Page 20 of The Death Striker's Partner
Chapter 17
Hey frostie
Hannah.
It was still pretty weird for me to be riding piggyback on a giant black Naga alien. Yup. Odd wasn’t a strong enough word for it. Tumva held my legs securely in place with both his arms and mine were wrapped around his neck and shoulders. To start with I felt embarrassed being carried on his back like a child as his body swayed and twisted around the various support poles as we traveled from his nest to the main street of Orna. My embarrassment lessened when I realised this was both practical for traversing Ucfeni only designed parts of the city, and it was commonplace. Other humans were being carried in the same way and no one gave me and Tumva a sideways glance because there was a human riding on his back.
Not that anyone wanted to remain in our way either. They took one look at Tumva and scattered. I was about to ask why everyone seemed to behave this way, as they had when we left the hospital when I first became his charge, but we arrived at something he described as ‘the pit’.
“No.” I shook my head with horror as I saw it was a literal snake pit. It looked large enough for Orna to fall down into if there was a large enough earthquake. Perhaps that was an exaggeration, but itfeltlike a bottomless hole to me since I couldn’t see the freaking bottom?! The edges were framed with thick vines and roots. Ucfeni slid in and out at a leisurely paceout of the pit via wooden spirals with support beams, jutting out at various angles around the circumference for ease of access. Coming and going, some with Humans on their backs but most without.
“What do you mean no?” Tumva turned his head to look at me over his shoulder as he wound along the edge of the pit. Those fathomless black eyes held my nervous reflection in them. “The 21st Pit is my place of work. This is where our Pit Leader is and where we will begin your training. Where we are given our patrols and assignments.” His deep jazz singer voice rumbled through his back and into my chest as he ignored the way I clung to his back and stared with dread at the pit. My stomach was flipping already at the idea of him tipping us over the edge to slither down one of those tall spiral towers. Just before he did just that, he seemed to reassess how tightly I was clinging to him and hummed curiously. “Would you prefer to take the travel basket?” He raised the end of his tail to point towards what looked like a mechanised ski lift, but with a massive round wicker basket instead of a metal pod. “It is usually how we transport unconscious or incapacitated suspects, or if human peacekeepers are travelling without their Ucfeni partners…but if you would feel more secure inside the travel basket, you can use this to descend into the pit?”
“Yes please.” I mumble, knowing I was being a bit of a coward. It was one thing to spiral around a pole in Tumva’s arms or on his back. It was a whole other kettle of fish to hurtle downward towards my possible death. The primitive part of my brain honked the horn and raised a sign saying ‘yes please’ as the travel basket became an alternative. Thankfully Tumva didn’t judge me for preferring not to travel like so many other humans did with their partners. He lowered on his tail and lower body to slither quickly around the edge of the pit towards the travel basket. It hung two meters above the jungle floor and Tumvacarefully transferred me around their hip to lift me by my waist. I grumbled, not happy by all this manhandling, but kept quiet for now. “Thank you.” I sighed with relief as my feet touched the floor of the basket. “-shit!”
The second Tumva released me the whole basket swung and I fell spectacularly to my side. Like a cat that was suddenly drenched in water my body tensed, my hands and feet gripping several bamboo-like reeds for stability as the basket continued to sway. I didnotlike the sensation of being suspended in a fucking basket.Erm, maybe letting him carry me isn’t such a bad ide-fuck!“Tumva?!” I screeched as the basket, still swaying with me prone in the middle, began to lower into the pit. “Where is my seat belt?”
“What’s a seat bet?” He asked me, and grabbed the opening of the basket with both hands to stop it from proceeding any further. To say I was relieved was an understatement. He flicked his black tongue towards me and frowned. “You are afraid? I thought you wanted to travel in the basket instead of with me?”
“N-not instead of?!” I opened my mouth to tell him I’ve changed my mind, but someone behind Tumva complained he was holding up the queue. So instead, he leaned through the round opening and slid his bulk inside the basket. Glossy black scales coiled around me and I was pried off the floor like a hissing cat about to see the vet. I was restrained by steadfast muscle beneath scales as he wound around me until I couldn’t move an inch. His arms wrapped around me from behind and he rested his chin on top of my head.
“Relax Hannah. You are safe in my coil.”
“T-Tumva I-mother fucker!” I squealed as the basket suddenly jerked and hurtled at speed into the pit. I screamed and he held me tighter. I clenched, well,everything,and thought for sure I was going to throw up when the basket swung likewe’d reached the end of a bungee cord. We bounced a few times before the basket settled on the floor and Tumva carried me out of the basket. My eyes were still shut as I heard the sound of laughter and clapping.
“Way to go frostie.” I raised a dark brow and peered out to find out who was brave enough to taunt me whilst I had adrenaline thundering through my veins. My scowl was set on my face as Tumva gently lowered me to my feet. We’d reached the bottom of the pit and the floor was equally covered with thick vines as the ground floor above us. However, there were also wooden open cubicles to make office spaces, desks, high spiraling stools that Ucfeni and humans sat on. The humans let their legs dangle from the tall stools, whereas the Ucfeni coiled their tails around the spiral shape of the stool. “I think of all Orna heard you coming.” I returned my attention to find another human with an arrogant grin, deep blue eyes, and a neat faded quiff of brown hair slow clapping me. “Look at you? Poor thing.”
