Hi, I’m Lincoln Ankerwood, but everybody calls me Link and I lived in Colorado . . . before Earth blew up. Sure, I miss home and all but I’m actually incredibly excited to be here. Three billion years of the human race had never seen what we’re about to see.

 

“Buzz!” -that’s my Mum calling me. My family call me buzz because I’m the only one who appreciates science fiction. My big brother on the other hand calls me space-brain and        astro-nut.

“Buzz, would you hurry on down here and get your dinner!” she calls.

I better get over there, fast. They’ve been saving my spot in the ships cafeteria line while I went to the bathroom. And trust me, with the entire United States in this area of the ship if you think the food line is long you should see the men’s room.

 

My sore, bare feet vibrate as I squeeze through the mob towards the dinner line. With there being no Earth to make shoes on, you’re likely to get yours stolen just like mine. The uproar from the engines makes us all shout when we talk, even if we’re close by. Everyone hates it, but I still can’t help but feel like this is every nerd’s dream come true.

 

“Sorry I took so long. You know how the line is.” I shout over the piercing engines and rowdy, sweaty, filthy crowd.

Now you’d think we’d be eating cool alien food now that we’re in space. Wrong! Instead, I reluctantly hold out my tray and they slop me some strew. Or, as my brother and I call it, spew. It’s all the healthy food they could grab from Earth at the last minute and boy has it gone off.

The only decent smell on this rotting ship is my Mum’s rose scented perfume. I can always tell she’s coming when she wears it. It’s felt like fresh air to me these last few months. God forbid anyone from stealing it.

So, as cool as it is to be here, I hope whatever planet we crash on has a decent Macca’s.

 

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“WOW! ALIENS! ALIENS! REAL ALIENS!!!” I scream loudly, partly because of sheer excitement but also because living on a noisy ship has left me a little deaf.

“Be quiet Link.” Whispers Mum, “We don’t know what they want.” -but I can’t hear her,

“I’m gonna go meet one!” I shout, racing from a frozen stiff crowd. “Lincoln, wait!” she screams, trying to grab me but it’s no use.

There’s a hesitant stretch of grass between the two stunned crowds, which I cross. The aliens all stand in a row parallel with us, as though about to go into battle. They all look unique, but some are alike. They’re all at least twice my size, none wear clothes, and none have any humanly features at all. It’s like they’re all space animals. Cool!

“Hi!” I cheer, making the Vulcan solute from Star Trek. “I’m Lincoln from Earth. Can you understand me?”      -They’re silent as shadows, and big as boulders. That’s when the nearest one steps forward, with bulging, yellow eyes fixed on me. He looks like a big, blue bear with a lion’s tail and a ginormous head. He holds out a small, grey cube with green lines in circuit patterns on it.

“I’m guessing you’re their leader?’ I ask, but suddenly the cube illuminates and starts to float.

ZAAAP! I’m sucked into it, leaving only my clothes behind.

BLACKOUT!

 

 

I hear the noise again . . . hours later.

My eyes blink open. Its fuzzy . . . but my vision soon clears, and my head is throbbing a little. It’s like I broke out of water and am gasping for breath. I’m in a tight, bizarre room, dimly lit orange with no windows. I’m lying on a cold, rough dirt floor. The air is stiff, stuffy, has the strangest smell, like smoke and salt. I hear nothing, except for the ringing in my ear, until.

 

“Hello,” someone says.

“What! Wha, wha, who, where, wha?” I stutter in panic. It was another alien. She looks just like the one who caught me except smaller and has her ginormous, yellow eyes fixed on me.

“Just relax little human, your safe here.” She whispers with a soft voice I strain to hear. “Everything is going to be okay.” She continued, whilst patting my head like a pet. She realises I’m trembling and gives a sympathetic glance. Suddenly, I don’t feel so panicked any more. Until I realise I’m naked. Gasp! My clothes really didn’t come with me. Scrambling around the room I scavenge for something to wear. Looking high, looking low and under things on all fours I desperately need something to cover up with. But I don’t know what any of these alien things are. Settling with what I can I slap some sort of sticky, red rag around my waste which seems to do the job.

“That’s what we use to wipe our feet with.” She giggles.

“Oh,” I sigh, blushing red as the rag. She’s still giggling.

“Stop.” I snap, and she stops abruptly, but happily “Now, where am I? How did I get here? Who are you and where is my family?”

“I’m sorry, you must be so confused.” She smiles, “You’re on the planet Pulloco and this is my bedroom. My Dad caught you in this compact travel cube, C.T.C for short, but everyone calls them travel cubes. My name is Puca-u, but you can call me Puc, and, well I suppose your family were adopted by some other coaches.”

