Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) Read online

  Contents

  Maps

  Order of Series

  Chapter 1: Zeti

  Chapter 2: Effie

  Chapter 3: Zoke

  Chapter 4: Steffen

  Chapter 5: Effie

  Chapter 6: Zoke

  Chapter 7: Zoke

  Chapter 8: Zeti

  Chapter 9: Zeti

  Chapter 10: Steffen

  Chapter 11: Steffen

  Chapter 12: Effie

  Chapter 13: Zeti

  Chapter 14: Effie

  Chapter 15: Zoke

  Chapter 16: Steffen

  Chapter 17: Effie

  Chapter 18: Effie

  Chapter 19: Steffen

  Chapter 20: Zoke

  Chapter 21: Effie

  Chapter 22: Effie

  Chapter 23: Effie

  Chapter 24: Steffen

  Chapter 25: Steffen

  Chapter 26: Effie

  Chapter 27: Steffen

  Chapter 28: Steffen

  Chapter 29: Zeti

  Chapter 30: Zeti

  Chapter 31: Cleve

  Chapter 32: Steffen

  Chapter 33: Effie

  Chapter 34: Zoke

  Chapter 35: Effie

  Chapter 36: Steffen

  Chapter 37: Cleve

  Chapter 38: Zeti

  New Releases

  Author Information

  Copyright

  THE RHYTHM OF RIVALRY SERIES

  Book 1: Bastial Energy

  Book 1.5: The Sartious Mage

  Book 2: Bastial Steel

  Book 3: Bastial Explosion

  Book 4: Bastial Frenzy

  Book 5: Bastial Sentinels

  Chapter 1:

  ZETI

  “What’s Doe going to do to us?” Zeti asked, finding difficulty moving when she knew each step was bringing her closer to her punishment.

  Paramar was unnervingly silent, his yellow eyes stuck to the path ahead as they walked through the cavernous abandoned Slugari colony. Being the leader of the Slugari search team, Paramar had been regarded as the most important Krepp of their entire Kreppen army.

  But everything was different now. They’d finally found the Slugari’s home…and they’d let the majority of the delicious creatures slip through their claws.

  While known for his reticence, Paramar always at least had answered Zeti’s questions. Yet, he wouldn’t even look at her now, his lizard-face so steady and set it was as if it would crack before shifting into a different expression.

  Finally, he grumbled, “How should I know?”

  “You know Doe better than I do,” Zeti argued.

  She was somewhat fearful Paramar was going to reprimand her. But she would’ve welcomed it just to know that he was still the same Krepp as he’d been before they’d failed to follow orders…before they’d let thousands of Slugari escape.

  “You speak as if I’ve failed like this before!” Paramar thundered. Zeti could hear it in his tone now—a dangerous anger was festering.

  Maybe Doe will be too afraid of Paramar to punish us, she thought.

  The stupidity of the idea almost made her spit. Doe had never shown fear before. It was a common belief that he was incapable.

  A Krepp who Zeti didn’t recognize ran up to them. “Doe’s waiting on the other side,” he said, looking over their shoulders. “Where are the Slugari? Doe sent me to help you bring them to him, but all I see are half-eaten corpses. Did you let them—?”

  With startling speed, Paramar grabbed the Krepp by the neck and tossed him aside. The motion was so fluid it was like Paramar was discarding a rock, possibly even a pebble.

  “Shut your mouth,” Paramar said and then spat, his saliva finding the Krepp’s tumbling body.

  When the Krepp’s somersaults came to a halt, he jumped to his feet and drew his sword.

  Paramar calmly pointed his own weapon.

  Neither moved.

  Zeti stepped back to clear some room.

  “Come on, then.” Paramar used a claw to motion the other Krepp toward him.

  The challenger lowered his sword, his gaze falling with it.

  Smart Krepp, Zeti almost muttered aloud.

  She stayed an extra step from Paramar the rest of the way through the Slugari colony, hesitant to say anything else. Anger radiated from him, unintelligible grumbles slipping from his long, lipless mouth. At one point, Zeti could even hear his sharp teeth grinding together.

