by Lily Thomas
Each warrior lunged forward to engage one another.
Xacier’s forearm came out to slam her against the wall of the arena. “Stay there and don’t move! And pray I win this battle.”
“What? Why?” He was making her freak out here!
“Or the new winner will get you.” And then he was gone.
She really didn’t want someone else winning her. She’d rather die in a fight. Xacier was more than she could’ve hoped for. He was eye candy, and he was nice, so far, if a bit terrifying.
Xacier’s eyes flashed black, as he charged into the mayhem of the fight. He wasn’t the only alien with red-skin, but he was the only one she had eyes for. He was impressive to watch, as he took on a bug-like alien. It looked like an enormous grasshopper, but a bipedal grasshopper. If it had wings, they’d been clipped though. Wouldn’t want your warriors flying out of the arena.
They danced around each other, while protecting their backs from any warriors that tried to sneak up on them.
Samantha was so distracted by Xacier’s fight she hadn’t noticed she’d attracted some of her own attention.
A roar made her head swivel around, and her mouth dropped. An alien with red-ringed pupils and pointed ears rushed towards her. It wasn’t Halie, but it was a male Triel.
She lifted her dagger and hit the ground, as he swung his sword at her head. Lifting the dagger, she gave a stab at one of the Triel’s legs and the dagger met flesh. The blade went through his calf, but she wasn’t able to yank it back out.
His eyes trained in on her, as he roared with rage and pain. She tried to swallow. He was going to kill her, and she just lost her only weapon to his leg. Scrambling backwards on her butt, she put as much distance between them, so she could get up and run away.
The Triel male stormed her way with a raised sword, not even caring about the dagger sticking out of his leg.
Samantha let out a scream and heard another roar come from beside her. Before she knew it, Xacier stepped in front of her and blocked the Triel’s swing with his own sword. He shoved the male back and went on the offensive.
The crowd was crying out in excitement. They probably like seeing the “champion” defend his prize, and it made her face heat. She felt so pathetic, just sitting there in the dirt while Xacier risked his life to save her own. She was going to owe him a lot after this. First, he just had to keep her alive.
Xacier ducked below one of the Triel’s swings and drove his own sword into the belly of the Triel. Then he yanked out the sword, blood pooled out, as the Triel giggled and choked on his blood.
Samantha grimaced, but the crowd was pleased with the kill. Disgusting people.
“Sick fuckers. This is my life you are playing with for your own sick pleasures.” She mumbled under her breath, as she got back up to her feet. It might revolt her, but she needed to get her dagger back.
Samantha rushed over to the dead Triel, braced a pink slippered foot against his calf, wrapped both her hands around the hilt and yanked her dagger out. Now she had her weapon back, and she backed herself up against the arena wall.
She watched as the last two warriors ganged up on Xacier.
The odds looked stacked against him, but he impressed her yet again with his speed and skill. Before anyone could blink, Xacier had one of the warriors in a choke hold and used him as a shield, when the other warrior came at him with an ax. The ax lodged in Xacier’s alien shield.
Xacier threw the dead alien away from him and tackled the last alien. He knelt over the other male and threw a couple deadly punches into the man’s face.
Once his opponent was dead, Xacier stood and surveyed the arena with black eyes.
Samantha gulped down some air and braced herself, but Xacier didn’t charge her this time. Instead, his eyes landed on her for a second and then went to scan the audience, as he raised his fisted hands into the air.
People in the crowd stood, as they clapped and whistled.
After a few seconds, he made his way towards her. His eyes were still black, but he sheathed his sword, and as he neared, his steps slowed. His hand whipped out and grabbed her forearm.
“What are we— hey!” Samantha yelled, as he threw her over his shoulder. “What the hell? Let me down, Xacier! This isn’t funny!”
She felt the hem of her dress ride up her legs. She didn’t want to be mooning the audience in her skimpy red underwear. Her hand reached behind her, but his massive hand landed on her ass, before she could reach the hem. Well, his hand might not be welcome on her butt, but at least his hand was large enough to cover her butt from view of the audience.
“Once again our champion Kell has won the arena battle. Will we ever find another who can break this warrior?” The speaker came back onto the loud speaker. “For now, it appears he will be enjoying his prize, after an amazing battle.” The audience went nuts, and she wondered if some of these women were delusional enough to want to be in her shoes.
Xacier carried her to the corridor opening and strode into the darker setting. Once her eyes readjusted, she kicked her legs. “Let me go, Xacier.”
His other hand locked over her legs to cease her kicking.
“Xacier. Seriously, I can walk you know!”
“Quiet.” He hissed at her, and her mouth shut tight in shock.
Why was he being so bossy? Had his rage from the fight not died out yet? Maybe that was why he wanted her to be quiet, so he had time to calm himself.
He took her to the showers, where he quickly rinsed, dried, and then drug her back to his room. Turning her to face him he looked her in the eyes and, slowly, leaned down.
Her heart thundered away in her chest, as his lips neared hers. As his warm lips met hers, a sigh escaped her. His presence was so calming and so enticing. She could stay connected with him for forever, but he ended the kiss and stepped away from her.
