by Lisa Lace
Ardela helped Eden off the ground and brushed the dust from their bodies. Without looking back, she removed a snow-white weapon with a barrel tube from her satchel. Catching sight of the barrel of Ardela's weapon, the Runic sprang off the ground with his powerful hind legs. His webbed feet stuck onto the rocky walls of the cavern with suction cups, bits of gravel crumbling under his weight. Hercules clawed at the ceiling walls with his legs, snarling ferociously at an unseen assailant overhead.
Ardela trailed the Runic with the muzzle of her blaster as he leaped from wall to wall in an attempt to avoid her line of fire. She pulled the trigger on her weapon and a bolt of bluish-white light spurted out at her target. The Runic didn't have a chance. Ardela shot him in the center of his body. His entire body changed to a block of ice within seconds. Eden watched in horror as the ice sculpture fell from the cavern ceiling like a falling icicle and splintered into bloody fragments on the floor.
Something else tumbled out of the chute. It was Eden's windsor. She seized her weapon and hauled it out of the way, clearing an area for Thiago, who landed on the ground with a thud. Before they could orient themselves, a band of Runic underlings began swarming out from the south, charging towards them.
"Ardela, protect Eden. I'm going to find Salabar before the bastard tries to escape."
Hercules spread his opposable limbs, swooping in on the four unfortunate Runics leading the mob. There was a sickening crunch of bone as Hercules trampled and twisted their necks. Thiago clubbed a couple of aliens out of the way, darting into the hall and out of Eden's view. As Ardela blasted ice bolts at the Runics to their left, three minions wounded by Thiago started dragging themselves towards Eden.
Eden couldn't feel her legs any longer, but she managed to hoist her windsor over her head and start to swing. Her vision filled with blinding flashes of red. Her attacks knocked the three Runics back and forth. The windsor head pierced and gouged at the alien's sides, their shrieks of anguish resounding through the cavern as they held their maimed faces.
"Eden! You can stop now!"
Eden gasped as her haze lifted. Her eyes blinked in disbelief at the bodies littered on the ground. Ardela pulled up the visor of her helmet, displaying her hand and beckoning Eden to her side.
"It's time to go."
Eden nodded wordlessly. She lifted her windsor off the ground and raced after Ardela. The pair entered a series of winding tunnels, accelerating their pace as the sounds of a struggle grew louder.
Finally, they stumbled out of the closed tube. Eden needed to hold her thighs to keep herself standing upright. She took a deep breath to soothe her wheezing. Eden's frazzled eyes darted around wildly as she tried to locate Thiago.
"Watch your step. You don't want to fall over a cliff again," warned Ardela, holding an arm out in front of Eden.
"Whoa," Eden breathed. The core of the cavern in front of them consisted of rock formations forming natural bridges and footpaths, all suspended above a hissing pit of brilliant golden-red lava.
"Up there!"
Eden jabbed a finger towards Salabar and Thiago. The tussling pair was struggling on an unbarred footpath above them. Hercules snapped his pincers helplessly; he couldn't attack Salabar without hurting Thiago. He shifted uneasily across a path that was much too narrow for his size. He struggled to keep his balance, but he was devoted to his master and refused to leave.
Thiago grunted as Salabar wriggled free from his grasp. He spotted Ardela and Eden on the ground below them. He motioned towards his weapon, which lay just a few feet away from them. He scrambled after Salabar.
"Can one of you try to stun him?"
Eden dove into the corner, grabbing hold of Thiago's weapon. She tossed it to Ardela, who snatched it in midair with her gloved hands. Salabar had heard Thiago's instructions, of course. He narrowed his eyes as a look of surprise spread across his hideous features. He clenched his knotted fingers in their direction.
"You..."
Eden would never know what Salabar intended to say. Ardela fired, striking Salabar directly in the chest. Thiago's weapon was meant to kill, not stun or turn a victim to ice. A pool of red began to blossom on the thin fabric of Salabar's clothes. Small trickles of blood appeared on the corners of his mouth as he started to stagger backward.
