by Zara Zenia
"Come on," Arlodd jerked me back. "Let's get you outta here. You need a break."
"I'm fine," I tried to shake him off.
"I said you need a break."
I looked into his eyes and saw it was non-negotiable.
"Whatever. Let's go."
Walking away from Furi, his laughter echoed behind me.
"That jerk thinks he's won already, thinks he's a real tough guy because he can throw insults like a child."
"Just ignore him."
"I can't. You never told me about Carina!”
“It wasn't my place."
Reaching the exit, I leaned against the heavy door to push it open, the laughter still echoing around the arena.
"One day I'm going to rip the voice box from that asshole," I said.
"Come on. Don’t think about him. Let's get some lunch, a few drinks and relax for a while."
"Sure."
With one step outside with arena, I heard Furi's voice again.
"Coward!" he shouted, the word bouncing off each wall. "A real man would have stayed and fought me but where are you going? Running away again, just like you ran away from your family!"
I turned on my heel.
"No, Gar'zul! Don't go back. It's what he wants!" Arlodd grabbed my collar but I continued walking, the fabric ripping as it was torn from his fingers.
"I'll kill you!" I bellowed as I began to run.
Suddenly there were people between us, other fighters dashing to get in between me and Furi.
"I'll kill you!"
There were arms holding me back, the sensation of someone pushing hard against my chest. Looking over their shoulders, I could make out Furi's arrogant grin.
"That settles it," he said. "You and me in the arena. Duel to the death!"
"Duel to the death!"
"And only then will I prove how much of a coward you really are."
Chapter 14
Carina
"You look happy today," Gar'zul said as he arrived home.
He dumped his things at the front door and I was surprised to see that he had slipped off his dirty shoes before walking across the hall.
"Don't I look happy every day?" I asked.
He looked down at me and parted his lips to speak but changed his mind and walked away.
"Hey, are you not going to give me a kiss?" I asked as I followed him up the stairs.
"I'm going for a shower," he said without looking back.
"Oh..."
Staying close behind, I crept up on him in the bathroom and slid my hands around his waist.
"Hey, what's the matter?" I whispered in his ear. "You want to tell me all about it?"
"I never said anything was wrong?" he pushed my arms away.
"You didn't need to. You thundered in here like you were going to your own funeral. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, woman. Can't you see I'm exhausted?" he moaned as he began to rip off his clothes.
He was still sweaty, his skin glistening vivid blue.
"Sorry," I backed away. "Have I done anything wrong?"
He stopped in his tracks, his half unzipped clothing still hanging from his muscles.
"I don't know, have you?"
It was the strangest question.
"What's going on here, Gar?"
He flung the last of his clothes off and stood naked, his length soft but still enormous between his legs.
"I'm sorry," he said as he stepped into the bath. "I've just had a hard day."
Kneeling down beside him, I dipped my hands into the water to feel his body.
"Is there anything I can do to make it better?"
I reached a hand around the inside of his thigh and he tensed.
"You could make one of those amazing dinners of yours," he said.
"That, I can certainly do," I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't be too long."
Making my way back down to the kitchen, I wondered what was wrong with him. He was unusually worried and I could tell he was hiding something from me.
As I engrossed myself in making dinner, I thought about how much everything had changed in such a short space of time. A few months ago I would have had to live on measly scraps of bread and spent most of the day staggering down the ramp with those heavy barrels on my back. I would have been starving and desperately dehydrated. Despite the fact that I was surrounded by water, I was seldom allowed to drink it and often went to bed with a skull splitting headache and a tongue that felt like sandpaper.
Moving here, as crazy as it seemed, was the best idea. Gar'zul gave me everything I needed and I never went hungry. The house was beautiful, I was spoiled, and most importantly, I felt as though I was deeply cared for. Gar'zul, with all his flaws, could be deeply sweet and sensitive. He also fucked me like a jackhammer and that was something I would never tire of.
"Smells great!"
"Oh... it's just a little something I rustled up," I lied.
Gar'zul was freshly dressed in crisp new clothes with a smile on his face. Taking a seat at the table, I placed his dinner in front of him and he smacked his lips.
"You must have been making this for ages!"
"Maybe," I winked. "Tuck in."
He dug his fork into the meat and I waited for the heavy slurping and sauce splattering to commence, but it never came. From what I could see, he was trying to be polite. Watching him nibble delicately around the food on his fork, I wondered if this was the Gar'zul that his first wife saw. This was not the drug taking, blood luster that I had gotten used to.
"Do you like it?" I asked.
"It's awesome," he said with a full mouth. "The best."
I felt a little swell of pride in my chest.
"You've become quite the chef here. Did you ever get to cook on Earth?"
"No, never."
"That's a shame. Well, at least that's one thing that's better here, right?"
"Absolutely."
He chewed while looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"You ever miss Earth?"
"No," I said with a great sense of finality. "I'd never go back. Well, it's too late to go back to the mines anyway."
