The Elder's Mate

Thirty-Two - Collision

The pain in her ribs hardly dulled as Artemis lied there against the tree, an arm wrapped around her middle. She tried in vain to move just enough to maybe attack Valam or something. Dying here without fighting for her life wasn't the way she wanted to go! It couldn't happen.

She didn't want to embarrass Rhage.

She was the life-mate of a clan leader. There was no room for weakness — even if she was in a great amount of pain.

There was no way Rhage could reach her in time. If he even knew where she was. Hopefully the GPS was still pinging her location.

Artemis fought through the blinding pain as she slowly sat up and rolled onto her hands and knees. She inhaled huge gulps of air when the nausea returned, bringing bile up her throat. Sweat poured down her face and neck from the exertion necessary of simply trying to stand. It was slow and arduous but eventually she brought herself to her feet.

The ground threatened to spring up in her face and tilted left and right on its axis. It twisted her stomach but she fought with all she had to ignore it and take a shaky step toward Valam.

The traitor Yautja scoffed as he turned to watch her take shaky steps towards him with her wristblades drawn. He stood there growling like an overgrown tiger, his own wristblades extended and at the ready. His body was relaxed and at ease, clearly thinking she didn't stand a chance against him in such a state. She was too weak and injured, yet she persisted.

"You oomans never give up." He inclined his head with a hearty chuckle, "I did not break you enough it seems. Strike and it shall be your last."

Artemis took a deep shuddering breath as a wave of nausea threatened to bring her down along with the iron hot pain in her chest. Exhaling a long steady stream of air, she opened her eyes to glare at Valam.

"I would rather die on my feet than die like prey."

"Then I shall make it quick. Painless."

His massive size intimidated Artemis. The way he was built, wide and tall, proved there was no way she would win; but at least she'd try. She'd try for her family.

Up she swung her arm aiming for his lower abdomen but he blocked her with his blades making them sing upon impact. He shoved her arm away and brought his blades across her upper chest, just above her cleavage leaving long parallel lines that stretched across the expanse of her chest.

She cried out in pain and tried to swing again with her wristblades but once again he countered her.

"Weak. Untrained. S'yuit-de. Zabin. Kha'bj-te." Valam spit out while he circled Artemis, his passing shadow putting her in darkness when he moved in front of the little beams of light that poked through the canopy of the forest.

He abruptly stopped circling when one of his words echoed in a rough whisper from the trees.

"Zabinzabinzabinzabinzabin." Repeated the word without a break.

It sounded like it came from everywhere but nowhere simultaneously.

Valam roared and swept his arm at Artemis, sending her flying backwards and onto the ground a few feet away, her cry of alarm and pain joining the cacophony. Hot tears poured down her face as she rolled to her side and puked at last.

She released the contents of her stomach while Valam fired off shots of plasma into the canopies above with his shoulder canon. Leaves fell to the ground in pieces along with broken pieces of bark and branch, the little pieces mixing in with the growling pool of vomit. He roared violent threats as the whisperer continued to taunt him.