The Apex Predator
(I had the idea for this a little while ago and finally got it all written out. This uses a lot of headcanons from @vrepit-sa including the Kariian sub-species, the planet Kariio 15-R, and their revuriar creature. They were really fun to work with. And yes, I asked first XD)
Streaks of blood stained fresh grey snow. Wind whipped the radioactive powder into a looming veil. The valley howled as white ribbons hushed along the grey slab of stone to his side. His ears, the only part of his body he'd left uncovered by his now tattered winter gear, perked at the howl. Was it the wind? Or something else? One hand pressed tighter against the dripping gash by his hip. Even through all the adrenaline every step, or limp as it were, was a new shot of pain like saw teeth tearing away at his leg from within. The other hand gripped his smoking Bell. It was the only reason he had made it out. It was the only reason he could still look over his shoulder and see nothing lurking within the veil. The creature was afraid of it. The massive revolver's cylinder glowed purple in the dim lighting. A show to anything watching that he was still dangerous.
He scraped the frost from his goggles and checked over his shoulder again. There was nothing to see. Everything was just a flat grey blur of snow in every direction besides the stone beside him. Were it not for the dark stains of blood in the snow it would be just as hard to tell if he was moving forward or backward. Even then the fresh snow was rapidly covering the viscera that followed him. A blessing in some respect. It covered his trail. At least the visual aspect of it. He was sure it had no trouble following his scent. So he hugged the wall. It kept him from getting turned around and it covered at least one direction.
Until his footing gave out.
Fragile snow had masked the drop until the weight of the galra sent it caving in. He could feel a slope beneath him as he tumbled down, somersaulting through layers of snow and outcrops of rock. It was hard to know how long it took before he reached the bottom. One look up showed him nothing but snow.
His eyes stung and he adjusted his goggles then blinked the pain away. Even though the anti-rad kept cancer away, the radiation in the air still burned his eyes. Of course the storm had only made it even more active.
When he pulled his hand away from the goggles he suddenly froze. He looked at his empty hand, registering in shock what was wrong. The Bell was gone. Belost furiously swept layers of snow to the side and punched his hands through the surface, desperately grasping at anything that felt like his weapon. "No no no no. Zarkon's throne, no! Fuck! How the fuck did this happen?"
_________________________
Belost stood on the command deck of the 3rd fleet's flagship, arms crossed impatiently. Why call him so damn early if the commander was just going to be too busy to speak to him? Then almost as if he could read minds, the towering galra that was his commander broke away from his lieutenant. Sendak stood in front of the tracker, an unamused look on his face. "You know, Belost, a little tact wouldn't hurt."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have advertise just how annoyed you are. Leave a little to the imagination, if even just for your own benefit. Nobody gained anything by being an open book."
Belost chuffed and quirked an eyebrow, simply staring back at the other expectantly. Waiting to hear the reason he was there.
The other grinned somewhat. "That's a little better. Keep practicing and maybe next time I'll end my conversation with Haxus when I think you're annoyed rather than when you show me you are." He turned and scooped a datapad from his command pulpit. "Anyway. On to the reason you're here. You remember Xig Fadhe? Deposed prince of Tracaft Ga-"
"Yeah I remember," Belost cut him off. "What about him?"
Sendak let the breach in etiquette slide. He was never very committed to what was considered proper behavior and had come to expect a share of taboo behavior from the tracker. "We found his ship on the edge of the wilderness in Kariio 15-R."
Belost's ears perked up at that bit of news. "Really? Isn't that your home planet?"
"It is," Sendak said, though he seemed to gloss over the fact. Although he was somewhat impressed with how Belost knew that fact. But then Belost seemed to know a lot about him, even for a galra. "There's a dossier waiting for you. Despite how things turned out last time with Xig, I'm assigning you to this. Don't screw it up again." He paused and showed another amused grin. "You're doing it again. Tact, Belost. Leave some of that anger to the imagination."
_________________________
His arrival was unwelcome to say the least. The landing port was nearly barren. Red armor of a Galra soldier stood out in stark contrast to the traditional clothing worn by near everybody there. Finding somebody to help was a challenge in itself. He had been given a name, Kashden. She was not a leader, but rather a specialist in helping outsiders get what they needed from the Kariians.
She was far less welcoming than the job description implied.
"I've arranged for two of our hunters to take you to the crash site and accompany you on your search for this Xig Fadhe." She spoke fast and through a heavy accent native to her planet. "If there is anything you need, I suggest you turn to your own people first. We're limited on resources as it is without having to supply outsiders as well."
