Chapter Text
"Death of A Kit"
"Krolia, emergency extraction now!"
Krolia growled low in her throat at the command of her leader. They only used emergency extractions if the mission was compromised or there was a druid aboard. She didn't know which situation they were in, so she didn't waste any time. She grabbed two of her kits by the back of their uniforms and started running. Regris knew better than to question his pack mother and slipped out of her grasp to cling to her back. It made it easier for her to keep ahold of Keith. The youngest kit didn't like leaving when the mission wasn't completed and was more likely to engage enemies unnecessarily.
Keith tried to slip out of his mother's grasp but stopped when he heard her growl. She wasn't angry with him, but it was a warning. There was danger around, and she needed him to stay put. He knew better than to argue with that growl. He tucked his head into her shoulder and didn't move.
Krolia almost breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the rest of her pack hurrying into their pod. Kolivan, Antok, Thace, Ulaz, and Acxa were safely aboard the pod when she felt the temperature of the ship drop before she even heard the druid approach. In one fluid motion, she threw Keith and Regris, whom she had detached from her back, into the ship. The two kits were caught by Thace and Antok, respectively. Krolia drew her blade as she turned to face the druid. She never stopped moving though, making it seem like she was back pedalling rather than trying to make an escape.
"You and your group are not leaving." The druid raised one of its hands, preparing to unleash their trademark lightning bolt attack.
"NO!"
Time seemed to slow down, but Krolia was frozen in place. She wasn't moving towards the ship nor could she prevent the lightning bolt from hitting the being that flung himself in front of her. The scream ripped from his throat echoed in the hangar as more joined in despair. A transformed blade went zinging through the air and embedded itself in the druid's chest, causing the creature to add its own scream to the din before it died in a flash of light.
Krolia knelt down and turned the being over, hands shaking and tears sliding down her cheeks. It couldn't be true. Her youngest kit couldn't be lying in front of her, having taken the hit from the druid's attack, but the proof was there in front of her. He was having trouble breathing, and his eyes were threatening to slide closed.
"Mama...I'm glad...you're all right..."
"Shh, my sweet kit. You're going to be all right. We'll get you back home, and you'll be okay."
"I...don't think...that'll happen...Mama, I...love you."
His violet eyes slid closed, and his body went lax. Krolia shook him. "No, Keith. Don't die on me! Please, baby. Wake up!"
She cradled his body close to her chest and sobbed, her heartbroken cries drawing the rest of her pack in. Acxa tentatively reached out and stroked Keith's hair. When she didn't get a response, she whined and buried her face in Ulaz's chest, his uniform soaking up her tears.
Regris stared open mouthed at this turn of events. One dobosh his brother was standing next to him, and the next, he was dead. It was almost impossible to believe, if it wasn't right in front of him. He turned his head and buried his face in Antok's chest with loud whimpers. The large Blade turned slightly so he couldn't see the heartbreaking scene of Krolia crying over their kit's dead body.
Ulaz couldn't believe that their kit had done that. Why would he throw his life away? He knew he had thrown himself in the path of the druid's attack to save Krolia, but wasn't there a better way? There was nothing he could do but comfort the kit whose face was buried in his chest, sobbing tears for her twin.
Thace knelt down near Keith's head. He reached out and stroked Keith's untameable hair. He had always loved to groom his hair, trying to do the impossible task of making it lay flat. He would never get to do that again.
Kolivan retrieved his blade from where it had clattered to the floor after taking care of the druid that killed his youngest kit. He sheathed it and walked over to Krolia, who was still sobbing over their kit. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take him home."
Tears still cascading down her cheeks and landing on her youngest kit's uniform, Krolia stood up and carried him into their pod, being followed by Thace, Kolivan, Ulaz (who was carrying Acxa, who had passed out from exhaustion due to crying), and Antok, who was carrying a still whimpering Regris. Ulaz and Antok laid the two kits in the nest and curled around them. Krolia kept ahold of Keith and Kolivan and Thace started up the pod and flew it back to headquarters. Every member of their pack was heartbroken and would never recover from the loss of their littlest blade.
Fin