‘ADOPTED!!!’ I shriek. I back up against the wall with a throbbing heart and heavy breath. ‘What do you mean adopted?’

 

‘I Mean they’ll be training with someone else. A coach is only meant to have one pet.’ She returned.

‘Train for what?’

‘Battle.’ She answers,

‘Against who?’

‘Other humans.’

‘What!’

 

‘Oh dear,’ she sighed, sympathetically ‘I thought my Dad would’ve told you first. Why don’t you sit down?’ She gestures to a thing that looks vaguely like a chair but more like a big, square shaped stretcher (if anything), shaded pink with violet pocka-dots. I don’t like the look of it but have a strange impulse to obey her and sit promptly.

 

 

‘My Father is the chief of this colony. We’re called the Montuwan colony of the Montuwa mountains. He says that he’ll let your people stay here on some conditions. That is, you must all submit yourselves to being battle beasts in our grand arena. You must all live under the ownership of a coach who will train you for battle against your fellow battle beasts. Coaches carry their pets in a C.T.C, that’s why my Dad brought you to me in one. I’m your coach.’

 

‘But I don’t want to be a pet!’ I shout. ‘I want my family!’

‘I’m afraid you have no choice. We don’t know who your family was sold to. I was lucky to get you for free before the market was set up. And any human without an owner is banished to the woods to survive on their own. No one stands a chance in the woods, not even my own kind.’

 

I think I want to cry, but I mustn’t. My Mum would want me to be strong in times like these. It’s strange, like I feel older now without her but weaker at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, I open my mouth.

‘Why do you want us to fight?’

‘It’s a tradition, spanning back generations. At the peak of every year all coaches present their battle beasts to fight each other for the title of spirit beast. The spirit beast is then trusted with the honour of protecting the colony until the next year’s tournament. To coach the next spirit beast is what all coaches aspire to. As the chief’s daughter I have to compete every year, but I’ve never had a winning beast.’ She explained, with a small sigh of self-doubt. ‘Don’t call me that!’ I bark. She gives me a sad look in her watery, yellow eyes. I think we’ve hurt each other’s feelings, just now. There’s a long pause before she finally decides to change the subject and says, ‘Well, we should, get some rest. I’ll put you back in your C.T.C.’ 

‘NO!’ I beg, snatching it off the table, holding it close and tight. ‘Please, don’t put me back in there. It’s dark and cold and its, its, I-I just can’t.’

She gives a genuine sympathetic look. I think she’s starting to see what I’m going though. ‘Okay then, you may sleep with me in my bed tonight.’

‘Umm,’ I mumble, feeling severely uncomfortable sleeping with a girl. Especially an alien girl who treats me like a pet, ‘Maybe, I should just sleep on the floor, like what our pets used to do back on earth.’

‘Okay?’ she responds, ‘But it’s going to be cold after my Dad turns of the heating, so if you want to come sleep with me you can.’

***

She was right. I can’t sleep, it’s just too cold. Shivering, practically naked on the stone-cold floor I toss and turn to pursue unattainable comfort, while she has fur and blankets. I realise I have to sleep with her. She has a small, round waterbed built into the floor which a squeeze into. Turns out she’s still awake and shifts over with an inviting smile, making me feel strangely welcome here. I can’t help but smile back.

 

Tucked closely in together I realise she feels so warm, like a hug from Mum.

She softly asks, ‘What’s your name?’

 

‘Lincoln.’ I reply, before drifting off to sleep.

 

***

 

BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Screeches the most ear-poppingly, irritating noise the next morning, waking me up in a fit.

‘AAAAG! What is that?’ I whine with hands on ears, wishing I were too deaf to hear it.

‘That’s my alarm clock.’ She replies, ‘It’s designed to wake me up at a certain time. Didn’t you have them on your planet?’ (I wont bother answering.) ‘Well,’ she says, ‘Time to get started.’

‘Get started with what?’ I ask, praising the silence now that the alarm’s off.

‘Today I’m going to show you the whole village.’ She says, ‘I’ll especially be showing you the battle arena.’

‘Cool!’ I reply. I’ve always wanted to explore an alien planet. This will be just like on Star Trek. Although, I couldn’t hear the second part of what she said. She whispered it too quietly, but it sure sounded exciting.

 

My jaw drops as I step out of her cave to the site of a majestic, colossal valley. I can see an ocean on the horizon, but it isn’t a normal shade of blue. It’s got a perplexing mauve-ish, maroon-ish undertone. Above it is the bright-blue sky where huge, alien birds soar like hawks. The small, white, puffy clouds move quickly in the wind, tracing the ground with light patterns. On the ground below us is a mess of tree filled forests with a dozen or so scattered green pastures. Amongst it all is a village speckled with tiny buildings of wood and steel but no brick. Bright, white pathways swirl around the valley, some leading up to the mountains whose peaks are so snowy they appear to connect seamlessly to the clouds. It’s all epic and enchanting until my eyes stop panning at the sight of our spaceship.

