Cutlass Sharpened (42 page)

“
But.” She found it not so
easy, but made him stop talking by pinching his lips with her
fingers. She shook her head.

“
Turn me so we don’t isolate
him.” She prompted and sucked in a breath as he shifted so they
could see the Creelin sitting cross-legged three meters
away.

“
Before we get started on
introductions,” Oliver began. “Netul, you called her my ‘match’.
What did you mean?”

The huge head tilted marginally as he began
speaking with his hands, using his pinky-less hands to great
effect. ‘She and your scents are ideal for breeding the best young.
You’ve mated, but your ties to her are beyond words. In my people,
we are called ‘matching pairs’ or ‘match’ for short. It is like
your people using the title mates or those who rarely marry. She is
your true match. We each get just one true match. Finding the scent
makes the frenzy begin. Matching pairs cannot live without the
other. In time we die once a bond is formed to follow them into the
void. My own match knows I live as I know she does due to the fact
my life force still remains with me and calm.’

“
I like that.” Renee smiled,
still laid out on Oliver’s knee and looked up. “Who would have
guessed we found a perfect word. Netul, Oliver and I didn’t know
how to articulate how we feel for each other. Thank you for your
help though you didn’t know I’ve been wracking my brain. ‘Matching
pair’… I like it.”

This time Netul silently asked ‘How have you
younglings come to be in this wretched place?’

“
Tell him and don’t hold
back. It’s hard to talk.” Renee prompted.

And so began Oliver retelling the events of
the day from the bombing to what he pieced together before being
blinded and thrown down in the limbo of Level Four. Afterwards he
asked “And what is your story? I know you can’t divulge everything,
but give us what you can.”

Netul raised his bluish grey arms. ‘From what
I’ve been able to keep track of through the guard shifts and
ghoulish treatment, my estimation is it was sixty four of your
years ago that I answered a distress from one of my people’s
colonies under assault by Keptl trackers who had bred to too great
a number, but I was first to arrive. As I fought and held them off
I felt a prick in my neck and lost all my power. Before I could
lash out, someone hidden from both sight and smell cracked my
Cultio… the armor wrap that protects my tendrils… and made me pass
out.

‘
Eventually my consciousness
returned to face the enemy who cruelly threw you two down here. He
took my armaments, Cultio and ranking shield. He has made many
thousands of attempts to break my mind and body to turn me into his
personal weapon.’ Netul’s abdomen still showed signs of faint
healing. Jagged dark blue lines crisscrossed the abdominals. ‘I
know not the fate of my people I was taken from in battle, but
Wrangler will suffer by my hand for his grave crimes. He relishes
in forbidden experiments, but in the past two years his time with
me grows less. It used to be daily, but now comes every seven to
ten. Whatever has his attention now make me feel pity for the
individual… but the way he looked to you…’

“
Renee… her name is Renee.
I’m Oliver.” He supplied.

‘
Renee. His gaze of hatred
is on you like I’ve not seen in many years. My fear is you will
endure much and as a female I shudder to think what twisted ideas
are in his thoughts.’

“
He won’t lay another
fucking hand on her.” Oliver vowed, bending protectively over her
and looking out. “Um, are there any others in the three other cells
out there?”

‘
Not for many, many days.
Most commit suicide after one lesson with him or his torturers.’
Netul gestured. ‘It is rather hopeless.’

That made Oliver grin. “Hardly. The lunatic
made a critical error. My sword is in the display case over
there.”

“
And just how do you plan to
get it, Moron?” Renee snorted. “If Netul can’t use his
powers
I
sure as
hell can’t.”

The grin grew mischievous. “True, but the
prison scanners didn’t detect I’m still wearing my armor as well as
this.” He lifted his right arm and the orange sleeve fell down to
reveal the onyx sleeve encasing his whole forearm.

Before Renee could gasp in realization a long
fingered hand wrapped over Oliver’s fist and Netul’s sudden change
in demeanor as well as his eyes burning pure white bore onto the
device. Before even Netul could react, a left fist slammed into his
sternum and flung him off.

