Warning: this chapter is a bit gruesome in places so read cautiously :)

Sorry it's been a while but please don't forget to vote and comment.

Genima was so sweet. After the day ended and Zicco shoved us out of his sector, she insisted on walking us back. I told her we'd be fine and that I didn't want her heading back alone, but she only smiled, reminding me she had wings and liked the fresh air after being cooped up all day.

I hesitated but let her come. Andre and Genima started chatting right away, their laughter light and easy. It was warm in a way I hadn't felt in months. For a brief moment, I wondered if staying here might not be so bad. There wasn't much to go back to anyway.

When we reached the edge of camp, Genima left, her hazel eyes glinting with that quiet wisdom age brings. She spread her greying feathers and lifted off, vanishing into the night sky.

The next day, Andre and I woke early for the final stretch of the "tour"—if you could even call it that. More like a way for us to learn their divisions so we can pick one. Seriously they have aliens arrive and instead of locking us up and conducting tests on us they just want us to do manual labour. Oh, and maybe kill us through training.

This time, it was Kira's turn to guide us. She was supposed to teach us to hunt, which explained why we were awake at such an ungodly hour. The forest she led us to looked a lot like the one we first woke up in. Something about being back there made me think of Blinx. I made a mental note to find a way to talk to her.

Kira snapped me out of it, pressing something into my hand—a bow and arrow. Or something close to it. The "arrow" looked like a tightly wound string coated in a sticky substance, ending in a jagged, brutal tip.

I frowned at the crude weapon. "With everything you have, I'm surprised how simple this is."

Kira smirked, "Hunting isn't just about the meat, it's about the chase so using something fancy destroys the fun."

The middle-aged norca grinned—sharp and unsettling, like something straight out of a horror movie. The wickedness in her smile didn't fit the soft edges of her face or the pastel pink cloak draped over her shoulders. Her dark skin held the faint traces of smile lines, and at first glance, she seemed warm—approachable, even. But the way she moved told a different story. There was power beneath that calm exterior and after seeing how she and Elynn conversed I decided I didn't want to get on her bad side.

"So what are we hunting?" Andre asked not too keen on this predicament.

"We are hunting whatever we find." She then gave us both a firm look, "Now shut up and wait."

I gave Andre an exasperated look and sighed, taking a place hidden behind a purple tree and watched the clearing. Kira didn't seem phased by the silence, her eyes scanning the trees with a calculating intensity.

I don't know how much time passed but enough time for my legs to feel heavy and the familiar ache of pins and needles to set in and I was just about to complain about it when a movement leaves caught my attention.

Eyes trained on the spot I thought I must have imagined it until the head popped out the rest of its body following behind. I stood stunned in place as I took in the creature.

It was slender and elegant, it's dark scales smooth and shimmering in the dappled light, the subtle iridescence shifting as it moved. Its long, graceful legs ended in cloven hooves, and its reptilian claws seemed to softly scrape the forest floor.

Its short, tufted tail flickered behind it, with a patch of scales visible along its length. But what really drew my eye was its face. Delicate, yet regal—its features seemed almost too refined, too perfect. Strong horns twisted upwards, spiralling high into the air like an ancient crown. Its ears, long and wing-shaped, fluttered ever so slightly

Lastly I saw its eyes, large amber orbs, shimmering with a depth that felt beyond this world. As they met mine, I knew immediately: this was no ordinary creature. I felt a shiver run through me as those eyes bore into mine, the weight of something ancient and wise radiating from them as its stare pierced my very soul. I knew it wasn't just an animal. It was the forest - alive, aware, and watching.

For a second, I swore I could hear the whisper of the trees, their branches bending in reverence, the air thick with the creature's presence. It moved deliberately, not driven by instinct, but as if it were in silent communion with the world around it.

