Page 34 of The Death Striker's Partner
Hannah
Man, this was tense. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and smack someone in the face. Okay, Ucfeni don’t have feet so they don’t wear shoes, but that’s not the point. First these tribal Ucfeni called the Rapali, who look like they belong at the top of the food chain by the way, swagger in and disrupt proceedings. Then they flip whole thing on it’s head by bringing their version of a princess here to give the Royal princes a once over, to go on to nab one. I had worried for a moment that Zassa was going to make a beeline for Izule, since he’s the biggest and strongest looking Royal up there. If she had then I worried what that would mean for Billie. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. She barely flicked her tongue in his direction and balked. Thank God, she thought he stank. Something about the smallest prince with the darkest brown scales certainly popped her cork as she chased him down and nearly caused the Ucfeni version of a Mr Wickham level scandal. At least, that’s what I gathered from the way Tumva explained it to me. Only, it wasn’t their reputation that would be ruined, but the upholstery as a battle broke out. Less Price and prejudice, more Hunger games. Still, the dark prince surrendered and she laid a big kiss on him. I thought that meant things would go smoothly from here on out.
I watched as Jajana politely scented all the Rapali Ucfeni present. Just as politely she turned them down. I don’t knowif she did it on purpose but she seemed to be leaving tall red and twitchy for last. When she leaned towards him to scent he snarled at her like she’d done something really bad. Jajana hissed with alarm and swung back on her tail towards her father. The Royals all made a blockade with their wide cowls, hissing angrily.
Izule included.
“Where the fuck is Billie?!” I pushed my hands down on Tumva’s shoulders with alarm. I must have looked like a meerkat about to lose it’s shit. This whole time Izule has been protecting my sister and now he’s taking point snarling with his fangs bared at the Rapali. “Where’s my sister?!” Tumva must be able to tell i’m about to jump of his back and go looking for Billie, as he reaches both hands up to grab my wrists on his shoulders.
“Calm yourself. She is with the princesses.” Tumva starts to move us down the walk way below us and connecting the tiered platforms together. As we move I catch a glimpse of my sister, trembling and holding herself with Jajana and another female Ucfeni. The pregnant one who will be the Queen one day. Sacxi; that was it. “It’s a typical formation. The females, the gravid, children, and the weak huddle back from the males who will protect them from danger. Izule takes the lead, to ensure she is safe.”
“No offense, but that’s not floating my fucking boat right now. Get us up there.” I snap at him, a baton in my left hand and a taser in my right.
“The Elite guard-”
“Can kiss my fucking ass. Up there. Now.” I demand. I was all for letting Izule take care of Billie. I was even kind of okay when things didn’t go accordingly to plan to let him protect her. He carried her quickly towards the back door. I was fine with that. But now my sister is cowering and unprotected with no one with her who understands her needs. What if one of theprincesses grab her and she shuts down? What if they rag her around like Rerasha did with me? Fuck fuck fuck! “I swear to God if we’re not up there in the next 3 seconds I’m going up there without you.”
“You will never go into battle without me.” He snarls, and i’m pretty sure he’s pissed off with me, but we can hash that out later. “Shuck.” He hisses and finally he leans forward on his lower belly and slithers quickly. I feel like i’m riding a dragon when we emerge on the upper platform and he’s baring his fangs with a booming and deep ululation. Fuck, that gavemechills.
“Peacekeepers reporting for duty and offering the Royals assistance.” I shout in line with my training, my weapons raised and my brown eyes taking in the scene. They were mid fight already, but it’s not the one I’m expecting. The Rapali are standingwiththe Royals. In fact, Zassa is standing like a badass sentry between the other princesses and everyone else. Her back is to them and she’s got a set of nasty looking serrated blades in her hands. It’s clear she’s defending them. Billie included. She’s shut down and is shaking from behind her knees as she huddles to the wall behind them all. The exit is blocked by a big brown Ucfeni. One of the Eryans?
What the actual hell happened in the minutes it took us to get up here? Broak is supporting Xulei, who is bleeding badly from one shoulder from a bite wound. Vrujac’s chest is bleeding from several slices. I really can’t tell what’s going on. Who is the enemy here? Elite guards, Rapali, Naltik and Eryan Ucfeni are all wrestling around the upper platform and it’snotpart of Gcorket. many of them are bleeding from bite wounds.
