"What was it like to seed the razkur?" A newly-tailless security guard leaned in before waving me through the entrance to the Vault.

"Exactly like participating with all my other Joust partners," I grumbled. "None of your business."

"Oh," the guard backed off and straightened up. "Of course."

I pushed past him, not allowing him time to follow up with any excuses. Today was Mourning Crow's sparring match with the U'la'ke drone and I wanted to be done with it.

Whispering chitters spreading rubbish about my pairing in the arena echoed through the hallways. It'd been a week since the Convergence, but it was all anyone could talk about.

That first day was incredible. I hadn't slept that soundly since I shared a bed with my brother Tharu. The only thing that could have made it better was waking up and stepping onto a mountainside coated in a fresh layer of snow.

Then came the questions. My friends, my sparring mates, my fellow council members, and randos coming up to me in the street. The inquiries even flooded in during my regular quarterly sister clan check-ins.

I swear, the next person to confront me on this is going to get slit from crotch to throat.

I managed to claim an empty express-lift only to find myself trapped inside a tiny compartment thick with Mourning Crow's sweet scent.

After the Joust, I returned home glazed in her fragrance. It clung to my bed for two and a half days, and I believe it played a role in my brief contentment.

I took a long slow inhale, letting the fragrance put my short quills on end.

This was why I avoided attending Mourning Crow's and E'pire's training sessions in person.

It was bad enough I'd taken to peeking in on my holo-comm and snagging short recordings for my own personal viewing, but having her see and hear my unfiltered physical responses was an experience I dreaded.

Per Oru's orders, there was no evading today's assembly. I'd traveled to the opposite side of Sahei and was halfway down into the bowels of the Vault, Sahei's primary high-security stronghold for stabling lethal quarry. Like it or not, there was no turning back.

BUZZ

Level -107 lit up in bright red dashes over the doors of the express-lift. I tracked the razkur's scent lingering in the metal corridors and it made me ache for fresh combat. Though for the life of me, I couldn't picture any manner of triumph spectacular enough to satiate my craving.

A flash of bristling cold pulsed through my veins when a dissident thought popped into my head.

What if she's pregnant?

I'd sired dozens of offspring and the prospect had never phased me. I knew a few of their names and paid respects when they presented their honor to Oru.

Why was this different?

My thoughts zagged to that moment in Joust when I licked her. I've never done that with any of my partners, never had the chance, never was compelled to. The way she rode me, the way it felt to be inside her. I had to taste her. It was my only chance. Then she pulled me to her.

What′s wrong with me?

I arrived at the observation chamber overlooking the main combat testing grounds and found Eh'kt and Mourning Crow chatting by the window. The black-scaled Zhaguai was pointing out structures and suggesting various tactics.

Eh'kt's black claws affectionately grazed his mate's stomach as I hurried past. Mourning Crow was smiling and the two completely ignored my presence. Then I caught Eh'kt uttering a phrase I've never heard spoken in public... "love you".

Irrevocable weakness...

My blood prickled like hot knives.

To her...

Then she kissed him and whispered it back.

I hurried to the opposite end of the chamber and took my station next to E'pire.

I felt numb and hollow, like I'd made an irreparable misstep. Why did these intimate confessions sting me so deeply?

"My gratitude for expediting this examination," E'pire turned to me. "My unDreaded will prosper from this experience."

E'pire was big, even for a female. Like her bearer, a former member of Clan Asepa of the jungle mountains of Tecu, she was blue and white and blotched like a jaguar, with an extra pair of high-set upper fangs that gave the resemblance of an eerie feral smile. She was nearly old enough to claim the mark of an Elder and every inch of her was menacing.

"Hmm," I grunted in response.

Mourning Crow giggled while making playful clawing gestures at her lifemate.

Eh'kt...

My eyes narrowed as I recalled him recording me in the arena.

He knew you'd win... Mourning Crow's words chimed through my head.

After Eh'kt presented Mourning Crow to Oru in the great hall, I devoted less than thirty minutes to researching his records. He operated daily as a high-level strategist for large-scale planetary onslaughts and, at the time, I failed to register the relevance.

Then we had our run-in at the waterfall.

The next day, I scoured through his entire public and private dossier and made a thorough review of his Nexus championship fights. His approach and responses were tactically flawless.

The rumors are bullshit.

Only an idiot would disregard Eh'kt. It was strange that he hadn't been approved for a solo Liege challenge. He may have been young, but according to his impeccable lifetime performance numbers, he was long overdue.

