Chapter 4

***WARNING***

This chapter has scenes that are gruesome and gory and may be upsetting for some readers.

***BE ADVISED***

Continue at your discretion...

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* * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ Chapter 4 ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * *

Embrance jolted awake.

He sat up looking around and rubbed his face, trying to clear the fog and focus his headache away. Atheireyn didn't dream, or they might have but didn't remember them. To be honest, he didn't know if the others did, but he felt that he had dreams and could never remember them after he woke up. They were like a storm in his head that would dissipate when he opened his eyes. It didn't help that there was a storm moving through outside.

Everyone had probably moved into their caves by now...Uuuuugghhkkk, he took too much! I won't be able to stay asleep without more food or water, he complained to himself.

Embrance stretched and sluggishly crawled out of his sleeping area. He looked toward the mouth of the cave; the storm was going full force now. Some of the dust and tiny pieces were coming through the opening. He stretched again and walked over to the opening, pulling out a large black mass out of his pocket. Looking a little like tar, it resembled a cross between stretchy rubber and a piece of space.

The mass looked as though someone took a piece of space and cut it into a stretchable mass. He pulled and stretched it until the mass was wide enough to fit the mouth of the cave, placing corners of the mass on the left, top, and bottom and the right, top, and bottom.

The mass clung on the walls and kept most of the debris and dust out. Embrance turned and walked down straight to the main part of the cave to wait out the storm. He would need to go get water after the storm subsided. He walked down the cave's hallway to the left of his sleeping cave's opening. Fifteen feet down, rounding the wall of where the sleeping area and entering the larger cave, many would be shocked to see it.

There were no bones or dead things hanging, and it didn't smell like a monster lived there. It was dark. Atheireyn saw extremely well in the dark and didn't need lighting. What it looked like was a nice, livable area, not something a monster would live in. The ceiling came to about nine feet high and the width and length twenty by twenty feet roughly around with dug-out little alcoves in various parts of the walls. There in the alcoves were books of different shapes, sizes, and colors, odd-looking candles in brightly colored holders and unique knickknacks from different planets where displayed. Worn tapestries hung throughout, and several ceramic pots of various sizes and colors, some empty and some filled with random things found over passing time, skirted the walls. A few carpets lay scattered throughout the cave. Across from Embrance's sleeping area, close to the right wall was a mound of upraised dirt, about six feet long and three feet wide with a colorful tapestry on top of it. If anyone ever saw this living space, they would never have thought it belonged to an Atheireyn.

One thing Atheireyn didn't do was collect. Their caves typically were sparse with bedding and maybe a jar or two for water; they had no need for anything else. Embrance slowly walked over to the farthest wall where some of the candles were sitting, picked up three, something to light them with, and walked back to the dirt mound, placing them on top of it. He lit them, sat down, and watched the little lights flicker. He sat there in silence with a mournful, distant expression on his face.

The mound with the tapestry and candles was a shallow grave of his mother's, or what was left of her...

Seeing Ullgrent always brought up memories. Many of them were good, but the bad had to surface along with them...

Their little group was very unusual for their Atheireyn species. What was taught and beaten into him from his teachers and elders was that Atheireyn didn't have what many species called "families," but they comprised of groups. Males were not allowed to raise younglings, but adolescents once they left their mothers, at ten full turns of a cycle, could choose groups or form them. Females chose their mates. Exceptions to this rule for females [or males to females] was that they couldn't deny generations from one through five, being the first generation to the fifth of their species, but if from another clan, they must seek permission from the clan's leader. When they chose, they usually chose by what they called "compatibility" among the clan or clans. A male could decline, but only if they found another female that was more compatible with or had a strong reason backed up by verifiable elders of the clan, which was rare.

Many of the clan didn't think it was necessary for him to learn about these lessons, but he had to learn respect or receive a nasty reminder not to disrespect females. To Embrance, it wasn't disrespect but playful. Females, especially the female teachers, didn't see it as playful or playful nature, and he received severe reminders not to be playful each time.

During this time, females called themselves "vessels" and, during these times of mating, came before the compatible male with, at times, witnesses for the joining and said to the male they had chosen, **You are compatible with me.** He then replied, **Will you be my vessel and help me create a future?** She then would say, **Yes, I will be your vessel, fill me with the future,** and then began their intimate act. It wasn't a romantic process; to the Atheireyn, it was a means to increase their numbers and strength, just part of life. The word love didn't exist in their language. They had seen images but found it unnecessary to survive with it. Many other words that didn't exist in their language were compassion, thank you, family, and friend or friendship—words relating to these. They had been known to form bonds among clan members, like sort of a unit or group that hunts, sleeps, and competes together—mainly males in groups and females in another, at times females and males. Females [vessels] did not stay with males after mating; the pair was separated, either by the clan or the female moving on to a completely different clan in a new area of the planet. The pair usually never saw each other again, only in some rare instants.

The "vessel of the future" [females] were taken care of by the new clan/clan's females, hunting and protecting. Younglings were cared for by the mother, and at times when the mother was hunting, by another female of the clan. After younglings reached a certain age, they were no longer cared for by the mother. At ten full turns of a cycle, the younglings were tested for abilities and taken on small hunts for learning by the clan. Mothers were no longer recognized as mothers but respected by the young as elders; sometimes after the youngling was old enough to be trained by the clan, a mother might or would leave for another clan.