Time slowed down for Eden as she screamed and reached out in a futile attempt to save the alien. Salabar's arms flailed as he toppled into the pit of lava.
Salabar was determined to take someone with him. His arms grabbed onto Thiago and Hercules in one final act of vengeance before his death, dragging them down with him into the fire below.
Chapter Eighteen
"Thiago! Hercules!"
The imminent danger woke Eden from her slumber and forced her to take action. The apparent time shift that had cemented her in place as she watched Thiago, Hercules, and Salabar tumble over the edge shattered as quickly as it came. All that remained now was an empty platform above them with a severely chipped edge. The sweltering sea of hot lava underneath swallowed every falling piece of debris.
Eden yanked off her helmet and flung it aside. The rooms of the underground cavern reverberated with her traumatized screams of despair. She grabbed clumps of her hair, wrenching and twisting as tears seeped out the corners of her bulged, panicking eyes. Her teeth were chattering in shock as she turned to Ardela.
"How did that happen? Are they dead?"
"I don't know." Ardela wasn't moving.
Eden stared at Ardela. She hadn't known the alien for a long time, but in her experience, Ardela kept her composure and never lost her head. Perhaps this was Ardela's way of panicking. The Arkadian woman's translucent skin had turned a pasty white. The expression on her face was equally hopeless. Eden's heart sank.
"We can't stand here! Isn't there anything we can do?"
"Eden!"
Their horrified eyes moved toward the edge of their path. A cry for help rang faintly from underneath them, coupled with the unmistakable whimpers of a distressed alien arachnid. Racing to the side, they peered over the edge.
In the thick, yellow billows of smoke rising from the simmering red lava pit, Eden spotted the hazy silhouettes of Thiago and Hercules. The creature and his master were huddled together on a narrow crag protruding from a rock formation. Their arms clung to invisible handholds around them to stabilize their footing.
Eden didn't see Salabar anywhere.
"Thiago, hold on!"
Eden looked around for anything she could use to haul them up. Ardela had already sprung into action. She was stripping off thick, sturdy vines that grew wild on the cavern walls. Eden dashed off to help, positioning herself in front of another wall. She rested a boot against the rocks and wrapped her fingers around a vine as wide as a fire hose.
Her veins extruded from her neck and temples as she pulled with all her strength. She had to lean back and use both legs for leverage to make the vine finally give under her weight.
Eden carried over her small vine and handed it over to Ardela. The Arkadian bounty hunter had accumulated dozens of vines in the time it took Eden to obtain a single one, and had already knotted them all together, fashioning a makeshift rope. Thrusting one end of the rope in Eden's hands, Ardela tossed the opposite end over the cliff.
"Get ready to pull! I don't know how much longer we can safely stay on this ledge!"
Ardela positioned herself behind Eden, twisting the vines around her arms. Eden mentally ordered her uncontrollable, trembling fingers to clench, securing them around the vine. The minute, sticky fibers felt almost like velcro against Eden's sweaty palms, adhering to her flesh. Her eyes squeezed shut as the throbbing muscles in her arms started to burn from the exertion. She could feel the heels of her boots scraping against the ground. Whatever happened, she knew she could not let go.
Thanks to the alien strength built into Ardela's Arkadian genes, the women began to inch slowly backward. Incredibly, they picked up momentum, wheezing and panting as Eden passed back additiona
l knots of the retracting vine. With one last jerk, the other end of the vine emerged. Thiago had tied it around Hercules' torso as he clutched the creature's tubby frame. Hercules grabbed at the edge, gravel crumbling under his slipping legs as he struggled to clamber onto the platform.
Thiago leaped onto solid ground. His hands never left his beloved companion's side. Ardela and Eden moved forward, each grabbing hold of one of the creature's eight limbs. Snapping his pincers gratefully, Hercules dragged himself to safety.
Everyone collapsed from exhaustion and fell flat on their backs. The group was spread out on the ground. Their outstretched arms lay limp at their sides as they recuperated. An equally exhausted Hercules slumped over on top of Thiago, bleating weakly in resignation.
