"Alright nice and slow come on out single file." A Ceratops female said ushering them out with a wave of her gun. It seemed the females of the the species were shorter, but much bulkier. Verakoska estimated she was probably another half as heavy as the male Ceratops she'd seen. Verakoska was the first to step out into the open hangar. There were ten Ceratopsians in view not counting Saurin.
"Nice to see you face to face Captain Vajran." Saurin said as Verakoska sneered.
"My name is Verakoska Deshance. The first daughter of Dimir Deshan-." A Ceratopsian hit her in the back of the head with the butt of his blaster cutting her off.
"No one asked for all that shit!" He sneered nastily in her ear.
"Enough Grimgack. Sorry about that he's young, but in truth, I don't care about your family history or your name." Saurin said. "They might matter to who I sell you to, but I doubt it. Anyway, go ahead men search the ship and make sure the captain here didn't leave us any nasty surprises." He said as his crimson eyes roved up and down her body. Even in her bulky suit, she did not doubt that this bastard had a graphic image of her in his mind. She exposed her teeth in a rictus of defiance which only made Saurin's eyes dance with malicious mirth.
"Captain we've got a problem!" The shouting voice of a male Ceratops came from Saurin's communicator. The mirth in Saurin's eyes died as he stared directly at Verakoska and answered his communicator.
"Report." He said grimly. The report came in a frenzy.
"There was a fucking Gorian in the Cargo bay he's ripping through us!" A scream quickly followed the statement and then the sound of gurgling. Saurin's eyes flared with anger as the red patches on his deep green skin seemed to grow as they were flooded with blood. He grabbed Verakoska by the collar of her suit and dragged her behind him before throwing her to the ground at the back of the ship. "I told you what would happen." He hissed before reaching the back of his belt and taking out a plasma grenade. She watched him press the button on the incendiary device before hurling it at the door to the cargo hold. She turned her head sharply not to be blinded by the blast that rocked her ship and sent her ears into a shrill ringing. She turned back to see a large hole in the door and the sounds of fighting now open for all to hear.
"Listen up Gorian! I've got your captain here and if you don't surrender I'm going to blow her head off!" Suddenly Verakoska was staring down the barrel of a blaster. All at once the sounds of fighting were halted. There was a moment of silence before she saw Willan brought to the hole in the ship. His horns and face were covered in blood. She could see the smoking holes of blaster fire in his suit. One of his eyes was swollen shut. Willan was unceremoniously kicked out of the hole dropping onto the hard floor of the hangar. Several members of the Saurin's crew aimed their blasters at Willan while a group of Ceratopsians gathered at the recently vacated hole.
"Found some other survivors in here Captain. They look like scientists and one of them is a female Tsunian." Even from her position on the floor, Verakoska could see the light of greed spring forth in Saurin's eyes.
"Well, well, well Vajran no wonder you had that Gorian hiding in there. A Tsunian is quite the catch indeed she'll fetch me a shiny credit." He said his long serpentine tongue licking across his beak. The scene made her stomach lurch. "Bring them down all of them and quite gently. Don't want any of them damaged." He said pulling Verakoska up to her feet before walking over to Willan who was just now getting to his knees.
"I told you what would happen Vajran." He said looking her square in the eye before putting a blaster bolt between Willan's eyes before she even had the chance to scream.
"You fucking ANIMAL!" Ocarina screamed before elbowing one of the Certops at the base of her horn causing it to snap off and gush blood. Ocarina took the freshly made weapon and jammed the horn into the eye of another pirate eliciting a spine-chilling scream from the wounded Ceratops. Ocarina turned to face Saurin and received a blaster bolt in the stomach from the Pirate Captain.
"Ocarina!" Verakoska shouted only to be pinned down by three Ceratopsians and feel the cold metal wrap around her wrists as she was cuffed. Ocarina stumbled forward even with the wound in her abdomen and received two more to both of her front legs toppling her onto her face as her milky white blood oozed out onto the hangar floor. Saurin walked forward.
