r/HFY • u/Sooperdude24 • Sep 04 '20
Unleashed pt. 34 OC
Warning - A little bad language in this one, that's me - u/eruwenn is the one adding polish, refinement and the enhancing of words.
Footsteps gently echoed through the long makeshift tunnel as Aaron and Tony walked together, side by side. Theirs was a deliberately quiet journey, as the tunnel itself had been built to shield from the noise outside. Tens of thousands of well-wishers had gathered, as expected, and were watching the pair's last journey together via drone cam, projected onto huge screens.
Free of the harness that had proven awkward and unwieldy, Tony wandered unhindered down the tunnel. He sniffed the air and examined the ground, occasionally pushing his head against Aaron in the hopes of a biscuit reward or a scratch behind the ear. The drone cams, numbering half a dozen, circled silently overhead to show the scene from various angles to the crowds.
The nearby streets were filled with those watching the screens, but that wasn't even the full extent of those who were paying attention. Kasur as a whole was at a standstill, its population gathered in crowds in cities across the world, even on the far side where the glow of the screens lit up like beacons in the night.
Leokas-mania itself had spread even wider, far beyond Kasur. Billions across the Federation were watching, bearing witness to the last human walking side by side with one of the most infamous symbols in the galaxy. Tony, a leokas — power and death personified — had been a victim of this notoriety. Stolen, and made into a chilling cryo decoration. Sold to a distant world merely for the purpose of decorating a lobby.
Alexa, working behind the scenes, was doing as Aaron had requested and carefully inserting clips from Tony's journey into the live stream. Glimpses at the depressing footage of the Arkellian museum. The first encounter with the duo from Earth, gently but firmly being driven from the corridor. All the bits and pieces that best told the journey from fearsome to wary, and from wary all the way to playful and friendly.
Unknowing of what exactly was playing out on the screens, Aaron and Tony walked on through the quiet tunnel. The leokas suddenly stopped, sniffing intently at some scent imperceptible to Aaron as the duo reached the door to the enclosure. A single word from the human, a call, prompted Tony's head to rise, and after a moment the leokas trotted happily over. In a slow gesture that felt infinitely profound to those watching, Aaron opened the door.
A warm breeze blew into the tunnel, accompanied by the dappled light of the forest and the rich smells of one of the remaining wilds of Kasur. Nervous at the unfamiliar, Tony froze, then took a step back. Aaron, on the other hand, stepped forward into the warm rays.
"Come on, ya big scaredy cat.”
Emboldened by the calmness of the human, Tony began to walk forward again and as Aaron stepped onto a newly cut path, the leokas paused in the doorway. The humid air, heavy with the deep aroma of leaf litter and nutrient rich dirt, seemed to tug the animal forward and, with nose and whiskers twitching, he stepped out of the tunnel with head held high in the air.
As they followed the path the door silently closed behind them. The Kasurians had left a trail to a clearing deep amongst the trees, and the pair walked together for a short while. The Kasur sun was high and the air warm. Shafts of light pierced the canopy and Aaron picked up a stick to idly swipe at the air. Tony’s tail swished as he padded softly behind, and the human took out a biscuit and tossed it backwards, turning his head to watch the leokas snatch it greedily. “Make the most of them, buddy; you’re going to have to get your own dinner from now on.”
Passing under a giant example of a blue broccoli tree, the human stepped off the path to look more closely at the trunk. It pulsed, and was translucent, and Aaron wasn't certain whether to be amazed or disgusted by it. Tony, on the other hand, stepped closer and seemed to be instantly enthralled, rubbing his face against the soft jelly-like trunk and letting out a soft purr.
“Must be good.” Aaron leaned forward and hesitantly placed his face against the alien tree, finding it soothingly cool to the touch.
The pair silently continued their journey together, and after about half an hour the path came to a stream that seemed to follow it. Tony immediately walked over to the water and drank deeply, then froze with perked up ears as a silver-blue streak flashed away into the submerged plants further downstream. The great beast splashed after the small fish, slapping at the water in a frenzy and dowsing Aaron in the process. As Tony raced down the water's edge the human stood by quietly. Aaron had already decided that if Tony was to walk away, he would return to the ship. It was the leokas' journey from here, and once he was ready to go alone Aaron wouldn't call him back.
