347: Hunters (Patreon)

Serrin sat astride the high-up branch of a gnarled old tree. The whole of it swayed slightly, leaves rustling in the wind. His eyes were aimed at Nicolai’s hill, but he barely even saw it.

He held his spear in both hands. Long had it been with him and always it had served him well. But he remembered Nicolai’s disbelief upon hearing it was… just a spear. He had thought himself strong for using it rather than an Artifact. By fighting at a disadvantage he further honed his skills. But was it truly strength, or just fear? It was an icon of his refusal to bend to his mother’s will, and yet…

Through that, he had allowed himself to become so badly equipped that he stood no chance against Nicolai. Those words still rang in his mind, had ever since their “sparring.” And the saddest part is that you could match me, if you had what you need…

Serrin wanted that. He’d tried to hide it at the time, even from himself. But now that his lack was revealed, the desire to correct it so he might spar with Nicolai and fight alongside him, as an equal… he wasn’t sure he’d ever wanted something so much.

He lowered the spear with a sigh. And that was only one part of it. He hadn’t felt this conflicted for years. Ever since he’d realised the evilness of his own kind and determined to be the opposite of them in every way, there’d never been any need for doubt.

But Nicolai, even as he seemed like the answer to all of Serrin’s problems, also introduced uncertainties.

Telling himself he would never kill unless he knew, with complete and utter certainty, that killing was the right thing to do, had been far easier when the person wanting him to do the killing had been his mother. He’d been able to refuse without even thinking.

But now, primed to do exactly that, he’d refused as always and…

Serrin was far from sure he’d made the right decision.

Nicolai was his friend. The first friend who he wasn’t worried about losing. The other humans had been so frail and in such an impossible situation. Nicolai was different. Serrin didn’t feel like he had to protect him. And yet, because of that… he’d thrust his own uncertainties on the human, acted as though he was in the wrong simply for wanting to defend himself.

Worse still, he’d refused to aid his friend! Against assassins who had come with the express purpose of killing him! Yes, Nicolai had sent him away, but it amounted to the same thing. Serrin’s hesitations had made him such a liability Nicolai had had no choice but to send him away.

Serrin started to his feet, strode fluidly over the branch, turned sharply and started back, pacing mindlessly. What have I done?! Betrayed his friend in the defence of people who had come to kill him—for money!

Was there any act less morally defensible than the taking of lives for coin?!

At that moment it seemed to Serrin that even his own kind were better than these hired murderers. What if Nicolai died? What would he have to say for himself then?! He cursed himself for a fool and a traitor. His fists tightened as his fear for Nicolai turned to anger, though he didn’t know if that anger was directed at the Scoundrels, or himself. He supposed it didn’t matter.

Serrin stepped off the branch, wings beating. He’d return, see what he could…

But he saw a purple figure. For a moment he feared it was Hornets, but he’d paired his Cloak Symbiotes only with Nicolai’s. His mandibles twitched in a smile, which faded as he remembered what he’d done. He flew out to meet his friend, determined to redeem himself.

###

Nicolai saw Serrin bearing down on him. His eyes narrowed, anticipating questions about the Scoundrels. He remembered the vicious writhing of the Dark as he beheaded them one after the other, how he’d exulted in the terror and the blood.

The memories caused a strange shame, one coming largely from the Mask as it considered the strange, kindly young Hornet before him. As to Nicolai, he would’ve preferred to kill them more efficiently, but it'd been worth it in order to release some of the Dark’s pressure.

‘Were you harmed?’ asked Serrin immediately.

Not the question he’d expected. ‘No.’

The purple figure of the Cloaked Hornet straightened. ‘I want to apologise. You were defending yourself. You were in the right. I should have been there.’ Serrin was all but vibrating with fierce remorse. ‘If something like that happens again, you can rely on me.’

Nicolai was entirely nonplussed by this abrupt about-face, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

‘You can repay me by helping me capture that Scale Viper.’

‘What, right away?’

‘Not quite.’

