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Cycle: Chapter 1

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Cycle: Chapter 1


24th cycle mid-season, 4winters later


Solar raise glimmered through the Sky Trees canopies, illuminating the shadowy land below. It had been four seasons since the Xie mother gave birth to new life and right now, she was on the hunt again, or at least was trying to.

She was perched on a high branch, watching the sky through the breaks in the Sky Trees, while the cilia on her dangling tail, scanned for life below. She was trying to judge the time by guessing the height of the sun, which was hard since she was below the treeline. Would have been easier if she was up there high in the great tree’s branches, but unfortunately she was stuck on the ground.

But the spot she was in gave her a good enough view that she judged it was at least the middle of the sun’s cycle. She had been gone for too long and she’d come across no prey so far. At least this sitting around helped her absorb the water in the air through the singular spiny  silver fins on the back of her head, spine, forearms and the ankles of her digitigrade legs.

But apart from a quick top up, there had been nothing in the way of meat, so it was about time she headed back. With a grunt, she dug all her claws into the tree she sat on and slid down its base, leaving deep gashes in its hide.

When she touched down, she casually shook her talons of any bark remains and calmly walked off in the direction of a Sky Tree’s mountainous trunk. She wasn’t attempting to be stealthy, as she moved calmly through the brush, her hips swaying gracefully in her stride and her head fin flattened slightly. She had something slung over her shoulder, a length of vine that ended with a sack made of grass fibbers, which she used to gather various plants and berries she plucked up as she walked on.

She would have preferred meat, but the animals seem pretty skittish this moon, as if something had spooked them off. She knew she had nothing to do with it, animals barely ever knew she was there, before it was too late that is but she always disappeared long enough for them to calm down.

So what had them rattled? There should have been plenty of wildlife this time of the season, though there were Springers around, but they were also very annoying to catch and she still remembered what happened last time she tangled with one. Still tasted good though and she wouldn’t still be here without it.

As she came over a small rise something caught her eye, a glint of purple in the sun’s beams. She discovered a small clearing filled with Velvet Pops. It was as if nature was slyly reminding her she should be somewhere right now and she huffed with a roll of her eyes. She should have move on, but the small grove captivated her attention. She wanted to take one, something to give to her daughter.

That thought brought a smile to her weary expression, and she approached the grove. She could pick any, but she was feeling rather picky and wanted to find The One, for her little girl. After browsing for a moment she spotted one that looked promising. It looked just the right shade of violet, and she reached down to pluck it when her cilia went crazy. She froze, eyes wide, fins up and breath held in her chest. She felt something below her feet, a slight vibration that grew in rate. She looked down once, and then dove off to the side in a graceful arch, as the ground burst open in a shower of moss and dirt. She landed in a roll and stopped in a crouch as a large bug crawled out from where she had been standing just seconds ago.

It was a disgusting thing, with a big bulbous shelled body and long hairy legs that ended in hooks. One massive round eye stock fixed on the Xie female’s squat form and chittered a per of jagged mandibles, eager to devour her. She bared her own set of death dealing chops and snarled at the beast, stretching all her bodies fins to their full heights to make seem larger. It wasn’t phased by her display and fired out two tentacles with such blinding speed she couldn’t react fast enough to avoid them, as they wrapped around her left arm and neck.

It began to pull her in.

She grunted and growled in furry as she dug long hooked claws from under her ankle fins into the ground and rooted herself to the spot, not going any closer to the beast’s snapping maw. The bug lashed out with a large leg in response, trying to knock her over. It got a heavy foot instead, as she unhooked it from the ground and stomped down into its shelled limb, till snapping it completely in half under her weight. The beast whaled in agony, as green spats of blood spurted from the massive wound and reared away.

The smell of blood only fouled the Xie’s rage, cutting through the tentacle around her throat with her talons in a spray of gore. More blood flowed and the creature screeched in shock, when she started pulling its remaining tentacle, straining it. The force behind her pull made her shoulder pop from its socket, again and she roared not so much in pain but in surprised anger. This made her loose balance enough for the bug to try and trip her again and succeeded this time.

She went tumbling head over heels but she didn’t hit the ground. Instead she went with it blow, landed on her feet with a flip and then rolled under the same limb back to where she was standing before. The move caused the tentacle still attached to her limp arm, to wrap around its own limb and tangle it into a lock. Then with her good hand, she quickly gripped the tentacle and with all her strength, yanked on it hard over and over till something gave.