I can see our spaceship in its field, and it’s being dismantled.

 

‘What are they doing to our ship!’ I cry.

‘Oh yeah,’ she shrugs, awkwardly ‘I forgot to mention. As part of the deal with you all staying here you had to give us your ship. My Father’s having it taken apart for construction metal.’

‘But all my stuffs on that ship.’ I complain.

‘Not anymore. Sorry.’ She says.

 

Great, so not only am I a lonely pet, I’m a lonely pet with no clothes, books, toys, or movies.

And so much for escaping. I was hoping we could ditch this place and find a planet WE can own.’

She notices how dis-heartened I feel, ‘Hey, why don’t we get you something to eat?’ She says softly. Best news I have heard all day. Having missed out on dinner last night I am dying to try exotic alien foods.

 

As we walk down the hillside the wind finally reaches us. It’s smoother, flow-ier and lighter than the air back on Earth. It feels nice all over my face, chest, and legs. What’s more I can smell their sun. Golden rays swim into my nose. They smell like honey, and salt.

Being escorted through the village is weird. I try not to stare at any of the aliens but that’s hard when they’re all gazing at me. I guess I really am the alien here. I should probably call them locals from now on. None of the locals have any humans with them but they each hold a carry cube. I now realise how lucky I am to have an owner who lets me walk beside her.

Observing the buildings, I try to guess what they’re all for. Each has a sign out the front but they’re all in some strange alien language. So not only am I a lonely, alien pet with no belongings, but I’m a lonely alien pet with no belongings who can’t read.

Each building is surreally shaped. Not one straight line or right angle in sight. All wooden buildings have swirly patterned walls and they’ve made the effort to make the metal buildings just as abstract.

 

The restaurant is small, wooden, and crowded with locals. I still can’t see any humans. Only those carry cubes glowing red, which is weird. Mine seems to glow green.

‘Hey Puc, why does everyone else’s cubes glow red instead of green?’

‘Oh, that just means that their pet’s inside.’ She answers casually.

That means there’s a human inside each of those things. I’m surrounded by my own people but they’re all trapped and I can’t save them. I was hoping I’d be able to find my family here. But even if they are here I can’t see them. Never mind . . . I’ll never give up looking.

Puc can clearly see that something’s troubling me, but can’t make out what.

As soon as we sit I realise our waitress is an oversized lioness with feathers for hair, tied up in a ponytail. She’s actually quite beautiful.

‘What will it be?’ she asks.

I’m not sure what Puc ordered but she gave a hesitant look, realising I can’t read the menu.

‘Umm …’ She said awkwardly

‘Surprise me.’ I say, avoiding the embarrassment. 

The waitress gives me a smile and a wink before she turns to leave.

‘Sorry’ says Puc, ‘I should’ve quickly gone through the menu with you before ordering.’

‘That’s fine, I’m sure it will be-’ that’s when the waitress comes back with my order (surprisingly fast.) and I’m meet what looks like a bubbly soup in the middle of a hollow steak-like meat with fruits at the side that are honestly too weird to describe. There’s also something that looks a little like mash potato, or ice scream or an avocado, but I can’t decide which it looks most like. All together it smells like morning dew on grass and I’m not even sure if it’s safe for me to eat. I look around the plate for cutlery but then realise everyone’s eating with their paws and mouths so I start poking it with my finger. It all feels soft, damp, and kind ‘a elastic. Whatever it is it had better be better than the junk we ate on the ship

Puc’s meal arrives shortly after mine but she doesn’t eat it straight away.  Instead, she looks wide eyed at me. Clearly she can’t wait to see me try her culture’s cuisine for the first time. So, I pick up the plate, hesitantly, and try pouring the soup down my throat, seeing there was no cutlery. She chuckles when seeing it drip down my bare chest instead of my mouth.

‘Stop, stop, stop.’ She insists, ‘I’m not sure how you used to eat on Earth but here that’s a dip, not a drink.’

‘Oh,’ I smile and blush, putting the plate down and picking up one of the fruits (assuming it’s fruit) and dipping it in.

Now for the moment of truth. I stare at it for a second before taking a deep breath and biting.
As soon as it touched my tongue it was like one of those moments when time stops and nothing else existed and I’m temporally mesmerised.

‘Link?’ she says, ‘Link, are you okay?’

I snap myself out of it and a giant grin paints my face ‘This is awesome!’

‘Really!’ she replied with relief.

