Note: Apologies for the absence. I was merely taking the time to re-read this story in order to adjust and add some things accordingly. I hope you enjoy the next installment of Blind Spot.

Kyanite inspires loyalty and fair treatment to others. It assists in working through disagreements and disputes, and can aid in repairing damaged relationships. It is beneficial in negotiations, diplomatic missions, arbitration and other forms of communication between disharmonious people, allowing disparate energies to move into resonance and find a common frequency.

(Crystal Encyclopedia)

Chapter Five: Kyanite

For the duration of their short trip to the shaman, Vayuh'ta chatted tirelessly about various subjects that ranged from her upcoming trial to random tidbits about Yautja culture. Whenever Lilia tried to speak up, she found that the other girl would not let her break her tirade. She figured that Vayuh'ta was feeling quite anxious about their little escapade granted that she seemed far too loyal to A'thael to defy his orders very often.

Lilia did not mind so much however, as she found that there was not much to say in response.

Upon entering the shop, she was assaulted by various stimulants in her immediate surroundings; the dull clunking of hanging objects as they entered the shaman's residence, a dry smoky gust tickled her eyes, and various potent scents lingered prominently in the air. Scrunching her face at a particularly strong odor that assaulted her nostrils, she wondered what Vayuh'ta hoped this shaman could accomplish in terms of treating what was deemed a potentially "incurable" condition.

Almost immediately, an aged but sharp voice barked fiercely in their general direction making Lilia jump slightly in surprise.

"Not one filthy ooman, but two. And lou-dte kale at that," he spat out and Lilia immediately tensed. It took all self-control to not turn tail and exit the place. Where in the world did Vayuh'ta bring her?

"Ell-osde' pauk. Don't start with me old one." Vayuh'ta swiftly bit back, her fiery nature willing her to stand strong against the other. Lilia briefly admired her courage and wished she possessed some of the other girl's strength.

"A'thael did not confirm a meeting for an examination on you. What makes you think you can enter this place without his presence?"

"With or without Father, I can go wherever I please old one. I will become a blooded warrior soon, just wait and bear witness to my coming triu-"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" the shaman bellowed, the rumble of his laughter dancing in Lilia's ears. This conversation was going south fast and she could sense that Vayuh'ta's anger was beginning to blaze. At this point, she desperately wanted to go back to the house and forget about fixing her stupid eyes. It's not worth this… she thought helplessly while shuffling her feet nervously.

"Not only are you a fool, but A'thael as well if he thinks a useless lou-dte kale such as yourself will bring glory to his bloodline as his so-called 'pup'. You will never be a true Yautja, oomans are nothing but pitiful brittle creatu-"

"Enough!" Vayuh'ta screeched, stamping her foot in defiance. Lilia could tell that the other girl was doing her absolute best to keep herself in check. "We only came to seek your knowledge in curing the mysterious condition that prevents vision. The oomans on Earth were not capable of fixing this, so maybe our technology can resolve this!"

"Vayuh'ta… Please, let's just return…" she began softly, reaching out to lightly tug on the other's arm before feeling the shaman turn his attention to her. She could sense him looking down on her as he studied her being from where he stood.

"'Our' technology? Ha. This other lou-dte kale proves my point on just how useless your breed is. It is odd that she has even survived this long without vision. The lou-dte kale beside you is nothing more than a mere parasite. Truly pitiful!"

Feeling her own anger well in her chest at the insult directed towards her, Lilia clenched her fists at her sides. Before she could respond in defense, she heard Vayuh'ta step toward the shaman and practically explode.

"Just because I am female gives you no right to look down on me! You have no right to look down on her either as she has lasted this long! Either help fix her eyes or fight me right now! Then we shall see who the pitiful one truly is here!" the brunette retorted and Lilia felt the anger in her chest shift into panic. A'thael may have assured her that Vayuh'ta was strong and capable, but she still felt fearful for the other girl. This shaman sounded like no pushover, and if the Yautja were really proud and fierce as she had come to learn, Lilia felt that Vayuh'ta would surely be injured.

This isn't good…!

"Ha! Fight you? As if it is worth wasting ener-" Suddenly, a loud thump followed by what sounded like a step to the side echoed in the small space surrounding them. Vayuh'ta initiated the first shot by either throwing a punch or a kick at the shaman and in a matter of seconds, the atmosphere took on a dark vibe.