"Who's more of an animal here? Me standing with a blaster or you crawling on the ground in your fluids?" He asked before sending a fourth bolt into the back of Ocarina's head splattering his boots with her white blood. "You should be glad I only killed two of your people Vajran. I promised I'd kill you all, but that Tsunian and you, plus that Gorian's parts will all fetch enough of a price I can afford to be lenient."
Verakoska felt tears welling up in her eyes the bottom half of her vision swimming in orange. She wouldn't cry, but Gods above and below did she want to. Her best friend had been executed before her eyes and one of her kind had been gunned down like a beast for slaughter. She was hauled to her feet as she watched the scientists be led off her ship. A ship she'd bought with her earnings from her years of service in the Vajran military. All the time she hadn't gone out drinking or bought anything more than the necessities. The times she'd been shot and stabbed almost blown up. Every one of those moments had paid for the Starscream. That ship was the culmination of her blood and sweat, and now it was probably going to be torn apart and sold for scrap.
She watched as Professor Mixu was separated from her colleagues and surprisingly pushed against herself.
"Alright, you two listen up. I know you're the leaders of that lot over there so let me make this clear to all of you. If either of you two makes trouble." Saurin pointed at her and Mixu. "I'm going to kill one of your people." He growled before turning to the rest of the crew and scientists. "And if any of you fuck up, I'm going to kill one of you at random. Understand?!" He shouted. His raw and angry voice echoed around the hangar. He stood there for a moment and when no words were spoken in response, he took that as agreement. "Take them to the lower cells." He ordered a group of his men who immediately started shoving her crew out of her sight.
"You two will be kept in the special wing. You should be happy only my most profitable merchandise is treated so well." He gave a nod to three of his men who took her and Mixu's arms and began to drag them out of the hangar.
Verakoska tried to memorize the halls as she was pulled along, but she could barely keep track. Every hallway looked the same and after so many turns, she found herself lost as she was brought before a door. One of the Ceratopsians pulled out a keycard and pressed it against a reader at the left side of the door. The door slid open soundlessly opening into a moderately sized room. There was a thick mat on the floor with a pile of blankets and a pillow. She could see a small door on the left side of the room that entered into what she assumed was a toilet. The room was bare, but livable, so she could only imagine what kind of conditions her people were being held in the lower cells.
She was unceremoniously shoved inside and as she turned around the Ceratops pointed his blaster at her. "The suit, take it off." He commanded. She bared her tooth plates.
"I will not!" She shouted only for a blaster bolt to singe the side of her head as he fired past her.
"I'm not asking take the damn suit off or I call the Captain and he has a bolt put into one of your people!" He growled as a shriek rang out followed by struggling. It was Mixu. Verakoska took a step forward but the Ceratops aimed his blaster at her chest. "We can do it their way if you prefer, but I'm not that kind of guy." He responded. Verakoska placed her hands on the clasps at the sides of her suit.
"Alright just make him stop. Your captain doesn't want us damaged remember." She said as she slowly began to pull the suit from her body. The thick fabric pulled away from her rough gray body with irritating ease. She felt the fabric slip from her shoulder down to the tops of her breasts. She looked up at the Ceratops. Despite his claims of "not being that kind of guy" she could see he was enjoying this nonetheless.
"Cut it out Ajah don't rough up the Tsunian." He said apathetically over his shoulder, but never took his eyes from her body. She couldn't stand the look in his eyes, but she refused to break eye contact. The shame of having him look at her naked body was less than the shame of him knowing that it bothered her. It was as her suit slid from her hefty breasts revealing the paler skin there that she saw it.
The figure moved silently into view behind the Ceratops. It was smaller than her but taller than the Ceratops. The Ceratops must have seen the confused look in her eye or perhaps just felt the creature's presence. He turned but it was too late it moved with blinding speed gripping the Ceratops by the horn and lashing out with its other appendage. There was a crunch and a splatter as she saw its fist shatter the beak of the Ceratopsian. The fragments of which pelted the floor before her alongside a healthy smear of grey blood. The Ceratops's jaw was completely gone nothing remained of the fearsome beak as the thing twisted its hand sharply there was a loud crack which alerted the other Ceratops.