Everyone underestimated this guy and he harnessed it to his advantage.

He knew Mourning Crow would obliterate Renas. He knew what the razkur was going to do once she climaxed. He knew it would be excruciating, and he knew exactly how to wield me as his personal donor puppet!

I see you Eh'kt.

I scowled as the black-scaled Zhaguai escorted his mate out of the observation chamber and down to the enclosed testing chamber.

A devious Zhaguai treads a dangerous path bordering on a descent into a wayward Hollow. It was one thing to outmaneuver your opponent; it was another to toy recklessly with your clan mates.

"Good mourning, Shale!" Oru entered the observation chamber with her eyes on fire.

"My Elder," I snapped to attention and bowed my head to her. "I wasn't expecting you to join us personally."

"I insisted," E'pire chittered cooly.

"I haven't seen you since the Joust," Oru beamed at me. "Your match was brilliant!"

Not you too! I fought the urge to groan.

"I know no one gets a say in the free-for-all," Oru stood with her chest out. "But that match couldn't have gone better if we planned it!"

"My loyalty to Jahaa," I kept my fangs clenched tight. No, that was the orchestration of another, more cunning mastermind.

"That show really tipped the scales," Oru spoke freely in front of her lifemate. "You sent those delegates home with one hell of a tale. Not every clan is on board, but the council and matriarchs are intrigued. Plus, we have a majority vote ready on standby."

It took all my willpower not to contract and thrash my tendrils. I wasn't putting on a performance!

"Truth be told," Oru nudged me with her elbow. "While the Joust is always a personal favorite, after a while, those skirmishes can get a little monotonous."

"The climax was unexpected," E'pire intoned, maintaining her focus on Mourning Crow and Eh'kt talking below. "My unDreaded will invigorate Jahaa's bloodline."

Not unexpected by all...

Below, Eh'kt pointed something out within his helmet to Mourning Crow.

How many times has he reviewed that Joust recording? Did they watch it together?

Were he any other Zhaguai caught playing mind games, I would confront his corruption swiftly.

"I know we were pursuing a means to influence the razkur," Oru leaned over the inclined observation window. "And I wouldn't dare exploit a pup in the middle of politics, but you potentially siring her offspring shifts the dynamic drastically."

My eyes went wide at my Elder's blithe statement and for the first time in my existence, I felt the urge to strike Oru.

"No," Oru mused on her reflection in the window. "There's something out there more powerful that will sway her. It's obscured but I can feel it."

"Eh'kt," I spoke out loud without thinking.

"Her mate?" Oru turned to me. "He's loyal, but no one has power over their lifemate."

E'pire glanced at Oru with a raised brow and a subtle smirk.

"His influence should be regarded," I stated.

"Hmm," Oru crossed her arms. "Advisement noted."

Eh'kt returned to the observatory alone, sporting a satisfied grin. "She's ready."

E'pire brought up a three-dimensional holo image of the secured U'la'ke on the control panel. The armored creature resembled a cranky panther, but with a venomous glowing mouth and a long, pulsing reticulating tail.

Big or small, felines in all forms were renowned as the best and most dangerous predators across the universe. However, the U'la'ke, through packing their nymph's nests with living but paralyzed indigenous hosts as bedding, could leech genetic strengths from any species. The cats were our most sacred adversaries and defeating a large coordintated pack of a dozen adult drones alone was how a Zhaguai completed their first Dread Rite.

The stats on the screens designated this particular U'la'ke as a moderately sized drone, weighing in at only two hundred pounds with a body length barely reaching five feet, but including its stinger-tipped tail, the beast maxed out at seven feet.

"She should take it down easily," Eh'kt raised his head confidently.

"This is an exercise in methodology, not execution," E'pire asserted. "Graven are pernicious regenerators and battling them exclusively has instilled in her a tendency for overkill. Her task is temperance and to claim a single clean trophy."

Eh'kt nodded in understanding. "She will learn. Mourning Crow adapts quickly."

From the scent wafting off his lower half, he and Mourning Crow had mated recently.

Is it painful for him as well? And still, he claims her as a lifemate, regardless...

Mourning Crow took her station below on the far end of the dark-lit proving chamber. She wore only a single gauntlet, white thermo-bands, and a white loincloth.

Aside from the earned gauntlet, Eh'kt must have customized her gear personally.

