Chapter 39 Blood at Dawn
THIRTY-NINE
BLOOD AT DAWN
Krellix
It is nearly dawn when we finally reach the encampment, rooting out and killing several stray nagas along the way.
If they responded sensically to us, and did not fight back except to defend themselves, I released them and warned them not to outright attack the others.
Especially not to feed on them. To feed on one another will drive them mad.
It will only make them more vicious, more feral.
That, and to leave the fucking humans alone. As Julia would have put it.
Those who did not respond, I killed.
During the dark days when the first nagas woke, there was a lot of killing… a lot of misunderstanding and death. I remember my father speaking of blood, fear, and gnawing hunger. It does not have to be that way again. There are nagas, like me, who can guide the way.
Airy drifts of smoke flow across the field as daylight slowly lightens the open, and unusually quiet, expanse.
Blood and exhaust is thick in the air, so thick I began scenting it long before we made it here.
A brief detour to hunt has largely restored my strength, which I gather now in anticipation for what is to come.
I glance at Kodyx beside and slightly behind me.
He is silent as he mimics everything that I do, listening to my every word.
But as I turn to look back across the field, to the open entrance to the encampment, it is clear that something is very wrong, and though I do not want to risk his young life, I cannot linger any longer.
There are no machines patrolling above. The usual hum and noise they make does not niggle in my ears.
There is no distant chatter, shouting, or laughter.
Narrowing my eyes, I hone in on the ground outside the encampment’s entrance.
The bodies of over a dozen newborn nagas litter the earth.
Among them, scattered across the dirt, are the machines that once flew.
Following the barricade’s walls, I note others that have fallen as well.
But it is the lack of human noise that concerns me the most.
My chest tightens with panic and a hiss tears from my throat.
Pushing forward through the trees and slicing across the field towards the encampment, I make for the gate, uncaring who might see me from within.
The fact that I am not stopped as I reach the camp’s entrance alarms me.
There is not a single working machine or soldier in sight.
No longer worried I will be shot at, I pause over the fallen nagas, only to find that not all the bodies are corpses.
Kodyx stops at my side and hisses. We both take in the two nagas lying on top of and feeding from the dead flesh of their brethren.
They do not seem to notice either of us, even as I get behind the closest one and snap its neck.
Before the other one can react, Kodyx jumps on its back.
He bites into the naga’s throat and rips open its artery with his fangs.
Its tail whips through the dancing smoke and, as he lifts to fend off the attack, I grab the naga and haul it out from under him.
It hisses wildly as I slam it into the ground, spraying blood from its neck and mouth.
I crush its head and drop the twitching body, and the smell of death fills my nose. Thankfully, I only see naga corpses, not humans.
“Continue to sssstay behind me,” I instruct Kodyx as I approach the open gate. On first look, the tents and pathways closest to me seem deserted. Sliding beyond the barricade, I am about to head to the loose flaps of the nearest tent when Kodyx stops me.
“Naga!” he warns sharply, pointing to the side.
Right then, a naga rams into me from my right, knocking me over.
Its hissing fills my ears as we roll. Grayish-black in coloring, with hints of purple, it reminds me of Zhallaix and the other Death Adders I have encountered in my time, though this Death Adder is larger than those.
As he twists his tail under him and snaps his fangs at me, I lash my tail outward and slam it into his side, throwing him off.
Kodyx lurches forward, grabs the Death Adder’s arms, and jerks them back.
While he holds the Death Adder in place, I swipe my claws across the naga’s face.
He rears back into Kodyx’s arms and I fall upon them both, pushing my claws into his throat and slicing it open. Blood gushes from the wound.
Pushing away from the dying Death Adder, I help Kodyx out from beneath him, then coil my tail before me and slam it into the Death Adder’s head, crushing it like the other and killing him instantly. If I must kill them, I do not wish them to suffer.
Soft swishing sounds to my left, and another naga appears from between two of the tents by the side of the path.
I jolt forward and jump on him before he has a chance to come at me, pummeling him to the ground.
He snaps his fangs without finesse, no intelligence in his eyes, but I jerk back before his teeth make contact.
