The Nature of Predators - The New Arxur (5/10)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Raza, Arxur Collective Operative

Date [standardized human time]: August 19, 2154

In the centralized cities, many streets were lined with shadehangs; tall structures to block out the sunlight, for any drivers up late that traveled during the daytime. That was unnecessary in Tless, because these solitary Arxur had little interest in going anywhere or being connected to the rest of the world. There was scarcely a trace of automobiles or indoor plumbing—huts with darkened windows were sprinkled about. I could see a few of the hamlet’s citizens sharpening their claws on trees, or walking around. It reminded me of Zefriss’ remark, about eating, sleeping, and walking being the sole joys in life. How dull such a worldview seemed to me. The sense of adventure, and the mystery of the unknown, were what kept my gears spinning.

We’ll stand out just for traveling in a group. It might be easier to split up, except for the issue of Hossat; a Nevok belongs here even less than we do. He’ll have to go with someone, and I don’t trust him one bit.

The enemy patrols around the township prohibited us from skirting Tless’ premises. While my team was solid at being stealthy, there was no avoiding detection if we tried to pass through without any added factors. That left a single course of option at our disposal: creating a distraction. Zefriss carried explosives to every mission, and just like when he’d collapsed the Betterment office, I thought they might come in handy here. I thought we could siphon petroleum to amplify the effect, though there was only a single vehicle parked by the road to choose from. Hopefully, there was enough fuel in there to douse a hut in gasoline; an explosion and a house on fire should be a sufficient diversion. Ilthiss’ territory wouldn’t have firefighters or any kind of emergency services. After all, the idea of the government helping strangers in need was an empathetic absurdity!

“Hysran, siphon the gas from that vehicle. Zefriss, get a grenade ready to make the most of our combustible supplies. We need a massive blaze to direct eyes off of us,” I hissed.

Zefriss lashed his tail, growling. “Wouldn’t that draw more people out of their homes, and into the area—looking around?! A giant fucking explosion is exactly what would attract suspicion.”

“To everywhere we aren’t. It’s called hiding in plain sight. When Ilthiss’ troopers come rushing in here, we make a run for it; we won’t stand out for being in a group anymore. Nobody will look too closely with a fire burning; they’ll assume we’re either soldiers, or any other Sefturna citizen.”

“Are there even any hostile combatants left patrolling this area? I thought we saw them all tailing after the tank parade.”

“Ilthiss wouldn’t leave his territory unguarded. As I’ve told you, I suspect he has a surplus of new recruits. As long as Hysran shushes her jokes and you keep that paw close to your side, I don’t see why they’d suspect us.”

“The Nevok doesn’t give it away?!”

“Hossat will have to figure out his own way across. Worse comes to worst, they find him and assume he did this. We wouldn’t miss him.”

“You can say that again.”

The Nevok shifted under his cloak. “I prefer to work alone anyway. Your plan is stupid, and stupidity is an issue that’s impossible to fix. While I’d like to collect my bonus, I won’t die for being stuck with idiots like this wisecracking buffoon.”

Hysran looked up from where she was fashioning a makeshift siphon. “Who, me? A buffoon, he says. I appreciate the compliment!”

“That wasn’t—”

“You can hear all of my jokes first, for that morale boost: which you seem to have forgotten about! I’ll be much more likely to survive this trip if you’re the test audience for my lines.”

“I’ll do no such thing unless you pay me!”

“You don’t have a choice! What do Raza’s plans, the stories Hossat tells Isif, and Zefriss’ math homework have in common?”

“That they’re all as Venlilshit as your jokes?” Zefriss spat.

“No! They don’t add up!”

I flared my nostrils at the gleeful comedian. “We’re wasting time. Get the gasoline like I asked.”

“I’m working on it, Raza! I’m a multi-tasker. I can’t wait to see the explosions!”

Zefriss watched her skip over to the dormant truck, eyes narrowed to slits. “Bah. What does my math homework have to do with anything? Education is useless; when do we ever use math?!” 