"Ooman, you dare initiate combat!" he barked furiously, and Lilia could practically feel him swinging a leg at Vayuh'ta as she barreled past Lilia to the wall behind them. The brunette must have been prepared for retaliation as Lilia heard her make contact with the wall briefly before pushing herself off of it with a loud grunt.

Clasping her hands to her chest out of fright and dreading listening to the impending duel, she was surprised when there was no telltale thud of Vayuh'ta's body making contact with the shaman once more.

"That is enough!" A'thael's voice roared, and suddenly Lilia realized that he must have arrived just in time to catch Vayuh'ta before any real damage or fighting was done. The next few moments occurred swiftly as she felt herself being ushered out of the shop followed by various crashing sounds, roars, and yelling. She felt Vayuh'ta trembling near her but could not decipher if it was from fear or anger. She decided not to ask and remained silent as things continued to play out.

After what felt like an eternity, the clamour within the shaman's abode subsided followed by a set of heavy footfalls exiting and approaching them. Lilia prepared herself for the worst as the male confronted them, his tone nearly murderous as he directed his wrath primarily towards Vayuh'ta.

"Explain yourself!"

"Father I-"

"Is it not enough that I get shamed for raising an ooman as my pup, but for said pup to defy me in front of others does not help my case!"

"If you would just listen Father, I only meant well!"

"I already told you to drop this matter, yet you go behind my back and anger the shaman! Do you know how difficult it is to even get him to ensure you are in good health?! You know how he feels about oomans!"

"I understand but I am trying to do us a service by restoring Lilia's vision so that she may not be a problem in the future!"

Lilia stood idly by and listened with strained ears as the two rapidly exchanged words, making out bits and pieces of the conversation. She didn't know why, but she began to feel guilty as a sadness washed over her listening to the two argue. Though the time spent with them was relatively short, she had a general understanding of how they were as individuals in addition to their relationship with one another.

It may have not been expressed openly, but Lilia could tell that A'thael cared about Vayuh'ta deeply as any parent would with their offspring. They may have not been blood-related, but they shared a very strong bond that she couldn't even begin to understand. Afterall, she had never heard of a human-alien parent relationship existing to begin with, so it was an entirely foreign concept to her.

What wasn't foreign was the fraction of worry and frustration weakly masked behind his angry onslaught of words.

She supposed their situation could have compared to the odd occurrences of different species in nature adopting abandoned young out of maternal instinct. A'thael was a Yautja, and given that they used brute force to establish dominance it was hard to believe that these creatures could possess parenting capabilities. As she listened to their exchange however, she found that her opinion on the male changed somewhat.

Maybe not all of them are that cruel...

The argument suddenly began to escalate further, and she found that she could no longer take it.

"Stop it!" Lilia bursted into a shout, her voice cutting into Vayuh'ta's oncoming retort against A'thael. Feeling startled at the strength in her tone, she sensed that the arguing pair were equally surprised as well at her sudden outburst. Figuring she had their full attention given that it had gone silent, she swallowed heavily and clenched her hands at her sides as she directed her gaze in their general direction.

"Please stop it… Both of you. There is no point in fighting like this! I do not want to be the cause of a fight between a father and a daughter… Sir, please don't be upset with Vayuh'ta! I'm sorry we worried you, but she was just trying to help by fixing my eyes and I should have tried harder to stop her…!" she word-vomited, hoping that anything she said would cease the quarrel between the pair.

Forcing herself to stop in order to avoid rambling further, she listened in anticipation as they remained quiet for a bit longer before A'thael exhaled heavily and chuckled. It was an odd sound, but at least the anger in the atmosphere began to dwindle.

"Ooman, you are certainly most amusing," he began slowly, and Lilia could tell he was choosing his words carefully so that she may understand him completely. "But you can be quite surprising as well. Do not misunderstand the situation. We will return now and discuss this matter further."

Hearing his footsteps progress away from her, she began to follow suit after hearing Vayuh'ta huff in dismay and trail after him. She felt insecure about walking without assistance but willed herself to remain strong and not rely on the two in front of her. Reflecting on the words the shaman spoke earlier, she felt a pang in her chest at the truth behind them.

