"Take care, hu'vria, as you return to the living,” he said with a soft chuckle.
What a strange !Dakos word he called me that obviously meant something wonderful the way it rolled off his tongue. And Flonn really was gentle. Why did M'yote despise the !Dakos so much? Well, aside from what they did to Prall so long ago. Wasn't it time to bring an end to the bitterness? To open a line of communication?
That's why I'm here.
Marshals created peace between worlds.
An eerie sense of understanding shimmied through my belly.
Intuition never let me down.
Flonn's warm firm fingers lifted my chin so he could gaze into my eyes. “Are you well, hu'vria? I sense you're ill. Do you feel nausea or lightheadedness?"
My gut twisted with even more awareness.
Intuition often proved a curse in my line of business when I started sympathizing with the enemy. But not with becoming a monster. Could something be happening to me, physically? Something Flonn instigated. “Symptoms mating with you could have caused?"
"Sometimes the nanites cause females to take ill.” He didn't flinch away a second in reacting.
Nanites? Little robots. I yanked on a boot. “What do you mean nanites?"
"My body's healing system. Now, your body's healing system."
Oh. No. Beyond holy shit. I don't want to be a cyborg. “What did you do to me, Flonn?"
"I claimed you. Marked you as mine. You carry my unique signature. My nanites."
"How?” I choked back dammit.
"In my semen.” He watched me yank on my other boot then waved toward the doorway where they'd dragged off my confidant and tour guide. “They are waiting on us."
He ushered me down a few winding empty and spotlessly-clean corridors fashioned with the same pale peach flagstone and stone masonry.
A noise rose in the distance, growing with each of our footsteps until the din thundered so loudly my gut told me not to follow Flonn through the door blocking our passage. He placed a broad hand on the door and heaved it wide into bitter sunlight.
The deafening noise knocked me backward.
But ended as if it had witnessed or felt remorse for causing my faltering step.
My gut twisted. And twisted.
Hell. This was Hell. Gotta remember, big hunky sex demon and all. This was still Hell.
"It's alright, Theone. I won't let anything happen to you,” Flonn reassured me.
Like what could happen? I shot the tall soldier cyborg a speculative glance. Yes. Jarhead.
He placed his palm at my lower back and nudged me into the warm sunlight.
Right into something akin to a stadium ringed with a sea of bare-chested massive !Dakos warriors. How many? One could only guess the number but a few thousand. And if they didn't have mates? They would be looking for them. Me.
Something massive rammed into my throat. Something oddly reminiscent of big !Dakos cock. Earth was so screwed. Well, the women were.
Flonn's hand ushered me along a series of steps leading down into the circular arena below. A place where two males faced each other. Waiting. One more like Flonn. The other blue.
M'yote.
Something really bad was going down. Especially when the entire audience and both sparring partners focused upon my descent. I just watched my step. Literally. Until stepping onto the arena's hard stone surface. I slid my gaze to M'yote's brilliant blue eyes and wondered what had taken place before my arrival.
Rather, what my arrival entailed at all.
Something based on the audience's reaction.
What?
Flonn claimed a position at my side and crossed his enormous arms.
His arms hanging free now, M'yote slid his gaze from the !Dakos warrior to me and grimaced. “You mated with him?"
How did he know? And did I have to answer? Did I owe him an answer? Whatever. “I wasn't given a choice.” That much was true.
"You don't have to answer him, Theone,” Flonn rumbled.
The other man, taller than M'yote and bulkier like a !Dakos, chuckled with gusto and anchored a you-cuckolded-fool look on my blue superior officer. “So you lost her before you claimed her. Same old story, little brother, eh?"
Solvun? He didn't wield the head full of braids M'yote wore, instead a tousle of shoulder-kissing light brown hair laced with golden hairs. Mussed from his activities I'd missed before my arrival. And his face was more human than M'yote's elongated features.
Could I trust Solvun?
