Author's Note: A big thank you to Drizzt for the kind reviews.


Goddess of the Hunt


Gabriel woke up to smell of steaming vegetables and frying zarok, the hiss of meat sizzling as it hit a hot skillet enough to rouse him from his half-slumber. He growled and stretched, wiping the saliva from his face and onto his pillow where he'd left a decent-sized drool spot. He dragged a pair of light brown cargo pants from the floor, a sleeveless black turtleneck slowly following. He sat on the edge of the bed, hungry, but not quite ready to move. The jingle of tags sounded from the hallway and he looked up expectantly. A pudgy chocolate lab poked its head around the corner, the ends of its muzzle speckled white. It looked at him with big amber eyes, a pink tongue lolling from its mouth. Gabriel gave two quick clicks and the dog waddled happily into his room, tail wagging as he licked and slobbered all over his hands.

"Hey, Jonesy," he rumbled, softly scratching behind his short, floppy ears. At the sound of his name Jonesy's tail wagged faster, Gabriel's garbled accent unnoticeable to the happy canine.

Sufficiently awakened, Gabriel shuffled into the kitchen, Jonesy happily leading the way. He found his dad busy stirring, flipping and spicing, humming a made up tune. He wore the pink frilly apron his mom had gotten him as a joke a few years ago. He'd accepted it in good humor and used it to occasionally embarrass her and Gabriel.

He settled into a chair, the wood creaking ominously under his weight. As Jonesy laid down on his foot he thought back to yesterday. Mr. Wan had not been pleased when Gabriel had told him he could find no trace of the zarok and the likelihood that someone had stolen them. He had not berated Mariana for tagging along with them but neither had he acknowledged his daughter. Gabriel had wanted to defend Mariana but it had not been his place and he'd never known Morgan Wan to be harsh.

He'd decided to finish his two-day leave by crashing at his parents' place in the main settlement. He'd slept through an entire Terran day, his father now prepping dinner. Everyone would start going to sleep a couple hours after midnight and would wake up sometime before the Navarran dawn.

"Oh, Jesus!"

Gabriel looked up to see his dad clutching his chest, chuckling in relief. "Gabriel, you need to stop being so quiet."

Gabriel smiled.

"Juaqin? Juaqin, did you burn yourself again?" his mother called from the laundry room. His dad just smiled and shook his head as he stirred in some salt and pepper to the vegetable stew.

"Juaqin— Gabriel!" his mother grinned and rushed over to him, hugging him and kissing him on his forehead. "How did you sleep?" she asked as she stepped back, looking him over. As a both a doctor and a mother, she had a way of seeing what was wrong with him even if he thought he was fine. The annoyance he'd felt at all of her probing questions during his teen years had worn away after he'd matured and moved to Ferguson's ranch. He understood why she worried. He hadn't been the easiest kid to raise.

"Slept hard."

"I'm surprise you're awake."

Gabriel shrugged. "Musta been dad's cooking."

"Your son about gave this old man a heart attack," his dad reminded everyone as he turned around and wiped his hands with a dishrag. His mom gave him an obliging sympathy kiss. Gabriel pretended to be grossed out, followed by a rumbling whine for food, Jonesy joining in.

After dinner, his mother pulled him aside into the clinic attached to their home, Gabriel stooping through the narrow passage carved into the orange stone. He hoisted himself on the cold metal examination table, patiently waiting for another check-up in the seemingly endless series of tests that had begun since the moment he was born.

Maira couldn't believe how fast he'd grown as she checked his breathing and blood pressure. The first few weeks of his life he'd had to fight starvation, her and Juaqin unable to find the correct nutrients to give him until they'd had a breakthrough. Lonma gave birth to live young and nursed them for several months. Like Gabriel, they were a strange fusion of reptile and mammal. He'd quickly taken to their milk. Within a couple of weeks, he'd grown fat, happy and loud.

She took a blood sample, feeding it to the computer, asking him basic questions while it processed the fluid. "How's your breathing been?"

"Fine," he rasped, wincing.

"Do you need any more medicine for your inhaler?" Despite her son's impressive physique and stamina, he'd always had problems breathing and Navarra's atmosphere, while nearly perfect for humans, exacerbated his condition to the point where Gabriel occasionally passed out if he didn't use a specially modified rebreather.

He shook his head.

"You've talked a lot the last few days?"

He nodded, rubbing his throat.

"Just give me basic answers in hand speak, okay?" she said, handing him one of several rebreathers they kept in stock for him.

He rumbled in acknowledgement and slipped it on, the mask sealing shut with a high-pitched hiss.

