Story: Predators (chapter 28)

Authors: Chimera Bloom

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Chapter 28

PREDATORS pt28 by Chimera Bloom

PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom

Part 28

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"I don't even know what to say." Elila admitted as she fumbled with the silver communicator that Carielle had so dutifully provided.

The shark didn't answer. She resisted the urge to collapse into the near by over stuffed chair and instead chose to the quiet sanctuary of a darkened corner. She could see Elila quite well from this distance.

Even though the room was dark and filled with the crawling of humid shadows, the heron seemed quite comfortable on the bed. Her posture was relaxed as she stretched across the bed sheet. Even her emerald green eyes seemed somehow softer and more patient then before. The anxiety that normally cut Elila so close to the surface wasn't present now. She was peaceful.

But for some reason, Carielle found the effect to be quite chilling. She wanted the heron to be disturbed and anxious. She needed Elila to not only respond to their tempestuous environment but to her threat as well.

The crashing of thunder and the flashing of lightning didn't bother Elila in the least. And the shark had to remind herself again that this violent storm system was native to the young heron. In the Wetlands, they had rain. They had an entire monsoon season.

But nothing she had ever seen or lived through had come close to preparing Carielle for the storms of the swamp. She suspected that the wind was the most chilling aspect of all. When it crashed into the side of their tiny stilted hotel it sounded like the growl of vengeful hell beast.

Toss in Narlene's untimely death and the rogue predator that seemed to constantly be in search of new innocent prey and Carielle was afraid that her body was boiling in a hot nervous energy. She after all, was a warrior. After Pedryn, she was next in line to lead the tribe. She shouldn't be quite so affected by all this, but she was. And despite her royal mandate Carielle found herself wishing over and over that she could somehow find some way to escape this cumbersome burden.

And yet guilt, something that had never before even served the slightest bit of purpose, was now the only emotion serving to fuel her actions. She had to stop this predator. She had to keep Elila safe. She had to serve the queen. Perhaps maybe, when it was all said and done and her tasks had proven successful...perhaps then she could once again find the sleep of a peaceful dream.

Because not once since that night had her heart stopped screaming. She had done a horrible thing. And now, she would do anything in her power to tip the scales of honor in her favor.

Perhaps she was asking too much of Elila. She should call Pedryn. It was her familial and tribal duty. But she couldn't bring herself to dial the numbers and speak the words. She was under the strictest of orders to reveal nothing of her mandate or her purpose.

And Pedryn had a way of seeing through her. Pedryn would know without her ever having to say a word. It would be there in her tone and articulation. She would sound nervous, rushed, and perhaps even afraid.

She couldn't afford Pedryn to hear any of those things. Her cousin had a way of rescuing her. And right now, Carielle knew that this was a battle she would have to fight all on her own.

Rolling onto her back, Elila held the communicator close to her heart. She seemed undecided and uncertain of what to do and say. And though Carielle wanted to help her, she had no answers of her own to give.

Instead, the shark only leaned back against the surface of the wall letting the structure support her weight and form. She searched the shadowy room with its darkened colors and modest but comfortable furnishing for some sort of help or guidance. As far as Carielle had seen, everything in the swamp was dark and gloomy.

From the weather to the decor the swamp was one large shade of black. She wanted for the neon lights and the flashing boldness of Black Moon. But Elila had assured her that those fanciful colorings were there only to trap and lure the tourists. The native swamp folk and the isles surrounding Black Moon were darker and muted, like Glider's Hollow.

Absurdly, Carielle suddenly realized that she had never been in a rented room quite so small. Given her tribal position and familial relations the young shark changeling was used to only the finest in life. But Elila had promised her that this was the only establishment on the entire isle that they would find both safe and comfortable. Knowing nothing about their current area the shark would have to trust the heron's judgment.

And that in itself was a difficult task for Carielle. She wasn't used to depending on anyone outside of her tribe. She was a traditionalist after all. The Midali were not to mingle with other tribes.

