Ten

"I didn't expect to see someone this far out. I expected to run into a visitor seeking the Illmorein as usual, but nothing quite like yourself, of course."

Luar'ka was momentarily speechless, flexing her wings in and out in thought. She tilted her head curiously, "The...Illmorein?" she asked. The girl giggled, "You tilt your head, too. The Yautja do it and it always looks so amusing. It's actually kind of cute, in a way."

Luar'ka's eyes widened, "You know about them?"

"Yes. They come here on occasion. I've spoken with them before. I saw one of their ships coming in to land before it cloaked. I'm going to guess you're with them."

Luar'ka shook her head, "Wait, who are you?"

Instead of answering, the girl crept closer to her, frowning as she inspected Luar'ka from a distance. Luar'ka examined her as well. She was tall and thin, humanoid in appearance, which struck her as odd. But there were far odder qualities that needed to be mentioned. The girl had strange hair, long and pearly, but not quite like hair. It almost resembled tendrils like those the Yautja possessed, but these were somehow...different. It grew long and thin from the base of her skull all the way to the top of her forehead and she had those strands pulled back behind her with ribbon of some kind, out of her eyes. Luar'ka almost felt a sort of energy radiating from her hair. Long, feather-like appendages extended from the crown of her head in a single row on all sides, tipped in turquoise. Her skin, compared to her off-white hair, was stark white in appearance, which contrasted with her wide, almost perfectly circular dark blue eyes. As she studied them, Luar'ka was amazed to see that her eyes actually sparkled like black jewels, resembling a clear, starry night sky in appearance with no visible white to be seen behind them. She was exceedingly lank and quite tall. Her thin arms weren't exactly gaunt, but they were insubstantial in appearance and she only had three fingers and a thumb as opposed to Luar'ka's own five fingers. Her fingers were as thin as the rest of her body and her legs matched, balanced on small feet also containing only four digits. She stood delicately, seeming to barely touch the ground at all, as if she were weightless. She wore a simple tan-colored tunic with a split that ran up to her lower thigh and wide bell sleeves that stopped at her elbows. Around her neck, she wore a gleaming green gem of some kind, cut into the shape of a spiral and strung on a simple silver chain. Altogether, she presented such an apparition of a sight that Luar'ka was sure she'd never seen anything like her.

"Well, I've never seen anything like you, either." The girl quipped suddenly. Luar'ka snapped her head up, eyes wide, "How...what...how did you know what I was thinking?!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry. I'm telepathic. We all are."

" Wait a second, 'we'?"

"Yes. The Illmorein. I told you, remember?"

"I don't know what that is. I'm sorry." Luar'ka said quietly.

"I didn't expect you to. Except for a handful of other cultures, and the Yautja of course, no one really knows about us. It's to keep us safe."

"Huh...," Luar'ka mumbled, "I see."

The girl circled around her, smiling a pleasant, albeit lip-less smile, "And that's why I assumed you were with the Yautja. A creature as exotic as you? Surely they'd have something like you aboard."

"First off, can I ask you a question? Just who are you, exactly?" Luar'ka asked while backing up, not used to speaking to someone who seemed interested in replying, let alone understood what she said. The girl laughed, "Sorry. My name is S'iirai. I received the name during my melding ceremony so I don't remember the name I was given at birth. Though if I may be honest, I feel like this name suits me better, anyway. And you are?"

"Uh...Luar'ka."

"That sounds like a Yautjan name. It even has a click to it. Which clan are you with? The To'r'khe, the Sev'kai, or the Ki'vai?"

Luar'ka's confused expression must have clued S'iirai into the fact that she was only muddling her thoughts with these questions. She frowned, "You...don't know what clan you belong to?"

"Well," Luar'ka mumbled, struggling to figure out how to explain it, "I didn't even know there were clans until now. I've only been with them for about eight days."

"Huh?" S'iirai exclaimed, taken aback. Luar'ka sighed, "I...I was abandoned my by family about a month ago. My wings are...too small..." she mumbled, her voice barely audible as she turned to the side, stretching her wings out weakly, "My clan was already dying. I guess I wasn't helping..."

"How old are you?" S'iirai asked, her tone mellow.

"I'm eight years old. I should have been flying by now. I was too weak to be of use to them so..." she trailed off, uncomfortable with the memories she was currently working hard to banish. She was aware of S'iirai staring at her, shifting to better see her face. The Illmoreinan could sense the turmoil brewing in the winged girl's mind, to say nothing of the pained look on her face. She frowned, "Hey, you came from the lake, didn't you?"

Luar'ka looked up, "...Uh, yes...Kar'kha ordered me to wait there for him. He's off hunting, I think..."

