Page 27 of Shadow's Chosen

"I'm a soldier," Elise corrected. "First division. If you let me go now, you won't face repercussions. But if you keep me, I swear to you, other soldiers will come and they will kick the shit out of every single one of you." A small lie—she didn't know if any would come, but she hoped it made him at least marginally concerned.

The drogin scratched his jaw. "That so?" He looked back at the lizard and his small group. "I want to see her fight. It's been a while since we've had any good fights in the pit, eh?"

"I'd put in good credits," the lizard replied.

This was not the reaction she was hoping for.

"She's not drogin but..." He grabbed her chin and turned her head one way then the other. "She’s not hard on the eyes for an outer species." Elise pulled away in disgust, and he dropped his hand. "Tell you what, girl. You make good in a fight, and you can be one of my prized fighters, make me some decent money. If not, well...you'll just become a prize for those looking for a different sort of fun, eh?" He smiled.

"Fuck you," Elise whispered in her own tongue.

"Sounds good." He waved his hand, and Elise felt hands drag her up. She fought them, even getting a punch into one drogin's neck and a kick into a lygin's stomach, but there were too many. They secured her arms quickly, though she continued to struggle. The lizard, Ruzi, circled to her front and kicked her hard in the stomach to make her stop. Elise's legs buckled as she gasped for air.

"Now, Ruzi, that wasn't necessary," said the lead drogin. "She won't be any good in a fight if she can't stand."

"Sorry, boss."

The drogin sighed. "Give her a minute then drop her in. Get the others."

An alarm went off, and the aliens began to disperse, shouting and howling, "Fight! Fight!"

People swarmed into the building, taking up every space along the rails looking down into the pit at the center. They clanged their metal arm plates against the metal bars and growled and hissed in excitement. Elise was dragged over to the pit and dropped to her knees at its edge. She looked down and saw the floors were stained with old dried-up blood and possibly piss.

As she was gaining back her breath, the crowd parted, and a lone female dropped into the pit. A drogin female with spiked, red-tipped hair and a face like a hyena. The woman snarled up at Elise as she flexed her muscular arms.

Shit.

At any other time, Elise would have been glad for the challenge. But she had just come out of a terrifying ordeal in the tram tunnels and then been roughed up by these foul low lifes, so she wasn't exactly feeling a hundred percent. But clearly, she had no choice in the matter unless she wanted the alternative of watching someone else fight to have her on her back. And no way was she having that. So, it was to fight and hope she could somehow pull through.

Elise struggled to her feet and straightened. She took two deep breaths before carefully jumping down into the pit. The crowd jeered and shouted as she placed her back against the pit wall, watching the woman drogin pace before her. Several screens turned on all along the building, bringing up some kind of ranking system and chart. People took out their Ulinks, and the credits rolled in on the screen as they placed their bets. Two words also popped up bigger than the rest: A name—Shodi—followed underneath by the word human.

Elise stared up at the screens then, with jaw clenched, turned her eyes back to the drogin. Her hands turned to fists, and she slowly raised them, taking position.

Just remember your training. They might not be human, but that doesn't mean you can't take them, Elise.

A buzzer went off, and the drogin female charged her. Elise leaped out of the way just in time for the woman's fist to smash into the wall where she had stood only a mere second before. Elise swerved around and kicked for the woman's head. The drogin blocked her foot with the side of her arm. She struck for Elise again, and Elise ducked. There was a lot of blocking and dodging, Elise focusing on what she felt were the drogin's weak points—their face, neck, and back of legs. The crowd's roar rang in her ears as she jumped away from the woman's strike to land a kick to her chest. The drogin jolted back and bared her teeth in a growl. The hit barely knocked her off balance. Elise could tell she was all brawny strength but not as quick. She charged her blows, hoping one would land and take Elise out. All Elise had to do was make sure they didn't land. She circled the woman, jumping back every time she kicked or jabbed, waiting for another opening. Judging by her mass, Elise could gather she was a heavy gal. And the heavier they were, the harder they fell.

The drogin swung at her, barely missing her, and Elise took that chance to drop to one knee and kick out the female's legs. The woman landed hard on her back, and in that stunned moment, Elise took her chance and leapt on the woman, catching her in the throat and face. The drogin snapped at her then shoved her off. Elise rolled back and, as the drogin leapt up to charge her, swung out her leg in a high kick, hitting the drogin right in the head. The drogin's legs buckled, and she went down on her face in a clear knockout.

Elise barely heard the howls of the crowd. She looked up at the screen and saw the woman's name disappear. She smiled and turned her head toward the direction of the pack leader, who sat watching by the edge of the pit. He clapped his hands then made a cutting gesture to the crowd, who turned quiet.

"Not bad, human," he called down to her. "You managed to take out one of our best trainees."

Elise frowned. "Trainees?"

"Unfortunately for you, that was Obel's little sister."

Elise twisted around and saw, while the drogin she had just won against was being carried out of the pit, another was taking her place. A much bigger, more vicious looking female with two scars across her cheek. She looked pretty pissed.

"Obel is one of my best fighters," the pack leader continued. "And she'll want you to pay for what you just did. Good luck."

A buzzer sounded, and Obel snarled. Elise stumbled back as the giant woman came at her with a long stride. Elise dodged her first blow, rolling away, but the woman was on her quick. Elise blocked a heavy swipe and was knocked back against the wall, Obel's arm coming down like a hammer, shaking Elise to her bones. Elise ducked one blow and swerved under to catch her twice in the stomach, but it hardly seemed to faze her. Obel swung out her arm and caught Elise by the shoulder, throwing her across the pit. Elise fell, rolling till she hit the side of the wall with a sharp bang. She rose onto her knees only to be once again picked up and thrown across the other way. This time, Elise dropped on her back, sliding across the ground. Before she could even sit up, the female was on her. She blocked Elise's kicks and pinned her down before swinging out one great hand and smacking Elise right across the face. Elise's lip split and her face went numb as she saw stars. She put up her arms to block her face, and Obel responded by biting. She went for her forearm first, tearing at her suit and cracking her armor. Elise jabbed at her face, cuffing her ears then ramming her knuckles into the drogin's cheekbone. The drogin yelped then turned her head and snapped at Elise's hand. A fang ripped through Elise's glove into the skin, and Elise shouted as the searing pain went down her arm. She clocked Obel hard in the nose to make her back off, and when the female lifted her body, Elise lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the female's throat. Obel bucked, but Elise kept a firm hold. When she thought she might finally have her, the drogin lurched back and crushed Elise against the wall. Elise's grip loosened enough that the drogin twisted out of it then bit Elise on the shoulder, cracking the armor completely and burying her teeth down into Elise's skin. Elise screamed in pain while smashing her palm against Obel's head. Obel backed off and let Elise slide to the ground. Through the pain, she still willed herself to fight. But as Elise threw out her leg to keep the woman away, Obel caught it and tore the armor plate off her thigh, digging her nails deep past the suit into skin then pulling Elise off the ground and swinging her around.

Obel let go, and Elise went flying. This time, when she hit the wall, she didn't get up.

***

"Well, you gave a good show at least," the pack leader said, his face grinning down at her where she lay. Someone had dragged her out of the pit and dropped her next to the drogin's feet.

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