by Zara Zenia
"It really means that much to you, doesn't it?"
"It does," I said.
"Fine," he said although I could tell it was hurting him. "I'll see the arena managers tomorrow and see what I can do. I'll try my best."
"But you're fighting Furi tomorrow!" Davoth cried.
"I know," Gar'zul sighed. "Let's just hope tomorrow's my lucky day."
Chapter 19
Gar’zul
"Don't you have a fight in forty-five minutes?"
The arena officials were lined up along the table with their wary and suspicious eyes on me.
"Yes, but I need to talk to you first."
"Well, you better be quick if you want to prepare yourself for Furi. He's a dangerous man and not just in the arena. He's a masterful cheat. He'll have you on your knees if you're not careful. You're a strange man," said the oldest, a painfully thin Zolark with a bristly mustache and yellowed talons. "But I like that about you. Still, you've been making waves amongst the administration and all over a human male. Tell me that's not why you're here today."
"Actually, it is."
There was a flurry of comments from the managers as they all mumbled beneath their breath in unison.
"Why would you care so much about his Marco?" the Zolark asked?
"Because my wife does," I answered.
He held my gaze for a second before tenting his fingers.
"What exactly do you want us to do?"
"Set him free."
"Impossible."
Suddenly, I felt small in their powerful presence.
"How about if I buy his freedom?" I suggested.
"Absolutely not! After that ludicrous escape attempt, he made a mockery of this establishment. He needs to be punished and he will be!"
"So there's nothing I can do?"
"Come back to us if you become champion. Maybe then we'll be able to arrange something."
The dressing room was hot and the sound of the crowd above was filtering down through the pipes. I had thrown everyone out at the last minute so I could collect my thoughts. Now sitting beneath the small window with the breeze blowing through my hair, I could start to focus on the task at hand.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. For all I knew, it could have been one of my last. I could die up there and never see Carina again. I could only have a few minutes to live and there was so much more I wanted to do. There were a million things I wanted to experience, a thousand places I wanted to take Carina, an infinite amount of times I wanted to hold her. I had to win this fight. There was no other option.
As I focused on my breath, I became aware of a strange, tickling sensation at the back of my neck. It was impossible to ignore, so deeply irritating but I had no other choice but to open my eyes and see what was causing it. Then I heard the buzzing sound. There was a fly circling my head. It must have come out of the air vent beside me. I felt it drift through the hair at the back of my head before it flew over me. It grazed the side of my left hand as it passed then flew out the window.
"Weird. Don't normally get flies this time of year."
Then I felt the stinging in my hand. Looking at the air vent, I realized where it led to.
"Furi's dressing room," I whispered.
He had drugged me with the fly.
"He's a masterful cheat."
The Zolork's words ran through my head again.
"Bastard!"
I leaped up and grabbed my sword. I was rabid with rage and ready to fight. Hopefully, the fly had only been able to affect my hand and nothing more.
As I stepped out into the arena there was a collective gasp. Then they all began to cheer. I tried to immerse myself in the feeling of being loved, but as I walked into the middle of the ring, I was aware that they weren't calling my name. They were all calling for Furi, while only a few of my friends cheered me on from the sidelines.
"So this is it," I said to myself beneath the sound of the clamoring.
Then the cheering intensified and reached ear blistering levels. Furi was coming, and he had the wickedest smile on his face.
There was to be no announcer tonight. He had refused to come between us and even the judges were keeping their distance, insisting on sitting three rows back so they didn't get splashed with blood.
"I hope you're ready to die," Furi growled as he stormed at me.
There were to be no formalities at this fight. He wanted me dead right now. Yet, as he got close enough to see my eyes, I saw the shock on his face.
"The fly," I said. "It didn't get me."
There was a flicker of rage across his face. Then he lunged at me, his ax swinging from side to side as he came at me with a vengeance. I tried to swing my sword but noticed the fingers on my left hand failed to work. But I had little time to dwell on them. The ax was perilously close to my head. He swung again and the cold steel brushed against my cheek, tearing into the scarred flesh. The crowd roared as they saw my blood fall to the ground.
"You'll never be the champion," he seethed.
Over his shoulder, I noticed someone screaming.
"Gar'zul!"
It was Carina. Just seeing her lifted my spirits and gave me a reason to not give up. I needed to see her again! Inspired by my rage for Furi, I pushed my sword forward with my numb hand and hoped that it would reach his body with sheer willpower alone. The tip jabbed him in the gut, puncturing his stomach. Blood spilled out and he clutched himself before looking up at me.
"I hope you don't love your wife too much," he sneered. "Because I'm going to send you back to your first one."