Although, my gut didn't speak for Flonn when he shoved me against a wall. He simply felt like a sweetheart and tasted damned good. Steak and great sex. Gotta commend him for that little treat. So went the job perks of a spy. Albeit, the occupational hazards remain to be seen beyond Earth's protective atmosphere.
Another cyborg hopped down from the eight-foot tall stone wall surrounding the arena and stepped between Solvun and M'yote.
Bad began to blare on my radar again.
Maybe the warning was from the newcomer's metal plate he wore covering one side of his head? Was it an indication the !Dakos suffered injuries? From fighting? Great. And his twisted grimace only made me want to hunker behind Flonn.
I had no weapons. Just my brain. And a weak Earth brain just didn't seem a weapon that would hold up against any of these monsters. Mr. Ribeye included. He'd already proven I was putty for his hands the minute I stepped into his personal space.
The newcomer roared like a lion.
Not good. Everything M'yote said began falling into place. This cyborg was a beast. A beast, eye-balling me.
Maybe I should look for the newcomer's weakness?
The beast wore the same silver pants as Flonn, a vest-shaped chunk of sheet metal molded to fit his chest and back—armor, and a metal cuff that covered each lower arm from wrist to elbow. Who knows how he got massive forearm to squeeze into those cuffs. Aside from the fact Solvun wore something more akin to camouflage, no male appeared similar in much of any way. Nor did any of them wield any weapons. But why would prisoners have weapons. The fact the !Dakos didn't need them said a lot for the strength of that species of cyborg.
I needed a weapon.
Something painful and frightening.
Something akin to death.
Something to keep the beast at a distance.
Or at least something to make me feel better.
Flonn suddenly hopped into a rage and leapt at the scary cyborg.
Okay. Not good.
M'yote quickly caught me by the arm. “This plan is going bad fast."
Solvun stood laughing at M'yote. “You think she can protect you?"
Although Solvun's quip was meant to insult my blue friend, I knew I could make a good attempt at kicking Solvun's smart ass given I had to. “Why are Flonn and the other !Dakos warriors fighting?"
"Flonn has been told he can't have you by the !Dakos sovereign council. He's fighting to keep you."
If Flonn appeared the weaker, I'd worry. But the way these cyborgs matched each other blow for blow, we'd be here all day. “Alright. We need to give them plenty of room."
M'yote tried to back me away.
Solvun intervened, ramming a fist into M'yote's jaw.
M'yote's head slung to the right, his almost-white braids flying. But he caught himself, glaring at his brother while dark red blood dribbled from one of his nostrils.
"Speak up, little brother. Tell me how much you've missed me."
What in the Hell was going on? “Why are you two fighting?"
"Long story.” M'yote wiped the blood from his upper lip with the back of a gloved hand. “He's been jealous of me almost four-hundred years."
Solvun went for M'yote's blue throat. M'yote ducked. And the ridiculous battle of wills played out between Pralls and !Dakos as the crowd watched in silence.
I was so damned screwed.
Suddenly, a severe screech ripped through the stadium.
Something told me not to look. But when in a foreign
Rome, one needs to keep the odds of survival in her favor. I turned to the descending stone ramp I had crossed, descending into this snake pit.
What was that? The biped was almost as tall as the !Dakos males, covered in shaggy gray fur, with two glowing yellow eyes, and a mouth filled with sharp yellow teeth, extremely capable of ripping out a voice box.
"Run, captain! Find higher ground,” M'yote yelled.
No need to tell me twice when my gut was screaming get the hell out of Dodge. I pivoted and made a beeline for the wall beyond Flonn.
Flonn shoved the hulking beast across the arena and turned to me. “Your foot.” He thrust his hands down into a step and waited for me.
Stirrup? Okay. I veered toward the offered helping hand, stepped into it, and found myself thrusting toward the top of the wall.
A wall at least a foot in thickness. Beyond of which sat so many pairs of oddly-colored !Dakos eyes watching me that I dared not face them. Knowing better than to give my back to the enemy, I had to believe Flonn knew what was unfolding, wouldn't leave me with the wolves, and squatted, watching the melee below.
