Part 8
So, I sat down to write this chapter, feeling motivated and ready. Then, my dad comes in with Burger King and I immediately lost my motivation. After I finished my meal, I get a notification of a favorite on one of my fanfictions. I go to archive it in my email and decide to just hop on over to look at reviews. No joke, I read through the latest five or so reviews and BAM! I had motivation again! Thank you, guys! Track out is almost here for me and you should be seeing more updates then!
To answer some of the reviews, I too am so nervous about the reunion! I want to see them back together and I have no idea when that's gonna happen. I really want to just put them back together but at the same time, I have some much I want to show you with this litter of aliens we have. Who knows what kind of trouble they'll find along the way and I can't resist it, I have to tell you about it all. Together, we'll just have to wait patiently.
Here's the story guys:
Prince surveyed the new area. Instead of inorganic metal, they were surrounded by living trees, living creatures. No mechanic sounds could be heard, excluding the strange buzzing and zapping of the shuttle behind him.
Their landing wasn't the smoothest, but they made it out just fine and the hunk of metal wouldn't be needed anyway. Neither had understood the blinking lights or what it meant to engage the thrusters for landing. To even find a button for the thrusters would be impossible, Prince's brother's eyes were far too sensitive still to see past the lights. While his were much more developed, he could not navigate the systems well enough to properly land.
Prince turned to find his brother hopping after a small, flying creature. Beautiful in color and in design, it was no bigger than a child's palm. It continued to elude him, fluttering just out of reach.
Leave the poor thing alone…
But it's so pretty! I just want a closer look!
Prince sighed, taking more interest in where they were at. He had no idea where to begin their search. Their only hope was to pick a direction and go until they finally reconnected. He could only hope the other two stayed out of trouble and managed to hunt based on instinct alone.
The serum could have affected so much. They could not be able to hunt, go off instinct or could later cripple them. For all he knew, being raised on the ship would leave them incapable of taking care of themselves in a wild place he found himself in.
He could feel the creatures around him, seeing almost perfect in comparison to the ship where circuits could easily trick him. Creatures moved around him, many staying away in fear while others surged in their confidence to defend themselves. Those who felt confident had something odd about them. Deep in him, he knew to stay away.
Venomous. That's what he sensed.
Let's go.
Quickly, he grabbed his brother's tail and hauled him off to where mountain peaks could be seen just barely beyond the tree line. Someone would find the shuttle, no doubt, but their traces would be invisible. To track something that didn't even leave a good enough trail would be impossible, and trying to pinpoint such a specific being without any idea of what it looked like… Again, impossible.
They had to have been walking for hours without any sign of Henrietta or the missing two. Fear settled deep inside Prince's bones at the possibilities. Wrong planet. Wrong region, which didn't seem as daunting except for the fact it could take them years to explore everything. Worst of all, his little brother and sister, not even making the landing which must have been rough for them.
Don't worry.
His brother bumped his shoulder. With a goofy grin, his tail whipped around to bop Prince on the head.
I'm not…
I can feel your fear and worry. I'm sure we'll find them!
How can you be so sure?
Prince wanted to believe his brother's words, of course. Doubt still lingered and if it didn't, he would question how much he truly cared for them. He did care, a lot. Too much it felt at times.
Stopping within the tangles of branches and leaves strangely shaped like diamonds, he looked to his younger brother who looked around them still in wonder.
Sister is smart so Brother will be okay.
Smarter than you, eh?
No!
Flicking his tail in aggravation, he turned to look at him. A small hiss of annoyance came from him, to which Prince responded by snapping his inner jaws out at him. Of course, he had only been teasing his brother, furthering the younger male's irritation.
So, smarter than your brother but not as smart as you?
Yea!
Prince just laughed, jumping away and continuing their journey. His brother followed along, wondering exactly what Prince thought was funny. He never received an answer, of course.
It reminded Prince of a few moments back on the ship, specifically just one. Sister had just returned from her first solo trip to get food. They had yet to leave Henrietta's room permanently and split off across the ship.
