Chapter 10: Interest

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

Going through the same path and passing through the Arbitrators, I finally got to the outside, and the fresh air passes through my nose, no longer bothered by the heat of the two suns in the sky. I opened my eyes to the sky and wondered about the things happening around me. Ever since I came to Yautja Prime, nothing is as it seems. I don't know if it's because of my knowledge that the Bad Blood that attacked my friends and me are hiding under my nose or the discrimination that I wasn't correctly prepared to face from the Yautja species. I closed my eyes and blocked all those doubts in my mind, hoping for some peace.

However, I didn't get the chance to enjoy some of it when two strong arms wrapped around my shoulder so tightly that I had trouble breathing. I wanted to kick off whoever it was until a familiar voice calls out.

"Anya."

The gentle and happy tone of Sa'iye greeted my ears but also stunned me a little. Soon, my ribs began to hurt as I struggled to call to her.

"Sa'iye . . . I can't . . . breathe."

Right on cue, she lets go of me, and I stumbled a bit from the slight weakness. I placed my hands on my knees and put my head down to ease the throbbing. I could hear Sa'iye purr gently as she hooks her hand around my forearm to lift me from the ground.

"Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

I nodded in response while trying to catch my breath that was suddenly gone from Sa'iye squeezing me. I looked towards her before I caught a glimpse of Daugo behind who just walked up to the pair of us.

"You need to be careful, Sa'iye. She hasn't got the strength as you do. Not yet, anyway."

There was a hint of humor in Daugo's voice, but it made me happy, and I smiled in response while whipping off some dirt that got on my clothing. "Enjoy it while it lasts. I'm not one to forget who smacked me and what not."

Both Sa'iye and I laughed a little while Daugo chuckled. But my little moment of happiness disappears when the thoughts of what happened yesterday came back. I stood straight and stood still while looking at Sa'iye, seeing that her expression slowly turned from joy to concern.

"What's wrong, Anya?"

"Umm . . ."

I lowered my head down to break eye contact with her. After seeing the horror on her face when she saw me transformed, I couldn't help but think that she saw me as a monster as the others have done. I hesitated, but I needed to know about her view of me. Whether we were still friends . . . Or not.

"I thought that . . . You wouldn't want to see me. After what I've become . . . at the society building."

I had no idea what else to say to her, and I refused to look at her since I thought the same facial expression would return. Instead, a firm hand grips on my shoulder but enough that it's meant to grab my attention. It startled me a little, causing me to look up at her yellow eyes. It wasn't what I had expected. Sa'iye's mandibles open slightly while her inner mouth moved to the best of its ability into a genuine smile.

"I told you. It's an honor to call you my friend and I never go back on my word."

I gape my mouth open several times, trying to convince myself that this is all a lie. "But . . . You looked shocked. I thought you hated me for that."

I watched Sa'iye sway her head back and forth . . . A gesture that indicated my words had some truth to them. "True. I was a bit shocked upon seeing you transform, but I never hated you for that. Besides, Go'yth asked for it when he insulted you, and I would have done the same. Nothing was your fault."

When I heard those words ring in my ears, I was shocked for a moment before the realization that Sa'iye meant it began to hit. My heart pounded a little but eventually calmed down in a matter of seconds as I smiled at her. Sa'iye did the same as I placed a firm grip on her shoulder and in the same way that she did a few moments ago.

"Thank you."

Sa'iye bowed her head slightly, and we both stared at each other for some time. How can I have a friend like her? It seems so . . . Unreal.

"I hate to break this moment between you but what happened with Datho?"

Daugo comes between us, forcing Sa'iye and me to let go of each other. I swallowed and shifted in my spot so that I faced towards him, intent on telling him only the basics for now. Don't want to worry him too much with all the details.

"I talked with Datho for a while, and then he dismissed me."

"No punishment?"

Daugo seemed a little surprised at the action of Datho, but in my mind, it was something more than that. Datho is his brother, but why hasn't he told me sooner? I gave a shrug look to him so that he didn't know that I noticed his sudden change.

"No. Nothing at all. He just excused me, and I left."

I watched Daugo scratch his chin with one claw while closing his eyes in deep thought. "That's strange, but at least you're alright."

"Of course she's alright! Have more faith in her, Lord Daugouand."

