Chapter 5: Tooth and Nail
She leapt through the air, diving toward a particularly large totem, adorned in elaborate patterns and a cornucopia of colors. She landed with the grace and precision of an Amphipod hopping across a log-ridden bog, her claws finding purchase in the colorful, aged wood.
Looking up, she scanned her surroundings, searching for any potential bystanders. Not too many. Some off in the distance, going about their typical business, but not quite close enough for her landing to raise suspicion. Otherwise, all she saw was swaths of lush farmland and countless clusters of totem poles, their imposing stature and intimidating carvings making them resemble an army of ferocious warriors.
Perfect. An optimal setting for her plan.
She had done this a million times before, so it was hardly a surprise that she wasn't caught this time around. Nevertheless, she found it necessary to take precautions. She never knew who might be lurking among the foliage, surveying the area. The last thing she wanted was for some straggler to report her to her boss. Should that happen, these impromptu endeavors of hers would swiftly cease.
Refocusing her mind, she scanned the plains once more, like a predator seeking its unassuming prey. Her eyes probed the landscape, skimming over elmbirch trees, vibrant grasses, ponds and creeks strewn with makeshift dams. Soon, she found her target: a sun-lit clearing, its only decorations being several logs strewn about, some mangled with visible teeth marks. Within this clearing was what – or rather, who – she truly sought out: a Fang Gangster with a gaping, circular mouth, fangs like daggers protruding from its edges.
She grinned. The Fang Gangster was lost in the familiar rhythms of his business, blissfully unaware of his observer. Propelling herself to another totem, she landed just as flawlessly as before, ensuring she made as little noise as possible. The other Mixel remained oblivious. She had now entered optimal range, allowing her to unveil her secret weapon.
Within her paw was a hefty, aging log, one of its ends carved so as to resemble a jagged spear or blade, splintered and coarse. Many similar weapons had been crafted by her own jaws before, but this one was specifically made to be especially painful.
Crouching down atop her makeshift perch, gripping the log, she homed in on the Fang Gangster below, eyeing him as he hoarded logs into his mouth without any sort of method or finesse. She rolled her eyes as a torrent of shrapnel burst forth from his maw, scattering wood chips everywhere.
Gnashee was always like that, making a complete mess no matter what he did. Not only were his colleagues burdened with cleaning up after him in addition to their own tasks, his caustic attitude made him borderline unbearable to be around. Then again, it made sneaking up on him all the more satisfying.
She narrowed her eyes, focusing her gaze even further. Her arm gradually rose, angling itself so that the log in her palm was pointing downward. She waited for the perfect moment to strike, remaining silent. In a single moment, the Lightbulb Sun's glare shifted ever so slightly, beaming its gleaming rays directly onto Gnashee. Shielding his eyes, he turned away from the sunlight, leaving his back completely exposed.
Fire.
The log flew through the air like a missile, soaring at blistering speeds. With an ear-splitting crack, the log slammed into Gnashee's back, exploding like a grenade and sending fragments of aged wood flying in all directions. The Fang Gangster shrieked in pain, doubling over while trying to extract splinters from his backside. In his struggle, he flailed aimlessly in a rather pitiful series of movements not unlike a helpless young Mixamal.
Almost immediately, she burst into boisterous laughter, falling off of the totem in the process. The impact alerted Gnashee, who turned around, confused, only for his expression to contort into bitter anger once he recognized the other Mixel.
"Gah, I should've known it was you of all Mixels, Kaynien!" he snapped, ripping out an especially large splinter from his ravaged back. "What's yer deal, anyhow? You like messin' with everyone 'round here, or just me?"
Kaynien, still roaring with laughter, choked out a response in between chortles. "Nah, I mess with most people around here. You're just an especially good target," she replied, gasping for breath. "By the way, how are those splinters treating ya? Ain't too sharp if you didn't see them coming, are you?" She broke into a fresh bout of giggles at her own joke.
Gnashee gritted his teeth in frustration. His reputation was admittedly less than ideal among his workmates, but for the most part the others simply ignored him. Except for Kaynien. The reasoning for it was beyond him, but she among all of his colleagues exhibited the most unadulterated animosity toward him.