  Eventually, the cavernous tunnels twisted into the widest opening yet. Zeti saw that all the Krepps had gathered in this vast room, some dipping their heads into a massive lake for a drink.

  Zeti had no idea how the Slugari had gotten water down into their underground colony. But when her eyes found Doe, her curiosity switched back to dread at the punishment that awaited.

  Doe was among a cluster of high-ranking Krepps. Zeti saw one of them point to her and Paramar, then Doe began the arduous task of turning his enormous body to face them.

  It was earlier that day that Zeti had seen her first Slugari—besides Doe or Haemon. And now, looking at Doe once more, she couldn’t fathom how he or Haemon used to be just like the delicious creatures she’d recently eaten.

  Not only did he used to look like them, he lived with them, followed their orders. He came up no higher than my knees at one point in his life.

  But now he towered over her, his slug-like body stretching twice as far as it was tall.

  Doe growled at the sight of her and Paramar. “Why aren’t there any Slugari with you?” His voice was rougher than a sack of rocks dragged across the dirt.

  Zeti lowered her gaze, thankful she had Paramar to speak for her—he was the one in charge anyway. There was a good chance her punishment wouldn’t be as severe as his.

  But Paramar gave no reply. He simply stared.

  What can he say? Zeti began to wonder. While she didn’t know, she figured anything would be better than silence.

  Doe’s overstuffed Slugari face twisted in anger.

  He’s just figured out we let the Slugari get away.

  Doe lifted one of his grotesque claws to point. “I told you to get to the perimeter first!” he shouted. “I said it! Get to the perimeter and then circle back! Why didn’t you listen?”

  “No one could’ve followed that order.” Paramar’s voice was thick with aggression, though it remained quiet for now. “Don’t give me an impossible order and then scold me for not following it.”

  A burst of nervous murmurs pulsed through the hundreds of Krepps now watching.

  “Paramar…” Zeti started to reach out but stopped herself. He certainly already knew not to talk back to their oversized Slugari leader. Everyone knew that. A reminder from her only would amplify Paramar’s anger.

  Doe was surprisingly calm, though. He simply slithered forward and said, “You’re no longer a chief.” His diminutive arm came up to point. “And for disobeying me when it mattered most, your claws will be yanked.”

  What? No, that’s too cruel! Zeti grabbed her own claws, tugging on one to see how it felt. Pain bit her hard.

  “Lay down your sword and bring your hand over here,” Doe commanded.

  Paramar drew his sword…but to Zeti’s surprise, it was not to lay it down. He pointed it at their leader.

  “You want my claws? Then come here and take them from me.”

  The nervous murmurs burst into a clamor. Half the Krepps drew their swords, and those with bows aimed an arrow at Paramar. Zeti clenched her teeth and placed her claw on Paramar’s hand in a feeble attempt to lower his weapon for him.

  He shoved her with his forearm. “Get away from me, Z
eti.”

  “Don’t do this,” she urged.

  “I already have.”

  He was right. The fight had been initiated.

  Paramar used his weapon to gesture at the other Krepps now circling him. “It’s time for a new leader. We need one who knows what we want and how to get it.”

  He paused, and Zeti noticed many Krepps sharing glances. While some might’ve agreed, none had the courage to lower their weapons. Paramar was now a traitor. Siding with him would bring the same fate. Zeti took a step back from him.

  Doe began to laugh, a menacing cackle that echoed throughout the cavern. His usually beady eyes doubled in size, nearly protruding from the folds of dirty brown blubber around them.

  “And what would the new leader’s first order be?” Doe asked with a sneer.

  Paramar stood tall, puffing out his chest. “Kyrro needs to fall. Then we can focus on the Slugari they’re protecting.”

  “How interesting. I have the same plan. But the difference between you and me is that I didn’t just let thousands of Slugari get away.” Doe paused to curl his head around his body, glancing at the Krepps behind him and waiting for them to nod back.

