They stood easily twelve feet high, rolls of fat around their middles spilling out of the dirty shirts they wore, legs like tree trunks, and large two-toed feet with sharp and pointed, curving nails. Arms bulged with muscle and fat, oozing sores and pus, their enormous hands stretching out and clawing the air.
“Shit!” Aster gaped.
“No wonder no one gets out alive,” Dana breathed.
Tenia pushed Tia and Shari behind her. “Wherever you go in here, take him with you.”
Eyes huge with fear, Tia whimpered.
“Do you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“If anything happens to us, get back into the passage.”
“I can’t! The opening has closed!”
A quick glance verified it, but there was nothing Tenia could do about it now. The mutants were drawing closer.
“Aim to kill,” Reya ordered. “Tenia and I will take the one on the left.”
The mutants stopped and cocked their heads to the side, their eyes glowing crazily as they studied the four warriors. Then they sprang, faster than their bulk should have made possible.
Tenia and Reya met the mutant they’d marked as their own head-on, their swords flashing and cutting deep. It didn’t falter, but continued to rush them. Pushed off balance, they were bowled over to the floor.
Tenia felt her arm grabbed in one huge hand and she was lifted and flung away. Landing on one of the tables, she skidded over the top to fall off the side onto the floor. Rolling to her feet, she withdrew the dagger sheathed at her waist and bounded back over the same table to see her sister caught in a bear hug.
Reya slammed both of her hands down over the mutant’s ears, making it not only roar but squeeze its arms harder together.
Seeing the pain on her face, Tenia launched herself at it, landing on its back and driving the blade deep into the side of the thick neck. It released Reya, who dropped to the floor, gasping.
Reeling backward, it grabbed frantically for the warrior clinging to it’s back.
She hung on grimly, stabbing continuously at the thick neck. The sharp nails raked her shoulder but still she didn’t let go.
Trying to dislodge her, the mutant turned around and crushed her against the wall. She literally saw stars as the weight of the brute pinned her there. It lurched away abruptly and her hold slipped. With lightening speed it grabbed her arm and heaved her up and over it’s shoulder, slamming her down onto her back on the stone floor.
Sunned for several precious seconds, she registered movement, heard a screamed “Tenia, move!” from a distance, and instinctively rolled to the side, trying to ignore the pain in her back.
The roll saved her life, as clawed toes slashed mere inches and seconds from her moving body.
Grabbing the whip lying coiled on the table, Reya snapped it out and the lash coiled around the mutant’s throat. Muscles straining, she pulled with all her strength, leaning back.
The mutant made choking noises and grabbed the lash, pulling back and slowly reeling her in. Tenia leaped in front of her sister and grabbed the lash as well, combining her strength with that of Reya’s.
Unnoticed by them, a cheering came from the cells as the prisoners dragged themselves to the bars to watch the fight.
“Kill ‘em! Kill the mutants!”
“Cut ‘em open!”
“Get them, warriors!”
“It’s too strong,” Tenia gritted out as the mutant dragged them inch-by-inch toward itself.
“Let go when I say,” Reya panted. “Now!”
Immediately they released the whip and the mutant toppled backwards. Grabbing the meat cleaver, Tenia dived after it, Reya following with her sword.
It saw them coming and lashed out with a clawed foot. Taking one gigantic swing, Tenia cut it off. With a roar of mingled pain and fury, it sprang to its remaining foot, blood spattering everywhere. Grabbing a long, metal pole by the end and swinging it in an arc, it advanced on the sisters. In a sickening motion, it lurched on one foot and one bleeding stump, not caring. Or not feeling.
“Any ideas?” Tenia panted.
“Not right now.” Reya’s breathing was harsh.
The mutant continued to lurch towards them on the bloody stump and one clawed foot, leaving a bloody trail behind it.
“Won’t anything make them go down?” Dana gasped in pain as she cannoned into a table before wading back into the fight alongside Aster.
