CHAPTER 77: THE THIRD RULE

Tatehan almost expressed his shock. For a second, he’d wanted to open his mouth in surprise.

A pang of guilt hit him deeply.

For some reason, these words felt as though they were being directed at him. It was as if the commander knew he had killed Kael and was telling him to his face.

What were the odds that there wasn’t some hidden technology that could detect truth from lies, and they had somehow discovered he’d murdered Kael while lying to them?

Tatehan, who was maintaining a neutral expression and trying not to look suspicious, noticed he’d gone silent for far too long. If they weren’t suspecting him before, they would start to now.

"One with no friends would forever be safe from that," he said, keeping his voice as calm, steady, and casual as possible.

The statement seemed to work. They looked at him and nodded repeatedly, as if he’d just dropped some profound wisdom.

"True," a guard standing beside the door said.

"Where is the daughter?" Tatehan asked the commander, who was still seated calmly in the chair, her face carrying a hint of sadness that was starting to fade.

"In a special medical room here. We’re running low on the cores needed to power the equipment. I’m glad you came—we were starting to doubt she’d survive much longer."

Tatehan studied the woman thoughtfully. So if he hadn’t arrived as quickly as he had, perhaps the girl would be dead by tomorrow, or even sooner—maybe before morning.

"Lead me to the medical room," Tatehan said.

The commander signaled to a guard.

"Take him to the clan’s doctor."

The guard bowed respectfully, gesturing for Tatehan to follow him.

But as soon as Tatehan took his first step forward, he felt a rough hand grip his shoulder.

"If I let you walk out that door, my reputation is damaged," the guard he’d insulted earlier said to him.

Despite his armor and equipment, Tatehan felt a chill run down his spine.

This was going to be a problem.

The guard had one of the largest hands he’d ever seen, and his gaze was equally imposing—large, piercing, and ready to devour.

"Mub," the commander called. "Not now. He has a life to save."

"And I have my reputation to save," the guard said.

Tatehan looked at the commander, then at the man gripping his shoulder.

What is this about? he wondered.

"The third rule of the Red Crest is never let a stranger insult you and walk out alive."

Tatehan understood what this meant.

"If you weren’t in this place, and if you hadn’t brought news of Kael and how to save him, Mub would have put a bullet in your throat."

Tatehan looked at the man—Mub. Weird name. Now that he thought about it, so was Riven.

If there was one thing Martians excelled at most, it was names. Everyone he’d heard of just sounded unusual. Even his own name, Tatehan.

The commander sighed.

"He’s the Mauler Slayer, Mub. If he could slay the Mauler, I don’t think you stand a chance."

The other guards in the room nodded in unison. Some even made slashing gestures across their necks, warning Mub that what he was about to do was dangerous and he should let it go.

Tatehan wasn’t sure himself whether he could defeat this man, at least not in his current exhausted state. Not after spending most of six hours on a motorcycle.

He could claim he was still recovering from the pain and injuries he’d sustained fighting the Mauler. He considered it briefly, then decided against it, perhaps there was some law that deemed such admissions weak.

Tatehan scratched his chin deliberately. The guards, the commander, and even Mub watched him. They knew he was thinking of what to say.

Tatehan hesitated for about three seconds, then with a shrug, he asked Mub, who was still gripping his shoulder:

"So what do you intend to do?"

Mub glared at him, his eyes blazing.

"I challenge you to a death battle. One where all the members of the Red Crest clan will be able to watch."

Tatehan remained silent after hearing those words. A death match?

From what he knew, a death match was what one engaged into with the assurance that their lives were on the line.

It was a battle that most people avoided as one’s life was too precious to risk in that manner.

It was a battle that only that strong minded partakes in.

He’d engaged in one before, and that was with Kael. If not for Kael showing a moment of sympathy when he should have killed him, and the boulders he’d used as a distraction, he wasn’t sure he’d have survived.

It was at this moment that Tatehan realized Kael had been truly powerful. Back at the Mauler’s amphitheater, Kael had dominated the entire fight, and even with his multiple abilities and armor, he hadn’t stood a chance against him.

It was in that brief moment when Kael hesitated that he’d used the boulders to deliver the killing blow.

The thought pained him—that Kael had shown sympathy for that slight moment while he hadn’t, and instead he’d capitalized on it to kill the man.

He looked into Mub’s eyes. The man was literally a beast of a creature, tall, intimidating, and ready to take his head off with a single punch.

Mub basically looked like a Viking, with a beard so large it nearly covered his entire face.

Tatehan knew he had to say yes. If he didn’t, the others would look down on him. But that wasn’t the real reason.

The real reason was simple: even if he said no, this man would still force the issue.

Tatehan glanced at the bio-neutral core, and with a calm voice and a shrug, he said:

"Fine, since you’re so willing. I agree to kill you."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Tatehan looked into Mub’s eyes, and in that moment, he saw just the tiniest bit of fear in them.