Enjoy :)

Chapter 11

I was lonely.

I laid in bed and despite how tired I was, I couldn't sleep. All my focus was on the warmth, or lack thereof, that should be behind me. The deep breathing that wasn't there.

And mostly, it was on the indescribable feeling of wrongness that swirled in my chest. Cetanu was gone, and I ached.

To make matters worse, he was with Dahdtoudi. Before Tak and I went to bed, she explained that slaves who proved themselves worthy, became the assistants of Blooded Yautja.

That meant working alongside them on their ships. In fact, that's why there were so little assistants on Home Planet. Dahdtoudi, or little knife, as it were, was one of the only elder assistants.

She got her name from her weapon of choice, a small dagger that she apparently used to hack away at her enemies.

Tak had said the idea of superiority didn't translate well in Yautja culture. Slaves were not necessarily less in terms of life value, they just had skills that the Yautja considered useless. Painting, for example, she had brought up.

That didn't stop some from learning to see them as inferior though, like Xenia, the female who had attacked me.

Regardless, that meant assistants were more useful, they were able to fight, hunt, and operate Yautjan technology efficiently. They were like equals to them.

That word kept echoing in my head, like a drumming headache that refused to budge, 'equals.' Dahdtoudi, who was by all means equal, wanted to be in my place, wanted to be a pet.

And I would have killed to be her. Or at least I used to feel that way. At some point, while sleep refused me, I thought of a plan.

Maybe Dahdtoudi and I could trade places. I would have to learn everything she knew, but I'm sure it could be done.

The only problem with that theory, was that I hated it. Cetanu, well, he has a precarious place in my life, but it's one that is no doubt important.

The more time I spent thinking of how tenderly he touched me, and how he could make me laugh without even speaking my language, I felt worse and worse about my idea.

I wasn't one to lie to myself. So I wouldn't now. The truth, whether I liked it or not, was that I didn't want to trade places with her because I wanted Cetanu for myself.

But the only way I could do that was if I remained a pet. It seemed so simple in my head. But the deep, human part inside of me nagged at my place in this society. I did not want to calmly accept my new status in life.

By the time the wet orange splotches of morning appeared outside, I had only one real plan, and it was shaky at best.

I would train, learn how to fight so that even if I was a pet by name, I would be seen as a warrior like them.

And I would start today.

Considering I hadn't gotten any sleep, and probably wouldn't be getting any tonight, I decided to get up and roam the house.

I had changed into sleeping garments the night before and I quickly missed how I would sleep naked with Cetanu, his rough skin enough to warm me even without the furs.

A small shiver ran up my body, raising my flesh to the cool air of the morning. I stepped outside and took a deep breath, letting go of my thoughts for a second to enjoy the moment.

I turned, ready to walk into the closet like room when something caught my eye. It was the spiraling tree branch that wound its way up to the top floor.

My curiosity sufficiently piqued, I made my way up the branch, the bark scuffing against my bare feet. There was only one entrance into the pitch black structure and it oozed a sinister atmosphere.

I shook myself and walked inside, and then stopped as the air froze inside my lungs.

"Oh. My. God." Skulls, everywhere. Of all shapes and sizes they hung. The room, which was the entire floor, was overflowing with bones.

The skulls, and sometimes spines, were polished to a beautiful glossy like shine, the light coming in through the doors catching on every one of them so it looked like diamonds in a sea of shadows.

It was breathtaking, both beautiful and disturbing. A lot like Cetanu. I stepped forward and slowly wandered around the room.

My hand slowly inched towards them, my fingers gently brushing over the smooth surfaces of them, catching on the hard edges and gliding down the sides.

The silence in the room reminded me of Cetanu so much so that the ache in my chest returned. The quiet air strongly present and yet not flamboyantly so.

I was so caught up in my thoughts and in the room, I failed to notice that Tak had showed up and was staring at the floor as far from the entrance as she could be.

