Sorry guys, I've been kind of preoccupied, still…. better late than never!
Al'Dan chapter 5
Preparing for the trails to come.
Al'Dan had always wondered what secrets wait in the blackness of the void that was space, especially when he stopped to take a look every once and a while.
The Clanship wasn't all dwellings, markets and schools, it was a star-ship after all. A pretty dam huge star-ship, but still a ship that needed engines, a crew, fuel and water supplies that needed to be restocked time after time. And with all those additions, of course an Observation deck was needed in order for the piloting crew to properly map their courses around the stars as the Clanship maintained its flight.
The observation deck of the ship was completely different in its aesthetic design when compared to the rest of the ship, as the black metallic hallways maintained a professional and military vibe as opposed to the living areas which maintained a warm and natural vibe.
The young Human just stood there alongside Liana, as the two of them watched the beautiful sight on display in front of them.
The sight of the Bearuut system, its singular blue sun and the worlds in orbit of it. The system was a relatively new one, only a couple thousand years old with only a few non sentient species inhabiting one or two worlds.
Normally young Unblooded like Al'Dan and Liana weren't allowed to walk the exterior hallways like the observation deck, but then again Al'Dan had a reason and justification behind being there. His mentor, Bul'Vyr was in talks with the Clan council on a very specific matter which apparently required Liana and Al'Dan's presence.
The council held their meeting in a large circular room much like one of a human courtroom, where the Clan Elder would stand in place of a judge while the Clan Heads would be gathered around him or her. Of course the Council weren't bothered often and wouldn't have to hold meetings unless it was a matter of Clan security or meetings with the other clans.
"That is a no, Bul'Vyr. You cannot talk your way around the situation" one of the heads said scornfully.
"All I ask is a retreat, a week or two at the most that is all I'm asking" Bul'Vyr replied.
"If it were you by yourself, we would say yes…but taking two Unblooded with you, one of whom who isn't related to you by blood is unacceptable" the clan Elder replied from behind her stand. The Clan Elder in question was a female Huntress only a few years older than Bul'Vyr, her Gender having no effect upon her role as the clan's Elder as a Yautja with Bul'Vyr's experience was more than qualified for the position.
"Liana is my niece and Al'Dan is my student, as their mentor I should be able to decide on their training methods" The Blue skinned Yautja replied, making his case heard.
"If they were older you would have a point, but they are both still children, and the laws of our clan dictate that they are not to leave the Clanship without a family member until they are of age or until they have passed their trails, and seeing as how they have done neither, we have no choice but to deny your request" the Elder replied.
"But you don't understand! I have to do this, this is the way my last clan trained their students, and I refuse to let the teachings of my old clan die!" Bul'Vyr replied forcefully.
The teachings of the Uin'Ava clan were known for being both dangerous and effective, unfortunately the only Yautja now living that understood these teachings was Bul'Vyr. Sure the teachings would be saved by the scholars of the royal clans, but Bul'Vyr was the only one that could properly teach the techniques and traditions to those that were worthy of them. He didn't want his niece and student to grow up without ever knowing the secrets of his clan that had been passed down for generations.
The Elder and the rest of the council began whispering amongst themselves as if discussing what to do next. The council had known Bul'Vyr for a long while, and the Uin'Ava clan was always an ally of theirs, so allowing the teachings of said clan to die off was a dishonour in its own right.
The Elder turned her attention back to Bul'Vyr as she finished conversing with the other council members.
"Alright, Bul'Vyr. We will allow you to train your Niece and your Apprentice under a few conditions" The Elder spoke.
"Very well, what are they?" the blue skinned Yautja asked.
"First, that Young Al'Dan's parents be notified and give their consent"
"Alright"
"Second, that you will keep a watchful eye on them at all times"
"Fine"
"And thirdly, you will not take them to a world above a Class 3. Is that understood?" the Elder questioned in a commanding tone worthy of her title.
"…" Bul'Vyr remained silent as he contemplated the idea, class 3 worlds were relatively safe compared to many other worlds. Class 3 worlds implied massive amounts of vegetation, water sources, tropical climates, mainly herbivorous life with carnivores nor bigger than hounds.
