“XENTRESS!” Timn skidded to a halt just outside Arkai’s private quarters. “XENTRESS! GET UP!”
Arkai wearily got out of bed to see what the hell was going on. “What is it? Oh. Timn. I wanted to see you actually. Wanted to ask why I have been so sleepy over the last few days, and when my next day off is…”
Timn was too busy worrying to answer any of Arkai’s questions. “You need to get out of here! Now!”
“Why?” Arkai wandered around her room, looking for her clothes – a long loin cloth, sash and cape, to signal that she currently wasn’t ‘available’.
“Because the Empress is coming and she wants information and all sorts of nasty things!” Timn barged into the room, found the first vaguely bag-like object he could find and started cramming things into it. “She’s angry, horny and has crazy ideas!”
Arkai yawned and muttered something to herself. “Isn’t she always angry, horny and crazy? I think I have to have a session with her on Friday. She really forces herself on you. Doesn’t even stop either. It’s weird. What day is it?”
Timn had paused. He’d found something. A small book with scribbles in it. “What is this, Xentress?”
“My diary, I think. I dunno. The other me writes in it.”
“The other you?”
“Whenever you make me take rests, he comes back and writes in it. He’s terrified. He knows what’s going on and he hates it. Makes me sad.”
Timn sighed. “We need to get rid of these. Hide them. Destroy them. Anything. The Empress can’t get any more information!”
“Why? Timn, you’re confusing me and I’m sleepy and don’t get it!” Arkai protested, tying a knot in her sash just below the shoulder.
“The Empress wants to find out about you Threavok. Find out as much as possible so she can invade! She wants to invade your home world and turn the rest of your kind into sex slaves!”
“SHE SAID SHE WOULDN’T. WE MADE A BLOOD PROMISE!”
“The Empress doesn’t care, she does what she pleases! We need to get out of here before she arrives!”
Arkai suddenly panicked and helped Timn pick up her stuff. “Okay, okay… You’re coming with me?”
“You won’t last five minutes on your own. Everyone knows who you are, but no one knows who I am. I can at least get you hidden and secluded somewhere. And get your trackers removed. But I can’t do it here!”
“Very well…” Arkai sniffed. “Timn… I thank- TIMN!”
A large, jagged spear flew into the room, piercing Timn’s rear left leg and pinning him to the ground. Standing at the doorway was Empress Elisia and a large team of her elite guards. Four hulking Temthans in heavy armour stormed in and grabbed Arkai, one limb each, rendering her unable to move.
“YOU LIED TO ME, EMPRESS!” Arkai roared. “YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISE! YO-MMMMPH!”
One of the guards covered Arkai’s mouth while another administered some sort of injection. After several seconds, Arkai stopped squirming and passed out. Elisia though was more interested in Timn than the Xentress.
“L-leave her alone…” Timn muttered, pain tearing through his body.
“Don’t worry. She’ll get to retire on her own private island with as many servants as she wants… once we’ve conquered her home world. But I need you to get that information from her, directly from her mind.”
“I… I can’t do that. Not to her…”
“Yes you can. I’ll give you the tools. You do this, and you will never have to work a day in your life, ever again.”
“And w-what if I r-refuse?”
Elisia grinned. “Well, a lot of things. I’ll personally tear each of your limbs off, ground them up and force feed them to you, then sentence your limbless body to an eternity chained up in a cell in the worst dungeon I have. Oh, and then I’ll go after your entire family. You are a traitor, Timn, and you will die as one if you do not do as I ask.”
Timn let out a small whimper. He… he couldn’t let Elisia take his family. As much as he cared about the Xentress, his family was more important.
“… Fine. I’ll do it.”