Cutlass Sharpened (22 page)

Holographic challenges were made of small,
soft blocks shaped like people gave him the challenge needed for
extra practice. He fought them while chasing a ball. A game
invented three hundred years ago called Zero Ball, the game was to
capture a ball of light and throw it through a ring just a meter
wide. The game was full contact and the holograms hit pretty hard.
It really helped boost confidence.

Renee, even now, could hardly believe how
fast Oliver adapted in the week. He no longer walked with a ramrod
stiff back and in fear of shooting off with each step. Now he had a
confident, liquid gait that made him at last seem comfortable in
his own skin. She watched droplets fall from his body like falling
stars in the bright room smelling of sweat and hard work, a scent
she rather enjoyed.

Oliver’s smile came alive as soon as he took
notice of her. It had recently began to brighten her own dark
moods. He hadn’t lost the innocence to hide the fact she was still
the center of his attention, and she privately hoped it would stay
that way. Mostly so she could keep taunting him. She loved busting
balls and was a pro, but still she found she was beginning to like
his company, even if it was during the hours of playing chase.

“
Morning, Red. You sleep
well?” Red becoming her nickname she allowed him to drop every now
and then.

“
Better than you, Cue ball.
Let me guess… you were up all night
a
gain?”

“
No, I took about five hours
shut eye actually.” Oliver grabbed a towel and wiped himself off.
“Just got done stretching out with a swim. You’re looking as
beautiful as always.”

Renee found herself giving him a wolfish
smirk that put even Bell to shame. “Oh, I know you’re feeling good
if you’re back to try flattering me. It didn’t work last time you
attempted to throw me off my game. It won’t work now.”

“
Just take the compliment
already.” Oliver rolled his eyes. “It won’t hurt you to say ‘Thank
you.’”

“
Where’s the fun if I deny
myself the pleasure of screwing with people? I can’t help teasing.
It’s in my nature.”

“
No shit.” He laughed.
“Before we get started can you rub out my shoulder? I over extended
it this morning.”

“
Park it.” She pointed to a
bench and he sat down. Renee moved over and probed his right
shoulder this time and said “Minor swelling. You swam to limit it
huh?”

“
Yeah.” He let out a groan
of more pain than relief as her own strong fingers worked out the
knots in the shoulder with no bedside manner. But as Renee worked
the tense knot out it began to release. She then slapped it for
good effect and he yelped. “Better?”

“
It was getting there before
you slapped me.” He rolled the shoulder, then swung the arm in full
circles.

“
You know you like it a
little rough.” She winked and sashayed seductively.

“
Damn, you’re an evil
woman.”

“
Thank you!” Renee winked
again.

“
You won’t take beautiful as
a compliment, but evil you will?”

“
Basically.” She
laughed.

Just then Deegen, Bell the grey wolf, Steven
and Visor perched on his shoulder came right in behind Stone,
Satellite, Sparky and Rose. As usual the Hunters were always in
armor and armed with their choice of weapon. Steven made his spear
collapse in on itself down to what looked more like a dagger with a
leafy blade. Hooking it onto his hip he said “Ready for another fun
filled day of getting your ass kick again, Oliver?”

“
You never know, Steven.”
Oliver shrugged, but Renee noticed a very faint smirk on Oliver’s
lips. She didn’t know what it meant and didn’t like it.

Having the highest class of psionic
potential, Renee was also a telepath and slid inside Oliver’s
untrained and open mind. What she saw made her breathless. Asserted
dominantly in his mind, she saw how he saw her. She had, up to this
point, restrained from intruding in a person’s sanctuary. But what
she saw made her rethink her own feelings. She saw herself as a
wild animal in his mind. She knew she was hot for such a tall and
muscular redhead, but to him she was all there ever could be. She
saw how he pictured her body in perfect detail, holding her close
and claiming her lips all for himself. How her breasts would push
against him. She saw she fit perfectly in his mental embrace,
wanting him as much as he wanted her. It was only imagined, but
almost so vivid she could believe it was real. Oliver idolized her.
She consumed his very thoughts.

There was more. She saw why he was confident
and it both scared and thrilled her to the core. She pulled back
with none being the wiser aside from Sparky staring right at her
with an all knowing grin she could not figure out. She tried seeing
via telepathy on the emerald Drake, but he closed himself off and
ever so slightly shook his head. Renee knew a warning when she saw
one.

“
Then we better see if you
gotten any better, Brother. We’re about to make the jump to Zerika
in a few hours. Your free time is about to be taken up.”

“
Then we better make it
interesting.” Oliver said in such confidence Steven’s triumphant
smirk disappeared. “Everyone, go get ready. You too Deegen. You’re
joining everyone to keep me from capturing Renee. Jessica kindly
wrote a randomizing program for me.”

“
Spread out.” Stone told
everyone and both human and not moved away.

Up at the console Oliver began quickly
tapping on the screen. Everyone looked down as blue targeting
symbols appeared somewhere on their body. Oliver alone got a red
circle painted in the middle of his bare back that started clothing
itself into a skintight material similar to Renee’s voluptuous
white flight suit. But that was not all. Six more cubic humanoid
holograms appeared all around the room. Renee though had a green
light put on her. He held a hand over the game start button to say
“Renee, you are now the ball for Zero Ball. The extra players are
programmed to keep me from you whatever the cost. Everyone is to
keep me from you too, but know that Jessica upgraded the gravity
randomizer to switch faster and faster the closer I get to you. It
will change faster than Deegen.”

“
Won’t that help you? Your
reaction timing it super human.”

“
It would
if
it affected anyone
other than me. The rest of you will be in zero gee the whole
time.”

Renee’s jaw dropped along with everyone aside
from the stationary and lifeless blue players.

“
The game will start in,
five, four, three, two… one!” and he pressed the start
button.

