Chapter 96: The Nest
Joseph followed Sunundra through the caverns.
Lights were rigged to the stone ceiling in even intervals, though sparse. It looked to be that a significant portion of what was in the outpost had been ripped out and fed into here, with wiring placed in channels along the wall to support the current, though where the power was coming from, he wasn’t sure. The batteries in the outpost should have gone up in smoke when the distress signal was sent. Perhaps a turbine was in the river?
The hallways they traversed were big enough to accommodate a few Atmo at once, the occasional duct feeding fresh air in from above. Based on the wooden framing, he figured that holes were dug down, a vent placed, then the whole area around the construction buried. That might have been half the reason so many warehouses were constructed; it was easier to hide the air ducts if there were buildings sitting on top of them.
Though the place was already spacious enough, there were still additional intersections that they simply passed by without much in the way of explanation, each branching away to rooms he couldn’t look into properly as they walked. He was silent at first, trailing behind the Grand Huntress without comment or complaint. Thankfully, she seemed to understand that he needed some time to collect himself. He was just letting his body move forward; a part of his mind kept track of what turns he took, while the rest processed what he had learned.
He had been doing that a lot since he crashed.
Atmo peered from corners—some full adults, but most varied in size between that of Violet and Mama. A few were scarred from wildlife or aggressors they faced before coming here, their gazes wary and skittish. Most seemed to have healed or avoided substantial injury, so they tended to look more curious about the visitors than anything.
The green insect guiding them hadn’t been named, but they acted like Sunundra was a familiar enough face. Given that none of the Atmo were more than a touch uncomfortable, he figured that she had been treating them well enough that the trauma of less friendly Lilhuns didn’t apply so strongly.
Their reaction to him was one of hesitant investigation, the smallest Atmo held back from skittering up to the new alien in their slapdash nest. It wasn’t a rough setup—the walls were cut with almost machine precision, and they were decorated here and there where traffic was highest—but it lacked the true artistic flair he knew they preferred.
Her soft voice broke his persistent silence, reflecting off the wall with a subtle reverb. “How did you come to meet your kit?”
He took a breath, setting aside what emotional turmoil that remained. Finding out that your father was lied to, contained, then slaughtered just to satisfy some sick...
Another breath.
“First sun I crashed here, I was suffering from oxygen toxicity. Delirious, in a way—the hydrolysis engine wasn’t correctly decoupled from the ship, so it was flooding the escape pod with the byproduct. Well, I wandered off from safety in search of adventure. Why, I couldn’t tell you now, but I’d say the probable concussion and disorientation didn’t help the decision making process.” He smiled despite the harrowing memory. “I fell into the river. Actually, it’s probably the same one you built around, just further up. Anyway, Mama dragged me out after...I don’t know how long I was fighting to stay awake in the rapids.”
“’Mama’ is the kit?” Sunundra asked.
“Mama is a Hatcher,” he corrected, too drained to put any real emotion behind it. “They’re in charge of the eggs and raising Queens.” He shook his head. “No, Violet is my kit. Or at least, that’s the term we use. Technically, we were selected as Advisors: people who teach the Queens during adolescence in how they should treat their nest and guide their people.”
“We?”
“Me and Pan,” he supplied, not bothering to dilute his answers anymore. “A defect, like you.”
Her step faltered as she glanced back at him. The surprise faded slowly, her voice but a whisper. “Was it that obvious?”
“You said you lost what you would never have. The only time I’ve heard it said like that is in respect to defects,” he explained, his regard placed on the somewhat smooth floor of the tunnel. “It also explains why everyone treats you like you’re a bomb about to go off, despite—as far as I can see—your fairly mild disposition.” He looked up to meet her weary eyes. “They experimented on you, right? They ‘fixed’ part of you—but only barely.”
Sunundra’s footsteps slowed, both of them coming to a stop in the middle of an intersection. She spoke, her words little more than a murmur amongst the soft clicks and shuffling of Atmo that carried through the confines of the nest.
“How much do you know?”
He gave an apologetic smile. “Rob has a contact in the Union, someone who had enough favours owed to get their paws on a copy of the experimentation logs.”
