Chapter 14: Torture from Truth (Part 2)
Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.
It was like walking into the middle of a war. What the pauk (fuck) . . .?
The first thing that I noticed was how much green neon blood decorated the sand from the chaos that was happening only a few meters away. With help from my mask, I could see some of my hunting party fighting against other Yautjas that looked similar to the two that ambushed us in the caves. The sound of plasmacasters kept on going and almost masked the roars and screams of the battle.
"Let's go!"
I charged forward, pulling my wrist blades out in the process. Ba'kou followed suit but pulled out his spear, extending it to the fullest length it can go. It was his preference to go for the spear first and resort to other weapons later. I scolded him often about relying too much on one weapon but in this situation, I didn't bother to think twice about it.
We rushed forward to get into the heart of the battle but the stench of blood and death seeping under my mask and into my mouth. I thought that I smelled worse but this got into the top ten of the most horrible smells. I turned my sights to some of my fellow hunting party members, seeing three Bad Bloods readying their wrist blades to give the finishing blow. I charged forward, roaring with all my might that shook the ground. Before the Bad Bloods had any idea of what was going on, my blades sliced into the neck of one. Blood squirted out like a fountain and spilled all over the front of my armor. The second Bad Blood acted and roared in anger, bringing his wrist blades out to cut into my chest. I blocked it with my own, locking both of us in a deadly duel. The problem was that the third Bad Blood had the chance to cut me down. He pulled a rather large knife from his belt and lunged at me. My back was exposed and with the other Bad Blood locked on me, I would have been struck down or at least injured beyond healing.
But then, I saw Ba'kou from behind as he plunged his spear right into the Bad Blood's gut. The screech of pain filled my head but was silenced as Ba'kou pulled his spear out before whipping it into a circular motion, slicing the Bad Blood's head clean off. I saw the glory of Ba'kou radiating off of him and it was incredible. Good job, my son. I turned my attention back to the Bad Blood, glaring right into his cold, dull mask. I pushed him as hard as I could and our blades released from each other. With quick reflexes, I charged once more and pushed my wrist blades forward as they hit their mark into the Bad Blood's chest, directly into his heart. I watched as his blood began to spill from the bottom of the mask. A sure sign that he was done for but I wasn't finished with him yet. I retracted my wrist blades and kicked him in the gut, sending him flying until his mangled body skids to a stop in the sand.
Without hesitation, I rushed to my fellow Yautjas that were on the ground. One of them was dead before I made it. His gut was busted open by a plasmacaster and it was no mistake. The burning smell was foul and recent. As for the other two, one of them was unconscious had a serious gaping wound that stretched diagonally over his chest. It didn't seem fatal by what my mask told me but he wasn't in the clear. The other had minor injuries but looked too weak to stand, much less fight back. His mask was completely shattered on the ground and drops of blood covered his face.
It got my mind wondering. Who are these Bad Bloods? They're not like the usual . . . more skilled and stronger.
But then . . . the sound of the battle started to quiet down. I looked up and past Ba'kou to see that the remaining Bad Bloods were retreating, heading into the oasis for shelter. I saw the remainder of my hunting party was fighting back, much to my expectation. The original hunt was going to be extreme anyway so I brought the best with me. It allowed taking care of the wounded for now.
"Don't worry. We'll get you some help."
I pulled out my medical kit from my belt. It was a small box that opened up to the bare minimums like cleaning ointment, leather wrappings, painkillers, and more. All Yautjas needed to carry this but some find it a bit of a nuisance to carry while others believed that they are too cocky and think they don't need it. I think it's a lifesaver when used correctly.
"Ba'kou. Check out the rest and gather all those that can still fight."
"Yes, Father."
My son runs off to check on the others while I attended to the injured. I observed each one of their injuries, noting how much damage had been inflicted. Who are these Bad Bloods? They can't be only savages. They were trained to fight brutally . . . almost like . . .
"Father!"
I heard Ba'kou's voice and I stood up from taking care of another Yautja's broken arm. I saw that there were at least a dozen Yautjas following behind. Some had cuts and bruises but looked like they can still fight. But from the count, half of my hunting party was either dead or injured. This was no random attack.
"What is it?"
From the look of concern in my son's eyes and the way he was breathing heavily, the news he was grave but had no idea to what extent. I got my answer immediately and looking back, I wished I hadn't heard them.
"We got the news that more Bad Bloods have attacked the other group! They completely wiped them out!"
What!?
My first thoughts go to Ni'geria. I couldn't imagine that a mere Bad Blood would take her out unless there were many all at once. She was a fierce warrior and can take down even the strongest of males . . . She even took down another female twice her size that was trying to mate with me. But now . . .
"Let's go! On me!"
