21. Roxanne

Chapter 21

Roxanne

Emperor

M y gaze falls to my tightly bound hands. They stripped me of my stolen golden control bracelet. Anxiety floods my mind at the thought of having to service the cruel and bloated Glaseroid . I refuse to call him master! I cannot fathom living such a life. The mere thought of his disgusting, slimy limbs writhing over my body makes me want to vomit. I am determined to find a way out of here, no matter how long it takes. I just need to bide my time, and an opportunity will present itself, and then I will escape.

As Jinx, my escort, leads me down the corridor, her copper-skinned, strange snake-like body slithers gracefully, and her tongue flickers out of her mouth. "I see in your eyes, human, that you seek escape," she hisses. "You must guard your heart closely or you will suffer."

Her frank words take me by surprise, and her tone and demeanor differ vastly from when under the watchful gaze of our captor. "How can you live like this?" I ask, disgusted that anyone has to suffer his grotesque touches.

"It is like a game, a show. I play the part," Jinx replies, looking at me. "He is a loathsome creature, egotistical and predictable," she hisses, anger seeping into her voice.

"Like a game? It's like a nightmare! I'll kill him before I let him have me," I say, worrying if I have gone too far. Will Jinx report back to him about what I said?

Jinx titters gracefully, her sharp, sleek features sparkling in the light. "What is your true name, human?" she asks, amusement in her strange, green, snake-like eyes. Her appearance is surreal.

"Roxanne, although I go by Roxy," I reply, smiling as I remember Krogoth's silly names for me. "Or Rocks, also sometimes Pebbles. Stevenson. What's your name?" I ask, curious.

Jinx looks at me, her face full of concentration. "Humans have many names. I am called Farangis of House Ardagerous." She inclines her head, hissing. "I watch and wait for a mistake. Then I will kill him," she adds, her eyes flashing with hatred. "My advice to you, Roxanne, Roxy, Rocks, Pebbles of House Stevenson, is to endure, to go away inside, to play the part, but always watch, always plan. It will go easier for you this way."

I cannot bear the thought of "playing the part," but maybe she is right. If Farangis has endured and stayed strong, then perhaps I can do the same. "Thank you, Farangis of House Ardagerous. I will try," I say weakly, smiling at her. "Oh, and my name is just Roxy for friends," I add.

Farangis looks pleased. "Good to hear my name spoken again, Roxy," she says, suddenly gazing down at the floor. "He takes everything from us. I was a na?ve fool to disobey the House priests, shunning the tenets. God punishes me. But I endure."

I am not sure what tenets she is referring to, but seeing the pain in her eyes and the pain she has suffered, my heart aches, and I want to comfort her.

I take her slender scaled hand, feeling the cool, smooth texture of her skin against mine, and give it a reassuring squeeze as I promise, "We'll find a way to escape together, I promise." She nods appreciatively as we make our way into the room where I had escaped from earlier.

Farangis stops suddenly at the entrance to the room and leads us inside. "We are here, Roxy," she says with a smile, her tongue flicking out. "I notice on his screen a large ship following. I know not what it means, but he was concerned. Maybe this brings you relief?" She tilts her head as I try to process the information.

Could it be Krogoth? My heart leaps at the thought, but a part of me ruthlessly represses the hope. Keep it down, Roxy . I've been let down by men before. Hope only leads to disappointment. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

"I see," Farangis replies. Her eyes bore into my soul. She turns with unbelievable grace, and I hear her scales sliding against each other as she slithers out the door, sealing it behind her.

I collapse onto the bed as my stomach rumbles noisily. I'm so hungry I could even eat one of Krogoth's jellied rations. Closing my eyes, I try to enjoy the brief respite, knowing that soon they will return and force me to wear the dreaded golden collar. That's when the real nightmare begins. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, I soon succumb to unconsciousness.

As my eyes open, the swooshing sound of the door whizzing open pierces through the silence of the room. I rub the sleep from my eyes, but the grogginess seems to linger on. Confused, I realize I must have fallen asleep for… who knows how long? My eyes dart towards the door, and my heart races as I see two Glaseroid aliens in golden uniforms barge in, armed with unfamiliar and menacing-looking rifle weapons. They immediately push me out of bed, and I stumble to my feet.

Suddenly, one alien brandishes a knife, and I instinctively jump back, fearing the worst. The two of them exchange a sinister look and burst into cruel laughter, causing my stomach to twist with fear. The knife-wielding alien's many skittering limbs twitch, and he approaches me to cut the bonds on my wrists.

"What's going on?" I ask, my voice shaking with anxiety.

The aliens remain silent, their beady eyes staring at me with complete disdain. With rough movements, they haul me out of bed, half lifting and half dragging me down a corridor that leads in an unfamiliar direction. I try to take mental notes of the route, hoping to remember the way back. But my efforts are futile, as I am too overwhelmed by the situation.

My panic increases as I imagine they are leading me to put on the hateful golden collar. I struggle with all my might, trying to break free, but their grip is too tight, and I am not strong enough to escape.

Finally, we reach a large golden door engraved with a scene of warriors locked in a fierce battle. The sound of raucous commotion echoes from the other side, as if a sporting event is in full swing. I fear the worst as I contemplate what new humiliations await me beyond the door.