His mother was very different from others; for one, she wasn't Atheireyn.

From what Embrance had gleaned from the information of both his parents, he could piece together much of how they met and what had happened. Mairrya Ayllaquia Starthaine, his mother, was born into a family of artists, lovers of color and wonders of worlds, their works of art displayed on many worlds. She was the youngest of the three boys and two girls. The day their people fell, her family sought out refuge in underground stasis chambers, hoping that the guardians of her world would save them and wake them from their safe slumber, but none came. Being a telepathic species, they, in their slumber, could communicate with each other at times and often formed incredible vivid images of places they wanted to be where everyone could join and visit among each other—a community and home where they felt safe while they waited. It kept them sane and full of hope...

Their father's name was Thrayjen. He didn't talk to them much, but once when Embrance had asked where he had met his mother, his father told him proudly, as though he had found the greatest treasure of all! He told him that long ago, he, Thrayjen, was a great Nightmare, a third-generation Atheireyn. One day, the Atheireyn

had brought down a gigantic battleship through an amazingly enormous doorway cut; it landed so hard that it split the surface and revealed part of the inner part of the planet. Upon inspection, it had split open part of the original surface and revealed a fantastic treasure! There inside the split was a large room filled with pods, and in the pods were Teyrathayn, sleeping—the original species and the very species that had created them. The Atheireyn were so delighted they surged forth ripping open the pods and devouring every last one.

Thrayjen, when he got there, very little was left, but he did find a smaller room area off to the side of the large one that hadn't yet been discovered and destroyed, finding a few pods. Searching the room, he found a particularly interesting one. A young female Teyrathayn sleeping in her pod in a corner of the room. She, like many, had long black with silvery hair, but hers was braided. She wore a colorful frock and black pants with no shoes. But instead of killing, he tore open the pod and brought the unconscious Teyrathayn back to his sleeping area. He explained that he didn't know what he was doing; he had just acted. When she woke, she didn't try to run or call out but just sat there. She allowed him to come near, and Mairrya began to talk to him. He made sure she wasn't cold and brought her food that she could eat. Neither knew why, maybe out of curiosity, but somehow they got along. Within weeks of her being there, he made her his mate.

It was an extraordinary abnormal union for a male Atheireyn, but not unusual for the female Atheireyn of the species. At times when rooms were found and raided, sometimes female Atheireyn would choose to keep Teyrathayn males for a little while, until the females grew with infant. Then the clan or the female's group would eat the Teyrathayn males. Thrayjen's union had been unique, with complications. For one, she couldn't leave to hunt, so he had to do so for her. She couldn't eat what he ate. Sometimes it was hard to find what she could eat. He had to find ways to hide her scent. She smelled wonderful, and that was dangerous. As the life grew with her, she seemed to become weaker. At first Thrayjen thought it was a lack of certain things. So he brought her things such as books and medicine that he thought she needed. Candles and blankets to keep her warm. But nothing worked; she was never truly the same in strength and health. Even after she gave birth to two infants, which seemed to amaze Thrayjen more! Such a rare gift she had given him. He had hoped her health would improve, but it seemed to become worse.

More bedridden-like, unable to get up, sleeping more and hurting. She seemed to be in pain always, but her smile never diminished...

After Embrance and his brother had reached the age that Atheireyn learned to hunt with the clan, their father brought them before the clan's leaders. They told the clan that their group was dead. The clan began to test and train the two males. The clan leaders were thrilled that both had strong abilities and didn't question Thrayjen's story.

After five full turns of a cycle, his father left, never to be seen again. Embrance and Ullgrent took over caring for their mother. After their father left, his mother began to teach them what she knew and what she thought they could use. Knowing they needed to hunt and there was no way to truly change their Atheireyn nature, she taught them, "Weak prey makes for a weak hunter, strong prey makes for a strong hunter." Which meant that those who didn't fight were weak and those who fought were warriors. Warriors made strong Nightmares...

It worked for Embrance; it made sense to him, and he typically left younglings, females, sick, and the old on other planets alone and focused on the stronger prey, those who fought or tried to fight him. For Ullgrent, it was different. He felt that the ways of the clan made more sense and often tortured and teased Embrance for following the motto his mother taught him. Ullgrent seemed to change after their father told them to follow the clan. Full turns of the cycles followed into their adolescence, and Ullgrent seemed to become more impatient, never staying in the cave with them and always would leave right after Embrance would return from his turn of hunting.

One day his brother told him that this was pointless, that Embrance was weak because of her. That this wasn't how Atheireyn lived and just stopped coming back; it was just Embrance and his mother. For a while he was fine with it. He brought her books, and she taught him to read them; she did her best to explain the rea[1]sons and even taught him the honor of "keeping his word" if ever he decided to speak verbally. It was nice, and he had no need to worry for a time; his mother even seemed to improve in her health. Until Ullgrent showed up again. He had changed so much mentally. To Embrance, he seemed unwell or maybe had an unbalance in his energy, but his brother couldn't get enough of his presence. When he would show up, Embrance seemed to feel weaker after his visits. He didn't like that his brother was visiting again and grew concerned for his mother.

Their mother, in turn, told Embrance not to worry; she was just happy to see her other son again and that he was still alive. For her, Embrance pushed his worries aside...

