Chapter 105: It Begins
“Almost there,” Joseph assured them, the energy in his voice born from both the excitement to end their hike, as well as show Pan how he arrived on the planet. Only half the pack was involved in the early observation before they properly met him, and Pan wasn’t one of them.
“It is further than I expected,” his white-furred fiancee commented. She looked a little tired after walking for so long, but her expression told of how much she was enjoying the excursion. After so long cooped up in the settlement, she was looking around at everything with a sense of wonder. The trees—while still the same silver and gold—grew a little differently, the wildlife was a bit more active, and the brush remained only slightly disturbed—a path carved out of the forest by the hunting parties using the same route.
There was something to be said about seeing her enraptured by the environment, given that she had spent most of her time on the planet struggling to survive in it. The wear he remembered from when they first met was long gone, replaced by a bright expression at traversing the woods leisurely. For every bit of energy removed by their constant movement, she gained yet another inch closer to him, as if his presence would keep her walking until her body couldn’t keep up, just because it was something she was doing with him.
It was adorable to see, and only made the amused glances he gave her more meaningful.
Pan was wearing another dress that she had made for herself, though this one was a more familiar gold rather than the blue she had worn yesterday. Thin leather was worked into the chest and back to give a dual-colour effect, patterns cut out of the material to form vertical lines that trimmed her already healthy and curved figure. If she were human, he would have assumed she was trying to look skinnier, but with the physique that his white-furred mate had, all it really did was highlight parts of her that he already struggled not to ogle.
“You walked this distance while impaired?” Sunundra asked, lingering behind the pair. He laughed at her assumption, waving the idea off.
“No, I fell off a cliff while out of it. Walking to the settlement was something I did after making it back to the shuttle,” he explained, eyeing the trees for Tel. The grey-furred female had broken off early on to scout out the path and deal with any wildlife that got too close. They hadn’t found any game deposited next to the path yet, so it seemed like she’d been pretty bored overall.
“And then you met the pack,” Pan added, capturing his arm with her own. She giggled as he adjusted himself to allow the contact, the sudden offset in weight making him stumble. He shrugged his bag to rest it more comfortably.
“More like you guys met me—I don’t think I need to remind you that I thought you were a wild animal for the longest time.”
Pan feigned disappointment, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “I was never the most desirable female.”
He paused mid-step, eyes wide. “Is that a self-deprecating joke I hear?”
She blushed, her ears struggling to remain low as his amusement bolstered her mood beyond what her act could support. “Until I became blessed enough to be your mate, such were my genuine thoughts.”
Joseph replaced his teasing shock with an empathetic frown, pulling her closer as they resumed their way forward. “Hey, I have never thought you were anything but beautiful.”
“A beautiful wild beast? I am glad my appearance pleases you enough to even consider such.”
“Enough for me to propose, yeah,” he chuckled, glancing behind him at Sunny as he shook his head. “Should only be a little bit until we get there.”
The pale-furred female wiped the fond and wistful expression from her face, nodding in response. Every now and then he would catch her watching them with a look of longing. He didn’t care that he had an observer—the pack often whispered amongst themselves and made light-hearted jokes about him whenever he flirted openly—but knowing that she was recalling her own bond made the moment a touch bitter. He could only imagine how hurtful it was to see someone else who had the same affliction with their own bond. Hell, part of her mental solace might have been in being the only defect alive who had bonded at all, yet here they were cuddling and playing around in front of her.
He exhaled slowly. No point in ruminating too much on it. Sunundra said on a few occasions that she liked the reminder, even if he wasn’t sure about it.
They continued in relative silence for the last of the twenty or so minutes to the pod, broken only by a single stop for water. Both of the females were pretty worn by the journey. Putting the water-skin back into the bag, they finished the trip, breaching the treeline to unveil the pod.
It was the same as ever—a big, boxy behemoth covered in some electrical wiring and steel. Though not required, he guided them around the side that Harrow had disassembled when she stripped the engine out of it, pleased to find that at least someone had cleaned the majority of the mess.
