C Call of the Wild [michime]

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Major Khell Voralum stood at the helm of his ship as it drifted through space. He was the solitary life form on board. The council would not grant him a crew and forbade anyone from volunteering for the mission. Khell had high hopes for a planet not too far from his home world. The planet he had his eye on, Drecuvis, was rich with natural resources. It was Khell's goal to conquer the planet, establishing it for farming and rearing of livestock. His people were growing in population each year, and while they did their best to expand upwards instead of outwards, land was still disappearing. Despite his best intentions, people still disagreed with him. Scientists reported strange readings from the planet's surface and deemed it too much of a risk. Major Khell Voralum decided for himself that the benefits outweighed the risks, so his commanding officers sent him off alone.


As a male Zioruta, Khell had dark purple skin-- not unlike the color of an eggplant-- with thin white markings similar to the rings on a tree trunk. He stood on two sturdy digitigrade legs that started thin at the knees and grew thicker towards his feet, which ended in a trio of white claws. A long, tapered tail draped out behind him, helping him keep balance on his tall legs. He had a lean chest with modest muscles and narrowed hips. His two arms crossed behind his back in military fashion, his hands featuring only three fingers and one thumb each. Broad shoulders swooped upward into a long neck. He had a narrow face with thin lips, a flattened nose, and two large, bright yellow eyes. His forehead continued up into a sloping carapace, out from under which grew thick white hair that he kept cleanly cut just past his jawline.


Khell landed his ship in a field of tall, pale blue grass. Armed with a plasma rifle, he took the first few steps off the ramp and onto the planet's surface. Everything seemed relatively quiet. A flock of avian flew overhead in the direction of a lush forest. He decided to head in that direction.

[michime]

What Khell didn't know about the land spot was soggy and couldn't support the much weight.  The grass land could only support small Rodentia that scurried over the bloody red mud while insects buzzed from grass stalk to stalk.  The ground made a squish squish sound with every step and if too much weight remained in the same spot, the ground would slowly suck it down.

Clouds were far off behind the forest in the light green sky but that could change depending on the way the wind blew.  Perhaps a storm was coming. 

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Khell's claws flexed against the soft earth. The sensitive nerves running through his clawed toes and soles of his feet allowed him to gauge all sorts of information about the land. He could tell after the first few steps that he wasn't guaranteed secure footing in this area. One option was to try taking the ship to another location, but who was to say he wouldn't run into the same issue?

His eyes suddenly widened in alarm. The ship! Khell spun around only to see his vessel already sinking into the soft marsh. He ran back towards the open hatch and dove inside. At the helm's console, he tried desperately to get the thrusters activated, but a wet groaning sound told him the engines were already flooded with the muck threatening to swallow him. The room started getting dark and Khell realized the ship was more than halfway sunk into the marsh. He had no choice but to abandon his ship, or else get swallowed up by the planet.

Khell dashed through the marsh, making sure his feet only landed in the soggy earth one at a time and then leaping as far as he could. Finally, he came out of the grass and landed on hard dirt. The Zioruta paused, leaning forward as he tried catching his breath. Khell looked back, but there was no trace of his ship having ever been there.

[michime]

The wind kicked up at that point and blew through the grasses making a sound that could have been described as giggling.  The hard ground supported the tall, heavier, thick trunk trees with beautiful, colorful bark and leaves in all shades of blue. Smaller plants sat on the forest floor with a series of thick, purple, vines that sprouted from a central white stalk.  The vines grew all around the stalk twisting and turning before spreading out in every direction to form a giant web around the trunks.  On this vine web, several bright green and yellow, middle sized rodents with brushy tails scurried about picking off grey buds from the vines and eating one before shoving the rest into a front pouch. 

The rodents gathered on the edge of the web when they spotted the newcomer.  They weren't afraid because they never encountered a creature like Khell.  They didn't know why he was there or what he would do; they just went about their little animal lives, eating and preparing for a season change. 

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Khell peered down at the rodents, noting their bold colors that contrasted with the blues and purples of the surrounding flora. Didn't that put them at risk of being easily noticed by predators? Perhaps they were toxic and that was the reason for their colors. The obvious presence of wildlife also raised the issue of re-habitation should his people establish farming colonies on this planet. The vines were also interesting in the way the weaved themselves around the bases of all the trees. Khell wondered if they were an invasive plant that might overtake any crops they tried growing.

Standing upright, the wandered deeper into the forest. Khell had no trouble breathing the air so far. That was a good sign. Vegetation obviously thrived here, so the weather was probably good most of the year-round. He kept noticing slight movements out the corner of his eye, or hearing sounds almost like whispers, but every time he looked, nothing was there. Scans of Drecuvis showed no signs of higher intelligence life forms. Was there a wild animal stalking him? Just to be sure, the Major readied his rifle.

[michime]

The moment the Major readied his rifle, the wind picked up to violent speeds.  The trees shook angrily as if the weapon offended them, and they wanted it gone.  All the little creatures disappeared from the vine web sensing a change in the planet.  Any sound that wasn't wind was died immediately before a series of snapping sounds filled the air. 