Yet, at the arrival of the Death Striker, they’ve all stopped to look at Tumva.
“My King?” Tumva seems just as confused as I am. I feel his hands move to his sides and he pulls at the leg restraints. I slide down and land on my feet on either side of his tail like wepractised. I quickly move to stand on his left, Baton and taser ready and making sure no one is behind me.
“Death Striker.” Izule hisses and get’s Tumva’s attention. “Our enemy are the Eryans and Naltiks both.” The foreign Royals snarl and the Ucfeni slither quickly apart to make two distinct groups. The Rapali ‘stand’ tall with the Ornanians and the visiting Royals are snarling in opposition. Nope, didn’t see that coming. I thought for sure the tribal upstaters were the ones causing trouble. Huh. “I give the Royal decree for you to give the death bite.” Izule demands, shaking with rage. I gulp. He is terrifying and has blood on his scales, but I see no wounds. It’s not his blood. His semi-conscious father looks up at his youngest son in awe and his eyes are glassing over. His jaw is hanging open and his scales look very pale.
“What?!” One of the others snarl with outrage.
“I second that order.” Vrujac snarled and beat his bloody chest. “You have murdered my father, and as the King of Orna, I demand you are given the worst possible death.”
“As a visiting Ruler I also invite the Diassian to feast on your flesh, you cowardly shucker.” Broak snarled and the red tendrils around his face flared with rage.
“You and what shucking army?” One of the Naltiks nod up and I feel myself pale. lining all the walls are Ucfeni of all sorts of colourings, but they are wearing brown leather armour and wrappings around their faces. Only their eyes are visible, and they have curved blades in their hands.
“You were never interested in being a tribute for my sister.” The crown prince spat blood down at the floor. “You came only to kill and take my father’s throne. My throne. Your ancestors weren’t good enough to claim Orna 100 years ago, and you’re still not shucking good enough now.”
Holy shit. This was not the first patrol I was expecting. Adrenaline is thundering through my veins as I look around me.Tumva is in front of me and slightly to the right. No one is immediately behind me, but on the security ledge above me is one of the invading Ucfeni. To my left and in the back corner is the exit being blocked by another enemy. Facing them is Zassa, and behind her is the princesses and my Billie. The wall of Rapali and Orna Royals are parallel to her like wall of muscle, but if any of the Naltik or Eryans broke their wall they’d collide with my sister.
Fuck fuck fuck!
I gulp and try to think what I should do as the Ucfeni around me continue to hiss and snarl about how they all want to kill each other. All I want to do is get out of this alive with Billie and Tumva. Crap. How do I do that? Other than Billie I’m the only other human up here. I have pierce proof riot gear on, but there as so many Ucfeni combatants up here. What do I do? Especially now they had backup. I glance at the walls and the leather clad army giving the Naltik leader the balls, or pouch, to start giving a monologue in line with being a power hungry asshole. I don’t care what he has to say, honestly. How the hell are me and Tumva expected to fight off all these guys? There’s way more of them than there are of us, including the Rapali and Orna Royals…
I absently reach for my chest, my heart racing, and the fear of failing to get my sister and partner out of this alive, when I almost press my com-gem again.
Wait a minute…
I discretely press it at the sides, like I did the first time I was here in the palace and I was being attacked by Rerasha. I hear the crackle of it connecting to the operator and wing it before they can start speaking.
“Hardly seems fair, this fight.” I speak loudly, and Tumva snaps his tail to loop around my feet protectively. Neither of us like how i’m drawing attention to myself. Man, I hope thisworks. “I count over 30 of you guys. How did you even get into the palace anyway? Did you bribe the guards over overpower them?”
“Hannah.” Tumva hisses at me but I ignore him.
“I mean, what’s so great about the golden palace anyway, that you’d attack the King and try and take it. I mean, maybe it’s because I’m human, but why can’t you just build your own city and make your own throne to sit on? Thelia is a big world.”
“Hannah be quiet.” Tumva lifts his tail and I see the grab coming, so I scuffle on my own feet to get away from him. “Hannah come back here!”
