by Abella Ward
Kara looked around, trying to determine which cell held Nariya when the whispers became deafening. Then the Druzhal emerged from the shadows.
Kara gasped, trying not to scream. Four tall, gray-skinned men with horned heads and beady yellow eyes crept toward them, battle axes in hand. Arazor held his sword in front of him, ready to strike, while Kara stayed close to him. She tightly gripped the dagger in her trembling hands. Then, without warning, the Druzhal attacked.
Arazor parried and struck back. His sword was lethal. It injured the first one while the other gained in on him. Kara managed to duck beneath their blows and run toward the nearest column. She hid behind it while Arazor continued parrying the attacks the horned creatures inflicted upon him. Time was running out.
Kara checked her comm-pad for the location of Nariya’s cell. It led her to one of the cells on her left. Using the device Arazor had given her, the age-old lock melted under the heat of its lasers. In less than a minute, the door swung open. Her mind racing, she took a torch hanging from the wall and glanced back. Arazor was fighting three of the Druzhal now, the fourth one dead at his feet. She quickly stepped into the dark walled cell and saw that it was empty except for a woman lying in the corner. She seemed unconscious.
Kara ran toward her and tried to shake her awake. “Nariya! Nariya! Wake up!” Nariya opened her eyes drowsily. She looked pale and had a glazed look in her eyes, as though she had been drugged. Kara helped her up into a sitting position. “Nariya, we need to get out of here–fast!” Kara could hear the metal clashing outside. Sheathing her dagger, she helped Nariya up to lean on her shoulders and carefully moved toward the door.
Arazor was locked in combat with two of the Druzhal. There were now two bodies lying dead at his feet. Arazor saw Kara and Nariya coming out of the cell. “Kara! Take her to the rover. If I don’t make it back to you in an hour, don’t wait for me. Take the ship and leave!”
Kara stared at him, her eyes wide. Dark blue blood dripped from his forehead down his face and gashes covered his chest and arms. His clothes were almost in tatters. She couldn’t leave him behind…
“Kara, go. Now!” Arazor shouted as he severed the head of one of the Druzhal who had spotted the two women.
Kara blinked several times before uprooting herself and making her way back through the dark passageway as fast as her feet could take her. With Nariya’s weight on her, she couldn’t run. In her free hand, she lit their path with her comm-pad.
He won’t be coming back. He’ll die in there. That’s why he told you to leave! Her stomach twisted terribly and wave after wave of nausea hit her. Reaching the door, she helped Nariya outside and into the sunlight and adjusted the breathing clip on Nariya’s nose. Kara was exhausted but didn’t waste a moment. She picked up pace, leading her friend through the Bazaar and through the opening in the wall toward the rover. She barely noticed the tears streaming down her face. Once inside the rover, she settled Nariya into her seat and waited. It had taken her an hour to reach the rover. She wished with all her heart that Arazor would turn up soon.
Kara glanced at Nariya, who had reentered deep sleep. Nervously wringing her hands, she counted the passing minutes. Then, burning pain seared her inner wrist. She grasped her wrist with her other hand. The runes etched in her skin had started to hurt terribly. Alone and helpless, she wondered what was wrong. Oh, Arazor... Where are you?
Chapter Six
It was the stench that woke him. The smell of damp, cold walls filled his nostrils. Pain seared the side of his head as he tried to open his eyes. An orb of sharp green light hovered above his head. Blinking, he tried to focus. Shooting pain seared his back and shoulders and dark blue blood dripped from his forehead, trickling down his face. His hair matted to his face. He tried moving his arms but discovered that he couldn’t, as both his hands and feet were shackled in chains that cascaded from the ceiling. For a moment, he wondered how he ended up there, and then it all came back to him in a flood. He was parrying the attack of the last Druzhal when more of them came at him from the shadows. Something hit him on the head and darkness took over.
Arazor could hear voices nearby. Voices of men. Gathering his thoughts, he looked around. Where is she? He could only hope she had reached the rover safely, securing herself and the other woman inside. How long he had been unconscious, he couldn’t tell. The throbbing pain in his head kept distracting him.
