Chapter Text
It was late in the day when they returned to the grotto. There had been no humans there thankfully. Viksis had been made the forward around the hill back to the grotto to make sure the way was clear. Preksik and the vandals were dragging a sled of scrap metal, parts, and weird electronics they’d scavenged from the ruins. Most of the dregs were just making sure the way was clear of debris. Viksis knew why he’d been given the forward position.
Because he was new. No one knew him. He was more easily replaceable if something happened up here, less likely to be missed.
He didn’t think about that too much.
They were close to the grotto now though. He went into the woods. Not too far. Shouting distance. He perched on a familiar fallen tree. He scanned the forest, more leaves had fallen in the last day. It made visibility better but also made him more visible. Thankfully the Devils colors blended in better with the dying leaves better than it did with the green forest.
Something crunched some leaves. He turned, hand going down to the grip of his weapon. “Oh, it’s you,” he said. It was the orange creature! It was sitting on the log looking at him. “I have this, this time,” he hadn’t eaten all of his meal last night. He’d saved a little morsel just in case he had a chance to see the orange creature today. He held it out between his three fingers. The creature sniffed it and licked it but didn’t bite it. He put it on the log, moving to straddle it as well. The creature nosed at it, trying to get its teeth around it. Then it managed to bite some off. The morsel was too big. He’d remember that next time. Small bites for the creature.
It devoured the morsel. “Tastes good huh?” It came over, sniffing him, looking for more. “That was all,” he offered his hand to the creature. It sniffed and licked his hand, looking for any more. He pet it gently on the head. It seemed so tame. Maybe it belonged to the human settlement? But why was it so far out here? Or were these creatures naturally this docile? Where was the brown creature? He hoped it was okay.
He was pleasantly surprised when it came closer and headbutted him on the front of his mask, whiskers tickling his face. He giggled and pet it on its sides and rump. “Mrow!”
Viksis tried to imitate the sound. But his mouth just couldn’t make the sounds. He could purr though. So he purred so the creature knew he was happy to see it as much as it seemed to enjoy seeing him.
“Viksis!”
Viksis grabbed the creature, stuffing it against his chest. It struggled but he just held it. The voice was from behind him. He turned around. It was Skolas, looking for him. “Viksis! Where’d you go?” Before he could say or do anything he was spotted. Skolas came towards him. “Preksik said all hands and you weren’t there- what’s that?”
“Nothing,” Viksis tried to hide the creature. It was still struggling in his arms but was hidden by Viksis sitting away from Skolas.
“There is no hiding with crew,” and Skolas came around. “That’s an Earth creature.” Well no hiding it. He let it go. It darted away, kicking up leaves and going to hide somewhere. “Why… did you have an Earth creature?” Viksis shrugged. “Was it for meal?” Viksis shook his head. “Then what is it for?”
“It… is soft,” he said. “And makes this noise,” he made a pleasing purring sound.
“Why didn’t you kill it? We always need more food-
“Life is not just eating and killing,” Viksis said. “Sometimes it is nice to have things that are nice.”
“I’ve only ever been a dreg,” Skolas said. Meaning he’d never had anything. His entire adult life he’d been docked. His life and body belonged to the crew. That was a depressing thought Viksis had never considered.
“Just wait. It may come back. You will see,” he said. Skolas didn’t look like he believed him but did sit on the log with him. “It is so soft. Softer than a captain’s cape.”
“That I find doubtful,” Skolas scoffed. They waited. And indeed, the orange creature came back, meowing in annoyance at Viksis like a scolding parent. “It is a noisy creature, “ Skolas said.
“You made me make it upset,” Viksis said and offered it a hand. It sniffed and then rubbed its head against his hand. “Like I do.”
Skolas looked doubtful but held his hand out. The creature sniffed at him a bit longer, his scent unfamiliar. But it did rub its head against Skolas’ hand. Skolas gasped softly. “It is so soft,” he said, amazed. “What is this creature?”
“I don’t know.”
“This world finally made an excellent creature,” Skolas proclaimed. The creature purred. The two dregs purred back at it as they pet its head and shoulders with gentle hands. “Oh- Captain did say all hands, I was to come find you.”
“But the creature is soft,” Viksis said. Skolas looked hard pressed to argue with such things.
