he tore it open, dumping the towels on top of the scaly corpse.
When the sack was empty Kanthi tossed it aside, eyeing his handiwork. Now it looked like there had been a mess in the corner of the room, one that he was sure the next snake to come across it would ignore simply out of spite for whoever had left it.
Backing out of the closet, Kanthi closed the door behind him, taking back to the shadows to creep along the wall. He could swear he still smelled the Thagzar, the scent of poison and bile more overpowering than ever.
He kept his back to the wall, slowly returning from whence he came – back to the woman. She was quite unusual, and definitely not Eiztar. Even if she did smell of all the winds of a lilac wood.
Kanthi allowed himself to breathe deeper, to catch a whiff of the woman’s scent, but he simply got a mouthful of laser burn and venom. He gagged, doing his best to hold his coughing fit off. He took a moment, composing himself, before he warily continued. His heart was beating harshly for what might lay ahead.
“…lucky for any Eiztar…”
Kanthi paused at the sound of hissing. It was coming from up ahead, where the woman was still locked in her cage. He moved faster, rushing stealth for speed.
Another invader stood in her cell. It had a snout, its teeth sharp and unforgiving under the harsh light as its hooded eyes tracked her in her cell. So, that was where the smell had been coming from. Kanthi watched, and considered his options. On the one hand, he could leave the woman. Even use her as a good distraction, actually, as the Thagzars all seemed to favor her. But, then again—
She suddenly yelled, raising two small fists up to meet the approaching attacker. The alien only moved his right eye in an oddly familiar movement similar to raising an eyebrow, and took another step.
“I don’t think so,” he chuckled, his hisses like wheezing bullfrogs in his throat.
She yelled again, moving her legs beneath her to gain better footing. Kanthi knew it. She was a warrior.
The Thagzar, however, was not so easily impressed. “Come now, my dear Eiztar,” he hissed. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your place already?” At that, he reached for her, his talons sharp. “It’s here, beneath me.”
Kanthi sped up, just barely remembering to take care and keep to the shadows. Surprise would be his advantage, but not if he blew it before he could land a blow. He skirted around the light, dashing behind the alien bulk in the dark to grab him.
He half-expected the woman to scream when he launched himself at him, but she stood true to the warrior tendencies she’d displayed thus far and merely watched after she got over her initial surprise. Kanthi knew he had to be quick, so after a jab to the alien’s back, he jumped and wrapped an arm around his neck, jerking the massive head to the left until he heard a bone-crunching snap.
Kanthi leapt off the body as it fell to the floor. The woman was already moving to the opened cage door when he stepped around the corpse and met her halfway.
“Well, that was tedious,” he grumbled, offering her a hand to get over the dead body blocking her way. When she hesitated, Kanthi narrowed his eyes and grabbed her elbow, yanking her to him. She said something, balking at his grip, but he only growled back and urged her across the room and away from the cage. The corpse was too big to move – they needed to go, and put as much distance between them and the body as possible.
“This way,” he whispered, tugging her along behind him as he stayed close to the walls and sank low into the shadows. She followed, relaxing slightly as he clearly led her away from the cages and back down the labyrinth of hallways near the entrance.
Kanthi had originally planned to find his way back to the lab and grab the toxin once and for all in his escape, but the woman had irrevocably changed his plans. He couldn’t exactly go sneaking around with her in tow, especially not considering how valuable she seemed to be to the Thagzars.
He took her left, then right, then left again until they came to a silver door. It stood out against the rusted walls, and for that reason alone Kanthi knew it was the right place.