Chapter 12
TWELVE
Sevas
Sevas stumbled back as Takkian fell to the floor. He was naked. She may have taken her time and looked if they weren’t in such a hurry. Even lying on the floor and unconscious, he was nothing short of intimidating. The powerful silhouette of his wings, although limp, made the hall feel small, as if the very space itself recognized the raw power lying within him.
She was still reeling from what she’d seem him turn into. Despite the size and lethal fire of him as a dragon, there had been a gracefulness to the giant green beast who had saved her life. He was beautiful in a fierce and terrifying way. His scales had shimmered in shades of green, as his body had flexed in sinuous elegance. Even now, with him back to “himself,” vulnerable and unconscious, his muscles rippled like water beneath his skin. There was a resemblance between his two forms.
Sevas kneeled beside him. This was Takkian —the same male who had transformed into a creature that could instill fear and awe in anyone who encountered him. Her heart pounded with a mixture of admiration and worry. She ran a tentative hand over his forehead, feeling cool, dry skin. She swallowed hard. “Come on, Takkian,” she whispered, brushing a trembling hand over the scales of his forearm, cold and unyielding. “We need you to get up.”
But there was no response. The heavy rise and fall of his chest was the only sign that he was still alive.
“He’ll wake up,” Bruil said gently. “But not soon. He’s exhausted himself. That happens when a Zaruxian changes form.”
But they weren’t leaving him there. “Ulo,” she said, heart racing as the urgency of the situation settled in. “We need to move. Can you carry him?”
Ulo yanked the blanket from Takkian’s bunk and rushed forward. He crouched beside Takkian and wrapped him in the blanket, then slid his arms beneath Takkian’s shoulders and legs, lifting. “I’ve got him,” Ulo said, holding him easily.
Sevas glanced nervously at the wrecked door, half expecting a squad of mechs to come pouring in.
“I don’t remember this being the plan.” Bruil stood beside Ulo and fixed her with a hard look.
“They put us in a final match,” she said. “Against each other.”
“Ah.” Bruil’s one word held a wealth of knowledge. “That explains it.”
Sevas leaned back and looked down the corridor. “You can explain what ‘it’ is once we’re out of here. We need to get to the ships.”
Bruil nodded. “To the ships.”
She led the way. The dismantled corridors were as disorienting as she remembered, but adrenaline propelled them forward, around piles of rubble and smoking debris. The memory of Takkian’s enormous presence in the arena was burned into her mind, bold and primal, but she refused to let it overwhelm her. They had an opportunity to escape. They couldn’t mess it up now.
Sevas’ heart raced as Ulo trotted behind her, carrying Takkian in his arms. The weight of the warrior’s form was nothing compared to the strength the young Dokkol exuded. They navigated through the winding corridors of the arena. Their footsteps echoing eerily in the tense silence that hung around them.
“Stay close,” she urged, glancing back to make sure Ulo and Bruil hadn’t fallen behind. Both stuck tight to her. She tried not to think about all that could go wrong between here and departing the hangar—where she’d been once, when she’d been delivered here. Every shadow felt alive. Every flicker of movement sent a shiver down her spine. They had definitely disrupted something in the arena, and the last thing she wanted was to get caught now.
The door to the hangar bay was just ahead. The moment they passed through it, a group of freed fighters emerged, battered and fierce. Their expressions were twisted into a determined grimace. They eyed Sevas, Bruil, and Ulo cautiously. Their gazes moved to Takkian, who they likely recognized, with a mix of curiosity and wariness flashing across their faces.
Sevas held up her stone hammer, but the fighters moved on. They were as done with fighting as the rest of them.
In the hangar, the scene was a chaotic whirlwind. Fighters scrambled about, some dragging makeshift weapons while others loaded up supplies into whatever starships remained intact. The air buzzed with tension and excitement. Everyone knew this was their chance to break free.
Sevas glanced up at Ulo, whose face was a mask of determination and fear, and then over at Takkian, still limp in Ulo’s arms. “We need to find a ship, fast,” she said. There were plenty around, but she had no idea which would be suitable. And an unoccupied one would be a lot easier to take.
