A/N: Here's Chapter 14. Thanks to Ryo-chan wolfgirl and Laania for the reviews on chapter 13. Enjoy this new chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters, Akira Toriyama does.
...
Raditz stared into the dancing flames of the small fire that illuminated the dark jungle of Yetelas. He looked over at the sleeping Parithian female, what had driven her off? One moment she'd allowed him to kiss her and the next she couldn't get away from him fast enough. The young Saiyan got the distinct impression that she was hiding something. But what could it be?
Lornai tossed in her sleep, disturbing images were forming in her mind...
A Saiyan female dressed in blue and gold armor looked down at the Parithian female that was just a child of two years. The Saiyan's black eyes burned with hatred. Tossing her long, spiky black hair with disdain, the Saiyan woman brought up her left foot and landed a vicious kick with her boots to the child's ribs. She smirked at the gasp of pain from the little one. The brat would soon know what real pain was...
Raditz scrambled to his feet as he heard an agonized scream. It came from the direction of where his teammate had been sleeping peacefully, just moments before. When he reached the Parithian elite, she was trembling and tears were streaming down her face. Seeing no sign that she had been injured, the long-haired Saiyan assumed that she had awakened from some horrible dream.
When he knelt by her side, Raditz was surprised when she flung herself into his arms. He wiped away her tears and gently pulled her close.
"Shh, You're safe now", the Saiyan male whispered. He wrapped one arm around her and stroked her hair with the other. The female huddled against him, now and then a sob escaped her. Raditz nuzzled her neck and gently rubbed her back being careful to avoid the lower part of it. He felt the woman slowly relax against him ,she had drifted back to sleep. The son of Bardock didn't want to let her go, he was enjoying the soft form pressed against his chest and the sweet scent of her hair.
However, Raditz couldn't help but wonder why she had panicked when he had touched her earlier. Even just now she had stiffened when his hand had brushed above her hip as she shifted. He fought to keep curiousity from getting the best of him.
A slight breeze ruffled the garment the female wore and the Saiyan's eyes widened in horror as he saw the badly scarred skin. It appeared as if something or someone had literally ripped the flesh from her back. Thick scar tissue had formed across her lower back from hip to hip. Who would do such a thing?
Raditz shuddered as he imagined the pain she must have endured. Judging from the appearance of the scars, the injury must have occurred when she was very young. He kissed her cheek and pulled her even closer.
Lornai awoke and was surprised to find herself still in the arms of the long-haired Saiyan.
"Are you planning on holding me all night?" Lornai teased.
"I wouldn't mind, on up to morning if need be", Raditz said huskily. The female elite lowered her gaze as her face flushed pink.
When she looked up at him, the young third-class cupped her chin in his hand and leaned in for a kiss. Lornai wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his embrace. A loud purr resounded in the Saiyan's chest as they shared several long, slow kisses.
Suddenly a strange sound filled the air, the two pulled apart and hastily threw on their armor. Hundreds of the rat-beings were pouring out of the darkness, Raditz pulled the Parithian woman behind him.
Back to back they fought against the onslaught of the Yetelasians, it seemed there was no end to them. The stench was horrible from the ki blast scorched piles of slain rat-beings but still they came on. It occurred to Raditz what the creatures were planning, they would be worn down by the sheer numbers.
'We're only going to have so much energy and when we tire, that will be the end of us', the Saiyan male thought.
"I have something in mind. Raise up your right hand", Lornai instructed.
Raditz gave her a strange look but did as ordered. The Parithian elite clasped his hand with her own.
"Concentrate your energy on your right hand only".
The third-class stood in amazement as the ki from his hand and that of the female's crackled about them and formed one great purple wave of energy. With a motion of her free hand, Lornai sent the enormous surge of ki in the direction of the advancing Yetelasians. They were instantly obliterated.
Lornai staggered and Raditz quickly moved to keep her on her feet.
"WHERE did you learn to do that?" Raditz demanded.
"From Turles", the woman replied.
The long-haired Saiyan snorted, he didn't want to talk about him.
Lornai laughed to herself over the Saiyan's all too obvious display of jealousy.
...
They headed back to their camp, it would still be a few hours before the twin suns arose. Raditz slipped his arms around the woman's waist and pulled her to him. He gently nipped her neck before giving her a searing kiss that made her head swim.
"YOU need to get some sleep!" Lornai scolded as she stepped away from the Saiyan male. How was she going to manage two more nights alone with him?
'I need you', Raditz thought as he turned away.
...
Dawn came quickly and it was back to completing the purge. They spent the morning destroying more of the pitiful dwellings of the rat-beings that seemed to have appeared overnight.
"I thought we'd gotten rid of all of those things!" the long-haired Saiyan snarled.
"I'm sure it doesn't take a lot of effort to erect one of those architectural wonders", Lornai quipped.
...