Not even giving my fellow warriors time to understand what was going on, I took off towards the other side of the sand dunes where the rest of the hunting party and Ni'geria were. My mind was in complete chaos and my emotions were running amok to the point I had no idea if I was angry, sad, or terrified. All I could do is push my legs faster, using my mask as a guide to finding them.
But right as I turned around the base of the sand dune, I halted right on the spot. The sight before me was so unimaginable that it was becoming difficult to breathe.
More bodies littered the ground and even more, blood was spilled everywhere. It was even worse here than where we were. Some of the bodies were beyond recognizable and the smell of burning flesh reeked into my mask more powerful than before. It wasn't surprising since some of the bodies were charred from plasmacasters. There were no signs of the Bad Bloods that did it and it infuriated me even more but it did little to take the shock of it all out of my system. I heard soft gasps from behind mixed with a few growls from the rest of our hunting party. Ba'kou comes to my side but frozen in shock by all of this.
"For pauk's (fuck's) sake . . ."
I didn't want to look at the horror in my son's face. I was already trying to comprehend everything I'm seeing. But then my mind changes the subject as I remembered what I originally came here for. I took a deep breath and roared into the air.
"Ni'geria!"
After a minute, there was no answer and I roared once more. Still, no response and I feared the worse might have happened to her. Desperate, I switched my visuals into heat vision and hoped for any signs of life. A sign of hope emerged when I saw a speck of red in the far distance. I took off running towards, not even listening to my party telling me it wasn't safe. I don't care . . . I need to find Ni'geria. I made it to the speck and switched back to my normal vision when I was only a few feet away, noticing that it was buried in a heap load of sand. I kneeled and began to dig into the ground like a maniac. It wasn't long before I saw tusks and then a set of mandibles. I dug faster, hoping it was Ni'geria and that she was still alive. But when I finally pushed all the sand away, my heart sank when it was her but was clinging on by a single thread. Her eyes were closed but I saw his mouth trying to gasp for air. I took off my mask without a care, throwing it to the side. I reached my hands into the sand, grabbing a piece of her chest armor and pulling her out enough that she got a big gush of air into her lungs. However, that's when I saw the deep gash across her chest as it lets out more blood from his body.
My mind couldn't fathom that is happening in front of me. No . . . Ni'geria . . .
She started to cough and more blood began to seep from the sides of her inner mouth. Her golden eyes slit open but were very weak. I rubbed my thumbs across her cheeks, purring to give her comfort.
"Ni'geria . . ."
Her eyes scanned for me until they stopped when they made contact with mine but I could tell she was dazed and confused. "Daugo . . ."
I purred again and she gave a weak smile. It was a while before I heard Ba'kou stop by my side, kneeling to our level. I gazed to my side for a split second and turned back when I saw the devastation in his eyes since he took his mask as well. A small sound came out of his throat that was a mix between a purr and a sorrowful cry.
"Mother . . ."
Ni'geria weekly turned her head to the side, giving another smile towards our son. "Ba'kou . . ."
"Who did this to you?"
I stopped my son from speaking with a warning growl, hearing anger behind his question and fearing he might go out of control. He was still young and didn't have the experience to keep himself as calm as possible. Plus, I didn't want to stress Ni'geria anymore, especially in her weakened state. After waiting for Ba'kou to calm himself down enough, I turned my attention back to Ni'geria, still struggling to stay alive.
"It's okay, Ni'geria. We'll get you out of here and make sure you receive medical attention."
But as I reached deeper into the sand and pulled, she let out a horrible roar filled with painful agony. I let go immediately, panicked by her sudden reaction. What's wrong with her? It should only be—
"I can't . . . move. My lower half . . . is gone . . . Destroyed . . ."
Ni'geria's once beautiful voice crackled with weakness as she spoke. When I heard those words come out of her mouth, my heart sank. I didn't have my mask to verify but my lifemate would never lie to me about this. But I still got my proof when one of the surviving members came from behind and spoke.
"She's right, my Lord. Her lower half is not displaying on my visuals. There are no signs of it anywhere. She's too gone to help."
My anger couldn't be contained anymore. You shouldn't have said that . . . Without warning, I whipped around and grabbed the male by the throat, raising him almost two feet from the ground. I opened my mandibles and inner mouth in displeasure and let out a roar.
"Did I ask you for your input!?"
Despite his attempts to explain, his voice was cut off by the tight grip I had on his neck. His mask hid his expression but it couldn't hide the fact that I knew he was frightened. I growled in anger but felt Ba'kou's hands grip on my arm that held the male's throat.
"Father! Please!"
It was the first time I heard him act more mature than his age. One of the rare moments I've ever seen in his lifetime. I looked over to my son and his eyes conveyed a message to let it go. It took me a few seconds but I looked back to the male and let go. The male drops to his knees with a thud, coughing while holding his neck. I ripped away from my son's grip and kept my glare on the male below me. I hope it leaves a bruise later . . .