‘Yeah, I can’t really describe what it tastes like but it’s just, amazing!’ I mumble with my mouth clogged with it.

I stop talking after that and am just eating as fast as I can from then on. I’m so ravenous I even eat the thing that looks like a steak off the plate like a dog. Admittedly I still wish Mum were here, but at least she won’t see me eat like a pig. She never allowed bad table manners but in my defence, that’s just how Puc eats.

 

***

 

‘Welcome to battle training!’ Puc announces, opening the double doors of the tournament hall like stage curtains. I step into the most prodigious arena I have ever seen. It’s a glass dome with wooden frames, all in some organic, abstract pattern. A ring of over-hanging balconies surrounded the fight circle in the middle of the room where I assume the fights will take place. But around the fight circle there’s a moat with a spiral path connecting the fight circle to the entrance.

‘Wow,’ I exclaimed in aw ‘What’s with the water Puc?’

‘That’s to make sure no one tries to escape the fight circle. The winner is the one who can force the other into the moat. The only other way to win is to knock the other beast unconscious.’ She replied.

‘Can’t they just run away on the spiral bridge?’

‘No, that will be lowered under the water during the fights. We just have it there so you can get to the circle and back.’

‘Okay . . . I thought you said there’d be lots of humans here, with their trainers.’ I inquire, a little disappointed.

‘Yeah, there will be,’ she re-assures. ‘But my Dad booked the arena for a private session today so it will just be you, me and the other team.’

‘What other team?’

For this answer she galloped  back to the doors and projected proudly . . .

‘Lincoln Ankerwood, please welcome your first opponent who you will clobber at the tournament . . . (Doors fly open) . . . Katie Bigowff.

 

Oh … My … Gosh! She stomped into the room and I came face to face with her.

Katie was my number one bully back on the spaceship.  Which is sad because we started as such good acquaintances back on Earth. She’d share her lunch at school whenever I forgot mine, she’d let me steal her answers in math, she’d even stand up against bullies for me. But being stuck on a treacherous ship for so long does things to people. She began to tease me, steal my food, and beat me up whenever I tried to do something about it. PLUS, though she is around my age, Katie’s at least four heads taller than me, is five times my weight and knows just about every martial art ever. All I know is how to watch Jackie Chan’s Kungfu movies! A snigger crosses her face and I can smell the stench of her pride from here. It’s as though I can hear her cackling in her mind the words ‘This should be fun.’

She stands by a giant lizard guy with razer pointed teeth and one red eye, one yellow eye. I guess he’s her trainer, but I sure am glad I’m not fighting him. He gives Puc a sneer at the first sight of me as though to say; ‘Is that thing really the best you can do?’ She responds looking ashamed, as though he had looked at her that way before.

 

 

We stand centre spiral with our coaches up in opposing balconies. We threw our best battle faces at each other. Hers looks impressive. But mine just looks like I’ve just smelt my brother’s fart.  HONK! Echoes the battle horn, calling Katie to charge right at me like a big, fat bull. Jumping to the side I barely avoid her rage and panic for dear life, sprinting to the door. Thank God Puc left the bridge up. I can only faintly hear Puc shouting ‘No! No! Your supposed to hit her Link! Hit her!’ but I don’t care, there’s no way I can take her!

ROAR! Katie hollers lunging for me, flattening me with a thud. She gets up, lifts me by the hair, beats me in the stomach and throws me to the moat. While in mid-air I get a glimpse of Puc’s face. She’s so shocked. And I also glimpse at Katie’s coach’s teasing laugh. Splash!

 

 

 

***

 

 

 ‘What happened back there!’ Complains Puc, pacing around her room that night, ‘She’s just another human, you’re supposed to FIGHT her.’

‘Why should I!’ I scold ‘Where I come from nobody treats me like a dancing monkey.’

‘A what?’ she returns (having never heard of monkeys) ‘Look whatever that is, you are a battle beast now and my Father’s not going to let me keep you with that sort of attitude!’

‘It’s still not fair. She’s big, strong, and athletic. And I’m small, weak and lazy.’ I continue ‘Besides, she’s the one who kept on going after the fight was over.’

 

-It’s true you know. As Katie through me into the water she snatched my rag and refused to give it back. I stood in that shallow moat naked, demanding for her to give it back for a whole five minutes while she just waved it over me in victory, chanting ‘Come and get it loser!’ in the most bratty tone conceivable.

I was forced to climb back onto the bridge naked and jump for it but she held it too high. Only her owner, I mean coach, could make her to give it back. (Before pushing me in again.)

 

‘Well, that’s no excuse. You’re being a very bad boy.’ Puc barks.

