"She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city."
― Roman Payne, The Wanderess.
Twentieth second Yuga, Yaksa calendar (Circa 1624 C.E.) Inside the cargo bay of the Deva warship.
With his last breath of life, Ganok' struggled not to swallow the thick, bitter liquid that poured into his mouth. This was his last battle and he lost that too. He felt the substance burn his throat and lungs as it moved down into his belly. His body shuddered in a series of painful spasms, increasingly fighting for air from his damaged lungs. Finally the world turned to darkness and the giant warrior expired.
But that was not the end, at least not for the nano-particles that were contained in the liquid. They began to act, deconstructing the structure of the big Raksasa at a molecular level, taking organic material here, mixing new and exotic genes there.
A translucent organic mass formed in the giant's ventral cavity, growing at an expedited rate, a survival mechanism of the species. In a matter of minutes, it had arms, legs, a long tail and a pointed head.
It squirmed and with a sweep of its tail, the amniotic sac which imprisoned it broke. The ship's crew were still debating what to do with their captives as Ganok's corpse made a final, almost unnoticeable, twitch. It was ready to emerge, and kill.
- o -
-"You have guts, youngling," Ujesh' roared, bringing his face closer to Rava'an. The humiliation he'd experienced at the arena would not be repeated here on his ship. "But here, only the strongest prevail."
He unrolled the whip hanging from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, the flexible strap stiffened, turning into a sharp spear. There was no hesitation when he plunged the tip into the shoulder of the young Yaksa that was squatting next to the female. Ujesh' roared as he twisted the blade.
Rava'an grunted in pain and fell back, trying to dislodge the weapon. As the young Yaksa struggled to pull out the blade, Ujesh' clicked a button on the hilt. The rigidness left the spear and the tip slipped out from Rava'an's shoulder. With a twist of his hand, Ujesh wrapped the whip around Rava'an's throat.
-"Now, I'll fashion your skull into a kan'dan."
The Raksasa leader pulled gently and the chitinous material tightened, making the sharp scales on the whip dig into Rava'an's skin. The idea of Ujesh' drinking from his skull curdled his stomach. He shoved his fingers between his throat and the whip, but there was barely any room to maneuver. The grip was too strong. He wouldn't last long at this rate.
The killer chuckled darkly. He pulled a little more. A gleam of satisfaction filled Ujesh's masked face as he set to remove Rava'an's head from his shoulders.
The sound of breaking bones echoed and there was an explosion of viscera and phosphorescent blood as a small pale creature burst from Ganok's chest. It screeched, displaying its sharp conical teeth. Around its mouth, four pincers, reminiscent of any Yaksa , parted in an unnerving display of aggression. Before anyone had a chance to react, it jumped out of the chasm of Ganok's ruined chest and creeped up the wall. It shrieked again before disappearing into a vent.
Ujesh' heard Anu'sha growl and when he spun around to locate the noise, he was just in time to witness her impale one of his men in the abdomen. His partner was closer, and the green-mottled warrior was already on his way to join the battle. While Anu'sha was engaged in combat, Ujesh's partner saw his chance and placed himself behind her. He sliced his scimitars on both sides of her waist, but her frontal armor prevented the blades from cutting her in half. The gashes they left on her skin pumped sprays of neon green blood that stained her loincloth and greaves. Despite being wounded, the female was handling the situation very well. She spun around gracefully and severed the green Raksasa's head. Impressive , Ujesh' thought. Once the males were killed, he would have his fun with her.
Ujesh' gave a mighty tug to finish off the youngling, but before he could do so, Rava'an's wrist blades exploded from his wrist guard and they cut through the leash. The young Yaksa grabbed the remaining end of the whip and janked hard. The eyes of the surprised leader widened when he found himself knocked into one of his men. A sloppy, wet sound arose as Rava'an jumped to his feet and threw the remainder of the whip on the ground.