But then, before I could react, the whistle of wind cut through the air, and Kira's arrow flew toward the animal. I saw it too late. The jagged tip sank deep into its neck, and I watched in helpless horror as the creature reared up, its amber eyes locking with mine in a final, agonizing moment. It tried to move, but the pain overcame it and instead fell to the cold hard floor.

The moment it collapsed, everything around us stilled. The air felt colder, as if the very soul of the forest had been ripped away. I was stuck as I felt the whole world shudder.

No longer frozen in place, I bolted toward the creature, my anger boiling over as I hurled obscenities at Kira. How could she do this? I sat on my knees cradling the head of the fallen creature. Its amber eyes met mine once more, filled with agony, and the creature let out a final, tortured whine—its voice haunting the stillness of the forest.

I knew at that moment that Kira had made an irreversible mistake. This was no ordinary creature.

I stood up, anger building and clouding my judgment. My blood simmered with fury, but the sight of its cold, dead eyes made it boil over. I glared at Kira with a hatred I'd never felt before, the heat beneath my skin turning white hot. Without thinking, I charged at her, my fist flying before my mind could catch up. I hit her in the face again and again, my rage completely consuming me as she barely registered what was happening.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Andre kneeling beside the creature, desperately checking for signs of life. The anguish on his face only fueled my fury, the pressure building in my veins, making my heart pound. My eyes flashed black as I swung at Kira again, but this time, my fist met only air. She regained her composure, looking at me with mild annoyance.

"Why are you so upset?" she asked, her ignorance cutting through my fury like a knife, sending another wave of lava-like rage surging through me.

"You bastard!" I shouted, my voice raw with emotion. "You killed it."

Kira's gaze flicked to the lifeless creature before turning back to me, her tone cool but carrying the weight of her belief. "Hunting is not about what we take, but what we give back. You don't understand that yet."

I recoiled at her words, my mind a whirlwind of fury and disbelief. The loss hit me harder than I could have imagined, and I found myself struggling to put into words what I felt.

"That creature," I said, the words heavy with meaning, "it was more than just an animal." My voice cracked, but I forced it out. "It was worth more than all of our lives."

Kira's lips curled into a slight, unimpressed smile. "Calm down, Ali," she said softly, as if speaking to a child. "There are plenty more of them. It's not like it's the last of its kind."

She was doing nothing to calm the infernal rage burning inside me, but when Andre's hand rested on my shoulder, his touch—cool and steady—pulled me back from the edge. I couldn't attack her. We still needed her.

I tried to take a deep breath, focusing on the creature's lifeless form in front of me, forcing myself to calm down before I did something I'd regret.

"What is it?" Andre asked Kira, his voice edged with irritation.

"It's a Sylvrax," Kira replied, her tone flat. "We hunt them for their red meat and horns."

"This one was special" I spoke barely above a whisper, barely able to keep my voice steady.

Kira raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you mean. This animal is no different from any other. It's not even intelligent."

The realization hit me like a slap—she didn't see what I saw. She didn't understand how enlightened this creature was, how deeply it was connected to the forest. My fists clenched again, but I held back.

"We must begin the ritual," Kira commanded, her voice suddenly cold and authoritative.

"Ritual?" Andre asked, a slight bite in his tone.

"A prayer to Kudla, the Goddess of the Hunt," she answered, her expression unreadable. "Then we leave an offering to the forest."

"What type of offering?" I asked, my voice shaky, a knot forming in my stomach. The whole thing felt... wrong. Like some twisted ritual meant to justify their cruelty.

"It depends," Kira said, her eyes locking onto mine. "Sometimes a rare plant, a cherished item. The more you take, the bigger the offering." Her gaze hardened slightly. "Normally, I'd just light a candle crafted by a specialist for a Sylvrax. But it seems this one affected you more than expected. Perhaps you could offer a vial of your own blood."

"My blood?" I recoiled, the suggestion tasting bitter. This ritual wasn't about reverence; it was a way to sanitize their violence.

"We took blood and life," Kira said, voice cold. "In return, you give your blood." She paused, her smile unsettling. "If you care so much, you could even offer your life."

