Beta: TheWolfParadox

A breath of fresh air

Xala was awoken abruptly as the cargo bay she was in suddenly shuddered around her. Startled, she got to her feet in an instant, her heart racing as she tried to understand what was happening. All the crates and boxes around her shook where they sat, under the influence of whatever was affecting her surroundings. Xala tried to steady herself and keep from falling, bracing her body against the hull as she tried to ride out what was going on.

After a few moments, things began to settle down as the ship stopped shaking. Soon, the vessel came to a complete standstill altogether. Listening closely, she could hear the engines outside start to power down, bringing her to the conclusion that they had landed. She sat there in silence for several moments, the lights in the cargo bay casting a dim glow as she waited anxiously.

Soon, she could make out shuffling from outside the ship, as well as someone speaking, though she couldn't make out the words. The individual continued to talk, chatting with someone else as they went about their business. Then suddenly she heard clamps being undone as someone prepared to open the door. She barely had enough time to duck back down behind the crates before the ramp lowered. Xala squinted as a bright light came pouring through the open doorway. It was torture to her three eyes, which had become accustomed to the low visibility of Titan.

Once she had a chance to adjust to the increase of light, she found herself staring in awe at a clear blue sky, filled with a scant few puffy clouds that soared lazily on the breeze. She couldn't help but gawk in absolute wonder. It was so beautiful, it had been ages since she'd seen a sky like this, so bright and pretty. The Hive had kept her underground for most of her life, so even when she was on a planet with a surface like this, she hardly ever saw it.

Xala wanted nothing more than to just rest and stare at the breathtaking view before her. But that wasn't meant to be, for she was quickly brought back to her present situation as she heard boots connecting against metal as someone came up the ramp. Sticking to her cover, she made sure to be quiet as she listened to them take a crate from the bay and walk it back down.

"Thanks for this," she heard someone outside say, "I was really needing these supplies."

Peeking out from her cover, she could make out three individuals; aside from the one worker taking down the crates, she could also see two others standing farther away. They stood in a small encampment surrounded by all kinds of equipment, the backdrop of an old and crumbling building resting behind them.

"No problem, Shan," said one of them. "It's our job."

"Still, it's a big help regardless," replied the second man, who Xala had no trouble identifying as a Guardian judging by his armor.

Now that she knew there was a Guardian present, Xala knew she had to be extra careful, lest she winds up with a bullet through her skull.

Once the one worker had set down the crate outside, he came back to retrieve another one. Grabbing a second container, he was about to head down the ramp when suddenly he stopped where he was. Quietly, Xala watched in fear as the man slowly sniffed at the air, scrunching up his nose and face as he seemed like he smelled something foul. Casting a few quick glances around the cargo bay, he took on a skeptical expression before he turned toward his companion and called out to him.

"Hey! Get over here!" he called, waving the man down. Wordlessly, the other man quickly came over to join his coworker, leaving behind the Guardian who watched them with a perplexed expression.

"What is it?" asked the newcomer as he came up the ramp.

"Do you smell that?" replied the man, holding his hand up while pointing to the area around them.

The other man stepped further in, sniffing the air just like his companion did. "Yeah," he said, an expression of disgust on his face. "What is that? You didn't step in crap, did you?"

"No," he said before leaning in for a whisper she could barely hear. "I think there might be an animal on the ship." Sharing a look, the two nodded before they separated and began fanning out through the cargo bay.

Xala felt her heart pounding in her chest in terror, her fear of getting caught taking over. She did her best to remain undetected as the two searched the ship, not leaving any inch uncovered. Xala felt cornered and trapped; she didn't know what to do. She was afraid, she didn't want to be found, she just wanted to be left alone. As the two grew ever closer to her position, she tried to think of something to remain undetected. But it was only a matter of time till they found her, and she couldn't fight them, so that left only one option.

With most of the ship searched, the workers soon began approaching the spot where she was hiding. Her muscles tensed as they approached, her heart pounding harder than it ever had before as her discovery came within sight. She felt every part of her being screaming at her to move, but she was glued to the spot, unable to budge an inch as fear kept her trapped in place. Just as one of them was about to find her hidden behind the crate, she finally managed to muster the will to move and suddenly burst from her cover, startling the men as they cried out in terror. But she didn't pay them any mind, she just ran for the open door as fast as she could. The shouts of the men must have alerted the Guardian, for as soon as she streaked out of the ship, he started taking shots at her with a sidearm. She didn't stop to take cover, she just ran, ran as fast as she could to get away, not stopping until she was well out of sight of her aggressors.