The two females looked around with wildly different expressions. Pan looked like she was fascinated by everything—finally seeing the set of several stories he had told her since they had been together—while Sunundra seemed to be almost inspecting the thing that lay partially embedded into the ground before them. The juxtaposing dispositions continued until they got to the door, the entryway locked just as he instructed.
Freeing the bit of wood hidden near the top to jam the internals, he unlatched it, swinging the door open with a grunt. A step inside and a flick of the lights unveiled the interior.
“Come on in,” he beckoned, Pan and Sunny hesitating behind him. Sharing a glance, Pan entered first, slowly taking in the room while the Grand Huntress entered behind her.
For what was used as a temporary den for those hunting further from the settlement, it was surprisingly clean. The counters had various knives and more specialized tools for dressing and dismantling animals. A table had been made and brought over to take advantage of the otherwise empty space he had never filled—the additional room for exercise proving somewhat useless for them. The bed wasn’t made, but it didn’t look too bad. If he had to guess, they laundered the sheets, but struggled to get the corners over the mattress.
The unsolicited image of Lilhuns fighting bedclothes amused him, causing Pan’s smile to grow as she looked at him with a curious tilt of her head. He shook his own to dismiss both the unasked question, and the thought that provoked it.
“I’ll show you around, though it’s really just the two rooms,” he offered, laying his supplies on the counter. He waved a hand at the surface. “This counts as the kitchen. The coloured boxes are various things—heating elements, water dispensers, drawers. Two coolers under them. Over there is the bed, obviously. A few closets there for storage.”
He walked towards the back corner, opening the bathroom door and flicking on the light before standing to the side to allow them in. “Bathroom. It’s like the one back at the den, but it wouldn’t be able to keep up with the amount we use it. We’re only staying a moon, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem. Shower, bath, and laundry there in the corner.”
“You spent much time here, no?” Sunny asked, sparing him a glance as she wandered into the restroom. Pan peered in, something else catching her attention and prompting her to step back to the main room. He leaned against the doorway, tearing his eyes from her when she looked back, the cheeky smirk on her face playfully chastising him for checking her out. He stuck his tongue out and gave the Grand Huntress his attention.
“Before it got here, yeah—toilet is there, by the way—this was my room while I was on the cruise.”
“I feel as if I am intruding on your getaway with your mates.”
He waved it off. “I’m just happy to have an excuse to take a break. I like the people at the settlement, but it’s nice to have a moon to myself without having to worry about what’s going on next sun.”
She grinned wryly. “Such is the burden of leadership.”
He looked back to the rest of the pod, Pan leaning out of the door and speaking to someone. Given that her tail was waving lazily behind her, he guessed that Tel had finished her recon. The assumption proved correct as the grey-furred female sauntered into the room with cuts of meat that were promptly deposited into the cooler boxes for storage, some being left out to begin preparing a meal.
“How was it?” he called, earning him a roll of the Wraith’s eyes.
“Much less entertaining than your version of events, I’m sure.” She caught one of her daggers by the loop with a claw, spinning it around before she started on the meat. “There was little that wished to hunt you, so I was forced to find something.”
He nodded, waiting for Sunny to leave her inspection of the bathroom before flicking the light off and walking over to placate Tel. He wrapped his arms around her waist, chin plopping on her shoulder as he watched her alternate between making strips and cubes.
“I vaguely recall a similar scene,” she remarked, her side-eyed glance sultry and teasing. “Though the remains of the moon prior were still lingering.”
He rolled his eyes upwards, fighting off the reddening in his cheeks at her reminding him with company nearby. “I need to go check on stuff. You okay with getting food ready while I’m fixing up anything that needs fixing on the outside?”
“I will assist her,” Pan offered, taking out a few things from the bag he brought. He didn’t actually check what was in there—his mates made some additions before they left—but apparently various spices had been included at some point.
“Sounds good to me. Sunny?”
“I will accompany you,” she decided, patting her CARD. “It will be best if you have some protection. I would rather not be at the receiving end of their ire should anything happen to you.”