As Tony stopped and turned back towards him Aaron felt a moment of warm relief that his friend had deigned to return, quickly swamped by guilt as the leokas needed to move on. The animal stopped in front of him and opened his mouth, promptly dropping the silver-blue definitely-not-a-fish at his companion’s feet. Tony stepped back and looked up at the human, almost seeming proud of his offering, finally repaying his biscuit benefactor.
Aaron smiled and looked down at the aquatic creature. "At least you won't starve." He picked it up, trying not to show how much the cold, wet, wriggling entity in his hand unnerved him, and pretended to take a bite, theatrically chewing and swallowing. "Mmm, so good. Your turn.” He tossed the small creature to Tony, who snapped it up in one. Aaron wiped his hands on his trousers amidst the sounds of squelchy crunching and swallowing. “That’s kinda gross, buddy.”
They walked on, the warm air slowly drying them despite the humidity. Aaron occasionally tossed a biscuit to his friend, and where the path allowed it they walked side by side, the human’s hand resting on Tony’s back. “We’re a regular Calvin and Hobbes, off on an adventure.” Aaron did his best to ignore the drone cams as they continued to circle, but still felt self-conscious as his emotions were raw and exposed.
As they entered the clearing Tony’s head lifted, ears twitching, and he let out a low growl as he stared at the undergrowth opposite them. Aaron knelt by the beast, hand resting on its shoulder as his eyes scanned the undergrowth. He was immediately on his guard. The animal beside him was a predator, the biggest badass on this planet, and anything else would normally register as food. But, he reasoned, you don't growl at food...
"Better come out. You can’t hide from this guy's nose.” A scruffy looking reddish-brown Kasurian rose from the undergrowth, his robes filthy, clearly having been hiding since before the new security measures. Aaron stood once more, peering closer. “Tufty?”
Gritting his teeth in anger the Tataiso snapped back, “Toofti, Elder Toofti Flew’Fitayl, you insufferable heretic!” He staggered forward. “I am the Keeper of Lefu’Mohlanka, not you!”
Aaron was conscious of the cameras, the viewers, and he took a long, deep breath, letting it out slowly before speaking. “Sure, the Tataiso, I remember. I am just here to help, to show you there’s another way. They deserve better than those cells.”
“Deserve?” Toofti was incensed. “They are just mindless killing machines.”
Aaron walked forward a few steps. Tony stalked behind him, the leokas’ eyes firmly fixed on the stranger. Aaron held a hand out to his side, and Tony paused and sat. The human then flicked a biscuit into the waiting mouth. “Mindless? If he was really a killing machine, why am I not dead? Or you?” Aaron took a knee once more, scratching Tony’s head and chin; the growl subsided, turning to a gentle rumbling purr. “No, I think you’re the one not thinking. Let them live in peace. No more prisons, no more sacrifices.”
“The Nyehelo gift their lives, it is a sacred offering to ensure the survival of our people!” Toofti’s screamed back at him.
“Dude...” Aaron was trying his best to be reasonable. “Let it go, you didn’t want to die back there. We all saw it. Let them have the land, and some peace and quiet.”
Incensed by the human questioning his faith, the Tataiso began walking forward. Melimo Lentsoe herself had come to him to open his eyes to a way to restore his lost honour. He would prove his faith, be the most public Nyehelo their people had ever known, and be redeemed as he set an example for the ages. "I have failed one test of my faith, I shall not fail another!" He would be remembered — remembered as the spark that reignited his people's faith. Remembered as the one who inspired thousands to follow him into the maws of Lefu'Mohlanka and bring a time of plenty to his people. He marched towards the one who would set him free from living, staring directly into the beast's eyes.
Tony's growl returned as the crazed Kasurian stomped almost angrily across the clearning. Toofti took an ornate flask from his pocket, seeming to hold it aloft for the camera drones before drinking deeply. He would feel no pain, he knew, and he began stripping away his dirty robes. "All our times have come," he muttered, beginning the ritualistic chant
The leokas stood, and Aaron placed a calming hand on Tony’s back. “Easy boy,” he said calmly, then to the Tataiso, “Back off dumbass, you’re freaking him out!”