“When I’m counting how much neurotoxin I need for three lethal doses,” Hossat grumbled. 

“Get them out, if we can give all three to you.” I gave the Nevok a kick on the side, making sure to knock him off balance. “Go figure out your own way across. Meet up with us on the other side, or better yet, get captured.”

“Sure, but if I do get caught, I’ll tell them all about you and your plans. Your mission will be fucked, and I’ll be laughing! Bye, gray.” 

I gawked as Hossat scurried up to the truck, and wrested open the driver’s seat door. He wasn’t actually thinking to…that’d alert everyone here, especially the owner of the vehicle! The Nevok began fiddling with some of the wires, before the engine revved to life. Hysran returned to my side with a filled canister; I checked that it would be enough fuel for our purposes, before deciding to let the sociopath indulge in his folly. If he wanted to get caught, that was his prerogative; a Nevok driving a stolen vehicle would be extra bait to lure any prying eyes away from us. The scent of the acrid liquid burned my nostrils, as Hysran passed me the container. I splashed the accelerant on a wooden hut. To think Betterment had no building codes, or concern whether their materials were fire hazards.

With the fuel’s remnants, I made a small ring in the dry grass, hoping even the lawn would go up in flames. The yellowish moon was sinking low into the blackness—a reminder that we had to hurry. There’d be no waiting around for Hossat, since all I cared about was getting my two friends and compatriots through this village undetected. It would be satisfying to see this backwater hovel burn, on the way to our mission. It reminded me of my earliest memories, faintly imprinted in my brain, of the forested grove where I was raised. I couldn’t even say what city it was, and I never asked Isif for details about my past; my mother was dead to me. I didn’t care to know a thing about her or the shithole where she raised me. All of these rural cesspools could’ve been “home,” since they all had that same vibe of rot.

I’d rather be the lowest pauper in one of Isif’s cities than to live in a place like this. We’re doing Tless a favor; the more of it that’s razed, the more of a chance these Sefturna savages have to build something less shitty in its place. It’s time this entire province joined civilization.

“Remember why we fight for the Collective’s cause: to force the tide of progress to reach these shores,” I hissed. “This civil war started because Ilthiss refused to stop executing defectives; he’ll keep us in the old times, so we all have to live in a shithole like Tless. Whatever Isif has done, he won’t be around much longer—and he’s better than this. This is the best they have to offer.”

A growl rumbled in Zefriss’ chest. “This place is quiet, and you have room to walk ten paces without running into another Arxur or their massive, laziness-encouraging dwelling. Wriss shouldn’t ditch our entire culture, just because Betterment preferred some aspects. There’s wilderness and simplicity here, and I appreciate this village: it’s the dream.”

“Of course you say that, since all you care about is eating, sleeping, and walking,” Hysran prodded. “I don’t see how Arxur would’ve achieved any collaboration or communicated—had any societal advancement—if our culture had looked like this.”

I gave the comedian a surprised glance. “That’s a rather serious, well-conceived reply. Arxur are supposed to be the pinnacle of the food chain…sophisticated and intelligent. Simplicity and a solitary life goes against the very concept of power. A city is an empire, a tangled web of possibilities. They hold our finest creations, and that’s what gives life meaning!”

“Hrrr. Is this a social defective thing, that you two like having as many people packed into one space as possible?” Zefriss flared his nostrils, and weighed the grenade in his paw. “As far as I’m concerned, Sefturna gets points for not having clutter everywhere.”

“What you call not having clutter, I call not having anything. My point is that we’re going to burn that house there and feel good about it: end of discussion.”

“Oh, I like blowing these bastards up, much more than your chitchat. Hysran and I share the excitement to see the explosions…it’s, hrrr, primal. An actual concept of power. My sole regret is that you didn’t let me toss an explosive in the truck cabin with Hossat, so his guts could spray the wall. That would be a distraction.”

