First Arrival (Part 2)

*3rd Person POV*

"Papa!! I caught the Cootle fish!!"

A tall little girl holds out a massive fish, fat with rich oil and meat… it's many lobed fins flailed, trying to escape back into the comfort of the waters. The bioluminescent ribs of the fish flash in dismay.

"That's my girl!! Make sure to hold it tight! All six arms got it? Or else it will flail away!"

Arms on his hips, the father exclaims with a proud voice, hiding his anxiousness at seeing the small cuts on her daughter's body, the Cootle fish was no mere fish, it was monstrous in size with razor fins and teeth.

Watching his little girl carry the big Cootle fish on her back. The young girl's serpent tail swung madly in excitement as she wades through the lakeshore, kicking up splashes of water.

"Papa!"

The girl jogs towards her father with the biggest grin, the father kneels down and shakes her horns a little… parting her wet hair away, revealing her heterochromia eyes… one sparkling a golden hue while the other took on the violet starry sky, ocean blue.

"Now, remember, a quick, painless stab to the underside of the gills."

Seriana's father hands her a small blade, and together they kneel over the fish, it still gasping for water and struggling. Hands together, Seriana hesitates a bit, before her father's hands guides hers to the gills…

"Take a breath in... and give a firm push."

Seriana calms her heart a little, looking into the eyes of the fish, and takes a small breath in.

*Shink*

With quick thrust, the flailing fish falls limp, losing its life quickly… and painlessly. Seriana places her hand on the fish along with her father.

"Thank you."

Seriana whispers, paying their respects to their catch. Her father pats her on the back and stands up.

"Come on, Seriana, let's get home and dry you off."

The slight crunch of twigs and leaves was satisfying as Seriana tread on the path back to her village barefoot with her big catch. Her father led ahead, his serpent tail gently swaying behind and his cloak drifting in the cool wind. And as the light begins to wane, Seriana's shadow walks slowly into the shadows as night approaches.

A low branch of a nearby tree nearly hits Seriana's face as she ducks and holds on to her fish. Her father laughs.

"Seriana, you're getting tall… you're almost up to my chest now haha! These past peaceful hundred years, it felt like a breeze. I hope it remains that way."

Seriana looks at her father puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

Father sighs and looks back down at her cute daughter.

"Over the last few years, I've been seeing more starships scouring the atmosphere. Our planet is isolated from the rest… but… I fear one day of colonization. I if it does happen, I hope their intentions are not ill."

Starships? Those weird, cool flying things in the sky? Thought Seriana. She had only seen it once before when she was younger, the weird craft hovered through the sky with blazing the sky with trails of sparkling light! Her friends told her it was a sign from the gods!

"Papa, how do you know what a starship is? Do you think it's sent from the gods? Maybe it's the gods way of traveling!"

Her father chuckles, but quietly.

"Silly, they aren't gods, just people. I've lived for thousands of years now, I know a thing or two about the other worlds and their technology. Haha, I've met a few of the explorers once, and thank goodness they were kind."

Really? Just people? Seriana wondered what those peopled looked like, the tribe has always insisted it was signs from their great god, Seishi. Located near a massive lake, was a small tribe of unusual serpent people, hidden away from the rest of the universe in their secluded little haven.

"Hey look who's back?! Seriana! Nice catch for your first time!"

"Congratulations! Seriana!! Your first Cootle catch!"

The tribe's people greeted her return with open arms. Several parents came out and patted Seriana's father on the back, congratulating his daughter's first step into adulthood.

Many huts dotted the open space within the forest, made under the monumental arches of fungal growth. It was peaceful here, no dangerous predators and dangerous weather aside from the occasional storms. Opening the vine wrapped doors to their large hut, the father opens the door for Seriana to let her in.

"Alright Seriana, set it down on the table, I will cut it up for everyone later."

Setting the Cootle fish onto the wooden table, it thuded onto the table, the wood creaking under the massive weight. Seriana's father raises the large knife, and skillfully chops the fish into separate parts, taking out the guts without mess. The smell of raw fish fills Seriana's nose, as she slightly salivates as her mandibles start to split open and her pupils becomes slits.

"Smells amazing!"

As Seriana's hand reaches out for a piece, her hand gets slapped.

"Nuh uh, Seriana... you have to wait, and stop eating things raw, we have strong immune systems for it yes, but I don't want to risk you catching something we don't know about."

"Awww... so overprotective, it just looks so juicy and smells delicious. And plus our healer can help if I do get a tummy ache!"

Seriana's father sighs playfully.

"It's a duty as any good father should take. And no, Evuntius and her 'healing' mumbo jumbo, I don't trust it. Sure the small wounds here and there, but no. Your father's words are final. Now come on, give me some time, go play with your friend while you wait ok?"

Seriana hops out the door.

"Ok old fart!!"

Old fart?! I'm not that old... right? And with that troubling thought, Seriana's father continues to chop up the fish onto a leaf.

The tribe's serpent folk welcomed Seriana's bounty. With huge platters carried on all six arms, Seriana's father walks to the center of the village. In the center of the tribe was a large bonfire unlit… everyone was gathered around, presenting and sharing their caught and made food. The tribe cheers on seeing Seriana join in.

"To Seriana! For her first step into adulthood!! And her first Cootle fish capture!!"

A round of cheering and congratulation resounds, Seriana's father smiles at her and points to the elder woman, wearing bone necklaces and marks of color on her face. Wrinkles showed her age, and her horns had molted and grew long, winding... scars dotted her arms and tail, but even then, her eyes crinkled of wisdom and resolution.

Holding a small bowl, she dips her fingers into it, and brushes her fingers across Seriana's tender face. Making a little have circle with with an arrow, a sign of the first step as a huntress.

