"It is always something with you."
Those were the words that left Sirrah's mouth when he daughter returned home with Cuda standing stoically behind her. Even in the dead of night, the observant mother didn't miss Atorah's bruised knuckles and messy hair. She also didn't miss the distinct, musky scent of Cuda all over her daughter either.
Her eyes narrowed.
Atorah ducked under her mother's strong arm that blocked the lit doorway to their adobe like home. Sirrah watched Cuda's eyes, they were locked on Atorah. His eyes finally found Sirrah's glowing ones and with an embarrassed twitch of the eye he bowed his head, turned away and prepared to retreat from their property.
"Pup." Sirrah's stern voice cut through the night like a sharp knife. Cuda winced again. The last thing he needed was a female like Sirrah trying to tear his head off.
"Yes...honorable and great Sirrah?" Cuda tried on the title, attempting to ease tensions. He was sure that the motherly Yautja could see him in the dark. Even though that was impossible with their natural eye.
"What are your intentions?" She asked suspiciously.
"W-What?" Cuda responded clicked confused.
Suddenly, like a gust of wind, the torch at their door blew out. He knew that Sirrah was in front of him even if he couldn't see her. Quick and silent like the legends said about her. Cuda instantly felt puny and defenseless around her. He bowed his head submissively.
"My daughter is not a novelty." Sirrah spoke. Her voice in the darkness was like an outer-worldly experience, "I have seen the look in your eyes before. Many males have had them and many males have had their eyes plucked out because of that look."
Cuda shivered under her threat.
"I intend no harm towards your daughter..."
"You have been nothing but trouble for my pup since her 6th year of birth."
Cuda felt a pang or guilt go through him. She was right. He had been nothing but a bully to the half breed since he known her.
"I have matured since then."
"I don't care." Sirrah responded with venom. "All I care about is my pup winning her trial and returning home alive from her Chiva."
Cuda sighed, clicking his mandibles with nervousness, "What is it that you wish for me to do?" He asked carefully.
"I don't care what you do." Sirrah spoke of him so flippantly it almost hurt at how she dismissed him. The female had a special way of making someone feel completely irrelevant. "I want my daughters 'distractions' to cease immediately. I want her to be focused on staying alive. Not on some male who sees my daughter as a trophy to be won."
Sirrah's presence was fading. Which meant that she was finally walking away from him. Cuda could see her form as she relit the torch on the door.
"Great and honorable Sirrah...your daughter is not a trophy or a novelty. But she is beautiful."
"Choose your words carefully male..." Sirrah hissed. But Cuda's mouth has already started.
"I cannot control who I am attracted to. I never won Atorah when I fought Maut. I imagine her love must be earned. And I am known for accepting even the most difficult of challenges."
Sirrah was quiet for a few moments.
"Get off my property pup." She growled threateningly. Cuda watched the door slam shut and lock.
(See below page for Atorah's armor)
Long, painful hours of hair braiding and putting on a light weight black armor consumed Atorah's morning. Despite the long hours awake the young woman was more energized than ever before.
This was it. The day had come. She was fighting for herself this time and all of the clan would know that her mother and father's blood were truly flowing within her.
"I am removing the Sivk'va-tai (plasma cannon). No advanced technology until your Chiva." Atorah's mother clicked quietly.
"What were you talking with Cuda about last night?" Atorah asked quickly. Suddenly, she felt a pinch on her arm, "Ow!" Atorah cried out, gripping her arm. The tan flesh turned a bright red from the attack.
"Have some discipline and focus on Trials." Sirrah scolded with a harsh snarl.
"...Sorry mother..." Atorah sighed, fidgeting under her mother's nails. But she couldn't help looking back at her mother as she worked on the Sivk'va-tai, "you're worried aren't you?"
"...Of course I am."
Atorah shrugged out of Sirrah's fussy claws and collected her mother's large talons into her own smaller human hands. Atorah noted their differences. Atorah's tanned skinned with light mottling against her mother's heavily mottled, rougher skin exposed their similarities and their glaring difference. Atorah ripped her eyes off their hands and looked into her mother's glowing golden eyes. That look in her eyes broke Atorah's heart.