White turned red for a tense
moment before settling in curious blue. Netul laid a hand on his
chest and looked at it, showing he certainly felt the powerhouse
left straight, then met Oliver’s stare that dared him to touch
again without warning. He could only use one hand, but used it he
did ‘My apologies, I forgot my place. Now I finally realize why I
never gave up hope as too many have. It was not my match,
but
you
who would
come. Never had I believed it to be possible, but hope returns.’
Oliver suspected that meant something else, but went with the
obvious hope of freedom from imprisonment. ‘Now your scent makes
sense… But you cannot go unless you want your match to
perish.’

“
Are you threatening her?”
He growled, the amber eyes darkening.

Netul shook his overlarge head. ‘No. I would
only kill to defend myself or innocent others. I’m Zeelin. We kill
to protect or bring to justice. My meaning is your match’s heart
will fail if she moves without aid. You are still strong as I saw
you stand as easily as I. Her blood will pool so she passes out.
Before I say more, change your armor to go into battle.’

Renee listened to the translation to say “Do
it. He knows something.”

Oliver gently laid Renee’s head on the musty
hay and stood. Netul watched with unrestrained and rekindled hope
as the orange suit lost its slack and changed to a perfectly fitted
silver and black. The cape flew down and the helmet crept up and
solidified. Oliver’s intimidating look increased tenfold.

Netul’s pain washed away as he got to his
feet and also looked ready to battle. ‘I will trade knowledge to
have freedom.’

“
Forget it.” Oliver
retracted the helmet. Netul was about to fight for it if he had to.
What came next stopped him completely. “I was planning on it
regardless. I smelled you through your story and your scent was
hopeless, but steadfast. You are falsely imprisoned like us.
I’d
like
your help
to keep Renee safe, but I’d do so on my own and still make sure to
take you with us. As much as I want to kill Wrangler, you seem to
have more motive. I’d be grateful to get out of here with your
help, but if you weren’t here I’ve already got a plan. I’d be
honored to fight with you… but I don’t see your shield or armaments
in the case.”

‘
I know where they are, but
you must lead us to escape.’ He bowed some, the thick hair strands
spread some over a slightly curved back. ‘The honor is mine to see
battle again. Should we die, we go in glory.’

“
I think I might actually
like the Creelin. So, what do you have in mind, Netul? How do you
want to do this?”

His pale hand gestured to sit and return the
armor to prison uniforms. He touched his own arm to sign ‘We make
an exception to rules. Renee is your match and won’t be punished
for gifting my thoughts to such a young race.’ Oliver felt he
should edit that out and think on why Netul would openly talk to
him, but not her. The other man gave the barest nod that it was
wise to keep secret for now. ‘Many defenses lower when night
arrives, or what I assume is night for so long. Until that time,
rest and tend your match. Before I do think further, I must test
her blood.’ Renee didn’t wait to stick her arm out as she heard the
request. Netul barely scratched her palm and drew a few crimson
droplets and rubbed it between his thick fingers, looked insanely
close and even sniffed before signing ‘I believe my idea will
succeed.’ In fact he seemed damn positive it would.

“
May I ask what you did with
my blood and what for?” She asked, her head using Oliver’s lap as a
pillow again.

The Creelin shook his head, not looking sad
at all. ‘Sorry, but I cannot divulge it just yet without approval
of the Archivers. Just rest, heal and be ready. I will bring you
water. You both are quite dehydrated.’ Netul moved over to a tiny
recess and cupped his hand beneath it, but Oliver came over, having
a good idea that Netul didn’t have cups, but was trying to help in
any way he can.

The sleeve of his clothes modified into a
watertight bladder that filled. He then brought the cold sleeve
over and helped Renee drink her fill. He finished the rest and
refilled it. Not long after, Renee’s own bladder was full and
Oliver carried her over to a recess with a drain. She was
embarrassed to be taken care of, but her hip protested with nerves
afire.