And then he saw him entering. The Klai leader.
“Well, well. Look who’s here,” Rezurn said, taking out a chair and sitting in front of Arazor. Arazor clenched his teeth, straining against his chains.
“What... do you want... Rezurn?” Arazor said in between labored breaths.
“Commander, you are being extremely obtuse, I must say,” Rezurn said dryly. “It is you who took something of mine, and now you and your people must pay the price.”
“Your people are already plundering my planet. We don’t have much left,” Arazor challenged him in a cold voice.
“Commander, you’ve made a mistake. Somebody has to pay.” Rezurn smirked at him. “My forces have gathered around Agrion. They await my orders. The Armada I have deployed outnumbers yours in every way, so there’s no chance that you can defeat us. But! If you return my bride to me, then we might be able to strike up a deal.”
Arazor’s mind raced. He knew Rezurn was lying. He had to bide his time while he thought of a way out.
“Rezurn, it’s time we stop playing games. We both know you used Nariya as bait. You are after the Argarian weapons. Now, what do you want from us?” Arazor asked him.
“Well... if you can give me access to the Sirrallion mines,” Rezurn returned smugly, “then we won’t attack.”
“If I do that, I would become a traitor in the King’s eyes, Rezurn,” Arazor said.
“It seems you don’t have much of a choice, Commander. Think about it.” Rezurn rose from his seat and left him.
“You won’t get away with this!” Arazor yelled as the door closed behind him, swallowing him in pitch black darkness.
***
Kara’s stomach knotted once more as she thought of Arazor. It had been more than three hours now that she had been waiting and she couldn’t take it anymore. The runes on her wrist were starting to burn so badly now that she grasped her wrist every now and then, panting. She needed to focus if she wanted everyone to survive this. Firing up the controls inside the rover, she sent a distress signal to Andromeda 13 but found the signal to be disrupted. Her mind racing, she suddenly remembered that this was a Vllar rover. She could send a message to the Agrion Galactic Elite force and ask for backup. She typed up a message using a translator and sent it across the galaxy. This was her only hope.
After a few more minutes of waiting, Kara’s conscience didn’t allow her to sit back any longer. Arazor needed her help. It would be selfish of her if she took off toward the ship without him, especially after he had saved her life. Grabbing a water bottle and the comm-pad, she checked in on Nariya one last time before venturing out again. She turned on the cloaking field around the rover and entered the city once more.
Adjusting the hood of her dress, her heart thrummed madly in her chest. She made her way through the city streets and up toward the prison. The sunlight seemed different at this hour, cooler than before. Arazor... His gray eyes and deep voice drifted uncontrollably into her head. The look of utter desolation in his eyes when she left him with the Druzhal brought tears to her eyes. Why do you care? You wanted him out of your life, remember?
Her stomach churned all the more as she felt a tug in her heart for this alien man she barely knew. She just couldn’t leave him behind. Things were different now. She wanted him back. Alive. Technically, he was her husband and she owed him that much for helping her, protecting her, and even saving her life. The bond that he told her of, the one symbolized by the runes searing her wrist, was stronger than any magic. Somehow, she understood that now.
Chapter Seven
Burning pain j
olted him awake. Arazor wasn’t sure how many hours had elapsed when he felt the runes on his wrist burn. No... No! Kara... His mind raced. Whenever one’s mate’s life was in danger, the runes started to burn uncontrollably, warning the other of an imminent threat. Pain gripped him like thrashing claws as one of the Druzhal dragged in a woman bound in chains, followed by Rezurn. It was Kara.
Arazor closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as he tried to calm his nerves. In the dim light, he couldn’t see her face, but he could make out her whimpering, and his chest constricted terribly. Woman, what are you doing here? He tried to suppress a surge of rage that was beginning to boil his blood. Stupid woman. What was she thinking?
“Commander... If I’m not mistaken, this woman is with you. My men captured her while she was sneaking around in one of the passageways,” Rezurn said with a smirk, eyeing Kara lasciviously.
