Seventh Ring: Part 3 - Formalities

Three was silent for a moment, making sure that William had put enough distance between them before he spoke. He was short by alien standards and quite stocky and square-shaped. His body was covered in a thick, leathery skin that was no doubt used to protect him from the harsh rays of his own planet's star. He appeared to be reptilian, but his face looked like a scaly bulldog. Two long teeth pointed straight up from his lower jaw and wrinkles sagged over his forehead, cheeks, and below his eyes. Three was clearly well-aged.

"So, they've reached as far as Kazek, huh?"  he asked curiously in a rough, dry voice. He tucked the dirty towel he'd been using into his back pocket and crossed his thick arms. His tattered, once-white shirt was covered in what looked like oil and red dirt beneath a tight pair of suspenders that stretched over his very broad shoulders. Seven looked at him fiercely, but it was obvious that Three was genuinely curious. "They don't tell us much 'round here. Sometimes, we hear news of the stars from Two when he's sent to Culler's. Other than that, we keep ourselves busy 'round the farm. It's not the ideal life, but it's still life."

Silence fell between the two aliens as Seven looked around them. His eyes narrowed as he took a step towards Three.

"This is no life for me. Or you. Or any of us. We do not belong on this planet, and neither do they." His face flashed a look of hatred, but Three's gentle expression calmed him.

"We have no choice. Your home's been taken, your family and friends have been taken, and you're thousands of miles away from your planet. You're on the enemy's territory now, in his backyard and behind his electric fence with no gear, no communicator, and no way out. You're lucky to be alive, believe it or not." Three began to lead him away from the center of the barn and towards another door opposite of the one William had just exited. Sunlight streamed onto the floor as he pushed the door open to reveal  the corn fields and pasture. "I'm not sayin' this life is going to be an easy one. Especially yours."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Seven as he followed Three out of the barn.

"I saw the way he looked at you, boy, and the way he's treated you thus far. He's only ever walked two other drudges in the way he did with you. Me n' Four? He practically chased us in here with a club and forgot to feed us for days. He's a cold, heartless man, let me tell you."

"How am I any different from you or...Four?" asked Seven as he lowered his brows with concern.

"You kiddin'? Just look at you. You're a fighter if I've ever seen one," chuckled Three as he approached the border between the barnyard and the corn field. "That's why he bought you, I'd bet my supper on it."

"Fighter? I'll never fight for him or anyone else," growled Seven as he trailed behind the other alien.  He glanced around cautiously as he watched him step between two tall stalks of corn. Not wanting to end their conversation so soon after it had started to get interesting, he followed, pushing the same stalks out of his way as he disappeared into the wall of corn.

"Yes you will. Five and Six thought the same thing as you. They took a while to break, but they always do. The more stubborn you are, the more you suffer," replied Three with a knowing smile.

Seven fell silent and did not want to argue with him . His eyes drifted over the other male's head as he attempted to see where he was leading him. The rows of corn seemed to go on forever. Looking back, he couldn't even see the barn anymore. Three made several turns in the field, and Seven often wondered how he knew when to turn and how he knew where it was they were going. Even with his superior height, he could not see over the corn.

Crows flew overhead and called to one another as the two aliens continued on. The sun cast its last dying rays over the tops of the corn stalks as it began its descent towards the horizon. Just as Seven was about to question his escort about their destination, he could see the corn beginning to end just up ahead. Another structure was coming into view. It looked like another barn, but it had no windows and was much larger and newer than any other structure Seven had seen so far on the farm. It looked like it was made out of steel and concrete, unlike the wooden barn they had just left.

Red dirt and hard clay covered the ground surrounding the perimeter of the structure. There were no visible doors along the side wall, but there  were two other aliens who appeared to be fighting in the middle of the clearing straight ahead. Three could see them, but he made no motion or noise to break it up. Seven was about to question why, but it became clear that the two fighters were practicing the closer they got to them. Their brawl left no blood on the ground, and one of the fighters looked as though it could have ended it immediately if it so wished.

"Five, Six, I'd like you to meet Seven," announced Three as they approached. At Three's voice, Six seemingly disappeared.

Five swept four large hands across the ground at something that Seven could not clearly see. The giant alien looked like a walking mountain trying to swat a house fly. His body appeared to be made from stone, and where it wasn't, it was replaced by thick, boney scales.  Each step he took shook the ground, and each smash of his fists against the earth left a small crater.

