by Zara Zenia
"Not really," he said.
"Oh come on! Don't be so miserable."
She pulled him up onto the dancefloor and placed his hands around her waist whether he liked it or not. I watched them dance awkwardly for a moment before walking away with a heavy heart. I'd done the right thing, hadn't I? Why did I feel like such an awful person? It's not like I could fake falling in love with him. No, I thought. I hadn't done anything wrong. I didn't love Marco, didn't even slightly find him attractive and that wasn't my fault.
I pushed my way through the crowd again, said hello and thank you to more guests, listened to their lovely compliments then moved on. Eventually, I found Gar'zul holding Arlodd in a headlock and ruffling his hair. It was like watching two dinosaurs wrestle each other and they'd destroyed everything around them. There was broken glass everywhere and the curtains were shredded and lying in tatters on the floor. I was sure I even caught the smell of something burning.
"What the hell have you been doing, Gar?"
"We've just been having some fun."
"I can see that."
I was trying to be mad at him but couldn't manage it. Despite the damage to the bar and his ludicrous size, he looked so sweet and innocent like a schoolboy that had been allowed to run wild. He looked so happy.
Tossing Arlodd to the side, he reached out and kissed me hard.
"This has been the best day of my life," he said.
Pressing my lips up against his ear, I whispered.
"I can't wait until tonight."
"Grrrr...."
We both laughed and kissed again.
"I don't want you to hold back tonight," I breathed. "You can do whatever you want with me."
"Don't worry, I will," he replied.
Behind us, there seemed to be a commotion but we paid little attention to it. Probably just some drunken guests, messing about, I thought. But then the music stopped and Arlodd and Davoth were jumping up onto the tables to see better.
"He's getting away!" Davoth shouted and pointed at the door.
"Who?"
"Marco!"
"Shit!"
Gar'zul let me go and ran through the crowd, dashing toward the exit. Marco was fast and athletic with a wiry body that had gotten stronger with a grueling training regime. He was, however, nowhere near as fast as Gar'zul who pounced on him like a wild cat. Tackling him to the ground, he straddled his chest and pinned him down.
I hurried over and barged past security to find Marco spitting insults in Gar'zul's face.
"What the hell were you doing?" I asked as I crouched down beside him.
His face was a deep crimson from the effort and he swiveled his eyes in his sockets toward me.
"I was getting the fuck outta here. I wanna be free, finally free!"
"Marco! You would have been killed on the spot if you ran out there like that! You're a slave, you would have been punished. You knew that!"
He didn't say anything, just glared at Gar'zul who continued to hold him in place.
"Get him back to the arena," Gar'zul said to the security.
They roughly picked him up and dragged him outside.
"And don't take your eyes off him for a single second!"
The crowd watched horrified as they pulled him screaming from the building.
"Carina!" he screamed. "Carina! This was all for you!"
Then silence. There was the sound of the car doors clicking shut and the engine revving. He was finally gone, and so had the spirit of the party. I turned round to see the guests looking deeply uncomfortable. Suki was by my side with her hand on my arm.
"It's getting late," she said. "We're heading home now."
"Don't be put off by that, please."
"It's not that," she lied. "We just better be getting home."
"Thank you for coming."
I kissed her cheek.
"Catch up later, yeah?"
"Sure."
In the background, the music started up again but I couldn't help but notice that no one began to dance.
Chapter 17
Gar’zul
I opened my eyes to see the bright sunshine filtering through the window. It felt as though it was burning through my head and I rolled over in a futile attempt at shielding my hungover head from the light.
"Morning, honey."
Carina sat at the end of the bed brushing her hair.
"My wife."
I reached out a hand in her direction and she gave me a faint, sleepy smile.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"After everything you made me do to you? I'd never been more exhausted in my life!"
She giggled and stood up naked. Turning toward me, I watched her curves move as she walked to the head of the bed. As she bent down to kiss me, I cupped one of her breasts in my hand.
"I want to make love to you again," I said.
"Oh, Gar... Not now. I'm still in pain from last night."
"When you're ready," I said and ran a hand through her hair. "I could never get enough of you."
She sauntered away, her hips moving from side to side hypnotically.
"I'm going for a shower," she said.
"Don't be too long."
In the bathroom, I listened for the sound of the water jets and pulled the covers up over my head. It felt as though my face was throbbing and over the course of a few minutes, snippets of last night came back to me in hazy images. Marco running for the door. Me jumping on top of him as Carina looked horrified. The guests looking on with absolute disgust.
"I wish I'd just let him run out into the street," I moaned to myself beneath the covers. "He would have been killed and I'd never have to think about him again. And Carina would be so upset she'd need me more than ever. It would have been perfect, but I'm obviously too much of a nice guy."
There was the squeak of the taps and the shower switched off. A few minutes later Carina entered the bedroom dripping wet with her hair draped over her shoulders.