S'iirai took her hand, "Well, we wouldn't want to get you in trouble, would we?" she said, leading Luar'ka back toward the lake. The winged girl followed mindlessly, still astounded by the presence of another girl close to her age on this planet so, so very far away from Earth. While they walked, S'iirai maintained pleasant smalltalk; "So which planet do you come from?" she asked, her voice cheerful.

"Earth. The rest of my clan lives there." Luar'ka answered.

"I see. I've heard about Earth, though the Yautja refer to it as N'-ithya. But I've never gotten the chance to visit there. Is it anything like Illmianyar?"

Luar'ka looked around, her dark eyes scanning the overgrown foliage around them. The ground was soft beneath her clawed feet, the soil rich and silken. The trees were taller and wider than any she'd ever seen before on Earth. She'd never seen this much green growth in one location before. She sighed sadly, "No. It isn't. It's coarse, it's hot, it's sandy, and it's unbearable. The heat doesn't bother me so much, which I guess is good considering how hot Kar'kha and the others keep the ship, but the lack of food was killing us."

S'iirai nodded, "It must have been hard. But you're in good hands now with the Yautja. They may be brash and more or less terrifying, but they're resourceful."

Luar'ka's eyes narrowed as they returned to the white sands of the lake and S'iirai moved ahead of her to dig her feet down into it with a contented sigh. She glanced back toward the girl and motioned her forward, "It's all right. This lake is perfectly safe."

"Hey," Luar'ka mumbled as she drew nearer, "How is it that you know of the Yautja? They're not from this world, are they?"

S'iirai pulled her feet from the warm sand and knelt down, beginning to dig, "Well, first you should know that my people are allies with them," she explained, "The Illmorein were once nomadic, and now have settled on Illmianyar. The name means 'Green Home'. I wasn't around to see it, but our original home was more or less destroyed."

"By what?" Luar'ka asked, joining her in digging. The sand felt even softer and silkier on her tiny hands and her claws slipped through the fine grains easily.

"The Sert'truuc." S'iirai said plainly.

"The what?"

"They're a race of insectoid, sentient beings. They're actually somewhat similar to the Yautja, but far less humanoid and more monstrous if you can believe it. They're always hunting my people. We're more or less safe on this planet, and we have allied pockets of humans who have done much for us over the years. But our alliance with the Yautja is our best kept and most necessary secret."

She paused in her digging, staring out over the lake and the sun high in the sky, glinting off the water's rippling surface. Luar'ka watched her calmly, her wings twitching in the delicate breeze wafting through, something she'd missed greatly in the stuffy confines of the ship and it's pressurized air supply. She watched in amazement as S'iirai's tendril-like hair began to twist and float of its own accord, rising into the air and twisting into a tight twist behind her, knotting itself at the base to secure the hold. The older girl watched Luar'ka from the corner of her eyes and giggled, "Surprise!" she said, "I'll bet you thought this was just hair, didn't you?"

"Uh..."

"These strands are as much a part of my body as my hands. I can use them to detect the slightest vibrations in the air around me and even produce electric currents in self defense. Static flows through my body and funnels through the strands. It's not powerful, but it's enough to stun an attacker of variable size and weight if I'm attacked. The only drawback is I have a tendency to shock people who touch me." she said, giggling sheepishly.

"Can you all do that?" Luar'ka asked in amazement. S'iirai shook her head, "No. We're all different. For instance, my mother and several others in the settlement can detect and heal diseases and injuries. My brother is different; he funnels energy in just as we do, but he can expel it in the form of kinetic force, allowing him to manipulate objects from a distance. This is how my mother and all my sisters vary from him and many of the others. They have extra sensitive tresses that allow them to sense things others cannot. They make wonderful healers."

"How do you all do this?"

S'iirai turned fully and fondled the green gem hanging at her chest, "When an Illmorein reaches age ten, he or she is put through the melding ceremony, or the du'rach mann'yier to determine their station in life. They are placed in the center of a circle of different gems and precious stones, each one in a raw, natural state, unpolished and undisturbed. They are to choose the stone that calls to them. It can take hours for a stone to reach out to its life partner, but mine took a very short time indeed. This stone chose me and the second I touched it, it took the form of a spiral and fused with me."

Luar'ka looked dubious, "A...rock chose you?"

"It may seem like an ordinary stone to you, but they're as alive as we are. We listen to their voices. And it is forbidden for an Illmorein to touch another's life stone. The only exception is during the ceremony to bond mated couples together."

" I see. So each stone possesses different energy."

"Exactly."