A sheet of vines dropped right in front of the Major blocking his way. 

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Khell hunkered down at the howling sound of the wind. He tail thrashed behind him in anticipation of a storm or perhaps one of the trees collapsing off its roots. He watched the rodents scatter and wondered if he too should find shelter somewhere. Suddenly, everything went deathly silent. It was entirely too unsettling. Slowly, Khell rose back up onto his feet, only for the vines to suddenly drop down into his path. The Zioruta jumped back. His claws felt a strange vibration deep in the dirt, but it wasn't like an earthquake or an animal burrowing under the ground. He couldn't figure out what exactly it was.

The vibrations distracted him long enough for a bird to swoop down on him and used its talons to snatch the rifle right out of his hands. Khell shouted in alarm. His head turned quickly, following the path of the bird as it disappeared into the trees. He didn't even hear its wings flapping as it approached. More distressing was the fact that he was now defenseless.

[michime]

The wind grew harder kicking up dirt and making the trees sway.  More vines dropped around Khell creating a wall between the trees and blocking any pathways out of the forest.  The central vines stalks began to violently shake splitting the ground.  From this cracks  a different kind of vine rose up -black with sharp looking thorns, these vines looked like thick barbed wire.  These vines immediately began to vibrate sending out a steady stream of orange dust into the air.  The black vines filled the space with the dust until it was a heavy fog that let in no light. 

It seemed that the forest created an inescapable cage and whatever it caught, it would keep. 

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Khell told himself not to panic and rely on his military training in a situation like this, but he'd never trained for a hostile planet. He quickly realized that whatever was happening must have been what the scientists picked up on. From what he could tell so far, the plant life on Drecuvis was perhaps sentient, using chemicals or vibrations or sound or something to think and feel. That would prove to be a huge obstacle if they came in and started clearing away parts of the forest for farmland.

He tried backing up when the black thorny vines sprang up out of the ground, but a tangle of the purple vines stopped him in his tracks. This was bad. Was the planet's neurocenter underground? Perhaps even deep in its core. Khell coughed as the orange spores filled the space. He covered his mouth with both hands and squinted his eyes against the swarming particles. Was it poisonous? There was a strong chance the entire planet was a living organism and recognized him as a germ and was now trying to eliminate him.

This wasn't at all how he expected his mission to go.

[michime]

"You will never have us," the words came from all around the vine cage.  "You're not going to hurt us.  We are stronger than you." 

More black vines erupted from the ground and one was so close that Khell felt the sharp barb run up his calf. The purple vines drew close at the top then weaved together trapped Khell.  The white stalks stopped shaking and sending the orange dust into the space.  There were several moments of stillness in the cage before the stalk split open to reveal two enormous buds.  The buds turned toward Khell and opened into a pink colored, five armed star radiating from the central disk.  Each arm had something that looked like two rows of sharp teeth along the edges but the center looked dangerous.  The yellow center contained three, sharp spines. 

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Khell gasped and his entire body turned white from head-to-toe for a couple seconds. The planet could -talk?-

"I mean you no harm!" he insisted as his skin darkened back into a rich violet hue. He hissed and jerked his leg when he felt the sting of the barb. Looking down, he watched a trickle of fluorescent purple blood drip down his calf. It was only a minor injury. Just a scrape. The remaining orange spores continued scratching at his throat and making him cough. Suddenly, the vicious pink flowers grabbed his attention. They looked entirely carnivorous and Khell feared he might become their next meal. "I merely an explorer," he explained, holding up both hands in a surrendering fashion. His tail twitched behind him nervously.

[michime]

More black vines moved around the space distracted the intruder and trying to scratch him some more.  The orange spores burst open with a puff releasing a mind altering gas.  The flowers lined themselves with the intruder's neck before they shot out all six spines.  "We know your purpose.  You want to conquer us!  Claim us for yourself!  We are not ours to control!"  All the vines and the flowers violently buzzed with excitement.  The cage slowly contracted a bit so everything was closer to the Major.  "You will reject coming here!"

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"If we could just talk about this diplomatically!" Khell suggested, but his voice was sounding more panicked. "My people need land for farming! We would only establish colonies for growing food! Ow!" He slapped his hand over his neck and was alarmed when he felt the spikes sinking into his skin. "Please, we don't want to conquer anyone! We can come up with a sustainable solution. My... My people..." Khell stumbled on his long legs, trio of claws digging into the dirt for stability. "My people need... farm land..." he moaned before his yellow eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

When Khell woke up, he found himself in a different part of the forest. He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. How did he get here? Did the plants move him? Looking around, he realized this part of the forest was dense, letting in very little light. The trees seemed to give off a faint blue glow. All the other plants also seemed to possess a sort of bioluminescence, glowing in colors like white, orange, pink, and purple. He heard the faint babble of a creek nearby and was glad to at least be near a water source. Khell didn't trust himself to be able to stand yet, so he simply called out, "Is anyone here?"

