The Hunter's Song II: Lost Blood

Ch 25: Vengeance (Shale)

"Face me, Peleon!" I shouted across the white crystal flats with my battle axe drawn.

Blood for blood, my mate... I will be silent no more!

"You saved the lives of my pups, and I am grateful," I approached the Ancient as she stood on the perimeter of a razkur scrimmage match. "But it is nowhere near enough to atone for the death of my brother!"

She turned to me as the surrounding razkur and Zhaguai spectators vacated the area.

"You and I must shed blood in the name of Tharu."

It was not my intention to interrupt the razkur's competition, but this matter had been deferred for far too long. Also, I refused to disappoint Eh'kt and miss his ceremony.

Peleon howled and stepped forward, extending a pair of katanas and flexing her long black claws in the sunlight.

The blindfolded razkur warriors sparring among the echo-filled crystal shards paused their daggers and rotated their ears in our direction.

Peleon and I walked away from the small crowd while maintaining a fair distance from each other.

The taste of Eh'kt's tongue swirled against my own, lingered in my mouth.

I did not wish to end a life today, but my mate's ambrosial scent emboldened my flesh to engage in any method that would bring an honorable end to this conflict.

"I see you, Peleon," I made an official overture to combat.

The Ancient jut her chin and thwipped her long quills in acceptance. There was no evading the subject of Tharu ever again.

I caught my reflection staring up at me in the smooth crystal slab under my feet.

The deep crimson scales, our red eyes... His mane was long and red at the tips, just like mine. But most of all, I missed his smile.

That day I froze, facing the jaws of a beast four times my size.

We were taking a break from spearfishing and decided to start a horn-butting competition.

I'm not sure how long we were goofing off, but I recall Tharu's flush cheeks and both of us panting from running back and forth through the river current.

I was returning to the shore to get our spears because Peleon buzzed our gauntlets that she was on her way and we didn't want to get caught playing when we were supposed to be gathering dinner.

Then out of nowhere, the vau'puk leaped out.

My first thought was that I was dead and the best I could do was to yell for Tharu to run while the beast was preoccupied with ripping me apart.

I couldn't save Tharu. Not even by sacrificing my life.

My twin brother ran in without hesitation. I'd never witnessed an act more valiant and foolish.

At the time, we were older and larger than my boys, but we were still at least a cycle from earning our first weapons and we had certainly never taken on a creature of that power or mass.

I had long since come to terms with my weakness. We were unDreaded pups without weapons who weren't yet allowed to hunt carnivorous prey unsupervised. He and I did what we could to protect each other, but in that moment nothing could have improved the outcome.

It took hundreds of cycles to find some measure of balance but there remained one individual I couldn't forgive.

"Speak his name," I growled at Peleon

"He was Tharu," the Ancient's golden eyes were cold and quiet.

There was a small crowd of onlookers to our right, but the Zhaguai among the group directed the razkurs to give us a wide berth along with a few off-duty officers shooing people to disperse.