Taken (Part Three)
"Hang her!"
"Kill her!"
"Eat her!"
Chants of "ALL THREE! ALL THREE!" devoured your dreams, swinging chains, laminated skulls of various creatures adorned ominous halls as far as the eye could see. The smell of iron and rot, spoiled foliage and muck clung to corners of walls. Not so gentle reminders of how those forgotten stains had earned their keep. Lightning flashes, sparking purples and brilliant white. There's a rumble in the distance, rolling towards you as if on a mission. And maybe it was because Taabe was there, standing in front of you, an arm outstretched towards you. You felt yourself crying, your vision blurry as you ran and clung to him, it was all a nightmare. A terrible nightmare, something was wrong, you should probably see someone about that when you get home… only as you held him he turned to ash, falling apart between your fingers. One last brush of his braids woke you up. Surrounded in darkness and beeping lights from a mainframe around the corner brought you back to your sick reality.
The Yautja that stole you away had done this many times as he'd voice in a low growl several times, had a decent size metal cage in his corner of chambers on the planet, which planet you couldn't even begin to annunciate. The others tried and idid scare you once you had landed to the home base, whoops and cheers went all around in various pitches until the predator pulled you out, shaking you around like some Victorian rag doll. They snarled and opened wide their mouths, showing off their incredible fangs and jaws. They could eat you alive. So he hauled you into his room of sorts, walls lined with weapons and achievements, some glowing liquid taunted you at night when trying to sleep. You're still 50/50 on whether it's alive or not. You jerked making some noise, enough that the predator who was kicked back in a poured looking chair turned his head from the side to see you.
"Another nightmare I take it?" His voice dripped, still not used to the sickly sound.
"My life is nightmare." You threw back and sat up, he was at least kind enough to loan you a worn and had seen better days blanket and pillow.
"Don't be so dramatic. You humans are always so dramatic." He held up his giant paw and wiggled his fingers at you dismissively.
There was no sense in fighting with him anyway, he always waved you off. You weren't a threat. You can still see the look on Taabe's face, handing you tea. The last warm thing you had in awhile, physically and ingesting wise. Yautja don't drink anything hot other than blood.
The clan towered over you immensely, at least 10 feet tall, even their young stood ahead above. The women were even bigger, you'd get lost in the crowd if it weren't for your captor keeping you close when matters were to be discussed. You reminded yourself to make another notch next to the others along the wall behind your cage. So far you had survived months on sheer hatred and will. You had to survive for Taabe, he wouldn't get the opportunity to grow in age and wisdom, there would be no more ceremonies, no grand entries, no passing knowledge to your children. It made your heart ache.
"By the way," the predator said, moving coordinates around a planet that lay suspended above his forearm contraption, spinning it to the other side and zooming in. "We're going off world. Get dressed."
It wasn't a suggestion it was a fact. One of the women tripped you as you walked down the ramp, you brushed yourself off and followed him towards the ship. He opened the hatch and shoved you inside. Why didn't he leave you in the home bass for a hunt? He didn't trust that there would be any DNA left of you if he had, can't have a misplaced trophy after all. You kept a watchful eye on his movements in the cockpit, what accelerated, what yellow button NOT to press, what that dial on the glass meant, different cloaking styles to stay hidden and stealthy. Sometimes you'd wish they would give in and lend you a set of your own matching armor in the option you might feel like a new member or in the way that you had picked up on how to cloak yourself and run away. Where to run away to; you'd have to ride on the seat of your pants to escape on that one. The lasting image of Taabe on the ground, looking at you or wishful thinking, of looking at you being hauled away was still fresh every time you had gotten in this damn machine.
He told you to stay close, stay quiet, obey. You made yourself useful by listening, keeping a steady stride as you have done a handful of times, back to back in search. You walked backward, guided by his sleek movements and gentle yet terrifying clicking. You didn't even know what you were looking for. This planet was windy, tall thick grass squished and swayed in the breeze like a sea. You missed the water. One of your first vacations with Taabe was to the sea, lapping waves, soft sandy shoreline, the way the sky had blended in with the water to make it all look magical. And it was.
Suddenly he halted and clicked slightly higher in tone, surveying the area. You didn't see or hear anything but the dancing grass. He patted your shoulder and you kept going.
"What am I looking for?"
"I told you to behave." He grunted back at you through his mask.
"I am but what are we looking for? is it certain animal? what color should I look for?"
"Quiet woman, you will not cause me a loss."