Sa'iye bursts through the conversation with a small roar, and it startled me for a second, making me jump off my feet a little and my hair stand up. Daugo looked like he was about to growl at her after seeing my reaction but relaxes when I motioned him with my hand that it was alright. I smiled and looked back at Sa'iye.

"Enough of that. It's been a tiresome day for me, and I need some rest."

The change in Sa'iye face was hilarious for a Yautja as she drooped her eyes and sagged her lower mandibles in a pout-like manner. "But it's only half a day left until night."

I smiled in a way that showed I was sorry. "I know, but I've got lots of training tomorrow with Daugo since my Chiva is less than half a season away and I need to push myself as hard as I can."

"Speaking of training . . . You have only a few days until that translator comes off. You should have learned a few things by now about how to speak Yautja."

I widened my eyes in surprise and shock, looking at Daugo who crossed his arms over his chest as if I got into trouble. The close look in his golden eyes gave me an awful feeling that made a knot in my stomach.

"I'm . . . working on it."

Daugo didn't look convinced and began to glare even harder, making me lower my head down instinctually, like a child would when a parent catches them doing a bad thing. I wanted to say that I didn't have time to study the language, but I feared the repercussions if I did, and that made me shut up all the more. That is until Sa'iye intervenes and I'm glad that she did.

"We're starting today. I promised I would help her with speaking our language."

Sa'iye did quick work, and I watched as Daugo contemplates whether it's acceptable or not. It was nerve-wracking since I kept looking at every slight movement on his face, whether it was a twitch of a mandible or the lifting of his brow. The eyes were complicated since Daugo was great at hiding his reaction from spilling out of his sight. An intense moment had passed before Daugo closes his eyes and sighs slowly.

"I see. If that's the case, then both of you need to get going. You only have a few days left until the translator comes off."

Sa'iye straightens herself and bows low. "Of course, my Lord. We're starting now. Come on, Anya!"

She jumps in her spot like a happy child, and that made me giggle in response. I swear . . . She doesn't act like a Yautja sometimes. I followed in the same direction as Sa'iye, but when I began to pass Daugo, I glanced at him, and the words spoke in the Council room came back to me.

Honor? Who are you to say about honor!? With your 'family' history, I'm surprised yours hadn't broken into a million pieces yet!

I've never seen such one that had a great influence on others despite only being here for a short amount of time . . .

But not as interesting as your connection with my nephew . . . Lar'ja . . . He hasn't been the same since the incident from so long ago . . . It's something that not everyone wants to know. If Daugo hasn't told you yet, then it must be for a reason . . .

I believe that you might be what our kind needs right now. And what we need is a balance . . .

My head began to pound from trying to figure it all out. So many secrets are kept from me, and I had no idea what to do from this point. I lowered my gaze as I passed Daugo but refused to look back. I feared that if I did, then I would ask the many questions that I didn't know if I had the right to ask about in the first place. I shook my head afterward.

Focus on what you need to do. Train for your Chiva so you don't have to be looked down anymore.

I opened my eyes and made my way to catch up to Sa'iye.

[A Few weeks later . . .]

It has been rough in the beginning since I left the Council of Ancients. Typically, Daugo explains that any Yautja can train in either the training building where all clans are welcomed or the Dark Blade Clan one in the building. However, not all the Yautjas got over my actions a while ago in the society building. Daugo and I tried to work in the training building, but the glares and insults followed soon after I arrived. It must have taken all of Daugo's patience not to rip each one of their spines out like he said he would. I kept telling that it wasn't worth the trouble and with deep growls and grunts, both of us made our way out, getting the message that we, or at least I, wasn't welcomed there.

It was almost the same situation as the Dark Blade Clan training room with fewer insults and glares, but it didn't make me feel better. It was the end of the day, and I became tired just from walking around and trying my best to ignore everything else around me except Daugo and Sa'iye. Daugo had to enforce his status as Clan Leader to ensure that the other members didn't hassle me while I trained. The reaction from them was a mix of disbelief and anger, and I had a suspicion that the others think I'm using Daugo as protection and leverage. It was confirmed when I arrived early in the training room, and a group of Yautjas tried to push me out of there . . . And with force if necessary. I prepared for a fight, but they scurried off when Daugo showed up. At first, it was nice to have him around, but at that moment, I felt like I bothered him too much, and I decided that I needed to fight my own battles. So from that point, I trained on my own during the late night hours when everyone else was asleep to get extra time, eating the leftovers that I took when getting meals from Daugo.