It wasn't exactly what Bul'Vyr had in mind…but then again you had to walk before you could run.
"Is that understood!?" the Elder near shouted this time, making the Blue skinned Hunter spring back to attention.
"Perfectly, Class 3 worlds and below only" Bul'Vyr confirmed.
"Good…Bul'Vyr…one more thing" the Elder spoke.
"Yes?"
"You seem to be very enthusiastic on taking Al'Dan and Liana off of the clanship for their training early…is there a reason for this? Is there something you aren't telling us?" the Elder asked in her deep commanding tone.
Bul'Vyr did have a reason for doing so, if what he had recently heard was true, then he would need to step up the training of both his Niece and Apprentice ahead of when he originally intended. They needed to be prepared before many of the other young Hunters on the ship.
But he couldn't let the council know his reasons.
"…Of course not. Anything else?" Bul'Vyr asked.
…
"Yes…you may go" the Elder replied with suspicion.
Bul'Vyr left the room, feeling good with himself, he had managed to convince the Elder and the council to let him train Liana and Al'Dan early without giving away his reasons to a group of people that would most likely shoo away his concerns if they learned the source.
But then again, he cringed as he realized what the first condition entailed.
This was going to hurt.
*TWACK!*
Bul'Vyr stumbled to one knee as his lower right mandible dripped glowing green blood onto the floor. The old Hunter had to give it to Kal'Dan, he hadn't lost an ounce of strength in that right arm of his.
"Are you Pauking mad!?" Kal'Dan yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Society always counts those who think ahead as mad…until it's too late" Bul'Vyr replied as he wiped the blood from his mandible and stood upright.
It had been a while since Bul'Vyr conversed with Kal'Dan, and the last time they did, they didn't part under good terms. The Adoptive father of the Human boy had a look of utter rage plastered across his face while Bul'Vyr tried his best to keep his Hunters composure.
It didn't take long for Yui'Tyr to re-enter the room after making her sons stay in their room, she didn't want them to see what was going on between their father and their teacher. Especially considering that they didn't know what Bul'Vyr had done to deserve this kind of treatment.
"Yui, I hope you will at least listen to me, unlike your life-Mate here…" the Blue skinned Yautja began before a scaly palm made contact with his face.
*SLAP!*
"…maybe not" Bul'Vyr finished as he wiped his now, really sore face.
"You have some nerve showing your face here!" Yui'Tyr shouted at the old hunter who could only look down to the floor in shame. Yui was right, Bul'Vyr didn't have any right coming to their dwelling after what he had done to their family.
It was one of the reasons he had told Al'Dan not to inform his parents about their training.
"You've been training Al'Dan behind our backs?! After what you had done to his older brother!?" Kal'Dan scathed while he gritted his fangs.
"Kal you know I..."Bul'Vyr started before he was cut off.
"Oh yes, I'm sorry, what you DIDN'T do!" Kal'Dan roared into the Older Hunter's face.
Bul'Vyr thought it best to just let Yui and Kal let their emotions out, he was a mature Hunter and could take being yelled at along with a smidge of physical abuse if need be. After what he had done to their family, he deserved a bit of a smack, especially considering how he had kept his training of Al'Dan behind their backs.
"You march into OUR HOME, like you own the place, and demand us to let you take our youngest son to some backwater planet to do Paya knows what!? Are you insane or just plain stupid!?" Kal'Dan growled in rage.
"You know, when Al'Dan brought your Niece here for dinner the other day, I didn't want to mention what her Uncle had done to this family. I could see the way my son looks at her, she is a beautiful girl and he is a handsome boy, Ooman or otherwise. I didn't tell her what you did treat her like an outcast for both her sake and the sake of my son…but right now….knowing this…I'm beginning to have second thoughts" Yui'Tyr growled herself, showing off her sharp mandibles.
"My Niece has been through enough! Regardless of what I have done I will not let you or your Mate worsen her life!" Bul'Vyr growled back threateningly at Yui, causing Kal'Dan to spring to her defense and growl savagely in Bul'Vyr's face.