Luar'ka sighed, sitting back and folding her wings down, "I never imagined there would be so much else outside of the sky," she mumbled, "And this is probably just the surface, isn't it?"

"It is. If you stay with the Yautja, you'll see far more inspiring and dangerous things, I promise you. The universe is vast."

"So it seems. But if it weren't for the Yautja dragging me into this universe, I would've definitely died back on Earth."

"You know the Yautja are hunters, right?" S'iirai asked, facing her seriously. Luar'ka nodded, "Yes, I do. Kar'kha actually wanted my head when we met. He spent almost a day stalking me. What does that have to do with your alliance?"

"The Illmorein make up an extremely scant group of creatures the Yautja don't hunt. To many, it would seem odd that they would willingly spare us and occasionally even protect us, but actually, this arrangement makes perfect sense. In a way, we have just as much to thank the Sert'truuc for as we do to despise them."

"You're not making any sense." Luar'ka grumbled in exasperation. S'iirai giggled and rolled her eyes, "Simple. The Illmorein don't make good prey for the Yautja. They want challenging targets, prey that will push them to their absolute limits, even to death if necessary. We don't like to fight if we can help it. We only have one weapon on our entire planet, and it's a self-destructive weapon meant to be used as a last resort if we're cornered in space. On top of being too timid in spirit, we're relatively weak in body, so we'd also make a poor slave race for them. Oh, they didn't tell you about that?" S'iirai asked at the dumbfounded and slightly horrified look on Luar'ka's face at the mention of the Yautja taking slave races. She sighed, "Honestly, you'd think they'd think about these things," she groaned, "Anyway, despite all of this, we are good for a few things. We're well connected in the universal affairs with other sentient nations, including humans. And also, there's the Sert'truuc, which do make excellent targets for the Yautja. So they come to Illmianyar periodically seeking information on the state of affairs in the galaxy, and they're provided with challenging prey in the Sert'truuc, thereby inadvertently protecting us as a side bonus. It's a bit unconventional, certainly, and the Eld'rin weren't happy with the arrangement at first, so I hear. But they're ever tolerant of changes for the good of the people."

"How do you know all of this?" Luar'ka questioned, pouring handfuls of sand out onto the ground.

"I'm in training as a delegate for the Illmorein, in order to better handle the alliances we have. It's also my job to discuss any new arrangements with the other delegates and with the Eld'rin before going forward with them."

"I see...so that's what they came here for. I think they're looking for something here, S'iirai. They came without alerting anyone to their presence. What little I caught seemed to suggest they didn't want to be seen."

S'iirai raised an eyebrow, "You're quite intelligent, Luar'ka. I'm impressed."

"Uh...thank you, I guess."

"So, you're with them now, huh? How do you like them? Asking from personal curiosity of course, since I myself don't mind them, but most of the others do. The scent of blood they constantly carry with them can be a bit off-putting."

Luar'ka jolted a bit, but she relaxed, her wings sagging at her back, "I...I like them all right. I mean, I don't know them all that well yet. Kar'kha takes care of me and Ikthya'de is nice to me...Thwei'ja...he's a little scary. And I haven't met the last one yet, but I've seen him."

"I know Thwei'ja," S'iirai said with a knowing smile, "He is a little scary, isn't he? But he's very old. I've heard he's somewhere close to six hundred years old. He's very cordial with me whenever we talk, but I think he might have trust issues. His civil treatment toward me took a while to attain."

Luar'ka chuckled at this, remembering how Thwei'ja had roared at her when she last escaped from the storeroom. S'iirai smiled, "I knew I could get you to smile. You'll need to learn to do that more often, you know. Having a healthy sense of humor is a must while traveling through space, and I can't imagine living with the Yautja is good for the blood pressure."

"The what?"

"Never mind," S'iirai chuckled, "As for them, I would imagine they're probably here hunting the Sert'truuc. A few rogue scouts have been sighted recently and they most likely heard about it through the universal grapevine. Maybe they're here for another hunt. Ah! That could explain why they didn't announce their presence to us!" she exclaimed, beaming.

"Yeah. I guess it explains why Kar'kha left me here." Luar'ka mumbled, looking out over the lake, its peaceful waters entirely calm in the afternoon sun.

"We're pretty far from the settlement. I don't usually wander out this far, but I'm glad I did." S'iirai said, "It isn't often I get to meet otherworldly creatures who don't try to kill me."

"And you're the first one my age I've met who doesn't have feathers." Luar'ka pointed out, smirking.