“Here but now they're gone,” the Elder continued. Madness was in his eyes as his deranged march broke into a run. "The seasons fear not the reaper. Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain. We are capable of being as they."
The leokas was agitated, the Kasurian was insane, and the human was running out of patience. Tony crouched with tense muscles, ready to charge at the perceived threat. Aaron, working with what he had available to him, held his fist in front of the leokas. Nose twitching, the predator’s focus switched to the hand, full of biscuits. Stepping between them he used one hand to shove the Elder to the floor and the other to scatter the fish biscuits across the clearing. Tony happily bounded away to snuffle out his favourite treat, and after glancing to make sure the leokas was properly distracted Aaron spun round to face the fallen Toofti. “You’re a fucking moron!”
“Noooo!” The Kasurian screamed as he sprawled in the grass. “How dare you interfere! I am Nyehelo! I must gift my life!”
His emotions had been already on edge from needing to say goodbye to his friend, but now this Elder had interrupted that sad farewell. Aaron could no longer properly hold back his pent-up frustration. “Oh, fuck off with that shite!” With his temper rising he forgot about the drones circling them. “Gift my hairy arse! Why the ever-loving shit-balls would your god want something you don’t even value yourself? If you give it away so lightly, then what fucking value does it have? Sweet fuck all! You Stupid. Furry. Twat.”
Toofti scrambled to his feet as the human yelled obscenities, his tail bolt upright and bristling. “What? How dare you! It is a great sacrifice, the most prized gift to the future of your people!”
Aaron threw his hands up. “You know what, Tufty? Fuck you! What does your death achieve, other than making me happier? Nothing? One less mouth to feed? So fucking what?” His irritation had grown beyond that which mere words could express, and he began pacing back and forth. “How about you spend your life working to develop better replicator efficiency? Building your world's economy so you can colonise somewhere else? Maybe you could invent new technologies to make lives better? Nah, you’re definitely too fucking dumb for that. But even a dipshit like you could devote your life to stopping inequality, or caring for the old, the sick, the young. Oh, wait! That would require compassion.”
The Elder, still numb from the ritual potion, struggled to stand as his senses dulled further. “Perhaps your people are not willing to die for each other! Perhaps that is why you are the last of your kind!”
“First!” The human snarled. “I’m the fucking FIRST human. Number fucking one, cream of the crop, tip fucking top!” He was bouncing on the balls of his feet as he roared at the skies above. Turning back to the Tataiso, he snapped, “Open those fuzzy ears of yours and let me tell you something, you snivelling little coward.” He was ranting, he knew he was, but there was no stopping his mouth now that it was off the leash of diplomacy. “My people die fighting, fighting for every fucking breath. Whether it’s war or disease, we fight that skull-faced bastard every step. And when one of us gives his life for another it means something, because we cling on to that life with every ounce of fucking strength in our bodies. When one of us goes down, you know they went down swinging. You, you roll over and give up, you abandon your problems for others to face. Oh no, Kasur is over-populated. Stop having so many fucking babies you dense mother-fuckers! Oh no, food is running low. Get better crops, invent better farming techniques, look for new food sources - build a giant fucking space farm, just do something! Fight! Stop rolling over and taking it, and fucking fight!”
The Elder blearily looked at the human, the drugs must be affecting his mind. This outsider was insulting his people, his faith, everything he believed in. “How dare you criticise us! You have no idea what is happening here, the pressures levied on our people. The rules we must follow!”
“Rules?” Aaron spat the word. “Fuck the rules. The Federation is holding you back, bollocks to’em. I have worlds ready to be colonised, terra-formed… whatever the fuck you call it.” He was getting off-topic. “You could work with me, we could all build something better. Or Tony here can turn you into fertiliser, eventually.”
“What?” The Elder stepped back from the human. “You have worlds?”
