CHAPTER NINE
As his stamina returned the following morning, R'chnt continued his own sparring training while K'Shai slept off her ectsasy.
She was worn out from several rounds of pleasuring him as he worked his hands against her and made her shriek in delight as well. Allowing her to sleep in quiet peace, fully relaxed, he had slipped to the kehrite to continue some kv'var on his own, her scent still lingering on his hands and body, keeping him company as he moved about with a training staff tucked under his arm.
Movement from the external door caught his attention and an old friend entered the ship.
"R'chnt!" K'tor-de greeted him with a deep bow. "I heard you were aboard ship!"
R'chnt greeted his friend, recollecting that it had been some time since they had seen each other and R'chnt was sure he was dead. K'tor-de caught him up on the last hundred years of what he had been up to, while R'chnt watched him glance around the ship from time to time, clearly hoping to see his human, as K'tor-de called her unit R'chnt growl an annoyed correction, repeating her name once again.
"Clearly, I have done nothing of interest compared to you," he finished, quite aware of the alien scent emanating from R'chnt's body.
"There is much talk of you and your ooman mate. I have been told she is in child, and has been Blooded into the Clan." K'tor-de rumbled heartily.
"I thought it was a joke, but once I returned to the ship and heard the stories… I can barely believe it. I can smell her scent on you now. You mate with her while she is bred. How unusual."
R'chnt shifted his stance and spread his tusks, sending a flaring warning to K'tor-de not to get any ideas and to contain his curiosity and stimulation behind his loin cloth as he circled him just enough to intimidate him. K'tor-de took the silent warning to heart and shifted position just enough to submit to R'chnt and change the subject quickly, bringing up instead one of the rumors he heard about K'Shai that had transpired in the cantina a few days ago.
He had heard about the incident from someone else who heard it from another that was there; what K'Shai called the grapevine. R'chnt listened to K'tor-de inform him fourth-handedly about what had transpired, and was not pleased to know that a simple 'aseigan dared balk at a command given to him by a Blooded.
He tried for a moment to figure out why K'Shai hadn't mentioned it. Perhaps she did not realize it was as large of a problem as it could be, or perhaps she did and was attempting not to upset him.
It mattered not that K'Shai was human, 'aseigan must obey the Blooded, and K'Shai bore the mark of the clan without question. That was the way. R'chnt growled as he thought aloud.
"I would like to find out who that was. He will never have trouble obeying an order again."
K'tor-de nodded in agreement then added, "Well, as I was told, K'Shai stared that 'aseigan down. She did not budge. Strong little thing; your human, so I hear. Dominant as a female should be. Impressive. Saruch-de was there and apparently aided K'Shai in getting the 'aseigan to pay attention. Chased away some youngbloods too, as I heard. They found the situation very amusing."
R'chnt grumbled even more deeply; further displeased that it was another Blooded hunter, and not him, who had intervened to assist K'Shai, though he was pleased to hear K'Shai being referred to as impressively strong, dominant, and unbudging. Clearly there was still some question amongst the 'aseigan about K'Shai's status and he would make sure to clarify that in any way he needed.
He was alarmed by the fact that another hunter saw fit to step in on her behalf, however, and suddenly realized the problem was more multi-faceted than he first anticipated.
"No one has seen her out since then. Are you keeping here purposefully?" K'tor-de asked curiously. "Perhaps mating with her so much she can't walk? Is it really true that she allows you to continue to mate with her, or do you dominate her by force?"
His eyes diverted suddenly and R'chnt turned.
K'Shai couldn't help but notice the wide eyed stare down she received from the elder visitor as he caught sight of her, though she supposed it was something she would have to get accustomed to. She hadn't quite heard what the topic of discussion was about, but she was absolutely certain it was something to do with her and mating.
She eyed R'chnt curiously, wondering if she needed to be concerned by the male's presence, but instead R'chnt introduced them, though he kept himself positioned between them, ensuring the other elder would not come into physical contact with her.
With a comment from the K'tor-de about R'chnt's notable absence from the business on the Clan ship for the last few days, K'Shai was hardly surprised when he did don some armor and guide her out into the ship a few hours later. He was obviously feeling stronger, she had noticed, and she could not imagine what harm there would be in heading out to the cantina for food. It felt good to get off the hunt ship anyway, especially in his company.
Though the ambient temperature in the hunt ship was as hot as the Clan ship, at least there was more air flow and larger ceilings in the jag'd'atoll, so K'Shai felt somewhat cooler.
R'chnt took another circumvented route to the cantina, she couldn't help but notice. She assumed he was purposefully putting her on display as he had before, and the Clan ship was actually somewhat busier this time, with more supply runners hurrying about and a few larger groups of injured hunters returned for medical attention.
He did stop for a moment at yet another lower level that she had not been to before, to have a discussion with one Yautja while K'Shai gazed in wonder around her.
She watched dozens and dozens of 'aseigan going about their tasks in the lowest level of the Clan ship, suddenly opening up a world to her that K'Shai never even considered.
Most of the Yautja she saw were thin and much smaller framed than the even the worker cast. Some looked battered and bruised, with injuries that looked work related, but some of them appeared to have been physically whipped or beaten.
They were all male and she idly wondered where the female 'aseigan were, or if there were female 'aseigan at all. None of the 'aseigan bore the Blooded mark on their heads, and she knew it was because they were ones who had never performed well enough to even make it to their chiva.
K'Shai knew very little about the life of a young Yautja, but it was most definitely something she knew she needed to learn more about. The growing infant in her womb, just shy of a month old already, was getting bigger every day.
