I hope you enjoy this! This has taken me about 2 weeks going to the library between school and work and typing feverishly for 20 minutes or so. Yeek. I've always thought the Yautja's myths would be rather like the Inuit or Egyptians; not always having a happy ending and often being rather grim and depressing, but also informative. I like gore. So, please read and push that lovely purple button!
Bakuub- Straight Spear.
Cetanu- The Black Warrior, god of death.
Lil-ka- The Mother, goddess of life.
Kayana- Goddess of fire, passion and the arts, mother of the Horde.
The Horde- Demons Cetanu and Lil-ka employ to do their work.
Awu'asa- Suit of armor.
Naxa- A type of fruit.
Di'khi-de- The sleep before death, coma.
Thei-de- Death.
Cnt'lip- Strong alcoholic beverage.
Mesh'in-ga- Battle dreamtime, bloodlust.
The Tale of Mab'ii'tang
Matthew Booker, the only human to ever be truly accepted into Yautja society, wandered down the orange lit halls of the clanship. His sensitive ears caught the low, rough voice of Bakuub, trainer of the Youngbloods. Stopping and turning back, he poked his head into the doorway to one of the kehrites. The tall Elder stood before a crowd of Youngbloods. These young warriors were new to the training program. They did not look like the older warriors, as they were only adolescents. Instead of being massively muscled and sure of themselves, they were gangly and awkward, still growing. Their hands and feet looked too large. They sat cross-legged before the female, watching her intently. Matt sidled into the room and sat down on the outskirts of the group. He was a fully Blooded warrior, but Bakuub's tales were always worth listening to and it sounded as if she were about to start a good one. Bakuub was fantastic at telling stories. She was very good at altering her voice to suit the characters, especially the gods.
"Centuries ago, before the Yautja were as peaceful as they are now; there was a very great warrior. He was tall and broad and strong, the envy of all his peers. This warrior's name was Mab'ii'tang. His nickname was 'The Fearless One' for his daring in battle. This could not be further from the truth. Mab'ii'tang was not fearless. He was terrified of thei'de, of death. Mab'ii'tang knew, that when his time to meet the Black Warrior, he would not go easily into the Otherworld. He feared what came next. He feared being forgotten, the reason for his attempts to become the greatest of warriors. Being remembered was a sort of immortality, but it was not enough for him. Oh no. The memory of a warrior always faded like old blood into soil, vanishing into the fog of time.
"And so, Mab'ii'tang constructed a daring plan. He was well-versed in knowledge of the gods and the Otherworld and knew that deep within the realms of the gods, there was the secret to true immortality. But, the only way to journey there was by dying, which would defeat the whole purpose of traveling there, or by slipping into dhi'ki-de, the sleep before death, which was terribly risky. Most warriors would not take that risk, but because Mab'ii'tang was so knowledgeable in the gods, he knew the priests and priestesses had a safer way of taking the journey to the Otherworld. It was secret, but he was so well-respected, they trusted him and told him more than they would tell others. Mab'ii'tang, screwing up courage, entered the temple district under the guise that he was going to make an offering and pray to the gods before entering into another terrible battle against the rival clans.
"He strode through the cool, stone streets, passing other warriors praying for success in the many temples, passing the priests and priestesses as they made their rounds. Finally, he entered the massive twin temple of Cetanu and Lil'ka, the chiefs of the gods, death and life. He passed the female attendants of Lil'ka, dressed in their long and heavy robes, waving and grinning to the ones he knew more intimately. He passed the stern priests of Cetanu, dressed in loincloths, cloaks and little else. He walked with purpose, knowing that if you looked like you were heading somewhere important, no one would bother you. He was a common sight here anyways. He left the public halls and entered the smaller corridors the ones that only the attendants were allowed to go. Here, he became much stealthier. If he was caught here, he would be thrown out and disgraced. Slinking around like some Youngblood on a dare! That did not befit a Yautja of his rank!
"Mab'ii'tang stole into a storeroom, digging into the jars and boxes, searching for the priest's secret. Finally, he found it; a dried herb mixture. He took a fistful and crept into another room where he would not be disturbed. The warrior filled a metal incense burner with the mixture and lit it, letting it smolder and smoke. He leaned over the thick smoke and took a deep breath. And another and another. His head began to spin, darkness clouding his vision. Panic briefly clenched his heart before he dropped into dhi'ki-de."
Here Bakuub paused, letting the suspense build up in her young charges to almost unbearable levels. Her mandibles twitched into a smile as she took another deep breath and continued.
