“Where’s Ryllah?!” Marilyn asked.
“On the ship. You mind if I butt in?” Lucius asked as he eyed Horbel up and down.
“Do you mind if I use your face for target practice?”
“Be wise, princess. I’ve more experience when it comes to dealing with non-Elementi fighters. This guy is of a species neither of us has seen before. Watch me fight him for a while so you can see all his tricks.” He explained. Ever since Marilyn heard how well-thought-out his plan for saving the people of Wulfo was, she had been slightly easier to reason with.
“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when he kills you.”
Lucius ignored her and walked toward Horbel.
“You’re a resilient one.” He commented as he approached. “I don’t believe I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet somebody I had previously thrown out a window before.”
“Yeah, me either scale-face!” Marilyn shouted over.
Horbel smiled, “Well then, shall we get started?”
Lucius wasted no time and sprinted toward him. Horbel had sprung forward as well and when the two met they quickly traded a multitude of attacks with each other. Lucius had watched him fight Marilyn for a little while before revealing himself. Which gave him an edge as they seemed to be evenly matched on speed.
Just as Lucius was about to get a good hit in, he was himself hit by an unknown force in the face. In the short time that he flinched from getting hit in the face he also fell victim to several of Horbel’s punches and kicks. Horbel then grabbed him and threw him into a tree near Marilyn.
“Having fun yet?” She asked looking down at him.
“Not really. I think I know how he keeps sneaking a hit in to save himself last second though.” He responded as he rubbed the shoulder he had landed on.
“Do tell!”
“And ruin the surprise? Besides, if I tell you then you’re probably just going to rush back into the fight.”
“Yeah, duh. That little sneak hit is all he’s got on me.” She said as she punched her palm.
“That we know of. It’s the only thing he’s needed so far. If I exploit that technique, then I’m certain he’ll start showing us how strong he really is.” He warned.
Marilyn scoffed. “Oh please. He can’t be holding back that much.”
“It doesn’t concern you that he doesn’t appear to be injured at all?” He asked as he walked back towards Horbel.
“I mean, a little.” She responded with a confident smile.
“Your bones are much more durable than those of the Zephyr family!” Horbel shouted. “Especially the young female! Her spine snapped like a twig. Of course, I was still feeling the rush from killing her parents. I may have gone overboard.”
“Kareena Zephyr was your last victim, Horbel. Your terror will end before this sun has set.” Said Lucius. Electricity shot from his right hand and manifested into a slim sword that had a slight curve to it. He wielded it with both hands as he got into a stance.
Horbel opened his arms wide and gestured for Lucius to make the first move. Lucius took the bait and dashed forward slashing wildly at Horbel. Horbel evaded several swings and swatted away several others. Lucius eventually found an opportunity. He feinted an attack at Horbel’s throat and then swung the sword above his own head instead.
Horbel howled in pain as half of his long, once invisible, tail fell to the floor. “Not bad,” he said as he inspected what was left of it.
“That was it?!” Marilyn screamed. “That’s how you kept sneak attacking me? You just kept your tail invisible? Ugh! How could I fall for that?”
“I’ve never come across your species before, but I have fought people with tails before. It was when you hit me that I was certain. You slightly bring your shoulders back when you utilize your tail.” Lucius explained. “So, you got any other little tricks you can do or are you ready to admit defeat?”
Horbel started with a slow chuckle. It quickly grew into a loud obnoxious laugh. “You are clever, boy. I’ll give you that. Unfortunately for you, you are in way over your head!” He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. As soon as he breathed back in, his tail quickly grew back to its normal length.
“You see, it doesn’t matter how strong you are. Nor does it matter how much damage you inflict. I will simply grow back whatever flesh I am missing and wait for you to make a mistake.”
Lucius and Marilyn exchanged troubled looks. This was something neither of them had anticipated. They had heard rumors of a species that could restore its own flesh. Though from the rumors, that species was so weak it could barely get around. This was certainly not the case with Horbel.
“You good?” Marilyn asked Lucius.
“Yes.” His anger for what Horbel had done to Ryllah and the Zephyrs fueled a hatred within him that he had never known before. He felt empowered by his wrath.
“He’s going to wish he couldn’t restore himself by the time I’m done with him.” He said with a voice full of malice.
“I think I’d like to end this in a timely matter, boy. You’ve got technique, but Princess Thunderfist is the strongest fighter I’ve seen on this side of the galaxy.” Horbel said as he slapped his tail on the ground. “Much stronger than the trash I deal with in the Plaquar Quadrant.”
