Page 14 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)
Chapter Fourteen
ROWAN
It’s hard to tell how much time’s passed since the last Naga left us. We all watched as the raised platform of debauchery slowly sank into the floor, leaving a truly massive arena sized space out in front of us. It’s so cold in here that Ruby and I are both shaking, pressed against one another trying desperately to stay warm.
Tickticktickticktick .
What . Is . That ?
I feel Ruby’s head lift from where she had it pressed against the top of mine, so I know she hears it too and it’s not just a figment of my imagination. Raising my head, I peer into the darkness, trying to see past the halo of light. The sneaky snakes did leave one light on, but it’s directly in front of us. So , it’s the same concept as the stage lights. We’re blinded to whatever is making that sound as it approaches us.
Apprehension fills me as the sound gets closer and closer. The thing that steps into the light makes me throw up in my mouth a bit. It’s a massive insect. This thing looks like a cross between a praying mantis and a scorpion. As if the two species came together and made the most perfect, horrifying combination possible. The upper limbs look like that of a praying mantis with the joints bending so that they fold down in front of the body while a freakishly huge tail ending in a stinger reaches over the back just like a scorpion. A triangular shaped head boasts two black, multifaceted eyes and a disproportionately bulbous abdomen rounds out this thing’s physical appearance.
The big one in front approaches us first and Ruby kicks it, her heel hitting one of the bug's lower legs. Her kick must have hurt it or pissed it off because it lets out a piercing shriek before lowering its head and inhaling deeply as if it’s sniffing us out as it undulates closer. Abruptly , a vile-looking black tube extends out from where its mouth should be and extends toward me as I try to shrink away from it. Ruby smacks it away with the back of her hand.
A viscous fluid dripping from its mandibles gets on the back of her hand and I watch as the skin there just … melts off. Without warning, the bug rears up and stabs one of its legs down into Ruby’s leg. The pointed tip of the extremity pierces her flesh like a hot knife through butter.
Her screams of agony fill the air as she holds onto me with everything she can. Ruby is violently torn from my arms, and I watch as she’s flung into a cage, floating on some sort of hoverboard. Seconds after she lands, she’s back up and gripping the bars, screaming my name.
“ ROWAN !”
In my distraction, I failed to notice another bug approaching me. It grabs me and flings me into a second cage next to the one Ruby is in. Landing against the hard metal, I can feel my bones rattle on impact and my head smacks the unforgiving metal. Forcing myself to focus, I grab the bars of the cage and pull myself to my feet and look over at Ruby , my heart in throat.
“ Ruby ! Your leg!”
To my dismay, I watch as she slides back down to the floor, her breath huffing in pain as she does so. “ Shush . There isn’t anything we can do about it right now. I think we may have just gotten the shit end of the stick, sis. The fact that we were left, and these things are what showed up to get us; it doesn’t say good things to me.”
Silently we watch as the other women and alien females are unceremoniously picked up and thrown into their individual cages as well. They’re treating us like pieces of meat, as if we don’t matter enough to warrant any kindness whatsoever. The woman the snake bit and then threw into a wall is also scooped up and pitched into a cage. It’s not necessarily the right thing to think, but I sure hope she’s dead. At least one of us would be spared whatever is coming our way.
Movement under me pulls my attention from Ruby as I watch while we’re transported from the arena of hell into a … well. I don’t really know how to describe this. It looks sorta like the marina Robert took me to once that had massive yachts and ornate ships docked in various places. There are slots where what can only be described as spaceships are docked on either side of an extremely wide aisle, with the arena being the sole massive structure at the end of the walkway.
It doesn’t take long to notice that all the other beings around us are either shrinking away from our little procession or reacting overly aggressively. Glancing over at Ruby , I vocalize my observation.
“ Does it look like all the other creatures out there are warning these bug things away?”
“ That’s exactly what it seems like to me.”
We both watch as something that looks like a Hollywood werewolf snarls at the bugs as it pulls a smaller, softer looking version of itself behind the bulk of its body. The larger of the two bares massive looking sharp teeth at us as we pass, while curious yellow eyes peer out from behind it. The look on its face is one of … pity.
Grinding metal groans out a protest as we stop in front of a docking station with a ship that looks like it’s held together by baling wire and super glue. The ships on either side aren’t necessarily larger but they are in much better condition than this one is. To top it off, I think I can see holes in the side of the ship.
Isn’t that a thing on Earth ? Don’t you have to keep the cabin pressurized or something?
Several of the woman next to us are screaming and begging any passerby for help. To our dismay, not a single being even glances our way.
Some things never change. It’s easier to look the other way than to do what’s right.
A bang jerks my attention back to the bugs in front of us. The one closest to the rust bucket ship hit the side of said ship. It must be some sort of signal, because a hatch on the bottom squeaks as it opens. One by one the cages are transferred inside the ship. Ruby is up next and when the cage is tilted to the side, she slips in a puddle of her own blood and goes to grab one of the bars, only to scream in pain and instantly let go.
I watch as my precious sister slips and her delicate face makes contact with the unforgiving metal of the cage, busting her cheek open. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she loses consciousness as I scream out her name.
“ RUBY !”