"Mab'ii'tang opened his eyes again and beheld a strange world. It was wholly black and dark, but he could see for miles. All there was, was black sand, a black, star-less sky and the distance. He began walking, knowing that was what he must do.
Suddenly, a deep voice sounded, arriving directly in his head. It seemed to hold a faint shriek in its depths, nearly hidden by the bass rumble. WHO ARE YOU? AND WHY HAVE YOU DARED TO ENTER THIS REALM? thundered the voice. Mab'ii'tang turned and saw a great and massive warrior, entirely enfolded in a cloak that seemed to be made of darkness and nightmares. The only light on him was a pair of searing scarlet eyes that burned into his very centre.
"I am Mab'ii'tang. I have journeyed here to seek the secret of immortality." he said, standing straight and tall.
YOU? YOU DARE… spluttered Cetanu, shaking with a terrible rage. YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THE OTHERWORLD, MAB'II'TANG.
"At once, Cetanu began to writhe and twist. His cloak shrank in upon itself and his mask vanished, revealing a strange and terrible face. It bore six oversized mandibles that gaped in a horrible grin. Another pair of arms sprouted, tipped with huge, sharp claws. Cetanu became less bulky and more wiry and tough, like a piece of old wood. Finally he stood tall and still, no longer the Welcomer of Souls, but the Destroyer. He threw his head back and screamed, his four fists punching the sky. The Destroyer laughed chillingly and advanced towards Mab'ii'tang, his feet beating a dance of death. A great rumbling and shaking began. The small stones that littered the ground grew in a way that made his skull ache as the proportions of the land changed. Now they were huge cliffs and mountains. From behind one came a gibbering and screeching. It was the sound of every battle field. It was the sound of nightmares and coming with it, was the stuff of pure terror. Sickening abominations of Yautja came pouring out. There were skeletal Yautja, warriors with more arms than legs, with more eyes than mandibles, ones that were a horrible blend of Yautja, Kainde Amedha and more. They held crude, jagged weapons. It was the Horde, a band of demons that Cetanu as the Destroyer called upon to hunt down the souls of Yautja who offended him to kill and rend.
TAKE HIM! BRING HIS SOUL TO ME, SO THAT I MAY DEVOUR IT! THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO DEFY THE GODS ARE A RARE AND ESPECIALLY SWEET TREAT. Now Cetanu's voice was different. It was a horrific scream that pained the ears and made Mab'ii'tang's skin crawl. He began to run. What else could he do? These demons could only be felled by magic weapons, blessed by the gods and he did not think he would receive any blessing at the moment. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs felt as if they were made of lead, the Horde and the Destroyer growing ever closer. Wait! He thought suddenly. He was in the Otherworld! Pain and exhaustion did not exist here! This was a pliable realm; the laws that bound the waking world did not exist either! His exhaustion must be a figment of his mind, something the Destroyer had placed there. At once, Mab'ii'tang grew strong again, feet pounding the ground with renewed vigor. And, if this was such a flexible world, then he should be able to change it! The Horde had to obey what rules were placed here, but he did not, being alive. Turning, the brave warrior imagined a great yawning gulf of unimaginable depth. At his bidding, the ground before him split open and half of the Horde dropped in. They would live, but it would take a great deal of time to climb out again. He ran again, putting more distance between the remaining demons and Cetanu.
"When Mab'ii'tang heard them again, as before he whirled, and this time pictured a huge range of mountains, craggy and sharp. The earth groaned and up thrust the peaks, blocking him from his pursuers. He wondered how much longer it would take before he reached Lil'ka's realm. As he turned, he was struck with the most wondrous sight. Plants! Here and there in the stone and sand, they had managed to take root. Surely this was the way. As Mab'ii'tang started for the greenery, he heard the Destroyer's cry of rage and knew he was leaving the dark realm of Cetanu.
"Once Mab'ii'tang stepped foot inside the greenery, he turned and saw with shock that he could no longer see the barren landscape from whence he came and when he turned back, it was not a sparsely vegetated realm, but a lush and fruitful forest. Every plant he had ever seen grew here. He could hear the soft calls of wildlife, though he never saw anything. It was as if they were phantoms, or simply not meant to be seen with mortal eyes. Pushing through a thick wall of vines and bushes, the warrior beheld a magnificent temple made of living plants and cool stone. It was surrounded by a careful garden that whispered as he passed through. It did not cause him fear; there was no death in the Mother's world. Cetanu had no power here as she was his direct foil. Great wooden doors opened before him as he ascended the steps, pushed by unseen hands. The stone walls were carved with the likenesses of plant and animal, entwined in never-ending embraces. Flowering and fruiting vines hung everywhere. Mab'ii'tang was tempted by the fruit, but ignored them; they could not be the Secret of Immortality as that was in the centre of the winding, maze-like temple. That was what the legends told. Brushing aside a curtain, Mab'ii'tang finally saw what he had journeyed so long for; the Secret of Immortality. It was a great and spreading naxa tree. Casting a wary glance about, he strode into the centre of the sky-lit chamber and plucked a fruit off. Removing his mask, he took a large bite, savoring its sweet juices as they ran down his chin. It tasted better than any naxa he had ever eaten, but he felt no different. Suddenly, soft laughter filtered down through the air, mixing with the bubbling of the fountains.