Belost merely blinked in surprise. If there was a skillset for blending cooperation and hostility, this woman was a master. "Well, if that's the case you can just give me the coordinates. I don't need anybody with me to help. If anything it just slows me down."
She looked up at him from the pad she had been typing into then shook her head slowly, holding eye contact. "That isn't an option. This man is hiding on our planet. We want our people involved. Those 'slow' hunters of ours would have already found him by now were your commander not so insistant on waiting for you. They will travel with you. They will make sure you find him." She stood up and walked across the room to the door and opened it for Belost. Two tall men in all white gear of thick hide and armor stood before the open doorway. They wore masks of skull over their faces.
Belost looked between the two and then back to Kashden. It seemed his 'escort' was ready. He remembered his short time in the presence of the Emperor's guard. Technically on his side but looking for any excuse they could find to turn him into a pincushion. The feeling was similar.
As he walked by the door, Kashden stopped him, her face as serious as ever. "Don't go wandering."
_________________________
There had been little left of the ship by the time he had gotten there. Lost to the elements the locals had said, doing little to convince him but daring him to say otherwise. It was typical of the attitude the kariians had given him. Little more than outright hostile, cooperative enough to say they helped.
There were enough signs to go off of. Shallow tracks in the snow, scraps of expensive personal effects half buried, the occasional campfire. The hunters said little. They flanked him nearly every step of the way, watching him closely every time he stopped.
Belost tossed a golden ring up in the air and caught it in his hand. He shook the snow off and took a look. The craftsmanship looked right. The tracker lifted his goggles and took a closer look through squinted eyes. The sun shone off the snow and nearly blinded him once the tinted goggles no longer knocked the sunrays back. But he found small bits stuck to the edges of the ring. "Looks like the rings started to freeze to his fingers. He'd been here about three hours I'd guess," he said to himself out loud. The cold air nipped at his eyes and he dropped the goggles back down.
He pocketed the ring and stood back up straight. "So we're moving about twice as fast as he was. Probably about a week behind him..." he thought quietly for a few moments. "I'm guessing he wouldn't be able to get shelter in any city or village given your.. welcoming nature." He pulled out a datapad and looked over a map of the area. It was good for a guide at the absolute best. The radiation of the planet made it difficult for machines to accurately map and the constant snow storms changed the lay of the land frequently anyway.
He circled an area on the map. "He's got to be somewhere in this area, then. A cave or maybe he built some shelter or something. Might be a few hours out, might be a few days."
If the hunters heard him they made little effort to acknowledge it.
Belost looked between the two and sighed. "Would be a long time to go without saying anything. Might get pretty awkward if-"
"What do you want us to say?" One spoke sharply.
"Wow, you know that's actually kind of annoying when it happens to you." He noted the interruption. "I don't know. Thoughts on anything?"
"You've said everything there is to know."
"Comments on the weather-"
"It's the same as always."
He sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Nevermind." They continued on in silence.
They hiked further along through the sprawling mountains, finding the occasional fire pit along the way. Each time they got more recent.
Belost looked between the two of them again. The sun drooped in the sky, the blinding sunspots on the snow vanished and the mountains and hills gradually became dark. His eyes adjusted and he focused on the masks they wore, only just barely able to see the glow of their eyes from within.
"What are those masks, anyway?" he said, huffing breath into the scarf covering his face.
"Revuriar skulls," replied the same one from before. The other remained silent.
"Revuriar, huh? Aren't those supposed to be a big deal around here?"
The other paused. It seemed he was actually having to consider his reply. Or consider even giving one at all. "They are what makes our work so dangerous."
"Ah. So the masks are trophies then?"
"Somewhat. Trophies, symbols of experience, mostly they're protection. Meant to keep revuriars away so we can hunt in peace."
"Well you've both obviously killed them before. They can't be that bad."
The kariian turned to face him, the skull of the beast looking down at Belost. "We've killed them in groups. You don't kill a revuriar alone. Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to find out just how dangerous they are."
Belost meant to speak but was cut off for a second time, in this instance by a powerful gust of wind. It kicked the capes of the hunters out and pushed Belost a few steps in the snow. The sky grew darker, more so than just a shifting time of day. The hunters looked up at the sky and then to one another.
"Snowstorm."
_________________________
The night had come and the storm was in full effect. Signs of Xig Fadhe had all but disappeared with the storm. Belost could barely see in front of him much less something like a possible footprint. The two hunters on his flanks were mere silhouettes, their white gear doing little to help him see.
But then the snow and frost coating his own armor did much to hide him from them as well.
Despite his lighter gear and lack of loose clothing, they managed to keep up with him well. Apparently his snow walking could use some work.