While they waited and she asked him questions, she had a sneaking suspicion that the blood test would reveal what she'd feared and suspected for the past couple of months. Despite Gabriel's generally relaxed attitude, there'd been a couple incidences she'd caught wind of while in town or talking to patients. The computer pinged, the results scrolling over her datapad. Maira's brow furrowed as she examined his hormone levels. "Gabriel, have you had trouble sleeping?"

He didn't look her in the eye, waving his hand in a so-so motion.

"Gabriel," she said, her tone carrying a harder edge to it. "I have the results right here. I know you don't want to admit that it's happening again, but this is something that you have to deal with. And if you won't talk to me or your father then you need to find someone you can trust."

Her son clicked, agitated, reaching for the glass slate. She gave it to him, wondering how bad it would be this time.

Ever since he'd begun to sexually mature at around 15 Terran years, he'd experience short bursts of increased aggression. Those periods had eventually stabilized as he entered into adulthood and his teenage hormones had slowly worn away. Her husband had theorized that the males of Gabriel's species may experience a rutting season. After a particularly disturbing incident in which Gabriel, barely 17, had knocked a grown man unconscious after he'd been shoved, she'd had to explain to Sheriff Brady not only her son's increased strength but his hormonal changes. Charges were dropped since Korwin Young had instigated the fight, but the bad blood between her son and that family had never really gone away.

Working on Isaak Ferguson's ranch helped channel his restlessness in more productive ways and kept him out of further trouble, although for reasons she could only speculate upon, Gabriel continued to come to Eladoro on an almost monthly basis and could be found drinking at the Outlaw Hideout. Despite her Catholic heritage, she did not approve of alcohol. She was probably the only adult Catholic that preferred grape juice to wine for light years. A chronically drunk father that only came around when he wanted something from her mother did not particularly inspire an open mind towards drinking, despite Juaqin's assurances that he made an excellent Cosmic Swirl.

Maira watched her son take in the results, sensing his frustration but unable to help him. She'd thought she'd prepared herself when he'd been young, but it was still painful to watch her son relive the knowledge that he could never be with others like himself, who understood and could help him understand what he was experiencing. He'd managed to make a few friends and even found a purpose amongst the people of Eladoro, but…

As Maira studied her son she had a feeling it wasn't enough for him.

He handed her back the datapad, gripped the edges of the surgical slab and said nothing.

She set it aside and gently peeled off the sensors she placed over his chest. "Hopefully now that you're fully grown you'll have more control. But if you have any problems, any kind at all, you can tell me and your father. We understand what you're feeling."

He growled in disagreement.

"Alright, not exactly how you feel, but most people experience strong sexual urges at some point in their life."

"Most people," he rumbled, a hard, raspy edge to his voice. "You mean humans."

"No one's forbidden you from—"

"They don't have to," he hissed. He tried to say more but all that came out was a harsh rattle and he gripped his throat in pain.

Maira grabbed a bottle of honey, gin and molasses from one of the metal cupboards. His hormone levels might be elevated but she knew the resentment her son carried ran deeper than the purely physical. It was an unspoken rule. Should Gabriel ever break that rule… then she'd lose him, either to the end of a shotgun, scientific corporation or government agency. She wondered if he'd been born with a more human face if he'd have been tolerated better.

He accepted the bottle and removed his mask for a moment, slowly gulping it down. The sweet, syrupy remedy numbed and soothed his throat. He'd talked too much the last couple days. If he didn't want laryngitis again, he'd need to stay silent for a while. Gabriel watched his mother after he handed her the empty glass. She was worried, obviously. He knew she was trying to help. He also knew she knew there was nothing she could do.

The Gabriel of 10 years ago wouldn't have understood. He'd hated his parents for saving him, hated the Eladorans for being afraid of him, and hated his breathing and speaking problems. But more than anything, he'd hated himself. He'd once destroyed every mirror in the house, the taunts of several older children ringing through his head. Squidhead. Pussyface. Monster.

Gabriel couldn't count the number of times he'd run away, sometimes disappearing into the wilds for days at a time, scavenging and roaring his frustration into the wind. Out there, amongst the predators and storms and endless horizon, he'd felt free to be himself.

But he couldn't outrun his demons forever and eventually they'd caught up to him one drunken, stormy night on the edge of town… Gabriel quickly buried the unpleasant memory. Not even his parents knew about what he'd almost done that night and he never wanted them to. He'd put them through enough. They deserved better kids. Their own kids. But without millions of credits that wasn't going to happen. His mom always said God sent him here because He knew she'd never be able to have children of her own. That's why she'd named him Gabriel.

When his mother turned around, he had two choices: he could either be growly and pissy, or he could suck it up, hug his mom and rub one off when he got back to the ranch. Gabriel stood and hugged his mom, her familiar maternal scent comforting for a brief moment. A quick hug for his dad and a belly rub for Jonesy and he set out, grabbing his pack he'd dropped at the door after stumbling in around sunset.

