Chapter 34: Rogue Stars

It had not been long since the annihilation of the threat known as Grand Devourer, so many of the gathered friends were still at a loss for words. During such a short period of time, so many questions had popped up that it was difficult finding a place to start. No matter what the inquiry was, most all eyes were trained on Gauntlet and Melena, who were taking a rest from the most recent battle they had been through. The only absence was Atman’s, and considering just how much of his own energy he had used up in the previous fight, he would most likely be out of action until the next match ended--and that was only a day and a half away.

“I guess you never had any reason to talk, huh?” said Jerwon as he scratched Woolyford’s chin. The unusual ram, which was both powerful, fast, and (as everyone recently discovered) sentient, also had speech to go along with many of his strange traits. The goat shrugged, and preferred silence and scratching.

“Sir Wooly usually talks up a storm,” mentioned Dustin gruffly. “It’s unusual to hear him not say anything. Of course, he’s learned to keep his big mouth shut around other people--otherwise, the men who are after him would be able to find him easier.”

“What men?”

“It’s none of your concern,” replied Dustin numbly. “We have more important things to discuss. Now, I can assume we all realize that the competitor known as Grand was actually the one-and-only Grand Devourer, disguising himself for some unknown, but assuredly destructive means. That problem has been solved by the combined might of us all, though I must give Lady Melena and Master Atman credit for contributing the most. And I suppose we had something to do with it...” He trailed off and kept his empty eyes glued to nowhere, not bothering to look over at his archrival.

“And now,” he continued after a pause, “I would like for some questions to be answered. Miss Glang, Miss Fara’dellyn, would you entreat us to your secrets, so we know what in the devil just happened an hour ago?” Melena gave him a sheepish smile and looked to her friend for council. Gauntlet nodded her head, and Melena began her story with a sigh.

“Well, okay ... I guess I’ve been a heel about not telling any of you about this. But if I said anything, I thought you all would freak out.”

“Having the chance to view an acquaintance transform herself into a gigantic scorpion is a rather bizarre and frightening experience,” noted Zet. “I reason that now, we should be familiar with whatever you have to present to us.”

“Right. Well, here goes nothing ... Okay, you guys know how I’m from Brimwater, right? And that I’m a fashion model who fights for pleasure?”

“So far, that’s about all we really know,” said Diana. “I’ve never heard of Brimwater, but I’m sure its inhabitants don’t have the same abilities that you do. You must be like me: a woman who was once human but was transformed into a demi-human through bizarre means. Am I right?”

“No, far from it! The people of Brimwater are exactly like me! They’re all scorpions! Well, that isn’t accurate--more like Hydra Scorpions. It’s kinda the same deal with the creatures you might see on Earth or other planets, except that we’re usually larger, and our limbs can regenerate. Of course, we’re also very intelligent beings, and we all love to fight. I’m not really different from any of the others, except I’m a fashion model, and I live off-world.”

“And do they all have the ability to transform like you?” asked Cattia.

“No ... well, yes, but ... it’s hard to explain. Well, remember how Grand was able to transform?”

“I’m starting to wish I didn’t...” muttered the blonde. Melena nodded her head.

“It’s kinda the same with us. Most Brimwaters live out their whole lives as scorpions, but there are some like me who can look humanoid. This kinda comes in handy when you don’t want to scare every person in a ten-kilo radius.”

“I suppose that all this is making sense so far,” noted Zet thoughtfully. “If my brief studies on scorpions are correct, they would have a similar mating habit to what you displayed to us. The black widow and the praying mantis also seem to kill or devour their mates after intercourse, so I suppose it is not uncommon for your sexual practices to be so violent.”

“Yeah, there’s definitely some suckage involved in the deal,” moaned Melena. “The good thing is I’m about eight times stronger in full scorpion mode, and about twice as strong if I just grow some extra limbs, like these...” Melena paused briefly and showcased the two extra arms that had remained from her transformation. She resembled Sleipnir just barely, except she was much shorter and had very long amber hair.

“But the bad news is,” she continued morbidly, “if I’m super-angry or if I’m driven into a severe lust--by natural urges or by outside influence--then I can become quite violent. I have almost no control when I’m in such an emotional state, so that’s why you saw me chase after that nasty Grand guy. I tend to, ah, mate only with the guys that I hate or I want to get back at, cuz’ it’s not really a crime since it’s just biology...” She trailed off sheepishly, obviously embarrassed by what she was saying. Everyone else was too, but none more so than Stone. It had been he who lit the fuse for Melena’s transformation, and although he understood why Gauntlet asked him to do such a thing, he was still disturbed.