Eden was first to move. "We should get out of here," she said, squeezing Thiago on the arm as she sat up. She attempted to dust off the dirt marks on her jumpsuit, but she was a mess and couldn't clean herself. "This place is still dangerous."
"What were you thinking?"
The women jumped back in surprise as Thiago turned to confront Ardela. Unconsciously, he had made his teeth visible, and his rage was on display.
"I'm sorry. I meant to stun him. I made a mistake."
"You used to be meticulous and careful to a fault in the field. Has something changed?" he said suspiciously.
"What are you suggesting?" demanded Ardela. Anger had replaced the typical confidence in her voice. "Are you delusional enough to believe I intentionally killed him? What would I have to gain?"
Eden and Hercules exchanged worried looks as the tension escalated further.
"Guys. Let's be grateful Thiago and Herc are still alive."
"Now that the target's dead, we are only entitled to a third of the bounty," Thiago seethed, making a face as he loosened the kink in his neck. He reached into his jumpsuit and pulled out a blood-red amulet with an antique silver chain, swinging the necklace in Ardela's face. "If I hadn't taken this from the slimy bastard, we might have nothing left after expenses."
"What's gotten into you?" Ardela folded her arms over her chest and slanted her head to the right. She wasn't going to back down. "If it's the money you're worried about, you can keep my portion. I'll even transfer the difference to your account if you insist on being such a child about it."
"Thinking about the consequences of my actions doesn't make me a child," Thiago muttered. The marking on his forehead started to glow red. He nodded to himself, his head drooping forward as he emitted a low, caustic chuckle. "You haven't changed at all. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the one who can't bring herself to call a towing service to get her absurdly overpriced spaceship repaired. I'm not the one inviting herself on an engagement when she's obviously unwanted."
"Thiago, that's enough," Eden interrupted gently. Sighing, she reached out to the alien bounty hunter. At this point, she had gotten used to and secretly fond of his affinity for frank conversation and business sense. This time, he was taking things too far. "You're starting to sound vindictive and paranoid. Come on, Thiago, everyone makes mistakes. No one's perfect. You know that."
"I'm not asking for perfection, but if you're going to tag along on my missions, you should be prepared to follow my orders," Thiago barked, running an aggravated hand through his patch of platinum-blonde hair. He kicked at the ground as he muttered angrily under his breath. A lump of rock skipped away from his boot before bouncing off the edge. "None of this would have happened if I had listened to my gut and caught Salabar on my own."
"Thiago, I understand that you're upset," said Ardela cautiously, lowering her eyes in what she hoped was a remorse stance. "You know how difficult it is for me to admit my mistakes, but you're right. I screwed it up. I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear? If you'll let me make it up to you, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make it right. You have my word."
"Thanks, but no thanks," said Thiago gruffly, turning away from the women. He clicked his tongue loudly against the roof of his mouth. Hercules perked up at his master's call, his tongue wagging expectantly between his pincers. "I think we both know you've done more than your share. You can keep your damn money. I'm not interested. "
"Wait, Thiago. Where are you going?"
"I'm taking the ship to get her shields checked out. Then I'm calling a towing service to retrieve Ardela's spaceship from the service station," said Thiago as he trudged away from them, Hercules following closely behind.
"I think you need to get yourself examined at a hospital."
"I don't need anything," said Thiago, pausing by the exit. He fiddled with the square band on his wrist. "A private ship will come by to pick up you both up and bring you to the city. You probably won't want to keep the driver waiting. The meter starts running immediately."
"But Thiago..."
"No buts. All I've done is agree to compromise. We're going to start doing things my way. I'll see you in a few hours."
Chapter Nineteen
"I'm stuffed," announced Eden, pulling her jumpsuit’s hood over the prosthetic points of her elfin ears. She rubbed her bulging belly with both hands. "I need to walk this off."
"Seconded. I haven't eaten this much in years," said Ardela, sighing as she thought about her past. "I was the honeyberry pie eating champion at one point in my life. I consumed twenty-eight pies in three minutes. As far as I know, the record is still standing."