“Am I boring you?” Lucius started spinning his sword above his head until it resembled a disc. It shot electricity in all directions as it spun around. He then threw it at Horbel who dodged it with ease.
“That’s precisely what I’m saying!” Horbel said as he rushed toward Lucius. This time he was much faster, and Lucius could not keep up with him. He connected a hard punch to Lucius’s stomach which brought the young general to his knees.
“I admit you are at least making me somewhat exert myself.”
“Glad to hear it.” Lucius said through his teeth. Suddenly, the electric disc came back aimed for the back of Horbel’s neck. Horbel turned around and caught the disc. When he did, it exploded in electrical energy and blew his hands and forearms clean off.
Horbel jumped back, “That one had a little kick to it, didn’t it? Maybe I did underestimate you!” After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath his hands quickly grew back.
Lucius got up slowly. He had been hoping to decapitate Horbel with his disc attack. He did not know of any other way to defeat an opponent who could make his flesh and bones grow back by sheer force of will.
“You’re embarrassing the Farako Quadrant! If you take another hit like that I’m taking over!” Marilyn yelled to Lucius.
“Sounds good to me!” He responded. He was running out of ideas to defeat Horbel himself. He could only hope that their enemy was depleting himself of some kind of energy. He was too fast for Lucius to behead with the sword, so he went back to Marilyn’s original plan. Which was to keep him at a distance.
Lucius fired bolt after bolt at Horbel who jumped and flipped out of the way of each one. He started shooting the bolts ever faster to keep up. Dust and smoke filled the air as a multitude of lightning struck the ground. The dust became so thick that Horbel did not need to turn invisible to not be seen. Lucius stopped, panting hard from exhaustion.
When the dust settled, Lucius had once again lost track of his opponent.
“Lucius!” Marilyn yelled, but it was too late.
Horbel appeared behind him and wrapped his tail around his neck. He tried to pull at the tail and get away but was soon lifted into the air.
Marilyn rushed in to assist him but was stopped by Horbel.
“Not another step, princess! I’ll pop his head off like the cap of a pressurized tank.”
“Damn it, Lucius!” Marilyn yelled. As much as she hated to do so, she adhered to Horbel’s threat.
“I don’t particularly like having to grow back pieces of my body.” Horbel said as he punched Lucius extremely hard in the stomach. He spit up some blood but refrained from vocally acknowledging any pain. He would not give Horbel the satisfaction.
“That was for my left hand.” Horbel said as he punched him again in the stomach. “That was for my right.” Then he released Lucius and punched him in the face. “And this is for my tail!”
Lucius bounced and rolled across the ground before finally stopping 20 paces away from where he had been punched. He landed face down and showed no sign of moving.
“Alright ugly! Where were we!?” Marilyn asked as she rushed in with a large ball of electricity. She had sprung at him as soon as he had let go of Lucius.
Horbel reacted so fast it seemed as if he had anticipated exactly what she was about to do. Despite this, he was still either too slow or too weak to block.
The electricity landed on his chest and started pushing him back. “Is this supposed to hurt? Don’t tell me your running out of juice!” He scoffed.
Marilyn smiled, “Oh, I’ve got more than enough juice for you!”
The electric ball grew to 12 times its original size in an instant and shot off taking Horbel with it. After 30 paces, Marilyn manipulated the electric ball to shoot up into the air. When it reached a good height, she shot it with a large lightning bolt and the ball turned into an even larger lightning bolt that snaked its way back into the ground, with Horbel directly underneath it. The blast left a crater and made a shockwave that violently shook everything nearby. Thunder echoed through the nearby mountains and the smell of burnt flesh began to permeate the air.
Marilyn admired the size of the crater for a moment, and then quickly ran over to check on Lucius.
“Well that’s that. Can you get up?”
“Not sure yet.” He replied. “And as incredible as that attack was, are you sure he’s dead?”
“He can’t restore from nothing, Lucius. I completely disintegrated him. Which is what I’m going to do to you if you don’t get up.”
He held out a hand for assistance but was given a raised eyebrow instead. “Still?” He asked rhetorically as he helped himself up.
“Let’s at least check the crater.” He suggested.
“You can. Unlike you, I know what victory feels like. That crater and the lack of Horbel’s obnoxious laughing feels like a victory to me.”