She didn't "feel" pregnant, but she also had never been before, so she had no idea what it meant to feel pregnant. She assumed she would feel the baby moving around like a little worm inside her, but she did not. R'chnt would lay with her, watching his offspring inside her and he would tell her when the fetus would kick and flail its miniscule legs and arms, but K'Shai could not feel it.
She knew it was common for women to experience morning sickness, but the only thing she felt was stronger and more energized. That could also have been because of the change in her diet, she thought.
She had gone from getting by on canned soups, fruit cocktails, and the occasional fresh kill of a squirrel, pigeon, or any other animal her group could find, to a steady supply of potently nutritious fruits and high protein meats fit enough to fuel the demanding physical needs of the aliens around her.
Still, before she began eating as well as she now was, she had already begun feeling the effects of the Yautja genetics blooming in her, intimately connected to her body and blood. She presumed that such strength was something the Yautja took for granted and relied on as a way of life, but for her, it was a new experience.
She only hoped that her child would grow strong, fit, and well, and reflect upon her sire the way his people expected.
It caused her fear to know that she was operating under a looming threat of death by Neh'rti, and filled her with alarm that she was directly affecting R'chnt's own status, and of course, the well-being of her child.
As K'Shai watched the 'aseigan working, she tried to imagine what had happened to them that caused them to fall to such a status.
Any Yautja had the same chances, the same right, to secure their place in the clan. As L'ruch had once put it "all" that needed to be done to earn that place, was to survive chiva. She presumed that there was quite a bit involved in surviving chiva, despite how dismissively L'ruch had explained it, though it was hard for her to imagine what exactly it entailed.
Surely, youngsters were carefully taught by their mothers and eventually by the Leaders that would Blood them, yet she knew as 'aseigan, these Yautja were not even able to escalate that far into society; they never were given the chance.
She did not understand why, but she watched a few of them, as the massive gray-skinned elder some dozen feet behind her talked to their overseer, who he towered over, cast glaring gazes towards her when they thought neither was looking.
They looked at her with the same fire that she had seen in the eyes of the hunters she was slowly getting more acclimated with. The gazes she spied were almost angry, and K'Shai could feel the skin on the back of her neck bristle in apprehension.
She was alien, and yet, she suddenly realized that she was actually granted higher status and more privileges than the Yautja before her. She was Blooded, a privelage none of the 'aseigan were given.Just as she had come to the point of feeling very uncomfortable amongst the loin-cloth clad slaves bringing carts of food, carrying weapons, trophies, and supplies, back and forth on their chores, R'chnt moved in behind her and caught her attention.
"Come, K'Shai." He said, drawing her out of her thoughts, away from her fears.
She did not know what business he had with the overseer of the 'aseigan, she had not even asked, and tuned out of the conversation so quickly, she did not hear. R'chnt guided her back to the lift and started her down several corridors that would lead, in the most roundabout way possible, to the cantina.
The fact that K'Shai knew he was taking the "long cuts" to their destination made her realize that she was learning her way around the ship well enough to know the difference, and it suddenly occurred to her that whether or not his intention was to put her on display, to allow as many Yautja as possible to see her and become comfortable with her presence, he was also teaching her to navigate the massive vessel.
That was probably a very good thing, she thought, because the ship was big enough she could easily get lost in it, and likely never be seen again; especially if she ended up in a lower level amongst the glaring 'aseigan.
Despite how busy the rest of the ship was, the cantina was quite empty and K'Shai and R'chnt sat together for hours, talking quietly until they were eventually joined by two elders, including K'tor-de. A short while later, K'Shai looked up and noticed that the one-eyed hunter had entered as well, his limp slowly getting better, and the wounds over his head healing well.
R'chnt acknowledged him and Saruch-de returned the gesture, both noticing that K'Shai shot him a wide-eyed look. R'chnt would have to speak to Saruch-de further. As far as he knew, Saruch-de had never even been to Earth before this war.
He had never hunted humans, and was no doubt thrown off by her presence on the Clan ship. The way he looked at her caused R'chnt to flare his tusks, but there was a time and place for everything. R'chnt would keep a careful eye on the situation.
Following the limping, half blind hunter, just a few seconds after, three females entered and K'Shai watched them for a moment, wondering if they might acknowledge her. When they did, she switched tables and introduced herself to them. Of course they knew exactly who she was, and while she was sure she had seen at least two of them in the mei'sa, she did not know their names.
K'Shai was pleasantly surprised to find that the three females, low ranked, but still well-bred, were curious about her. S'ridi appeared and joined them in discussion, and K'Shai slowly felt more comfortable amongst the small group of females as time passed. They talked for a long while over their food while R'chnt relaxed at a table a few dozen feet away with two other elders.
"She is making quite a place for herself, R'chnt." One of them said as they all glanced towards K'Shai, chatting away with Blooded females.
"I hear many hunters talk of her with interest." K'tore-de said.
"Which hunters? What kind of interest?" R'chnt barked with a growl.
"Impressed. Many are impressed." K'tor-de added quickly, trying not to imply any other kind of interest, and hoping he was doing a sufficient job at stifling his own curiosity while the entire time, a lingering though on her mind of what it would be like to mate with her aroused him.
"Some of course are very surprised that you brought her here." K'tor-de continued, trying to deflect the conversation further.
"Yes, I have heard all the talk. I have lost my mind." R'chnt dismissed. "She is incredibly unique. K'Shai has proven herself to me and she is proving herself to the Clan every day."
"And you mate with her many times, so strange. I think perhaps you are wiser than most," the other elder said with a chuckle which earned a flared-tusk silent glare from R'chnt.
"Why have you not marked her?" K'tor-de asked casually, since the subject was brought up.