###

After returning to the base Nicolai took command of a team of bots, drones, droids, and automated carts. In readiness for this, Legal had already set the Assembler to making the other necessary supplies. The bots and carts were loaded up and they headed out.

This wasn’t a particularly active area, but they attracted some spirit beasts even so. Typically Nicolai would have just avoided them, but the train of bots and supplies was too slow for that.

‘Back!’ yelled Serrin, buzzing around the head of a rampaging Tier 2 Toothbearer. It was flailing ineffectually at him with its Soul Sense, the Hornet dipping and dodging effortlessly around the strikes and countering with savage Stings.

But the stings of a single Tier 1 Hornet were not enough to dissuade this Toothbearer, and it stomped forward, eyes on the bots. It’d confused them for food.

Nicolai’s dissuasion was more effective. He and the Combat Bots had just cleared away a group of small, fast-moving Toothbearers, and now turned to aid Serrin. A rain of .50 cal rounds shattered scales around the Tier 2’s neck and sent it stumbling away, flattening bushes and trees. This one, like many Tier 2 Spirit Beasts, had extremely tough scales as well as Symbiotes that made them tougher still.

But each shot was aimed at the same spot, and soon the bullets were digging into it, blood sluicing in a thick river down its chest. Bellowing in fury and pain the Toothbearer turned and stumbled into a heavy run, its multi-ton frame elbowing through trees.

Serrin came to float where it’d been, watching it tear a path of destruction in its retreat through the jungle.

The pair of them wouldn’t seek to finish it off, not even for its Symbiotes. Threat Analysis said they weren’t anything special, Tier 1 in spite of the Toothbearer itself being Tier 2, and his entire priority was on making sure the bots reached their destination safely.

‘That weapon of yours is overwhelming, against unshielded enemies,’ observed Serrin, landing atop one of the Combat Bots. Nicolai couldn’t decide if he looked like its pet or its master as he rode on its shoulder, one hand on the bot’s head for balance.

‘And shielded too, if they’re dumb enough to stand in the open and let me shoot them.’

‘I wanted to ask,’ Serrin continued, eyes flicking from Nicolai to the M99. ‘Would you be willing to teach me to use these guns?’

Nicolai’s brows rose in surprise. ‘You would be willing to learn?’

‘Of course.’ The Hornet straightened. ‘If it’s to do with fighting, I want to master it.’

Nicolai grinned. ‘Good attitude.’ The idea was strangely delightful. ‘You would most likely be the first Hornet to learn to shoot a gun in this world. With your mobility and stealth… yes, it should be quite effective.’

After using the Wriggler to burrow underground and perform some measurements, he was able to determine the best site to begin mining.

Much of the supplies they’d brought were used to construct a small but very solid steel shelter. It had a security door large enough for bots to come and go, plus a few cameras.

Inside there was enough room for the combat bot and droids he’d brought along to lurk, and for the tunnel-building supplies. The bots all had fully charged batteries, but he’d need to come out here with replacements charged by the Assembler now and then, swap them around.

The mining bot set quickly to work on the shaft, digging into the ground at an angle. The construction bot stood ready behind it, clutching steel supports. He would also leave one automated cart, to transport the earth and eventual rubble the bots mined out to the dumping area he’d designated outside.

The other bots were here as automated security. A large number of drones to keep watch, droids to handle minor issues, a combat bot to be deployed in the event of something more major. If they did have to kill anything, they were instructed to drag the corpse away from the shelter so as not to attract scavengers.

In the event of anything truly troublesome, like a Tier 2 Toothbearer, the bots, droids, and drones had been instructed to retreat into the shelter then send a drone to a spot near to his base, where it would transmit a signal requesting aid.

After spending a few hours setting it all up, Nicolai and Serrin continued on. The automated carts which’d brought the supplies were left at the shelter, to be retrieved when they returned this way.

###

The Scale Viper was hungry.

That was nothing new. It was almost always hungry. A runt, it was forced to the edges of the cave, the exit, out of the warm centre where the others subsisted and grew stronger on the spiritual energy which filled the depths.