Lucius walked cautiously over to the crater. He could not believe the size of it. He was starting to think she might actually be as strong as she claimed. Inside the crater he found only ash and charred dirt. “I’d feel a lot better if there were some remains!” He yelled back.
“If there were any remains remaining then he wouldn’t be dead, now would he?” She responded. She used her communicator to tell Kembro to bring the ship around.
Lucius shrugged. “Guess not. Kind of troubling paradox though. Disintegrating a guy that you know can turn invisible.”
“Won’t see me losing any sleep.”
“If I were you I would kind of hope he was alive to be honest.”
“Why?”
“’I’ve got more than enough juice for you!’” Lucius mocked. “What kind of finishing line was that?”
Marilyn laughed. “Bad finishing lines are my trademark! I love the fact that that will be the last thing that monster ever heard!”
Kembro soon arrived with the ship and the two warriors hopped aboard.
“Kembro! Let’s go home!” Marilyn yelled up to the cockpit as she plopped onto a chair in the living quarters.
“Shouldn’t we pick up Phuro?” Lucius asked.
“Right. Go get… WAIT!” Marilyn shouted.
Kembro rushed into the living quarters, “What is it, princess!?”
“Where’s Marlana?!”
Kembro gave a sigh of relief. “No worries, princess. It’s down in the garage.”
“Whew! Thank you, Kembro. At least someone around here is dependable.” She sneered.
Lucius wanted to reply but chose to keep silent. He was too exhausted to even verbally defend himself at this point.
Marilyn went down to the infirmary to check on Ryllah. Her eyes swelled with tears as she stared down at her beaten and frozen companion. Her best friend’s beautiful face was now an awful mess. After Lucius explained himself and what had happened, she decided she had no right to be angry with him. She was just as to blame for not getting past Klasp in time. She was at least grateful he had the good sense to put her on ice as soon as he found her.
She knew the advanced medicine back on Farako would make her as good as new. It still did not ease the pain of seeing her in this condition.
When they went back to pick up Phuro and Luli, the attitude of the ship’s newest passengers could not have been more opposite. Luli was beyond excited to get to the engine room and start inspecting every little detail. Phuro, on the other hand, sat in the living quarters facing a corner without saying a word.
The Liplees had brought several gifts and thanked them many times over. Most of the gifts were assorted cheeses and native fruits. One gift was a crude painting of Marilyn striking down Horbel with a bolt lightning. She admired that most of all.
“Get him to talk yet?” Marilyn asked as she walked back into the living quarters.
“Not a peep.” Lucius replied as he put healing ointments on his wounds. “Hey. Are we cool yet?”
“Depends on your interpretation of cool. I don’t want to kill you, but I still don’t want to marry you either.” She sat down at the table adjacent Lucius and handed him a plate of the cheeses and fruits they had received.
“You know what? Cool for me is anything in between those two things. So, if you ask me, I’d say we’re cool.” He grabbed a handful of fruit and stuffed it in his mouth. His eyes got wide and he quickly spit it all out.
“Manners!” Marilyn yelled.
“Spicy!” He yelled back, breathing heavily. “Need water! So spicy!”
“This ship is amazing!” Luli exclaimed as she found her way back to the living quarters. “I’ll need to study the schematics awhile, but I bet I can figure out how to keep her running!”
Lucius frantically ran into the kitchen and put his mouth under running water.
Kembro walked in from the hallway leading to the cockpit and Luli let out a small yelp at the sight of him.
He sniffed in her direction and his tail started to wag from excitement.
“A mechanic? Thank the stars! We needed a mechanic like you wouldn’t believe!”
“It talks?!” Luli asked in astonishment.
“Luli, meet my pilot. Kembro has been flying me around since my 14th birthday.” Marilyn clarified.
“Pleased to meet you! You smell like a little angel!” Kembro said still sniffing in her direction.
“Thanks?” Luli said with a perplexed expression.
“He means you’re a good person. Kembro can tell people’s intentions by scent.” Marilyn explained.
“Incredible.”
Kembro bowed. “Please. Please. Hold your applause.” Then he took a more serious tone. “Princess, may I speak with you privately?”
“Sure. Luli, make yourself at home. Your room is in the back on the left.”
“Where’s my room!?” Lucius yelled from the kitchen, but Marilyn ignored him as she followed Kembro up to the cockpit.
“Everything okay?” She asked.
“Something else is on board. It’s not Luli. It’s not the Zephyr boy. Something else must have snuck in. Whatever it is, it is small, but it smells like it is growing by the second. I think it might be Horbel.”