R'chnt grumbled. He had quite purposefully ensured that he hadn't washed her scent off him or his off of her, before they headed out to the Clan ship. He was feeling stronger, strong enough, anyway, and as he aroused K'Shai into pleasure and she knelt over him, beginning to drip with powerfully enticingly scented wetness, he shifted his position out from under her and stood on the floor next to his bed, grabbing her hips firmly and guiding her where he wanted her.
He growled a deep rumble as he felt her wetness slide over his hard shaft while he worked himself slowly, deeply, inside her. K'Shai moaned and delighted in the sensations she had been clearly missing.
She gripped the sheets between her tensing fists and hung her jaw as she panted and closed her eyes, feeling his rod slide back and forth deep inside her. She shifted her thighs, opening herself up for him more and he accepted her invitation by intensifying his pumping, thrusting his hips briskly and withdrawing with pleasured growls as he pumped himself into a working rhythm, rippling both of their bodies with surging flows of ecstasy.
He had filled her up with his scent, pressing his heated and sweaty abdomen into her back as he crunched himself down against her with his final thrusts, growling in her ear as he did so. He held her under him, emptying himself fully into her as she moaned and panted and groaned below him, trembling from the rush of sensation that he elicited in her.
He rubbed her entire body with his hands, groping her breasts, making her bellow hoarsely as her voice left her completely, and finally running his hands between her legs after he withdrew, covering himself in her scent as completely as she was bathed in his.
He laid with her, resting comfortably for a while longer in the basking warmth of his chambers as she slept off her ecstasy and awoke hungry, which was perfectly in line with his intentions to bring her out into the jag'd'atoll. She usually burned up an appetite after mating.
He aided her in dressing, but had stopped her from cleaning up before they headed out, just as he refrained from taking a shower after the exertion. He had her well lathered in his musk, and he wore hers as a silent message of their unique situation.
Although she was obviously bred, he had continued to resist puncturing her skin with his tusks. He would mark her, but for now, pridefully watched her display herself, bathed in his scent, as she solidified her place as a Blooded member of the Clan.
"In time," R'chnt said dismissively without further explanation.
"Very unusual." K'tor-de mumbled.
"I have my reasons…" R'chnt growled again, firmly ending the conversation.
He did not want to imply that she was too weak or fragile to bite into, nor did he want to make it seem as if he had softened so much over his human, as they continued to call her, that he had lost his dominant drive. He had his reasons for not marking her, and that was all they needed to know.
They continued on, avoiding subjects that had to do with mating with K'Shai entirely, although they discussed her and the rumors they had heard of her. Whether the discussion was about her actions on Earth, her unusual attachment to R'chnt, or her behavior when alone on the ship or in the company of the females, one thing was certain to him; K'Shai was was securing her place a little more every day.
Although it had only been a week and she had spent most of it tucked away on the K'ojol, expressing her uncertainty about Neh'rti wanting to kill her, R'chnt knew that whatever she thought she was doing wrong was actually helping her secure her place without her even realizing it.
He thought about how she had said to him that everything with the Yautja seemed backwards to her, and as he discussed her in some light detail with the other two elders, he could not help but find amusement in the irony that she was solidifying her place as a female Yautja by doing the very things she was sure would get her killed. He had once assured her that there was nothing she would do to cause him disgrace or dishonor and now he was more certain of that than ever; she was settling in well and slowly being accepted.
He realized that it was good that he had kept her hidden away for the last several rotations. The curiosity stories flew around prolifically and it built curiosity. By the time he saw fit to bring her back out into the atoll, everyone knew who she was whether or not they had ever seen her, and they all knew she was his. He had accomplished exactly the message he wished without actually doing anything, and with all the focus on the alien and the unusual situation, it also created a perfect veil to allow him to recover without drawing any question of his strength after his injury.
He knew K'Shai was apprehensive of Neh'rti, and fearful that despite his assurance, she might still bring death or dishonor to him, to her, to the offspring growing within her. He tried to figure out how she could not realize she was creating her place in just the right way as she went about her business, but he decided the best approach was to simply sit, wait, drink, eat and let K'Shai work it out on her own.
He was in no hurry to draw her away from the table of females, and every time a new hunter or worker or 'aseigan entered the room, the display K'Shai was making for herself drew their attention. She was engaged in her conversation with four other females, oblivious to the comings and goings of the males around her, exactly as females behaved.
Every time she was out in full view of the others, every time she was seen walking around in the company of Neh'rti or any other female, every time she commanded an 'aseigan to bring her something, or personally visit a worker to retrieve lotions or whatever else she desired, she was securing her position more and more. R'chnt realized it would probably not be much longer before she felt comfortable enough to be without him completely, and he could return to the hunt.
"From what I heard, Saruch-de saw it all and assisted!" K'tor-de chortled and nodded to Saruch-de who had been sitting across from them for some time as the conversation returned to discussing the events from earlier in the week.
Drawn into the conversation, Saruch-de turned and nodded. R'chnt did not want to pursue the subject with him now, but since it had come up, he turned to Saruch-de. Before R'chnt could speak, Saruch-de rumbled to them.
"K'Shai is quite strong. She is an interesting creature."
"Have you ever seen a human before this war, Saruch-de?" One of the elders asked.
R'chnt listened, catching a tone in Saruch-de's voice that made him deflate from the thought of flaring out, threatening him to stay away from her. There was something about the way he spoke of K'Shai that he could not quite identify. It was not a threatening tone, or a disgusted tone; it wasn't even a curious tone, despite his words. He spoke like he was reminiscing; reliving a proud moment of his past.
"No." Saruch-de informed. "I have never hunted humans."
