Finding Darkness

Chapter 16 Hunted

Tamar stood and slowly walked towards Malachi. From where she was, she saw that he was covered in gore from head to toe. It streamed off him in tiny rivers that coursed around his chiseled muscles. Hearing her walk towards him, he whirled, his blades coming to guard once again then relaxing when his eyes met hers.

Tamar had no idea what to say. What could she say? She'd known he was powerful, but just how powerful she'd had no idea. He was like a nuclear furnace stuffed within a man's frame. All that power, yet he showed none of it. He hadn't revealed anything to her on their travels. If she hadn't seen what he'd just down with her own eyes, she'd have never believed it, never, not from him. Only she couldn't deny this. He had just destroyed more than fourteen full companies of Saltek, along with their Rougarian commanders. He had even taken out every one of the drop-ships.

Before she could come up with something to say, Malachi stumbled, balanced himself, then dropped to one knee. His right hand went to the ground, and she watched him try to push himself back to his feet, but by the time she reached him he was over onto his back, his breaths coming in shallow pants.

"What's wrong?" Tamar yelled. Skidding to a stop, her feet kicked up dust and pebbles as she came to his side.

"That, was not as easy as it looked." The glow in his eyes dimmed, and he went very still. The only sigh of life was the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"He did this all for me, me?" She muttered, grabbing his hand and holding it. She'd be damned if she'd let him die for her. No one else would die for her, especially him.

"Captain, we're getting incoming data from our capture team. They seem to be having some difficulty." The young Rougarian tech pointed towards the main viewer and hit a final button on the console in front of him.

The main viewer came to life at the front of the bridge to a scene of absolute chaos. Saltek bodies fountained into the air and a piercing screech crackled over the silent Rougarian bridge.

"What is that thing?" Captain Vapade muttered.

Approaching the main bridge walk way he stared at the image before him. It was unlike anything any of them had ever seen. Red energy leaked from skin of coal black as it sprang to its feet. Standing at the epicenter of destruction, a sword of red held in each hands the entire bridge crew gasped.

"It looks human?" A voice from the tech pits.

"Quiet!" Vapade cut them off with a single curt command.

For the next few minutes, the commanding officer of the Rougarian battle carrier watched as a single human decimated three of the most highly skilled fighters his race had ever produced and made it look easy. The feed cut out when Silvar fell and the heavy smell of stress hormones hung in the air. He couldn't blame them. For many of his crew, this was their first combat mission. He'd been thankful that so far there had been no real combat to speak of. The Saltek cannon fodder had been more than enough to conquer this mud ball without his officers having to join in.

Many had been disappointed when he'd forbade them from joining in on the slaughter. But he had reasoned with them that none of them had ever witnessed a Saltek blood frenzy before. He had, and they were always effective, but not pretty.

Now a threat was presenting itself that seemed too much, even for three full Rougarians, and where were the other eleven officers? They had sent fourteen landers to the surface. It had seemed a bit of over kill at the time, but the Prince had ordered it. Now Vapade wondered if they shouldn't have sent more.