[michime]

There was no reply just the sounds of creatures moving around in this part of the forest and every once and a while a splash until the buzzing sound of insect wings filled the air.  A large, mantis like creature covered in a thick exosikeleton with spines and knobs landed a few feet ahead of the Major.  The creature had six legs and the first two pair looked like they were used for fighting.  The head was hard to find tucked under a curved section of the exoskeleton. It wasn't for the four orange compound eye slits, the head would have disappeared against the exoskeleton coloring.  A part of massive mandibles opened and closed twice once the creature landed.  But it wasn't the head that Major had to worried about.  It was the abdomen with a massive stringer.  

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Coming to Drecuvis was officially a terrible mistake. Khell knew he was an idiot for not coming here with more men. He regretted not coming equipped with better weapons or even any armor. Since there were no signs of higher intelligence on the planet's surface, he assumed he wouldn't need armor or anything more than the rifle. Oh, what a fool he'd been.

With a jolt, Khell was on his feet and running. He heard the monstrous mantis make a threatening clicking sound with its mandibles followed by the shrill buzzing of its wings. The Major had to find cover. His eyes darted all around looking for a cave or path narrow enough to block the mantis' path. Finally, he spotted an entanglement of large roots sticking up out of the ground. Khell dove into the tangle just as the attacking insect swooped over his head. He crawled as far back and as far down into the roots as he could where the mantis hopefully couldn't reach him. His heart raced in his chest and sweat dripped down his broad carapace.

The pounding of his heart alerted him to a throbbing in his neck. Khell touched the spot and felt a few welts where the spines struck him and sank beneath the skin. Immediately, he started inspecting his body for signs of toxins the spines might have released. Everything seemed fine save for a strange swelling in the lower part of his stomach. His eyes jumped upward when he heard the buzzing circle back around towards his hiding spot.

[michime]

The mantis flew low and using one of the sharp slicers on his first arm to cut through the top of the entanglement exposing the Major's hide spot.  The creature stayed low but did not land as if he was studying the small space trying to find a way to attack the intruder.  He tilted his head from side to side then let out a loud click.  

This must have been a signal to the roots because they sprang out from the ground quickly.  Thick hair grew out from one main tap root and it spread up and tangled the Major up in their branches.  

"Breed, breed, breed," the mantis' wings seemed to call as they beat in the air.  "Breed, breed, breed."

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"Aah!" Khell shouted in alarm when the mantis sliced the top roots clean off. He even ducked forward with his arms curled over his head. He waited for the blade-like arm to pierce him in the back or for those mandibles to crunch down on his bones, but the beast simply hovered in the air. Khell didn't have long before he let out another terrified shout as the roots grabbed him and lifted him up. The roots pulled his legs straight while keeping his arms out at his sides. Then, his ears heard it. In the same way the plants seemed to speak, the mantis also seemed to manage words in unexplained ways.

But that word wasn't good. The male Zioruta had no intention of breeding with this monster, but trapped as he was, he was left with little choice. Again, bright yellow eyes glanced down at the small swelling in his belly and looked back up at the mantis. "Did those flowers beat you to it?!" Khell barked. "First them and now you?!"

[michime]

The mantis' head bobbed up and down as if it was laughing.  The winged creature watched as the roots pulled the alien open for him.  "Eggs, eggs, eggs, breed, breed, breed."  The words repeated over and over again as the mantis landed in the pit next to the creature.  His abdomen looked swollen like it was full of eggs just waiting to be implanted into a host.  "You are mate."  The mantis' mouth but the words were perfectly clear.  

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"I'll have to decline," Khell snarled, even as the roots held him vulnerable to the mantis' approach. First, the marsh threatened to swallow him whole and took his ship. Second, the flowers trapped him in a cage and then assaulted him with their thorns. Now, this monstrous insect was preparing to breed him. The only non-threatening life form he encountered so far were the tiny rodents, but he suspected they were probably nefarious in their own ways. Was this entire planet one giant hostile entity?

"Gyyyah!" Without warning, the stinger entered him, completely disrupting any train of though Khell had. He jerked his arms and legs violently, but the roots just wrapped tighter around him. "Stop!" the male shouted, throwing his head back and forth. "Stop this!"

[michime]

The mantis let out a series of loud chirps like he was signalling for others or signalling his triumph over the intruder.  He ignored the alien's struggles easily enough since the struggling alien's arms and legs where held tight by the roots.  The mantis landed on top of the alien's body using his weight to trap the creature underneath him.  He moved his abdomen up and down getting himself into the perfect position.  Once he was sure the alien wouldn't escape, he bit the creature's shoulder before he injected his prey with some kind of venom. 

"Mate, mine, breed," the words cycled in the air as the mantis pulled his stringer out of Khell just a bit then pushed it back in.  He did this a few more times to loose the tight muscles then the stringer locked in place.  "I will give you my eggs now," the mantis stated even though his mouth didn't move at all.  'You will carry them." 

The tip of the mantis' stringer opened up spreading Khell even wider before a rattling sound started coming from the mantis.  "My eggs are moving toward you."  He explained as the rattling grew louder and louder.