The two males began squaring off, mandibles flaring, backs arched and claws bared. When it seemed like the two were going to begin ripping each other's throats out, the scaly feminine hand of Yui'Tyr placed itself on Kal'Dan's shoulder.
"Kal, don't, he's right…I…I shouldn't have brought her into the argument" Yui replied with shame in her tone. To bring an innocent child that had nothing to do with their grudge was sick, it ashamed the Female Huntress more than anything, and especially since Liana was an Orphan just like her Ooman son.
Kal'Dan registered what his life-mate had said and it didn't take long for him to understand her reasons for doing so. He stood up straight and retracted his mandibles back, acting like a wild animal and getting into a fight with a former friend of his in his own dwelling while his sons were in the next room.
"I'm sorry, Bul'Vyr. I shouldn't have brought her up" Yui'Tyr apologized.
"…I know I've done wrong by you…and nothing I can say will change that…but you need to understand my reasons for doing this" Bul'Vyr pleaded with Yui and Kal.
The Yui'Tyr and Kal'Dan turned to each other, exchanging a look that spoke many things including, confusion, understanding and finally compliance. The two parents nodded in agreement, it was better to understand Bul'Vyr's reasons for doing this, for training their son in secret personally and now revealing that secret in order to take him to another world.
"Very well…we will listen" Kal'Dan replied.
It wasn't very long until the commotion had settled down, and all three Yautja were sat down at the table. Bul'Vyr was holding a cooling pack against his face, to ease the pain of Yui'Tyr's smack; for a female of her size she was exceptionally strong and could have given him a concussion if she had punched him instead of smacked him.
"I'll say this Yui…you haven't lost your touch" Bul'Vyr said as he rubbed the cooling pack against his face. The cooling pack was built to refrigerate meat and keep it fresh under even the hottest temperatures, however Bul'Vyr had found that it could be used to dull the pain when you piss off a female.
"I'm sorry about that, but my maternal instincts get the better of me sometimes" Yui apologized.
"Don't worry about it, I had it coming. Besides, we have bigger things to worry about" Bul'Vyr said before he put the cooling pack down.
"I'm assuming they came to you first?" Bul'Vyr asked, assuming that the pair knew what he was talking about, as if it was common knowledge.
"…Yes….they did" Kal'Dan said reluctantly, leaning back with his arms folded. Yui'Tyr sat down next to her Life Mate "From the very moment that Ooman put him in my arms…I knew they would come" she said with a sad tone.
"Well it's a wonder why it took them so long to do so. Then again those three have never been good with timing" Bul'Vyr smirked.
The situation would be strange to any bystander who didn't know the three Hunters and their past with the three unknown Aliens that they had made contact with. Then again, the relationship between the six had been an old one for any race without a substantial lifespan of 10,000 years.
"Well…they do have plenty of time on their hands….they don't have to worry about mortality as much as many of us" Kal'Dan replied as he unfolded his arms and hooked one around his Life Mate.
"What did they ask you?"
"Things about Al'Dan, how we found him, when we found him, why we chose to adopt him"
"That so?"
"Yes, what did they want to know from you?"
"Well…. they didn't ask any questions; they came to me with mostly answers"
"Answers?"
"Yes…they told me that Al'Dan and my Niece were…being hunted"
"Hunted? By who? Black Yautja?"
"All they said was that they had been picking up reports of small human settlements being destroyed as if they attackers were looking for something…more precisely, Teenage Ooman males" Bul'Vyr explained to the Life Mates whom were hanging upon his every word.
"What makes them think they were hunting your Niece?"
"The remains of the Uin'Ava clanship were recovered by the Kamad Empire. They gave the remains of the clanship back to us but before they did…they found some things" Bul'Vyr spoke with gritted teeth, remembering the sorrow of losing his old clan.
"What things?"
"All the corpses in the vicinity….the few they found…they…they were all adult males, all the females and the children were nowhere to be found among the wreckage. Whoever is hunting Al'Dan and Liana, they want them alive" Bul'Vyr spoke with a tone of fear for his niece and apprentice.