Its whole limb came ripping off at the base joint and it screeched anew, as gore bubbled and poured out the hole. It collapsed back in the hole and went limp, as did the tentacle around her arm. She pulled it off and cradled the limb,  manually rolling the joint till she felt it pop back into place.

She shook it a few times to get blood flowing through it again, while at the same time rubbing the stiffness out of her neck. That had been a close call, she hadn’t expected her shoulder to give so easily, something to be weary of in future. She checked her sack to see if everything was still were it should be and it was. Satisfied, she looked to the creature in the pit and sneered at it, fanning her fins.

It had been a Burrow Bug, nasty critter but stupid enough to be a minor threat. “Did not know what you were messing with.” She snarled at the big corps, as she kicked it to make a point. It suddenly snapped at her and she reflectively smashed her fist down right where its brain would be and shattered its weak shell under the force, spraying herself with gore. It didn’t move anymore after that and she huffed dominance form her chest.

“Now, what to do with you?” She asked herself with a pant, as she scratched her chin with a talon. This couldn’t have been the cultrate that made most of the wildlife to go into hiding, since the thought of things hiding from something already hiding was just stupid, no there was something else at work here.

But what?

As she pondered, she saw something on the back of the dead bug’s shell and smiled when she realised what it was.

A Velvet Pop.




Some time later, she returned to the place she gave birth, with the Burrower’s eye stock in her jaws. Would have been a waste not to take something from the kill and the eye was good for making medicine. She climbed the tree till she reached a flap of leather sheet covering the entrance to her den and it moved a bit in the calm breeze. A symbol with two curves and a dot in the middle had been carved just to the side, her mark to tell others of her kind that this was her den and to stay away. So far it had worked and she wanted it to stay that way.

She gripped the flap and pushed it aside for her to slip in. Orange glow stones embedded into the walls lit up at her movement, suggesting nothing had moved for a while in here. The place had changed since she first tumbled in, made a lot more comfortable with bedding and other items of use. The claw marks and dents from her fits of labour were still etched in the walls, a reminder of how she got here and what she had gained.

Ah the fond memories…of pain, but worth it.

She was puzzled when she didn’t see her daughter away where, till felt something in her cilia a slight tingle that urged her to look up, but she ignored it, as she dropped the Burrower’s eye stock and took off her ingredient bag.

With a big relaxed sigh, she moved to a makeshift table and began sorting the plants and berries out onto its surface. Something was just above her head, sneaking ever closer on the roof of roots. It slid down a root, a tiny shimmer in the light, tiny hands primed to…

“Hello Velvet.” Her Mother huffed casually, not turning around as she sorted the berries into rows.

Velvet made a deflating sound with her mouth and dropped her camouflage. “Aw come on!” She squeaked in annoyance. “How you know it me?!”

Her Mother turned her head to look over her shoulder and smirked at the little one, her head fin rising with her smile. “Because, I’m your Mother, I know all.”

“Liwe!” Velvet pouted, pointing dramatically at her Mother while hanging upside down with the cutest of little frowns. She had grown in the past four seasons, but not by much and she was still learning how to speak properly. Her limbs had become stronger though and her claws were starting to grow in, allowing her to climb all over the walls, it became a chore just keeping her in one place now.

But it didn’t bother her Mother much, in fact she encouraged it. It was good for her developing muscles and would hone the reflexes she would need in the seasons to come.

Her Mother turned half around and gave Velvet a knowing look. “Oh, am I now?” She slyly looked to the berries and smirked. “Well, I can prove it.”

Velvet narrowed her big rainbow eyes in suspicion. “What I thinking?”

Her Mother slyly moved her body just enough for Velvet to see the berries on the table, and see them she did. Her big star like eyes widened and locked right onto the tasty treats.

“You are thinking, I want these tasty, sweet, delicious…”

She looked to her Mother and knew she had tricked her. But, couldn’t say it, or she might not get the noms. She grimaced, but relented with her little pink head fin flattening in defeat. “Ok, you win… but I get a nom.”

Her Mother smiled, satisfied with her answer. She picked up a pink one in her claws and hovered it close to Velvet’s almost toothless mouth. Her pudgy cheeks expanded into a massive open smile, showing tiny baby tusks and other teeth just starting to come through her orange gums. She plopped the pink sweet in her chops and the sound of sloppy smacks shortly followed.

Velvet hummed with delight, head fin up again, as the berry’s sweetness overwhelmed her senses and slobbered a bit out her mouth.

Her Mother held out her left arm and Velvet grabbed on, crawling up its muscular length till she sat on her Mother’s shoulder. She grimaced at the tang of pain that made her pause for a second as her head fin went ridged, but only a second and then she was back to her train of thought.