Maybe it was to get back at the snarky comments he'd hurl her way regarding her lazy attitude, or maybe it was because she simply had nothing better to do with her time. Regardless, one thing was abundantly clear to Gnashee: he was sick and tired of coming home still picking splinters out of his skin or recovering from impacts from spontaneously airborne logs. As far as he was concerned, he couldn't care less if Kaynien suddenly disappeared off the face of Planet Mixel.
"So you like cracking your little jokes, do ya?" Gnashee growled, ambling over to the still-cackling Kaynien. "How's about this? Funny enough for you, you worthless slacker?!" He then chucked a mass of leftover wood shavings out of his maw, spewing it directly at his colleague.
Kaynien simply rolled to the side, perfectly dodging the wad of soggy shrapnel. "That's the best you gots?" she casually asked. Her mouth curled into a vindictive grin. "Damn, that is funny, actually – the only thing worse than your attitude is your aim!"
"What is going on here?"
Both Fang Gangsters immediately whipped their heads toward the sound of the sudden voice, eyes wide. Their chief supervisor, Elmunch, approached them, his brow furrowed in disapproval. Gnashee opened his mouth to reply, prepared to throw Kaynien under the bus. Unfortunately for him, she was faster.
"Oh, you know, Gnashee was just messing around as usual, making a mess and all," Kaynien stated, her tone brimming with as much innocence as she could muster. "I stepped in to check on him, but things got outta hand, and that's how we ended up where we are now."
Elmunch merely pinched his brow in frustration. He had full responsibility over the entire log-carving team, and far too much of his energy, in his humble opinion, was spent managing two miscreants who got into one too many altercations. Normally, they would be due for another reprimanding, but not today. Elmunch's patience had spread too thin given the high workloads; forfeiting two more years of his lifespan to dealing with underachieving slackers was hardly worth it anymore.
"Look, I don't care what it is this time, but just get back to the carving stations, will ya?" Elmunch said, tone dripping with fatigue. "Crunchon just came back with a fresh batch of rimeblades and we're about to be pumping out logs like crazy, so we need you two ASAP. Is that clear?"
Both Mixels nodded, their expressions stoic.
"Good." He turned in the direction of the logging site, trudging away. "Consider yourselves lucky that I've got more important tasks to attend to."
As Elmunch wandered off into the distance, Kaynien turned to Gnashee, smirking. Given his loudmouthed personality, she was fortunate to sweet-talk Elmunch out of investigating further. Gnashee said nothing, glaring daggers at her. He headed off toward the main logging area, with Kaynien following several moments after.
As she made the trek back to her assigned post, Kaynien maintained a casual but consistent pace, just the right speed to make her return trip somewhat relaxing. While she was often as loud and chatty as many of her tribemates, she maintained a mellow, go-with-the-flow philosophy, not being inclined to any particular pathway or opportunity…unless it involved furthering her own goals, of course. Kaynien believed that every moment of life was worth relishing, even if she had to find ways to forcefully squeeze dopamine out of said moments.
Of course, this led to her accruing a number of common labels among her workmates and friends: lazy, unmotivated, sluggish – she had come to easily dismiss those, however.
That didn't mean she lacked talent or skills, however; she certainly had those – she simply would only utilize them at her personal discretion, which was not often. Her surprising level of proficiency when it came to carving logs was a quality that both impressed and baffled her superiors. If she was this skilled, why not go further to benefit the entire team, as well as the company?
Put simply, Kaynien only did so out of obligation. Had she her druthers, she would only do enough to scrape by (which, she suspected, was how she still remained in her current position), while crafting totems for her own leisure, which was a large factor in her skill to begin with. Alas, that was a future that remained a dream at present.
It wasn't long before Kaynien had returned to the main logging site, a large clearing furnished with intricate machines and towering piles of wooden logs and totem poles. Activity was at a constant high, the omnipresent chatter of workers and clattering of machinery forming an incessant choir of background noise. Fang Gangsters of varying shapes and sizes gnawed away at sturdy, thick logs, molding them into the intricate totems their tribe was famous for. A few had even Mixed to tackle larger loads.
Paying no heed to her colleagues, Kaynien made her way to her assigned pile. At a glance, she had been given two to three dozen logs – Elmunch's statement about the accelerated workload was clearly proven correct.
Kaynien groaned. She didn't like having to deal with this much material, but it was her responsibility, so she may as well get started.
