The singular light came from above and shone down through the glass into his boxed cell. Unlike his last one, this cell had a large, physical, metal double door keeping him in, not an energy-based one. For a brief second, a shadow fell over him, leaving him in darkness. The cause of this soon shifted so as not to block the light as much. Now, he could at least make out the outline of their back; he didn’t need to guess who it was. Mokvel. Even just thinking of the name made him spit on the ground.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot, Terran,” said the alien, doing its best to be clearly understood. “Urlak deserved what happened, but you understand this will not end the way you think.”
“Why are you here?” Young growled and couldn’t stop pacing around like any caged animal would.
“To warn you of what’s coming, you’re never going to see that beautiful world again. The Blue Warbands will either use you to further their ends or see you be a tribute for games.”
Young looked squinted a little to see Mokvel look down at him. “Tri-bute?”
“The Warbands like to capture all kinds of prisoners and pit them against each other. The winner gets their freedom, so there’s that, at least.”
“Then all I need to do is win.”
The alien’s chattering laugh echoed around them and made Young wonder what it was that the alien found so funny. “I took your people down. What’s the worst you can throw at me?”
“Other aliens like yourself, bigger, stronger and just as resourceful. You’ll be theirs to slaughter.”
“You doubt my abilities, still?”
“No, I think I’m the only one who knows what you’re truly capable of. One thing is certain, Terran, we’re all going to burn for what we’re going to do to your world.”
A series of punctuated booms ended the silence and flattened any tree that the Blue Warbirds passed over. The ships whizzed overhead, creating sweeping shadows that caused the roaming pack of Neanderthals to stare up in a mixed state of wonder and horror. The newcomers had taken Young and now more of them had shown up. They picked up the pace as they ran through the thickly forested wood. If these newcomers found their camp, the women, and children would be in grave peril. Booms thundered around them, different from the thunderclaps that came before. These were at random intervals and what soon followed was billowing smoke; thick and black, it blotted out the sky in all directions.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The trees opened up to a small camp of their fellow Neanderthals, panicking while trying to keep low and sheltered for all the good it would do them. The Chief who had led the hunt knew there could be no hiding from this threat. No doubt it already knew exactly where they were and were converging towards them. He needed to restore order, and fast.
He bellowed out a guttural roar that got everyone’s attention. He pointed to some of the men still geared up. “Prepare the men and women to defend the camp, we’ll need everyone if we’re to survive them. Watch the skies, and not just the forest. These outsiders traverse the sky as easy as any bird of prey.”
The grunts of acknowledgement were all he needed to hear, and the men set to work arming those around the camp with stone-tipped spears. If these newcomers were of similar stature to the Greys they had faced before, he suspected they might have a chance of survival, but a part of him doubted this. These outsiders he imagined would be far more formidable if their tactics so far were anything to go by.
Sage looked at their chief and agreed. “I doubt this will go our way, Chief.”
“Even still, we fight.”
The Sage nodded, but before they could plan further, a lengthy shadow covered their camp and the roar that came after almost deafened them. The wild animals that could flee fled deeper into the wood, as if that would protect them from whatever now lingered above. Intense winds forced the Chief to dig in his heels just to avoid being pushed off balance.
“Whatever comes out, give it no quarter!”
A series of circular openings appeared on the underside of the structure and from that blackness, something large was deployed to different parts of the camp. One of those things landed dead centre in front of them. It had a metal look to it and the Chief at first thought it was some kind of weaponised ball. Instead, it made strange noises as its shape transformed from a ball into something vaguely humanoid. He held up his hands to signal his people not to engage. Their weapons wouldn’t be able to stop whatever this was.
“Terrans, we offer you this one chance to surrender. The strong among you will be brought aboard our ships. The weak will perish. The decision is yours.”
Somehow, these aliens spoke their language or had at least found a way to understand it. Chief looked at his Sage.
“If we refuse to join you?” asked Sage.
“You must choose soon or we will make that choice for you.”
Chief clenched his teeth together. “We will come with you, but leave the weak. They do not deserve death.”
"That is not for you to decide. One more time, are the terms acceptable?"
Chief wanted to say no, to die a warrior's death, but what was the point of that? If he was to overcome this threat, he would have to play along for now. Let them think they are in control. Biding our time is all we have right now; much will need to be sacrificed if we are to win in the end. They will be made to regret this. The Chief swallowed back the regret he already felt. “We accept those terms.”
“Good, do not resist, we need only the strong, the old are not required for your future,” the strange metal humanoid’s hand pointed to the Sage. “You will be the first. Do not resist.”
“Avenge us, Chief. Do not let our deaths here be for nought. Do not mourn! Take that anger and make it your strength.”
“He doesn’t need -”
The Chief was cut off as the blast of yellow energy consumed the body of the Sage and reduced him to sludge.
So that’s what we need to overcome. It seems impossible now, but that’s not truly the case. We will endure their torment, and whatever comes next. When they least expect it, we will rise and lay waste to them as they have already done to us… an eye for an eye. This battle may seem lost, but this war has only just begun.
