The Day They Came (WATTY AWARDS 2016)

Chapter 30

This would be her only shot at talking Nexivox down. If she failed, she would die, and so would the rest of the human race.

Claire gulped hard as she snuck aboard the mothership. This ship had been her home for two months; now she was an unwanted intruder. Could the year get any weirder?

She took a deep breath as she made her way to the bridge. Xyzle had told her that's most likely where his father would be. He'd also given her a short sword – made of the armor of a fallen Mykalean.

Keeping a hand on the hilt of the sword, she pushed the bridge door open. Just ahead of her, she saw the tall magenta alien in what seemed to be a chair. With Mykaleans, she never could be sure.

She slowly shut the door behind her. Expecting a loud clang, she made sure to control the slam. As she did so, she heard a small, short creeeak.

"Miss Davidson, I thought you were dead." The voice sent shivers down her back. She turned around slowly, and found herself face to face with Nexivox.

Or, as face to face as an eight foot tall Mykalean and a five foot eight human could be.

"Live and learn." She managed to muster up a phrase. She didn't remember where she heard it. "Please, let the humans live. I thought your plan was to simply add Earth to the Mykalean Empire."

"That was before I learned of the heartache of living with a human." He turned his head away, but could still see her.

"I know that one...heartache of being dumped, or worse, knowing you could've been happy but they left you...some don't realize what their actions do to others." She spoke from her heart. "I was left by a man last year...dumped me on my birthday. I thought I'd never find love."

"She killed herself!" Nexivox was unclear on who had killed herself, but she allowed him the chance to vent to her. "And I could've saved her!"

"I know it hurts to lose a loved one." She didn't know what else to say. Did she even have to reason with him?

"You're lying!" The man turned back to her in a second, his eyes wide with fury. She managed to dodge his attempt to grab her.

She pulled her sword, struggling a little with the weight. He laughed.

"You puny humans long ago forsook the sword as a weapon. I can't believe you would try to use it now." He swiftly pulled his own sword as he stood up. "Your death will be quick."

He lunged at her. She managed to dodge. She lunged. He dodged, holding his sword with one hand while she needed both her hands to wield the weapon.

A quick look around revealed that if she continued to back up to dodge his attacks, she would be stuck against the wall. It seemed to be his tactic – lunge so she would back up.

This time, she ducked under the lunge, and thrust her own sword up.

A metallic clang told her that she had just wasted a thrust. The blade of Nexivox's sword landed beside her as she got up, showing that she had to move faster. He already had the height and experience advantages.

She wouldn't let him gain the speed advantage too.

So, she ran around him, to the other side of the room. Her brain immediately began to think of other ways to win this battle. She knew that the only way she was going to get out of this was to kill Nexivox, or die.

While she thought about what to do, the lumbering man turned around, his sword held tightly. His knuckles were a darker red shade than the rest of his hands.