Prince of Luster (6 page)

Marcos only saw them as filth that needed to crawl back under the slimy rocks of their home world and leave the rest of the galaxy alone. They were incapable of any cognitive thought above brutality. But the crowds still needed to find food, supplies, what commiseration they could amongst one another. Hence their grouping together now. They’d likely stopped to watch out of fear of what would happen if they left. Limaxians liked to put on a show of force. Anyone not wanting to watch their gruesome displays, anyone even appearing to leave, might be thought of as a dissenter.

• • •

From her position to the east of the crowd, Nova watched the massive slug pick the elderly merchant up off the ground. A scream rang out as a young woman ran forward and threw herself at the feet of the slimy being that also led the local pirates, and went by the name of Prometheus Worthy. Whether that really was his name didn’t matter. Everyone knew he was associated with the governor. They’d all been at the slug leader’s mercy at one time or another. She suspected this particular foe had been the one who’d ordered her father dragged out of their cottage in the middle of the night. Nova’s mother had done much as the young woman was doing now and pled for her family member’s life. But the begging had only gotten both her parents killed.

The girl at the slug leader’s feet knelt and held her hands up in a supplicating gesture. “Please, let my grandfather go. I beg of you,” she cried.

Nova physically cringed. Slugs disliked humans enough. But they hated the ones who showed weakness. She only saw death for the old merchant and his granddaughter.

“Prometheus hears your cry, little one. And I will save his life if you agree to service me in my chambers tonight.”

Nova bit her lower lip and winced in revulsion.

The girl looked up at the slug leader called Prometheus and slowly stood. She raised her face up and spit in his.

Angered beyond measure, Prometheus threw the elderly man aside, grabbed the girl and raised her over his head. He brought one knee up. “See how easily your kind dies? How brittle your bodies are and how easily demolished?”

Before the slug could bring the girl’s body down and break her back over its knobby knee, a big man in a cloak stepped forward. Nova held her breath, as she was sure everyone around her did. The big merchant stood boldly and bravely, tempting fate with his baritone voice.

“Why don’t you put her down and fight someone who can defend himself, you greasy son of a bitch!”

Nova froze and waited to see what would happen next.

Prometheus growled out a curse, dropped the girl to the ground, and turned toward the sound of the huge merchant’s voice. He motioned his two other comrades forward.

“Who are you? Who, among the lot of cowards, has the audacity to speak to Prometheus Worthy in such a way?”

“I spoke. I’m the one you want, you gutless mass of garbage. Fight a man if you will.”

Nova finally found the courage to move back when the rest of the crowd did. She could only see the speaker from a distance and couldn’t get a good look at his face. He still had his hood pulled up, but his voice rang out with the commanding courage of an avenging angel. To her eyes, he stood tall, broad of shoulder and marvelously gallant. She watched him saunter forward as if he’d take on the world. It gave the young girl Prometheus almost killed time to get to her feet. She and her grandfather fled the slug leader’s wrath by disappearing into the growing crowd.

“You foolish, wonderful man,” Nova muttered under her breath. “No one will help you.”

The miners, merchants, and the rest of the crowd would stand by and watch him die. Just as they’d stood by and watched while her father, mother, and other several other brave miners had met their fates.

Indeed, her parents had been among the first and the last citizens to defend their small colony. After that initial example of power and control, the slugs owned them all. She sighed and felt deep pity for this stranger among them. Surely he was new to this world, or he wouldn’t have been so valiant. It was an unfortunate fact that the defender’s death would not only be excruciating, it would be degrading. Prometheus would see to that. He’d make the brave man an example.

“Come forward, human. Let me see you.”

The bold man in their midst did as the slug asked, and finally pushed his hood back. He stood before Prometheus, lifted his chin, and glared into the ugly alien’s black eyes.

Nova gasped at the audacity shown. But she felt her heart leap at the show of courage few had seen for a very long time.

“Ah, the new gem merchant,” the slug said.

The bold man slowly smiled, then spoke loudly. “While you seem to know me, I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure.”