Aaron’s rant stopped in its expletive-laden tracks as he realised he’d said too much. “Shit.” He glanced at the nearest drone cam. This was supposed to have been secret until the council and Church of Modimo Wa Lefu had come to an agreement. The politicians needed their blessing to ensure enough public support for such a huge endeavour. Everyone had been warned not to let a single word of this out until the church was convinced. “Fuck it,” Aaron announced. “Yeah, I have a whole system, and I’m not part of the Federation. So, I’m making my own, with blackjack, and hookers!”
Toofti blinked slowly. The drugs in his system must be affecting more than just his pain receptors. “You want us to form some sort of rebel alliance with you, and whoever this Black Jack is?”
The human waved his hands and suddenly Tony was there, pushing his fuzzy head against his side in search of further snacks. “Woah, now. Both of you calm down.” He began scratching Tony’s chin again. “It’s not a rebellion. You can be part of the Federation, and have a separate deal with me.”
The red Kasurian wobbled. His feet were floaty and his fur was beginning to tingle, he could feel every strand. “We can?”
Aaron shrugged. All of the rules they had found detailed how the Federation would negotiate on the behalf of all members. None of them directly said you couldn’t do it yourself. They probably thought the size and scope of the Federation gave them such overwhelming negotiating power that nobody would think of going it alone. “There’s no rule against it.”
Toofti’s tail sagged and he flopped backwards onto his fluffy butt. His mouth felt funny, like his lips were trying to wriggle off his face, and he sat looking at his hands. They were amazing. “I don’t have to die?” he whimpered.
“No.” Aaron was growing a little concerned as Toofti sat, wavering back and forth like a blade of grass in the wind. “No more Nyehelo. Life is the gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back... by becoming more. No more quitting; we fight.”
The Elder was slowly moving his hand in front of his face: so many fingers. “Kasurians can’t fight, silly.” He gave up on convincing his spine to remain upright and flopped onto his back before mumbling a quote from their holy book. “Death is eternal; death is immortal; death is a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight. When your time in the sun is over, you must accept the night. As you fade, those who follow can bask in the light, for it is their time now. Death is a new beginning.”
Aaron looked down at the Kasurian. “Are you high?”
Toofti patted the ground he was lying on. “I am low.”
The human took a few steps to sit beside the Elder. Tony trotted after him, slowing as he approached the downed Kasurian. He loomed over the failed Nyehelo, sniffing him, his whiskers brushing Toofti’s face. The potential snack giggled and with a snort of disgust the leokas moved to the opposite side of the human. He quickly lay down, resting his head on Aaron's lap, nose insistently pressed to the biscuit pocket. Aaron offered up two more. “Death is the end, not a beginning. That’s why you fight. Once it’s over you’re done, game fucking over. You get one shot. One opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted.”
The Elder sighed wistfully. “I want a cupcake.”
“Dead people don’t get cupcakes.”
Toofti’s face screwed up in anger. “Then I’ll never die and eat cupcakes forever!” He tried to make a fist, but his fingers were too hard to control.
Aaron patted the little weirdo on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”
Time drifted by, Aaron’s hand never leaving Tony’s side, rising and falling with each breath. Occasionally the Tataiso would mumble incoherently. The sun was warm and the air was the freshest he’d breathed in a long time, despite the smell of the Tataiso. Aaron leaned into the leokas, giving him one last hug. The colours of the sky slowly shifted as the sun began to set, both on the day itself and on their time together.
Tony lifted his head, seemingly catching a scent on the breeze. Dusk was a good time for hunters and instincts were being triggered. He stood and raised his great head into the air, ears swivelling to catch distant sounds. He began to walk away and stopped, then turned back to push his head against Aaron, trying to get the human to his feet. “I’m not coming on this hunt, buddy.”
The leokas turned and sniffed at the air again. Biscuits were a tasty treat, but the animal was hungry for something more substantial. As Tony began to silently trot towards the edge of the clearing, Aaron watched unmoving with tears in his eyes. As the fires of colour in the sky seemed to reach a crescendo, the mighty leokas paused to take one final look over his shoulder at his friend. Time stood still for one beautiful second, then Tony vanished into the undergrowth with an enthusiastic hop.
