Axen nodded. “Time to go.”
They marched steadily through the rainforest, keeping to the deepest shadows for the next hour. The darkness grew thicker, and the noises in the forest intensified. It sounded as if the Fraken were ramping up the noise, maybe in an attempt to push them out of the depths of the trees and into clear view.
“The Fraken will be pulling out everything they have to find us,” said Axen. “We’ve been off the audience radar for too long. And I promised them a swift end to the game. They will be suspicious and wanting a final outcome.”
“You mean, wanting my death?”
“That’s the only outcome they desire,” said Axen. “But it won’t come to that.”
Eloise took hold of Axen’s hand, needing a distraction. They were so close to the end of the game, and her nerves were making her queasy. “Tell me more about your home planet.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Do you have family there still?”
“Vorten families are different to your Earth families,” said Axen. “We aren’t bonded by blood. Although there is always a connection with the father. My birth mother selected a strong warrior mate to create me. Then, after I was born, I was sent into warrior training.”
“What about brothers or sisters?”
“I have siblings,” said Axen. “But I don’t know of them all. And Vorten women don’t keep the family together. They send their offspring to the most suitable training environments. I have several half-brothers, who are also warriors. I keep in contact with them. Some of them show great promise as future warriors in my elite squad.”
“That is different to the human way of doing things,” said Eloise. “Even when your family drives you crazy, you tend to stick together.”
“It works for us,” said Axen. “And my true family are my warrior brothers. We found each other when we were training. Bladen, Lazet, and Thunde.”
“You smiled when you said their names,” said Eloise. “You must care deeply for each other.”
“So I should,” said Axen. “They have gotten me out of enough scrapes over the cycles for me to know I can rely on them utterly.”
“And they all take part in the Fraken games, just like you?”
“We are in the same elite warrior squad,” said Axen. “My warrior squad. We train together and live together while we are in the Fraken games. We are the longest serving warrior troop the Fraken has ever had. I joined first and was ordered to pick three additional warriors to join me.”
“They didn’t object to becoming part of the games?”
“It is not for us to object to the orders of our Elders,” said Axen.
“You are now,” said Eloise quietly. “When we get out of here, you will have broken your allegiance to them.”
“I’m hopeful they will understand the need for change,” said Axen. “I have not abandoned my kind, but it will take them time to see that. See that there is a way we can thrive without the Fraken dominating our lives.”
“If anyone can do it, you can,” said Eloise.
Axen raised Eloise’s hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Yes, with you by my side, I can do it. And when we are free, you can meet my warrior brothers. They will be fascinated by you.”
Eloise glared at him. “I’m not something to show off.”
“Yes, you are,” said Axen. “I want to show you off to everybody. I am proud of my warrior female.”
“What I mean is, I’m not a trophy.” Eloise tugged her hand away from Axen. “Men used to do that on Earth, dress their women like prizes, plump their lips and breasts, and parade them around like their favorite toy. And women let it happen. Not me.”
“You’re the best prize I’ve ever had.” Axen patted Eloise’s behind.
Eloise punched Axen’s arm, making her knuckle sting. “I’m not for winning.”
Axen grinned at her and grabbed her in his strong embrace, lifting her off the ground and kissing the fight out of her. “I know. I would never treat you like that. But they will want to know more about you. As do I.”
Eloise relented to Axen’s determined kisses and found herself smiling. “I would like to meet them.”
Axen placed Eloise on the ground and grabbed her hand again. “It’s important you do. Now the Fraken are using humans in their games, my warrior brothers are likely to come up against them.”
Eloise opened her mouth to speak. How could she be of any use in stopping a race as strong as the Fraken? Before she had a chance, Axen grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a dense patch of shadows.
“What is it?” whispered Eloise.
“I heard a drone.” Axen peered into the dark patch of sky above them. “They may not be able to see us down here. But they can pick up our heat signatures. We need to hurry. The Fraken are running out of patience, and that will make them even crueller and more desperate in their attempts to find us.”
***
Axen let his pace slow so Eloise could keep up with him. He longed to throw her over his shoulder and carry her away from all this. They were so close to the end, and still, the Fraken were trying to stop them.
The exit point was less than a minute’s run away. His heart thudded in his chest at the thought of freedom.
“Watch out!” He threw himself against Eloise as a blast of laser from one of the drones following them shot through the trees and splashed across the ground.
“Looks like they really do want to kill us, no matter how they do it.” Eloise peered over Axen’s shoulder.
“They will fail.”
Eloise kissed his cheek. “Yes, they will.”
“Let’s go.” Axen hoped her belief in him was not misplaced. Things could still go wrong.
Eloise ran alongside him, her hand still in his. He felt a rush of pride as he watched the certainty flicker across her face. This was such a long shot, and he was not sure he’d even bet on himself getting out alive. But seeing the trust Eloise placed in him gave him a steely determination to do everything he could to get her out, even if it meant he didn’t make it. Eloise would be safe. She would be free.
They stopped by the edge of the rainforest, and Axen raised a hand, signaling for Eloise to stop. “We need to get over to that comms post.” He pointed across the clearing.