"Lay-ksa, we really shouldn't be here. Master Cetanu would love to show you his trophies but only if he is present." She refused to look inside the room and was shuffling on her feet.

I had jumped when she spoke but was hesitant to leave. The room felt like Cetanu and I wanted to stay. I sighed and slowly made my way out, my fingers gliding over the skulls I passed.

Tak and I walked down back to the main floor when she turned and looked at me concerned.

"I am sorry for urging you to leave Lay'ksa, especially with the Master gone, you must be feeling off."

I shot her a funny look, "What do you mean?"

"Ah, you couldn't know, but it is extremely strange for a ke-da's Master to leave without them, and so close to their introduction to Home Planet. Upon separation, many pets suffer pain and are very dazed. You looked as such when I found you."

I frowned, the pain in my chest flaring up again. "Then why did he leave?" And with her?

"I am not sure myself Lay-ksa. But you could always ask him when he returns. Request to accompany him in the future?" Her eyes lit up as she tried to advise me.

I nodded dumbly though, my mind clouded in my own conflicting feelings.

"Tak, I want to train, learn how to fight. How can I do that here? Will you help me?" She beamed, nodding her head enthusiastically.

"Yes yes, of course! Master Cetanu would have you trained anyway but some ke-das are very stubborn to learn. We will have to travel a bit though, there are many training platforms and we should visit each one so you can choose which you'd like to be your focus. The last training ground is on the forest floor, so we will have quite a busy day ahead."

I gaped at her. The forest floor was hundreds of feet down but the appeal of distraction and training pushed me to go.

I hoped I had the stamina to do this.

...

Standing in thin black cloths, Tak and I stood on the first training platform. Turns out every training area specialized in a specific weapon used by the Yautjas. So that the UnBlooded slowly make their way down, learning how to wield each weapon and eventually master them.

The one we were on was the "Speargun platform," Tak had called it. The weapon itself, was indeed a gun, but not one that I'd ever seen.

It had two semi-circle shapes with a metal handle in between them. The larger of the circles on the top had three slots which carried mini spear-like darts. The prongs themselves had two slants upwards so removing them would cause more damage.

I was transfixed by the weapon, and by those who used it, using only a single hand to wield it efficiently. Tak led me over to the racks where they were kept.

"The Yautja have a standard size that they use, but they have modified smaller models so that slaves may train should they wish." Tak said, grabbing two for us, hers a bit larger than mine.

"Don't they worry the slaves will rebel against them? Use these to attack?"

"No Lay-ksa," Tak smiled, "slaves have good lives here, and if one or even many were able to take on a Yautja and win, they would be welcomed as warriors. The Yautja are not cruel to anything even prey. There is a deep admiration for those who can equal them in battle, and a caring oversee of those who cannot."

I let that sit in my mind as we walked over to one of the many stalls that had a body target at the end. Tak handed me the weapon and I was surprised by how light it was.

The gripped was scaled, so my grasp was firm. The trigger laid right underneath my index finger so firing it would be simple enough.

"Now, Yautja have technology in their masks that connects to their weapons so aiming is exact but before that, they perfect their aim with only naked eyesight. So when you aim, you'll want to square to the side." She demonstrated her stance, her knees only slightly bent, and her shoulders in light with her arm. "Once you feel the most natural, line up the target with the small prong on top and the spears will penetrate three inches below where you have lined up. Keep in mind, this weapon is made for torso damage, more accurate weapons exist for head or limb shots so just focus on the chest and stomach areas."

I watched as Tak tapped the trigger three times in quick succession, the darts flying through air and sinking into the target with a dull thud.

"Now remember, in battle, this weapon is often used by younger Yautja as a last resort because of reloading time. Each spear can be used on a different target if you wished it. Most Yautjas prefer long range weapons that fire plasma instead of a solid projectile."

I stared at Tak, truly impressed as she inserted three more spears into their slots and then looked up to me and smiled, her red eyes shining. "Your turn."

