Chapter 6

KRULL'RAK

The moment had come. I could feel it in the air, in the tension of my muscles, in the quickening of my pulse. Beside me, Rayna was a coiled spring, her eyes bright with a mix of fear and determination. How far we had come from that first wary encounter in this very cell. Now we stood united, ready to fight for our freedom.

I met Rayna's gaze and nodded once. No words needed. We had rehearsed this moment in whispers and subtle gestures for days. As one, we moved into position.

The energy barrier flickered, right on schedule. The night shift was always lax about maintaining power levels. That resulted in some cells having intermittent issues maintaining their energy. Tonight we were lucky. It was our cell's turn to have those issues as gaps in the barrier grew longer. It wasn't long enough, but it was all we had.

We waited, breath held, muscles coiled like springs. The barrier flickered again, longer this time. Rayna's eyes met mine, a silent question. Not yet. Another flicker, lasting seconds. My hearts pounded, blood rushing in my ears. The next gap could be our only chance.

Suddenly, the barrier dissolved completely. Now or never.

We launched ourselves through the opening, my massive frame somehow gliding silently thanks to Rayna's meticulous coaching. The instant my foot touched the corridor floor, panic clawed at my throat. We were exposed, vulnerable. The hallway stretched before us, a gauntlet of shadows and unseen dangers. The barrier to our cell re-energized once more with us on the other side. It had only been an instant. As I stood there next to Rayna, surprise it had worked filled me. It shouldn't have worked, but it had.

Dim, sickly light cast grotesque shapes on the walls, each one threatening to morph into a Vorash guard. The silence was deafening, broken only by the thunderous sound of my pulse in my ears. Every distant creak, every whisper of air through vents became a siren announcing our escape.

Rayna pressed close to my side, her breath coming in shallow gasps. I could feel the tension radiating from her slight frame. We moved forward, each step a potential disaster. The weight of our situation bore down on us—one wrong move, one moment of bad luck, and we'd face a fate worse than the prison we were fleeing.

A faint buzz reached my ears—another energy barrier or approaching guards? Cold sweat beaded on my skin as we pressed ourselves against the wall, waiting, listening. The seconds stretched into eternity, each one bringing us closer to either freedom or doom.

But along with the caution, I felt something else stirring within me. A familiar thrill, a fire in my blood that I hadn't felt in years. The warrior in me, long dormant, was awakening.

We made it to the first junction without incident. So far, so good. But as we rounded the corner, my heart nearly stopped. Two guards stood chatting directly in our path. This wasn't part of the plan.

Time seemed to slow. I saw the guards' eyes widen in recognition, their hands reaching for their weapons. In that instant, years of combat training took over.

I lunged forward, my fist connecting with the nearest guard's face before he could even cry out. The satisfying crunch of chitin brought me back to countless battles on Gorak'thor. For a moment, I was there again—young, strong, undefeated, fighting for the glory of my clan.

The second guard managed to activate his energy baton, its crackling hum snapping me back to the present. But before he could strike, a blur of motion caught my eye. Rayna had vaulted over my back, using my shoulders as a springboard. Her foot connected with the guard's head in a perfect arc, sending him crashing to the ground.

As the echoes of the brief skirmish faded, Rayna and I exchanged a look of exhilaration. The reality of working together in combat was... intoxicating.

"Nice moves, big guy," Rayna whispered, a grin playing at the corners of her mouth.

I felt an answering smile tug at my own lips. "You're not so bad yourself, little warrior."

We pressed on, our movements now a fluid dance of advance and cover. I marveled at how naturally we complemented each other. Where I was raw power, Rayna was agility and precision. My bulk shielded her from attacks, while her quick reflexes covered my blind spots.

We were making good progress, right up until we weren't.

The control room door loomed before us, our gateway to freedom. But something was wrong. The security panel glowed with an eerie, unfamiliar light, its sleek design a stark contrast to the older tech we'd encountered so far.

"No, no, no," Rayna muttered, her fingers hovering uncertainly over the interface. "This isn't right. They must have upgraded recently."

I felt an icy knot of dread form in my stomach. Our carefully laid plans were unraveling before our eyes. The warrior in me roared, demanding action. For once, I listened.

Without warning, I shouldered Rayna aside, ignoring her startled gasp. I drew back my massive fist, focusing all my rage, frustration, and desperation into one primal strike. With a guttural roar that I barely kept below a bellow, I smashed my fist into the center of the control panel.

The impact sent shockwaves up my arm, but I barely felt it. The panel crumpled like paper beneath my orcish strength, sparks flying as delicate circuitry shattered. For a horrifying moment, nothing happened.

Then, with a wheeze and a hiss, the door slid open.

I stood there, blinking in surprise at my success, my fist still embedded in the ruined panel. Rayna stared at me, her mouth agape.