The Ceratops called Ajah turned around at the odd sound having just relieved Professor Mixu of her clothing. His eyes barely had time to focus before his comrade's horn was driven into his throat. He was driven back against the far wall by the creature pinned there as inch after inch of horn penetrated his neck. His last sight before the horn was driven through his spinal column was the piercing blue eyes of this monster.
Verakoska slowly came back to life as she saw her captor fumbling for his blaster. He was not dead it seemed or even knocked unconscious by the pain. Truly the Ceratops were hardy people. Verakoska moved quickly seizing his blaster and shooting two bolts through his head. She watched the light drain from his eyes as grey blood flowed from the wounds. She turned to face this new threat aiming her stolen blaster at it. It turned around yanking the horn from the freshly killed Ceratops.
"Stop right the-" It was fast, impossibly fast. As she shouted the thing turned and threw the horn at her. She didn't even see it fly it was only after the flare of pain in her right wrist as it was snatched back did she knew the horn had been launched into it. She felt the searing pain of punctured flesh and ruptured bone but managed to fire off a shot. She shouldn't have done that. Without her other arm to brace the shot went wide and with a growing horror she saw where it was going. Professor Mixu was right in the line of fire. The bolt would rip through her defenseless flesh in an instant. Forgive me, Professor.
Though it seemed her apology was wasted. Once more the thing amazed her with its speed. It grabbed the Professor snatching her out of harm's way. She noticed the blaster smash into its legs and instead of seeing it blown off as she'd seen blaster bolts do before there was just a neat circle of raw red flesh there. The creature spoke for the first time. It released a roar of pain. "AMMIT!" It shouted dropping the doctor before locking its ice-cold gaze onto her. Her breath stopped as she dropped the blaster. It would be no use to her against this thing's speed. She grits her tooth plates as she rips the horn from her right wrist. It would have to do as her only weapon in hand-to-hand combat. The thing launched itself at her as its smaller frame raced forward she drove the broken horn down at it. It seemed to dodge as if she was moving in slow motion. It grabbed at her two front legs placing itself between them. If this were any other situation she would have blushed.
Instead, she yelped as the thing lifted her throwing her off all four of her feet onto her back. She hit the ground hard as it moved towards her. She struck out with one of her feet catching it in the chest and driving it back a foot. That kind of kick should have shattered its torso and sent it into the far wall. Instead, it grounded itself and came at her again leveraging its speed. She kicked out again but this time it sidestepped it and grabbed her leg. Before she could retaliate with her others it swung her bodily against the wall. This thing outstripped her in strength by miles for its size.
Her back and then her head hit the wall and her vision exploded with white and purple spots. She was dazed and her eyes swam as the figure approached her. She tried to get her arms in place to brace against its attack, but it felt like she was moving through the thick mud of her home world. The thing raised its foot above her head. Dear gods it's going to stomp me to death! She thought.
"Take off your clothes." Mixu stood in the small cell staring at the Ceratopsian aghast. She clutched at her clothes tightly between her four-fingered hands. The Ceratops before her simply shrugged at her silent refusal and grabbed the front of her enviro suit and tore it down from her chest to above her hips before the fabric thankfully tore itself away. She shrieked in terror and shame as she backed away from the brute. Her species knew very well what the galaxy at large thought of them. Tsunians were considered beautiful beyond compare, male or female. It was also no secret that they were sought out as slaves and property if not just killed outright for their furs. She batted at the Ceratops, but he shrugged off her blows like they weren't even there.
He shoved her to the ground getting over her and tearing at her clothes until she was left in nothing but scraps of her pride and clothes. She pulled her legs and arms into her body to cover herself. "I don't think the Captain will mind if I play with you a little. It's not every day a fella gets his hands on a piece of Tsunian ass." He growled as that serpentine tongue flashed out of his beak.