“We could bring the creature with us,” Skolas said thoughtfully.
“Deknir would eat it,” Viksis said. Even just today he knew Deknir ate anything, everything. He was a strange fat dreg and was always catching bugs to try or if the foliage around tasted like anything.
“No. Not if Captain said no,” Skolas said.
“I don’t think the Captain would care,” Viksis said.
“Dregs!” They both started at the sound of Frytkis shout. “All hands, get back,” he was close enough to see them but at an angle.
“Uh oh,” Viksis hunched.
“You worry too much,” Skolas said and got off the log. “Preksik doesn’t punish for dawdling, just scold.”
“He could always change his mind,” and he crawled off the log after Skolas.
“Tekisk must be a very bad captain,” Skolas headed towards and impatiently waiting Frytkis, their rifle low but ready.
“She’s the only one I’ve known.”
“Unlucky.”
“What is that creature following you?” Frytkis asked as they got closer. Viksis looked over his shoulder. The orange creature was indeed following them. “Why is it following you?” Frytkis raised their rifle.
“It is a good creature,” Viksis said quickly. “Don’t hurt it,” he stepped in front of Frytkis’ barrel. That seemed to surprise them.
“It makes a pleasing noise,” Skolas said, “and is very soft.”
Frytkis narrowed his eyes at the both of them, each set looking at one of them. “Show me the creature,” he ordered.
In that time the creature had come up and was rubbing against Viksis’ leg. He reached down and scooped it up under its front legs with both hands. It made a noise of protest but didn’t squirm too much. Its legs stretched awkwardly below it and Viksis wished he had a third hand to support it easier. Frytkis eyed the orange creature, teeth chittering suspiciously. They lowered their rifle and reached out with a lower hand, touching the creature’s stomach.
Viksis couldn’t help but laugh at the genuine surprised look on Frytkis’ face. “It is very soft ,” they said.
“Yes, it is a good creature. It doesn’t like to be held,” he put it down as it was starting to squirm and trying to twist to bite his hands.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“I wish to keep it,” Skolas said. “So Deknir doesn’t eat it.”
Frytkis scowled at the both of them. The creature wandered around them lightly disturbing the leaf litter, sniffing at Frytkis’ rifle end and their cape. “Winter is coming. We do not have time for such foolishness.”
“But it is soft and warm,” Skolas complained. He squatted and held his hand out for the creature. It came over curious and let him pet it. “Good company for the winter.”
“You don’t even know what it is. It could be dangerous.”
“It is only as big as my torso. I don’t see how it could be as dangerous as… what do humans call them? Bears ?” his mouth struggled with the unfamiliar human word for the giant creature. Tekisk always had to deal with them personally if they bothered her crew. No one else was big enough and an energy shot just pissed it off and didn’t really slow it down. Viksis was more afraid of a bear than he was of a Lightbearer.
“You should not mistake softness for weakness with an Earth creature,” Frytkis said.
“But look, it is cute,” Skolas said and then looked down. The orange creature had rolled onto its back, briefly showing its stomach. Then realized it was noticed and spun back around before licking its fur like it meant to do that.
Frytkis was annoyed with them both but did reach down and pet the creature. Viksis considered that a success! Frytkis was so prickly that any motion to soften them was a success for him. They squatted across from Skolas and pet the creature as well. It started purring. Viksis joined them, purring back at the creature.
They must have been out here for a while because a vandal wasn’t sent to find them. They all looked up when a shadow crossed over them. “Uh-- captain,” Frytkis said, nervous.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh--” Frytkis had no good answer.
“You are supposed to be back in the grotto working on the ship,” and he cast a sharp eye at Viksis so he knew this concerned him as well.
“Look at this creature, Captain,” and Skolas picked the creature up up to Preksik’s mask covered face.
“I see a creature that is very distracting, Skolas,” he said, unamused.
“Yes. But it is cute. Look, it makes a noise,” and Viksis started to reach out when Skolas gave the creature a little shake. He was pretty sure you didn’t do that with such a creature! It did produce a confused chirp out of the creature. It was a very cute sound.
Preksik looked at Frytkis, “Is it dangerous?”