Her lungs panting and heaving for air, she soon allowed herself to slow down once she believed she was no longer in danger. She let herself slow from a sprint to more of a walking speed. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, adrenalin coursing through her veins after going through that frightening situation. Xala looked back the way she came, the vessel and the Guardian were no longer in sight, and luckily, they didn't seem interested in following her.

Now that she was no longer in danger, she decided to take this opportunity to survey the land around her. She found herself in the middle of several abandoned human structures, all weathered and falling apart. In front of her, she could see a tall stone wall with pipes leading out of it, a large body of water forming at its base. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she decided to approach the water's edge. Kneeling, she watched as the clear substance shifted and rippled with the breeze, creating mini waves that crashed against the shoreline. On impulse, she dipped her claws into the water, feeling its cool embrace rush up to meet her hands. It was wonderous, she mused as she swished her palm across its surface, she could hardly remember the last time she had seen water, having been cooped up in the Arcology for years. Lifting her hand out of the water, she watched as little droplets dripped back down, catching the sunlight like crystals as they plummeted back down to earth.

Shaking her hand dry, she cast her gaze up and was taken by surprise when she laid her eyes on the Traveler. At least, that's what she thought at first, but upon closer inspection, she came to realize it was actually just a human-made structure. What she thought was the Traveler was just a large tower, reaching hundreds of feet up into the air, with multiple round orb things fixed to it. Looking at it, she couldn't help but feel disappointed when she realized it wasn't what she thought it was; she had worshiped the Traveler so much, she longed to see it with her own eyes.

Picturing it in her mind, she tried to imagine what it would look like. She saw a majestic white sphere floating in the sky, undisturbed like a planet orbiting calmly in space. She could see the sunlight cast its rays upon its lustrous surface. Below the Traveler rested a gleaming utopia, filled with wonderous sights and towers that pierced through the sky. She could see ships flying all over, soaring over the city, and gliding next to the Traveler. At night, the bright lights from below reached up to illuminate that giant orb in its glow.

As she sat there, picturing this scene in her mind, she became aware of all the little things around her; she could feel the sun shining down on her, warming its way through her chitinous hide as she basked in its heat. The wind blew against her body, putting her in a relaxed state as she felt the invisible force wash over her.

Hearing pleasant chirping sounds flow into her ears, she opened her eyes to see a pair of birds sitting atop a nearby tree. Xala watched as the two birds danced with each other, singing their beautiful songs as they flittered amongst the leaves. Seeing this scene unfold, she found herself in awe once again that day; any other Hive would have shot at those two birds instantly, but she was content just listening to their music.

After a few blissful moments, the birds soon leaped off their branch and took to the skies.

Deciding it was time to be on her way as well, she stood up from her spot by the water. Picking a random direction, she set off on her way, going wherever the land would take her. Making her way past a collapsed roadway, she descended into an old drainage ditch that emptied out into a nearby lake. Continuing on, she started hiking up a road that led up and out of the ditch. Sticking to the path, she followed it as it curved around a squat cliffside, soon depositing her out into an area that took her breath away.

Before her lay an open field dotted with abandoned human-built aircraft, rotting in the sun. The giant metal beasts were everywhere, scattered around the observable horizon like skeletons, rusted over by time. While she could see the odd tree here and there, it was the grounded machines that took up most of her attention.

Letting her curiosity lead her, she wandered out into the mechanical graveyard. Passing under the wing of a plane, she discovered firsthand how eerily quiet it was; there didn't seem to be any sound whatsoever, there were no birds chirping, no insects buzzing, no wind - everything was just, dead. Approaching one of the aircraft, she walked up to its decaying frame to get a better look at it. The rust was more noticeable here than from afar, the metal that made up the monstrosity was all but falling apart. It was also clear that it had been stripped and looted for parts long ago, leaving it just a shell of what it once was.

Scattered around the graveyard were all kinds of crates and machinery. Upon inspecting them, she soon realized them to be of Eliksni origin. Now aware that she might be in danger, she deftly raised her head and took in her immediate surroundings. She hadn't seen any Fallen since entering the area, but she didn't want to take that chance. She looked in all directions for any enemy activity, and though she didn't see anything at first glance, she continued on cautiously.