"What…what can we do?" Yui asked.
"From what I was told, they don't know where Liana and Al'Dan are, so as long as we don't expose them too much before they are ready, they should be fine" Bul'Vyr explained.
"Ready? What do you mean ready?" Kal'Dan asked.
"They need to become Hunters sooner rather than later, I am getting old Kal, I won't be able to look after the two of them for as long as I would like. They have to learn things the hard way, they need to train the way I was trained if they are to have any chance at all" Bul'Vyr warned the two parents.
Kal and Yui both sat in contemplation, Al'Dan was their special boy, he may not have had their blood but he was their son in every other regard and sending him off headfirst into danger where they could not help him was something that the both of them dreaded.
But like it or not, Al'Dan was going to be met with this situation sooner or later, they had accepted that he may want to become a Hunter when he was grown up and lo and behold being a Hunter was something the young boy wanted more than anything. Kal had seen the boy looking at his hunting weapons and his…eldest brother's armour hanging in the hallway.
Like it or not, Al'Dan would take those steps in becoming a hunter eventually…better sooner with a Hunter whom they knew than later with one of the idiots that would treat him like an animal.
Kal took Yui's hand in his and the two of them shared a knowing nod.
…
"Alright…you…you have our permission…" Kal nodded to Bul'Vyr, the Old Hunter knowing this was hard for his old friend nodded as well.
"When do you plan on taking them out?" Yui asked, wanting to know how much time they had left with their son before his real training began.
"As soon as possible, probably the end of the week to get the ship and supplies ready" Bul'Vyr replied.
"Alright…just…bring our son back to us in one piece" Kal'Dan replied, clenching his hand to tightly that it began to bleed.
Bul'Vyr could only nod before he silently rose from his seat and began to make his way out of the dwelling. No one present felt comfortable about the situation, Bul'Vyr never expected to be allowed in their home after what he had did to their family.
He came to an archway near the exit, and standing just there with his back to the wall was the young Human of the family. With a sad look adorning his face, Bul'Vyr could tell he had heard enough of the conversation.
"…. How much did you hear?" Bul'Vyr whispered.
"…Enough" Al'Dan replied just as quietly.
"…Are you still up for it?" Bul'Vyr asked.
"…Yeah" Al'Dan replied quietly with his head hung.
Bul'Vyr nodded and left. Leaving the young Human leaning against the wall, still within ear shot of the conversation which had just took place.
Al'Dan always knew how much his adoptive parents loved him, though he always had a doubt in the deep confines of his mind. It was no mere coincidence that he shared his name with the eldest offspring of the two he called mother and father.
He always feared he was a replacement, a do-over, a creature they took pity on because they were in grieving for the first Al'Dan.
But the words he heard from his mother and father, eradicated those thoughts.
They loved him, cared for him, and they didn't want to see him hurt.
It was genuine parental love that one wouldn't expect from a pair of Yautja.
But there is was.
Al'Dan smiled as tears appeared in his eyes, he had to go somewhere. The one place he always went when he needed some time to himself, yet the same place when he needed to vent to a friendly face.
Kal'Dan and Yui'Tyr held each other close, their minds flooded with thoughts of their Al'Dan in danger on some alien world, away from them and their protection for the first time since his birth. Yui and Kal had never thought that their little boy would have to travel too far away from them, like all Yautja children he was growing up fast, but unlike Yautja he had a much more limited time in this universe.
Humans when compared to Yautja had short lives, some Yautja had been known to live until they were in their late 5000's while Humans with their technology at the moment would be considered lucky to live until they were 120. Yes, with Yautja technology Al'Dan could live a few years beyond that…but not by much, he was a Yautja in everything but blood.
It was the one sorrow that Yui and Kal constantly had on their minds, their precious Human child could spend the rest of his life with them…but they couldn't spend the rest of theirs with him.
It only served to confirm the worst fear of any parent.
The fear of having to see their child die before them.
A fear they would have to relive.