“I don’t see it,” said Eloise.
“They’re concealed and only become visible when activated by a Fraken.”
“We’ll be too exposed out there,” said Eloise. “They’ll spot us instantly when we break cover.”
“We need to run,” said Axen. “The barrier will only be open for a few seconds. If we take the long way around through the trees, we’ll miss our opportunity.”
He felt Eloise’s fingers tighten around his. “Give me a weapon.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Protect us,” said Eloise. “If the Fraken come, I want to stop them from hurting us.”
He smiled down at her as he pulled a blade from his harness. “You won’t be able to do much good with this against a drone, but if you spot a Fraken beast, throw it at their eyes.”
“I’ll do that,” said Eloise. “And if a drone gets close enough, I’ll hack it out of the sky.”
Axen swelled with pride. “Stay by my side when we break cover. I’m a bigger target so will be easier to hit.”
“I’m not letting you take any shots on my behalf.”
“A laser shot from a Fraken lightning stick won’t kill me,” said Axen. “It will you.”
“But it will stop you,” said Eloise.
“Then you’ll have to drag me to the escape point.”
She shook her head. “Don’t think I won’t. We’re getting out of this together.”
“We are,” said Axen. “But I can take more hits than you. A direct blast from a drone’s laser will knock you out.”
“It will do the same to you,” said Eloise.
Axen pressed a kiss to Eloise’s lips. “No time for argui
ng. We need to wait until we see a break in the barrier, and then we make a run for it.”
He saw Eloise’s shoulders tighten. “Agreed.”
They remained behind a large tree trunk as they waited for the barrier to fall.
Axen shifted beside Eloise, unable to keep his nerves in check. “What’s keeping him?”
“Could Bladen be having trouble getting through?”
“He may not have gotten the message,” said Axen reluctantly. “I can’t guarantee it got through in one piece. If the Fraken stopped it, there will be no one coming for us.”
“You trust your friend?”
“With my life,” said Axen.
“Then if he got the message, he’ll be here.”
Axen nodded, but his attention was on the sky. A trickle of dread ran through his stomach. He recognized the unpleasant hum of a Fraken ship.
“What’s that?” Eloise also looked at the sky.
“The Fraken. Looks like they’re coming into the games themselves to finish us off.”
Eloise pressed herself against Axen’s side. “Then we’ll fight them together.”
He kissed her forehead and stared at her, wanting to commit her image to memory. If he had to go down fighting, she was worth losing his life for. She had been the one to spur him into standing up to the Fraken, trying the impossible, and destroying this game. He would sacrifice himself for her in a heartbeat.
“There’s no point in us hiding in the shadows now,” said Axen. “They know we’re here. Better we go out and face them.”
Chapter 21
Eloise hesitated. “What about the lasers on the drones?”
“The Fraken will want to show their audience a real finale,” said Axen. “They won’t use lasers to kill us. They’ll fight us themselves.” He looked down at Eloise. “Are you ready?”
She gazed into his green eyes, seeing nothing but confidence in his expression. “I am if I’m by your side.”
Axen brushed a hand down Eloise’s face before stepping out from the protection of the trees. Eloise remained next to him, her heart racing as she spotted the black Fraken ship gliding towards them.
“Are we safe from the ship?” A dozen weapons were pointed in their direction.
“We’re fine. Keep your back to mine. We need to have as many lines of sight as possible. The Fraken will come out of their ship, but they may have sent foot soldiers as well. Don’t let them catch you off guard.”
“Understood.” Eloise pressed her back against Axen’s, her head stopping by his shoulder blades, reassured by the wall of solid muscle protecting her.
“We keep moving towards the exit point,” said Axen, his gaze snaking across the trees. “Follow my lead and stay close.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere without you.” They would be leaving these games together.
The Fraken ship landed, the ground vibrating as its stabilizers activated, and a door opened on the side, a platform descending to the ground. Eloise watched as four Fraken soldiers emerged, wearing black molded body armor and carrying their preferred weapon of choice, a lightning stick, with a cudgel on one end.
One of the soldiers strode across the clearing, and Eloise saw a small, thin silver colored pole rise from the ground. That must be a comms post. The Fraken spoke into it for several seconds before returning to the main group.
“Watch out for the ugly one at the front,” said Axen.
“You know him?”
“We call him Death Wish. He’s brutal.”
Eloise’s blood chilled as she noticed the way this Fraken, Death Wish, stared at her. He was at the head of the group, and he sneered at Axen as his gaze landed on him.
“I knew you were lying to me,” said Death Wish to Axen. He stood with his three warriors flanking him, their weapons pointing towards Axen and Eloise.
“What did you expect?” said Axen. “Using humans in your games is a disgrace.”
“You are the disgrace,” said Death Wish. “The human woman is still alive. You are not warrior enough to kill her.”
“It has nothing to do with me being a warrior,” said Axen. “But I’ve had enough.”
“Enough of what?” asked Death Wish.