"Daugo . . ."
My attention turns back to Ni'geria as her voice calls once more. I returned to her side immediately, holding on to her face with both my hands.
"Ni'geria . . . what happened?"
I wanted the answer straight away but I had to be patient. If everything I heard was true, she didn't have much longer to live. I'd rather spend it by her side instead of watching her slip away from my grasp. I had to bear the burden of seeing her like this along with Ba'kou witnessing this. I didn't know how to say this to Lar'ja when we return to Yautja Prime. Her mandibles twitched every time she gasped for air but blood followed suit and splattered from her mouth. But it didn't stop her from answering.
"We . . . were ambushed. Many . . . Bad Bloods . . . attacked . . . out of nowhere. We tried . . . to fight back. But . . . we couldn't."
I shook my head. It doesn't make sense. She and the rest of the hunting party were stronger than this. There has to be more to the story. I opened my mouth to ask more but as softly as possible. It was already hard enough on my emotional state, let alone deal with Ba'kou who was grinding the teeth of his inner mouth together, creating a screeching noise that wasn't too loud but enough to annoy any Yautja at close distance. But no one bothered to shut him up this time.
"What do you mean 'you couldn't'? Even if outnumbered, these Bad Bloods aren't strong enough to—"
"They have Lar'ja."
My mouth opened and closed so fast. What?! Lar'ja?! I heard gasps from Ba'kou and the other from behind when they heard it too. I thought Ni'geria was losing her mind. I've seen many Yautjas on the brink of death that their minds were starting to fall apart, going insane before dying a few hours later. I didn't want to believe it was happening to her as well but I needed to know if it was true. I leaned my face closer to hers.
"What do you mean? How do they have Lar'ja?"
She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes as if telling me that she was telling the truth. "They . . . stole . . . Lar'ja . . . and threatened . . . to kill him . . . if we didn't . . . comply to . . . them. They got . . . the upper hand . . . and the hunting party . . . killed by them."
I shook my head once more but rougher this time. This is insane . . . something's not adding up . . . They couldn't have gotten Lar'ja . . . He was safe on Yautja Prime . . . this can't be true. But then, Ni'geria began to cough violently once more and it was different from the previous ones. She hacked violently and more blood splattered and onto my chest armor.
"Ni'geria!"
"Mother!"
Ba'kou rushes back to my side, reaching out for his dying mother. His hand reaches towards one of her mandibles and rubs it gently, almost as if it could help her survive through this. I closed my eyes in pain. It won't work . . . I could see the light in her eyes fade and it was only a matter of time before she passes. But my heart and mind refused to believe it.
She can't die like this . . . Attacked by Bad Bloods out of nowhere . . . This isn't honorable.
"It's okay, Ni'geria."
It was all I could say to her while my hand rubbed her mandible once more. I hoped that it would convey my feelings to her that I didn't think less of her. In Yautja society . . . for someone of her status to die like this . . . everyone would look at her as a weakling. But not to me . . . Her eyes lit up a bit as her mandibles struggled to make a weak smile at best.
"Thank . . . you. Please . . ."
She coughed more blood than before and I gasped from the amount that was coming nonstop. It didn't stop my lifemate from speaking one last time.
"Please . . . save our son. Save . . . Lar'ja and . . . protect our family."
Then . . . I watched the light from her eyes begin to fade, dimming to the point that it was a small dot in the middle of her pupils. Her mandibles begin to slack and her inner jaws opened slightly, letting her blood pool in her mouth. And then, she took one last breath until she didn't move anymore.
My whole world had collapsed in a matter of minutes but it felt like longer.
I refused to move, even as Ba'kou roared into the air with the most sorrowful cry I've ever heard. I sensed the other surviving members of my party letting out purrs full of despair for the loss of one of their leaders. I pulled my hand away from her mandible but it stayed near, trembling in shock. How can this happen? This . . . isn't real . . . As much as I wished for it, this . . . was the reality.
My hand stops trembling as I slowly stood onto my feet but they felt almost like they would collapse. I lifted my eyes to the sky filled with stars, praying that Ni'geria has found peace at last. But my torture has just begun . . . I'm not finished. I turned to my son first, checking to make sure he was alright. He looked like a cold statue but the raw emotions could be seen in his posture. His fists tightened so hard that I wouldn't be surprised if he could break a spear easily. I couldn't do anything to appease him. I had to take care of the surviving party members and also the notion that Lar'ja has been kidnapped. But it made no sense at all . . . Lar'ja is barely ten seasons old and is by means no threat at his current age. Something else is going on . . . something bigger.