The thought made my stomach churn, but I held my ground, biting back the words rising to my mouth. "If anyone should give their life, it's you."

I didn't want to back down, but her gaze dared me to do something, anything, to prove my commitment. I snatched the blade from her pocket with a sharp motion, the cold steel sending a shiver through my fingers. With one swift movement, I drew it across my palm.

The burn of the cut was immediate, a searing sting that spread like wildfire. But I didn't flinch. My eyes stayed fixed on the Sylvrax's body, the blood already pooling in my hand as a symbol of my defiance. The blood, a deep shade of ruby that was almost black, dripped onto the Earth by the creature's still body.

Kira lowered herself to the ground, the fabric of her pink cloak fluttering as she knelt. She pressed her forehead to the earth, her voice steady and commanding as she began the prayer.

"Kudla, Goddess of the Hunt, hear my prayer and accept this offering. In your shadow, we have slain, and so we offer that which flows from our veins in return for the life we have stolen. Let this blood bind us to you, as we honour the pact between hunter and hunted. Let us follow in your teachings. Ye who gave us our knowledge of the hunt and ye who can take it. Accept this offering."

Kira rose silently, picking up the Sylvrax with a hidden strength and she began the return out of the forest.

                                                                               —------------------

I was still furious with Kira when we arrived, but the knife-sharp edge of my rage had dulled just enough to stop me from stabbing her in the back as she led the way. I had been silent for most of the walk, exchanging only a few hushed words with Andre.

As we approached the domes, I expected to find the usual hum of life—people bustling around. But instead, silence invaded the space, heavy and unnatural. A cold breeze threaded through the clearing, stirring the leaves that scuttled across the ground.

Kira walked ahead without a word, the Sylvrax draped lifelessly over her shoulder, its blood staining the soft pink of her cloak. She dumped the creature carelessly onto a nearby table. The fire pit next to it was still warm, but the embers looked as if they had been smothered hastily. Something was wrong.

Kira moved like she sensed it too. Her movements sharpened as she slipped a strange device from her pocket, holding it up to the air. A soft hum filled the silence, and words I couldn't read poured from the device, glowing in pink light.

I watched her carefully. For a fleeting moment, her mask slipped, and I caught the horror beneath. But it vanished as quickly as it came, buried beneath layers of cold calculation.

She switched off the device with a flick of her fingers and tucked it away.

"Follow me," she ordered, her voice tight with command only a natural born leader could possess. "Quickly."

There was something in the way she spoke that rattled me. Andre must have felt it too because neither of us asked questions. We just ran.

My pulse thundered in my ears as we raced behind her, weaving through the deserted paths until we reached the Lethicine sector.

That's where we found them.

A crowd of Borcans stood pressed together in uneasy clusters, more than I had ever seen together. Murmurs filled the space, but at the sound of Kira's sharp command, they parted, letting us through with wide, wary eyes.

Ayanna stood just beyond them, her arms wrapped tightly around her still injured body. A young Norca beside her looked pale and shaken, struggling to hold her upright.

And then I saw them.

The other leaders knelt in grim silence, gathered around a body—or at least, what was left of it.

It wasn't the blood that stopped me cold. It was the way his remains were scattered so carelessly, as if he had been torn apart and discarded without thought. Strips of flesh dangled from the nearby walls. His insides painted the cobbled street, glistening wet.

The scent of iron hung thick in the air, clawing its way down my throat.

I forced my gaze to his face, what little remained of it.

I staggered back, breath catching in my throat. Andre stiffened beside me, his sharp intake of breath loud in the heavy silence.

"Soksin," Andre whispered, the name trembling on his lips.

Soksin. The one who had introduced us to Lethi.

His brown wings—the wings that had once stretched proudly behind him—were gone. Ripped from his back. Torn feathers lay strewn across the ground, as if someone had plucked them one by one.