But Elila had managed to in some ways be seen as less of stranger but not quite yet a friend. Carielle didn't know what the young heron would eventually be to them. She was supposed to be their enemy. She was the offspring of their most vilified tribal opponent.

And yet, Carielle didn't for a moment place Thash's mantle of hate and destruction on the shoulders of her fragile daughter. Elila was soft, tender, but strangely strong in all the emotional ways that Carielle envied. Perhaps it was easy not to hate Elila because of her long dark heron mane and bright green swamp eyes. There wasn't a bone in her body that bore the reflection of her jungle cat heritage.

"I'll have Zeranna contact her. It was wrong of me to ask you." Carielle whispered as she suddenly came forward forgetting her greater speed and startling the heron.

But the strange moment of alarm lasted only a moment before Elila adapted and put distance between them. She held to the communicator tightly and gently shook her head. Her dress fell carelessly around her shoulders and Carielle found herself dutifully looking away to avoid catching an eyeful of ivory flesh that was certainly not meant for her gray blue gaze.

"No... I'll do it. I need to know. I just...I was just trying to figure out what to say." Elila muttered as she rested once more against the mattress.

The shark stood silent for a moment as she considered the options before them. And by the second they grew fewer in number. It did make more sense for Elila to speak with Pedryn directly; after all she did have the most innate knowledge of Kellis and the rest of the tribe.

"I don't know quite how to say this. But I imagine that this is all so...hard for you." Carielle began as the words slowly died in her throat.

Words couldn't begin to articulate the pain and humiliation that Elila must have suffered. And the shark wasn't about to belittle her torment by trying to explain a horror that was certainly beyond all rational concept. And now, much to her own embarrassment Carielle found her eyes tearing up as if she were going to suffer yet another breakdown of all reason and semblance.

And she wasn't going to do that, not again, and certainly not in front of Elila. She needed time to collect herself. Having to spend so much time with the heron was forcing every single ounce of her guilt to the surface of her heart and the young shark was finding herself quite ill-equipped to deal with the constant and never ending ache of suffering.

"Carielle?" Elila called stopping the shark that froze in place but refused to meet her gaze.

"It will be alright. It's not Pedryn that I'm worried about speaking to. It's Kellis. I'm not quite certain that I'm ready to hear the gory details of the mess she seems to have landed in. But I'll call." Elila explained as she turned the communicator over in her hand.

"Thank you." Carielle answered succinctly as she finally faced the heron.

Even though she was a warrior, at the moment she looked little more then a child. Her arms were fiercely crossed against her chest as if to protect her own heart from breaking. Her gaze was averted and stormy. And her normal warrior's garb of bright Midali colors had been exchanged for a lighter blue cotton outfit of loose fitting pants and a tank top.

Carielle looked altogether small and frightened. And for the moment, Elila found that she felt for Carielle. In an absurd way the heron suddenly felt like protecting her, like a mother would a cowardly child.

"I imagine that this is hard for you as well." Elila stated as she silently begged the shark to show her some spark of confidence and strength.

They had a long road ahead of them. Finding the predator and staying one step ahead of Thash was certain to be no easy task. And the heron needed to know that Carielle could handle it, all of it.She needed to know that Carielle could handle being around her and all the emotions and truths that it may drudge up to the surface. Because as certain as the waters of the swamp were deep and dark, Elila knew that their lives were in danger. And the heron needed to feel safe, if only in Carielle's speed and strength as a warrior.

"I'll wait outside." Carielle mumbled as she rushed from the room trying desperately to put distance between herself and the heron that served as a reminder of the one terrible disgusting thing that she had done.

She had to get away, if only for a moment. She had to find a way to breathe. But here in the swamp's humid dense air her lungs were heavy and dry. And as she waited for Elila to finish Carielle began to wonder if she would ever again know the calming peace of a long deep breath breath.

