“Sorry, Elyek. Do you need to go get rest before we make our way down to the planet?”
“Not at all. I have only just awoken myself. It was nice the other day to have the responsibility of watching over the ship taken away, if only for a few hours. We have talked about it before, it’s really a just-in-case scenario that we need to have someone here at all times. Plus, with regular cups of this fetid drink, I feel like I could stay up forever. I hated it at first, but I have discovered that the more I drink it, the more I have found myself looking forward to my next cup.”
“It gets you like that,” I agreed. “Do you want anything to eat? I think we're gonna grab something. I expect to hear from Calegg, soon.”
“No. I'm not hungry, thanks,” Elyek replied.
Ember and I went to the canteen. No sooner had we grabbed some scrambled eggs and toast than Elyek’s voice came over my comm.
“Captain. Calegg has just called and requested we make our way down to the planet as soon as we’re able.”
“Coming Elyek, do you want anything from the canteen?”
“No, I’m fine thanks.”
Without further ado, we scooped up our plates and coffees and headed to the bridge to enjoy our breakfasts with Elyek, as they took us down to the planet for an ass-kicking lunch.
C4
No Havok, No Problem.
Within an hour we were landing on Torax again, scrambled eggs a distant memory. Elyek handled the ship expertly. Admittedly far better than Calegg, but that was of little consequence. We were a team, all that mattered was that we worked together and did our jobs.
When we landed, Moulagg, Koparr and of course Calegg were there, waiting for us. Calegg came over and, to my surprise, hugged me before speaking.
“Everything is set, and we’ve 30 of our best Torax warriors ready to serve. They’ll follow you without question, if you defeat the leader. He’s ferocious, but he’s also very excited to be part of our crew, as are all of the others,” he spoke in a whisper as he leaned in conspiratorially. “Put on a good show. That’s all that’s needed. They’re all more than happy to be coming along. We have 30 willing crew members, and they're all top Torax warriors.”
“That’s good to know, Calegg old buddy. I don’t really want to hurt anyone too badly. Nor get hurt too much myself,” I laughed. “Now, lead the way, and let’s get this over with.”
Moulagg spoke next, “Unfortunately Shaun, I was outvoted by the council on the location of the duel. This whole endeavor has turned into something of a spectacle, and the whole city wants to be involved. I hope you can handle the heat here. I have at least been able to get you a cool dressing room. I am sorry this has grown to be quite different to the arrangement you originally agreed. I will understand if you wish to bow out. No honor will be lost, as the environment strongly favors our people. However, as long as you put on a performance, everything will be okay.”
“Well, I can't say I’m happy about it, but I won't back out,” I turned a little angrily to Calegg. “Why didn't you tell me about the venue in the extreme heat?”
He shrugged, “Wouldn’t have made any difference. I knew you’d still do it, and I’ve true faith you’ll perform admirably, and even if it was a real fight, probably win, somehow.”
“Okay… Thanks then, I think?”
Calegg patted me on the back as I shook hands with Moulagg and Koparr, then we set off to my seemingly fixed fight.
I still didn’t want to do this, and the fact that it was fixed made it worse in some ways. To make matters worse, I’d gotten myself incredibly worked up, and now I’d have to massively rein in my bubbling adrenalin.
The arena was like the rough, stone-hued Colosseum of ancient Rome. Although it lacked the fine architectural details, there was no doubt it was an important building to the Torax. Judging by the mass of bodies streaming into the entrance, I had the feeling that this was a spectacle not to be missed.
I was still hotter than Satan’s ass crack. I was coping much better with it than last time, and those increases to my Constitution were a godsend. But it still wasn’t comfortable by any stretch.
Ember, Calegg and Elyek were told by Koparr to follow him down a corridor. I quickly handed off Havok to Ember.
“You’ve got this, Shaun,” Havok said cheerfully, then added, “If you get fucked up, I’ll just come over and sort you out.”
“Thanks, pal. You’re a real blessing,” I replied, genuinely strengthened by his words.
“Don’t sweat it, Captain,” Calegg said, giving me an over-the-top wink.
“I find it hard to do anything else but sweat on this planet, Calegg.”
He laughed in response, while Ember hugged me and said quietly, “Just hurry up with it so we can get going.”
Surprisingly, those few words of nonchalant confidence empowered me the most. They all followed Koparr, while Moulagg beckoned me in a different direction.
We entered a sort of changing or training room. The first thing I noticed was that it felt noticeably cooler than outside, as promised, which I was very relieved about. When the door closed behind us, he turned to face me, a serious expression on his face. “I won’t lie, Captain Shaun, I don’t know how tough you are. Calegg said that with your axe you’re damn near unbeatable, but he was unsure what you could do with just your own body. The group I’ve picked out for you will do our people proud, and they’re very keen to go with you. So much so that our top man, Calparr, who you’ll be fighting, is happy to fight to a draw with you. That’ll appease everyone’s sense of honor. You’ll just need to
