Variks and Kakvis followed the House Blood and other Judgment members through the misty morning, along a rocky, muddy ridge a distance from the Kilsvus. The House of Waters had been letting ether flow from the ground near the ship for the last few days, and soon all Eliksni near the ship would be able to take off their masks and breat free-aired ether for the first time in a while. The ether that filled the Kilsvus smelled like metal and artificial filters; natural ether was a welcome scent after so long.
A House Winter member, nay, the very one that had offered to help with Variks' space illness, was with them, having collected samples of the original atmosphere from beyond the ether zone in two large canisters. Kakvis and the other warriors, six from House Blood, three others from House Judgment, had been offered to escort the Winter Eliksni, whose name was Haviks, in his research efforts. Variks had just been curious, for the sake of his recordings.
"What is this air made of?" he asked Haviks, who was traveling alongside him, carrying one canister under each lower arm.
"It is almost like ether." the Winter Eliksni informed. "It appears to have one, or two of same properties, but many different elements make it up as well. The average Eliksni would only survive for short time breathing this substance; is too light for our lungs to handle, there is not enough of the main ether element to sustain us."
Variks let out a thoughtful growl, typing it out on his pad. Fascinating!
"What of the strange, dark growths scouts keep finding?" he inquired further.
"Some sort of chitinous substance. Have not discerned the useful properties of it yet, nor the crystal-like growths that join it." Haviks answered shortly. Variks nodded, adding it to his record, growling softly to himself as his claws worked.
He stopped short upon slamming into Kakvis' back. With an indignant snarl, he scrambled back, glaring at his friend, before realizing all the other Eliksni had stopped dead as well. The warriors put their snouts to the sky, heads tipped to the side. Kakvis rested his lower hands on the hilts of his blades, and Variks sniffed the air and growls rose in the throats of all the Eliksni.
It smell like something dead was coming.
He screamed and Eliksni scream as dark creatures burst forth from world.
"Something dead is here!" he found himself screaming without thinking, and howls of rage and battle erupted all around him.
Kas looked down on the colossal ship that had landed on her home planet. It was at least as tall as the Tower, and at least that same size long, maybe even bigger. A series of symbols was placed in an arc on one side, and figures were moving around it like ants on a hill. From what she'd seen through her binoculars, they seemed to be bipedal, with... four arms? And four eyes. A bit spider-like, in her opinion.
There was no sign of hostilities so far. It had been four days since they'd first appeared now, and so far, there were no signs of the Hive reacting to them. Biding their time, probably. Learning how best to take them out...
She'd also found the source of the strange 'heavy air', as Alabaster called it, and his theory about them breathing it was looking more and more correct. It was coming from multiple vents in the ground near the ship, the vents being tended to by members of this strange race clad in dark blue and light purple.
That was another thing; the colors. Ones in light blue and gray, and ones in light salmon pink and gray, seemed to work as repaimen or scientists, from what she could see. the dark blue and purple ones tended the vents. Ones clad in varying shades of red, and occasionally a few clad in greens and whites, seemed to work as defense or law enforcement. She'd seen many other colors as well, and had made an endless string of theories regarding these adornments.
"Alright, Alabaster." she called him out, and he materialized in front of her. "it's almost time for you to-"
She was interrupted when he swiveled around suddenly with an alarmed whirr and click.
"What is it?" she asked.
"One of the teams I was monitoring; they just went dark, Kas! I think the Hive have finally made their move!" he exclaimed urgently, turning towards her.
"Where are they?" she demanded, standing, Light warming her hands.
"Half a mile west of here, on a ridge!" he told her. he disappeared into her armor as she ran in that direction, taking Nirwen's Mercy off of her back and feeling her Light boil in preparation for battle.
To say Variks was terrified would be an understatement as big as the home world's biggest mountain and largest-stretching sky. All Eliksni on the voyage had been trained at least briefly in how to use weapons. He'd just never thought he's have to draw a shock pistol and actually fire it at an enemy before.