“But that’s why I have good friends like Ketra here,” she smiled as she drew the aqua-haired humanoid in for a hug. “She usually keeps a syringe with a sedative that depresses my urges and calms them down, and I usually return to humanoid state after that. Of course, I’m still wilder than a bull, so I guess that’s why she had you all hold me down. Obviously, I need to be wearing very expandable clothes around--otherwise, I’d end up naked and slightly unconscious, the perfect opportunity for some creep to get his jollies.”

“You certainly sound complex, lady!” whistled Greg. “A scorpion-woman, a model, a fighter ... You really are a model on this Brimwater planet, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you bet!” she exclaimed with a smile. “I guess you can tell that I have lots of natural beauty. I work out a lot, so I’m always in great shape, and my diet’s very balanced. Of course, I also have lots of love and spirit and life in my soul, which accounts for inner beauty as well. And I know this might sound weird to you humans, but I’m even considered very beautiful as a scorpion!”

“I noticed,” muttered Jerwon. “It sounds really freaky, but you still looked hot, claws and tail and all! I’d never believe I’d see a pretty scorpion!” Melena grinned and giggled at his compliment, and asked again if there were any more questions. Everybody seemed to be down pat on Melena’s condition, and so the inquiry turned to Gauntlet. The purple-eyed woman with a scar on her cheek and a noose around her tongue gazed at the crew silently, not really wishing to tell them about herself.

“I can say a few things,” volunteered Melena. “Ketra’s not really talkative, but I guessed you all figured that out. There’s nothing wrong with her voice--she can speak just as well as any creature with a language--but she prefers talking as briefly as possible.”

“Brevity is the soul of wit,” muttered the woman in question. Melena smiled and agreed.

“Yeah. Without going into detail, I’ll just say that Ketra’s one of those ladies who has had a pretty dark past. A lot of horrible things have been placed on her shoulders, and except for me, Sean Gilliam, and Cedro Fontano, she really doesn’t have anyone else she can call a friend. I’m basically the only person she trusts, and I can’t help but feel for her, even though she tells me not to all the time.”

“Redundant.”

“Yeah, yeah ... Anyway, Dustin, you asked me what she meant by ‘her destiny’, and what it had to do with winning the tournament, am I right?”

“Yes.” Melena paused to clear her throat and continued talking again--but surprisingly, Ketra stopped her friend, and volunteered to explain the rest herself.

“You sure, Ket? I don’t mind?”

“My past,” she emphasized. Melena nodded her head once and let her friend talk. “ ... As you all know, the race of beings known as Haii’shaa’dohre, which consisted of the pure-hearted Ah’Kap’Yraz and the evil Mandaa’sythe’tyarre, were the founders of the Tournament of Champions. You people know them as ‘The Old Ones’, but I have been given knowledge about their true history and name. The Old Ones started the tournaments to pluck out of the common mold a vast army of great fighters, to protect and serve their territories. The Old Ones had a habit of colonizing planets and starting new civilizations everywhere they went, and some say that Earth might have been one of their colonies.

“At first glance, I may look human, and in a way, I am. But I am also part Klindat, a race that resembled the humans as Emily’s race the Baytans does. The Klindats, I think, were a race of beings that devoted their time to venturing out into the cosmos to colonize more planets for the Old Ones, who wished to bring universal order and prosperity to the far corners of the cosmos. They had no political motives or personal gain--just peace and diversity, and if need be, strength as well. My father was a Klindat, my mother a human, so I resemble them both quite a bit. My hair and eyes are qualities of the common Klindat, just as your blonde hair or brown eyes are common to you humans.

“But I am getting nowhere. As I am descended from a Klindat and Human, I am also one of the last remnants of ‘The Old Ones’ to be living in this universe. Therefore, since I am their spawn, I reasoned that it would one day become my destiny to win the Galactic Tournament, for them--and become worthy of the warriors that guard their worlds. Melena has ... for lack of a better term, volunteered to assist me and train me so that I would make it to the top, and were it not for Grand, I might have reached further into the ranks than I did. Of course, I know that I will never be able to defeat Atman, and Melena knows too many of my moves to lose against me. As for my voice ... let us say that it is the result of a massive trauma, and no more. I really ... do not like ... speaking of it any further ... and you will forgive me if I become unemotional about things. But I am also human, and...” She trailed off, and did not speak of anything for quite awhile.

Meanwhile, everyone was given a good while to absorb everything.

While the cleaning crews were fixing the mess that had been made on the arena, a new fighting ring was selected elsewhere on the planet, and the remaining two matches were slated to be held there. It took awhile for the announcement to reach every person on Benda Wel Seuxx, and even longer for them all to assemble in the same place. The authorities declared the threat “taken care of and no longer posing any danger”, and they also said that it was “safe for all spectators to return to the designated ring to view the remainder of the tournament”. Most of the 1.5 days consisted of the people gathering together at the new area, and for rest and preparation for everyone else.

