Fragment: Book Two

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Ezic's POV

I traveled through the streets of the In-Between undetected. The city was a large cavern deep inside one of the belts surrounding Zorron. Massive winding pillars that were initially an integral part of its structure when the belt was built were reutilized as living quarters. The pillars resonated blue, courtesy of Black Ore, a rare mineral that fueled the large mechanical rings surrounding Zorron.

Besides the faint pulsating of the pillars, the city was cast in complete darkness. It was better that way. At least it made it so that the illegal inhabitants could remain under the radar, mostly. But even I knew that this city was far from forgotten. I knew many lurked in its shadows, hired to find and turn us in for credits. That was why I, too, lurked in the darkest shadows this city had to offer, to protect what was mine.

I knew this city like the back of my hand and could travel its streets blind. I had plenty of time in my youth to explore every crevasse this city offered. Currently, though, I was on a mission assigned to me by Mezzell, upholding my end of the bargain. As dirty as this work was, it was what I had always been good at. Here in the depths of the darkness, I was judge, jury, and executioner. I had been called many things, protector, hunter, murderer...

It all meant the same to me, at least it did when I was younger. I traded lives for a few measly credits. But after many hard years, those measly credits built up, and I was able to buy my freedom. Now, I traded lives for sanctuary. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Mezzell grew tired of us. It was a matter of great urgency that we leave this galaxy soon. But to do that, I needed Mezzell, so in the meantime, I would do his bidding.

It took me mere minutes to reach the hustle of the inner city. I drew my hood over my head and horns before intermingling with the crowd. I danced and weaved through the unsuspecting populous, careful to not draw any attention to myself.

I was searching for one individual in particular, which could prove to be daunting. But from the intel I had gathered, he frequented a small section of the city, specifically a brothel. Of course, it was all a front for something much worse, Ethum.

Ethum was a highly addictive drug that had shown up in recent years. If consumed, it caused uncontrollable rage and, most of the time, death. The military used a controlled variant of Ethum decades ago during the wars, creating super soldiers. But what once had been a regulated drug had leaked into the galaxy, spreading like wildfire.

The individual I was hunting was creating an even more dangerous variant of the drug causing all that consumed it to be overtaken by an insatiable hunger for flesh... Those desperate enough to seek out this new variant would soon find their lives ripped from them. It was my assignment to eliminate not only the creator but also the unfortunate consumers of the drug.

Taking out this operation would do this galaxy a great service. I felt little guilt for what was to come.

I quickly came upon the brothel. Males of all species hushedly conversed with females. To an outsider, it would look normal. However, I knew the females were being used to lure the males in. I slowly stepped out from the crowded street and approached the brothel. I was immediately approached by a female.

"ə u ˈkamə ˈTumwitə ki." She greeted me, speaking perfect Korqiadian, my mother tongue. I cocked my head at her, she was neither Zorr nor native to Zorron, yet she spoke the dying language of my people. I watched as she drew closer, and I immediately felt repulsed. I could tell that she was young, too young.

"ə u ˈkamə ˈTumwitə ki, nila." I greeted her respectfully. The female appeared to be an Equilian. She had many long slender tentacles that sprouted from her scalp, and splayed down her back and shoulders. She also had pale green skin and large blue eyes.

"We rarely get your kind here." She murmured. She reached for my arm, and it took everything in me to not retreat from her touch. Apparently, even with my disguise, I was still easily identifiable. "Come. Let me take care of you." Bile stung the back of my throat, but I let her lead me inside. I kept my head down and allowed my hood to obscure my face.

We walked for a while until the female stopped in front of a curtain. She brushed it aside gently before guiding me in. I had to duck to avoid smacking my head against the door frame.

"Why do you hide from me, I'laqua?" Her words of endearment made me feel every bit uncomfortable. She reached for the hood of my cloak, and I let her lift it from my head. She froze the moment she saw my face. There was no doubt that she saw the black marks painted intricately onto my skin. Similar ones inked my body, each one a symbol of a warrior.

"You are not here for servicing, are you?" She said and retreated a step.

"You are not my target; you will come to no harm." I reassured her, and I could immediately see her relax.

"He is not here." The female whispered and looked up at me. "I feel that he knew you were coming for him, great warrior." I immediately tensed. That was impossible, I had spent weeks of careful preparation, all for it to lead up to this moment.

I glanced around the room she had led me to. It was sparsely decorated, but I spotted a bench to the near side of the room. To seem less intimidating, I slowly made my way over to the bench and sat on it.

"Tell me what you know of him." The female fidgeted for a few moments while looking me over. She slowly walked over to the bed, which lay in the middle of the room, and sat down. She held herself and seemed hesitant.

"I don't know." She began, "I do not know his name, only that I owe him."

"Owe him for what?" I asked, and she turned away from me.

"He bought me." She stated simply, and I shook my head in astonishment. She was just a child!

"How much?" I ground out, and I saw her physically slump.

"400 credits." She whispered. I didn't let the disgust show on my face, but I felt a sickness overtake my entire being. It would take her many revolutions to buy her freedom. Without another word, I reached into my cloak to retrieve my credit device. I swiped my fingers across the thin screen and entered my credentials.

"Give me your credit device," I stated. I stood from the bench and watched the female scurry from the bed to the corner of the room to retrieve it. She approached me and offered the device hesitantly. I hovered mine over hers, and both of the devices lit up. Once the transfer was complete, I removed my device and placed it back within my cloak. She looked down at hers and gasped.

"No! I can't take this from you! He will know!" She pleaded, and I shook my head.

"I go by an alias, he will not track it back to me, he will never know."

"But–"

"Tell him you served me well."