The Galactic Bride
Chapter 19: The Dinner

The horn sounded shortly after Aki and the General had teamed up with Lew, and it wasn't long until they had emerged from the jungle to the beach. The landing site was in view and it only took them a few minutes to get to the clearing. There was only one transport present, a tent, and a beautiful table set. There were only seven chairs. As soon as they arrived, a Mari woman came up to them and greeted them like they were welcome guests, not savage murderers. Aki also noticed that they were the second to arrive. Another contestant, Wahconese girl, was already sitting at the table. She looked ill.

"Welcome everybody. Seems we have almost everyone. Why don't you take a se- oh my!" The Mari woman gasped as she spotted Aki's back. "This looks much worse than what it looked like on the Feeds. Claris, come here, take a look at this!"

Aki wasn't sure what in the world was going on, but another Wahconese woman came from out of the transport and ran over to his back. The Mari official took off the leaves and they both gasped at it. Aki lowered his eyebrows, and glanced at General Anura for an explanation. But she seemed just as confused as he was.

"This won't do. We can't have you bleeding this whole time. Claris, why don't you get some healing ointment. You others won't mind will you?"

Lew shook her head quickly, the General shrugged, and the Wahconese contestant ignored them.

"Well that's settled then. Aki, dear, if you don't mind, follow Claris to the transport and she'll fix you right up."

Aki was surprised she had called him 'Aki' and not Kezri. But regardless, he followed the other women into the transport. She sat him down, then ran to a first aid kit and got to work.

"They don't film in here." She whispered to him. "So you can speak freely."

Aki shrugged, not know what to say even if he had something to say.

"When we saw that Lew attacked you, we considered disqualifying her. But her claws were made while she was traveling. It was a good way to get around the rule so the referees let it go." Claris explained. His back was stinging from the pressure and the chemicals put upon it.

"So you were watching us?"

"Oh yes. Everyone is watching the Contest. I normally don't care about this sort of thing, but this year it's really important so I thought I'd tune in every now and then. But it seems I'm really hooked." Claris rambled on. "Just between you and me, you're my favorite character."

Character. He was a character to her? Not a real person? And what about the others? When they died, was it just other characters dying out, with no real importance. He flinched from the pain in his back, but also at the new wound dealt to him. Claris seemed nice enough, but she was clueless. These people were real people.

"So… so you like me?" Aki ventured after fuming silently.

"I shouldn't have said anything, but I couldn't help myself when I actually met you. I thought 'When will I have the chance again?' So I just blurted it out."

"Oh." Aki didn't know what else to say. "Why am I so interesting?"

"You don't know?" Claris asked him, then quickly took that back. "Oh, I really shouldn't have said anything."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything. Not like I want the others to know anyway. That could put a target on my back."

Claris giggled in a very fan girlish sort of way. She was acting like she was meeting a celebrity. "A-Anyway, I think you're all patched up. Let me wrap a bandage around you first. You should be okay. It'll hurt for a while, and you'll probably have a scar before all is said and done, but you'll live. Well, you won't die from this anyway. Oh no, did I say something rude?"

"You didn't. I know I'm going to die here…" Aki told her bitterly. "No sense in pussy-footing around about that."

Claris came around him and faced him. Her eyes were sparkling. There was a small moment of silence before she looked around to make sure the other official wasn't present before she leaned in and whispered. "I hope you win."

"Uh… thanks." Aki felt awkward.

She pulled away, then as if taking a shot she'd normally never have, she quickly kissed him on the cheek, then blushed. "Good luck… you can j-join the others now."

He left the transport feeling her eyes on him. It felt weird. Then again, having the bandage wrap cover most of his midsection was a strange feeling too. It was the most he had worn since he arrived on Musa Minor. In fact other than the relief his back was feeling, he actually was feeling uncomfortable with so much on. When he arrived at the table the last contestant was there already. It was a Tyrian. So that meant there were two Nimbonians, one Wahconese, one Mari, and one Tyrian.

As he sat down, he saw the Tyrians eyes fix on his bandages. He could tell she was probably one of the hunters. She was spotting out weaknesses. Lew wasn't helping herself by avoiding her gaze. As for the Wahconese girl, she was sweating horribly and looked like she was going to throw up any moment.

"Can't you do something for her?" Aki found himself asking before he could stop himself. The Wahconese girl looked up and slight surprise, but for looking hopefully at her the Mari referee.

"I'm sorry, but she was sick well before I issued the truce. It wouldn't be fair."

The Wahconese girl looked disappointed.

"Now then. Who do we have here? Lew from House Vondrol. General Anura from House Lima.. no surprise there. Iris from House Wahoo. Kezi from House Grajin. And last but not least, who can forget the raging Tyrian Rondo from House Spier. You've all have given us a great show so far. Oh, as for me, I'm Gnaw, your referee for the evening, and over there is Claris."

"Well isn't this just great." Rondo spoke loudly. Out of all of them there, she looked the strongest and healthiest. "Where's the food?"

"Ah yes. I bet you're all dying to eat something civilized, aren't you? Well if you wait just a few moments, the food should be done shortly."

And it was. Cooks from within the transport came out and started stacking the table with trays and trays of food. Aki couldn't identity most of it, as it was all alien food. It looked delicious, whatever it was. But on reaching for a meat, like the others were doing, he stopped and watched General Anura. She was collecting a menu of things that looked the blandest. Thinking that there was a good reason behind this, he copied her plate exactly.

They all ate in silence, all eying each other. The Rondo the Tyro was still clearly looking at everyone's bruises and battle scars, strategizing the best way to kill them. Iris the Wahco was looking at him, he didn't know why. Lew was carefully avoiding everyone's look. General Anura on the other hand was sitting up straight and proper. eating as if she was at a royal banquet, her military stoicism back in full play.