Samantha was a bit surprised by the intense rush of tingles shooting through her. That had been the most electrifying kiss she’d had in a long time. She should’ve ventured outside the realm of fellow scientists and explored what a warrior like Xacier could bring.
He took his clothing from the last battle and sat down to inspect them. Samantha took a seat in the other chair to watch. He found a slice in his pants and grabbed a needle with thread.
Samantha couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. To see such an impressively built man wielding a needle and thread. It was… charming.
He arched an eyebrow. “Something you find amusing?”
“You with a small needle. I just don’t look at you and think ‘he’s the house broken type’.”
“There are many things you don’t know about me.”
“Care to share some of those things?”
“Why?”
“We’re going to be together for some time, I assume, so maybe we should know something about each other.”
“I don’t think so. And this needle and thread aren’t meant for my clothing.” He informed her.
Now it was her turn to arch an eyebrow.
“I need you to sew up the wound on my upper arm.” He motioned to it.
Samantha looked at the arm he was presenting and grimaced. There was a nasty cut on it. Her nose scrunched. “You want me to sew you up?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god. You trust me with it?”
“You can’t kill me with this needle.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t hem many clothes myself. I just don’t want to mess it up and get you killed somehow.”
“Then don’t ‘mess it up’. Either you help me or I’ll have to do it one handed, and I might ‘mess it up’, as you say.”
“Thanks for the reassurance.” Samantha waved him forward. “Well, scoot closer then.”
Xacier stood, moved the chair next to her, and then sat down again.
She took the needle from him and glanced up at his eyes briefly. They’d returned to their striking ice-blue, and it
calmed her a bit. She just hoped he didn’t change into a raging beast the minute she put the needle to his tender flesh. Gritting her teeth, she leaned in, grabbed the folds of his flesh and pierced it with the needle and thread.
She could hear him grinding his teeth, but he didn’t let out any other sound. If he’d been doing this to her, she would’ve been screaming and hollering like a banshee.
Then again he was an alien warrior. The needle was probably less painful than anything else he’d been dealt, while in the arena. When she finished, she knotted the thread and gave a weak smile. She’d finished without passing out halfway through.
“Will there be another battle today?” Samantha was hoping he’d say no.
“Yes.”
“Great.” Samantha’s heart sank. She didn’t want to be inside the arena again.
“The next battle will be a one on one battle.”
“Really?” Samantha smiled. That meant she wouldn’t be targeted while Xacier was dealing with other warriors.
Xacier smirked at her.
“What? I’ve seen your skill. You can easily defeat someone in a one-on-one battle.”
“This battle won’t be easy or pleasant. The other warrior will also have a ‘prize’ with him.”
“You mean another woman?”
He nodded. “Whoever kills the other’s ‘prize’ first wins the battle.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.” Samantha could feel the blood drain from her face. It was either her life or the other woman’s life. It wasn’t a good choice.
Xacier shook his head, and his braids danced around his face. “The crowds love it and pay extra to watch these kinds of battles. Who doesn’t love watching an innocent get killed, if her protector isn’t strong enough?”
“How has no other alien government protested against this?” Samantha was bewildered about how this wasn’t causing political problems.
“We’re on one of the Friren’s central planets. The space around here is too well guarded by ships, and I know there are plenty of governments willing to sacrifice a few of their people to keep from having a war on their hands.”
Samantha grimaced. “So either I let myself get killed or I let you kill an innocent woman.” She really didn’t like the sound of this. Samantha didn’t want to die, but she didn’t want anyone taking her place.
“Come. We will get some food, before the next battle begins. Try not to think about it, since there isn’t anything we can do.” He told her, as he stood and got into some clean clothing.
Samantha knew she was drooling. All he had to do was strip down in front of her and she’d forget everything going on around them. He was quite the image in black pants and boots. The pants contrasted well with his crimson skin and piercing blue eyes.
Her eyes went to look at his horns, as he led her out of the room. What would it be like to touch them? She assumed they’d be hard like bone, but would he be able to feel her touch? Did he have any nerve endings running through them?
Samantha found herself full of questions, since she didn’t know anything about Kells and their culture. They weren’t a common species floating around space.
“Sit.” He told her, as they entered the mess hall and passed by an empty table.
“Ok.” Samantha took a seat and eyed the warriors around her. They were all keeping their distance, and she wondered if the fight in the mess hall had discouraged anyone else from trying to claim her.
Not to mention, Xacier had also killed the warriors who came after her in the arena with bloody ferociousness. He was a force to reckon with.
A plate dropped in front of her, scaring her half to death. “What the…?”
“Your food.” Xacier sat down next to her.
“Ever hear of placing food in front of someone rather than plopping it in front of them?” He may have saved her life several times, but he was still a little rough around the edges.
“Eat something, because I have no idea when they might signal the next round, and you’ll need any strength you can get.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. This could be her last meal, and she didn’t plan on skipping it. The horn blew, right as she was about to take a bite of the jiggling grey goo. Damn. So much for having a possible last meal.