“I do not believe so,” they said slowly. “But I’ve never seen a creature like this before.”
“I have. They live with humans,” Preksik said, eyes narrowed. “It could be a spy.”
“It’s a creature,” Viksis said. “It can’t be a spy, it can’t talk. If you’ve seen one do you know what it’s called?”
There was a moment of silence. “No,” Preksik finally said.
“Can we keep the creature, Captain?” Skolas asked and released his grip on it. Instead of dropping to the floor it clambered up to balance on Skolas’ pauldron, sniffing at the tuft on his helmet.
“You don’t know what it is and you wish to keep it?” Preksik folded both sets of arms in annoyance at Skolas.
“I know it is soft, and a good creature. Winters are bad this far north. Would help keep some of us warm.” Viksis didn’t know what Skolas was playing at. Like Preksik would care if his dregs were cold during winter. Right? It would be very un-Captain like behavior if he did. Or so Viksis surmised from how Teksik always treated her dregs.
Apparently he didn’t know anything about Captains. “Fine. You can keep the creature.”
“Yes,” Skolas hissed happily.
“If it needs to eat it comes from your portion,” he added sternly.
“Okay,” because of course the creature could feed itself.
“Now get back to the grotto, you have dawdled long enough,” he pointed sternly towards where the ground opened up for the grotto. Viksis bowed his head and quickly scurried after Skolas who headed for it.
--
The creature was a big hit with the crew. Skolas told everyone it was Viksis’ creature so if they wanted to touch or pet it they had to ask him. Viksis didn’t know why he did that until he realized; it made everyone talk to him. If they wanted to see the creature they had to ask him. From that he quickly learned the names of the rest of the crew and by the end of the day, when the creature had decided it had had quite enough attention for the day, he was well acquainted with everyone else and wasn’t at all surprised when several came and sat next to him during meal time. The other dregs were all very excited about the creature. The vandals kept their interest behind stoic professionalism but keenly listened to the dregs speculating about what the creature was or what it was called or what they should do with it. The only answer repeatedly shot down, venomously, was Deknir’s suggestion to see what it tasted like.
Viksis found himself in the middle of the dreg pile that night. Which he didn’t hate. He was by far the smallest, scrawniest dreg in the crew thanks to Tekisk’s treatment of him.The extra body heat helped him sleep soundly.
The next few days Viksis was regulated to being ordered around by Frytkis along with a few other dregs to strip parts and start repairing the holes in the skiff. Viksis also got the honor of climbing inside the console of the flight area and checking wires with Frytkis on their backup power. The orange creature wasn’t on his mind those days. He was just working with wires and chips and board and nuts and bolts and clamps and using his small size to crawl into the smallest places on the skiff. He was the smallest so he got the worst of it.
The benefit of such things was he didn’t have to hunt or clean the food or deal with as much of the cold as the other dregs. When inside with Frytkis the vandal even let him wrap himself in his cape when it got especially cold in the skiff so his hands didn’t completely freeze while manipulating wires or making sure switches and buttons worked properly. He did wish he had his own warmer clothes but there was just none to be had.
The best day happened several days after when Skolas came back from hunting with no food but in one arm was the orange creature. Tekas climbed down after him with the brown creature he’d seen once but never again. And Obygek came down with both of their shares of the hunting for the day, able to climb and carry with his extra arms. Any work on the skiff stopped after that, or any work in general. Everyone was too excited about the creatures, petting them and touching them. Even the stoic vandals participated, clearly having regretted not getting some pets in the last time the orange creature was around.
Viksis fully expected Preksik to put a stop to such foolishness. He didn’t. He just watched from a distance calmly. Preksik was the most mild mannered Captain Viksis had ever heard of and while he’d only met a handful none of them were as even keeled. Though perhaps that was because usually the Captains he saw were meeting with Teksik and she could set anyone rocking.
At the end of the day the creatures didn’t leave the grotto. They’d been delightfully fed all the scraps from the food the crew wouldn’t eat and climbed up into a high spot, not easily gotten to, in the last patch of sun, and went to sleep, bellies full of fresh meat.
This repeated for several days. The creatures deciding it was better to stay in the grotto and be fed by hand than go and hunt for themselves. None of the crew complained. At least at first.
