Work Text:
The blood from the lump of bone in his grip slid up the tubing as he ran the nozzle across the frontal ridge between the eye sockets. The flesh had been cleanly and meticulously scraped, the slick fluids now the only evidence as to the meat and sinew that once clung to the skull; this too would soon be washed away. No longer just a piece of gore-covered calcium but a soon-to-be display of strength. A badge of honor. The hunter’s prize. Kwei took pride in the cleaning; even after the hunt had long concluded, skill and patience were still required for this simple yet important ritual. It relaxed him. Helped him quieten his mind.
“Are you just going to stand there?” His voice joined the white noise of the suction. It was a deep voice, with a hint of softness that would drop deeper still to a more powerful timbre with age. Kwei turned his head, gesturing. “You make the place look untidy. Come in. I’m almost finished.”
Dek padded in slowly, throwing his skinny little body down to sit. The pup’s head, a little too big for his spindly neck, cocked to the side, his massive yellow eyes fixated on the skull at his older brother’s work station.
“He’s ugly,” the little one piped up, pointing for emphasis.
“Should have seen him when he was alive,” Kwei snorted softly, “not much better. A powerful stench too.”
Dek crinkled his nasal ridge as if manifesting the smell before shaking his head. “Good he’s dead then.”
“Not for him,” his brother replied. Slipping the suction device back into its holster, the older Yautja leant forward to spit on the now white surface of the creature’s forehead, dragging his taloned thumb through the glob to bring out a shine. He took the skull by the horns, swivelling in his seat, the skull in his lap facing outwards. “Come. See.” Kwei beckoned. “You can touch it.”
Dek edged himself forward on his haunches, looking at his brother, then the skull before reaching out tentatively to touch it. Before his fingers could even make contact with the now gleaming bone, Kwei lurched the skull forward in his grip, snarling. The little one gasped, springing to his feet before backing away.
“Good he’s dead then,” Kwei echoed, throwing his head back in laughter. In retort, the little pup screwed up his face, his fist soon balling up and rearing back to strike. Protectively, Kwei folded an arm around the skull, holding out an open palm to placate him. “Dek, no! My hands are full!”
The little one stayed his attack, his hands falling to his side. Kwei’s heart sank a little as his brother’s head drooped, his gaze falling towards the floor as his little mandibles flared, eyes squinting in frustration. Setting the skull aside, Kwei slid forward in his chair to reach under his little brother’s chin, forcing his head up to look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he soothed, brushing his palm against his cheek before tussling his tendrils. “Why don’t you help me decide where he goes?”
At that, the little one’s eyes lit up, all traces of the tears that threatened to well in his eyes quickly blinked away. “Really?”
“Really,” Kwei nodded. “But I’ll carry him. He’ll be heavy for you.”
As Kwei guided Dek to his trophy room, the little one reached to slip his hand into his elder brother’s belt, holding it to substitute the hands that were currently occupied by the creature’s horns. When the door opened, Dek disengaged to pad quickly into the room.
Three panels faced the two, effectively turning a section of the room into a viewing gallery for the spoils of the hunt. A few skulls were top-lit by caustic yellow domes. Soon these walls were to be filled with trophies, Kwei’s proof of strength and skill claimed with his own two hands. It was expected. Anything less would be shameful. Anything else would mean failure. That had been made more than clear to him. He shook the spectre of grim expectation from his mind, watching his little brother scan the wall, pacing its length.
Casually, he walked up to where his little brother was still scrutinising the space. Content to give Dek his little moment, he spared a quick glance down at the pup, noticing how deeply his brow was furrowed. He stifled a laugh as he watched the little mandibles flutter erratically, his head darting in all directions, trying to find the perfect spot.
“Well?” Kwei prompted.
“Shh!” Dek hushed, his concentration almost breaking. Kwei did not reply. He wouldn’t dare disrupt this most important task. Instead, he waited patiently until Dek finally stopped pacing.
“There!” Dek pointed to a spot on the wall.
“Here?” Kwei reaffirmed, assuming it was once again safe to speak. The pup nodded, watching as his big brother made short work of mounting the skull so that it sat proudly with the others.
Taking a few steps back to admire their work, Kwei reached down to plant a large hand on top of his brother’s head. “Good work,” he praised, playfully swirling his younger sibling’s head.
“Which was your first?” Dek asked curiously, still gazing up at all the mounted heads.
“My blooding,” Kwei scooped his little brother up under his skinny arms, balancing him on his hip, “was this one. Here.” He pointed to a large elongated skull, mounted in the centre of the wall. The great crescent moon shape ended in the rounded bulb of an eyeless face. The bulbous mound of a forehead sloped down to a top row of long, sharp teeth; its narrow, angular jaw built to clamp down hard with vice-like strength. Each divot and ridge cast deep, nefarious shadows as the skull was bathed in the overhead light. Even now, the creature gave off an aura of frightful, animal intelligence. A perfect killer.
Kwei moved a little closer, shifting his brother up a little higher. “Kainde Amedha. Our most sacred Prey.” He could feel his little brother’s body stiffen against his, the small hand tightening on his shoulder.
“You killed that?” Dek asked, twisting his body to put distance between himself and the monster.
“I did,” Kwei replied pridefully before leering playfully into Dek’s face, “he was ferocious.”
Dek cocked his head. “What’s that mean?”
Kwei laughed. “It means he was a real bastard. Still got him.” He gave the pup a little wink.
Dek looked at his brother in awe. “Were you scared?”
“Of course I was,” Kwei answered honestly, slightly taken aback when Dek’s eyes widened almost comically.
“You won’t be though,” Kwei smiled, gently tapping his knuckles against his little brother’s chest. “When your time comes, you’ll be fearless. We’ll make sure of that.”
“I will get two!” Dek proclaimed, pointing at his brother’s first trophy.
“Better! You will kill a Queen!” With a loud roar, Kwei threw him into the air, the young pup clicking rapidly with excitement. “Dek of the Yautja!” Kwei proclaimed proudly, catching him with ease.
“Brother of Kwei!” Dek hugged his brother’s neck tightly, nuzzling in.
Upon hearing the pup’s purring, Kwei wrapped his arms tightly around his baby brother, squeezing the little body to him, content to hold him for as long as Dek wished to cling. That’s when he heard it, the churning rumble in his little brother’s stomach. He gently poked him. “Dek.”
Dek untucked his face from his brother’s neck, looking at him.
“Have you not eaten yet?”
The pup shook his head.
Kwei frowned. “Where is Father?”
Dek shrugged. “Couldn’t find him.”
Sighing deeply, Kwei emitted a low, guttural growl. This was not the first time Dek had come to him hungry. The child was small and he was soft. One, he couldn’t help. The other, brought about by a lack of care due to something he had no power to change. Their father was harsh; strength and the clan’s honor was all he cared for. The older males were much of the same ilk, the rest falling obediently in line. When Kwei looked at Dek, all he saw was his brother. The way it should be. The way it should always be.
“Move,” Kwei gestured with his head. Dek scuttled nimbly onto his brother’s back, winding bony arms around his neck. As his hands cupped the backs of Dek’s thighs, he pushed him up and held him firmly in place. “Come on, Little-Fang. Let’s get something to eat.”