Pyrite is often called "Fool's Gold," though there is nothing foolish about this mineral. Within its gleaming beauty is a stone of hidden fire, one that can be sparked to life by striking it against metal or stone. Pyrite guards against ongoing control, criticism and manipulation by a partner, parent or employer, lending the power to resist without becoming angry or upset, changing the balance of power.

(Crystal Encyclopedia)

Chapter Four: Pyrite

The girl stepped back and stumbled over a severed arm before landing roughly on her bottom. Managing to withhold the scream rising in her throat, she could only hope that she was not loud enough to get the monster's attention. Unfortunately, the sudden sound and motion drew the creature's attention as its head whipped towards her with a loud hiss. Her uncle's mangled corpse plopped unceremoniously to the ground and the creature began to stalk towards her with a predatory gait.

Scrambling backwards until she hit the wall, the girl could only stare with wide eyes as it came towards her with its mouth parted. Within its toothed maw, a proboscis-like inner mouth emerged slowly and menacingly, saliva dripping off it as it neared her face. Feeling warm air fan across her cheek as she turned her gaze away, she felt as if her heart would burst through her rib cage.

Somebody please help me…

Shooting up into a sitting position, Lilia placed a hand over her chest as if the motion would calm her pounding heart. Slowing her breathing down until she felt a sense of calm wash over her, she sighed heavily before swinging her legs off the side of the bed. The dream had been occurring more lately and she was not sure what to make of it. It had been about two months since she was taken in by Vayuh'ta and her "father". She never really had the chance to learn his name as he had been a faint presence within the household.

Pulling her hair into a messy low ponytail, she wandered forward while mentally counting the steps until she turned and found the doorway. Reaching upward, her slender digits wrapped themselves around the string hanging nearby and began to direct herself to the kitchen. She felt very fortunate that Vayuh'ta decided to put up a makeshift navigation system consisting of string with different markers attached depending on the area she was looking for.

It didn't take long for her to tire of babysitting and Lilia ended up suggesting the idea when she stumbled upon a pile of rope the first week of living in the shared space. Feeling her fingers catch on the telltale textured bead in front of the kitchen, she let go and began to count her steps again. It was starting to become clockwork to her as she moved cautiously about the space. She wondered if there was any new fruit in the bowl on the table as it seemed to magically replenish itself every 3 days.

A few steps to the right and I should hit the tabl- suddenly running into what felt like a wall, Lilia gasped and jumped back out of surprise. Losing her footing in the heat of the moment, she reached out in front of her in hopes of grabbing onto something to prevent her from falling.

Hearing a grunt and feeling a very large hand wrap itself around her small one, she froze. How long had he been standing there? She did not even sense him in the room let alone hear him and decided that she was definitely not getting enough sleep if her senses were this dull.

"S-Sorry….!" she muttered while regaining herself and felt incredibly awkward when he would not release her hand. Feeling a calloused thumb run itself over the back of her hand, she shivered at the unexpected contact. This had been her third encounter with him and she noted it had not gotten any less awkward being in his presence. While he was not entirely frightening, something about him made her feel apprehensive and shy.

When he made no motion to release her, she cleared her throat uncomfortably as she felt his eyes on her.

"Sir…?" she spoke up, tugging her hand back lightly in hopes of breaking the prolonged contact. Feeling him jolt ever so slightly, perhaps out of surprise himself, he released her and stepped away.

"Be mindful of where you walk ooman."

Feeling irked at his comment after processing it in her brain, she bit back a retort and sat at the table. She had just broken Vayuh'ta out of calling her that. Pleased at discovering the presence of new fruit in its typical place, Lilia settled on a particular piece due to its odd shape and texture finding that the strange ones always tasted the best. Wiping it against her shirt, she realized that the male had not left.

Debating on whether to pursue conversation or not, she decided that she might as well try seeing as she did not really know who he was other than Vayuh'ta's so-called father. During their other encounters, he never really spoke to her or acknowledged her presence unless it was through Vayuh'ta.

"May I ask why you have brought me here, sir?" she began cautiously, choosing words carefully in her head to avoid provoking or offending him. She was not certain of whether she should speak to him in his native tongue or her own. Deciding that her Yautja was still broken and not fluid, she settled on english. Rolling the fruit back-and-forth between her palms, she kept her gaze fixated on where her hands would be if she could see them.