He shrugged, giving Tel a squeeze and releasing her. “Works for me. I need to make sure the wildlife hasn’t chewed up any of the exposed wiring.”
“Lead the way.”
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“These were cut differently,” Sunundra noted, pointing to wires that had been cleanly severed. Joseph straightened from his crouch, groaning as he worked out a kink in his back and flexed his knee to ease the stiffness. The sun was on its way down, the diminishing light making any further electrical work difficult. He could only barely make out what she was referring to. He squinted at it until the memory clicked into place.
“Ah, yeah. That’s for the communications relay.” He scratched his chin in thought. “At the time, we were worried about any lingering signals cluing the Union in on the fact that I survived.”
She raised a brow. “You believe this would penetrate the warp-spike?”
He shrugged, letting his arms drop as he mentally moved on. “Didn’t know about it at the time. We moved the terminal system out after anyway. If we connected it, all it would be able to do is send a weak signal, if anything at all. Not exactly useful.”
“Could you implement it and have the settlement receive it? Perhaps as a way to communicate between the two?”
Joseph eyed a strip of wire that might have been chewed, placing it back when it looked to be friction from the less-than-ideal separation that the pod went through initially. “I’d have to repair the terminal, but I just don’t have the tools or replacement parts.”
She nodded, accepting his answer. A yelp from the front of the pod drew their attention, laughter disarming any worry.
“I’m pretty well done for the sun,” he chuckled. “Let’s go make sure Tel hasn’t bothered Pan too much.”
The source of the amused distress turned out to be what he thought; the Wraith was occupying herself by teasing her smaller counterpart. As soon as he came into view, Pan’s white fur threatened to turn pink from her blush, drawing a suspicious stare from him.
The two had started a fire outside while he was busy, the small circle of rocks enclosing the flames sporting rock-worms atop of them. They had dragged out a few chairs from inside since there wasn’t any Atmo to fashion a log into seating. Sunundra took a spot across from them while he stood off to the side and tried to figure out what elicited the outburst. Her amusement growing, Tel rested her elbow on her knee, her chin on her paw, and grinned suggestively.
“I was merely recounting our first journey here,” she cooed, her tail swaying lazily in the gap provided by the seat. “She seemed interested in the topic, so I demonstrated a portion.”
His mouth opened to protest multiple things, voicing none when he couldn’t decide which to address first. Unfortunately, Sunny had no such issue, jumping in the moment Pan’s cheeks brightened further.
“What might you have demonstrated?”
Pan’s stomach growling stopped Tel from going into detail, but it did nothing for the pink tone of the white-furred female’s cheeks.
“Food it is!” Joseph decided, thankful for the distraction; as curious as he was, it wasn’t something he really wanted to get into with company present. Tel giggled to herself, fetching some sharpened sticks to roast the cubes she prepared and skewering a few before passing them around. He asked for a moment before dropping into the pod. Returning, he brandished the container of ethanol and four of the plastic cups, smirking at the mixed reactions.
Tel rolled her eyes, her experience with him drinking being a rather mixed bag. Pan held most of his enthusiasm, but the stillness of her tail let him know that she was recalling his more sombre moments under the influence. Sunundra just looked curious.
“A few drinks around a fire sounds like a good time, yeah?”
Tel glanced at Pan for a moment before gesturing for him to take a seat, Sunundra’s curious eye watching the exchange.
“I noticed that you often reference Huntress Pan when speaking with him. Why?”
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The Wraith blinked, pouting slightly as she considered it.
“She uses my bond to ascertain that which hers does not provide,” Pan supplied, nodding when Joseph raised a brow. He sat down, pouring a bit into each glass and passing it out. Sunny almost refused, but relented after a moment, sipping the accepted beverage slowly.
The night progressed as the four of them powered through the alcohol, taking turns telling stories—his mates preferring to make him relive the more embarrassing sections of his recent life. Tel got a little more lively, teasing his leg with her tail, while Pan stayed mostly the same. The white-furred female was riding his own enjoyment of the occasion until the exertion of the long trip wore on her enough for her head to start drooping, sleep trying to take her while she sat by the fire.