I stepped into her place, my body mimicking hers as I aimed. I held my breath and pushed the trigger in a quick three bursts. The recoil was barley a twitch.

Two sank into the shoulder while the other clattered into the metal wall behind it. I exhaled and lowered the gun. I looked at Tak, not really knowing what to make of it and she was smiling broadly.

"It may just be a stroke of luck, but it takes days of training for most beginners to hit the target with even one dart."

And so we kept on, shooting spear after spear until the ground and target were littered with them. Before we left, I had insisted on cleaning up after ourselves though Tak said there were slaves whose job it was to do that. I refused and gathered them myself.

After that we made our way slowly down, stopping at each training area so I could get a taste of every weapon.

Plasma casters kicked my ass, the net guns were simple enough, and the shuriken left me with some slight cuts over my hands.

My favorite weapons though, were the Combi stick, Wrist blades, and Whip. Tak had been excited, calling me a melee fighter.

She took me back to the Market and approached a dark male Yautja at one of the huts and asked for those three weapons to be costumed made for me.

He assessed my grip, weight, and balance, telling us to return before sunset. I spent most of my time staring at him, the color of his skin casing the deep ache in my chest to flare up again.

I was incredibly sore. So I massaged my limbs slowly as Tak left to get food for the both of us. She returned with two stacked boxes that she could barely see over.

I rushed to grab one and she smiled.

"Thank you, Lay-ksa. I had our food packaged so we may visit the baths. There are pools that help relax the muscles if you would like to go there. I also got you a change of clothes so you can bathe nude but do not have to be exposed."

My eyes sparkled and I agreed enthusiastically. The baths had less people at this time of day for whatever reason and as we both slipped into a deep purple pool, I pulled off my wet clothes and laid them on the edge, enjoying the way the water heated my limbs, the rippling caused by jets that pressed into your body, soothing any tension.

Once settled she pulled out our food, thick chunks of juicy meat with more of my favorite berries, seasoned greens, and small cups of water along with a sweet liquid drink.

We sat silently as we both enjoyed our food and bath. But it was not long before the daze that I had been in all day prompted me to speak.

"Tak, tell me about Cetanu. Anything you know." I looked at her hopefully. She averted her gaze for a moment, her lips moving slowly as she chewed on a berry.

"I was assigned to the Master a little before you arrived on the ship. He had been planning on fetching you in a few years' time so I was to grow accustomed to his way of life to better assist you. However, he did not expect to find you in the home of the family you were with. And so, I knew very little about Master Cetanu myself. But I can tell you what I know and have heard."

"How did he not know where I was? If his blood was in me as well?"

"Elders do not keep track of their ke-das after they inoculate them with their blood. They believe that their pet should survive their world until they reach adulthood. Then the Master as any honorable Yautja, will return and track you like prey. A different sort of hunt. You, Lay-ksa, are still young for a pet. Humans do not reach peak physical health until a little after their second decade or so. But the Master had no choice but to take you when he did. Not that it matters, you have done superbly well. Even being able to do all that you have today, instead of sitting at home in bed like many ke-das would do in the absence of their bonded Master.

I grabbed another piece of meat, tearing it apart with my teeth as I remembered his shock at seeing me. Feeling me. I could never have imagined my life would turn into what it has.

"Before I came to you, I heard many stories though. He is rather infamous among the Elders. He is the sole Yautja of his bloodline that has not become a Bad Blood."

"What do you mean?"

"Male Yautjas may father several dozen children in their time, among his brothers and sisters, he is the only one to remain honorable. He is attacked quite often by Bad Bloods because of it. They wish to tempt a warrior as strong as he. Even on the trip here they came for him. Killing you would have been a great way to sway him but I am truly glad you survived. I have never met a creature quite like you Lay-ksa. I am grateful to serve such a female." She bowed her head softly, and my eyes shined with surprising emotion.

"Thank you Tak, your presence has helped me more than you can know. I know that you may not understand or even agree, but I see you as my friend. And I hope it to remain that way."