Hearing the creature move to stand next to her once more, Lilia tensed. Did she make a mistake? Should she have attempted communicating in his language after all? After a few agonizing seconds of silence, she heard him make some sort of strange trilling noise.

"A trophy for my pup. To be more in touch with the ooman side she has forgotten and suppressed being raised as a Yautja." he said in a matter-of-fact tone. It appears he was not expecting her to speak the language just yet and for this she found herself grateful. While she had gotten really good at picking up various phrases in the language, she still had trouble translating a portion of what he had said. She also felt somewhat surprised that he could understand her, but then again she was in a position of assumption and doubt unless proven otherwise.

Running it through her head a few times as she did not dare ask him to repeat himself, she wondered if he could sense her lack of understanding as he ended up repeating himself anyways, but in a more simplified version of what was initially said.

"To help Vayuh'ta be more ooman-like."

Feeling it click, she "ah"-ed before taking a small bite of the fruit she had been playing with. She wanted to pick at his brain further but found herself at a loss. Chewing slowly, she tried to block the anxiety of not knowing what else to say into the back of her mind as she savored the sweet flavor coating her tongue. I was right yet again…! She cheered internally, feeling a sense of accomplishment at somewhat adapting to her environment and situation.

"Tell me about the strange mark on your shoulder ooman," he suddenly said, catching Lilia off guard as she choked down the piece of fleshy fruit she had in her mouth. Sensing his attention had been captured at the reaction she had given, she took a deep breath and set the half-eaten produce on the table. She decided to be a little brave for a change and directed her gaze in his general direction.

"If I do, will you be so kind as to tell me your name sir?"

She could tell that he was silently debating, but did not allow her resolve to waver in the slightest. If she constantly displayed weakness like Vayuh'ta had once pointed out, she would never get anywhere.

"I realize I am in no position to ask for much… But at least allow me some sort of comfort knowing that I am not able to see your face…"

"I go by the name A'thael, ooman. Though you are not permitted to call me as such given your unworthy position. I am not particularly fond of what you have chosen to call me, but from my understanding it is a human form of respect so I will allow that much for your case."

She figured as much, but was still grateful nonetheless.

"Thank you, sir. I am truly grateful," she began, feeling satisfied for finally being able to associate the male with at least something other than 'sir'. "For the most part, it has been there for as long as I can remember. I do not know how it got there, but it's something I've lived with and never really questioned." she rolled out smoothly, having told this story to Vayuh'ta the various times she asked as she was never satisfied with the answer.

Why do people feel that asking the same question more than once will result in a different answer…? She thought exasperatedly before turning her attention back to the question at hand.

Though she was uncomfortable sharing information about herself, there was no reason to lie or make up false details when she had a strong feeling that these beings were more technologically advanced and equipped than her species. It was a frightening thought that this creature might be able to read her mind to a degree, though she had no confirmation that it actually had this ability.

Better to be safe than sorry... she always told herself. "I was raised in a grand facility constructed long ago by some great man called Karl Bishop Weyland… I think it was a hospital wing called LUNA-9. I believe I was living there until I was about 8 years old until it was attacked… If I remember correctly."

Feeling the male pause, she wondered what was running through his mind. It must have sounded strange to him as she knew it was an odd situation herself. When she was younger she never really questioned anything happening around her save for when it would be meal or play time. As if reading her thoughts, he made this odd clicking sound before speaking again.

"There was an attack?"

In that moment, fuzzy flashbacks of a horrific scene she couldn't even begin to describe or piece together began to play in her mind before she shook her head to regain herself.

"Ahhh…" she murmured while placing a palm on her forehead, feeling a little faint from the sudden mental assault.

"What is the matter ooman?" the male said and she sensed him beginning to reach out to touch her head.

Before she could continue or reassure him, Vayuh'ta decided to make her presence known as she yawned loudly while entering the kitchen.

"Good morning you two. Why are you up early Lilia? Cannot sleep again?"

Having the distraction was more than welcome and Lilia decided to capitalize on it.

