One of the Ki linemen produced a long, serrated knife. They passed it from one to the next, taking turns cutting a long gash into their own upper left arm. With each cut, black blood spilled down in a noisy, splattering rivulet, spreading out across the tile floor.
They’re letting their own blood, Quentin thought. So it can join Fayed’s blood on the field of battle.
Messal the Efficient silently slipped out of the Quyth Warrior locker room. He walked over to Virak the Mean who sat limply on the floor. Messal opened the box and removed a metallic, penlike instrument. The instrument hummed lightly as Messal started moving it across the chitin on Virak’s left forearm. Choto the Bright stood behind Virak, Killik the Unworthy behind him, a line of Quyth Warriors slowly forming. Quentin didn’t recognize the new writing on Virak’s shell, but he knew it was a Quyth rendition of Fayed’s name. It stunned Quentin to see a Human name being written on a Quyth Warrior’s shell.
But that’s what Fayed’s constant, punishing work ethic had meant to everyone.
Quentin felt cold. Fayed had been on the field with him, battling away, not even an hour ago. And now he was gone. Horrible injuries were part of the game. Big bodies, strong bodies, and speed. Force equals mass times acceleration. Beings got hurt, but then beings got fixed. All the plaques he’d seen in all the stadiums, commemorating those who died on the field — it had seemed somehow, distant, something from the game’s past, from before the reality that embraced him once he joined the ranks of the elite.
Fayed was dead.
Quentin wasn’t about to let that death be for nothing.
He looked at Donald Pine. Instinctively, he expected Pine to stand and say something, anything, talk of how the team would win for Fayed. But Pine said nothing, he just sat there, head bowed. He was a disgraced man. Even though the team didn’t know it, he knew it. Pine was broken, his mantle of leadership… gone.
With sudden clarity, Quentin realized that he now held that mantle.
Something had to be said. And he was only one who could say it.
The team started to head to their separate dressing rooms when Quentin stood and spoke.
“I need to say a few words.”
The players stopped where they were. They looked back at him. They looked at him in the same way he’d just looked at Pine.
They wanted someone to lead them.
“Fayed… ” he started to talk, but his voice cracked. He felt his throat thicken, felt tears try to fight their way out of his eyes. He held his eyes shut tight and took a deep breath.
“The Machine, he was a great running back,” Quentin said. “All he wanted to do was play Tier One ball. It was his dream.”
Quentin looked around the room, in turn staring each player in the eye. His voice suddenly changed, from on-the-verge-of-tears to a cold, steel baritone that rang through the soul of every being in the room.
“He’s with us, he’s still on this team,” Quentin said. “And if we make it to Tier One, he makes it to Tier One. No one in this room will let him down. Coach, who do we play?”
Hokor tapped a button on his palmtop. “We have the second-best record in the tournament, based on a points-scored tiebreaker with the Texas Earthlings. That means we have a bye the first round. We play the winner of the Texas Earthlings and the Aril Archers.”
Quentin nodded slowly, turning so that he could look every player right in the eyes. None of them said a word.
“A bye. That means we’re automatically in the semifinals. We win that game, that one game, and we’re in Tier One. We win that game, and Fayed gets his dream.”
Tweedy’s sobbing slowed, becoming just a sniffle.
“I don’t care who steps on that field,” Quentin said. “Earthlings, Archers, it doesn’t make any difference. Either way, they’re going down.”
Quentin nodded once, then walked to the Human locker room.
The Ionath Krakens (7–2) completed their improbable comeback, winning their sixth-straight game 38–13 over the Quyth Survivors (3–6). With the win the Krakens locked up the Quyth Irradiated Conference title and earned a trip to the Tier Two playoffs.
The Glory Warpigs (7–2) finished up an excellent season with a 25–13 win over the Bigg Diggers (3–6).
The Whitok Pioneers (6–3) look ready for next year, as quarterback Condor Adrienne threw for five TDs in a 52–27 thrashing of the Sheb Stalkers (4–5).
Also in action last week, the Woo Wallcrawlers (4–5) upset the Grontak Hydras (4–5) by a score of 17–14, and Orbiting Death (6–3) pounded on the Sky Demolition (1–8), 37–10.
DEATHS:
Mitchell “The Machine” Fayed, killed on a clean hit by Tobinabee, free safety for the Quyth Survivors.
WEEK #9 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Offense: Ju Tweedy, running back, Orbiting Death. 205 yards on 32 carries, 3 TDs.
Defense: Bray-O-Haka, tackle, Woo Wallcrawlers. Four sacks, seven tackles.
PLAYOFFS ROUND #1
SEEDING FOR THE TIER TWO TOURNAMENT
From the Ionath City Gazette
Earthlings face Krakens in Tier Two semifinals
By Kigin the Witty
EARTH (Associated Press) — In a game that really wasn’t as close as the score indicates, the Texas Earthlings defeated the Aril Archers 21–17 to advance to the Tier Two semi-finals. The Earthlings face the Ionath Krakens, champions of the Quyth Irradiated conference.
The Earthlings’ defense led the way, allowing only 10 points. The Archers managed one defensive score to keep it close, a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown by Minneapolis.
Earthlings’ linebacker Alonzo Castro was named the game’s MVP. Castro, a rookie from the Sigurd Norsemen of the PNFL, had eight solo tackles along with an interception and a critical quarterback sack, his fifth of the season.
“Castro’s speed has taken our defense to a new level,” said Earthlings coach Pata the Calculating. “Teams have to watch out for him, and that helps keep double-teams off of Chok-Oh-Thilit.”
Chok-Oh-Thilit, the Earthlings’ All-Pro defensive tackle, finished the day with two sacks and five tackles.
“He (Chok-Oh-Thilit) was basically un-blockable,” said Archers’ coach David Djadin. “We couldn’t do anything with him. He injured three linemen — I’m glad the season is over, because we couldn’t even field an offensive line right now. He’s the hardest hitter in the game.”
Offensively, the Earthlings moved the ball with efficiency and didn’t give up a single turnover. Quarterback Case Johanson went 21-of-34 for 225 yards and a 12-yard touchdown pass to running back Peter Lowachee. The Earthlings utilized a ball-control offense, chewing up the clock by relying on running back Pookie Chang. Chang racked up 122 yards on 27 carries, including touchdown runs of 3- and 7-yards.
QUENTIN HAD never been to Earth.
In fact, most citizens of the Purist Nation had never been there. Earth, after all, was the capital of the Planetary Union, the historical enemy of the Purist Nation. Earth was also the cradle of Satan, the birth place of evil, the home of the Human betrayers and the Brother-Killers. Centuries ago, the powerful people of Earth had cast out the Faithful, sending Stewart and his followers on a perilous journey across the Void. Only the hand of the High One himself had saved the chosen people, delivered them to a green place from which the Purist Nation flourished.