“Leave her alone, Rezurn. It’s me you want,” Arazor said in a firm voice before turning to Kara. “Kara, I told you to stay back.”.
“I–I waited...,” she stammered. “But I–I couldn’t leave without you.”
“Rezurn... Let her go,” Arazor said in a low voice.
“Why are you even bothered, Commander? The Vllar despise humans, don’t they now? Humans are too weak and stupid for your kind,” Rezurn said with a sinister laugh. “Put her in chains,” he ordered the guard who held Kara. And it was then that Rezurn saw the band on Kara’s wrist. “Oh, I see now... She is your mate. How interesting.”
The runes on Arazor’s wrist burned once more. He had to think of a plan before Rezurn turned Kara into bait. “Rezurn, she is not part of our war. Leave her out of this.”
“Well, surely she can become part of it,” Rezurn said in a voice that chilled Kara to the bone. He stood close to Kara, who now stood shackled in chains opposite Arazor. He sniffed her neck lewdly and she turned away, tears streaming down her face.
“Mmm... You smell good. I could keep you for myself,” Rezurn said with a smirk. He ripped her dress off her shoulders, exposing her breasts. Kara screamed in spite of herself as she trembled with shame.
“But first, I need your mate to agree to some of my terms,” Rezurn said as he motioned for the guard to come forward.
Kara stared at Arazor and saw the anguish in his eyes as he fought against his restraints. Her heart thumped in her chest when she saw the deep gashes inflicted on Arazor. The Klai leader had been torturing him, and now he would torture her too.
The Druzhal flicked his whip and Kara winced at the sound.
“Stop it, Rezurn!” Arazor said through clenched teeth. He could see what Rezurn was trying to do to him.
Kara’s agonizing scream pierced the walls of the dungeons as the first gash appeared on her smooth back. Red blood marked her ivory skin. “Pl... please stop!” she cried out in pain.
Arazor thought his head might explode. How helpless he felt–how weak. More whip lashes, the sound of each blow making him wince. Her screams ripped through the walls and tore at his heart.
“That’s enough!” Arazor roared at Rezurn, his gray eyes bloodshot. “Stop this right now. I will think of a way to get you to the mines. Just stop hurting her!”
Kara was crushed by the resignation in his voice. “Arazor, no! You... mustn’t!” she called to him as intense pain stabbed her back and she gathered all her strength to stay alert.
Rezurn gestured at his guard to stop. Arazor had his attention. “Smart man. Now we are talking.”
“I... I will give you access to the mines... Please let her go. She doesn’t deserve this,” Arazor said to Rezurn.
Oh, Arazor... Kara thought miserably, her head spinning, barely staying in the present. He was saving her yet again. Just then, the ground shook beneath her feet. She heard an explosion in the distance. A cloud of dust gathered around them and debris flew as the walls caved in. The last thing she remembered was Arazor’s face. His eyes... His lips... He was saying something she couldn’t hear as her vision blurred and she fell into the dark abyss of her unconsciousness.
Chapter Eight
The crew of the Vllar Starship 7071 unshackled the Commander of the Elite Force. He was dazed, but still conscious.
“Commander, we will take you aboard our ship right away. Please do as I say,” the captain of the ship requested as he cut off the restraints and put a breathing mask on Arazor.
It was a few moments before Arazor could speak clearly. “Listen, there are two women here who need prompt medical attention. One is human and the other is an Argarian. Send the human back to Andromeda 13. And transport the other to her home on Terrgius,” he said.
“As you wish. We already have the human, and will take care of the Argarian. But sir, what about you?” the captain asked.
“I’ll be fine. Go! That’s an order,” Arazor said.
“Yes, sir,” the captain said and followed his men, who were already carrying Kara out.
Arazor glanced around. Smoke seemed to settle over the debris and rubble. A few Druzhal bodies lay on the floor, but there was no sign of Rezurn. Arazor made his way out of the prison, determined to find him. He would not let him escape.