She really was nothing more than a parasite leeching off her hosts to ensure survival. Without her sight, she was pretty much dead weight in this new society where survival of the fittest was actively executed as opposed to Earth. While she got away with it before, she was beginning to become more convinced that she needed to work through whatever personal issues she had in order to see again… If it were possible. It had been so many years since she last saw the world around her and perhaps that was what frightened her the most.

What would she gain and what would she lose?

Not realizing she had slowed down considerably from being wrapped up in her dark thoughts, she felt herself jolt in shock when a small calloused hand secured her smooth one.

"Lilia?"

"Sorry Vayuh'ta, I guess I'm just mentally processing all of this. This was a rough start to the day…" she muttered. Feeling Vayuh'ta squeeze her hand in reassurance and tug her forward, Lilia forced her feelings to the back of her mind.

"No worries. Let's go back like Father said and deal with everything then."

Nodding her head, she allowed the girl to lead her back.

A'thael listened intently as Za-Ma'ji briefly filled him in on his encounter with the Arbitrator. His biggest concern was not the fact that the Arbitrator wanted to make contact, but what he was so interested in that he took a video recording of the day he purchased the human girl from the black market. That spelled trouble for him and he resolved to lay low for a while until he figured out what the Arbitrator was after.

"...On another note, I forgot to mention that there is also news of lost Yautja technology that was supposedly here when you last visited. I believe there must be some sort of bounty on it if the Arbitrator is unable to retrieve it."

Perking his head up at the mention of the technology, he briefly wondered if the Arbitrator thought he had something to do with it. Feeling a small ache lurk at the center of his skull, he sighed and crossed his arms in thought.

"What do you make of this A'thael?" Za-Ma'ji urged when he was met with silence after gushing out his exciting news.

"I am not certain Za-Ma'ji, but while this news is interesting, it is also troublesome. Why did you wait this long to inform me? Did you not think this was a little more pressing than most matters you bring to my attention?" A'thael chastised half-heartedly.

"I apologize brother but there has also been news of a bad blood pack raiding black markets. We have been on high security alert so there was not much time to contact you until now."

With a heavier sigh, A'thael processed the information fed to him. It was then that he realized it was eerily quiet and the lack of life in his household made itself known. He did not even have to call out to know that Vayuh'ta and Lilia disappeared, and he had a good idea of where the two girls ran off to. Anger pooled in his chest as he growled in frustration.

His pup was becoming more rebellious than she was in her younger years, making him briefly wonder if she was a late bloomer in that aspect. It also made him wonder if it was the presence of another human, a female one at that, that brought about this phase. Either way, he was going to put her in her place for defying him after he clearly expressed his will to her.

"I must go now Za-Ma'ji. Something has come up that needs my attention immediately. Keep me informed this time," he said curtly and began to reach for the end transmission button as the younger Yautja quickly added in his last thoughts.

"Something is stirring in the air… Something big is going to happen soon. It is speculated that this lost technology could be the very center of it so stay alert brother. I will be sure to inform you if anything else happens."

With a nod and press of a button, Za-Ma'ji's transmission ended. He did a quick scan of the residence and his initial suspicions were correct despite having to make sure. Bolting out of the house, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

As he approached the shaman's abode, his sharp sense of hearing could already pick up the discord emitting from the intricately constructed hut. A'thael cursed under his breath, he was already too late. Without hesitation, he barged in through the front door and quickly assessed the situation. Reaching forward, he caught Vayuh'ta's arm as she readied herself to charge at the shaman.

"That is enough!" he barked and effortlessly shoved his pup towards the other female, not even turning his gaze back at them as they scurried out of the shop.

"A'thael! What is the meaning of this!" the shaman roared as his back arched and mandibles flared. A blood lust gleamed in his beady smoky gray eyes and A'thael noted that his pup must have really upset him to push the shaman into such a state. Not that he could entirely blame him; while he was highly respected for his medical skills, the shaman was still looked down upon and mocked by some of their younger brethren for being battle broken.

"As I said, that is enough brother! You know as well as I that you will lose should you choose to pursue her."