Reaching up, her claws dug into one of the logs near the top of the pile, before wrestling it down to meet the grassy earth below. Although it was cut from a sturdy, high-quality elmbirch, its surface felt like putty in Kaynien's claws. It was an innate familiarity that was present in every member of her tribe, one that aided them in the many tasks that comprised their daily lives.
Instinct soon overrode conscious thought as Kaynien's fangs dug into the rigid, stalwart wood, splinters flying in all directions. The basis of their unique abilities, the process of carving and chopping wood with nothing but their incredibly robust teeth was imprinted within the subconscious of all Fang Gangsters, and Kaynien was no different. She didn't deliberate even slightly over any intricate details as her most powerful natural weapons did what they did best: incisors stripping away swathes of bark, canines lacerating deciduous flesh into malleable pulp.
Despite her initial aversions, Kaynien quickly found herself settling into the all-too-familiar rhythms of natural carpentry, churning out totem after totem at a blisteringly fast rate, even as more were delivered to her. Her teeth moved with the speed and precision of buzzsaws, slicing the ligneous flesh apart, slowly forming elaborate patterns of intimidating faces and symbols. To tell the truth, she didn't mind carving wood too much – the techniques ingrained in her subconscious meant her mind was allowed to wander freely – she simply found it painfully mundane.
By the time Kaynien had completed her batch, she was exhausted. Her teeth screamed for relief, every inch of her jaws aching. Even the most talented carvers had their limits at one point or another, and besides, what harm was there in taking another quick break? It wasn't as if she couldn't return to help out if the others ended up overwhelmed.
She turned around to face the array of totems that now stood in place of the sturdy pile of logs, admiring her own craftsmanship. Needless to say, there was nothing to worry about as far as her skills were concerned.
Trotting away from her pile, Kaynien ambled through the clearing, glancing at her colleagues. While all pursued their goal with equal gusto, their skill levels vastly differed. Some gnawed away at their logs as effortlessly as Kaynien had, while others were fatigued after tackling four or five at a time. To remedy this, a strong sentiment of cooperation was ever-present throughout the department, as well as the entire site: if the strong assisted the weak, all would prosper in the end. Kaynien would have agreed with such an ideology if she was not already occupied with her own tasks.
Eventually, she came across a large rock encircled by vibrant plants, partially separated from the main area. Clambering onto the rock, Kaynien reclined across it, taking in the fragrant mild breeze. Any remnants of stress or exhaustion quickly melted away as her breathing relaxed. Even though some would argue she was less than deserving of them, Kaynien found these breaks extremely soothing: they gave her respite from her bustling schedules and provided her with ample time to clear her mind and relax. Even Elmunch berating her hardly deterred from continuing this habit.
As she gazed at the landscape before her, eyes drifting casually from one area to another, she soon noticed something was amiss – in particular, the sudden absence of Cuz-Pihd.
Among her closest friends, Cuz-Pihd were a duo of conjoined Mixels, two consciousnesses in a single body. The two were notorious for arguing constantly during their shifts, and their scatterbrained, oblivious personalities hardly helped matters. Even so, they got along quite well with Kaynien, and they often spent their breaks and off-days crafting new schemes or playing log toss.
Kaynien's content smile faded. It wasn't normal for Cuz-Pihd to be absent, much less for such a long stretch of time. She hadn't seen them at all that day, as if they had suddenly vanished into thin air. Did they end up getting lost again? Given their reputations, it was likely a plausible explanation.
Although insouciant, the Fang Gangster deeply valued friendship and loyalty, and would assist those she cared about by any means necessary. Regardless of their whereabouts or their situation at present, she knew this situation was undoubtedly unusual. It was up to her if no one else could track them down.
Firstly, however, Kaynien needed a lead. Returning her attention to the carving site, her eyes inspected the area, jumping from Mixel to Mixel. The more clues she could gather about Cuz-Pihd's situation, the better.
A blunt thud to her left caught Kaynien's attention, drawing her toward its source. Near the threshold of the site, Elmunch was reclining against a massive machine akin to a chainsaw, launching mangled remains of Coconapples into the depths of the forest nearby. Kaynien's eyes lit up. She wasn't particularly fond of him, but his position meant he had information on every employee in her division, making him an optimal source.
