by Vi Voxley
He smiled.
"Life is a mission where everything can go wrong in the blink of an eye. Keep in mind what I told you and make your own decisions."
Corden left them behind, pleased when he didn't see either when turning back. He noticed ways they might have gone, but that was no longer his concern. He'd succeeded in bringing two warriors to his side, saving them from the doom Worgen offered.
The general rushed through the ship, almost flying under the ceilings which was mostly blessedly tall and very dark. Both suited him very well.
He found Lana in the same atrium Worgen had visited the first time. Rage rose within him when he saw the other general with his hand around Lana. It took every ounce of willpower in his body not to react to that insult, to that intrusion.
Corden wondered if Worgen knew he was alive. Because if he did—or even suspected—he was likely to do anything to provoke Corden out of hiding. And what fastest way for that than to publicly touch Lana?
The sight set his blood on fire.
His gesha's eyes were wild and bright. She was looking around in a hurry, scanning the crowd around her. Corden realized she had to be looking for him, knowing he couldn't leave her unprotected.
He wished he could somehow signal her about his presence, but he couldn't risk her safety. Corden had to hope that Lana was able to handle whatever was to come on her own.
The situation itself was odd. Now that Worgen believed his army was in the making, he had returned to his search for a gesha, it seemed. The hall was filled with Terran women, all staring at the ground to avoid looking at the terrifying harbinger of death before them.
Corden wondered what exactly Worgen was thinking. The recognizing moments were provoked by extreme situations. Danger, happiness, fear, variations of basic, powerful emotions. And while it was clear that everyone in the atrium shook with terror before him, without actual danger Corden doubted anything was going to happen.
He thought it was even more likely that there was no gesha for Worgen. In Brion history, it wasn't uncommon that men who were so broken never bonded.
It was hard to make out Worgen's words over the silent, fearful muttering of the crowd. Corden's hearing was better than excellent, but there were more than a thousand women saying how badly they wanted to get away from there. Judging by the look on Lana's face, however, it wasn't anything good.
A blazing shot of rage went through Corden as he considered whether his plans were what got Lana in trouble. Had the Torons betrayed him? The cowardly Palian? Corden gritted his teeth. Too many parts of his plan were clunky, relying on people he would rather have not trusted.
Perhaps the two warriors he'd spared had alerted their general.
Or perhaps none of that had taken place. Seeing the way Worgen looked at Lana, Corden started to think the mad general really did want her for himself. Only that was not the way Brion bonds worked. You couldn't choose your fated. Worgen had no way of making Lana his.
And then Worgen finally spoke up, loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"My gesha is somewhere in here, but I can't seem to find her," he said. "It has made me think that the circumstances are not dire enough for me to recognize her. So I am creating the necessary danger needed."
Corden growled. He looked down upon the gathered crowd, thousands of women suddenly screaming. In the midst of them, Lana was standing fairly calmly, but he could see how pale she was.
If the gesha wasn't there, would he kill them all?
The answer was probably. After all, they were expendable to him. Corden wished he hadn't sent his two warriors away. They could have slipped into the crowd undetected and joined the other guards Worgen had brought. There they could have helped Lana into safety.
Seconds had passed, but the danger hadn't descended upon them yet. Corden would have thought it was all a joke if he believed Worgen was capable of such a thing.
The doors of the atrium opened and a pack of enraged Torons entered.
Corden moved before he could properly register he was in motion. He saw red before his eyes, red that wasn't coming from his valor squares that were still dim through some miracle. Worgen had clearly heard of the Torons attacking his men and his response was blood-curdling. The species that protected the innocent was now used as tool against them.
Corden knew exactly where he'd gotten the idea. Back in the times where Worgen had crawled out from, there had been no Union yet. At least in the way it was now, spanning from one end of the known galaxy to the other. When it started, it only united the core worlds and its power was nothing to brag about.
Species like the Torons were often exploited by those with more advanced technology. They were used for sport, injecting the beasts with a substance that drove them insane. Then they were pitted against each other and the spectators bet on them. There were many other species similar to the Torons, all with their subtleties, but few matched their ferocity when called upon in such a way.
When the Union began to expand and impose rules upon different species, such things were naturally prohibited. The Torons became a part of the galactic whole like anybody else, but for Worgen... the dark days truly had never left.
Corden pushed through the crowd, doing his best to avoid being seen by Worgen. He had to crouch down for that, being naturally taller than most of the people in the atrium, his spear making it doubly difficult.
The women were screaming, trying to get out of the way of the rampaging Torons. A few stopped to look at him and Corden cursed Worgen for making him come out into the open in such a way. Lana would later have to explain it away as one of Worgen's men showing a little compassion.
As for Lana, Corden knew she was safe. When he'd arrived at the atrium, his first notion had been to make sure his gesha was all right, but Lana was still standing with Worgen. Trusting the mad general was the weirdest sensation Corden had ever felt, but he knew that Worgen was perfectly capable of protecting Lana. It seemed like he had chosen to do so, too.
