Regan realized then that another life was on the line because of his actions. He now had this Empath, who had cured him of all pain and weakness, pleading with him for her freedom.
The Empath leaned forward and put her hands on both sides of his face. She kissed his forehead before standing to leave the room.
Regan sat there alone with new concerns, but also renewed energy and purpose. He was no longer just a prisoner in space. He was a warrior that others could benefit from. He was the character in wild west movies who wandered into town and became the freer of slaves and the persecuted. He was the mysterious savior.
And he knew what he must do.
I will kill the Brute King.
Chapter Nine
Regan awoke from an amazing night’s sleep. It was one of the longest slumbers he’d ever had and he came out of it in a panic that the battle would soon be approaching. Though rested, he felt unprepared.
He jumped out of bed with an enormous amount of energy.
Straya laughed from her cage. Arkei must have returned her to it.
“The battle isn’t until tomorrow,” she said. “Arkei didn’t wake you because she felt like you needed the sleep. And considering how spry you are this morning, it seems she was right.”
Regan again looked at his side. No scarring or soreness of any kind. “That Empath really does wonders, huh?”
“That’s why she’s so sought after.”
Regan began to get dressed.
“Where’s Arkei?” he asked as he put his clothes on, leaving the torn armor to the side.
“She went to explore the village to see if there was anything of value that might benefit us.”
“Us?” Regan asked. And as soon as he said it, he felt bad about it. “I’m sorry—”
“It’s fine,” she replied with a dismissive wave.
“No.” He approached her cage. “Look, I know you tried to kill me, then set me up again!” Regan began. “But I get it. We had you in a cell. You wanted to be free. I can’t blame you for trying to figure a way out.”
Straya dropped her head again. “I said I was sorry.”
“And I know you meant it. I’m trying to figure a way out as well. And I hope we can put this all behind us after the battle tomorrow.”
Straya smiled at him.
“Maybe we can put it behind us even sooner,” she suggested.
Regan laughed. “I have a battle to prep for. The only thing on my mind is defeating that Brute King.”
After he spoke, he suddenly realized he was starving. Maybe it was yesterday’s battle. Maybe it was the great night’s sleep. Maybe it was all of his nerves being on edge since the kidnapping. Whatever it was, he couldn’t remember the last time he ate.
The table of food was still in his room and he approached it. He began tossing what looked like fruit into his mouth, spreading jams on breads, pouring a liquid from a glass that wasn’t water, but tasted delicious and quenched his thirst, nonetheless.
As he stuffed his face, he could sense Straya watching him. He turned to see her expression—that of a dog hoping to be thrown a few table scraps.
Regan stopped himself and approached her cage. She was beautiful, and because of her chameleon skin, she blended in with any environment. It was a mesmerizing skill that kept her a mystery to Regan, even when she was in plain sight, as if there was no way to truly capture her.
“You gonna run away if I let you out?” he asked.
“I’m going nowhere. But keep me bound if it makes you feel better.” She smiled suggestively.
That comment turned Regan on, but he knew he couldn’t trust her that easily. He looked over her binds again, seeing that, though Arkei seemed to have lost some of her animosity toward Straya, she didn’t hold back one inch when it came to restricting Straya’s movements. In fact, before she had left, Arkei apparently had taken the time to retie Straya’s wrists behind her back instead of her front. Even if the pirate grabbed something sharp, she wouldn’t be able to do much in her current state.
Having assessed the risk, he opened the cage door and let Straya out into the room.
He walked with her to the table and the two sat down next to each other, the pile of food and drink in front of them.
Regan fed her a piece of food for every bite he took. She took dainty bites, at first careful to avoid his fingers, but as they went on, she began to brush her lips against his fingertips. He watched as her lips changed colors with each piece of fruit that touched them. He knew she was teasing him. He wanted to tackle her right then onto his bed and have his way with her.
Stay focused!
He had to get prepped for the battle tomorrow. He had to focus. He had a new ax, and while that was awesome, he didn’t really know how to fight with it. If anything, he knew enough to understand that he was in deep shit if he walked onto the battlefield without any prep. He had an advantage yesterday, but tomorrow might be a different story. Even if the Brute King was a mama’s boy like the rest, he was still the king. No king would be caught dead seeking approval from his mother. Regan had to believe that.
Just as Straya was about to say something, Arkei entered the hut.
She saw the two sitting at the table, and Regan thought she was about to be upset. However, she wasn’t. She nodded a hello and looked at Straya’s binds to see if they were still there, but that was it.
She then turned her attention to Regan and smiled. “I bought you another day before the battle. It’ll give you time to relax and train a bit more.”
Regan was stunned. “How did you manage that?”
“I made a deal with the Brute King.”
Regan and Straya both looked at each other in surprise. They waited for Arkei to continue speaking, but she remained silent.
Regan stood up. “Okay, and how?”