“You ok, mamma?” Velvet asked her Mother, concern deep within her tone, head fin down.

She must have noticed her slight pause and stiff fin, but it was no big deal. She feigned ignorance. “Hmm, oh I’m fine my little pop. Why do you ask?” She purred softly, trying to be reassuring.

Velvet seemed to chew on that thought but she had no answer. Instead she looked over at the wall nearest the entrance and remembered she wanted to show her Mother something. “Ooo, ooo, look what I made mamma!”

She hopped off her Mother’s shoulder, slid down past her back fin and down her tail. She followed Velvet as she pattered over to the wall and pointed at it with a tiny claw. She looked and it took her a moment to realise what she was pointing at.

It was… a drawing, unevenly carved into the wood itself by tiny claws. It was a picture of what looked like her and Velvet, and it looked like she was doing something to some blob.

“Is… is that… me?” Her Mother questioned, squatting down to get a closer look.

“Yeah!” Velvet clapped with delight, making cute sucking noises as she breathed excitedly. “It you widing a Bonka beast and, and sticking youw hand in its face.” She giggled a bit at that.

Her Mother looked taken aback, not in shock at the gruesome detail but by how adorable it was. “You made this… all by yourself?” She asked Velvet, as she touched the drawing in awe. “When did you see this?” She hadn’t taken Velvet out of the den since she was born, so how did she…

“When you went outside one time.” She chirped, sucking on one of her fingers and making drool dribble down her chin. “I saw fwom the flaps you on top of Bonka. I wemembering it taste good.” She pouted. “I miss Bonka meat.”

Her Mother remembered that moon rotation. She had been resting in her nest till her cilia picked up something outside and when she investigated she found a Bonka beast just there, foraging at the bottom of her tree. It was a large popbelly thing, with more fat than brains with stubby little hooved feet. She couldn’t have resisted such a prized delicacy and practically leaped from her den to pounce on it.

She thought Velvet was asleep but the action from the kill must have waken her and she got a good show. She even got to try Bonka meat for the first time but couldn’t eat it since she had no teeth, but she’d craved it ever since to her Mother’s dismay.

She blinked away the vivid memory of blood on her claws and brought her attention back to her little bundle of slobbers and rumbled softly to her. “Velvet, I had no idea you were so good at picture making.” She leaned forward and nuzzled her little one on her slimy cheek, causing her to giggle. “Who is my clever little pop?” She cooed, tickling her with the blunt side of her talons till she let out fits of laughter.

That reminder her of something and she stopped. Velvet was still giggling till she realised her Mother had moved away and was rummaging for something. “Mamma?” Velvet questioned, puzzled.

She found what she was looking for and hid it behind her back. “Close your eyes, Velvet. I got a surprise for you.”

Velvet’s confused little face suddenly beamed with excitement, as she gasped. “What it be, what it be?!”

“Close your eyes and I’ll show you.” She quickly closed and covered her eyes with her little hands. She approached and noticed one eye start to open. “No peeking.” The eye shut again and her Mother crouched down and with both hands cupped, held it in front of her. “Ok… open.”

Velvet opened her eyes and was suddenly awe struck by what she saw. It was shaped like a twinkling star of bright purple and seemed to glow in the dim light. “Wow…” Velvet awed with big beady eyes, reaching out with a tiny clawed hand to touch it. “It so pweddy… what it be, Mamma?”

“It’s a Velvet Pop sweetie.” Her Mother cooed. “It’s a flower that grows up in the hilly trees and sparkles in the sun light.”

Velvet gasped, as if a realisation struck her little mind “Am I a flowew, Mamma? Did I gwow in the hilly twees?”

Her Mother chuckled at that, as she sat down on the floor. “No no, you came from me.” She patted her belly for enthuses.

Velvet looked at her Mother, puzzled again and cocked her head to the right. “Oh… was I a flowew you eatted and then pooped out?” Her Mother burst out ito laughter this time, covering her eyes with a hand as her teeth shown through her wide open fits of giggles. “What?” Velvet chirped, still confused.

When her Mother got a hold of herself again, she whipped a tear from one eye. “Oh my little pop you got a lot to learn about where Xie come from.”

Velvet frowned. “Ok, how do it wowk then?” She asked, crossing her stubby little arms.

Her Mother straightened up and put on a face of wisdom. “Well, when a female Xie and a male Xie come together, they create life through union. Then the female Xie carries the life inside her till the life inside needs out and she lets it free in the world to begin a new cycle.”