The Grand Huntress’ eyes widened. “Then your people know? Have they begun—”
Her enthusiasm was stifled by a firm palm held forward. “Me and him do, but I don’t know past that. Last I heard, there are twenty-nine species in the Union, and only about a third of them would do anything if the rest tried to attack us. We can’t go guns blazing against something that much larger than us.”
Joseph lowered his arm, nodding towards their patient insectoid escort. “I’m sorry I don’t have great news for you, but that’s something we can talk about some other time. We were going...somewhere?”
She drew her lips thin as resignation resumed its reign over her expression. “Of course. Apologies.” She glanced at the green Atmo. “I was merely intending to show you the accommodations we have managed, but it seems they wish us to see something specific.”
Taking the direct reference as their willingness to continue, the insect marched on, guiding them past more intersections and turns. Several large rooms were carved out of the ground and reinforced with stone pillars. Their guide slowed as they passed one of a familiar make, though there were pelts lining the shelves instead of a silk-like material.
A hatchery. Just like in the video.
It paled in comparison to the size of the one that had been recorded, but it was a hatchery nonetheless, with places for eggs formed and covered with what looked to be several soft hides. The room was even a bit warmer than the rest of the catacombs, but he wasn’t well-versed enough to infer why. It didn’t matter to him at the moment; his attention was laser-focused on the sole objects of interest.
Eggs. There were eggs here. The Atmo had made a home for themselves, and Sunundra had facilitated it as best she could. There weren't very many—a dozen at most—but there was a chance for expansion. Recovery. A place where they felt safe enough to settle down, sheltered from the hostile nature of the planet by someone with the power to do so.
A tear audibly dripped onto the stone floor. It was just the one, the residue quickly wiped away by his hand. The fact that he had cried twice in the same afternoon wasn’t what surprised him, however. It was that he felt so relieved. In front of him, in packages no taller than his knee, was something he desperately wanted for his adoptive daughter. It was the fact that he wasn’t alone in his pursuit of ensuring that the Atmo were safe. Sure, his pack would defend what he had as best they could, but with so many of the insects previously unaccounted for, gathering them had been some idyllic fantasy to give him a way forward. Something to strive towards when stress became too much. It kept him level.
Seeing his aspiration realized, even if it wasn’t his doing? It took a weight off his shoulders that he had placed there himself, binding him to an expectation that should have reasonably been far beyond his capabilities. A standard set for himself, just so those placed for him wouldn’t feel so crushing.
And here it was—in its infancy, but present. It brought colour back to the momentary grey perception of the world he had gained.
He blinked away what remained of the excess moisture in his eyes, giving them a final wipe with the knuckle of his thumb. He smiled at his hosts, their expressions a mixed-species look of concern. “Sorry, it’s just...the Atmo have lost pretty much everything, and seeing this?” He gestured to the hatchery. “That is what I wanted for them. What I wanted for Violet. I just didn’t know if I could do it, so seeing it...”
Sunundra sheepishly looked to the ground, her ear flicking. “I had forgotten how strongly human emotions get displayed.”
“Ah, shit. Sor—“
“Do not apologize, Joseph,” she interrupted, genuine warmth present in her voice for the first time. “If anything, I should thank you for reminding me.”
He felt a little stilted, unsure how to act around the female. From what he knew of Sahari’s experiences, the most vivid thing Sunundra likely felt was pain and a desire for vengeance—two things that came through rather strongly. Other emotions were said to be a muted experience at best. The smile she wore right now was one of fond remembrance, and from the relaxation, the most positive thing she had felt in a long, long time.
“So, how did you meet the Atmo?” he asked, gesturing the end of his delay to their guide and changing the subject. The Atmo seemed elated that someone was so emotional over their marker of progress, the familiar chitter of amusement causing a few glances from otherwise hidden observers.
Now that he had come out of his funk, he noticed that there were quite a few of them—Leader informing him that several hundred resided here had never quite sunk in before. Being used to seeing Atmo was one thing. Seeing at least a few around every corner was surreal. It was like visiting another system entirely, rather than just below another pack’s settlement. How big was this place?