“I threw myself into the deal,” she said. Then she put her hand on Straya’s shoulder. “If you win, we get the Empath. If you lose, then the Brute King gets us both.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Straya said. “I’m still just your prisoner.”
“I did,” Arkei replied. “Regan could use another day in training. And even if he loses, then I lose my human, and there goes my debt payment, anyway. If you and I are both in this together,” she turned her gaze down at Straya, “then perhaps we can figure out a way to cross that bridge when the time comes.”
Straya smiled up at her. “You’re craftier than I thought.”
Arkei shrugged. “It just makes sense to team up.”
Both of them looked at Regan, and he knew what he had to do. He was angry that Arkei had put herself on the line for him like this, but he also appreciated it. He knew that it all came down to him now. Both of their lives were in his hands.
Regan boarded Arkei’s ship alone with his new ax. He wanted to swing it outside as soon as he left his hut, but again, he knew perception was everything. He didn’t want anyone to see him handling the ax like a novice. Anything that could give away whatever skills he had.
Though, admittedly, he had never used an ax in his life. Even so, he knew it would be an impressive weapon when he walked into the arena to face the Brute King.
Regan loaded up with the battle armor so he would know what the weight felt like. He had to test the durability of everything, and the agility it would allow him.
Once he was ready, he swung the ax from side to side. It was lighter than he thought. He jumped and ducked and thrust the ax here and there. He tested it with both hands, then with each one individually. He realized the bottom end of it was also a blade of sorts, which he could use to stab.
He tried twirling it around and dropped it. But this didn’t discourage him. He was grateful to Arkei for getting him an additional day. He would come through and defeat the Brute King, win the Empath, and maintain his growing role on Arkei’s ship.
Regan trained and trained. He sweat and panted. He pushed himself and did the things he felt would be appropriate for the battle. Yet he wa
s still overwhelmed. He dropped to the ground and had a seat, resting the ax next to him.
He heard Arkei and Straya behind him then.
“Looking good,” Straya said.
“But there’s room for improvement,” Arkei added before he could get too cocky.
Regan spun around and saw them sitting in the shadows watching him. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been watching, but it was long enough. He even felt a little embarrassed, like his disguise of being a great warrior was now transparent.
The women stood up. While Straya walked toward him, Arkei walked toward a control panel on the wall.
“This ship has battle features,” Arkei said. She pressed some buttons and a series of hologram warriors appeared from the floor. “They’re designed to attack, being that I’m a Class B species and trained exceptionally well in defense tactics. But I can modify them for both offensive and defensive training.”
“Which I can assist you with,” Straya said. “And maybe we should start there.”
Arkei adjusted the holograms so that they resembled a Brute.
Regan gave the ladies a confident smile. They were right. Even though the battle fell on his shoulders, they were all in this together now. They were a team.
Regan stood up and held his ax ready. Straya held out her bound hands before him and winked. With his ax, Regan swiped and cut through the binds. Her arms were free. She stepped up to him and helped him place his hands on the ax.
Regan realized it was the first time she touched him with her own hands, and though it was gentle, Straya had confidence in her actions.
“Follow my lead,” she said.
They spent the rest of the day with Straya helping Regan perfect his attacks, while Arkei helped him perfect his defense. They focused many hours on the hologram Brute models, with Regan learning to dodge attacks from multiple types of weapons. Whether the Brute hologram had a club, an ax, a shield, or several other weapons, Regan was learning their range and weak spots.
Likewise, Regan was learning to sneak by all those types of weapons. He learned how different weapons exposed different spots of the Brute hologram. He also learned that certain movements were more threatening to himself, that certain thrusts of his ax left various body parts exposed.
He was getting tired but learning much. Arkei and Straya pushed him hard until he reached a point where he had to rest.
He sat down as Arkei turned the holograms off.
“Thank you both,” Regan said.
“You’re welcome.” Arkei picked up a sword.
“But you aren’t ready yet,” Straya said, picking up a club.
Regan saw what was about to happen and jumped to his feet. Arkei and Straya both attacked him. He knew it was training, and that they wouldn’t hurt him, but they were pushing him to the limit. They swung, jumped, pushed, and tripped. Regan maintained his composure but found the two of them to be excellent fighters.
Shit. Maybe they should fight the Brute King!
He swung the ax at Arkei, who deflected it and tripped him to the ground. She then pinned herself on top of him, pressing the sword against his neck. Her legs straddled him and held him in place. She could kill him if she wanted to.
She could also have her way with him if she wanted to.
She leaned in close and put her lips against his ear.
“Watch your footwork,” she said. “Pay attention to your center of gravity.” Then she licked his cheek from his chin to his ear before jumping to her feet.
Regan got back to his feet, and this time Straya charged him from behind. He pushed out his ax and deflected several blows from her club. He thought of his footwork and kept his balance. He thrust the ax forward at her, which she ducked under. Taking advantage of the opening, she drove the club right at his side.
She was in control of her speed and slowed the hit down before impact, but it still knocked the wind out of him. She then drove forward and knocked him to the ground following the momentum of the club thrust.
