The House of Spirit: No as an Answer
The second update with the Eliksni POV. I really liked to jump POV nearly a decade ago lol.
Edited: 03/13/2022
"Do you think the Solider of Light will pull through the night?" Axtris asked, leaning her back against the glass as she sat on the floor, "Or do you think he will die, and his Ghost will revive him?"
Instead of receiving an immediate answer, Axtris smiled as the infant Eliksni chittered before suckling on the edge of their blanket and pressed a palm against the fiber glass. Axtris couldn't help a chuckle.
The young Eliksni was one out of three of Kell Ixrsis' litter and sadly, the only survivor. Axtris remembers the day clearly, when one of the Dregs came screeching into the yard and shouted of the Kell's labor. Many attempted to push and shove their way into Ixrsis' quarters, all in order to witness the birth of the Kell's pups. Perhaps, the first one that they had seen in years. Thankfully, Sirahks was able to control the crowd and Axtris and her siblings were fortunate to be allowed in first.
It was both beautiful and bewildering; beautiful that new life was born but also shocking that it came from the Kell's body. Then again, this was Axtris' first time witnessing a birth.
However, the public viewing was short lived, for as soon as their outer shell started hardening, that the three were taken to another room. At first, Axtris was confused, puzzled, but finally understood when she and her brothers were allowed to follow.
She had heard stories of her people's glory days, where they previously inhabited a planet where Ether naturally filtered the air, enabling the Eliksni to traverse through lands without the aid of filters that they currently wear. This also means that it enabled Eliksni pups to be born without fear of suffocation, letting the sires cradle their newborns in their arms.
But the world they live in now, it is different.
No longer do they inhabit a world that naturally filled Ether, and neither are her people as powerful as they were before, reduced to scavengers on a foreign land. And their newborns immediately placed in ether-pumped incubators where they will have to stay until they are large enough to wear a filter of their own. All to simply breath.
To further add to already high risks, newborns are born weak, vulnerable to sickness and diseases, in which even if they did survive past birth, it made further survival difficult. This was quickly proven when a few hours later, one of Ixrsis' pups, the other male, grew ill and had passed away during the night. Not long after, the second of her pups, the lone female, also passed.
Axtris recalls Ixrsis' howls, her wails of grief, and it didn't help matters when the third pup also caught ill. Expecting the worse, she and the others of her kind prepared for the newborn's death. However, as morning came and passed, to everyone's shock and glee, the third pup had survived. As days passed, his conditioned stabled, helping Ixrsis get past the worse of her grief. And cranking her mothering instincts into overdrive.
Although frightened back then, Axtris now found it funny at how Ixrsis will snarl and growl at any who got too close to her pup's incubator, and sometimes will even chase curious visitors out of the room. That was months ago now, and as the pup's strength grew, Ixrsis' worries, and protectiveness also faded. At least, enough where she now allows visitors into the incubation room, where Axtris stands now.
In honestly, Axtris visits constantly for the sole reason that she was curious. She cannot fathom that, not just herself, but her brothers started out this way. With four beady eyes, arms that can barely keep themselves upright, and small mandibles that constantly clicked for attention, Axtris found it hard to believe that she and the rest of her race where this vulnerable.
Nonetheless, just because he is vulnerable doesn't mean he couldn't understand, as Axtris would catch him tilt his head, blink, even squeak at her words. As such, she would wait until the incubation chamber – usually late- is empty before coming him and have a one-sided conversation. Axtris cannot help but feel like it is because of his namesake.
'Tenshi', a name that both Ixrsis and Sirahks had found while searching for a name in the database currently available to them. The Kell had wanted to name her child after Pure One, to honor the Guardian and as a subtle thanks to the human, Akiva, for naming his child after Axtris' sire. It took a while to find a name easy on the Eliksni tongue, but the name 'Tenshi' appeared during their search, a name meaning 'Son of Heaven' or 'Angel' in a pre-golden Age language. To ensure that everyone knows the origins of his name, a metal plaque has been placed just above his incubator.
"What do you think?" Axtris asked as she pressed a hand against the glass, ensuring that her palms touched the young Eliksni's.
A pitched chitter was her answer and Axtris released another smile, chuckling. However, just as she pulled her hand away, she saw Tenshi's eyes shift over her shoulders. And his mandible curled back to release a snarl, a high-pitched screech reverberating from the back of his throat and echoed through the empty chamber.
Narrowing her eyes, Axtris then heard it; footsteps slowly approaching from behind. She turned, grasping the hilts of her shock daggers around her waist. And paused.
"Anikis?"
Axtris couldn't help but lower her guard, especially when her fellow Eliksni fidgeted under her gaze, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to your quarters in hopes of speaking with you." Axtris couldn't help but scowl, but said nothing as he continued, "I would have contact you earlier in the day but with Inkolas around, I felt I had little choice but to wait until night to speak with you."
Hearing this, Axtris couldn't help but look at him suspiciously. Ever since the day Inkolas had won the right to be her mate, she had spied Anikis always nearby. But so was her new 'mate'. She had spotted him slink around corners, eyeing her before scuttling away. Axtris had thought it was because he was shy as usual, but she never considered it was because of Inkolas, especially considering the Splicer spends most of his day tinkering with artifacts. However, during this time of night, he would be in deep slumber. And his presence absent.