“We had claimed the outpost for ourselves almost as soon as we arrived,” Sunundra answered, oblivious to his musings. “Many suns after settling disputes with what was soon to be the closest packs, we saw a bright explosion just outside of the atmosphere.” She gave a somewhat dejected sigh. “I had worried that more of our kin had fallen into the warp-spike. Regardless, the shuttles left obvious enough trails for us to follow, and several landed near enough for us to travel to.”
“So you just went and said hello?” he asked skeptically. Sunundra’s brow furrowed in annoyance.
“I myself did, though the others reacted much the same as I suppose you’ve become accustomed.”
Joseph scratched his chin. “Well, they live in the settlement with us. It’s pretty commonplace for a group from the pack to be taking breaks with them and working alongside each other. Not like I need to force them to get along. If anything, I’d say it would be weirder not to see a few pretty much anywhere the pack gathers.”
The female’s ear flicked. “They do not fear them?”
“At first, yeah,” he offered with a shrug. “But all it took was a stern warning and everyone got used to the idea. Now, I’d say that most all the social circles include an Atmo or two. They helped build the dens, walls, facilities... You name it, they’ve had a paw in it. We even have an artist who’s become pretty close friends with Mama. The two designed and made the more macabre parts of my coat,” he finished, giving the moss-wolf skull in his flaccid hood a tug for emphasis.
Sunundra’s face grew pensive, her eyes flicking to their escort when they almost missed a turn they were supposed to take. “It would be much simpler if such worked here as well.”
“No dice?”
She shook her head. “The Atmo have helped as best they are able, and have made great strides in earning what respect they have, but it is rather difficult to eliminate instinct.”
He nodded, remembering all too well how scared shitless he was when he first met Mama. Sensing that their topic had started down a slightly less inspirational path, he brought up a curiosity from earlier. “Why did Leader and Tech go away when you asked them? Doesn’t your pack have to ‘reintegrate’ or whatever?”
She gave him a long side-eye before returning her focus to their escort. “Special Tactic Officers—as long as they have the correct authorizations—are ranked by seniority. I simply outranked them.”
“Second wave, yeah, I got that part. The confirmation code?”
She stared ahead, drawing a breath. “There are matters that veer towards the confidential. Forgive me for not disclosing what you seek.”
He held up his hands. “Hey, I don’t even want to be a Grand Hunter—sticking my paws into military affairs is more than I asked for. Just curious, is all.”
“Curiosity is dangerous,” she warned quietly, none of the force required for a threat presented. He returned a dry chuckle.
“Curiosity gave me everything I have, Sunshine. Sure as shit not stopping it now, so just let me know when I ask the wrong questions.”
She froze in her tracks, letting him pass her with surprise widening her eyes. It took him a moment to catch his slip, but a paw was already extended to stop his apology.
“It was...”
“An old moniker he used,” he surmised, kicking himself again for... Well, being human, really.
Sunundra nodded, gesturing to the green Atmo who was waiting at the end of the hall. “Come, I believe we have found our destination for this sojourn.”
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Tel had been listening in on Joseph and Sunundra’s conversation within the warehouse the best she could, but the intensifying rain made the task difficult. The droplets thrumming against the roof next to her ear muddied any vibrations that the material allowed, so she was guessing some words at best. The most annoying part was how it irritated her.
Being soaked of skin and fur wasn’t a new experience for her, and the warmer weather as of late hardly complicated things, but it itched at her to know when she would be needed.
Not if. When, for the time would surely come.
It ticked and shifted within her in preparation, though what it was seemed to escape her. All she knew for certain was that her presence would be called upon, and that echoed through every fibre of her being. The elation. The excitement. The bloodshed*.* The sheer electricity crackled through every nerve, begging for an outlet, yet pacified by promise.
Finding her eavesdropping to be an exercise in futility—and not particularly wishing to intrude on something where she had yet to be summoned—she returned to her duty of ensuring the area in which her male occupied remained free of disturbances.
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The Lilhun guarding the door had produced a rudimentary umbrella to clip onto their vest, though it didn't do much to stop the rain. What it did do, however, was allow her free reign to traverse the rooftops unimpeded. Blocking the entirety of their upwards vision would be passable in many circumstances, but against a Blade? It was folly. Against a Wraith forged and tempered by her Sheath? Suicide.
Against her?
She would smile as they wondered why they had lost the ability to speak, the sudden blood loss a mere afterthought as the Void grasped their limbs, none the wiser as to the cause of their fallen kin.
