A/N: A guest mentioned that I should explain what the various creatures look like, and I realized that hey were right. I took for granted that the people reading this story would be completely familiar with the Fallout: New Vegas game and it's creatures, which isn't so. To fix this, at the end of this chapter, I'm going to include descriptions of the Geckos and the Night Stalkers, for past reference and in the future, I will be sure to give a description of the creature as they come upon it. Thank you Guest, for pointing that out to me, I was just so excited to write this story, I didn't think about the readers that are here for the TW and not necessarily the Fallout! The night stalkers are talked about again in this chapter, I've added partial descriptions, but a full description is at the bottom. I couldn't find a way to fit in a full description since they were already introduced AND dead... But I do describe the Radscorpions in this chapter.
*Meanwhile*
Derek was leaning against the cool side of the mountain... the pair hadn't traveled far at all; in fact they had been forced to return to the cave after just an hour on the road. Turned out, Isaac was doing a lot worse that Derek realized. As soon as the day started to heat up, Isaac started lagging behind, his legs were unable to hold him up. So Derek ended up carrying the young Beta back to the crescent shaped cave. Now he was busy getting the fire started again, checking on the Beta next to him.
Isaac was on the ground, curled up into a tight ball; he kept whimpering, his body felt like it was on fire and his muscles were tightening and convulsing painfully.
The fire finally roared to life and Derek busied himself with cutting up another Night Stalker. He tossed away the scaled head and tail, they didn't contain enough meat; instead he cut into the lean furry body, going for the legs first. Isaac needed food, immediately. His body was trying to find energy to heal his injuries but he was so malnourished it was feeding on his muscles instead. But then his body also needed to try and heal the ruined muscle... it was the start of a viscous cycle and Derek needed to get ahead of it. To make things worse, Isaac had no idea what was happening to him... the pain was easily overwhelming on its own but not knowing the cause only added to the fear he had to be feeling. Derek silently thanked his mother, grateful that she had taught him everything she knew about Werewolf anatomy and physiology. Isaac would be fine once he got some food... It was just taking so long! He cursed to himself as he watched the meat slowly brown. As soon as the edges were dark enough, he pulled it off the stick and ran over to Isaac. Derek carefully pried his claws away from his face, the Beta's muscles were completely locked up. "Come on Isaac, I need you to eat this, right now, it will help. Fight against the stiffness, come on kiddo," Derek said as he pried his jaws open.
As soon as the meat hit his tongue, Isaac started to tear into the meat, eyes shining brightly at the nourishment. Derek flew back to the fire and started cooking more, cutting them into thinner pieces so they'd cook faster. His heart rate finally started to slow down after Isaac had eaten three more thin pieces and wasn't whining as loudly. "How are you feeling now Isaac? Has the burning stopped?" Derek asked, face full of concern.
Isaac nodded and slowly uncurled his body; it was hard... his muscles were still quaking but most of the pain was gone. Once he managed to sit up on his own, he grabbed another piece of meat, surprised that he still felt so hungry.
Derek relaxed as he heard Isaac's heartbeat slow down to an almost normal cadence. The Alpha motioned for him to get closer to the fire, knowing the heat would help with the shivering. Once he was assured that the worst was over, he pulled a bottle of Nuka Cola out of his bag and handed it over, knowing the sugar was good alongside the protein.
"What happened to me?" Isaac asked after he took a few sips, eyes still amber.
Derek sat down on the cold floor, unsure of how to really explain it to someone that had so little knowledge. "Well, for starters, you're extremely malnourished, I noticed it this morning when you were getting dressed. You have a lot of bruises that haven't healed, and then the Night Stalker bites compounded on top of that. As I'm sure you're aware, Werewolves are known for their healing capabilities, but in order for our bodies to do that, we have to consume fuel, i.e. food. In a typical situation it's never a problem for us, and the more extensive the damage, the slower we heal to conserve our fuel. So we'll protect ourselves from immediate danger and death and then slow the healing down if the injured area was over a large percentage of our bodies. With me so far?"
"Yea, I think so. You're basically saying that because my life sucked and I never got enough food, I didn't have enough fuel to burn to heal myself. But shouldn't that mean my body just decides not to heal itself?"
Derek nodded his head, "Usually you'd be correct, hence why your bruises weren't fading away, they weren't very serious. And the Night Stalker bites healed enough to stop the bleeding. And normally you would have continued to be alright, if it were regular coyote bites, but Night Stalkers have venom glands."
Isaac's eyes widened, "Shit, I didn't know that, I didn't even think about the rattles on their tails..."
"Yea, so the food we ate last night helped, and getting sleep, but it wasn't enough to flush all the venom out. All it really did was prevent you from noticing the effects of the venom... which means when you went out in the heat, your body overloaded and started to shut down. And that burning sensation you felt? It was your body beginning to break down your muscles, using your own tissue as a fuel source, which led to your body trying to heal that damage too. I'm sure you can see how much of a problem that is."