R'chnt, perhaps, was the only one who caught on that Saruch-de had not answered the question asked. The other two continued their conversation but R'chnt tuned them out and directed the same question another way to Saruch-de.
"Have you ever been Earth before?"
Saruch-de shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. Though the move was subtle, R'chnt definitely caught the change in his scent. R'chnt had a definite suspicion that he was trying to avoid the subject completely.
"Once." He said briskly. "My ship crashed. I ended up not hunting, repaired the vessel and left."
The others seemed content with the response, but there was something R'chnt caught in his tone that perhaps only he could recognize, because it was a human way.
Whenever K'Shai had something more on her mind than she was unwilling to directly say, he noticed how she spoke in short tones, quick words, like she was purposefully and carefully thinking up her responses so she could avoid saying what she really wanted to.
He had learned to gauge her carefully, and could usually fill in the holes she was dancing around. It was a frustrating and cryptic way to avoid direct conversation.
R'chnt preferred direct and absolute conversation, but he had caught the same mannerisms as K'Shai in Saruch-de's words and actions, right down to shifting his gaze away, looking rather overly concerned with how the food on his platter looked and then managed to excuse himself respectfully as his communication panel lit up, almost seeming relieved, R'chnt was certain there was something more behind that story.
As Saruch-de headed out, W'rsa strode in and R'chnt rose and greeted him. They clamped their large hands to the opposite's shoulder; a gesture of greeting amongst respected Hunters. K'Shai stepped away from her conversation with the females as well, greeting W'rsa warmly, but also warily, casting R'chnt a gaze that obviously reflected she was thinking he was going to return to Earth with him.
"I heard you lived," W'rsa said, with no indication either way as to whether that news pleased him or not. "I returned for supplies and to inform you of the progress of the hunt."
The males returned to their seats and K'Shai dismissed herself from the females, who were about to depart to the bath anyway. She joined R'chnt, gluing herself next to him as she eyed W'rsa intently.
"What is happening on Earth, W'rsa?" K'Shai asked eagerly. "Have you seen my friends at all? Do you know if they are well?"
W'rsa ticked his upper tusks briskly and spread them lightly, into a small smile.
"We have not been in that area since we parted ways with your group, K'Shai. It is cleared out and safe, so I imagine your friends are as well." He informed her with a deep bow.
W'rsa was a towering Yautja with a formidable way about him. His prominent lower mandibles were freshly sprouted with additional tusk protrusions along their sides; a sign of a well-matured Yautja, but his color was still bold and brightly patterned in rusty reds and deep browns that streaked across his pale base coloring like tiger stripes. He was also possessed of a growing wisdom that matched his powerfully maturing body; a sure sign that he was R'chnt's apprentice.
She listened to the rest of the conversation as he continued on. For the most part, it was all similar news; destruction of hives, sizes of queens, numbers of the hordes, who had lived and how others had died. The Yautja were no longer overseeing any human groups and K'Shai was sure that her friends were safe and protected in the city of New Haven.
W'rsa himself confirmed that more and more areas were becoming so fully cleared of hives for so many miles that there had been almost no contact with any humans by the three groups he was working in conjunction through their area.
"The areas we move past fill in with indeginous life, K'Shai," W'rsa and some of the others discussed as she questioned them for more clarification. "We are seeing less humans, not because they are dying off, but because they are moving into the areas we leave behind clear."
"Well, that's very good news," K'Shai said. "Maybe this war will be over soon." She turned to R'chnt, with a hopeful chime in her voice that implied that she was hoping the war would end before he returned to the planet's surface.
He glanced to her, but said nothing. He merely clamped a hand warmly onto her bare thigh.
"Perhaps the end is near, but it will still be many rotations." W'rsa informed her, which was enough to cause her to glare at him in apprehension.
"We shall be victorious, though!" Another elder barked proudly, slamming his fist on the table so loudly it drew the attention of everyone in the room. "We will prevail!"
He growled rousingly, and everyone in the room howled out an echo; a proud bellow, with mugs of drink or bare fists raised to reinforce that they all shared the certainty of their impending victory.
"The ships were able to destroy three major hives completely. We cleaned up what was left, and have moved on."
"The ships?" K'Shai questioned and R'chnt tipped his head towards her.
"The main cannon," W'rsa clarified simply.
K'Shai eyed him blankly for a moment. "The ship can fire at Earth?"
"Of course." R'chnt said with a nod.
K'Shai felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. She never even imagined there was an aerial bombardement happening.
"When the hives are too large, or too deep under ground, the ships dispose of them, and we move in to destroy anything that is left, K'Shai. Did you not know this?" W'rsa added.
"I ...," K'Shai paused. "No. I guess I didn't."
As the conversation continued and she listened to the group around her discuss more details of their experiences, she began to realize there was so much going on on her own planet or in the space around it that she was not aware of.
Still, the Yautja maintained that they were headed to victory. R'chnt continued on his display, ensuring that everyone who entered and left the cantina, in ebbing waves of numbers, would see her and catch her scent in the air. He watched her, and their surroundings, warily every time she got up to get more food or drink, but as long as everyone stayed well enough away, he did not intervene.
When he did stand and join her once, he glared around, ensuring the younger hunters moved well away from both of them as he stayed close to her.
He caressed her from time to time, quite obviously, in full view of all in the room. He nudged himself into her body as they walked back and forth from the buffet area to the sitting table and he cradled his arm around her as they sat. K'Shai leaned into him, placed her hands on his thigh or chest or shoulder and at various times during their conversations, R'chnt would lean back into her, inviting her to kiss his cheek or grope his tresses, drawing in curious stares.
