Episode Fourteen - Xaosose Tribe (Part 1)
Chapter Song Suggestion "Eleven by Hyster"
*note : all dialogues like so {example} are spoken from the predator's perspective
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THE PAST | Izel
She threw him to the ground, his small back landing with a soft thud. He groaned aloud, unable to move. Eira pumped her fists into the air and roared at the sky. She had won.
"Victor! Eira Ulva!"
Izel moaned and rolled over, feeling weighted with shame. He had lost again. How much more could his pride take before he willingly admitted defeat? No doubt, his tribemates were laughing at him — constantly bested by a girl.
A hand appeared in his peripheral vision. Lifting his head, he realized it was Eira.
"You won again," he muttered, accepting her help to stand. He winced when he realized he had pulled a muscle.
"You weren't half as bad, Izel," she said good-naturedly. They became friends ever since they were old enough to participate in the Skothii games. Every year they would be pitted against each other, and so far, Eira had championed all their battles.
"It seems you have fixed your weakness," she continued, wearing a dazzling smile. "I enjoyed our fight and I look forward to winning again next year."
He curled his fists, his expression fierce. "One day, I'll defeat you."
Eira threw her head back and laughed. "I look forward to it. There's no one else who can match my movements better than you."
"Eira! We're going to see the ratillo babies. Are you coming?" Her sibling called out excitedly from afar.
"Wait for me!" Eira cried back. She turned to him and waved. "I'll see you later."
He stood there, watching her red tresses streaming under the sunlight as she chased after her siblings. Eira Ulva never saw him as anything more than a friend. He would defeat her, he promised. And then he would confess his feelings.
But that was the last time he ever saw her again.
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PRESENT DAY
"I don't like this idea," Florian grumbled as he mounted a spotted caballus, the descendent of an old era horse.
"If you're going to be a jealous bitch about the Captain and Eira's play-acting, then I'd rather handle this mission alone," Koga grunted, throwing him the stink eye from the edge of his dark glasses.
"Shut the fuck up, Akabashi. I'm not sitting this one out."
Koga snickered, flicking the reins. "Then you better get your head in the game, Vice-Captain. These fuckers we're hunting aren't simpering housewives."
Taking a final glance at the subject of his thoughts, Florian decided nothing would happen between them. As he rode out with Koga, he couldn't ignore the slithering voice inside his head calling him a liar.
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Eira observed Florian and Koga's diminishing figures in the horizon. "Will they be alright?"
"They're grown men, Eira." Lars's response was tinged with mild amusement as he seated Yaena onto the caballus. "They wouldn't be accepted into Ataxia if they weren't self-reliant and strong. We've already gone through the plan."
She bit her lip, a sign of her distress. "I know. It's just…this situation with the Xaosose tribe has me feeling anxious." Her hands wouldn't stop fidgeting. "It has been many years. I hope someone still remembers who I am."
Lars approached and wrestled the wrinkled headscarf from her fingers, looping it around her head. "Relax. You're not alone."
A reluctant smile curved her lips, twinkling eyes studying his. "Just like old times."
"He doesn't need to act as your husband," Yaena remarked in their tribal tongue, her tone cheeky. "You're both like a real couple. Are you sure that he's just your Captain?"
Twin spots brightened Eira's cheeks, stirring Lars's curiosity. He knew they were talking about him. "What did she say?"
Yaena answered immediately, cutting Eira to the chase. "I said you make a good-looking couple."
Lars didn't believe her but, he was glad to catch a glimpse of the imp this little girl would grow up to be if she weren't bound by fear. A part of him sincerely hoped they could help to set her free. A loud screech greeted them from above, the proud Aeolus circling low before landing next to its master. Right on cue, Lars tossed him a treat.
Yaena released a loud scream, having never seen a Gryphon.
"It's alright," Eira reassured. "Aeolus is a friend."
"T-that thing?" Yaena pointed at Aeolus offensively. When she was young, Eira was guilty of harbouring the same thoughts and feelings as Yaena – ignorant about a predator's true emotions. Like humans, they were able to feel pain and happiness.
Aeolus's feathers ruffled at being called a thing. {Ugly human.}
"Be nice, Aeolus." Eira's eyes narrowed pointedly. "She's never seen a majestic beauty like you before. Shouldn't you show her how great you are?"