“That one.” Bruil pointed toward a smaller vessel at the corner of the hangar. “It looks fast and no one has grabbed it yet.”
It gleamed in the harsh lights overhead. “Okay, let’s go.”
They started forward. The other fighters were like a swarm, working frantically to access the ships or grab any supplies they could find. Those who had come as spectators found themselves trying to defend their ships or running for cover from determined and merciless fighters. Weapons fired, sending flashes of light and smoke through the hangar.
“Be careful,” Sevas cautioned Ulo. Her voice was almost drowned out by the shouting and shooting around them. “We don’t want to draw attention.”
Ulo nodded, his expression resolute. They reached the ship, a sleek, silver craft with a narrow design that seemed perfect for a quick getaway. The hatch opened with a quick pry from Ulo’s finger, and they piled inside.
Now they had another problem. Takkian had planned to force whoever owned or operated a craft to fly them out of there, but this ship was empty. “Can anyone work the controls?” Sevas asked, her gaze flicking between Ulo and Bruil.
“I can,” Bruil announced, looking grim. “I operated dozens of them during my peoples’ battle for our planet, Zarux. It was a long time ago, but I can figure it out.”
“Then, you’re on,” Sevas said, glancing over her shoulder as the sounds of chaos echoed around them. More mechs could be arriving at any second. They had to hurry.
Ulo placed Takkian, who was still wrapped in the blanket, on one of the ship’s seats and clipped him in. Bruil clambered into the cockpit. His hands moved over the controls with ease, his brow furrowing in concentration. Sevas peered at the dizzying array of controls as she waited for Bruil to power it up.
The hangar was filled with pandemonium—fights breaking out between desperate fighters, mechs trying—and failing—to restore order, and others seizing the opportunity to escape. She turned back to Bruil, who was already working rapidly.
“How soon?” Sevas asked, heart racing as she peered out of the hatch for approaching mechs. “More are coming.”
“Almost there.” Bruil slid his scarred hand over a touchscreen, turning it blue with a satisfying ping . The ship’s engines hummed to life, vibrating beneath their feet. “Secure the hatch.”
Sevas nodded, moving deeper into the ship’s hatch. She shut it and, since she didn’t know how to use the screen beside it, she hand-cranked the latch until the door locked and sealed. She stepped back. The reality of their escape set in with a snap of giddiness. This could actually happen—they could leave this nightmare behind them.
Bruil navigated the control panel, muttering to himself as he adjusted settings and input coordinates. The ship hummed beneath them, ready to take flight. “Just a little more power, and the thrusters will be hot,” he said, his voice gruff but focused.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the hangar entrance. Sevas felt her heart drop and rushed to the back of the small ship. She peered out of the only rear viewport to see the hangar doors flooded with a wave of mechs colliding with fighters. Weapons blazed as the fighters attacked, using stolen blasters and hand weapons to engage with the mechs, which were outnumbered and outgunned. Still, the amount of plasma flying from weapons terrified her. Their small ship could easily be hit, ending their escape quickly.
“Bruil! We have to move,” she shouted, dashing back to the front operator’s compartment.
Bruil’s fingers raced over the control panel. “Working on it,” he growled. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”
Sevas closed her eyes. Alarms blared behind them, amplifying the urgency of their escape. “Hurry.”
With a final, desperate lunge, Bruil slammed the last switch into place. The thrusters roared with power. “We’re ready!” he shouted.
Sevas let out a shaking breath of relief. “Take us out,” she urged as she glanced back toward the hangar doors. She could no longer see them, but she could hear the blasts and shouts, which told her the fight was still ongoing.
Bruil gripped the controls tightly, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Hold on to something,” he said. “We’re going to be weightless in a moment.” He punched a button, and the ship jolted forward. The thrusters propelled them out of the hangar bay.
Sevas steadied herself, gripping the nearest surface as the ship surged ahead. The exit loomed in the distance. The sight of freedom sent a warm rush under her skin. Takkian’s unconscious form remained sprawled in the seat, but Ulo was vigilant near him as they burst through the hangar doors and into space.