This is why they wished he would take a safer profession than a Hunter. A Blacksmith or a Trader or a Scholar or an Engineer would have no danger ever present in their career and would be safe to live out their life in peace on the clanship.
Al'Dan didn't need to become a Hunter to make his parents proud, he was precious to them in a way that not many would understand. They wanted to treasure every moment they had with him, to cherish every day he would be there.
But there was the problem; Al'Dan loved his parents just as much as they loved him, and he wanted to be a Hunter. They loved him too much to deny what would make it happy.
It was a tragic reality, but there it was.
Kal tenderly held his life-mate close "I'll talk to him…he'll be going out there sooner or later…may as well get it done now rather than when we are too attached" the Hunter spoke softly.
"He's our son, Kal. We were attached the moment that his mother put him in my arms" Yui said on the verge of tears. She was a battle hardened Huntress, she never cried unless it concerned her children and the ultimate fate that Al'Dan would probably face. She had never considered that she would love a Human so much in her life time before Al'Dan came into the picture.
The night that they first brought him back, he would not stop screaming in his crib, bawling his eyes out and crying for attention. Yui'tyr at first went to him to shut him up, but the moment that she picked the little human up into her arms, he shut up and looked at her with what she could only describe as joy, as he smiled and began to giggle she felt what she thought she would never feel again.
The love of her baby boy.
Yui was just as loving to the little Human as she was to El'Dan and her Al'Dan. She fed him from her own breasts, held him close and sang to him when he cried and every day she reminded him that she loved him like he was her own flesh and blood.
The last thing that she wanted was to lose him on some far-off alien world, far-away from everyone that loved him.
Kal'Dan held his life mate close to him and put his forehead against hers before staring in her eyes.
"I know, my love. I know…but we cannot keep him here against his will. He has to make his own path…like…like his Big Brother did" Kal'Dan spoke, his tone heavy at the mention of their first son.
"I miss him, Kal. I don't want history to repeat itself" Yui began to cry as she remembered their first son.
The first Al'Dan.
"We won't lose him, Yui. I swear to you…I will make sure of it" Kal replied before he nuzzled his life mate and sat up with purpose in his eyes.
"I know you are listening…even though you never reply I know you have heard me before" Al'Dan whispered as he stared at the objects on the large crevice in the wall.
"I love Mother and Father…even if I don't share their blood, I would have died without them…I…I have to believe that you had some hand in it…" Al'Dan whispered to himself before hanging his head low.
"I wish I could have met you. El'Dan never talks about you…I guess it's because he was too young when it happened…But I can tell Mother and Father miss you, every time they look at me I can tell that they are still coping with it…trying to move forward" Al'Dan said with a heavy tone before looking back up.
In front of Al'Dan was a small shrine dedicated to his eldest brother, the first Al'Dan. In the centre was a picture of the young Yautja that had died in his prime, the picture was taken when he had graduated from the academy and was wearing a brand new set of armour, holding his helmet under his arm with a smirk on his mandibles.
Al'Dan, the first Al'Dan, had his mother's stripy complexion, but his father's bulging Physique. His highly decorated dreadlocks hung down his head in a ponytail, and his belt was already adorned with small trophies like fangs and claws.
To the right of the picture was Al'Dan's mask, adorned with tribal markings and a claw mark over the right eyepiece.
To the left was Al'Dan's Machete, a heavy duty styled dura-steel Blade with five holes near the tip of the weapon. A beautiful hunting instrument that could do some serious damage with a high resistance to heat, cold and acid.
Assorted in front of the picture were dreadlock rings, necklaces, personal effects and anything that the first Al'Dan held on his person.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I want to be a Hunter, like Mother and Father, like Bul'Vyr, like…. like you…. but if I get hurt on a Hunt I know that I'll just worry them…make them fear that will end up like you" Al'Dan's head hung low.
"Becoming a Hunter is all I have ever wanted, I want to make mother and father proud…and becoming a Hunter would give me everything I need to find out what happened" Al'Dan spoke as he clutched his pendant, the only memento of his human parents.