Andre spun away suddenly, his footsteps heavy and uneven as he stumbled toward the edge of the square. I thought about following him, but my feet stayed rooted, weighted by something colder than fear. I couldn't look away.

Somewhere behind me, retching echoed, followed by the smell of vomit.

Even the Borcans—fierce and hardened by years of conflict—turned from the sight. It was too much, even for them. The kind of violence that didn't just seek to kill, but to inflict pain.

I clenched my fists at my sides. Whoever did this would pay. I could see it in the tightness of Kira's shoulders and the despair on Ayanna's face. That hollow look on Elynn's face.

The sharp slap of wings broke through the thick quiet.

"What happened?" The voice boomed, clear and commanding.

I looked up as the Orc descended from above, landing softly. His golden eyes flickered as they took in the scene. For a brief moment, grief rippled beneath his hardened stare, but it was gone almost instantly, buried beneath years of discipline. His golden wings folded neatly behind him.

His gaze settled on Elynn, who looked smaller than I'd ever seen him—like a man hollowed out by loss.

"The rebels," Elynn said, his voice raw, his breath shaking. "They came into my sector and... killed him. Slaughtered him." His next breath stuttered, as if saying the words made them heavier.

The Orc's hand pressed firmly against Elynn's shoulder. It was grounding—reassuring, but unshakable.

"This is not your fault, my friend," the Orc said quietly. Then, lifting his head, he addressed the gathered Borcans, his voice echoing with steely finality. "This is the rebels' doing. Only they bear this weight."

His eyes swept across the crowd, golden and fierce. "They will not get away with this. No one walks into my city, kills one of our own, and leaves unpunished. There will be consequences."

His gaze briefly locked with mine. I saw it—the grief, the barely veiled rage. This wasn't just the death of a citizen. This was personal.

"Gather his remains," the Orc said to someone behind him. "Prepare him for the ceremony. Let everyone attend."

When the crowd began to thin, I found Andre slumped against a stone wall, his knees drawn up and his head bowed.

The moment his eyes met mine, his face crumpled, breaking apart like something fragile that had been barely holding together.

I lowered myself beside him, sinking down until I could pull him into my arms. He leaned in without hesitation, his body trembling against mine. Tears welled at the edges of his eyes—tears belonging to someone new to witnessing the ugliest sides of the world.

"H-how could anyone do that?" His voice broke under the weight of his grief. "They didn't just kill him... they... they..."

The words drifted into silence, but I didn't need him to finish. I knew.

They hadn't just killed Soksin. They had dragged it out over time making experience agony of all kinds. The kind of torture not even your worst enemy deserved. The kind of pain that made even the most battle hardened warriors scream until they have no voice left.

"I know," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hollow throb in my chest. There were no words that could soften this.

Andre shuddered beside me, his breath catching as the tears began to fall freely. "A-and he was kind. H-he was so c-curious about Earth." His voice cracked and faltered. "He d-didn't d-deserve th-this."

"No," I murmured, my throat tightening. "He didn't."

But the words felt empty. Nothing I could say would erase the image of Soksin's broken body, his face twisted in those final moments of agony. That would always stay and there would be no escape.

It would be on those nights when it is dark and cold and the wind is howling outside and you lay in bed thinking. That would be when this memory would haunt us worst.

The pain would soften with time, the edges worn down until it no longer felt sharp. But it would never disappear. His face might blur, slipping from focus, but some nights... some nights you'd wake up trembling, his eyes burned into the back of your mind.

And in those moments, it would feel fresh again.

Andre pulled me from my thoughts as he wrapped me tighter in a hug craving comfort. The reassurance that he wasn't alone. That someone understood what he was going through and I would be lying if I said I didn't need it just as much.

So we stayed like that, enveloped in each other's warmth.

Thank you for sticking with the book. Let me know what you think.

So what do we think of Kira and the Sylvrax?

And how do you think the Orc handled the situation?

What do you think will happen next?

I really hope you enjoyed it and am so excited for the feedback.