K'Shai realized that's R'chnt's display of her was serving a purpose and conveying a message. They remained in the cantina for so many hours doing nothing more than sitting, eating, drinking, and talking, that she had started to fall asleep.
He was keeping her on display for as long as possible, to allow for as many to see as possible. K'Shai had a fleeting notion that R'chnt might very well simply put on a full show and mate with her in the middle of the cantina floor. She smiled at the thought, certain that even the Yautja were too modest for that sort of thing, but still amused herself with the idea of the display he was most definitely making of her.
While R'chnt clearly still had plenty of stamina left to sit through more rounds of drink and conversation, K'Shai was ready to return to their chambers. She had no real concept of time inside the ship and the rotation of Yautja days were not of the same duration as human days.
She had a watch, along with a few human garments and supplies that were on her body when she returned to the Clan ship, but it seemed pointless to check it just to know what time it was in Virginia. It barely mattered. The Yautja did not have an "8 to 5" schedule. They did what they needed to do when they needed to do it and they did not micro manage their time or plan their days according to rigid schedules.
Though they did have particular preferences in their rotation for when they prayed or sparred, their needs for food and rest were fairly limited, especially in comparison to a human.
Yautja only needed to eat and rest every other day by human standards, and though the amount of rest they required was much less than a human's, the amount of food they consumed was somewhere around four or five times the amount in a single sitting, which meant that Yautja spent a great deal of time in the several cantinas aboard the Clan ship, which were also segregated by caste.
R'chnt found it somewhat amusing that K'Shai preferred to have a fairly steady supply of food available to her that she could pick at throughout the day, while eating larger portions in a single sitting during certain intervals. He thought at first that she ate in such a way because she was trying to provide more nutrition to the growing fetus, but had questioned her curiously, with unhidden surprise when she explained human eating habits; as awkward to him as her sleeping habits, he had said.
As she leaned up against him, supporting herself on his shoulder while he continued on his conversation, he tipped his head against hers and wrapped an arm around her, emphasizing the public display of his affection towards her, their bond, and his right to handle her in a way that Yautja males could not handle Yautja females. He silently sent a message through his powerful arm snaked around her body that was nestled into his side, drawing quick and curious glances from spectators.
"They have all been coming to see your human," one of the elders pointed out as he looked from K'Shai lolling against R'chnt's shoulder to the cantina, which had been filling up as the hours passed.
"They know she is out and they all want to see. You've kept her hidden away for so many days, R'chnt, it is drawing much curiosity." K'tor-de said.
"Has it been so many days?" R'chnt added flatly, as if he was unaware. "She keeps me occupied. I hadn't noticed."
"Yes, the scent of just how occupied she keeps you is apparent." Another responded back to him with a chuckle.
R'chnt flared his tusks. K'Shai had, indeed, managed to keep him sexually subdued into recuperation. He realized that was certainly her point, and it worked well. He had no concern over the numbers of passing rotations.
He expected the level of curiosity they were experiencing, and was pleased that K'Shai was the spectacle she was; for it ensured that everyone would get the message he was conveying, and if they did not, he had other ways of making the message clear.
K'Shai seemed to have that kind of effect on him, especially as she stimulated him repeatedly in such a pleasing way. He realized that was most definitely her intention and it had worked so surprisingly well that their absence from the public eye had caused the grapevine to rocket. She had explained to him what a grape vine actually was and although he could not understand the correlation between a fruit and the public rumor mill, the term still stuck in his head.
Finally, she had drifted a little too deeply into sleep and he swept his arm off of her, stroking his fingers gently through her long hair as he nudged her awake and stood with her to escort her back to his ship so she could rest.
"K'Shai, will you undergo the jut-cha'hal?" W'rsa asked of her.
She smiled as she stirred and stroked her long black hair for a moment as she shifted to stand and unconsciously ran her other hand through R'chnt's mid-back length mottled gray tresses, sliding her fingers over one of the many beaded adornments that had been fused, painfully, into the sensitive tissues of his living hair during a ceremony called the jut-cha'hal.
It was a proud ceremony for successfully Blooded Yautja who planned to continue as a hunter. With each new elevated rank in status, or each worthy new kill, ornate beads were added to a hunter's tresses in a public display. K'Shai had been told that hunters were expected to bear the painful procedure proudly and stoically, and at any hint of expressing pain, the beads would be removed and the process started over again until the hunter either passed out or endured it without flinching.
"I look forward to it. They're beautiful," she responded to W'rsa with a confident smile.
She decided to keep the fact that her hair had no such sensitivity to herself. R'chnt, getting the joke, chortled softly. He knew K'Shai would endure the jut-cha'hal with a quiet look of pleasure on her face; the same as she adopted any time he ran his fingers through her hair or stroked her scalp gently with his claws and she slipped into closed-eye relaxation, humming softly.
He imagined a large and utterly stunned crowd watching her receive the beads and amusedly wondered how long it would take for anyone to figure out she had no feeling to her fine hair strands.
As R'chnt stood and followed a short distance behind K'Shai while she headed out of the cantina, he nodded to W'rsa and only briefly paused to speak to him further for another moment when some resounding, teasing voices echoed up in laughter that caught his, and everyone else's, attention.
"Little human, you could never endure the jut-cha'hal!" A young hunter burst out laughing.
K'Shai turned to glare at the young Yautja, immediately annoyed by the accusation. She recognized him instantly as the one who had been laughing at her command over the 'aseigan a full week's of rotations before. Apparenly, the supply runner was back and with quite easily the worst timing possible, the young blood dared to pipe up, trying to draw in a mocking spectacle.