I'm forcefully pushed through the door and immediately blinded by the intense brightness of the area. Squinting, I acclimate my vision to reveal a massive sand-strewn arena surrounded by towering stone columns, resembling a colosseum of ancient times. Relief settles over me as I realize I'm not being dragged into the actual arena but to the spectators' section overlooking the grounds.

As I look around, my eyes land on the massive figure of the Glaseroid, his bloated form taking up most of the space on the elevated golden throne. His favorite… pretties flank him on either side, gazing adoringly at their master. The sight of him fills me with fear, anxiety, and I feel as though I might be sick.

My captors lead me to the front of the spectator booth, and I'm brought to the attention of the Glaseroid. The aura of pompousness emanating from him is very apparent, and I can't help but shrink back in terror as his beady eyes focus on me.

"Ah! Slop, the gift that keeps on giving," he says, and I can hear the smugness in his voice. I watch as he uses a long two-pronged fork to skewer a piece of meat on the table beside him. "Your savage has come. He hopes to win you back," he says, his laughter booming around me.

Hope springs within my heart that Krogoth is alive and here. I frantically scan the colosseum for any sign of him, but all I can see are various aliens, mostly Glaseroids, taking up many spectator booths. The varied alien women attending to them wear golden collars.

"Krogoth's here? We—" I begin, but the Glaseroid's rage cuts me off.

He shudders with fury, and his jowls jiggle madly as he rounds on his throne, fixing his piercing gaze on me. "Slop, you speak out of turn AGAIN!" he yells, and the sound reverberates around the colosseum like thunder. He pushes his fork nearly into my face.

"Embarrassing me in front of my guests!" he continues, and I hear the anger that belies the smug satisfaction in his voice as he revels in my fear. I step back, almost collapsing from the overwhelming feeling of terror.

"You WILL learn your place, Slop," he says, his voice dripping with venom. "And I will relish the look in your eyes as you watch your savage die painfully at the hands of my Rubikrax. Yes, watch as he is sliced apart bit by bit, piece by piece. Every inch of him is another hope severed, another insolence cut, until nothing of you remains other than my loyal, obedient plaything." He smiles cruelly. "Maybe I'll have his head delivered to you as a reminder. Wouldn't that be nice, Slop?"

Despite his horrible words, my heart swells, hoping I might once again see Krogoth. I feel emotional at the thought of him pursuing me and risking his life to free me. The big guy is so sweet and sincere I feel awful that I ever doubted him. However, the Glaseroid's demeanor begins to frighten me. He speaks with total confidence about his warrior winning, and I wonder if it's the same Golden Warrior who killed Carndor. The one who moved in a blur. Terror grips me at the realization that I most likely have led Krogoth into certain death.

As the Glaseroid quickly spears some more weird looking meats, gobbling them up, I notice Farangis staring at the knife on the table in a moment of contemplation. Finally, the huge, bloated form of the Glaseroid stands up and addresses the audience with a clearing of his throat.

The Glaseroid's voice booms through the arena, commanding the attention of the dozens of spectators. It echoes off the walls, and the silence that follows is deafening. The air is thick with anticipation and excitement, but I feel nothing but nausea and dread.

The Glaseroid gestures towards a floating drone that hovers overhead, blinking periodically. Its faint whirling adds to the sensory overload.

"We are gathered here to witness a truly epic battle," he declares, his words resonating through the air. "A battle steeped in a story as old as the stars themselves, a story of love!

"A brutal Klendathian savage comes to win the love of my pretty," he continues, gesturing in my direction. "A wild, savage lust full of passion and desperate power. But these are the silly feelings of the primitives. They must be led, guided by their betters, and who better to guide this savage than my Rubikrax, the Bloody Lightning!"

The crowd cheers as Rubikrax, the lean Golden Warrior, emerges from one gate, his strange spear held aloft. The sight of him sends shivers down my spine.

"I give you Rubikrax, the Undefeated, the Arena Champion of the scorching planet Gaine," my captor proclaims. "The Assassin in Gold, the Slayer of Grutex, the Bloody Lightning. The greatest fighter the universe has ever known!"

As the cheers subside, the Glaseroid's voice booms once more. "And now, his opponent! The savage, fearsome Klendathian from the deepest, darkest forests of Klendathor. Large and brutal even amongst his own kind, his claws seek to rend and rip the throats of his enemies!" My heart pounds in my chest as I see Krogoth emerge from the opposite side of the arena. He wears his full armor, adorned with the scars of countless battles.

I can barely believe my eyes that this is happening. It all feels so surreal, like a nightmare. I hope Krogoth can see me. I just want to see his beautiful eyes. As he gets closer, his masked face turns, scanning the crowd. Finally, his eyes rest in my direction, and he points. I can only wave back, praying that, somehow, I will feel his arms embrace me again.

"Only I, the great Tensin Naxsus, can arrange such rare pleasures!" The crowd erupts into applause, acknowledging his power and influence.

As the excitement mounts, Tensin Naxsus bellows, "Fighters, begin!" He roars, his bloated form wobbling in excitement.

Please don't die, Krogoth.