Mixu looked at the beast before her in horror. "No I-I won't let you!" She said. "You won't take me not like that!" She shouted sticking her tongue between her teeth ready to bite it off and bleed to death rather than let this monster pretending to be a Sapient have her. Before she could a sharp crack rang out. Both she and the Ceratops looked in the direction it came from only for some kind of beast to lunge into the room driving a sharp horn into her would-be defiler's throat. She sat there barely covered looking at the thing. She assumed she was in shock or that it was just simpler to let the analytical part of her mind take over as it took an assessment of the creature before her.
It was roughly about Five feet ten inches it had thick black threads coming from its head they were three inches past its shoulders. It was bipedal which was rare but not unheard of. The most efficient form was quadrupedal, but races like her own were bipedal, but even her species could adopt a form of quadrupedal locomotion, when need be, given their serpentine body. It wore a small bit of clothing around its lower half but the rest of it remained bare. Its skin was dark the color of rich mud more dark hairs dusted its chest, arms, and legs. From its profile, she could see its eyes were frosty blue like deep ice, and coarse black hair adorned its jawline. Her numerous ears at once picked up the sound of a rifle being charged and so did the creature. It reacted with blinding speed and hurled the broken horn.
It's so fast and it knows how to use crude tools. It's also strong enough to dispatch not one but two Ceratopsians in quick succession. It was as she was making that mental assessment she turned to see the bright light of a blaster bolt heading at her only for the room to seemingly blur and then she was staring at the wall of her cell. It had moved her fast enough to save her life. Before she could speak the creature was on the move again this time its target was Captain Verakoska. "Wait!" She shouted, but the two were already engaged in battle, and what a battle it was.
Verakoska put up more of a fight than the Ceratops, but not by much. Not only was it fast it was strong able to manhandle the captain with ease. What no, this is no time to be analyzing they're going to kill each other! She thought to herself as she got to her feet all thoughts of her naked body gone as she rushed out into the hall and then into Verakoska's cell. She dove in front of the captain as the creature raised its foot. "STOP!" She shouted. Way to go Mixu now it can crush us both. She closed her eyes not wanting to see this thing's foot as it smashed her skull like a Ventrusian egg.
The pain didn't come, the feel of her skull shattering under the force of the blow never came. She risked a peek and saw the creature standing over them but both its feet were planted on the ground. It looked at her and Verakoska who was coming back to reality slowly as she sat up. All of a sudden a strong arm was pulling her back. She was being pressed into Verakoska's chest while she held out the broken horn. It was a pitiful defense against this creature that was their superior in physicality. The creature made no move towards them instead walking over to the dead Ceratops and beginning to rifle through his clothing.
"It's looking for something," Verakoska whispered to her as the creature stood up with a growl ripping the top part of the suit from the dead Ceratops. It had a keycard in its hand as it walked over to them and tossed the keycard and scrap of cloth in front of the two women, then it spoke.
"Ere I mor." Its voice was loud and rumbled like distant thunder.
"What's it saying?" Verakoska asked as if Mixu knew. She was a Xenobiologist, not a linguist. The creature looked at them for a moment before repeating itself louder.
"Ere smy Mor!" It said as its voice rattled their eardrums.
"Shit, it wants more and it's angry about it!" Verakoska got to her feet slowly. "It wants more pirates to kill and is angry they're not here and I don't think he's picky enough not to kill us instead." She hissed. Verakoska eyed the entity in front of them with wary eyes. The agitation of the creature was scaring the captain though she doubted Verakoska would ever admit that to another living soul. Still, Mixu could see it written on her face and that fear was liable to make the captain lash out and most certainly get her killed and possibly Mixu as well. She had to do something quickly.
Mixu resigned herself to revealing a secret she'd been hiding for several years now. She swiftly moved between Verakoska and the creature and reached out to it with her mind. Telepathy was not inherent to her species there were very few races that possessed the ability, but in recent years recent meaning in the last five-hundred years or so telepathy had begun to crop up randomly in dozens of species. She and her colleagues believed that with the proliferation of space travel and the increased likelihood of meeting species that could not communicate in the traditional sense evolution had taken it upon itself to bridge the gap.