-First off I don’t like being spoken to like a pet. Secondly, I get the feeling this is not just about me losing. Though I haven’t known her long, I can tell she’s scared about something. ‘Puc, what’s wrong?’

‘Err, you don’t understand. You have no idea what I’ve been through.’

‘What! Are you kidding me?’ I snap back ‘Don’t say that. It never helps. If you want me to know something then tell me. But if you’d rather keep it to yourself then you can’t hold my ignorance against me.’ - to quote my Mum.

 

‘. . .I’m sorry.’ She sighs, sitting down with a heavy head, ‘It’s just that, the coach of that girl you fought today is my cousin. Or at least, step cousin. If I lose another tournament my Dad is going to have to make him chief and not me. I could lose everything if you don’t fight. I won’t even be allowed to live here anymore.’

 

Okay, so I’ve got a moping princess. To be honest, I still feel more sorry for myself than for her. I’ve already lost everything. But my Mum always said that if you want to get the best out of people sometimes you have to play sympathy. So, I sit on the floor beside her and rest my hand on her furry, blue shoulder.

‘Look Puc, it’s not that I don’t care. I just didn’t know, okay. You’re not the only one here who’s stuck. All my life I’ve been taught not to fight and now I’ve got to if I’m going to keep a roof over my head.’

 

 

She didn’t say much after that. Neither did I. We just ended it there and went to bed. I have to say, I’m getting used to sleeping beside her like this. Her body warmth and blankets make me glad to have no pyjamas. But she did get me thinking. If she gets cast out what would that make me? Maybe being the chief’s daughter’s pet is the best I can be now. I don’t want life to get any worse.

 

 

***

 

 

BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!! Rings her alarm the next morning and my eyes pounce open. I spring from the covers and switch it off. If I’m going to survive as a ‘pet’, I’ll have to give it my best shot.

 

‘Wakey, Wakey Puc! Time to get training’

‘Hmm?’ she moans, still mostly dormant, ‘what?’

 

Sprinting out of the cave moments later with Puc beside me I take a massive inhale of fresh, foreign air and look over the view again. Probably the part of the morning I was looking forward to the most.

‘Okay, so how you wanna do this?’ I ask.

‘Do what?’

‘The training.’ I reply ‘Aren’t we gonna practice punches and kicks and stuff?

‘Hold up Link.’ She smiles ‘We aren’t at the training field yet.’

‘Training field? But I thought we would be going to the arena again.’ I respond.

‘Nah, the arena’s mainly for training against your opponents. Today I’m taking you to where we usually train our pets, I-I mean, fighters. You’ll love it.’

 

 

The sun blazes hotter than it did yesterday and the trail to the training field, she says, is over twice the length to the arena. My feet start dragging and my knees are sore enough to shake. My back droops and my sweat tastes weird. I think it’s from drinking their planet’s water.

‘Are we there yet?’ I groan,

‘No,’ she retorts, for the fifth time. ‘You sound worse than me whenever my family travels to Tathaca.’ (Wherever that is it must be far.)

So, I sit on a rock in protest. ‘I’m going to be too tired to fight by the time we get there.’

‘Well, what do you want me to do about it. You humans need to walk faster. Can’t you just use all four legs like me?’

‘No, I’m not built like you. I’ll just be slower. Can’t I just ride on your back?’ -I don’t think she likes that idea.

‘What,’ She reacts ‘No. You mean you want to get on top of me and I’d walk?’

‘Well, you’re not tired at all and I can’t take another step. We humans used to do it all the time. We call it a piggy-back ride’ I explain, slightly exaggerating, I realise we didn’t always do it but I’m making a point.

She takes a moment to think it over, and glances both ways to make sure no one’s watching, and says ‘I guess?’

I climb onto her and she crouches a little to help. Getting myself comfortable I mutter ‘All right, nice and easy now-‘ But that’s when she bolts for it!  ‘WOW!’ I hold on tight to her fur, trying not to tug too hard. She’s a bumpy runner. ‘Slow down!’ I panic. ‘No time, we’re already running late!’ she smiles. I can tell being fast is her thing. We come to a ten-meter-wide ditch which she leaps over without another thought, scaling way up into the air before landing with a thud. Trying to calm down best I can I begin to open my eyes again. The air rushes against my bare skin and through my hair as she gallops into the wind with ease. She’s running a lot smoother now. And even though she’s picking up speed, I feel like everything’s just slowed down. We run past pastures of sweet-smelling flowers with spiralled petals. And then we race under a forest of overhanging trees with luminescent fruit. They paint dazzling light patterns all over us from the sun, and I let my naked back absorb all the radiance around me. Shifting a corner, the trees part like curtains, revealing the most majestic mountain range I had ever seen. This could be the happiest I’ve felt since I got off that ship. Collecting enough courage my arms reach out wide as the sun. I howl ‘WOOO-HOOO!’ - She looks up to me over her shoulder and smiles excitedly and I get a great feeling that we’ll do this again.

