Stop it. Fawkes warned.
Stop what? Flames asked. The starship was watching the planet fly across his lateral axis with amusement.
That! Fawkes transmitted, forced to extend his wings to keep balance.
What? Flames asked, seeing the planet fly by once more.
The spinning. Fawkes growled, looking down at the ground nauseously.
Oh. Flames stopped spinning. I’m bored.
Flames was staring out at the planet with his massive ocular strips now, seeing how well he could zoom in on an elaborate mansion that had caught his interest. It had a pool with a bunch of Vorchans, which he found interesting, as this was more of a Raumen-centric planet.
Well. She’s still shopping. Fawkes said, So bored or not—
Without you. Flames added with poisonous amusement.
She just felt like being alone. Fawkes’ said, digging his claws into the floor subconsciously as he relived their argument. Flames knew it wouldn’t be long now, so he endured the annoying pain of tiny creatures digging into his hull as he waited for the euphoric rage that would follow in three… two…
“But it’s true!” Fawkes blurted.
Well. Nobody wants to be reminded of being dependent, even if it’s true. Flames said antagonistically.
“That wasn’t my point. I just said that she should go and find her own means of making credits if she wants to spend it on stupid things like Delorian couches and crystal mirrors when there are normal couches that are just as comfortable. Since when were your construction facilities on Tier Zero not good enough?”
Tier Zero is ‘Tier Zero.’ Flames transmitted, quoting the latest marketing campaigns.
“She’s an idiot.” Fawkes muttered in frustration, glaring down at the planet through Flames’ strips.
–
“He’s an idiot.” She had wanted to surprise Fawkes today. Buy new furniture to spruce up the place some more, as well as a beautiful decorative nest for the surprise. She had been playing the declaration through in her head day after day, thinking it would be better if she just showed him rather than told him, but that idea was dead now. Her mood was dead. She didn’t want to buy anything anymore.
So she would go off to a park. She had thought about a pub or tavern but realized it wouldn’t be healthy. She would sit there under the trees, knowing Flames couldn’t see well under trees. She would sit there and wait for a while, until Fawkes realized how much of an idiot he had been and begged for her on the link, before finally coming down in person to find and retrieve her.
And she wouldn’t respond with any affection until he profusely apologized for everything he said. Everything! She wasn’t sure what that everything was anymore but she knew an apology was required, and she would get one, yes!
Curled up and staring at her chrome-black tail, she waited until the darkness fell and it got chilly. She daydreamed for a while, thought of the future and of what she did and didn’t have.
“Where is he…” she muttered.
–
“Where the hell is she!” Fawkes spat, pacing around the bridge. “It’s nearly midnight local time. The sun’s all the way over there and we’re sitting here.”
You’re assuming she’s still where my shuttle landed. Flames said.
Well where else would she go?
Maybe she got kidnapped? Flames suggested, trying to stir up some action.
Yes, the towering Blackwing Vorchan got kidnapped on a planet inhabited by peach-skinned bipedal Raumens.
Arrested?
Fawkes considered that, But then she would be begging for bail.
You should go down and check. Flames suggested, preying on Fawkes’ instinctive worry.
No! She’s doing this on purpose! But we’ll show her! We will! Set a course for somewhere. We’re not sticking around if she’s not interested in being around!
While the idea of that is very… amusing. I don’t think you would survive her return. Flames warned.
I’m tired of fulfilling her every need. Let’s go, Flames. Fawkes sent a very focused jump-thought into Flames’ neural plexus, which created an interstice immediately.
It took Flames several moments to localize their new position: Several dozen light-years away from their last one. This is such a horrible idea.
–
“Fawkes…” Nyx groaned, something was nuzzling her. Memory was still a distant mist, not having asserted itself yet. She wrapped a wing around her mate passively in an effort to hoist herself up on her paws, but ended up sprawling out on her back, the sleep inertia keeping her from wanting to move from this spot.
His nostrils were sniffing along her stomach now. She realized he might find out, and maternal instinct made her kick at his face. She was on all fours immediately, about to apologize when…
“You’re not Fawkes!” she hissed, taking up a defensive stance against the imposter.
“Ow.” the camouflaged Terran groaned. He was a dark green and brown, and was shaking away the effects of the discombobulating kick.