Al'Dan had been told the story of his adoption many times, but he never understood why the Black Yautja chose to attack his home in the first place. A simple raid was not in the nature of the Black Yautja, they had a considerably large and resource filled system to themselves, raiding wouldn't benefit them at all in the long run.
If Al'Dan became a Hunter, he would be getting the skills and means necessary to leave the clanship and maybe, just maybe find out why the Black Yauja attacked his colony.
It wasn't much, but it was almost eating away at the back of his mind.
Why?
Kal'Dan watched, silently from behind a corner, listening to his youngest converse with the spirit of his eldest. It broke Kal's heart sometimes, knowing that his little Al'Dan was constantly living in the shadow of his first born.
"Al'Dan" Kal announced as he walked up to his human son.
"Father" Al'Dan replied, the slightest bit surprised that his father was probably watching him from a distance.
"Mind if I sit down?" Kal asked, gesturing to the empty spot next to Al'Dan.
Al'Dan nodded and his father sat down beside him, clasping his hands in front of him. The Yautja looked at the shrine that he and Yui had made to honour their eldest son, then he looked to his youngest son and tilted his head.
"You aren't a replacement you know" Kal'Dan stated.
"I know…it's just…. I can't help but think that when I look at his picture…I feel that you and Mother would rather he be here than me" Al'Dan spoke, his head hanging low.
"We miss him; we cannot deny that. He was my boy, my first boy, and not a day goes by that your mother and I wish that Cetanau had spared him" Kal said. Al'Dan thought that sealed the deal, that their love for their firstborn was greater than their love for him.
But Kal wasn't finished.
"But I thank every god in the heavens for the day we found you. You are special to us Al'Dan, you are a blessing in the flesh, you came to us at the moment where your mother and I thought that we were unworthy to raise or protect anyone…and we wouldn't trade you for anything" Kal'Dan put his hand on Al'Dan's head.
"You will always….be my son. From the day you were put in your mother's arms until the day my ashes are scattered to the winds of space and beyond…. you will always be our son" Kal'Dan spoke softly and caringly.
Al'Dan could feel the water works coming up, but he didn't want to look weak in front of his father so he quickly turned his head to hide the fact that he was tearing up. Kal of course could see through his son like a sheet of glass, he knew exactly how the young Human's mind worked.
"He would have loved you" Kal sighed with a smile as he looked at the portrait of his eldest son.
"I can tell that he would have loved you just as much as we do" Kal'Dan smiled as he put his hand on Al'Dan's shoulder and pulled him into an embrace.
Al'Dan was close to letting the tears fly, but he managed to compose himself. The father and his adoptive son sat there in silence for a few minutes, Kal'Dan wanted to make his son comfortable before bringing up his inevitable trip.
The older Yautja stroked the braided hair of his adopted son, his finger had gotten used to the feel and odd texture of human hair over the years. It really spoke leagues about Al'Dan's desire to be considered a Yautja to the point where he braided his hair so it would closer resemble Yautja dreadlocks.
"I don't understand why you do this, Al'Dan" Kal said as he stroked his hair.
"Do what?"
"Braid your hair to look more Yautja. You are one of us, you are a part of the Clan" Kal'Dan replied.
"Not to some"
"A few brainless bigots, nothing more" Kal replied.
"I have to prove it to myself…I…I want to prove that I can be a Yautja, no matter what my blood says" Al'Dan said as he raised his head.
"Your Blood doesn't matter, Al'Dan. You are as much my son as El'Dan or your eldest brother. You are a part of our family….and nothing will ever change that" Kal replied.
"I know father….but…I have to prove it to myself. That's why….why…."
"Why what, my son?"
"That's why I want to go training with Master Bul'Vyr" Al'Dan looked at his father dead in the eye.
Kal'Dan was surprised that Al'Dan reffered to Bul'Vyr as 'Master Bul'Vyr' the position of 'Master' was very special amongst their species. A Master and Apprentice was not a common bond, it signified dedication, a Teacher and a Student was superficial compared to the bond of a Master and an Apprentice. A Teacher would simply teach a Student what was broadly accepted by society, a Master would teach their Apprentice every single thing they knew, their individual skills, their past expiriences, every single trick in the book that they knew and how to use it.
