“I think I saw something like that on Etsy once,” Riot thought out loud as an image came to mind. “Answer the question. We answered yours.”
“I do not know this ‘Etsy’ you speak of, but I would see it if they create these intestine weaves.” Kila slowed her pace to walk next to Riot. “You are not the first strange race to appear from the sky on steel birds. We have been visited by a group of others, no more than ten nights ago. They came spinning tales of lies. Our queen was wise enough to see through them. The Brutes were not.”
Riot understood from her hours of studying the detailed information the Syndicate left that the planet of Hoydren was ruled by two factions of the Trilord race: the Savages and the Brutes. As far as she knew, these two kingdoms were at peace with one another, but it seemed someone wanted them to wipe each other out.
“Who are these Brutes?” Riot asked anyway. She understood this was the next logical question she should ask. “Who are the strangers?”
“I’ve said enough.” Kila shook her head sending her long dreadlocks skittering in a waving motion. “You will have your answers from the queen soon. That, or she will order your heads removed. Either way, things will be settled.”
“Great, I can’t wait to meet her.” Riot smiled, unwilling to show fear. “She sounds like a blast.”
Kila took them weaving in and out of the jungle interior, along hidden paths known only to the Trilords who lived in that area, as well as a few wider, more well-trodden paths through the jungle. Riot understood what Kila was doing an hour into their march.
The Trilord leader was taking them around and looping back to paths they had already crossed to confuse them. If Evonne wasn’t in her ear at a moment’s notice, Riot may have even felt bothered by not knowing which way to go to get back to the ship.
Tired, sweaty, and hungry, they were all finally led onto a dirt road, and the other Trilords around them breathed a sigh of relief. Riot followed their gaze. Up the sloping road stood a massive city on a hill. Dark cream bricks formed a surrounding wall and dead center in the hill was a pyramid.
The pyramid looked like the ancient Inca or Mayan structures Riot had seen in pictures. Each level was a wide square base, and each base grew smaller and smaller as it stacked on its fellow counterparts, creating the form of a pyramid.
“Holy pyramid on an alien planet,” Wang breathed as the group was ushered up the road. “This is gnarly.”
Riot looked back to see Rizzo giving the hand signs to Wang despite his bonds: Join the Marines, and they’ll show you the universe.
In a city large enough to hold thousands of inhabitants, the road was empty. Riot looked down to confirm her suspicion. Both boot marks and wheel indentations were made in the first road, meaning it was still used, just no one was using it right now.
“Halt!” a booming voice challenged as they neared the wall, which had to be three stories high. “What have you found in the jungle? They look like children.”
“Gunna, open the gates,” Kila shouted back. “I’m in no mood for your jokes.”
Riot squinted through the gathering darkness to see a wide-shouldered Trilord lean back and give the command to someone below to open the gates.
The gates themselves were nothing more than two thick doors made of heavy wood. They creaked as they swung open, and Riot walked into the city behind Kila. The first thing she noticed was the amount of armed Trilords assembled at the city entrance, as well as along the walls, where the light of the fading suns cast shadows, making it difficult to see. Now that she was inside the structure, Riot had to remind herself to keep her cool.
More than fifty Trilords glared at her, mostly in distrust, but a few with intrigue. The warriors were male and female alike, all red-eyed and ready to fight. Their scant leather and steel armor reminded Riot of gladiators. Each soldier carried a weapon she had seen in the Hazard Room; all heavy war weapons fashioned around a staff whose point ended in a blaster barrel.
The only weapons that looked as though they didn’t possess some kind of projectile weapon were the long swords and thick knives clenched in the large paws of the Trilords.
Riot took this all in with a sweep. Kila didn’t stop to speak with anyone; instead, she continued up the long, main road of the city toward the ancient pyramid. As they traveled through the Trilord city, Riot caught sight of smaller Trilord children sneaking peeks at them from the windows or doorways of the many buildings that lined the streets.
Each building looked similar to, but not an exact duplicate of, one another. The same dark cream colored bricks that made up the city walls were also used in construction of the houses. No glass shielded the windows from outside forces, only fabric drapes.
Riot caught one Trilord girl in particular gawking at her from a house on her right. Riot held the child’s look and gave her a wink. A look of sheer terror crossed the little girl’s red eyes. She opened her mouth in shock, showing off her long canines before ducking back into the house.
“Friendly bunch,” Riot mumbled. “Can’t wait to get inside their base without weapons and with our hands tied. This should be fun.”
25
Riot stood with the rest of her squad in a massive throne room. The stone floors were made of large pieces of rock, the ceiling supported by titanic pillars that reached thirty feet into the air.
The journey into the pyramid and through the structure’s interior hadn’t told her much besides the fact that the Trilords weren’t into decoration and the pyramid was much like the TARDIS on Doctor Who—bigger on the inside.
Riot stood, still bound, with her crew. Another half-dozen pyramid guards sporting tattoos of a red dragon on their bare chests now accompanied Kila and the other Trilords who had found them in the jungle.