"She started this fight, and so shall I finish! Move!" the shaman retorted as he tried to barrel past the seasoned warrior in a fit of blind rage. Out of reflex, A'thael lowered himself and swung a toned muscular leg in an effort to sweep the other off his feet. However, the shaman would not be brought down so easily as he instinctively reacted by vaulting himself over A'thael's attack.

Cjit! A'thael thought as he sprung up only in time for the shaman to throw a series of punches and kicks in his direction. While the first punch caught him in surprise, he was able to effectively deflect the rest of the barrage with ease as he remained calm and clear-headed throughout the onslaught. While anger was a powerful weapon, rage was blinding and dangerous in battle. He was trained to never let his emotions get the best of him during combat and he found that he was grateful for his father's grueling training regimen.

Waiting for an opening, A'thael studied the shaman carefully until the perfect opportunity presented itself as the other male pulled one of his arms back a little too far.

There! He thought and dropped his guard to snap his right arm forward, wrapping his hand around the other's exposed neck in a crushing grip. He used his upper body strength to twist them both as well as hooked a leg behind one of the male's extended ones. Within seconds, he sent the shaman barreling to the ground and managed to hold him down as he thrashed against his vice-like grip. It wasn't until the shaman stopped struggling and began to express the lack of air that he released him, the other male gasping as he regained himself.

A'thael backed off and studied the shaman carefully before deciding it was time to leave as the male laid on the floor in defeat. He began to walk away as the shaman brought himself to his feet.

"I do not want to see that lou-dte kale you call your "pup" in my shop again. Do not come back for many moons," he growled and A'thael slipped out of the establishment with this in mind. He just needed time to cool off as his pride was wounded. Once the anger faded, he would come back with some sort of trinket to make amends with the old warrior as he almost felt a pang of regret for engaging in combat with a cripple. Clearing his head of these thoughts, he focused on the matter at hand, the anger he felt earlier resurfacing as he laid eyes on his pup once again.

They began to argue and exchange harsh words with one another, neither side willing to submit to the other as they clashed for verbal dominance. While he was absolutely furious with Vayuh'ta's defiance, there was a pang in his chest that he did not understand when he realized that she went to the shaman against his advice. After a few moments of senseless shouting, he found himself startled when the human girl raised her voice at the both of them, the strength in her tone resounding loud and clear.

She asked for them to cease arguing in English and it took him a moment to translate her request in his brain. It was a good thing he would listen in every now and then to reinforce his practice of the language when she was teaching Vayuh'ta. He could not help but chuckle at her spirit, entertained at the idea of her finding her own strength little by little the longer she stayed with them. She was such a mousy creature, but with her condition he could almost forgive the weaker aspects of her personality. Almost. She was only a human female after all.

After demanding they return home, he began to walk away from the pair of females and exhaled slowly in order to calm himself.

He could not help but feel a little irked at Lilia's comment of worrying him.

The very thought of experiencing any sort of worry was relatively foreign to him as there was never any time to indulge in such an emotion. Especially worrying about his pup when she was more than capable. If there was anything to really worry about, it was how she made him look in his brethren's eyes. That thought alone was more than enough to erase any sort of concern he initially had as he felt anger course through him once more.

He decided that thinking intensely over what seemed like a trivial subject was irritating and a waste of energy. It wasn't long before they returned home and upon entered the kitchen area, he turned to his pup once more with a lengthy speech in mind. To his surprise though, his pup's normally vibrant sapphire eyes were clouded with guilt and hurt, immediately robbing him of all the anger he was ready to direct at her.

"Father please forgive me. Do not throw me out or disown me because of the dishonor I have brought you! All I wanted was to make life easier for us by helping restore Lilia's vision! I will never defy you again so please do not abandon me!" she rambled at him, expressively using her hands to convey her emotions as she walked closer to him. He felt that pang again as he listened to her uncharacteristically beg him for forgiveness. The sight she was producing left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. She did not shed a tear and seldom did she, but he was almost afraid she would start if he did not take action.

He forgot that humans were generally more sensitive and his pup was no exception despite the many masks she wore among his kind. She was strong and had a tough exterior, but behind the well-practiced Yautja facade was still a young human girl. With a heavy sigh, he raised his hand and unceremoniously placed it on top of Vayuh'ta's head before gently rubbing it as if to soothe her worries.