The tall and muscle-bound youngster jumped up from his seat to the cackling of his friends who were clearly egging him on, and leapt over to her like a lion pouncing from a distance. In one flicker of a second, everything happened so quickly, K'Shai could barely follow the next series of events. He reached his red and yellow speckled-skinned hand towards her, made contact with her.
He had grabbed at her hair and pulled, clearly teasing her, but aggressively so. K'Shai yanked herself back in the same moment, withdrawing from the young one's approach and effectively whiplashing her neck as he clamped down on her, the two opposing forces knocking her off balance and causing her to drop to her knees.
What she was not able to process in the same moment was the entire room clearing out in a hurried circle and a tremendously well-coordinated series of gasps from everyone who pressed themselves into the wall, not wanting to retreat entirely, but definitely wanting to get out of the way of the massive beating that was about to take place.
They remained to watch, but gave a wide enough berth so as not to be confused as would-be challengers. R'chnt flared and roared with a deafening intensity as he charged forward, body slamming into the youngster who dared to touch K'Shai.
She heard his bellow and the slam of the two bodies somewhere above her and leapt back to her feet in alarm as R'chnt toppled the young hunter away from her.
R'chnt sidled laterally, back to her, facing off with the downed youngblood, who clearly immediately regretted his actions. He looked at R'chnt with a wild and wide stunned gaze, as if he simply had no idea R'chnt would react in such a way. It was not a male's job to protect a female, after all.
He turned to his friends and eyed them up, clearly looking for some kind of support. He received none as his cackling supporters had quieted and moved away to clear out plenty of space for the enraged elder before them.
R'chnt arched his back, spread his arms and bellowed out once again; a chant of nan-de than-gaun. The sound filled the room, the corridor beyond, likely the whole level. For a moment, everything seemed to stop as the two challengers squared off with one another. The bellow, K'Shai knew, was an absolute challenge to the death for a serious offense.
The youngster had made a deadly decision and was going to pay with his life. The public display he thought he may have to make with Saruch-de, it turned out instead fell on the shoulders of the cocky and disrespectful youngblood who made the mistake of thinking K'Shai was his to touch.
Had she been Yautja female, he never would have touched her, knowing full well it would likely mean his death in retaliation. As it was, and he clearly pointed out, K'Shai was not Yautja. She was not ready to take on a Blood hunter in self-defense and R'chnt was more than willing to make it clear to everyone looking on in the cantina now turned kehrite, that physical contact with K'Shai on any level for any reason, unless expressly authorized by him, meant death. The hurried escape of all who watched, and bowed heads and wary gazes casting back upon his young challenger told R'chnt the message was clear.
The youngster had been publically challenged by a superior ranked elder. He had only two choices; retreat and suffer the consequences that cowards who turned away from a fight would endure, or come at R'chnt and fight until one of them was dead.
Given that R'chnt's absence from business on the Clan ship had many people questioning why he was keeping himself and his alien mate so isolated, the challenge he bellowed out would be a display of his strength, power, and readiness to protect K'Shai, reinforcing his position and sealing her protection. It was an inevitable necessity and he knew sooner or later it would happen. He was hoping it would take a bit longer before he had to make such a display, but none the less, when the moment came, he bellowed his readiness.
Several females in the room beckoned in other females and they formed a blockade at the door, ensuring that the youngster, who dared to touch a Blooded and bred female, would not leave the cantina alive, whether or not R'chnt was capable of finishing him, though they stayed out of his way.
K'Shai watched as spectators now trapped in the oval room by the unmoving wall of females blocking the only entrance door pressed themselves against the wall to give every inch of available space to the two fighters as they growled and howled their cheers and calls.
R'chnt powered forward as the youngster, looking rather reluctant to get up, took to his feet and tried to fend himself from the enraged elder. As their two bodies collided again, with K'Shai standing somewhere between the two of them and the line-up of females, she decided she would have felt more comfortable standing naked between the tracks of two speeding trains.
R'chnt bellowed out again and again, his display unquestionably sealing his authority, his dominance, and telling everyone to spread it along the grapevine that K'Shai was untouchable. He took his time, beating the youngblood with his bare fists over and over, purposefully circling him, making small attacks that bloodied his jaw, his chest, his thighs, and abdomen, but not causing deadly blows just yet.
He did not pull out his sword or other bladed weapons from his belt, nor did he eject his dha'kte blades on his wrist for use. R'chnt, seemingly taking pleasure in the opportunity to beat the youngster to a pulp, did so unarmed.
The youngster first attempted to grab at a blade from its sheath mounted on his back armor. He whipped out a serrated weapon that looked like a snub-nosed machete and swung. R'chnt moved out of the way of the attack and grappled the youngster when he saw an opening. He gripped the youth's unarmed wrist and twisted.
Blood began to seep around R'chnt's finger tips; he had dug his claws into the attacker's skin. The youngster gave under the pressure and dropped to his knees, bellowing out in pain and frustration as R'chnt nearly broke his arm. He swung the blade one more time, clearly trying to cut apart R'chnt's left thigh.
R'chnt countered the move with a quick kick to the youngster's metal-clad forearm, landing a firm blow into him with enough power to cause him to drop the weapon and crank his arm backward. R'chnt, never releasing his bloody grip on his opponent's other wrist kicked him again square in the chest and sent him slamming back to the ground. He backed off, growling a resonating threat that reverberated around the room, and waited for his opponent to get up and try again.
K'Shai noticed an extremely subtle shift in R'chnt's gait and position; something she seen him do over and over during their private training sessions as he worked out how to function after the damage done to his body.
He was hurting, and K'Shai's heart began to suddenly pound ferociously. He was making a show of the whole thing, bellowing out continued emphasis of his dominance, and taking opportunity each time the youngster faltered to pace around the circular space. It looked like he was simply waiting for the fight to even up; as he would not make a killing blow just yet.