It was a terrible mistake.

It was just like any other planet cycle—a cycle being like a full turn of the planet. Like one day and one night, except this planet had no day or night, just a rotation...

His mother had finished reading to him, and they were discussing it, when Embrance looked up and standing in the entrance were five Atheireyn and more behind them! Immediately Embrance stood up, putting himself between them and her, squaring off to defend what was his, while she sorrowfully screamed at him to move and begged them not to kill him.

She pleaded with him to back away, "Embrance! It's okay! Please, it's okay!"

With what little strength she had, she desperately tried to crawl to Embrance, wheezing and gasping from the heavy, thin air, "Don't do this, Embrance!"

She cried out mentally, **((Don't protect me, please, Embrance! They will kill you!))**

His mother mentally openly spoke out to the Atheireyn in the doorway. She pleaded to them, **Please, I beg you, please! Don't kill him, please! He is just a child, he doesn't understand!**

She called out openly to Embrance, fearing that they would attack him. Tears running down her face, she wailed mentally,

**Embrance, please! Move out of the way, please, Embrance! I don't want you to get hurt! Embrance!**

Before he could respond to her, all the Atheireyn rushed forward at her! Embrance tried to stop them, but there were too many of them. He kicked and clawed at them! Someone from behind grabbed him, locking up his arms and pinning his body against them. Whoever they were dragged him out of the cave, while he roared, kicking at them to stop. Outside the cave, others joined in holding and restraining him. He had stopped all sounds and listened, staring at the cave as he struggled. Hopelessly hoping that somehow, they would change their mind, but he knew deep down that she was gone. They had devoured her...

Shortly after the Atheireyn in the cave began to clear out, the ones who had restrained him released him and walked away. If they had said anything to him, he didn't hear. His mind was blank and heart painfully mournful. Embrance just stood there, numb.

There wasn't anything he could do but watch them leave. He saw his brother among them, leaving as though nothing had happened. Ullgrent stopped and turned toward his brother as the others passed. He stared at Embrance as though he was sorrowfully disappointed in him that turned into disgust, and he turned away, leaving Embrance to his thoughts. Embrance hated what happened, but he didn't blame them; it was their nature, and he had to follow their rules. There was nowhere else for him to go. Atheireyn couldn't survive too long away from the planet. Something on the planet helped them heal faster and live stronger. The pocket of space and this whole planet was strange the way it worked. For the Teyrathayn, it was the opposite, making them weak and sick...Embrance couldn't figure it out. He mournfully and slowly walked to the cave. Walking in, it seemed colder now; nothing lived here. He entered the main part of the cave where his mother was...once...Now lay before him was a partial skeletal form that once was his mother...

Embrance sat there quietly facing the mound of dirt, his eyes half closed with fatigue, watching the candles flickering in the dark and contemplating the memories of her death...

He often wondered what he could have done to prevent it. If somehow there was a way to, maybe, if he had somehow moved her to another cave or safer sleeping area. And how she seemed to know it was going to happen. Did she think that it would be inevitable?

If so, why was she so afraid, even though she kept saying that it was okay? He often wondered if Ullgrent had something to do with her death, but even if that was the case, he would hate what his brother had done but knew it was in his nature. He was like the rest of them, and they couldn't control it.

Embrance closed his eyes, breathing in, and sighed deeply. He could hear the storm subsiding outside. He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Remembering that day, he could still smell her blood as he gathered dirt to cover what remained of her, the smell of fear lingering in his nose for cycles...

So much had changed after that. Full turns of the cycles—which are years to an Atheireyn—others of his age avoided him. Elders would scowl at him when he would pass by, females avoided him with savage and menacing eyes, and threatening him if he came to close. Except for the requests for hunts, he was left alone and treated as an oddity.

Ullgrent changed. Sometimes he would visit him, but it was usually for Embrance's strength and a few exchanges of cruel words. Oftentimes it was worse, and Embrance would fight or try to flee from his brother, but it was in vain. Ullgrent's followers laughed at the spectacle, sneering and savagely commenting but at a good amount of distances from them. His brother's followers learned to keep their distance after Embrance maimed and deeply wounded several of them in a fight. They got the hint that he wasn't a pushover. Many of the adolescents had visible scars to remind others that Embrance wasn't someone to challenge. Eventually those scars turned to mental ones after they healed or they grew out of them.

Interestingly enough, Ullgrent's leeches knew who the stronger brother was but wouldn't openly admit it to Ullgrent and couldn't understand why Embrance let his brother treat him so poorly. The Atheireyn could clearly see that Embrance could at anytime snap his brother in half. They wondered what Ullgrent had on his brother but couldn't ask Embrance, so they sat wondering and watching, waiting for that day when Embrance would snap and to their sadistic hopes, horribly injuring Ullgrent in the process. Don't misunderstand. Most of them admired and craved Ullgrent's affection; just a lot of them were messed up in the head from their final growth into adulthood going horribly wrong and greatly enjoyed seeing torment and suffering. Even if it was one of their own kind.

He recalled, as an adolescent, the first time they challenged him and the last...Embrance's life started turning in a different direction, a direction Embrance wasn't sure of...