She looked up, her horns curling in their own grin as we both smiled broadly at each other.

I let her words fully sink in as I continued to eat. I worried for him and though I was confident he could deal with anything that came up, I wished I was there.

"Tell me about Xenia, why did she attack me?"

"She is an older female, and from what I know she wanted to be Master Cetanu's companion. But Elders with pets cannot have a companion. Yautja only choose one or the other because the bond shared between one is too powerful to involve the other."

"Wait, what do you mean by companion?"

"Companions, or Zuka'tas, are the human equivalent to marriage. Yautjas breed every season but after the coupling they separate. Once a Yautja is old enough they may select a companion that they bond with. It only happen amongst the Yautjas though, hence the separation of them and pets."

I bit my lip, jealousy swirling powerfully in my gut. I stuffed my mouth with more food and chewed to distract myself.

We left not long after, Tak sensing my tension. As we came back to the market, it was already dark. I had never been outside the house at this time of day and wished I had sooner.

The deep purple blue that was the sky was now shadowed and littered with bright specks of stars that glinted over the tree canopy.

What I could only describe as moonlight poured in through the branches and leaves, coming from three large planets that lit up the sky.

They were the moons of Home Planet, Paya, Eta, and N'rak'ytara. Tak told me that the Yautja usually honor their kills for one of them, depending on which one they identify with. Paya, the conqueror, Eta the slave, or N'rak'ytara the guardian.

The trees around up were alive with bioluminescence so the entire forest lit up, even the ground we walked on.

It was breathtaking, and I wished Cetanu was here to show me.

The market was something else entirely. The whole platform was alive with dancing. If I had thought it cheerfully busy during the day, then it was brimming with ecstatic energy during the night. I loved it.

Everyone was relaxed, some hovering over the things being sold or the food being given out. Others crowded the rest of the floor, dancing and talking. It was like a festival.

We made our way back to the crafter who handed me three beautiful weapons. All were pitch black with golden accents and my heart twisted. I grinned at Tak, understanding her intention.

The Combi Stick, which was a hell of a translation considering the thing was a retractable spear, had double headed edges shaped with four smaller spikes surrounding the main point that stretched out from the main handle. Three quick squeezes and the two ends would slice out from the center, making it my height.

The wrist blades were next. Also retractable, with two large, parallel blades that shot out from an arm gauntlet when the wrist was stretched back, the blades grooved so they resembles lightning bolts.

And finally, the whip. Tak said it was made from the tail of a Xenomorph, a type of prey the Yautja routinely hunted. The tail resembled a spinal cord, the different sections arching away from the center, all sharpened. It ended in a thick but long point that had a slight curve to it, much like a scorpion's tail.

I had been surprisingly talented at all three and Tak wanted to focus on them. She said that close combat fighting did put you at greater risk for injury, but if skilled enough you could kill a larger amount of enemies with more surety.

"Your N'yaka-de is one such Yautja that prefers to fight up close," she had said, pretending not to notice my blush.

Distracted by my new weapons, I failed to notice the creature running up to us. Its voice, high and screeching, is what got my attention.

It was small, maybe three feet, and bright orange Its black eyes were alarmed as it spoke to Tak, its words hurried.

Tak's eyes bulged and before I could ask what was happening she grabbed my weapons, placing them back onto the booth, hurriedly speaking to the craftsman, before grabbing my wrist and beginning to run.

I screamed after her, but she didn't look back, only spoke very calmly if a bit shaken up.

"Lay-ksa, please do not be too alarmed but Master Cetanu has been injured on his hunt, and your presence is needed."

As we ran, I zoned out, not quite comprehending what was happening. But an ever increasing chill began settling over my body, my heart a heavy rock in my chest.

Please be ok.

Yautja Translations

Lay-ksa - term of respect for a female pet

N'yaka-de - used by pets to refer to their bonded master

Thank you all for reading! A few chapters to go by my estimate so stay tuned!