On the fourth day of the creatures being in the grotto in the morning as everyone was changing out their canisters Preksik stopped at where Viksis had the orange creature in his lap. It liked him the best. Viksis was wrapping his poor fingers with adhesive bandages. They got so cut up doing wire work inside the skiff. It took him a moment to notice Preksik and looked up at his Captain. His heart jumped into his throat, practically against his teeth when Preksik leaned down and picked the creature up with one hand. The creature looked very confused but didn’t struggle. Then he went over and picked up the one off Skolas’ shoulder. Oh no. Was he finally going to put an end to this foolishness?
“These creatures are distracting,” Preksik said to the crew. “Winter does not wait. Once the day’s tasks are complete you may have these creatures again,” and to prove a point Preksik walked away with them.
“I was sure he was going to say we were finally going to try them,” Denkir said. No less than three other dregs punched him for being so gross. Those were everyone’s creatures! He wasn’t allowed to eat them!
The morning was a little less cheerful without the creatures but Viksis couldn’t deny he did get more work done not distracted by a head seeking pats and the creature trying to join him but having no hands with which to do so so they ended up just taking up room in his lap. It did lead to some more excited talking amid the crew too. What was a finished day’s work? Was the Captain going to do this every day? Viksis was glad today he was just stripping parts with the others not on hunting duty. The talk was fun. And they were all sitting close to maintain better body heat. He honestly could have sat in Yskivros’ lap to maximize heat as Yskivros was the biggest dreg, almost the size of a vandal, and Viksis was slight enough to not obscure his arms. But he didn’t know Yskivros well enough to bring it up.
As dark fell and the day’s mess was cleaned up and food prepared Preksik returned with the creatures no worse for wear. They both looked very sleepy but were excited for the attention the crew gave them. And the food. The orange one ended up passing out in Viksis’ lap with a big fully belly full of scraps.
“I wonder what they’re called,” Tekas said, petting the brown creature who was laying on their side.
“We’d have to ask a human,” Skolas said. That sounded like a terrible idea to everyone.
“Even if we did we can’t speak human,” Viksis said. “Can anyone in the crew speak to humans?”
“Preksik can,” Tekas said. “I think?”
“He can,” Sokrar said. “I’ve been in this crew as long as him. He learned when he was a vandal.”
“He could ask a human what these creatures are,” Tekas said.
“But what if they shoot him?” Skolas asked.
“I like the Captain,” Sokrar agreed, her mandibles frowning.
“He’s a good Captain,” Tekas agreed. “Bit… soft, but he’s good,” she said that part quietly.
“Heh. I prefer that to some I’ve had,” Skolas scoffed. “Last one hated the Wolf Kell so much he sent me here, just so I wouldn’t ‘stink up the place’ with his name.”
“Wolf Kell thinks too highly of himself,” Sokrar hissed, teeth chittering. The sound was echoed by the rest of them. The creatures looked at them in confusion, the sound strange. “Always has.”
“What’s going on over here?” Braldos came to investigate the chittering.
“Talking of Wolf Kell,” and Braldos hissed loudly, hatefully.
“Wolf Kell is nothing. Do not speak his name in this place,” she snarled. The dregs hunched, making themselves small to her.
“Yes Braldos,” they muttered and she moved on.
The conversation was dropped and eventually they all boarded the skiff to sleep for the night. This time the orange creature followed, investigating. As Viksis cuddled up against Skolas he heard not a few clicking noises, trying to entice the creature closer as it explored the inside of the skiff. There was a slight rearrangement of limbs, docked and undocked for Skolas to get comfortable and curl up against Viksis’ back, warm in the chilly night. Viksis didn’t check to see where the orange creature ended up that night but he was sure it found it was someplace warm.
--
Eventually they made it through all the scrap. Or most of the scrap. Preksik said they’d be returning to the ruin to scavenge more metal, more wire, and potentially a new canister for the power supplier. Then they could get some heat on the ship in the night. That made everyone cheer.
Only half the dregs and the vandals accompanied Preksik this time. The remaining crew were to stay and make sure that any scrap had been properly picked clean of anything useful and store it away properly, and throw away whatever wasn’t useful. They were also left with the orange and brown creatures.