He swung his ax up and flung it down. Diving out its way, I felt the icy edge of the blade as it cut into my ear. The blood cascaded down my face and I saw it, my right ear that was lying in the dust. Furi looked at it with great pride swelling up his chest before he reached down and picked it up. He plopped it in his mouth and grinned as he ate it. The crowd screamed and jeered, loving every second of the brutality.
While my ear was still in his mouth, I threw my weapons to the ground.
"What are you doing?" I heard Davoth scream from the crowd.
But I wanted to feel the life run out of him with my bare hands. I charged at him. He swung his ax again but I fell to the ground and hurled myself at his legs. We both fell into the dirt, his ax sliding along the ground out of reach.
"I'm disappointed in you, Furi. I thought you were a real fighter but you have to resort to dirty, underhanded tactics."
I punched him once in the face and felt his nose snap beneath my knuckles.
"You're a cheat. You never were a champion. You never truly won any of your fights. Look at you, you're pathetic!"
In a moment of blinding rage, I bit into to his face and tore a chunk from his cheek. He roared and punched me in the side of the head, but I was too angry to feel it. Pushing my thumbs into his eyes, I dug as hard as I could and felt them squelch out from their sockets. He writhed in pain.
"Stop!" he begged. "Please!"
With a tight grip on his skull, I battered it into the ground, his blood splashing up in waves across my face. It was then that I could hear the sound of his head being crushed and I realized the crowd had gone silent. Their champion was dead.
I threw his head back one last time before tearing it from his neck. Then stood up and beat my chest.
"Look at your champion now!"
I held the head up so they could all see.
“Behold!”
The silence lingered for another second before the yelling returned.
“Gar’zul! Gar’zul! Gar’zul!”
It was my name they were shouting and Carina’s voice was the loudest. I reached out a hand in her direction and looked up at the stunned crowd.
“Champion!” I bellowed. “Champion!”
“Champion!” they all responded. “Gar’zul’s the new champion!”
Epilogue
Carina
"Are you sure you don't want to go back downstairs to the party?" I as
ked as I rolled over and squeezed him.
In the kitchen, we could hear the sound of Davoth and Arlodd play fighting. Somewhere beneath us a glass smashed and everyone cheered.
"I'll go back down in a minute. I just want to lie with you a little longer."
He held me tight and kissed me softly.
"I can still smell the death on you," I said.
"So you like it now?" he laughed.
"I didn't say that. I will say that I'm relieved, though. You're alive and we can live our lives now."
"Sounds perfect."
He slid a hand over my waist and pulled me closer.
"I think we should celebrate, just the two of us."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah, we should take some time out and travel. See all that this world has to offer and maybe check out some others."
"I'd like that."
I bopped him on the nose and he wrinkled up his face. Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at himself in the mirror. He held the space where his ear used to be.
"Don't worry. It'll grow back eventually."
He glared at me in the mirror.
"Very funny."
He rolled his eyes.
"I guess I better go back downstairs."
"They'll be wondering where their champion went."
He smiled and pulled me in for one last hug.
"I can't thank you enough for being here."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
And I truly meant it. I squeezed his hand and gave him a weak smile.
"Off you go. I'll start planning for our holiday."
"You do that."
He stepped out onto the landing and I grabbed his arm.
"Wait. You know what I want to ask you, don't you?"
"Marco," he exhaled.
"Marco..."
"He's not going to die."
"He's not?"
"With my champion status, I was able to pull some strings. He'll be shipped out of here next week."
"Where's he going?"
"Somewhere really beautiful. I made sure he had enough money to last a couple lifetimes but he had to get the fuck away from this planet."
"Oh... As long as he's safe."
"He'll be more than safe. He'll be living a life of luxury and he'll be far away from you. What more could I ask for?"
"Your ear back, I suppose."
We both laughed and he reached down to kiss me.
"You start packing," he said. "Let's have the best time of our lives."
"I already am," I smiled.
"See you soon. Will you wait up for me?"
"Of course."
I watched him trundle down the stairs with a big smile on his scarred-up face. It was strange that the more barbaric and freakish he looked, the cuter I thought he was.
"Don't ever change," I said but he didn't hear me.
He was now at the foot of the stairs getting his back slapped by all his friends.
I thought about Marco and where he was going. The poor boy… I could only hope that he'd find someone for himself one day. Then I thought about my own family and wondered if they could see me from wherever they were. Leaning over the banister, I watched the party downstairs. Gar'zul looked like a king, my king.
"Champion," I whispered.
Then I headed back into the bedroom.
About Zara Zenia
Zara Zenia writes steamy, sexy, and suspenseful sci-fi romances! You will find her writing alien romances from intergalactic planets, bionic romances, superheroes and time travel romances too.