A gigantic, black throne stood twenty yards in front of them. It appeared to be carved out of one single piece of polished stone. The high-backed wings of the chair had been fashioned to resemble actual dragon wings. A tail came from the back of the chair and wound around the chair’s feet.
“They all got matching tattoos.” Wang motioned with his head to the six stone-faced guards behind them. “They must be really good friends.”
Before Wang could go on, a door opened in the far back of the room. The lit braziers and torches along the walls weren’t quite strong enough for Riot to make out the figure coming forward. By the time she could get a good look at her, the woman was already taking a seat on the throne.
All the Trilords in attendance went down on one knee, their faces lowered to the ground. Riot looked over to Rizzo, who shrugged before following the lead of Kila and those in attendance.
Riot did the same, finding out how awkward it was to get down on one knee with both of her hands tied in front of her. As she went down, she snuck a peek at the queen.
The woman was a queen in every sense of the word. She was tall, with high cheekbones, white hair swept behind her head in a braid. Her skin was darker than Rizzo’s. She wore a long, white skirt and a white top that showed a toned midsection.
Red eyes caught Riot’s own, even as she looked away and lowered them to the floor. For a brief moment, Riot understood how the little girl she saw through the window on the way into town must have felt.
“You may all stand, guests and family alike.” The woman on the throne spoke in a deceivingly calm voice, her tone soft yet firm. “Kila, will you please unbind our new friends?”
Riot regained her feet, looking from the queen to Deborah, not believing her ears.
Was it really this easy? Riot asked herself. Show up on an alien world, meet the queen, and you’re in? No, nothing was ever that easy. More than likely, they were about to be tested and who knew what was in store for them if they failed that test.
Kila nodded to the Trilords under her command. She used one of the sharp sides of her own axe to cut through Riot’s bonds. The blade sheared through the thick rope without hesitation.
Riot massaged her wrists, turning them this way and that.
As far as she was concerned, this was Deborah’s show now.
“You can imagine that your visit has caught us by surprise.” The queen tried a smile, but failed. For the first time, Riot noticed the weariness on her face. Bags hung under eyes, her head was even tilted slightly down as if she were struggling to keep it up. “We have only been visited by strangers once before, and it didn’t go well. I would hear your intentions.”
“We are from a planet called Earth.” Deborah took a small step forward, opening her hands in a sign of friendship. “We’ve come to share knowledge and build lasting bonds between our people and yours.”
The queen perked up at the mention of sharing knowledge. It was clear to Riot that the queen was fishing for something. Whether it would end in friendship or with their heads removed from their bodies was yet to be seen.
“Your words sound true enough.” The queen looked over to Kila’s force who still carried the Marines’ weapons. “Forgive me if I do not jump at the opportunity to ally with you. We have been visited by other strangers who spoke similar words. Now my only son lies wounded and dying because they were liars.”
“I’m unaware of who these other strangers are.” Deborah took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I understand that everything we have to say now is only words. I just ask you to give us the opportunity to prove to you that we are allies.”
Riot was wondering if Deborah was going to share the portion about the darkness that was supposed to destroy the Earth and the universe as the Syndicate had foretold, but Deborah seemed to have forgotten this part for the time being. Riot couldn’t blame her.
When you’re making friends for the first time, the last thing you want to start with is a conversation about how the universe is being demolished.
“If you are being honest, there may be a way for you to prove yourself.” The queen brightened as an idea came to fruition. “My son has been grievously injured in the initial fight that has brought us to open war. Would you be able to heal him?”
Deborah looked behind her, first to Riot, and then to Wang. Without consulting either of them, she nodded. “We will do everything within our power to help him. Our knowledge of medicine is greatly advanced.”
“Kila.” The queen motioned to her soldier. “Will you take them to see Ketrick?”
“At once.” Kila stood straight and motioned them forward. “Follow me.”
26
Their journey to the prince’s chamber was much the same as when they first entered the pyramid—long, high-ceilinged halls, no decoration, and a heavy military presence.
Riot and the others were led to a room on the fourth level of the pyramid with a comfortable-looking bed. The frame was made from dark wood, the mattress covered by multiple animal furs.
A muscular man who looked like he could have been in his early thirties lay sweating in the bed. His long, black hair and short, black beard glistened, and tattoos covered a large portion of his body from his massive biceps to his chiseled abs.
Torches set in the wall at various intervals gave the room light. The queen, Kila, and her group of warriors, as well as Riot and her squad, squished into the room.
“If we may have some space to work and your permission to examine him”—Deborah looked to the queen for consent—“we can have a few of our own step outside, if that makes things less tense.”
The queen removed sad, tired eyes from her son’s still form. She nodded to Kila. “Send your men to wait outside. If they were going to try anything, they would have done so by now.”
“Queen Revna…” Kila’s tone already said she was about to protest. “If I am to protect you, I—”
“Do it.” The queen’s voice was neither angry nor loud, only matter-of-fact. “Now.”
“Vet, Rizzo.” Riot looked over to the two members of her squad unable to help in the current moment. “You two wait outside, as well.”
“Roger that,” Vet said.
Rizzo nodded and gave a peace sign before following Vet out of the room.
“With your permission?” Deborah looked to the queen. “We’d like to examine him.”