Ullgrent was chasing Embrance, shouting mental insults. At first it looked like Embrance was going to get away until Ullgrent cornered him. Embrance charged at him, taking a swing at his brother's head. Ullgrent moved to the side, tripping Embrance, and turning, he slammed Embrance's face into the ground hard. Ullgrent jumped onto his brother's back, and grabbing Embrance's shoulder, he pulled on the light-blue stained T-shirt to reveal his shoulder. He opened his mouth wide, the sides of his face stretching back to reveal rows of jagged teeth and mercilessly bit down viciously on his left shoulder. Embrance roared, shrieking in pain. He tried to get up, but Ullgrent wouldn't let him. All the while Ullgrent's minions watched with amusement.

Embrance roared again as he stumbled to get up, his brother still brutally gripping his shoulder with his jaws along with gripping his hair as he attempted to hold him down. Blood gushed from the wound. Barely getting to his feet, Embrance tried to steady himself.

Refusing to let him, Ullgrent slammed him against a piece of a broken ship. He bit down deeper, fracturing Embrance's collarbone. Blood splattered everywhere as the wound opened up deeper.

Cringing in agony, Embrance gritted his teeth and telepathically screamed, **I yield! I yield, brother, I yield! Stop, just stop...Please, I will give you what you want...Aaauuggghh! Let go!**

A deep growl from Ullgrent's throat seeped into Embrance's ear. Feeling he wasn't going to get his brother off him, Embrance tilted his head up and leaned his head sweetly on the side of Ullgrent's head and groaned in anguish, **Take what you want, just let go, Ullgrent!**

Embrance closed his eyes. He despised pain and tried to avoid it when possible. With his brother, though, Embrance just had enough of his requests. Ullgrent released him, stepping back. His cold, keen, and angry eyes locked onto Embrance, waiting for any defiance. His lips curled back into a savage snarl. Embrance's blood dripped from Ullgrent's mouth and chin. His words stabbed Embrance's mind, **That was punishment for denying me! I even was nice, Embrance...I asked you instead of taking it! And what did you do? Huh? You told me to shove off! Your own brother, your only brother!**

He mentally shouted coldly at Embrance. **I am the only one you have, no one else will have you! You are nothing but an oddity to them!**

Ullgrent bared his bloodstained teeth while Embrance slowly turned to face him. Embrance's gazed downward and away from his brother while his shoulder slowly healed. He could hear his brother's followers' chittering, snickering, and mental whispering among themselves. With his long tongue, Ullgrent licked the remainder of the blood from his mouth and sighed. He walked up to Embrance, lifted his hand, and placed it on his brother's face. He pushed Embrance's face to the left side, revealing the right side, his bare undamaged neck. Ullgrent bent his head down, opened his mouth slightly, and pressed his lips to Embrance's neck. Embrance closed his eyes, his brow furrowed as he could feel his energy and essence leaving him and entering Ullgrent. A short while later, Ullgrent released his brother's neck. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he turned, walking away and out of the area, leaving his brother to recover alone.

Embrance exhaled loudly as though he had been holding his breath. Rubbing his injured shoulder with his hand, he rolled it. It was healing, and it itched. His ears twitched; it seemed that not everyone had left with his brother. His wound still healing, he shuddered the rest of the pain away and departed, while the others up on the wreckages and the ledges began to follow, noisily chittering, laughing, and snarling at him. He was in no mood to be pestered with, so he ignored them as he walked.

A little way up a hill, he stopped, narrowing his eyes. There in front of him, about twenty feet away in a clearing, stood ten young Atheireyn around his age looking like they had been waiting for him. Embrance knew what a challenge looked like, and it looked like there were a few of them. This didn't help improve his mood, but if he knocked a couple them out, the rest might get the hint.

He squared his shoulders and started walking forward, toward the small crowd. The rest followed, surrounding the area to watch with great interest. The group of ten started to spread out a bit, some of them smirking and sizing him up.

Embrance stopped about five feet away from them and telepathically announced to all of them, **I am in no mood to be harassed, so step aside.**

A short-haired male to the right of him stepped forward, maliciously grinning. **Or what, Embrance? Not like you have the strength to do anything. Why don't you stay and we'll have a bit of fun, hmm? We can't let your brother have all the fun. Come on, Embrance, let's play!**

A few of the Atheireyn snarled and chuckled.

Embrance turned his head slightly toward the male and looked at him. **Go find my brother, go play with him. I'm sure he'll take great pleasure in it. I am not interested in your nasty games, so take a hint and clear off! **

A female to his left snarled, **Don't act so pretentious, Embrance! You have no room to be disrespectful, you are just like the rest of us and your cheeky attitude and arrogant tone will get you nowhere!**

Embrance turned his eyes toward her, with one eyebrow lifted, mentally sneeringly, **Oh really? Is that so?**

Another male with long hair in front of him bared his teeth and venomously jabbed at Embrance's mind, **No, you are worse! You are nothing, worthless! Just a wretched, inferior oddity, a joke! Disgraceful and not worthy of Ullgrent's attention! So, since you are below us, you should be showing us a bit of throat as well!** The male opened his mouth and licked his lips, drooling like he was hungry.

Embrance slowly turned his eyes toward him. **Is that a challenge? Come then, challenge my strength, see who is weaker!** His lip curled in disgust.

The male Atheireyn growled loudly, baring his teeth at him, frozen in a half crouch. A few others joined in, snarling, growling, and jeering. Embrance with his black and red eyes looked from side to side, waiting and calculating which one would start the fight.