At least, she would have done that before meeting Joseph; much of what she found cathartic after moons of fading into shadows now struck her as boring at best. Where once she might have prepared everything needed to perform flourishing eliminations, just in case the need arose, she instead felt uninterested in such prospects. They were not a target. There was no need for her to act against them, and if there was, she would be swift—not one motion wasted on showmanship or pride.
It was as ironclad as it was curious, but somehow she knew her satisfaction lay at the end of her duty. Not before.
Feeling unmotivated to arrange an unfortunate accident, she surveyed the warehouse again, noting the decreased frequency of the patrol on the ground. With the assurance that none were likely to move against her Sheath, she meandered from rooftop to rooftop, unsure of what exactly she was seeking, but searching all the same.
The answer arrived in the form of a guard cracking open a door to a warehouse and depositing their Anti-Material Rifle just within the building before continuing their route with a pistol drawn in its stead. Interest piqued, she waited for a supplementary guard to patrol past before dropping down and ducking within the confines of the structure. Propped against the wall next to the door was a Revision Nineteen AMR—extended optics and short-charge capacitors. It was slightly older than the model she favoured for more clandestine operations, but serviceable nonetheless.
A cursory inspection suggested that the weapon was failing to charge correctly, the owner placing it aside for the time being instead of abandoning their route to bring it to their armoury or weaponsmith for maintenance. Even then, Tel doubted they had someone qualified, and if they did, they would certainly have their paws full with even the paltry armament available to the pack. None were quite as proficient as conscripts when it came to disrupting weapon functions in new and incomprehensible ways.
Exhaling through her nose, she peered through the scope to check that the hydrophobic coating was still on before musing if she should remove it. Besides eliminating the glint, it would allow her more creative shots with the slightly skewed field of view and a few calibrations. Perhaps she should adjust the output as well?
There were too many modifications she wished to make in too short a time. Even with her experience, being caught sitting in a large empty room while disassembling a gun was hardly befitting a Wraith of her calibre. A smirk spread across her muzzle. She didn’t mind a little rain.
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The room that the Atmo led them to was a fairly large circular one, several tunnels connecting in even intervals around it, with a domed roof like the hub of the outpost. The pillars supporting the roof were evenly spaced, large, and the most heavily decorated part of the nest so far. It was still less than what the insects did to the Hall, but more in line with what he expected from them.
Their green guide clicked and chittered with the other occupants that seemed rather surprised for Joseph and Sunundra to be there, and the Grand Huntress herself didn’t seem to know that the place had existed. She spent a few moments just gawking at the amount of decoration before she turned her attention to where Joseph had been looking.
In the centre of the room, surrounded by larger Atmo, was a Queen no bigger than Violet, her yellow coloration standing out from the primarily red and blue tones. She was worryingly skittering from spot to spot, and it only took a second for him to see why. Two Atmo were resting on the ground, dirt covering large portions of their carapace. Long splits suggested that they had taken a rather heavy hit, and the slowly flowing dark green ichor of their blood proved that it was fairly recent. The small Queen seemed to be reassuring them, her percussive vocalizations soft and consistent. She was comforting them as best she could, but all this time with Violet told him that the yellow insect was far more terrified than she let on.
That terror turned to shock when the Human completely ignored the defensive posturing of the adults surrounding the trio, his burst of speed having him skid to a stop on his knees, hands digging out healroot from inside his jacket. The Queen stared at him in surprise, more so when he thrust a handful of strips towards her.
“Put these in your mouth, puncture them lightly. We need them damp, but still in one piece.” She stood frozen, Joseph pointing to the injuries on the wounded Atmo. “Do it, and we patch those up. If we’re lucky, they’ll bounce back in a few suns.” He turned to point sternly at an adult that took offence to him being so close to their Queen, a growl colouring his irritation at the raised blades. “You, fuck off. I didn’t deal with some asshole Atmo trying to stab me for helping back at the settlement, and I’m not doing it now.”
He held the healroot out again towards the stunned yellow insect. “Chew, please.”
