58. Preview of Coral

Drasuk

The popping sounds grow louder as I continue my advance, my burning curiosity piquing with each burst of noise.

The sound ends as quickly as it begins, signaling the end of whatever conflict arose. With that realization, my claws dig into the soft earth as I lower myself to all fours, picking up speed.

As I sprint through the undergrowth, the forest becomes a blur of green and brown.

The first hint I get is the noticeable shift in the surrounding air, transitioning from its crisp quality to a sharper tone with a drier heat that contrasts with the usual humidity.

As I advance, the reason for the change becomes clear as the lush foliage gradually transitions, giving way to a strange, desert-like landscape.

Dark red soil crunches and puffs up dust motes beneath the thick pads of my feet, the air noticeably hotter.

I can't help but wonder how long it took them to terraform this planet to such extremes.

The process was refined by the manticorids at the height of their empire. After their decline, it was only a matter of time before the technology was stolen.

Other empires attempted to replicate the methods that ensured environmental variety, but had never done so. These limitations are clearly no longer relevant.

Fanciful thoughts to muse over Drasuk, but this is not the place.

I trample the errant thoughts and focus on my task.

The scent, that tantalizing blend of enemy and something else, guides me.

Ahead, I spot a crash site. A heap of warped metal juts out from the ground, the remnants of a larger ship.

I barely give it a second glance, my attention drawn to the bodies near a makeshift campsite. One braceaaer, one genali.

The corpses are fresh, their ballistic wounds still oozing.

But it's not their scent that draws me. No, there's something else, an eerily pleasant aroma that fills my nostrils.

How had this somehow become even more . . . exciting?

I move cautiously, scanning the area. A single crack of a gun rings through the air, replaced by an unsettling silence.

My instincts scream at me to be wary, but the scent is too alluring to ignore.

I draw nearer the bodies, examining the scene. The braceaaer's rigid stance indicates a struggle, while the genali's sprawled form doesn't leave much to analyze.

I crouch beside them, inspecting the wounds. Bullet holes, not energy weapons.

As expected, I suppose.

A vague memory surfaces about a hunting ground where technology ceases to work.

If nothing else, at least that narrows down the possibilities of where I am. Not that I could send out a distress signal or anything.

Focus, Drasuk.

I sniff the air again, trying to pinpoint the source of the enticing scent. It's not from the bodies, nor the campfire remnants. I close my eyes, focusing my senses.

It's strongest to the north.

I move away from the crash site, heading toward it. The ground shifts beneath my pads, the red soil giving way to rocky terrain. The temperature continues to rise, the sun burning along my rough blue skin.

Despite the discomfort, I press on, driven by an inexplicable need to find the source.

As I crest a rocky ridge, the landscape before me is a stark contrast to the lush forest I can still see from afar. A barren expanse stretches out, dotted with jagged rocks and sparse vegetation.

My eyes narrow as I see a tiny figure in the distance, leaving the desert biome and darting into the forest. The smell seems to waft from the direction the small creature took, so I give chase.

I drop to all fours again, feeling the muscles in my limbs coil and release with each powerful stride.

This one has a scent designed to trick me, like the carnivorous plants of my world that lure in unsuspecting animals.

Beneath that enticing layer, there's the unmistakable stench of the genali. No doubt a product of their body modification program.

That's enough for me to ignore the temptation the scent stirs in my loins.

Angry with myself for even entertaining such thoughts, I pick up my pace, crashing through the forest after the running creature. The foliage whips past me, branches scratching at my hide.

The chase is exhilarating. My senses heightened by the thrill of the hunt. I force myself to focus, to remember why I'm here.

Vengeance, not some twisted game.

The creature ahead is quick, darting around trees with an agility that belies its size. I am faster. My claws make deep furrows, propelling me forward.

The smell grows stronger, filling my nostrils and urging me on.

I push through the fatigue, my eyes locked on the elusive figure ahead. Glimpses of bright pink like a beacon drawing me toward it.

The forest thickens, and the undergrowth becomes denser. The creature weaves through the trees, but I am relentless.

With a burst of speed, I close the gap, my breath hot and heavy in my throat. The figure glances back, its eyes wide with fear.

It knows it cannot outrun me.

I leap, my claws outstretched, ignoring the impotent bullets the creature sprays me with as I feel the blood rush triumphantly through me.