Genesis

Chapter 8

The night was eerily still as they trekked through the dense wet vegetation of the forest. Nina felt the adrenaline rush through her, the thrill of the hunt. All were focused on reaching their destination. So far there was no activity of the serpents. She couldn't even smell a trace of their putrid acrid scent.
They reached the settlement, Nina was astonished. It wasn't just a small settlement she had been apart of so long ago, it appeared to be an established town, or was. It was silent, there was smoke and fire here and there... something had happened here there was no doubt about that. They observed for sometime for activity but seen none.
"It is time to forge your own way Youngbloods, go and seize the hunt. No taking of ooman trophies. Make no mistake there is hard meat amongst the devastation, be skillful and go, may Paya be with you." Tatsu ushered to the young males. They descended onto the town, cloaked and ready. Tatsu didn't pay Nina any mind and split off on his own way, curiosity and in the mode of an Elite hunter; he wasn't there to hold Nina's hand and his view of her as a seasoned huntress left her on her own. She took a deep breath and headed straight.

Nina scanned everywhere through her biomask, she didn't see any signs of life. She slinked through alley ways and around the streets. The situation felt surreal, to be back amongst her own kinds habitat. It was almost faded memories now, this way of life. She stooped cautiously into an open building, it was obviously someone's home. She scanned all spectrums to find signs of life and found none. She lowered her caution to look around. Finding possessions that mean so much to the human race that seemed so utterly useless to Nina now. As she slinked up the stairs she slowly opened the first door she came to. She stood in awe for sometime, a nursery. Her heart sank.
Nina couldn't bring herself to walk farther into the room, emotions bubbled up with in her she had thought she had suppressed long ago. Her hand instinctively encompassed her belly as she faintly whispered, "Wahkan."

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Endymion & Mizuhara
Having taken the right flank of the settlement the brothers moved slowly as a unite. Blood pumping with adrenaline, eager to spill first thwei, but the farther they made it into the settlement the more they became disappointed.
After the fourth building they had searched Mizuhara clicked impatiently to his companion. "I do not understand! Where are all the hard meats, where are the oomans? Has Tatsu lost his sense of the prey?" He grumbled.
"Maybe civil war happened here?" Endymion spoke. "But where are all the bodies?"
As they reentered the dirt streets they remained baffled. When a slight shuffling noise caught their attention. Both stopped scanning the area...nothing. Caught in their use of tech they failed to witness the black sleek bodies rising quietly from the mud behind them. Mizuhara turned to scan, coming face to face with the mud laden serpent salivating with its metallic toothy grin. Before he could react he felt a piercing pain shoot through his right shoulder as the sword like tail pierced him.
The beast snarled almost mockingly at him. Reacting quickly after his initial shock Mizuhara spied a chain like collar around the serpents neck, with all his strength he clasped his hands around it pulling downwards, throwing the beast off its balance. It's tail ripped from his shoulder quickly in whip like fashion freeing him. With a hard drive down he pierced the screaming animal through the head with his wrist blade. It writhed and thrashed beneath him till it's life drained out. Looking over he saw Endymion equally fighting for victory, but his observations were cut short as another hard meat attacked.

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Tatsu

His senses were on edge. Being an older more observant hunter and tracker, he spotted several clues of fighting, and signs of evacuation around him. He checked from home to home, building to building. Ghostly he entered a still smoking building, his biggest objective now was to find out what happened here.
He slowly stalked down a still partially burning corridor. The walls were sooty and greasy, pipes leaking water, and visibility was low due to smoke and light fires. Hauntingly black with red tinted lighting. As he stealthily came to a room he spied the hard meat, stalking like a cat after it's prey. Totally absorbed with something behind a piece of furniture in the corner. As it got closer Tatsu heard a ooman muffled whimper.
The Xenomorph climbed the chair and peered down at its apparent prey, the usual snarl of lips as it opened its jaws to reveal its deathly blowing inner jaw. At that moment Tatsu grabbed the serpent by its tail causing it to scream in fury. It regained it's footing and it looked upon it's new prey. Tatsu roared and threw his body weight at the ugly beast. Slamming their bodies into the wall which gave easily under the weight and force. The thrill of the fight had him regaining his footing as quickly as if he hadn't even fallen. He yanked his spear out as the hard meat charged and jumped, spearing the animal right through the mouth skewering it through. He howled out a battle cry as he tossed the putrid smelling beast off of his weapon. Feeling smug and triumphant.
He turned quickly with his spear pointed out as he heard the sound of shuffling. A girl peered out with an even smaller child in her arms. The fear was evident across her face. He crouched and observed her right back. The girl was young but not to young, but definitely younger than Nina. His head tilted a little in curiosity, this ooman fairer than their warrior sister. Her hair though dirty was golden. The child, possibly two or three of age, shook free of the frightened girl's arms and walked right up to him. Tatsu growled but it seemed to not deter the tiny ooman.
Tiny hands reached out and touched his mask, it's face was so close to his. His head tilted again as the little hands touched and explored his dreads. The child then reached for his hand. He looked down as tiny fingers laced around one of his fingers. The size comparison had him amused, he reached out with his free hand and placed it over the child's face, clicking in a small laugh as he heard it giggle while his hand engulfed its head. At that the girl jumped up and snagged the child. He didn't react but remained crouching, he stared for several moments at her. He pictured Nina coddling a child of her own, pity he thought before standing up. His frame was several feet taller than the girl, he turned to leave shaking off the distraction, his time around Nina had made him soft he thought exasperatedly.
As he walked away he turned and growled as a hand touched his arm. "Wait! Please!" The girl cowered from his abrupt actions. She winced, "Why did you help us? When the others like you slaughtered many?" Fear bubbled in her voice but she stood her ground.
Tatsu glared his mandibles behind his mask. "Others like me?" He became irritated when he realized she couldn't understand him. The look of confusion on her face irritated him. Pauk, he thought. Nina had a translation device. He shifted his weight as his hand felt heavy on the tiny pouch at his belt, he touched it. No, I will not waste my one time tech on this unworthy creature. He again turned to leave. He heard the girl follow.
"Please! Help us! The others like you brought those black monsters, they are killing everyone in town!" She cried out behind him.
The words stopped him in his tracks, he swung around causing her to run right into his hard large frame. His hand went to his little pouch and he grasped the girl by her hair. She shrieked in new found fear trying to pull free as he bent her head over. The child in her arms began to cry. Tatsu placed the circular device on the base of her neck cursing her at her wriggling, the device tentacled with wires and attached itself to her spine. She shrieked again from the zapping pain that went to her brain. Tatsu hurriedly attached his own piece, connecting the two of them forever just as Wahkan and Nina for communication and dialect.
He yanked the girl forward. "What is it you speak of!" His voice hard and deep registered to her plane as day. Her eyes went wide in shock. "Stop gawking girl, and speak."
"Others like you, came with those monsters." She stuttered. "Please, can you help us get to the shelter like the others." She pleaded.
"There are survivors?" Tatsu asked.
"Yes! There's a shelter across town!" She shifted the sniffling child on her hip. "We got separated from our mother trying to get there. Please, can you help my sister and I get there?" Her voice was desperate now, he could see tears well up in her eyes.
"Aye, show me the way. I'll protect you, I want answers to this story."
Nina had been correct in her feelings of things being amiss. He would protect the weak oomans and regroup with his clan.... if they were still alive.