Page 1 of Dealing With Drak
PROLOGUE
Drak
Almost 2 Months Before
Sighing happily, I brush off my hands and let myself into the Urth structure that Marrec disappeared in. I expect to find him curiously looking around but am shocked to find him on the ground. In his arms, I see piles of curly hair.
“Marrec, my friend,” I greet, looking down at him with wide, curious eyes. “Why do you cradle your food?”
The retired warrior grimaces. “She is not food. She lives.”
“Truly?” Excitement is evident in my tone.
Upon looking closer at the female in his arms, it is obvious that she is not one of the infected. She looks like a perfectly normal hu-nim specimen. The diseased undead look more like rabid animals than true hu-nims. I have seen images of both and they do not appear similar to me at all.
I remember studying the information we gathered on this planet before arriving to prepare for our hunt. As Aprixians, we are specially equipped to eat unliving creatures, and we came here to do just that. Of course, being cautious, we made sure to have the local language for this sector of the planet uploaded into our knowledge bases.
It was a precautionary measure as we did not think many hu-nims would remain alive, certainly not enough to cross paths with any of them. Finding a living hu-nim unaffected by the unliving creature disease without even looking? It felt impossible. And still, Marrec nods, prompting another curious inquiry from me.
“She lives, but she sleeps in your arms?”
“She… fell?” My friend looks as if he does not know how to explain himself. “These creatures are very fragile. She has injured herself.”
My lips fall open in shock. “By falling?”
“Yes,” Marrec reports unhappily.
Being hurt by a fall is troubling, indeed. These Urth creatures are fragile.
“I can hear others in this dwelling, and I am sure they will not be un-shocked to see our kind. I do not know how to approach them.”
“I understand,” I reply solemnly. I must help him with his.
“HELLO HU-NIMS,” I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth. “WE COME IN PEEZ!”
Marrec looks displeased with my outburst as the hu-nim female in his arms winces. “Will you shut up?”
I decide he is being dramatic. I shall not shut up. “They must know that their friend has fallen injured.” I grin, preparing to yell a second time. “YOUR SMALL FRIEND IS INJURED. WE HAVE MENDED HER.”
“We?” Marrec drawls, glaring up at me.
“Daan,” I answer, nodding at him with a smirk. Daan is a firm ‘yes’ in our language. “I have killed many undead so that you may mend the sleeping one without bother. You are welcome.”
It was not a bother, of course, to slay the undead outside of this hu-nim dwelling. It was quite fun, still I must receive credit for it. I am a very helpful male, and it should not go unappreciated.
Surprising the both of us, a sound like a soft blast cuts through the air. Even more shocking is the little piece of metal that pings off of my chest following the noise.
“Oh, nonono,” an unfamiliar voice cries. “They’re bulletproof?”
“Nothing is bulletproof,” someone else insists, voice sharper than the last. Another blast, and another bit of metal to my chest. It does not hurt, in fact, it feels quite odd, like a tickle.
Around the corner, we spot them. More hu-nims. One holds a metal weapon of their kind, keeping it pointed in my direction. She has a fire in her eyes to match her warm, fiery hair and an expression that burns with determination.
And what a lovely fire it is.
“Is she…” I begin to ask, mind filling with wonder. “Is she attempting to kill me?”
“I believe so,” Marrec grunts.