Hopping off of the rock, Kaynien strutted over the border of the area, avoiding stray showers of wooden shrapnel. As she approached, Elmunch quickly took notice, his expression souring.
"What do you want, Kaynien?" he said, his tone dripping with annoyance. "Here to request another 'well-deserved' break?"
"Well, no…mostly because I just took one right now," Kaynien replied, following her remark with a light chuckle. When Elmunch merely rolled his eye, she straightened her posture, her smile fading.
"I noticed that Cuz-Pihd haven't been around recently, and it's kinda making me a little concerned," she explained. "Any idea where they might've gone?"
Elmunch rubbed the frill on his chin, lost in contemplation. After several moments of silence, he turned his gaze back to Kaynien, the initial irritation in his expression now diluted somewhat.
"Now that you mention it…" the cycloptic Fang Gangster said, "Last time I saw 'em was when I sent them off to gather more plants for dyes in the deeper parts of the district." He glanced at his watch. "Should've been back by now, I reckon. Why do you ask?"
Kaynien took a moment to fully formulate her reply, sucking in a breath. She stared Elmunch directly in the eye as she spoke.
"I just think that it should be handled as soon as possible, y'know?" she stated. "Sure, I may not have the greatest work ethic, but I do think that as many of us should be on deck as possible if we want to get our jobs done. Plus, I know Cuz-Pihd better than anyone else here, so I wanna be the one to track them down. Just to make sure they're in one piece and all."
Elmunch's brow furrowed again, yet this time it was more in contemplation than disapproval. She was exerting every iota of willpower not to show it, but Kaynien desperately hoped that she could convince him. The two had had a turbulent history throughout Kaynien's career, but no matter how many times he had chewed her out (figuratively, thankfully) or cut her hours, Elmunch never truly gave up on his employee. She suspected that the few positive qualities she displayed were the lifeline that kept her tethered to the pillar of her supervisor's trust.
After several suspenseful moments, Elmunch's expression relaxed. "I get what you mean," he said. "I mean, my job is to keep y'all in line, so of course I agree that we need as many of us on board as we can." Kaynien could feel the tension ebbing away.
"Tell ya what," Elmunch said, glancing toward the forest bordering the carving site. "Since you've already filled your quota, I'll let you head off to go hunt down Cuz-Pihd…wherever they are this time." He pointed to his left, toward a particularly thick stretch of forest. "They went thataways, if I recall correctly. You should be able to find them from there."
"Yes! Thanks a million!" Kaynien cheered, preparing to rush off toward the forest. An outstretched hand from Elmunch stopped her, however.
"I appreciate your initiative, but just because you're willing to step up for once doesn't mean I still don't have my eye on you," he said, his tone now more stern. "You gots until 4:00 to bring them back."
The sciurine Fang Gangster nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, I won't let you down!" She instantly took off toward the forest, tearing through the shrubbery and disappearing into the thicket. As he watched her, Elmunch could only sigh. I sure hope you won't, he thought to himself.
Tangling snakevines dangling from the dense canopy were cleaved in two by a dark-colored claw as Kaynien waded through suffocating foliage. Roughly an hour had passed since she had begun her search, and she had yet to discover a single sign of Cuz-Pihd's presence.. A slight opening in the broad, compact elmbirch canopy dozens of feet above her relayed that plenty of time still remained. Good enough for now, she thought to herself. Kaynien pressed on, pushing aside various weeds and flowering plants.
Sharing an innate connection to the planet's diverse environments, the Fang Gang had personally requested their district to be as natural as possible, with any developments made strictly using its natural resources. Consequently, a sizable portion was dedicated to vast pockets of elmbirch forests, housing a vast array of native flora and fauna. While they diligently ensured that the reserves were as undisturbed as possible, the Fang Gang still acknowledged the existence of hostile Mixamals, and many residents and visitors alike were warned of the dangers of the depths of the forests.
Though Kaynien was well aware of these dangers, her determination to locate her missing friends outshone her wariness, however. If all went well, she and the twins could return to the carving site unscathed, and most wild Mixamals would hardly be an issue with their combined power.
Would Kaynien even find Cuz-Pihd, though, in what seemed like an endless maze of towering trunks and winding snakevines? She hated to admit it, but she knew her time was finite. The further she went, the more treacherous her task would become. Her greatest fear was that the entire journey was ultimately futile, and Cuz-Pihd were waiting safely back at the logging site.