"Remarkable," laughed Eden, bringing her hands together in slow applause. "Someone should have erected a statue in your name for that amazing accomplishment."
"Why, thank you! I think so too," said Ardela, grinning. She slapped at her taut stomach, a hint of her sculpted abs visible through her skintight crimson jumpsuit. "Alas, those days are long gone. I usually wouldn't allow myself to ever set foot in a fast food joint like this one, but with the nightmare of a day we just had, I think it was more than justified. "
"I hear that," Eden agreed, sniffing at the fragrant lavender aroma coming from a stall in the background. "There's just something soothing about greasy food after a long miserable day. Forget chicken soup. Fried food for the soul is where it's at."
"I can't believe I froze up," said Ardela. She exhaled bitterly, idly rubbing her shoe into the ground. "That hasn't happened to me since my first engagement."
"Don't beat yourself up about it. Things happen, even to the best of us. I know I would have fumbled if the gun were in my hands," said Eden, frowning. She paused, adding brightly, "That's why I gave it to you. For what it's worth, you're an excellent shot."
"I hope Thiago gets around to forgiving me soon."
"I'm sure he will," Eden reassured her. Eden sounded more certain than she felt. "Thiago's got a habit of storming off to take his 'walks' or run an errand whenever things get overwhelming. In all fairness, it's a pretty healthy vice if you ask me. He takes some time to calm down. He'll probably be back to his old stoic self when we see him. "
"I don't know," said Ardela doubtfully, raising a pink eyebrow. "I've never seen him that outraged before. Hold on, would you mind if we stopped in this store?"
"Not at all."
Eden strained her calves as she stood on the tips of her toes, looking with admiration at the boundless open-air flower market to her left. A giant rock arch that sparkled like purple fluorite healing crystals marked the entrance. Sitting on top of the opening were gorgeous garlands of flowers. The exotic pastels and neons were a breathtaking symphony of colors. Beyond the entryway were numerous stalls featuring a range of lush vegetation, plants, shrubbery, and miniature trees that had new sights for even the most uninhibited imagination.
"The Runic Floral Bazaar carries over eight hundred thousand species of flowers and plants imported from every corner of the galaxy," said Ardela, leading the way. "I always like to come here after exceptionally harrowing missions. It's nice to take a little break from everything I see on the job."
"I can't imagine what it's like for you."
As they ambled through the mid-aftern
oon crowds of the market, Eden noticed dozens of eyes looking in Ardela's direction. As both young, rubbernecking Runic men and the straying gazes of married strangers elbowed her out of the way to ogle at Ardela, Eden's face started to turn sour. She was beginning to feel like a hideously deformed monster out on a pity date with the town beauty queen. Ardela was well aware of her charm and subtle magnetic attraction for the opposite sex as she traipsed around the maze of stalls.
The 6-foot Arkadian woman was a glamorous, powerful sight. She had the buttery flow of taffy-pink hair, the blessing of infatuating curves and an ample chest she flaunted at every opportunity. Even though Eden was tall for a human woman, she never felt like she had taken command of her gangling, inherently bumbling physique. Going an entire day without walking into obstacles or tripping over her extra-long legs was a feat on its own.
Ardela led Eden to a flower cart run by an elderly Runic woman with a crooked back. The friendly woman beamed at them toothlessly as she held a pocket-sized remote in her hands. She maneuvered a large joystick with her gnarled, misshapen fingers, steering a hovering watering can with a tipped spout over her selection of bouquets and potted plants. A line of plants in the front row with bizarre flowers shaped like upturned teeth began bobbing up and down in turn under the drizzling water. The petals of the flowers looked like splatters of paint, covered in random yet cohesive colors.
All at once, the flowers split open. Wide tongues flopped about sluggishly as they lapped up water. Eden clapped a hand to her mouth in amazement.
"Ardela, my child, is that you?"
"Hello, Madame Ushera." Ardela stooped over and kissed the florist once on each cheek. She squeezed the elderly lady's shoulders, taking the remote from her. "You look younger and younger every day. I'm happy to see you using the automatic watering can I had custom-made for you."
