Broken Time: Tales of a Bounty Hunter Book 3

Chapter 1 - Doomworld

The impact knocked the breath out of her. And for a moment, Noemi's vision was disoriented. It was enough time, though, for the Sak to climb on top of her and start choking her. With the light slowly going out, Noemi wrapped her legs around the Sak's head and pulled. They rolled across the stage. Whole moments where up was down and down was up, until the clone, stronger than Noemi got on its feet, pulling her along with it. Noemi, in her daze, but desperate to hold on, sat firmly on its shoulders and tightened her leg-grip.

She allowed herself a moment to breathe. She filled her lungs with the air she had been deprived off, and then stronger, tried to pull off the Sak's helmet. Before she could, a pulse threw her off. She hit her head against the stage floor. Unimaginable pain exploded that nearly drove her insane. Her vision switched between blackness and exploding stars.

Danm it!

She had forgotten about the pulse tech in the Saks armor. She needed to act fast, before her opponent could use the tech again. She was on her feet before the thought formed in her mind. Predictably, the Sak sent another pulse in her direction. She was ready for it, though. She jumped over the wave, fell down graciously while tripping her opponent at the same time. Then, she was on it like a cheetah. From her belt, she fished an EMP chip and crashed it onto the Clone's chest. The result was immediate. The EMP pulse fried all the technology in the suit reddening it useless. This time, when she tried to take off the helmet, it slipped off easily. The Sak underneath looked dazed. Noemi took the opportunity to push her wrist blade threateningly on its throat.

"KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" the audience chanted.

Noemi hesitated. She had beaten it. She was the winner. The Sak was at her mercy, but she didn't need to kill it.

"THE FIGHT IS TO THE DEATH, HUNTER!" the ringmaster reminded her.

But it was not right. The Clone was defenseless beneath her. In the end, the choise was taken out of her hands. The Sak, seeing her hesitation, tried to get the upper hand. Noemi pressed her blade tighter to keep it down and in the process slit its throat open.

The crown roared in delight. And as the Sak's blood was spreading on the arena, the ringmaster announced Noemi the winner.

#

The dark, star-less night looked even darker with the storm clouds that were raining down on Thelleirilia. Not that it ever stopped. Noemi, still warm from her fight, made her way across the Mother of Demons square, where the sculpture of Lilith stood immense. Though many gathered to pray to her, Noemi always found the statue creepy...as if its eyes were always following her. Across from the square, the giant clock tower paled in comparison as it remained inactive and forgotten. Noemi wondered what the point of having it was. None of the clocks worked as time was frozen -not moving. She had heard some theories that the Witches had kept the clocks to remind everyone of the previous world order -before it was liberated by the Demons. The Bounty Hunter didn't have any theories of her own. They seemed pretty pointless to her.

Before she knew it, her feet had carried her three streets down. The sign Venom flickered as if the red light was about to go out. Noemi paid it no mind and pushed the door open. She was immediately grateful for the cover it provided her from the rain. The inside heat opposite to the cold outside flared on her skin. It burned as if she had poured gasoline all over her. Noemi tightened her jaw and walked further inside.

The smell of sweat and blood hit her first. Then the rough sounds of wipes and moans reached her ears. She pushed the curtain away and the main room came into her view. Cages full of naked people of any race, others tied up, hanging from the ceiling.The dominators took their pleasure in cutting and beating those weaker than them. Noemi ignored it, like she always did. She pulled up her sleeve and placed her left hand on the scanner. The light traced over the Ouroboros tattoo and after confirming that it was real let her pass into the main room.