Deep within the recesses of her mind, she could feel a voice whispering to her, attempting to cajole her into conceding the search and returning to safety. Despite its tempting words and her mounting fatigue, however, Kaynien ultimately decided to persevere. As alluring as it sounded to return to her secluded space, idly relaxing as the day whiled away, she had a promise to fulfill for both her friends' sake and her own. Throwing out some half-hearted excuse for Elmunch wouldn't work anyway – as far as he was concerned, she was treading on thin ice.
Suddenly, her foot collided against something solid, causing her to recoil in pain. Looking down, she had expected to see a rock stubbornly wedged into the earth, or a resting Mixamal. What she instead found made her eyes widen to the size of Cubit Balls.
A brown Cubit shard lay before her, partially covered by snakevines. Awestruck by its sheer beauty, Kaynien picked it up, turning it over as its crystalline surface glimmered in the light. Its abnormally large size and untarnished surface were more than enough to entrance the wily Fang Gangster, until its core began to vividly glow.
She attempted to protect her eyes, the glow utterly overwhelming. At that moment, however, a throng of ethereal voices invaded her consciousness, whispering to her about unfamiliar concepts…something about a forgotten prophecy and a successor taking up a mantle. It was all so overwhelming, yet it seemed important, as if it were a product of destiny – not that Kaynien particularly believed in such things.
The dissonant choir then dissipated, as if it had never been. Kaynien furrowed her brow as she gazed at the shard in her hand, perplexed by what she had experienced. She hadn't the slightest idea where this could have possibly come from, nor why it reacted the way it did to her own touch. It was as if there was some kind of mystical quality to it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of shrill shrieks to her right; unmistakably both of Cuz-Pihd's. Kaynien bolted through the foliage, shard still in hand, racing towards the source of the voices. There was a time when she could solve the mystery of the shard, but that time was certainly not now.
Kaynien burst through a set of bushes into a vast clearing, gasping for air as she stopped. Regaining her stamina, the Fang Gangster directed her eyes upward, only for them to widen at what she saw.
In the middle of the clearing, scrambling around like a startled Crunch Doodle, was Cuz-Pihd, ducking and running every which way to avoid the impacts of their aggressor: a massive Rhinolin, its armored tail thrashing wildly, making the earth quake beneath the Mixels' feet each time it collided with the ground.
Of all the scenarios Kaynien had envisioned on her way here, this was among the absolute worst. An aggressive, resilient species, Rhinolins were one of the most ferocious Mixamals, one that the Fang Gang especially feared. It was common sense to avoid them at all costs, for even standing a chance at battling one would require the combined strength of two to three Mixels at once – in some cases, even more.
As the armored behemoth slammed its tail down again, the shockwave sent Cuz-Pihd flying directly toward Kaynien, who managed to dodge the airborne duo in the nick of time. The conjoined Mixels tumbled in a haphazard somersault before finally stopping, groaning as they laid in the ground face-first. Stumbling to their feet, they struggled to regain their bearings, each attempting to move in a different direction, which only heightened their shared frustration.
"I told you going right washn't a good idea back there!" Cuz snapped, his sharp buck teeth bared. "But did you lishten? No, of courshe not! And now we're running for our livesh all becaushe you can't cooperate!"
"As if you knew any better!" Pihd shot back, rolling her eyes. "Besides, if I let you take the reins, you would've gotten us lost as usual! This is where the best-quality plants for totem dye are! I know this stuff, unlike you!"
"Ah, yesh, it'll be sho eashy to get shome hydrunia dye when we're inshide a Rhinolin'sh digeshtive tract!"
"'Sup, you two? Gots yourselves between a rock and a hard place, eh?"
The twins whipped their heads around at the sound of Kaynien's voice, their eyes instantly lighting up. "Kaynien!" both cheered, grabbing her in a brief hug, Kaynien happily returning the gesture. As they parted, however, Cuz's expression shifted to one of concern.
"Wait, what are you doing here?" he asked, confused. "I thought you were shtill on carving duty."
"I was, but then I noticed you two went AWOL, so I decided to hunt you guys down," Kaynien casually replied. "Can't leave my best friends all by their lonesome, can I?"
"Well, I appreciate the concern, but we were actually doing fine. Until shomeone gotsh ush into thish messh."