Rava'an flared his jaws beneath his bio-mask as far as he could. Ujesh' noticed Ganok's mace lying beside him and picked it up.
"Very well, youngling," Ujesh' growled while he slowly advanced towards Rava'an with the mace held in a firm grip. "You will die a warrior."
The Raksasa lunged toward Rava'an with a snarl and he made an attempt at sidestepping, but a mighty sweep from the mace sent him sideways. Ujesh' raised the weapon high, with the intention to bludgeon the young Yaksa lying on the ground to death.
Meanwhile, something wet and slimy fell near Ujesh's talons. Before he had a chance to investigate, a fiery bolt planted itself in his right arm. He roared, dropped the mace, and quickly ripped the burning projectile from his limb with his other hand, charring his scales. He turned his head in the general direction it had come from and immediately noticed that R'sna, with the Energy Flechette launcher still in his hand, had regained consciousness and was partially raised from his horizontal position.
-"Two against one?" he growled, "not very honorable."
Ujesh' was furious, ignoring Rava'an for a moment, he charged forward and with a powerful kick to the face, sent the Elder flying backwards, where he landed on his back. A trail of blood was left in his wake.
-"No more playing games,"
Ujesh' turned his attention back to Rava'an, who was already upright and had his spear in hand.
The large, dark-colored male charged his plasma weapon, pale blue energy concentrated in the cannon. A triple red laser was aimed at Rava'an's head.
Rava'an roared defiantly. This time there was no escape, the assassin had him at point blank range. However, before Ujesh could annihilate Rava'an, Anu'sha joined the fight. She threw her cha'kra at the weapon, which detonated into a blue fireball, burning half of Ujesh's face.
The huge Raksasa was out of his mind. He charged against her in berserker mode, but she twisted her torso sharply, avoiding the attack. The locks that had been spared from Ganok's capturing netH arced behind her as she buried her blades in the attacker's belly.
The Raksasa fell to his knees. For a moment it seemed that the battle was over, yet Ujesh' turned to the female with his yellow eyes blazing with rage. He grabbed her remaining dreadlocks with one hand and brought her face close to his, only to give her a head butt that sent her backwards.
-"The fight that began would not end until the end," Ujesh' mocked them in the ancient language. As he rose from the ground, green blood spurted from the wound. The Deva armor had protected his vital organs.
Using the old language as slander only enraged Rava'an more. He retracted the blades into the bracelet and unhooked his father's spear from his back. He pressed a button and the barbed tip made from a Gallu 's tail extended.
-"Pick up your weapon," Rava'an told him, pointing at the mace. When Ujesh' complied, the Yaksa recited, "Let's finish the dance of the fallen gods."
Ujesh' took a deep breath, searching for an entry point. Rava'an's gaze was fixed and his body was tense, ready to act.
The Raksasa attempted an upward sweep, but Rava'an dodged by leaping backward, then used the spear as a pole to propel himself and kick Ujesh' in the face.
Ujesh' stumbled a few steps but immediately returned to the charge. Rava'an blocked the blow of the mace with the shaft. The Raksasa was much stronger. Rava'an's legs flexed and he soon began to give ground. When he was almost on his knees, Rava'an rolled over to the side and jumped past the descending mace. He spun midair, extending his wrist blades once more and landed right in front of the opponent. Before Ujesh' could raise the mace, Rava'an plunged his sharp weapons right into Ujesh's chest plate, narrowly missing his R'daya .
Ujesh' gurgled and spurted green blood from his mouth.
He had been defeated, but the victory would not last long. With his remaining strength, Ujesh' laughed maniacally as he activated the ship's self-destruction system by pressing a few buttons on his bracelet. Bright red numbers began a countdown on four small rectangular displays. His legs folded and Ujesh' came to rest, with a triumphant grin splayed over his motionless face.
