A giant sandcastle had built itself up and fallen down in the time Blenda and Kerra had run off. Blenda wasn’t sure she wanted to charge off. It was borderline deserting to leave another warrior behind, let alone one who was supposed to be her senior. But orders were orders. They had to get the Needaimus Hal and Odell left behind to their partners.

  “Blenda,” Kerra spoke softly. She aimed her dark nose at some more obvious enemy men running straight at them. It seemed almost as if someone tipped the group off to the enemy.

  Even so, a group of Netzians and Zenototes was not as physically strong as Bentalousian warriors. The two didn’t even bother counting how many they felled as they pushed through. Their fight was a bit too easy. Blenda wondered again about going back to help Rheba. How else could she rank up to Goliath one day? It was most unfortunate.

  “Hey!” a familiar voice shouted from the side. Cecilia floated up next to them using whatever ability her Needaimus granted. “I had some real creeps try to hit on me, but now I’m thinking they weren’t trying to at all! What’s going on? Odell and Hal just went to get the twins, and now all these men in black are attacking!”

  “We are not sure. Rheba is currently doing battle back at the beach with what must be a powerful foe. We were ordered to take these Needaimus to the two that left them,” Blenda explained. It felt a bit odd working with a Hobusian, but she didn’t have the luxury to worry about that at the moment.

  “Those idiots should have never left them behind!”

  “I believe they thought they would just be able to walk in,” Kerra added softly.

  They ran around a decorative fountain, only to suddenly find themselves in front of it again. Blenda was the first to stop. Kerra kept on, and Cecilia floated with her until they appeared in front of the fountain a second time and followed suit.

  “What’s going on?” the Hobusian girl shouted. She began to look all around and finally gasped. Belnda followed Cecilia’s grey finger as it extended in the direction of interest. A hot-pink Needaimus in the shape of a woman walked toward them. It strode with calm and confidence, not at all concerned with the fact that it was only below average Netzian height, of which the two warriors were double.

  “How interesting,” the Needaimus spoke in a cool voice. “Here I find three little weaklings. Head Tilt. I was hoping to stumble across this Nonpareil I've heard so much about, but my men haven’t found him at all. Sigh.” When the pink body spoke, it stiffly adjusted its posture to match the mood described in simple words.

  “Gwyn ran off with a sexy lady! He’s discovering true passion and should be left alone!” Cecilia unhelpfully added.

  “Laugh,” the Needaimus mimed a very robotic-looking belly laugh, “If he wanted true passion, he should have come to me.”

  The pink Needaimus moved its hands over its body in the most unsexy way possible. Blenda was sure not even a Netzian—and of all the races on Resh, they were the weakest when it came to women—would fall for something so stupid.

  Her white ear twitched, and she shook her head. “Can we just get to the part where we beat you up already?”

  “Head droop. I suppose you weaklings will have to do for now. Orders are orders after all.”

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  “What orders?” Kerra said softly. Blenda echoed her, “What orders!”

  “Finger to chin. I suppose that it doesn’t hurt to tell you. Shrug. Your group was identified as the biggest threat to our mission. We expected no one to be here, but apparently, quotation, the blue wonder has terrible time, unquote. So we have come to round you all up.”

  Blenda shook her head. She handed Ceclia Odell’s and Hal’s Needaimus.

  “You go on, we’ll take care of this thing and catch up.”

  “Shouldn’t I help fight! I still have a brick or two left!”

  There was a concerning statement from Cecilia, but Blenda chose to ignore it.

  “No, you run ahead. If we are getting attacked, surely the other two are as well. They will need their Needaimus.”

  Cecilia nodded and floated away without another word. She reappeared in front of them, and her eyes grew wide.

  “Such simple-minded fools. Shake of the head. You don’t think I would let you run off that easily, do you?”

  Blenda didn’t bother replying. She charged forward, leaning low so that she could get an easy strike to the stomach. Just before hitting the Neediamus vanished, and a blow struck her in the back of the head. Blenda stumbled forward. She clutched the back of her head, grunting all the while. The opponent stood behind them, with the same stiff posture as before.

  “She’s a teleporter, just go where she can’t see you, Cecilia!”

  The Hobusian girl looked conflicted, but phased into the ground and was out of sight.

  “Tilt head. What a clever girl. I suppose you three weaklings have at least some cleverness.”

  Blenda grabbed a nearby stone and smashed it on the ground. The rock cracked down the middle. She lunged forward, swinging it wide like she was going for a swipe with the sharp point, when the Needaimus tilted back. Blenda activated her ability, and the rock repaired itself as good as new. The extra length was enough to claim the side of the head of the cocky Needaimus.

  The pink head turned sharply with a clang as the rock drove into the side. The next thing Blenda knew, she was lying with her back against a newly cracked wall. Everything from her tail to her head stung. Her vision began to blur.

  In the fogginess, the pink Needaimus walked up slowly. It stopped momentarily as Kerra diced the ground underneath and tried to knock the opponent to the ground. In what was quicker than an instant, Kerra’s head was lying in a crater on the ground, and she was out cold.

  It was more than teleportation. This Needaimus was doing something else. Something that the two young warriors were ill-equipped to face. The writing on the wall was clear; this battle was a loss, but it didn’t have to be a total loss. Any second she could stall meant a second Cecilia got further, or Rheba could come and help.

  “F- fi- fine,” Blenda spat out. She was surprised by how hard the words were to say all of a sudden. The pink Needaimus stopped for a moment and held out a hand. A drop on Blenda’s nose was enough to confirm the same. It was starting to rain.

  “You managed to get us, but our senior will- wi- wipe the floor with you. You’re just an overgrown- ne- ne- Needaimus is all.”

  “Sigh. You don’t know when to quit. Disappointment,” the pink neediamus gave a thumbs down, “You don’t seem to know your place either.”

  “I know we can be- be- beat you. You’re just a ne- Needaimus, and all Needaimus have limits.”

  The pink Needaimus appeared in front of Blenda. It’s featureless face floated just in front of her long one.

  “You are just talking now, aren’t you? Stalling perhaps? Clever. Testing my emotions is certainly a trick, and you certainly have me angry. Stamp foot.” A cold hand pressed against Blenda’s chest. “However, you misunderstand. I am not just a Needaimus. I am the Needaimus—the first one created by our glorious creators, and the only one who remembers those ancient days.

  You look confused. I suppose you should; your own Needaimus never tell anyone anything, or if they do, it is conflicting information from another source. Many have claimed to be first, but I am truly first. The most powerful and most impressive. But you can call me Lisa for now.”

  Blenda felt a sudden burst in her stomach, which caused her to spit up bile.

  “Or, I guess, you won’t be calling me anything since you will be sleeping soon. Head shake. Disappointment. I would love to stay, but I need to find the more important people to defeat. You must understand.”

  Blenda would have liked to cursed the Needaimus with every word in the Bentalousian vernacular, but her vision was already blackening, and she soon went unconscious.