“What in the Nova are you doing here?” Nyx asked.
“Likewise.” The Terran replied.
“This is a Raumen planet.” Nyx said.
“It is.”
“Answer me!” Nyx spat.
“You’re salivating.” The Terran observed, “That’s not very attractive…”
She growled threateningly, fangs bared. She was wielding a very obvious ‘get the hell out of my sight’ pose.
“Or maybe it is…” he continued, “I can never remember – been with these Raumens too long. Do we like salivating or not? And big? Do we prefer big or small? Was it serpentine or surly?”
“Right.” A crazy. Why did she always run into the crazies? Actually why did they always run into her? She started walking away.
“Where are you going?” The Terran was tagging along.
That was annoying.
“Home. To my mate.” she pressed the point.
“Blackwings aren’t always exclusive…” the Terran insinuated…
… and she was clamped around his neck, waiting for the struggling to stop, then clamping down for a few more seconds to press the point some more, figuratively and literally.
When she was sure he wouldn’t have the strength or the stupidity to follow her. She let go and continued onwards.
What an episode. She had no idea where that Terran had come from. But she didn’t really care. Were there more? He wasn’t that big. There mustn’t be a lot of game here. Was he a criminal? She thought about all this as she made it to the starport and boarded Flames’ shuttle. It was particularly dark. Darker than usual.
The button wasn’t working. She pressed the button again, waiting for the shuttle to rise up and take her back to Flames. Still no response from the shuttle.
“Take me home!” she yelled at it.
The shuttle remained as off and inert as it had been before.
Great. Now she would have to open the door and go back to her hotel. No big deal. Really.
Hiss, goes the door, and hiss goes Nyx as, standing there in front of her, is that Terran…
His ears tucked in instantly, and he smiled at her sheepishly, bracing himself for another attack.
Not worth the effort.
She walked by him and over to the taxi terminal he was standing near. An automated little hovercar arrived within the minute. The credit disc shrilled at her. She stared at it in fear, “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Remote disc?” the Terran asked.
“Yes…”
“It looks like it lost its link – like your shuttle!” The Terran observed.
“Oh when I see him again…” Nyx growled. This was going too far!
“You know that’s what she did to me, all those years ago. Just because I came home happy a few too many times. Name’s Erl by the way! What’s yours?” he tried to come close but Nyx backed away with a diamond-slicing glare.
“Right.” Erl pulled free a credit disc from his scales and swiped the terminal with it. It beeped in compliance, and the hovercar’s door opened. “Place to stay? Or are you—”
“Yes.” Nyx interrupted, stepping into the car. “I do. 1217 Hargrove. What are you doing?” Erl quietly slipped into the taxi with her, “You’re lucky there’s surveillance in these cars.”
“And why’s that?” Erl asked, brushing his wings against her as if by accident.
“I don’t want a criminal record.” Nyx emphasized record, hoping he understood what his chances were at this very moment. She was satisfied to see him retreat against the opposite wall.
–
Two minutes in and the ride was getting extremely awkward. These cars were cramped, and there was no room for her wings: They kept clipping his, which drove her insane. She swore he must have been keeping them slightly extended just for a cheap feel.
“You know the hotels bill by day, right?” Erl said, a smile creeping across his snout.
“And?”
“Well it’s a remote disc. How are you going to spend the night if it’s cut off?” he asked.
Nyx hadn’t thought about that. “Oh…” She started thinking of the different ways she could punish Fawkes when he came back.
“417 Evergreen.” Erl ordered.
The hovercar beeped again, altering course.
“I didn’t agree to that!” Nyx protested.
“Well you can get off then if you want, but I’ve had a long night out so I’m going to sleep. And – well – it’s my taxi.”
She looked away helplessly. She really hated being dependent. But this Terran was pushing it. She was eyeing his jugular when he started talking again, “Maybe your mate will come back… maybe he won’t…” he said, but then his expression changed, and he started staring down at the floor at his paws, seemingly lost in some past memory, “She never did.”
“Why?” Nyx asked automatically.
“Like I said: Came home happy a few too many times.” he sighed.
“Happy in what way?” Nyx asked.
“Nights out, pubs, you know. She wasn’t much of a crawler, preferring to stay at home all the time. She did forestry, and then just slept.”