But then the rotten, living, dark, dead creatures had descended on them, and he found himself suddenly fighting for his life. He screamed as he raked his lower claws down the face of a hideous, eyeless, withered and pale creature that had claws of equal ferocity, and then brought his pair of upper claws down on it's head, smashing it's skull open with raw, Eliksni strength.
He ran for cover behind a boulder with Haviks, who was still clinging to his canisters filled with the planet's original atmosphere. The House Winter Eliksni pointed his shock pistol at him fearfully as he came behind the boulder, but lowered it when he saw it was a fellow Eliksni joining him, and not one of the creatures that had attacked them.
"What in sky's name are these monsters!" the healer howled over the din of the fighting. Variks could hear Eliksni screeching and howling, Variks could hear the monsters screeching and howling, Variks could hear Eliksni dying, Variks could hear the monsters dying. He suddenly heard Kakvis scream with pain someplace close by, and he looked above the boulder, fear pounding through his veins and heart lurching when he saw one of the largest of the monsters pinning his friend to the ground with one foot, readying to bring it's dark-coated, jagged sword down on the House Judgment warrior. Variks screamed wordlessly as terror engulfed him.
And pure light slammed into the monster from above the ridge, knocking it off of Kakvis as it stumbled to the side in agony. Fire and light seemed to consume it, and it screamed ad it was dissolved into nothing but dust, it's bone-like armor clattering to the ground in it's place. Variks watched, stunned, as more of the pale, smaller, clawed beasts ran in to finish Kakvis off, but a scarlet-robed figure landed in front of the fallen Eliksni, and they struck their hand out, palm slamming into the nearest creature, fire running down their arm and engulfing the monster in flames.
Their very being seemed to radiate fire, and as more monsters converged on them, more monsters were lost to the flames. Several Eliksni were stopped dead in their tracks at the sight. Several continued fighting, defending their shocked-and-awed allies from the remaining beasts. Soon enough, the flames faded away from the figure's body, and they lifted a strange-looking gun, firing at the nearest monsters.
New confidence surging through the remaining Eliksni warriors at the arrival of their mysterious ally, the monsters were beginning to thin out. Variks let out a howl of rage and launched himself a the nearest pale monster, tackling it and stopping it short on it's run towards Kakvis who had recovered and was fighting back-to-back with the strange new figure. YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY HOUSEMATES! His very blood roared as he clawed and kicked at it mercilessly as they rolled along the ground.
He slammed his upper claws into it one more time, and looked up to see another sworded beast looming over Kakvis and the newcomer from a shadow he hadn't known was there. He howled a warning, and Kakvis looked up, before dodging in time to avoid what would have been a crushing blow from the monster's sword.
The newcomer, however was not so lucky. As the sword struck the ground next to them, they only looked in time for the beast to grab hold of their head, and slam them against a rock. Their helmet cracked and sparked as the monster raised it's blade to finish it off.
Kakvis leapt up onto it's back, and sank his shock blades into it's shoulders. It howled in agony, and the House Judgment warrior, holding on with his lower hands, ripped his blades out, and used them to remove the monster's head. it collapsed backwards, landing on the unfortunate Eliksni.
And with that, the battleground went silent. All the monsters were gone. Variks rushed forwards to help Kakvis struggle out from beneath the creature, and then turned his head towards the downed newcomer, who was stirring weakly. He looked at Kakvis. He had a cut on one shoulder, and looked battered and bruised, but not too seriously injured. His concern was drawn to the newcomer again when he realized they were making the most horrid of gasping noises.
With a worried rumble in his throat, he picked his way around the monster's body, and he and Kakvis crouched at it's side. The newcomer's sides were heaving, as if they were struggling to breath, and their helmet was cracked and ripped open, revealing strands of flame-colored fur beneath, and they were trying weakly to remove their helmet. Variks worked his claws beneath the edge of the helmet, and the newcomers hand's went limp as he pulled it off.