He briefly glanced at the other female who was doing her best to blend in with the background as she placed her hands in front of her, nervously twisting her fingers together as she listened to their conversation intently. Her gaze was directed in their general direction, and despite being unseeing, he saw the sadness pooling within them once more. He was glad that she could not see the mess that was his pup in that moment.

"Enough pup. The only dishonor you are bringing is to yourself with this behavior…" he began awkwardly, lacking the skills to comfort another being. He may have raised her, but it was very hands off when it came to the emotional aspects. "I am displeased because you chose to defy me when I clearly told you not to involve the shaman. You are aware of his stance on ooman care, yet you still attempted to force your will on him when you had absolutely no place in doing so."

Vayuh'ta hung her head in shame as he gently scolded her.

"As an individual growing in our world, you must be more mindful of your actions. I hold my status in this world not from being brash but from forethought. While you may affect my standing, you are affecting your own as well. Take note of this and learn from your errors young one," he trailed off as he removed his hand from her head. "Is this clear?"

"Yes Father…" she mumbled. "I apologize…" A'thael placed a clawed finger under her chin and carefully pressed upward to raise her head, meeting her somber gaze with his stern one.

"Hold your head high, pup. You are a warrior."

Lilia listened in anticipation as Vayuh'ta broke down to A'thael, her heart wrenching for the other girl as she begged for forgiveness. She never pegged Vayuh'ta to be the emotional type given her vibrant personality, but to Lilia's surprise she was still just a human girl like her. It was relieving to know that a person raised in such a cutthroat society could still express such emotion even when they were trained to maintain their warrior-like mannerisms.

She was beginning to understand them both much better now and 'see' them for how they really were. They were definitely a dysfunctional pair, but it somehow worked out just fine for them. Maybe Yautja were a bit more like humans than she initially thought. Like most unique species on Earth, they had their own specific way of surviving and conducting life in general.

Sensing the mood soften she released a breath she did not realize she was holding and flinched as she felt them shift their attention to her. Oops… she thought before deciding to step away from the corner she was trying to blend into.

"Ooman, do you wish to have an examination conducted on you?" A'thael asked suddenly and she turned his gaze in his direction.

"If you think that is necessary Sir," she began slowly with uncertainty "I do not want to cause any more trouble than I already have…"

"This decision falls solely upon you ooman. Do not deflect the question simply because you fear upsetting me further."

Lilia winced at the bluntness in his tone and resolved that she would have to start working on being just as straightforward in her responses.

"Alright Sir, let us do this examination."

"Vayuh'ta go prepare the equipment."

"Sei-i Father."

Hearing Vayuh'ta exit the room, Lilia began to follow the sound of her footsteps so as to find her way to the string navigation system. To her surprise, she heard A'thael step slightly in front of her path causing her to stop in her tracks.

"Sir?" she questioned, curiosity piquing as he remained silent for a few moments.

"...The Yautja are not known for this emotion you refer to as 'worry'. You believe I displayed this?"

Blinking her eyes a few times, her facial features softened into a smile at his sudden inquiry.

"It seems that we both have a lot to learn, don't we Sir?" she began gently as she tilted her head to the side, knowing that he would not easily understand the concept at hand. "Despite that you are not related by blood, she is still your precious child that you invested valuable resources into. Your species may be prideful and full of warrior's spirit, but it seems that some of you value your offspring immensely. That's good to know…" she trailed off and was certain that he was surprised yet again when she walked around him carefully before reaching forward for the rope suspended in the hallway.

"If there is one thing I've learned in my short lifespan, Sir, is that you don't need to think about emotion so much. You just feel and that's all there is to it. Vayuh'ta is your daughter, cherish the relationship you share with her," she added before leaving him to follow after her as she guided herself to what she assumed was his study.

As Lilia walked through the doorway, her ears were greeted by various humming of what she assumed to be machines or computers of some sort. Feeling A'thael slip by her and brush her exposed shoulder with his arm, she took note of the sensation and recalled the day he bought her off the other Yautja who kidnapped her.

Were the Yautja reptilian to a degree? Based on the somewhat scaly skin that touched her, she began to wonder what he truly looked like. Throughout her schooling she had always been relatively fascinated with science but was unfortunately kept to a minimum for some odd reason as her foster parents did not want her becoming smarter than a "well-bred" girl should be.