“Cycle of what?” Velvet asked, who was also now sitting on the floor.

“Life, my sweet pop.” She gestured around her. “We and every living creature are a part of one whole. When you eat the meat of your prey, that creature is playing a part in giving you life and what is left goes to the soil to then breed more life for other creatures to eat. We in a way, play the similar role, we help keep our environment healthy and borrow what life gives us to make us strong, which at the end of our cycle we repay. You understand, my little pop?”

Velvet stared up at her Mother, mouth open in what seemed like wonder, but actually… “I don’t get it.”

Her Mother chuckled again, covering her mouth to quell any fits. After some composure, she spoke again. “What I’m trying to say is, we are all a part of a bigger cycle, one we must respect to ensure our cycles are long and healthy.”

“Oh…” Velvet seemed to trail off into thought. In the end she just shrugged. “I still don’t get it.”

Her Mother sighed but she smiled. “You will, in time.” She looked at her daughter’s messy face and frowned playfully. “Speaking of time, it’s time you had a bath little pop.”

“NO!” Velvet dramatically squeaked, trying to turn and flee, but her Mother’s long arms looped around her and then overwhelmed her with big kisses. “MAMMA!”




Some time after Velvet’s little lick over, her Mother took the eye she got from the Burrow Bug and was now grinding it into a fine paste with a rock and stone bowl. While she was doing this, Velvet was sitting in their nest and seemed to be in deep thought.

Her Mother noticed this with a slight glance while she worked and decided to speak up. “Something chewing your thoughts?” Velvet didn’t seem to hear her, so she repeated. “Velvet?”

The little one’s eyes suddenly came back into focus and stared at her Mother. “Huh?” She murmured.

“You looked to be in deep thought, something troubling you?” Her Mother asked.

Velvet seemed to drifted off again, but quickly brought her eyes back into focus once more. “I was just thinking about what you said, about needing two Xie to make baby.”

Her Mother rolled her eyes. “Velvet, I’m not going into greater detail about how babies are made.”

“No, no it not that.”

Velvet’s Mother raised a brow at that, but was eager to hear what her daughter had to say. “Ok, then what?”

“Where’s our male Xie?” That made Velvet’s Mother stop what she was doing mid-grind and stayed that away for a long while. Velvet noticed this and began to look worried. “Mamma, what wrong?”

Her Mother blinked a few times, then took in a deep breath and let it out. She looked at her child and was hesitant of what to say. “He’s… he won’t be here for a while.”

“Aw, how come?” Velvet pressed, wanting to know.

Vivid memories threatened to play in her Mother’s head, but she shook it away. A fake smile played across her expression and she turned with the bowl in one hand. “He’s off somewhere, someplace far away that we can’t go to.”

“Why?” Velvet was stubborn, her Mother had to give her that. She crouched down in front of the nest and offered the bowl.

“Because it’s out of our reach and that’s just how it is. Now eat.”

Velvet took one sniff of the eyeball mash and stuck her tong out in disgust. “Don’t give me that face, Velvet. This is good for your immunity and it will help your muscles grow big and strong, like mine.” She flexed one of her own muscular arms to show off.

Velvet looked at the mash again, touched it and immediately started shaking her hands. “Eww, eww it feel yucky.”

Her Mother sighed, scooped out a small claw full and shoved it in her own chops. She ignored the bitter tang and swallowed it without chewing. “See, safe and edible. Now eat!”

She let a stern rumble fill her tone and Velvet finally relented. She ate the mash with her little hands and pulled grim faces as she consumed it bite by tiny bite. She slowed near the end and her Mother had to hand feed her the rest till it was all gone.

Velvet looked like she could vomit but her Mother knew she’d be fine, after all her own mother made her eat the same thing when she was Velvet’s age. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy and knew it was time to rest. “Time for bed, little pop.”

“But b-but (yawn) I not tiwed.” Velvet tried but failed to keep from yawning and her own eyes looked heavy.

Her Mother chuckled, as she stepped into the bedding and curled up with Velvet. “Rest now, little one. There will be time for things later. Just rest.”

Velvet didn’t try to argue, instead she crawled into her Mother’s warm embrace and snuggled up into a tiny ball. Her Mother curled her long neck over her daughter and soon closed her tired eyes and fell into a deep slumber with a smile on her face.
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JakSharperten's avatar
Velvet is the silliest little Xie. So far I like the story you got, I kinda picture the Xie as like almost Nomadic, if that is the right word, with their intellect and such.