Every time a Toron came their way, the spear would flash through the air and the dark general’s burning armor would blaze. Lana barely had time to jump away when it happened, only to approach him again as soon as the danger passed. Corden could see the resistance in her eyes, the way she hated looking for Worgen's protection, but it was the only safe place in the atrium.
He pushed against the crowd to reach the Torons. It was a small mercy, but Torons were a species that stuck together, even when crazed. All four beasts were in one corner of the atrium, breaking through everything in their way. It was a miracle that they'd yet to kill. More so because it would have made Corden's task almost impossible, or at least considerably more painful.
Corden reached them, stopping for only a second, still keeping low and thanking the gods Worgen's attention seemed to be fixed on the women instead of the beasts. He pulled the knife from his hip and cut a gash on his forearm. Bright blood spilled from the wound, hot and rich.
The Torons turned, sniffing the air. That was the downside of employing them as a weapon. Once a Toron had lost its mind, there was no aiming it. Instincts took over, ruling absolute. And the strongest of their instincts was the lust for blood. Corden slid closer, letting the Torons get a good whiff of him before dashing for the door.
With a howl that could break glass, the Torons followed him. Corden ran through the hallways, hiding his face as well as he could. Admittedly his face was not what anyone was looking at with three rampaging beasts on his tail, but he could never be too sure.
The Torons were damn fast when they had the scent. Corden took corners so fast he nearly crashed into the walls. Finally his destination dawned before him.
The other Torons were waiting. Not because he called; he had no chance of doing that. They did it because it was a mercy to put down one of their own. It was a fate worse than death for a Toron. Corden slipped between them and they let him pass. He wondered if they were grateful to him for bringing their tortured brothers to them or if they hated
him for it.
He'd find that out later. After making sure the Torons were dealt with by their kin, Corden began making his way back. He'd taken only a few steps before he realized there had been four Torons in the atrium. Only three had chased him.
That left one crazed beast still in the atrium, with Lana.
Corden ran.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Lana
Everything was going to hell.
Lana had known there was something bad coming the moment she'd been told of Worgen’s arrival. She had to bite her tongue not to growl out of frustration. It was the one thing she'd hoped to escape that day. It had begun so well. And after she'd received the originals, Lana had honestly hoped that the mad general would leave the Flora alone for a while.
Apparently not.
The Abysmal had signaled her that Worgen was coming aboard and that she had to gather the Terran women again. Lana had no clever plans this time. The Brions had had the ship first and they had passenger lists as well. She wouldn't be able to hide everyone, but she did her best. In the end, about two-thirds of the women who should have been there actually stood in the atrium.
Lana had let the ship's computer randomly draw the names of the women who received the order to attend. She couldn't have picked out the victims herself even if she had the time.
Worgen arrived in a good mood, which was a horrible sign in her opinion. Lana greeted him and was immediately buried under inquiries about the Torons.
"I understand that they've been attacking the patrols," she said as though it were nothing.
The general had regarded her with those pitch-black eyes of his, seemingly without emotion, though plenty usually boiled behind those dark pits.
"Is that so? I have been told they're completely out of control."
"That's not true. Torons are very peaceful creatures. Something must have upset them."
"Put an end to it," he said.
Lana had made the one mistake then, trying to be clever with a tyrant.
"I didn't know that Brions needed protection, General," she said, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth.
Worgen had turned to her, his thin lips curled into a cruel smile.
"We do not," he snarled, making Lana back away from him despite willing herself to stay still. "I was going to say for your own good."
Things had gone further downhill from there. Worgen had asked a few questions about his army, but since Lana insisted she didn't know the specifics, he dropped that topic easily enough. It was the only good thing that happened so far during his visit, in her opinion, because the rest of it had simply been a nightmare.
Worgen entered the atrium and walked around, witnessing the gathered women himself. There was something fundamentally wrong about the way he did it, but Lana honestly didn't know where to even begin with describing it.
The huge open space was well lighted, beautifully decorated like a ballroom on Terra, covered in light marble. Everywhere Lana looked, she saw statues and flowers. It was a room that should have been filled by joy, but the mood reminded her more of a morgue.
He'd slid his hand around her shoulders after his first round, another man's touch making Lana twitch in disgust, but she didn't dare to shrug off his embrace. Instead, she waited, holding her breath. When Worgen announced that they needed danger, Lana's heart had nearly stopped. She looked around, desperately wishing that Corden was there.
The atrium was a closed-up death trap. And when the Torons finally appeared, she'd screamed along with everyone else. The softhearted species Lana was quite fond of had been turned into bloodthirsty predators. She called for everyone to get out of their way, but it was hard to tell if they even listened to her.
There was nowhere to go, after all.
***
The noise was deafening. Out of the corner of her eye, Lana saw three of the huge beasts suddenly take off and rush out of the atrium, but that still left one Toron. The beast had now switched from breaking furniture to breaking people.
She was still with Worgen, horror gripping her heart when she saw the monster looking at the disaster around him with the curiosity of a bemused psychopath.
