Page 33 of The Death Striker's Partner
“I am Broak. Chieftain of the Rapali.” The largest spoke. He had a blood red set of tendrils framing his face, and the same coloured scales covered down his neck, torso and under tail. He looked menacing, and his presence was intimidating. His venom was likely no match for mine, but I had no intention of finding out. “It has been many cycles since my people have come to visit yours on Gcorket, King Xulei.”
“Yes, many. The last time the Rapali entered my palace was over a decade ago, and back then the proper protocols for announcing your intention to visit was observed correctly.” Our King sneered down from his upper platform. His tone was clear. The Rapali were not here by invitation, or welcome.
“If I announced my intention to visit, you would have denied my request, and then I would have been insulted and forced to retaliate.” Broak chuckled, amused by something and his hood tendrils flicked at the ends with mirth. “I have saved us the trouble, and demonstrated that we come in peace.”
“Whatisyour purpose for being here?” I am not darting my eyes between the posturing rulers like most in the hall. No, I am watching Broak and his men intently. At the first sign of danger I will fling Hannah behind me and bare my fangs. I will put her in charge of evacuating the hall and i’ll clear a route for her. She has a taser, a baton and a mouth net. All of which she knows how to use.
“The same as the Naltik and Eryan parties, of course.”
“You wish to present one of your males for Princess Jajana to select?” A dark brown Eryan, prince or warrior I can’t tell, sneers across at the chieftain. “A jungle worm will never be worthy of a golden gem as her.”
“Damn.” Hannah chuckles softly beside me and seems to have relaxed into my coil. “This is more entertaining than daytime TV. I wish I had popcorn.” I have no idea what she is saying, but she is entertained by the posturing of the below Ucfeni. She leans more on my tail, and must have pressed her com-gem in, because she broadcasts her next statement. “I’d put money on the new guys. They seem pretty badass.” If all eyes weren’t suddenly on us, I would have been amused by her novice blunder. Peacekeepers have the broadcast function as well in case we need to carry out evacuations or raids. Hannah gasps when she realises what she’s done and leans up to disengage the broadcast function. “Shit, sorry.” She apologises.
“…why thank you human.” I released a breath I was holding when the Rapali Chieftain laughed at my partner’s blunder. He watched her intently, and then eyed me, so I moved my body to cover hers and made my shoulders as wide as I could make them. “A compliment indeed, for one who shares company with a Diassian.” What did he just call me? I incline my head, and he seems to chuckle at my confused reaction. “Even the alien recognises our prowess.” He aims back at the Eryans. “Surely, therefore, our hosts must do the same.” The Eryan tribute males widened their hoods and hissed with challenge. Still, the Rapali Ucfeni jeered and laughed at the brown Royals like they lacked any venom and housed only milk fangs. I glance quickly up at the Royal platform when something blue moves in my peripheral vision. Jajana has swooned into her father’s arm with worry. “Firstly, allow me to present my daughter. The Lady of the Jungle. Zassa.” In the very middle of the group a Rapali with brilliant purple tendrils and torso lifted up to herfull height. She must have been keeping low to hid herself until this moment. She unfurled her coil to reveal her true length and height. Her lilac eyes were crystal clear and she smirked. Women confident of their beauty tended to hold themselves as she did. Yet, she wore no feathers or golden adornments. Apart from a shimmering silver wrap around skirt and a pair of armlets, she was as bare as the others. Zassa was just as much a warrior as her kin, from the scars in her scales along her black tail and back. Broak held her hand in his right with pride. “She is my first born and her mate will become the future Chief of my tribe. She has come here to see if any of your sons are worthy of her.”
The hall erupted with hissing of outrage. That was not the way things were done in modern society, and I could see many of the guests getting their tails in a knot. Normally males were invited to present themselves before the royal daughter. Not the other way around. “Also presenting, my second born and the greatest hunter of the Rapali tribe, Aszu.” Yet another Rapali Ucfeni moved out of formation and looked the spitting image of his father. From his red colouring at his face, hood tendrils, eyes and torso, to the menacing way he held himself. Only, something about this Ucfeni was off. He held himself like he was in pain, or enraged by something, and his hands kept opening and closing his fists. His tendrils seemed incapable of settling around his face and his tail-tip suffered the same affliction. I don’t like the look of this hunter. I want him no where near Hannah, that’s for sure.