Their face was flat and elegant-looking, with a thin, fangless mouth, two now-closed eyes, and an outwards-sticking nose. What could have been flat, odd ears were on either side of their head, and flame-colored fur flowed from it's scalp and onto the ground. It's mouth gawked for air uselessly, and it's struggles were getting noticeably weaker. The pieces connected in Variks' head, and he realized with horror what was happening. The ether! It's choking on the ether!
"We must get it out of the ether zone, quickly!" he told Kakvis urgently. The other Eliksni caught on quickly, and, having gathered to see what was wrong, scrambled, some to warn the camp(presumably to tell them to snuff the ether vents), others to scout ahead as Kakvis picked up the creature in his lower arms and ran for the end of the ether zone. Variks followed after him, vaguely away of Haviks and someone else behind him.
They came to the edge of the zone, where the mist was slightly clearer, and several trees could be seen, and kept running a short ways before Kakvis set the creature down. Variks, panting, watch apprehensively from over the warrior's shoulder. The creature was ominously still, head lolling to the side, fur spread across the ground. Why isn't it breathing? He thought panicedly. We brought it out of the ether zone!
He let out a grinding sound of despair, sinking down next to Kakvis. Oh, skys and mountains; what have we just done!?
Haviks made his way over, setting down his canisters and crouching on the creature's other side, placing one lower hand on it's chest to check for a heartbeat, and tipping his head over it's face to listen for breathing. In an odd move, he tipped it's head fully to the side, and grabbed one of the canisters.
"What are you doing?" Kakvis questioned.
"Her heart is still beating, slowly; could try to... encourage breathing, with concentration of air." the Winter Eliksni explained, knocking the top off the cap, and letting the contents whistle out of it. He placed the rushing source of air next to the creature's mouth, rolling her onto her side. "Kakvis, stroke her back, upwards motions."
It was a technique used to help Eliksni that had drowned. This creature was considerably different, but what choice did they have? Anything to get her to breath again, Variks felt more and more rotten each moment he had to look at the motionless form in front of him.
"How do you know it is female?" Variks asked as Kakvis obeyed, pressing hard with each stroke.
"Chest structure. Also indicates race is mammalian." he explained simply, indicating the raised bumps on the creature's chest. It still wasn't breathing, and Variks felt like his own lungs were going to explode if she didn't start soon.
Suddenly, she let out a strangled cough and gasp. He felt Kakvis intense beside him, and felt like his own body might suddenly become the same consistency of water, as the new creature gasped for life. He let himself fall backwards with all four arm spread on the ground. Skies and mountains, we just made first contact!
Surprisingly, this was the least of his thoughts, considering he had, in the last few minutes alone, fought unknown combatants, witnessed the discovery of a new race, nearly became accessory to the death of a member of said race, and run halfway across the territory in a mad dash to save them. This... will make quite the entry in my recordings... after I sleep until I perish!
Meanwhile, Vekiliks was trying to figure out why he'd lost contact with Haviks' escort team. he wouldn't have to wait long to find out, as several House Blood and Judgment Eliksni came screaming down from beyond the camp.
"SNUFF THE ETHER! SNUFF THE ETHER! BY SKIES AND MOUNTAINS, SNUFF THE ETHER!" they were screaming. Every Eliksni present froze, before Vekiliks barked at the nearest House Waters members.
"Do not just stand there; do as they say!" he ordered, and the panting, battleworn-looking Eliksni approached. Oh, what in the dear skies of the home world have we gotten ourselves into now?
And here we have the First Contact of the Eliksni and the Human race... it wasn't a very organized or pleasant affair, because the Hive decided to show up and force it. Let me know what you thought it and the last chapter!
Still a review drought. Maybe if I threaten to stay gone a month or two it shalt loosen they tongues...
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