At least I had some fun with Sa'iye and learning the Yautja language from her. In the beginning, it was hard to get my tongue to move so that the words formed correctly. I tried to speak one word that supposed to sound like a low growl, but instead, mine came out like I was being strangled to death. Sa'iye laughed so hard that she stumbled backward and fell on her ass, making me smile right back at her. She took no offense and said that it was supposed to happen. We ended up laughing together, and our friendship grew stronger along with my speech. Eventually, I could form complete sentences on my own and didn't need the translator anymore. But I had to admit that she was a fierce fighter when I trained with her when Daugo became busy with duties. Her movements flowed gracefully, and I admired her skills in combat, giving me faith that she'll become strong. I, however, still needed to learn more, but I could feel my muscles getting more robust and my mind more focused . . . Or at least better than before.

I still thought about Lar'ja and wondered what he was doing during that time. I haven't seen him, and all the news I get came from Sa'iye who said that he got into more fights than usual and therefore, more work for Sa'iye to heal them. It didn't sound like the Lar'ja I knew, and I feared that it was somewhat my fault.

For now, I decided to use my free time to keep on training since my Chiva is only a few more weeks away. I became a master at the wrist blades, but rusty on the spear that Daugo mentioned was vital for me to learn for distance combat with the kainde amedha. Using the open space of my room, I practiced my stances with the spear, holding tightly the way Daugo and Sa'iye showed me. I swung it back and forth, imagining the enemy in front of me and using what I've learned to hit the vital parts that were in the back of the head or straight through the middle of the chest. I stopped once in a while to glance at A'kib, who was chewing on a piece of bone from lunch.

"Enjoying the snack?"

A'kib barks and goes back to chewing. At least he's having a great time.

But then, a loud knock from the door jolts me out of my focus and makes A'kib go nuts as he barks in response. I sighed and placed the spear down on the ground. "Coming!"

Thinking it must be Daugo, I raced across the room and pressed on the panel to get the door opened. When they did, I smiled to greet him but it disappeared quickly when I realized it was someone else and the cold chill crawls over my skin.

"Hakr'ouh."

He bows his head slightly. "It's good to see you too, Ta'kasa."

I stuttered for a moment, trying to understand what is going on. Why is he here?

"I thought Daugo was coming to pick me up today for armor fitting."

Hakr'ouh shakes his head back and forth in a 'no' response, letting his dull-colored dreadlocks swing around his head. "He sent me here to take you in his stead. An emergency meeting came up, and he sends his apologies that he couldn't join you."

"I see."

The disappointment began to seep into my chest a little. I hoped that since this would be my first armor fitting with the Dark Blade Clan forger, I would have a familiar face to come for reassurance. But since it wasn't the case, I took a deep breath and gave a fake smile.

"Alright. Give me a few minutes to get ready."

Hakr'ouh grins and I shuttered in anxiety from him. The aura around him wasn't pleasant, but I couldn't pin as to why I felt that way around him. Shaking that thought out of my head, I bowed my head and closed the door behind me. I made my way to the bed and noticed that A'kib was growling in the direction of the door. That's strange . . . I turned to walk towards him and patted his head, calming him down immediately with his stubbed tail wagging and tongue hanging out with drool dripping from the tip. I chuckled and headed back to the bedroom when I had my daily clothes set up for me. I have hopes that I can wear something else than some leather straps.

After a while, I checked over myself and made sure that my clothing was tightly attached to me along with my wrist gauntlets and knife, turning them back and forth to view them. I nodded in approval and was about to reach out for my engraved necklace when I stopped to notice the black box that held the blue-stone necklace An'tar gave me. I stood still, contemplating on whether I should put it one since he did go through all the trouble to provide me with a present. Might as well . . .

I grabbed the black box and opened it, revealing the fine, blue stone that shined with the lights. I smiled a little and proceeded to take it out, ensuring that the silver chain didn't snag on itself. Lifting it over my head, the stone settled down on my chest, and I looked to admire it. It's pretty . . . I like it. I glanced at the necklace with my name engraved on it one last time before I turned to head out, leaving it sitting on the bed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hakr'ouh and I walked through the Dark Blade Clan building to head for the forgery. The way I was told, the forgers had their section in the training room, but since my clan had such privileges of being one of the most esteemed and respected, ours had his own made in the building, away from all of the chaos.

"Your speech in Yautja has improved greatly in only a few weeks."