 

Before long we make it to the field and after climbing/falling off her I ask, ‘That was incredible! Oh my gosh! I had never been that fast before, except for maybe when I was in space but besides that. Wow!’

“I’m glad you liked it, maybe we should have a piggy-back ride on our way back.’ she chuckles, warmly.

‘So, what are we going to do first?’

‘Well,’ she returns with a thoughtful look ‘My Dad says that to train a battle beast the two most important things to teach is discipline and skill. So basically, I have to teach you to be a strong fighter and how to follow direction.’

‘Direction?’

‘Yeah, you need to start doing what I tell you in the arena. I was shouting instructions on how to beat her yesterday. Why didn’t you listen?’

 

Suddenly I’m a tad bit ashamed to say, ‘Umm, well . . I’m actually partially deaf and you were too far away.’ - If you should know, that was one of the things that Kattie used to bully me on when we were on the ship. At least then I had my brother to back me up, wherever he is.

‘Oh,’ she says sounding surprised, and worried ‘Well if you couldn’t hear me then how will you be able to hear me above the crowd? The tournament is going to be packed.’

 

‘I don’t know. Sometimes my Mum would just say that we’ll cross a bridge once we come to it. By the way, when is the tournament?’ I ask.

‘Fifteen days’ she says, sounding even more worried.

I blow a heavy sigh and trying to shake it all off, ‘Then we better get started.’

 

 

 

 

We spend the next fifteen days training as often as we can. Puc’s Dad gives her all the best and expensive training equipment. Too bad it’s all designed for their kind and not mine. One of the training tools even requires me to use a tail. We think he gave her that one just to tease me. None-the-less I work my best. I learn fighting manoeuvres, I duck, I dodge, I even karate chop wood (I think the wood on this planet is a lot softer than most earth woods though.) All in all, I’ve grown about four inches and have never felt so alive. Mum would be proud.

 

I still miss my family and earth but, I’m beginning to feel more at home here than anywhere else. Every sunset is romantic, the ocean is safer to swim in and the food is beyond anything you’ve had back on earth. Also, I’m starting to see Puc not so much as an owner or a trainer, but a sister and I think she feels the same way.

Sadly though, her Dad doesn’t see us the same way. He still won’t let me eat at the table, instead I eat outside. He hates it when I ride Puc’s back and has even tried to put me back in the carry cube himself! According to him a pet should be kept on a leash or in a cube. I hate to think that I’m coursing conflict between Puc and her Dad but at least I know that I’ve got someone on my side.

I have also gotten to meet other humans again (at last). Puc has arranged for the trainers to come together often with their new “pets” to practice at the arena and the field. She tells them it’s to bring the trainer community together but I know she just felt sorry for us humans. As wonderful as it is to re-unit with my kind it’s awful to hear their stories. Some kids were purchased to live miles away from their parents while others are husbands and wives that have been separated. Or worse, they’re told they must fight each other at the tournament. The most awful part is that I still can’t see my Mum or brother anywhere. I’ve asked every coach and every human and none can say they’ve seen them. Sometimes, it makes me think the worst things. What if they never got brought and had to flee into the forbidden woods. Or what if they’re being kept hidden by cruel owners. You know not all pet owners are nice.

Incidentally, she also introduces me to the other types of animals they keep as pets. Before they moved to using humans they had all sorts of pets that are considered “lower life-forms”. None seem to speak English though. But all of them beastly and horrendous. Sadly, some of us will have to fight them in the tournament too.

Being such a sci-fi nerd, I am relishing the opportunity to learn about extra-terrestrials. Like how all the clans of her nation come together for three weeks each year to celebrate unity at a festival called Tathaca. Puc also loves learning about Earth and I’ve loved telling her every detail. She’s probably more curious about my faith than anything. I was never a church fanatic or anything but I guess being forced into all of this battle beast stuff has made me feel somehow closer to God. Perhaps it’s because my faith is all I have left from earth. So, I’ve casually talked about Jesus and heaven to her but at best I think she’s willing to accept it all as a nice story.

 

All of this has been fun for the last few weeks, but, getting beaten up by Katie at the tournament was always haunting my mind.

 

 

***

 

 

I sense this will be a painful night, here at the battle beast tournament. Thundering crowds of restless locals chant and stomp in their towering balconies for tonight’s brutal entertainment. Not a single human in sight, because we pets aren’t allowed in the stands. Instead, we wait for our fight, in the beast bunker which is buried straight under the fight circle. Air holes in the ceiling let us snatch glimpses of the fights that happen above. Both moons have risen to the occasion and beam God-rays into the bunker. The air hole frames carve the moons’ blaze into prison bar patterns, but they’re still our main source of light in this pit.

