by Abella Ward
"There's an anchor here," she grunted, hitting again. "If I can break it—"
A voice spoke from behind him. "You can't."
Taliga whirled. Kulog emerged from the grass, grinning widely. His toe claws were massive, a wild gleam in his eyes, skin a darker shade of red than normal. Getting shot in the chest must have increased his testosterone production, sending him into full musth.
"Vanessa, run."
"Oh, she's not going anywhere. Are you?"
Horror filled Taliga as he turned. Vanessa was frozen, the branch hanging limply in her hand as she stared at Kulog. Her pupils were dilated, a dark flush rising up her neck, making her golden tones look more brass. The points of her nipples pressed hard against the thin fabric of her dress. Her chest heaved. Already she was being affected by the pheromones that Kulog was secreting.
Taliga slammed a fist against the energy barrier, thrown back for his efforts. "Leave her alone, Kulog."
"I'm not going to leave a woman unfulfilled when she has such obvious desire for me." The T'shav began circling the barrier, the grin never leaving his face.
"No," Vanessa blurted. She shook her head and retreated. "No, I don't want you."
"You'll change your mind soon enough. I need help through my musth. You won't let a man suffer, will you?"
Taliga charged the barrier again. "No! Don't you dare touch her! You want out of your musth, fight me! That'll do the trick, Kulog. Fight me, you coward! Unless you're afraid I'll kill you."
Kulog growled. He spun on his heel and reached for his sword but paused. He shook his head. "No. In my state of mind, I'd probably kill you. But the Wytsians want you now, too. Something about you helping the false human earning you punishment. They're paying me to deliver you to them so they can kill you, too. At least, I hope they're going to kill you. But the money they'll give me will more than make up for wasting my time on you for all these years."
He stepped towards Vanessa again. Her breath caught and she started to lean forward before she shook her head again and retreated.
"Don't touch me!"
"You want me to. Don't deny it. Tell you what, human, if you behave yourself and stop fighting how much you want me, I'll tell the Wytsians that he killed you. You can stay with me forever, alive and at my pleasure. Believe me, I will make it worth it."
Taliga roared, drawing his black blade. He pounded on the barrier, charging against it with his full strength as it threw him back. Kulog ignored him at this time, continuing to approach Vanessa. Desire and fear warred in her eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Her hand moved to her throat and she clutched her necklace. The pheromones were overpowering her senses. It was a terrible thing to watch, and Taliga roared again.
"Kulog, I will string you up and gut you like an animal if you touch her!"
The T'shav reached forward, running his fingers over Vanessa's cheek. She flinched but stopped moving away from him. Taliga rammed his cage again, and this time it felt like it shifted slightly. He glanced down to see that the anchor Vanessa had been trying to break was flashing yellow. It hadn't been secured properly. The energy field would not be projected under the device, only over.
Kulog had Vanessa by the hand now. Taliga howled as he dropped to his knees, cutting into the ground with his blade. The dirt pried up easily. He thrust his hand through the small opening he made, grabbing the anchor. Yanking it back under the net, he drove his sword right through it. The field blinked and disappeared.
With a roar, Taliga charged Kulog. The other T'shav turned with a smirk that fell into a look of horror. Taliga stabbed at him, making him jump back. Vanessa gasped. Taliga planted himself between her and his former partner, unable to stop a fierce growl from rising out of his throat.
"So, I'll kill you after all," Kulog muttered furiously as he drew his own broadsword. "I guess I'll have to settle with selling the human."
"You always planned to sell her," Taliga growled.
Kulog shrugged. "True."
He leaped forward, swinging his sword in a wide circle. Taliga blocked it easily and drove the smaller T'shav back. His sword whistled through the air towards Kulog's head. Kulog was just able to block it. He fell back another step, then kicked out. The largest of his toe claws caught Taliga's thigh, tearing his var'ki and digging into his flesh. The smell of blood rose in the air.
