Tisis

Lunch with friends (S)

After a while, Ray lands in front of the cave with an audible thud and pops his head inside, while keeping his paws outside, causing Julia to shriek again.

...I really wish, she'd express her surprise in a less high-pitched manner.

In his maw, he carries a very fresh prey animal...fresh as in 'Still moving'.

"Sirus hurt. Sirus need eat."

"Aww, you shouldn't have...but still, thanks a bunch. Ever since Nym has been so busy at the colony, there has been a lot of green on the table. Let me just prepare this one, then we can have lunch. Just like old times, huh?"

No response...yeah well, 'the old times' with Ray were...probably not exactly the happiest memories for him....what with being leashed all the time, because we needed to be afraid of him killing us in the night.

...I guess I was confusing him with Zero again...but Zero is dead.
...better remember that, if I am to make Ray work.

I finish the small animal off for good and hang it on the 'blood rack'.
"Say...why did you come back? I mean, I know you said that I needed you now and I will not claim that I'm 'just fine', but...I'm curious."

Ray eyes me with a peculiar look in his eyes, but does not actively respond.
Instead he pulls his head back out of the cave and plops himself down in a sunny spot near the cave entrance.

"Fine, don't talk then..."
"Did...this Ray really just bring us...food? Why...why would he do that?"
"Yeah well, we're sorta his pack...his family. And you know how it is with family, don't you? You look out for each other."
"How...that...does Ray really know the concept of 'family'?"
"As I said...he and his kind are very intelligent. Give them opposable thumbs and they just might start using tools to make their lives easier."

"But...he...he is just...an animal. I'm sorry, I know..."
"And what, Julia, is a human? Or an Asmodean? Are we not also 'just animals', who happened to learn how to walk upright and use tools. The biggest mistake you can make out here, is to underestimate the creatures. To think, they are 'just animals'...or even worse, 'just dumb animals'. They are not dumb. Not by a long shot."

After lecturing Julia, I check the animal Ray had brought back...apparently the blood had finished trickling out and the fire would certainly take care of the rest.

I ignite the fireplace, which, thanks to the fresh blood, bursts into flames on my first attempt and finish skinning the animal before putting it on the roast.

The pelt I reach to Julia, who just looks at me puzzled.
"What...am I supposed to do with that?"
"You only made clothes for myself and Nym thus far. Unless you want to go naked in the long run, which I really can't recommend, you'll need some extra gear yourself. That pelt should be about the size of your pants."
"Um...actually, about that..." Julia starts, looking at the pelt with shaking hands.

Just as I want to ask her what's wrong, Ray outside starts barking.

"What does he say?"
"...no clue. Sounds like a warning of some sort though."
"But...but can't you understand what his barking means?"
"Actually not. It's more like...a voice in your head, y'know? When he's nearby, I can sort of understand what he's saying...but not with my ears, if that makes sense."

Julia gives me a strange look before getting into my face, apparently looking for something and knocking lightly against the skin near my temples.

"Julia, I enjoy boobs in my face as much as the next guy, but...what do you think you're doing?"

Julia withdraws herself and shakes her head, "No trace of an implant..."
"Well, I could have told you that...but what makes you think I might be implanted?"
"Because of what you just said...it reminded me of the 'whisper' function of the implants. When near another implanted person, we could talk with them, without actually using our mouths or ears...like a voice in your head."