They always told her that because she was blind she only had her looks going for her as opposed to her intelligence. No well-off husband would want their blind wife to be smarter than them, something about wounding the male ego and whatnot. She still couldn't help but be fascinated however as she heard stories of extraterrestrial life being a possibility and marveled at the idea of life other than mankind existing in the universe. She even went as far as to having one of the maids sneak her some audiobooks of more advanced material.

"Come closer ooman." A'thael commanded and she raised her right arm in front of her as she stepped forward with uncertainty, never having been inside this room before. It wasn't long before she felt her hand hit a fleshy muscular wall and before being able to react, he wrapped his hands around the small of her waist. She felt him lift her with ease before he set her down on a cool metal table, much like the one she had woken up on when she was first abducted from Earth.

The very thought sent chills down her spine as she recalled the fear she felt that day.

"It is prepared accordingly Father," Vayuh'ta suddenly spoke up as she tapped away on what could have been a computer or some sort of technological device. "Whenever you are ready to proceed."

Hearing A'thael lift something nearby, nervousness began to settle in as she could only imagine what was to come. A thought suddenly came to mind as she heard the two move around her.

"I must ask… Why did we go through the trouble of seeing the shaman if it is possible to examine me here?"

"Father is a warrior, not a healer. The equipment we have here is very limited and he is only versed in the basics he picked up on various missions," Vayuh'ta responded in his stead as she continued working on whatever it was she was messing with.

"It is as Vayuh'ta says. Do not be startled ooman, this might feel odd to you," A'thael chimed in as he stood in front of her. Feeling him essentially loom over her, she did her best to not shrivel in his powerful presence. He has to be at least 7"-8" tall… Jesus. She thought as she gripped the edge of the metal table while listening to every sound made in anticipation.

Suddenly, a strange helmet like object encased her head and the various noises it was making freaked Lilia out a little. He did warn you…she thought and reached up to move it slightly as it felt somewhat crooked. At the adjustment, it abruptly began to morph to the shape and size of her head making her yelp.

"What is this?" she couldn't help but ask after a moment as her fingertips ran over the simple yet intricately designed metal. A'thael brought her hands down to her sides as he began attaching what she assumed to be cords to the back of her head based off the sounds and motions being produced in the process.

"That is a bio-mask specifically crafted for me. It assists in various elements such as protection and different modes of vision. It also grants the ability to translate language as well as vocal mimicry of another species. This one has been customized to monitor vitals of the wearer and possesses the capability of a full body assessment when linked to its paired wrist gauntlet," Vayuh'ta explained again, but this time in english as A'thael slipped something onto her right wrist. It sent a chill down her spine as it felt like the object latched onto her skin while the device adjusted itself accordingly to her body just as the helmet did.

"To think the Yautja possess such advanced technology in comparison to humans… This feels very strange," Lilia thought out loud as listened to the device whir to life in her ears.

"Is the system ready pup?" A'thael asked as Lilia felt him move away from her to join Vayuh'ta on the side of the room.

"All good to go Father!"

Hearing the whir pick up in her ears, she felt the device on her wrist lightly pulsate before a strange sensation washed over her head.

"All vitals appear to be normal, no visible signs of retinal damage..." Vayuh'ta noted as the scan occurred. Hearing the two shuffle nearby, Lilia waited anxiously as her mind strayed to the various doctors her foster parents brought her to. Nearly every single one insisted there wasn't anything they could do other than send her to therapy or a psychologist of some sort.

"Of course there wouldn't be…" Lilia muttered softly in the mask. "There never was any sustained damage at the time I lost it. This is purely psychological…"

"Explain further ooman." A'thael demanded and she couldn't help but feel pressured.

"As I explained once before, this condition was thought to be the product of post traumatic stress syndrome or conversion disorder… No doctor has been able to pinpoint what my problem is other than psychological trauma I endured as a child. I guess I never really considered working through the problem… My brain simply locked the memory away and until this day, for the life of me, I cannot remember what happened other than my family being gruesomely murdered before my eyes…" Lilia explained as she reached up and pushed the helmet-like mask object off of her head, feeling almost claustrophobic the longer it stayed on her.