Xala continued exploring the area for a while, coming across more dead planes and seemingly abandoned equipment. As she searched around, she gradually became aware of the temperature beginning to drop. The chill growing in the air, she turned her head to the sky and discovered why as she watched the sun slowly descend towards the east.

Knowing that it would be dark soon, Xala found herself seeking shelter for the night. She knew that there were some caves nearby, and while they would be adequate in protecting her from the elements, she also felt they were too open and would leave her exposed should any Fallen chance upon her. So, she instead opted to spend the night on one of the planes.

Moving back the way she came, she made off in the direction of the plane she'd been at earlier. By the time she reached it, the sun was now hovering right on the horizon line, the last rays of light steadily fading. Searching for an entrance, she traced the perimeter of the vehicle until she found an open hatch she could use to get inside. Stepping through the entryway, she found the interior to be fairly dark without the natural light from the sun to illuminate it. The old metal creaked and groaned each time she placed her foot down, so much so that she was half worried it wouldn't be able to hold her weight and she'd crash through the floor.

Making her way toward the front of the plane, she found herself at the cockpit. Pushing open the rickety door, she found a small space that would be perfect for her to use as a shelter for the night. While all the electronics and stuff had since been ripped out, there was still a chair bolted to the ground that she could rest on. Latching the door back up behind her, she walked over to the seat and sat down. Looking through the windows, she wasn't able to see the sun setting from this angle, but she was able to see a brilliant display of orange and purple light striking across the sky, as it sunk below the horizon.

As she sat there, taking in the beauty of it, she couldn't help but reflect on the events that had brought her here. Since waking up here, she had seen so many amazing things over the course of the day, but what did it cost? Yes, she was free of her worm's influence and was experiencing things she had only ever dreamed of, but she had also lost so much. She had finally gotten everything she wanted, but in getting it, she turned the Hive against her and made her best friend into her mortal enemy. As the light faded and the stars started coming out, she found herself looking up at the sky and imagined seeing Titan up there. It was weird, she was no longer welcome there, and if she were ever to step foot on that moon again the Hive would kill her in a heartbeat, but despite this, she couldn't help but feel homesick. She found herself attributing it to the fact that, though she had never felt like she fit in with the other Hive, she at least had a place there, she had a place where she was useful. And though she was free now, she also had nowhere to go, she'd been relegated to a wanderer with no purpose, a lost soul with no home.

...

After watching the sky for what felt like forever, Xala finally found herself succumbing to sleep. She was sprawled out on the floor, blocking the door and keeping anything that might come in from entering. She had curled into herself, trying to retain heat after making it through the chilly night. As the sun rose over the horizon its bright rays poured into the cockpit, shining directly on her face.

Squinting against the bright light, Xala covered her eyes with her arm, letting out a groan as she turned to her other side. She blearily gazed at nothing, her mind still trying to wake up and catch up with her body. Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, letting her vision focus. Getting to her feet, she rubbed her hand against her back after having laid on the hard metal floor all night - Titan might not have been perfect, but at least the nesting areas up there had been a lot more comfortable than this.

Stretching out her muscles, she was about to reach out and pull the door open, when suddenly something from outside made her halt. Crouching down, she put her ear up against the door and listened closely. She could hear what sounded to be chittering and barking noises emanating from the other side. And before Xala knew what was happening, she suddenly found herself falling forward as the door was opened from the outside. Quickly looking up, she found herself in the presence of two visibly shocked Eliksni. Once the surprise wore off, the two Fallen became hostile, their faces growing hard as they moved toward her. Shuffling back, she attempted to close the door back up, but they were on her before she had a chance.

One of them, a Vandal, rushed forward and grabbed her, bringing her to her feet as it put her into a chokehold. Xala struggled against its grip as it held her at bay, striking it with her hands as she fought back. She was able to get it to let go of her neck, but it still refused to release her. Two of its arms tightened around her chest, the Vandal took its other two and held down her arms, preventing her from fighting back. This left her exposed and allowed the other Eliksni to come and strike at her unprotected belly. She felt pangs of pain flare up around her front, the other Fallen wailing into her without mercy as the first held her back.