He thinks this is interesting. It is a gamble for him and he wants to see if he won, only the things he plays with are alive. So far.
The man had also saved her life quite a few times in as many minutes. Before the other three broke down the door for some reason Lana couldn't explain, Worgen had been keeping the Torons away from her. The spear was still in his hands, leisurely held now that the last beast was far from them.
"Nothing," Worgen was saying. "Perhaps this is not enough."
He means to come up with something even worse.
"No," Lana said, "this is not the way. You can't force the bond to happen like this. How can you not know that?"
It wasn't probably the best way to talk to him, but she couldn't help it. His utter lack of respect for life was pushing her buttons hard. Everything Lana wanted was for Worgen to see himself as others saw him. She wondered if seeing his true self would have shocked or pleased the mad general.
Then he began to drag her closer to the Toron. Lana struggled against his grip, but it made as much difference as if she was blowing against the wind. Worgen was taking her along where he was going and that was it. She screamed when he unceremoniously shoved her, leaving her alone in front of the Toron.
The giant creature turned, its eyes bloodshot and empty of all reason. Back where it was safe, Lana had felt sorry for them, knowing it wasn't their own choice. Now all she felt was a burning desire for a weapon, any weapon really, to defend herself with. It would have done little good to her, but it would have been better than curling up and making an easier bite out of herself for the deranged beast.
"Nothing," Worgen said behind her, his voice dull, as if he was surprised.
When she turned, the general was gone and her world narrowed down to the pair of fangs coming her way.
Lana barely understood what happened in the next few moments. One second she was standing there, locked in a staring competition with death, and in the next, she was gone too. Sliding on the floor, in fact, caught in the embrace of the strongest pair of arms she’d ever known. Lana had no idea if Corden had aimed them like that, but their speed carried them right behind a pillar, hiding them both from Worgen's sight for a second.
He was panting heavily, but the smile on his face was genuine joy. Lana laughed out of sheer relief to still be drawing breath. But the Toron was coming closer, furious at losing its prey. Corden was eying it seriously with a frown. Lana peeked around the pillar. If Worgen saw him, if he caught even a glimpse... but he had come for her anyway. Her heart thudded in her chest, both from escaping death so narrowly and for the danger Corden put himself in.
"I have to take this thing down," Corden said. "Stay here, hidden..."
In the next second, a girl screamed somewhere. Lana saw a young blonde stuck under a table with the insane Toron towering over her. The beast had clearly smelled the blood of her wounded leg and was about to tear her into little pieces. Lana felt Corden start to stand when something completely impossible happened.
As the girl screamed so loudly her voice broke, Worgen came out of nowhere. The mad general faced off against the monster, the long spear easily held in one outstretched arm. His black eyes were alight with a raging inferno, his armor glowing like a star. And he was standing right between the girl and the monster that threatened her.
It was instantly clear to Lana that it wasn't the Toron that posed the biggest threat to the girl. She shot Corden a look and saw that her gerion was deadly serious. They both watched, wordlessly, as the huge spear started dancing in Worgen's hands, picking up speed. The Toron tried to keep his eyes on it, mesmerized, growling. He was trying to get to his prey, to bypass the general, but Worgen didn't take one step back.
"So this is what it feels like," he said, the words cutting through the air like knives. "The moment.
It is even greater than I imagined!"
The Toron was too out of his mind to understand what was going on. Worgen took a step closer, grinning, and the beast attacked. Lana wouldn't have believed it was possible, but her eyes couldn't have come up with such a ridiculous lie. The mad general jumped into the air, far higher than it should have been possible to move with armor like that.
He turned in air, building momentum, slamming the blade of his spear right into the Toron's thick neck in the next moment. They came down together, but Worgen ended up standing on top of his trophy, his blade still jutting into its flesh. With a victorious grin that predicted only death, he pulled the spear free.
Lana didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, she was infinitely grateful that his desires toward her were over at last. On the other, what did it mean for her, for the Flora? Would Worgen appoint them a new captain?
Unable to take her eyes away from the unfolding scene in front of her, Lana watched as the dark general approached the table the girl was still crouching under, refusing to come out. Now that the Toron was dead, Lana could get a good look at the new Terran gesha. She was young, but not exactly a girl as she'd thought. Lana thought she was only a bit younger than her.
The new gesha was a sweet little blonde, with long hair covering her face. When she pushed it aside to see if the Toron was gone, Lana saw her eyes, big and wide. It wasn't exactly how she'd imagined Worgen's fated.
"Come out," the general said, extending his hand to the girl. "Nothing can hurt you anymore."
His voice carried the triumph of finding his fated. Lana had no idea if it would actually make the general more powerful or not.
All she knew was that it would make him whole, like all Brion bonds.
That was a scary thought. And that crying blonde there was supposed to be his other half, the one to complement him? Lana didn't understand. Maybe the fates had made a mistake...
"Come out," Worgen repeated with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I want to see my gesha properly."
