The Last Ship (18+)

Chapter Forty-Seven: Unworthy?

After bumping into the Irinaut, Luna had come to find out he was among the ranks of Fex and Zio, but unlike her partners, this male was rather grizzly like, well built and seemed to make her feel smaller. Luna let out a soft sigh as they came to a very open room. Inside, the space was much larger then what she had seen so far. The ceiling was rounded and smooth. The plants and veins that pulsed through it were white and gold. The plants that came off the ceiling were red and green, and even the veins in them gave off that same white glow. Some parts of the walls had been dug out, and inside were Irinaut's with items to trade involving food or Hollows being traded. Hundreds were in this large area trading, cooking up squid like animals, large fish like creatures with massive teeth, and feathered bird like animals with a single eye in the middle of their head with a double pointed beaks, and that was just a few things she had caught a glimpse of.

As they walked, Luna could hear the Irinaut's speaking back and forth, but not in English. Zio had explained to her that not all of them had the talent of interpretation. Without the proper Hollows, many things became very difficult for the Irinaut's. Including the language barrier between species, but even so, each one raised their head to Luna. All the Irinaut's within this hive were males, and that brought tension along with it.

In the middle of the room was a single chair. A very tall skinny Irinaut sat in the chair. His arms were long, his leeches and skin very dull and old looking. One eye was coated in a blue film and the other a deep gold. Vine like plants were attached to his cheeks and chin, seeming to be infused within his pores. As Luna and the other's approached him, he slowly stood, using a smooth carved branch to brace himself. He didn't show any expressions, but his attention was solely on Luna for a moment. The tall male gestured for the others to move back as he circled her, 'No tail? I'm surprised. She would have trouble with infected queen.' The older male's voice was rasp. He turned towards Zio, letting out a low hiss, 'You believe she is the one who will rid us of the infected queen? Does she even know her own powers?' The elderly Irinaut took her chin and turned her head, looking at the golden veins and skin that pulsed up her neck and face, 'She has the blood of a queen, but does she know how to use it? Otherwise, she is useless.' The Irinaut looked at Zio, who had stepped forward to remove the older male's hands from Luna, 'Can you make the trees speak? Can you build walls from nothing but the touch of your hand?'

'Enough.' Zio hissed out as he took a step forward, 'She is still recovering after a incident involving a removal. Her memories of her own Current haven't became completely functional yet.' Zio hissed out, pointing up towards the ceiling as a sudden boom was heard, 'And right now, we need to be worried about the one's trying to take her back. The ones that want to exterminate us like we are the invaders.'

Fex grabbed Luna's shoulder and pulled her back, 'So instead of judging the queen like a trophy, tell us what the hell you needed to speak with us for.'

The older Irinaut's brow raised. He shrugged, his eyes closed as a grin ran across his lips, 'True alpha's to their queen. She must be a keeper for Zio and Fex, yes?' He shrugged his shoulders, 'We do not know their weaponry, weakness. The ground troops said they wear shining skin and ride within a metal beast. I attempted to offer some sort of treaty, but they decided to be ill and have already killed six of our best as well as their Yetis.'

Luna, while the other's spoke, didn't have much to say. Frustrations had began to boil, and the lack of trust in her from this elderly male had already caused irritation, "So what are you saying?" The blonde interrupted, her fists curled as she looked up at him, "You want us to stop them or do I look incapable of that as well? It seems like that's what you think of me." The golden eyed female back fired.

The elder was silent for a moment as the hybrid spoke. He leaned down towards her, a low hiss came from him, 'Those are your people. The spores still lurk above as well as infected Irinauts. It is your decision if you wish it to transfer to your people again, but I will not let anymore of my people go because of yours.' The two were at each other's throats, and Luna seemed to be just as angry, 'Prove to me you're not. Perhaps then I'll think different.'

"MY people?" Luna's golden eyes sparked as well as yellow sparks that coursed around her fingertips. She moved forward, gesturing with her hand, "I have been fighting for MY people since I was a child. I never put them before myself. Even in the time of lost memories, I was fighting to come back here not for me, but for all of you." The Irinaut's had gone quiet, but Luna wasn't done, "To a world that I wasn't born into, the one that I had once thought it was the one that needed the protection, the walls!" Luna's eyes glowed vibrantly as she curled her fists, "I slept for two hundred years, unknowingly traveling here after the Hollow had been removed from my neck, and brought here as a experiment." The female pressed her hand against her forehead, pieces were still going together, "I am here, before you, and you say they are my people? I was born into this, and I'll be damned I'm going to let anyone tell me different."

The elderly male had gone quiet, as did the other's in the room. Zio and Fex looked at one another, their feathered necks rather fluffed as they watched the other male's tense. Both alpha's were quick to realize that her backbone had came back with the wave of memories, but now, the two wondered what she remembered fully. Perhaps back to the beginning?

The elderly male let out a loud hiss as he leaned towards Luna, but the small hybrid held her ground. 'If you wish to be our queen, prove me wrong!' He snapped at her. Just as he had, booms could be heard above, 'Because no one will follow the queen that hides.'

Luna clasped her hand to her chest as he snapped at her. That had gotten her heart to race a bit. As the muffled sound of bombs could be heard above, she found herself going a bit numb. Her eyes closed for a moment before she turned and looked at Zio, and then Fex before pushing through and walking towards the doors.

Zio's eyes widened as he quickly turned to follow her, squawking out a confused snarl as she did, 'Luna, what the hell are you doing?!'

"Proving him wrong!"