The day was not as productive as it could have been with the creatures around but they still managed to get their work done while playing with the creatures with electronic ribbon or shiny bits of metal they reflected light off of onto the ground. The creatures would chase it, their fluffy tails erect and fluffed out, scurrying across the stone ground after the light trick. It almost felt mean but they seemed to enjoy themselves, mrooing loudly when they stopped.
It was midday when the fun stopped. Everyone heard the sound of rocks being disturbed and looked to find the source. Weapons were drawn. It was a human! Not just any sort though. A Lightbearer. You could always tell. Unlike regular humans they always wore a helmet.
Everyone hesitated. Because they were standing at the top of the grotto with their hands up, no weapon or Light to be seen. “Is it a trick?” Tekas asked.
“Has to be a trick,” Deknir said.
“Is it… waving at us?” Viksis asked. That was a greeting sign. Did humans use it too? It made sense. They had arms and hands too.
“Someone shoot it,” Otaklos said anxiously.
“But it doesn’t have a weapon out-- we can ask it what the creatures are called!” Viksis said excitedly. Tekas whined unhappily. Deknir whined too when Viksis gave a very tentative wave back.
That was apparently the ‘friendly’ signal because they dropped down from the top of the grotto. Full free fall, hitting the ground hard on a single bent knee. Still no weapons drawn, or Light. Tekas, Otaklos, and Deknir all hid behind Viksis which was the silliest thing since he was by far the smallest of all of them. A small white drone appeared over the shoulder of the Lightbearer. Viksis knew it was the source of power, somehow, their connection to the Great Machine.
Eliksni speech came out of the drone. “We mean you no harm,” it said.
“Big words from a human.”
There was a moment of translation. “My Risen doesn’t shoot unprovoked. He saw you with the cats-
“ Cats !” Viksis cried. “Is that what that creature is? Cats?” He pointed at the orange creature who was going up and sniffing the Lightbearer.
The Lightbearer and their drone looked at each other. Surprised by the outburst. “Well. One is a cat. Two or more are cats,” the drone said slowly, confused.
“ Cat ,” Viksis said. Behind him the others mimicked the sound. They repeated it amounst each other a few dozen times in a round, making sure everyone knew how to say it so they could tell it to the rest of the crew.
“My Risen wants to know if you’ll be a problem for the town,” the drone interrupted their excited chittering.
“Captain says do not bother the human settlement. We do not,” Viksis said.
“Good. Let’s keep it that way,” and the Lightbearer leaned down and pet the cat. “We won’t bother you if you won’t bother them,” the drone continued.
“We will relay that to the Captain.”
“Great. He says your cats are very cute. We’ll be leaving now,” and the Lightbearer was then ten feet in the air, landed on a rock for half a second, and then cleared the top of the grotto. He and his cape disappeared over the top of the grotto a few seconds later.
“I think I soiled myself,” Deknir said.
“Gross!” they all cried and shoved him away. Viksis just went over and picked the orange cat up.
--
It was almost dark when the scavenging party returned and it was all hands to bring everything down from the top of the grotto and feed everyone before it got dark. There was no time to tell the Captain about the Lightbearer and the cats knew not to get underfoot with so much moving around and yelling to get out of the way and not to drop something.
It was only quiet when food was served and then it was just the sound of the fire and teeth grinding through bone. Viksis had been given a back leg bone of some creature. Those were his favorites as they tended to have the most marrow which he greedily sucked out of the bone like a straw before grinding his teeth against the bone to make the shards small enough to swallow without ripping up his throat.
He perked up when a bone not attached to his meal came into view. It was snapped off at the end and he could see the dark marrow inside. He followed the bone to a hand to Skolas. “What?” he didn’t understand.
“You look like you like the inside more than me,” he said.
His eyes brightened. “Really?” Skolas nodded, mandibles opening enough so Viksis could see his lips pulling away from a slice of his teeth in a smile. Viksis took it, gnawed at the end a little before using his tongue and fingers to suck it out of the bone. There wasn’t as much as in his leg bone but he appreciated it. He handed the empty bone back to Skolas, “You don’t like marrow?”