"I'm going to show them mother. I'm going to my Chiva. I will not be denied my birthright."
"Atorah..."
"I have your blood and my father's blood roaring through my veins." Atorah continued, "I will bring more honor to our family. I must."
"I don't care about honor...I care about you."
Atorah's eyes widened slightly. In a sentence her mother had just thrown away her most basic of instincts, her entire culture, to love her daughter. Atorah's eyes began to water before she swallowed down the emotions and held her mother's hands tighter, bowing her head to hide tears that fell down her cheeks.
"I know. You wouldn't have trained me so hard if you didn't." Atorah sniffled with some humor making her mother chuckle as well.
"You are done getting ready. I will be home when you arrive from your victory."
"Are you not taking me?"
As if on cue, heavy knocks pounded on their front door.
"For Paya's sake, I've told them, if not a million times to stop banging on the door like that or else it will come off the hinges." Sirrah seethed, "Enter!" She demanded with irritation.
Atorah smiled at the sight of her Uncle Tu'puk entering the room. His locks had just started graying, no doubt because of the strenuous training he had been giving Rah. Speaking of Rah...Atorah's smile gradually fell at the sight of the dark Yautja walking imposingly behind him into the main room. He was covered in armor that threatened to match his own blackened pigment. His mask, intricately and uniquely designed, was covering his face, but she could tell that he was looking right back at her.
She could see it now, the resemblance between him and Maut. It scared her how similar they looked, yet they were so different.
"You look ready for kehrite (battle) Rah."
Rah merely bowed his head to her mother. A sign of respect, but clearly, he was still not okay since last night.
"Rah will be escorting you to the facility. We will stay here and watch the trials from broadcasts." Atorah's uncle informed her. Atorah suddenly felt nauseous. She wasn't sure why, but Rah in all that armor, and being quiet didn't make her feel any better. She felt awful for judging him, he has been nothing but nice to her, she was still attracted to him and he tried to defend her from T'uhtell.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling of fear she felt from Maut attacking her. She felt it every time she looked at Rah.
"You should get going. Or else you will be late." Uncle Tu'puk's voice returned to Atorah's ears.
Atorah quickly bowed her head towards her mother and Uncle. No more words needed to be said between them. Now she had to deal with Rah.
And Rah wasn't saying a word. Ten minutes into quietly walking alongside the dark colored Yautja, Atorah finally had enough. Without even thinking about it, the hybrid jumped in front of Rah, blocking his path and forcing him to suddenly stop. His masked face looked down at her almost questioningly.
Atorah only stared back at him, her lips parted while her brain tried to figure out things to say, something to say. Atorah reaches out, grabbing Rah's shoulder but not shaking it like a traditional Yautja greeting. Rah flinched. Atorah squeezed the tense muscle of his shoulder gently, reassuringly.
"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, almost cautiously.
Rah breathed deeply, looking down at her for what felt like long excruciating minutes. Finally, he reached up to his mask and unhooked the tubes and wires that were keeping the whole thing attached to his face and lifted it off. Rah looked down at her with tired and solemn silver eyes, mandibles clicking together.
"Rah? Are you-,"
She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence when Rah snatched her up and crushed her body to his. Atorah yelped, slightly panicked at first, until she felt his gentle purring vibrating her whole body. Atorah wrapped her arms around his large neck, pressing a chaste kiss on the side of his crown.
"Paya...I thought you would be afraid of me." Atorah clenched her eyes shut in guilt. She was glad he couldn't see it. She thought she was afraid of him too.
"I've thought about it, you're nothing like Maut or your sire." Atorah said, "besides...I would be a hypocrite if I were to judge you based on how you look...seems like you and I are in the same boat, built by the Gods of fate."
Rah purred lower, his arms relaxing so that he could look into Atorah's eyes,
"What else do you think the God's have in store for us?"
Somewhere in Rah's voice was an implication deeper than just, whatever this was. Atorah blushes deeply and backed away from the tall, blackened Yautja. She smiled, making Rah's mandibles lift in return.
"I think, the Gods have victory entwined into our fates."