Isaac nodded his head slowly, eyes still wide with fear, "What now? I can still feel my body trying to stitch itself together. I don't want the cycle to start again... I kinda doubt that a few thin strips of meat and a soda are going to fix me..."
"It won't be as bad, by now the venom is out of your system, which was the priority. So all that's left is healing the rest of your body that got torn up. We'll be relaxing here the rest of the day at least, we might start a slow trek at night, real slow pace though. Finish your Cola," Derek reminded him.
After a few moments of silence, Isaac turned to his Alpha, "Thank you Derek, for taking care of me. You didn't have to but you did."
Derek's eyes shot up to meet Isaac's, was that how he really felt? He thought Derek was going to abandon him at the first sign of a problem? He tried not to scowl, knowing that Isaac would take it the wrong way; this was definitely new to him. "You've bonded your Wolf to mine, we're Pack, and Pack doesn't abandon each other when lives are at stake. I'm your Alpha now, that means you are my responsibility, good and bad; the fact that you decided to trust me, and follow me, means more than you could ever know. You can trust me with your life Isaac, because I'll protect you before I protect myself."
As Isaac listened to Derek's speech, unbidden tears sprang from his eyes; no one had ever cared about his life before. Not even himself if he were to be honest; he hastily wiped at his eyes, what a great time to look like a fool.
Derek gave him a small smile, realizing that the teen was touched by his words, and no doubt he was starting to feel the bond between them grow, even if he didn't know how to recognize it just yet. "I'm going to go dump these small Night Stalkers outside and get us something else to eat. Radscorpions are actually really good as fuel food, if I can manage to find one. Stay here and rest. Do you want another Cola?"
Isaac thought for a moment before shaking his head, he was feeling pretty calm and he wasn't going to do anything to make it worse while Derek was gone. Derek shrugged and pulled one out anyways, telling him to go ahead and drink it if the burning sensation returned. He continued to stretch out his muscles bit by bit as Derek took all the carcasses out of the cave before departing.
It wasn't long before Isaac got bored, just sitting there in the cave with nothing to do, so he wandered closer to the opening, seeking some light. He watched as the slight wind blew tumbleweeds around the ground outside, knowing what they felt like to forever be wandering. It wasn't long before he could feel his stomach starting to gurgle again so he popped open the soda and took a few sips. Then an idea hit him, and he pulled off the hoodie and his shirt, looking at his arms and watching the small bites heal, leaving just the faintest of scabs. Then he watched as his bruises slowly lighten from a deep burgundy to a fair purple color. Isaac couldn't help but feel fascinated, he had never seen his body heal like this before, he was usually too worried with just finding safety than with healing. Maybe with Derek to show him the ropes, being a Were wouldn't be that bad after all.
Derek pulled the coyote hybrids away from the cave, not wanting any other creatures to follow the scent back and give Isaac trouble. He left the bodies out in the open and backtracked, climbing up on some large boulders about 20 meters away. From there he looked all around, hoping the find some Radscorpions, the larger the better. Of course, he didn't see any in the vicinity which made him growl in frustration; Derek jumped off the rocks and started to wander the flat land in search of his prey. He spent a good 30 minutes searching, just about ready to give up since he didn't want to be away from Isaac for too long. Knowing him, the poor kid would probably start to think that Derek left him behind. Turning back the way he came, Derek hurried back at an easy jog, only stopping as he neared the dead Stalkers he had left behind. A giant Radscorpion was feeding on them- it was a good 6 feet long and its stinger was raised maybe 5 feet in the air. The Alpha crept towards the monster, wanting to get as close as possible while undetected; he really didn't want to get caught in those massive front claws (they were at LEAST a foot thick!).
When he was just a few feet away, he launched himself at the monster's tail, unsheathing his claws in one smooth motion; he landed on its tail, holding on tight with his legs while he used his claws to pierce the base of the stinger, slicing it off and tossing it away. Now that the biggest threat was gone, Derek jumped onto its back, trying to stand steady as the Radscorpion jerked around in pain. He knelt down on its back, lowering his center of gravity to maintain balance. As the monster continued to buck around, he slammed his claws into its head, effectively blinding the creature. The scorpion lashed out with its pincers, which Derek easily avoided before digging his claws further into the soft body, finding the brain and destroying it. The scorpion fell to the ground, legs going limp underneath it, but Derek waited a few moments before jumping to the ground, just in case. Now that he had what he came for, he needed to return to Isaac.
Isaac watched as the sun continued to float across the sky, starting to worry if maybe Derek was in trouble. He had seen a Radscorpion before and it looked very dangerous- what if Derek had run into a group of them? Isaac shook his head to clear his mind, those thoughts were giving him anxiety and he knew if he didn't stop, he'd probably end up racing out of the cave to try and find Derek. Then he'd use up the little energy he had built up and would be in big trouble... plus he'd probably get lost... and that would just cause more trouble for Derek. He needed to stay put and he knew that. But he couldn't help his nervous fidgeting, even though his muscles protested the rapid movement.