“Our acquaintance will be short-lived. Before another hour passes, your body will hang in the town square. Then, my comrades and I will quarter you and dine on your flesh tonight,” Prometheus promised.

“I don’t think so.”

Prometheus lurched forward. “And why is that, merchant?”

“Because you’ll have to kill me first. And I don’t intend to die today. And certainly not at the hands of an oversized snail.”

The slugs behind Prometheus growled in anger.

Nova instinctively winced, but she couldn’t leave. The man standing up to the slug leader deserved to be heard. He deserved to have his final hour witnessed and remembered.

Prometheus glanced over his shoulder at his companions. “Finally, a human that’s worthy of a warrior’s death.” He turned his head back toward the tall human before him and studied the man carefully. “I think there’s a better way to deal with you. Something that will make a lasting impression.” He motioned to one of his compatriots. “Codge … come forward. It would amuse me to watch this puny human fight before we kill him.”

“I hear and obey my leader.”

The slug known as Codge walked in front of Prometheus, hissed loudly at the rebel in their midst, and drew out a long sword from a sheath at his side.

Prometheus drew one of his own swords, from among several he carried, and tossed it to the human.

As on all worlds these days, swords of all kinds were ancient weapons Limaxians carried, along with more modern side arms. Their presence struck fear in the hearts of any adversaries. It was one thing to see someone cut down with a tekion phaser. That was quick, painless, and virtually bloodless. But it was quite another to see someone beheaded. There were few sights more hideous or fearful to a crowd that an enemy wished to keep subservient. And everyone who’d witnessed such an event never forgot it. Nova had seen it too often and knew firsthand.

“Let’s see what you’re made of, gem merchant. Let’s see if you can fight a Limaxian brawler with the same courage you boast. Fight well, and I’ll kill you quickly. Fight poorly, and you’ll die shrieking in agony.”

The brave man took a fighting stance, took off his cape, and tossed it aside.

Nova still couldn’t see the stranger’s face clearly. The retreating crowd was so dense that their retreat forced her to reverse with them. But the one feature she made out were the striking green eyes of the lone human facing Codge. They were as bright as new blades of grass or buds on a tree. And even from that distance, she could see the firm set of his strong jaw, and the long black hair that flowed straight down his broad back and shoulders.

She prayed that this courageous stranger would live. That he would somehow survive what was to come. “Please, don’t let him die,” she whispered.

The brave man lifted his sword, glared at Codge, and readied himself.

Prometheus sat on a nearby metal cargo box and raised his hand. “Take him, Codge.”

Codge growled, immediately faced the human before him, and brought his sword up.

The weapon the human fighter had been given was meant for a man twice his weight. But there was room on the hilt for two hands. He balanced himself but maintained a light stance, probably so he could move quickly.

Nova put one hand to her mouth as she watched the fight unfold.

Codge lunged at his quarry and swung high. The man she immediately dubbed
Green Eyes
instead of just
the brave man
ducked and moved to the slug’s left.

Codge faced Green Eyes again and thrust forward with his entire weight.

Nova saw Green Eyes parry the sword aside and strike low. The tip of his blade nicked Codge’s stomach. A gray blotch appeared on the fighting slug’s brown shirtfront just above his enormous buckle. There was an overwhelming stench of rotting meat, and Nova knew the human had scored a minor victory.

Codge looked down at his small wound and emitted a howl of anger. Just as she was sure Green Eyes intended, the alien lunged at him blindly several times. The human dodged or parried the blows away from his body.

Nova heard a murmur from the crowd, and someone shouted out a cry on behalf of the human defender. Other people rallied and called out encouraging words.

Finally!

This was what the people needed. Someone who could take them from the depths of despair, motivate them out of their hopeless state, and join them together again. Instead of acting selfishly, they began to speak with one voice and heart. More cries came, and she saw the human fighter continue his taunting game with the oversized, slimy savage.

As Codge repeatedly attempted to regain a position of power, Green Eyes removed each effort with one expert blow after another. Soon, Nova saw the huge slug begin to tire. He became clumsy, and his ill-timed strikes were further misdirected because of his uncontrolled anger.

“I thought you said you could fight,” Green Eyes taunted. “I’ve scraped things from the bottom of my boot with more class than you.”