The bag of food hanged from her mouth, mostly containing nutrient filled meats and some veggies. After checking to make sure she hadn't tried to sneak a few sweets, something that made their stomachs burn and cramp in pain, he let them split it among themselves. He could scavenge for himself at any time he needed to. Despite that, she had brought him back a fair share that they insisted he have.
You could have been faster, ya know?
Prince knew there would a fight and attention would be drawn to the room. Still, he couldn't help but stand back and watch as they lashed out at each other. Their tails and claws were sharp and ready to kill. No scratch had ever landed on any one of them. It still surprised him how they could fight but not ever harm one another.
Brothers?
Coming to a screeching halt, claw marks digging deep into the skin of the tree he landed in. His brother came to sit beside him, waiting for his answer.
Sister?
A relieved cry of joy passed through them both, but it felt faded. Dread passed through him at the thought of what it meant.
Is Brother with you?
Yes. And you?
We are both alive and well.
This time his brother spoke through the link. Beside him, he heard his brother give a sigh that sounded more like a pleased hiss.
Why do you sound so far away? Like in some tunnel?
They are too far away. The link is barely there.
Silence came after Prince's answer, no one was sure how to react. If anything, they held their breaths, waiting for a solution of sorts.
Stay put. We will come to you.
Their long-distance link severed and it was just Prince and his brother once more in the tree. He could feel the faintness of their presence and turned to follow it.
Brother?
Something odd sounded in his brother's voice. Prince turned to find him still sitting in the tree, head tucked down low.
Come. No need to worry, right?
Prince's tail shot out to bop his brother's head which succeeded in making him look up. With his attention back, he leaped from the branch off to another. The trees soon thinned, making them run along the ground.
At points, they raced, playfully pushing each other and rough playing. The faint signal of their siblings grew only slightly stronger throughout the day. Prince stayed as playful as possible, trying to keep his brother positive and happy. It didn't take much distraction with the foreignness of the planet all around them to keep him fascinated.
Prince? I'm hungry. You know how to hunt, right?
First time for everything, right?
Worry passed from his brother to him, making him laugh. He had only known the life in the ship, same as them. Still, his instincts did not fail him as he climbed a nearby tree to scout. His brother followed, trying to observe and copy Prince.
Do you see them? The group in the meadow?
Yeah.
That's a herd. We want the small one a little too far from the group.
Prince's brother took a moment to spot their target. His eyes, however, wandered off to where a much more appealing buck stood.
What about the large one? Wouldn't that have more meat?
We don't need that one and we don't have time to go for one more with the group and most likely their leader. He'll be fast.
His brother nodded, following as he crouched to chase. Prince waited, for only a moment, a thrill pushing him to hurry. Without much thought, he shot himself from the edge of the branch.
The animals below, previously unaware of his presence, scurried to escape. His target, the small wanderer, took off as well. Prince, however, predicted his plan of escape by the stream.
Prince grabbed onto the bark of the tree he first came across. His brother followed above, a few steps ahead of him. He knew he was observing him and exactly what he was doing. His idea wasn't the best but by using the tree, he propelled himself forward enough to grapple onto the hind of the prey.
From above, his brother came to snap the neck, ending the struggle.
They didn't say anything, just tore into the flesh to find what they needed. Staying away from organs which appealed less to them, they ate into the thighs. It had the most meat and Prince's brother found it just as juicy, if not more so that what he expected.
Good?
Very.
Prince smiled at that, sitting back to give his large, appetite sibling his share. Gladly, he took it, never quite getting enough food on the ship out of the fear of getting caught.
They left the carcass behind, scavengers inbound to pick at the remains. Back on track, night fell long before they regained contact with their siblings. They too had hunted successfully, thankfully not starving and finding a water source to feed off from.
Prince led his brother to the trees for rest, out of sight of any travelers should they come to the remote location. The next morning, Prince was mighty thankful he had.
His brother woke first, being the nearest to the sudden arrival of hikers moving to the mountains. While they had been heading straight north, Prince needed to head a little more north-west to follow the link.
Generally, going around a group of hikers wouldn't be a problem. To his luck, these hikers pitched camp, only one tree over where it was a bit clearer for their tents.
Do we kill them?
No!