A shout of pain burst from his throat, echoed by a scream behind him. He ignored Vanessa's cry, focusing on his enemy. Kulog feinted left; it was his go-to move in their sparring sessions. Usually, Taliga let him have it, but this time he swung his sword right. His blade bit deep into Kulog's arm, making him scream. Taliga forced himself into his enemy's space, releasing the hilt of his sword to draw one of his enemy's daggers. He stabbed towards Kulog's heart.
Kulog dropped his own weapon and grabbed Taliga's wrist. Blood gushed from his arm. A hateful gleam lit his eyes as he kicked again. It forced Taliga back. Kulog jumped, spinning as he kicked out again. His foot connected with Taliga's chest, claws tearing into his flesh. As Taliga stumbled back, grunting, Kulog drew his second dagger. The musth-mad T'shav charged, knife gripped in his hand.
Taliga dropped to a knee, timing his strike. His heart hammered in his chest as Kulog came at him. The other T'shav shouted as he brought his weapon down at Taliga at the same time as Taliga thrust his dagger forward. He first sliced Kulog's left arm, then his right, pushing his attack off course. Then the weapon drove into the man's chest.
There was a moment when everything seemed to hinge in silence. A look of surprise flitted over Kulog's face, followed by anger and finally fear. He stumbled back, Taliga's dagger still embedded in his chest. Taliga got to his feet, looking grimly at the other T'shav as he fell to his knees.
"Nobody harms the human while I live," he growled.
Kulog looked past him. A feral smile twisted his features. "Are you sure?"
Taliga whirled as Vanessa screamed. A dozen of the Wytsian priests melted out of the tall grasses. They grabbed Vanessa, throwing her to the ground. Taliga roared as he started forward, but one of them rose a blaster and let loose a blast of energy. It hit him square in his chest. A numb feeling spread from the spot, making his muscles spasm.
"No!" Vanessa screamed. "No, don't kill him!"
"I am not going to kill him," the Aphrosian priest said, stalking over to the T'shav. "Not yet, at least. He rescinded on his deal and he tried to help a false human escape justice. He will be taken to witness the sacrifice."
Vanessa struggled as her hands were tied behind her back. Taliga tried to get his muscles to obey, but they wouldn't move. The priest picked his blade sword off the ground. As Kulog spluttered, the priest drove the sword through his chest and smiled. Kulog gasped, then was still.
"This will make the perfect blade to make the sacrifice with."
"I'm human! Why won't you believe me? I'm human. I'm from Earth—"
The priest turned on his heel. "Then you will be happy to go back. Get them to the ship."
Chapter Seven – Vanessa
The cell, if it was really a cell, the Wytsian priests put Taliga and Vanessa in was painfully bright. The walls were all white, and the light reflecting off these surfaces hurt Vanessa's eyes. It was also far too warm. Sweat beaded her skin, made all the more unbearable from the cold that had penetrated deep into her bones on the planet. No water was provided.
Vanessa wanted to curl up next to Taliga's side, but it was just too warm for close contact. Still, she sat as close to him as she could.
The thought kept flitting through her head that she should never have stopped him when they were kissing on the planet. They were going to die, and she had never experienced that connection with another person. She had longed for it, dreamt of it, but was always frightened from engaging due to the way she had been raised.
And now she would never have the chance.
If they were alone in their cell, she would have asked Taliga to hold her, to crush her in
his arms as they made desperate love. But they weren't alone.
The Suesue that crouched in the corner, his purple-pink skin paler than Vanessa had ever seen one of those aliens, wore the robes of a Wytsian priest, but they were tattered and torn. Two of his three horns were broken off at the base. It must have been a terribly painful process. He hadn't spoken a word since Vanessa and Taliga had been thrown in with him. Neither had Taliga.
"Are you a prisoner as well?" she eventually asked, unable to bear the oppressive silence.
The priest shifted, pale eyes locking on her. "Yes."
"But you look like one of them."