The standoff seemed to last forever. Embrance mentally spoke first, **Humph, thought so! Be off with you! Go on, go find my brother and leave me be!**

The long-haired Atheireyn male tempestuously shrieked at him, the others joining in. The first strike and the rest after were blindingly quick and would have been unnoticed if one blinked. The group of ten Atheireyn first attacked. Embrance fiercely fought, biting, kicking, clawing, ripping, and breaking. He fought off the first assailant, tearing his throat out. The short-haired male gripped his throat in shock, stumbling backward as two more came toward Embrance—a male and a female—clawing and snarling at him. As he dodged them, another female from behind him leaped forward, her claws aimed for his head.

Embrance ducked, and she flew over him, slamming into the female in front of him. Embrance grabbed the male, who was distracted by this, by his nasty hair, and turning around, he flung him into the crowd behind him. Three others charged toward him.

Embrance dodged their movements. One of them jabbed for his ribs; Embrance sidestepped him, grabbing the Atheireyn by the back of his neck, and slammed him into the ground breaking his face. The second attacker swiped at his face, missed, and Embrance swung his leg around in a crouch, spinning and knocking this one down. Embrance stood quickly as the third attacker ran toward him fast, but Embrance was faster. With his left hand, he grabbed the third attacker's neck, squeezing her throat, lifting the Atheireyn off the ground.

The second one who had gotten up tried to grab Embrance, raising his claws up toward his throat. Embrance sideways-kicked him hard. Crack! Knocking the wind out of him, he broke ribs and sent him flying backward. The third attacker tried kicking Embrance's side, trying to get him to let go as she gasped for air. Scowling at her, he growled, digging his claws into her throat. A fourth Atheireyn tried to be stealthy, crawling quickly up behind Embrance and hungrily reaching for his unprotected legs. Embrance, sensing the fourth's intentions, swung the third at him. He missed, as the fourth jumped back. Embrance then slammed the female down on her back, swiftly pulling his claws out of her throat. Bits of blood and pieces of her throat flew out. The fourth attacker bared his fangs and snarled, lunging for Embrance.

Embrance backward-flipped, kicking him hard under the chin, breaking the fourth attacker's teeth. Pieces of teeth and blood splattered; he sent him into a crowd of angry Atheireyn. Embrance stood defiant and menacingly, letting out an ear-shattering roar at the crowd. A few dropped to the ground, covering their ears. He'd hoped they got the hint, but sadly only a small handful did, fleeing. Twenty-five more Atheireyn charged him at once, snarling, clawing, and screaming mental insults. Embrance stood there boldly, ready for them.

It was a blur of sound, bodies, blood, and dust. One by one Atheireyn dropped or were thrown to the ground. The dust cleared, and the sound of angry screams and snarling changed to sounds of pain and agony. The challenging Atheireyn all lay strewn about, bleeding from their various deep wounds and broken bones, groaning in regret and distress.

Standing fiercely in the middle of it all was Embrance splattered and dripping with blood from head to toe. It was hard to tell if any of his attackers had connected because there was so much blood on him you couldn't tell if any of it was his or not. Breathing heavily and tense, Embrance looked around, challenging, seeing if anyone else wanted more, his irises blazing red.

Noticing that there was no one else, he relaxed a bit and straightened his back. His breathing became more leveled. Embrance turned and walked away, picking his way around the fallen. Some of them looked up and flinched, as though Embrance was going to attack them. None of the Atheireyn were dead. It would take a lot more than that to kill them. All of them would heal or grow back their missing pieces eventually. A good reminder not to challenge him again.

He made it past them and moved toward the other side of the hill, rubbing and wiping the blood from his face and hands. Walking, he felt even worse. He didn't want to do that. Now others would find out and start challenging him, just to see how far they could go and to see how strong they were to him. Then there was his brother!

Embrance could feel a headache coming. Now his brother would become even more annoying. Ullgrent will probably think I was holding back on him!

Don't get him wrong; Embrance loved fighting. A good fight like the ones when he was being trained for hunting. Being pitted against a worthy adversary, an opponent that could give him a challenge, but this, this was a waste of time and was pointless. None of them could barely get a hit on him. Maybe a few scratches, but nothing that counted. Embrance grimaced at the thoughts whirling in his head, not paying attention to where he was walking. He turned a corner and was met by three clan leaders wearing dark-colored sleeveless tunics and five adult fighters. Three of them were wearing just pants and two wearing dark shirts and pants. Standing no more than forty or so feet away, they caught sight of him.

Two of the clan leaders smiled, and one of them mentally called out to him politely, **Embrance, we have a reque—**

But before he could finish his sentence, Embrance, without thinking, bolted, running and jumping away as agilely and quickly as he could. The clan leader quickly turned his head and looked at one of the fighters. The Atheireyn understood and took off after Embrance with two others joining him. They were faster than Embrance and swiftly caught up to him, surrounding him. Embrance abruptly skidded to a stop, realizing his mistake.