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She grappled for the seat, but still Pedryn suspected that it wouldn't hold her. She hadn't expected the call, though of course she'd dreamt of it. Ever since Elila had left she wondered if her young companion was fairing well. She knew of Narlene's death. And she was more then a bit suspicious of Carielle's disappearance.

But still, she hadn't truly dared to hope for verbal contact. She had rightly assumed that if Elila had anything of importance to say it would be done through Zeranna. She had never imagined anything quite so intimate and personal.

And yet, there she was holed away in her large lavish rooms at the Fluid making final preparations to relocate the tribe when her communicator gave a familiar ring. She had been expecting to hear from her alpha or some other tribe official who was anxiously awaiting their return from the Gallion Village. For a moment, she had even dared to hope that Carielle had finally decided to break her silence and return one of the numerous messages she had left since her strange disappearance.

Oh Pedryn knew what the royal attache had said. Carielle had been whisked away on the official business of the kingdom. But Pedryn had the suspicion that something far more sinister was afoot. Call it shark intuition or simply the imagination of an over protective cousin but Pedryn wasn't about to simply stand idly by.

She knew that if she could take a leave of absence for a few short days she could locate her wayward kinsmen. Carielle was an accomplished hunter but she was no match for Pedryn's tracking abilities. But Pedryn knew that such a thing would never be allowed so she dare not even ask.

Her alpha rarely commanded these days. Most of the day to day tribal activities were left to her. And it wasn't because her alpha had grown old or feeble. It was simply a matter of prudence. She wanted to make sure that when the time came the tribe would be secure in Pedryn's capable hands. That's all she ever cared about...the security of the tribe.

Sometimes Pedryn didn't even feel like a daughter. She was like a biological product designed only to serve the needs of the Midali. And usually, she bore her burden with pride or at least the acceptable appearance of it. But that was before Carielle disappeared. And that was long before Elila...

But when she rolled over to gingerly finger the on-switch of her golden communicator she had been ill-prepared to hear the soft tones of a native swamp accent. Silently, her hand stretched out to steady her body against her desk before she fell completely off her chair. The heron was a continual source of unsettlement and distress for her. So why in the world did she savor every single word that Elila ever spoke?

"Pedryn?" Elila's soft voice asked again as she began to wonder if she had dialed the wrong number.

"I'm here." The shark finally managed to answer as she realized that at some point in time it would be necessary to quell the rising of her pulse and the nausea in her stomach.

"Is this a bad time? You sound...distracted." Elila asked as her voice indicated her politeness to a positive fault.

"No...I was just..." Pedryn began as she futilely flipped through the papers upon her desk that now appeared to mean absolutely nothing to her.

"Did you need something?" The shark finally asked determined to not let the heron completely unnerve her with the mere use of words.

"Actually yes. I was wondering about Kellis. Have you heard anything?" Elila asked wishing that visual communication was possible here in the swamp.

But such a thing was useless to even attempt. In the modern areas of the kingdom that were filled with luxury and technology hybrids and changelings had the option to use visual as well as auditory communicators. Each small compact device usually contained a small retractable view screen that could be used for more direct and sometimes intimate conversations. And as Elila ran her hands over the silver communicator that Carielle had left her she noticed that this device contained all the bells and whistles that technology had to offer.

Here in the swamp though, such a thing was useless. The swamp gas and constant electric thunderstorms blocked most communicator signals. She was impressed that Pedryn's voice sounded as clear as it did. Especially since even now, the shark was more then a half world away.

"Beyond her arrest I haven't heard anything." Pedryn tensed allowing her voice to sound a bit angrier then she had intended.

She knew what Kellis has the potential to become. She knew what Kellis meant to the Fasara. And more then that, she knew what the golden warrior could one day be to Elila. And though she knew her feelings were irrational and unwanted she couldn't help but tense at the very thought that someday soon the heron would spend her nights in the bed of another.

"Do you know if they're still holding her or if she's been released to the Fasara authorities? And Thash? Is there word of her?" Elila prodded trying her very best to ignore Pedryn's earlier surliness. Now wasn't the time to allow simple things like attitude to come between them.

