Xandor’s rage is intense as he faces me. “With respect, Krogoth, you can shove that command up your backside. Astraxius practically raised me from childhood after my father died, and I will not dishonor his memory by suffering this treacherous filth that killed him to breathe another day!” Xandor’s eyes glisten with unshed tears of anger. “I swear if you deny me this, I will blow their ship out of the void. Gods bedamned.”

Despite Xandor’s outburst, my heart goes out to him. I have been so fixated on getting Pebbles back home safely, but he is suffering as well. He seeks only retribution for Astraxius’ death. “Astraxius will guide me. I will avenge him, I promise,” I declare, placing a reassuring hand on Xandor’s shoulder.

Xandor nods thoughtfully. “We also have no idea if he’ll honor the agreement when you win,” he declares, his eyes merciless with determination.

Felixus interjects, his worry clear in his voice. “‘When you win?’” he says. “If you had my battlesuit, you’d be the favorite,but I doubt that’s what Tensin Naxsus has in mind.” His face becomes thoughtful for a moment.

“Wait, give me one of your plasma shields. I have an idea,” Felixus suggests, gesturing towards one of the fallen warriors’ arcshield gauntlets.

Without hesitation, Xandor retrieves both the left and right wrist plates from one of the fallen Klendathian warriors. Felixus quickly gets to work examining them.

“Yes! I shouldn’t be doing this, but I can upgrade your plasma shield and weapons to use laser. I’ll need to be quick. We have little time,” Felixus says before rushing out of the room to work on the upgrades.

Turning to me, Xandor shrugs his broad shoulders. “Xandor, if you’ll not take no for an answer, then bring Logarn. Felixus can manage our ship,” I command, my voice firm and unwavering. “We might get lucky if you both cloak. They may not have the technology or foresight to check. But whatever happens, get Rocks and get the void out of there.”

“I swear it, brother.” Xandor salutes me, his fist held up to his chest in a show of loyalty. “Make Astraxius proud. I have faith you’ll not fail.” He smiles.

I pull Xandor into a tight embrace, feeling the weight of the moment and the uncertainty of our fates. “Never could I have wished for a better friend than you, Xandor,” I say, my voice quiet but resolute. After a brief pause, I release him from the embrace. “I must go prepare,” I add, my tone heavy with purpose.

All our destinies hang in the balance.

Chapter 21

Roxanne

Emperor

My gaze falls tomy tightly bound hands. They stripped me of my stolen golden control bracelet. Anxiety floods my mind at the thought of having to service the cruel and bloated Glaseroid. I refuse to call him master!I cannot fathom living such a life. The mere thought of his disgusting, slimy limbs writhing over my body makes me want to vomit. I am determined to find a way out of here, no matter how long it takes. I just need to bide my time, and an opportunity will present itself, and then I will escape.

As Jinx, my escort, leads me down the corridor, her copper-skinned, strange snake-like body slithers gracefully, and her tongue flickers out of her mouth. “I see in your eyes, human, thatyou seek escape,” she hisses. “You must guard your heart closely or you will suffer.”

Her frank words take me by surprise, and her tone and demeanor differ vastly from when under the watchful gaze of our captor. “How can you live like this?” I ask, disgusted that anyone has to suffer his grotesque touches.

“It is like a game, a show. I play the part,” Jinx replies, looking at me. “He is a loathsome creature, egotistical and predictable,” she hisses, anger seeping into her voice.

“Like a game? It’s like a nightmare! I’ll kill him before I let him have me,” I say, worrying if I have gone too far.Will Jinx report back to him about what I said?

Jinx titters gracefully, her sharp, sleek features sparkling in the light. “What is your true name, human?” she asks, amusement in her strange, green, snake-like eyes. Her appearance is surreal.

“Roxanne, although I go by Roxy,” I reply, smiling as I remember Krogoth’s silly names for me. “Or Rocks, also sometimes Pebbles. Stevenson. What’s your name?” I ask, curious.

Jinx looks at me, her face full of concentration. “Humans have many names. I am called Farangis of House Ardagerous.” She inclines her head, hissing. “I watch and wait for a mistake. Then I will kill him,” she adds, her eyes flashing with hatred. “My advice to you, Roxanne, Roxy, Rocks, Pebbles of House Stevenson, is to endure, to go away inside, to play the part, but always watch, always plan. It will go easier for you this way.”

I cannot bear the thought of “playing the part,” but maybe she is right. If Farangis has endured and stayed strong, then perhaps I can do the same. “Thank you, Farangis of House Ardagerous. I will try,” I say weakly, smiling at her. “Oh, and my name is just Roxy for friends,” I add.

Farangis looks pleased. “Good to hear my name spoken again, Roxy,” she says, suddenly gazing down at the floor. “He takes everything from us. I was a naïve fool to disobey the House priests, shunning the tenets. God punishes me. But I endure.”

I am not sure what tenets she is referring to, but seeing the pain in her eyes and the pain she has suffered, my heart aches, and I want to comfort her.

I take her slender scaled hand, feeling the cool, smooth texture of her skin against mine, and give it a reassuring squeeze as I promise, “We’ll find a way to escape together, I promise.” She nods appreciatively as we make our way into the room where I had escaped from earlier.

Farangis stops suddenly at the entrance to the room and leads us inside. “We are here, Roxy,” she says with a smile, her tongue flicking out. “I notice on his screen a large ship following. I know not what it means, but he was concerned. Maybe this brings you relief?” She tilts her head as I try to process the information.

Could it be Krogoth? My heart leaps at the thought, but a part of me ruthlessly represses the hope.Keep it down, Roxy. I’ve been let down by men before. Hope only leads to disappointment. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

“I see,” Farangis replies. Her eyes bore into my soul. She turns with unbelievable grace, and I hear her scales sliding against each other as she slithers out the door, sealing it behind her.

I collapse onto the bed as my stomach rumbles noisily.I’m so hungry I could even eat one of Krogoth’s jellied rations.Closing my eyes, I try to enjoy the brief respite, knowing that soon they will return and force me to wear the dreaded golden collar. That’s when the real nightmare begins. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, I soon succumb to unconsciousness.