"I have been sentenced to death beside you for daring to question the teachings of the high priest. I believe you are truly a human and it is a terrible crime to kill you or any other human. I do not believe that there are false humans created to deceive us." The Suesue smiled calmly. "And so I will die."
Vanessa's stomach cramped at the thought. So they were willing to kill members their own order for questioning their beliefs? Taliga was right. This wasn't a religion. It was a cult. How many other Wytsians believed as he did but were too frightened to speak out?
She swallowed hard. It was one thing she was always grateful to her mother for. Even when Vanessa bluntly told her that she didn't believe anything she was taught, her mother never condemned her or turned away. It had disappointed her, that much was obvious, but she had accepted that Vanessa needed to find her own way.
Thinking of her mother made tears burn in her eyes. If she was here… Well, if she was here, she wouldn’t give up without a fight. Her mother had been a brave, strong woman, and Vanessa always tried to be just as brave and smart.
There was only one way out of this mess, and it was if the high priest decided to spare her and Taliga. If she spoke with him, maybe she would be able to convince him she really was human.
Vanessa got to her feet and marched to the door. For the first time since they were put there, Taliga stirred. His gaze followed her. When she started to punch and kick at the door, he jumped to his feet. The condemned priest stared as well.
"I know you can hear me," she shouted, eerily reminded of when she had kicked and pounded on the door of Taliga's ship, trying to get him to release her. "I demand to speak with the high priest at once!"
"They won't listen to you," the priest said.
"Yes, they will." Vanessa rose her voice. "Talk to me or I will strangle myself with my own clothes. Then how will you perform your sacrifice?"
Taliga jumped forward, reaching for her. "Vanessa, no. I think I have a way—"
The door opened, revealing a tall, winged Odap. The alien grabbed her arm and yanked her from the room. Taliga charged at them, roaring, but a second guard pushed Vanessa aside and let loose a blast of stunning energy. The T'shav went rigid as he collapsed.
Vanessa pulled against the Odap, crying out, but the guards were already pulling her away. She forced herself to calm down. He was just stunned. And she was getting what she wanted – to speak with the high priest. Would it do any good?
The two guards dragged her through the overly-bright, overly-warm ship. She was shoved into yet another burning room, and they closed the door behind her. Vanessa stood where she was, her heart hammering uncomfortably in her chest.
The high priest sat in the middle of the room on a pale lilac rug. Behind him was a bed, or rather just a mattress. There were no blankets to be seen, and he had shed his robes, leaving him in only a pair of white pants. The blue of his skin contrasted starkly with all the stark whiteness of the room he had surrounded himself with.
"You wished to speak with me. It is our custom that the condemned be allowed one audience with a priest to confess their sins. Sit."
Vanessa came a little further into the room and folded her limbs beneath her. She eyed the Aphrosian wearily, all too aware of the memory of Kulog in her mind. Would this priest want the same thing that the T'shav had?
"Confess your sins," the priest said.
"I don't have any sins to confess." Well, maybe that wasn't true, but she was hardly there to play into his delusions. "I am human."
The Aphrosian stared at her stonily.
Vanessa gulped in a deep breath. This was her only chance, so she forged ahead with it. "I was born July 12, 1989. I grew up in a big city called Toronto. When I was eighteen, I moved away from home to further my education. When I was twenty-one, I came home for a visit for a human religious festival called Christmas. It was snowing out. My mother and I went to the tree lot to find a conifer for our festival when there was this bright light. The next thing I knew, I was in a stasis pod, and my entire life was gone. My home was gone. My planet was gone."
The priest shifted ever so slightly. "It is as I suspected."
"What is?" Vanessa's heart hammered. Could he believe as the priest in the cell did, that they were actually human? Her hopes rose. He was going to let them go.
"I believe you are speaking the truth. You really have those memories, and you believe you really are human."
Relief broke over Vanessa. She leaned forward. "I am. So there is no reason to kill me or any of the other humans—"
"You are not human."
Vanessa froze.