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Also by Zara Zenia
Warriors of Orba Series:
Benzen: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 1)
Jarick: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 2)
Voland: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 3)
Draygus: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 4)
Ethazol: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 5) - Coming Soon
Celestial Mates:
Alien Gladiator’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
The Blue Alien’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
Standalones:
The Alien Mate's Abduction: A Sci-Fi Alien Abduction Romance
Bionic Outlaw’s Baby: A Secret Baby Sci-Fi Romance
The Blue Alien’s Mate Preview
Preview:
The Blue Alien’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
Chapter 1-Urie
“Ok troops, we’re cleared for landing.”
“Roger that,” a crackled voice came through my earpiece. “Brace yourself. It's going to be a bumpy landing.”
Traversing through a planet’s atmosphere is always a tumultuous experience. Often there are vast temperature fluctuations that can create chills across your skin. They are so frigid it can feel as though your limbs could snap with the cold. Other times, the descent to a planet can be raging hot with temperatures so high blisters would form across our bodies if it weren’t for our protective suits.
This landing was not to be any easier. One thing you have to get used to is the speed in which you plummet to the ground. It sends shock waves through your body as the velocity batters off your organs. You have no choice but to grit your teeth and grip your fingers into the armrest to steady your body as it tumbles through the air at the speed of light.
I looked across the craft to the ship’s pilot. As per usual, he was taking it in stride, his face steady and stoic with a grim determination pursing his lips together. He focused on the screen in front of him, ready to maneuver the ship at the precise moment. His eyes were steely and gray with concentration. He turned his head at the last minute and touched his fingers to his temples.
“Ready captain,” his voice came through my earpiece once again.
Up here, in the ship amongst the stars, you can be within an arm’s reach of one another but still not hear a word. Outer space speaks its own deafening language of crashing space debris and chaos. To remove one’s earpiece is to hear nothing but static and jarring metallic chattering. Up here, without our earpieces, we would go crazy.
“I hear ya,” I saluted the pilot. “When you’re ready.”
He nodded at me then returned his eyes to the screen.
“3.”
He pulled the lever beside him.
“2.”
He spun the wheel.
“1!”
His voice bellowed as he swung the ship into a steep decline. It roared downward, the air gushing past the windows with such ferocity, I wondered if the glass would break. But it never, ever broke. I’d traveled to other planets a thousand times with this pilot and never, had a single thing gone wrong. He was the best and that was why he was my pilot.
Wild turbulence shook the ship from side to side as we plunged our way down further and further into the atmosphere. Then, out of the stardust and clouds came the ground. It loomed up at us, red and barren. I could see the force of our approaching ship kick up the arid sand into a dusty tempest as we landed. Then the loud crash came, cacophonous like thunder and at last, everything was still.
The sand drifted across the windshield as I got my bearings. My heart thudded hard in my chest and I held a hand to my stomach, took a deep breath, then unlocked the belt that had been holding me into my seat.
I watched as the dust settled and fell around the ship. It was night time but the stars were bright and they illuminated each particle with a glittering radiance. Through the gritty mist, figures began to form on the horizon. They appeared to be growing, coming closer with every passing second. Then they were upon us, my troops, coming to retrieve their le
ader.
The side door was flung open and the smell of a new land permeated the cabin. The troops were eager to show me their alliance, saluting me the moment they saw my face.
“Our leader,” the biggest one said. “We don’t have much time. We need to transport you to the battlefield immediately.”
“Yes,” I stepped out of my chair and looked out the open door. “We must hurry.”
As I placed an intrepid foot down on the alien soil, I felt the excitement of a new world with all its new smells and textures. But it was not to be my new home, nor was it to be a place I would have the chance to explore. Rather, I was here to save it from invading forces.
The X’Sorians… The bastards. They are a fascist race, one hell bent on conquering what is not theirs. They arrived on this planet with the intention of invading it, of taking it away from our system but that was not to happen. I had arrived to fight back and with my reinforcements by my side, we would soon defeat them. As I was taken from the ship to the battlefield, my Shocktrooper Elite Force surrounding me, I had fire in my heart, a burning desire to crush the X’Sorians.
“Tell me,” I pointed into the distance as I addressed the nearest lieutenant. “How many are there?”
His expression was grim but honest.
“There are thousands,” he bowed his head. “Too many to count.”
His words sent a shiver down into my gut.
“Ok,” I held a clenched fist to my chest. “It does not matter how many there are, what matters is the quality of the warrior. We are the finest, we are the best. Isn’t that so?” I bellowed.
“Yes!” they roared back.
“We are the best because you are our leader,” said the lieutenant.
“Thank you,” I touched a hand to his shoulder. “Your loyalty will never be forgotten.”
In a convoy, we drove fast across the desert with the sound of missiles and explosions becoming louder as we traversed the arid landscape. The battlefield soon came into view with the bright lights of the bombs blinding me. I held my arm over my face to shield my vision.
