Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3)
Read Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) Online
Authors: B.T. Narro
THE RHYTHM OF RIVALRY SERIES
Book 1:
Bastial Energy
Book 1.5:
The Sartious Mage
Book 2:
Bastial Steel
Book 3:
Bastial Explosion
Book 4:
Bastial Frenzy
Book 5:
Bastial Sentinels
Chapter 1:
ZETI
“What’s Doe going to do to us?” Zeti asked, finding difficulty moving when she knew each step was bringing her closer to her punishment.
Paramar was unnervingly silent, his yellow eyes stuck to the path ahead as they walked through the cavernous abandoned Slugari colony. Being the leader of the Slugari search team, Paramar had been regarded as the most important Krepp of their entire Kreppen army.
But everything was different now. They’d finally found the Slugari’s home…and they’d let the majority of the delicious creatures slip through their claws.
While known for his reticence, Paramar always at least had answered Zeti’s questions. Yet, he wouldn’t even look at her now, his lizard-face so steady and set it was as if it would crack before shifting into a different expression.
Finally, he grumbled, “How should I know?”
“You know Doe better than I do,” Zeti argued.
She was somewhat fearful Paramar was going to reprimand her. But she would’ve welcomed it just to know that he was still the same Krepp as he’d been before they’d failed to follow orders…before they’d let thousands of Slugari escape.
“You speak as if I’ve failed like this before!” Paramar thundered. Zeti could hear it in his tone now—a dangerous anger was festering.
Maybe Doe will be too afraid of Paramar to punish us
, she thought.
The stupidity of the idea almost made her spit. Doe had never shown fear before. It was a common belief that he was incapable.
A Krepp who Zeti didn’t recognize ran up to them. “Doe’s waiting on the other side,” he said, looking over their shoulders. “Where are the Slugari? Doe sent me to help you bring them to him, but all I see are half-eaten corpses. Did you let them—?”
With startling speed, Paramar grabbed the Krepp by the neck and tossed him aside. The motion was so fluid it was like Paramar was discarding a rock, possibly even a pebble.
“Shut your mouth,” Paramar said and then spat, his saliva finding the Krepp’s tumbling body.
When the Krepp’s somersaults came to a halt, he jumped to his feet and drew his sword.
Paramar calmly pointed his own weapon.
Neither moved.
Zeti stepped back to clear some room.
“Come on, then.” Paramar used a claw to motion the other Krepp toward him.
The challenger lowered his sword, his gaze falling with it.
Smart Krepp,
Zeti almost muttered aloud.
She stayed an extra step from Paramar the rest of the way through the Slugari colony, hesitant to say anything else. Anger radiated from him, unintelligible grumbles slipping from his long, lipless mouth. At one point, Zeti could even hear his sharp teeth grinding together.
Eventually, the cavernous tunnels twisted into the widest opening yet. Zeti saw that all the Krepps had gathered in this vast room, some dipping their heads into a massive lake for a drink.
Zeti had no idea how the Slugari had gotten water down into their underground colony. But when her eyes found Doe, her curiosity switched back to dread at the punishment that awaited.
Doe was among a cluster of high-ranking Krepps. Zeti saw one of them point to her and Paramar, then Doe began the arduous task of turning his enormous body to face them.
It was earlier that day that Zeti had seen her first Slugari—besides Doe or Haemon. And now, looking at Doe once more, she couldn’t fathom how he or Haemon used to be just like the delicious creatures she’d recently eaten.
Not only did he used to look like them, he lived with them, followed their orders. He came up no higher than my knees at one point in his life.
But now he towered over her, his slug-like body stretching twice as far as it was tall.
Doe growled at the sight of her and Paramar. “Why aren’t there any Slugari with you?” His voice was rougher than a sack of rocks dragged across the dirt.
Zeti lowered her gaze, thankful she had Paramar to speak for her—he was the one in charge anyway. There was a good chance her punishment wouldn’t be as severe as his.