“I will take her to retire for the moon,” Tel offered, polishing off her drink before stealing Pan’s to finish as well. The tired protest was ignored, the taller of the two helping the other to her feet and wandering back into the pod with promise of keeping space for them on the bed. He couldn’t help but smile fondly as Pan used the opportunity to basically melt into Tel, the two disappearing and closing the door lightly behind them to keep the draft out.
“Thank you.”
“Hmm?” he returned, not expecting Sunny to show gratitude for much of anything. At least, he didn’t recall doing anything for her. He glanced at the drink in her paw. “Oh, the alcohol? It’s nothing, just some excess I kept tucked away.”
“For humouring me,” she clarified quietly. “Visiting your settlement, allowing me space within your den, and even agreeing to come with me to your shuttle. It has been...quite the change of pace.”
His expression fell in response to her own. “Hey, it’s not like I’m being put out of my way.”
“Perhaps not, but I cannot remember the last time I had done more than work towards repayment of his passing.”
Joseph stared at the crestfallen female, reaching across and topping up her cup. She offered a strained smile in return, taking a drink and letting it rest in her lap.
“Would you be interested in listening to some old stories? I have enough to sync up an entire pack,” he proposed with a grin. “Figured it would go well with the drinks.”
Sunny huffed a laugh. “I would imagine so. I suspect you have something in mind?”
He slapped a palm to his knee. “Just the thing, actually! I’ll tell you about the time Rob got a pet tarantula, and how I was introduced to it.”
They continued on like that for quite a while—story after story, drink after drink. Eventually, she had enough that the almost permanent frown lightened, and in the moment that she was finally allowed a full laugh at one of his exploits as a teenager, he was glad she was the one to find the Atmo.
Hopefully, they give her a new purpose in life like they did for him.
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Though somewhat hastily made, the new clothing did match the more utilitarian affair that many in the settlement seemed to wear, though there was no hope of them emulating the casual attire afforded to whomever—there didn’t seem to be a distinction between those of high station and what they were given to don.
With a fairly simple knife as his only offensive weapon, he slipped it into the leather sheath on his pants, fixing his coat up as best he could. Though he may be able to dress like them, matching their healthy fur without a proper bath would be difficult. Regardless, he had managed somewhat, his presentation now closer to a worked servant than the infiltration unit he was assigned to be.
It was a simple job: sneak in, scout the settlement, and report what he could back to the main force. They were waiting just beyond reasonable hunting ranges, so they could use the information as soon as he presented it. If luck persisted, he might even be able to clear their main objective without spilling more blood than required; all he would need to do is fell the Grand Hunter, and the forces they have at their disposal would force subsumption.
All for the reclamation of their honour.
He waited for a trickle of those coming and going to slip into the flow of foot traffic, some of the pack walking with their insectoid tools to clear the forest towards a hill in the distance. They had been making pretty consistent progress, though for what reason, he couldn’t say. The deforestation around the boundaries of the settlement had been expanding at a steady pace even since they had begun observation, but with it being as sporadic as it was, they lacked an opportunity to do any real recon. Unfortunately, Grand Hunter Trill had routed their advanced forces to the west rather effortlessly, and as such, they were of no Blades to use.
But Blade or not, someone needed to perform this task. He donned a passive, worn expression as he adjusted his secondary holster hidden beneath his clothing; an object he hoped he wouldn’t need to use nestled between leathers and fur.
There was no escape if it was used—for him, or for those residing here.
The gates passed by as he followed the flow of Lilhuns, none paying him much mind. He felt it odd that there were few presenting unsure like himself—the remains of another settlement sending a trading caravan being the most recent addition, and closest to feeling ‘uninitiated’—so he struggled to identify who exactly he should be referencing his disposition off of. Some were casually speaking to those more heavily armed, others were using the tools to haul carts of lumber and constructing buildings with no sense of real urgency or seriousness—their interactions speaking to long suns spent amicably working with others in fixed rotations.