Most audibly, the shark sighed. She hated the note of interest and concern that had entered Elila's voice. The heron's abject caring disgusted her.

"You know if you're so interested why don't you just contact your alpha? I'm sure Thash would be anxious to learn of your location." Pedryn snapped instantly regretting her harshness.

There was only silence that followed her outburst. And the shark could practically here the heron chewing fiercely on her bottom lip. This wasn't how she wanted to treat Elila. This wasn't what she really wanted to say.

"I'm sorry Pedryn. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just... I only needed..." Elila whimpered clearly at a complete loss to appropriately explain her emotions.

Once again, the shark sighed trying valiantly to distance herself from the volatile emotions of the situation at hand. She couldn't think of Kellis and her relationship to Elila. She could only focus on the moment. And right now, she needed to know why it was exactly that the heron felt compelled to reach out to her.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just...busy with making arrangements for the tribe. I didn't mean to snap. I suppose I could check on the situation regarding Kellis. But why? If you care so much I just don't understand why you don't go directly to the source." Pedryn relented trying desperately to keep all the harsh edges from penetrating her voice.

"It's not that Pedryn. At least, it's not the way that you think." Elila began as she tried to digest the anger that the shark seemed to be hurling in her direction.

"I was here with Narlene when she died. I spoke to her. She died right in front of me..." Elila explained as she recalled one of the most horrifying memories she now was forced to revisit on a constant basis.

"What?" Pedryn gasped suddenly shocked by the information.

She knew that Narlene had supposedly died somewhere in the swamp. But she had had no idea that there had been any contact between Elila and Kellis' victim. Something about this situation was beginning to feel inherently wrong.

"Pedryn, I don't know what's going on. I need details. I don't know what happened between Kellis and Narlene. I did see them leave the banquet together. And Kellis was drunk...

But I don't know what to think. And the weird thing is that... Oh, never mind it's silly." Elila stopped as she quickly realized that not only was she making no sense to herself but surely the shark must be confused as well.

"No, what is it Elila?" Pedryn prodded as she braced herself against the wood of her desk. Something about this was all wrong. And the shark was beginning to think that after being attacked by a cobra Elila has somehow managed to find herself right back in the thick of things.

"It sounds weird and paranoid but I can't help but think that Narlene's death has something to do with me. The authorities here...well they found something. I don't know what it is yet. But I think it has something to do with me. Ever since they went through the crime scene everyone has been keeping a rather close eye on me." Elila explained as she inwardly promised herself to have an honest conversation with Carielle the very next time she ran into the shark.

Still though the shark said nothing. She needed time to think. And Elila was right, they both needed more information.

Though there was one thing that Pedryn was certain of. She truly regretted her earlier harshness. It was clear that Elila hadn't called out of attraction or hero-worship for her tribe's golden warrior. She called out of concern for her own safety. She had called Pedryn. And the shark instantly recognized that that one action spoke of trust and need.

"I understand. I'll talk to some people and see what I can find out. Call me back tomorrow?" Pedryn asked hoping that the heron would agree to the contact.

She could easily ask Elila where she was staying. She could even have the communication traced. But she would do none of those things. Pedryn knew that eventually Thash would show up looking for her daughter. And ignorance was always a suitable and quite formidable defense.

"All right." Elila easily agreed allowing her nerves and anxiousness to seep into tone.

"Oh Elila? If you find anything that links you directly to Narlene call me back, immediately." Pedryn directed making no qualms about the fact that she was giving the heron a clear and direct order.

"Of course. Thanks Pedryn... I... I really appreciate it." Elila muttered before she terminated the communique with a flick of the off-switch.

And half a world away the shark did the very same thing. But Pedryn knew that that one call had changed everything. Again, it would seem that the heron needed her help. And again Pedryn knew that she would do anything and everything in her power to keep Elila safe. She owed the heron that much. In a way, she owed the heron everything...