I looked at the closest member of the party. " Make sure to gather her body after this is finished. Have you found anything that could collaborate about my son?"
Although I believed Ni'geria's word, I needed to give hard evidence to the party to convince them that we need to take immediate action. Plus, it would give us an estimate of how many Bad Bloods are still left or if they are regrouping to finish us off. I won't give them that chance. But my hopes were dashed when I got my answer.
"Nothing, my Lord. The communications were cut off before the initial attack. It's the same for us as well."
I growled in disappointment and the male flinched back in fear. I need to get Lar'ja . . . but I can't lose any more warriors. We need to think this through and as quickly as possible. I turned to face the rest of the hunting party and spoke strongly and clearly, trying to hide the despair that threatened to break my emotions free like a bomb.
"Alright. We need to think of a plan. The Bad Bloods haven't gotten far and might be trying to regroup. Let's gather ourselves and move out as soon as possible."
"But we can't wait!"
Ba'kou roars in anger and all of us turned towards him. That's when I saw that my son wasn't in the right of mind. Anger has completely taken over to the point that even a blind Yautja could sense it. I grunted in frustration and told him straight.
"Ba'kou. We don't know if the Bad Bloods are near, much less if they have another group prepared to attack us."
He spread his arms out, looking like he was ready to fight. His mandibles spread to the max as he kept roaring in fury. "We can't wait around for even a second! They have Lar'ja and killed my mother! I can't wait around here while they get away!"
Right as he finished, Ba'kou turns around and towards the direction the Bad Bloods had fled. My mind and heart started to run in panic and anger. I roared sternly in his direction, making him stop for a moment and it gave me hope that he might listen to my commands as he should to a Leader, regardless if he was my son or not.
"Ba'kou!"
He was quiet and didn't answer for a few seconds. But just as I was about to speak about my plan, he turns his head to the side and roars.
"I can do this, Father! We can't let them escape!"
My son runs into the direction of the oasis where our enemies went but I tried to stop him. There were too many and we had no idea from where they will strike next. They had already killed most of my members, which left only me, my son, and a few others of our clan that had survived the initial attack. But Ba'kou was right in some way. We couldn't let them leave when they had my other son in their grip but the logical part of me wanted to stop him from doing anything stupid.
I was so caught up in trying to make a decision when I saw something scurrying in the trees of the oasis. Without my mask, I couldn't depict what it was. But as Ba'kou made it to the treeline, I saw the arm of a Yautja being revealed that wasn't one of my hunting party. I glanced back and forth, realizing horribly that something bad was going to happen. I roared to my son in warning.
"Ba'kou!"
I tried to roar for him but they fall on deaf ears as my son reaches the trees. At that moment, a Bad Blood comes sweeping out of nowhere. I watched him fly into the air and I tried to move my body. But for some strange reason, it failed to cooperate and I was stuck like a statue. All I could do was watch as the Bad Blood lands hard on Ba'kou's back, forcing my son to fall on the ground. I roared again but I stood there like a fool as the rest of my hunting party darted towards Ba'kou and the Bad Blood who were struggling against each other with weapons out and ready. Ba'kou fought valiantly, scrambling under the weight of the Bad Blood and trying to reach for his knife that was stored on the side of his belt. But the Bad Blood had the upper hand and slammed his foot down on my son's wrist, causing Ba'kou to cry out in agony. I heard bones cracking so I knew his wrist was broken. I tried to move my body again but it was like my feet were stuck to the ground and my arms stiff. Pauk (fuck)! Move!
It wasn't until the Bad Blood drew a knife from his belt, raising it high into the air that I had the strength to dart forward. My heart beating erratically as I saw the Bad Blood brought the knife high into the air, ready to strike the final blow. I pushed my body forward, running to him with all of my might and hoping I make it in time. But I knew when the knife came crashing down on Ba'kou, I was too late to do anything.
I reached out desperately to get to him.
"Ba'kou!"
Everything moved slowly as the knife finally reached its target.
"NO!"
I watched as the knife plunge right into the middle of his back, hitting where his heart would be. Ba'kou lets out the most horrible scream I've ever heard in my lifetime. My legs pushed hard to get to him. No! No! NO! NOOOOOO! Not again! Not again! NOT AGAIN! My eyes wander to the Bad Blood that stood on top of my son's body. My anger seethed in my chest but for some reason, my eyes caught sight of a symbol on his wrist gauntlet. It was of simple design, showing a red X in the middle of it. But my mind wanders off towards another roar coming from one of my own.
One of my members throws a disk right at the Bad Blood but the male sees it coming and dodges out of the way. The disk hits the bark of a tree behind and the Bad Blood lands on the side, glancing back at the disk before turning his gaze back on his attackers. In that instant, his eyes caught mine as I charged forward. It was like he was staring right into my soul but then he did something that put me over the edge. His mandibles and inner mouth twist to show an evil smile . . . like he wanted to make sure I knew what he did and that he was proud of it, made worse when he brought up the knife with Ba'kou's blood dripping from the tip. I ground my inner teeth and roared in fury, running faster than ever before.
