AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The away team, a group of shinuk males from Holivair, met them in the center of the sphere to pound fists and bury any bad feelings. Not that there could be any left. All of them were panting, his team was sweating – shinuk didn’t have sweat glands and so couldn’t – and everyone was shaking from the effort and pain. Game play only paused in cases of severe injury that demanded immediate treatment – such as a broken bone or if someone began coughing or vomiting blood or something. And even then, that just meant they’d leave the sphere to be healed only enough that they didn’t die, and they were right back in it. As a consequence, all of them were bloody and lumped up.
Trikball was a vicious sport, not at all kind to its players. But it was a thrill. It was a challenge. It was fun, at the end of it all.
Or it had been, once.
Rane couldn’t really get himself in the celebratory mood as he and his team did their customary victory laps around the sphere. He lingered as long as he felt necessary before dropping down through the sphere and throwing himself down, back into gravity’s embrace.
Seems like, these days, he always felt its weight pulling on him, even in the sphere.
As was typical post-match, he was immediately directed towards the healing room just off to the side of the field. Only two members of the other team were still inside, getting broken bones in their hands fixed. They gave him friendly nods as he passed to the third of five beds.
He laid down to get scanned, but didn’t need to be there long. Mostly, he was just covered in bruises. A few scrapes here and there. Nothing too bad.
He was out before the other two were done – bone healing took a bit longer than soft tissue – and he continued into the locker room. By the time he finished showering and was starting to dress, the rest of his team were filing in. Laughing, cheering. They clapped him on the back, congratulating him on a game well played.
All but Sal, who gave him a few looks.
It had been a well-played game. They had won. But there had still been a few spots where Rane had been careless, had been sloppy. A few points the other team took from them because he’d been slacking somehow.
Sal didn’t say anything now, of course. He was too good of a captain to immediately lecture him right after a game. Win or lose, he would always give them the afternoon to gather themselves. Rane didn’t doubt that he’d hear about it during the next practice.
He might not be there though.
Practice was pretty much the only time he was unsupervised. Orza and Kirs were still there, of course. They marched him to the locker room and watched him, but they didn’t follow him the entire time.
If he got injured, he’d go to the healing room, and they wouldn’t follow. They wouldn’t consider it odd that he’d be missing for a while,
Not long. Just long enough for him to sneak out of the stadium.
He didn’t need to take Sandy to an embassy. He could go himself. He could report what was happening to her, and they could come get her instead. They’d free her. Get her out of here. Save her from his life.
He couldn’t look up the embassy. His combot was child locked, so he couldn’t use any features his mother didn’t approve of, and anything he searched for she would see. But he could ask Zell. His teammate was nice, he was helpful, he also didn’t ask many questions. He was, in a word, simple, and he didn’t tend to question people about things. A few seemingly random queries to him, wondering where the domini embassy might be, like it was a passing fancy of his, had been enough for him to get on his own combot to look up the information.
And just like that, Rane knew where to go. He had a plan to escape. He just needed to wait for his chance to do it.
“Victory party at the upstairs club!” Arus declared brightly, to appreciative cheers.
Rane was about to decline, but he didn’t get a chance. Zell grabbed one of his arms, Tarou grabbed the other, and the two marched him towards the door, laughing. Years of letting Orza and Kirs drag him around in a very similar way stole any thought of resisting before he even realized what they were doing. Despite how much he didn’t want to go, he said nothing as he was guided to the lift that brought them to the exclusive club all the way at the top of the stadium. A place for the team, the managers, and those wealthy enough to buy entrance.
Once, Rane loved going here. It was a huge space, with a lower floor filled with dancing and merriment, and a second floor that looked down at the lower floor where people could eat and drink and lounge and smoke as they enjoyed the pounding music and bright lights. The opposing team was invited to their private bar as well, but they rarely showed up if they lost since no one felt like partying after a defeat unless it was some kind of championship match.
Predictably, the other team was missing tonight. The lights were all in the beige and pale yellow of their team colors, celebrating their victory. The moment the Eliviers showed their faces, in fresh uniforms, everyone cheered. Rane forced a smile as they walked into the crowd.
Just half a mark, maybe less. He’d stay that long, then he’d get out when no one was looking. He was sure Orza and Kirs were around here somewhere. He’d sneak by them and-
“Rane, there you are.”
He flinched at his mother’s familiar voice. But it wasn’t surprising she was here. She was the team manager, after all. It still felt wrong that she dared show her face here, where people wanted to have fun and escape terrible people and their unpleasantness.
But he still turned to face her, because he couldn’t ignore her.
His heart dropped when he saw who was flanking her either side, however. To her right, unsurprisingly, was Drevor. The yellow crested male was his mother’s assistant and had been for many years. Rane didn’t know much about him other than that he was quiet, and he got things done. He didn’t know if Drevor knew about his situation, but if he did, he clearly didn’t care.
But on the other side, giving him a soft smile, was Sandy.
She was here. Why was she here?
As the only human in the room, she was getting a lot of attention. People were no doubt wondering what she was doing here. More than a few females sneered at her. Though she was dressed appropriately in a long, plain brown dress – as was proper for a female – there was just something deliciously obscene about the way it clutched her form. It made the usually modest, simple dress seem absolutely lewd. No one could compare to her in it.