"Yes, it has."

I didn't know what Hakr'ouh's deal was, but he seemed more interested than usual, especially about the things I've been doing. From my training to the expected date of my Chiva, it was like talking to a child in some way. I felt very uncomfortable around him, but I still wondered why it is like that. I tried to remain silent during the way to the forgery, but when Hakr'ouh kept asking, I decided to answer as quickly as possible. Still, I needed to ask an important question that has been on my mind since the society building. I hope I can get to that if he allows me with all of his questions.

"You must have a great teacher. Sa'iye, as I recall?"

I coughed. "Yes . . . And also Daugo. They have been good to me."

I kept my eyes straight in front of me and down the hallway to the lift as I heard Hakr'ouh chuckle in delight. "I'm sure they have been."

I tried to change the subject to rid of this awkward conversation. "How much further?"

"Almost there."

Both of us made it to the lift as Hakr'ouh moved to the side, allowing me through first. At least he has some manners. When we got in, he pressed on the panel, and the lift comes to life, rising from the level we were on and going all the way to the top. Silence filled the small space and in some ways, I hoped that another Yautja would join us so that I wasn't entirely alone, even if that same hunter didn't like me at all. But then again, we were alone, and no one can hear us, so I decided to ask him the question.

"So Hak'rouh . . . I wanted to ask something."

"What is it?"

His eyes tilt down slightly so that our gazes met each other. He's not as tall as the others Yautjas I've seen, but the difference between us is still great or at least in my ooman form. My body tenses from looking into his dull, hazelnut eyes that held something in them that I couldn't pin out. But then again, I didn't exactly like him, so it's probably my nerves talking. I swallowed and opened my mouth.

"I've meant to ask you about the Yautja you were with at the society building."

One of his eyes lifts in curiosity. "What Yautja?"

"The one you were with at the society building . . . with the black armor and red Xs on him?"

"You mean that, Yautja? He's a nobody."

The way he said that last word didn't sound right to me. There was a hint of disgust in his voice like he's trying to show that he hated the particular Yautja I mentioned. But it doesn't make sense . . . What talk to him then?

"What do you mean by a nobody?"

This time, Hakr'ouh grunts and turns away from me. I swore that I heard a slight growl coming from his throat, but I was too nervous to ask him in fear of not getting any more information that could be vital for searching the Bad Bloods that are responsible for the attacks back on Earth.

"He doesn't belong to any clan after he got thrown out of being accused of killing his comrade. A pitiful Yautja if you ask me. Always getting into something that he shouldn't be involved."

"Then why were you talking to him?"

I didn't get the chance to get the answer when the lift comes to a sudden stop, and the door opens to another hallway. Hakr'ouh smirks at me and moves to the side like before, waving his hand out. "After you."

I grunted in annoyance and walked passed him and out into the hallway with Hakr'ouh following behind until he comes to my side and shows the way. Unlike the other floors, this one was completely different. Instead of a long hallway, the first thing I noticed was how large the open space is compared to the one in the training room. A whole array of weapons were displayed near the walls that varied from spears to wrist blades and armor. My interest peaked on the craftsmanship for each piece, especially on a specific armor set that pulled me away from Hakr'ouh and towards it. The armor seemed basic in design, but the chest plate looked thick and robust with silver designs carved into its skin. The loincloth was made of metal but flexible enough to run in without hurting yourself. The gauntlets were the least impressive compared to my own since they looked like they were placed there to fill the space but despite it, the armor was beautiful and much crafted well.

"Are you just going to doddle there or are you coming?"

Hakr'ouh's voice broke my focus, and I blinked my eyes when I turned to see him standing in front of a metal door in the far corner of the room. I grunted and moved away from the armor, taking one last look before I turned around to follow Hakr'ouh. Again, the smirk on his face drove me nuts, but I kept my chin high as he knocks on the door firmly.

"Arkarb! Are you in there?"

"I'm busy."

The old grunt sound of a male Yautja echoed through the door faintly but enough for both of us to hear. Hakr'ouh sighs in frustration and rubs his forehead in defeat. I guessed that this isn't the first time that this happened. Hakr'ouh knocks again, and the male voice roars out.

"Hakr'ouh! I told you I'm busy! I don't have time for your cjit (shit)!"

"Fine, but if you must know, I brought the hybrid with me."

