are going to be in here in just a few seconds, so you need to kiss me."
Bianca shied away from him. "What?"
"Kiss me!"
There was no more time to hesitate. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. His arms circled her, pulling her flush against her body. Holy cow! Bianca ground herself against him, not caring about the situation–she had never been kissed like this before! Her eyes slid shut, and she was back on Earth, crushed against her high school locker by the quarterback, forgetting all about her troubles.
When Gylden pushed her away, she whispered from the loss. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright. A fresh drone buzzed around them.
"The effects of my musth will diminish after the next games," Gylden said, his eyes as bright as hers. "Only at that time I will know if you desire me for real."
Was this all an act for the camera, or did he actually care? Bianca nodded blankly. Her mind scrambled to put his words into context. Musth. It was when the T'shav males had some sort of hormonal imbalance that made them overly violent, but also drew women to them sexually. Well, that would be why she was so turned on. Sex was the best way to control males in musth, although apparently killing things was also a good way to calm them down.
For some reason, thinking it could be pheromones messing with her and not her own desire for Gylden disappointed her. It's been a long time since she had anybody she felt safe enough with to share her body with. Her past experiences left her too jaded.
"Since we are going to be spending so much time together, we ought to learn more about one another," Gylden said. "I was sold to the network as a child after my parents died. I've been trained as a gladiator all my life, and they have been very good to me. What about you? How did you get here?"
"I…" Bianca wrapped her arms around herself. "I suppose I got here the same as all humans. I was abducted from Earth when I was twenty-five years old, spent a few billion years in a stasis pod traveling around a ship at light speed, and then I was woken up."
"Yes, but here specifically." Gylden stood and walked to the other end of the room. "To the network's station. Here to the arena."
Bianca glanced at the drone again. "When I woke up, I was offered a place at the Zon Sanctuary. But I decided that I didn't want to be among other humans, reminiscing over Earth, missing it. I screwed up in my past life, and I wanted a fresh start. So I went to a farming community that could teach me mechanics. I've always loved technology and tinkering with things. We were raided. I was taken and sold to the network."
"So you have no fighting experience."
"No."
Gylden grunted. "I'll teach you, then. It will be difficult to keep you alive. And only both of us surviving will allow either of us our freedom. Come. We'll go to the training arena."
Bianca glanced at the drone again as she followed Gylden out of the room. She was meant to make the public love her in order to survive this–and for Gylden to win his freedom. Her heart sank. That must be why he was being so kind to her. He wanted his freedom, and she was his means to get it. Not that she could blame him for wanting to be free.
I won't fall for him, she vowed. I'll do what I have to in order to get out of this mess, but I will not fall for him.
Chapter Three – Gylden
Gylden held his arms horizontally to the ground, forcing his breathing to stay calm and even. The drones that buzzed around him, catching his image from every angle, were glowing pale blue. He wasn't the main focus of today's broadcast. That was probably reserved for the women. But anybody who wanted updates on his situation could watch his personal streaming channel that was filmed and broadcast constantly.
Around him, the trainers, men who had long since gained their freedom, buckled his armor onto him. Each piece represented viewer's votes and donations towards him. He wasn't the most fortified of the gladiators, but he had enough to give him a leg up against most opponents.
Usually, he spent this time in meditation, erasing his fears and preparing to face the bloody battle that was about to ensue. Today, however, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Bianca. Even though they had just been paired together the previous day, he couldn’t help but feel regretful that she was going to die today.
And die she would. He had tried to teach her the basics of self-defense. It was atrocious. She didn't even know how to hold a blade. In the arena there was only enough space and time to protect himself; he couldn't save her as well. Chances were all the women put in the arena today were going to die. It was a shame. He would have liked to have gotten to know her better.
Perhaps I should have seduced her yesterday, he thought. Forgot about trying to train her when I knew there was no time to teach her enough to protect herself, and just taken her to bed.
It wouldn't have been hard. What he had taken as terror clearly showed itself as desire in the thickness of her voice as she talked to him, the way her eyes kept roaming his body, the way she always ended up leaning towards him before pulling away. She wanted him. Perhaps she would have been a little nervous with the drones at first, but she would have given into her own desires soon enough had he insisted.
But were they her desires, or was it all born of his constant state of musth? He didn't like the idea of a woman sleeping with him unless she really wanted to, and wasn't being manipulated by outside forces.
And it wasn't just his musth that would have been manipulating her, but the network itself.
She hadn't been branded a slave, but from her story, it was clear that she was one. His slave, the network's slave… it didn't matter. If Taskus Draw decided that the two of them sleeping together would increase viewers, he'd find a way to make it happen. The thought made Gylden want to punch the network host in the mouth.
A breastplate was fastened over his chest, signifying he was ready. He nodded at the trainers in thanks and took up his sword. The gladiator's names were being announced, and he would be called out into the arena soon enough. He pressed the flat side of his sword to his forehead, taking the precious few moments left to him to try for some calming breaths.
