“If you knew anything about my dad’s history, you’d know it didn’t end well for him,” said Jessie. “He died in the war, and people lost interest in his family. You don’t get immunity when you’re a nobody, especially when on board a starship being attacked in deep space.”
Thunde hissed out a curse. “Despite you drugging me and stealing my weapons, what I said earlier stands.”
“I’m thinking about what you told me,” said Jessie. “But I need to know more before I make a decision. I like to know the facts and weigh up my options.”
Thunde found himself smiling again. She sounded just like him when he was planning a mission. “There’s not a lot more I can tell you. I have a code to input into a comms link and a basic set of instructions to follow. What does your instinct tell you about me?”
“I’m surprised warriors go on instinct,” said Jessie. “Surely it should all be tactics and logic.”
“There’s a lot of that in every battle,” said Thunde. “But there are times when you have to trust what you feel inside.”
“I’m not sure how well I trust my gut,” said Jessie. “It’s either rumbling in terror or rumbling in hunger, right now.”
“You should eat something,” said Thunde.
“I’m saving my food,” said Jessie. “I want to last in here as long as possible.”
“How long are you expecting to survive?”
“Forever.”
Thunde nodded. There was a determination inside this tiny human, and he admired that. “You won’t be here for long.”
“I know no Fraken game has lasted longer than a week. So, if I can make it past that, I’ll go into the Fraken records for something.”
“You won’t be in any Fraken records,” said Thunde. “Well, not for that reason.”
“What reason do you think I’ll make it into their prey archive?”
“If you survive, you’ll be a symbol for others to aspire to,” said Thunde.
“If I survive.”
Thunde shifted his feet and rolled his shoulders, not liking the thought of Jessie not making it out of this game. “Tell me more about your books.”
“You mean my wasteful paper books?”
“Exactly that.” Thunde cleared his throat. He hoped to relax Jessie and gain her trust by asking her about something she enjoyed but was aware his social skills could be a little blunt.
“I’ve always liked puzzles and research. One of my teachers spotted my interest and told me about an apprenticeship position in my local archive. As soon as I’d gained my qualifications, I left college and went straight to the archive. It was marvellous. I was surrounded by all the books and paper I could imagine. The pay was almost non-existent, well, at least for the first two years, but the e-credits increased as my experience grew.”
“You were paid to care for these relics?”
“Of course. I’m not the only one into rare things.”
Thunde scratched his head. “Why paper books?”
“I’ll research anything that looks interesting, and getting to the source material makes all the difference. I’ve even done research on different alien cultures.”
“Tell me interesting facts about my planet.” Thunde half-closed his eyes as he listened to Jessie talk.
“Well, you'll know everything about your own planet.”
“I’m interested to hear what others think about Vorten, though,” said Thunde. “You must know a little about where I’m from.”
“I know the planet has poor water sources.”
“Everybody knows that,” said Thunde.
“You have Elders who make your laws.”
“Public knowledge,” said Thunde.
“I once read about a flower on your planet called the cloudberry. I saw a drawing of one; it was the sweetest little white flower, with a brilliant purple middle and petals that look like teardrops.”
Thunde nodded. “That’s right. They don’t grow in many places on the planet, though. They like saltwater and rocky crevices. We have several small seas, and they thrive in that environment.”
“What scent do they have?”
Thunde scrubbed his fingers across his chin. “I’ve never stopped to smell them.”
“The next time you’re home, make sure you smell a cloudberry, and you can tell me what it’s like.”
“You’ll have to give me your comms ID, so I can do that.” Thunde grinned to himself. “Or maybe I can show you?”
“Go to Vorten?” asked Jessie. “You want to take me to your home planet?”
“It’s not such a terrible place,” said Thunde. “And I am long overdue a visit.”
“There are two small problems with that,” said Jessie. “We’re in the middle of a Fraken game, and you’re meant to kill me.”
