AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I entered the room where I had left Klinn, only to find it empty. I went into the other room to find the Quareks, Zorbluk, and Gravix were gone as well. My lungs struggled to take in oxygen. Klinn used his deoxygenation capability. Where was he now?
Faint scuffling came from the opposite end of the hall. I grabbed the laser rifle that was still on the table in the first room. My senses were on high alert as I followed the sound of movement. A different staircase soon appeared before me, along with the cool touch of night air. I gripped the rifle and pressed on.
As I ascended outside, cautious, the thinness of the air became more pronounced. I fought against lightheadedness and was greeted by a chaotic scene.
All of Riven’s help lay gasping for breath on the ground. Klinn and a fierce grey alien were locked in a battle a few feet away from them, their movements fluid and deadly.
Was that Riven?
His appearance was enough to make anyone's blood run cold. His eyes glowed with a sinister yellow hue, and spikes protruded from his arms, making him look like a creature far more menacing than Bartie's Hydra.
I had to establish control of the situation. I gripped the rifle as I steeled my nerves and shouted. "Stop. You’re under arrest."
Riven swung his attention towards me, his gaze filled with contempt. I could almost feel his disdain as he made an audible sniff with his hawk nose. "This...human. Is she the one who locked you up?"
Klinn jumped between us. "Back off from her."
Riven’s eyes bore into mine, and a malicious grin twisted his lips. "Why are you protecting the one who threw you behind bars?"
Klinn held his ground. A grim, deadly tone took hold of his voice. "Take another step towards her and your lungs will never pump air again."
Riven laughed, a harsh, otherworldly sound. "You're willing to put yourself behind bars again for her?"
"If I have to, absolutely."
"You really don't have a sense of self-preservation. Because if you did, you wouldn't try to get in my way."
The fight reignited, and I watched anxiously as Klinn and Riven exchanged blows. I noticed the air getting thin. I was forced to take a step back to preserve my oxygen intake and keep a vigilant eye on Riven’s employees.
"...you...."
My eyes swung down to see Hultin, movements addled by rum and limited oxygen, trying to reach for my leg to take me down. "Nope." I pressed my foot down on his hand.
The clash between Klinn and Riven grew more intense. Shock ran through me as I saw Riven's right hook slash into Klinn's chest. A bright red bloom broke out on his shirt.
"Ventivores aren't so impressive with a pierced lung, are they?"
The air pressure around us rose and fell as Klinn struggled to regain himself. Hultin tried to reach for my left foot this time. I saw what he was trying to do to keep me from helping Klinn. I jabbed at his arm with the butt of my rifle.
"There’s three more lungs where that came from." Klinn pressed on.
Riven parried back. "You never think before you act. That's why you couldn't save Lumi. That's why your old friends betrayed you."
"You killed Lumi. Gravix and Zorbluk were free to make better choices."
Sirens wailed close by as Klinn dodged Riven's lashing spikes, narrowly missing the lethal blows. With a forceful shove, he managed to knock the grey alien off balance.
I heard a distinct snap of bone before Riven went down. He grunted, clutching his left ankle. Klinn stood over his fallen form, right hand curled into a fist.
"Klinn." I struggled to breathe. I couldn’t move towards him while Hultin and the others regained their strength and air supply.
He saw me, then looked again at his enemy on the ground. I saw his fist shake while he visibly weighed a decision. Then oxygen gradually returned to this pocket of the area. "Enjoy your prison time, Riven." He dealt him a punch between the eyes. Riven fell face forward in the dirt.
Multiple footsteps and shouting occurred behind me. I turned to see the first of the Wanderstar Fleet soldiers and agents flooding the scene. I breathed a sigh of relief as they efficiently apprehended Riven's crew and secured them in restraints.
I ran to Klinn. His breathing was ragged, half of his body covered in sweat and blood as he clutched the lower quadrant of his left torso.
"Are you alright, Faye?"
