//------------------------------// // A Sign? // Story: The Young Warrior: A Stroke Of Luck // by Melody Song //------------------------------// “Whe’e’s Uncle Pharynx?!” “He has to be around here somewhere, keep looking!” “The signal was from over here, right?” “Papa Thorax, look! Blood!” “Pharynx!” Pharynx gave no response from where he lay on the ground, completely unconscious and unaware of anything going on around him. Though there were signs of the brutal fight due to the destruction of some of the surrounding foliage, none of the unreformed changelings remained. They had disappeared without a trace, even having abandoned their prey. The only sounds in the woods now came from Thorax, Ocellus, and Apex as they called for Pharynx. Unbeknownst to the three changelings looking for Pharynx, a single cloaked figure stood over the wounded beta ling, examining the dagger embedded in his side. The figure tilted its head slightly, judging whether it would be better to leave the blade in or remove it. They came to a decision as the sound of hoofsteps grew closer. Grasping the dagger in a black, hole-riddled hoof, they yanked it swiftly but firmly out from Pharynx’s carapace, setting it beside him as red blood seeped out from the wound. They then reached their hoof out and lifted Pharynx’s head, pulling a folded up blanket from under their cloak and placing it under his head like a pillow. Finally, they gently stroked the beta changeling’s antlers, before leaving with a whirl of their cloak. Just as the figure faded into the woods, Thorax, Ocellus, and Apex found their lost family member. “P-Pharynx?” Ocellus’ tail went between her legs like a sad puppy, while Apex let out a soft, dismayed cry. Thorax rushed forwards and carefully inspected his brother. “Ocellus, come help me, Apex, run and get Cilia or Needle, hurry!” Thorax instructed, and the two did as they were told. Ocellus ran to Pharynx and began examining him, her past training as a medic apprentice kicking in. “He has a scratch on his shoulder here, and a crossbow arrow stabbed into his leg, but it looks like it was knocked out. A dagger, obviously, but he must have pulled it out. Bite marks on the back of the neck and shoulder blade.” Ocellus noted, poking Pharynx’s snout. “Unresponsive.” “Something’s on this dagger, it’s got an unusual gleam on it.” Thorax nudged at the handle of the dagger as Ocellus tugged the blanket out from under Pharynx’s head. “Where did this come from?” Ocellus asked. Thorax shrugged, lifting the dagger in his magic. Ocellus left the blanket and walked over to him, watching the alpha changeling examine the blade. “We should take this to the Alchemy lings.” Thorax murmured, turning the dagger over in his magic, noting the faintest traces of a black substance on the metal. “There’s something on the blade that definitely isn’t blood.” Apex then emerged from the trees, Needle fast behind him. The medic carried his bags in his mouth, gaze set in firm focus. The two skidded to a halt beside Thorax, and Needle immediately turned to Ocellus. “Dagger wound under the carapace, scratch on the shoulder, stab in the leg from an arrow, bite marks on shoulderblade and neck.” Ocellus relayed what she had found. “Sounds like the work of unreformed changelings.” Needle said as he bent to examine the Pharynx. “These are definitely changeling bites, and crossbow arrows and daggers were our main arsenal.” “Needle, there’s something on this dagger, I-I think some kind of poison. Will he be alright?” “He should be fine, Thorax, the venom will wear off in a couple hours, though he was bitten twice so recovery might take a bit longer. The wounds we can just bandage. As for whatever is on that dagger, we’ll ask Almexa to confirm, but it’s probably not serious enough to be a threat.” Needle assured him, taking the dagger from the King and placing it in a sealed bag he pulled from his supplies. “O-Okay.” Thorax took a steadying breath, looking at the others. “We need to move him out of the woods, take him to his room.” “Let’s hurry. I don’t like being out here unprotected if somecreature was able to bring down Pharynx.” Ocellus shuddered. Thorax nodded in agreement, looking around nervously. Needle quickly bandaged Pharynx’s wounds, then Thorax lifted him in his magic, laying his injured brother on his back. “Let’s go, he’s heavier than he looks.” Thorax said with a soft grunt of exertion, as Apex flew over to nuzzle his uncle’s cheek. The group made it back to the Hive without any incident, though word of the Prince’s injuries spread fast from onlookers. Soon, panic began to sink in as they realized what this meant. The Hive’s most formidable warrior had been beaten by rogue changelings. Both the fact that it was their own kind who managed to defeat the Prince and the fact that it was Pharynx who'd been beaten rattled the Hive to the core. The changelings were terrified, despite the royal family’s best efforts to comfort them. This was partly due to the fact that while the Hive was swept with panic, Thorax was admittedly ignoring his job. He had taken to pacing around in Pharynx’s room, watching his brother’s fitful sleep. The beta changeling had woken up once, briefly, but before Needle or Cilia could be summoned, he had passed out again. So Thorax stayed with him, refusing to leave his brother’s side. “I’m sure it’s just his body having trouble reacting to being bitten twice, Thorax.” Ocellus tried to comfort him. “I-I mean, changeling venom is really powerful, and they got him twice in different places.” “He still should’ve slept it off by now.” Thorax resumed his pacing. “I-I’m sure it was whatever was on the dagger, what is taking Almexa so long to test it?!” Ocellus sighed and sat down in a corner, realizing the King was too upset to listen to her reasoning. Apex was in a similar state, curled up beside Pharynx and cuddled into his chitin. “Papa Thorax?” Apex asked softly, and he glanced over. “W-What if he doesn’ wake up?” “H-He will.” Thorax stammered. “He has to.” Apex stared up at Thorax’s teary eyes, then looked at Pharynx. He got up and moved closer to his head, nosing him. “Uncle Pharynx? Please wake up, you’e making me an’ Papa Thorax sad.” Pharynx groaned softly in his sleep, but didn’t wake. Apex whimpered softly, resting beside the larger changeling’s head, gently nosing his uncle. “He won’t be up for a while, I’m afraid.” Cilia spoke quietly, entering the room with a grave expression on her face. “W-What? Why?” Thorax’s voice was shaking. “We heard back from Almexa.” Cilia hesitated, sighing. “The dagger was coated with the juice of Bacas Somni Aterni.” “W-What?! But they’re called Berries of Eternal Sleep for a reason!” Ocellus jumped up, looking alarmed. “You told me that they cause-” “I know, Ocellus.” Cilia trotted over to the bed to check on Pharynx, pressing a hoof to his forehead to monitor his temperature. “But he got lucky. The dagger went under his carapace and did end up embedded in his side, yes. However the juices didn’t get a chance to fully sink into his bloodstream before we found him. If it hadn’t been removed when it was, well, it would be a different story.” The medic's voice trailed off, letting the terrifying possibility hang in the air. “S-So he’ll survive?” Thorax asked at last. “He’s not out of the woods yet. But the fact that he’s alive now means that yes, he will.” Cilia confirmed, and they all breathed a synchronous sigh of relief. “Hang in there, brother.” Thorax moved closer to the bed to rub his cheek against Pharynx’s, feeling his brother subconsciously shift his head into the touch. “You’re gonna be okay.”