His answer came out a be a bit harsher than he intended. Prince knew it probably wouldn't matter if they did or didn't, yet a part of him remembered Henrietta. He couldn't bring himself to raise a malevolent hand against the hikers who had done nothing to them. Yet. If they tried to harm his young brother, he wouldn't think twice.
Then what do we do?
Go around them.
Leading his brother, Prince crawled along the tree limbs until he laid posed above them. He watched, only for a moment, before he continued onward. Once ahead of them, they returned to the ground.
That went smoother than expected…
What did you expect?
Everything that could go wrong to go wrong…
Prince's brother hissed at him for his pessimism.
You're not helping…
Prince sighed, already knowing that. He knew his brother's awe turned to fear by the amount of unknown they found surrounding them. He could cope a lot better under the pressure, he felt used to it but his brother was not.
Don't worry. We'll get through. You're the one who told me we were going to find them.
I felt confident then!
Then feel confident in me.
He didn't answer for a moment, causing Prince to stop to look back at him. His brother came to sit beside him, his head hung slightly low.
I wanna go back to the ship…
Why?
Prince felt his brother's hesitancy to answer. At this point, he was pretty sure he knew why but nothing would hurt for his brother to say it out loud.
I knew it. I don't know anything here and we're separated from the others. I don't know where this Queen is and maybe I won't even like her. I want to meet Henrietta though because she's important to you and sounds very nice. I'm just scared.
Purring gently, Prince nuzzled his face against his brother's. They sat for a moment, sharing, what they would consider, a hug. It didn't last for long since the sounds of the nearby hikers could be heard coming up behind them, but it gave courage back to the younger xeno.
We don't have to meet the Queen. But, I need to find Henrietta and I'm more than just sure, she'll love you guys just as equally.
He smiled at that, feeling a lot better than before. In turn, Prince smiled as well, because his siblings did matter and to let them fall into despair would be a failure on his part. He needed to keep them alive and well.
Together, the duo set back off again, this time racing and playfully tackling each other. The hikers had been left ways behind.
The plateaus loomed closer as the day came to pass and under the night sky, they finally reached its base. More hikers had been spotted, all coming to climb the plateaus. Carefully, they took an offbeat path, straying far from where they could accidentally encounter anyone.
Since the campers by the tree back in the woods, they had not come remotely close to another hiker group. Prince felt extremely lucky, unsure of what good their actions would be if they were to come into contact.
About half a day's climb, they found a neat cave system, able to get them to the over the side. It didn't look to be a place for visitors to come but they still took caution. If one thing they both knew for sure, humans could be highly unpredictable. Their time spent on the ship proved that much.
Are we getting closer to them?
Yes, can you feel the pull of the link?
Yeah,but we haven't spoken in a while.
Prince knew he was right. The lack of communication should worry him, but he felt the need not to worry. If that made any sense at all. Something in him compelled him to believe they were okay. His brother and sister were together and most likely away from any human activities. They had found a water source, something a little scarce on their end, and had been hunting with good success.
Try to contact them, then.
How? Before it was so easy like they were always there. It doesn't feel like that anymore.
Prince laid down on the cool rock, curling up like a big cat. His brother mimicked him, curling his tail and hands under his chin like a makeshift pillow.
Just stretch out your mind to them, like stretching out your neck.
Nothing happened, though he could feel the effort his brother was putting in. Their connection was stronger now, so hopefully, it would have been easier on him. Still, after ten minutes of trying, Prince expected nothing to happen.
The first time he had done it, was to find and check on Henrietta. He had left to go to the cafeteria for food and checked to make sure she hadn't woken up. It had been difficult but after a while, he managed, especially since she stayed in the same spot. He figured if he could do it when she was still, he could do it while she went off to school. Again, Henrietta stayed in a general location but not the same spot so it felt a little different.
Prince practiced for hours, always following the energy put off by her mind. The more he thought about it, the stranger it became. He could know where people were by the energy they gave off through movement and sound but never could track them by energy alone.
Prince still couldn't speak to Henrietta the way he could with his siblings but he could feel the bases of her mental energy just like he could with them. He could track her location and, though it wasn't accurate all the time, read her emotions.
Brothers? Is that you?
I finally made the connection!