Mixu extended her consciousness toward the entity she expected some kind of resistance at first. With the knowledge of telepathy, it was only natural that people would subconsciously put up mental barriers. This was not the case with the creature before her. Its mind was so...open. Once her consciousness made contact with him she quickly found out it was a he. She was bombarded with such raw and open emotions and thoughts her head rang with them. He was in pain, his mind was flooded with confusion, anxiety, fear, and so much anger. His anger was so abundant she felt like she could drown it. It was like fire roiling through her mind nearly driving her to the same level of anger.
Mixu stumbled back as she fought against the tide. She pulled back from his mind slowly until she breached the surface of his thoughts. She had expected resistance, but since there was none she'd dove deep into his mind on accident. She could still taste his anger in her mind an acidic rage that scoured her consciousness. She took a deep breath and felt Verakoska's hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright Professor?" She asked still staring at the man before them. Mixu nodded.
"I-I'm fine I reached out to him telepathically and went too deep." She said letting the Vlorpan out of the bag. Verakoska's eyes widened at the mention of telepathy, but like the former soldier she was she knew now wasn't the time to ask. "I'm reading his surface-level thoughts to try and grasp what he wants," MIxu explained. The entire time the man looked at her she wasn't sure if he could even perceive her touch on his mind, but either way, he didn't seem hostile. She gently probed his mind looking for his shallowest thoughts.
"I need to find my armor and sword I can't keep fighting like this." She had it.
"He's looking for his armor and a...weapon of some kind." She elaborated. Verakoska's eyes widened.
"Oh, so he can kill us faster or is he just bored of beating people with his fists." Verakoska shook his head. "Tell him we don't have either of his things. We're prisoners like him or were." She said with a shrug. Mixu took a moment to articulate her words mentally.
"We don't have your weapons I'm sorry. My name is Mixu I don't know if you're kind has or knows of telepathy, but it means I can speak to you in your mind." She placed a hand on her chest to emphasize that was her name and she was the one talking to him. Feeling bare fur beneath her palm she realized she was still naked. She immediately snatched up the torn shirt from the dead Ceratops.
"I was wondering if you were going to put that on or did you prefer your skin. My name is James Lady Mixu. I am unaware of this telepathy but it seems to work and that's all that matters at the moment." Mixu startled at the deep masculine voice in her mind. "If you don't have my armaments, can you tell me where they might be?" Mixu finally composed herself as she threw on the much too-large vest, but it at least covered everything she wished to conceal. The top hung off her shoulders barely keeping the top of them bare and dropped to the tops of her thighs. Her topmost ears wiggled in pleasure at being addressed as a Lady.
"I'm sorry I don't. I would assume they are in the pirate's armory. If we could find that then maybe we'd find your belongings as well." She thought as she received a tap on the shoulder.
"Well, what did it say?" Verakoska asked impatiently. Mixu frowned.
"He's not an it, he said that his name is James. I told him it might be in this base's armory. Maybe if we help him get his things back he'll help us." Mixu said to which Verakoska looked at James.
"James," Verakoska repeated and watched as James bared his teeth at her and nodded. "What the hell is he doing? I said his name just like you did so why's he looking at me like he wants to rip my throat out?" She asked. Mixu wasn't sure herself.
"James, are you upset that Captain Verakoska used your name?" James' face changed instantly no longer baring his teeth in that fierce display instead confusion showed there.
"Upset with her I didn't even know she was a her. I just smiled at her when she said my name to let her know I understood." He explained.
"Smile?" She asked as images flowed through her mind. There was James and he was sitting around a fire with others of his species, she assumed they were also male and they were all "smiling". It was quite terrifying to her. Their faces lit by the fire its light glinting off their exposed teeth as several of them opened their mouths in joy. They looked like a pack of reveling fiends. Mixu shook her head. "I understand." She said before turning to Verakoska.
"He didn't mean to alarm you, Captain. Among his species that display is one of happiness. He enjoyed hearing you say his name that was all." Verakoska eyed the male who gave a smaller smile in her direction. She did her best to mimic the action. Her face wasn't nearly as animated as his, but James' smile grew wider. He got the meaning despite its lackluster performance it seemed.
