Winter's Beginning Chapter 5.
Inside his room Winter makes a journal, summarizing his research and past events.
It's been twenty five planetary cycles since that fun year with Death. As it turns out, Zuza managed to win his heart after all, mostly through Spirit trying to make him happy again as she grew up. Unfortunately the experience had a lasting effect on me as I became more isolated from many other pups and instead began to continue my growing interests in different forms of combat and weaponry.
Death, to my horror, became my teacher in the art of how to identify and eliminate others of my kind. I personally find the Elites most fascinating but one thing stood out during my studies. A group of humans recently began to be judged by their kind, while not the first time it has happened in their history, this group was being hunted down and exterminated like bad bloods yet they did nothing wrong. According to the rules of this so called United States, these people had the freedom to create their own faith.
They ran, rebuilt, ran, rebuilt, and on and on it went. They suffered, fought, bled and yet even when their founders were killed by these criminals, their new faith remained firm. They continued the impossible, never once changing their principles unless necessary. While not warriors, they acted like one and showed just what it meant to survive and hold true to the code they swore to uphold, both religious and of this so called United States. It was when I studied these Saints that I came to a conclusion, that I could not help but feel an odd sensation, from somewhere inside me.
I don't know why but I knew and confirmed it with my mother and went deeper. These Saints didn't drink or eat poisonous substances as it harms the body. So upon seeing my fellow Yautia, namely freshly blooded who had too much C'nlip. I, did something that Zuza would hate me for, I challenged one. While only fifty or so in age, I suffered battered limbs but in the end the newly blooded was indeed knocked out because, the poison in him made it easier to take him out.
As such I vowed like these odd humans that I too would never partake of such substances as they would only lead to my death. Speaking of Half jaw, I wonder if he heard by now about that?
"That little runt did what?!" Death growled, his anger reaching a whole new level.
"He challenged a drunk Yautja to confirm his research, looked something like a ooman would use...what was it...kung fu, jujitsu? I've lost track of how many he's studied." Zuza replied wearily.
"That's not the point! An unblooded taking down a blooded in a challenge is enough to cause a problem that I may have to deal with, and what research was he doing now!?"
"Winter discovered a human religion that doesn't drink or eat poisons, so he decided to see whether if such things did make one weaker."
"Let me guess, he renounced such things as they make one easy to kill?"
"Yes.''
"Stupid runt! Doesn't he have friends to play with?"
"He did. Kal and Hawk, I believe but they had a falling out as Winter was starting to seem less yautja, more soft meat."
"What about the females?"
Zuza sighed at this, "Two females decided to mess with his reproductive instincts to the point where Winter's body couldn't take it anymore and he touched one of them."
Death clenched his fists in anger and resisted the urge to punch the wall in frustration.
"I'm going to have to talk to the arbitrator for this one. How is Kima and Striker taking this Zuza?"
"I couldn't be prouder Half-Jaw, thanks for asking," a new voice interrupted, startling the duo who had been in deep conversation.
Death immediately drew his wrist blades against Striker's neck.
"Striker! Don't you ever do that again you crazy meat bag!" Death screeched, retracting his wrist blades upon realizing it was his friend.
"Yes well where would the fun be in that?" Striker holstered his plasma pistol, his mandibles clicking rapidly in laughter.
"Hello Striker, I trust everything is well?" Zuza inquired
"Winter's latest brawl is just one more step to his eventual chiva, oh and don't worry Half-Jaw, I've already dealt with the drunk blooded and his clan Elder."
"Stop calling me Half-Jaw! I really don't want to know how you did it. Just tell me why you're here," Death's mandibles flared angrily.
"Fine. I'm here because Winter only has fifty planetary cycles left before he takes his chiva. Not long at all and while our unorthodox...methods are working he needs more on survival training and social skills."
"I could give him medical training or maybe Spirit." Zuza asked.
"Ha, that runt won't go near our daughter with a Battleship-sized pole after what I did to him. Though I still find it odd how Winter takes punishment with such ease and yet when he's around cute females, he freezes up faster then a Rab under fire."
"Fine. I'll do it. Is there anything else Striker?"
"Yes how's the pup doing?"
Zuza began rubbing her swollen stomach, "Oh he's doing fine, should be any cycle now, I trust we are safe?"
"Yeager one is surrounded by nearly a hundred heavily armed Orbital Defense Platforms. Plus twenty Orbital ship yards of various types and sizes. The shield grid is still incomplete but getting there and a number of ground vehicles are still in development on the southern continent."
Deaths eye's widened to the size of a hard meat queen, "Why in Paya's name do we have that much firepower!?"
"While we may be the dominant race in the galaxy, the only way to maintain that edge is too be prepared. Should other races decide to challenge us Yeager one shall be the primary means of keeping them in line.
Any how I shall take my leave, have fun you two." Striker leaves their home knowing the unexpected visit was worth seeing the look on Deaths face.
"Goodbye Striker."
Upon seeing Winter come home Kima couldn't help but ask.
"Winter how was your day?"
"I was ordered by Dad to stand in front of Elder Pus as he and his clan insult me over and over again."
"Elder Pus?" Kima inquired.
"Yeah, even when I was punched in the gut I couldn't stop laughing."
Kima's mandibles clicked rapidly in laughter at this.
"Pussy, his mother named him Pussy?" she was on her knees by this point from laughter.
"Well when I asked him that and said it was an endearing term for a human pet called a Pussy Cat. He changed all sorts of colors and even the rest of his clan began laughing with me."
"Winter, you need to be less blunt but I guess that will never change, what happened next?"
"I was sent to Zuza's office for treatment as it took the other Yautja to keep him from breaking the code when he really began to pound into me."
"Excellent, now then your father will be home soon and then your training will intensify starting tomorrow."
"Two more questions mom. What caused you to name me after a human season and why is my core temperature a little bit lower then other Yautja?"
"Another time Winter but I will promise this, if you swear to me to never go after a female unless its for the soul purpose of becoming a life mate, then in time I will tell you."
"Then Mother I will promise to only seek out a life mate after I have come of age to do so and pass my chiva." Said Winter with determination in his eyes.
Kima smile and did a very ooman gesture. She gave her son a hug and Winter returned it with a contented trill.
Again Kudos to Celsius fate for beta reading this as she does a fantastic job.
If you haven't already, go read her story Acceptance and don't forget to leave a review both here and Acceptance. Thank you.