"So getting sent away as a mail order bride is everything you ever wished for?" he asked with a cheeky look in his eye.
"Not quite," I laughed. "I was expecting a change of culture. I wanted to experience new things, new people, see the sights of another planet and learn everything about a new world. Instead, I get to watch monstrous men fight each other in the arena and I had an assassination attempt on my life. Not exactly what I had planned."
He gave me a wry smile and placed his fork down.
"It won't happen again," he said as he took my hands in his. "I can promise you that."
"I just have the overwhelming feeling that I got more than I bargained for. Seeing you fight all the time, it drives me crazy! And then I have to worry about Marco being killed too it's-"
"Marco," he interrupted me. "Why did you have to talk about him?"
"I'm sorry! It's just that he's my oldest friend and he's my only connection back to Earth and-."
"I thought you didn't miss Earth..."
His eyes were staring through me, angry yet inquisitive. For a second I was afraid of him, but at the same time, I was aware of how gorgeous he looked with his brow furrowed and his steely eyes boring into mine. His hands were still around mine, holding me so tight that I could feel the pulse throbbing in his fingers.
"I didn't mean to upset you," I said.
He didn't say a word, just continued to stare into my eyes as though he was trying to decipher my thoughts. His hands grew tighter. I watched as they began to creep up around my wrist. His arms were tensing, his great muscles rippling beneath his shirt. I could feel his rough, animalistic hairs graze my skin.
"Upstairs," he said.
"Of course," I answered and jumped up to lead the way.
"Hi, Carina!"
I was tidying up the garden when I heard the familiar voice
from behind. Turning around, I saw our next door neighbor Suki over the wall with a steaming mug in her hand.
"Hello!"
"You're looking so well, Carina. You must be in love," she joked.
"I guess I must be."
"You have time for a drink? Renna and Tandra are inside."
"Sure! I'll be right in."
A moment later, the four of us were sat around the kitchen table with drinks in our hands. I was still getting used to all the strange food on the planet but even on Earth, I hadn't been accustomed to anything exotic. Staring down at my mug of hot, turquoise liquid, I sniffed and wrinkled up my nose.
"Are you ok, Carina?" Suki laughed. "You look as though you're about to throw up."
"Sorry, it's just that..." I tried to think of a tactful way to explain how I felt. "I'm not used to this stuff."
I pointed at the mug.
"I understand," she said. "It all must be so weird for you here. Have you never tried Klaklash before?"
"Erm, no."
"It's a leaf. I read somewhere on Earth that you have a similar thing called tea."
"Oh, yeah! I've had that before."
I took a sip of my drink and thought it tasted ferocious.
"It's lovely," I said while trying to suppress it coming back up my throat.
"So...How are you and Gar'zul?" Renna leaned forward and put her hand on mine.
I'd met her a few times before and each time she'd had a smile spread across her face that was so fake it looked as though it had been stapled into place.
"We're doing fine," I said.
"Just fine?" Tandra asked.
"Actually we're doing great."
"You must be so happy," Suki smiled. "You get to go to bed with a big, strong gladiator every night!"
The other two laughed and fanned their overheated faces.
"Tell us everything!" Tandra said with wide, crazy eyes. "Are the rumors true?"
"Are all gladiators wild lovers?"
"Do they really all have penises that reach their knees?"
"Whoa..." I said.
Raising my hands in the air and scraping my chair back, I looked at the three women with their purple skin and green hair. None of them had noses, the vacant space in the center of their face being an area I could barely pull my eyes away from. Their hair was large and wiry and glowed a different color depending on the light. To an outsider like me, it was though I was being accosted by a group of blueberries with fiber optic hair.
"We're getting a bit personal here, aren't we?" I said.
"Sorry," Suki feigned consideration. "It's just not every day that we get to have a gladiator's bride as a guest."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm still so new here. It's difficult to fit in."
Renna held my hand, her smile still wide and stiff.
"Don't worry about a thing. Soon enough you'll forget you were ever on Earth."
"Yeah, as soon as the wedding is over you'll be just like the rest of us."
"When is the wedding?" Suki asked.
"Soon, really soon. I'm getting nervous just thinking about it."
"Aaaaw..." they all swooned in unison.
"You must be so happy."
"I am. I really am."
"How many people are invited?" asked Tandra as she drained her glass.
"Oh, it's just going to be the two of us. Gar'zul wanted it to be a private occasion."
"What?" Renna screamed and slammed her cup down. "No! You're going to be a gladiator's bride! Everyone must know about it. It's a huuuuge deal!"
"It is, Carina. It's a massive deal!" Suki said as she spread her arms wide open.
"And a girl like you deserves the biggest party."
"I do?"
"Absolutely," Renna pointed at me. "You go home and you tell that man of yours that you want the biggest wedding in all the land and you won't settle for anything else."
"I will?"
"I insist," Suki nodded and the others copied.
"Okay, but I really don't think Gar'zul will want it to be a big deal."
"Oh, please," Renna waved a hand in front of my face. "It's your big day. You get whatever you want."