"Don't pin this on me! How was I supposed to know there would be a Rhinolin of all things wandering around here?" Pihd indignantly replied, glaring at her brother.
Kaynien rolled her eyes. It seemed as if there was never a waking moment in which they weren't at each other's throats. She considered stepping in to break them up by force, until another presence abruptly caught her attention.
"Uh, guys, hate to interrupt, but you might wanna move. Like, now!" she exclaimed, before diving off to the side. Both twins turned their heads in confusion, before hurriedly doing the same, narrowly avoiding a headbutt from the rampaging Rhinolin. It ended up slamming into a tree, felling it with a single blow. Unfazed from the impact, it quickly repositioned itself, its sights now set on Kaynien.
Kaynien leapt out of its path to avoid another charge, wincing as she heard the sounds of elmbirch bark shattering apart. Scampering around frantically, Kaynien's eyes darted across the clearing, scouring the landscape for potential means of defense. There wasn't too much stray wood lying around – at least, what hadn't already been demolished by the Rhinolin. She could chomp down and spew out refined logs with ease, but gnawing wooden ammo from whole trees was another challenge entirely.
She was running low on time, though, and an enraged Rhinolin was as unpredictable as it was deadly. There was no telling how it would act next, so it was imperative to respond with utmost initiative. Rushing over to a smashed-in tree, Kaynien grabbed up the splintered chunks that had broken off from the Mixamal's blows. Not the best option, but it was all she had to work with for now. Devouring the wooden fragments, she chewed them up vigorously, crushing them to bits.
Another ominous rumble shook the ground. The Rhinolin raced toward her once more, its imposing horns aimed directly at her head. Stancing herself, she puffed up her cheeks before launching a barrage of splinters from her mouth. They flew through the air like a swarm of miniature missiles, raining down on the cantankerous beast in groups of hundreds.
Alas, the beast was totally unaffected.
Kaynien's face fell instantly. As the Rhinolin closed in, beady eyes staring down the helpless Fang Gangster, she internally accepted her fate. Secretly, she had hoped for a more soothing fate, but it seems life had dealt her an unfortunate hand in her final moments.
From out of nowhere, a huge log soared through the air, forcefully colliding with the Rhinolin. It did not seem to be harmed, but it was successfully stunned, left stumbling about. Glancing to her left, Kaynien caught sight of Cuz-Pihd in the distance, who stood triumphantly as they watched the dazed Mixamal. She sighed in relief, happy that she could always rely on her friends in times of need.
Their solution was short-lived, however, as the Rhinolin recomposed itself before driving its front foot into the ground, sending tremors through the earth and launching Kaynien and her shard into mid-air. She landed nearby Cuz-Pihd, scattering dust in all directions. Bringing herself back to her feet, she was immediately offered a brown Cubit by the twins.
"Why don't we show this brute how we Fang Gangsters roll?" Pihd asked, confidently smirking. The sciurine Fang Gangster grinned, her prominent teeth glimmering. "Thought you'd never ask," she replied, grabbing onto the Cubit and activating its illusion. The ore spawned a gigantic elmbirch tree from thin air, which swayed to and fro before toppling entirely, crushing the Mixels. Suddenly, bite marks began to appear across the tree's trunk, before it burst violently, revealing a bestial Mix with rows of teeth comparable to those of a Piranha Rex. Kaynien's shard was now embedded in their chest, softly glowing.
Newly invigorated from the transformation, the Mix charged headlong toward the Rhinolin, leaping up to avoid its oversized horns. Landing on its back, the Mix opened wide before sinking their myriad fangs into the Rhinolin's callused skin.
Even with its impressive natural defenses, the combined power of three Fang Gangsters was enough to penetrate the Rhinolin's skin, causing it to roar loudly in pain. It then flailed about violently in an effort to rid itself of its assailant. The Mix only bit harder in response, hanging on as tightly as possible. Again and again it gnawed at the Rhinolin, causing it to thrash around even more. Despite the Mixamal's defiance, it was clear its stamina was wearing thin. Two or three more well-placed crunches would surely vanquish the beast, the Mix surmised.