He ignored the stares as he descended the stone steps leading to the wide dirt street below, his hovercycle parked to the side. The locks to the storage compartments hugging the rear of his vehicle snapped open as he inspected the insides to make sure the eggs were still fresh, wisps of cold air escaping. Gabriel decided to stop by the trade manager's house before he left the settlement for the ranch. The trade ships were due in a couple weeks and he needed to cut a deal with Ephrim Chandler before he had to disappear until the outsiders were gone.

\\'/

Across the eastern ocean, a sleek aircraft slowly wound its way through the Magnesian Mountains, the teal leaves of the mossy tanum trees tinged mauve and blush orange along the highest peaks, the first sign that autumn was about to begin. Crystal falls poured from the base of the mountains into the deep canyon below, the river feeding the verdant Pelion Valley to the south. The craft descended as the high mountains gave way to rolling hills and thick forests, banking sharply towards a clearing. The high grasses rippled and bowed as the ship came to a quiet landing beside another craft already parked, the thrusters hissing hot air as they fought to keep the craft aloft. As soon as the landing gear touched the earth, the engines cut off, the silence of the forest enveloping the meadow.

The ship's doors whirred as they slid open, Parak Bakshi slowly lowering himself down into the tall grass, muttering in exasperation as he checked his surroundings and tightened the straps of his backpack. Tai Xu followed, nimbly climbing down and bouncing away from the craft, a leather satchel strapped across her chest. She pushed her bangs out her eye, the stubborn strands of hair falling right back into place as she looked around, her long, ebony braid whipping behind her. "Ready?" she asked, a hand on her cocked hip as she watched Parak clean his glasses. He grunted, grabbing his floppy khaki fishing hat and slipping it on his partially bald head, his white hair peeking out from the sides. "Ms. Xu, a scientist is always ready," he replied in his lilting English accent.

"Good. Then I'd better not hear any complaints."

Parak watched the short young woman march straight for the shaded path disappearing into the forest, her steps confident and quick. He sighed, hitching his pack and following after, his knees and shoulders already complaining. "I just don't see why they couldn't have sent someone younger or the police. I'm a geologist for goodness sake…"

Tai ignored her companion's grousing. It had actually been Parak who'd insisted on checking on their colleagues. It had almost been one Terran week since anyone had heard from them.

The director had said it was probably a communicator malfunction. All they had to do was drop off the new equipment stored in Parak's pack. Tai had wanted to roll her eyes, but as the youngest and newest researcher to set foot on Navarra she was only allowed to nod and give her professional opinion when asked. Which was rarely. She had a mountain of research, anecdotal accounts and data to organize, but Director Hamilton hadn't even bothered to ask if she was too busy to drop everything and go wandering in the woods for a few hours.

She looked back, watching Parak huff and puff his way up the hill, glad he couldn't hear her selfish thoughts. Parak was worried. Javeed may not have followed protocol to the letter while on expeditions in the field, he'd said, but his friend would still always call. And Diana was meticulous in her notes and documentation.

She liked Javeed and Diana and hoped they were okay. But her being sent here was political. She was barely 32 and related to one of Nebular Enterprises' directors. It didn't matter that she had the qualifications – to some people she was an inexperienced freeloader.

An insect buzzed around her head and she swatted it away. She needed to concentrate. Tai squeezed her eyes shut for three seconds, popping them open and blinking rapidly as colors and data streamed across her vision. Temperature, altitude, cardinal directions and a yellow line leading through the trees emerged, several tabs falling into place on the left side of her vision. Burrows tended to blend in with their environments since they were built underground. She'd once walked right past an entrance and hadn't realized her mistake until one of her colleagues had called out to her. Nature had never really been her focus. People were what interested her. She was the only anthropologist on the entire planet. She often went to study the blossoming cultures centered around Derrigan and Eladoro, as well as, unbeknownst to her fellow researchers, Tau Sigma IV.

After a half klick, the pair found the research burrow nestled at the base of a large hill. From there, several paths led to various campsites. Diana and Javeed had ventured out to the furthest site – over two klicks away – to study the hibernation habits of several large mammal-like species. They'd been out there for at least two Terran weeks.

Tai was about to approach the scanner when one of Parak's leathery hands stopped her. "Ms. Xu, I think it better if I go first. "

She smiled. "You don't think pirates are going to jump out do you?" she teased.

"No dear girl. Pirates are only interested in money. I'm worried about slavers," he said grim faced as he approached the door.

Her smile fell away as she recalled the tales of slavers raiding distant settlements and the crowded urban streets ruled by gang lords of the inner worlds. Because of the distance between systems and exploding human population, slavery was becoming harder and harder to stamp out.