“Well, work can be draining.” Nyx said.
Erl looked up, scanning her with his eyes, “She was definitely drained… so are you military?” he asked.
“Why would you think I’m military?” she asked back.
“Well the way you bite, for one, and the scars.”
“You’ve no right to mention my scars. Drop the subject. Fawkes will return, and then I will leave.” Nyx declared.
That was the last they said until the hovercar landed and the two of them disembarked, walking to Hargrove.
“Wow…” Nyx wasn’t expecting what she saw: A massive mansion with a deep steamy pool and all sorts of hovercars. So many hovercars. She didn’t really recognize their exotic designs, but knew they had some value.
“Hi Erl!” squeaked a Vorchan, gliding in beside him. She was a very light green with pink stripes.
“Hi dear.” he crooned, accepting a warm nuzzle.
“Hey Erl!” growled another, landing behind him and squeezing between him and Nyx. This one was a dark green “Who’s she?”
“A guest, until her mate returns.” Erl said amicably.
The two Vorchans nodded in understanding, glancing at her for a moment before nudging Erl towards the mansion. “I’ll see you around. If you get tired, find me or one of my lovely mates and we’ll show you to your guest chambers.”
Nyx didn’t even know how to reply, watching the two Vorchans carry him off. They loved him. She could sense it. That undying affection and need for attention. She remembered a screwed up, broken version of it in her tainted past.
“Hello.” greeted another Vorchan, a light-brown.
“Hi.” Nyx replied.
“I take care of our guests. Make sure they’re comfortable. My name is Loretta.” she said. “Is there anything I can get you?”
“A beemspace transceiver.” Nyx answered levelly.
Her expression went blank for a moment, but she recovered gracefully, “I’ll get you some fruit punch. Do you like fruit punch?”
“Sure.”
Loretta tottered off, and Nyx sat down on a matt by the steamy pool. The matt was red, and very comfortable, probably made out of some sort of expensive fancy material that Fawkes would yell at her for wanting.
She stared at the pool, unsure of what she thought of Erl at the moment. His mates seemed happy and content.
But he would still die if he touched her. Yes. That was a given. Death if touched. Death.
“Here’s your drink!”
It was a crystal glass, etched with serpentine designs. It looked priceless. “Who is Erl?” Nyx asked, carefully putting the glass around her claw.
“You don’t know Erl? He’s the most famous Vorchan there is. Everyone knows about him. He brought us all together! Saved us when the Raumens started trying to sell us off.”
“That’s… noble.” Nyx said.
“Yes I know what you’re thinking. It’s not like that. He’s a good Vorchan. And he doesn’t force you to stay. Most of us don’t stick around forever, but while we do he gives us a life of luxury. And it’s not like we have to be his mates. But why not, there are no other males around, never any other males… this planet is pretty lonely.”
“Eggs. What about those?” Nyx asked.
“He’s responsible. The drinks are laced with contraceptives.” Loretta sang.
Nyx spat out the drink furiously, soaking Loretta, who cowered worriedly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“What is it made of? What chemical? Could it harm an already conceived egg?” Nyx interrogated, fangs inches from Loretta’s snout.
She shook her head meekly, ears withdrawn, “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I didn’t know!”
Nyx extended her black wings to their full span, shooting herself up into the air before diving for the entrance to the mansion. She broke through the door.
“ERL!” she roared.
When she didn’t hear the expected clamour, she roared again, this time unintelligibly, before clawing at a painting on the wall.
Erl finally arrived. “What is it? What’s wrong? Are we being robbed?” he noticed the destroyed painting. “They stealing paintings?”
“The drinks! What’s in the fruit punch!” she demanded.
“A modified form of Lutheran compound. It stops cell division. Cures cancer and kills eggcells!”
Nyx’s world started to go black as the reality of that statement seeped in. “No… but I was… reverse it! Reverse it immediately!”
“Oh no… are you—“
“We never had one together! It took years! Years and years… he would have been so happy! I would have been so happy. This ruins everything – you’ve ruined everything – DIE!”
Nyx lunged at Erl, who pushed himself out of the way with his wings.
“’Ness I didn’t know!” Erl insisted.