-"Is it over?" Anu'sha asked Rava'an as she scrambled up from the floor. Rava'an gave her a nod and tried to catch his breath with his hands resting on his upper thighs. Anusha gave Ujesh's dead body a final kick to see if he stirred. He didn't. The fight had ended quickly. Of course that proved that the young man in front of her had proven his worth.
Rava'an came over to help old R'sna up when a pale figure descended from the ceiling. The Abomination had an eyeless bulbous head sprouting from a muscular torso with thick long arms and three sharp spikes on its back. Its lower body consisted of two slender legs that ended in digitigrade legs armed with sharp claws. A long, flexible tail flapped in the air.
- "The Scourge!" R'sna exclaimed, unable to keep his feet steady, blood pouring generously from his chest. His breaths were barely more than a gurgling bubble.
The creature responded by dislodging its jaws unnaturally, letting out a high-pitched squeal. It jumped out and attacked R'sna by sweeping its tail. R'sna twisted his body at the last moment and blocked with his trident.
The Elder hunter cut one of the creature's hands with the trident's blades. A yellowish liquid spurted from the wound for a moment before its skin healed rapidly. Soon, there was no sign that it had been injured at all.
- "Leave! You won't be able to win this fight," R'sna warned them. "This one is mine."
Anu'sha grunted in disgust. She wanted to stay and fight the new menace, but she saw it in his eyes, the prospect of facing that creature in a final hunt had restored the wounded elder's energy. Nothing would stop him from killing the abomination. She accepted and together with Rava'an they ran back to the Ka'thorag .
The ship shuddered as a fireball erupted from the walls, sending them flying across the room. Anu'sha was momentarily knocked down, but Rava'an helped her up. They ran as fast as they could to the shuttle, throwing themselves into the hatch before another fireball exploded behind them.
- o -
The creature screeched at the Elder and attacked with its tail. The old Yaksa dodged to the side and used his blades to sever the barbed tip. A stream of putrid liquid erupted from the wound and hissed as it fell to the ground. The creature turned and using its claws, ripped four long grooves on R'sna's leg.
The old Yaksa growled and let his guard down for a moment, which the creature took advantage of. It pounced on his chest, pinning him against the floor. The abomination opened its mouth once more to bite the neck of its prey.
It seemed that the Elder would finally meet Cetanu but he had one last surprise in store. Just like Ganok' had done, he activated his net gun from his wrist guard and sent the creature tumbling backwards, enshrouded in a trap of steel threads which cut through its skin.
The creature screamed and thrashed frantically trying to free itself, but each movement compressed the web more. R'sna got up with difficulty and smiled. It had been a long, long time since he had a fight with a formidable opponent. This creature had not disappointed him, yet he regretted that the encounter would be too brief.
Suddenly, the creature managed to break free. It threw the torn pieces of the web aside, screeched furiously, and turned its head toward the Elder. The monster hesitated. Its bulbous, semi-transparent head pulsing in rhythm with its thoughts. R'sna knew that the creature was not only vicious, but intelligent... and they learned fast.
R'sna braced himself for another attack when a massive explosion erupted from the hangar floor. Between the two contenders, orange flames burst from the rift. R'sna used his left arm to cover his face from the heat wave.
The creature jumped through the flames, and took advantage of the momentary distraction to thrust his still acid-spurting tail across the Elder's shoulder. R'sna hissed and automatically gripped his melting arm. The trident he was holding dropped to the floor.
R'sna knew this was the end, and for a brief, satisfying moment, he allowed himself to recall the feats accomplished during his long life. Before he turned to face his doom, he could see his little ship bursting out of the hangar. The younglings had made it! He smiled as the abomination took him by the shoulders and dislocated its jaws, ready to bite his head off.
-"So be it then," R'sna exclaimed solemnly, as Ujesh's countdown came to an end. A large blue fireball filled the hangar detonating the remaining urns. The deadly liquid contained inside them vaporized, enveloping everything in a black cloud.