Before long, Renee’s overwhelmed mind finally
shut down as the comfort of Oliver’s smell and touch relaxed her
enough.

‘
Lights out!’ came the call
from high above and echoed. Bright lights flicked off and turned
dim red, just enough to see by. It was much darker, but Oliver had
no issue piercing the veil of black and red. He went to wake Renee,
but Netul shook his head to say ‘Two more hours. Let the prison
fall asleep and give her a little more.’

About two hours later Oliver rubbed Renee’s
arms and coaxed her back to the real world. “Hey Beautiful, how are
you feeling?”

“
Sore all over, but my hip’s
good enough to walk on three gees. Seven will be too difficult.”
She grunted, self checking and giving an assessment. “We ready?”
she looked between the men.

Netul practically bounced on his four large
pale blue toes. ‘Yes. Oliver, now understand me clearly and
carefully. Through your story you divulged about everything so I
know you’ve never done this. You can free me first. Now, gather all
the cords binding me.’

Oliver’s large left hand gripped the metal
and proceeded as instructed to keep from triggering an alarm. Using
the vambrace, he let it seep through the molecules of metal and
found his mind suddenly picturing how wires were stuck in the hair
like needles. Painlessly he cut the nerves and extracted all the
needles simultaneously, mimicking the shut off switch that would
free at the push of a button. Only now Netul wasn’t going to be
tortured. He was going out free or die in the attempt as a warrior
again.

He shook his head, free of the shackles that
held him for over sixty years. The Creelin sighed through his
nostrils since he had no nose. He didn’t waste too much time and
moved to the bars. ‘Do not touch. They are electrified. This is how
so many gave up. They held on till life left their body.’ Oliver
took the warning with Renee watching quietly. ‘You will make your
match armor like yours, but first we need raw material. Use your
vambrace to take one tenth of a kilo from the metal bars.’ A
tendril shot out from the right forearm, chomped a chunk out of
reinforced bars without being electrocuted and seemingly swallowed
it. ‘Now imagine copying your own vambrace, but keep in mind it is
made for a female.’

“
Why?” he asked, but did it
anyway.

‘
Your male abilities will be
incompatible with the mind of a female. Some things can be done
similar, but the two sexes have different abilities within their
makers. Males protect and imagine things in critical detail.
Females bear new life and heal, but are guided more by emotion than
we are.’ Oliver knew that to be proven true as an average. He
didn’t prod further.

Netul watched as a black cube squeezed itself
out, but then picked it up and knelt by Renee’s right side. She
held still as the warm ball was sat behind the wrist and between
the radius and ulna. The moment it touched her skin it moved on its
own and spread. Netul let go and got up again. She though watched
as it began to elongate into the best fitting black bracelet she
ever wore. She was about to ask and Oliver translated again. “He
says it’s the woman’s version of my multi-tool and needs you to vow
how it’s done to secrecy.”

“
Why? What can it
do?”

“
He says you must swear to
never reveal first.”

“
I do. My oath is as good as
my fathers.”

Netul found it acceptable. “You can use it to
make medicine and poisons within your own body with no danger. You
are now a walking synthesizer, but he warns not to over-administer
or you’ll seriously damage yourself, making regeneration take
longer. You can put a hand over someone and do surgery without
parting the skin and you can design complex chemical solutions in
your own mind through it. Combine it with the chip in your head and
nearly anything could be made with your own body. The only thing it
can’t do is design and enhance technology like mine. He’s saying
you can discover it’s uses later. Tonight is our only chance to
leave… unless you want to wait till morning to see if the sociopath
is good for his word.”

“
Later then.” Her excitement
sobered with that last part.

He looked to the Creelin again and waited to
understand before kneeling. “I need some blood from you.” He got
precisely the amount required, but this time took out a massive
chunk of the cell bars, enough to fit through, but discarded
silently over three quarters. The remainder mixed with the blood
and the effort dropped Oliver to his knees as it took his energy to
see it through. Netul eased him down and in about two minutes the
brown mass dropped and the vambrace resumed its neutral place.