“Murderer!” She lunged once more, making contact. She nearly had his neck again but the other Vorchans had their claws and incisors around her, pulling her away. “Murderer!” she repeated, regressing into a state of catatonic shock underneath the destroyed painting.
“Calm down. It’s okay. We’ll reverse it. We’ll go to a hospital. There might still be time.”
–
So now she was abandoned by her mate, surrounded by concubine, and waiting at a Raumen hospital.
“The egg is fine now. There wasn’t enough contraceptive to cause irreversible damaged. We stopped the compound with nanites before it could do any real harm.” explained the Doctor.
“Thanks for the help.” Erl said, handing them a credit disc.
Nyx didn’t even want to think about how much that had cost him.
“There… so are you happy now?” Erl asked.
Nyx was drained, but yes, “Yes. I am. Thank you.” Maybe Erl wasn’t that bad after all. Not a mate, but definitely a friend. The mansion would be fine until Fawkes returned. So long as she didn’t drink the fruit punch.
–
“A pregnant Blackwing. You know, that explains things.” Erl said when they arrived at home. “How far along are you?”
“It’s extremely early. I didn’t even know it had become an egg. Flames told me right as it happened… bastard always watches I swear he drives me insane sometimes gah I shouldn’t be stressing it’s bad for its health.” she looked away and curled up, wings twitching.
Erl laughed, “Well you know where your guest chambers are… and where the other chambers are. If you need anything from anyone don’t be afraid to ask. It’s a pity you’re exclusive – are you sure you’re exclusive? I never pounced a Blackwing before…” he propositioned so casually, almost frighteningly casually.
“I’ll kill you if you try, and you wouldn’t be the first.” Nyx replied, matching that casual tone.
There was a nervous laugh, as if he were trying to determine whether Nyx was joking or not, “Well… you are welcome here for as long as you need.” Erl walked off, a Vorchaness was already shadowing him eagerly.
These guest chambers were huge. There was a large bed, two couches, and a holovision. There was also a shelf with books on the far wall, lots of old books. She didn’t recognize them, but they seemed cultish, with strange symbols and words that she could only partially understand. One was a cryptic book on summoning.
Nyx was paging through it carefully when Loretta came in with some juice. “It’s clean.”
Nyx shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“You didn’t drink anything all day.” Loretta insisted.
Nyx didn’t say anything, putting away the book. “Why isn’t he here yet?”
“Your mate?” Loretta asked.
“He wouldn’t leave for this long. Two days? We get into fights, everyone does, but how could he leave like that?” Nyx asked.
“I’m still waiting for my Las’Nin.” she sighed.
“I see.” she didn’t really want to ask, but the expression on Loretta’s face made it look like a story she eagerly wanted to tell, “What happened?”
“The war happened. Or whatever it was with the NCR and the Vorchans. They took him. He was going to come back. He promised he would. Erl is still looking for him. Oh my precious Las’Nin.”
“That’s unfortunate.” Nyx said. “But what would he think of you sleeping around with other Vorchans?”
Loretta didn’t say anything, staring straight ahead. Nyx stared back confrontationally, waiting for an answer, some justification, but she didn’t say anything else, she just left.
Nyx checked the door when she left, no lock. Figures. She pushed one of the couches up against it, just for the added security. Maybe it would let her sleep more comfortably. It didn’t.
–
–
This really isn’t making any sense. Fawkes said, staring at the nothingness. This is the nodepoint. Why is there no damn planet here? Where the hell is it?
I probably missed. I’ll try again when the chambers recharge. Flames said, a hint of scepticism seeping into the neural band.
We’ve jumped to the same nodepoint six times now, and each time we’ve ended up in the same place.
Not the same place. These are all offset points. Flames said.
What do you mean? Fawkes asked, realizing Flames was licking at a theory.
I think there’s a jump inhibitor here. Like during the Zemorian-Coalition war. Massive inhibitors that keep ships from jumping into the right nodepoint. We keep hitting offset points because it’s deflecting us.
But why? It makes no sense.
Me missing six times makes no sense, either. I’m a Descendent warship, and your mate is there. That gives the nodepoint a level of pertinence that doesn’t qualify for six misses. Something is jamming that planet.
So we—
Fly. They both transmitted, activating the warp drive.
That’s right. Flames transmitted, We will get there in three days.