"If you want my help-"
He stopped short and whirled around on you, both paws on your shoulders, his sharp claws digging into the meat of your arms like an Eagle clutches a fresh trout.
"Be quiet. You'll know it when you see it."
"How will I know if you don't tell me what were looking for?" For being so far and advanced sometimes they were sorta stunted in reasoning and rightfully so. Their hunters; not scholars.
"You'll know when--"
The Yautja wasn't there anymore. His claws had ripped your top but other the searing pain of ripped flesh, you wouldn't know he was ever there at all. The grass wished harder as if it knew and maybe it did, things were being revealed to you at a rapid pace as it was.
You spun all around yourself. Nothing but grass and sky, no birds, nothing but the bruised colored sky. He told you to behave even though the first thing you wanted to shout out his name. Whatever had taken him had come from the right of you. You ducked down into the grassy coverage, pushing them apart like stalks in a corn field. There was nothing. No grunting from the predator or whatever had snatched him. You didn't even see a color just his mask and then open scenery. iIt was eerie. Whatever it was was stealthy, you didn't even feel or hear it coming. You kept down every few yards you'd ease your head up. Nothing. You turned around and kept swimming through the grass. There was a sound in the distance, something was rolling, maybe a boulder of some kind had come down from a mountain or hill. But there were neither on the planet. You had popped your head up once more, the rolling sound getting louder and louder, it rumbled beneath your feet. You didn't have a weapon on you so what exactly are you going to do?
When you stood one more time, your heart dropped to the floor. The sights before you was breathtaking and incredibly frightening at the same time. You had found the source of the rolling but at what cost? There was a group of 30 deep bird like creatures that instantly reminded you of those Shoebill storks documentaries you had watched over the summer. Only they were 3 times the size and thicker, their eyes a bright canary yellow, their dangerous beaks looked massive enough to rip your head off in one chomp. The cause of the sound was them pushing and rolling rocks to flatten the grass so they could be comfortable and rest. As soon as you saw them, they saw you, all their heads in unison cocked to either side, slowly blinking and sizing you up as you noticed a few smaller ones had gently put down their stones and turned fully towards.
"Sorry to interrupt." You nervously said to a group of wild animals, you panicked and squealed as you ran away through the grass as fast you could. The rolling stopped but not the squawking had started, it was so loud and carried on the breeze of the planet, they sounded like they were everywhere all at once. You ran as fast as you could not knowing where you were headed, a sea of green, giant birds and you. Where was the Yautja? Maybe you should just run back to the ship and get the hell out of here, he has connections to the home base someone could surely find him and bring him home right? as the screeching got closer and your legs got tired, pushing past the grass you kept going on survival mode, blood pounded in your ears and then you fell. Rather you were knocked down. The predator had collapsed on top of you, rolling both of you to your sides, his mask chipped and covered in neon green blood, he stunk.
"I thought I told you to-"
"Not now man, these things are after me!" You shouted as he lifted his head, hearing the creeping sounds, he grunted and pressed a few button on his arm and in an instant a cloaking dome of protection surround you both. When you opened your eyes you could see the swaying grass and through the blades came those enormous creatures. They stalked about, completely oblivious to you and the predator, they seemed to sniff the air around them, knowing something was off but they could no longer see the threat. They moved on after a few minutes, while you laid on your side you felt something wet on your leg. You prayed those creatures didn't scare you too much and you pissed yourself or even worse, the Yautja did! You looked over to him and he did not look good. He looked clammy while he always looked dry before, his breathing was labored as he caught his breath.
"Hey, are you alright?" You asked, actual concern on your voice, because there was no way you'd be about to carry his big ass back to the craft.
" 'm fine. Just a scratch." He grunted, giving his true pain away.
"Any time anyone says that, creature kind or human, that's never good. Where are you hurt? let me see."
He groaned and turned his back to you. You gasped. On his side, under his rib was a huge gash, his split hide seeping florescent blood to the ground and your clothes. That must've been when fight started, you thought. "WOAH! you got some of those sealers on the ship right? For emergencies?"
"Of course," he wheeled and put a paw over it, pulling away with a wince when he saw his vibrant blood on his claws. "The one time I don't have 'em on me…"
Even though he was two heads, at least, taller, he let you guide him back towards the ship, leaning his weight on you to the point you might have nerve damage. He was able to punch in the code to open the hatch and collapsed pretty hard on the floor. You closed it quickly and began your hunt for the med kit, finding more weapons than aid.