The gray two-legged thing seemed akin to a Sasquatch. That was as good an assessment as I could make. And the way the creature raced toward Solvun and M'yote didn't make me feel any better. Heck, those were my charges. My responsibility. What point would it be to return empty-handed?
For some ungodly reason, the urge to leap back into the gloom overcame me.
Weapon. I needed something... I scanned the crowd at my back.
Large massive bulldozers. The gorgeous !Dakos. Geesh. It's hard to believe women just didn't line up to depart with these males wherever their spaceships landed. Trouble had to arise from the males of the females’ cultures. Territorialism. Oh well, one had a nice knife tucked into the shaft of his boot. Would he just give it to me?
"Hey!” I shouted. Like a moron. Like he'd just hand over.
A good thirty sets of fluorescent eyes of every jeweled color locked onto me.
"Not everyone.” I pointed at the redhead. “You. Can I borrow your knife?"
The thirty or so !Dakos expressions went blank.
Great. They have to discuss giving little ole’ me a knife.
The redhead blinked and handed me the butt of his blade. “Be careful, little female."
So, they wanted a little entertainment? No problem. I stepped back to the wall's edge and thrust the knife into the shaft of my boot.
Solvun faced the roaring gray beast while M'yote tried to leap over his cape where he'd tossed it on the ground. The Sasquatch lunged at Solvun's muscled form.
What now?
Solvun grabbed the thing's waist, hefted the squalling beast upward, and tossed it across his body toward M'yote.
Howling in laughter. The jerk.
M'yote ducked left as the gray bundle of matted fur tumbled to the stone floor and rolled a few feet away. “That was not nice, brother.” M'yote put as much distance as he could between himself and his new attacker.
Even though that meant he'd be thrust right back into Solvun's personal space.
Great. I report for duty and wind up in another chapter of a never-ending sibling rivalry. Can we say what's the point? I'm going to free one nobleman only to find them both trying to kill each other after we break out of this hellhole. Of course, that future depends upon them surviving the battle with the Sasquatch. Just how were they going to kill that animal? Time for some girl power. I rose and jumped.
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Cybernetics... “the ability to cure all temporary truth of eternal triteness.” ~Herbert Brun
* * * *
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Chapter Five
Hitting home no matter how much I gave to the force of impact with squatting always left my bones rattling whenever I jumped. But I learned how to land in jumping long distances from an ex-carnie tight-rope walker who worked for the FBI in training recruits. And I wasn't about to lose the use of my limbs because of this flea-bitten squalling Sasquatch out to rip my charges’ heads off. Palms on the warm scratchy stone base of the arena, I shoved up to stand and survey the insanity.
M'yote caught my presence in his periphery, jerking to face me, his blue expression distraught.
Get over it. Little Earth girl can kick ass. And I could avoid just about anything that couldn't move faster than I could. Stand back and take note.
The gray beast studied Flonn with a pissed-off squawk, but didn't attack him, rather seemed to warn him. Then something registered with the thing. It whirled to face me.
Ugly. If somebody brought that creature to this planet, they'd seriously screwed up.
The thing released a blood-thirsty battle cry and bolted toward me.
It was fast. But not that fast. I charged straight into its stare to the point I could count the sharp teeth in its grimace, threw my hands forward, into a tumble sequence until a few feet away, I shoved hard and sailed over its head. Only to land in a tuck and roll, brutal as the bite of stone always felt, and was back on my feet racing toward two gaping Prall brothers who for some reason had nothing to bitch about at the moment.
Never seen a girl evade death? Well, they needed to get out more.
Take a left at Mars, boys.
The pissed bellow at my heels noted the beast followed me. But I'd reach the men in plenty of time to glean some information about our little guest. I drew up next to M'yote's squint and wondered if there was a way out of this mess.
His gaze flicked to mine. “You didn't tell me you could do that."
"You didn't read my resume?” I handed him the knife. “Some !Dakos warrior loaned me this when I was up in the audience. Maybe it can help?” Since I'm so damned agile and you're not. But I didn't think telling him that would win me any gratitude.