“Enough of this farce.” One of the Naltiks hiss angrily and look up to the Royal platform. “Let us present ourselves, our gifts, and our skills before the lovely Jajana so she can make her choice, and we can get back to the usual festivities of Gcorket.”
“Father?” The tense hunter spoke to the Chieftain, who whispers something back to him to make him settle.
“By all means. We arrived last, so we are content to wait our turn.” Broak waved a inclined his red and black head for the others to go first. I was not the only one surprised by this apparent courteousness.
“Seems a bit shifty to me.” Hannah whispers up at me, and thankfully she hasn’t pressed her com-gem this time.
“Agreed.” I hum down at her. The Eryans eagerly move up to the top platform first and present their gifts to Jajana. We can’t see what they are from here, but I explain to Hannah that they are likely to be well crafted fabrics, jewellery, tokens of affection like carvings of her likeness.
“Does she like any of them?” Hannah pushes her hands down the upper ring of my coil. I don’t like how she’s leaning over my coil and toward potential danger simply to see.
“Not yet. Climb on my back.” I instruct her, and she eagerly scrambles back up into the harness. Now she can see, her arms rest around my neck, and I am between her and the Rapali Ucfeni.
“That’s better.” I hear the smile in her voice as she watches the parade of flexing Eryan Royals before the princess. She scents them in turn, and politely dismisses all but one on their scent alone. They are dissapointed but they are not a match, so they return to the middle platform to grumble. The single Eryan male who has passed this round also returns to the middle platform with their kin and are being congratulated for their success. “It’s like the bachelorette.” She sniggers behind me, though I have no idea what she’s talking about. “Oh, here come the Naltiks.” They take their turn to offer Jajana gifts and she only eliminates one based on scent. They are in good spirits, thinking their chances of having an Ornanian Queen join their ranks is now assured. “And here comes the wildcards.” She commentated and I smile at her humour.
“I am surprised all six are permitted access to the Royals.” I comment as the entire Rapali party move up to the top platform. Princess Jajana appears nervous and she also looks to be intimidated by the larger and more confident Zassa. Whatever the two women say to each other doesn’t appear to be pleasant.
“Is Billie safe?” I dart my dark eyes over to Prince Izule, who still has Billie cradled and is further back than everyone else. He has positioned himself near an escape route and has his body turned so his back can be easily placed between Billie and the Rapali if needs be.
“Yes.” I confirm, and Hannah sighs with relief. I return my attention to the Rapalis. The Chieftain is discussing something with the King, and they appear to be considering. At the same time Zassa seems to be engaging one of the other princes in conversation. The dark brown one with a bone white underbelly and piercing yellow eyes. She scents him and displays all the signs of being interested. She exposes her neck and draws attention to it by caressing her throat with her fingers. She and scents him often. She entwines their tail-tips together, even though he tugs his free and tries to re-position himself. The other princes find this amusing, and the King and Chieftain do as well, to a point.
The dark prince tries to bolt to the other side of the platform and Zassa pounces, constricting him in her tail with her superior length and girth.
“Oh boy. I think she likes him.”
“I agree. Now there may be a fight.” I roll my shoulders and prepare myself.
“Why?” She whispers by my ear, but also retrieves her baton, just in case.
“Because if she declares she chooses him as a mating partner, and he refuses, the Rapali will take that as a great insult.Politically he should agree, though he doesn’t look happy about it.” Just as I brace my hands by my own weapons, the King snarls something at his wriggling son, and he sags in defeat. Zassa ululates with delight, and releases him from her coil. She takes hold of his hood and kisses him, overpowering him and the hall erupts in cheers for their union.
“Oh boy. Talk about taking one for the team.” That reference I understood.
“Indeed. Had he refused and insult been taken, we could have had a bloodbath on our hands. It’s yet another reason why it’s expected that willing suitors travel to the home of the female they wish to be presented to as a tribute. All the males are willing, so this isn’t an issue.”
“So if that’s the way things are done, then why did the Rapali come all the way here at all?”
Chapter 29
Kill the human!