Thunde opened his mouth to offer Jessie reassurance, but then paused and clenched his fists. He crouched low, scanning the sky as he did so. The air currents had changed, and it wasn’t a natural change. Something big was approaching.
“Did I say something wrong?” whispered Jessie.
Thunde pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. “Check the sky; there’s something up there.”
Chapter 8
Jessie’s breath gasped out of her as she scrabbled to untie the knot around her middle, freeing herself from the tree limb and climbing to her feet, her eyes never leaving the sky. She’d heard something above her. It was the beat of large wings.
She ducked as a shadow covered her. “Can you see what it is?”
Thunde had a blade in his hand and was stalking around the base of the tree. “A dragon hybrid.”
“A dragon!” Jessie lunged against the tree trunk and hugged it. She’d only ever seen pictures of dragons in books or on the comms channel and had never expected to see one for real.
“The Fraken want to flush us out of the trees,” said Thunde. “They must be suspicious.”
“Suspicious of what?”
“Suspicious because I haven’t killed you yet,” said Thunde.
“They’re not the only one,” said Jessie. “How are your dragon fighting skills?”
“Adequate,” said Thunde.
“Even with most of your weapons gone?” Jessie ducked again as the shadow covered her, sucking all the light and air out of the tree for a second as the dragon passed overhead.
“It would help if the dragon were on the ground,” said Thunde. “It would also help if you told me where the rest of my weapons are.”
“I threw some of them down a slope back where you passed out. I have the rest with me.” Jessie felt a pang of guilt. “I didn’t think we’d have to face a dragon.”
“Climb down from the tree,” said Thunde. “It will make it harder for the beast to reach you.”
Jessie pressed her trembling lips together and began to inch down the tree. She didn’t know if she was heading towards a greater terror by leaving the safety of the branches. She still didn’t trust Thunde. The Fraken could have sent the dragon in to force her down towards him, so he’d be able to kill her.
“Hurry,” shouted Thunde.
It was decision time. Jessie shimmied her way to the next tree limb. A hot gust of sulfurous wind swept over her as her feet touched the branch, followed by a tormented sounding shriek as the dragon hybrid swooped nearer. She felt the skim of something sharp across her back and grabbed hold of the tree as she pitched forward.
“Go faster,” roared Thunde.
“I’m trying.” Jessie made a move to get farther down the tree, but the dragon lunged at her again, and this time, its claws raked down her back, splitting open her clothes and searing into her flesh. She screamed and almost lost her balance.
“Stay there,” said Thunde. “I’ll come get you.”
“These branches won’t take your weight.” Jessie gritted her teeth as she felt blood run down her back. “I’m okay. I can make it down on my own.”
“How bad are your injuries?”
&nbs
p; “I’m not injured,” lied Jessie.
“Your blood is dripping on my face,” said Thunde, anger simmering in his words. “Can you still move?”
“It’s just my back,” said Jessie, as she ignored the stinging burn of her torn flesh. “I can make it down.”
“Then do it.”
Jessie heard the command in Thunde’s voice, his tone rasping with rage. He must consider her stupid to get trapped up a tree and then mauled by a dragon.
The dragon hybrid swooped nearer again, screeching so loudly it made her ears ring. Jessie gasped as its claws tangled in her hair, and she yanked her head away, losing some hair as she did so.
“No you don’t!” Jessie placed her stinging back against the tree trunk and pulled a small blade out of her bag. Her arm trembled as she held it in front of her.
“Don’t be foolish,” yelled Thunde. “You don’t stand a chance against the beast.”
“It won’t let me down,” shouted Jessie. “Every time I move, it lunges at me.”
Thunde bellowed and launched a rock at the dragon as it approached Jessie. “Stay still. I’ll knock it out of the sky.”
“You can’t do that with rocks.” Jessie flinched as a rock almost grazed her cheek.
Thunde grunted. “I’m a good shot.”