There was a long pause that went on for fucking who knows how long until the metal door creaks open a bit. I couldn't see the face of the Yautja as Hakr'ouh blocked my view with his huge ass. I growled but decided to listen in to their conversation.

"She's here?"

I watch Hakr'ouh nods firmly, and on cue, the door opens wide, and an old male Yautja comes out, wearing only a leather loincloth with straps on his forearms. His dreadlocks were almost entirely white and ran down all over his shoulders, stopping at the top of his waist, barely to. His green and black spotted skin had dulled over the years, but what made me caught my breath were the many scars that decorated his arms and chest. I couldn't find any spot on him that was bare of them, and I had to wonder what happened to him. My only guess was that he lived so long and fought so many battles on the way, making him a skilled warrior to be feared by all. He looks at Hakr'ouh before turning his gaze on me. I can tell from his light, green eyes that they showed the wisdom that I couldn't help but admire in some ways. He must be way older than all the others combined.

He looks at me for a moment before he straightens himself out, smiling as he bowed his head and arm crossed his chest. "Apologies for my rude behavior. I thought that Daugo would be bringing you."

I shrugged my shoulders in response. "He couldn't make it. Has some important meeting to attend so Hakr'ouh lead me here."

When I said that, the old male turns towards Hakr'ouh and that's when I noticed that he was giving a slight glare at him. "I didn't think you would agree to do this. It's not like you."

Hakr'ouh simply chuckles and grins at the old Yautja. "I'm merely obeying my Clan Leader's orders."

As soon as he said that, he bows his head and turns around for the door. I gasped when it looked like he was leaving. "Where are you going?"

Hakr'ouh stops in his tracks and turns his head to the side so he could see me. "My job was to bring you here . . . not babysit while you get your fitting and you're in good hands as I can see."

He tries to turn back around, but without hesitation, I ran passed his side and blocked his path to the exit. "I still need to ask you questions."

"About the Bad Bloods?"

My eyes widened in shock as I realized he knew about what I was going to ask him and in front of another Yautja no less who I don't know if they have any idea of what we were talking about.

"How did you—?"

"Know? Don't you think, as second-in-command, I should know about the secret mission my Leader has been doing? Especially with enemies lurking in the shadows? I know a lot more than you."

I shook my head and firmed my stance in front of him. "Then tell me about—"

Hakr'ouh raises his hand to stop me, waving a finger around in front of my face. "Another time. I'm needed elsewhere, and you have an important matter to attend, especially with your Chiva coming soon."

He pushes me gently to the side, and it took everything in me not to attack him for that gesture. Fucking rude! But he stops when our shoulders were parallel to each other and whispers in my ear.

"When you are ready, meet me tomorrow in the meeting room, and I'll give you what you desire."

I stayed still as Hakr'ouh pulls back and smirks, taking off quickly before I could stop him. I couldn't quite understand his erratic behavior and wondered how he'd survived this long without someone kicking his ass, let alone become a high ranking Yautja to a great clan. I shook my head in disbelief, placing my hands on my hips at the same time.

Be glad that he's given you a chance to get answers. No one else seems to do so . . .

I sighed and lowered my head down to calm the throbbing sensation in the back of my skull.

"Don't take it to heart. Hakr'ouh has always been like that since the beginning."

The old Yautja's voice calls from behind, and I turned around to face him. I let my hands drop from my hips and straightened my posture a little bit. "You're right about that."

The old male laughs, and it took me entirely by surprise. One minute, he was grumpy as one of the homeless guys that hung around in the dirty streets to a calm and gentle soul. "And don't worry . . . I've been informed by Lord Daugo about the topic concerning the Bad Bloods."

I looked at him in surprise. "You have?"

He nodded. "Of course. I've known Daugo since he was a small pup and we trust each other enough to keep secrets between us, which includes Hakr'ouh but he's another matter."

It was quite confusing what the old male was saying, but at least I didn't have to worry about keeping a secret. I smiled and bowed my head in respect.

"My name is Ta'kasa. It's nice to meet you."

The old male does the same thing but only lowers his head slightly, typical when a Yautja of higher rank introduces themselves to a lower ranking one or in my case, the lowest of the low. However, it didn't seem to bother him at all when his eyes showed such kindness like Daugo and Sa'iye.

"Nice to meet you too. My name is Arkarb, and I'm the forger of the Dark Blade Clan. Welcome to a small place I call home."