He hit the ground, and like Arkei had done, Straya jumped on top of him and pinned him into place. Her hold was firmer than Arkei’s. She too leaned close to his face, holding the club up against his throat, making it clear she could break his neck if she wanted to.
“Keep your attacks composed and tight,” she said. “Don’t expose too much of your body when you reach.” Then she licked the other cheek from his chin to his ear. Her tongue lingered a bit longer, swirling around his ear before she pulled away.
And as if she hadn’t shown off enough, she did a backflip off him before taking her place next to Arkei.
Regan stood up, slightly dazed, and looked at his trainers, the babes who could school him if they wanted to. He lifted the ax and gripped it in his hands. He looked at them both and smiled.
“Shall we try that again?” he asked.
Arkei and Straya glanced at each other, smiled, then faced Regan.
“Let’s dance,” Arkei said.
The two of them charged at him.
Chapter Ten
Regan, Arkei, and Straya exited the ship, only to be greeted by a Brute entourage with horns and banners. The king clearly sent them as they had the air of royalty. They even carried trays of garments, which Regan realized were luxurious robes.
One of the Brute members stepped forward and put his hand to his chest.
“The Brute King is hosting an event this evening in your honor,” he said, addressing not only Regan but the women too. “As we have pushed the battle back a day, the king insists that more merriment should be had in honor of our guests.”
Regan knew the king was tempting him. He wanted Regan to drink, feast, and let his guard down. The king would certainly throw all sorts of beautiful women at him to distract him and maybe even find out some of his weaknesses.
In fact, Regan even felt good about this. Perhaps the king was more nervous about the battle than Regan realized. Even so, this would be a dangerous evening. He would have to keep his guard up and stay focused.
He also knew that he couldn’t refuse. It went back to the perception he carried. The entire village would be there, and after all, he had already killed a Brute warrior. He had arrived here to challenge the Brute King, even if it was by mistake, so why not make his presence felt in the village more?
“We accept the Brute King’s invitation,” Regan said.
The Brute member nodded at them all and lifted the tray of robes.
“Formal attire for the evening.”
Regan went to reach for the robes, but Arkei put her hand on his, stopping him, before lifting the garments herself. She gave Regan a look as if to imply this motion should be obvious.
Perception, right. Damn, she’s good.
The Brutes walked away.
Arkei then handed the robes to Straya. Her hands were currently not in binds. “You carry these for our warrior,” she said. Then she looked at Regan. “You and Straya go on ahead. I will adjust the mechanics of the hologram simulations so we can prepare more tomorrow. I’ll have some unexpected movements planned for you.”
Regan agreed, as the movements of the hologram warriors were getting repetitive after a while. They were incredibly helpful, but keeping an edge was a good plan.
When Regan and Straya arrived at the hut, a very different Brute entourage greeted them: a group of young women. They were barely wearing any clothes and had been sent here for one reason alone—to tempt and distract Regan.
The king isn’t even waiting until this evening!
One of them bowed before him, exposing herself graciously as she did so.
“Dear human warrior,” the gorgeous Brute female said. It was hard to believe that the Brute women could be so beautiful when their male counterparts were so ugly. “His highness wanted us to give you a bath which we have drawn inside your hut. We are here to wash you, help you with your robes and… anything else you might require of us.”
Holy shit.
There were four of them, and they
were being given to Regan for the day. They were all making less than subtle gestures, licking their lips, touching themselves softly, sliding a single finger around and inside the edges of their skimpy garments.
The temptation was real. But Regan knew he had to refuse. None of him wanted to deny them, but the bit of sense remaining in his head told him that defeating the Brute King and surviving the battle was more important.
But was it really?
The Brute female who was speaking stepped closer to him and touched his arm softly. He could smell her, and she smelled wonderful. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. And when he didn’t remove her hand, she took to rubbing it up and down his arm.
“Please, dear warrior,” she continued. “Let us take care of you.”
And with that her other hand reached down over his cock. The armor was still in place, but he was stiffening underneath. The other Brute females began to step forward.
Don’t fall for it.
Regan gently removed her hand from his body. He smiled at her and cleared his throat.
Perception.
“I appreciate the hospitality,” he said. “And I thank the king for his complete generosity, and for sending such beautiful assistants. But I must stay rested before the battle.”
That’s bullshit. What I have to do is fuck, pronto.
The Brute females looked at him with confusion, but also with admiration. The one immediately before him reached out to touch him again, but he just shook his head. She stopped. Her smile fell, but then a new smile appeared. A genuine smile. She bowed her head.
“The tub is drawn for you inside,” she said. “Fresh soaps and towels are at your disposal. We look forward to seeing you at the festivities this evening.”
Regan nodded and watched as the Brute females walked away. He watched their bodies sway from side to side. He thought about how he could have had all of them. It was maybe the most conflicted he’d ever been in his life.
Then he was grabbed by a strong arm and thrown inside his hut.
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