"So, you followed my scent here?" Axtris asked, scrunching her face in suspicion when he nodded, "What do you wish to speak with me about that you fear Inkolas?"
Her words prompted a flinch, a low rumble, but nonetheless, Anikis tucked his lower arms to his sides, fiddled with his upper arms, and shifted side to side as he stuttered, "I-I still wish to mate with you."
Letting his words sink in, Axtris couldn't help but sputter and shake her head, "You know as well as I do that you lost that right when Inkolas won the challenge."
"Then we can leave!" Axtris jumped at his shout, "I can tell that you do not with to mate with Inkolas, nor do you wish to be his mate." She watched him raise a hand, "Come with me and you can be my mate instead."
Despite herself, Axtris couldn't help click her mandibles together and glared at his hand.
"No."
Anikis reeled, "Why?"
"Why?" Axtris couldn't help but let out a rough sigh, "I am still a young Eliksni, I have plenty of years left in me to venture around unknown lands and discover artifacts for both our people and the Soldiers of Light." She noticed the way his four eyes narrowed; she ignored it, "Truthfully, I had not planned to have a mate at all, until you and Inkolas had challenge each other for the right to be mine. Or to be accurate, for me to be 'yours'." She crossed her upper arms, "And I hold no feelings towards you or Inkolas. Perhaps as companions but never as a mate."
Perhaps it was harsh to say it outright, but Axtris was getting tired of all this mate agenda. She maybe a female and that her race is in a decline, but by no means she is obligated to take a mate. Although, this doesn't mean that Axtris doesn't feel a tad guilty at the way Anikis' eyes fell, his shoulders slumping as he released a small rumble. This was quickly diminished as she saw something flash over his eyes. One that put a sense of unease into her chest.
"Is it because of Pure One?"
A snarl escaped Axtris' throat before she could stop herself, loud enough where Anikis visibly took a step back.
Axtris was no fool, she had heard the whispers, the mutters and rumbles of her kind whenever she passed by, the claims of her 'secret' feelings for the human Guardian. A claim that she sees as preposterous. Axtris sees him as a friend, a fellow littermate if she has her way. Nothing more, nothing less.
"It has 'nothing' to do with him." She snarled, raising her posture and taking large, rigid steps towards Anikis; she couldn't help but feel pleased as he took several cautious steps back, "Is it because you want me that badly, Scout Anikis of House of Spirits? That you want to have a reason why I rejected your advances? Is 'no' not enough of an answer for you?"
"But why?" Axtris released an exasperated sigh at his words, "Our people are dying, mating is the only way to repopulate our numbers. The females shouldn't be able to say no and the males simply accept it."
Taking in his words, something snapped within her chest and Axtris found herself growling, mandibles clicking together rapidly, "We live in a different time now, Anikis. Females are allowed to say no and the males are expected to respect it." She then snapped out, grabbing Anikis by the chest and bringing him close, their faces practically touching, "We are just as powerful as you males and are your equals. We 'do not' need a mate to show this."
She could see the surprise, the shock in Anikis eyes. But she could also see the obsession, the want and Axtris couldn't help but feel disgust. To think that there are still males who think this way.
Although wanting nothing more than to give Anikis a good pummel, Axtris convinced herself against it. It wouldn't give her any benefit – well, maybe get it through his thick skull that she was 'not' interested – and not to mention it was late. She wouldn't want to cause a ruckus. And that she was in the incubation room. Axtris can already feel Tenshi's eyes on her back.
"Leave, Scout Anikis of House of Spirits." She snarled as she shoved him away, placing her hands around the hilts of her shock blades once more.
Hearing Anikis snarl back, Axtris squared herself out, and slowly started to slide her blades out of their sheaths. This, at least, was enough to Anikis to ease back.
"What can I do to change your mind?"
Despite herself, Axtris snapped, her mandibles letting out a loud 'clack' from the gesture, "You still do not understand? I do 'not' want to be your mate, no matter the consequence."
She was starting to regret not getting physical with Anikis; perhaps if she had then he would finally get the point. Fortunately, Axtris saw his shoulders slump, hearing small clicks of his mandibles from behind his mask.
"I understand."
Axtris tried to hide her relief, keeping her face straight as possible. Only to reel as Anikis then added, "You need time. And time I will give you."
Before she can call out, he was gone, prompting Axtris to let out a frustrated breath as she let her blades fall back into their sheaths. There was no doubt in her mind that Anikis was going to plan something to 'change her mind' later. But for now, she will appreciate the peace she now has. Turning her attention back to the incubator, she noticed Tenshi's threatened posture was now lax, and is back to suckling upon the corner of his blanket. He chirped at her when he realized that her attention is back on him.
"Males are strange." Axtris chirped back as she pressed a palm back onto the class, listening to Tenshi release several more chirps, "Do not be like them when you are of age, Tenshi. You will not attract females that way."
This earned her a high-pitched squeal, filled with agreement.