COLONY WARS

CHAPTER 52-BABAK

LEIF POV

I tied the man's hands onto the bed with a piece of cloth that I had ripped from the sheets of the room. He had not stopped complaining, faking his cries, and trying to attack me once again.

"This will not work, we will be caught, and our heads will chopped off." He spoke as I took off the coat that I wore before looking at the bloody bandage around my shoulder. I gently touched it with my fingertips before slowly licking the blood on my fingertips.

I caught his reflection on the mirror. He stared in utter disbelief.

"Why are you..."

"I'm starving," I answered, savoring the taste of my blood.

"You...you're not a Draugr now, are you?"

"What is that?"

"You don't know them?"

"No,"

"They feed on blood, pale species with pale hair and eyes."

"Listen," I turned to face him, "I know there is a way out of here. A ship, surely ye can get me close to one."

"It won't be easy."

"I know." I said, "All ye have to do is lead me to a ship and then I will do everything else. Fair?"

"Fair...wait! You have to promise that you will not kill me once you are done with me."

"As long as ye do not do anything funny."

"I won't."

"Good."

I sat down on the floor before rubbing my eyes. I was really starving and thirsty and exhausted. My eyeballs burned and I had to close my eyes to ease the pain.

"I can get you food."

"No,"

"You look really terrible, untie me and I will get you something to eat."

"No," I helped myself up, before wearing the coat quickly. "I will go down and buy something to drink while ye stay here. Ye do anything crazy and I will kill ye. Understood?"

"Yes,"

I stepped out of the room and walked down the passage, the voices of men and women laughing entered my ears from the other rooms. I walked down the narrow stairs and reached the bar where the young women sat on the table, staring at her reflection on the small mirror on her hand.

"Excuse me," I deepened my voice, resting my elbow over the table.

"Greetings," she said, putting the mirror away.

"I need some alcohol." I pulled out the silver pieces from the trousers' pockets before handing them to her.

She took them before jumping off the table and pulling out a glass bottle from the shelves behind her. I watched as she tiptoed, just to reach the glass. How cute!

She turned around to face me before pushing the bottle towards me, her lips curling into a flirty smile. I took it, avoiding the smile before heading back up the stairs, as fast as I could. My footsteps echoed as I stepped back inside the room before closing it behind.

"That was quick," Babak spoke in a bored tone,

"I'm surprised ye still here," I said, opening the bottle before gulping up the liquor.

I then walked over to the mirror and placed the remaining on the table before me and then I grabbed the curtain and tore it into long straps. I pulled down the coat that I wore before taking off the loose chemise shirt.

"Are you a mercenary?" Babak asked from behind.

"Mercenary?" I asked, pouring some of the liquid on the curtain piece before pressing it into my wound.

I hissed from the pain.

"I've heard of men that give out their skills in exchange of riches. Kings send them to all planets, where they carry out the required missions."

"Ye listen to a lot of stores Babak," I sniffed, cleaning my wound before placing the alcohol drenched cloth on the mirror table. I then wrapped back the bandage, putting the clean part on the wound.

"You did lie earlier about being an Airian."

"I am,"

"You are not. I know Airians. You look nothing like them."

"What am I then?"

"I don't know. I would say maybe Celtic...from the way that you talk and Amdelonian from the way that you are built."

"Ye know a lot about species, why?"

"I used to be a scholar...before any of this."

"Really?" I snorted, putting back on the shirt.

"Yes, Kayan was a little better years ago." There was sadness in his voice, "We actually had a bit of resources, libraries, temples...education."

"What kind of scholar were you?"

"Me? I was studying about planets. I was good at it, you could have seen me, wearing my robe, and carrying my books, heading up the temples. That was before Amir came to power. That fat man has milked Kayan of the little there is!"

It was surprising, listening to what Life had been like for a man like Babak.

"Is that why ye are living off by selling girls? Because of ye king?"

"Yes. It is because of his stupidity. My grandma told me that Amir signed a deal with the Emperor, to supply Amdelon of slaves two times that of the previous king as long as she is to protect Kayan from external threats."

"And....has she? Lived up to the deal?"

"No, if she did, the Draugrs would not be threatening our existence."

"Slaves, where do ye get so many slaves?"

"We raid smaller towns, just as we did that town where you were at. Before you judge me, remember I have to survive. Temples are now meaningless, no one even bothers to read and most of them have been turned to slave ports."

"Tell me something,"

"Yes?" he rose and eyebrow.

"Based on yer knowledge...what would ye say I was."

"You?"

"Aye," I straightened up my posture, subconsciously.

He examined me and I felt a little bit self-conscious suddenly.

"You...I really have no idea. What are you?"

"Celtic. I am Celtic," I confessed, feeling a bit disappointed by his response. "What is it so hard to tell?"

"Well..."

"Maybe it was good that they turned the temples into ports because ye clearly have no idea of what ye are saying."

"Forgive me for failing to identify what creature you are," he said rudely,

"I will kill ye Babak." I warned.

He smiled shortly.

"What is it?"

"You say my name in a funny way."

"Babak?"

"Never mind, leave it. So...when are we leaving?"