Chiva

Hello everyone! Well, there's not much to say about this chapter, just a few words I thought I'd put down in case you don't know them.

Pauk: Fuck
Naxa: A type of fruit

With that said, enjoy!


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After eating more than her fair share of dinner, Anthea retreated to her room. Meal time was always a social event. Male and female Yautja, typically the young blood would scour the lands hunting for meat, gathering fruits, vegetables, and herbs, then come back with a fair supply to sort, skin and stock. This was usually done on a weekly basis and was helpful training for the adolescents.

The architecture of her home was built out of stone, a native mineral to their planet. Its shade was a dark and mottled mixture of blacks and greens. This clan in particular had a large stone temple-like structure in the center which housed the female, young blood and non hunter or warrior kind. Surrounding this centered structure, were the other homes of the clansmen, ranging in size and shape as compared to their ranking among the clan. The sides of each structure were carved and decorated. The elder Ko’tak’s dwelling was the largest and most decorated of the single structures.

Anthea swung her foot off the edge of her bed, leaning back against her palms. She was full now, but she still needed to bathe. She’d removed her things and displayed her trophies. Fortunately the air was breathable indoors.

Every inch of her was covered in dirt and tiny cuts; her hair was tangled and windblown. She knew that she needed to get up, and while her head sank against the pillow she told herself she’d rise in a moment.

The bed sank and she looked up. “Hi…” she mumbled, now sluggishly resting her head against Kro’nha’s lap. He only trilled quietly in reply. She touched his knee, her eyes still heavy.

He placed his hand atop her head as he was reminded again how undeniably human she was. He and their elder didn’t quite know how to deal with her constant affection at first; it just wasn’t an emotion the Yautja displayed very often, if at all. They’d adapted though, their own actions mingling with hers. It should have felt awkward, and in the beginning it did, but not anymore.

“You’re filthy.” He stated, his hand now touching her shoulder. She only nodded. He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and looked it over.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” Anthea chuckled.

“I thought my first comment was obvious.” He answered simply.

“Guess not.” He placed his hand at her head again, the gesture somewhat maternal. “Don’t…” She said her tone no longer groggy. Kro’nha quirked his head to the side in question. “It takes away from the illusion.”

“What illusion?” He questioned and moved his hand.

“Mine.” She answered simply. This only confused him more and his mandibles clicked softly in thought. He prepared to question her again, but her hand tickled its way up his leg and he froze. He couldn’t speak if he tried; there was a strange feeling slowly building in his chest that kept him quiet, and when she stopped halfway past his knee he sighed, somehow flustered.

Anthea sat up and stretched her arms. “I suppose I stink.” She noted with a grin and looked to her friend. The seconds of silence that passed made him feel silly, because he knew that she was waiting for him to speak. When he didn’t she merely chuckled and then stood. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

She approached the threshold to her room and the door automatically slid open from the censor above her head. Kro’nha stood to follow shortly behind.

He didn’t know exactly where she was going, but as usual Kro’nha took it upon himself to be Anthea’s hidden escort from the shadows. Ever since they were young, Kro’nha had watched over her as she was his charge handed down to him by Ko’tak himself. “She is a delicate flower, but a vicious vine.” Ko’tak once said. “Watch over her with a careful eye, Kro’nha, and safe guard her when I cannot.”

Anthea stepped outside and put her mask into place. She had made up her mind; she would settle for nothing less than a relaxing bath at the hot cove five miles to the east.

The outlook leading up to her destination was primarily jungle. The cove was surrounded by large Naxa trees; the water inside was lined with blossoming berry bushes, creating a nice and private green wall around the shore. The water in the cove was heated by a hot spring that fed into it from underneath. The trip was long, but she was finally here and it was well worth the walk in her opinion.

Anthea tugged at the small air tubes near her temple and she carefully placed her mask at the shoreline; she could breathe the atmosphere well enough without getting sick as long as her heart rate was at ease. She dipped a toe in the water and kicked her foot. The temperature was perfect; warm and soothing.

She reached back and tugged at the knot of her top, taking a single reassuring glance back to make sure she had her privacy. The leather top fell to the ground in a quick heap and a second later she shimmied out of her loincloth.

Back in her room before putting up her trophies she’d removed her body mesh, knowing that it would be too much of a hassle to get out of and back in when she came to bathe, plus she really didn’t need it.

Without hesitation she waded in until the water reached her shoulders. She swam across the way after spotting the perfect shallow perch against a long and narrow slab of limestone. She settled against the wall and let her head tilt back, closing her eyes.

Her thoughts led her to the beginning of her day, slowly playing out until she’d reached the top of the cliff, huffing and puffing. Ko’tak was so proud of her. He’d been proud of her in life before, but not like this. This trial was the last leading up to the hard meat trials. Today she’d truly proven herself. From here on it would only be harder, which only meant that the victory would be that much sweeter.

The bushes across from her rustled lightly and her eyes snapped open. She peered at the foliage directly facing her. A few silent and lingering moments passed until she took her focus away. If there was something threatening behind that bush, she thought, it would have jumped her by now.