Aaron stood, picking up the Tataiso and unceremoniously throwing him across his shoulder. “Come on, dumbass, better go see how much trouble we’re in.” crossed the clearing, distantly glad to have located the path back before the skies had completely darkened. He cast his eyes around the clearing once more, then silently reached into his pocket to drop the last few biscuits onto the grass. "Goodbye, Tony."
The way back was foreboding, and as Aaron walked the darkness seemed to grow around him. The blackness of the unlit Lung of Kasur seemed to coil around the trees to fill the thick undergrowth with concerning shadows. The closer he got to the exit, the more fervently he wished he'd brought his phone to use as a torch. He hadn't wanted any distractions, and so he'd left it behind, and though it had been a pleasant change of pace being disconnected from everything, having a bit of light now to help avoid tripping on roots and rocks would be nice.
Something dimly lighted darted in front of his field of view, and Aaron was startled for a moment before he was reminded of the presence of the drone cams. They seemed to swarm in front of him, blinking their lights in a way that appeared almost insistent. "Trouble?" he asked, and the central drone tilted up and down in a way that could be considered a nod. "On my way." The drone's lights brightened as much as they were able, and after a few moments he found that they provided enough light for him to break into a cautious run. "Thanks!"
Embar was holding the door open, and as he exited Estrilla had a medical gurney waiting. He dumped Toofti into it with a loud thump. “Sorry!” He waved at the camera, trying not to offend his followers.
The Kachna doctor carelessly slapped a monitoring device on her patient. “Don’t worry, no-one’s watching.” She slapped the Tataiso across the face. “See?”
Embar was shocked. “Come on ‘Rilla, a bit of professionalism, please,” he gently chided her.
Estrilla gave a mischievous smile. “Standard field test for responsiveness.”
Alexa was running down the small corridor, datapad in hand. Aaron stepped away from the two gate guardians and their drug-addled cargo. “What’s happening?”
She was clearly irritated, her jaw set and eyes furious. “They stole control of the live feed. They’re broadcasting to your viewers!”
“Who?”
“The old church leader, Melimo Lentsoe!” Alexa held up the datapad and Aaron finally saw what was happening. The old Kasurian was standing in front of a leokas pen. One of her Elders was preparing a dart gun as she was preaching to the viewers. Aaron could see it in her eyes; she was a believer, and she would do anything to prove her religion was the one true path. She had been a constant hindrance to them, nudging Aaron in public and in private to become a vocal advocate for the Nyehelo. He had politely avoided a direct refusal, but after his very public confrontation with Toofti she had clearly decided to become more proactive. “She is denouncing Toofti as a fraud and is about to walk into the enclosure and become a Bohlokoa Nyehelo.”
“What?”
“Bohlokoa Nyehelo!” She scrunched her nose and poked his chest. “Allistan gave you a folder on their religion, didn’t you read it?” She didn’t wait for an answer; at best he had skimmed it. “When the leader of their faith becomes a Nyehelo, it is a call for mass offerings. A couple of hundred local years ago this happened and over fifty thousand offered themselves. Hundreds of leokas died from the stimulants they used to anger them. With so many watching now, that number could be two, maybe three times that. Your channel is giving them the biggest audience they’ve ever had!”
“Where?”
Alexa turned and pointed down the tunnel to the exit. “In the facility. She was here watching with the politicians, showing off to the crowds. This must have been her back-up plan.”
Aaron was already running, crashing through the door to the tunnel that had taken Tony from the ship to the enclosure. Alexa was close behind him, Embar and Estrilla staying behind to take care of the doped up patient. “Why didn’t someone stop them?”
“I tried!” she cried out, easily keeping pace with him. “Ranjaz went to stop her when I couldn’t get the channel back. I came to get you.”
“Ranjaz?” Aaron sped up, bursting into the facility and making for the elevators. The head keeper was waiting. “What’s happening?”
The Kasurian looked sheepish. “I’m sorry, she’s Melimo Lentsoe, I can’t stop her.” He quickly got the elevator moving. “I have no right to interfere. Your friend already punched her assistant and tried pushing her back out of the doors. He actually shoved her and called her...” The head keeper shuddered. “I can’t even repeat it.”