"That... actually worked," I mumbled, a mix of pride and disbelief coloring my voice.

Rayna shook off her shock. "Remind me never to underestimate the problem-solving potential of brute force," she said, a hint of admiration in her tone. "Now come on, we need to move before someone notices your... unorthodox hacking method."

We slipped into the control room, and I immediately knew we were in trouble. The room was occupied. A lone Vorash sat at the main console, his back to us. But it wasn't just any Vorash. I recognized the markings on his carapace. Kor'vak, the brutal second-in-command we had heard so much about.

For a split second, we all froze. Then everything happened at once.

Kor'vak spun around, mandibles clicking in alarm. Rayna darted towards the main console, fingers flying across the controls. And I... I did what I do best. I attacked.

Kor'vak was good, I'll give him that. His energy baton hummed to life, nearly taking my head off with the first swing. But I was better. And more importantly, I had something to fight for.

We clashed in a fury of blows, the small room echoing with the sounds of our combat. Each strike, each dodge, each counter brought me more alive. This was what I was born for, what I trained for. The warrior spirit of my people sang in my blood.

But even as I reveled in the fight, a part of me was acutely aware of Rayna. I could hear her rapid breathing, the clack of keys as she worked to bring down the prison's defenses. My entire being split between the battle at hand and the need to protect her.

Kor'vak managed to land a glancing blow, the energy baton searing a line of fire across my arm. I roared in pain and fury, the sound reverberating off the metal walls. In retaliation, I landed a crushing blow to his midsection, feeling the satisfying crack of his exoskeleton.

As Kor'vak staggered back, I glimpsed my reflection in a darkened monitor. My eyes were blazing with battle-lust, my teeth bared in a feral grin. For a moment, I didn't recognize myself. Was this the warrior I once was? Or something new, forged in the crucible of this alien prison?

"Krull'rak!" Rayna's voice cut through my internal struggle. "I've got it! We need to go, now!"

Her words snapped me back to reality. With a final blow, I sent Kor'vak crashing into the console. He slumped to the ground, unconscious or dead—I neither knew nor cared.

I turned to Rayna, seeing equal parts awe and concern in her eyes. "You okay, big guy?" she asked softly.

I nodded, unable to find words. She reached out, her small hand grasping my much larger one. The simple touch grounded me, chasing away the last vestiges of battle-rage.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get out of here."

We ran. Through corridors now filled with blaring alarms and flashing lights. Past confused guards and panicking prisoners. The entire facility was in chaos, and we were the eye of the storm.

Finally, we reached the outer doors. Freedom lay just beyond, so close I could almost taste it. But one last obstacle remained—a massive energy barrier, crackling with lethal power.

"The override!" Rayna shouted over the din. "It should be working!"

But the barrier remained stubbornly in place. Something had gone wrong. It flickered, the sparkling power intermittently burning brightly before dimming. Yet it never snuffed out. Perhaps Kor'vak had managed a final act of defiance, locking us out of the system.

I could hear reinforcements approaching. We were out of time.

At that moment, I made a decision. I turned to Rayna, saw the fear and determination warring in her eyes, and knew what I had to do.

"Do you trust me?" I asked.

She nodded without hesitation. "With my life."

I scooped her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest. Then, without warning, I shrugged off my thick leather prison vest.

"What are you—" Rayna began, but I cut her off.

"No time," I growled, wrapping the vest tightly around her smaller frame. It engulfed her, leaving only her eyes visible. "It's not much, but it might help."

I could hear the approaching guards, their insectoid chittering growing louder. With Rayna secured, I turned to face the barrier, my now-bare chest exposed to its deadly energy.

"Hold on," I ordered, tightening my grip on her.

Then, with a roar that channeled all my pain, all my rage, all my hope for freedom, I charged at the barrier. I didn't stop to think, didn't time the pulses. I powered through instead. There was no time for any other strategy.

Pain exploded across every nerve as we hit the energy field. I could smell burning flesh—my own. But I pushed through, fueled by a strength born of desperation and the precious burden in my arms. I curled my body around Rayna, using my bulk to shield her as much as possible from the searing energy.

For a moment that stretched into eternity, there was nothing but agony. My vision blurred, darkness creeping at the edges. But I refused to fall, refused to fail. Not when we were so close.

Then, suddenly, we were through. The cool night air hit my face, sweet and free. I stumbled, nearly falling, but managed to keep my feet. Rayna squirmed in my arms, and I loosened my grip, allowing her to slide to the ground.

She quickly shed the smoldering vest, her eyes wide as she took in my blistered, smoking skin. "Krull'rak, you?—"

"We made it," I interrupted, my voice ragged. "We're out."

Despite the pain wracking my body, a fierce joy surged through me. We had done the impossible. We were free.