"Whirling, Mab'ii'tang sought the source of the sound. Nothing. Despite the fact he knew he could not come to harm here, he drew his sword. A tall female Yautja stepped down out of the carvings on the wall. She was gentle and softly curved, wearing a long, heavily embroidered robe. Her dreadlocks hung nearly to her knees. She was beautiful, but not in the way other females were. She was beautiful the way your mother looked when you were young, all-knowing, all-powerful and all-forgiving.
"Mother." Mab'ii'tang breathed, dropping to one knee.
"So. You have braved my mate's realm and the Horde. You have found your way through my maze and sought immortality. Do you think you have found it?"
"I-I do not know, Mother." Mab'ii'tang said truthfully.
"You are brave. Rise." The warrior did, staring up at Lil'ka. Her face was blank, revealing nothing of her emotion, only wearing a slight smile. "The fruit you ate did not grant you immortality. None of the fruits or plants here can do that. For they do not hold the Secret of Immortality." Her smile widened. "I am the Secret of Immortality." She reached out and touched his brow. Warmth grew there, spreading through his entire body like he had just plunged into a hot bath or taken a deep gulp of cnt'lip. Mab'ii'tang blinked. He didn't feel very different, perhaps calmer than before, perhaps a little stronger. But he still knew she had changed him and granted him immortality. "Thank you, Mother." the warrior breathed, bowing deeply. The goddess said nothing, only smiled her secret smile. As he watched, she began to fade away. In fact, her whole temple was fading! When Mab'ii'tang next opened his eyes, they saw the room he had entered dhi'ki-de in, back in the twin temple of Lil'ka and Cetanu back on the Homeworld. He was back.
"Standing, Mab'ii'tang blinked away the last of the fog caused by the herb mixture. Had it all been a dream? He rubbed his hand across his face. It came away sticky with naxa juice.
"Now that Mab'ii'tang knew he had indeed traveled to the Otherworld and forever eluded death, he signed up for the first ship leaving for battle against the rival clans. We Yautja have never been as stupid as other creatures when it comes to war. Other species fight on their own world, ruining fields, poisoning the water and air, never thinking of what would come after the battle was won. We have, since we gained space-faring technology, always fought out battles on far off, backwater planets that would be no good for anything else. Because we knew when and where we would fight, the battles never harmed our young and destroyed our cities. On these barren planets, Mab'ii'tang fought and won battle after battle. His skill and fearlessness became so great and so well-known, the Council granted Mab'ii'tang the title of general. Now he led armies into battle and when they were won, it was he who was responsible.
"Many years after his journey into the Otherworld, the war was nearly won. All of the rogue clans had been shattered and assimilated, all save for one. It was this last one that they were to fight today. Mab'ii'tang stood at the forefront of the wall of warriors. He was dressed in his finest armor. He had no speech for the Yautja. He did not need to raise their spirits. They were overjoyed simply to be fighting under such a decorated warrior. As they waited for the enemy to assemble, Mab'ii'tang turned his gaze upward, searching the sky. There. Nothing but the quickest flicker of fire, but it returned, fading in and out of existence. He thought he saw a figure at the centre of the mighty ball of flame, writhing and undulating in what was unmistakably a dance.
"Look there, my warriors! It is Kayana! She dances for us! For victory!" He thrust his spear into the air, pointing. It was truly Kayana, goddess of war, fire, strong, passionate emotions and dance. It was said that she danced in the sky when war threatened to strengthen the good and strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. Taking this knowledge into them, they charged.