It still doesn’t explain who would do such a thing, and why. Jamming fields are expensive, not to mention ancient and rare.
We’ll ask when we get there.
–
Nyx was making up for her horrible night by sleeping at the pool to the sound of birds and laughing. There was a party, full of Raumens and Vorchans. There were even a few Raumen children around, sitting beside her and on her tail. Several of the Raumens were in uniform, and they mingled with Erl as much as they did with each other. Erl definitely had influence.
As she awoke, she was strangely pleased to see that Erl immediately broke away from a conversation with a decorated officer to bring her a drink. “I promise its clean.” he said.
She accepted, her trust returning. “Thanks.”
“So how are you feeling?” Erl asked.
“Horrible, but it’s not your fault.” Nyx replied, gulping down the drink. “Crystal?”
“Nanotech.” Erl nudged the fragile-looking glass out of her talons. She gasped as it fell, hit the ground with a light thud and bounced back, getting caught gracefully by Erl’s fangs. A few people clapped knowingly, aware of the demonstration and musing on the times Erl had shown them the magic glass.
“So who are all these people?” Nyx asked, seeing the crowd divert their attention to one another once more.
“Oh all sorts. That’s General Dawson, there. The man in the white suit is Mr. McClan, he’s a Galnet senator. Great guy. We met just before the war.” He shifted awkwardly, looking her in her ruby red eyes, “So… well… I’ve been meaning to ask you. I mean it’s been awfully rude of me to not have asked properly earlier.”
She was baring fangs again. Can’t he take a hint? Was he thick?
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Oh… Nyx. My name is Nyx!” she said with a smile.
“Nyx… familiar…” he seemed lost in memory again, trying to place the name. “Well let me know if you need anything, Nyx. It looks like the kids want your attention!”
She noticed one tugging at her tail, somehow knowing which side was sharp and which side wasn’t.
“What?” she asked the child, making eye contact. She started to cry, startled by the sudden growl. She mustn’t have a translator yet.
“Sorry.” she cooed to the kid. He looked young. They were all young. Vorchan hatchlings were born with mobility and intelligence. Raumen children were fragile and stupid. She nuzzled the kid affectionately, calming her down. Several of the people in the crowd ‘aww’ed at the display, clapping when the child hugged her neck. These children knew their way around a Vorchan. How to avoid the spikes and the fangs and the claws. And how they trusted her, a complete stranger, with their offspring. It was befuddling.
She lied back down, slightly less defensively now, stretching out on her side like a leocat. Loretta put a pillow under her wing.
“Thanks.” Nyx said.
“You’re so motherly.” Loretta said. “Do you have children?”
“I do. Several hatchlings.” Nyx said.
Loretta sat down beside Nyx. A beach ball landed by them, which Loretta knocked back with an excited smile. People laughed and played, the Vorchans giggled and clustered around Erl.
“So what does he do again?” Nyx asked.
“Well he rescued all of us from the war.” Loretta started.
“Other than that – how did he get all this money? What does he do for a living?”
“You know… I don’t really know. He’s usually home. Sometimes he’ll leave for a few days but he never really tells us where he’s going.”
“I see.” Another beach ball was inbound. Nyx knocked it back with talons retracted, careful not to puncture it. “So how many mates does he have?”
“I don’t know. They don’t all stick around. In fact most don’t. It’s sad really. Who would give up all of this?” Loretta asked rhetorically.
“Yeah, who?” Nyx asked sarcastically.
“I know you don’t approve. You must think I’m pathetic.” Loretta said.
“Why should you care what I think?” Nyx asked.
“I don’t know…” she sighed. “I mean it’s not like that – you see we’re all alone, abandoned usually. Erl does his best to reunite us and fill the void. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Most of us are happy, but then there’s the others—“ she stopped talking as Erl came over.
“Others?” Nyx asked curiously.
“Nyx!” Erl exclaimed.
Nyx smiled, stealing anxious glances at Loretta, “What others?” she whispered.
“I’ll tell you after!” Loretta hissed back, nuzzling Erl, who was looking at Loretta intently.
“Look who I found! Issabella! When I mentioned your name she was very interested, apparently you know each other – is that true?”
Nyx nodded.
“Well you two have fun. I’ll be back in a little while. You should really consider my offer, Nyx.” he said seductively, disappearing with Loretta into the mansion.
