“Then come in,” I call back. “Let's finish this.”
Eleven days until the portal opens.
Eleven days to decide my future.
But first, I have to survive the next few hours.
MARA
DAY 19 - MORNING
They enter together. All four. No strategy, no coordination, just arrogance. They think numbers alone make them unstoppable. Think a human female will cower and submit faced with four hunters.
Vek leads, his green scales dull with exhaustion and poor feeding. Days of watching and waiting have worn him down, but his desperation makes him dangerous. Behind him, the yellow-scaled one from the volcanic fields, fully healed but wary. His eyes dart around the den, looking for traps. Two others I recognize from glimpses: one brown with copper undertones, one blue-green like deep water.
Vek stops just inside the entrance, nostrils flaring as he takes in the den's scents. “No screaming.” His tail sweeps the ground, aggressive display. “No calling for your hunter.” He steps closer, claws clicking on stone. “He cannot hear you.”
I shift my weight, hand drifting toward my left pocket. “Wasn't planning on screaming.”
They spread out, trying to surround me. The den is large enough for it, carved from natural cave systems Khor expanded over years. Multiple chambers, but only one exit. They're between me and it now.
The brown one edges along the left wall, his movements jerky with nerves. “Four of us.” His voice cracks slightly. Young. Maybe his first hunt. He keeps glancing at the others for reassurance. “You cannot fight us all.”
I back toward the rear wall, letting them think they're herding me. My fingers brush against the wrapped spines in my pocket. “Don't need to fight you all.” I count their positions, calculate distances. “Just need to survive until Khor returns.”
Vek laughs, the sound harsh in the enclosed space. He's moving closer, each step deliberate. “He won't return in time.” His breeding cock is starting to emerge, responding to my scent. “Checkpoint is full day journey.” Another step. His pupils are dilating. “Even running, he cannot make it back before we've claimed you.”
The yellow one laughs, the sound like grinding glass. He's rubbing his wrists together, a nervous habit that makes his scales rasp. “We'll take turns.” He licks his lips, forked tongue tasting the air. “See who can make you respond best.” His weight shifts from foot to foot. “Body will choose its favorite.”
My hand finds my left pocket. The paralytic spines are wrapped in cloth, arranged so I can grab them safely by the base. Three spines. Four hunters. Need to be smart about this. I pull the first spine free, keeping it hidden behind my thigh.
Vek's spines partially extend, aggression display. “You could make this easy.” He gestures to the furs behind me. “Submit now.” His tail coils and uncoils. “We'll be gentle.”
I adjust my grip on the spine. “Like you were gentle when you marked our territory with your piss?”
His scales flush darker. Anger. Good. Angry makes mistakes. His claws extend fully, clicking against each other.
He tilts his head, that alien movement that usually means calculation. But now it's just rage. “That was challenge.” Hismuscles coil, preparing to move. “This is claiming.” He bares his teeth. “Different things.”
I shift my stance, ready. “This is neither.” The blue-green one is closest, edging around to my left. He thinks he's being subtle. He's not. His breathing has gotten heavy, and he keeps wiping his palms on his thighs.
Vek raises his hand, claws spread. “Grab her.”
They move at once.
The blue-green reaches me first. I let him grab my arm, let him think he's won. His grip is strong but shaking slightly. Then I drive the paralytic spine into his shoulder. Deep, through scales into muscle. The spine snaps off at the base, staying embedded.
His eyes widen in shock before the paralysis hits. His grip loosens, arm dropping. “What...” His left side goes dead instantly. He staggers, tries to compensate, but his balance is gone. His left leg buckles. He hits the den wall and slides down, left arm and leg useless.
The brown one jumps back, nearly tripping over his own tail. “She has weapons!” He's pressed against the far wall now, eyes wild. “You didn't say she'd have weapons!”
Vek snarls, the sound echoing off stone. “She's human.” He's crouched now, reassessing. “What weapons could she have?”
The yellow one is smarter. He's watching my hands now, tracking my movements. Sees me reach for my right pocket. He starts to dodge, turning his head away. Most of the crystals miss, but some catch his face. The impact is wet, immediate.
He hisses, pawing at his eyes as they start to burn. Tears stream down his face, mixing with the sulfur residue. “Bitch!” He's stumbling backward, clawing at his face. “Violent bitch!”
Two down, sort of. Two still fully functional.