He snatched the blade and turned to the yowling animal.
Solvun watched us with great interest.
Measuring us. Or our relationship. Whatever. It was sink or swim beneath the damned plank. “What is that thing?” I asked M'yote.
"A Drod. A !Dakos female."
No. Way. “That?” I caught myself mindlessly pointing at it.
"And we Pralls consider it bad that we can't give birth to any live females.” M'yote managed a contemplative grin. “Stand back, Theone. It's time to calm this creature."
"How? Why not just kill it?” End its misery.
"Observe.” M'yote moved so quickly. Quicker than I'd seen any of the others move and circled around the Drod. He halted. And waited.
Why? I shot Solvun a questioning glance.
He shrugged his muscled shoulders. “You picked the wrong brother.” He actually blew me a raspberry.
The familiar gesture was more akin to a blond biker teasing a camera at a photo shoot. Bizarre. I turned back to M'yote who'd joined a slow dance of pacing out a circle with the hovering Drod.
"What does it want?” I shouted at Solvun.
"Drods hunt telepaths like creatures who hunt warm-blooded organisms with infrared vision. Telepaths are their prey. Drods take their prey back to their lairs. And, as prey would suggest, eat them."
Why was cannibalism flashing in my mind like a neon sign? Because all these cyborgs looked as if they were from Earth or earthlings dressed in Halloween costumes. Not too far from home! And that female was once one of them. Way too disturbing.
My gut twisted with the connection.
But M'yote said he could put it to sleep. “Is he trying to hypnotize it?"
"No. Just give him the time he needs to lay a hand on it."
Touch it? Literally? Sounds more spiritual. Okay. Get on with it M'yote.
"They're watching,” Solvun added.
The King surveyed the crowd with his squared jaw.
I had a moment to take in the stubble on his face. Apparently, he didn't have a daily meeting with a razor. And then there was his topless appearance. The man was as ripped as a !Dakos warrior. Maybe that's how he survived lock
ed away here for centuries. Work out, eat, and survive. A synergism. And what would lifetimes on my world matter to him as time passed? He was immortal. Could he even be killed?
Solvun anchored a wicked grin on me.
My skin prickled.
Not in an all-out crawl. But the King definitely had something mischievous dancing in his head.
He nodded his flowing golden mane toward M'yote.
Why? M'yote extended one hand, glowing as bright as a white sun, toward the furry Drod who had turned to look at Solvun. The hand hit the creature's back. The creature flinched, tossing her face toward the greenish sky, and collapsed into a puddle on the ground at M'yote's feet.
"What did he do?” I demanded of Solvun.
"He's a Handler. He can turn any mass into what he wants. Even organic matter. He put her to sleep.” He shot me a wink. “My little brother dislikes harming the innocent."
Who does?
Not a sound could be heard above the hush of the strong breeze as if everyone was in awe of M'yote's power.
"That's his psychic power?” I asked.
"He's a telepath. He's just lucky he was the one born in a billion to harness the power of the elementals."
I must have looked as awestruck as M'yote did when I tumbled my way across the arena. But my acrobatics held nothing to his powers capable of moving mountains. Probably planets. And some healer back among the cadets was a Handler too? I'd probably never know given my current predicament.
M'yote strode to my side, never even letting on I'd noticed he'd done something extraordinary, and thrust the knife in his boot shaft.
What an amazing being.
The big asinine !Dakos warrior who had been brawling with Flonn immediately disarmed my blue friend.
M'yote flicked me a weak smile. “I think they'll allow me to live after that display of power."
Who'd want to risk M'yote fighting for the enemy? But my commander did. So, what did M'yote mean?
Flonn claimed a spot before me. “I'm sorry, hu'vria, but I must step down as your mate. I have been commanded to concede my claim.” His country-boy face didn't brighten and dimple.
I felt kind of bad for him. And me! Why? Probably because of his little introduction to !Dakos sex. Poor guy. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Hell, he had every intention of doing so too.
Feral Series IV: Feral Fallout Page 6