The link wavered for a moment while his brother jumped from his spot in glee.
What's going on?
His sister must have just woken up from sleep, it still fogged her mind.
It'sbrother!
Hey, there are two of us over here…
Sorry, glad to hear you too, Prince.
Prince rolled his eyes, settling back down to sleep. His siblings talked, excited chatter filling his brain. How he managed to fall asleep, he'd never know, but when he woke again, his younger brother laid sprawled out next to him. The early rays of the sun barely lit the cave they settled in.
From then on, there would be small light until they reached the other side. It sounded pretty good to him since the light wasn't exactly his friend in any case.
Moving to his sleeping sibling, he shook his shoulder to wake him. It took his brother a while to come to and be ready to move out, but they headed into the tunnels, leaving a still rising sun behind.
No creatures scurried here in the long winding tunnels that dipped and rose randomly. Spikes came from ceiling and floor, sometimes filling the room to where they had to climb through them like vines to cross. Every once and awhile a rumble would occur, rocks chipping off their perch to crash nearby, causing more things to rumble and break apart.
When the rumbles didn't stop, they broke off into a run. They jumped over fallen rocks, dodging falling objects and skidding around corners to avoid catastrophe. Prince kept his brother next to his side, grabbing him from time to time with his tail to make sure he kept up.
A small light poured from ahead of them. Prince had once thought that their journey may have taken a day or two, but with the sudden rush of survival, it severely cut their journey time short. They broke out of the crumbling cave tunnels and onto steep terrain to which they both tumbled.
Dry sand followed them down until vegetation undertook their feet. Another plateau's shadow covered them, blocking out the brutality of the sun and allowing the vegetation to grow under 23-hour shade. The sun only came out to shine for three hours a day.
Dirt replaced the sand under their claws and branches soon scratched at their skin. Soil filled underneath their claws and some even entered their mouths.
Prince managed to keep himself upright on the downfall, grabbing his brother by his tail to keep him nearby. Eventually, he grappled onto a tree's trunk to stop his fall. If he had not grabbed his brother soon, he would have continued his trek down the slope.
Prince?!
Grab a hold of the dirt, momentum is keeping us going.
Once he had stabilized himself, Prince let go and eased off the tree which suffered from his tight grip as a syrup came pouring out to stick in his claws. For now, he ignored it. He didn't make a comment, just pushed his brother forward and continued down the hill.
Leaves, twigs, and other earthy things stuck to him as they made their way down. Without a word, he found the nearest river to clean himself. His brother made himself comfortable on a rock, playing with the water with his tail.
Their connection with their siblings had nearly doubled since they stopped. It was almost enough to pinpoint their exact location. They were still about a mile or so off but that's not what had concerned him. A new connection pulled at him.
For the first time in an entire month, he felt Henrietta again but with her came the Queen. With that, came his ultimate decision. He felt confused at which to follow. They looked to be in the same direction, so perhaps he could see both. At least, get his siblings to the Queen for protection.
Then, Prince looked over at his brother idly waiting for him. Somehow, he felt finding the Queen wouldn't please his younger ones. They wouldn't want him to leave anyway, but he couldn't possibly mingle Henrietta and the Queen. He knew who took priority.
Jumping out of the water and onto the rock above, he shook himself of the droplets.
Let's go. No need to drag this out any more than need be.
Siblings and then Henrietta.
Looking at him, Prince stared long and hard, catching the glimpses of his brother's mind. The very things that told him he had no interest in leaving Prince or wanting to meet a Queen who he still felt no connection for.
For now, he could only hope the others felt the same.
.
.
.
Nice and long! I'm quite proud of this chapter but I haven't proofread (11/8: lies it's been proofread by now!) it or anything so excuse all the mistakes I probably made. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed and please review! It gives me the courage to continue.
11/8: I like to keep my original Author's notes at the end of my chapters, so that's why you may see a lot of dates pop up either at the beginning or end of chapters. I just wanted to restate that this planet, at least the large region they are in, has plateaus. I originally put mountains, but this planet's life is found in the valleys between the plateaus. They are large, very dry structures that may have sediment build up on the sides due to storms. I just want to make sure the landscape was clear.