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There's something utterly terrifying about an electric filled sky. It's loud and angry and makes everyone remember that Mother Nature still rules over her planet with an iron fist. Civilizations can build structure and comfort. Humanity reached out with science and tried to conquer a land that was not their own. And for that, they paid the final price.

But tonight, with the wind roaring and the rain pounding Elila couldn't help but feel her own baser instincts begin to surface. Her blood seemed to rise up and sing the very second that her two long legs set foot on the familiar boggy marsh of her native tribe.

As a heron, she could feel the swamp settling into her skin. She breathed with the wind, cried with the rain, and allowed the bold lightning to guide her way. She could never fear the raging storm of her native swamp. To her, it was a merely an echo of nativity, bold and brilliant.

She only wished that her return to the swamp had been under more agreeable circumstances. A matter she would rather not be involved in had encompassed her conversation with Pedryn. Images of Narlene's rather graphic death still danced through her mind. And the very idea that Kellis had something to do with her untimely demise left Elila cold, almost like her thoughts themselves would take on the icy shards of an Antarctic breeze.

But it wasn't just Narlene and Kellis that had her mind preoccupied. It was the purpose of her journey in the first place that had her heart doing somersaults. She was here for another dark reason and it had nothing to do with Narlene's murder or the mysterious deaths mounting throughout the Outlands. Her building anxiety had everything to do with the Fasara and the Midali, and the night she was taken out onto the water.

The heron couldn't quite let go of the idea that binding herself to Carielle's investigation would in no way further her own agenda. She had already tried to get as much information from the shark as she could. And Elila knew that pressing Carielle any further would be a futile activity.

But she couldn't quite shake off the nagging suspicion that Narlene's death had somehow connected her to this rather unpleasant business of death and destruction. Elila didn't know why. Maybe it was the strange somber look that plagued Carielle every time they spoke. Or maybe it was in the simple way that nothing in her life ever seemed to simply happen. Her past was never forgotten. Her future never seemed obscure. And the now was only a trapping for ghosts and the future-scape of demons.

Finding Narlene in the swamp was a gesture of fate that Elila would be foolish to ignore. The heron wasn't quite sure what event was triggering such recognition within her. Maybe it was Narlene's dying words. Or perhaps it was the gruesome manner with which the young kitten was killed.

Whatever it was something had struck a deep resonating chord with the heron. It was almost like she was outside herself looking in. It was as if she had known all along that Narlene would die. It was a horrid thought and one she didn't care to dwell on. But to Elila it was as if the faces had changed but the play remained the same.

What bothered Elila the most about the entire incident was the very fact that she wasn't more upset. She wanted to cry or be riddled with fear. She wanted to feel guilty for never having really connected to Narlene. She wanted to be overwhelmed by the entire experience.

Instead, she couldn't seem to feel much of anything. In fact, there was only one thought and one feeling circling her mind and Elila couldn't even begin to understand it herself. It was as if she had expected this all along. It was as if somewhere in any other place and in another time she knew Carielle and Pedryn. It was as if she knew them both like family or the most intimate of friends.

And she couldn't help but feel that she had somehow lived through Narlene's death before. It was almost like she had been waiting for this moment all along. Elila was about to try and shake herself from these ghastly thoughts when a knock at her door interrupted her reverie.

"May I come in?" Carielle asked as she slowly wandered back into the heron's room.

Truthfully, the shark knew she should have returned some time ago. Even from her own room separated by walls and sturdy concrete she had heard the termination of the heron's call to Pedryn. But the shark hybrid had been rather busy since leaving Elila's side. There had been more news of the predator and Carielle had been forced to absorb every grisly detail.

At this very moment, Ice was still talking to the Queen gathering as much information as she could. But Carielle, after forcing Zeranna from their shared room, poured over the data the Queen had previously handed them. There were pictures, tapes, interviews...everything any good hunter would need to locate their prey.