For the first time since leaving Earth, Luar'ka felt a little more at ease. Maybe it was the peaceful scenery around the lake, which she learned from S'iirai was called Shiinyi, or 'Star Lake', or maybe it was conversing with someone her own age and gender for a change. She hadn't been lying; she did genuinely like the Yautja she traveled with, but she felt so content talking with S'iirai that she almost wished she could stay on Illmianyar for a couple of days. Within a few scant hours, S'iirai had gleaned all of Luar'ka's life story, including her abandonment, her three weeks surviving in the wilds of the Darkling Wood, how Kar'kha had saved her twice from hard meats, and how she'd ultimately fought for her life against him. In return, S'iirai told her her own tale of her life, of her melding ceremony three years prior and her introduction into the life of diplomacy dealing with the Yautja and other races who sought them for information and valuable goods they created. As a highly peaceful race, the Illmorein were sort of oddballs throughout the galaxy for showing such an interest in other races. S'iirai explained that it was due to their telepathy that enabled them to coexist so peacefully with themselves and to attempt the same with others. She was learning to use her abilities to calm strife during meetings with such other races.

"That's incredible," she breathed, "You're so accomplished already."

"It's not so much 'accomplishment' as it is just pure luck, Luar'ka. I had a lot of help." S'iirai mumbled apologetically, "You seem down. Is it because of your wings?"

"Would you stop reading my mind?" Luar'ka snapped, baring her teeth. S'iirai chuckled, "I'm sorry. It's a natural reflex. Maybe your wings will grow, Luar'ka. They probably just need proper stimulation, that's all."

Luar'ka dared to look even a little hopeful, "Well...to be fair, I never have gotten much chance to test them in the past." she admitted, gazing off to the side, her eyes dazed. S'iirai smiled, "Then this is perfect. Illmianyar, from what I understand, has an atmosphere almost identical to that of Earth. It's also in the routes of regular hunting grounds for the Yautja. They usually land here to rest while on extended hunting trips. I'm sure you'll be coming here regularly. Well, I hope so, anyway. You can practice here."

"I've been climbing the steam pipes in the storeroom where I've been staying on the ship." Luar'ka pointed out, "The room is big enough that I could practice gliding, I guess..."

She was hesitant to be hopeful, her entire life having been spent hearing the clan elders drill into her head the fact that she would never fly. It was hard to overcome mental obstacles like that. But her very genetic makeup screamed at her to look to the skies, to taste the clouds and burst through the atmosphere at lightning speeds on wings built to take the pressure of the wind.

"You're with creatures now who will force you to try," S'iirai said firmly, "I don't know what you left behind, but whatever you're heading towards is different. The Yautja won't allow you to quit. You'll meet their expectations or die trying."

"Are all the Illmorein like you?" Luar'ka asked in amazement. S'iirai chuckled, "Not at all. I'm one of a kind." she said, smiling impishly.

Luar'ka smirked and tossed a handful of sand at her. S'iirai chuckled and turned to stare out over the water, "I shouldn't be this far from the settlement, honestly. I rarely come out this far, but I caught a brief glimpse of the Yautja's ship before it cloaked and my curiosity got the better of me."

Luar'ka groaned, "Thwei'ja is going to be mad when he finds out Kar'kha left me here. Wait...no he won't; what am I saying?"

"Try not to let it bother you too much. Thwei'ja is just a bit of a rock; he'll come around."

Luar'ka grumbled angrily and stretched her wings, "Sure, whatever."

They both jumped at a deep roar reverberating through the trees, scattering birds into the air and practically shaking the ground. S'iirai huffed in surprise, her eyes wide, "That was a loud one. It sounded close, too. One of yours?" she asked her.

"I...I don't know. That didn't sound like any of the Yautja I'm acquainted with." Luar'ka mumbled, "It can't be Kar'kha; I know his. And Ikthya'de went in the opposite direction. The other one is still aboard the ship so..."

S'iirai frowned, "Maybe Thwei'ja?"

To her surprise, Luar'ka shook her head, "No, I can tell it wasn't him either. I...I don't know this one."

Another ground-shaking roar, this one even closer than before. Both girls tensed, staring back into the trees behind them as if expecting something to come barreling through the thick vegetation and onto the stark white sand of the lake shore.

S'iirai's eyes narrowed and she stood up slowly, "I think we'd better hide, then." she said calmly, though the sharp edge in her voice couldn't be missed. Luar'ka rose to stand beside her, her eyes focused unblinking on the forest. The two moved back and to the side, heading for a large fallen tree molding slowly on the sands several meters away. Luar'ka flexed her wings and claws, baring her teeth as the unmistakable sound of footsteps drew nearer to their position. They were moving quickly.

