Page 40 of Adtovar
“Hold on.”
Somehow, Ronco had managed to push himself to his feet despite his injuries, staggering over on nothing but grit and determination. He wrapped the hand of his one good arm around the grating. One by one, through sheer strength of will, other gladiators joined him, bleeding and broken limbs forgotten in a singular moment of defiance.
“Ready?” Fric asked, his voice firm yet slightly breathless, receiving grunts of agreement in return. “One, two, three….”
With a collective roar, they lifted in unison, the metal structure groaning as it reluctantly parted from the dirt. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. I dropped to my belly, the rough ground pressing against my skin as I crawled under the gate, shimmying to the other side.
I scrambled to my feet, the coarse grains of sand clinging to my skin as I blinked them from my eyes. Turning back to Fric and the battered and bleeding gladiators, now leaning exhausted against the steel bars, I felt a surge of emotion. With a gesture I had witnessed Adtovar execute, I raised a fist to my heart in a warrior’s gesture of respect. “Thank you,” I said, my voice trembling with gratitude.
Turning, I bolted into action, scanning the expanse of the battleground. Adtovar stood tall and strong, yet I noticed the fatigue etched into his features. In stark contrast, the monstrous creature showed no signs of weariness as it lunged towards my mate, only to pivot abruptly at the last second, allowing its menacing spiked tail to scour the earth near Adtovar’s feet. Witha leap, Adtovar evaded the vicious sweep, but his landing was less than graceful, causing him to stumble and drop to his knees.
The beast let out a triumphant bellow that echoed through the air like a clap of thunder. It swung the massive tail like a club, aiming directly at Adtovar. My mate reacted with lightning speed, ducking just in time as the tail whooshed past, narrowly avoiding the bone-crushing, poisoned spike blow.
I pushed myself harder, muscles straining as my feet dug into the scorching sand, each step feeling like a battle. Sweat trickled down my face, the sun beating mercilessly overhead. I swiped a hand across my brow, my gaze not daring to leave my mate. Adtovar moved agilely, dodging once more, his body twisting into a fluid roll. The Uglyhead’s tail swung dangerously close, menacing spikes glinting in the sunlight.
I yanked a small cloth packet from my bag, lit the fuse, and hurled it toward the creature’s feet. As it landed, the bomb burst with a sharp, crackling sound, sending a cloud of smoke and sparks into the air. It was one of the smaller bombs, so it did little damage other than knocking the Uglyhead on its ass, but that gave Adtovar the precious moments he needed to regain his footing.
All around us, small explosions erupted like a Fourth of July fireworks show, accompanied by screams that rose in a chaotic symphony. The air billowed with smoke and panic as once bloodthirsty spectators abandoned their interest in the battle now solely focused on escape. The crowd surged toward the exits, a frantic tide of bodies desperate to flee the turmoil.
“Maddie!” Adtovar bellowed my name, not in relief but in worry and frustration. Oh yeah, he was pissed, but I’d deal with that later once we killed this monster.
“Get its attention,” I yelled back. “I’ll try to hit its soft spot with a bomb.”
Adtovar fixed me with a glare, his eyes blazing with aggravation. He paused only for a fleeting moment before swiftly gathering the shattered remnants of his spear. He wielded the jagged pieces like a baseball bat, swinging with precision and force at the beast’s head, drawing the Uglyhead’s attention.
I maneuvered around the creature’s hulking frame, my eyes quickly zeroing in on the target. Nestled at the back of its elongated neck, just above the broad expanse of its shoulders, lay the vulnerable area. The patch, measuring roughly five inches in diameter, stood out with paler flesh, devoid of the usual array of sharp spurs and tough scales that armored the rest of its hide.
I ignited one of the larger cloth pouches and hurled it toward the creature. Unfortunately, my aim sucked, and the bomb struck the beast on its upper shoulder. The resulting explosion was fierce, ripping away a chunk of flesh. Blood and flesh splattered through the air in a gory rain. The Uglyhead seemed unfazed by the assault. It continued its advance on Adtovar, descending into a savage frenzy, its eyes wild as it slashed through the air with razor-sharp claws and snapped its powerful jaws.
“Maddie, run!” Adtovar yelled at me, and I did. Just not in the direction he wanted.
I sprinted toward the beast, closing the distance to ensure my aim would be more precise. The ground seemed to tremble beneath my feet as I reached for my last two bombs. I ignited both with one pass of the firestick, the cloth sparking to life with a crackle, and launched them toward the creature. Time seemed to slow, and I held my breath as I watched the arc of fiery trails slicing through the air. One of the pouches landed on the creature’s upper neck, while the other caught on one of thejagged spikes protruding from the beast’s neck, securing itself perfectly in place.
A wave of relief surged through my veins. This time, I fully expected the Uglyhead to meet its demise. What caught me off guard, however, was the beast’s sudden, vicious spin that ended with me ensnared in its colossal, claw-tipped paw.
Adtovar’s voice pierced the air, screaming my name with a desperation that sent a chill down my spine. There was a loud pop, like a gunshot along with a flash of fire, and the world around me crumbled into a suffocating void of darkness.
Chapter 17–Adtovar
I sat vigil beside the Garoot Healer. Inside the sterile, softly glowing chamber, Maddie’s body lay suspended in a delicate state of stasis. Her once-vibrant form now appeared ethereal, caught between worlds. The explosion destroyed the creature she’d dubbed Uglyhead, but it nearly destroyed Maddie as well. Burns ravaged over 70% of her body, and her once-lustrous dark curls were now reduced to charred remnants. Thankfully, theHistoriapossessed a Garoot Healer aboard. Without it, Maddie would have died.
George hovered nearby, his eyes focused on the tubular machine and the blinking lights showing Maddie’s vital signs. Though still considered a youngling, George belonged to the Garoot species, a race endowed with healing ability woven into their very DNA. He had dedicated himself wholeheartedly to caring for Maddie while Zahavi, theHistoria’sHealer, tended to the needs of the gladiators and females as well as my wounds. Plasti-gauze covered my chest and arms, aiding the healing of the second-degree burns I’d received pulling Maddie away from the burning remnants of the explosion.
I’d been ready to die at the hands of the Ungeheuer, comforted by the thought that my death would facilitate Maddie’s escape. What I hadn’t anticipated was the sheer magnitude of bravery and the determination with which she fought for me. She was the most extraordinary female alive, and if the gods granted me the opportunity, I would dedicate everyremaining moment of my life to demonstrating the depth of my love for her.
I gradually noticed George’s presence beside me. His slender, gray figure stood silently as he meticulously reviewed the readings on his datapad. The glow from the screen cast a soft light on him as his long, slender fingers moved deftly, and the faint sound of tapping filled the otherwise quiet room.
“Any update?” I’d asked the same question hundreds of times in the last twenty-four hours, always receiving an answer that did little to alleviate the ache in my heart.
“She will recover.”
My gaze jerked upwards at his words, and I found the youngling gazing down at me, something akin to a smile curling his thin gray lips.
“It will take time,” he continued. “Her injuries were severe. Not only were her outer extremities burned, but she suffered lung damage from the fire as well.” He shook his head sadly. “Humans are much more fragile than most species.”
“Thank you,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper as a wave of overwhelming relief washed over me, leaving my hands shaky and my heart pounding in my chest. “I don’t want to leave her, can you....”
“I will let the others know.” The females and the handful of gladiators we’d rescued had visited, each one expressing gratitude and respect for Maddie’s kindness and bravery.