Weightlessness took over everyone and the
first hologram came in for a tackle, but Oliver kicked off the wall
and rotated perfectly to dodge the attacker. He flew at Renee and
went from zero to three times Earth gravity in a blink, hit the
ground and sprang aside as Rose went to chomp down on him, using
her wings as perfect balancers midair. Oliver did a back handspring
that belied his bulk and grabbed Bell by a paw and threw her into
Stone who could not entirely dodge. When it lowered to half Earth,
Oliver leapt around Steven, grabbed a wall and kicked off it.

Renee dodged and watched Oliver suddenly drop
ten meters at well above their usual four gee limitations. He
landed hard at around six to seven, but rolled with it. Spinning
past Steven doing a double kick. He snatched Visor by a talon and
threw him at Sparky who was aglow with frustration and desire to
fight. Oliver came at her again and she watched as the shifts grew
more random the closer he got all the while expertly avoiding
thirteen expert fighters, five being hologram.

Oliver’s body moved lightning fast thanks to
superior tendons and ligaments. He could see it all, but his body
could keep up unlike everyone else’s. He endured extreme pressures
while avoiding every well aimed strike to reach the goal. Renee no
longer had that shitty grin. Her eyes glued to him the entire time
and moving away when getting too close. Move, jump, leap off walls
and ceiling, avoid incoming warriors. All to one end.

Renee began breaking out into a sweat as he
began harassing her faster with each passing minute. His body moved
with grace, speed, power and endurance. He was sharp, moving as
needed and expending the bare minimum. What was most disconcerting
he seemed completely composed and at ease in a maelstrom of
activity.

In just fifteen minutes Renee could no longer
stop and pick her next point to jump and go to safety. He kept
nipping at her heels. She’d make feints and he no longer fell for
them. Watching her for so long, he picked up the tiny clues of her
plans.

Then she tried a double fake, she went to
lean one direction, stopped, went the other, stopped and tried
returning to the previous way and expected to see Oliver fly past
on her right side, but then something consumed her vision and her
gasp inhaled the strong scent of man. His warmth flooded through
her suit and into her own hot body. Her senses reeled, caught
completely off guard. Her arms had a mind of their own and circled
around whatever held her so possessively. To top it all off a deep
male voice vibrated through her with promises of passion and
protection. “I finally got you, Renee.”

“
You did.” She heard herself
say so sweetly, she didn’t realize her own voice.

Renee recovered as soon as she heard the
buzzer blare. Her feet hit the ground and she pulled away to force
her arms to release. It was damn hard. She wanted to rush right
back in, but the triumphant smile made her hormones get pushed
down.

“
Oliver! You are one bad ass
motherfucker! You’ve been holding out on us.” Steven hollered as
they let go of one another.

“
Then you should know he
defeated me in single combat this morning.” Said Stone.

“
NO WAY!” Deegen
flustered.

“
We witnessed the
match.”
Rose’s delicate mental voice spread
to everyone.
“My mate and I saw to five
matches. Our new protégé bested him four out of the five in single
sword combat in the sands and in the ring. Ten matches were overall
witnessed.”
She let known as she folded her
wings over her sleek body. Her glow disappearing to its natural
pink.

“
Then that means…” Whispered
Steven.

“
When Oliver is recognized
by the bother and sisterhood, he will lead us to glory. Not me.”
Said Stone and it seemed a weight was lifted of his wide shoulders.
It was clear Stone was quiet and reserved, but few knew he didn’t
like acting as leader. He only filled the role because their ways
say the strongest warrior guides. By being bested, Oliver now held
that title.

“
I won’t believe it till I
see it.” Announced Renee after clearing her throat.

An eyepiece snaked itself over Stone’s eye as
he typed on a flexible keyboard built into his left forearm. He
then hit a final key and flashed the information to his brothers
and Renee.

Her chip received the file and in conjunction
with the imagination of her brain she took the video and audio file
to render a three dimensional battle only she could see, but decide
to link it to the training room’s holographic systems. Stone’s
armor had multiple built in cameras and speakers that are activate
when the Hunter’s bodily reactions ready for combat.

In the sand pit appeared Sparky and Rose
standing to either side of the pit where Oliver and Stone circled
around one another like wolves stalking each other. Each carried a
wooden sword in one hand.

And so everyone watched the fighting and for
ten minutes the room cracked with sounds of wood clashing and wood
slapping bodies. But on they watched as Stone was bested by
Oliver’s superior strength and inhuman speed that not even
experience could contend with anymore. Then over to the ring and
again Oliver clearly won another four battles and lost the last as
Stone fought with sheer determination to not go down without a
fight.

“
Daaamn!” Deegen drew the
word out. “Stone, not even Steven and me together could take you
down.”

“
Our brother is gifted.”
Stone said proudly. “And there is a certain matter that needs to be
completed. Ms. Dorgen?”

“
What?” She
blinked.

“
You
were
captured, Ms. Dorgen.”

“
Oh the kiss.” She turned
around. “You got me fair and square. And a promise is a promise
after all.”

Oliver cracked a half grin. “Rain check.”

“
What?” Renee blinked again
and snickering went on behind her.

“
Don’t you know what a rain
check is? It’s still common even after a millennia. The goods
aren’t ready, but I get first pick when the shelves can be
restocked. A guaranteed offer at a later date.”

Renee threw a hand on her hip and narrowed
her emerald stare maliciously. “Claim the kiss now or it’ll
expire.”

He waved a finger
tauntingly. “You never specified
when
I could kiss you, only that if I
caught you I’d get one.”

“
Now or never, Asshole.” Her
eyes began to glow and hairs began raising in psionic
irritation.

“
Oh just shut up, Red.
I’ll
get
that kiss
when I take you out on a date when we reach Verard.”