A Master was dedicated to their apprentice and their progression.
And an Apprentice was dedicated to their Master until they had surpassed them.
Kal'Dan knew what sort of Yautja Bul'Vyr was. He was stubborn, gruff and an overall hard arse, he was a battle hardened Veteran that knew more than most Yautja Elders yet alone Hunters. So it came as a surprise that Bul'Vyr had made that dedication to his adopted son.
It seemed like the Sapphire skinned Hunter was trying to atone for a past sin.
"You were listening to your Mother and I weren't you?" Kal'Dan asked with a smirk.
'He is stealthy…that's a good sign' Kal thought internally.
"I know you and Mother don't want me in danger…but this is what I want" Al'Dan replied.
"I understand. My father wasn't as protective as I am with you or your brother. He wanted me out on a Hunting trip as soon as possible. I was a few years younger than you when I was first sent out" Kal'Dan smirked.
"So….you are alright with it?" Al'Dan asked.
"…Yeah….we are ok with it" Kal'Dan smirked as he embraced his son.
It was Al'Dan's first step from boy to man.
And it was a pretty big step.
*1 Week Later
Bul'Vyr's hunting ship was not exactly the most advanced ship on the clanship, it wasn't flashy, it wasn't pretty looking. But it was tough, it was functional and it had proved to be a tough rust bucket to him and every Yautja that had flown in it a hundred times over. There were no discernible markings on the ship aside from the few standard identification runes in Yautja, and the hull was not exactly neat as it had scuff marks and replaced hull fragments all over it.
She didn't look pretty, but she was one of the toughest birds on the Clanship.
Bul'Vyr and Al'Dan stood outside of the Hunting ship as Liana was inside getting the ship ready for take-off. Al'Dan still had to say his goodbyes to his family and have his belongings inspected by his tutor.
"You remembered to bring just the essentials correct?" Bul'Vyr asked.
"Yes Master. Just the things I need to survive" Al'Dan replied.
"I'll be the judge of that. Anything I find amongst your belongings that I don't find essential, I will jettison once we have taken off, understood?" Bul'Vyr asked.
"Yes Master" Al'Dan bowed to his mentor.
Bul'Vyr smiled for a split second before his gaze turned to the three Yautja that made up Al'Dan's family, approaching slowly but surely, probably come to say their farewells. Al'Dan turned to see his family, Kal'Dan, Yui'Tyr and his older brother El'Dan.
"If you want to say your farewells do it now. You won't see them again for quite some time" Bul'yr told the young Human.
Al'Dan walked up to his family, and like clockwork his mother was the first to embrace him. The Huntress wrapped her arms around her little Human in a caring embrace as she kneeled down to his height.
"Just….stay safe, for me" Yui stroked Al'Dan's hair.
"Don't coddle the boy, Yui. He's on his way to be a man" Kal'Dan smiled to the young human.
"It doesn't change the fact I'm his mother. I worry alright?" Yui'Tyr held onto her son's shoulders "Promise me you'll stay safe"
"I promise, Mother" Al'Dan chuckled at his mother's protectiveness.
El'Dan approached his brother and embraced him in a powerful hug. The older son whispered into the ear of his Human brother "Don't get yourself killed little brother" he smiled.
"I'll try not to" Al'Dan chuckled as he patted El'Dan on the back before breaking the embrace.
Al'Dan looked to his father, expecting a hug from his as well. But his father had his arms behind his back. Was his father opposed to giving his son one last hug before his departure? Was he trying to act like the strong head male of the household?
"I…I had expected this day to come much later, but…then again I've been wrong plenty of times. 15 years old and already on your way to becoming a man, it seems fitting that you should have this" Kal'Dan said before revealing what he had been hiding behind his back.
A Machete in a sheath.
Al'Dan's eyes widened in utter shock, he recognised the handle of that Machete, he had spent many nights staring at the blade that had lost its master. The handle was tempered leather, as finely made as Yautja weapons came, made for practicality as well as aesthetic qualities. The sheath itself was nothing to be sniffed at, a leather sheath with a beautiful scaled pattern taken from a reptilian, perhaps a crocodilian type creature.