It wasn't much longer until he saw a dark figure out in the desert, walking in his direction; he watched, hoping it was Derek and not someone else. As the wind shifted, he sniffed, finally catching Derek's scent, as well as the smell of another creature. He stood up and moved to stand right at the cave entrance, so Derek would know he was okay. When Derek was close enough, Isaac's jaw dropped as he realized the size of the corpse he was dragging behind him; he'd never seen one that big before. Isaac quickly stepped aside so Derek could drag it into the cave, and he continued to stare at the Alpha, how had he killed it? And how did he manage to make it look so light? There was no way Isaac could have moved something that heavy. "Where did you find that thing?"
"Out in the desert, I had a hell of a time really, there weren't any to be found, that's what took so long. So I wandered around for awhile and just when I had given up and turned back, I saw this beast feeding off the Night Stalker carcasses. It was great for me, that meant I was able to sneak up on it. Ready to eat?"
"Oh yea, definitely; I finished off the other Cola, and I've healed a lot, look," Isaac answered, lifting up his shirt to show Derek his bruises. "My muscles are still really sore though and weak, but no burning so it's okay."
Derek nodded his head, happy that the Beta was doing much better, he shouldn't have pushed him to leave that morning. He really should have known he wasn't ready, especially after he saw all those bruises when he had gotten dressed. After setting down the scorpion's tail, he pulled a machete out from his pack, there was no way he'd manage to split this up without making a mess if he tried to use his claws. "The shell is tough, but it's good for you, well it's good for us, I'm not sure about Humans. And they are a great source of protein so after a few pieces you should be fully healed, and we'll have enough left over to snack on while we travel. It's always a good idea to keep some bug meat on you if you ever find any, great for health in a pinch," Derek easily explained to his Beta as he worked.
Isaac sat back and watched as Derek sliced up the giant meal, throwing it over the fire, shell and all. When the first piece was done, Isaac took a tentative bite, not really feeling the bugs for dinner thing. It turned out to be pretty good though; the shell was a bit tough, but with his sharp teeth he was able to tear it apart quick enough. After just a few bites he could feel warmth flowing through his body, something he had come to recognize as his body healing. This warmth was welcomed, unlike the very painful burning sensation from earlier. "You were right, well, not that I doubted you but I feel so much better already. You're a great Alpha, I'm sure some people wouldn't have given me a second glance. Hell, some Alphas might have even tried to kill a weakling like me, but you decided not to for some reason."
Derek looked up at the Beta, thinking back on when they first met last night, "I couldn't kill you, it would have been a pointless death and there has been enough of that in my life. Nor do I take innocent lives- you weren't attacking me so I had no reason to attack you. I realized that you must have been abandoned by your Alpha, and for some reason that just struck a chord in me. Honestly I surprised myself, I'm not exactly looking for companions, not to mention starting a Pack. At least not so soon... but when I saw you, I just couldn't leave you here on your own. I'm glad you decided to join me, truly."
Isaac smiled at Derek, "Why would I say no? I don't have a death wish, I know that I'd be so much better off with you. Hell, you couldn't be any worse than my dad or the Scorpion Gang, I had nothing to lose."
The pair finished eating in silence, each lost in thought about their pasts. Derek sat on the floor, looking at Isaac; he decided that they'd travel after the sun was setting, it would be better on Isaac's body that way. He really wanted to get away from the outpost up the hill, so the sooner they moved on the better. Isaac agreed readily when Derek told him the plan, he was eager to move on as well, and traveling at night seemed like a good idea. Derek made him promise to mention if he started feeling weak at all and they'd find somewhere to stop for the night, but Isaac insisted he was feeling a lot better. So they sat around and relaxed for the rest of the day, waiting for the evening to come.
A/N: Geckos: Large reptiles, approx. 5 ft tall, the general Gecko is a purple color with orange eyes and a pair of fins along the back of their heads. They live in packs and will immediately run at you, mouth open upon seeing the character. Very sharp teeth and claws, love to jump at the character and bite. There are other variations which will be described as they are found in the story.
Night Stalkers: a science experiment, they are literally a combination of coyotes and rattlesnakes that were spliced together in a lab. They are of average coyote height, but have a reptilian heads, flat like a snake's. They also have a snake like tail with a rattle on the end, which alert you to their presence. Usually found with a few adult stalkers and a few young stalkers that are slightly smaller in size. They have a forked tongue and have venom just like the rattlesnake, so they are dangerous.
Radscorpions: Large irradiated scorpions, the smallest scorpions are described as about the size o a bighorner calf, and those are the little ones! The giant ones can be like 5 times the size of the small ones and are a huge problem due to their hard exoskeleton which protects them from most attacks. The stinger alone is about the size of a person's head, so it's best to avoid them =P
I'm thinking for future reference, I'll always include a detailed description of the creatures at the bottom of the chapter, which give all the details for a fuller picture. For me, it's hard to include ALL of the details in one setting while still keeping the story going smoothly. So if you prefer, you can always come check the bottom of the chapter for the new creature description and then read through with that in mind. Hope this helps!