Enraged by the insult, Codge bellowed and lunged uncontrollably.

Green Eyes knelt on one knee, letting the slug’s blade miss him by inches. And before the creature could recover and deliver one more strike, Green Eyes turned his blade sideways and cut deeply into the mucous-coated body. Gray blood gushed forth.

Green Eyes stood, backed away, and kept his sword up. But the fight was over. Codge was down on both knees, his sword lay on the ground, and his appendage-like hands gripped his ugly wound.

Prometheus slowly stood. He walked toward his fallen comrade and looked down. “Codge … get up and finish him.”

“I-I can’t, my leader. My wound prevents it.”

Prometheus snarled, withdrew another sword from a sheath on his back, and swung it once.

Everyone watched as the slug leader’s minion lost his head. It rolled in the dust of the street. Women near Nova screamed in horror; she wasn’t one of them. Green Eyes had surely sealed his fate in the most horrifying way. Prometheus would never kill him quickly now, not when the embarrassment of such a defeat had been witnessed. And not when the leader of the slugs had to slaughter one of his
own
cutthroats to reassert his position.

Prometheus circled the body of his comrade while glaring at the crowd. He slowly turned his attention back to the human who’d succeeded in rallying the people. He pointed the tip of his sword at Green Eyes. “You’ll pray for death, human. You’ll know the meaning of agony before this day is done.” He looked at the other slug present and issued a severe order. “Cell disrupter—on stun.”

Nova and the crowd quickly backed away once more. She stared at the helpless green-eyed warrior and sent a prayer for him to the Creator Goddess. Their hero turned to face the slug to which Prometheus had spoken.

Green Eyes bravely charged the second slug, but not before that gray hulk pulled a side arm and fired. Nova flinched and physically lurched when the hero’s entire body convulsed. He’d received the full brunt of the electrocuting stunner. In an instant he lay quite still. There’d be worse done to him this night. Tears filled her eyes.

The courageous, green-eyed combatant would indeed wish himself dead, and very soon. She and everyone around her knew what would happen. They’d all seen it before. In this instance, however, the horror would be inflicted on someone who’d stood up for someone
else
. Just as her parents had.

Prometheus turned on the crowd with his cellular disrupter drawn. “No one leaves. No one.”

Nova watched as the slug leader and his assistant dragged the limp human fighter by the arms to two granite support columns located in front of one of the stores Like all the others on that block, the columns had been charred by similar activities as what would soon take place. The unconscious man was pulled into a standing position. His wrists were then strapped to the columns.

“Wait until he regains his wits. I want him awake,” the slug leader commanded.

Nova put her hands to her face when Prometheus grabbed the front of the green-eyed stranger’s shirt and pulled it off with one swift move. She still couldn’t see the human’s face because his head lolled forward. But his upper body was perfection. The muscle of his pectoral area, his biceps, and abdomen looked as though they’d been sculpted from metal. His tanned skin glowed in the light of the Delta Seven sun. And though the leader of the pirate slugs told the humans not to leave, they all still backed away. By now, there was quite a distance between the victim and the witnesses, as always. From her perspective, the helpless fighter appeared even smaller, though he still towered over men and women standing at the edge of the circle behind him.

Even if the brave man opened his eyes now she doubted she’d see their striking shade of green. That’s how far she and the crowd with her had moved away. She didn’t dare fight her way forward. There was nothing she could do now for the only brave soul among them.

“Bring me the diffuser,” Prometheus ordered his aide. “I want it set for a direct, non-spray stream. It will create the most impact against his bare flesh.”

The slug aide bowed and lumbered away to do as his leader bid.

Prometheus then put his hand on the back of the unconscious man’s head, grabbed a section of black hair, and pulled it so that his intended victim’s face was upward. “Wake up, human excrement. Wake up, I tell you!”

He slapped his captive, and Nova repeatedly shuddered when everyone else did. The fighter came awake and shook his head free from the big slug’s grasp. He struggled against the bonds holding him, but the ropes had been tied tight enough that bright red blood was now visible from his wrist wounds.