Celestial Galaxies

Chapter 5

There was darkness filling the throne room. Smallest orbs of light were failing to fill the structure of the large hall, when even their reflection was swallowed by blackest stone.

The group smeared with dirt and bloods of various species looked immensely out of place in the polished expensive surrounding. They tried to keep their soulless faces, when each felt the same intimidation creeping upon them.

"Master, we have returned."

The leader had spoken into the powerful darkness laying still ahead of him, both tentacles on his head calculatedly left unalert. He bowed and tried to keep his emotionless face as smooth as possible.

Heavy fabric was shifted on the polished floor in the dark. The leader could hear it's density, could even hear it's black colour.

An orb flamed in the dark. The light was almost blinding due to it's unexpectedness.

"So I see Myrlszk."

Their master sat in a seat carved from the black polished stone the room was made of. Their being crowned with black shards and an opaque veil, which hid their face, was an intimidating picture. Everyone held their breath when they rose from their throne.

"Where is it?"

The leader stood still in his place. He was hoping his sweat was not visible on his head yet.

He coughed a little: "We couldn't get much information from our targets. They're both dead."

"You killed them both", the master said knowingly, the sound of disapproval in his voice sending a shiver through everyone, "You could have taken hostages and tortured answers out of them, but instead you have failed to think before your actions. Again."

They descended down the solid stairs, the sound of their thin heels echoing with every step. The Hunters shifted and their unease forced them to step back.

"We couldn't take them, they were half dead. The one got into an accident herself, her ship was all blown up when we found her, we couldn't do-"

He stumbled over his sentences under the master's veiled gaze. Even if no one had seen their face before, it was common knowledge that evil laid in those eyes.

The Hunters' leader swallowed, his bead-like eyes lowering towards the floor. "There was nothing left to take traces from. We couldn't have done much. We couldn't-"

He swallowed his words. The tall terrestrial being in darkest black was standing in front of him almost like a bony hawk cowering over it's prey.

He felt small in his dirty uniform, tentacles on the back of his head now twitching unwillingly. His flat nostrils flared.

"You are disappointing me as leader, Myrlszk. You should go back to your family for a while."

His heart was pumping in his chest. He was forcing himself to breathe evenly in the thin air, keep some dignity in front of the master.

He gasped lightly: "But Lord Tarqos... my family is dead."

Sharpest claws sliced into his body. They were twisting his insides while cutting his organs and he gurgled in pain and surprise.

"I can't use any more disappointment", the master hissed, loud enough for the Hunters to hear.

The leader sunk to the floor, bend over and clutching his leaking wounds. Dark liquid quickly formed a puddle on the shiny floor, almost melting into the surface.

Over the pain filled gurgling sounds, Lord Tarqos proceeded back to their throne. They cleaned their hands on their robes carefully, dabbing drying blood from their long sharp nails.

"Quannah", they commanded into the darkness beside the throne, as they ascended the steps again.

The shot of a vaporation gun zapped through the cold atmosphere immediately and the dying leader was left only a few crumbs of ash next to his puddle.

"Good."

A figure walked out of the shadows, several limbs shiny and mechanic, her skin and hair so dark it appeared black as well. The group of Hunters was nervously shivering now. Their self control had dissolved entirely into dust.

"Lead them," Lord Tarqos said urgently to the cyborg to their right, pointing towards the fearful group standing across the throne room.

The cyborg woman didn't talk, but bowed deeply, as she shortly took her black Cowboy hat off. The threaded beads on the hem clicked metallically while she was walking towards the large entrance, eyes of fierce determination.

The Lord took place on their throne again, collecting the long heavy robes. Had their face been visible, their eyes would have gleamed manically.

"Follow her", they said, all Hunters suddenly hurrying to leave the throne room behind their new leader, "Search the traces again. And this time you will bring me my Key."