“If giving those orders wouldn’t destroy my fucking career, and perhaps get me executed, that would’ve been my plan. The bumbling Nevok will get himself killed; he got himself caught once, back on Ittel.”

“I wonder what’s the story behind that,” Hysran mused. “Imagine if one of those tall, floppy ears got caught in a door hinge, and Hossat’s just waving around at a 90-degree angle, like a flag on—”

“Who the fuck cares? We do this mission, and should he not die, I’ll find a way to get rid of that worthless burden. He won’t stay in our group, one way or another. Now, no more about the Nevok: he’s slowed us down enough. Set off the grenade, Zefriss.”

The grumpy Arxur released the safety pin, before priming and rolling the explosive right up next to the gasoline-doused hut. We’d bolted off a safe distance, and crouched behind a rock; the incendiary outburst latched onto the accelerant, with orange fire racing across the wooden exterior and unfurling out into the lawn. A piece of the wall had been blasted inward, as if it was punched out of its place; the fuel hung onto the fire, and spread to the interior. I heard some undignified screams from the lone occupant, despite the need for machismo in Betterment culture. An Arxur sprinted out of the cabin with his tail literally ablaze, and a few irate heads poked out of their homes to see the source of the commotion. 

Blank stares locked onto the flames, confirming that nobody knew what to do about this; it would flush the entire village of Tless out within a few minutes, as its hungry expansion grew. Ilthiss soldiers came careening through the treeline in an all-terrain vehicle, and fended off any civilians who tried to hop in. They were spending their time speaking into a radio rather than acting, perhaps deciding whether this expendable hamlet was worth spending resources to save. This was our chance to make a run for it! I looked around to see where Hossat had gone with the hotwired truck, and noticed that it was slowly rolling down the hill. I had been a bit impressed that he’d known how to do that with Wriss vehicles, but it didn’t make up for how he was killing my team’s chemistry.

What’s his plan to have them not see the giant, stolen vehicle rolling toward the other side of town? It’s rolling very close to where the hostile soldiers are standing with their own vehicle, so Hossat’s asking to be seen—and making himself easy to chase!

No Arxur had detected the prey animal yet…until he mashed his paw on the warning horn, which was typically a threat to run over someone in a vehicle’s way. To my confusion, Hossat dove out the passenger side, and rolled under the vehicle. There was no sign of the Nevok after that, not even after it’d kept rolling past where I saw him disappear. There were only a bunch of Arxur without cars who were looking for a ride out, and now spotted one; they didn’t bother to question the empty driver’s seat, either not caring or assuming Ilthiss’ men had sent transport. I watched with disbelief as a young loner hopped behind the wheel, and sped off in the direction Hossat already had the vehicle pointing. Desperate citizens dove on top of the car’s hood and truckbed, or tried to throw themselves through the ajar door.

“That was his plan?” I demanded, outraged that something so idiotic seemed to have worked. “What does that Nevok think stealth means?!”

Zefriss sneered, the flames glowing in his eyes. “Hiding in plain sight. Wasn’t that how you rebuffed my valid concerns?”

“I don’t see where Hossat even went! He just…disappeared under the car. Is it too much to hope that it ran him over and flattened him into the grass?”

“Probably!” Hysran declared cheerily. “There’d be Nevok blood and guts everywhere, and that would be very noticeable. We’d smell it from here.”

“Raza’s shitty plans are getting outshone by a prey animal!” Zefriss lashed his tail, scurrying off toward the center of the village. “We don’t know if her version will work, and we have to walk, instead of resting our legs in a perfectly good fucking vehicle. We could’ve taken the car!”

I snarled ferociously. “Save your breath and run, you grumpy prick!”