Several more large rocks whizzed through the trees, and Jessie heard an indignant shriek as several made contact with the dragon’s flesh. But rocks wouldn’t keep it away for long, no matter how good Thunde’s aim was. She had to get out of the tree and away from this lethal predator.
She saw a flash of black wing shoot past, and then the dragon was in full view, hovering above the tree. Jessie’s breath escaped her as she took in the monstrous sight. The dragon's skin was onyx black, its eyes bright red, and jagged teeth stuck out of its top jaw. Its claws were elongated and serrated, and its tail had a row of spiked horns tracing along the back. One swipe from that and she’d be dead.
“You have to get out of that tree,” roared Thunde. “It’s coming in for an attack.”
“I see that,” said Jessie. “What do you expect me to do, though, jump?”
“Yes! Jump. I’ll catch you.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jessie's eyes were fixed on the hovering beast. “I’ll die in the fall.”
“It’s either take that risk or be eaten by the dragon.”
The options were dreadful. Jessie tore her fearful gaze from the dragon and looked down at Thunde. The jump was too far; she’d never make it. Hot fetid breath shot into her face, and Jessie stared with wide eyes at the dragon as it waited for the perfect moment to strike.
A scream tore from Jessie’s lips as the dragon reared up, and she hurled the knife towards the beast. As she did so, she flew out into the air off the tree branch. There was nothing more she could do but hope Thunde was going to save her.
***
Thunde took a deep breath as he saw Jessie careening towards the ground. He extended his arms and braced his knees for the impact as she hit him. When she arrived in his arms, he was amazed by how light she was. He clutched her to his chest, inhaling the scent of terror pouring off her and the tang of blood from her wounds. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Jessie let out a shaky gasp. “Glad to hear that.”
He placed her feet on the ground, keeping an arm around her waist. “Can you stand?”
“Of course,” said Jessie. “Don’t worry about me. We have a dragon to deal with.”
“I need more weapons.”
Jessie hesitated for only a second before pulling three blades from her bag. They were all throwing blades, but they would do some damage to the dragon.
“Stay down and out of the way,” said Thunde, as he took the blades. “Let me handle the dragon.”
“I’m not going to argue with that.” Jessie ducked behind a tree and then peeped out at Thunde. “Good luck.”
Thunde turned to stare at the dragon. It slowly descended through the trees, its wings beating the leaves around him into a chaotic swirl. It roared when it spotted Thunde and landed on the ground with an earth shuddering thump.
Thunde had seen similar dragon hybrids before. The Fraken liked to create monsters with extra skills and adaptations, and this dragon’s skin would be tough, and its claws and teeth could be poisonous. But he’d yet to see it breathe fire. He kept out of the direct path of the dragon’s mouth, just in case.
The dragon lowered itself onto all four limbs as it landed. One of its eyes moved in a slow rotation, and Thunde could see it was artificial, a camera implanted by the Fraken to assess the game situation. They would be recording everything and figuring out where they were in the game. This wasn’t good news. If the Fraken were already assessing Thunde’s location, they must know something was wrong. They would be suspicious of what Axen’s plans were for Thunde. And they’d be right to be.
Thunde threw a blade into the dragon’s camera eye. The dragon roared and reared onto its hind legs. Its tail swung dangerously close to Thunde, and he jumped over it. He aimed another blade at the underbelly of the dragon, and it hit home. The dragon screeched and swung its tail again. This time it was too fast, and Thunde was smashed into a tree.
His existing injuries shrieked in protest, and the air was punched out of him. He jumped to his feet but fell instantly. His right leg had a deep gash on it where one of the spines of the dragon’s tail had impacted. It felt numb and useless. Thunde tried to stand once more and managed to pull himself to his feet and shift behind the tree, out of the way of the snapping jaws of the dragon.
Thunde ground his teeth together. Without the use of his right leg, he would struggle to beat the dragon with just a few throwing blades and his own weapon.
He sucked in some air before limping out from behind the tree. His mouth fell open as he took in the sight in front of him. Jessie was standing close to the dragon with a knife in her hand. What was she doing? She was going to get herself killed.