Nyx hadn’t seen Issabella since her vacation with Fawkes all those months ago. She was a neurojournalist. Her brain a recording device that transmitted to viewers all across the galaxy.
“Loretta mentioned other Vorchans? What others? Do you know what she was talking about?” Nyx asked, staring at Issabella in confusion.
“The other Vorchans? The ones that don’t feel like losing all their dignity?” Issabella asked with a laugh. “What are you doing here? Where’s your lovely mate?”
“I’m waiting for him. He hasn’t come back yet… we got into a fight.”
“Another fight? Damn you two are a vicious couple.”
“So what are you doing here?”
“This guy is the newest craze. He’s all over Galnet, a total hero. A fad I’m sure. But I’m milking it while it lasts. My ratings are off the charts! Say hi to my viewers! You know you’ve got a fanbase now, right Nyx?”
Nyx gave an exaggerated snarl, “So tell me about these ‘others’.”
“A mystery. I asked around but the reptiles aren’t too forthcoming, and the people don’t seem to care too much about Erl’s vices. But something’s up. Those guys there.” Issabella pointed at the people flanking McClan. “Recognize them?”
“Scientists? What do they want?”
“I don’t know. But if it’s any assurance. I don’t think it’s you in particular. I think it’s Erl. He’s attracting powerful forces.” Issabella said eerily.
“That’ll up your ratings, won’t it?” Nyx asked.
“Indeed it will. So play along! We need the suspense and drama!”
“I don’t need to play along for that.” Nyx explained Fawkes to her, and how he still hadn’t shown up. “It’s not normal. I swear it isn’t. We fight but it’s never this prolonged. Something’s wrong.”
“Strange.” Issabella said. “I could ask around. Keep me posted.”
“Sure.” Nyx said.
“You be careful. Whatever Erl’s caught up in might drag you in too.”
“I will be.”
Issabella left to mingle with the crowd, and Nyx got up to pace for a while. She barely spoke to the two Vorchans she had met initially, but she figured this would be the optimum time, and she was really curious about these ‘others’ that left unsatisfied.
The two were having a very interesting conversation about the more exotic creatures of their world. Particularly the cave beasts and how massive they were. Finally, when they had exhausted all possible cave beast quips, the crowd diverged slightly, giving Nyx a chance to get a word in, “Hi.”
“Hello Blackwing! So how’s your search going?” asked the squeaky, light green one.
“Fine. I have some questions about those other Vorchans. The ones that just left for no reason?” Nyx asked.
“That’s none of your business.” the dark green Vorchan warned, bringing her snout right up against Nyx’s.
“She’s just curious.” said the light green one, watching Nyx growl back at her friend. “Stop, guys. Before we make a scene!”
They stopped growling at each other, lowering their tone and hiding their fangs.
“Look, sorry. It’s a touchy subject. It’s not a secret or anything, but Erl is always depressed when it happens. He never talks about it so we won’t either. It just happens. Sometimes you just don’t click with the other guy, you know?”
“Sure…” Nyx didn’t remember the last time she had a normal relationship. Did normal relationships even exist?
“He’ll come back for you!” squeaked the light green one with a nuzzle. “You’ll see. Everything will be alright. Erl will find him for you. He does that. He’ll reunite you and you’ll be happy again. He tries his hardest to make us all happy.”
“That’s good. I hope so.” Nyx said, sitting down with the two Vorchans.
“He is. He’s great!” they started rambling on about how awesome Erl was, how he saved everyone after they had been abandoned, given them homes. Let them wait for their loved ones… wait and wait. Just like how she was waiting now.
“Your mate was a Beems Captain?” Nyx asked the pink-striped one.
“He was. He was amazing. He was part of Darwin’s fleet! Orel…” she said.
“You too?” Nyx asked the Terran.
The Terran nodded. “Kah’non – A fine Captain. Very strong. He was part of the RDF.”
“How long have the two of you been here?” Nyx asked.
“A few weeks now… nearly a month.” they said.
“That’s it?”
“Yep.”
“And the others, the ones that were reunited?” Nyx asked.
“A few months.” They looked at each other. “Four?” They agreed on four.
“And the unsatisfied ones?” Nyx continued.
“Around the same… four.” The Terran said.