He moves out of the way and waves his hand in the direction of the open door. I smiled and eagerly went through. When I did, I almost had a heart attack due to the excitement but also a bit of terror. The room was filled with tools that made it look like I went into the dissection room if I didn't notice that most of them are meant for cutting hard metal. One such looked like a saw but had sharper blades on the edge while another looked like a disk blade that was stacked up with other tools that I couldn't identify. In short, the room looked like a junkyard with several pieces of broken metal piled up in the far corner while the other simply had a hammock hanging over for sleeping. I turned around to give him a 'what the pauk (fuck)' look at him. Arkarb shrugs his shoulders in response.

"You live here?"

He nods, confirming my suspicion. "Of course. I will rather be somewhere with peace. I'm too old to handle the commotion of the younger warriors and the brawls they bring as well."

I chuckled. "Guess you're right about that one."

Arkarb smiles and moves towards a desk in the middle of the room, sitting down on a large chair that stood next to it. My gaze followed him as he got comfortable while I waited patiently.

"So you're the hybrid everyone is talking about. You've become quite popular."

"In a bad way."

I lowered my gaze to the floor as the memory of the incident came back but not as bad as before. It was more like a small reminder that not everyone has gotten over it. Before I realized it, I heard Arkarb call to me.

"Come here for a second."

I saw him pull out another chair like his own but a bit smaller. He pats down on the seat, and I took his invitation, making my way around the table and sitting down when I positioned myself. Despite looking rough, the chair seemed surprisingly comfortable, and I wiggled a bit to get a feel for it.

"Comfortable?"

I smiled and nodded quickly. "Yes . . . surprisingly."

Arkarb turns his chair around to face me as I did the same, placing his hands on each of his knees while leaning closer to me. "So you're here for an armor fitting right?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Daugo did say that he wanted to make you your armor using a special material that I found a long time ago."

"Special?"

He nods. "May I take a look at your gauntlet?"

Arkarb points towards my wrist gauntlet, and I looked back and forth with a worried expression on my face. These items were precious to me, and since I don't know Arkarb well yet, I was reluctant to hand it over. He notices the change in my demeanor and gently smiles.

"Don't worry. I won't take them from you."

The reassurance he showed gave me the courage to trust him. My old self would have thought that I was crazy for being trustworthy so fast, but then again, that was before all the shit about Yautja, and Bad Bloods went down. Looking at him one more time, I proceeded to take off one of my gauntlets and slowly handed it to him. I kept vigilance on it as he pulled it closer to his face, inspecting it with precise detail but strangely, he looks back at me with a mix of curiosity and nervousness in which I thought was strange. Eventually, he returns the gauntlet and I placed it back on me as quick as possible.

"Impressive handiwork on the forger. This metal is not easy to make."

"What do you mean?"

He looks at it one last time before setting it down on the table. "It's made of the metal that I told was special due to how dangerous it can be to harvest it. It's quite the challenge, and not many hunters would go for it, but it's worth the risk."

Risk? Haven't I heard about this before?

I jogged through my brain, and a memory pops in that help me remembered. When I first found the gifts from my mother, Lar'ja did mention that it's made from metal that only can be harvested from a dying star and forged from the best. I wondered if he was the one who made this for me. I glanced at the gauntlet before looking back at Arkarb.

"So . . . the armor that you're making for me will be the same as my gauntlets?"

"By the request of Lord Daugo. Luckily, I saved some for this very moment that we've been waiting."

"Waiting?"

That is when Arkarb started to stutter, tightening his mandibles together as if to shut his mouth up while looking away. That raised my suspicions a bit, and I wanted to ask more of what he meant until something caught the corner of my eye. Without saying anything, I got up from my chair and passed by Arkarb until I stopped in front of a smaller table with the most formidable weapon I've ever seen.

Lying across the surface was some sword with a small jagged blade stretching to the hilt, reminding me of wave designs. The length of it was about the same as my arm with the hilt wrapped in simple leather. It didn't have a lot of designs, making it simple, but it still was impressive to me. Instinctually, I reached out for it, but my hand was pulled away by a bigger one. I looked up to see Arkarb next to me, letting go of my hand in the process.

"Found something you like?"

I looked back at the sword and nodded. "I've never seen a weapon quite like this."

He chuckles. "It's only a prototype, and not many people are interested in it. I'm thinking of scrapping it to make it something more useful."