"And I asked you last time what the last thing you remembered was before you blacked out," A'thael stated as he removed the bio-mask from her hands. "Recollect the fragments slowly and do not let the emotions overwhelm you," he added as he detached the wrist gauntlet from her as well, making her shiver when he ran his hands over her skin in the process.

"It's easier said than done Sir…" Lilia mumbled in response as she shook her head, feeling somewhat frustrated with overthinking his actions.

"What do you have to be fearful of, ooman? Memories cannot harm physically harm you and you are your body's master. Until you learn to take control, you will always be the weakling in society. At least bring honor to yourself by doing that as you do not really have much to lose anyways," A'thael said almost plainly, making Lilia reel in the truth behind his words as the shaman's own observations came back to plague her thoughts. She always wanted more out of her life and by limiting herself, she would truly never get anywhere.

She was always resigned to being a dreamer, and now that she was in a foreign place where virtually no limitation other than being blind worked against her, she was cheating herself out of a golden opportunity; to finally live life the way she wanted.

"...I'll try… I admit that I am terrified of what I might remember… And maybe I won't get my sight back… Either way, I don't really have much to lose, huh?" she muttered with a small defeated smile. Hearing Vayuh'ta shuffle as she waited for her to speak, Lilia took a deep breath before slowly picking at the pieces in her brain as A'thael instructed.

"There was so much red painting the walls… Bloody hand prints and smears... I remember various pieces of my siblings were strewn about the corridor," swallowing the lump forming in her throat at the memory of one of her younger brother's lifeless eyes looking up at her surfacing.

"My mother and my father were tied in a ridiculous amount of strange yet sticky looking rope, possibly thread, while their faces were masked by some strange object… And my uncle…" she suddenly paused, the memory beginning to speed up in tune with her beating heart, its pace slowly rising in panic as she recalled the next blurred events.

"There was a really tall yet lanky man dressed head-to-toe in black holding my uncle in his grasp and he hissed at me… I…" Lilia began to wrap her arms around herself as she struggled to remain calm. "I'll never forget the sound it made as it threw his mangled body to the side before it stalked towards me…. It? What do I mean by it…?" she trailed off as she suddenly as her nails bit angrily into her arms, her brain sent into overdrive by the imagery playing vividly in her mind.

The creature began to stalk towards her with a predatory gait and she scrambled backwards until she hit the wall. Lilia 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 tear-stained cheek as she turned her gaze away, she felt as if her heart would burst through her rib cage.

Somebody please help me…!

Suddenly, as if someone had heard her internal plea, something metallic whirled through the air before embedding itself into the creature's back causing it to screech and retract its inner mouth. It hunched its body over her almost protectively, as if it didn't want to share the kill with what whatever assaulted it. Lilia tried desperately to squirm away in the few moments it was distracted, but it quickly sensed this and whipped its attention back to her. It flung a clawed and skeletal-like palm at her as it shoved her roughly against the wall.

"Lilia stop!" she vaguely heard Vayuh'ta cry out before the memory hazed and came to an abrupt stop as she recalled trying to peer around the creature. Something didn't add up in her memory, but before she could think or say anything, she felt her body wobble and fall forward only to be caught in A'thael's arms.

He keeps on saving me… she thought miserably.

"Bring the salve," she heard A'thael command as pain suddenly registered in her mind along with some wet warmth trickling down her arms. "Self-harm is foolish ooman. Why did you feel the need to do this?" he chastised as Vayuh'ta scurried back into the room.

Listening to them hustle, she hissed loudly the moment that cool burning sensation seeped into the nail wounds on her arms. She did not realize how badly she actually gouged herself until the intensity of the sensation hit her harder than the first time the healing gel was used on her.

"I'm sorry…" Lilia began as she lowered her head, feeling extremely drained after the ordeal of reliving her past. A'thael and Vayuh'ta were talking, but she found that she was too tired to try and translate what they were saying. She also found that she was still in A'thael's arms, and to her surprise she enjoyed the warmth his sculpted chest had to offer.

As her mind slowly clouded over, she rested her head on his pec and without realizing it, gently nuzzled her head against it until she was comfortable. Without a care in the world, she succumbed to the darkness that beckoned her as exhaustion from the day finally caught up.

A'thael and Vayuh'ta glanced at each other, sharing a knowing nod as they listened to Lilia recall pieces of her past. Kiande amedha he mused and crossed his arms in thought as the girl continued to ramble various descriptions that hit the nail on the head.