The Mix had failed to account for its tail, however – a massive blunder on their part. One swing sent them arcing through the air and into a cluster of trees. Without their crucial leverage, the Mix found themselves staring down an enraged Mixamal that was more than willing to impale them on its own horns. The situation seemed dire, one that they likely wouldn't escape from in one piece. Unbeknownst to either, however, the Cubit shard in the Mix's chest began to glow brightly, coursing ancient energy through their body.
Now newly reinvigorated, the Mix glanced toward the nearby trees, an idea coalescing in its shared mind. With the Rhinolin stancing itself for another assault, the Mix began to work at blistering speed. Trunks snapped from roots, the Mix gobbling each one down.
Its patience at an end, the Rhinolin stormed forth, emitting a deep, guttural cry.
The Mix repositioned itself, taking an aggressive stance. The Mixamal drew closer, closer still, but the Mix remained still, waiting patiently for the optimal moment to strike.
Seconds before contact, the Mix unleashed their counterattack, upchucking a high-speed barrage of logs at point-blank range. The first few were easily brushed off, but the final, largest log struck the Rhinolin directly in its underbelly. The Rhinolin was sent flying back from the sheer force, slamming into an especially large tree and obliterating it on impact. Its fighting spirit extinguished, the Rhinolin turned tail and disappeared into the forest as the Mix split.
"That wash AWESOME!" Cuz cheered. "I've never felt sho powerful before! I can't believe we took down a Rhinolin that big!"
"Totally. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I can't remember the last time I felt that much energy," Pihd remarked, observing the now-wrecked clearing before the Mixels. "Anyhow, thanks a bunch, Kaynien. Couldn't have done it without ya."
"Aw, it was nothing. Like I said, gots to help my best buds whenever I can," the Fang Gangster grinned.
Cuz then glanced off toward his right, his eyes lighting up as he noticed a patch of multicolored flowers. "Hey, check it out! A fresh patch of hydruniash! Guessh they were around here after all," he exclaimed, taking off with Pihd as they went to harvest them.
As Kaynien watched the duo head off, she mulled over their words. She had also felt the same unexpected surge of energy during their battle, yet its source was a total mystery. It was too powerful to simply be adrenaline – now that she thought about it, it was uncannily similar to what she had felt upon first discovering the shard.
She gazed at the Cubit shard in her palm, its glow now faint. Now that she looked at it more closely, it was undeniable there was a certain mystical quality to the artifact, one unlike any other Cubit. She had more questions than she knew what to do with, but hardly knew where to start.
A shout from Cuz-Pihd caught her attention, prompting her to turn to see them holding a bounty of hydrunias, preparing to head off. Grasping the Cubit shard, Kaynien followed suit, departing the clearing along with the twins. It was best not to try Elmunch's patience, anyway.
Fortunately, Kaynien's excursion was a complete success. Not only had she returned with Cuz-Pihd in tow on time, but they had brought back more than enough material for dyeing totems. Many were happy to see Cuz-Pihd return safely, and Elmunch even commended Kaynien in front of the entire team. "Though I know you only did this for the sake of your friends," he had said, "you were still willing to risk your own safety for them, and I respect that." Needless to say, her spirits were lifted particularly high that day.
As she headed home for the day, strolling through the lush suburban lanes, Kaynien's mind swam with thoughts as she reflected on the day's events, from taunting Gnashee to facing down the feral Rhinolin. Rarely were her days so remarkably eventful. She pondered what would've happened had she not taken the journey into the forest after all.
Even with Elmunch's praise, though, she didn't particularly plan on changing her work habits. She'd had enough excitement for roughly a week or so, and was more than content to slip back into her comfortable routine, regardless of whatever Elmunch chose to berate her for next. Hopefully he wouldn't, considering the Rhinolin incident gave a much-needed boost to her reputation. Yet, would it be enough?
Kaynien stared down at the shard in her palm as it gently pulsed with energy, a soft glow illuminating its core. It was still as much of a mystery as when she found it, and as far as she was aware, it hadn't reacted since she had first found it. Yet she felt as if this was truly meant for her, a cryptic secret dwelling in its depths, waiting for her to finally decipher it - whatever it truly was.
That was a conundrum to solve another day, however. Regardless of what this Cubit shard was meant for, she was more than content to go on whatever wondrous ride it took her on and gradually uncover its secrets for herself, no matter what adversity she encountered along the way. After all, that was her core philosophy: to let the winds of fate act as her guide and to forge her own path wherever she pleased.