He stops for a bit, but I never took my eyes off the blade. For some reason, I liked it, and I might think of myself as greedy, but I wanted it. My heart pounded in excitement as I heard a sigh coming from Arkarb along with the clicking of his mandibles.

"But . . . if you like, you can have it."

I turned my head so fast that my vision spun for a second, but I didn't care. My eyes widened in happiness and surprise as I smiled up to him. "You mean it?"

He smiles back in return. "Of course. It might need more work, though."

"I can do it."

That took Arkarb as a surprise, which I could tell from the look in his eyes. His mandibles and the inner mouth opens a little in astonishment. "You've made weapons before?"

I had to think of the right answer for that one since I've made my weapons, but the only Yautja one I've done was when Lar'ja broke his wrist gauntlets on Earth. Still, I was determined to make this one my own.

As a response, I shook my head back and forth, but I wasn't done yet. "I want to learn how to make it."

I looked back at Arkarb, who seemed unsure about my proposition. His mandibles rubbed against each other, and his eyes shifted to look around the room before circling back to me.

"I don't know . . . It takes years to perfect skill as a forger. I'm not sure if you can—"

"I can handle it. I learned to speak the Yautja language fast, so what's stopping me from doing the same with this?"

Determined, I stood tall in front of Arkarb and waited for his response. I didn't dare to move, wanting to show that I was serious about this. My eyes remained on his for quite some time until he closed his eyes and sighs. When he lifts his head back up to me, a smile forms on his inner mouth and his mandibles spread a little.

"You're quite stubborn . . . But determined. A true spirit of a Yautja . . . just the way you were described."

When I heard his words, I tilted my head in confusion. "Pardon?"

Arkarb's expression changes to a surprised one but quickly recovers from it. However, it doesn't go unnoticed by me. Arkarb moves closer to the table and picks up the sword, holding it from the hilt and twisting it to get a closer inspection. As soon as he was done, Arkarb holds it between our bodies. I hesitated for a moment, glancing back and forth between the sword and himself until he smiled at me. With his approval, I reached forward and grabbed onto the hilt with both hands. When Arkarb let's go, I had to use most of my strength to keep it up from the sudden heaviness it provided.

I didn't expect it to be light but not as heavy as this.

It took a few seconds before I had steady in my hands. I smiled at Arkarb and moved to the open space available in the room. When I did, I slowly swung the sword around, and I felt so powerful at that moment. If anyone on Earth saw me like this, I was confident that they think I was a freak.

Hybrid. Remember?

I rolled my eyes at myself but kept my attention on the blade until I decided to test it out. Lifting it high into the air, I swung it down hard and stopped it just as the tip barely touches the ground. Smiling, I brought it back up and took another look as I twisted it around. When finished, I looked back to Arkarb who seemed to enjoy the entertainment before him, especially when my mouth opened up into a 'wow'.

"This is awesome."

Arkarb purred in response but our moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. I turned towards it in response as Arkarb does the same. "Come in."

As soon as he said that, the door slowly creaked open like last time. For some reason, my heart began to pound fast and hard, but I couldn't understand why. But if I had known who was coming into the room, I would have either gotten out of the room as fast as possible or punch them in the face.

Either way, the confusion . . . The rage . . . And the heartbreak was beginning.

Hi Readers!

It's happy news that Sa'iye still sees her as a friend along with Daugo and now Arkarb who has some connection to everything concerning Anya. But what could it be?

But of course, frustration is not far behind as Anya tried to find more information about a potential lead on what could be a connection of the unknown Yautja to the Bad Bloods she'll be looking. If only Hakr'ouh doesn't act like an asshole, then she might have gotten what she came for.

Also, I do like Anya becoming like a forger and making her weapons and armor, which will be shown in later chapters. I will be posting an image of the sword that I thought of for Anya, but there will be more improvements to come, according to Anya's words. ;)

But who is it that entered the room and interrupted the special moment between Anya and Arkarb? What makes it so hard for Anya? More horror to come and what will it mean for her future?

Find out when Chapter 11 comes next week (Wednesday).

P.S. Thank you Anonymous-E, Maria, Paul, and tenfangirl for the reviews. They are much joy to read them. Again, all reviews are welcomed.

Thank you and enjoy! :)))

Reading notes:

Normal = Anya (human form) speaking English (ooman language)

Italic = Anya (human form) speaking Yautja

Bold = Any Yautja speaking English (ooman language)

Bold and Italic = Any Yautja speaking Yautja language