Grace of An Elder

Chapter 8

Dahdtoudi had been moved up to the title of young blood because in the twelve years she'd lived with her family, her growth rate had far exceeded that of a Yautja. A'ytu, the healer, had suggested it was due to the humans having such limited lifespans. Her father had mentioned the development of something that could slow or even halt the aging process altogether, and the healer had admitted there was a serum that would work for some species. However, he would need assistance in adjusting the formula to suit the human physiology, and her DNA would need to be tested to see if her body would accept the foreign substance.

Days later, Tah'kath brought his daughter to the healer to discuss the idea with her firsthand. She asked for the ups and downs of the serum, no sugarcoating allowed. If it worked properly, she would age nearly the same as a Yautja. If not, her body may simply have no effect at all or she may have a violent reaction that would inevitably result in a painful death. The serum would need to be administered every six months to ensure regulation of the process, because if she were to be late on a dosage her system may kick into overdrive and she could age several decades within a few weeks.

Dahdtoudi stated that she understood the risks, but that she wanted to try the process. It would take some time to develop, so she went home with her father as normal and left for training the next morning. Zaiyu had been blooded for seven years now, so he was considered a higher member of society in the clan's eyes. He still insisted on walking her to and from training, and she began to act as though she hated the company. Dahdtoudi asked her older brother to let her walk home on her own for once, and given how defensive she had been about it, he reluctantly agreed.

Their mother had been worried when Dahdtoudi didn't arrive home on time, and her condition only worsened two hours later when a bruised and bloodied Dahdtoudi limped into the gathering area. Zaiyu noticed a mask in her hand that had been split in half. Her tresses were cut to short, jagged lengths and her armor was covered in dirt, red blood, and fluorescent green blood alike.

When questioned about her appearance, the young female stated that she had been challenged by one of the males in training, and she was able to get him on the ground. However, when he was about to lose the fight, his companions rushed to his aid. The three of them proceeded to beat and kick the girl, at one point knocking her mask from her face. The challenger had then used the object to strike her repeatedly before it finally broke against her skull and he used a hunting knife to remove her tresses.

T'ahrou, the second-born son of their father's childhood rival, had come across the "battle" and stepped in to aid the female. Apparently this was not the first time T'ahrou had defended her honor, but she doubted that his nobility towards her was genuine.

Daih'kea dismissed her daughter to her quarters and she wondered for the first time in several years if the girl would survive to see her chiva.
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Hours later, Daih'kea and Zaiyu had gone to conduct business on behalf of her father who was away on a hunt. Dahdtoudi had then moved to the gathering area and stretched her body out with swatches of medi-gel covering her various cuts and bruises. She had wrapped a large bandage around her torso as one of her ribs had been cracked, and she wore only elasticized black undergarments (a tight-fitting halter bralette and form-fitting shorts that rose just short of her hip bones and ended just below her buttocks). Her armor was soaking in a vat of antibacterial solution just as her father had taught her to do whenever blood connected with the metal.

Dahdtoudi had attempted to weld her mask back together, but the numerous technological systems still didn't work. It would be weeks before she'd be able to acquire a new one from the blacksmith; he was always so overwhelmed with orders that no one except Elders and Ancients received their items in a timely manner.

The girl groaned at the thought and ran her fingers through her hair which now ended nearly an inch above her shoulders. The sensation made her blood boil and her jaw clenched in rage. The injured female growled to herself when a loud knock resounded on the entrance door, but she pushed the frustration aside "Who is there?"

"T'ahrou. May I speak with you?"

"Isn't that what you're doing now?" Silence followed her sarcastic remark and she groaned as she pushed herself to a sitting position. "Very well...I'll be...I'll be right there. Just give me a moment." She finally forced her body to stand, heavy as it felt, and walked slowly to the door before activating the control panel. The metallic barrier slid aside and revealed a large, muscular young blood male clad in full armor minus his face mask. His amber eyes hesitantly looked her up and down before quickly meeting her own grey orbs. "My father and brother are not here presently. What do you need?"

"I wanted to give this to you." He moved a clawed hand from behind his back, and in it was a freshly forged mask, the smell of ash and brimstone still heavy on the silver metal. "I reinforced the materials, so it won't break as easily as the last one. Also, some of the systems are upgraded, so you'll need to play around with it a bit to get used to it."

The female lined it up with her facial structure and looked around briefly. "It should fit perfectly..! How did you-"

"I downloaded your specs from the database. Since I have an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, I have access to their files. I'm sorry if you feel as though I crossed a line, but I wanted to make sure it was done correctly. Oh, and I noticed you have difficulty in training with daggers, so here..." he unsheathed a sliver blade from his thigh and held it out to her, "this is lighter and more compact. It should be easier for you to maneuver."

The blade was serrated and made of the same metal as her new mask, with intricate engravings on both sides. A thick leather covered the hilt of the dagger, and at the base of the blade were the characters for "tiny fury". Dahdtoudi grinned at the play on words. A tiny knife for Small Knife's rage fits in battle. Dahdtoudi bowed low in gratitude and the male flexed his mandibles uncomfortably.