Instantly, her body became weightless, just as Bruil predicted. He was strapped into his seat, but she held on to the seat beside him and just gazed out of the viewport. Sevas couldn’t believe they were actually out. They were doing the impossible. They had escaped the pit.
“Nice flying, Bruil,” she said. “Now get us as far from here as possible.”
“You won’t get an argument from me.” Bruil pulled up what looked like a navigation chart and input new coordinates.
“I can’t believe we did it,” Sevas said. “We’re free.”
Ulo leaned forward to look out the viewport, taking in the vast expanse of stars beyond the arena. He had hooked one huge foot under a seat he was near, to keep him steady. “Look!” he cried excitedly. “The stars. They’re so beautiful.”
“They are,” Bruil said. “And there are a lot of them, so we need a plan.” He glanced over at Takkian. “He’ll wake up soon, but I think we should set about finding Ulo’s family. He deserves to be reunited with them.”
“I agree,” Sevas said. “Do you know where you might find them?”
“No idea.” Ulo blinked and looked away. “Drop me off at the closest spaceport and I’ll find my way. You don’t have to fly me anywhere. I don’t want you to risk getting caught because of me.”
Sevas pushed off from the empty operator seat and floated the short distance to Ulo. She placed a hand on his rocky arm. “You’re the reason we escaped with Takkian,” she said. “And I wouldn’t have left without him . I don’t think Bruil would have, either. So no, we’re not going to just drop you off someplace. We’re keeping you safe just like you kept us safe. You’re important to us, Ulo.”
Bruil nodded and turned in his seat to face them. “That’s right. There’s a lot of chaos back in the arena right now. Once Axis agents restore order—likely without its fighters—they won’t know who took what vessel, or where anyone went. That buys us some time. Enough to get you back to the safety of your own people. You’re a good lad, Ulo.”
Ulo ducked his head. “I owe you three my life.”
“Bah. I say we’re all debt-free and we move on with our lives.” Bruil shook his shaggy head. “First things first: let’s get some distance from the arena, to get out of scanning range. Then we’ll get you on your way home, Ulo.”
“Good idea,” Sevas replied, running a hand through her hair and tucking it back. She clipped herself into the seat beside Takkian and took in the sight of him. His large frame was anchored, but weightless in its confines. Some remnants of his dragon form were still there—scales shimmering a little brighter under the lights, claws still slightly extended. She marveled at the way his wings stretched out behind him, filling the cramped space with an aura of power and elegance. Even in his unconscious state with a blanket wrapped around him, he was breathtakingly fierce and so beautiful he made her chest ache.
Her fingers brushed against the smooth, cool scales of his arm, feeling their hard edge beneath her touch. “Takkian,” she murmured softly. “You need to wake up.”
But it looked like he wasn’t ready. The steady rhythm of his breathing was the only sign of life. They had fought their way through so much, that seeing him in this state made her jaw clench with worry. She leaned closer, trying to shake off the fear that gripped her. “Please, Takkian,” she whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. “We need you. Please wake up.”
As if stirred by her voice, Takkian shifted slightly. His eyes flickered beneath closed lids, but he didn’t fully awaken. Sevas cupped his face in her hand. “It’s me, Sevas,” she urged. “We escaped.”
“I promise you, he’s fine,” Bruil offered from the operator seat. “Takkian is strong, but the dragon takes all of a Zaruxian’s vitality for a time.”
Sevas nodded, wishing he’d wake up. “We’re all together,” she murmured, focused on the warmth of his skin against hers. “We’re out, Takkian. You did it. You fought for all of us, and now we’re free.”
With a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She thought of the stars beyond the ship, and all the places they could escape to. A world where they could start over, where none of this would haunt them.
He groaned faintly. “Sevas?” he murmured, his voice raspy as he blinked slowly and turned his head. Worry etched across his features as she leaned close.
“Takkian.” Relief spilled from her voice. “I’m right here.”
“Where…?” He rubbed his head and blinked at her.
She grinned, wide and full, and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. “We did it. We escaped the arena.”
As Sevas recounted the tale of their escape to him, she knew full well that they were not free yet. They had yet to fully escape the Axis, but it was a moment to be happy. One proud victory in a war they had yet to win.