. . . Rhama woke, not remembering that she slept. Focusing in on the huldra guard, one that eyed her with a certain distaste.
Must’ve killed her friends.
“Master Notchimine would like you to join Minoke in the courtyard.” She said stiffly, then unlocked the cages, having her spear pointed at the pair.
Rhama knew she could take the huldra girl alone. With Xacspheles they could kill her in seconds.
But they didn’t. The kitsune would come down and make her do something. Xacspheles had no draconce, it was held by the loogaroo, being parted from his mind-of-heart had to be painful, if the loogaroo even just squeezed it a little the dracanae would be in great pain.
Rhama growled a little and padded up the stairs, occasionally being prodded by the resentful huldra. She wasn’t going to enjoy whatever happened next, she was sure of it.
Sure enough, in the courtyard there was a rack of weapons. Rhama snorted. Weapons could make your kill faster, more efficient.
But there was less honor. Less honor than when you ripped their flesh with your own claws and mana. Feel their blood and flesh tearing and dripping.
That was true death.
“Here’re the scaly bastards.” The huldra mumbled.
With a growl Rhama whirled and delivered a hard kick to the back of her head, then rattled her fins with a hiss.
Then she stopped. Why on earth didn’t the kitsune stop her from doing that?
The huldra whirled and bared her white teeth, stalking up to the kitsune, demanding to know why he let that happen.
He just gave her a little look and a flick of his ears. “Let what happen? The kick? By the time I was aware of it it was done.”
The huldra’s eyes bulged, then she stormed off, slamming the door behind her.
Rhama raised an eyeridge, narrowing her slanted eyes.
“Huldra are a pain. Even to jotuns. I don’t care if you rough a few up so long as you don’t come anywhere near killing them.” The kitsune told her, then sat on the edge of a fountain. “Regardless, we’re really just supposed to wait here and once Notchimine wakes up we’re supposed to look impressive and like we’re training you for the Death Games.”
Rhama nodded, then arched an eyeridge at Xacspheles, who gave her a fanged grin; fins erecting.
She rattled her fins and tossed her head, letting out a challenging hiss.
He grinned at her, forked tail lashing and they began to circle.
She snarled at him and he snarled back, dropping to all fours, pushing off with his arms to standing position. She thumped her chest with a hissing roar and rattled her fins at him.
Her mind drifted for a moment, remarking with amusement how close a dueling dance was to a mating dance.
She growled and lashed her tail spreading her arms and baring her well-muscled body and tossing her horns. Xacspheles returned the motion and roared, she roared back, then charged.
Her charge was blocked by his curling horns, an impressive set.
She grinned and pushed at him, but was pushed back. Rhama slipped free and crouched, causing him to trip over her back.
She rose and hissed, lashing out with her tail, only to have it grabbed and used to pull her around and almost be thrown. Instead she jumped and kicked off of a wall, landing with both feet on Xacspheles’s chest. She pushed back but her foot was caught he yanked, pulling her down and onto her back. He went to put his foot on her neck, but she snared him with her tail and sent him sprawling on top of her.
“Give up?” She grinned, talons set to his throat.
He gave a low, rumbling chuckle. “You never liked a dracan that gave up that quickly.”
She flicked her antennae forward and touched them to his, quickly, like a kiss on the cheek. Xacspheles rumbled and stood up, offering a talon that she accepted to help her to her feet.
The kitsune’s furry eyebrows were raised. “Once-mates?”
Rhama chuckled. “Once-mates, we are familiar with each other. Personally, I wouldn’t mind becoming familiar again.”
Xacspheles chuckled, but said nothing. The kitsune was plainly uncomfortable with her forwardness. Rhama chuckled and nudged Xacspheles, who nudged her back.
She really didn’t know why they’d stopped working together. She had missed him.
“Regardless, we’d like you two to go up against our two best guards. Besides me.” THe kitsune continued after clearing his throat.
Behind him there was an elf with a morning star and a female lamia.
Rhama smirked and lashing her tail. “Which do you want?”
“I’d like the elf.” Rhama chuckled, she knew by that little quirk in his voice that he was going to go for the lamia instead.
Rhama grinned and charged the lamia, then jumped, pushing from her shoulders and landing a savage kick on the elf’s side and bowling him over. She leaned down and stung him with her tongue, then turned, watching Xacspheles strike the lamia across the face, then planting his taloned foot on the side of her head, one white claw right at her eye.
There was clapping at the balcony.
The dracanae looked up.
Notchimine, with his arm around a scantily dressed Holly. He must like showing her off, really just wanting to show what he had, what someone else couldn’t touch.
Rhama almost sympathized.
“Rhama.” The loogaroo called to her. “Come up.”
With a low growl she crouched, then jumped, gripping the rail and perching on it like some huge gargoyle, tail lashing behind her.
“Assuming you survive the first Death Games I would like to make a proposal to you.”
She was silent. She would refuse to speak to this creature in his own tongue.
“I’m not comfortable using Holly here as an escort to my important and favored guests. I’m told that you were a talented lady of the evening in your homeland between jobs as a mercenary. Is this true?”
She nodded. She knew what this vampire wanted.
“I would like to use you as an escort between games. This is not precisely an offer, but doing so will give you and your battle partner more comfortable lodgings and better food.”
Rhama thought about that. Comfortable lodgings would be nice, closer to her target.
