Chapter 18: Two duos

{"I can't believe that all of this is happening because of me. Over so many years I killed hundreds of animals and insects just so I could live. But now, the consequences of my childish actions bring harm to these poor dogs. Can't We please save your friend some other way?"} Luna was depressed by a plan. Kutch said that alongside his sister they will draw the attention and kill as many dogs as they can to create a believable diversion. While Achraf and Safo Nur put on sleeping and kidnap the puppies. Transporting smaller species was easier as well as further training was much more efficient rather than grown-ups.

“I don’t like this idea too, but O’rmon is right, if we want to shift our ship’s broken part near your ship we have to make sure that the road is safe. We don’t want to encounter a dog or which is worse a cerosnouts horde attack. Second, we have to save Dost, and I don’t think they will allow us just to take him. We have questions to ask and matters to resolve. So we have to do it in a way that will make caecunis keep a distance from us.” Safo Nur felt similarly to Luna but he was too inexperienced and didn’t think that there was any better, no-blood solution. Extra pressure from the Luna being inside of him, possibly shortening his life, made everyone rush with the plan. The realist part of his nature was sure that O’rmon’s analysis was flawless, it was the only way.

Safo Nur was never a hypocrite, he allowed himself to be selfish sometimes, it was natural behavior for a person. However, he had a rule not to do intentional harm to others if it was possible. He was the guy who sought win-win situations.

“Remember guys, play safe! Do not do anything risky. You go in, only and after our signal. Only after the signal! Look around first, make sure that there are only puppies. If you see any adult dog - you turn around and run. One of us will help you. Understood?” Kutch's hand gestures were all around mimicking his speech. They were not used to hunting with amateurs. Anything could go wrong.

"Take your positions. We are going." O'rmon and Kutch left farther as they could. And the mission started.

Caecunis nest was in the form of ripples. More specifically, 2 rings and a center. Outer ring - where the male caecunis rested, fought, and ate. A hundred meters towards the center was the second ring of caecunis female. They stored the food, took turns to feed baby caecuniss, and, basically, took care of a nest. And, finally the core, defenseless newborns and slightly grown puppies. They played and wrestled each other while waiting to be fed.

The area was still in a blank desert with some rock formations here and there. Team 1: Kutch and O'rmon went directly to the opposite side from Team 2: Safo Nur and Achraf.

"WOW! How could they possibly lose?!" Goosebumps ran through Safo Nur’s skin look at the lion brother and tigress sister's performance.

"I think I didn't apologize enough for my shooting. Remind me not to pass them off." Achraf's jaw dropped off.

7 knives were flying like they were alive and their main purpose in life was to protect their master. Kutch held two machete-like long knives, each time he swung one of those knives - one head lopped off. Flying in an incredible speed 7 knives pierced through the flesh of agitated dogs leaving them bleeding on the ground. It was an amazing and dreadful sight to witness. Kutch perfected his control over his minion knives. They attack, they defend, they make holes.

In the beginning, only a few caecsnis detected the duo, soon more and more aggressive dogs ran with murderous intent. Deafening battle bark chorus could make any enemy pee themselves. But not the "cat-family", they were fearless. Their collaboration seemed to suppress any assault.

While Kutch was fighting in one spot killing only those who came to him too close, O'rmon was like a hurricane. Armed with two blue disk-swords, it was the most advanced sword available in the known universe.

Science was on a whole new level on advanced planets. New technologies made ordinary life much better, and a war far dangerous. Recently discovered a new molecular separation method, which in a short time had been used as a weapon. The Empire started mass production of weaponry that was cross between old and new.

Regular katana-like straight blades had extensions by both sides, in the form of semicircles making it a perfect disc-shaped weapon, with a handle. Semicircles emitted a dim blue light strongly at the edges and gradually fading near the center. Those edges were the deadliest invention of the Empire. Semitransparent blue crescent-blades could cut through the molecules with almost no resistance. It was the perfect weapon for a speedster like O’rmon. The regular blade could not keep up with her speed and only slowed her down or even stopped her from a killing spree. It was practically impossible to cut through flesh and bones and not to stop running or she very well could break her arm after the impact.