But before any of us got close enough, the Bad Blood takes off into the oasis and disappears into it. The rest of my party stopped on the edge when I commanded them to stop right where they are. Some did while a few tended to Ba'kou who was lying still on the ground. I pushed my fellow warriors out of way, dropping to my knees and reaching out to my son. It was when I saw the deep wound in the middle of his back, pooling out blood at a rapid pace. There was no doubt that his heart was punctured by the attack.
"Ba'kou!"
Quickly, I turned my son around until he was lying on his back. I held his head on my lap while my hands scrambled to find something to comfort him. Ba'kou struggled to breathe and I heard gurgles coming from his throat, unable to speak or let out any sound. I purred in response while my body struggled to keep the trembling at bay but it was useless.
"My son . . . Hold on."
My words said one thing but my voice said another. It was cracked and full of despair. I tried to keep strong and hoped that at least he would make it. I've already lost my lifemate . . . now my son? I stared into Ba'kou's eyes as he tried to open his mouth to say something but it was faint and I couldn't hear a single word. However, before he could even finish, I watched his eyes roll into the back of his head, closing for one last time until I felt his last breath released from his mouth. His body slumps in my arms and becomes nothing more than dead weight.
Ba'kou . . . was dead.
I twisted my head back and forth in disbelief. No! My son! No! In a panic, I shook his limp body like a rag doll with some hope that it might wake him up. But after a minute of waiting, he didn't move at all. Like with Ni'geria, his mandibles slacked and dangled like strings. My heart shattered into a million pieces and it felt like they were lost forever. As I was holding my dead son, the gossip from the others started up and it made me feel even worse than before.
"I can't believe this is happening."
"Our Lord just watched his son die . . . and did nothing about it. What was he thinking?"
"It's like he wanted to let him die . . . standing like a fool."
"What kind of Leader are we following?"
The voice kept repeating in my head. It's not true . . . I couldn't move. I don't know why . . . I heard more talk even as I lowered my son's body to the ground, making sure that he was safe.
"What a fool . . ."
I didn't say anything to them. I have no words that would help me now. I stared at my dead son like a crazy Yautja. My body was frozen like stone but my mind was in chaos and breaking itself apart. At one moment, I heard no sound around me and the world stood still. But then, my eyes lift to look deep into the oasis as I remembered the last moment Ba'kou was alive. The only thing I could see was the Bad Blood smirking at me, holding the knife at my face with Ba'kou's blood all over it.
Right then and there . . . my mind snapped into rage.
My breathing began to hitch and my chest rose and fell hard. Slowly, I opened my mandibles and inner mouth until I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let out a huge, angry roar that made the rest of my party gasp in fear. When I finished, I looked back towards the oasis and leered into it.
You . . . Bad Blood . . . You took my mate and son . . . now . . . I'll KILL YOU!
Without warning, I pulled out my wrist blades and rushed forward with the intent to kill any Bad Blood that I find.
"My Lord!"
Several members tried to call for me but my mind was too warped with rage that it didn't register at all. I pushed through the trees and small plants that were in the way, ignoring all the pain from dead branches scratching into my exposed skin but mostly due to the fury inside that dulled everything around me. I was like a raging animal with no sense of logic whatsoever. Only having the intent to brutally kill anyone that got into my way, regardless if it was friend or foe and get Lar'ja back before I lost him forever.
Right as I was a few meters inside the oasis, a Bad Blood flies right at me from the tops of the trees on my right side with a knife in his hand. I saw him coming and planted my feet into the ground, pushing as hard as I could to jump high and fast. The Bad Blood roars as I did the same. You're done! Like lighting, I dodged the knife that was trying to aim at my head and swung my wrist blades in a swipe motion. The Bad Blood was done for as my blades slashed his throat. I felt the heat of his blood spill all over my face and it seemed strangely satisfying.
Good . . .
The Bad Blood drops to the ground as I land on my feet but sprinted forward, trying to find the one with the red X symbol. It wasn't long before two more Bad Blood leap from the trees on either side of me. I growled in frustration, realizing that this was planned. So they wanted to ambush us all. Well . . . they'll get what's coming to them. I pulled out two knives and held them in each hand. Both Bad Bloods let out a war cry and lunged at me with wrist blades.
Too slow . . .