He put his head down to show that he wasn't challenging their authority and that he respected his elders. Slowly approaching him, two of them—a female on the right and a male on the left—menacingly growled and bared their teeth at him as he backed up. The third Atheireyn fighter, a male in front of him, cold and calculating, advanced as though to attack him. Embrance threw up his arm in defense, to shield himself from the oncoming attacker. The fighter grabbed his arm with force and swung Embrance around, slamming him against a cliffside and pinning his arm against his back. Embrance winced and grunted from the sheer force. The three clan leaders and the two other fighters showed up shortly after looking at him with disappointment.

Wincing from the pain and seeing them, Embrance looked down, telepathically pleaded, **I yield! I yield and apologize. I meant no disrespect! My action was without thought! I beg for your forgiveness! Please, I meant no disrespect!**

The first clan leader—a male with long, black hair pulled back, wore a dark long-sleeveless tunic with a collar that buttoned on the side and brown pants—nodded toward the fighter pinning Embrance. The Atheireyn let go of him but stood close, scowling down at him. Embrance rubbed his shoulder from the pain. The second clan leader who looked much older than the first approached him. He wore a similar sleeveless tunic, this one buttoned on the front and down, dark-greenish pants, and shorter hair that leveled to his shoulders. He was much taller than Embrance, seeing how he was still very young and not quite out of his adolescent years—the second being about six feet nine inches and Embrance being about five foot five. The leader mentally spoke, **That wasn't very appropriate for an Atheireyn with your abilities, Embrance,** narrowing his eyes at him.

Embrance kept his head down, his back straight, and closed his eyes, embarrassed by his actions. He agreed, **Yes, Clan Leader, my apologies.**

The clan leader with an even tone asked, **I trust this won't happen again, Embrance?**

**No, Clan Leader,** Embrance replied, feeling ashamed.

The clan leader smiled slightly. **Good, a hunting group has made a request for your abilities, Embrance. They are down by the main gathering area. You need to be quick. You are going to be late because of this nonsense. Now off with you!** he said sternly.

**Yes, Clan Leader!** Embrance responded, turning toward the direction of the main gathering area.

The Atheireyn fighter stepped back, allowing Embrance to leave. Embrance moved as quickly as possible, jumping, and running along the wreckages and crevices, until the main gathering area was in sight. He jumped down into the valley and quickened his pace. As he approached the hunting group, he slowed to a brisk walk. The hunting group comprised of both male and female, many around his age and about twenty-three of them standing amongst each other socializing, waiting for their requested doorway opener and hunt leader to begin the hunt.

Embrance walked up to them with a barren expression on his face. This was always the tough part. They didn't like him and probably didn't request him personally. As he walked up to the group, a few caught sight of him and frowned. A female mentally sneered at him, **What are you doing here? You don't belong here!**

Another, a male stared him down. **We didn't request you. Leave!** he shouted sharply at Embrance.

Embrance openly requested with his flattest tone, **Where is the hunt leader? I must speak with him or her.**

When no one responded, Embrance moved forward into the crowd looking for the leader of this hunting group. All the while the Atheireyn around him gave him grief. Embrance ignored them, calling out looking for the hunt leader as he reached the other side of the crowd. He looked around the area but could not find the hunt leader. Another Atheireyn, a male, moved slightly out of the crowd and crudely shouted, jabbing at Embrance's mind, **Hey! Weirdo! You are not welcome here, leave before we make you leave!**

Embrance turned around to face him and flatly said, **I can't leave, I was requested for this hunt. Only the hunt leader can tell me to leave. Where is the hunt leader? I must speak with the hunt leader.**

Scowling viciously, the male advanced quickly at him and grabbed Embrance's shirt, pulling him closer. He growled as he bared his teeth at Embrance and sharply spoke, **Get lost, freak!**

Before the situation got out of hand, a mental announcement came over the group:

**Embrance was requested for his abilities, you all will give him your respect! Is that clear?**

Speaking to them was the first clan leader. The three clan leaders, five fighters, and the hunt leader approached the group.

The male gripping Embrance's shirt let go, and all the group responded to the first clan leader, **YES, CLAN LEADER!**

Much of the group's agitation diminished. The hunt leader frowned at him and then went back to speaking with the clan leaders. After finishing speaking to them, the hunt leader walked back to the crowd and spoke briefly with them. Then he walked up to Embrance with disagreeing eyes but keeping with respect, **We need to begin the hunt.**

The hunt leader was slightly taller, five feet six inches, and older than Embrance. He had long, black hair that reached down to his lower back, which was tied in several places, making a long, straight ponytail. He wore a gray short-sleeved shirt that was buttoned halfway up, a dark belt, greenish gray pants, and boots that almost reached his knees Embrance, bowing his head slightly and with an even mental tone, **As requested, I am here for the group, Hunt Leader. Please show me where you would like me to begin the hunt.**

The hunt leader stepped forward and allowed Embrance to place his forehead against his so that he could show him the image of the place they wish to go. He closed his eyes. The image he was given was of a small, smooth, flat, and wide rocky cliff that softly lowered down to the river. A forest of tall blue trees surrounded a nearby village. The housing looked like it was made from the wood from the trees and long grass that probably grew close to it. A small but wide lazy river separated the image where the doorway would be opened. Embrance opened his eyes, bowed slightly once more, and turned around. Walking a few paces away from the crowd, he then closed his eyes, concentrating on the image. Suddenly his eyes snapped open, white and silver like. With his left hand, he thrust it forward. It disappeared into an invisible wall. He walked along this invisible wall, tearing an opening the same color as his eyes. Embrance made about a fifteen-foot cut. Then he pushed up on the top of the cut until it was taller than him and then pushed down on the bottom of the cut until it was touching the ground, revealing the image the hunt leader had shown him. He stood up and blinked. His eyes returning to the black and red.

