The Blood Empress
transport the snakes together. Another part of the test no doubt. Teamwork.
    A blinding flash erupted and several Benzotii soldiers seemed to have the Votainions surrounded.
    "Ah, now it begins to get interesting, my Empress," the old Soothsayer said.

CHAPTER 3
    Ku'nar and Ketar stood shoulder to shoulder to rebuff the Benzotii attack. They might not have been aware of it, but they were beginning to sow the seeds of combat brotherhood. When Votainion men fight a common enemy together or endure a stressful or dangerous task, they can become closer than brothers. It is the warrior way and it forms bonds that can be stronger than any other relationship. The Votainions believed it was what separated them from other species and allowed them to subjugate the galaxy.
    Ku'nar rolled over the dead warrior and used his body as a shield to move laterally and gain ground on the giant aliens, while Ketar shielded the nest of deadly snakes.
    Eventually the fallen warrior's body was blasted apart and Ku'nar charged the startled Benzotii soldiers. In seconds the battle was over and Ku'nar stood over a severely wounded Benzotii.
    More words were exchanged, this time from Ketar. How she wished she could hear them.
    Ketar seemed to study the snake pit before speaking again to Ku'nar. Then Ku'nar pulled up the wounded alien and pushed him over to the snake pit. With gestures and words the alien could not understand they eventually got it to pick up the nest for them.
    At least one, if not more snakes wound out of the nest and clearly bit the Benzotii's arms. It flinched but did not fall over dead.
    "Good, they are working well together," said the Kwizarra Lonn.
    Nykostra looked askance at the Soothsayer.
This is what he wants. He wants Ketar to trust his man. So that Ketar will not see when Ku'nar kills him from behind.
    "You are a wicked monster," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. His black wrinkled lips curled up in an evil smile.
    She had to find a way to warn Ketar.
    "This contest is over. They have both emerged victorious. Tomorrow we shall see who is the strongest of the them."
    Nykostra let out her breath in relief. She would send for Ketar again tonight and warn him of his coming betrayal.
    ***
    This time when the attendant came to her door, Nykostra touched her little hand and pulled her inside alone. She peered into the girl's simple little mind, looking for any signs that she had betrayed her Empress. There were no such signs. The girl had remained quiet about sneaking Ketar into the Empresses bed chambers.
    Frightened beyond words, the girl trembled in Nykostra's grip.
    "Shh, be quiet little one. I will not harm you. Your loyalty is above and beyond the others in my court. I shall reward you handsomely."
    Her shaking subsided as the Empress stroked the back of her hand.
    "You will bring Ketar to me again tonight for the last time. If you are undetected, I shall reward you. What can I grant you?"
    The girl looked down at her hand inside the hands of Nykostra and smiled to herself. "You already have, my Empress."
    Nykostra was confused for a moment and then quickly removed her hands. The girl backed away, shyly.
    "Go and fetch him now," she commanded.
    The girl slipped out the door and was gone. Nykostra rubbed her hands against her gown and started pacing again.
    Time seemed to slow to a crawl for her.
What
was
taking that urchin so long?
If she had to wait much longer she would have the attendant killed. Impatience was not something an Empress was expected to control. There were too many attendants and servile members of the court to wait on her hand and foot.
    As she paced by the area of the hidden entrance the Soothsayer had used she wondered what dark magic he commanded. The room remained the same temperature and she hoped that the gray monster would not return tonight to haunt her like some ancestral ghost.
    Finally the door opened and Ketar stepped inside. He was still dirty and sweaty from the day's ordeal. She was
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