"No. I guess it's starting to become a habit…" Though the male dropped what they were talking about, she could tell it was only the beginning and that he would not let it go so easily in the future. Hearing Vayuh'ta shuffle around before taking a seat across from her, Lilia picked up the almost forgotten half-eaten fruit and began to work on it once more.

The creature and Vayuh'ta began to converse with each other about the upcoming day as Lilia half-listened to their conversation. Though she had not been awake long, she was already starting to feel tired again, but knew that the other female would not let her go back to sleep once she was already up and about. Sensing movement happening in two different places, she noted that the male left the room and Vayuh'ta suddenly shifting her attention towards her.

"Do you want to try training today?" she said, earning a nod from Lilia. Vayuh'ta's english had gotten a lot better from the first month they began practicing. They were both quick learners as they switched between languages frequently to ensure both had adequate practice on the daily.

"Might as well try to do something with myself I guess," Lilia said in a joking tone as the other female snorted at her. It was going to be a long day…

After the encounter in the kitchen, A'thael immersed himself in research once more. Having more information to work off of was certainly beneficial to his cause as the undying curiosity of the young girl's tattoo was bothering him to no end. He had been searching through the countless amount of biomask entries and data collected over the years, but could not pinpoint the exact thing he was looking for.

It had been a frustrating two months, but he had been pleased with the progress of the two girls bonding with one another. While he had not interacted as much with Lilia, he studied her intensely in comparison to Vayuh'ta from the shadows whenever he took a break to organize his thoughts.

She was very meek and demure in the beginning, but after some jabbing and reinforcement from his own pup, she seemingly began to find her own fire deep within. She was nothing like Vayuh'ta as a child and he found that every creature, no matter the race, would always have their individual personality.

The one thing he noted that was exceedingly remarkable about the girl was how she was in tune with her other senses despite not being able to see the world around her. There were very few qualities he found appealing about the human race; their tenacity and will to survive being among them. In all honesty, he thought they were the only honorable qualities the pitiful race possessed.

He kept mulling over the words they exchanged in their brief encounter when something suddenly clicked. He vaguely recalled being involved in watching over a hunt hosted on an island that contained a human science facility chosen by one of the Yautja trial overseers. LUNA-9… The name resounded loudly in his head as he sped through the videos and entries, faint images surfacing in his memory.

Stopping on a clip that was dated 9 years prior on Earth's summer solstice, he became engrossed in the scene playing out before him. Bits and pieces came back as he recalled being asked to oversee the chiva taking place that summer as his kind typically appreciated a heated atmosphere.

He also recalled a second task assigned to him in addition to overseeing and it was infiltration of the facility to gather information on possible Yautja technology being studied, but it was mere suspicion by the Ancients. At the time, he was a mere adjutant and was hungry to climb the ladder to achieve a greater social standing.

It was a bloodbath that day, a chiva gone horribly wrong as most of the young unblooded warriors on the mission were massacred in addition to all the humans residing within the vicinity. Except for one human child... At least to his knowledge.

His primary concern was helping his brethren out, but he remembered on this particular day crossing paths with a tiny human girl faced with a terrifying life lesson; death. This was the second time he ever felt himself moved by a human and was beginning to suspect he had a soft spot for children, as disturbing as the thought was. As the memory replayed vividly in his mind, he was disrupted when he heard a loud crash followed by his pup yelling aggressively near the side of his abode.

Putting his thoughts on reserve for a later time, he couldn't help but feel even more disturbed, yet he didn't entirely know why.

It couldn't be possible… Could it?

Lilia channeled her focus not only into hearing, but feeling her surroundings intensely. As Vayuh'ta had promised, they would work on sharpening her senses further if she was ever put in a situation where she had to defend herself. Though it would be a difficult feat in her situation as she had never been a fighter, she had seen movies and read stories of blind fighting masters. Despite that she would never be a proficient fighter, any source of encouragement was as good as any if she wanted to continue surviving.

"Left! Left! Right! Left!" Vayuh'ta barked as she swung her legs and fists relentlessly at Lilia, giving her no chance to catch her breath. They had been going at it for what felt like a solid hour and while it was refreshing to be outdoors, Lilia was still acclimating to her surroundings. It was difficult to adapt to the atmosphere as the air felt thinner, leaving her out of breath a lot faster than she was used to or would have liked.

