33. Drasuk

33

Drasuk

I bellow after Kira, my voice echoing through the dense foliage, "Slow down, little human! You'll twist your tiny feet in that undergrowth, and then who gets to carry your soft, squishy body back to the nearest medical facility? That's right, me."

She throws a look back over her shoulder; the scowl etched on her face deepening with each syllable I utter.

"There are no fornicating medical facilities here, hole in rear."

Her hand flies up, the middle finger extended in a gesture I've come to recognize as a non-verbal insult.

I assume it's the equivalent of a drak flicking their tail dismissively at someone they consider beneath them. Yet, there's a nuance to it, a human complexity I haven't quite deciphered.

Part of me wants to call out, to ask her the meaning behind the strange gesture, but she's already forging ahead, pushing through the undergrowth with a ferocity that both impresses and unnerves me.

Her defiance is a constant presence, a tangible thing that hangs heavy in the air between us.

It's delicious.

My frown deepens as my thoughts drift back to her earlier question. Her inquiry about my sense of smell left me struggling to maintain my composure.

I hadn't lied, not exactly.

Back home, a female in heat will often approach a potential mate with a playful question—how keen is his nose? It's a coy way of asking if he could detect the subtle shift in her pheromones, the undeniable signal of her readiness.

The sheer absurdity of the situation strikes me, yet again. The thought that she, a human female, could possibly possess such knowledge initially left me speechless. Relief washed over me when her flustered reaction confirmed my suspicions.

Humans clearly lacked such exotic social cues.

Still, that nagging thought remains: the fact that she is demonstrably aroused, even in this hostile environment. A traitorous part of me dares to wonder—is it me? I quickly dismiss that thought.

Arrogance is a luxury I cannot afford. Not here, not now.

Pushing those wayward thoughts aside, I focus on what's in front of us—navigating this treacherous forest. The air is thick with humidity; the silence broken only by the incessant drone of unseen insects and the rhythmic pad of Kira's feet against the damp earth.

The dense foliage offers little respite from the unrelenting sun that beats down mercilessly.

If we went farther into the forest, we would have shade. A glance at her and I revise my statement. She is shaded thanks to her small stature.

The wind shifts and I detect a faint, musky scent on the breeze. It's unfamiliar, not a creature I've encountered before.

Caution thrums through my veins, urging me to slow our pace. I glance at Kira, hoping to catch her eye, but she's several paces ahead, her focus fixed on a point farther down the path.

"Kira," I call out, my voice low and urgent. "Something's not right."

She spins around, her brow furrowed. "What is it?"

"There's a new scent," I explain, gesturing with my snout. "I can't quite place it, but it's unfamiliar."

Her expression remains unconvinced, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features.

"Probably just some weird forest animal," she scoffs. "We can't exactly stop and investigate every new smell, can we? Wait, what am I saying? You're never careful about anything, it seems like. So, what do you detect?"

"This isn't like the other scents. This one carries a hint of danger."

She hesitates for a moment, then lets out a frustrated sigh. "Fine," she concedes. "I trust your judgement. But we're not waiting around for long. If this mysterious creature doesn't show itself in five minutes, we keep moving."

I give her a curt twitch of my spines, appreciating the concession, however begrudging. We stand in silence for a few tense moments, my nostrils twitching as I try to decipher the source of the smell.

It's faint, almost teasing, swirling on the warm breeze.

Just as I'm about to suggest we continue, a low growl rips through the stillness. It originates from somewhere deep within the undergrowth to our left, the sound guttural and menacing.

Kira's eyes widen, the color draining from her face.

I give her a look that communicates that she should have believed me.

She doesn't respond, her gaze moving back to the direction the rustling leaves originated. The growl comes again, closer this time, followed by the unmistakable snap of a twig underfoot. Battle hormones surge through me, propelling me into action.

"Stay behind me," I growl, shoving myself between Kira and the source of the sound as she moves her gun into position. My senses are on high alert, my instincts screaming at me to protect the strange little human at my back.

The creature emerges from the undergrowth with a horrifying grace.

