For a couple of days, I didn't see Yagg at all. The guards kept providing me with food, but that was it. I was just sitting there, sleeping and getting bored out of my mind.
Then he showed up like nothing ever happened, and we continued the crazy regime of daily fights. None of them were as interesting as the two with gladiators brought by the young Calludin, although my owner tried his best by putting me against two, three, and then even five opponents at once. I always came out victorious with almost no effort.
Those fighters were simply too weak for me. The numbers of my fans grew, and nobody booed me anymore, as I tried my best to make each fight more interesting than the previous one. I even allowed some enemies to hit me badly, just to spice things up. It worked like a charm.
More and more gifts were sent my way, either directly through Yagg, or by the guards, who sneaked in female slaves to entertain me. I refused each one of them. My mind was simply in a different place. With no additional problems, all I could think of was - how to get the hell out.
With the Calludin present in the vicinity, it was almost impossible, and he always remained quite close, but I was patient. I was ready to wait and put his suspiciousness of me to sleep.
In the end, it never came to that, as out of the blue, after my fight ended, I was joined in the sandpit by some ugly looking, fat, and caterpillar-faced alien, who came alongside Yagg, to announce me a champion.
I blitzed through this league apparently.
When we left the arena, with cheers of the audience, still coming from the outside, the Calludin said to me:
- Pack your things. We are leaving the planet today.
- What? Why? Weren't you supposed to keep me inside this hole?
- Plan has changed. The High Queen has a new idea of what to do with you.
- And that idea is?
- None of your business.
- How can it be none of my business, when it's literally about me?
He ignored my question and kept his silence all the way to the cell, where I picked up my stuff. There was not much of it. Some clothes, a few pieces of technology to kill time. Games and a device to watch stuff. I still barely used that since there was no way for me to recharge the batteries inside. I had enough trouble asking Yagg to power the items which were allowing me to understand the languages.
I grabbed it all, wrapped it in one of my shirts, and then we went to the roof. The day was quite nice, although windy. It was nice to see the real local sun after a while. We boarded a small vessel to then fly to a massive ship anchored above the city, hidden behind clouds.
It was a gigantic piece of metal with many blinking lights and openings to get on board.
- It's yours? - I asked as I rushed towards the window when we got close enough that I could see a large piece surrounded by all the white and fluffy stuff.
- I thought you didn't like big and eye-catching ships like that.
- This one is necessary to travel where we need to travel.
- And that is?
- A planed in a different world where you will wait for me safely, to return.
- And where are you going?
- To talk with the High Queen.
- Oh, so you do not have an idea of what she does want to do with me.
- I do. I'm just going to discuss if it is the correct one, considering your situation with us Calludins.
That made me raise my eyebrows. The Calludins wanted me to suffer, or die, which meant the High Queen had to have something opposite on her mind.
I didn't say anything and with my face glued to the window observed as we slowly got onboard the massive vessel, and landed inside its haul.
An army of servants from many different races already waited there to take care of Yagg and me.
We got separated, and they brought me to a small, but quite cozy room on the ship. I had a bed, table, small adjacent bathroom, but most importantly a source of energy to charge all the stuff I got from my fans. This meant that I finally would be able to occupy myself with something for more than a few hours.
I managed to unpack myself, and place the items in proper spots before the ship started trembling and a low humming sound filled the entire machine. I was already familiar with that since it happened to me when we were traveling to Quel'kabar with Ashal Kal Anur.
I even for a second suspected that we might end up there too since Yaggwas to talk with the High Queen herself, but as I learned by the end of the day when some servants came to collect me, it was not the case.
I was brought to a rather small dining room, where Yagg was already sitting by the table and filling his stomach with fancy dishes while looking through a massive window at a planet tidally locked with the local sun, with one side surrounded by darkness, and the other blasted by energy from the star.
I froze, mesmerized by the view.
- Is that...
- Yes. This is where you will be waiting for me. There is an inhabited space between the flames and darkness where civilization is thriving. You might even like it, but what's more important there is no way you will be able to escape.
I took my eyes off the view and looked at him in silence, then just nodded. Then I sat by the table to join him since I was quite hungry, and among all the dishes were not even single on remotely looking like the grey tasteless mush I was so used to.. It was all a proper food, although alien.