The wind stung his bare ears and he rose his gloved hands up to block the wind as best he could and flick the snow away. His hands cupped around his ears and blocked the howl of the wind for a few moments. In the silence he heard something.
He paused and focused. The hunters slowed to a stop and closed in on him.
"What is it?" The 'talkative' one asked.
"I hear something. It's him." Belost turned and stepped around a hunter. He pointed out in a direction to their side. "There."
They trudged through the snow, cutting across the wind. Belost leaned into it to keep from being blown over.
As they grew closer the others heard it too. It was a distinct voice. Different from any kariian. Different from a typical galra like Belost. It sounded like sniveling sobs. Something Belost might expect to hear from an ex-prince who was used to the pampering and regality of a palace suddenly tossed into an environment like this.
The crying echoed out from within a wedge driven between two walls of ice and stone. Belost placed a hand on the entrance and peered in. It was dark but it looked like it widened out the further in it went. He turned to the hunters and pulled a flare out from a pouch on his lower back. The tracker tossed the purple light overhand into the fissure. As soon as it clattered over the floor, the crying stopped.
He silently drew the Bell from its holster on his thigh. The pink / purple glow from the cylinder illuminated him somewhat for the hunters and the three filed in. He kicked the flare further inside. The sky gradually disappeared when the top of the fissure closed in on itself. Behind him, the kariians glanced between one another uneasily. The same unspoken worry acknowledged between them as they unslung their rifles.
Belost kicked the flare further in once again where it skidded off into a small puddle of near-frozen water. The lighting in the cavern was distorted from the flare in the water, still alight but frothing in the water around it. Purple accents flared and dimmed in a constant haze on the ice walls and floor. Belost slid on the ice beneath his boots. He caught himself before he hit the ground and steadied himself again, walking more carefully.
The light caught the rim of something on the ground. Belost stepped in to get a look. It was another frozen ring. This time, however, there was more than just blood and flesh stuck to it. An entire gnarled finger had fused to the metal and Belost grimaced, casually tossing it to the side. Somehow he doubted the prince had the stomach to self-amputate a frostbitten appendage.
He cast his gaze farther up ahead and shifted forward. What he found he felt safe in calling his target. Though there was no way to be sure anymore. He turned to the hunters. "I think we've found all we need to. Let's-" For a third time something interrupted him. The crying started again.
The crack of a rifle fired off, a shot wizzed just by him. His moment of confusion was answered when the cry turned to a roar and a hulking beast of white fur smeared with frozen red gore burst out from the back of the cavern. The hunters shouted in their native language as Belost found himself on his back with an immense weight bearing down on him. In the frantic shouting of a language he couldn't understand came the word 'revuriar.'
The beast's front paws held him in place while the second set of claws portruding from the beast's stomach scraped and floundered for purchase over his armor. The screech of claws on ceramic sounded and Belost grunted when a claw found his hip and scrawled itself in deep.
The hunters fired together. It was enough to get its attention. Long enough for Belost to fire a shot from the Bell. The beast howled deafeningly above Belost. The bullet punched through the side of the revuriar's abdomen, spraying a burst of blood over the walls of the cave. At this closer of range, the mass reactive bullet couldn't activate and it instead exploded upon hitting the wall. The simple mass of them, however, was more than enough to hurt the creature.
It leaped from Belost and jumped onto one of the hunters. By the time Belost could stand the hunter was dead and the other was soon to follow. He fired another shot. It went wide and left a crater in the wall. The wounded revuriar saw him aiming a followup shot and quickly ran around the corner, vanishing from his sight. Belost limped across the ice then peered around the corner. It was empty as far as he could see. He turned around to check the hunters incase either might survive.
One's head had been crushed in the jaws of the beast, the other lay with his organs strewn from his stomach. Belost slammed his fist on the wall in frustration. They had saved him. If he had hit something important with his shot or gotten a second one off, maybe he could have returned the favor. He took a deep breath and winced when the pain in his hip flared. There would be time to feel guilty later. For now, his mission was over. All he had to do now was make it back to the village. And not die on the way there.
_________________________
Even through the gloves Belost's hands had gone numb from digging through the snow. The wind blew harder and sucked the heat from the gouge in his thermal suit as well as his own body. The snow now packed into his open wound burned and he gripped at the wound, crunching frozen blood around the cut. He breathed heavily. The wind howled again. Along with something else.
He looked up and saw the silhouetted form of the revuriar standing on its hind legs. It could dwarf even the likes of Sendak. Belost hoisted himself to his feet with a grunt and yanked his large survival knife from its sheath. It wasn't the Bell, but it was something. If there was even a chance he could go down fighting then he would take it.
