Page 9 of Fresh Flesh

7

Maisie

Joras eventually fallsasleep after making love to me for hours. I lay awake, staring at the stars out the window and wondering if I can keep my lucky streak going.

So far, I’ve pieced together that while Lurg is the ‘main’ leader, both Joras and Mlarx hold positions of power in this farm/camp as well. They seem to be the Overseers here. Lurg and Joras are on board with keeping me as their house pet instead of a dinner course, but I’m not so sure that Mlarx is on my side yet.

I’m not sure that my wiles can win him over. He may not even be into human women. Many Grengorans are not, preferring their own species when that’s available.

Joras stirs and notices I am not asleep.

“What’s wrong? Not planning another escape, are you?”

“No,” I say. “I’m worried.”

“Don’t be. Now that I’ve claimed you, I’ll fight to keep you here.”

He throws an arm over my belly and falls back into snoring. I’m more worried than ever, though. He has ‘claimed’ me, but he doesn’t know about what I did with Lurg earlier.

I wonder if he’ll still fight for me after he finds out that little tidbit? That’s a problem I can’t solve at the moment. I need to focus on Mlarx. He must have a weakness, or some sort of angle I can get him on. Like maybe he likes to play cards and needs a partner or something?

Yeah, right. It’s not going to be that easy, I’m sure.

At some point, I do manage to fall asleep and catch some much needed rest. My dreams must not have been too good or too bad, because I don’t remember them when Joras shakes me awake with a rough grasp.

“Awaken, little delicacy,” he growls, his gaze fixed on the window. “Mlarx is about to return, and you must stay out of his sight.”

So, he’s worried about Mlarx too. This doesn’t bode well for me. Joras shows me up to an attic storage space above their dwelling. There’s a small half moon shaped window near the front, and a ceiling so low I can’t stand up. I sort of half crawl, half drag myself to the window, hoping there aren’t any rats or spiders in my way.

I’m in luck and don’t get crawled on or bitten when I reach the window. The sun has risen to a pinkish gold blob above the rim of the valley, casting overly cheerful light on Mlarx’s shuttle as he vectors in for a landing. He’s driving a different shuttle now, a much larger one with a huge metal cage built onto the back.

The cage teems with humans, all of them looking terrified. He sets the ship down and the rear of the cage opens. Humans start spilling out, though they look confused as to what to do next, milling about in a half panic.

Mlarx whistles nonchalantly as he gets out of the shuttle and draws a huge ax bladed weapon from underneath the front seat. He turns to a group of Gregorian guards who stand about talking to each other a short distance away.

“Stop gossiping like women and help me get something for breakfast,” Mlarx says with an energetic, eager grin.

“Yes, breakfast!” shouts one of the Grengorans and they gleefully pick up melee weapons of all kinds. Clubs, spears, axes, and swords. They could use the energy weapons they had when they conquered earth, but I believe they find this method to be more…fun.

The humans who just arrived are still milling around looking confused when Mlarx comes around the back of the shuttle. His expression doesn’t change as he swings his ax with two hands. The ax blurs through the air, and doesn't slow down as it passes through two human males.

The unlucky humans fall to the ground in pieces. One of them is still alive, horribly maimed and dying, but able to scream with agony and terror as he tries to reunite the two halves of his body.

The recently arrived humans flee into the greater valley. Mlarx and his cohorts gleefully give chase. Another Grengoran comes behind them with an open bed shuttle. He picks up the pieces of the humans and tosses them into the back. I think the top half of the one guy is still alive when the Grengoran gets back in and follows the others of his kind.

They don’t cull all the humans. Just enough for the morning meal. It still stands as a stark reminder of what will happen to me if I can’t figure out how to crack the extra tough nut named Mlarx.

There must be something I can do to get him on my side. But what?

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