  Turning to Paramar, Doe’s expression no longer held anything but anger. “Because unlike you, I’m not controlled by an urge to feed. I would never let thousands of Slugari escape simply because I couldn’t control myself. You’re infinitely weaker. The tribe would fall under your leadership just as easily as you would in battle.”

  “Then fight me and prove it.”

  Doe’s long mouth bent into a smile.

  Everyone took that as their cue to move away from the two of them, including Zeti. She silently cursed Paramar, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop this. He’d just gotten himself killed.

  Paramar’s speed was startling for his size as he dashed at Doe with his sword low and ready.

  Doe’s claws glowed for just a blink before an explosion of light burst from them. Zeti only saw the fireball after Paramar had dodged it by rolling out of the way.

  Paramar regained his speed and leapt at the enormous Slugari, his sword now over his head as he soared.

  Doe let out a beastly roar before Paramar reached him, and Zeti felt a blast of hot wind strike her entire body with such force that it knocked her off her feet and sent her rolling.

  She noticed Paramar was now at least ten yards from Doe, scrambling to regain his footing. But before he made it upright, there was another burst of light, another fireball—this one striking him.

  Paramar’s sword came loose as he tumbled. Screaming, he slipped trying to get up and tried to drag his tripping body toward his weapon.

  Another fireball came from Doe’s claws, again striking Paramar.

  The weakened Krepp was slow to move this time, completely dazed. He tried to push himself up, only to fall flat on his stomach.

  “Would you like me to finish him?” A Krepp came toward Doe—it was Keenu!

  What are you doing? Zeti wanted to scream at him. The chief of the Kreppen scouts was friends with Paramar. How could he offer to kill Paramar with such indifference?

  “No,” Doe answered with a scowl. “Zeti will do it.”

  To her horror, Doe turned his body to face her. She couldn’t breathe in that moment, violently sucking in air to no effect.

  “You were going to prove your loyalty by killing your traitorous brother,” Doe said. “But he escaped. So now you’ll kill this traitor.”

  She managed to take in a quick breath as she glanced at Paramar. His eyes were locked to hers as he came toward her. He staggered, barely catching himself as he started to fall.

  Closer he came, refusing to look anywhere but right back at her. Everyone was silent. She could feel their gazes.

  “Do it,” Doe commanded.

  She drew her arrow. Her hands were shaking.

  If Paramar still had his sword, he could’ve reached her with it by the time she was ready to shoot. Instead, he extended his claw peacefully and fell to a knee in pain.

  “Come here,” he muttered, powerless to trudge forward any farther.

  She did, helping him to his feet.

  Unable to keep his head up, he let down his neck to rest his forehead on the thin black hair atop her head. She could feel his sweat.

  “You fear what other Krepps want,” he whispered. “That’s the weakness I found in you when we first fought.”

  He kissed her forehead—a sign of goodbye. Then he stepped back, extending his arms from his sides to show he was ready.

  “Goodbye, Paramar,” Zeti muttered. Then she wiped away the tears clouding her vision and aimed at his heart.

  Chapter 2:

  EFFIE

  When Effie found Reela still at the pig farm, disappointment wrapped around her heart, the extra weight now causing it to sink toward her stomach. She couldn’t believe it. Reela was even in the same position as before, sitting alongside the fence with her head resting against it, an empty look in her eyes.

  Effie took in a deep breath, put on a smile, and forced herself to try a joke. “You like the smell or something?”

  Reela turned to show Effie the tears running down her cheeks, her mouth dead flat.

  “Oh, Reela.” Suddenly Effie felt tears forming in her own eyes. She still hadn’t gotten used to seeing her friend cry. “I’m so sorry.”

  Reela nodded forgivingly, then turned back to the pigs.

  It had been ten days since Vithos had been killed—stranded in the Slugari colony with hundreds of Krepps blocking his only exit. No one had seen him die, but Effie knew better than to hope he could’ve made it out of there alive. Since then, Reela’s mood had gotten worse each day.