But unfortunately for Carielle there was something of primary importance missing. There was something that for whatever reason the Queen had overlooked. And now, it was up to the shark to correct this gross oversight.

In the evidence, wrapped around every item like a wreaking stench, was the salty aroma of the swamp. With each crime and each victim looked at individually the shark could see how this small factoid had been missed. But when everything was laid out right before her eyes there was no way to miss the rather obvious detail that this strange and deadly predator had strong ties to Black Moon Swamp.

Regrettably, Carielle and Ice did not. The shark knew that their investigation would take them to the heart of the swamp. And obviously, they would need help getting there.

The Queen trusted Elila. After all, she was the daughter of Thash. She was conceived of only the most royal of jungle cat blood. She was considered honorable, even if her ties to Black Moon were less then seemly. They would need her help. And at this point, Carielle could only hope that she would give it willingly.

"Where's Zeranna and your partner?" Elila asked obviously indicating the absence of Ice from the shark's side.

Carielle studied the heron intently. She knew that Elila wasn't as innocuous as she liked to pretend. She had only known the heron a short time but she had come to admire the young one's grit and steely determination. It wasn't everyday that a mere heron was able to stand up to the likes of her cousin. Pedryn could scare the daylights out of the fiercest warrior any day of the week. But Elila seemed to take their interaction with a grace and courtesy that spoke volumes of her courageous will and well-developed heart.

"Ice is in disposed of for the moment. I need to speak with you... privately." The shark idled as she practically hugged the darkest corner of the modest bedroom.

The heron was lounging on the soft silken bed like entertaining a Midali warrior in the dark of night with only a mattress between them was the most natural thing in all the world. In fact, Carielle was beginning to wonder if Elila felt anything at all. The shark was suffering nerves and bouts of anxiety, not to mention the telltale guilt that stained her features each and every time she saw the heron.

If the heron was at all disturbed she gave no sign of it. And Carielle would have known. She would have heard the increase in heart rate or the quickening of a desperate breath. But instead, Elila only sighed like she was bored with the tiring hour and the gloom around them.

"Oh... What did you want to talk about?" Elila asked trying her best to give the careless attitude she was struggling to enact.

She didn't want the shark to see just how much she was interested in learning of Narlene's death. Elila didn't know why exactly but she had sinking feeling that her destiny was being commanded from a distance. Aside from the obvious brutality of the murder there was something haunting Elila. There was something pivotal circling her mind; she just couldn't seem to identify the ghost.

"Bloodless... I need to know about it. I need to know what you know." Carielle whispered hoping that the heron would offer the information up on a silver platter. She needed Elila's help. If they were going to stop what was coming in the darkness they were going to have to work together. And Carielle could only hope that somehow she could learn to forgive herself for everything that had come before.

"All right...but first I want to know about Narlene. What do you know?" Elila asked clearly unwilling to hedge around the issue at hand.

"There's so much I'm not supposed to say. There's a lot I don't even know." Carielle began clearly unsure of how to start the conversation that the heron obviously wanted to have.

"I wasn't supposed to get into this with civilians. Pedryn doesn't even know where I am." Carielle relented as she realized that even with special permission from the Queen bringing the heron into this particular loop of information would certainly prove tenuous.

"Does Narlene's death have something to do with me?" Elila asked deciding to simply voice her suspicion.

Carielle had been acting so strangely ever since she returned from the crime scene. All the heron knew was that there was a place here where Narlene had apparently been held before her death. Elila knew none of the details. But she did know that Carielle had seen something...something that apparently concerned the heron.

"I don't know. I really don't. But I saw a lot of coincidences that just aren't adding up." Carielle added as she finally began the journey from her dark corner to the center of the room.

It was time for her to face Elila. It was time for her to be truthful. And that wasn't going to be easy. Because no matter what else may be still be going on Elila was always going to be Thash's daughter. She was always going to be the enemy. And Carielle couldn't help but think that she was the last person in the world who should be having this conversation with the heron.

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