"Fuck," I said as I pulled the covers off my head. "How could you possibly look more stunning than you did a moment ago?"
"Practice," she said with a cute smile before pulling on a robe. "You know, when I was in the shower getting all wet, I thought about what you said."
"What I said?"
"How you wanna make love to me again."
She began crawling up my legs, licking her lips as she narrowed her eyes.
"I'm so wet, Gar... I'd let you make love to me if you promise to be gentle."
"I promise!" I grunted as I grew hard.
Straddling me, she let her robe drop open and I reached my hands up to her breasts, squeezing them softly but firmly.
"Hmmm... Like that ba-"
A loud beep from downstairs interrupted her.
"What the hell was that?"
"The doorbell," I said.
"Who is it?"
"How should I know?"
"Let's just ignore them."
She leaned down and kissed me but the doorbell sounded again, this time more urgently.
"Fuck! Hang on a minute. Don't move!"
I pulled on my clothes that were strewn across the floor and hurried down the stairs, the doorbell ringing the whole way down.
"I'm coming!" I yelled.
Opening the door, I was confronted with an official looking, male Glarph in a neat but not extravagant suit. He had a thin mustache above his almost non-existent lips and large, black orbs for eyes that were nestled inside his purple sockets.
"Gar'zul?" he outstretched his hand and I shook it without thinking. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person. I've been watching you fight for years."
"Er… Are you a fan?"
"In a way.”
He glanced over my shoulder at Carina who was lurking on the stairs. "May I come in?"
"Who are you?" I asked angrily.
"I'm dreadfully sorry! I'm Goni F'Deni from the slave administration. I'm here to talk to you about the incident last night at your wedding with
the human, Marco."
I felt my hangover begin to intensify.
"Sure, come in."
"Thank you. I'm sorry I had to drop by at such a time but it's really rather important."
He strode officiously into the living room and took a seat.
"You're here about Marco?" Carina asked as she followed him in.
He eyed her lustfully for a second before glancing away guiltily.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. It would seem that the guests at your wedding have rather big mouths."
"Big mouths?"
"You may not have told us about Marco and his escape attempt but so many of the guests have been gossiping about it that word has found its way."
"Oh..."
Carina looked petrified but said nothing.
"I have to say, though, Gar'zul, that your attempt to stop him is highly commendable. I'll make sure to put a good word in for you with the arena elders."
"Thanks, I guess."
"Unfortunately, I won't be doing the same for Marco. His fate is far less fortunate."
"What do you mean?" Carina asked as she sat across from him.
"He's a hot head, an arrogant little termite who thinks he is far better than the fighting slave he was brought here to be. He's also a flight risk and he needs to be punished."
"Punished? For what he did last night? That's crazy!" Carina wailed.
"Punished," he said again with a definite firmness.
"What are you going to do to him?"
He rested his head on the back of the chair for a second and looked up to the ceiling with a slight smile on his face.
"Execution," he said without moving.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"No!"
"Oh, no, that's terrible," I tried to console Carina as she began to cry, but inside, my spirits were dancing. Finally, Marco was going to die.
"Will it be a quick death?" I asked a little too gleefully.
"No. He will be sent to fight the former champion Kangond."
"No!" Carina cried. "That's so unfair. How is he expected to win?"
"He's not. That's the point. He'll be killed by his own incompetence."
Carina looked up at me with her watery eyes.
"Surely there's something you can do!" she begged.
I shook my head.
"I'm sorry. The rules are the rules. There's nothing I can do to stop it."
I looked over at Goni and we shared a conspiratorial glance.
"You're monsters!" Carina screamed and ran off. "Psychos!"
We watched her storm up the stairs and waited for the bedroom door to slam shut.
"Do you want to go see if she's ok?" he asked as he pointed after her.
"In a minute," I said. "Let her cool down first."
I watched him cautiously for a minute.
“You really like your job, don’t you?” I asked.
“What makes you say that?”
“The look of sheer delight on your face when you told us Marco was going to die.”
“I do love my job!” he smiled as he pulled on the lapels of his jacket. “I guess you have to be a little bloodthirsty to stay in this job.”
“I’m sure it helps.”
I flashed him an insincere smile and clasped my hands together.
“So, I heard about your big fight with Furi. How are you feeling about it?”
“Pretty rotten if I’m being honest. The odds aren’t on my side but I never was the one to follow rules.”
“You sound pretty nervous,” he said.
“I am, but it’s a good thing, keeps me on my toes.”
He smiled and mirrored my posture. There was something so unbearably obnoxious about him.
“I’m sorry but I have to go to training soon.”
I stood up and gestured for him to make his way to the door.
“I am sorry! I didn’t realize. I assumed you’d have a much needed day off seeing as it was only yesterday that you were married.”
“No such luck for me. Every minute counts in the run up to a big fight.”
“Well, good luck.”
“Thanks. I think I might need it this time.”
He tipped his hat and walked out to his car. I closed the door happy to have him out my house.