Spotting the bin with the rotting head on it, Tenia nudged her sister. Darting to the side, they heaved it over, spilling the gruesome contents onto the floor. Slamming her boot on the side of it, she shoved and sent it rolling over the floor at the mutant. It crashed into its legs but didn’t trip it as they’d hoped. It merely stepped over the bin and continued advancing.
“Bloody walking dead!” Tenia swore in frustration.
They backed rapidly away from it and the iron bar it was swinging. Jumping to the side, Tenia spun around and brought her sword down hard, severing the hand that held the bar.
Hand and bar clattered to the floor.
The mutant roared and spun around faster than she’d ever seen anyone move before, it’s remaining hand swinging around and crashing into the side of her face. The force of the blow propelled her back against the nearest cell.
Leaning weakly against the bars, gripping one with her hand, she shook her head, her ears ringing with the after-effects of the blow. She tasted blood and spat, blinking her eyes rapidly.
“Kill the mutant, warrior!” A rasping voice urged in her ear.
Without looking at the cells occupant, she pushed herself away and back towards the mutant.
Reya leaped back from the mutant's sudden lunge but slipped in a pool of blood, falling heavily to the floor, the back of her head slamming into a table leg.
With a screech of victory the mutant grabbed her by the hair and dragged her upright, transferring its grip to her cloak and lifting her high up into the air with no effort. It threw her across the room.
With horror-filled eyes, Tenia watched her sister smash into the wall then drop to the floor to lie unmoving.
The mutant lumbered after her and Tenia sprang into action, picking up the meat cleaver and burying it in the mutant’s back where it’s heart was.
It stilled then turned slowly, red eyes glowing.
Or where its heart was supposed to be.
She sprang away but the treacherous blood on the floor, spurting from the stump in seemingly never ending gushes, made her slip sideways. The mutant grabbed for her, catching her around the throat and lifting her up on tip-toes while forcing her backwards.
Gasping for air, she kicked out, but the abnormally long arms of the mutant made contact impossible. She brought both of her interlocked fists down on its elbow, but the arm didn’t even bend.
With a roar it lifted her up high overhead, the lights swinging maddeningly as it whirled her around before slamming her against the stone wall of the dungeon, pinning her there with one huge hand wrapped around her throat.
Helplessly she kicked and struggled, clawing at its hand with no effect. A buzzing sounded in her ears, her vision going red.
She heard Aster scream her name.
Through the darkening red haze, she saw Dana lying unconscious, maybe dead, on the floor amidst a rotting pile of torn up body parts.
Oh God, was this the end? Like this? Now?
Chapter 15
“Reeka warriors have Shari!”
“They’re in the kitchens!” a soldier yelled. “Move it!”
“Whoever gets them gets the bounty on their heads!” another soldier shouted.
“Whoever doesn’t get them,” another voice roared furiously, “will face the wrath of the Dragon soldiers!”
The Daamen traders were amongst the soldiers that rushed for the kitchens only to find it empty. Darvk wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or more worried. Where the hell was Tenia?
A soldier rushed up to the Dragon commander. �
��The Reekas were last seen in the servants’ quarters corridor number one.”
“Search the rooms.”
“It’s being done now, sir, but there’s no sign of them.”
“Then search again and aim to kill!”
“Where the bloody hell are they?” Darvk ground out to Maverk, who shook his head.
They backtracked to the deserted kitchen, trying desperately to figure out where the warriors could have gone. With every soldier wanting to be the first to kill a Reeka, it was paramount that the traders find them first.
Garret, Cam, Jase, and Morgan met them in the kitchen.
“No sign of them.” Garret shook his head.
“Mayhap they got away,” Jase suggested hopefully.
“I hope so,” Darvk said darkly, “But I don’t see how.”
“The others are still searching,” Morgan informed him.
Cam ran one hand through his black curls. “Mayhap they returned to Shari’s rooms.”