By noon, they had wiped the planet clean of the wooden structures once more. The team checked for more inhabitants on the surface before they would start on the tunnels. A large stone building surrounded by a thick wall suddenly appeared on the horizon.
Their scouters went off informing them of several significant power levels. When the Saiyan and the Parithian landed just inside the wall, they were greeted by ten massive specimens of the rodent race.
"We are the guards of King Screias. You are not welcome on these royal grounds. The cost of your trespass shall be your lives!" the largest of the creatures hissed.
"You can TRY and take our lives but I truly doubt you'll succeed" the female elite taunted.
Lornai leapt out of the way as a huge pink tail crashed into the ground just missing her. Raditz blasted the creature to oblivion for daring to attempt to hurt the female.
"Their power levels are respectable but they have no battle skills in the least!" the Parithian elite spat. She was able to overpower three of the guards easily.
"Just makes the job horribly dull, eh?" Raditz mocked, thoroughly enraging the so-called warrior class of the Yetelsians. The Saiyan made short work of the four Yetelasians that sprang at him.
In just a few short moments the defenders of the stone structure had all been slain by the young Saiyan and the Parithian beauty. Lornai growled in disgust as the last one fell. There were still more lifeforms remaining in the building.
A grotesque sight greeted the eyes of Frieza's soldiers as they entered a large room. There sat a great throne carved from the same gray stone that composed the palace. The being that sat or rather sprawled within it filled the two warriors with revulsion. Beady red eyes peered out from an elongated head, its' jaws were filled with teeth in varying states of decay. Sparse, filthy gray fur covered an obscenely bloated stomach that spilled over the throne's edge and hung to the creature's knees. The beast reached for some of the insects crawling about its' fur and promptly ate them. Lornai swallowed trying to keep the bile from rising in her throat.
"Who dares to violate the throne room of the great King Screias?" the repugnant being croaked.
"Your death", Lornai calmly announced as she flung a ki blast that incinerated the overfed monster.
Raditz smirked as he watched the woman, she could be so Saiyan in her behavior at times. The Saiyan and the Parithian continued through the palace until there were no more lives to take.
...
Back out on the planet's surface, Lornai and Raditz began the tedious job of clearing out the tunnels. The sheer number of the rat-beings they flushed out was astounding.
"We'll complete the tunnels tomorrow. By nightfall, we should have this purge completed", Lornai sighed wearily.
"I'll hunt down something for us to eat", Raditz stated.
"What if we both hunt this time?" Lornai suggested.
The young Saiyan eagerly agreed.
...
Raditz was gently combing through the Parithian female's hair. She didn't need it to be done, he just wanted to. They had just finished their meal of two large herbivores of some sort. He had thoroughly enjoyed hunting with the female and hoped to do so again.
"You couldn't have been brought up on Parinthia, so where were you raised?" the long-haired Saiyan questioned.
"On Vegeta-sei", the female elite answered.
"WHAT?" Raditz gasped, Surely he'd heard incorrectly.
"I said Vegeta-sei", Lornai repeated.
"You've never mentioned that before", the Saiyan male snorted.
"YOU NEVER ASKED", the Parithian retorted.
"Why would your parents choose to bring you up on Vegeta-sei?" Raditz wondered.
The Parithian female sighed softly. "I was just a few hours old when I was left on Vegeta-sei. I never knew my birth parents".
Raditz blinked, hardly able to believe what he heard. Her parents had just left her? The Saiyans weren't known to care for children of other races, it was a wonder that she hadn't simply been disposed of.
"It's a wonder you were allowed to survive " the son of Bardock mused.
"King Vegeta decided to allow me to do so. I was told that Queen Selera found me in the palace" Lornai stated. "He asked the swordmaster Torgas if he and his mate would raise me. They were the only family I knew".
"King Vegeta must have seen something very special in you. And being raised by Saiyans explains why there is so much about you that is plainly Saiyan-influenced. I am forever indebted to those who allowed you to survive, that I might find you eventually", Raditz whispered softly as he pulled her into his arms. Several kisses later, he released her and announced that he would take the first watch.
...
The next morning found Raditz and Lornai combing through the tunnels destroying all the lifeforms they found. They also destroyed the vegetation as they went. Only the part of the planet that had been chosen for their camp would be spared and it would be wiped away when they departed the planet. The two warriors had pressed on stopping only when hunger forced them to. They were purging the last tunnel, Lornai sighed with relief as she blasted the last rat-being into ash. She was tired and hungry, they would clear the last of the vegetation come morning and then leave the planet.
When Lornai stepped out of the tunnel, she was bathed in a brilliant light despite the fact that it was well into night on Yetelas. The Parithian female gasped as she saw the source of the light...an enormous full moon! But it wasn't supposed to appear for days! Zarbon had assured her of it.
She had to go back into the tunnel and stop Raditz from exiting it until...
A savage growl resounded behind her, she was TOO LATE!
The long-haired Saiyan's eyes turned red, his jaws stretched and his armor expanded as Raditz took on the form of the oozaru...