- o -
Rava'an struggled to keep the Ka'thorag steady, as they fell uncontrollably. Above them, the huge horseshoe-shaped Deva mothership exploded in a nuclear fireball, followed by a cloud of black smoke. A proximity alarm went off and the hail of debris battered the hull of the ship. Rava'an was not a skilled pilot like R'sna, but he managed to dodge the larger pieces of shrapnel.
Anu'sha heard the sound of something ripping and turned towards the hatch. The shuttle's pressurized door flew off as translucent white claws tore it asunder. The creature slipped into the cramped space.
The monster's appearance had changed. One arm was amputated from the elbow joint down, but it was also covered in black specks. Anu'sha watched as the black liquid entered the pores and ran through the body in dark tendrils under the skin.
The urns contained an ancient weapon used by the Devas against the triple capital of the Yaksa . The compound was actually a powerful genetic accelerator and according to the amount a life form was exposed to, it could kill, create parasitic life forms or mutate by increasing the victim's capacities and aggressive instincts.
In this case, the abomination's skin began to harden, giving it the appearance of an exoskeleton. Its tone turned into a dark translucent green. The spines on its back grew into sharp blades and its white teeth changed to a metallic tone. Two pairs of fingers fused and a second opposable thumb sprouted.
The beast was half way inside the ship. Its hindquarters were still in the hatch. Anu'sha reacted by taking Rava'an's weapon and used it to fend off the intruder. The monster recoiled and spat out putrid bile. Fortunately it missed her face, but the steam it gave off blinded her momentarily.
The creature took the opportunity to grab her leg but in doing so, it lost its grip and slid out of the ship, dragging Anu'sha with it. She used the weapon's shaft as a lever to stop her from being expelled as well.
Rava'an couldn't help her, the ship was spiraling downward and he had to swirl to avoid one of the city's spires. The right thruster collided with the frame and the Ka'thorag jerked. The small compartment for weapons and trophies was opened and several objects fell from it.
Rava'an steadied the ship just before it crashed into the outer deck of the city and lifted it up again. A polished skull rolled past Anu'sha and tumbled down the hatch. Next, a long, curved object slid across the floor toward her.
" H'rpe. " Anu'sha recognized the artifact. It was an ancient curved sword. She only had one chance. When the blade passed her, she caught it by the handle with one hand. She whirled around on the supporting arm and slashed, slicing off the monster's head and remaining arm.
The rest of its body slid cleanly off the ship's hull and fell into the city ruins.
- o -
Epilogue
Twentieth second Yuga , Yaksa calendar (Circa 1624 C.E.)
The Stalker -class ship lay with its nose half buried in the sand, at the end of a long furrow of broken palm trees lying sprawled along the impact site. Steam was pouring out of its thrusters, which were still glowing red hot.
Anu'sha stepped out of the Ka'thorag 's hatch and her bare feet delved into the black sand of the beach, Rava'an followed her shortly after.
They watched as the city that had been their home and capital shuddered. It started to sink and as the black cloud obscuring it dissipated, it was already gone beneath the turquoise waves. The fragments had fallen on the ancient semi-submerged ship and had finished the work that another great battle had begun long, long ago.
The city may be gone, but all was not lost. A crowd of survivors approached, emerging from the jungle. They were few, most of them either very young or very old, but Anu'sha was confident they could rebuild the clan. She spotted two females she recognized among them. Abhi'tha and Ha'rith led the group, followed by Skan'dha and the youngling R'Sita.
Mahok'sa, a surviving council member, had injured his foot and was being helped by Rava'an's father. The two Elders approached Anu'sha with a limping gait. Rava'an's father silently watched the female, taking note of the mesh-like markings on her shoulder and arm and her missing dreadlocks. Mahok'sa patted Chief Adhi'natha's arm so he could stand without aid. He peered curiously at Anu'sha.
-"R'sna?" The warrior asked hopefully.