It is vaguely felidae, sleek and muscular, with obsidian fur and claws that glint menacingly in the dappled sunlight. Its eyes, however, are the most unsettling feature—swirling red orbs embedded in its skull, devoid of pupils or whites. It lets out a hissing snarl, revealing a maw filled with jagged teeth, dripping with a bioluminescent drool.

Kira gasps, moving to get around me so she can get a clear shot. Before she can, the creature launches itself at me, a blur of dark fur and malice.

I rear up on my hind limbs, towering over the beast, and meet its charge head-on with a thunderous blow from my clawed forearm. The impact sends the creature skidding back, a surprised yelp escaping its throat.

A tingle of relief passes through me knowing that I am able to hit it. I never again want to feel the same sense of powerlessness as I did with that cursed sand creature.

My jarring strike isn't enough to deter it, however. With a renewed snarl, it lunges again, this time aiming for my legs. I sidestep, feeling the wind of its claws whistle past my flank.

Kira takes a measured shot, but misses. It's very fast.

I retaliate with a sweeping kick, catching the creature square in the chest. The blow sends it crashing into a nearby tree trunk, its body contorting at an unnatural angle.

For a moment, there is silence. Kira, who is crouched, looking like she was poised to take to take another shot, lets out a shaky breath.

"Did you get it?" she whispers.

Just as I am about to respond, the creature stirs. Its eyes, flickering with a renewed fury, lock onto Kira. With a guttural roar, it propels itself forward, a blur of black fur and glowing teeth. A scream tears from Kira's throat as she raises her gun and fires three quick bursts.

One hits it in the chest, but it doesn't stop.

I don't hesitate, lunging forward, a roar of my own erupting from my throat. The creature meets me halfway, its glowing maw snapping toward my face. With a flash of movement, I dodge its attack, feeling the putrid breath singe my neck. I slam my shoulder into its side, sending it reeling.

It lets out a pained screech, but before it can recover, I seize my opportunity. With a swift movement, I clamp my jaws around its throat, the tang of blood flooding my mouth. The creature writhes and claws at me, its fur slick with glimmering blood, but I hold on with a vice-like grip.

The stench of singed flesh and desperation fills the air.

A crack echoes through the forest, followed by a sudden stillness. I release my grip, dropping the creature's now lifeless body to the forest floor. A wave of dizziness washes over me, the battle hormones slowly ebbing away.

Kira stares at the scene before her, face a pale canvas of shock. I take a shuddering breath, tasting blood and the acrid slime on my tongue.

"Seems we won't be needing that five-tick investigation after all," I rumble, my voice raspy.

She finally tears her gaze from the creature's body, a faint flicker of amusement crossing her features.

"Well," she drawls, her voice strained, "that was certainly fun to watch. Although, next time maybe try not to get your dinner all over the place?"

I stare at her, momentarily speechless. Did she just make a joke? In the aftermath of a near-death experience?

I approve.

My spines twitch in an involuntary response, then I simply let them show my appreciation for her humor.

Strange little thing, this one. Strange little thing indeed.

A weak smile tugs at the corner of her lips before she speaks again. "The whole fight was less than three minutes. Well done."

My chest warms with the compliment, loosening a tightness that has been there since I failed to do my part in the last battle.

"Let's just keep moving," I finally say, wiping the slime from my jaws with the back of my hand. "Hopefully, there won't be any more surprises today."

"Ha," she guffaws without mirth. "I think you just jinxed us, buddy."

She moves closer to me, then whacks me hard on my shoulder. From the look on her face, it must be something humans do when they are trying to compliment you.

I'll have to remember that.

She also brings her pheromone cloud closer where the wind can't disperse it some for me. I avoid taking a breath, lest I end up choking again.

I twitch the spines along my back, ignoring the sudden heat that brings that annoying tightness as her scent fills my nostrils again, despite the burning in my lungs letting me know they desperately want me to breathe.

She speaks again, providing a welcome distraction. "We better get a move on before some other creature, with more curiosity than fear, decides to come to see what all the ruckus was about."