In the midst of war, a lone protogen sets out to survive rather than thrive, after his ship crashes on earth. Will he make it back to a home he never had?
Disclaimer: this is a fictional work. Correlation between real world events and this story's c...
A dark haze floated through the starless vantage of the forest floor. Mud and pine needles clung to his feet, but he didn't care. Tidiness only mattered if he survived long enough do do something about his matted fur. The protogen froze, digging himself deeper into the hollow of a tree. He was invisible still (fortunately), but invisibility didn't exactly help much when you couldn't see anything yourself!
He debated his course of action for a torturously long moment, before peeking his head out of the brush and into the mist. Even with the sensors in his visor, the visibility was next to none. A torrent of water in droplet form had beaten down on him mercilessly for the longer half of the night.
Though the mechanical components of his legs were locked, the rest of his body had the shakes, which was something he thought would have been impossible. Soaked and heavy, he doubled over, suddenly feeling the need to gasp for air. Anxiety and humidity don't mix well, especially when you know you're being followed.
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At the sound of snapped twigs and approaching footsteps, the protogen steeled his remaining strength and whipped back into the sodden tree. There was no time for thoughts anymore, only silence. Muffled shouting became distinct voices as lights began to flash back and forth in the fog.
Time slowed to a painful crawl when the squelch of boots pattered cautiously past his cover. They sloshed to a halt every few feet, and the protogen could tell that whoever it was, they were leaving no stone unturned. His claws dug deep grooves into the trunk of the tree as his heart began to pound. There was no more running; his battered body couldn't keep moving after having been hunted for an entire day.
In one swift movement, a surprise stomp echoed in front of the hollowed tree as an intense light blinded him. He didn't dare flinch. The hiding spot had been found, but he hadn't... yet. The brightness pierced every angle of the space and the protogen felt eyes pass right through him... or on him. Nothing moved but the waves of rain outside as he stood there, unsheltered yet unrecognized, unseen like a shadow chased by light. The blinding beam aimed at the floor suddenly jumped up to peer at the ceiling.
He held his bag tucked close, praying breathlessly that the refraction field that hid himself extended to his heavy black satchel as well.
Disappointed (and maybe embarrassed) that nothing had become of shock tactics, the light flicked back around as if the seeker had suddenly realized all the ways they had left themselves exposed.
As the sound of footsteps began to fade, he heaved a natural breath for the first time in 26 minutes. Breathing was rapid at the start, but after a moment it slowed to match the artificially relaxed pace from seconds before. With a faint and exhausted sigh, he unlocked his legs and slowly crouched, relief flooding through him. As he ever so quietly set down his satchel, a new sense of nervous peace dawned on him as well. This was a victory. He was hardly safe—hardly alive, but now he knew he could survive here.
The soggy protogen wrung his tail, curled into a ball against his bag, and waited for the rest cycle to take him. He could do this. He knew he could, but what did he need? Work had to be done and assessments were overdue. He wasn't exactly safe yet, but he was too exhausted to care. Thoughts and checklists jumbled inconclusively in the protogen's mind until at last the lights in his head grew faint and his visor went black.
Shorter chapter today. I have big plans for our protogen friend! Don't worry, he won't be in hiding for much longer.
May I offer you a nice Kukri in this trying time?
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The youngest of all the Protogens in Risha's crew, Kukri is the innocent heart of the bunch. Created on Esmire 4 by his fellow protogens, he is one of the first in a generation to truly be free from the tyranny of the Primogenate Nehixim. His time on the Paragon has mostly been spent tending to the needs of his mentor Alastor. Though he has a soft spot and is often seen as a little naive... the knowledge he has gained from the wise one makes his blade a force to be reckoned with. Speaking of which, he won't admit it to you, but he has a deep passion for knife collecting.
Anyway, I had a quick question for you guys! In previous chapters I pasted relevant Spotify links to make the vibes of the book more immersive. Should I keep doing that? Let me know in the comments! Feel free to give suggestions or questions of your own^^.