The barely-there subtle way he shifted his weight, or tensed his abdomen, however, made K'Shai immediately worry that his delay in making the killing strike was for another reason. Was he fatiguing? Was the exertion of this fight too much too quickly? How well had he healed? It had only been a week. As the youngster got up and charged one more time, K'Shai gasped and held her breath, watching in horror at the idea of R'chnt faltering.
This time, the youngster ejected the blades from his gauntlet, intent to kill. R'chnt still remained unarmed. He blocked the attack, countered a swing from the youngster's other arm, and struck again. A loud popping sound filled the air for a fraction of a moment and she realized that the youngster's right lower jaw had been broken from the powerful blow.
The youngster howled, spun around and appeared as though he was about to clatter to the floor in a defeated heap. In a shocking display of prowess and capability, instead of falling, the youngster continued through the twisting action of his almost slow-motion fall and propelled himself in a full spin, pushing off the floor through his arms, and launching his legs towards R'chnt.
He landed a well centered and tremendous blow to R'chnt directly in the abdomen with both feet. R'chnt shifted backwards quickly, but the strike had made certain contact. The crowd burst with howls, fueling the fight and K'Shai cringed in horror, warily eyeing R'chnt. W'rsa had moved in behind her, but she was not paying him attention.
He was close to her, in enough of a position to grab her, to guard her, but her eyes were focused on R'chnt, who immediately retaliated, diving forward and grabbing the youngster by the sides of his head as he landed like a cat in front of R'chnt.
The youngster shrieked in pain as R'chnt slammed one free hand upwards under his jaw, sending him flying backwards to the ground again. He howled over his fallen opponent, and the youngster quickly, again, rolled his legs over his head, back flipping himself to his feet and putting more distance between R'chnt and himself.
R'chnt barreled forward like an angry bull and the youngster jumped up onto a nearby table to avoid being struck. R'chnt, without missing a beat, grabbed the table and pulled it right out from under the Yautja atop it, making a massive clattering noise like thunder as he flipped the heavy wooden table onto its side single-handedly and the hunter fell to the ground, slamming his head hard into the metal floor grates.
In one decidedly desperate move, the youngster, clearly aware he was being outpowered and outwitted by the elder towering over him, pulled himself up and charged forward, dropping his head and powering shoulder-first into R'chnt.
Attacking like a ram, the youngster made contact again with R'chnt, wrapping his arms fully around him, and shoving his head into his chest. Both hunters fell backwards in a heap and R'chnt, making no delay of what looked like an opening in the youngster's attack, quickly rolled over, shifting the youngster under him.
He struck the youngster again and again across the face while he blocked ferocious attacks from the youngster trying to impale him with his wrist blades. Quickly, R'chnt, fueled by raging anger and bellowing the call of nan-de than-gaun again, grabbed a solid hold of the youth's head in one hand, while clutchin the other arm with his other hand. He dug his powerful bony talons into the younger's skin, securing a grip. Blood poured out of the holes.
R'chnt raised the youngster's head and slammed it as hard as he could against the plated metal center aisle of the cantina again and again and did not stop until the planks were so fully covered in bright green blood and darker green splatter of dense brain tissue that no more of the silvery-red colored metal floor was even visible.
K'Shai swallowed in numb horror and the room quieted down. Immediately, the howling and cheering and calling stopped, the females broke their blockade and R'chnt pulled himself to his feet growling a warning rumble.
As he glared around at the Yautja encircling him, each and every one of them bowed their head, signifying that his point had well been made. When R'chnt turned towards K'Shai and W'rsa looming behind her, she became immediately aware that W'rsa took at least two massive steps back, separating himself from her by a good four meters, and even K'Shai lowered her head, dropping her eyes to the bloody carcass on the ground.
R'chnt completed his circular gaze, stopping when he had rotated towards the door, which was now clear. He said nothing as he started towards the door, but after two powerful strides, trailing a growl that lingered threateningly in the room behind him, he paused and extended his right arm out, tipping his head towards K'Shai; a silent indication that he wanted her by his side.
Without delay, she moved into him quickly and he latched onto her tightly, walking out of the cantina rigid and powerful, chin up, continuing to emit a deep multi-tonal growl, making direct eye contact with anyone he passed, just to see if they would submit and drop their gaze or eye him up for a challenge. K'Shai remained lock jawed as she walked along with R'chnt trying to process all that had just transpired, her heart powering away as they continued down a corridor in alarming silence.
They rounded a curving passage, which was clear of anyone else and suddenly K'Shai became dangerously aware of something. R'chnt was leaning on her. Hard.
She began to slow her pace as he slowed his, and though she pushed back into him, trying to keep herself erect as she walked, he was leaning so heavily into her that she was having difficulty walking, staying upright, or holding him.
She could feel his grip on her weakening and by the time they barely made it into the lift at the end of what seemed like a corridor the length of an entire planet, R'chnt had lost so much color his skin was noticeably turning blue.
They stepped into the lift and turned so she could shut the door and the moment they did, he collapsed to the ground, shutting his eyes, gasping for air, and coughing up blood.
"Oh, No! No, no, no, R'chnt!" K'Shai bellowed in a worried whisper as she dropped next to him and pressed her hands against him, trying to keep him from slumping completely over onto the floor.
"I've got to get L'ruch!" She said in exasperation, shaking as she realized he was dying before her eyes; again.