Some of us battle beasts use this time to practice, many of our coaches are down here too, to insure we’re ready. Others are up stares gambling on us. Rumour has it that I’m at the loser end of most bets.

As for me, I’m just sitting on the steps, trying to stop my scared stiff legs from quaking. I can hear the mob above us stomping their paws and gnashing their fangs.

 

‘Get up!’ barks one furious coach to a boy he’s training. ‘You haven’t even reached fifty push ups yet! Get up!’ he commands, ‘Why did my Mum have to buy me the most worthless mutt of all? I’m going to the coaches’ lounge. See you on your death bed dirt!’

 

Some of the coaches have given their pets new names. Thankfully, dirt is the worst one I’ve heard so far. His real name is Max. Him and I wanted to train together but his coach won’t allow him to be friends with any opponents. Other coaches are thankfully much nicer, like Ishiyo and her pet is Lucy. They have a much more friendly relationship and would practice with me and Puc all the time. Then, we have coaches who hardly let us out of our carry cubes at all. They still aren’t bothered inventing a cube that absorbs clothes. Some of us find it so hard to keep track of clothes when constantly popping in and out of carry cubs. Some aren’t even bothered anymore, like Max, his coach shoves him in and out like a Jack-in-the-box. The poor kid. Thankfully, he’s managed to wear clothes tonight. I have seen him do more push-ups before. He’s just tired. I’ve already spoken to his opponent and she’s agreed to take it easy on him. We battle beasts are all in this together.

 

‘I think your legs could do with a break from shaking .’ sounds a welcome voice from behind. I turn to see Puc approaching and stand promptly. We’re all trained to stand when our owners approach.

‘You know you don’t have to do that for me Link.’ She sits beside me.

‘So, you excited?’ she whispers.

‘More nervous,’ I whisper back, ‘I think I might be able to take on Katie but I haven’t seen her since the day she beat me up. What if I don’t win? You said we’d be kicked out of our home and you’d never become chief. I don’t want to be homeless again … and I don’t want you to ...’ I feel a tear in my eye and can’t seem to speak anymore. She puts a paw around me and says ‘Don’t you worry about that. We’ll be fine.’

 

‘Can I tell you a secret?’ I say with my head against her furry chest. ‘I really hate fighting my own kind.’

Now her eyes are just as watery as mine. ‘Link, yours are a good people. You humans deserve so much better than this. And you are not a pet. You are, and always will be a great friend. No matter what happens tonight.’

 

‘I miss my Mum’ I whimper.

 

‘I know. I miss mine too’ she purrs.

 

 

 

‘AND NOW EVERYONE!’ Announces the commentator to the audience above us, ‘The battle you’ve all been waiting for. Puca-u, daughter of our great chief and her battle beast Lincoln will go up against hark-u and his battle beast The Raging Slasher to decide who will be our next Chief to be!’

It’s the loudest I’ve heard the crowd all night, and it’s now or never.

Thankfully, Puc has convinced the judges to allow me to have an earpiece that she’ll use to speak to me through. Too bad it was designed for alien ears so I have to wedge it into my ear to make it fit. After that it’s my time to step hesitantly onto the platform that will raise me into the arena for a dramatic entrance. I’ve seen my fellow battle beasts go up this shaft one after another tonight and have heard some epic victories, but have also seen the most tragic scares and remorseful apologies.

‘See you up there.’ She says as the platform rises and the ceiling opens up to a blinding spotlight. Before I know it I’m in the centre spiral, face to face against Katie! (or ‘The Raging Slasher’, as her coach has named her.) She’s wearing animal skin over her top and lower half like a wild cave woman. I can see her coach in the coaches’ booth behind her and Puc quickly runs into the coaches booth behind me. From there they can shout orders but can’t interfere. If either beast fails to obey orders it’s a foul. That’s when I notice Puc’s Dad looking ominously at me from the highest balcony.

I can feel all the eyes are on me. Chief’s staring at me because he wants Puc to win, Katie and Hark-u are staring at me because they want me to lose and everyone else is just staring because they want me to amuse them and become their protector for the year. No pressure.

I may not be able to see my Mum or my brother again, and I may never smell her sweet, rose perfume again. But as I stare back at that beastly, giant girl all I can think is

‘This is for them.’