"Who was the one poisoning all the food and water?" Rondo asked directly, with meat hanging out of her mouth. "It was you, wasn't it?" She pointed at Lew.

For once Lew didn't look away or startled. She just smiled an innocent smile that could have meant anything.

Iris turned away from him and scanned Lew as well. "Was it you?"

Lew pointedly slurped some soup.

"What's the point in hiding it now?" Rondo went on. "Look, I'll tell you what I did first."

General Anura pushed her plate from her. She had finished. There wasn't much to eat from the portions she took. Aki himself was almost finished and wasn't satisfied. "Why do you care who did what? All that matters is who's alive last. You could have killed everyone, but if you're not the last woman standing then it was all for nothing."

"And I supposed you don't care, like you're not taking score. You're a General, of course you are." Rondo said with a grin. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"All I care about is getting to the end." She spoke plainly. "I don't care if the Tyro and the Wahco turned on each other when you had the clear advantage."

"Advantage?" Iris butted in. "There were 4 Nimbonians in the beginning if I remember correctly."

"Against 5 Wahconese and 4 Tyrian on a volcanic island. Yes, no advance there." Lew spoke bitterly. "What about us Mari? Only two of us!"

"You mean none of you." Rondo grinned and evil smile at her, implying Lew was already dead. "You better watch yourself, you can't sneak around like you have been doing anymore."

"Ah!" Gnaw exclaimed joyfully. Everyone had forgotten she was there. "That brings up an interesting point. One at a time, tell me… who do you want gone the most?"

"The General." Rondo said without hesitation. "She has to be the other person taking out people."

"So you admit you're one of the hunters." Iris narrowed her eyes.

"So what if I am." Rondo continued grinning.

"I wouldn't mind taking you out next, then." Iris didn't take her gaze from Rondo.

"You'll probably be dead within a few hours." Rondo looked at Iris's sick looking face.

Gnaw was enjoying herself. "What about you, Lew?"

"Obviously I want the hunter gone! Right General Anura?" Lew turned and looked at the General. She didn't say anything, but it was clear she agreed.

"Oh, looks like I'm the one to beat." Rondo smirked. "What about the hidden-seed. Want me dead too?"

"No." Aki spoke softly then turned to Gnaw. "I want her dead."

There was a chill that came over them after he said that. Even Rondo's smirk left her. Gnaw blinked and looked rattled. "Me? You want me dead?"

"Well… not just you, but whoever came up with this stupid contest in the first place. Deciding a political marriage by killing all the suitors, who ever heard of that? How about a race… or a puzzle-game… or a vote? But no, we're acting like primitive savages and killing each other like some backwards animal world."

"That's enough Princess." Anura whispered to him. It had been a while since she called him that, and it rattled him.

"Heh, well you were raised on Terran-3 so we can forgive your ignorance on such matters." Gnaw tried to recover.

But it was clear he was voicing what all the contestants were thinking. Even Rondo. She might be a warrior, but she certainly wasn't happy about possibly dying over something she cared little about. The same was true with the others. No one had seen the Minister's daughter, and they were all pressured by their families to compete. Aki, by pointing that out, reminded them that they were in a sick game.

"If you're so against the contest, then I assume you haven't killed anybody." Rondo broke the silence. "Ah… but you have." There was no way of Rondo knowing that other than another killer seeing murder in someone else's heart. She knew he had killed alright.

"Excuse me." Iris stood up.

She calmly tried to walk away from the tent, but then she broke into a run, fell to the ground and vomited. Everyone watched her as she retched hard. There was just light enough to see that it wasn't just food coming up, it was blood. Aki was sure she wouldn't last the night, she had been one of the ones they had poisoned. Seeing her face made him regret it.

She returned to the table, washed her mouth out with water and delicately spit it over the side of her seat. Iris looked horrible. Her gaze returned to Aki again. She had been looking at him before. Whenever someone wasn't talking, her default gaze was on him. He didn't know why. Perhaps she sensed he was the one that had the poison idea. But it wasn't that, it was something else.

"Well, after all that, I can't eat anything." Rondo pushed her plate way from her. It didn't matter, it was empty anyway. Her stomach had a small bulge in it from scarfing down as much meat as possible.

Lew was in the same mindset. She looked white from seeing the vomit.

"Hmm, well if that's all there is, then I'd say the party is over." Gnaw smiled happily, avoiding Aki's eyes. "Unless anyone wants dessert."

"Not me, thanks." Lew shook her head.

The General stood up, and Aki did as well. "If it's alright, we'll be going now." Aki noticed that the General said 'we'. She clearly wanted everyone working solo to know they were a team.

"It's fine, but there's no rush. As I said we have dessert."

"I'll have some." Rondo said, turned her eyes away from General Anura. "What about you Iris? Hungry?"

Iris gave her a hateful look. "No thanks. I'd just like some more water, please."

Lew stood up as well. "I think I'll go too."

"Okay, everyone. Just remember, when the horn sounds again, the truce is over and you can continue the Contest." Gnaw spoke with laughter in her voice. Aki shot her a look and her smile faded. "Good luck."

Lew and the General started walking. Aki stood still for a moment and look at Iris. Her eyes were on him again. He still didn't know why. They looked at each other for the longest time before the General called him, and he forced himself to turn away. It was his idea that was killing her and he felt sorry for it. But he knew if she had the chance she would have taken him out as well. There were once 4 Tyrian afterall, now there was only one. But that look haunted him. Why was she looking at him like that?

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