But Paramar gave no reply. He simply stared.
What can he say?
Zeti began to wonder.
While she didn’t know, she figured anything would be better than silence.
Doe’s overstuffed Slugari face twisted in anger.
He’s just figured out we let the Slugari get away.
Doe lifted one of his grotesque claws to point. “I told you to get to the perimeter first!” he shouted. “I said it! Get to the perimeter and then circle back! Why didn’t you listen?”
“No one could’ve followed that order.” Paramar’s voice was thick with aggression, though it remained quiet for now. “Don’t give me an impossible order and then scold me for not following it.”
A burst of nervous murmurs pulsed through the hundreds of Krepps now watching.
“Paramar…” Zeti started to reach out but stopped herself. He certainly already knew not to talk back to their oversized Slugari leader. Everyone knew that. A reminder from her only would amplify Paramar’s anger.
Doe was surprisingly calm, though. He simply slithered forward and said, “You’re no longer a chief.” His diminutive arm came up to point. “And for disobeying me when it mattered most, your claws will be yanked.”
What? No, that’s too cruel!
Zeti grabbed her own claws, tugging on one to see how it felt. Pain bit her hard.
“Lay down your sword and bring your hand over here,” Doe commanded.
Paramar drew his sword…but to Zeti’s surprise, it was not to lay it down. He pointed it at their leader.
“You want my claws? Then come here and take them from me.”
The nervous murmurs burst into a clamor. Half the Krepps drew their swords, and those with bows aimed an arrow at Paramar. Zeti clenched her teeth and placed her claw on Paramar’s hand in a feeble attempt to lower his weapon for him.
He shoved her with his forearm. “Get away from me, Zeti.”
“Don’t do this,” she urged.
“I already have.”
He was right. The fight had been initiated.
Paramar used his weapon to gesture at the other Krepps now circling him. “It’s time for a new leader. We need one who knows what we want and how to get it.”
He paused, and Zeti noticed many Krepps sharing glances. While some might’ve agreed, none had the courage to lower their weapons. Paramar was now a traitor. Siding with him would bring the same fate. Zeti took a step back from him.
Doe began to laugh, a menacing cackle that echoed throughout the cavern. His usually beady eyes doubled in size, nearly protruding from the folds of dirty brown blubber around them.
“And what would the new leader’s first order be?” Doe asked with a sneer.
Paramar stood tall, puffing out his chest. “Kyrro needs to fall. Then we can focus on the Slugari they’re protecting.”
“How interesting. I have the same plan. But the difference between you and me is that I didn’t just let thousands of Slugari get away.” Doe paused to curl his head around his body, glancing at the Krepps behind him and waiting for them to nod back.
Turning to Paramar, Doe’s expression no longer held anything but anger. “Because unlike you, I’m not controlled by an urge to feed. I would never let thousands of Slugari escape simply because I couldn’t control myself. You’re infinitely weaker. The tribe would fall under your leadership just as easily as you would in battle.”
“Then fight me and prove it.”
Doe’s long mouth bent into a smile.
Everyone took that as their cue to move away from the two of them, including Zeti. She silently cursed Paramar, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop this. He’d just gotten himself killed.
Paramar’s speed was startling for his size as he dashed at Doe with his sword low and ready.
Doe’s claws glowed for just a blink before an explosion of light burst from them. Zeti only saw the fireball after Paramar had dodged it by rolling out of the way.
Paramar regained his speed and leapt at the enormous Slugari, his sword now over his head as he soared.
Doe let out a beastly roar before Paramar reached him, and Zeti felt a blast of hot wind strike her entire body with such force that it knocked her off her feet and sent her rolling.
She noticed Paramar was now at least ten yards from Doe, scrambling to regain his footing. But before he made it upright, there was another burst of light, another fireball—this one striking him.
Paramar’s sword came loose as he tumbled. Screaming, he slipped trying to get up and tried to drag his tripping body toward his weapon.