There they could eat and drink nothing but the thick Aura washing off of the glowing rocks, living off of it for weeks then emerging in a mass and scouring the jungle.

The runts had to eat more regularly, and couldn’t rely on always having the safety of a swarm around them. In fact, it was often better to try and hunt solo, so as to have the whole meal for themselves.

This one was closest of all to the edge, because it was the hungriest.

There was no sound or smell or ripple of prey, but the creature stiffened nevertheless. Its hungry golden eyes had seen something. The blunt tip of its long jaw rose, tongue slipping out to taste the air.

Again, a flicker of movement. Slow and careful, the Scale Viper rose, casting a glance at the other runts. None moved. Risky to be alone, but it instinctively knew the rewards would be greater, too…

It wormed through the mouth of the cave’s rocky teeth, eyes narrowing against the bright light of outside.

There, again, the movement. And now there was a tantalising smell…

Meat.

Faster now it moved forward, smelling the blood on the ground, and it glimpsed a flash of red.

The Scale Viper exploded forward but the meat sped away, jerked again out of its clutches.

Infuriated, it hissed, lunged, tore its way through brush and there at last found the meat. Resting on the ground before it, suspiciously still. The Viper crept forward slowly so as not to startle it.

Then it dove upon it, snapped it up in a single bite and bolted it. Its momentary satisfaction lasted only seconds, and then again it was hungry. Always hungry…

That was when something stung it.

###

‘What took so long?’ Nicolai asked, floating down. He landed beside the slightly trembling form of the paralysed Scale Viper, gazed across it at Serrin.

‘I was waiting for it to eat the meat.’

‘You are aware the meat was just meat, it wasn’t laced with anything?’

‘Yes, I know. It looked hungry. I felt it would be nice for it to eat before we drag it away.’

‘I see,’ he said, looking down at the eight-foot-long killing machine that was the Scale Viper runt. The thing had gone into a series of insane spasms when Serrin stung it, slashing out at everything around it before the venom set in, and there were deep gouges in the earth.

‘Very kind,’ he murmured, surprised to find he was pleased by Serrin’s mindset. Yes, there was no need to be cruel to these creatures. And in fact the Scale Viper was oddly appealing. There was something very… functional about it. Well designed, said Simulations, and the other Modules emanated agreement. If he were to reincarnate in this jungle, he wouldn’t mind being a Scale Viper.

The Modules sent a series of commands. The ground thumped in response. Stepping to the side he made way for the Close-Combat Bot. Its huge shield and mace were slotted into its back, and it used its two large primary arms to pick the Scale Viper up. In the hands of the bot it looked like a large dog.

‘What’ll you do with it, after the tests?’ Serrin asked, walking beside him.

‘What would you like me to do?’

‘Let it go. It’s just a beast.’

The Mask smiled through him. ‘Sure. Capture and release… very humane.’ Appealing or not, he still intended to hunt these beings for their scales, but there was no point in upsetting Serrin for the scales of just one viper.

It took almost an hour for them to arrive; slow going as he wanted to avoid generating ripples that might attract any beasts. The bot, though surprisingly fast when running all out, was still far slower than Hornet Wings.

But once there Nicolai placed the Scale Viper into the training room, which had been prepared for it, and the testing began.

He had a number of gases to test. All had two things in common: being heavier than air, which would ensure the gas remained on the floor of the Scale Viper’s deepest cave, where it would be needed, and having no scent.

The selection wasn’t completely ideal, as he was limited to what the Assembler would be able to synthesise in large quantities from the materials currently available. He could only hope that one of the options would work. While testing, he and the Modules found, for perhaps the first time, they were wishing Research and Development was with them. Though the least sane of them all, including him, it was by far the best at this sort of thing.

It was time, he felt, for the return of the final Modules. Once he was next in the city, he would do what he could to bring them back.

It took most of the night, but concluded successfully. During that time he knew the mining bot was making good progress with the shaft—a drone moved back and forth, reporting on the state. Tomorrow, they would be ready.