His name was called, and Gylden strode from his preparation room. The blinding light from the artificial sun made him wince, but his eyes adjusted quickly enough. The tall walls circling the arena reflected his face on every one of their surfaces. On the other side of those holographic windows would be the people who paid extra to come witness the games in person. Their views would not be hampered by the screens in their own windows, which allowed a closer view on the nitty-gritty of what was about to happen in the arena.
Gylden usually took a moment to pose for the audience, but today as soon as his eyes adjusted, he froze.
All throughout the arena were multicolored posts driven into the ground. A woman was suspended by her wrists on each of these posts. They were held by rope, many of them in tears. And all were wearing scraps of brightly-colored fabric, often nearly see through. They were also decked out with glittering jewelry. Above the arena hovered cages full of vicious beasts. Tree scorpions. Main Herolps. Jungle cats.
It seemed that Taskus Draw had taken inspiration from the old stories of sacrificial virgins for today's fight.
Gylden stepped forward as another gladiator's name was called, but a shield of blue, crackling energy burst up from the ground. A shock went through his body, making him stumble back. So they weren't allowed in yet. His gaze scanned the arena, trying to find a glimpse of Bianca. He didn't see her, but she had to be out there.
Soon all the gladiators were in the arena, standing in a circle around the energy field separating them
from the women. They glanced at one another. A few must have seen their mates, because they pounded on the barrier, only to be thrown back as Gylden had been.
The T'shav's own nerves were quickly worn to a fraying point. What was this? Were they supposed to just watch as the women were slaughtered?
His grip on his sword tightened as Taskus Draw's elevator descended, hovering just below the creatures' cages. The faint shimmer in the air around him indicated he was shielded against the creatures. Probably in case some spat poison or got free.
"Welcome, gladiators!" Taskus Draw cried, grinning. "The annual freedom games have begun!"
We can tell, get on with it!
"For this task, your new mates have been put in the arena. Each of these creatures you see above me has been fitted with a collar that will draw them to the pillar your mate is attached to. It will be up to you to find your mate before the creature assigned to her does! Once you find her, you will be permitted to rush her from the arena as soon as she is free. Be aware, though, because if another gladiator's mate is killed, he is allowed to steal yours! So keep sharp and don't turn your back!"
Gylden's heart jumped to his throat. This was even worse than Bianca having to fight for herself. She was helpless against the creature assigned to her post–if he was too slow, she might die. And if the others were too slow, he might have to kill them to keep her.
If they survived this, he was definitely going to seduce her.
"You may begin," Taskus Draw shouted, and the cages above them opened.
The energy field dropped, and Gylden rushed in. Some of the other gladiators stopped to fight the creatures that faced them, but not the T'shav. If they were being drawn to certain posts in the arena, they wouldn’t have any interest in the gladiators around them. And as he dodged the creatures as they ran around, snarling and howling, he was proved right. Not one of them gave him a second glance.
A scream sounded from his right. His head turned to the sound against his will; a woman was jerking at the end of her rope, frothing at the mouth, a tree scorpion's stinger driving deep into her chest.
Gylden turned from the doomed woman and continued his search to Bianca. He found her quickly after that. She had turned herself on the rope so she faced the pillar. Her legs were wrapped firmly around it as she inched her way upwards. There was some sort of spiky crown on her head, and she took this off and began to saw at the rope that held her in place.
And a jungle cat wearing a collar the same color as the post she was tied to was galloping towards her.
Gylden shouted, throwing himself before the creature. He swung his sword at it, and it dodged the blow. A paw came up and swiped at his back, its claws skidding across his armor. He stumbled. The cat yowled, turning back towards Bianca. Rage flooded Gylden's system. He jumped forward again, swinging his sword at the cat's neck.
A reverberating jolt ran up his arms as his sword impacted the collar. The cat flinched and turned on him. The collar dropped off, split in half. Gylden stabbed at the animal. It batted his sword out of his hand and shook its head. A pitiful meow rose from its throat as it began moving in circles.
Gylden jumped to where his sword was and rushed back. He skewered the animal. It hissed and spat, but seemed utterly confused as to where he was.
On the cat's other side, Bianca dropped to the sand. She rolled a few times before she came to a stop right beside the cat as it collapsed. A deep, rattling breath rolled from its throat and it went still. Her eyes widened, but she still pushed herself to her feet and reached for the collar.
The T'shav climbed over the dead cat and seized her by the waist.
"The collars," she said. "The collars show them where to go. If they break they don't know what to do."
"That's nice," Gylden grunted. He threw her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing? We have to help the others," Bianca cried.
Gylden ignored her as he ran towards the arena exits.
"Break the collars!" Bianca squirmed to his shoulders. "Break the collars and they'll stop trying to kill you! Break the collars!"