"Are there any large creatures on this planet, S'iirai?" she whispered, glancing sidelong at her friend. She didn't dare remove her gaze from the trees for long. S'iirai shook her head; "No, not that I'm aware of. This planet mostly consists of large herbivores like us, but nothing much else."

"What about another Yautja clan?"

S'iirai considered this, "It's not out of the realm of possibility, I suppose. There are plenty of clans in the area of our solar system. But most of them know better than to attack us...unless it's—"

They both jumped as a third roar ripped through the trees, this one just as powerful and even closer than the first two. At the same time, several smaller trees shook wildly along the path leading to the sand at the same time as a small herd of quadrupedal animals of some kind leaped out of the forest and onto the sands, bleating in terror as they fled from their pursuer. Luar'ka caught a brief glimpse of them; they looked like Earthen deer, but had long, flexible spines running down the lengths of their backs, ending in whip-like tails that lashed the air as they sped across the shores of the lake.

Something enormous burst out of the foliage onto the shore and the girls recognized it easily as Yautja. Luar'ka waited to relax though, as she caught sight of S'iirai's darkening face and realized something was wrong. They hadn't yet made it to the sheltered hiding place of the fallen tree and were standing within plain sight of the creature if it turned to see them. S'iirai scowled when she saw the long, jagged blade it carried dripping with bright green fluid, "That's their blood...," she whispered, "It's been attacking its own kind."

Luar'ka felt her breath catch when she realized that Kar'kha and the others were still in the area, and she recalled hearing Kar'kha's roar not that long after he'd left her. She whirled as the newcomer suddenly turned, catching sight of the two juvenile females standing several meters away on the sand. He had no mask, revealing his face entirely as he stretched his mandibles in an enraged bellow at them. His armor was dented and broken in chunks across his shoulders and chest and he was missing a shin guard. He had a ragged, open wound running down the length of his abdomen, bleeding profusely down his front and dripping bright, neon blood onto the sand. The netting covering his body hung in pathetic scraps across his torso and arms, practically useless in every conceivable way. It didn't seem to bother him, though, as he tossed his head, snarling viciously at the two of them.

"Run..." S'iirai muttered, grabbing Luar'ka's arm and turning, "Bad Blood! Run! Run!"

Luar'ka didn't need to be told twice as she and S'iirai whirled and bolted toward the treeline at the other side of the beach they stood on, vaulting easily over the fallen tree and listening as the crazed Yautja behind them gave chase. Luar'ka heard a sharp whizzing sound and hurled herself to the side as something sharp and fast rocketed past her, slicing into the sand with a spine-tingling shhhink! Thinking fast, she lashed her arm out and snatched up the throwing disk as she dashed past it. Her three-toed feet enabled her to run easily and nearly uninhibited on the soft sand before her, but she could see that S'iirai was having difficulty and beginning to lag behind. Out of desperation, she twisted her body around, scratching for a foothold as she lashed her arm to the side, hurling the sharp-edged disk at their attacker. Its mark was off, but the gesture was enough to startle the creature into losing its footing in the soft sand, staggering briefly and opening a brief window for the girls.

"Into the trees!" Luar'ka gasped, shoving her friend to the side and yanking her toward the cover and presumed safety of the treeline. Just in time, as their pursuer bore down on them viciously, jabbing his wicked spear tip into the sand just a few feet behind Luar'ka as she and her friend jinked out of his range with a few precious seconds to spare. Luar'ka scrambled up the trunk of a tree while S'iirai ducked into its thick roots, crawling down into a narrow hole beneath it filled with loose plant roots and soft soil. She screamed as the Bad Blood jabbed his spear down into the hole, missing her by mere inches as the spear tip lodged itself into the soft underside of the tree. He snarled in fury as he yanked the spear out and drew back to try again.

