Black Ice [Final] by Bluedysword

Author:Bluedysword
Language: eng
Format: epub

4: Angel Spore

Someone claps their hands, and their deep voice triggers sharp pains in my head.

“Alright, everyone, the session is over. Adriel and Istaga, bring the sleds. The others, remember that we’re collecting their fur, so handle the musigns gently.”

In the background, the initiates disperse. I want to join them, but my body is drained of its strength.

“I can’t stop... crying...”

I sniffle loudly, and Yuma offers me a tissue from her satchel.

“You’re in shock, Keith. It’s normal after experiencing such an intense attack. There’s not much to do except wait and breathe calmly.”

Since I’m not allowed to do anything, I watch the other hunters bustling around. Yuma stays seated beside me to keep an eye on me, but in the end, she joins me observing the hunters. Nahele wants to retrieve the snow monkey, but Lenno’s arm blocks his way.

“Not that one. It might be infected. Wipe down my weapon, please.”

They exchange a dark glance, and the adult hands him his blood-stained halberd.

“Are these runes?” Lenno asks.

His teammates crouch around the animal to examine its fur more closely. The black patterns are gradually fading.

“Of all the creatures I’ve hunted, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this...”

Judith adds to her colleague’s response with a perplexed look.

“Yeah, those are runes. Almost the same as the ones on the pendoras’ flanks, don’t you think?”

“Pendoras have them, but certainly not as many.”

Rivae shrugs with nonchalance.

“Who knows, Anoki? Maybe this one has a rare mutation?”

“If it’s a mutation of the angel spore. We’re in big trouble.”

Lenno cast a chill. The monkey doesn’t have whitened veins, but doubts persist. A bitter silence divides the elite hunters. Yuma, who had stayed out of the conversation until now, cuts through it.

“I have tests in my satchel.”

“We were supposed to conserve the tests as much as possible...!” opposes Rivae.

Yuma sighs before leaving Ila and me.

“Don’t move, Keith. I’ll be back.”

Under the Cheba’s insistent gaze, Judith reluctantly grabs the test kit. She takes a bit of blood from the carcass and dips the cotton swab into a silver vial. For the next minute, no one can take their eyes off the vial. The liquid darkens.

“Negative!”

The hunters are not relieved. It would have been simpler if he had been infected. But instead, they lost their only lead to understand.

“In doubt, we shouldn’t touch its meat... Let Yulee perform an autopsy,” suggests Anoki.

“You want to give up our biggest catch of the month for ‘a few doubts’? The test is negative. We’ll eat it, end of story.”

Rivae runs a hand through her hair. The leather band across her forehead enhances her stern expression. She has always intimidated me a bit, but right now, she looks like a bear roaring without being able to unsheathe its claws.

“If we had been more vigilant with the tests, no infected meat would have made it through the village gates. Yatho and Asuli had just married...”

The pain contorts his dark complexion.

“Six infected is already way too many,” he concludes sharply.

The two hunters confront each other angrily.

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