I get it. The pain and discipline are worth it. He must have a technique to negate the vice grip. If he can figure it out, I could solve it too... What the fuck am I thinking?!

I gave my long quills a hearty shake and stepped closer to the glass.

"Do you think she will be ready for this cycle's debuting Dread troupe?" Oru questioned her mate.

"These things cannot be hurried," E'pire sighed in annoyance. "If Mourning Crow performs well today and persists in demonstrating upward progress, I will continue her training on an appropriate wilderness planet. Only then can I assess my unDreaded's timeline."

"She will succeed," Eh'kt crossed his arms with vindication.

That smug piece of shit!

He manipulated not only me but Mourning Crow in the Joust and now he has the nerve to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Oru while his mate does all the heavy lifting.

No more deceptions or head games!

I squeezed my claws near the point of bleeding.

Mourning Crow will complete her training with the drone and then I will challenge Eh'kt directly! He may not be Hollow, but dueling him now will save Jahaa's Reavers the trouble later.

And should Mourning Crow find herself without a mate... My eyes narrowed in on the pale razkur below, letting out a quiet hiss to myself.

E'pire adjusted the room settings, raising and dropping smooth angular formations making the proving ground resemble the dark twisting caves of an U'la'ke pride chamber.

"The test will commence in thirty seconds," E'pire announced over the intercom.

The blue and white Forged warrior tabbed through the control panel's interface to activate multiple camera viewpoints of Mourning Crow. The razkur stood with her eyes closed and her sickle scythe drawn. My muscles tensed instinctually when the metal door clicked and dropped open. I couldn't get a visual on the beast but the drone was loose.

Suddenly, Mourning Crow's posture shifted from hostile to inquisitive. She opened her eyes and raised her ears to track the drone's location. Her spine was loose, her breathing fast, and then she put her scythe away.

"What's she doing?" I exchanged a startled look with Eh'kt. I couldn't translate the razkur's ear nuances, but I could read Eh'kt and he was equally concerned.

The testing chamber was near freezing and completely dark. The only sound was the drone clawing on the ceiling toward its target.

I stepped forward, fully prepared to shatter through the observatory window, and noticed Eh'kt on edge, right beside me.

"Make one move toward her and I will gut both of you where you stand," E'pire unlatched the sword from her back. "Do not interfere with my unDreaded's training."

Then the most exquisite haunting sound rose from Mourning Crow's mouth and pierced through the winding darkness. I was present when she sang in the central lobby. Her control of sound waves was impressive. However, this was wholly different.

I didn't understand the words, but I understood that the song was sad yet hopeful.

"What is she saying?" I had no choice but to rely on Eh'kt's expertise. "Why isn't her scythe drawn?"

"It's more of a howl than words," Eh'kt spoke haltingly, as though he were scrambling for comprehension. "About death, like something she would sing at a funeral."

The room felt hot and my thoughts cascaded into memories of the day Tharu died saving my life.

From the moment Zhaguai were strong enough to stand and walk, we're trained to accept death, but witnessing Mourning Crow's corpse was a sight I couldn't bear to witness.

The drone's tracker beeped that it was nearing striking distance.

Weapons out! You don't have to lure it in. It's hunting you!

Mourning Crow gestured her hand to the drone, as though her song was a precious gift.

It doesn't understand, the feline only seeks death!

I wanted to slam my hands on the glass, but I knew all too well E'pire had taken a blood oath to guide Mourning Crow. The Forged warrior was more than prepared to make good on her threat.

Mourning Crow transitioned her voice into that peculiar quadruple-tone chorus and increased her sincerity.

The drone's lanky, stinger-tipped tail dangled behind her.

Eh'kt growled and snapped his fangs in rage.

To our shock and horror, the drone dropped down and hissed at her back then it produced a bizarre series of chirps and whistles.

Mourning Crow turned to the giant feline with her arms at her sides and continued her serenade.

The U'la'ke nuzzled into her chest and then circled her tight like an affectionate house cat.

"I didn't know they could do that..." Oru cocked her head sideways. "Was there anything unusual about the pride colony the drone came from?"

"No," E'pire stood stoically and confirmed that the session was being recorded.

Mourning Crow's song filled the testing chamber like a lonesome wind swirling across a mountaintop, with the U'la'ke utterly under her thrall. It coiled around her, still chirping and whistling in a manner I could only describe as playful.

Mourning Crow caressed the beast's smooth plated body as it slithered around her. There was no fear on the razkur's face.

