Warriors

I realized how it must look to this stranger, me carrying a sword that belonged to his kind. He would think I'd stolen it, maybe even killed for it.

Not only that, now I was armed and potentially dangerous. A threat he had to neutralize before things turned sour.

And without Wolf there, I couldn't even properly explain.

"Wah—wait . . ." I couldn't breathe; my mouth bobbed as the strange humanoid studied me.

The cannon on his shoulder whirred to life and I readied myself to spring. "Just-just hold on . . ."

When I heard the blast of his weapon, I hit the ground. However, his shot veered way off target and blasted the ceiling above me instead. I covered my head with my hands as some debris rained down on me, but I was largely unharmed.

I was somewhat surprised that I was still in one piece, but glad for it nonetheless. I scrambled up, trying to ready myself for further attacks.

An argument had broken out, and I recognized the second voice that had joined in.

Wolf was there! Had he been the whole time?

Still, I moved slowly as I rose to my feet, trying not to look threatening. I picked up Jess' phone and put it in my pocket, making a mental note to turn it off when I was next able.

Wolf was probably the reason the shot missed me by such a margin. I kept quiet while they had their discussion, but at some point the other humanoid had decided he wasn't buying what Wolf was selling and he marched down the hall toward me.

My first instinct was to raise my weapon in defense, but I lowered it just as fast, afraid I'd make my situation worse.

My companion kept pace and shoved the new guy against the wall. The other one shoved back and before I knew it, they were chest-to-chest, growling and posturing. I was actually a bit worried for Wolf: this new guy was a head taller and built like a fucking truck.

All I could do was watch, unsure if I should say anything. "Um . . ."

After the initial bout, they rough-housed for a moment, pushing and chattering, and then they parted and the new humanoid turned his gaze toward me.

Like Wolf, he sported a similar, impassive mask, but there were a few design differences in the brow. The color drained from my face: I was not liking the way he clicked thoughtfully.

He faced me in full and I flinched at the sound of wrist blades springing from his gauntlet. I looked from him to Wolf and swallowed. Wolf was at ease, watching and muttering.

Though I waited for an explanation, neither even made an attempt to communicate.

There wasn't much time for me to think. I barely even had enough time to bring my weapon up before the other alien swung his at me.

Our metal clashed and I stumbled back, but couldn't move well on the shallow incline, especially with my oversized boots. They had good traction, though, so I didn't slip, but that was the only grace allotted to me.

Despite the strength behind it, I had seen Wolf move faster and hit harder. There was no malice or ill intent in his attacks. He may have even been telegraphing them on purpose.

Still scared me shitless, being attacked by this big brute.

I parried another half-assed swing with little to no poise, then another, all the while I was backing uphill in an awkward, crouched posture.

Again he swung, and this time I found the leverage to dive under his arm and scrambled around him mid-swing, tumbling my way to Wolf's side.

He rattled in amusement and lifted his arm, inviting me to duck behind him, but I stayed in front, unwilling to cower like a child.

Wolf growled at his friend and they had a short conversation far beyond my comprehension. My shoulders heaved with each breath, but the worst of it seemed to be over.

The other humanoid—I decided to call him Brutus—sheathed his wrist blade and came to stand a couple feet away.

He harrumphed as if he wasn't really satisfied, but he wasn't trying to hurt me anymore so I guessed he'd come to terms that I was Wolf's plus one. He kept his shoulders squared to show his disdain, but said nothing on the matter.

"Nice to meet you, too," I said, feeling far more snarky than I had any right to.

Brutus snorted and shoved past us, Wolf pulling me out of his way before he could knock me down. I glared after the him.

"Thanks," I said to Wolf. It wasn't for anything particular, just for that encounter as a whole.

They led me down the hall. We didn't make it far before I had to skirt around a giant mass in the middle of the path. I stopped short, instantly on edge, but Wolf and Brutus merely wedged around it.

Despite my poor sight, I was able to decide what it was as I neared. It was a massive beast, and I could just make out the features of it when I stopped to look.

Massive forearms, elongated head, an extra set of legs . . . It was the Echo.

Wolf and Brutus had killed it.

For a moment I gawked unabashedly. It was completely lifeless, mouth open and acidic blood oozing from the open gash on its neck. There was only a few thin strands of sinew keeping the head attached to the shoulders.

A clean kill. It must have found Brutus up ahead, and then Wolf came in from behind. The Echo wouldn't have stood a chance against a sneak attack from its back.

Out of nowhere, I felt a pang of—jealously? Envy? I wasn't sure what it was burning in my chest and knotting my stomach. Maybe disappointment, regret. All four, maybe.

I had missed it all—the fight, a chance to participate and make up for running with my tail between my legs.

Now it was all over and—

From down the hall came a set of hisses. I forgot my wallowing and squeezed around the Echo, keeping an eye on it just in case it could still snap even when missing its head. Like a snake.

When I popped out on the other side, Brutus and Wolf were side by side, facing into the darkness. From it came a handful of bugs, crawling on the walls and toward us on the floor.

All of us tensed for a fight, but the bugs came to a slow halt.

Their cries started, then built up, and I was certain they were going to attack. I steadied my shaking hands.

All at once, they cut off. A second later, another cry rose from the depths. The alien bugs froze, then backed away, hissing all the while. I waited for them to go, or to come back with greater numbers, but the two aliens in front of me seemed to relax, so I did too.

After a few seconds of nothing, the two proceeded forward. Wolf glanced over his shoulder to check on me, but I was chugging along like an obedient puppy.