Anthea looked down, the water was clear as glass, she could see straight through to the aqua colored flooring beneath her. The ripples caught the sunlight and the warm rays touched the bottom, the light dancing around in the water. Today really was perfectly relaxing.

She cupped her hand in the water and raised her palm to the nape her neck, droplets trickling past her collarbone and down her breast. Her free hand ran down her shoulder now, lightly back and forth, smudging off what filth she could. Once that limb was clean, she moved to the other and afterwards drifted forward to completely submerge herself in the warm water.

When she surfaced she threw her head back and squared her shoulders, her breasts lightly shaking. Her soaked hair almost looked black now. Her curls were looser and the sun reflected the dark streaks of burgundy.

She cupped her hands and splashed the water over her face, gently rubbing until she was satisfied. She reached down, blindly running her hands over each leg from toe to hip. Her hands roamed her torso now, and in the next moment they touched her breasts, groping and rubbing ever so gently. She frowned afterward though; they’d felt a bit tender. She hated when her breasts felt this way, knowing what symptoms would follow eventually after.

That rustling again. She twirled around in the water. It wasn’t the same bush as before, this rustling was more alert and careless, some of the berries tumbling from their perches and plopping into the water.

There was a low rumble behind the bushes, the obvious sound of a hungry beast. The leaves rustled again and a snout and two large tusks appeared into the clearing. She knew at this point that the possibilities were limited to only one creature; a boar.

She kept still, her eyes locked on the animal. She wouldn’t make a move if it didn’t. Its nose nuzzled around the ground and then paused. She watched the animal as it sniffed around. It came through the bushes completely now and he lowered its head for a drink. Anthea let out a small sigh, feeling a bit more at ease.

The girl looked herself over. She was more or less clean now and then thought it best to get ready to head back. The sounds of the restless water made the beast pause from its activities to peer ahead. Anthea took no head in the noises, thinking they were made by her.

As she moved toward the opposite shore where her gear lay, the boar ceased its drinking and began to grunt and shake its head, kicking up the dirt, acting as if it considered the human to be a threat. She turned around to watch the animal; suddenly her senses alerted her with an eerie sensation that ran up her spine. Something was behind her, and as cautiously as she could manage, she slowly turned, tilting her head to see what it was. Before she could make her full turn, a large scaly blur came rushing past her, barely missing her by inches, striking the boar.

The serpent violently shook its head until the pig went flying from its fangs; it held no interest for this prey.

She could now see the stalker clearly, and standing thirty feet high out of the water, was a basilisk.

Her heart stopped in her chest as she gawked at the beast of legend; a formidable foe reserved almost exclusively for the greatest of hunters. Her vision blurred and she rubbed her eyes. She placed a hand over her chest and felt her heart pounding. When she was aware of her hearing again, the sound of her breathing was erratic. She looked up at the huge serpent again and found she was dizzy. “Pauk,” she mumbled in a mixture of panic and aggravation. She was breathing in too much of the noxious gasses in the atmosphere due to her panic.

The basilisk reared its head back, preparing to strike at her, and as it let loose its furious blow, out from the bushes leapt her watchful guardian. With a somersault through the air, Kro’nha violently plunged his spear into the serpent’s head, landing with ease in front of the defenseless girl. The reptile stood frozen and silent for a long moment before finally collapsing, a large wave rippling through the water. The last thing Anthea saw before blacking out was Kro’nha’s masked eyes intently staring into hers.

Kro’nha reached out to catch the girl before she sank. As he held her in his arms, he trilled softly and began to carry her to the shore. He settled next to her things and placed her in his lap. The first thing she needed was her mask. He took it quickly and carefully placed it over her unconscious face; she’d come to eventually.

He cradled her head, her hair sopping against his arm. “It will take away from the illusion.” Her words echoed in his mind. He remembered her touch, how it was so different from any of the other times she’d touched him.

His gaze traveled from her face to her neck, slowly surveying her body’s terrain as his eyes stopped at her breasts. His stare lingered, but he pried his attention away long enough to examine the rest of her. He noted the small patch of hair between her limbs and quirked his head. Female Yautja didn’t have pubic hair, at least not to his knowledge; he hadn’t mated yet.

He’d known beauty in his own kind, but never in a human. The two races had many similarities, but in those similarities were monumental differences. Not just in their appearance, but in their way of thinking, speaking and acting.

Kro’nha placed his hand on her leg, like she’d done before. What was it in her actions that had him so anxious? His hand slowly traveled up her leg, now resting over her flat stomach. Her skin was very soft, so unlike his own.

For the moment he’d snapped out of it and grabbed her loincloth, slowly and carefully slipping it up her legs and around her waist. He took her top and reached the cloth around her back, preparing to cross it over her chest and fasten it… but he hesitated. Mindlessly he dropped the narrow piece of cloth and touched her breast, his hand resting against her flesh rather than groping. It was more supple than perhaps any other inch of her. He slid his hand away, a clawed index finger vaguely nicking her nipple by mistake. She stirred, turning her head to the side and taking in a deep breath. He wrapped the cloth over her breasts and fastened the ends at the back of her neck.

“Kro…?” She asked groggily. With the slightest of ease Kro’nha stood, taking her with him, cradling her in both arms. He trilled down at her, soothing her as he started the long walk home.