Nyx looked the Terran dead in the eyes with her piercing red gaze. “How long has Loretta been here?”
The two Vorchanesses looked at each other anxiously.
Nyx bolted for the mansion.
–
–
Err… Flames wasn’t sure how anxious he should feel at the sight of that thing appearing out of beemspace.
Well that’s great. Fawkes sighed, confirming the AHC deployment. They brought the massive cannon to bear on their target.
“Remember me?” Flames called to the symbiote. It looked weak, a semblance of the terrifying creature it once was. But an ever-present threat, always feeding off this world and rebuilding itself. A never-ending conflict.
It disappeared before Flames could open fire, submerging into beemspace.
I think we know what set up the inhibitor now. Flames transmitted.
–
“I have some good news, and some bad news, Loretta.” Erl said as they lay together, entwined.
“What’s that?” Loretta asked listlessly.
“I found Las’nin.” Erl said, licking her longingly.
“Oh Erl! You found him? I thought he would never come back. You said he had gone.”
“Oh he did, but I found him.” Erl had a vicious smile, biting gently. “And his ship. I found them both.”
“That’s so wonderful, such great news.”
“It always takes the same amount of time. A full cycle is what it needs.”
“What what needs?”
“That brings us to the bad news.” Erl was pinning her now. She submitted affectionately, closing her eyes, barely listening to what he was saying.
“Mmmm?” she growled.
–
–
Nyx was shooting down corridor after corridor. Following her instincts, ears perked and tail ready. The biggest chamber, the highest chamber. That’s where he would be.
That’s where they always were.
A scream.
She localized it instantly before it was muffled. “Loretta.”
–
“Erl what are you…” his fangs were clamped around her, she felt her world slipping away.
“Oh you are so amazing. So very… satisfying. So much potential… so much life.”
Her world was an aura of red mist. It wasn’t exactly blood. She could hear voices calling to her. Insidious little thoughts that pressed away at the back of her head, pleaded with her, bargained. She couldn’t understand them, not yet. But they soothed her, made her give in to this magnificent being.
“Accept me, my precious Loretta.”
“Always.” she groaned, barely conscious.
Oh such heat. Was it the heat of true love, or was it a flameburst?
It was a flameburst.
–
A flameburst knocked Erl to the opposite end of the chamber.
“Symbiote! Hi!” Nyx roared.
“Merely a faithful servant.” Erl said, fangs still dripping with blood.
“You let the symbiote corrupt you!”
“Corrupt? Oh but it invigorates me!” he approached Nyx intently. “Enlivens me!” he lunged.
Nyx retreated several wingbeats, killing off the attacking Terran’s momentum before they coupled. “Unfortunately,” Nyx growled, wrestling the weak Vorchan to the ground, “it’s doing none of that at the moment. Because I am Nyx, its nightmare, and it’s leaving you here alone to deal with the consequences of its actions.”
Erl yelped in fear, and bit at Nyx’s paw, wriggling free of her grip. He lunged for the window. “Shi—“
Bounce. He landed by Nyx’s feet. McClan, the scientists and the General swarmed the chamber. They restrained Erl as he fought back, “But it wasn’t me. It was the Symbiote! Come back Symbiote! Don’t leave me! Don’t let them arrest me!” he wailed.
Nyx started to walk away. “Nyx! Come back! You understand, right? I was just lonely. I couldn’t help it. I let some go but I had to satiate it. I had to feed it. NYX!”
She left the chambers, hearing his warbles as he shrieked and roared in protest.
It sent a chill down her spine, knowing that somewhere out there her old demons still existed, if only faint apparitions of what they once were.
She left the mansion and was swarmed by the media, and there in front of all of them was Issabella. “So it seems the jamming field is down and Fawkes is on his way to you now.”
Issabella’s gaze was fixed on her. Desperate to see her reaction as Fawkes barged into the yard, anxious and terrified. Maybe this would be the day she could catch Nyx with a smile on her face.
“Nyx! Nyx you’re okay!”
Nyx remained equanimous as Fawkes ran up to her, about to embrace her before his claws screeched him to a halt when he realized she wasn’t smiling.
“Fawkes.” she replied, with a planet-incinerating, galaxy-shattering, pool-of-blood red glare. “Let’s go home!”