Colonies of U'u'kata

Chapter 6 - Dressing a Kill

"It should have been me," he heard himself say. He shook his head slowly, shoulders slumping. "It should have been me."

After a moment, a massive hand gently settled in his shoulder and he finally looked up.

The Tilith were as alien as aliens could be, as far as he was concerned. With their brightly colored and patterned skin, crystalin eyes, and feather-light hair. Before now, he'd only seen them from afar, usually flying overhead. This was the first time he'd ever been close to one. If everything inside him didn't hurt so badly, he thought he might be in awe of them. But as it was, he simply wished that he was dead and Cali was sitting here instead.

"You must drink the water," the Tilith said.

"You flew over us. Made a wide circuit. Was there anyone else? Did you see anyone else?" Ezra asked desperately.

"We did not." His voice was sympathetic and Ezra hated it. He didn't want sympathy. He wanted his friend back. He wanted her alive.

"She...she was learning to swim. She was pretty good at it. She could have made it. She could have made it to the land," he said. "Can we fly over the land? We have to look for her!"

The Tilith was shaking his head before he even finished speaking. "That land is off-limits. Dangerous."

"But, there could be survivors. She could have made it," he pleaded.

"Listen now, human. Drink the water," the Tilith said, his gentle voice taking on a slightly harder tone as he wrapped a hand around Ezra's and guided the cup to his lips.

Ezra finally gave in and drank.

"Slowly. Good," said the Tilith.

He had salmon colored skin with lime green designs and his claws, which were alarmingly close to Ezra's face, were electric blue, like the little lights in his hair.

When he lowered the cup, Ezra stared imploringly at the alien before him.

"Please," he said. "She can't be gone."

"I'm so sorry. I heard one of the others describing the creature that attacked you. You are lucky to be alive. It... rarely leaves survivors when it strikes. If your mate was in the water..."

Ezra's head was shaking, eyes blurring as he muttered, "No. No..."

The cup slipped from his fingers and he dropped his head into his hands as he sobbed.

A massive hand splayed between his shoulder blades and though he appreciated the kind gesture, he took no comfort in it. He couldn't. Not while Cali was out there somewhere. Alone.

***

Cali had eaten a little of the jerky in the bag Thenta had left with her. She'd drank the water, then wished she hadn't a while later when she desperately needed to pee but didn't know where to go.

She'd ended up wading out into the water just beyond the roots that cover the entrance to Thenta's hidden cave and nervously taking care of business, hoping no one was downstream trying to get a drink.

Well, she hoped those other assholes were downstream.

Fuck those guys.

The wan light coming through the entrance was more shadow than anything when Thenta finally returned.

She'd been walking back and forth, stretching her legs and rubbing her bruised stomach when he appeared, a hulking shadow, blotting out the meager light.

She froze at the sight of him and hugged herself. The metallic glint of his eyes in the darkness chilled her and she shivered.

He moved in and set something heavy on the ground, then approached her slowly.