Anu'sha showed him the H'rpe . The creature's acidic blood had partially melted the blade, erasing some of the inscriptions engraved on it, but it was still clear who the weapon had belonged to. She admired the inscriptions on the blade and wondered what bloody fighting it had witnessed. She would never know, the Elder had gone hunting with Cetanu .
The veteran warrior took it respectfully in his hands. Anu'sha went back to the small ship, took something out of the interior, and returned. She was holding the severed head of the abomination in one hand. She raised the trophy over her head and let out a victory roar.
The rest of them roared in response: " Jyok !"
She put down the piece and admired it. Even after death, the creature's head still looked frightening. It was a fearsome adversary, her Sire had indeed chosen a tough challenge in exchange for…
The sudden realization made her laugh. Rava'an, a few steps behind, asked her confused, "What's so funny?"
-"The challenge Sire had put as a condition for my favor was to defeat a Gallu ," she explained, showing him the head of the beast. "I just realized that I have beaten one. I won."
Rava'an looked at Elder Mahok'sa and his own Sire for confirmation. Such a thing had never been heard of. A female winning her own mating ritual? The council would have to deliberate. However, Chief Adhi'natha stepped forward and to everyone's amazement, he knelt in front of the female.
When Mahok'sa did the same. Rava'an understood that Anu'sha was right. During the trial, he had failed to carry out the task. It was Ujesh' who killed most of them. Anu'sha only chose him so she didn't have to mate with the damned Raksasa .
The young K'satr was too dumbfounded to move. His gaze went to Mahok'sa, who looked at them with great interest. Rava'an's chest throbbed as wildly as when he was about to mate for the first time with Anu'sha.
The crowd surrounding them was watching the pair breathlessly. Never before had a female warrior asked to remain unmated. That the council seemed to approve was even more astounding. Rava'an reluctantly complied and sank a knee on the black sand.
-"I will be honored to accept any decision you make, Honored Yaksi ," he rasped. His throat felt thick with emotion.
Anu'sha cast down her eyes on Rava'an and noted the male's disappointment. The dreads that hung over one of her shoulders trembled ever so slightly.
The young warrior before her may not have completed the trial, but he had shown skill, honored and protected the Yaksa way of life and honor code, adapted and replaced old outdated ideas with new ones. His actions were worth more than the skull of the most formidable beast.
She put a hand on the Yaksa 's shoulder. He raised his head to look at her.
-"I'm not going anywhere," She said with genuine regard towards him, "Not yet."
Rava'an got up, straightened his back, then he spread his arms as wide as he could and roared a loud victory roar.
Soon, all the Yaksa joined him.
The end.
- o -
A/N: Hello readers. This is how we have reached the end. As I mentioned above, this story was a challenge made by user iterations. She read the first predator story I ever wrote and challenged me to make a story that contained smut. As that was not my specialty, I decided to give her a story about a mating ritual, which soon became this kind of prequel to the other stories in the same shared universe: Predator: The Last Hunt, by this author, and the story in progress: Predator: World War, by Iterations in AO3.
I hope you liked it, and we will see Rava'an and Anu'sha again soon. Do not forget to comment and if you have questions and suggestions, put them in the comments.
In the meantime, here is the glossary:
Abhi'tha - Fem. Fearless.
Adhi'natha - Chieftain.
Anu'sha - She-who-is-desired.
Cha'kra - Smart disc.
Gallu - Neomorph.
Ganok' - Troll, Stone-giant.
Ha'rith - Green-colored.
Mahok'sa - Great-bull.
Kan'dan - Ceremonial bowl made from a skull.
Ka'thorag - Stalker, Lurker
Raksasa - Bad Blood, killer. Those who don't follow the honor code.
Rava'an - He-who-roars.
R'daya - Heart, in this case, the Predator's twin heart.
R'sna - Frenzy, Berserker.
R'sita - Brave-one.
Ujesh' - Conqueror.
Yaksa - How Predators call themselves. True hunter.