“Enough of these games.” Axen raised his voice so everyone in the audience would be able to hear him. “What the Fraken do is sick. You prey on what you consider to be weaker races for your own entertainment. And you use these games to study new races, to identify frailties and exploit them for your own gain.”
Death Wish’s yellow eyes narrowed. “What we do for our entertainment is none of your concern. You are merely one of our hired thugs. You follow our commands.”
“Not anymore.” Axen kept edging Eloise towards the exit point. “Your games are coming to an end.”
“Are you and your little human lover going to end our games?” Death Wish sneered at him. “Don’t think we haven’t seen you playing with each other. If I’d had known the female was so enticing, I would have sampled her myself, maybe even kept her as a pleasure slave and worked her to death.”
Eloise spat at Death Wish. “I’d slit my own throat before that happened.”
Death Wish snapped his teeth at Eloise. “You must like them feisty. I’d have cut her tongue out if she spoke to me like that.”
“Eloise is free to say what she likes,” said Axen. “She is no one’s slave. She never will be.”
Eloise nodded in agreement as she focused on movement in the rainforest.
Death Wish grinned, exposing even more teeth. “You are wasting your time thinking you can stop our entertainment. The games are too popular.”
“Most people are involved in your games because they fear you,” said Eloise. “They feel forced to take part so you won’t turn your attentions on them.”
“You are wrong,” said Death Wish.
“Your games will end,” said Axen.
“Fraken games will continue,” said Death Wish. “But your particular game has come to an end. You’re an embarrassment to the Vortens. You have jeopardised an entire game and all the bets on it. Your nation will hate you, and other races will too when they learn of this betrayal.”
“They will not care,” said Axen. “They will be glad to see someone has stood up to your tyrannical reign.”
Death Wish hissed. “You will be an outcast.”
“Better that than a slave to the Fraken,” said Eloise.
Death Wish lowered his lightning stick and pointed it at her. “Axen, if I kill your pet, will you change your mind? She has inspired a rebellious streak in you. How easy will that be to extinguish?”
Axen growled. “I will kill you all if you attempt that.”
“Don’t let him rile you,” whispered Eloise. She risked a glance at Axen and saw rage simmering in his eyes.
“We could fight for her,” said Death Wish. “I’m sure the audience would like to see that.”
“Axen, no,” whispered Eloise. “Do not fight him.”
“I’m not afraid of a Fraken,” said Axen.
“There are more of them.” Panic made Eloise’s voice tremble. “I see them coming through the trees. When you beat this one, the others will take you. You won’t get out of this fight alive.”
***
“Your human woman has wise words,” said Death Wish. “That is, if you’re a coward.”
Axen growled, his battle lust thudding through his veins. “I’m not a coward.”
“Don’t do it,” said Eloise. “He’s goading you. Ignore him.”
“That is not the Vorten way,” said Death Wish. “Axen needs to defend his warrior status. If the audience watching this sees him bow down and submit, it will put his entire warrior troop into question. And more than that, it will make others question just how strong the Vorten are. They might come looking to test your planet’s reserves and strength. And if they find it wanting, they will take what they desire and destroy the Vorten.”
As much as Axen hated the Fraken, Death
Wish made a valid point. Vorten prided themselves on being an invincible warrior race. He did not want to see a smear against his proud planet.
“Fight me,” said Death Wish. “I can see that you want to. Don’t let your woman tell you what to do.”
“Please, Axen, we’re so close to the end,” whispered Eloise.
“Both so close to death,” said Death Wish, “and it will be my honor to ensure that happens.”
“The woman lives,” said Axen.
Death Wish grinned at Axen. “You want me to spare her?”
“If I fight you, whatever happens, she goes free.”
“I can guarantee you, I will take personal care of this human woman.” Death Wish ran his pointed tongue along his sharp teeth.
“No, you’re not to touch her,” said Axen. “Eloise is to be freed from the games and sent back to wherever she wishes to go. You do not hurt her.”
Eloise turned and grabbed Axen’s arm. “Don’t negotiate for me. You sound like you’ve given up.”
“I’m keeping you safe,” said Axen.
“You are in no position to negotiate with me over the outcome of your human pet’s life,” said Death Wish.
“She must live.” Axen’s gaze was fierce as he stared at Eloise.
“If she must live, then you must kill me,” said Death Wish. “I have plans for your woman when you are dead. And they do not involve her freedom.” His yellow gaze drifted over Eloise’s body. “She is small, but I’m sure I can find something to do with her to keep myself entertained.”
Eloise swung her blade in the air. “As I’ve already made clear, death would be my preferred option, rather than your cold touch.”
Axen nodded in agreement. Eloise would not give in to these Fraken scum.
“Your death will be something our audience will enjoy seeing,” Death Wish hissed back at Eloise.
Axen pointed the tip of his blade at Death Wish. “We fight.”
Death Wish grinned. He gestured for his other warriors to back away. “Watch the woman. Make sure she doesn’t interfere.”
Three pairs of yellow eyes focused on Eloise, and their lightning sticks pointed in her direction.
Axen Page 14