“What a strange guy,” I said to myself.
“Everything on this planet is strange,” replied Carina.
I turned around to see her at the top of the stairs with tears streaking her cheeks.
“You better get ready for training,” she said. “I’ll go fetch you your lunch.”
Chapter 18
Carina
I had the unwavering feeling that I shouldn't be there but I had nowhere else to go and none of the girls would understand. I stood in front of Davoth's house and pressed the buzzer. His house was only a short walk from ours but was at least five times the size, with large gates that sealed off his estate from the rest of the neighborhood.
In the distance, I could make out the outline of his house through the railings. There was a light on upstairs. I pressed the buzzer again and saw movement in one of the bedrooms. A few minutes later Davoth was running up the driveway looking both confused and happy to see me.
"Carina! Is everything ok?"
He tapped a code into the keypad and the gate glided open. I stepped inside and grabbed his arms. He looked shocked but didn't push me away.
"Davoth, I need your help."
"Sure, come in."
He put an arm around me and led me up the driveway and into the house. As soon as I entered, I realized how big it really was. The ceilings were so high it felt like being in a museum and there was peculiar, abstract art all over the walls.
"Whoa... This place is crazy."
"My wife decorated it," he said as he led me through to the kitchen.
I took a seat at the table and watched him look through the refrigerator.
"Is your wife home tonight?" I asked.
"She's out with friends," he said over his shoulder. "Hey, you're from Earth, right? Ever tried something called a chocolate milkshake?"
"Sure! My mom used to smuggle the stuff into the mine when we were children!"
"You'll love this then."
He placed a carton of milkshake down in front of me along with a tall glass.
"I got it when I was on vacation on Earth last month but I'll be honest, I think it's disgusting."
Pouring myself a glass, I took a long gulp and immediately felt six years old again.
"But anyway, I don't think you're here just to drink milk. What's up? Where's Gar'zul?"
"He has a late training session," I explained.
He stared at me for the longest time as he waited for me to speak first.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have come here to bother you. It's just that I'm so frightened."
"Frightened?"
"My friend Marco..."
"Oh yeah, I've heard about him."
"He's going to die!"
"I’ve heard about that too."
"I'm just so fucking angry, Davoth! Gar'zul should be able to save his life but he just won't! I'm so mad that part of me wants him to get hurt in his fight with Furi. But the more logical part of me knows that I should support my husband. It is his biggest fight. I could lose him."
"Gladiators wives become widows every day," Davoth said. "It's only a glamorous life if you can stay alive to enjoy it."
Exhausted, I felt my body sag as I held my head in my hands.
"What should I do? I'm such a stranger here on this planet. I need someone to tell me what to do."
"I can't tell you what to do," he said. "I can, however, suggest that you direct your hatred toward your husband elsewhere?"
"Elsewhere?" I asked as I looked at him through my fingers.
"I'll be honest. I'm on Gar'zul's side with this. Marco's a creep. He followed you around since childhood, came to this planet with you as a stowaway and looks at you constantly as though yo
ur very existence gives him life. He's weird."
He shuddered and shook his shoulders.
"Plus, all of this is his doing. He didn't have to smuggle himself on board a shuttle to come here and he sure as shit didn't have to make that ridiculous escape attempt, and at your wedding no less. Believe me, Carina. You're too nice for your own good. That man's a nutcase."
I sighed.
"Deep down I know that you're right but it doesn't make it any easier. He's been a lifelong friend and he's going to die."
Davoth made a strange gulping sound and looked away.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," he said as he looked down to his shoes.
"You know something, don't you?"
"Me? No."
"You do!"
He gulped again.
"Tell me!"
"Fine..."
He held onto his forehead as though there was a chance it could fall off.
"The five flayers."
"What the hell is that?"
"It's what his opponent is going to use on him at his death match."
"It sounds awful!"
"It is. It's..."
He hesitated and began biting his fingernails.
"Davoth, tell me!"
"It's a whip, but not an ordinary whip! It has five strands, all covered in razor blades. It tears men apart. I've seen it happen with my own eyes! He'll die, Carina, but slowly. He'll slowly bleed to death with every inch of his skin having been slashed apart from the muscle."
Something in my stomach moved. I thought I was going to be sick. Then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get that!"
Davoth eagerly ran to the intercom to open the gate. The sound of heavy footsteps came storming up the driveway.
"Carina? Are you here?"
Gar'zul was suddenly in the doorway. He looked at me, at the half-drunk glass of milkshake, then at Davoth.
"What's going on here? I've been looking everywhere for you!"
He was raging mad with his cheeks burning red.
"I'm sorry I just needed to talk and had nowhere else to go."
Gar'zul looked down at Davoth who shrugged.
"It's true. She's in a real desperate state about her human friend. Isn't there something you can do about it, Gar?"
Enraged, his hands began to shake. I readied myself for him to lash out and hit something.