  Effie desperately wanted to see some of Reela’s old smile, even expected it once they’d returned to the Academy. But they’d gotten back hours ago, and Reela hadn’t even bothered to move after plopping herself down along the fence of the pig farm.

  The sun was setting, night quickly approaching. Effie’s worry for Reela now trumped her sadness for the loss of Vithos. Her friend barely had eaten anything during their trip back from the Slugari colony.

  Effie had never known Reela to be thin throughout her life, not that she was heavy, either. But she’d lost a lot of weight recently, and her pale skin looked to have lost some color. Even her green eyes, usually vibrant with joy, had become dull. They were red and splotchy, as if stained by blood.

  Effie came behind Reela and thought to run her hand down Reela’s light brown hair to comfort her. But then she remembered how particular her psychic friend was about people touching her hair. The few times Effie’d tried when they were younger, Reela had snapped at her like an animal being rubbed the wrong way.

  “Why stay with the pigs?” Effie asked.

  Reela lifted her hand to the fence. “Pigs don’t show emotion through their faces like we do. But I can tell they’re very sensitive creatures.”

  Effie would’ve mentioned that her question wasn’t answered, but she was content just to hear Reela speak—a rarity on its own these days.

  Reela took a slow breath as her fingers gripped the fence harder. “The farmer told me the two pigs in front of us are brother and sister. I’ve been interested in how they interact with each other. They realize there’s a connection between them. Pigs are smarter than people know.”

  Effie studied the animals. They were sniffing the ground in curiosity, lifting their noses to touch every so often. She would’ve thought their interaction was purely coincidental if it hadn’t been for Reela. But now that she had the psychic’s insight into the situation, Effie found it adorable.

  “So you find it comforting to watch them?” she asked, still unsure what this had to do with losing Vithos.

  Reela stood, turning to face Effie. From her serious glance, Effie could feel that her childhood friend was about to tell her something important.

  “Eff, I can’t keep this to myself any longer.”

  Reela’s tone made
Effie take a step forward. “What is it?”

  “Vithos wasn’t the same to me as he was to you.”

  It felt so strange speaking about Vithos in the past tense when Effie still could picture his smile so easily.

  He was always smiling, just like Reela.

  “You had romantic feelings for him?” Effie assumed. It was a thought she’d already had.

  Reela’s face showed a hint of a smile. “When did you come to that belief?” Her tone said it all—Effie couldn’t have been more wrong.

  Reela continued. “I’m locked on Cleve.” She put her hand on Effie’s shoulder. “You know that.”

  “I thought you might’ve fallen for the Elf,” Effie admitted.

  Finally, Reela let out a true smile, both ends of her puffy lips bending upward. “No. Vithos was my brother—my half brother.”

  Has the depression caused Reela to lose her mind? “Reela, what’s with you?” Effie asked. “He’s an Elf. You’re not…your ears aren’t…” Effie tried to picture Reela’s ears but couldn’t do it.

  Have I ever seen them? A chill ran down Effie’s spine that only got stronger when Reela lowered her head, giving Effie a knowing look from the tops of her eyes.

  Suddenly it struck her—the reason Reela never let anyone near her hair. It was covering her ears. Reela claimed she never knew her father. Lies. All of it lies.

  Anger overwhelmed Effie. She gritted her teeth. “You’re half Elf?” For some reason she knew not to shout this information, though it took all of her strength not to.

  Reela nodded with a relieved grin.

  “Why keep this from me? We tell each other everything.” At least I thought we did.

  “It wasn’t my decision. My family made me keep it a secret for my own safety.” Reela balled her fist. “But now that I’ve proven my loyalty to Kyrro. I don’t see why I need to keep hiding it. The King would never exile me now.” Reela’s head sank, her eyes sliding to the ground. “I’ve already lost both my brothers and Cleve. I don’t see why this side of me has to be lost as well.”

  “Both brothers?” Effie was confused. Who else could there be besides Vithos? But then she gasped as it came to her. “Do you mean the Elf who left with Cleve? He’s your brother as well?”