Skolas shrugged. “Tastes funny to me,” was all he said and champed on the returned bone. “Also you little,” he teased Viksis, not for the first time. “You need all the help you can get.” Viksis bared his teeth at Skolas playfully and pulled on one of his docked armed. Skolas just looked amused and they both went back to their bones.
Viksis scooted closer to Skolas as night grew and it got colder, his docked arms pressing tight to his body to help keep them warm. Skolas was was talking with Otaklos about the things they’d seen in the ruin but he still reached out and wrapped an arm around Viksis to keep him warm without even looking. Or maybe he was looking out of the edge of his furthest eye. It was hard to tell sometimes.
Preksik came around with the nightly ether ration. That was when Viksis remembered. “Captain, a human came to the grotto today,” he said as Preksik handed Viksis his canister.
“What? And you didn’t say anything?” Preksik demanded. Viksis cowered away. He didn’t think Preksik would hurt him but being yelled at by your Captain was never enjoyable. “When?”
“While you were gone. It was… uh… the Lightbearer,” he said. Preksik’s expression dropped.
“Did they hurt any of you?” was his first concern.
“No! They saw us- oh! And it’s a cat . The creature! Their Light drone said it was called a cat ,” he excitedly pointed at the orange creature laid across Tekas’ lap looking in absolute bliss as she pet its ears. Concern about the Lightbearer completely forgotten.
“ Cat ?” Skolas asked and then the next few minutes was the entire crew parroting the word back at each other.
“Enough!” Preksik barked, startling both cats who scrambled out of laps and raced into the darkness of the grotto. “The Lightbearer,” he growled at Viksis.
“Oh, uhm… he came from the town with his Light drone. And he asked if we were going to leave the town alone,” Viksis rambled, leaning back under Preksik ’s blazon stare. “We said Captain said don’t go near it.” Preksik nodded slightly, that was what he’d said. “He said he won’t bother us if we don’t bother the town. Then he left.”
“Is that all ?” Preksik growled.
“Y-yes,” he stammered.
Preksik looked at Tekas, Otaklos, and Deknir. “Is he lying?”
“No,” Otaklos said quickly. “That is what happened. And the Light drone told us the creatures are called cats ,” they made a soft happy chittering noise.
Preksik looked at each of them and then back at Viksis who was just nodded quickly. “And he didn’t harm any of you?”
“No,” Viksis said. “He didn’t even have his weapon out. He just came down here, his Light drone asked if we were going to mess with the town, and then he left the same way he came in. It was a short conversation.”
“And why didn’t you shoot him ?” Preksik growled and Viksis was aware of how utterly quiet it was in the grotto. Everyone was listening but nothing more.
“Um..” Viksis squirmed under Preksik ’s looming presence, pressing back against Skolas who absolutely wasn’t getting involved. Not that he blamed Skolas at all. “He waved?”
The answer was so not what Preksik was expecting that he leaned back. “They wave?” he asked, utterly perplexed by that knowledge.
“They wave,” Viksis said.
“Viksis waved back, so he didn’t shoot us first,” Otaklos chimed in, trying to be helpful. Viksis didn’t know what sort of punishments Preksik could do. From what he knew he’d never given any out. He didn’t want to be the first one to figure it out!
“He caught us flatfooted,” Tekas said quickly.
Preksik eyed them all, eyes slightly narrowed. “We’d probably be dead if we’d tried to shoot him,” Deknir said, saying what everyone wasn’t. “And he’d have been waiting for you to return to make sure we were no more.”
There was a heavy silence in the grotto. Then Preksik turned his eyes back onto Viksis and he did his best not to squirm. He flinched even though he knew realistically Preksik wouldn’t hit him when Preksik put his hand out. He was shocked when Preksik patted the top of his head. “Good thinking,” and that was it. He silently handed out the rest of the ether rations and went into the skiff. Viksis watched him the entire time, eyes huge.
“Wow,” Skolas said once the Captain was gone.
“He’s way more scary than a Lightbearer,” Viksis said and grabbed Skolas’ arm.
“Captains tend to be. Glad to see he’s picking up his teeth,” he scoffed. Across the fire was a soft, wordless, growl. Viksis glanced over and it was Braldos. She’d heard. Skolas moved his mandibles in an apologetic way. She looked away, accepting it.
“So since we know what they are, do we name them?” Atryrlis asked where she was sitting next to the other vandals.