***
She was floating, floating... In space, among the stars, it was so quiet and peaceful. And there he was, Arazor: her husband. He was saying something to her, but he was so far away. He was drifting away from her. She tried to reach him, but she couldn’t. He kept drifting away. Faster now, as if some force pulled him away from her, toward some black void. Then, he was gone, as the force of the black hole sucked him in.
She heard herself cry. No, she was screaming when she opened her eyes to a blur of garish lights. Where was she? Was she back at the Station? She could see masked men and women hovering over her. They were all a blur. Among the haziness, there was one thing that kept nagging at her... Where was Arazor? Then, too exhausted to think anymore, she drifted back into slumber.
***
It wasn’t long before Arazor found and followed Rezurn’s path out of the city to where his ship was stationed. Making sure to remain unseen, Arazor climbed inside and hid himself. He had made it just in time: Rezurn was already revving up the engines. Before long, the craft hovered up toward the atmosphere.
Rezurn had buckled himself in the pilot seat and was navigating toward outer space when he felt the lethal dagger at his throat. “You thought you could get away with this?” Arazor said through clenched teeth, breathing heavily. “I am not going to let you destroy my planet, Rezurn!”
“And you think killing me will stop this war?” Rezurn said sinisterly. “My men have already infiltrated Agrion and there’s no stopping them.”
“Our defenses are strong enough. You need to stop this!” Arazor said. But before he could say anything further, Rezurn pressed a button on the panel and the craft went into turbulence. Arazor was thrown off balance and the dagger slid from his hand. Quick as lightning, Rezurn leaped out of his seat with a gun in his hand.
“Self-destruction initiated... 10... 9... 8…” The computer’s sterile voice echoed from the console and filled the cabin. Arazor held on to the metal lock of the hatch door, trying to regain his balance. Rezurn shot at him but missed in the turbulence. The laser beam scraped his arm, tearing his jacket. Dark blue blood oozed out. Ignoring it, Arazor gathered up all of his strength to prepare himself for the next attack when the craft plummeted again. Rezurn was thrown backwards, hit his head on the ceiling and fell unconscious. Losing no time, Arazor opened the hatch door and sealed it behind him as he entered the escape pod and sealed himself inside. The pod dropped away from the ship just in time. Rezurn’s ship exploded in space, its hull disintegrating and the debris falling into the planet’s atmosphere.
***
When Kara woke up next, she gazed at the gray walls and dim lights of the room. Her head felt heavy and her mouth dry. She reached for the glass of water that was readily placed near her bed and gulped down half of it.
She blinked and glanced around. The ro
om looked familiar. She caught sight of the band on her arm that said her name and number and immediately knew where she was. She was in the sick bay at Andromeda 13. Unaware of what day it was and how long she had been in hypersleep, she tried to recall the last thing that had happened. Arazor! Nariya! What had become of them? Panic rose within her.
“Computer, call the nurse, please,” she said in a voice that sounded weak and unfamiliar.
“She will attend to you soon, ma’am,” came the reply.
Kara then lay back against the pillows and gazed at the gold bracelet on her wrist. The runes etched on her skin weren’t burning anymore.
The nurse came in a few minutes later, holding a tab in her hand. “Ms. Frost, how are you feeling?” she said.
“Fine... How long have I been here?” Kara asked anxiously.
“You were brought in about a week ago,” she said. “You have suffered a slight head trauma so you might feel a bit dizzy and have headaches for a while. Fortunately, the wounds on your back have started to heal.”
“Who brought me here?” Kara asked, speaking fast now.
“You were brought in by the Vllar crew. The captain of the ship himself made sure you were transported here safely.”
“Was there someone else? Another woman maybe? Is she okay?” Kara asked, her eyes wide with apprehension.
“Ma’am, you need to calm down. Yes, you were brought in with another woman. All I know is that she was an Argarian and she was sent home two days ago. It’s time for your medication,” the nurse added and took out a box.
“I’m sorry, but one last thing... Have you heard from Commander Arazor? The Vllar Commander?” Kara asked cautiously.
The nurse shook her head. “No, Ma’am.”
Kara’s stomach knotted as the nurse pressed a cold metallic device into her arm and administered the drug. “When can I leave here?”