“Of course.” The queen nodded her consent. “Our healers have tried everything they could, but the fever hasn’t broken. He sustained the injuries two days ago in the first fight with the Brutes and strangers.”
There were literally a dozen questions Riot wanted to ask, but she understood this was neither the time nor the place. Right now, all that mattered was getting the prince healthy, and in doing so, completing their mission in securing an ally.
Deborah and Wang moved to the bed. Wang pulled down the furs to reveal a long string of bandages wrapped around Ketrick’s right thigh. Deborah and Wang began to gently unwrap the wound to get a better look at what they were dealing with.
Ketrick mumbled something in his sleep. He jostled slightly, his red eyes fluttering open then closed again.
Deborah and Wang continued to work in the light of torches. As they unwrapped the wound, a rotting smell began to seep from the injury and drift to their nostrils.
Riot forced herself not to cringe at the stench.
Deborah finally pulled the last piece of soggy fabric from the wound, and Riot’s stomach clenched. The only thing cementing her to her spot was her experience in the field. She had dealt with her fair share of wounded soldiers when the Syndicate had first attacked.
She had seen open wounds before. This one, however, took the cake. Ketrick’s right thigh was split open from the top of his hip down to his knee. A long, ugly cut penetrated so deeply, Riot could see the white of his femur.
To Wang’s credit, he didn’t flinch at the stench or at the sight of the lesion. Deborah looked a little green around the gills, but she didn’t step away or vomit.
“It’s infected.” Wang probed the area around the laceration with his hands. “His whole body is burning up, trying to fight off the toxicity.”
“He’s weak.” Deborah took his right wrist in her hand. “He’s lost a lot of blood. Heart rate is slow.”
Out of nowhere, Ketrick sat up in his bed. He stared right at Riot with wild, red eyes. “The Valkyrie! The Valkyrie has come for me.”
Riot held the gaze of those red eyes. Something unlike she had ever felt before frightened her. She had to remind herself she was a Marine and didn’t get frightened, though while she was telling herself this, a tingle ran down her spine.
The queen rushed to her son’s side. “Ketrick! Ketrick, can you hear me?”
Ketrick’s eyes were only fixed upon Riot, until he fell back into a fitful sleep.
“Can you help him?” Kila asked from behind the queen.
“We can.” Wang looked to Riot, then to the queen. “But we’ll need the tech we carry on our ship and we’ll have to go get it now. I don’t … I don’t know how much time he has left.”
The queen’s gaze pleaded her case as she looked from Kila to Riot. A war was going on behind her crimson eyes—on the one hand, if she did nothing, her son would surely die; on the other, if she trusted these strangers, they could kill her son.
“Take him to your ship and save him,” the queen replied, standing, a fire burning in her eyes. “If you can heal him, you’ll have the help of me and my clan for an eternity.”
“What happens if we do all that we can and it’s still not enough?” Riot replied, crossing her arms, holding the queen’s look. “What then?”
“Let’s not think that way,” the queen answered, leaving the room, barking orders to the Trilords who waited outside.
27
I’m going to need something to eat some time soon, Rizzo signed in the light of the giant moon that orbited Hoydren’s nighttime sky. When’s the last time we ate?
“We just missed dinner,” Riot said through the dark. Although she was feeling her own stomach grumble, they had been through much worse. “We’ll get Ketrick onto the ship and stable, then we’ll worry about food, and showers.”
Riot looked to her left, wher
e Vet strode beside her. The rank smell of sweat on a dirty body wafted off him almost as badly as the infected wound came off Ketrick.
“Vet, when was the last time you showered?”
“Why would that matter?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Okay, what day is it?”
“What?” Riot looked at Vet with raised eyebrows. The silver of the moon glistened off his metal eye patch. “Why would it matter what day it is?”
“I schedule my showers so I don’t forget.” Vet looked at Riot like she was crazy. “I check my calendar every morning and it tells me if it’s a shower day or not.”
“Why wouldn’t you just take a shower every day?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, because you sweat and get dirty?” Riot couldn’t believe what was coming out of Vet’s mouth. She knew her friend had issues, but this was taking things to another level. “Vet, seriously?”
“Maybe you sweat and get dirty every day, but I don’t,” Vet said matter-of-factly. “I only take showers when I’m dirty, or if it’s a scheduled shower day. Besides, it dries out my skin.”
Riot was about to continue the conversation, when a moan from the stretcher in front of her broke her concentration.
“We’re not done with this.” Riot shook a finger at Vet. Instead of waiting for a reply, she quickened her pace until she walked beside Wang and the stretcher carrying the prince. “How is he?”
Two Trilords carried the stretcher on which Ketrick lay motionless. Only a moan came from the injured prince every so often to signal that he was even alive. The main force of Kila’s unit walked in front, then came Riot’s group and the stretcher, followed by two more Trilords bringing up the rear.
“He’s one tough son of a gun.” Wang looked over to his right, shaking his head in wonder. “I don’t know if it’s because of his size, race, or something else, but I’ve never seen anyone live through an infection this bad.”
Bring the Thunder (War Wolves Book 1) Page 10