The revuriar dropped to its feet and lunged at him in one seamless act. It burst through the grey veil and lept. He dodged and swung his knife, feeling it drag deep beneath the layer of thick fur. It came back slick with blood as the revuriar disappeared back into the blur of snow. He took a step backwards and almost dropped at the sudden pain that shot up from his leg. He looked down and saw a fresh tear in his suit. He couldn't tell how deep it was. Maybe it wasn't that bad and the cold was making it seem worse than it was.
Heavy footsteps thundered towards him and he turned in time for the creature to lunge by him once again. Another draw cut from his knife. Another mauling from the monster's claws. He pressed his hand to his stomach and checked the blood that covered the glove.
He remembered how fast the others had died. It could have killed him before he even knew what was going on. But it had announced itself. Challenged him. Waited until his weapon was gone. The beast was smart, he had heard stories of their intellect before. But vengeful too? It was all he could think of. He had hurt it. Now it wanted to return the favor.
The blood on his knife gave him some measure of satisfaction. At least he could keep paying it back. Although the damage was disproportionate at best. He was feeling sluggish. He saw his blood in the snow and the cold seeping into his suit.
The revuriar slowly crept up in front of him. No quick strike planned. No surprise attack. It made sure he saw it. Belost flicked its blood from his knife and readied himself. There was a silent stillness between them. Where each understood the other. Then the moment was over and the revuriar jumped for him.
Belost felt the same weight bearing down on him, pushing him down into the snow. Red saliva dripped onto his face and teeth bore themselves, snapping wildly. But they couldn't reach. His eyes glanced to the side. His arm flexed and strained to hold the weight of the revuriar bearing down against him. Even with his knife buried into its neck it still snapped and growled, pushing him deeper and deeper into the snow, growing closer. The muscle of his arm screamed as he strained it, pushing the beast back as far as he could. Despite the viscera that ran down his hand and arm, it was still a losing battle.
He sunk farther into the snow, his head starting to fall beneath. He saw a glint of light. His eyes widened in realization and newfound strength surged through him, helping him keep the shearing teeth at bay while is other hand dug snow out by the fistfull. His hand found what it was looking for. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Belost rammed the barrel of the Bell into the beast's stomach and without a word pulled the trigger as fast as he could. Bullets burst from the back and side of the creature and he swore it screamed. The final bullet hit bone and the explosive detonated, tearing a great hole in the monster and cutting it silent. Even nearly blown in half it was still enough to cover Belost. The hot gore pooled around him and the gun clicked a few times, he had yet to register that it was empty and that he was not dead. The beast's face went slack.
_________________________
A few days passed since the run in with the revuriar. Belost still lay in a recovery bed, having just been transferred from the Kariio 15-R's emergency medical facility, their version of a hospital, to the ship's med bay. The locals had looked at him differently since then. He still felt the distrustful gaze. But it was less openly hostile. More tactful as his commander might call it. Some of the children even looked upon the galra soldier with a sense of wonder. The outsider who had killed an adult revuriar single handedly and survived. It was something their parents were quick to demystify as an absurdly lucky break lest their own children choose to underestimate one.
He couldn't blame them. And he supposed it was a fair trade. Killing the legend of Belost the Hunter in exchange for saving Belost the tracker. The locals had found him shortly after he killed the creature. Hunters had heard the gunshots and scream from the outskirts of the village. They hadn't come out of concern for Belost, but to ensure the revuriar was dead. It had been indeed and while searching the body they found Belost underneath it. Still alive, but barely.
They retrieved the two hunters' bodies and returned them to their families. Belost was glad he didn't know what the Kariian ritual was for a dead loved one.
The guards in the med bay saluted and he looked to the side to see Sendak walking in. He hadn't seen him since he gave his report from planetside. Especially not in person.
The commander stopped beside his bed. "Belost," he addressed him informally. "You look good for somebody who just went one on one with my planet's apex predator."
Belost grinned and lay his head back with a sigh. "Yep. I'm pretty great."
Sendak decided to just let him have that one. "And after it did your job for you. Killing Xig Fadhe and all. You've got some way of showing gratitude."
"I didn't know you could tell a joke," Belost said with closed eyes. His mind was still somewhat a haze with the pain medication.
"I bet you didn't know I could give gifts either."
Belost felt a weight on his stomach and opened his eyes. He saw a familiar skull resting there and smirked. "Thanks."
"You earned it." He looked at the skull, an item he didn't expect to see added onto his ship, then to Belost. "Anyway, I have places to be and you still need some rest. I just wanted to say good work." He lifted the skull from the bed and looked at it face to face. "I'll add this to that trophy display in your room on my way back to the command floor. It's one you can be proud of."