I threw the knives and it hits their marks. The Bad Blood on my right got hit in the middle of the head and died instantly while the other had the knife plunge into his mouth, slicing all the way through while leaving a bloody hole in his mouth. Kept pushing forward as I heard their bodies fall hard onto the ground. The satisfaction that they were dying like flies under my own hands kept getting stronger, fueling my already angry state. I wanted more . . . much more. More Bad Bloods kept popping up to kill me but they were unsuccessful and died instantly. I lost count at about ten before I gave up, wondering why I was worried about such a trivial matter.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, I broke from the tree line and entered into the heart of the oasis where the clear pond resided. I stopped at the edge, trying to gather my breath that was proving difficult to do. It gave me a small amount of time to see the damage to me. My armor and gauntlets were completely stained with green neon blood from all my kills but saw some deep gashes that I received from my battles. They weren't serious and I didn't bother to fix them since I felt no pain. It was strangely exhilarating.
But not a moment passed when I saw a group of Bad Bloods gathered near the edge of the pond, discussing some private matter. Slowly, I approached them but it was more like stalking for prey. They are prey that needs to be dealt with. A few more steps until one of them saw me at a distance. The one called for his comrades and all of them went into a battle formation with weapons out and ready for use . . . all except for one. I leered through and saw that it was the same Bad Blood with the red X symbol and my rage sparked up once more. I stomped closer to them, letting out a ferocious growl that had an immediate effect on the others. They jumped and stepped back a bit and I could smell their uncertainty. This is what I want . . . I want all of you to feel the same pain as I have.
But then, the Bad Blood that killed Ba'kou raised his hand into the air, almost like a command and the others stood tall in unison. I tilted my head to the side in curiosity. So he's the Leader. This will get interesting.
The Bad Blood lowers his hand and chuckles. "So . . . you made it here in one piece. I should have known better than to trust those pauking (fucking) imbeciles to finish the job."
I roared in anger. "You'll pay for killing my mate and son! I will have your head as my trophy! And when I'm done . . . I'll leave your corpse to rot!"
I stepped forward once more and his followers went back into fighting stances with weapons in hand. But as I took another step, the Leader starts to laugh as if he couldn't believe that I said such things. It was a disgusting sound that I wanted to rip it out of his throat. He stops and smirks in my direction.
"Really? You may be a great warrior but even you have your limitations. You couldn't even get two feet close to me without dying . . . even in your current emotional state."
I spat on the ground in disgust. "Let's try. Shall we?"
I bent my knees, ready to lunge at his followers to get to him. Fine by me. But all of a sudden, I heard a small cry of a pup coming from behind the Leader. It was a sound that was all too familiar. My body froze in fear when the Leader whips something from behind, raising it high in the air for everyone to see. It wasn't an object but rather someone very precious to me.
"Lar'ja . . ."
There he was . . . His ten seasons old body dangled from where the Leader held him by the leather garments he wore, which was only a small choke collar around his neck that he thought made him look fierce. His dreadlocks barely reached to his cheeks but they swayed in the air along with his leathered loincloth. He looked so small helpless in the Bad Blood's grip but he roared and cried in terror as he struggled to break free.
"Lar'ja!"
His eyes focus on me and he opens his mandibles to let out another cry that was full of fear. "Father!"
My anger from before dulled a little and my mind was able to focus on my son with his life in the hands of the Leader. I leered back at him and he smirked again.
"If you do as we say, we'll let your son free. But if you don't, your son will pay the price from your disobedience."
The Leader suddenly started swinging Lar'ja back and forth like a rag doll and that only made Lar'ja cry harder in horror. I ground my teeth and roared in anger. How dare he!? First Ba'kou . . . and now you must torture my youngest son!? It took everything in me not to charge in like a raging bull like before. If I tried anything out of a whim, I wouldn't have enough time to get to Lar'ja before the Leader did something to harm him . . . or even kill. My family was dying off and I had to think . . . to find something that could get Lar'ja out of this.
"You better decide now. You don't want Lar'ja to feel the pain, right?"
All of a sudden, the Leader pulls on Lar'ja's choke collar harshly. My son starts to gurgle, desperate to inhale but nothing was going in or not. I saw his bright golden eyes looking at me, familiar to my own with more color than mine. But then, his eyes started to roll and his breath started to wheeze. A sure sign that he wasn't getting any oxygen and that the Leader was suffocating him. Out of panic, I roared.
"Stop!"
The Leader loosens his grip and Lar'ja finally took a deep breath. His form slumps under the Leader's hand but his eyes open back to me, showing nothing but despair. I would do anything to protect my son but my mind believed that this was only for show. I took a deep breath and glared at the Leader.
"You won't honor that promise. No one trusts the word of a Bad Blood."
It was mostly true. From stories of hunts that many warriors have told, the most common thing about Bad Bloods is that they don't have any honor whatsoever. If they tried to make a deal, then that's because there's an ulterior motive to them. Never trust them . . . It will only lead to ruin. I stared into the Leader's eyes as he looked like he was contemplating how to answer. But that smirk comes back with a vengeance and he starts to chuckle as well.