"You believe you are human, but you are not. Humans died out hundreds of thousands of years ago. They evolved into all the species that live today, and their spirits guide us. They were the first to live. There were no others before them. It is impossible for your tale to be true. If it was, then there would have to be a species that preceded them to put them in stasis pods and on lightspeed ships."
"But it is true. You just said you believed me!"
The priest gave her a stern look. "I said that I believed that you think you speak the truth. But your words simply confirm what I have thought from the start. You are cloned from a human source. The warlord Zon must have found an ancient ship that had a human body – or many – preserved inside it. He used the DNA inside to create his humans to build his own strength and power."
Vanessa shook her head, searching for the words to protest. That was utterly ridiculous!
"He cloned you and as he grew your body, he planted false memories in your brain to make you believe you are truly human. But you're nothing but a flesh shell programmed like a robot."
"No."
"Someday he will pay for what he has done, but the sacrifice must be made. When you were cloned, the human spirit that had been made free from mortal confinements was chained to your false flesh. It will be freed again through the sacrifice."
"I am not a clone!"
"How do you know that?"
Vanessa opened her mouth, but there was no way to prove a person wasn't a clone. Nothing she would have said would have made a difference, either. She knew that. Her chest ached as fear flooded her. She was going to die after all. There was nothing she could do to save herself or Taliga. But she had to try!
"What about the children we have? Even if we are clones, the children aren't. They are their own beings. That child is fully human, produced in a natural way. Are you going to kill them, too? It's not their fault who their parents are!"
The priest narrowed his eyes. "I received a message from Zon's Sanctuary just before I sent for you."
Vanessa's heart sunk lower. Zon was her last hope, but from the look on the priest's face, she knew he didn't consider him a threat to his plans. "You did?"
"Yes. The warlord has offered me a substantial amount of money to have you returned. And he said if I don't give you back to him, then he will destroy me."
"But it's not going to change your mind."
He smiled. "He fears my power now that I have you in my hands. If he kills me, he will create a martyr and thousands will flock to the cause. And you will be the rallying cry. Soon, the true believers will take a stand and destroy Zon and his perversion of our history."
"You're insane," Vanessa whispered. "Utterly insane."
"I will protect my people. I will take n
o joy from ripping your still-beating heart from your chest, but I will do what I must. Make peace with whatever false gods Zon planted in your mind, girl. Your perversion will soon be cleansed."
Chapter Eight – Taliga
Taliga growled fiercely under his breath. His hands clenched as the leftover shocks from being stunned ran through him. The pain alone was almost incapacitating, but he dragged himself closer to the door. He wasn't going to just lie there and do nothing while Vanessa was out there with those animals. Who knew what they were doing to her?
They wanted her unmarked. They won't do anything that might jeopardize the sanctity of their sacrifice.
The door slid open before he got to it. Vanessa stumbled in. She shook a little, but otherwise looked no worse for wear. She let out a little shriek when she saw him stretched out on the floor and hurried to him. He tried to sit up on his own but found her pulling him into her arms instead.
"Are you okay?"
She was asking him if he was okay? He tried to support himself on an elbow and brush her hair from her face. While he was able to get his arm in the right position to take some of his weight off her, a spasm hit him right as his hand touched her face and it jerked away like she had burned him. Taliga let out an annoyed grunt.
"I'll be fine in a moment, as soon as these tremors stop," he told her. "Are you? Did they hurt you?"
Vanessa shook her head. "Didn't so much as touch me. Just rubbed in how much he wants to kill me. He thinks I'm a clone."
Taliga pushed himself upright, groaning. The leftover effects of being stunned would pass soon enough. "I think I found a way to save you, Vanessa."
It was a crazy, desperate plan, but it might just work. He had been thinking about it ever since they had been taken as prisoners, searching through his scant knowledge of the Wytsian Order. At last, he remembered something he thought might work. But he couldn't tell Vanessa exactly what it entailed. She would never accept it.