Gylden glanced up as he ran. Taskus Draw was watching them, his eyes narrowed. The T'shav's heart plummeted even as he rushed his paired mate into the safe zone. A glance back showed him that the other gladiators were doing as Bianca had said. Instead of trying to kill the creatures outright, they were breaking the collars. And as the collars dropped off, the creatures became complacent, rigid, no longer trying to kill the women. With one action, Bianca had changed the game.
The T'shav's arms tightened around Bianca.
May her soul's star protect her, he thought. She had just ruined Taskus Draw's show–what was he going to do to her in revenge? Can I protect her? Do I dare try?
Chapter Four – Bianca
She should have known what was coming would not be pleasant when all the drones around her died.
It hadn't been long after Gylden got her out of the arena that they had been called to Taskus Draw's office. As soon as they stepped in, Taskus rose his wrist and pressed a few gems on the chunky gold bracelet he was wearing. The large sapphire in the center flashed green, and the drones all fell to the ground, their lights going out.
The network host calmly walked around his desk without saying a word–and struck her hard across the cheek.
Bianca cried out. The force turned her head, and as she stumbled back from Taskus Draw, her eyes met Gylden's. There was a concern in his expression, but he didn't move to defend her. For some reason, Bianca was a little hurt by that. Maybe because she had spent every second as she was being dressed (or rather, undressed) for the arena wishing she had slept with him. Drones or not, it would have been a mind-blowing experience and something to hold onto as she was prepared to die in the most sexualized, humiliating clothes possible.
Taskus Draw loomed over her. "Thanks to your little game, there were only five deaths. Five!"
"Only?" Bianca repeated. "How can you be so callous? This isn't entertainment, it's utterly barbaric and you should be shot for murder!"
The Suesue's purple-pink skin took on an odd mauve color. This time Bianca saw the hand before it came at her. She couldn't stop herself from flinching away from the blow. Taskus Draw grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her closer. Pain ripped through her scalp and tears filled her eyes, but Bianca ground her teeth together. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.
Besides, it wasn't as bad when it was coming from someone who didn't pretend that he cared about her.
"I have a network to run here. Everything we do is perfectly legal. We have permits upon permits, and every person here is either a condemned criminal or a legal slave. Even you."
Bianca's blood boiled. "I was stolen by pirates—"
"You never went through the United Species to get your citizenship. You are my property, to do with as I please. And if you ever jeopardize my ratings again, I will find a way for you to make it up."
A ball of dread sunk into Bianca's stomach at that. She had no idea what Taskus Draw might do to her to boost his ratings, but she didn't want to find out.
"Do you understand me?" the network host asked.
Bianca nodded silently. She didn’t dare say a word, not when the Suesue was staring down at her with that gleam in his eye. If he was willing to kill dozens of people in every one of these sick 'games', then he would have no problem mutilating, torturing, or otherwise humiliating her on a public network just to get the real creeps to tune in.
Taskus Draw nodded, apparently satisfied with her submission. He stalked around his desk again and sat. Behind Bianca, Gylden stirred. She started to turn to look at him, but the Suesue cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him.
"I want to make sure that you know exactly what the stakes are here," Taskus Draw said. "Our preliminary feedback puts you as likable. People think you're beautiful. Many of our viewers have put in requests to see you naked again. Perhaps I will take away all of your cl
othes. What do you think about that?"
Bianca felt all the blood drain from her face. She scrambled back, running straight into Gylden. His arms wrapped around her, holding her fast. At first she struggled, wanting to free herself from his grip, but soon let herself sink into his strength. Whether he was holding her in place so that he wouldn't get punished with her, or if he was trying to comfort her was irrelevant. He was strong, he was there, and she needed him.
"No… naked too much and it would lose its appeal."
Bianca sagged in relief.
"Besides which, there are always prudes who boycott the network if things get too graphic. However, a whipping seems like it's in order," Taskus Draw said.
"Are you sure?" Gylden's voice was even. "You said that her popularity is based on her beauty. If she is whipped, it'll mark her. Viewers might take offense to that."
Taskus Draw's eyes narrowed. "You have another suggestion?"
"Yes. You saw how she was so concerned with the others in the arena. I believe that pain put on others because of her actions will hurt her more than pain put on her. Give me the whipping."
Bianca gasped. She twisted to stare up at Gylden's face. His eyes flickered down to her briefly. She couldn’t guess what was going on in his mind.
"Why would you do that?"
"I want my viewership to increase. The public loves a good romance," Gylden continued. "She is meant to be my mate, isn't she?"
Taskus Draw steepled his fingers. He stared at Gylden for a long time before he nodded, a sly smile crossing his face. "Yes. Yes, they do. Very well. You will take her whipping for her. Now get your mate out of my sight before I decide to make it worse for her."
***
Bianca flinched as Gylden did. She had been forced to stand by and watch Gylden be whipped. Every lash had made her heart clench, and by the end of his punishment, she had been sobbing. The T'shav had leaned on her all the way back to his barracks, and once they were inside, he directed her to his medical kit.