Between his flip between aggression and compassion, and his alien nature, both of those he addressed acquiesced. The adult slowly lowered their blades and the Queen did as asked, passing him the result. He checked it quickly, nodded, and passed her more while he used his water-skin to flush away the dirt and grime around the splits in the shell. Based on the fragmentation, he could only assume part of the tunnel was weaker than they expected and collapsed on them. The inquiry was answered with a nod, but these two seemed to be the only ones injured from the accident. Thankful that it was limited to just this much damage, he continued his work.
Applying the healroot was the easy part. The difficult part was covering the wound faster than it bled out. For as terrible a stopgap it was, the dirt had clumped and stymied the bleeding to a mere trickle. Washing that away—while for the best in the long run—presented issues for the speed in which the young Atmo could process the plant-based bandage. He wasted no time in barking at some other Atmo in the room that seemed to understand him best and foisting the responsibility onto them as well.
It took a while—cleaning, patching, then double-checking to ensure that all visible fractures had been treated, but they managed to get the injured Atmo taken care of. It was only after the final inspection that Joseph allowed himself to fall back on his ass to stretch his legs out, his arms bracing his weight behind him. The Queen stared at him, unsure what to make of having an alien run up, start barking orders at everyone, tend to wounded, then act like nothing strange had happened. It was also likely due to the fact that he was completely unbothered by how many of the insects were around—a lazy scan of the room suggesting upwards of twenty in varying sizes. Some had shown up to see what the fuss was about, but a handful were probably there since the beginning. He didn’t particularly care, he was too busy to start counting heads when he started, and he didn’t see a point in starting now.
“Right, right,” he muttered, extending a hand out towards the young Queen. “Nice to meet you. I’m Joseph. Grand Hunter, Human, and Advisor of Violet—the other Queen from your ship.” He smirked, letting the delayed enthusiasm of finding something he was looking for wash over him. “In other words, I’m your sister’s dad. You have no idea how thrilled she’s going to be to know you’re alive.”
Surprising both him and the spectating Sunundra, the Queen launched herself into him. He let his experience react for him, directing the energy down instead of trying to remain upright. He laughed as the Atmo snuggled into his chest with relieved chitters and soft cries, the stress building within the insect child absolved by him. He wasn’t so arrogant to assume that she was more than thankful for his assistance, but he knew from experience that help when you most needed it might as well be a miracle.
“How...” Sunundra voiced from a few steps away, her tone filled with both wonder and confusion. He craned his head back to look at her from the ground, the young yellow insect currently using him as something between a body pillow and a face scrubber. His hands naturally moved to scratch and rub at her back as she calmed down.
“How what?”
“How did you get them to accept you?”
He glanced at the other Atmo in the room, only a few paying any real attention to him. The rest were warily keeping an eye on the Grand Huntress. It wasn’t hostile, but it was the kind of awareness afforded to people friends brought over who you hadn't had the chance to get to know yet. Amiable, but far from permanent. He tilted his head back with a raised brow.
“I don’t think I really did anything.”
“You have one of their kits who disagree,” she returned, pointing to the Queen who had calmed down a bit. Enough to start purring lightly at his scratching. He thought about it for a moment before gesturing to his current blanket of scales and carapace.
“You know why she’s the only one I talked to at first, right?” Sunundra tilted her head, a silent request for him to continue. “Because she’s the Queen.”
“Like your kit?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed, smiling when he stumbled across a sweet-spot on the yellow insect's back. The rumbling was comforting. “She tells everyone else here what to do. She’s the ‘Grand Huntress,’ if you would.”
The look of understanding on the grey and yellow-furred female was hilarious, but the sadness that replaced it pulled at him. “Is that how your pack came to live with them?”
He patted for his release, thankful for the somewhat universal gesture as the Queen allowed him to get up before attaching herself to his hip. “Well, Mama and Violet were the first two I met. One of another pack found Rose and Cobalt during a storm; they took her in for a moon and the three of them were chased off before my pack stumbled upon them. They live with us now. The latest of them were brought in with a trade caravan after Hasen started purging packs.”
His face darkened. “They were abused and scared. It took a lot of effort to convince them that we only wanted to help. Violet would normally be enough to assure them, but they worried that the pack was doing something to force her. In the end, my dumb ass was what calmed them down.”
Sunundra looked at the clinging Queen, conflict and regret in her eyes. “I never knew.”