"No bones..." Eh'kt uttered out of nowhere.

"What?" I snarled, perturbed that once again Eh'kt was privileged with knowledge that I was lacking.

"They adapted..." Eh'kt turned his eyes up at me in wild excitement. "The Abura aren't native to Menthla!"

"The Abura?" Ugg, I hated being ten steps behind this guy. "The insect race her people hunted with?"

"They were," Eh'kt pointed at the drone. "And are U'la'ke!"

Mourning Crow ended her song and the pair sat cuddling together on the testing chamber's floor.

"Why didn't she recognize them from our trophies?" I inquired sternly.

"I don't know," Eh'kt replied. "Mourning Crow's generation only knows them through historical documents produced by razkurs before their species evolved eyes. Also, the strain she's familiar with had no bones. The cats may have appeared completely different depending on what subterranean species their nymphs nested with during gestation."

"Have their nymphs ever incorporated razkur DNA samples?" Oru interjected.

My breath hitched. Her victory over Renas in the great hall did possess a few disturbing similarities.

"I don't think so," Eh'kt's voice crackled with anxiety. "I'm certain my mate would have mentioned it. Besides, Dr. Kazz'mon screened her thoroughly. She would have caught it."

"How do-"

"My Elder," Eh'kt cut Oru off and pointed down at Mourning Crow. "If you desire accurate answers, I suggest we ask the source."

"Mourning Crow," E'pire spoke into the intercom. "We wish to speak to you. I need to return the drone to its confinement."

"He's ok with me. You can enter but you must remove your weapons," Mourning Crow shouted back. Then she cupped the cat's wide face and pressed its forehead to hers. "It's ok, I'll sing if you get scared, or if you just want me to."

The feline rolled on its back and stretched out over her legs, wrapping its long articulating tail around her waist.

"So pretty," Mourning Crow cooed as she stroked the beast's thick plated neck.

Against our better judgment, we complied with the razkur's request and joined her in the training chamber without our visible weapons.

The beast's orange slitted eyes went wide as it hissed and exposed a noxious orange glowing mouth as we entered, but Mourning Crow was quick to assure its safety through a simple tune.

"He's different than the stories," Mourning Crow rubbed the cat's flat nose and ran her fingers over the U'la'ke's luminescent lips as it yawned. "The bones and glowing saliva are new. Why didn't you tell me your people had Abura?"

"We did not know U'la'ke and Abura were one and the same," Eh'kt spoke gently to his mate. "How did you recognize it?"

"His sound," Mourning Crow rubbed her palms over the cat's plated body. "He vibrates like nothing I've ever heard before. I've heard the sound described in stories, and the ancient recordings don't come anywhere close. He feels like the tremble of droplets falling into a pool at the base of an endless cavern echoing on and on for eternity. Sorry, it's difficult to translate."

"Can you communicate with it?" Oru peered over the placated feline.

Mourning Crow nodded. "His name is Shadow's Reach."

"It's a drone," E'pire glared at the creature. "It has no sex organs."

"We know," Mourning Crow kneaded her fingers beneath the cat's pointed ears while mimicking its whistling. "But he identifies as male."

"Do your people train them like hounds?" E'pire arms fidgeted as she clamped a hand around her waist where her sidearm would have rested.

"No," Eh'kt inserted. "They're sacred to razkurs."

Mourning Crow bobbed her head in agreement.

"So..." I turned to Eh'kt. "Does that mean she can't kill it?"

Eh'kt's entire short mane of tendrils went slack in unison as his silver eyes dilated on a dreadful realization.

"It would be unforgivable," he stared down at his mate in sorrow. "To harm one would be as heinous as a Zhaguai abandoning the code and becoming Hollow."

...

Fully satisfied that there was no more need for her presence, Oru motioned for me to follow her as she exited the testing chamber. I wanted to stay and observe, but when Sahei's most revered Elder beckons you, you follow.

She led the way upstairs to retrieve our weapons, all the while smiling.

"And now we have our leverage."

.

.

.

TRANSLATION:

U'la'ke/Abura = alien cat species that are mortal enemies of the Zhaguai. Have stinger tails with paralytic venom. Known as "The Felija" to humans. They live in large Prides. The Lieges are the biggest, are both sexes, have large manes, and thirteen tails. AlSO: a sacred predatory species that shares a symbiotic relationship with the Razkurs.

Author's Note:

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