"How's your stomach?" You faintly heard him ask through the darkness and your pilfering.
"What? You didn't land on my stomach." Your side ached like a bitch though, Yautja do not carry their weight lightly.
"So you feel alright, considering?"
"I'm better off than you!" You shouted and then sprung with another shout of "EUREKA!" before coming to his side. "Considering what, exactly?"
"Your condition."
He had enough strength left to lift his arm, unfurl his claw and pointed to you as you rifled through for something to clean and seal the wound.
"What condition?" You asked, finding spray bacteria spray, who knows what is even on this planet? And a laser stitch.
"You're growing a youngling," he said, placing his palm on your belly. He was overly warm and your heart was beating faster with each passing second. "You need more meat."
"What?"
He passed out from the pain soon there after, leaving you in a hazy cloud of confusion. His paw falling on your lap, you swallowed hard for eternity. He had to be making this up, surely. The pain must be too much maybe he thinks of his own family. There are a handful of pregnant Yautja wading around the home planet.
To get your mind straight after layering him back up, you took up the task of trying to sort out his mask, how much damage did he take, did he even kill the beast? Was this all for nothing?
You woke up with his mask still in your hands, leaned back in the co pilot chair, covered up with a spare tarp, aside from the one you found and laid over the predator. He was just starting to stir awake himself, voicing his pain and frustration.
"You'll need to let that heal a bit, cut was pretty deep." You yawned and tossed him his broken mask.
"Figured." He sighed and took your hand when he felt ready to stand, gently getting him back to a seated position at the cock pit.
"You said something last night," you pressed and turned his chair to face yours. "You said I have a condition."
"Yes."
"I don't believe you."
"That is your choice." He said and spun around only for you to spin him back.
"That is not an answer."
The predator roared and clicked in annoyance, barring his fangs as he leaned forward, cocking his head so his tubular dreads shifted over his shoulders. He sampled the air around you as you held your breath and sat perfectly still.
"About 15 weeks." Is all he said and all you heard rolling around in your head for the net few hours while he examined his other, not so dire wounds.
"How do you know?"
"Can smell it on you," he said after awhile, able to move his body around the cabin of the ship, "You reek."
"Thanks."
"We are stuck here until I am healed."
"Why cant we just got back home?"
The predator roared again, so loud you had to cover your ears and even though he was severely injured he heavily stomped back to the front to tower over you. He grabbed the back of your headrest, now his dreads hit iyour shoulder.
"I can't leave without my trophy. No Yautja returns home without a prize! SO WE ARE TO BUCKLE DOWN AND WAIT!" the fury in his voice rattled the inside.
"Fine. So if I'm eating for two what are we supposed to do until you're ready to hunt?" You felt safe enough after he let go of your chair and after he stormed down the corridor.
"You know how to use a bow?"
"A little, Taabe taught me some basic."
"That's all you'll need. There is a bow in that weapon cabinet on your right, this planet has little black birds in the trees on the other side. We'll fly there soon."
"Are we like a team now?"
Even from down the corridor you saw his back stiffen up before he looked back at you.
"No."
The hills weren't very nice to you, you had some ropes and cuts on your hands from the rough terrain. The higher you climbed the denser the trees got, bugs the size of your head dove at you like a threat.
The predator had tossed you a bag for the birds and pointed in a direction, telling you to nab as many as you could. The bag was getting heavy now as you continued to climb higher and get your fill, no more deadly storms on this side was a relief. Although maybe one of those could last you for a week. Hopefully you wouldn't have to here that long but it varied from Yautja to Yautja how fast their hides would heal. And by the way that gash had looked you might have to hang your hat here for awhile.
You cooked your portion of the little birds outside of the opened hatch of the craft, rotating them on little sticks the predator had given you. You spat out the the bones while the predator, who was mobile enough to sit outside with you, tore them in half, eating them raw. Blood and drool seeped down his mandible as he crunched through the net bird.
"You saved my life," he said and tossed a ripped off wing in the air and caught it swiftly between his teeth. "And in return I can save yours."
"What do you mean?" You spat again.
"Once I am well, you will help me get my trophy. We get the beast, I get my skull, I'll take you home."
"Like… home home?"
"Earth."
"Wait. But i thought I was your trophy from Earth? it would be pretty noticeable if you come back without me, don't you think?"
"They don't even notice you now! Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it but--"
"See," the predator said from his perch up on a branch above your position in the dirt. "I knew Taabe was a smart warrior. True warriors do not choose weak mates."
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