Two disk-swords were more expensive than the ship that they owned but it was worth every zee. Wielding those swords O’mon cut off limbs and heads as she moved as a blurry shadow. From the time they started attracting caecuniss she killed three to five times more than Kutch did.

“Do you remember how we opposed their plan to go to deal with the dogs just by themself?! I bet we looked so stupid in their eyes, I don’t even think that they need us. They asked us to gather puppies not to hurt our feelings, I think.” With wide-open eyes and mouths, metal spider riders froze in awe.

“They are scary! Who would’ve known that this kind of people exists? Anyway, we cannot disappoint them, let’s get moving.” Safo Nur still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact they lost to someone.

While blood flew in the sky from the constant detached parts of the dog bodies, coloring the surrounding in crimson death color, Safo and Achraf mounted the spider towards the center of the nest.

Safo Nur had a tranquilizer pistol while Achraf had a bigger gun. Being white and blue in color, and made of synthetic material, guns looked more like a children's toy than a real weapon. That is why Safo and Achraf didn’t feel any guilt about shooting puppies, they were sure - guns do not harm.

10 centimeters long purple light beams rained in the direction of the unaware puppies. A compound of two wavelengths, one to color the beam, second to affect the neuro system of a target. And again one more efficient weapon made in the Empire.

After a minute of merciless “lullaby”, all baby caecuniss were deep in sleep. Metal tentacles carefully picked up the precious prey and gathered them in the cage that Kutch prepared beforehand.

Safo Nur, in his turn, ran to the pile of dog poop to try to wake up Dost.

“Blaarrgh” Smell coming from the sh*t-hill made Safo vomit his ant breakfast even before he could get near Dost.

{“Are you well?”} Luna, still occupying Safo’s spirit room, had access to his vision and hearing. It was a miracle change for her to be able to see the world. While usurping ants or ant queens she never was able to get their senses. She received some information from the outside world but it was incomprehensible for her. She only learned to recognize pressure and temperature.

But now Safo Nur’s body as a host provided her a world of sound and image. Of course, they had to make some boundaries to make a private business.

“Yeah, sorry you had to see that. It’s good that you are not smelling this right now.” Despite everything Safo Nur reached Dost and started to shake him madly. He tried to drag him but the robot body was too heavy for him, leaving him to wait when Achraf would finish with his fragile package.

Not willing to remain near the stench he went back when suddenly he felt something on his leg. Following with the feeling of the fangs pierced his skin and went on deeper only to stop against his bone. The pain of a new horizon opened before him, pain that he never experienced before. In a panic scream, he turned to look down to see that a snake, thick as an arm, bit him.

A drill-headed brown snake was hiding in garbage and feces, its half body was still buried. Two tiny star ruby eyes were focused on Safo. From the different parts of the defecations appeared other hungry snakes. It was their ambush place.

These snakes coexisted with dogs, eating the leftovers. Caecuniss kept them as pets.

In an attempt to escape from the dumpster Safo Nur stepped back, but the snake's body firmly held to his leg. Being partially under the huge amount of feces it could hold its grip until the reinforcement came to help.

Bereft of any thoughts, panicking, Safo Nur began to wiggle his leg in despair, to shake off the attacker. At the same time, he tried to move his body backward by pushing onto the ground with both hands and free leg. All while he checked his surroundings to check on every snake in the vicinity.

Whoosh!

Another snake creped up on Safo Nur and threw itself to his right shoulders. Fangs plunged into the flesh. Injection. This time Safo Nur felt it, the snake sprayed a poison. While Safo Nur tried to unclench the snake’s jaw and not rip off the flesh from his shoulder, a spine-chilling sight caught his eye. His was green, blood vessels underneath his skin bulged and popped up, exploding and spreading the blood into the muscles. His limb was about to dry and die.