Page 6 of Survivor
He dove at me with a maniacal laugh, the metallic ring of my blades echoing against his razor-sharp claws and overwhelming strength. He towered over me; a hulking figure of muscle and power and my muscles burned with the strain of battle. Still, I refused to yield, my every strike and deflection fueled by determination. Resolve coursed through me, giving my strength a boost. Not matter the ultimate outcome, I had to guarantee the human female enough time escape.
We broke apart and Seibring glared at me, his dark gaze transformed, twisting into something malevolent. “While I respect your intent, Cousin, you will die knowing it was all for nothing,” he sneered, his expression growing more sinister. “They say human females make excellent fuck toys if you can overlook the scent. I certainly intend to find out.”
The grotesque image his words painted made my skin crawl with revulsion. Overcome with fury, I lunged at him, swinging my curved blade towards his head, only missing contact by a scintilla. My slight miscalculation gave him an opening, and his arm lashed out, hand raking across my chest, claws tearing into my flesh.
I stumbled backward, a hot, wet stream of blood seeping across my chest. Not a killing blow, but I had no doubts about my fate. I sent a silent prayer to the goddess, hoping fervently that the female had managed to escape. Seibring advanced toward me, his claws poised and ready to strike. The air seemed to freeze, except for a lingering trace of the human female’s scent that flowed through like a soft breeze. It was a delicate aroma, sweet with an undercurrent of spice, a surprisingly pleasant fragrance to accompany my final moments.
“Stop right there, motherfucker!”
Seibring and I exchanged a surprised glance, which at any other time might prove humorous.
I stumbled to the side, trying to put a few steps between myself and my cousin while searching for the source of the voice. At the back entrance to the dining room, the tiny human female stood poised with a large blaster gripped securely in her hands. She held the weapon like she knew how to use it... and aimed it directly at Seibring.
“You killed them.” Her voice trembled, a fragile whisper that barely held together. I noticed the tears cascading down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails on her pale skin. Her eyes, wideand filled with a mix of horror and disbelief, bore into my cousin with an almost palpable intensity. “You killed them and piled them up next to the dumpster like trash.”
I surmised she referred to her guards. I could only imagine the carnage Seibring had wrought upon them. He was known for brutality.
As for my cousin, he appeared almost amused.
“It was a bit of exercise, I’ll admit,” he drawled, smiling at the human female in what might have been an attempt to be charming.
“Exercise,” she reiterated, her voice a low growl as she bared her teeth. Her eyes blazed with furious determination, and I watched her fingers tighten on the blaster. Despite the seriousness of the moment, something about her stirred a deep, primal feeling within me—something ancient, unknown... and pleasant.
“Enough,” Seibring barked with a wave of his hand, the tips of his claws slinging droplets of my blood about the room. “While I find this amusing, the idea of a silly, stupid human....”
It couldn’t have taken more than a few seconds, yet everything unfolded as if time slowed to a crawl. Seibring stalked toward the human female, his intentions clearly bent on menace. I frantically scrambled to intercept him, desperate to shield her from harm. The female’s eyes sharpened with determination as she focused on my cousin, pressing the solid stock of the blaster barrel firmly against her shoulder.
“Drop dead, you fucking asshole.”
The sound of blaster fire screamed through the air, a high-pitchedzzzzt. My gaze flickered rapidly between the female and my cousin, just in time to capture the utter disbelief painting Seibring’s features before he crumpled to the floor. The acrid scent of burnt metal and scorched scales mingled with the smoke that curled and twisted toward the ceiling.
My focus snapped back to the human, my heart skipping a beat at the sight of despair etched across her face. Her body trembled like a leaf caught in the wind. With a tender touch, I carefully pried the blaster from her shaking fingers, feeling its cold weight. A deep yearning welled up inside me. I wanted to gather her into my arms, to offer solace and wipe away the tears that glistened like dew on her cheeks. Yet, I remained merely a stranger in her eyes.
“What is your name?” I murmured softly, my voice a gentle attempt to divert her gaze from where Seibring lay crumpled in a lifeless heap on the floor.
Her gaze snapped to mine, and the tip of her pink tongue darted nervously along her lips. “L—Lucy,” she stammered, her voice quivering. “My name is Lucy.”
“You did well, Lucy,” I replied, savoring the way her name rolled off my tongue.
“Who was he?” Her eyes drifted back to Seibring’s motionless form.
“Someone who would have hurt you... badly,” I told her, my voice steady and calm.
“Is he…?” she paused, swallowing hard, as if trying to push down a knot of revulsion. “Did I kill him?”
I glanced at the blaster in my hand, its sleek metal surface glinting under the dim light, confirming what I suspected. “No, the blaster is set to incapacitate, not kill.”
“Are you...?” she hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper, her small frame trembling with uncertainty. “Are you going to kill him?”
I glanced at my cousin, his features softened by unconsciousness, and sighed deeply. “Killing in worthy opponent in battle is one thing. Killing in cold blood is entirely different.”
Lucy nodded, her head moving slowly in agreement, her eyes still wide with fear.
Her eyes widened even more when she noticed the dark crimson stain seeping across my chest.
“Oh shit, you’re hurt,” she exclaimed, her voice a mix of concern and urgency.
“It’s nothing,” I assured her, exchanging the blaster I held for a wad of fabric napkins snatched from a nearby table. The wound was bleeding enough to be a nuisance, but I could tell the gash wasn’t deep. I stuffed the napkins between my vest and skin, letting it soak up the blood.