I was still sour about the Echo, but I'd forgotten about the drones and warrior pests that still needed to be killed. I'd have a shot at proving myself again.

This time I wasn't going to chicken out and take off running. At least, that was the plan.

"Why did they all retreat like that?" I asked after a couple of seconds.

Brutus complained to Wolf but went ignored.

Wolf brought up his wrist computer and swiped a command. A second later, he was projecting a hologram for me. I was hit with a brief wave of heat as the cross-section of one of the serpents materialized.

It was not unlike the others wandering around all over the place. The picture made it hard to judge size, but it appeared longer, taller. This alien was more insect-like than the others with muscular back legs and more than one set of arms. Instead of the smooth, elongated heads of the others, it sported a huge bone crest.

After a moment I realized I'd seen it somewhere before.

"This . . . ," I tried to gather my thoughts before continuing. "This is the thing you have on the wall back in the room, right?"

He nodded and pressed another button and a new hologram flickered to life. It was of the same giant beast, but instead it was hunched over as if in sleep; behind it, there was a huge sack thst spat out eggs one at a time.

The hologram shimmered and revealed a large hologram of the ova, then he turned it off.

If the egg sack was any indication, this creature was so much bigger than the serpents. At least that explained where all the eggs were coming from.

They didn't reproduce or lay eggs themselves, but relied on that alien. They were the workers, and this thing was their queen. Termites, ants, bees . . . They all did the same thing.

My eyes widened and I echoed my thoughts to Wolf. "A queen? Is this a giant hive?"

He nodded.

A queen. He and some others had her skull as the centerpiece to their showcases. The queen would be the toughest and biggest of the entire hive, a last line of defense. Killing one of those wouldn't be an easy feat.

Wolf had two of them. Did that make him some sort of super hunter?

And now we were on our way to kill her. If we did that, and then cleared out the workers, all of this would be over.

It bothered me a little bit, though, knowing there was something even bigger than the Echo out there. I'd thought of it as a final boss of sorts, but now this secret boss was coming out of the woodwork.

Just great.

The queen's angry and commanding screeches were growing closer and closer, and the halls were beginning to take a different shape. The lights were still out, but Wolf kept near enough that I could see him and travel safely.

Occasionally, though, I would become uneasy—restricted sight and a downhill crawl didn't go together—and brace myself against him.

If he minded, he didn't make it obvious.

Brutus walked in front of us, seven or eight paces ahead. He never once looked back in our direction, nor did he attempt to speak with Wolf again.

/Let him brood,/ I thought bitterly. What did I care if he was happy about me being there?

As the ambiance of the ship transformed into a resin-coated hive, I knew we had to be nearing the queen's lair. They had covered every inch of the halls with the stuff, creating intricate biomechanical niches, edges, and narrow folds. It made our trip far more claustrophobic than it had ever been.

I hadn't thought it possible, but it was even more muggy than before. Whatever the aliens used to create the crust, it retained heat and moisture like nothing I knew.

Though the slime was, by nature, slippery, the dry and solid resin as well as the traction of my boots kept me from sliding all over the place.

I tried not to rely too heavily on Wolf as a support pillar, but I was also trying to stay close. Those things could be anywhere and I wouldn't be able to see them.

However, we made our final approach down a straight, endless hallway without running into anymore of the parasites.

"What's the plan?" I whispered, holding my weapon close to my chest.

Wolf turned, then growled and pulled me by the wrist until I was back in position.

"Stop that!" I groaned, pulling away.

He chittered a sharp reprimand, and then he cuffed my ear with an open palm. It wasn't particularly painful, but entirely irritating.

I grunted and swung my arm into the right position. "Stop hitting me!"

There was another moment while we just stared at each other—well I glared, I had no real idea what he was doing with his face—then he nodded his approval and turned away from me.

Brutus had stopped to watch, and after a moment, he turned back to the path ahead. Soon as both of their backs were turned, I waved my middle finger at them.

One of these times I was going to smack him back, but for the time being I figured it wasn't in my best interest.

Well, I'd just have to focus all of that anger on the other aliens on this ship. The ones that we were actively trying to kill.

"Do you even know where we're going?" I demanded instead.

Though he didn't look back at me, he just lifted his hand and motioned for me to keep walking. My shoulders slumped and I sighed. I'd just have to be patient, but that was a commodity I was running low on. I was tired, every single part of my body hurt, and I was emotionally spent.

/Just a little bit longer. Kill the queen and the warriors and it'll all be over./

And then what? Go home? Shake hands with the aliens, then walk off and wait for the military to show up and take me away?

There wasn't anything left back home except angry parents and isolation.

Without realizing it, I'd spaced out. It wasn't until I ran into a stationary Wolf that I snapped out of my reverie. I searched around for the danger, but Wolf was standing stock still, staring down the hall.

"What—" He cut me off with a sharp gesture and I pursed my lips.

After a moment I realized that the screeching had stopped. Silence weighed down upon us, and all I heard was my erratic pulse roaring in my ears.

Apprehension returned and I started to lift the blade up to my chest. When Wolf turned his head a few centimeters, as if to watch me, I blushed and lowered it again. I had to force myself to relax and not close up like fear wanted me to.

Another brief moment and the three of us were moving forward again. Wolf extended his wrist blades and moved with calculated steps, slow and prepared.

Brutus was walking closer to us now, his own weapon drawn and stance low as he stalked forward. Wolf pushed me in front so I was between him and Brutus, though I didn't feel safe there, either.

We had to be close to the queen's chamber. I swallowed my terror and forged onward.