A sharp shriek echoed close by and she watched as Luar'ka suddenly launched herself out of the tree and onto the neck of the killer Yautja, digging her claws into the corded muscles of his neck and raising herself up to rake her foot claws across his uncovered back. He howled in pain and fury, whirling around to try to grab her as she continued to slash relentlessly at him, sending his bright green blood splattering across the ground and rocks below. His mandibles stretched wide in an enraged snarl as he reached back and managed to snag a fierce hold on the back of her tunic, trying to rip her off of his back. She dug her claws deeper into his flesh and he succeeded only in tearing off a large chunk of her tunic as she disengaged one of her hands and reached up to grasp at one of his mandibles, now blindingly scratching and slashing at him, desperately trying to find his eyes. There was a sharp crack as Luar'ka managed to grab his mandible in the same instant he went to close them, the resulting force causing the one she held to snap backward, broken. He bellowed a deafening combination of a roar of fury and a trill of anguished pain and his eyes flashed in anger. Extending his mandibles again, he opened his mouth wide and caught her hand within his dagger-like teeth, causing Luar'ka to shriek in pain, her grip on his neck loosening. He took this opportunity to back up quickly, throwing her off balance and enabling him to grab her neck, hurling her down to the forest floor in a heap on the ground. He was on her before she could right herself, jabbing his knee against her abdomen and grabbing her neck. She opened her eyes in alarm as he extended those vicious wrist blades from his gauntlet and her mind flashed back to the skulls Kar'kha wore on his armor plates. She felt an agonizing pressure on her neck as he began to tug and simultaneously lowered the blades to her neck so that she felt the sharp edges beginning to pierce her skin. On reflex, she opened her mouth and let out an ear-piercing cry that seemed to explode in all directions, racing through the trees and continuing to rise, higher and higher the longer she kept it up. It was enough to even make the killer Yautja pinning her down pause and shake his head in discomfort, snarling his displeasure at her actions as he dug his talons into her neck, cutting off her trachea and the cry along with it. Before he could continue, she heard him snarl his anger again, this time as S'iirai leaped out of her hiding place and barreled into him from the side with surprising force, tumbling into the ferns and righting herself with amazing grace and fluid movements. The Yautja hissed viciously at her and aimed his plasma-caster at her, firing off several shots in tandem as she quickly ducked and swerved out of their way, the shots smashing into trees and rocks and missing the swift Illmoreinan easily. She bounded toward his other side, temporarily out of range of the weapon and forcing him to stand in order to continue firing at her. This lapse in concentration allowed Luar'ka to break free of his loosened hold, raising her head and sinking her teeth into his thigh that still pinned her down. He snarled in fury at the dual attack that was proving surprisingly effective, wrenching his leg out of her grip and swiping his fist at Luar'ka's head, sending her flying into the underbrush. She collapsed in a heap there, stunned from the blow and vaguely feeling the blood flowing from the deep gash running the length of her temple.

S'iirai rushed to her friend's side, standing over her in a futile attempt to protect her as the infuriated Yautja eyed them demonically, his whole body shaking with the sheer force of his anger toward them. Luar'ka grumbled pitiably beneath the Illmoreinan, still wishing to fight despite the entire world spinning sickeningly around her from the growing concussion.

As the killer stalked toward them, intent on finishing the job, he completely disregarded his surroundings, right up until a white hot blast whizzed toward him from deeper in the trees and smashed into his side, knocking him to the ground several feet back. He scrambled to his feet, spreading his three unbroken mandibles as another figure barreled into him from behind, hurtling him to the ground and beating him into submission. The one who fired the plasma-caster started forward, spear drawn as he bellowed angrily at the killer who fought against his second attacker pinning him to the forest floor. However, the two new arrivals were stronger and must faster than their unlucky foe, who was quickly subdued by his second adversary, held face down on the ground with one arm pinned painfully behind his back by the larger, more powerful Yautja straddling his back.

The first Yautja, a large, reddish brown male, approached S'iirai who was helping Luar'ka to her feet, "Are you injured, young Illmorein?" he asked in almost perfect, albeit choppy English. S'iirai looked from him to the other one currently trussing up their attacker, binding his arms in stringent cords that offered no leeway. He then stood up, turning to face her. The second Yautja was a stark, gleaming white from top to bottom, even sporting grayish-white tendrils growing halfway down his back. His intricate, dark gray armor stood out immensely against his white skin and scales, giving him an almost ethereal look as he stood there motionless, watching her. His eyes were a sharp neon green.

"...No," she answered carefully, "I am not injured. But my companion might be. She fought hard against the Bad Blood."

"Allow her to me."

S'iirai helped Luar'ka into a sitting position and she groaned in pain, her head lolling back. The right side of her face was covered in glistening red blood to match her left hand, which sported deep teeth marks and bled profusely down the front of her off-white tunic. Her neck was turning a sickly shade of purplish-green from the bruising.

S'iirai watched the first Yautja— whom she now recognized as the arbitrator Me'vi-te— as he knelt and inspected Luar'ka's wounds, and reached around to the med-kit on his utility belt. He set it on the ground in front of him and opened it up, reaching through the unfamiliar supplies and little vials of chemicals. He grumbled to himself and looked up at his companion, who S'iirai assumed was yet another arbitrator. He clicked something to the second Yautja who removed his own med-kit from his belt and handed it to him. Me'vi-te seemed to find what he was looking for in the other Yautja's supplies in the form of a small vial of silvery liquid. He reached for a syringe and lightly dipped it into the vial, pulling back on the injector to fill the syringe with the strange fluid. He tapped it a few times to release trapped air bubbles and and then reached over for Luar'ka, lightly dragging her closer to him and laid her head against his thigh. He surprised S'iirai by gently feeling around Luar'ka's head for the source of the bleeding and discovered a large knot already forming on the side of her scalp.