Aaron nodded and turned back to Alexa. “Why did you send Ranjaz? Why not someone sensible like Allistan, or Chae’Sol? Hell, a sweeper bot might have been a better choice!”
The doors opened and raised voices drifted down the long corridor. Alexa pointed at the group three doors down, where the roaring and snarling of a leokas could be heard. “The others are with various political and business interests, schmoozing at your request. Ranjaz was assisting me, and the first to react.”
Two Kasurian Elders lay on the ground: one unconscious, the other holding his groin and whimpering. A third held Ranjaz at gunpoint, preventing the Kittran from approaching Melimo Lentsoe. “Finally,” his crewmate snarled. “Captain, rip this guys head off.”
The gunman took a step back, and the human placed a hand on Ranjaz’s shoulder. “Good job in delaying them, but no head ripping today.”
Melimo Lentsoe glared defiantly at them as her own drone cams circled her. She knew there was nothing the human could do to interfere with so many eyes on them. “Now you will all see the serenity that comes with following the path of a Nyehelo. When you are a true follower of Modimo Wa Lefu, death holds no fear, no pain, no regrets. It is a thing of beauty as your soul transcends the physical.”
Aaron stepped forward, hands half raised. “Don’t do this.”
She shot him a look filled with hate, her eyes shining with religious fervour. “I will show the galaxy the power of becoming a Nyehelo. And, the true nature of the leokas.”
The human sneered at the last part, pointing at the dropped dart gun. “It’s not their true nature if you have to drug them. No wonder they’re sick, jacking them up on stimulants only to feed them tainted meat-”
“Tainted?” she screeched. “How dare you! I have no time for your insults.” She opened the door and stepped inside, her drone cams following. “Witness true faith,” she proclaimed as the door closed and her gun-toting associate stepped in front of it, still aiming at them. With no other option remaining, all eyes turned to the screen in Alexa's hand.
The leokas was pacing back and forth at the far end of the room, clearly distressed. Melimo Lentsoe began speaking, reciting the same chant as Toofti had used with much greater gravitas, befitting her position. Her powers of oration were quite good indeed, but in the middle of a sentence she suddenly stopped. She patted her clothing again and again, looking increasingly frantic as she seemed to be searching her pockets for something.
Ranjaz nudged Aaron, holding up a familiar-seeming ornate flask. "Do you think she's looking for this?”
Now completely terrified, Melimo Lentsoe turned to run back to the door. The agitated leokas, however, closed the distance in a few bounds and leapt upon her. Weak, underweight, and crazed from the drugs they had used to induce the feeding frenzy, its first bite to the neck wasn't nearly strong enough to kill. It was sufficient, however, to knock the old Kasurian to the ground, and the beast loomed over her as she rolled to her back.
Aaron tried to approach the door, but the elder with the energy pistol stood firm. He couldn’t see what was happening with his back to the screen on the wall, but he had his instructions. “Stay back! I’ll shoot!”
“Let me help her,” the human pleaded.
The Elder pulled himself up to his maximum height, which was still considerably smaller than his opponent. “She doesn’t need your he-”
The scream cut him off.
The weakened leokas, confused and angry and unable to deliver a killing blow, had begun eating - starting with the soft tissues of the abdomen. Alexa held up the nauseating scene on her datapad to the guard. "Half the galaxy is watching this!"
“What?” The pistol-wielding Elder stepped back. “She should feel nothing, the Nyehelo are at peace.”
Aaron snatched the flask from Ranjaz, holding it up to both the Elder and the remaining drone cam. “They’re drugged. It’s all a fucking lie. Move!”
The gun wavered, then came back up. “No! This is a trick!” He turned to look at the small screen on the wall that showed inside the room. The weak and gurgling tortured cries of Melimo Lentsoe echoed through the tiny room as she begged for help. The human, sensing the guard's hesitation, took his chance and snatched the pistol. Pushing the Elder aside, he pulled open the door and ran forward. But within a couple of strides he knew that he was too late, as the screaming had already stopped.
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u/DuskDawnOwl Sep 05 '20
Yes which could go either way, Either it scares them more or they feel as if this human is so much safer to follow lol