Those that others crowded around as more important figures in their social circles seemed to be decided entirely at random, rather than any ingrained hierarchy. The only exception seemed to be a crimson-furred female who ordered various members of the pack to distribute rations. No, not rations. They were simply allotting supplies to various dens of the pack based on whoever requested them.
His stomach growled when he tried to remember how long it had been since he could eat to his heart's content. With a breath to stabilize himself, he disregarded it. He needed this plan to succeed. Thoughts of luxury could wait until they had become a cohesive force; only then could his people truly be free.
Ignoring the temptation that came with the prospect of simply asking to be fed, he found himself at a slight loss for what to do. He was expecting orders. Commands. Anything he could use to follow along and remain inconspicuous until opportunity presented itself. As it was, all he saw around the settlement was those who were either intimately familiar with what they were tasked to do, or those helping others for the sake of it.
He switched his objective to finding something that looked like his assistance could be useful, leaning on a hunch that most in the pack were instructed to help where they could when otherwise unoccupied. He spared a glance at the odd weaponry that some of the members held—their gun-like bows striking him as odd and inefficient—but continued towards a large building undeterred.
As luck would have it, the building was a barn, the assorted animals inside in the process of being fed or groomed by a dark blond-furred female—Ferra, assuming the conversation he overheard was to be believed. A well-dressed servant spoke deferentially towards her, their dark gold coat contrasting the outfit rather alluringly. He shook his head, focusing on her demeanour, rather than his baser instincts. She assisted with the various livestock, opting to feed strips of meat to the canine creatures being bred in their pen.
He blinked away his surprise. For all of his experience with the hexapedal predators, they had been nothing but hostile, yet here they were, eating out of her paw rather happily.
Ferra addressed him—or rather, the small group that had formed—and instructed them on what they should be doing. Caught in the middle, he followed the orders, supplying crops and water to that which required it. He paused when he went to resupply the water for the canines, the animals instantly staring him down, a low, guttural growl rolling in their chests.
The servant bowed her apologies, letting him work elsewhere within the barn. He finished the tasks, extracting himself along with a portion of the group once the opportunity arose.
In the time it took him to blend in with the pack, the other activities had slowed, gatherings sorting themselves around the benches strewn about on the pathways, tools interspersing themselves to remain ready and useful. He eyed everyone, failing to spot a group in which he would fit. Another servant caught his notice, the dark red of her fur giving the illusion of black until the sun lit the edges to reveal the true colour. As far as he could tell, she was heading off alone, none of the other members curious or caring about her solo journey..
Without needing to think, he followed.
True to his suspicions, she left the active areas of the settlement, snaking between den and workplace through lesser used pathways. She remained oblivious the whole time. He made his decision.
Picking up his pace, he closed the distance between them, careful to keep as quiet as he could. If nothing else, he might be able to coerce her into guiding him to the Grand Hunter. He readied his paws to grab her as he turned the corner, prepared to stifle her cry of panic.
Nothing. An empty alley between two buildings was all that awaited him. He walked about half way through it, failing to see a nook or crevice she could take shelter in. It was too long of a distance for her to simply disappear.
“How may I be of assistance?” a female voice asked from behind him. He spun to see the dark red-furred servant bowing respectfully. He took a breath and surveyed his options
“The Head sent me to relay news to the Grand Hunter, but I fear that I have yet to memorize the way.”
The female remained placid. “I see. If you wish, I would be more than happy to carry the information to him for you.”
“I was instructed to deliver it personally, due to the nature of it,” he refuted making an effort to look annoyed. The servant retained her demeanour.
“May I inquire as to which Head?”
“The Head of Hunting,” he improvised. It wasn’t the biggest stretch—every pack had one dedicated to their core survival. The female raised her head, a disappointed sigh slipping from her lips. He pulled his knife, confident that he could silence her before the rest of the pack noticed. “It seems that this was a pointless ruse.”