Bringing my tailtip up to wrap around his neck, Kodyx appears at my side to watch as I crush the naga’s windpipe.
Coiling it further around the naga, I then break his head. Bones snap and meaty pulp oozes.
“Julia!” I shout, heading deeper into the camp and picking up my pace.
Not paying attention if Kodyx is following, my nostrils flare as I try to catch Julia’s scent in the air.
Getting nothing except smoke, sweat, human waste, naga scent, and blood, I search wildly for any sign of her.
For any sign of any human. But the place is deserted and silent…
Except for the low hum of hissing.
One after another, I come upon more nagas, and even despite my wounds, I end them quickly.
There may be many in number but they are not skilled fighters.
I take them out as Kodyx mostly watches.
My student, my kin. Good. He will need to be fearless, unhesitating, and strong to survive this world.
But I cannot spare much thought for him, all my mind turned instead to the search for Julia.
The few human bodies, mostly soldiers, we have found have me frantic with worry.
I am thankful none of them are her, though the comfort is small.
I will not feel true relief until she is back in my arms.
Something faint sounds in my ears, a hushed whispering. Stilling to listen more closely to it, I realize I am hearing the faint chatter of voices. Turning in the direction of the noise, I follow them to a large tent amongst familiar ruins. Ruins that harbor a pathway beneath the earth.
Though this is not quite the place I helped Celeste, Zhallaix, and the other humans out of before, it is still close enough to that location that the humans here might have accessed it—though just a different part of it.
A place I hoped would be left alone and remain undiscovered after hearing the stories of Shelby, Zhallaix, Vagan, and Celeste.
Despite the underground facility being within the territory of Copperheads, until the humans came along I had no knowledge of it, and neither did anyone else in my clan.
However, after searching the crates, the spot-lights, and the tent to my right, I realize these ruins—at first so familiar—look nothing like the place I knew several seasons ago.
The overgrowth has been flattened, the vines, flowers and grass trampled.
Then it has all been stripped again by machines, removing portions to make space for things the humans use and need.
Land that was once mine is now somebody else’s.
I should be angry but I can no longer muster the emotion, more concerned that this world serves Julia’s best interests over my own.
She and her people need a home. And more than anything, I want her to have one.
Why not a place so familiar to me? It is the best I can hope for.
A blast sounds and I jerk as something speeds past my head—one of the human’s bullets. “There’s another one!” Someone shouts from inside the tunnel.
I duck behind a large, metal crate, and glance behind me to make sure Kodyx does as well. “Down! Humans have weapons they can hurt us with from afar. Pay attention to loud blastssss.”
Peering into the tunnel, I see a barricade of metal crates blocking off the path halfway down. Behind it are a handful of humans with guns. This must be where most of the people have vanished to. I narrow my eyes, searching for Julia amongst them.
One of them raises their gun and I jerk back behind my cover. “I want to speak to Commander Graft or Julia!” I shout. “I am not like the other nagassss! Nor is my companion. I want Julia!” My voice ends in a roar.
For a short time, there is only the muffled hum of their conversation. I strain to hear what is being said until a voice I recognize fills my ears. “Let me through. Let me talk to him! Don’t shoot! I will kill you if you do.”
Julia.
I turn back around and there she is, on the other side of the barricade, her sharp gaze fixed outward, searching for me. “Krellix? Is that you?”
“It issss,” I hiss as I reveal myself, abruptly filled with raw emotion. My chest tightens painfully, and it is worse than the radiating pain from my bite wounds.
“Krellix! Oh thank god. Stop!”
“That’s an alien! It’ll kill you,” someone argues beside her.
“Let me through. I’m climbing over this crate!” I watch Julia push away from those around her and climb the barricade as I slowly rise on my tail, keeping half an eye on the guns still aimed at me.
“Come back, you idiot!” another person yells. “He’s moving!”
“Don’t you dare fucking shoot!” she shouts again over her shoulder, landing on her feet. Catching my gaze, she dashes towards me. My breath lodges in my throat as I open my arms to embrace her.
She suddenly stops and points to something behind me. “Krellix! Watch out!”