“Come. We don’t want to keep the crowd waiting.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her up from her seat.
“Let go! I’ll walk on my own, thank you.”
He released her arm, but stayed close to her side. “Keep yourself away from the other warrior and treat the other ‘prize’ with extreme caution.” He gave her a stern look. “I mean it. This ‘prize’ won’t want to be killed either, so she might try to kill you on her own.”
Samantha nodded. Maybe a one-on-one battle wasn’t any better than a full on brawl. Now she was going to be the focus of attention. She really should’ve kept up on her exercise. If she lived through this arena, she’d be sure to get back into shape.
They left the corridor behind and entered the stadium. Xacier was right. The crowd had nearly doubled in size, since the last battle. There were so many people, there weren’t enough seats, and she could see some of the audience standing in the aisles.
Returning her gaze to the arena she saw the approaching warrior and his prize. How many times was her jaw going to drop? This warrior was huge! And the battle ax he was carrying could cut her cleanly in half.
Her gaze dropped to his prize. The woman was an alien, but appeared to be just as delicate as a human woman. Her blonde hair was braided behind her head, and her eyes were a pale violet. Other than the violet eyes, she appeared human, but there was something in her gait. It was so smooth and fluid. It made her appear to glide, almost like she was floating, even though Samantha could see her feet were touching the ground.
“You can’t kill her.” Samantha whispered sharply. It would be wrong. Just look at her! “She’d have no chance against you. Just like I wouldn’t have any chance against him. Can’t you just kill him? Will that end the battle?”
“Killing the ‘prize’ is part of this battle, but I will see if killing the male makes the crowd content enough.”
Samantha prayed they would be happy with just the other warrior dying. There was no need for an innocent woman to die.
“Stay away from the fighting, even if you think I’m going to die. I can’t battle him, with you in the way.”
She gave a nod of her head. There was no way she would get between Xacier and a hulk like that warrior. She wasn’t completely delusional.
Xacier tossed her a dagger, before stepping away and taking his position in the arena.
Samantha stood some distance away, and she felt the other woman watching her every move. She met those purple eyes and tried to send the woman a smile, but it kept faltering. It was probably unfair of her, but Samantha felt as though those purple eyes were stone cold.
“Let the battle begin!” The speaker announced, and then another horn blew right before the men launched at each other.
Samantha only had eyes for the men, as they battled against each other. They collided, their weapons braced against each other, as they tried to push the other back. Neither could get a good shove in, so they broke away and circled each other, as they searched out any weaknesses.
Before she knew it Samantha was thrown to the ground. The other woman had landed on top of her!
“I have her! I have her!” The alien woman screamed at the other alien male.
“What the fuck?” Then the woman’s hands reached for Samantha’s throat. “Oh no you don’t!” Samantha balled her fist and threw it at the woman’s cheek. It made contact, and she felt some pain radiate through her hand, but she didn’t have time to think about it.
Samantha pushed the woman off her, darted to her feet, grabbed her dagger, and braced herself for another attack.
Her mother needed her, and she’d do everything in her power to stay alive. She didn’t want to kill the woman, but she’d do what she had to. Peopl
e would understand she was in a no win situation.
“Stop!” Samantha yelled at the woman, as the alien woman lunged for her. Dodging the attack Samantha tried again. “If we can save you and just kill the warrior, we will. We don’t want you to die!”
But either the woman didn’t understand, didn’t care or didn’t believe her. Her violet eyes were fixed on Samantha with a crazy intent.
The woman lunged again, and Samantha wasn’t fast enough to dodge. They ended up in a heap on the ground. They struggled, as one of the woman’s hands wrapped around her wrist with the dagger.
The alien’s other hand delivered some blows to Samantha’s face. She managed to deflect a few of the blows with her other hand, but the woman was strong. Turning her head Samantha bit down on the woman’s wrist. The alien woman let out a scream, as blood seeped into Samantha’s mouth. The woman’s grip loosened enough for Samantha to take her dagger and stab it into the woman’s side.
The woman rolled off her and clutched her side, as a sigh escaped.
Samantha crouched next to her body. “I’m so sorry for this. I wish we could’ve communicated better.” The woman may have wanted to kill her, but Samantha still regretted the loss of life.
The crowd roared with excitement, and the speaker came back. “The fight is now over. Our champion has won again, and it appears his prize is on his side! He must have convinced her to aid him in the arena, if you know what I mean.”
The crowd burst into whoops and hollers of laughter.
Samantha didn’t have time to be embarrassed by what the speaker was implying. She stood and looked over at the two alien men. They broke away and glanced around in bewilderment. Clearly, they hadn’t expected the women to decide the fate of this match.
Before she could blink, a mask of rage overcame the alien’s features, and he charged her.
“Shit!” Samantha stumbled back and tried to yank her dagger back out of the woman’s side, but she was too slow.
The warrior was on her in a matter of seconds. His hand came whipping out and made contact with her face, sending her flying across the ground. Something popped, and a scream erupted from her throat.