Five only looked up for a split second as the two newcomers approached. He continued his pounding at the ground, unwilling to let the interruption ruin their sparring match by distracting him.  Six reappeared on top of Five's stoney shoulder. This alien had big glassy eyes, a short muzzle, and  a round head with a mess of quill-like dreadlocks that were kept out of his face by a pair of large goggles on his forehead.  He didn't say anything, but he waved mischievously in greeting. Five roared and raised one of his upper hands to try and smash the much smaller alien, but he was gone off his shoulder in a flash.

Furious, Five scanned the ground with his small, golden eyes. Seven recognized his race as a Colosaur, or Colosaurian, but was surprised to see one not only on Earth, but as a drudge. They were notorious for their bad tempers and towering size, as well as their set of four very large arms. If Three's inquiry earlier was any indication, perhaps the Colosaurians had lost their planet as well? He couldn't see how, as their bodies were practically impenetrable. What could be more powerful than one of their armies?

Questions continued to circle in Seven's mind almost as quickly as a length of chain began to wrap around the thick, tree stump-like legs of the Colosaur. Stepping back, he watched as Six appeared suddenly to his left with the end of the chain in his hands. He gave the chain a swift pull and watched as Five attempted to step forward to grab him. Holding tight, his tiny feet slid forward as the larger alien's legs halted mid-air and were stopped by the chains. Five fell slowly forward as both Seven and Three braced for his impact.

"Look out below!" shouted Six with a wicked grin. Birds in the distance took flight as the ground shook violently below their feet. Five had become a defeated heap of rubble right before their eyes. He growled and exhaled sharply through his large nostrils, sending a cloud of dust towards Six as the smaller alien dropped the chain. "Guess size really doesn't matter, now does it?"

Seven was impressed.  He'd heard of the Iboa, a small, almost feline-like race of people from a small moon not far from Kazek. They were typically human-sized and always aerodynamically thin. Few races were as fast or as nimble on their feet as the Iboa. Six was obviously no exception.

"Nice one Sixbinx," congratulated Three. "You okay, Five?"

The Colosaur's massive hands slammed against the ground one at a time as he began to push himself up. The chain had loosened enough to allow him to free his legs. As he stood, he glared down at Six, all of his hands clenching angrily.

"Better luck next time, big guy." Six's grin faded instantly when Five stepped towards him with a growl. He slipped behind Three and used him like a shield. "Match is over, buddy, you lost!"

Seven watched as Five shifted his gaze to him instead of Six. He clearly was not amused, though Seven wasn't admittedly sure what that expression would look like on a Colosaur.

"Seven, hmm? He house drudge. No good out here," snarled Five. His large clawed feet stomped on the ground as he brought himself closer. He was easily several feet taller then Seven, but it took more than height to intimidate him. Lowering his massive, dragon-like head, he looked closely at him and seemed to be sizing him up. Seven never broke his gaze, nor did he blink. His expression was fierce and wild and seemed to speak louder than his voice ever could.

"Mmm. We fight, we see," said Five after a moment of intense staring. Without even waiting for Seven to accept the challenge, he pulled back one of his arms and aimed the tightly clenched, boulder-like fist right at his head. Three's eyes widened in surprise as he backed up into Six, who hissed when his thin, whip-like tail was stepped on.

The air split and dust plumed around the two aliens as Five threw most of his weight into the punch. He felt it collide with Seven, but it stopped suddenly as if he'd struck a wall that not even he could punch through. As the dust began to settle, Three and Six could see that Seven had caught the Colosaur's fist in his robotic right hand and stopped it mid-punch. His fingers strained and arm shook, but his stance had remained the same as before his attacker had advanced.

"What the...?" said Six after a moment of silence. Three's jaw had dropped.

Seven's fierce stare intensified as his eyes widened and he pulled back his arm slightly. With a grunt, he shoved the Colosaur's fist backwards. It caused the larger alien to stumble away from him and growl indignantly. Seven's eyes never left his opponent's.

"Wow, talk about a bad day, Five!" said Six as he bounced forward with a delighted giggle. "I think you oughta consider retiring, bud."

Five said nothing. The effect of Seven's stare had worked and forced him to lower his gaze to the ground. It was only then that Seven blinked and looked down at Six curiously. The shorter alien grinned a very toothy grin and nudged Three's forearm with his knobby elbow.  Three stepped towards Seven and put a hand on his shoulder before he spoke.

"Like I said, boy.  You were bought to fight."