“Indeed. You may,” she replied, glancing behind him lazily. A flicker of thought wondered what she was talking about, but a blinding pain in his back sent him to the ground. His legs were rendered useless, his knife kicked from his paw as a dark gold-furred female—No, the dark gold-furred female from the barn—walked over him, bowing to the servant he had followed. His whimper of pain went ignored.
“Apologies, Scarlet. I wished to merely observe after the wolves failed to recognize his scent. I meant not to intrude.”
‘Scarlet’ nodded, returning her gaze to him. “Worry not, Faye, this one has been followed by Raine as soon as he approached the pack.”
“Do we know of his motives?”
“Not as of yet, but that will be rather easy to rectify, no?”
Faye bowed again. “Of course. Shall we wait until the mistress returns?”
“They are expected to return later in the sun; if he is in possession of pertinent information, then it would be apt to acquire it quickly so that she and the master may plan accordingly.”
“I will speak nothing to you,” he growled, irritated and suffering. He failed to push himself to his feet, his legs uncooperative. Try as he might, the pain stopped at his waist, yet he couldn’t move even his foot.
“You are unable to run,” the dark red-furred servant commented flatly, bored and disinterested. “Your options are between giving us that which we seek, or doing so after wishing every passing breath will be your last.”
“I suppose you promise me freedom if I were to comply?” he spat, venom pouring.
Scarlet grew an eerie, insincere smile, tainted by malice and lust. “Who spoke of release?”
His breath caught in his throat. The servant returned her impassive expression, a short, sharp sound originated from her muzzle, a moment passing before an avian landed on an outstretched paw. Another three melodic notes, and the bird departed, flying over the buildings. She nodded to herself before addressing the other servant.
“The master will be informed of complications. If he is not on his way already, he will depart soon.”
The Grand Hunter wasn’t even at the settlement? Most every pack within any reasonable travel was subsumed already, where would he go?
The last resort under his clothes dug into the ground, forcing him to shuffle awkwardly to reach for it. The dark gold-furred female casually placed a paw to his back, pressing him to the dirt. Tears welled in his eyes as pain wracked his senses.
“I shall proceed with acquiring the depths of his knowledge.”
“Do. I will inform the others and urge Head Jax to increase patrols.”
Without another word, Scarlet walked around the corner, disappearing—not even the slightest crunch of earth below her pads suggesting she had moved at all.
Faye finally looked down at him, mild concern and annoyance on her face. “I was planning on spending time with the wolves soon, but it seems you had to go and cause them distress. They are very sensitive to that which I have not acquainted with them.”
Her foot shifted to pin his head, his muzzle snapping shut from the force and stopping his protest. She sighed.
“Perhaps they could be trained to assist with this type of task as well? They are rather intelligent, you know. Very loyal, as well. I am blessed that the master sought to enrich us in our own ways. Peculiar, perhaps, but we have each become distinct, rather than facsimiles.”
She released the pressure, crouching before him. “May I be informed as to what you sought to gain by feigning belonging? If you were in need of a pack, the master would surely listen. You need only but request such at the gate.”
He waited for her to strike or otherwise enforce the meagre power she held over him in the moment, but her curious gaze remained innocent.
“We need not more packs, but one force in which to exact our vengeance.”
She nodded, encouraging him to continue. He slowly manoeuvred his paw towards his hip a bit at a time. If speaking such trivial matters with her bought him time, then he held no compunctions about giving her that which she desires.
“Those who join us know of our goal; when the military comes for us, we will act as one. We will demand resources and stop the fruitless search through the cosmos that has led us to this place. We will take the fight to our adversaries, instead of cowering behind distance and protocol like cowards.”
“And that is what Hasen has told your numbers?”
He snarled. “He has freed us from our lower stations! No more do we scrape the scraps of the accomplished, unfit and unfed. No more will we bow to the many above us, disregarded and forgotten. We will rise from our inferiority to become one of the many who seek our purpose—our revenge! Gone be the Grand Hunters that command us like livestock, gone be the fallible structure we suffer from, and gone be that which hinders our progress. We are a race of warriors, smote and scorned by those whom we invited into our space with open arms and retracted claws. It is time we ceased the pointlessness!”