"Right!"

As she lost concentration for the slightest moment, she failed to notice that Vayuh'ta altered her course of action and struck from the left instead, catching Lilia's face with her foot before sending her flying into some nearby wooden crates. Despite the force not being strong enough to seriously damage anything, she still felt a sharp pain travel up her right side as the crates broke her fall.

"You need to pay attention ooman!" Vayuh'ta growled and stalked towards her. "The moment you leave yourself open, you are done!"

Raising a hand to her cheek and cupping it in hopes of dulling the throbbing pain settling in, she lowered her gaze in submission.

"S-Sorry Vayuh'ta I-"

"Sorry is not good enough when your life is on the line! The enemy knows no such feeling!"

Feeling warmth pool at the corner of her bottom lip, Lilia found that the blow from earlier caused it to split. As Vayuh'ta continued her angry tirade, she was suddenly cut off by another presence joining them.

"That is enough out of you pup. I brought her here in one piece, and one piece she shall stay in." A'thael commanded as Vayuh'ta immediately bit back her anger, realizing that she had gone too far with the other human girl.

"Father, I apologize. It is frustrating when you see mistakes that are easily avoidable."

"I understand, but there is no honor when your opponent can no longer fight back."

With a huff, Vayuh'ta turned around and stormed off, deciding to cool her head before she displeased A'thael further. Sensing the male approach her and lower himself to her level, she raised her head towards his general direction. Hissing as he cupped her jaw in his large rough palm, she heard him grunt in what she could only guess was displeasure and possibly disappointment.

For the second time that day, his ran his thumb over her flesh, but this time her lower lip. It sent chills down her spine, but only due to the fact that it was a little odd that he took such fascination in touching her skin.

She wondered how much he had witnessed before she was sent tumbling to the ground. For some reason, she actually felt somewhat embarrassed with her failure to defend herself.

Seldom did she get distracted, but with the increasing frequency of the night terrors, she was low on energy most days.

"My pup can be a bit aggressive at times. She has no choice given that she must put up a strong front to maintain what little respect she has among my brethren." Listening and trying to decipher to his words, she became distracted when she felt motion on his end with his other hand.

Suddenly, a creamy substance was smeared on her lower lip and while it initially felt cool, it began to burn like hellfire causing her to wince. As soon as it began however, the pain faded and as he withdrew his hand she touched her lip where the cut should have been. To her surprise, it was pretty much sealed; the only remaining trace was a small swollen line.

"Amazing… May I ask what that was Sir?" she said in awe, marveling at the advanced medicine she received as she lifted herself off the ground.

"Healing gel. Normally I would not bother wasting resources on such a small wound, but it is beneficial to learn. Especially if you have to tend to any wounds we might acquire."

Figures he wouldn't go out of his way if there wasn't some purpose… she thought, a little miffed but more so grateful for the gesture. Hearing him rise to his feet, she felt startled at how much he towered over her once again. She could never get over just how tall he truly was as it served as a constant reminder of how strong he must have been.

"I am guessing that you are great warriors who take pride in battle?" Lilia began, hoping to be able to probe a little further into the male's mind seeing as she was interrupted earlier this morning.

"Sei-i ooman. We are Yautja, a prideful species that seeks only honor and glory of the hunt."

"But Vayuh'ta is human. What about her?"

A'thael paused, clicking his mandibles in thought before deciding to divulge a little bit of information about his pup.

"Indeed, my pup is ooman. This is unmistakable. But she is as much Yautja as the rest of my brethren. They have yet to see the many facets of her strength and tenacity that make her such a great hunter."

"I… I'm sorry?"

With another pause, she could tell that the male tried rewording it into simpler terms. For the first time in a long time, she actually felt lucky that the two she ended up stuck with were somewhat patient and kind. Or so it seemed so far anyways.

"Vayuh'ta must undergo a chiva for my brethren to see her as an equal. If she does not become blooded, she will remain a weak lou-dte kale in the other Yautja's eyes."

Remembering Vayuh'ta talk almost nonstop about this chiva, she wondered what the hunt truly entailed.

"This chiva that both you and Vayuh'ta speak of… Is it even possible for her to compete against an alien species?" she began curiously, the Yautja culture becoming an increasingly complex puzzle that begged to be unraveled in her mind.