"Blood wound minor." he growled out, "Will heal alone."

S'iirai sighed, "Well, I'm relieved to hear that." she said, watching as he lowered the needle to the disturbing knot on her friend's head. Luar'ka's eyes were half-masted and she warily watched his movements out of her peripheral vision. She hissed slightly when he slid the needle down into the knot and pressed the trigger, releasing the silvery liquid into her head. Her hiss died in her throat, replaced by a comforted hum as the pain seemed to fade rather abruptly. Her body visibly relaxed and her eyes opened fully, revealing her stark white pupils and gray irises. She sat up, flexing her wings and shaking them. She twisted around to look at Me'vi-te. He nodded for her to stand, which she did, albeit shakily. He watched her for a few more seconds and then replaced his supplies into his kit, handing the other arbitrator the supplies he'd borrowed from him.

The white Yautja turned away to check on their unruly captive, laying prone on the ground and growling to himself. He heaved him to his feet and shoved him up against a tree, holding him there. With his hands bound not only at the wrists, but also against his lower back, he wasn't going anywhere easily. The white Yautja caught sight of the vicious slash marks on the killer's back and trilled shrilly, turning to Me'vi-te in surprise. The first arbitrator cocked his head curiously at the sight of the marks. S'iirai chuckled, "Luar'ka did that. She's a lot stronger than she looks, I guess." she chimed with a glance at her friend sitting on the ground gathering her senses.

Both arbitrators glanced at her with obvious surprise written across their faces. Luar'ka didn't appear to notice; she was too busy trying to regain her senses after that powerful blow to her head.

All four individuals looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and Me'vi-te stood, turning to face the sound as two more Yautja appeared from the bushes off of the overgrown trail. Luar'ka looked up and gasped, scrambling to her feet and turning to face them. Both approached warily, mindful of the presence of their clear seniors as they assessed the situation in front of them. The somewhat shorter, forest green one approached, nodding to Me'vi-te and clicking something to him in his own language; ((N'jauka, Me'vi-te. I did not expect to see you here.))

Me'vi-te regarded his offspring silently as they approached, heads down in submission. They stopped several feet away and both arbitrators watched them carefully. Ikthya'de had the good presence of mind to prioritize his sire's presence before them, while Kar'kha's eyes remained glued on his apprentice too close to his sire for comfort. Ikthya'de chuffed lightly in his brother's direction, forcing him to refocus. Kar'kha did so immediately, looking toward his sire with his back rigid, piecing together his nearly shattered composure.

Me'vi-te lifted his upper mandibles aside slightly in a friendly gesture, which sent a rush of calm through Ikthya'de; at the very least, his sire was in an exceptionally good mood for a change. Glancing at the bound and beaten Yautja standing rigidly against a tree several yards away, he hazarded a guess that that had something to do with it.

He turned his head lightly to look toward the other arbitrator standing nearby, watching them silently. He had yet to say a word. Ikthya'de recognized him from the Clan Ship. He was another in the same profession as his sire, hunting down Bad Bloods and keeping the peace between Yautja clans, living alone in the dark voids of their territories and returning only for special celebrations, the breeding season, or severe injuries that prevented successful completion of their duties. He'd never met this white Yautja before, but it was hard to forget something like this.

((What happened here?)) Kar'kha asked carefully, earning a reproachful sidelong glance from his brother.

Me'vi-te stood, giving Luar'ka a gentle shove back toward her companions. She stumbled forward to them without a fuss, her eyes glazed over from fatigue and stress.

Me'vi-te tossed his head, almost as if he were irritated at such a pointless question when the happenstance was quite obvious; ((Your unique little pet there is quite extraordinary to last in a fight with a Bad Blood.)) he said.

((How long has the Bad Blood been on the planet?)) Ikthya'de asked the more prudent question, since this information would have been nice have before they'd landed on Illmianyar. Me'vi-te chittered in irritation, clearly miffed himself, ((Warkha and I received the transmission simultaneously. Apparently, the Bad Blood arrived on this world two rotations before your arrival.))

Ikthya'de huffed in anger, his shoulders dropping slightly as he shook his head, ((Pauk...)) he snarled. He looked toward the seething captive eying the young Avian with a poisonous glare from his place at the tree. Ikthya'de figured that if the white Yautja hadn't been standing right next to him, the killer probably would have tried to launch another attack, bound or not.