"I'm more than happy to help him, but I need to find my crew and your colleagues. James, do you know where the prisoners are kept?" She asked. James looked at her knowing she'd called his name, but had no idea what else she said. His eyes swept to Mixu.
"Oh sorry." She said before speaking again at first Verakoska thought she was talking to her, but then realized she was relaying what she was thinking to James verbally. "James, do you know where prisoners are kept? Captain Verakoska's crew was taken captive along with my fellow scholars." There was a moment of silence before Mixu spoke again. She blinked twice and then smiled revealing her needlelike teeth. It seemed she had an easier time doing so. Mixu turned to her. "I'm going to say this exactly as he put it. He says 'He understands the burden of responsibility you bear and if your crew has even half the faith that you have in caring for them he is sure they are waiting for you eagerly. He respects your mission.' That is what he said." She explained as James brought his fist to his chest before her.
Verakoska looked at the man no, the Soldier before her because that is all he could be. She could see the respect in his eyes. She felt her eyes moisten before coughing. "Tell him that I am honored." She said. Mixu nodded relaying Verakoska's words from there she gave Verakoska the directions given to her by James. Verakoska nodded. "Alright, Mixu you and I will go get my crew and your colleagues and leave James to find his armaments. Verakoska put her suit back on before grabbing the blaster that had been taken from her. She felt the pain flare up in her wrist but ignored it. She'd fought through the worst.
She looked at the bloody horn in her hand and held it out to James. "Sorry, I can't teach you how to use one of these." She said hefting the blaster. James took the horn and spun it between his fingers before clutching it tightly. He nodded before bounding out of the room ahead of them. Verakoska was right on his heels turning in the opposite direction. "Strange day eh Professor. Kidnapped by pirates only to be saved by some alien warrior. Bet you never thought anything like this would happen when you hired us huh?" She chuckled feeling a bit euphoric now that her life wasn't in immediate danger. It was because of this euphoria that she didn't notice the doctor's silence before now.
"Professor...Mixu?" She turned around and saw no one behind her. She looked down the hall just in time to see a lavender tail disappear around a corner in the same direction James had gone. She was about to run after the Professor wondering how so many Professors lived to old age if they all acted like this when they were curious about something, when she remembered in what direction she was heading and who was with her. Professor Mixu was probably the safest person on this ship. With that she returned to her initial task; finding her crew and passengers.
James jogged down the hall keeping an ear out for any footsteps when he heard that melodic voice in his mind again. "James!" He stopped and turned around seeing Mixu bounding towards him. She was running on all fours and panting as she came to a stop.
"Mixu what are you doing you were supposed to be going with the captain." He said as Mixu shook her head still catching her breath.
"I know how I can help you find your possessions." She said standing back up on her hind legs. "If you find one of the Ceratopsians, I can translate your words and we can interrogate them." She said pumping her clawed paws. Once again James was struck by the beauty of this creature this woman before him. Despite her completely alien form, she was beautiful. He shook his head.
"That is a fine plan Lady Mixu I know where to find them. When I escaped, I wandered this place and ran into them often in one wing of this castle so often I avoided the area." He said with yet another ferocious. Smile. "Follow me." He said as he began to run once again.
Mixu was astounded by his stamina as they ran. He wasn't going at a full sprint, but even so, they'd been running for several minutes and he was so fast that she had to resort to running on all fours just to keep up with him. Most astounding of all was the silent way he traveled. She was only a few feet behind him and could hear him fine with her multiple ears, but she was sure if she was any farther back only the barest of sounds would register to her. She was certain no one further than a yard or so away would be able to hear him coming. It was at this moment that James suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Mixu barely avoided running into the back of his leg as she returned to her hind legs. "Someone's coming." She heard James' deep voice in her mind again and it made her shiver slightly. Mixu's telepathic abilities had only awoken two years ago, so she wasn't all that used to having another's voice in her head, but that wasn't the real reason for her shivering.