“Never expected you to,” he dismissed casually, roughly rubbing his yellow companion’s head. “Like I said, Union contact. There was a video explaining a lot about these guys. For us it makes perfect sense to talk to adults, but for these people? The only word comparable to the Queen’s is the Advisor’s.”
The female seemed even more dejected, his reassurances falling flat. Chewing his cheek, he crouched to be level with the young Queen, whispering softly. “I know that some of you might have been hurt by her people, but Sunundra looks to have done a lot for you. If nothing else, could you give her a chance? I think she could use the affection. She...she’s lost a lot to get here.”
The small Atmo considered his words, pulling her blades into her chest in uncertainty. After a few moments, she nodded, tentatively approaching the Grand Huntress. Joseph couldn’t fight the smile when the Queen hesitated.
The two stared at each other, neither entirely sure what to do about the sudden closeness. Sunundra glanced at him, a question in her eyes probing him for what he expected her to do. He gestured for her to lower herself so that she didn’t stand so much taller than the insect. She did, going as far as to sit on her ankles and wait patiently for what would come next. It took a while, but eventually the Queen closed the distance and hugged the female. It was only a brief contact, shyness winning out in the end, but the stunned look on the Grand Huntress’ face was worth the wait.
Like a switch had been flipped, the cautious air throughout the room vanished, more Atmo taking the opportunity to view and greet the Lilhun properly now that approval had been given publicly. She seemed overwhelmed at first, but the dam soon broke, a wetness tinting her small smile as she stood to say hello to those that she had yet to address. He walked up and patted her on the back, his own enjoyment of a happy situation only bolstered by how much stress it seemed to lift off her shoulders.
“Drop down every now and then. Bring some people you trust,” he advised warmly. “These guys love etching and sculpting. Show them anything new and you’ll have this entire tunnel network looking like an art exhibit soon enough.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, offering a small Atmo a greeting. He squeezed her shoulder, careful of the sensitive tissue that likely prevented her from wearing anything more covering than her binder.
“Anyone who cries when receiving affection from an Atmo is a friend, Sunundra. Far be it from me not to help them.”
“Sunny...”
“Pardon?”
She turned and pulled him into a tight hug, a damp laugh colouring her words. “Friends take to referring to me as Sunny.”
He couldn’t help but grin as he lightly returned the embrace. “Then you can call me Joe.”
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Tel reassembled the AMR while sitting atop the warehouse her Sheath had entered, the rain deafening her. She didn’t mind, it hardly impeded her work. It did mean that she needed to keep the hydrophobic coating on the scope, but the rest of her alterations were able to be completed at her languid pace. It was still leagues faster than the majority of so-called ‘experts,’ but much slower than if she was in any sort of hurry. It meant that her corrections were rather precise, though. Where some variance was fine for a combat tune-up, the modifications she liked to make usually ended with a melted puddle instead of a weapon and her target much the same, and that required specificity.
It made for quite the interesting report for both sides of the contract.
It was during one of her calibrations of the scope that she noticed movement through the sheet of rain—distant rustling in the brush not matching what she might have expected from wildlife or patrolling pack. Surely none were returning from a hunting expedition?
Dialing in the distances and focus, she shouldered the weapon from a prone position, steadying her breathing to eliminate the subtle sway. The view was mostly blocked by several buildings, but the thin sliver she had to work with was enough to observe the forest beyond the fence of the settlement. There, on the edge of her view through the magnification, were two huddled figures armed with the weaker variant of bow and some ironwood armour. Given that neither had made it into the possession of Sunundra’s pack, that ruled out the possibility of a hunting party being caught in the rain during their task. What confirmed her suspicions was the subtle gestures used to communicate with some others that were blocked from her vision.
Shortly, more joined the pair. Then more. Several carried guns, but most were equipped with bows and blades, the rare Lilhun carrying an AMR like she was using. The snipers braced their weapons on the shoulders of their allies, steadying the gun as they swept their barrel across the settlement. More gestures encouraged some of the group to proceed. They began shuffling from cover to cover as the marksman provided overwatch.
A smile formed on her muzzle. These weren’t boring, unlike the guards below. These were interesting. Targets. Threats.
Threats are to be eliminated.