He noted that she began to dig her nails into her arms, inflicting angry red crescent marks as she struggled with herself. Vayuh'ta noticed the moment that Lilia broke her own skin and yelled at the other female to stop. He could smell the female's fear, she was beginning to crash and drown in it. Once she came to her senses, she appeared to be completely overwhelmed as she wobbled and began to fall forward.

He instinctively stepped forward and caught her in his arms with ease. She didn't black out, but he could tell she was mentally spent as he supported her tiny frame. After commanding his pup to get the healing gel, he examined the steady rivulets of blood flowing from the punctures. Under other circumstances, the sight would have been enthralling as it reminded him of the hunt. Given that she was a purchased trophy however, he was not amused.

Humans were such strange creatures under pressure, but definitely not ones to be underestimated.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized after he scolded her and tended to her by applying medical treatment on her wounds.

"Father, she was speaking of the kiande amedha was she not?" Vayuh'ta asked as he ensured he missed no spots.

"Sei-i pup. She is very fortunate to be alive if she was just a pup when this encounter occurred," he said.

Suddenly, he stiffened as the girl shuffled in his arms by nuzzling into his chest before drifting off to sleep. The action caught him off guard and despite that Vayuh'ta had done this many times when she was a young pup herself, this was somehow oddly different to him. Completely scooping the ebony-haired girl into his arms, he found himself somewhat captivated by her soft features as he recalled that he was initially charmed by the color of her eyes. She really was a plain and fragile looking girl, but he believed that according to human standards, she was a beauty in her own right.

Shaking his head at these sudden thoughts, he resolved to train after putting the female in bed, believing the lack of physical activity was softening him lately.

"Pup, prepare tomorrow's meal and join me for some training after I put this one in bed. I have been neglecting you during the most important time as your chiva approaches," he said while leaving the room, completely oblivious to how Vayuh'ta regarded him the entire time he held Lilia.

Vayuh'ta felt concerned for Lilia as it was strange to see her act in such a way. The other girl was initially too timid and hesitant for her liking, but as they spent time together she grew on her. She shared a bond with her that was different from the bond she shared with her father.

Perhaps because it was the first relationship she ever really shared with another female.

Lilia was only meant to be a trophy due to her musical gift, but Vayuh'ta briefly wondered if this was what it was like to really have a sister figure in her life. She never got to know her human mother or sister, but she also never looked back on things long lost to her. Vayuh'ta only knew how to live in the present; the past or future meant nothing to her as long as she was by A'thael's side.

She couldn't put a finger on it, but ever since this girl came into their lives, she felt extremely troubled. Things were definitely more exciting with another person around, but for some reason every time father locked his attention on Lilia, Vayuh'ta felt something clench her heart intensely. It was as if losing his focus and sharing him with another was painful, but she didn't understand this feeling as him interacting with others never bothered her before.

She watched as he caught Lilia and pulled her body against his own. She watched the muscles in his arm twitch ever so slightly as he effortlessly adjusted the girl so that she wouldn't fall and so that he could examine the extent of self-inflicted damage. She watched him closely as his eyes trailed over the other girl's very being.

That dark feeling began to loom over her again as her chest tightened and her lungs momentarily forgot to function as she watched him walk out of the room with Lilia cradled gently in his arms. He said something to her, but her ears could not fully register his words. Before she knew it, he was already out of sight and the sharp pain began to ebb into a dull throb. Releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding, Vayuh'ta placed a hand over her chest and locked her eyes on her feet.

What was that…? she thought as she calmed down and returned to herself.

"Get moving pup!" she heard her father call from the other room after a few moments and snapped back to reality. "I will wait for you outside when you finish," he said as he passed by her in the hall. Realizing what he expected of her earlier, she rushed to do as he bid lest she upset him for the second time that day.

The air around them was changing and while she did not completely understand what it was she felt, for the first time in a long time, she knew she felt the telltale tickle of fear.

Terms Utilized

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

Ell-osde' pauk: fuck you

Ooman: human

Lou-dte kale: child-maker (female)

Cjit: shit

Sei-i: yes

Kiande amedha: hard meat (Xenomorphs)

Chiva: trial