The males of MIxu's species aren't all that different from the females in body type, so much so that males are often mistaken as females by other species. Their voices aren't much lower than a female's and the only real difference aside from genitalia was that males have darker fur colors, so to Mixu James' rumbling voice in her mind was exotic. James flattened himself against a wall pressing a hand to her chest to press her against the wall as well. She flicked all six of her ears back and forth trying to catch what he heard, but there was nothing. Right as she was about to ask him what he heard she finally heard the footsteps of two Ceratopsians.
"His hearing is exceptional just what kind of planet does he come from?" She thought to herself as she saw James slide down the wall and crouch with the bloody Ceratopsian horn in his hand. She mimicked him and crouched down as well. The footsteps had grown closer to the point where she could feel the vibrations of their boots through the floor. Mixu held her breath as they got closer and she saw James' face transform. His face was so expressive and the speed at which it changed not to mention the drastic changes it undertook was fascinating. If she didn't see it happen she might not recognize it at all. His light blue eyes had darkened in concentration as his jaw tensed. He was the picture of pure focus. The first Ceratops appeared at the corner and James acted.
There were two of them he couldn't tell them apart, to him they seemed the same. One was taller with a thick horn protruding from where he assumed their nose was his skin was a pale green with large brown splotches across its face. The other was of a similar size to himself and had two horns one protruded from its nose similar to the other while the other protruded from the top of his forehead. James drove the broken horn into the foot of two horned Ceratops. He let out a yell of pain that was quickly shut off as James exploded upward to his full height ramming the top of his head into his jaw.
There was a click as his jaws crashed together. The Ceratops was dazed which James capitalized on by driving his fist into the side of its head followed by an uppercut. Grey blood erupted from the Ceratops' mouth splashing across the ceiling as it fell back. James turned feeling the thundering steps of the other beast. The Ceratops crashed into him driving him into the wall of the hall. James gripped the Ceratops horn to keep from being gored as his back impacted the wall. He heard the rumbling of the creature's voice as it spoke, but James ignored it. He grabbed the bony frill at the back of its head and began to twist, but this one was either more intelligent or more skilled. It let go of where it had grabbed him by the waist and grabbed his wrists keeping him from turning its head to snap its neck.
The two struggled against one another James steadily slid down the wall until his feet were back on the ground. As soon as he made contact with the floor he pushed off with all his strength hurling the two across the hall to the opposite wall. Metal groaned as it warped around the Ceratops' back. The force of the impact loosened its grip and James quickly pulled his left hand free and slammed his fist down on its right shoulder. There was a muted crunch as the arm dislocated. The Ceratops let go of his right hand and drove its fist into his side.
He groaned as some of his breath was forced out, but James kept hold of the monster's horn before driving his fist into the side of its head. The beast groaned and went for another blow to his side, but James let go of its horn and jumped back creating space for its fist to sail by harmlessly before he rushed back in. The Ceratops swung its arm in reverse to deliver a back fist, but James lunged in faster and grabbed the creature by its upper arm. From this position, James began punching it in the side of the head repeatedly.
He felt warm liquid splash across his face as the skin on the side of its head split and wept fresh blood. The flailing of the arm in his grasp slowed then ceased as the body slid down the wall first unconscious and then most assuredly dead. "JAMES!" His fist stopped as he heard Mixu's voice in his head. He looked back at her as she stood at the corner. "He's dead you can stop." She said in his mind even her mental voice shuddered. James looked down at the Ceratops under him. The side of its head had been caved in from his blows its eye on the ground popped from its socket.
"I-I'm sorry Lady Mixu. You shouldn't have to see me like that." He thought as he stood up straight and stepped away from the dead Ceratops. He heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to the other Ceratops that had been with this one. It lay on the ground by the wall eyes wide and mouth slightly open. James could see a crack in its beak from his headbutt. It growled out words at him. He couldn't understand what it was saying, but the message was clear from the flapping mouth and the upraised hands. It was begging for its life.
"I think he'll tell us what we want to know," Mixu said walking up to him. Mixu spoke with him for a moment before turning toward James with a smile. "I know where your things James are follow me."