“They didn’t,” a voice answered from behind them.
The traders spun around, their mouths falling open at the sight of the opening in the kitchen wall.
“What the hell…?” Jase gaped.
“The warriors are in the dungeons.” The voice came from the opening.
“Who are you?” Darvk approached it cautiously.
“A friend.”
“Show yourself.”
A lean man in a billowing white shirt and tight black pants appeared. Behind him stood four pirates with swords.
“Sinya.” Darvk’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You treacherous bastard.”
As one the traders started forward.
“Touch me and you’ll never find the warriors alive.” Sinya didn’t back down, his pirates lifting their swords.
The words sank in, but it still took Darvk a lot of control to stop. He did so, centimetres from Sinya, ignoring the sharp lines of the swords to twist one big hand in the pirate’s shirt. “What do you know of them?”
“That they’re in the dungeons fighting for their lives right now,” Sinya replied grimly.
“How do you know that?”
“This tunnel leads there. The warriors disappeared in the servants’ quarters and there’s nowhere else to go. I started after them and heard the roaring.”
“Roaring? Make sense.”
“The roaring of the mutants who guard the dungeons. It means the warriors are in there fighting them now.”
Maverk loomed over Darvk’s shoulder. “Why haven’t you led the soldiers to them?”
“And why the bloody hell should we believe you?” Darvk grated. “How do we know you’re not setting a trap for us?”
“Setting a trap?” Sinya laughed dourly. “All I have to do is yell that you’re in cahoots with the Reekas and every soldier within hearing will shoot you like dogs.”
Darvk’s fist tightened.
“But more importantly,” Sinya looked him right in the eyes, “my brother is being held hostage down there. With the strength of you traders and the warriors combined, we have a chance to beat the mutants and rescue my brother.”
“I ask again, why should we believe you?”
“You have nothing to lose,” Sinya replied simply. “Except Tenia. Every moment we waste is a step closer to death. Trust me in this, those Reekas need you now.”
Darvk glanced at his friends and Maverk asked, “Do we go?”
Did they have a choice? He had no idea where to look, but the pirate gave him an opening. Plus it was true, Sinya could have betrayed them at any second but he hadn’t. Plus there was something in the way he looked directly at Darvk.
“Aye.” He turned back to the pirate, voice harsh. “But you and your men lead the way, and hurry.”
Slipping through the opening into the tunnel, the traders eyed the pirates who eyed them back just as warily. Neither trusted the other, yet it would appear that both sides had an agenda and urgency.
“Come on.” Sinya broke into a run.
The tunnel twisted downwards, the corridor narrow, forcing them to go almost single-file. Ahead Darvk suddenly saw a wall, and even before they reached the closed entrance in the wall to the dungeon, he heard the roaring of the mutants and a warrior’s cry of pain.
“Open it,” he growled. “Open the bloody thing!”
Sinya pulled on a lever Darvk hadn’t noticed, the wall sliding open, and they all squeezed through into the dungeon.
Into a nightmare.
Into blood and broken body parts, cells and rot, voices calling out from behind bars.
But it was at the results of a fight that Darvk stared in stunned disbelief and fear.
Broken tables, turned over bins, blood and human body parts littered the floor. Blood running down the side of her face, Reya was trying to push herself to her feet. Dana was lying still upon the floor, while Aster was dodging the blows aimed at her from a hulking mutant and slashing at him with her sword. Tenia was writhing in the grip of a monstrous brute that had her pinned high up against a far wall by her throat. A woman cowered against the wall, a shadowy figure standing still beside her.
Darvk let loose with a roar of rage and leaped into the room, pulling the laser from his holster as he did so.
“No!” Aster yelled. “No laser! You’ll give us away! Darvk, no!”
“You’ll bring the soldiers atop us!” Sinya yelled.
Damn it all to hell!
