Chapter 121: Reaching An Agreement
The Saalistaja male spun around; his wrist blades unsheathed as he took in whatever danger was in his pet’s room.
"Easy, brother, it is just me," said Ye’tab as he took off his camouflage setting. Holding his arms out to the side, he gave the other male some time to study him.
"You have changed," growled Au’dtair in a low voice so as not to disturb his pet. He studied the male and took note of the increased muscle mass and even the different coloration. His skin was no longer the light tan of his tribe but rather turned into a darker, olive green and brown color, similar to Au’dtair’s own.
"As have you," replied Ye’tab. The transformations that he had noted in himself after being chosen by the human royalty were replicated in the other male. Their coloring had become so similar that others would assume that they were from the same litter. However, the locks coming from Au’dtair’s skull had changed color.
Every single Saalistaja had black locks made from keratin that allowed for certain sensory input, including environmental factors, proximity to objects, the position of the body and limbs, as well as the detection of vibrations and changes in air currents. The locks themselves had a higher blood and nerve supply, which made them extremely sensitive to the slightest stimulus.
In fact, it was the greatest weakness that any Saalistaja had. And yet, Au’dtair’s locks were encased in a purple armor of some kind or another. Ye’tab wished that he had a reflective surface to see if his own had undergone something similar.
"How did you get here?" demanded Au’dtair, not interested in the changes to his or Ye’tab’s appearance like the other male was. All he cared about was the potential threat to his pet.
"Followed the human," replied Ye’tab, no longer as fascinated at the other male’s transformation as he had been. Au’dtair probably had no idea why he was different, which meant that he could still be a threat to his mate. "Where are the others?"
"Not here," replied Au’dtair as he backed away from Mei Xing. He didn’t want to take the chance that they would be too loud and wake her up. Ye’tab followed him back into the corner where he originally was.
"Then why are you?" pressed Ye’tab, not willing to back down. Both males were dancing around the issue, neither one willing to put the human in jeopardy for revealing something that they shouldn’t.
"I found her on a hunt. She is my prey," said Au’dtair as he straightened to his full height. Unfortunately for him, as much as he might be older than the other male, he was standing at the same height, give or take an inch or two.
"She is who you were talking about?" asked Ye’tab, finally putting everything together. "You weren’t suffering from The Male Madness, you were chosen."
"I already told you all that," growled Au’dtair, not impressed that all of his hunt mates seemed to think that he had gone crazy. "What do you mean chosen?"
"That depends; what are your plans for your prey?"
"Right now, to take care of her. The ship does not do a good job, even though you have stated that the ships treat them like pets," grumbled Au’dtair. He was still trying to figure out how to leave her food without her suspecting that he was on board her ship. "Now, explain chosen."
Ye’tab thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of his next move. He prided himself on being at least ten steps ahead of most situations, but now, even he was scrambling to keep up with the changes.
"What do you remember about the Ethawainians?" he asked, not skirting the question but needing to know where to start.
"Race of all females that were hunted down to extinction," replied Au’dtair with a shrug of his shoulders, not really caring about some long-dead species. Every Saalistaja was forced to learn about the species, but as a pup, he never understood why he would need to learn about them.
"They are back," said Ye’tab cautiously. "Or at least one of the royal members is back."
Au’dtair snorted at that statement. "If that is the case, then I hope she knows how to hide well," he sneered. It was none of his business that some long-lost royalty was back from the dead.
"It seems like she is good at hiding, or at least not being found," huffed Ye’tab, his outer mandibles clicking together. "So good, in fact, that she just found out what she was a catawr ago."
Au’dtair froze and turned his attention away from his pet to a male he considered to be a friend. "Want to spell that out for me?" he demanded, knowing that the answer was probably not going to change.
"Your pet, the human—"
"Mei Xing," interrupted Au’dtair.
"Mei Xing is the last known Ethawainian in the universe, with the others of her species being, genetically, far behind," finished Ye’tab. "All humans share the same genetics to be universal breeders, but only Mei Xing’s genetics have been unlocked, turning her into a full-blooded Ethawainian," he repeated, just in case he wasn’t clear before.
"And the changes we have undergone?" asked Au’dtair, now understanding but once again wanting confirmation from the other male.
"The changes are a sign that we have been chosen by the Ethawainian royalty as a superior genetic match," answered Ye’tab, his outer mandibles once again clicking, but whether it was due to happiness or something else was anyone’s guess.
"Then what are your plans?"
Ye’tab snorted at the question. "I am going to prove that I am worthy of being chosen," he answered simply. "Even if that means I have to kill my brethren to protect her."
"In that, we are of agreement," nodded Au’dtair. "Now, how do we make sure that the others cannot find her?"
"I don’t suppose that she is willing to live the rest of her life on the ship, never to leave?" asked Ye’tab, knowing that it would be too much to ask.
"I don’t think that she would mind that. It will be more of a problem when the ship decides that it needs something and drops her on a planet to go get it," answered Au’dtair with a frustrated huff.
"Wait... what?"