Her pretty words soothed its fragile ego and the Gryphon puffed out its barrel chest. That earned a small giggle from Yaena. "Not all predators are harmful, Yaena." Eira stroke Aeolus's feathers. "Some of them can be gentle giants."
Lars shook his head at how simple-minded the Gryphon was. "Aeolus will be assisting us on this mission. He'll shadow us from a distance and be on the lookout. In case of emergencies, he will be our means of escape."
"W-what about the other one? The white predator?" Yaena's gaze never strayed off Aeolus.
"Xue Long isn't trained like Aeolus," Eira explained. "She's not yet certified to join us on missions." Lars had forbidden the dragon's involvement until it was official trained and legalized as a member of their unit.
"In her current state, she'll only be detrimental to the team," Lars had reasoned calmly. "If you want her to tag along in future, you'll need to train her to be as useful as Aeolus. It's the way of Ataxia, even for us hunters. The moment we lose our worth, we're exterminated."
She hated how he right he sounded. Lars never did something without a purpose. Unlike her, he never hesitated between hard choices — to choose one that benefitted the time and place. It made him an ideal Captain. Florian had reassured her that he would handle the case, hinting that he was able to pull some strings from the inside to ensure Xue Long's safety. At least, it wouldn't end up on a dissecting table in the research division.
Bending slightly, Lars clasped his hands together and booted Eira up behind Yaena, moving on to mount his own caballus. "Let's move out."
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In less than an hour, they arrived at the Xaosose village located near the borders, making mutual trade easier. Unlike the nomadic Qeath tribe, the Xaosose only moved when necessary, particularly in the face of natural disasters.
The village appeared quaint and non-threatening, giving off the illusion of an unencumbered, simple lifestyle. A neat arrangement of conical huts made of straw and mudbricks were arranged in an orderly fashion behind a high wooden fence tipped with spear like points — to keep away predators. As they rode by, the hissing chatter stopped, and the children and women openly stared. It wasn't hard to imagine what they were thinking behind leery eyes.
Eira realized Yaena had fallen silent, her head downcast. Anger overrode any trace of uneasiness. It felt as if the villager's hostility was directed more towards this child than them. Lars unmounted before the largest hut, assuming it was the Chieftain's residence. Anxiety gripped Yaena as he knocked against the wooden door.
There was no answer.
"Peki douh? Who are you?" a brusque voice demanded from behind.
Eira twisted around, clasping eyes on a familiar face. Her expression brightened considerably. "Izel!" Like before, he wore his hair in long, tiny braids but in the scrawny boy's place was a man built solid and huge like a tree. A full beard covered his wide jawline, and his eyes were smudged with kohl.
Izel frowned, taking in the woman's odd, pink hair and garments. Her intense green eyes with hazel rims resurrected a distant memory. A girl he knew had the same eyes. Thick, dark brows slanted in bewilderment. "Eira...Ulva?"
The woman nodded vigorously, flashing a row of pearly teeth. "Kraz! It's me, Eira Ulva."
He was dumbstruck. Eira Ulva was rumoured to be dead.
"I'm not dead," she insisted strongly, catching onto his thoughts. She swiftly dismounted, coming to stand before him. "I was captured after my parents died and I couldn't return home. It took many years but, I've come to ask for word of the Qeathans. I wish to go home." It wasn't exactly a lie. Eira intended to reunite with her tribe after she dug up the courage to face her brother.
Strong emotions assailed him. Izel's jaws tightened as his eyes roamed the beautiful face of his first love. Startling everyone, the silent and austere warrior pulled her into his firm embrace, unable to believe that she was truly well and alive. Crushed into his chest, Eira missed Lars's darkening features but not Yaena who took a clever step back.
"We looked everywhere for you," Izel confessed, squeezing her to confirm she wasn't an apparition. "Your siblings, they haven't given up on finding you. Kulan said that if you were dead, he would know it in his soul. And he was right."
Her heart stuttered. Her brother had said that? Feeling suffocated, Eira gently pushed back, only to stumble when Lars yanked her into his arms. Tilting her head, she froze at the sight of his unadulterated rage. She had never seen this expression on him. Was he...jealous?
The air thickened as the two males sized each other up. Wrapping a loose arm around her shoulder, Eira shivered at the utter possessiveness in Lar's voice. "I am Lars Verhelst. Eira's husband."