Unable to use her hands, she resorted to kicking out with her feet, pushing it away. Lifting her legs out from under her, she used her weight to unbalance the Vandal, causing the two to fall over. Tumbling away from the Eliksni, Xala quickly scrambled to her feet and bolted for the door. Just as she was about to get away, she suddenly found herself slamming into the ground as something held her back. One of the Fallen had grabbed hold of her ankle at the last moment and was holding on with a death grip to keep her from escaping. Desperate to get away, she started kicking at her attacker and trying to shake them off. But despite her efforts, the Eliksni refused to let go, digging in with its claws and sending pain shooting through her leg.

While this was happening, the other Fallen emerged from the plane and started approaching her with a knife, brandishing it menacingly. Seeing the sharp blade in its grasp, Xala started kicking at the Eliksni even harder, this time proving successful as it lost its grip and fell away. She rolled away just in time for the one with the knife to take a swing at her, missing slitting her throat by only a few inches.

Scrambling up to her feet, she turned to face the two Eliksni. How she wished there was some way to convince them she didn't want to fight, to get them to understand she wasn't an enemy. She backed up warily as they steadily advanced, they both had bloodthirsty looks on their faces and were determined to not let her leave alive. Xala didn't want any trouble, and as much as she didn't want to fight, these two weren't giving her much of an option.

The Eliksni with the knife lunged at her suddenly, with her once again narrow avoiding it. What followed next was the two of them doing a little dance, where it tried to kill her and she tried to dodge, but if she missed a step then that was it. By now, they had gone a fair distance away from where they first started, with the plane sitting oblivious off to the side as she fought for her life. At one point, the Eliksni swung the knife at her again, but this time she managed to grab the arm holding the weapon and restrain it, preventing the Fallen from using it to attack her. Her muscles strained under trying to keep the arm under control, the enemy was strong, and keeping it subdued was no easy feat. Twisting its arm, she was able to get it to drop the blade, the knife falling at their feet as their scuffle continued.

The Vandal forced her to the ground, where it then climbed on top of her and once again wormed its hands around her neck. Feeling her airflow get cut off, Xala started trying to pry the Eliksni away desperately. But it was tough, putting all its strength into choking her out, making it all but impossible to make it lose its grip. As her vision began to grow foggy, she couldn't help but look up at the creature's merciless face and see Tal'rooth instead; when she last saw him, her old friend had tried to snuff her out the same way this Fallen was now. She could see the rage and betrayal in his eyes at what she'd done to him. Seeing him like this, brought her guilt at what she'd unintentionally done, she never meant to choose the Sky over him, she just wanted more from life than killing.

Seeing the hurt in his eyes was too much for her, and if ending her life would bring him ease, then she would grant it to him. Letting go of his arms, she stopped trying to pry him off and consented to let him have his way. Lowering her hands to the side, she let herself relax as a sense of calm washed over her. She felt serene and at peace, as the world slowed down around her, finding harmony within herself as she prepared to exhale her final breath.

.

.

.

.

.

NO!

Her green eyes snapped open in terror, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as the will to live came surging back in full force like a tidal wave. Xala looked up at her attacker, it was not Tal'rooth, but a Vandal, she reminded herself - and she didn't owe it anything! Knowing she wouldn't be able to pry it off, she started searching for other methods for beating the Eliksni, and she found it in the form of the knife laying just a short distance away. She started reaching for it, crawling her hand across the ground to grab it. Luckily, the Fallen hadn't noticed what she was up to and was too engrossed in tunnel vision for her to stop what she was doing. Her claws came up just short of the blade's hilt, her desperation to obtain it growing direr with each passing second. Just as her vision was about to go black, she finally managed to take the knife in her grip, and with a swift motion, thrust it into the throat of her attacker.

The Eliksni let out a choked gasp, its grip on her weakening as the sudden motion stopped it in its tracks. Blue blood seeped out from the creature's neck, its muscles and hands twitching as it fell back onto the ground. The Vandal put a hand around the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. In its final moments, the Fallen looked to the sky one last time as the color drained from its eyes, and the breath left its breast.

Xala watched the lifeless body lay there for a few moments, the rush of events leading up to this seeming like a blur that left her stunned. She was suddenly shaken out of her stupor when she heard an enraged roar. Whipping her head around, she discovered the other Eliksni had seen what she'd done and was now charging straight for her. In a panic, she went over to the dead Vandal and started rifling through its belongings, hoping to find something to help her. As the other Fallen gained on her, Xala kept searching through the pockets and pouches of the body in front of her. Finally, she found exactly what she was looking for, pulling out a handgun from the creature's robes. Taking the weapon in her hand, she quickly rolled around just as the approaching Eliksni was about to pounce and fired off three consecutive shots into its chest.