Lasers scanned Parak's tan face, the door hissing open. Tai followed him inside when he gave the all clear. The interior lights flickered on and an A.I. greeted them. They checked all the rooms, Tai noting that nothing had been disturbed as she fingered some of Diana's notes about the anatomy of yellow-gilled fish. She found Parak in the common area, stroking his white beard and mustache. "It doesn't make sense…" he mused.

"Hm?" Tai asked.

"Even if the mobile communicator was broken, they could still come here or use the ship to contact Tau Sigma."

She had no answer for him and they left the burrow in silence, Parak taking the lead as they headed down the trail to Javeed and Diana's last known location. The trees soon became tall and thick, their branches entangling to form bridge-like masses. The matted knots of wood and leaves left the world in a grey twilight, golden pricks of light sprinkling the earth, mushrooms huddling up around the gnarled roots splayed along the barren ground. Tai shivered as the temperature dropped, her eyes darting to the distant shadows, any one of which could hide a dire cat. She switched to infrared, scanning behind them to make sure they weren't being followed. The dark forest slowly gave way, the rushing roar of the Pelion River a welcomed sound after the eerie silence of the Tangled Forest.

Tangle trees had created a natural bridge over the water and Tai was amazed at how solid and sturdy their roots felt beneath her feet. She stopped to look down at the water, roiling and gushing as it washed over large boulders and driftwood. Farther down, a red-striped ikuda with spiraling horns watched her from the edge of the sandy river bank, his ears and long-haired tail twitching as it sniffed the air. The creature flinched and darted into the woods at the sound of Parak's cry and Tai jerked around in time to see him stumble back, shouting something in Hindi. Her feet pounded the bridge as she ran towards him, nearly tripping as she grappled for the stun gun on her belt. I need to get a real gun, she thought as she closed in on the geologist. "Parak! Parak, what's wrong?!"

The old geologist was trembling from head to toe and refused to answer or look at her, his terrified eyes locked on something. She glanced around the outpost, searching for what he'd seen. Then she saw the body.

Shock ripped through her and she jerked her eyes away, her hand clamped over her mouth as she began to retch. Tai took several deep breaths and turned back around, slowly approaching what was left of Dr. Diana Polouektov.

Insects hummed and swirled around the body and bloody pile of internal organs lying on the ground beneath it. The glistening red corpse was hung at the edge of the camp, a silver chain running from her ankles to a tree limb above. Not a shred of skin was left. Insects had burrowed into her soft decaying flesh, slithering under her muscles and crawling from her eye sockets into her gaping jaws. The putrid smell was nauseating. Numbly, Tai recorded the scene with her eye lenses.

The kill was fresh. There were dozens of pre-mortem lacerations on the body's arms and legs. Diana had been tortured and bled before she was killed.

A cold fear began to grip Tai as she listened to Parak call out for Javeed, his voice echoing throughout the forest. They needed to get away. Now. Her hands shook as she pulled out her comm, desperately trying to patch into the Tau Sigma network, the image of Diana's maggot-filled eyes staring at her stuck in her head. Come on, come on. Work! No signal.

Shit. This was not good. Tai looked around for her companion. They needed his pack to call Tau Sigma. The forest was strangely quiet and she suddenly realized she couldn't hear him anymore. "Parak?" she called out. "Parak?!"

She took a step towards the woods, and then glanced back at Diana's corpse. A mark that had been carved into her sternum stood out from the other cuts, the cluster of slashes reminding her of a mangled kanji character. Whether they were the mad scribblings of a deranged murderer or a warning, Tai didn't care at this point. Something had killed Diana and Javeed and maybe even Parak. Something evil.

She fumbled for her back-up data carrier, pulling out a crystal dragon. Her eyes flickered as if she were dreaming, the world forgotten as she concentrated on moving the video file to the data drive in her trembling hand. The crystalline figure flared blue when the transfer was complete.

Tai didn't wait for Parak to show up. He had a comm. If he was lost, he could call for help. The gloom of the Tangled Forest closed in around her, the woods eerily bereft of bird song. She hurried forward, her heart thundering in her chest. Through the gloom she saw something flash in the darkness and she slowed, squinting.

Tai never felt the silver-bladed shuriken rip through her throat and spinal column, the crystal dragon falling from her hand as her body and head thudded to the ground. From the darkness, a hulking shadow emerged, its eyes flashing yellow before it disappeared.

The next day, the planetary police searched for the four missing scientists. After three days, the search was called off, authorities blaming a large pack of foxwolves that roamed the area as the most likely culprits. Despite protests from Tau Sigma IV, the pack was hunted down and killed.


Author's Note: Dun dun duuun. And so it begins. Let me know what you think in the comment box below!