She squeezed the trigger as she compensated for the wind, a brief flash appearing from the muzzle of the barrel, the minute report of the weapon but a whisper in the thunderous rain. The opposing sniper lowered their weapon before falling against the tree they stood in front of, sliding down the bark to rest on their haunches. It took a moment for his companions to notice the vacant stare of lifeless eyes, a clean hole pierced through the centre of the male’s skull.
The group wasted no further time with stealth, assuming that their attempt at such was compromised. They charged from the woods, some bringing their weapons to bear, while others prioritized entering the settlement proper with speed. They had only just reached the fence when a cloud of dirt and debris kicked upwards from the ground, a subtle shockwave preceding the sound of explosions activating in sequence.
A grin spread slowly as she watched the plumes of destruction spread beyond the edges of her effective firing angle. She was starting to like the Grand Huntress.
She lined up another shot against an enemy sniper, a soft giggle rolling from her chest as she pulled the trigger.
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Sunundra took a bit more time to interact with the considerably more friendly Atmo. It was mostly greeting the large number that cycled in and out of the room, but it soon got to the point where they had to call it quits. Joseph didn’t mind either way, but their conversation had been put on hold for a while now, so they said their goodbyes and each of them gave the young Queen a hug. The insect clung to him for a few moments, hesitation evident from her nervous tapping.
“Hey,” he cooed, lowering himself again to match her height. He rested his palm on her head and offered her a quick scratch. “I need to go, but Sunny will make sure you guys are taken care of. Who knows, hopefully, you can meet Violet soon enough and then I’ll have two of you trying to flatten me.”
The Queen looked dejected by his words, but chittered softly when he mentioned meeting Violet. She gave him one last hug before sadly watching him leave, their green escort providing a guide back whence they came.
Sunundra stared at the floor for a while on their return, though the previous turmoil had been lessened from her expression. She glanced up at him after a while. “You will not bring your kit here, will you?”
Joseph drew a breath, consideration distorting his face before the exhale banished it. “For a visit? I’d like to. To stay? No, I don’t say I will.”
“Is this not protected enough?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. If anything, I think I’ll be using this place as a template moving forward. We were planning on expanding towards a cavern for them, but letting them dig out underneath the settlement wasn’t something I actually thought about.” He offered a consolatory smile. “Be proud. You got them a place they feel safe, now all you need to do is get your pack to befriend them.”
She pursed her lips for a second. “Such is difficult when dealing with the expectations of others.”
“Don’t doubt it,” he agreed in a firm, flat tone, sympathizing wholly. “But until you push for it, they’ll always be outcasts. Spend time with them, and they’ll put in whatever you do.”
She nodded slowly. “I will make an effort. It has been quite some time since I was treated without disregard or caution.”
Joseph went to provide reassurance, stopped by a deep, violent rumble, dust dislodging from the ceiling. “What the fuck was that?”
Sunundra’s face steeled. “Uninvited guests. We must return to the surface.”
He blinked, his eyes widening as he remembered that he would be trapped here if Tech, Leader, and their crew were to come to harm. Even Tel was out there, and there was no way in hell he was standing by as something like this went on. He broke out into a sprint, trusting his memory to lead him back to the warehouse. He needed to make sure Tel was okay.
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The Grand Huntress watched the human run off, a smile of bitter fondness forming as another explosion shook the ground beneath her. The familiar roar of concussive violence brought back memories both cherished and scarred. Ones that warmed her the slightest amount, and others that boiled her blood. Two loves turned one, then torn from her, leaving only the smallest hints of more than suffering to grace her mind and a savage hole in her heart.
After meeting the Grand Hunt...Joe, and especially after seeing her seasons of efforts reward her with the gratitude of those she sought to do right by, she felt something else. It wasn’t as intimate as she had once experienced, nor did it carry the same implications as then, but it was there.
Love. For kin, for friend, and for another who sought what she herself did. A tear dampened her fur as she picked up her pace to follow him at a jog—she would never reach the end at the same time as him. She settled for merely not being winded, the reverberations of her once joy-filled utterance fading in the air behind her, the echoes of times long gone lingering until it too faded away.
A single, heavily accented English word slipped from her lips in a whisper.
“Boom.”