The hunt leader and two others approached him. Embrance responded by saying respectfully, **The doorway is complete, I shall now secure it.**

He turned around and walked through the doorway with the other two Atheireyn that were beside the hunt leader following him, no doubt fighters in training. On the other side, Embrance crouched down, scanning the area. The sun had just set, and the light was dying quickly. There was no notice of movement, and no one had seen the doorway cut.

Confirming with the others with nods, he stood turning around to face the doorway, **The doorway is secured, Hunt Leader.**

The hunt leader proclaimed that the hunt was to begin. The group started pouring out of the doorway and moving swiftly and quietly toward the village, some jumping over the river and others slipping into the shadows nearby. Embrance stood there watching and listening. The last one through, the hunt leader looked at Embrance, **Are you not joining in?**

Embrance politely responded, **My gratitude for the invite, but I will stay back by the doorway and keep an eye on it.**

Embrance walked down to the river and sniffed the air. It was pleasant here. The night air was cool, even though there was a slight warm wind that carried a few interesting scents. He could hear screaming and yelling off toward the village, and smirking, he entered the river. All the while the hunt leader stood there, glaring at him confounded by Embrance's answer.

Embrance, still stained with blood from head to toe, began to wash off his face, clothes, and the rest of his body. The hunt leader walked down to the embankment annoyed and asked Embrance, **What are you doing? You are supposed to be hunting! We need to bring food home to some of the vessels. You can't tell me, Embrance, that you are not hungry as well!**

As though on cue, one of Embrance's stomachs growled loudly. He stopped washing and grimaced. The hunt leader stared icily at him. Embrance wrung out his shirt, looked up, and respectfully requested, **Someone needs to keep the doorway secure, respectfully, Hunt Leader, I will protect it with my life. You can trust me, I won't let you down.**

He bowed and then shook some of the loose water from his hair. Wading toward the embankment, the hunt leader stood directly in front of him, blocking his pathway back to the doorway.

Ordering Embrance, the hunt leader told him, **I will stand guard. I need you to hunt for the vessels and feed yourself, Embrance!**

Embrance bowed his head annoyed and responded respectfully to the hunt leader, **Yes, Hunt Leader.**

He turned around and jumped out and across the river, landing ten feet onto the embankment on the other side of the river. He shook himself as dry as he could. Embrance climbed up the cliff quickly and started walking toward the village. He really didn't want to hunt; the village looked too weak for him. Even though his nature made his stomachs growl and he could smell them, his mouth started to water. Entering the village, he looked around. The houses—or they were more like huts—were all a single level in rows that flowed toward the center and eventually out the other side of the village. He could hear some of the locals hiding, shivering in terror. The scent of fear flowed through the air. Embrance's nature enjoyed every bit of it. But he still believed that weak prey made a weak hunter, so he left the poor things to cower, waiting for the inevitable.

He reached the outskirts of the village, looking across the bridge in front of him; out toward the forest, he caught sight of movement in the distance. Embrance smiled with amusement. They think they can actually escape! he thought, taking off across the bridge and into the forest, jogging at first, making sure they were far enough away so that the rest of the hunting group wouldn't notice his prize. He didn't mind sharing, but the hunt leader was right. Embrance was starving!

The escaping villagers had just run over a ridge, and feeling like they had escaped their doom, they started slowing down, thinking they were far enough away to catch their breath. It would be miles before they reached the next village for help, and by the time they reached it, it would be too late. But they would be safe, and to them that was all that mattered.

Halfway to his quarry, he shadow-traveled to get closer and see how many there were. Looking through the shadow, he counted fifteen. Six females and nine males. They had pale reddish skin, white hair in various lengths, and four purple eyes. The creatures wore a variety of tunic styles and pants, mostly a dark whiteish color and blue. They stood a little shorter than Embrance, with the males being more muscularly heavyset than the females, but that didn't matter when it came to combat. To be fair and see which ones were fighters, he revealed himself, walking out of the shadow he traveled from.

They saw him immediately, and some started screaming in horror and yelling at him in anger. Embrance grinned wide, revealing his pointed and sharp-looking teeth. Licking his lips hungrily, he advanced toward them, intensely looking and watching for the right ones to strike. Upon seeing him walking toward them, five of them scattered in horror, running in all directions. Four of them cowered, too terrified to move; and six stood defiantly in front, readying themselves to attack. Six? Not bad, I think I only need two so the rest I will take back, Embrance thought to himself.

As he approached them, he made himself look more menacing and growled deeply, baring his teeth in a terrifying snarl as he let his saliva flow freely. Two of the villagers, a male and a female, with sharpened metal in their hands, bravely ran forward, slicing at Embrance. They weren't fast enough as Embrance dodged both attacks and, swinging around, punched the female in the back with precision. Just hard enough to snap her back between the shoulder blades. She limply fell to the ground, wailing in pain. The male, turning, threw the metal piece at Embrance, trying to distract him from the disabled female. Embrance caught and crumpled it up as though it was made out of paper. The male went almost as pale as his hair, frozen with shock from what the Atheireyn did. Before he could recover, Embrance rushed up to him, grabbing his face and smacking his head against a tree, knocking him out. The male went limp in Embrance's grip. He dropped the male, turning to face the others.