"I'll try." I relented. "But I can't promise you anything."
The conversation soon turned to Suki's wedding and how gorgeous her dress was. I let the girls shriek and scream as they remembered the day. Meanwhile, I let my mind drift in and out of the conversation. A fairytale wedding, I thought. Did I really deserve one?
He found me sitting at the kitchen table rubbing my head.
"What's up with you?" he asked.
"Ah, nothing. I was next door at Suki's."
"Better you than me," he said as he started rifling through the cupboards looking for food. "That woman is way too loud."
"She's lovely. She really is but I can only take her in small doses."
We both laughed.
"Were the others there?"
"Tandra and Renna? Yeah, they insisted I ask you for a huge wedding with a massive party."
"Did they now?"
He picked up a packet of something I didn't recognize and began shoveling handfuls into his mouth as he rested against the counter. It was moments like this that I always thought he looked the most attractive; the times when he didn't seem to care what he looked like but seemed so relaxed and confident.
"How was training?" I asked.
"The usual," he shrugged. "I'm famished, though. What's for dinner?"
"I thought we could go out."
"Oh, really? So you want a huge party and you want me to take you out. That's interesting."
He smiled and I couldn't help but think the dimples inside his enormous cheeks were adorable.
"We'll go out," he said. "I'll take you to the fanciest place in town. How about that?"
"Sounds great," I said. "I'll go get ready."
But there was something else on my mind and I remained rooted to the spot.
"You don't look like you're getting ready," he said. "Not unless you're moving at the speed of a glacier."
"I have something else to ask you."
Picking a cloth off the table, I started to fidget with it between my fingers, pulling it apart string by string as I tried to figure out the right thing to say.
"Marco..." I said.
His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arm.
"What about him?"
"Erm... I was wondering if..."
He cocked his head back, a look on him that I thought to be irresistible as he showed off that strong, square jaw of his.
"If what?" he asked.
"If... he could come to our wedding."
For an agonizing second he just glared at me, and when I thought he was finished, he glared some more. Eventually, he let out a long breath and uncrossed his arms.
"You can't be serious," he said.
"I...erm..."
"Marco, at our wedding. Having you gone insane?"
He moved over to the stairs and began to climb them, muttering unmentionable things under his breath as he walked.
"I know, it's kinda weird but please, he's the last tie I have to Earth. Having him there is the next best thing to having my own family there. My own parents can't attend, but he can!"
He stopped walking and lingered halfway up the stairs.
"Is that really why you want him there?" he asked.
"Yes. Would you mind?"
He didn't reply.
"You could arrange for him to be let out of the arena for the day, couldn't you?"
He didn't reply to that either.
"Please... It would mean so much to me."
"Hmmm..."
"Does that mean yes?"
"It means I'll think about it," and he disappeared into the bedroom.
Chapter 15
Gar’zul
The tavern was busy with the sound of raucous laughter penetrating my ears. I should have picked somewhere quieter but we'd been coming here since as long as I remembered. In the co
rner of the room, a band was playing jaunty tunes on their Waterphones and Blasterbeams. They danced as they played and grinned like lunatics, the marrow dust obviously riddling their brains with midnight enthusiasm.
Nearby, groups of people were dancing and mingling. Some were passionately kissing as they ground their hips together. Others were merely nodding their heads vigorously as they sipped their drinks.
Squashed into the corner booth, Davoth and Arlodd were sitting on either side of me while a few other guys from the arena were beside us. Davoth followed my gaze over to the horde of dancing revelers.
"I bet you'll miss that now that you're going to be a married man."
"Not really," I said and took a gulp of ale.
"Are you sure?" Arlodd asked as he nodded his head over to a group of young Glarph girls with their hips swaying and their hair whooshing from side to side.
"I'm sure. I'm done with that."
I slammed my cup down.
"And actually, guys, that's why I wanted to meet you all here today."
"Is this your last night of freedom?" asked Artis from the bottom of the table.
His large green hand was cradling his cup of ale, a large battle scar snaking down his arm. His tail wrapped itself around his body as he spoke, moving of its own accord as though he had no control of it.
"Last night of freedom?" I asked. "I'm always free. Always have been, always will be."
Everyone laughed, with Arlodd cackling so hard he began to snort.
"What's so funny?" I huffed.
"Freedom..." Artis flung his back and snickered. "Come back to me in six months and tell me what you know about freedom. When I married my Vidy she was all fun and sexy times but now..."
He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
"Now all she does is nag at me for everything, literally everything, Gar'zul. Get ready for it. It's coming; the endless moaning and complaining."
"Urgh, shut up Artis. I know how to control my woman. I've trained her well."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Well, don't waste any time passing on your secrets."
"You're a lucky thing, you are," said Arlodd as he butted in the conversation. "When I married Restina I thought the rest of my life would be a great, long golden honeymoon. Except all she had planned was a lifetime living in that big baggy robe of hers and eating Glotters in bed."