"This enemy was different from the others. The army was larger than one would expect from one clan and whenever one warrior was cut down, another sprang into his place. Mab'ii'tang was indifferent to the fact. He was deep in the Mesh'in-ga, and fought like a demon. He faced a massive warrior, taller and broader then even he. Their weapons clashed and clanged together, over and over, and suddenly, the huge Yautja managed to slip through Mab'ii'tang's defenses. He roared in shock and pain as he was skewered, but his pain turned quickly to amusement. "You cannot kill me! I am immortal!" he bellowed fiercely, laughing. His attacker growled and twisted the spear deeper. Mab'ii'tang grimaced and gripped the weapon, trying to keep it from slicing in further as his opponent bore down. Immune to pain he was not. He realized with a start he was surrounded, not by his warriors, but by the enemy. They stood in a circle watching him. Beyond, the war still raged, seemingly indifferent to what was going on in its heart. Something was very wrong. All of a sudden, the huge Yautja thrust down, knocking Mab'ii'tang down. He started writhing, his armor changing, growing spikier, his mask melting away. Beneath the mask was a Yautja's face-with a Kainde Amedha's mouth and no mandibles. The hands clutching the spear shriveled and became a Kainde Amedha's. It was a demon. One of the Horde. It laughed, shaking dreadlocks that looked more like tentacles now. The enemies surrounding him changed, becoming the hideous monsters of the Horde. They parted and striding out came the Destroyer and the Avenger, arms linked. The alternate forms of Cetanu and Lil-ka. As the Avenger, Lil-ka was dressed in full armor, her muscles pronounced instead of as soft curves. Mab'ii'tang gaped in horror, struggling to his feet, hand held over the deep wound in his abdomen.
"What…? What is this?" he breathed.
"You thought you could defeat my consort." The Avenger hissed, her voice metallic and harsh, "You thought you could avoid us forever. You dared to enter our realms uninvited! You dared to demand eternal life from me! So, I gave it." She gestured. At once, the Horde closed in, the demons, hacking and clawing and tearing at Mab'ii'tang with a ferocity he had never seen before. He tried to fight, but within seconds, his weak defenses were overcome in a flurry of blades. Beyond the circle, the enemies that Mab'ii'tang's army had been fighting vanished. They froze in shock as their weapons swung through empty air. There was now almost total silence on the battlefield. A silence broken only by the agonized screams of Mab'ii'tang, their general, and by the thick, meaty thumps and squelches of flesh being cleaved. They stared at the ring of horrific nightmares, but did not dare to approach. A few younger, less knowledgeable warriors took a step or two nearer, but were halted by their comrades. They dared not interfere with divine justice.
"The demons drew back at another signal by the Avenger. In their centre was a piteous heap of hacked meat. Organs not meant to ever see daylight twitched and throbbed, leaking fluids. Viscera was strewn about the ground, muscles were pulled from the bone, sinews and tendons snapped, and the bones were splintered. What made the sight even more hideous was that everything was still alive. It still moved and felt. Mab'ii'tang could see the ruin of his body and tried to scream again in horror and pain, but all he could manage was a bubbling whimper.
The Avenger bent down, and whispered in her voice that was like steel knives rasping together, "You wished for immortality, so now you may enjoy the benefits of eternal life. The justice of the gods can never be escaped." She straightened. "We shall be along every few decades to make sure you do not heal together again." The Avenger and the Destroyer vanished. Kayana appeared in a rush of flame. She was incredibly beautiful, dressed only in a thin cloth top and loincloth. Her dreadlocks swung to her waist. She slunk over, smiling within her envelope of fire.
"I danced for victory." she said, "But not yours." She shrieked with laughter and danced before him, a wild, pounding thing. The fire grew brighter and brighter, until she could no longer be seen. "Come, my children! You may play with him again later!" The Horde vanished, called by their mother. They entered the ball of flame and vanished with her.
"Once the demons and the gods left. Mab'ii'tang's faithful warriors dared to step nearer. What they saw was butchered, living meat. They left Mab'ii'tang there, fleeing to their ships. That planet never had a Yautja set foot on it again. Even today, the foolish Yautja who dared to challenge the Black Warrior and the Mother lies there, wracked with the agony of his demolished body, terrified with the knowledge that no matter how quickly he heals, they will always return for him, to tear his body apart again. For all of eternity. Mab'ii'tang achieved immortality two ways. Physically and through our tales as a warning to mind the gods." Bakuub smiled, finishing her tale, enjoying the wide-eyed looks of the Youngbloods. She bowed and left, catching Matt's eye as she walked past him. He raised a brow at her. He remembered this tale well. It had given him nightmares for three nights after, imagining what it would be like to be torn apart again and again. He shivered. Even after what he had seen and done, it still gave him the willies, like a good horror movie. Matt really did wonder whether the tale was true and if Mab'ii'tang really did lie on an alien world.