"Do you have the bones?"

The old woman asks. Seriana's father nods and hand her the jagged, razor teeth of the Cootle fish. The woman smiles, and threads through the bones with a string. Her very own Cootle necklace!! Everyone gets one for the first Cootle fish capture when they first become a huntress! Now she gets her own!! The old serpent woman walks over, and places the necklace around Seriana's neck, smiling.

"Will you do the honors?"

She asks, Seriana nods as she lights a violet quanta flame on her fingers and tosses it into the air. As it comes back down, Seriana wacks it with her tail onto the bonfire, lighting a violet fire as more cheers erupt. As the violet embers rise into the sky and the cheering dies down, everyone starts to share their food and cook them at the fire… but before they begin, everyone clasps their 6 hands together in prayer.

"Thank you, Great Seishi, for this meal and moment, we pray to you."

Seriana looks at her father next to her, he remains still, his arms crossed as Seriana sees the slight resentment in her father's eyes. But there was nothing she could do, she looked back at the bonfire and up at night filled with iridescent stars.

"Mama, I'll be eating now."

The violet embers color the night sky as the bonfire dies out… climbing up the fungal arch, Seriana hangs from the arch onto one of its vines… quickly twisting it and making a small swinging chair.

Overlooking the tribe, Seriana watches as some of her folk pour out the bonfire and return to their huts. She sees her father, he spots her up high and waves to her, signaling for her to be careful and don't stay up too late as always.

Gazing into the universes' creations, a canvas of stars… it was just the right night, as the cosmic wind carries over this planet, streams of comets pass by Seriana's home planet, a cascade of brilliant star fire, leaving trails of iridescent light.

Seriana swings gently from the fungal arch, back and forth in the cool night. I wonder what's beyond our little tribe, the star people, all the weird things they fly in and wear… thought Seriana as she dreams about the so-called spaceships that will plummet through the sky, like a comet, shooting down to take her into the stars, to see all kinds of wonders unimaginable! She wonders too, if her father has been away from this planet before.

She seemed to be almost hallucinating those thoughts as she saw a fiery mass shoot down from the sky… wait… Seriana quickly hops off her swing onto the arch as she hears sudden

*Boom!!*

As the object breaks the atmosphere in a sonic boom as rings of force form… was it a starship?! A real one?! Seriana races down the arch, sliding down, racing against the meteor. It was going to land a bit away from the village into the forest, so Seriana chased after it.

"Seriana?!!"

Her father bursts through the hut, hearing the boom, other tribesmen come out as well and see the falling star.

"A gift from the gods."

"It must be!"

The father grits her teeth and runs towards the direction, it was no gift from the gods damn it!!

"Everybody take cover, the impact might cause damage to our lands!! Seriana!! I'm coming!!!"

Furiously running through the woods, the father grows anxious.

"Damn it!! Seriana!! Out of my way!"

Not bothering to dodge the trees, Seriana plows through the thick, massive trees… looking above, the meteor that was falling down ahead, he puts everything into his legs as he sprints towards where his daughter might be.

*Krakoom!!!*

A burst of fire and force creates a crater where the star lands… hiding behind a nearby tree, Seriana pokes her head out to see what it could be? Starship?

Smoke bellows out and she can even feel the heat from here, grazing against her skin. As she sticks her head out more to anticipate what she could witness… a sudden chorus of screams freezes her as a black mass erupts out, it's many eyes suddenly fall upon Seriana and lunges towards her.

"Aaaaahhhh!!!"

Seriana's shrill cry fills the night sky as her father runs towards her…

"Seriana?!! Seriana?!!!! NO! I'm not losing you too!!"

As the apostle lunges at Seriana, a broken hand bursts out from the smoke punching through the apostle, ripping its pulsing heart out and pulling it back. The smoke dissipates with sudden pressure as flames erupt, showing a figure struggling with the apostle… Seriana falls on the ground, looking on in shock.

"GIVE ME YOUR SPINE!!!"

The thunderous roar messily echoes out as the being on fire forms a flaming axe and tears into the apostle's back, a wet, screeching howl is heard as Asura pulls out its writhing spin in desperate search of its missing host.

Crushing the squirming, gnawing spine under its foot, Asura then falls onto the ground… dragging itself out of the crater… it was dying, they were losing too much blood and barely identifiable in its gore messed body.

Seriana watches as the bloody figure drags itself out, and sees two red-lit eyes look at her through its cracked mask… before it suddenly dims. Was it going to die? Thought Seriana, it saved her from that thing. Suddenly she heard rapid footsteps that shook the ground as the crashing of trees fall.

"Seriana!!"

"Papa!!"

Running away, Seriana towards her father's voice and soon comes into his arms.

"Seriana!! Are you ok? Are you hurt?! What happened?!"

Her father frantically looked at her up and down, quickly pulling her behind himself. checking if she's ok. He looks on at the fiery smoke remains of the impact.

"Papa!! I think someone needs our help!"

Pointing towards the crater, Seriana pulls on her father's cloak. Looking at the crash site, the father sees the maimed, mutilated figure pull itself to a tree. What the hell? Thought her father. Seriana peeks from her father's hand but she's blocked again.

"Don't look!! Seriana! Run back and call Evuntius, but also tell everybody to arm themselves!! Go!"

Seriana nods and quickly scampers back… the father cautiously approaches the bloody figure, it's hand lit with violet flames ready to defend. He hears shallow breathing… weak… the sound of an animal approaching death.

Am I going to die? No, not here, not now… but it feels it's life starting to fade… its primordial powers gone, not even any left… they have pushed themselves too far. Asura looks up, I can't die like this… I have to keep figh-fighting, and sees a faint figure of someone approaching before it passes out.