“Father. I was the one who took that photo as a memento of being the first male who found the Earth’s Avgo female.” Slate chuckled as he informed his father.

“I was the one who sent it to the organization that hired her to steal the Avgo and the ‘Ellipsoidal Macrocosm’. How is it that she is the criminal and not the organization that sent her to do the deed?”

The Emperor cleared his throat.

“It is none of my concern who is the criminal element here. As you are aware, we do not involve ourselves with regional conflicts.”

“Father. The Avgo Female’s position is far above all of this. It is our job to protect the Avgo Female from all these regional conflicts.”

“Well, be that as it may, you still cannot be flying off with her. You need to bring her to the Coliseum for the initial screening.”

Slate growled a deep guttural animalistic sound deep within his throat. It gave Candi chills that ran up and down her spine.

“If that Earth starship gives us any trouble, I will not hesitate to destroy it.”

The Emperor nodded, a glint of pride shining from his eyes.

“You are the Prime Warrior of Erenveil. Do what you need to do.”

Slate narrowed his eyes.

“We have barely just arrived. She will need a bit of time to prepare for the competitions.”

“She has no more time.” The Emperor gave Slate an ominous look. “I don’t care how you do it. Get her to the Coliseum. NOW!!!”

With that final order, the Emperor’s face disappeared from the virtual screen.

Slate pounded on the arm rest panel with furious fingers. He said nothing, but Candi could tell he was incensed.

“We have to turn around and land this transport pod.” He turned to look at her. “Get ready for some fun. They’re waiting for us.”

As the pod returned to Table Mountain Landing Field, Slate’s face became colder and colder. They circled around to find a good landing spot and finally settled the vehicle on the ground.

“Come.”

He reached out for her hand and commanded Jezebel to open the external hatch.

There was a whooshing sound and the hatch opened up from what was a seamless span of wall. Immediate the hot and humid heat buffeted into the cool interior, scattering their hair in all directions.

“Stay behind me,” he commanded and took the lead.

As the steps materialized and led down to the ground, they emerged from the transport vehicle into a bright blazing summer afternoon.

“Step away from the girl!” A voice called out.

Immediately, Slate stepped out in front of her, blocking her view of the world below.

His large body shielded her from the heat of the brilliant summer sun. It also blocked her view so that she could not see what the situation was, but she knew one thing.

Slate would never step away from her.

There were sounds coming from below. Slate tensed up. His body began to change, bulking up twice the size of his human form.

Candi’s eyes widened.

The gentle considerate man with the dazzling blue eyes and the long thick black hair was standing with his back to her.

Before her eyes, he began to morph into something that should have been alien and frightening.

From those gentle fingers that had caressed her hair and body just the night before, sprang long black wicked claws that were so sharp they could easily tear a man in half.

His body was dark. His face was even darker.

Gone was his handsome face. Gone was his sensuous lips. A dark featureless mask covered everything in a maleficent chilling visage.

His shoulders grew twice in size, tearing his white shirt into tattered shreds.

WHOOSH!!!

Large dark leathery bat wings sprang forth from his back muscles. He spread them wide, sheltering her behind their enormous dark spread.

Suddenly, she could hear a barrage of weapon fire discharged directly in their direction.

POW POW POW POW POW

The weapons hit an invisible wall in front of him and dissipated harmlessly.

“Stay here.” He whispered into her mind and jumped from the top of the steps where they were standing.

His wings spread wide and he began gliding to the ground like a dark raptor, after its prey.

Upon landing, he took a few quick running strides directly towards the men.

Seeing that their weapons were ineffective, the men threw their weapons to the ground and scattered like rats. The huge black bat without a face was swooping down upon them, his raging energies palpable.

With a twist of his body and a loud thunderous roar, he threw out his hand and let loose a huge tornado, flinging them into the air like so many spent match sticks.

Candi flinched as she saw Slate’s tornado suck the men into its swirling maelstrom. She heard their screams of terror as they were whisked away.

With the force on the ground annihilated, he turned towards the Earth starship in the distance.

“How dare you shoot your inconsequential weapons in my direction!” His roar could be heard even from where Candi stood.

“You have in your possession a very dangerous criminal element.” A loud booming voice could be heard coming from the Earth starship.

“She currently has an arrest warrant against her. Release the suspect to us and you will avert a galactic-wide incident.”

Slate laughed. It was a loud booming laugh that sounded like a bellowing furnace from hell.

“You have violated intergalactic codes of conduct by firing weapons upon a Prince of the Shadow Realm. Your penalty is death!”

He raised his hands up above his head and called down a hail of exploding fireballs the size of large boulders.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The fiery boulders began raining down onto the hapless starship without letting up, hitting the ship’s shields in a relentless barrage.

The starship staggered up into the sky in a desperate attempt at self-preservation. It shot away, partially damaged and unable to defend itself against such overwhelming power.

Slate turned back to Candi, still in his bat warrior combat gear. He took a running leap and flew up towards her.

“Candace!” He reached out his hand.

Without hesitation, she took a flying leap and jumped into his arms.

He caught her with ease and carried her up into the bright sparkling summer sky.