((What was his crime?))

((Unauthorized transport of eggs. We have located him. The ship is still missing.))

Ikthya'de suppressed the shudder running through him at the thought of a ship filled with tou'amedha eggs adrift somewhere in the galaxy. He knew his sire wouldn't approve of his latent dislike for the kiande amedha. So this outlaw Yautja had either ejected or scuttled the ship somewhere.

Me'vi-te turned to the captive Yautja, ((Where is the transport shuttle?)) he demanded to know.

The captive Yautja weighed his options, his three functional mandibles working feverishly for a second or two. He let out a rattling sigh, deciding he was already in enough trouble; ((I do not know. The engine malfunctioned. I was forced to eject and touched down here.))

Me'vi-te sighed, straightening up with narrowed eyes. He motioned to the white Yautja to take him away. Casting a respectful nodding glance at the Illmorein and the Avian, the other arbitrator obeyed and hoisted the captive to his feet easily. He shoved him in the general direction back to his ship, following with his spear drawn as he started off. Luar'ka watched them go, her right hand rubbing gently over her left bearing the tooth marks of the Bad Blood. Me'vi-te faced his offspring again, ((If that shuttle had crashed here, this would explain the sightings of kiande amedha. I will submit the report of our findings to the Elders. You two, return to the clan ship at once.))

Me'vi-te watched as they nodded and turned to go. His eyes widened when he saw Luar'ka begin to follow them back and he issued a loud bark, making them halt. Kar'kha was the first to turn as his sire stalked over, ((This suckling. Where did she come from?)) he asked suspiciously.

((She is my apprentice, Me'vi-te.)) Kar'kha explained, ((I had left her here while I completed my mission.))

Luar'ka watched with baited breath as Me'vi-te's expression grew more or less thunderous, his mandibles stretching wide before tucking back down. He huffed deeply and eyed her, his fists clenching in and out. He let out a deep, ponderous rumble, clicking the tusks of his mandibles together, ((The Elders may complain. However, it must be noted that she can fight. That Bad Blood boasts some impressive scars on her account.))

Kar'kha watched his sire's face change from infuriated to calm consideration in a manner of minutes, watching as he ran over the pros and cons in his head. Me'vi-te was brash, tactless, occasionally cruel, and extremely vicious in battle. There were even those who whispered about his own possible beginning descent into Bad Blood territory. However, despite all of these speculations and baseless suppositions, it could not be argued that Me'vi-te was also one of the most worldly and open-minded Yautja in their clan. He was one of few Yautja who did not currently possess any human skulls, believing that race too full of intellectual promise to kill so many of the true fighters. It was even rumored that he had held close friendships with humans in the past. Kar'kha had often wondered how true these rumors were, but watching him actually consider the life of the female Avian made him start to believe those tales. Perhaps Me'vi-te was as open-minded as other Yautja said he was.

((I have seen her fight. I will allow her to accompany you.)) he said, facing his youngest living offspring. His shoulders squared, his gaze was set; ((Her care and training are your responsibility. Whether she lives or dies rests on your abilities. For her sake, do not fail.))

Kar'kha almost felt like he was being given a new pet with how Me'vi-te had phrased his warning. But he kept his mouth shut and nodded his understanding to his sire.

With those somewhat ominous parting words, Me'vi-te spun on his heel and strode off after the other arbitrator and the captive.

Still standing on the sidelines, S'iirai finally came out from the shade of the trees and approached the two hunters, "Well, I guess that is that for my day," she said lightly, "As for you and Luar'ka, I expect her to be taken care of. I've made her my friend; I'll have no abuse toward her." she said impishly. Ikthya'de and Kar'kha exchanged bewildered glances, even through their masks, and Luar'ka had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. Clearly, S'iirai's blatant sarcasm was lost on them and their translators.

S'iirai rolled her eyes and approached Luar'ka, clapping her on the shoulder, "It was wonderful getting to know you, Luar'ka. I hope we meet again soon."

Luar'ka barely had time to reply before Kar'kha snatched her arm and dragged her off down the path. Stumbling along behind him, Luar'ka grinned back at her baffled friend and waved, "Bye S'iirai! It was nice meeting you!" she called as they disappeared around a bend.

Terminology

N'jauka-Welcome

Tou'amedha-Facehugger

Pronunciation

Illmorein- Ill-mu-rain

Sert'truuc- Say-er-trook

S'iirai- Sha-rye

A/N:So a super special edition update because some upsetting personal stuff happened and I needed to do something to keep my spirits up. Don't get used to this, people. I won't update again for another week. Special thanks to werewolfbleu for the encouragement and the uplifting I needed right now.