Atman was still recovering a little when the business of the tournament continued, but he was at least able to move around a bit. He watched the last semifinal battle on the hospital television, and wondered which of the two beautiful women-warriors he was going to fight. Both Emily Rogue and Melena Fara’dellyn had proved themselves in battle, though Atman placed his wagers on Melena winning. Emily had plowed through most of her fights by chance or luck, and did not use much of her own skills at all. Melena, on the other hand, pretty much went through everything with her fists flying.

Jerwon Nodston bit his lip as he watched his two friends step up into the ring. He knew a little bit about Melena, but he knew a lot about the golden-haired Emily, and he knew just what the slightly-older woman could do. Emily, a 25 year-old native of Bayta and a renewed bounty hunter and mercenary, was a master of the mythical fighting style known as Hhadadokukhen--”Dragon’s Breath”. The minor stunt she pulled when “fighting” Greg was really nothing at all, and easily overlooked. If the crowd thought that that was dirty, then they were going to be in for a shock. On a side note, Jerwon had a very outstanding crush on his old friend--but then again, the loveable Leduadian was always a little fickle when it came to the ladies.

Melena seemed ready to tackle the defending champion with every last ounce of her body. It was as if she had been preparing to do away with the defender ever since she first came into the ring, and though her ultimate goal was to either fight with or learn under Atman, she also desired the championship belt--or at least bragging rights. Melena figured herself to be a strong fighter, but there was a reason that Emily was the current champ, and the beauty of Brimwater would find that out very soon...

The gong sounded off, and the last semifinal match finally began. Melena wore a grin of ultimate pleasure as she raced towards her foe, nearly giddy with excitement at the thought of toppling the current champion. She had been dreaming of this moment all her life, and now glory and honor and adulation were within her grasp. As she reached her arms out, something else came into her grasp as well: the muscular arms of Emily Rogue. With impressive speed and strength, Melena threw her cyan opponent halfway across the ring, and sped after her to easily finish the fight.

The shorter girl rammed her foot right into the ring as Emily leaped out of the way, and the taller girl struck back as she ran towards her opponent to make a new offensive. Emily swung her fists methodically, swiping at the air and at Melena’s face with delicate grace. Emily shot her foot in the air and narrowly missed the hairs on Melena’s head, but the amber-skinned girl caught hold of the woman’s foot and rammed her elbow down on her leg. A wave of pain blasted through Emily’s leg, but she had felt worse, much worse, and from more places on her body.

She came back with a fierce blow to Melena’s head, smashing her free fist against the girl’s ear soundly. Melena let out a shriek and countered by slugging Emily right in the face. The woman released her captive, and stood back to assess the damage. Suddenly, Emily tumbled towards Melena in a series of flips, and leaped into the air to deliver a nasty kick to the head. Melena was forced back slightly, spittle erupting out of her mouth, but the blow was little more than child’s play.

Emily didn’t let up after that. She ran towards her opponent and grabbed her body in a hold, jumped in the sky, twisted around in midair, and slammed Melena onto the ground with her body weight sandwiching the other woman on the ring. Melena was crushed, but snapped her hands back and pounded Emily’s ribs with her elbows. She flipped back to her feet and glared at the other woman again, watching for the next attack.

“You know, you’re not half bad!” grinned Melena as she wiped a mixture of saliva and blood from her mouth. “Of course, you’ve got a ways to go before you can really be a challenge to me! Up until now, I’ve only been playing around with you!”

“So have I,” purred Emily as she stood in a defensive position. “Believe me, Melena ... You haven’t seen anything yet!”

“Bring it, girl!” Melena smiled victoriously and stood waiting for the attack. Emily only chuckled, and drew up to her full height. She resembled Ketra a little, just a little--if she had flesh-tone skin, purple eyes, and bluish-green hair, she might have passed as Gauntlet’s twin--and as she stood defenseless, Melena wondered what she was going to pull next.

“Watch very carefully,” said Emily as her eyes sparkled. “This next trick of mine is all I need to defeat you. Let’s just say ... you won’t even see me coming!”

“I’ll be the judge of that!” sang Melena. Emily returned the other woman’s smile, but in a sudden poof, the blue-skinned Amazon completely vanished! Melena’s eyes bugged out as her adversary disappeared, and of course she craned her head around to see where the woman was. “Hey, where’d you go?! Come on out and show yourself!” Suddenly, Melena felt somebody driving their fist right into her abdomen, and buckled under the random pressure. She growled, her teeth bared like a lion, and wondered where the attack came from--and then, she got a good punch right in the cheek.