Hearing him grunt in disapproval at her question, she internally cringed. She made a mistake.

"Tread carefully ooman. You have not seen nor trained Vayuh'ta. Do not question one's physical qualities until you have fully met them head on in battle. She goes significantly easy on you when you spar so be grateful she is merciful to your ineptitude in combat," he ground out defensively, not appreciating her lack of faith in his pup's skills.

"My apologies Sir…" she said softly, clasping her hands behind her back in a nervous gesture before lowering her gaze. "I did not mean to be rude, I am just worried for Vayuh'ta's well-being given that I am human myself… And the human body, while capable of being trained to become strong, is still very frail in actuality. I remember listening to an audio book a few years back and the phrase memento mori has never resounded more strongly in my mind whenever I am faced with various situations in life."

"What does this mean ooman?"

"'Remember your death' or 'Remember your mortality'."

Hearing him click in response, she could only assume he was mulling over the words as he fell silent for a moment.

"Vayuh'ta has always disregarded her mortality, even as a child when I first found her."

Tilting her head, Lilia listened to whatever the male had to offer her.

"She was very wild and fierce, even when she was in Black Warrior's path. She never yielded and perhaps it was this fighting spirit that willed me to take her under my watch as my pup."

"This is unheard of in Yautja culture and Father still gets harassed about it." Vayuh'ta's voice suddenly cut in, apparently having returned at some point. Something told Lilia that Vayuh'ta did not like having her past spoken about and it was quite understandable if it was a painful one. The air felt a little tense before Lilia heard Vayuh'ta sigh heavily and speak once more.

"I apologize Father. I did not mean to let my anger get the best of me. It is not befitting of a level-headed warrior on the hunt and this failure of control could put me in the Black Warrior's path once more."

Feeling the other girl's gaze upon herself, Lilia felt her words momentarily catch in her throat before curiosity got the best of her.

"The Black Warrior?"

"The Black Warrior is the goddess of death who determines when it is time to leave this life and enter the next… If there is one after." Vayuh'ta abruptly responded before reaching forward to lightly touch Lilia's lip. "I apologize to you as well Lilia. I know you are still learning and it wasn't fair of me to strike you as I have done earlier."

Shaking her head in response with a small smile, Lilia clasped the other girl's hand gently in her own. "You are the one training me and you are right when I should pay close attention. There are no second chances when your life is in danger."

Feeling some of the tension lift from the atmosphere, Lilia sighed in relief. She didn't know what it was, but she could have sworn that Vayuh'ta did not like leaving them to interact alone for long. Perhaps she was not used to having her father's attention being divided and in all honesty, Lilia did not really care as to how often she and A'thael actually spent time together. She just wanted to figure out a way to get out of this mess alive so that she may actually get to live her own life for a change.

"How long have you been blind ooman?" A'thael suddenly asked, catching Lilia off guard. She forgot that while Vayuh'ta had asked her many times, the male had no idea of her "condition" as her foster parents had always referred to it as.

"It has been about… 9 years now? I have lost track of time."

"She was not born blind father. She claims to have injured them somehow."

"I wouldn't really say injured… I told you doctors diagnosed it as conversion disorder or some form of PTSD… Which is post traumatic stress disorder… I have not really done anything to physically harm them, I just lost the ability to use them for some reason," Lilia rambled as if the two could understand the very essence of what was being spoken.

"There is always a reason behind things ooman. What was the last thing you remember seeing?" the male pried further, pushing her into a state of discomfort as the images stirring within her mind sent her brain into overdrive.

"I… I'm not entirely sure I just know that it was horrible. I mean, my family was murdered… No, massacred from what I was to-" stopping abruptly, Lilia placed a hand against her right eye, a sharp pain shooting through the center of her head.

Blood… Copious amounts of blood painted the walls along with body parts strewn haphazardly about the vicinity. Hearing the dying hiss emitting from some of her siblings, she felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

The scene began to fuzz and skip around as bits and pieces of the long lost memory began to resurface.

The black creature screeched and opened its maw, a secondary toothed inner mouth slowly emerging from its salivating depths. Its hot breath fanned across her face as she stared on in horror, her body frozen in terror.