The servant’s expression fell to a pout. “And why would you infiltrate this settlement? Would it not do to merely seek an audience? To propose your view to the Grand Hunter peacefully?”
“We know the Grand Hunter has subsumed others; he would not willingly give up his status. He would not seek retribution as we do. You are a servant—the lowest caste! Join us, and grasp your right to demand the blood of those who obliterated our dens and territories! Stripped out people of our once great might and left us broken and wounded.”
She hummed thoughtfully, though the disapproving note didn’t seem very promising. “I must refuse, for there are several critical errors in your proposal.”
He didn’t care if she agreed or not—he just needed one moment of movement and his task would be complete. “What errors?”
“The first would be that you assume that the military has not already contacted us,” she started, smiling at his scowl.
“Another would be assuming any in this pack to be of a low station. True, there are still Heads in place—a High Huntress as well—but the master treats all as kin, and all are loyal in kind. And finally,” she cooed, standing to take a few steps away, her paws reaching under her apron. “You assume his goal to be power. It is not, yet he gains it regardless through his actions.”
He gripped what he was aiming for, preparing his arm to pull it as soon as he could. “We need not two forces trying to lead.”
“You are correct,” she agreed cheerily, pulling an odd knife free from a hidden sheath. “Normally, I would prefer a more direct method, but I wish not to dirty that which the master’s mate had crafted under his guidance. It was the first gift from him, whereas this was the second.” She gestured to the blade. “A weapon made with solely myself in mind, and a privilege few others can claim. Perhaps once I may have been swayed by your arguments, but no longer. No, we are not beholden to his commands—we await them.”
He laughed, his legs absent from the pain and warm blood matting his back. His spine. She had severed his spinal column. There was no chance for his ruse to work, was there? He pulled his last resort free.
A flare gun—the signal that a swift end had been deemed impossible. The female’s eyes sharpened as the familiar silhouette aimed towards her, then up, the blinding light and deafening screech flying into the sky, bathing the settlement and alley in its red glow. The female blinked off the slight stun from the unexpected element.
“And his commands will end here,” he touted. Even if his end was now, his kin would tear power from those who were unworthy. As one, they would seek their compensation by ripping the homeworlds of every species in the Union and taking them for their own. There need not be more.
The Hunt Mother will guide them.
“Shame,” the female commented dryly—disappointed, rather than fearful. “The wolves would have loved an opportunity to play. The young one still has much to learn.”
“You know not what is coming.”
She lowered her gaze from the burning ball that signalled their end, cycling a breath as she stared into his eyes. “The master will be upset.”
“Merely upset that he abandoned those beneath him? That he will return to nothing but the corpses of those who go against the future of our kind? The Hunt Mother will see us rise from the ashes they have buried us under—with or without you!”
The servant looked almost remorseful. Saddened. She held the knife towards him lazily. A pop. Pain.
His vision faded almost instantly, black encroaching the edges of his sight at an alarming pace. He couldn’t move his arms to assess the damage. What struck him? Why couldn’t he breathe?
The knife she was holding was naught but a handle, the blade displaced.
“Not all are worthy of his embrace,” the female continued, her voice faded and distant. “It is a fact that he dislikes immensely. Rest well, unknown one, for he is considerate.”
Cold. His eyes failed him, blackness taking over him as his mind struggled to function—clamouring for the vestiges of life that escaped with each absent pulse of his stilled heart.
The Hunt Mother would see him avenged. That was his final solace.
“Though I understand your faith, it will abandon you, for you have slighted that which you claim guides you. This settlement—this pack—is under the Guardian’s protection, and those who seek to harm it will fall. Your kin will join you shortly, unknown one. Pray that some are able to recognize that which truly follows her plan.”
The... Guardian...?
Ah...
Perhaps... the Void... will be forgiving...
Peaceful...
Per...haps.