To his surprise, the last four with spears were charging at him hollering. Embrance made quick work of all four of them. When the fight was over—if you could call it that—six warriors lay strewn about. The remaining four that were cowering had fled in terror, the scent of their fear lingering in the air.

Salivating in anticipation, Embrance gathered the six and broke their limbs in various places. The villagers screamed, wailing in tremendous pain, as they tried in vain to push the monster away. Embrance did this so they wouldn't escape while he ate. After everything that happened, it had made him feel overwhelmingly famished and ravenous with hunger.

He chose one of the larger males. Pulling the male away from the others and easily ripping off any clothing he wore, he sat down as he pulled his food closer. Delighted to have a warm feast, Embrance's teeth sliced easily, cutting in, biting down, and taking a chunk out of its arm. The male howled loudly in pain as he squirmed and started weeping. Embrance savored each mouthful as though he hadn't had food for months. Rivers of reddish blood ran down his chin and stained his shirt. His claws and arms were covered and dripping with his prey's blood as he dug in deeper. With each mouthful, the male cried out less and less, for an Atheireyn's saliva acts as a painkiller, dulling the pain, slowing blood loss as much as possible, giving it a euphoria-like state at times and keeping their food alive for as long as possible, keeping their food warm as they ate.

The five remaining and the ones still conscious, hearing the Atheireyn eating the male, began to whimper in horror as some of them looked for a way to escape. The sound of the monster cracking the male's bones in its teeth made them groan with anguish and weep with sorrow, screaming out for help to someone that could not hear them, wishing that the Nightmare would just end them quickly instead of tormenting them.

An hour later, Embrance finished his meal, devouring every bit of his prey. He leaned against a tree, sitting there very content and full. Laying his head back, Embrance closed his eyes for a while as he enjoyed the feeling of being full. In a bit of a daze, he looked over at the remainder of what he caught and realized he only needed the one. Embrance turned his head back at the sky with a content look and let out a slow exhale, stretched, wiped his face clean with the tattered clothing of his meal, and got up. He needed to get back so the hunt leader could eat as well. Walking over to his catch, he picked them all up by the limbs. By now their fear had made them delirious, unhinged, drooling, and unresponsive. Three on one shoulder and two on the other, he started making his way back to the doorway at a brisk pace. Within a few minutes, he was at the river. Embrance sized up the width of the river, bent down low, and jumped. Landing on the other side and coming into view of the hunt leader, Embrance walked up the small incline where he was standing and presented his catch to him.

**Have you eaten yet, Hunt Leader? Here, pick one, they are pretty healthy, and four of them should able to feed at least ten vessels.**

**They look good, Embrance, my gratitude for a fine catch!** the Atheireyn said pleased. He chose the smaller female and sat a short distance away from the doorway and began to eat, her delirious cries for help echoing off the riverbank. Embrance laid the others by the hunt leader and went down to the river and washed off the blood and cleaned up a bit.

Embrance watched as Atheireyn started leaving the village, looking rather content and full. He scanned the area looking for anything that might disrupt them. The night cooled down more, and a small

wind kicked up for a bit, sending new smells toward Embrance's nose. He breathed in, contemplating where they came from and how far the scents were from them. He looked back at the horizon to see how long they had before the sun would be up. It looked good; they would be long gone before the sun came up. Embrance looked back to see Atheireyn gathering near the hunt leader and the doorway. The hunt leader, halfway done with his meal, motioned for the crowd to start moving into the doorway. Embrance walked back and picked up his catch and waited.

Within a few minutes, the last Atheireyn was through the doorway besides the hunt leader and him. Embrance being the doorway opener needed to leave last; once he passed through the doorway would close behind him. Finishing his food, the hunt leader got up and walked through the doorway, and Embrance followed, the doorway closing behind them. The hunting group started leaving, walking over to their various groups that had been waiting for their return. A small group of vessels stood off to the right of the various groups, waiting for the one who hunted for them. Embrance adjusted his catch on his shoulders and walked toward them. Halfway there, they spotted him; some of them began to hiss and others growl at him. They weren't pleased to see that he was chosen to hunt for them, and when he got close enough, they began to get upset. One of the vessels, a female looking like she was ready to give birth at any moment, came forth and angrily jabbed at Embrance's mind, **Come no closer, oddity!

We want nothing from your vile hands!**

The others were howling and snarling in outrage. Embrance said nothing and only moved to present them with the food he had caught for them. The hunt leader came up behind Embrance and stood next to him, calmly announcing to the vessels what he was told, **Embrance was requested for the group and was given orders to hunt for you by the clan leaders. If none of you are hungry, then as hunt leader, I will give the catch to someone else. Unfortunately, dear vessels, you must wait for the next hunt if you want something else. It will be in three cycles.**

They quieted down after hearing about the orders. They approached Embrance cautiously and quickly took the food, indignantly turning away without giving any gratitude.

Embrance turned his head toward the hunt leader and bowed it. The hunt leader in turn smiled and walked back toward the groups.

Embrance went home to rest and avoid Ullgrent.

*****

Happy 2 years!

Thank you for reading!