Please help me…

Feeling everything fade to black, her body gave out beneath her momentarily as she succumbed to the overwhelming emotions washing over her.

A'thael caught the with girl with ease as he could sense something was internally happening with her. Propping her upright in his arms as she came to, he wondered just how traumatic her experience was. If what he speculated from earlier was right, he could understand her position, but would never truly understand the human psyche.

"Do not push her too hard Father, you might break her." Vayuh'ta spoke rapidly as she came to his side, attempting to pull Lilia from his arms. Allowing her to take hold of the girl, he stepped back and crossed his arms in thought. This was new behavior coming from his pup and it was rather interesting to see.

"I'm okay… Sorry for blacking out like that. I do not know what came over me." the girl muttered as she came to and struggled to regain her composure.

"What if we try bringing her to the shaman?" Vayuh'ta suggested as she made sure Lilia was able to stand on her own.

Without hesitation, A'thael immediately shut her down.

"M'di pup. We will do no such thing. The shaman will not waste precious resources or his time on a ooman. I already have enough problems getting you looked at every now and then. I do not need additional problems," he said sternly, hoping his pup would get the message. Whatever was wrong with the human girl was her problem, not his brethren's to deal with.

"Father, I am sure if you asked he would at least look. He owes you a favor does he not?" Vayuh'ta pressed further, irking A'thael slightly. He wondered why she was being so insistent when she was normally obedient.

"I said m'di. Do not make me repeat myself," he said once more, puffing his chest out angrily. His pup was the only one who would outright defy him and sometimes it bothered him immensely. If they were in a public setting he would surely be further mocked by the others if he could not keep his very-much human pup under his control. This would be a weakness that he would definitely not display as he could no longer afford losing any more respect. It was a dog-eat-dog world and he would be damned if all his hard work went to waste because his pup chose to defy his will.

Watching her back down by lowering her head in submission, A'thael glanced back at the human girl standing idly by, nervously fiddling with her hands. Before he could say anything else, a beep emitted from his wrist gauntlet; a transmitted message from Za-Ma'ji it seemed.

"Take care of the ooman and do not be too aggressive. I have business to attend to."

A'thael walked away from the pair of females and returned to his study where he left his biomask. From what he briefly read, it seemed urgent. Picking up his mask and setting up a live transmission with the younger Yautja, he leaned against his desk and focused his attention on what the other had to say.

"A'thael are you there? I have important news for you…"

Feeling awkward after listening to the small disagreement between the two, Lilia shuffled her feet anxiously.

"I have lived without my sight for so long now… It's really not a bother Vayuh'ta. You shouldn't get yourself into trouble for me…" she began, not really knowing what to say.

Hearing the other girl snort, she felt her grab her hand and pull her towards some random direction.

"Please, do not think that highly of yourself. I only want life to be easier for father and I. It would be helpfully for you to see once again then you can care for yourself instead of troubling father."

"It's 'helpful' Vayuh'ta"

"It will be helpful for us all," the girl retorted.

"Your father just said no though… And from what I could gather, Yautja don't take kindly to humans. Just forget about it Vayuh'ta…!" Lilia tried protesting, willing herself to come up with various reasons or excuses to get out of the situation.

"No! Don't you want to see again? Why are you running away? What do you have to lose?" the girl pressed as she continued to pull Lilia along with her.

My life, for one, if your father finds out and decides to destroy us for being disobedient… she thought darkly. The thought of being able to see again was quite appealing, but the more she thought about it, the more frightening it sounded. Stopping in her tracks, she felt the annoyance roll off Vayuh'ta in waves.

"Look, if I go with you, you have to promise you won't force me into anything again after this. I'd rather not upset your father as I don't share the same closeness you have with him."

"Fine fine… Just humorous me this once."

"It's 'humor' Vayuh'ta…"

"Oh whatever! This English language is too damn complicated."

Rolling her eyes at the proper usage of the curse word, Lilia allowed the other girl to lead her once more hoping that whatever they got into wouldn't get her killed.

Terms Utilized

If mistakes are made with any of the terms, please don't hesitate to correct me.

Sei-i: Yes

M'di: No

Lou-dte kale: child-maker (female)

Chiva: trial