"No. K'Shai. No more." He said through gurgled spatters of blood as he raised a weak and shaking arm and caressed her face. "You are safe. Females will protect… mei'sa… must… survive…hunt…you mei'sa…"
He began to ramble nonsense after that, but at least he was talking. She kept urging him to stay talking, even if it wasn't making any sense. She understood now, especially after the brutal display, why he refused to be seen by L'ruch again, and while she wanted to respect his beliefs, she was also not about to let him die.
It seemed to her that the Yautja were a little too quick to give in to death, despite being powerful fighters. They lacked the human's drive to fight for life and this was something she could not understand.
As R'chnt slowly faded from consciousness, she shook him back awake. The the lift locked into position on the docking bay level and she urged him to fight, to stand, to walk.
He did not budge and instead resumed nonsensical babble, so K'Shai resorted to any tactic she could to get him on his feet.
She locked the door of the lift closed so it would not open until he was standing. She shook him. She shook him harder. She cried to him. She forcibly shoved her body into his trying to upright him. She pleaded with him through tears not to shut his eyes. She cursed at him. She smacked him.
She felt about ready to slump back on the floor and wail and sob as he shut down and died before her eyes, but at one final urging as she howled a high pitched shriek, R'chnt opened his eyes and worked with her, leaning on her to pull himself to his feet and fight as she begged him to do.
He doubled over in her arms and spewed massive amounts of blood onto the floor, splattering their feet and legs and most of the lift. K'Shai, no longer concerned about keeping up appearances, opened the doors and forced him to drag himself to the ship. She felt him shift his weight every few steps, bouncing between trying to carry himself and slumping into her.
By the time they returned, past any number of 'aseigan she could have cared less about at that point, into the hunt ship and to his chambers, R'chnt was gasping for air harshly and leaving a trail of blood as they went.
Once again, K'Shai was covered in his blood and she felt numb and terrified as he dropped onto the sofa, fighting to breathe against the blood pooling up inside him.
She sobbed and trembled, watching him collapsed on the Yautja-sized futon, trying to decide what to do next. She decided in that moment to go against his will and get L'ruch. Just then, a loud thumping knock on the chamber door startled her, making her jump and hold her breath as if somehow she had been caught in some terrible act no one was supposed to see. He heart, beating furiously in her chest, suddenly sank and for reasons should could not process, she felt guilty and fearful that someone would see what was going on.
"K'Shai!" she heard W'rsa's voice bellow as he banged again on the locked door. "What is going on?"
She paused for a moment and listened. She could hear W'rsa fidgeting outside the door, growling. She stopped thinking. She just reacted.
She pulled herself off the floor and thundered to the door to let him in. He paused and surveyed the room, finding R'chnt in an oozing heap on the sofa, watching K'Shai sob and run back to him. She was quite sure she heard him say something about not again, but she was not really paying attention.
"I have to help him." She said through her sobs in a pleading tone.
"K'Shai.. this is not…" W'rsa started, but she cut him off in a fury.
"NO! I don't want to hear it W'rsa. This is not happening. He doesn't want L'ruch to…"
"Of course he does not, K'Shai. He is trying to ensure your protection." W'rsa rebutted quickly, sharply. "And he has. If he dies, you will still be safe. Do you not understand? Your position is not in question. He has done that for you. Others will protect you. Females. Me."
K'Shai had tuned out most of what W'rsa said, and she especially had tuned out the way he said it, or it would have fueled her into an entirely different type of fire. She scanned R'chnt's body, noticing that his abdomen was distending and he was looking paler and weaker.
"I learned a lot from helping Carlos in the safe zone in Chicago," she started to say, not realizing or caring that W'rsa really had no idea what she was talking about. "I can do this. I can help him. I have to help him. He's bleeding internally. I'm going to do this." She turned to W'rsa. "Help me, please."
W'rsa growled a disproving rumble but ultimately considered the situation and nodded.
"I need a laser. Medical supplies."
W'rsa quickly removed the targeting laser for his shoulder mounted plasma caster from his helmet that was secured to his back. K'Shai used it without delay to cut R'chnt's side open, and immediately, blood poured out of him all over the sofa and floor into a great pool.
K'Shai focused on using the equipment W'rsa provided from his field kit and a medical kit from the ship that he retrieved from Gyr'in-de's work bay, and sealed up bleeding wounds before closing the incision into his abdomen. With W'rsa's help they propped him up slightly so his lungs would have an easier time working. She gave him painkillers and sedative and noticed that he was breathing more clearly as she watched him with her own breath held.
"Thank you for your help," she said wearily to W'rsa, clamping her small hand around his armor bracer near his wrist.
He glanced to her, to her light touch on him, one finger of her's barely gracing against his skin. It was not the first time he had touched her, but he had forgotten how much cooler her body was; how soft her delicate skin was. He grumbled as he eyed R'chnt again and nodded to K'Shai before turning to leave the chambers.
K'Shai defied the gods, and he made mention of it on his way out. He kept his other thoughts to himself, though.
So many had compared her – all oomans -to an animal. She was clearly an inferior creation that matured quickly, lived quickly, was fearful and suited more to flee than fight.
How was it, then, he wondered silently as he approached R'chnt's chambers door and depressed the panel to open the door and leave, that she was such a strong little thing with so much appeal.
R'chnt was far from crazy, he realized, and K'Shai remained locked next to him, fighting for him against the very will of the gods.
"I will send 'aseigan to clean the ship." He grumbled.
Nodding, K'Shai acknowledged him. "H'chak," she whispered softly; the closest word in the Yautja language to a "thank you."
"I will clean the chambers." She added, and he nodded to her, understanding her reasoning.
K'Shai watched him go and looked to R'chnt once again, then sat down on the floor and leaned back against the sofa and broke down sobbing.