He saw her wave her hands, getting the dragon to focus on her.
“Over here, you giant flying rat,” yelled Jessie, leaping on the spot and flailing her arms around some more.
Thunde shook his head, the wooziness from hitting the tree leaving him as a surge of protectiveness flooded his system. Jessie must not die. She couldn’t sacrifice herself to save his life.
The pain in his right leg vanished as he dashed towards Jessie. He had to get her away from the dragon.
Chapter 9
A heady mix of terror and adrenaline made every particle in Jessie’s body shake. The dragon hybrid snapped its jaws at her and swiped its claws through the air. She jumped backwards but kept waving the blade she held. She’d seen what happened to Thunde, seen how he’d been smashed into the tree. He was probably dead, and this dragon had killed him, killed someone who’d offered her a way out of this game.
Fury made Jessie’s vision mist with red. She’d never felt so angry. It wasn’t fair what the Fraken were doing to her or any of the warriors who took part. With one swipe of a mutant dragon’s tail, any hope she had of getting out of the game alive was gone, and that was wrong. But she wasn’t going down without a fight. This dragon was going to pay.
Jessie studied the dragon as it reared up again, trying to find a suitable place to throw her blade. It had to make a difference; she had to bring it down. The blade wobbled in her hand as doubt spread through her veins like poisoned wine. How could she defeat a dragon with this pathetic blade? She could imagine the audience watching and laughing themselves silly as the weak human stood against a dragon hybrid. They were probably taking bets on how many seconds she had left to live.
She let out a gasp as she was thrown from her feet and rolled along the ground into a bush. Hot, musky male filled her nose, and hard muscle pressed against her chest. It was Thunde. He was still alive!
“I thought I told you to stay out of the way.” Thunde pinned Jessie to the ground and stared at her.
“I was protecting you,”
gasped out Jessie.
“From the dragon?” He shook his head. “That was foolish.”
“Some might say brave.”
Thunde grunted and rolled off her. “This time, stay here. Keep behind this tree and keep yourself safe.”
Jessie jumped to her feet and glared at Thunde. “Anything else?”
“Promise me you will keep yourself hidden.” Thunde held out his hand. “And give me your weapon.”
“I promise.” Jessie was glad to hand over the blade. Thunde would make a better job of using it than she would. “Aim well.”
“I always do,” said Thunde. He brushed a hand across her cheek, then turned and approached the dragon hybrid.
Jessie gulped in air as she watched him, his muscles bunching as he neared the dragon. Thunde’s pace slowed, and he crouched into what looked like a fighting stance. She knew he could do it. Looking at the way he held himself, she could see he was a true, purebred killing machine. If anyone could take down this Fraken monster, it would be Thunde.
She was surprised to feel a sense of pride as she watched Thunde, and her fingers touched her cheek. She’d not known him long, but he’d already shocked her. He’d talked about change, keeping her safe, and wanting to do things differently. She’d not expected to hear any of that when she’d entered this game. In fact, by now, she expected to be dead. But there was something different about this warrior, something that made her want to pin her hope on him, trust him, and believe the words he told her. If he said things were going to change, then Jessie believed him. And she believed in him now. She believed he would kill the dragon and keep her safe.
Thunde jumped as the dragon swung its tail at him. Worry shot through Jessie as she saw Thunde’s right leg oozing blood. She hoped it wasn’t too bad of an injury. She didn’t want anything to slow him down and let the dragon get to him.
The dragon lumbered towards Thunde, giving him time to back up. Jessie’s hand flew to her mouth as she saw where he was heading. He was going to trap himself if he didn’t pay attention. If Thunde got into a corner and couldn’t get out, the dragon would get him. She went to move from behind the tree but stopped herself. She had promised Thunde she’d stay where she was and didn’t want to be a distraction when he was fighting, fighting for both of their lives. Maybe for something more than that.
Thunde Page 7