Genesis

Chapter 3

The landscape rushed past quickly. Nina controlled her breathing as she raced through the landscape. She grasped her dagger as she drew closer to the running foe. This thing is faster than I had imagined . She thought as she was running out of stamina. The Migurushi skidded to a stop in a turn of flight or fight response.
The Migurushi was an ugly creature. Pale white loose like skin. It had no eyes, sporting a slit like nose, and it's mouth contained thousands of needle like teeth, black goo like spit dripping from them like decay. The arms were long and slim ending with long sharp claws. The whole creature was sickly and oddly shaped. Shorter flabby legs sporting a pop belly. Yes a strange alien race indeed.
As the Migurushi had turned to fight, Nina let out a loud war cry and hit the creature with all her weight and strength from her speed. They tumbled to the dusty ground. She took a slash from its claws to her side. She caught the incoming bite from the wretched mouth with her wrist gauntlet. Thankful for the hard metal shielding her arm. She took her heavy dagger and drove it into the distended belly of the beast and twisted. It screamed and almost sounded as if it was crying, as it pulled away she gutted it. Stumbling backwards the Migurushi tried to hold its blackened internals in with frantic hands, to no avail they spilled out. It heaved a few times and fell to the ground convulsing before it passed. Nina walked over to it cutting its head from the stinking body. She had her trophy, she smiled through her mask.

Nina returned to the ship feeling so proud to add a new trophy to her growing collection. They had traveled to so many planets. Nina would have never dreamed of how much was out there. How many civilizations, planets, creatures were out in the vastness of space. During travel she was always put into a cryo sleep preserving her to travel so far, to survive drop holes of space travel. She was indeed learning so much from her teacher and companions. Traveling was keeping her focused, keeping her busy. Though still haunted by dreams she was able to focus on taking anguish and anger by dealing death. It was helping her heal.
Nina showed her trophy to the two young bloods who had already returned home as well.
"Very good Nina. That's a fine trophy." Mizuhara praised.
Endymion showed her his, and the only way to describe it was it was a very very large bird head to her. When showing her the two young bloods seemed humorous.
"What seems so funny?" Nina questioned.
"We brought you a gift Nina!" Mizuhara announced. They pulled out bundles and unwrapped them. There seated on the table were two large eggs. Blue and beautiful. She stared at them quizzically until she looked at the trophy birds head and back at the eggs. She looked up in surprise. "We brought two just in case one does not survive. Maybe both won't, we figured you would know how to keep such things alive." Mizuhara said, mandibles flared in excitement.

At that moment Tatsu walked in, immediately spying the eggs, the birds head and putting it together quickly. "Great Pya, no!" He said shocked.
Endymion spoke. "But Tatsu, you call Nina little bird all the time! We figured it was a perfect gift! She could nurture it and raise it." He argued.
Nina couldn't contain her laugh, getting a stern look from Tatsu. She now could completely see that young bloods were the embodiment of Yautja teenagers though hundreds of years older than herself they were teenagers.
"Aye, and who will take care of it, if it hatches that is when we put her under during travel." Tatsu said sternly.
Mizuhara quickly answered. "I have an answer to that! Transfusion." Tatsu immediately straightened his posture the look of pure shock on his face made the young blood look at his companion who also had a look of shock on his face. He fidgeted uncomfortably before finally speaking not as confidently now. "I mean we have heard stories of oomans doing that in the past.... the Yautja do not tell lies...." He looked to his leader.
Tatsu stood silently for a very long time. Nina finally broke the silence. "Ummm what are we talking about." Her gaze shifted through all three males.
None answered her leaving the room in awkward silence as they all stared at one another to the point Nina could swear she heard the rusty wheels turning in their brains. Tatsu spoke first. "No, to risky."
"But the stori.." Endymion tried speaking now only to be cut off.
"No! I did not help bust an empire down and murder hundreds of my own kind for a scrawny ooman girl....just to turn around and kill her myself!" Tatsu sounded frustrated.
"Tatsu, if it worked.... she wouldn't be so much...so much ooman anymore. If anything she'd be half Yautja." Mizuhara put in. "The legends of the ooman who stole the blood of the Yautja gave him long life, strength and stamina."
"An abomination amongst us! She'd be hunted more!" Tatsu's words grew louder.
"She could live longer! She could be stronger, faster.... more us! You could sire pups off of her." The last part landed Mizuhara a hard back hand from his leader.
"Enough! Your words burn wounds on the girl not yet closed. Also such words are treasonous and would make us all badbloods to be hunted down in shame!" He was angry now.
Nina only focused on the last part. "I want it done!" She spoke in the argument that was of her but she was left out of as if she wasn't listening. "Whatever it is I want it done."
Tatsu turned on her. "No!" His voice roared.
She stood tall and came closer to him. "Do it! I beg of you!"
His face softened. "Why?"
Without thinking very hard her desperation rang through. "I'd....I'd be able to make you pups. I'd survive longer."
He scoffed and grasped her by the shoulders and shook her in frustration. "You do not need any damn pups!"
She replied sharply. "But I could live longer? Like you?" He stood in silence, she smiled knowing she had defeated him. "I choose it, if I die... it's my choice not yours..... please."
He began walking away mumbling under his breath, before leaving the room he threw over his shoulder. "Fine." Was all he said and was gone.

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Nina had found all the right equipment she had needed. She had taken a blood donation from Tatsu who now sat quietly across from herself as she hooked up her own needles and equipment to transfuse. Her nerves were on edge. She had listened to Mizuhara tell her the story of the man from earth who had stolen their technology and hunted the Yautja for their blood as soon as he discovered it had healing properties and kept him young for hundreds of years.
She let out a breath as she flipped the switch to begin the process. "Here goes nothing!" Tatsu did not say a word only observed as the fluorescent green blood streaming from the tube into her arm. She sat back in her chair trying not to watch. She could feel a strange warmth spread through her arm and spread throughout her body slowly. When the transfusion was finished she felt the warmth through out her body and a slight tinge of queasiness but nothing else. She cleaned up the area and excused herself to go to her quarters.
"No you will stay in my room where I can keep an eye on you." Tatsu demanded. Before she could reject Nina felt a hot flash go through her and became dizzy.
Tatsu carried her to his quarters and laid her down on his massive bed. She tried to object but felt drunk. Through out the night she had a fever, sweating and restless. Her body finally succumbed to sleep. She had strange dreams through out the night, and could feel herself being sick but her body seemed to be on shutdown mode.
When she finally awakened everything seemed different. She felt...remarkably well! She sat up and looked around the room spying Tatsu in a chair who seemed to have fallen asleep at some point in the night. Nina felt chilled, an odd feeling to have when she had always felt to warm in the Yautja ship. Her senses were heightened, smell, touch, hearing. She smiled to herself.....it had worked!