HOOONK! The battle horn cries. Heart pounding against heavy lungs I charge at her. ‘Roar’ I shriek like a beast. She stays still, I enter her shadow, I lunge arms forward to push her back but she grabs me by the wrists to stop me in my thrust. I push nevertheless, growling like the animal I was trained to be. She doesn’t even stir. Instead, she throws me three metres to the side in one small grunt. I land an inch from the water and I hear ‘Get UP! Get UP!’ through the earpiece. But before I can she starts running towards me. If she pushes me off I’m done! ‘Slip her legs’ Puc shouts into my ears. So, I slide my legs at the precise moment, slipping her onto her side. Thud bounds an earthquake as she lands. I jump up and beat her hard as I can. Then I try rolling her to the edge. Too late! She whams me in the face, breaks my nose and is on her feet in less than a second. I punch her stomach repeatedly but it’s no use. Too much fat for it to hurt. I dodge another punch and another punch and another punch. I can’t hear what her coach is shouting but can see his rage. My head’s starting to spin. I feel dizzy. But I have to punch on until WHAM she kicks me right in the crotch, crumbling me to the ground. Katie pins me to the floor by the throat. My air way is tight.

‘Father, you have to end this!’ I hear in the earpiece. Turning my head best I can I spot Puc in the balcony, pleading with her Dad to stop the fight. ‘What!’ he barks. ‘She’s going to kill him!’ she begs. ‘You want to FORE-FIT, loose your TITLE, be THROWN OUT!’

Her face trembles. She glances to me with watery eyes. She’s about to say yes! I can’t let her do that.

By now my eyes are going dark but I pull my might together. Slowly I push her arm up and gasp for breath. Stumped by my sudden strength she pushes harder but I press on, throwing her to the side I role away and spring to my shaken legs. Now she’s down and I’m up. I’m pushing her to the edge again when BAM she punches me to the stomach like a cannon ball and is on top of me again in no time. I can faintly hear her coach screaming ‘FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!’ raising me into the air by the neck as tight as she can again I finally get a good look at her face. She’s as tired out as I am. I may not have air but if I just try strangling her she might go out first. My arms only just reach, she holds me as far from her as she can. She beats my head in with her one spare hand and I’m doing the same to her. Our bleeding faces sweat onto the other person’s bloody fist. I can no longer see, I’m so faint. But I can tell Katie’s not so well either, she’s losing grip. Somewhere along the way she must’ve punch out my earpiece. I can’t hear a thing except her fist and the sound of the crowd cheering for her.

POW she takes a blow! BANG I get her back! BAM she goes again!

Smashing each other for what feels like eternity I wonder how long I can go without air. When suddenly she stops.

 

 

 

I still can’t hear or see but I’ll punch her again. When suddenly, before my fist can meet her tenderised face one last time I feel someone’s lips against mine. And faint.

 

 

***

 

 

My eyes flutter open. They’re fuzzy for a bit but they seem to be clearing up slowly and my head is still throbbing from those punches. I have no idea how long I was out for. I recognise the feeling of our waterbed on my bare back and our furry blankets on top of me. The first thing my eyes pic up is our warm orange light. And the smell of our cave’s cosy soil invites my nose. The second thing I see is her almost mother like smile of relief in front of me with my red cloth hanging over a chair. Calmly she says-

‘Good morning sleepy head.’

Now I know I said that she sounds calm, but I can’t help but feel there’s an inkling of excitement in her voice.

‘I’m so glad you’re alright, for a moment I thought you went to heaven.’

I have to say I’m glad to hear her say that, on some level.

‘What happened’ I moan sleepishly.

‘Well,’ she responds, sounding sheepish ‘After Katie . . kissed  you . . you kind of both collapsed.’

‘SHE KISSED ME? YUK!’ I sit up, sounding totally disgusted and too shocked to be drowsy, ‘Why?’

‘She said she finds brave, tough boys really attractive.’ She answers, ‘Lucky guy.’

I don’t think I feel “lucky” being kissed by Katie Bigowff, but there is something nice about being called brave and tough. Nobody really called me that back on earth.

 

‘What about the fight? Who won?’

‘Nobody.’ Puc replies, still tingling with secret excitement? ‘Since you were both knocked out at the same time the referee called it a draw.’

‘What about your Dad, and your cousin?’

‘Oh’, she giggles ‘We won’t have to worry about them again until next year. The judges and council ruled that since you technically didn’t lose I should keep my title. My Dad still might want me gone but his paws are tied. Now, get your cloth back on because there’s some people I want you to see.’

 

‘Who?’ I wobble onto my stiff feet and tie the cloth back on.

 

‘Well, while we had the whole colony at the arena I was able to make a few inquiries and found the coaches of two humans you’ve been very anxious to meet.’ She sniggers with her paw on the door, and as it swings open she reveals two familiar humans. A boy and a woman who I’ve missed so much.

​

And I smell the scent

Of Roses.