“Yes! We should name them,” Tekas said.
Everyone had an opinion on what the names of the cats should be. It quickly grew into a loud argument, the yells bouncing off the walls of the grotto. Viksis just pulled his knees up to his chest as Skolas had joined said argument. The loud voices had also scared the cats away for the night. Maybe they’d come back for sleep.
The argument just grew and grew only Viksis and a few others staying out of it. Then a knife was pulled. They all heard the arc crackle of the blade.
“What is the meaning of this!” everyone froze, including Braldos trying to keep Atryrlis and Obygek apart. Obygek had the knife.Everyone turned and looked at Preksik standing just outside the skiff. He looked very angry and very big. Everyone deflated, even the adrenaline rushed vandals about to go for each other’s throats, and stepped away from each other. “Braldos,” he demanded.
“It was a… heated discussion over what the names of our cats should be,” she said, looking back and forth at Atryrlis and Obygek.
Viksis was close enough for him to hear the Captain mutter, “Of all the stupid things.” Then in a louder voice. “Viksis found them and they’re his cats; he gets to name them. That is the end of it. If you don’t like it I will name them, and you will also not like it,” he growled. There was some muttering and nodding. Preksik let out an exasperated huff and went back into the skiff.
Now every eye was on Viksis again. “Uh…” he had thought of names for them, sort of. But he never in his dreams thought his names would be the ones they’d be called. Some vandal would outrank him and pick some other name..
“Well?” Braldos asked.
“Um,” he unfolded his legs self consciously. He did hate when he was the center of attention. It just made his docked arms feel all the more awkward and uncomfortable. He pressed them against his body like they weren’t there, obvious and glaring. “The orange one is Autumn, and the brown one is Leaf LItter,” he said.
There was a beat of silence. “Those are way better than any of the ones we were arguing about,” Obygek said and that deflated the entire group.
Everyone went back to sitting by the fire comfortably. Viksis was glad when Skolas was back next to him, he pressed against his side. Even by the fire he was a little chilly. Skolas went back to talking to Otaklos like nothing had transpired, arm curled around Viksis casually. Viksis just enjoyed listening and being warm.
The fire burned low and the crew picked themselves up and went into the skiff. Tonight Viksis found himself between Skolas and Deknir of all dregs. Skolas was a familiar snuggle against his back but Deknir usually slept on the other side of the pile. He didn’t say anything as they lay huddled together in the cold. Skolas fell asleep quickly, his breathing even and steady, arms looped around him comfortably.
“I wouldn’t have really eaten your cats,” Deknir said, making Viksis’ eyes open in surprise.
“Oh-- uh.”
“They’re too cute. But it was funny.”
“Ah!” came the soft cry from somewhere by the vandals sleeping area. “Leaf LItter, come here,” was the loud whisper and several of the vandals started purring so loud they could be heard across the cabin. If Viksis didn’t know it was about a cat he’d assume someone was getting laid.
“I didn’t think it was very funny,” Viksis whispered.
“Everyone else did.”
Viksis wasn’t sure about that but he wasn’t going to start an argument in the skiff. The loud purring from the vandal area died down. Either Leaf Litter had left or they’d come close enough for petting. “Whatever,” he didn’t really want to be next to Deknir like this.
“And you were really brave today. Thank you,” he said. Viksis wasn’t sure how to take that. He didn’t feel brave for waving at a Lightbearer or getting yelled at by Preksik for it. “Night,” and having said his piece Deknir closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Viksis stayed up a bit longer, unable to sleep really. The pile shifted around him and Skolas and Deknir were pushed even tighter together. Viksis huffed and wiggled his hand down to the ether canister to make sure nothing was being pushed around. Last thing he wanted was to suffocate in his sleep between Skolas and Deknir. On the plus side because Deknir was a bigger dreg he was warmer. A lot warmer. Enough to make him feel comfortable against the cold night. Maybe he should sleep next to Deknir more often? This had to be the reason Tekas and Otaklos were always snuggling up to him. He probably shouldn’t get used to it. He doubted Tekas and Otaklos would be pleased he was stealing their warm spot in the pile. Skolas was good enough to keep him warm. And with that thought he went to sleep.