The Eliksni tumbled through the air, its momentum carrying it forward as it collapsed to the ground right in front of her. Xala sat there in shock, holding out the gun as she stared at the body, half excepting it to get up again. After it made no sign of being alive, Xala finally allowed herself to take a breath of relief. On shaky legs, she wearily got back to her feet, still in shock at the whole ordeal she just went through.

Gathering her bearings, she moved to get what she could. Moving over to the Eliksni she'd stabbed, she pulled the knife out of its throat; cringing at all the blue blood, she took the blade and wiped it down on the creature's clothes. Speaking of, she knew the bandage around her leg was starting to get old, so Xala tore off unbloodied strips of cloth from the corpses to replace it when the time came. Taking the knife and gun, she used the pieces of cloth to carry them, wrapping them up and turning it into a makeshift bag

Having everything she needed, Xala turned to leave, slinging the bag over her shoulder as she left the two dead Eliksni behind. While she felt a bit of remorse at what she did, she had to remind herself that it wasn't her fault; the Fallen had been looking for a fight and would have gladly killed her without a second thought - it was either them or her.

Trekking through the graveyard of planes, she moved aimlessly, just wandering through the rusted field with no idea where she was going. Soon, she noticed a cluster of structures atop a nearby rocky hill, they were run down and abandoned, but then again, so was everything else in this world. Approaching the high rise, she was hopeful that she would find safety and shelter within its walls. As she got closer, however, she began to notice figures moving from afar, patrolling the area in front of the buildings. Halting in her advance, she started focusing on the beings up there, trying to discern what they were; while at first, she assumed the to be Fallen, she soon realized them to be Hive, just like herself. feeling a wave of relief wash over her, she was just about to go up there and join them when a thought struck her. Xala's escape from Titan had been pretty intense, after what happened up there, all the Hive back home wanted her dead. If the word about what she did had spread, then those Hive up on the nearby hill might not be as friendly as she had hoped.

Now not so sure about her current objective, she elected to go somewhere else, not too eager to find out how the Hive up there might react - not right now at least. Changing her direction, she followed the perimeter of the hill, until she found herself at the opening of a squat canyon. Seeing it as just as good an option as any, she decided to go that way and see where it would take her.

Setting off down the canyon, she followed its twists and turns as she let the natural formations of the Earth guide her. Caves dotted the rock walls all along the sides, and while any one of them could serve as ample shelter, she still wasn't convinced they would be totally secure.

It was about midday when she came across a river running through the canyon, providing a lush environment for plants and animals to thrive. After finding this area, she took the chance to look around and bask in its beauty. Xala watched as the river ran its course, flowing seamlessly along as fish swam in its current, occasionally creating a loud splash when they leaped out of the running water. Birds flew through the leaves and branches of the trees, and small animals like squirrels and rabbets scurried through the underbrush. Xala felt at peace here, everything was serene and calm, she hadn't even seen any Hive or Fallen since coming in here, this would be the perfect place to stay.

She could see herself living here in this canyon, away from the rest of the world. It would be perfect, she would have a close water source, and she could forage around for berries and whatever else she might be able to find. She looked around at the area that was to become her new home, for the first time in the last few days, she felt happy and not worried. Though the events on Titan had left her shaken, she was determined to find her way again. She was finally free of her worm, finally free of the Hive and their cruel ways, and she intended to make the most of it.

She took a deep breath and let this new life wash over her.

Xala has escaped from Titan, and though now she has escaped the Hive, she still has to survive all on her own in the wilderness of the old Russian cosmodrome. So, what do you all think, will she be able to make it on her own, or will it all be too much for her? Well, whatever all of you think, I know that even though Xala has lost everything by this point, she hasn't given up yet, and I believe her struggles now will pay off in the future.

Again, I want to thank everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed this story, all your continued support and praise for A Tale of Swords and Feathers really inspires me, and I can't wait to see how you react continuing forward.

Well, that's all I have to say for now, so until the next chapter, I bid you all adieu.

Please, follow, favorite, and review.