"You're right. Never trust a Bad Blood."
In an instant, the Leader pulls out a knife and I recognized it as the one that killed Ba'kou. It still has his blood stained on the blade. And then, the Leader lets out one last chuckle before he trusted his knife right at Lar'ja, aiming in the same place he inflicted on Ba'kou. The recent events come back to me once more and stronger than anything else.
I can do this, Father! We can't let them escape!
Ba'kou!
NO!
Everything around me went silent. Even my voice couldn't give any sound from my throat as I saw the knife come down on Lar'ja in slow motion. This can't be happening again . . . Why me? Although I see the Leader, Lar'ja and his followers in front of me, the image of Ni'geria and Ba'kou were also there, standing as if they were right by my side. I shook my head slowly in despair.
Forgive me . . . Forgive me . . .
But the silence shattered into a million pieces when a blast from the treeline flashes across, hitting right into the other Bad Bloods that were in front of the Leader. Unfortunately, it didn't obliterate anyone but it allowed me to make my move since it created a dust cloud that would provide great cover from their masks. I released my wrist blades out once more and charged into battle. My legs pushed hard and I reached the closest Bad Blood, cutting him down swiftly as I went to find another.
My blind rage grew once more and I cut down another Bad Blood that almost saw me coming, trying to pull a spear from his belt but I sliced his hand off before taking his sheathed spear and plunging it into his stomach. Again . . . and again . . . I killed another Bad Blood and then another until the dust finally settled.
When I could see everything clearly, it was apparent that I killed all of the Bad Bloods. I didn't see another one in sight . . . only bodies that were either gutted or sliced into bits. Everything went by so fast that I couldn't remember what wounds Inflicted on each one. But I didn't care. All that was left was the Leader with Lar'ja still in his grasp but not hanging by his choke collar anymore. I watched as the Leader's eyes widened in shock and surprise, seeing all of his comrades died before him. His gaze turns back to me and he growls furiously, scaring Lar'ja a bit.
"You pauking (fucking) bastard. I should have killed you the moment I saw you. But now, you'll pay."
Again, the Leader pulled his knife out while raising Lar'ja in the air once more. I heard him crying for me once more, thrashing with all of his might but the Leader had a tight grip that he couldn't break free. My body froze once more. Oh no!
But then, something rushes with blinding speed towards the Bad Blood and Lar'ja. The next thing I knew, the Leader drops the knife and Lar'ja to the ground while being thrashed down to the ground. It was then that I noticed it was one of my hunting party members that got a hold of him. It makes sense where the blast came from. Soon, the rest followed suit and came to my side while one more got a hold of the other Leader's arm, creating a vise grip that he couldn't escape. I rushed immediately over to Lar'ja, dropping down to my knees while wrapping my arms around him. He clung onto me like there was no tomorrow and I purred to comfort him.
"Father . . ."
"Shhh . . . It's okay now. You're safe."
I stayed like that for what seemed like forever until I heard the Leader roaring and growling against his captors. I glanced at one of my warriors and nodded towards him. He comes and I let go of Lar'ja so that he could take him. I still have a business to attend to him.
As soon as Lar'ja was in safe hands, I stood up and walked over to where the Leader of the Bad Bloods was. As much as I wanted to rip him to shreds, I needed to ask him questions and figure out how this happened and how they knew where to strike us. When I got a few inches in front of him, the Leader glared right into my eyes as I did the same.
"Tell me. What made you attack us? How did you know where to find us in the first place?"
His demeanor suddenly changed into a twisted expression of evil and hatred. He lets out a soft chuckle but it was enough to send tingles up my arms.
"What makes you think I'll tell you. Even if I did, I'll be just as good as dead."
My head tips to the side in curiosity. "So you're not working alone?"
The Bad Blood doesn't say anything nor shows any slight change in expression. The reason for my question is because what it sounded like someone higher than him is threatening if he doesn't do what he's told. Someone else is playing this game with us. I inched closer to him, opening my mandibles enough that my tusks scraped across his own. Still, no change in his expression and it was starting to creep me out in all honesty.
"You. Will. Tell. Me . . . Or else I'll make sure you suffer before you die."
Again, the Leader chuckles but much darker than ever before. I didn't think any Yautja was capable of creating such an expression and sound like that. This guy must be demented. Before I could ask anything else, the Leader spits into my face and I pull away in disgust.
He laughs hysterically. "I'll never tell you."
I wiped off the saliva and growled fiercely. You little mother pauker (fucker)!
I pushed forward and was about to knock him out with my fist until the Leader suddenly gets loose from my warrior's grips. One arm breaks free and grabs onto my knife that I put back into my belt. With quick reflexes, the Leader kicks the other and jumps out of there. I roared in anger.