It was Al'Dan's machete. The first Al'Dan, his eldest brother.
"Is that?" Al'Dan almost stuttered.
"It is. He would have wanted you to have it" Kal'Dan kneeled down to Al'Dan's height and held out the sheathed blade to him,
"But…El'Dan is the eldest, shouldn't he?" Al'Dan began until his brother cut him off.
"Brother, I'm ok with not having his blade. Besides, you need all the help you can get" El'Dan smirked before Al'Dan playfully punched him in the arm.
"Are you…sure?" Al'Dan asked.
"You carry his name with you my son, with this blade…it will be like he is fighting beside you. I doubt he would want his blade rusting away on a mantelpiece" Kal'Dan held the Machete out to Al'Dan.
Al'Dan hesitated before he reached out and took the sheathed blade from his father. He grabbed the hilt, feeling the leather hilt as if it was designed for his hand. He slowly unsheathed the blade, revealing the shining blade of the Machete, it had been polished and sharpened very recently, obviously Kal and Yui had some part in preparing this blade for their youngest son.
"Its…heavier than I thought it would be" Al'Dan said as he held out the blade.
"Grow stronger then" El'Dan smirked.
"Oh ha ha" Al'Dan replied before sheathing the blade and buckling it to his belt.
"Now…listen to Bul'Vyr, don't you dare do anything too brave or too stupid alright?" Yui hammered in.
"Mother, I'm not six, I can handle this….trust me" Al'Dan smiled a reassuring smile to his mother.
"AL'DAN, GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE!" Bul'Vyr shouted from the ship.
"Well….wish me luck" Al'Dan smiled.
"Paya be with you my son" Kal'Dan smiled.
Al'Dan ran to the ship, his family waving goodbye to him as he entered the boarding ramp of the ship.
"Be sure to bring us something back! The bigger the better!" El'Dan shouting, cupping his hand to overpower the noise of the ship's engines powering up.
The ship hovered before it began to maneuverer its way out of the hangar bay, slowly hovering until it was out of range of the bay. With a spark of blue energy, the Ship shot into the stars, into the blackness of space to reach its destination at lightspeed.
Al'Dan was taking his first steps to become a Hunter, his first steps to becoming a Man.
PHEWWWWWWWWW THANKS GOD I FINISHED THAT.
Hope everyone enjoyed this latest chapter to Al'Dan the Pale Hunter, hopefully you guys haven't jumped ship yet because of my SPARCE upload times. I HAVE SAID THIS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I DO NOT WORK TO A SCHEDULE! I upload my chapters when I think they are in good order, AKA when I deem them worthy for other people to read!
Now – a genuine question for all of you guys! I am running out of ideas of how to fill up another few chapters of Al'Dan's early childhood, it seems like all the ideas I'm coming up with right now are like filler, that they wouldn't add much and would waste my time on idle writing when I could be writing more on the later chapters of Al'Dan's Adulthood (WHICH WILL BE THE MAJORITY OF THE STORY!)
Up to this point I have been using Timeskips greatly, within 6 chapters Al'Dan has went from a NewBorn to a 15 year old, so another timeskip would be par for the course. My Question is this: WHAT PART OF AL'DAN'S LIFE DO YOU WISH TO SEE NEXT? I can do a couple of chapter for his transition from a Teen to a Young Adult – AKA 17/18 – 20 because there is something I am stoked write for that.
Anything else I write about Al'Dan at this point in his life will seem like filler, and either boring filler or forced filler. I could try and make the filler exciting, but it would ruin later reveals and make things less believable than they already are.
PLEASE LEAVE REVIEW! YOUR OPINIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME! TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE! TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE STORY AND THE UNIVERSE! PLEASE MAKE THEM AS LENGTHY AS YOU CAN! I LOVE YOU FOR READING MY STORIES IT GIVES ME AN OUTLET FOR MY INSANITY!
Until next time this is DAKKAMAN777 SAYING…Uuummm…See you space cowboys!