The flames had enveloped the hut where the gasoline kickstarted the inferno, and no Arxur had arrived with so much as a pail of water. The brightness of the fire seemed to irritate the citizenry, making the nighttime almost as bright as day—and therefore, easy for us to be seen. It was fortunate that we blended in with every other panicked citizen, heading for the hills in all directions. The grass had passed the blaze onto another home, which made crackling sounds as the wooden frame was consumed. Perhaps this could spread further than Tless, if Ilthiss’ forces couldn’t get their shit together enough to stop it. Imagine if a single fire wiped out the camps in the vicinity; that would be a massive victory for the Collective! My plans were better than Hossat’s, because they weren’t just self-serving; I’d go the extra step to dismantle enemy assets.

Isif should appreciate what I bring to the table as an operative. I would’ve done whatever he asked to strengthen us, and yet he forced the greatest disrespect any Arxur has ever borne onto me. Just because I’m defective doesn’t mean I’ll let myself become a joke—I’ve had enough of being a joke from Hysran’s routines!

We hurried through the desolate hamlet, despite the strain of this pace and the smoke burning my lungs. I passed by a citizen running perpendicular to our path, who paid us no mind; his pupils twitched for a moment, but there wasn’t a slight acknowledgement. These fools didn’t even know who their neighbors were, did they? They hadn’t seen each other once, and avoided interacting if their paths did cross. Maybe we should pass through such remote villages more often—the fire might not have even been needed! I stopped to pant and catch my breath only after we were a few hundred paces from the last Tless’ hut. It seemed I’d have the last laugh, as I saw Hossat’s truck speeding down the road. The Arxur driver wasn’t going to stop making off with the stolen property until they’d expended all of the fuel.

“I assume the vermin got on the truck somewhere. Good luck finding your way back to Collective territory, Hossat. That road doesn’t take you to the mountains. Whose plan was the best after all? I guess we’ll be going on to Rissana Canyon without your lousy ass. You won’t even know where you wind up,” I laughed with vindictiveness.

A disdainful huff came from a nearby thicket, and a cloaked figure emerged. “What’s that? If I’m not mistaken, I beat you here. Therefore, my plan was objectively superior.”

“He has a point,” Zefriss commented.

I released a roar in the grouchy Arxur’s face, before turning my slitted eyes toward Hossat. “How?! How the fuck?!”

“I hung onto the underbelly. I let go when the driver slowed to head for the road. It wasn’t difficult,” the Nevok replied, whiskers twitching with cockiness. “You, meanwhile, were fleeing like prey. You sound quite out of breath. Do you all need to lay down and take a nap?”

“I’m fine! We are leaving. We’re walking toward the Canyon, and you won’t slow us down.”

“The issue is the other way around. I’d be much more efficient without you three idiots. Let’s go.”

The audacious Nevok forged out toward the white-stone canyon in the distance, without waiting; he dared to take the role of this posse’s leader? I used my longer legs to catch him, and placed myself directly in front of him. I blocked him as he tried to go around me once, while my tired teammates struggled to keep up with us both. We could use a rest, but our group had to continue hoofing it toward Rissana Canyon. The sun would peek out to bring the dawn in an hour, and we still had a lot of ground to cover. Besides, I wasn’t going to give Hossat the satisfaction of seeing he was right. That sociopath was going to fall in line…or fall off those gorgeous, tall, alabaster cliffs. The choice belonged to him.

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A/N - Part 5! Raza creates a distraction by lighting a fire with grenades and gasoline, which does provide the cover to go running through Tless: a rural village she was happy to burn, though Zefriss spoke up in defense of its solitary qualities. The Arxur prove unable to deal with a fire and have no clue who their actual neighbors are. Hossat, meanwhile, can’t pass as an Arxur. After Raza leaves him to fend for himself, he drives a truck right through the open, and holds onto the underbelly long enough to stay out of sight en route. Our narrator is extremely unhappy that the Nevok outshone her…

What do you think of the total collapse of the Betterment village, and Raza and Hossat’s respective distractions? How does this reflect on our Arxur narrator’s ability to lead a team, with her pride front and center?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!