Chapter 30- Killer interest

Zarbon agreed after two hours of failed searching that it was probably time for him to go back to report to Frieza. He didn't say or show it but I could tell there was a slight fear at returning with no further dragonballs. I just hoped it wouldn't make Frieza less favorable towards me. That was the last thing I needed.

Luckily it wasn't a long flight, having come quite close to the ship a few times during our search. I had never seen such an odd ship. It was circular like a UFO would be to my Earth, and I was slightly curious as to whether this was where the humans had got the idea of aliens from. Then again, from what I heard; if Frieza had come to earth the lot of us would have been dead in a second.

It also vaguely reminded me of some sort of creature with all the bobbed points over it but I wasn't sure what.

Zarbon drifted over to the hull of the ship and gestured back to me, motioning I should follow him through the purple hatch.

It wasn't silent for much longer once we entered, a bunch of henchman blustering around beneath us.

"Ah, Zarbon, Lord Frieza wishes to see you" The voice came from a sea of purple, orange and blue heads beneath and I was reluctant to drop down. Zarbon raised an eyebrow at me before clasping my hand and tugging me with him.

The contact of skin felt nice but it wasn't the same sort of fire I had felt when Vegeta had made contact. Though that was good, I didn't need to be jumping into bed with yet another guy. Despite the whole open relationship thing that I was hoping would swing when I got back I thought it reasonable enough if I just drew the line at two. After all, I didn't want to be branded a whore.

"And where is lord Frieza?" Zarbon took on a cold tone, giving the henchmen an evil eye.

"He is in the viewing room sir" Zarbon nodded curtly before tugging my hand again. I was all too aware of the warning looks the henchmen flashed between each other as I was dragged out of the blandly coloured room.

"Sorry" He said once we were out of earshot. "If you don't treat them like that though they start to get ideas above their station" It was an old fashioned saying I had only read in books up until now but I wasn't sure how treating them with contempt was going to keep them from plotting things. In fact, had it been me that would have just fueled my desire for it.

Frieza was a lot more ugly the closer you got, I mused. He had transferred himself from his hovercraft type thing into a smaller, more regal seat. With horns around the edge that I supposed were to match the ones on his head.

Zarbon had clammed up the moment we came in here, and I was really starting to regret my decision of coming. If this was the selection process for a place to stay the night I'd take a dark, damp cave any day.

Frieza's black eyes had pointedly glared at Zarbon before setting them on me with a spark of what i perceived to be interest. They had certainly lit up with something anyhow.

"The other scout I sent out returned hours ago. I hope for your sake that you have something to bring back for all the extra time you spent looking. I had specifically stated two hours on the dot after all" He spoke softly but the silent fury was still there. His eyes were still on me and I had to look away before they got to me.

"I'm sorry my lord. I was so sure I would find a sixth dragonball but there seems to be no visible signs of life since we lost our scouters. I presume the other scout could not find one either?" He shifted down onto one knee, one arm swept across his chest. His eyes peeked up through his long eyelashes, waiting for Frieza's words.

"Very well. I shall believe you just this once considering the unfortunate events of our scouters. I will have to order in some more. And no, the other scout has found nothing either. I am beginning to think that Vegeta is having more luck than I am" Frieza said bitterly. I wanted to object to this foul creature that someone with his demeanor shouldn't be allowed to be granted wishes, that they already had five, what more did they want- but I held my tongue since the atmosphere was already more icy than the Antarctic wastes.

"No matter. Nothing is going to get in the way of my immortality. Now, who is this female you have brought into my ship without permission?" Zarbon gulped.

"This is Lessa my lord"

"And why is she here?" Zarbon was stumped. I had never told him the real reason after.

"Well?" He demanded when no one spoke.

"I'm looking for someone" I said without meeting his eyes.

"Who"

"A female by the name of Marissa"

"There are no females on this planet. Excluding you"

"I have reason to believe that there will be"

"And what reason would that be"

"That's my business, not yours" There was a collective hushed gasp from Zarbon and henchmen alike. Frieza sniffed.

"Very well. Since I trust Zarbon with my life you may stay here for as long as you wish. On one condition" Those disgustingly made up lips turned up at the corners.

"And what's that" I shuddered every so slightly, his face giving me the creeps.

"You are to address me as Lord Frieza" Dark humour glittered in his eyes, a hidden meaning no doubt of which I didn't want to know.

"Not going to happen" My voice sounded a lot calmer than I felt. This Frieza would probably smite me for saying it but there was no way I was going to address the slimey bastard as lord. It sounded way too sexual and domineering.

"Is that so?" The lips turned up a little more.

Zarbon had a look of dismay written across his face, and shook his head when he saw me watching.

"As you wish..Lessa" He smiled sickeningly before swiveling around with the chair, turning to face the wall-window instead.

"Dismissed"

"I can't believe you disagreed with him. He could have killed you on the spot you know"

"Yeah well, he may be your lord but he's not mine" Zarbon shot a sympathetic look in my direction, taking care to keep his eyes of my body as I slipped out of my fighting gear and into some sort of tunic thing Zarbon wore for night.

"Alright fine, just don't try something like that again"

"Uh huh" I pretended to agree, pulling the silky material over my breasts. It felt soft to touch, but I could tell it was going to itch like mad in the muggy heat of this planet.

Zarbon noted I was changed and swept an eye over the tunic.

"It looks good on you, better than it did on me. Well anyway, I'll leave you to it. No doubt Frieza will have me up bright and early searching for those blasted dragonballs"

It was my turn to shoot a sympathetic expression.

"Okay, thanks again. Night Zarbon" He nodded, hips swaying in a way that could only be gay as he sashayed out the room.

Frieza was at it again. We all knew it would happen. He liked his pick of men and women but since he only kept men as his fighters he had been stuck with just males for months.

I myself had never been picked but the screams in the dead of night and rumors among us were enough. Now that there was a female on the scene, he was bound to call her in for service, and he had.

I just wish it hadn't been me who was picked to take her to him.

Her room had been placed far of from Zarbon's so as not to disturb him, as Frieza had wished it. I twisted the key between my hands, hoping that brute force wasn't something I would have to resort to.

Three curt knocks was all it took before the door swung open, revealing a very pretty female in Zarbon's red kimono. I almost worried for a second that Zarbon would be hiding in there but the irritation on her face displaced my theory.

"Yes?"

"Lord Frieza wishes to see you my lady" My hands trembled, her hard eyes scanning my intentions.

"Does he now?"

"Y-yes. In his chambers. He has something of urgency he would like to discuss with you" The lies tripped of my lips, my heart heavy with disbelief of sentence. She seemed to consider it for a moment.

"He's not going to take no for an answer is he?" She seemed annoyed, but the sudden innocence in her tone showed she had no idea of what was truly in store for her.

"No my lady"

"Take me to him then" She shrugged, shutting the door.

The walk was silent as the rumours always told, and my heart weighed a tonne more by the time we reached the door. I waited as she knocked and went in. Listened as the realization dawned. Rhythmic beating drew the first blood of the night.

And then i walked away; truly hating my job for the first time in my life. The sound of her screams echoing in my ears. It wouldn't matter how far I walked away. I would hear them for the rest of my life.

The rumours weren't rumours; they were the stories of nightmares.