"You fools!"
My members didn't answer and I didn't give them the chance as I turned towards the Leader who stood there, pointing a knife at me. I stepped closer and he backed up a bit.
"You have nowhere to run. We'll track you down until you're ours. And when I'm through, you're going to wish you never met me."
The Leader smirks. "It doesn't matter. I vowed to take all my secrets to the grave. We will succeed where you will fail. Never forget it."
With that, he raises the knife higher into the air and my immediate thoughts were that he's not going down without a fight. I pulled my wrist blades out and readied to confront him if it comes to it. But he did the unexpected that no other Yautja would dare to do. But he had one last thing to say as he roared towards me.
"Long live the Killer Yautja!"
And then, he takes the knife and presses it into his neck before plunging it into his throat. The next thing I knew, the Leader brings it across until it creates a gaping wound that was fatal. The Leader gurgles blood out of his mouth before falling onto the ground, never to move again.
It was stunned silence all around us. The act of taking one's life in an honorless way was the most disgraceful any Yautja could commit so it's not seen often but used for the most unhinged warriors throughout history. Still, I didn't stay frozen for solely that reason. Now that he was dead, I'll never know the reason for all this bloodshed. It's gone . . . All gone . . .
I remained still until a member comes to my side. "What do we do now?"
I blinked my eyes to get whatever pieces of my mind back into me. I turned slightly to my side and spoke. "Gather our own and bring them on the ship when you get in contact with them. Make sure you get Ba'kou and Ni'geria with you too."
"And Lar'ja?"
When I heard my son's name mentioned, I turned my eyes and looked at him where he clung onto the member that I left him with. His eyes were ones that I would never forget as the gold color filled to make it darker. He was still young but wise enough to know what I meant earlier. He knows that his mother and brother were dead and there's nothing I can do to make it less awful. I nodded to my hunting party.
"Protect him at all costs. Don't let anyone get near him."
The member bows his head. "Yes, my Lord."
With that, I watched as they took Lar'ja away. I looked away after a bit, only to stare down at the Leader's body to focus on him. But it didn't stop from hearing the rest gossiping once more.
"What a massacre . . ."
"He killed them all with no remorse whatsoever."
"Like a Blood Assassin . . ."
I didn't want to hear anymore so I growled a warning that shut them up quickly. They scattered away from me, following the rest to the spot where the ship will land. I remained in that spot, staring at the dead body with the red X shape standing out above all.
What does that symbol mean?
I closed my eyes and raised my head to the sky, opening them back to stare into the stars as the daylight on the planet started to fade. It should be a beautiful sight but all the memories of today made everything a painful reminder of what I've lost.
Ni'geria . . . Ba'kou . . .
I could only stand there in silence . . . wishing that something would take me away from all this . . . hoping that this was all a dream.
But this was one that I will never wake up . . .
Hi Readers!
This chapter was the hardest to write since I wanted to give off to readers the despair and rage Daugo had to go through when he lost his family and almost Lar'ja. It was so devastating and I'm sad about Daugo. I can't blame him for killing all of the Bad Bloods but that also shows how he got the name 'Blood Assassin'. Not a nice nickname that Daugo despises.
A lot of questions remain unanswered that might pop up in Metamorphosis. Who knows?
Find out when Chapter 15 comes next Sunday. :)
P.S. Thank you Anonymous-E and Mariah for the wonderful reviews on Metamorphosis. They inspire me so much so the more . . . the better lol. All of you are welcomed to write reviews regardless if they are bad and not. Plus, your efforts help me to continue writing :)
Anonymous-E: I admit that you're very intuitive. I like it when readers try to figure out what's going on. It makes it a challenge to see how much I can twist my stories. As for the number of chapters left on Metamorphosis, it's estimated to be around 35 chapters but it might be more or less depending on how the story flows. It's hard to write ahead since I have to think about how to go but I do have a general direction and points that I want in it. Plus, the reviews and comments help me to fill the storyline as well. And I do give a heads up when the end is near.
Out of curiosity, I'm wondering why you want to know how many. I don't mind your opinion. It's a free country, after all, lol :) And for a treat . . . the next chapter for Nexus might be a very good one. Just saying ;)
Mariah: Good point about Anya's reaction but if you read Twisted Fate, it gives more insight into how Anya felt when she found out. And of course, I would love to have a character become an Elite. I liked Wolf in AVP Requiem and so it inspired me to create someone in the same rank as him. They're always badasses :D
Thank you and enjoy! :)))
Reading notes:
Normal = Human speaking English (ooman language)
Bold = Any Yautja speaking English (ooman language)
Bold and Italic = Any Yautja speaking Yautja language