“Who’s this prick?” I ask Tumva whilst throwing my thumb over at Mr sarcasm.
“Peacekeeper and senior officer Morty Johnson.” He tried to offer me his hand, still smirking at me, and several other humans in the same black kevlar trousers and long-sleeved shirt gathered around to join in the fun. “Your superior officer, so show some respect.” He nodded to the offered hand, and I raised a brow at him. “You’re going to need to play nice if you want me to help you from making a fool of yourself like that again.”
“A huh.” I blinked at him once, unamused, and turned my back to Senior officer prick-face to focus only on Tumva. I don’t have time to deal with this jerk. I need to keep busy and I need to become a qualified Peacekeeper ASAP so I can provide for my sister. Whatever she was upset about, I’ll find out eventually. The quickest route back to Billie was to succeed atthis sponsorship program and become a contributing member of Uceni society.
Measuring who’s dick was biggest didn’t interest me.
“So I need to be measured for a uniform and then you said something about combat training?” My slight made the gathered human crowd gasp and start gossiping, but I didn’t care. I noticed a few Ucfeni officers who were also dressed in black kevlar battle vests slithered over curiously. One looked like a giant milksnake, with the orange-red and black banding. His face was white and his eyes were narrowed as he came up from behind Tumva.
“Yes, that is the plan.” Tumva nodded, only to widen his black eyes to look to my right. That was the first sign that Sir Prickless had stormed over.
“Hey, frostie?” Morty sneered through a forced smile. “You’re so fresh out of cryo, I can still see icicles on your shoulders. If you’re Tumva’s latest partner, you’re going to need all the help you can get. You’re going to be answering to me and need to show respect. Not only that?” He cleared his throat, feeling better now he’d had his say, clearly. “But it is in your best interest to makefriendshere. Our line of work isn’t all cupcakes and rainbows, and you’re going to need…support.” He glanced up at Tumva briefly and I saw him fold his arms and glare down at Johnson. He tried to offer me his hand again, and I turned to face him once more. Ididnotice the Ucfeni with milk snake patterns move closer, but couldn’t care less at this moment in time.
“Well, let me reassure you,Johnson.” My expression was cold from the pain of separation from my sister. All the confusion and fear I’ve experienced so far, I wore like a fiery armour of rage. I stalked towards the prickless wonder and he backed away from me. “I am notyourpartner, I’m Tumva’s. He is my sponsor, so I’ll be answering to him.Notto you. Makefriends? I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to complete my sponsorship program and achieve my goals.” I got right in his face and you could have heard a pin drop. I have tried making friends before, but that never worked out. They always expected too much from me and in the end I always had to make a choice between them, and Billie. I always chose Billie. “I’m not here to play nice.” I take a hair bobble from my back pocket and tie my long ebony hair back. “I’mnota team player. I don’tlikepeople and I don’t have time for office politics. You want to establish you’re the top dog? Fine, go fuck a tree. I’m not interested.”
When your parents die young and you have to face the big scary world with your vulnerable sister, you have to be strong and determined. I feel like my sister has been taken from me, and I’m going to fight to get her back. There is so little I can control about my life right now, but this little fucker can piss off if he thinks I have the time or the patience to put up with his bullshit. I’m going to eat, sleep, and breathe my work. Not only to pass the time before I can finally see Billie again, but to do what I’ve always done. Whatever I’ve had to do to take care of my sister. No matter the cost. On Earth it was working as many jobs and as many shifts as I could, and being her safety net when out in public. On Thelia, it’s becoming a Peacekeeper and passing my sponsorship.
Different means, same outcome. Billie, safe and sound as she thrives. I promised my parents I would always take care of her. I’m not about to stop now I’m on another planet.
Chapter 18
My interest is proving difficult to hide.
Tumva.
She is magnificent. I taste her wrath on my tongue, and so does every Ucfeni near us. Many cup their scent pits and balk at her stench, but I bask in it. She smells divine! Like a goddess of war. Like fire and honey. My tail tip coils and flexes beside me as I resist the urge to slide it across her feet to make my claim over her clear. She is mine, and no one will ever harm her. Though, right now, she looks capable of snapping her enemies in two on her own. My mouth waters. It’s her scent. It has to be. I was drawn to her when I first saw her in the throne room, and I was intrigued by her pheromones when I carried her to the hospital. More so when I spoke to her for the first time. Now? Myinterestis proving difficult to hide.
But I must hide it.
I will not scare her off, and I will not have our peers warn her that she is unfortunate enough to be desired by a Death Striker. I move my bulk to tower behind her, casting her in my shadow and glaring down at Johnson like I was thinking of how best to eat him. Head or feet first. I clearly portrayed my ire well, as he paled and backed away from Hannah.