Frantically shoving the laser back into the holster, Darvk snatched up a long, steel rod and kept running. Dimly he was aware of his friends splitting into two groups and rushing at the mutants with whatever weapons they could grab.
The pirates headed for the cage containing the boy.
~*~
A dark haze was gathering over Tenia’s eyes but still she struggled desperately, refusing to give in and leave her sister warriors at the mercy of the mutants.
All of a sudden the grip on her throat loosened and she collapsed to the floor.
Gasping for air, the haze leaving her eyes slowly, the buzzing in her ears blessedly fading, Tenia looked up to see the mutant reeling beneath the blows of three Daamen traders.
It towered above them and with a roar swung it’s stump around, sending Cam spinning away. There was disbelief in the trader's eyes as the mutant refused to go down from the wounds in it's body.
Aster and three traders battled the second mutant. Four other figures were crouched in front of the cage containing the boy.
She dragged herself to her feet in time to see Darvk take a blow to the side of the head. He staggered but didn’t go down.
Cam dived onto the mutant, grappling it around the waist while Darvk kicked it in the groin. Their actions only made it angrier.
Snatching up her fallen sword, she ran for the fighting men, stumbling a little before righting herself, the adrenaline sluicing through her veins keeping her moving. Spying the table just behind them, she leaped up onto it, swinging the sword above her head. “Darvk! Here!”
Darvk saw her, instantly realizing her intention. “Get it near the table! Push!”
Immediately Garret and Cam changed tactics, coming to the front to join him, and as one they threw their weights against the mutant. Under their combined weight it stumbled back against the table, and Tenia swung the sword with all her strength. The blade sliced through the thick neck, severing the head from the body.
She jumped from the table as the body crashed through it to lie twitching on the floor. Bounding over to the other mutant, she was followed by the traders and under the renewed onslaught, the second mutant went down and was beheaded.
With the immediate danger over, Darvk scooped her quickly into his arms, almost crushing her in a fierce, fast hug before releasing her to turn and check their surroundings.
Tenia hurried over to where Dana lay, while Reya walked over to check on Tia and Shari.
Garret knelt down beside Dana who was stirring. “Are you all right, lass?”
Her eyes flu
ttered open and she groaned.
“Easy, Dana.”
Over his shoulder, Tenia was relieved to see Dana hold her hand up.
“Help me up,” Dana said.
“Let me check you first.” Garrett brushed her hand down.
“Get away from me and I’ll do it myself.”
“Don’t argue with me.”
“Get me up.”
Cam grinned at Jase. “True love.”
Tenia took Reya’s arm as she came over. “Sit for a moment.”
“No time.” She looked over at the cage. “I see Sinya came for his little brother.” Her fingers tightened on the bloody sword still clutched in her fist.
“Rest easy,” Darvk said from behind her. “He led us to you.”
“Because he needed your strength, not out of the goodness of his heart.”
Sinya turned away from the cage, one arm around his younger brother’s shoulders. “We can argue later, right now we have to get out of here.”
“We?” she asked contemptuously.
“Yes, ‘we’. Or do you wish to stay here?”
“You think we’d trust you?” Tenia spat.
“You don’t have much choice. Soldiers are crawling all over this place, and I want to get Wes away from here. You’re welcome to come, if you want to live.”
“Looking for more bounty?”
“We can exchange insults or get moving through to the death yard and out to the spaceship.” He made for the passage leading out through the opposite wall. “I intend to get moving.”
“Let’s go.” Darvk rested his hand in the small of her back, silently urging her forward. “As he says, there’s not much choice.”
“Wait.” She looked up at him. “The prisoners need to be freed.”
“Already taken of. Jase and Morgan have unlocked the cells.”
Tia stepped forward, Shari following. His eyes were blank and the traders frowned at his silent compliance.
“He’ll come quietly,” Reya said. “Let’s move.”
Darvk glanced at Tenia but didn’t say another word, ushering her ahead of him instead.
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