Jack's Snow Day

The Skrahak had reached some limit to the amount of pain it was willing to ignore. It roared deafeningly at Bal throwing up a huge gust of snow and ice crystals which pelted her. She staggered back and that was the opening the creature needed. It reached out a portion of its body and swatted Bal off of her skis.

Jack was already moving before Bal landed and found herself pinned to the snow by the appendage projecting from the beast. She couldn't breathe under the pressure of its grip. The boney plates of its maw were swinging over towards her and she could do nothing but watch in horror.

Racing downslope in a full tuck position to boost his acceleration Jack ripped off his hat and knocked the caps free from his horns. He had no other weapons and no time to think this through. He was almost flying as he reached the Skrahak. He slammed the ski's brakes on as he disconnected the bindings and shot over Bal's trapped body like a missile to strike the right side of the beast's jaw.

CRACK!

Gee froze as she watched in terror from across the snow as Jack's head and shoulders seemed to disappear inside the mouth of the Skrahak.

It screamed! It flailed and swung Jack's limp body from side to side as gore splashed across the snow.

Bal was no longer under its limb and pushed herself back from the grisly scene. She struggled to get breath back in her lungs as her eyes were locked on Jack. She saw his arms and legs spasm horribly then his hands reached up to grab the ripped edges of the hole he'd made in the side of its jaw. The beast renewed its efforts to fling Jack loose but this just made it scream louder.

Jack's legs found purchase for just a moment and he used that leverage to pull back hard. There was a terrible ripping sound and the creature finally managed to toss him loose. He spun in the air and landed in the deep snow just beyond Bal's prone body.

The Skrahak tried to roar but its face was destroyed and the pain turned the roar into a shrill squeal. It turned once more towards Bal.

Jack clawed his way free of the snow onto the packed down area and leapt to stand over Bal facing the Skrahak. His mind went back to another snowy scene and a man facing down an angry, injured beast. That hadn't ended well but he wasn't going to let this thing have Bal or Gee or those kids. Even if he had to kill it from inside its gut he would. He wracked his mind trying to think of something he could do.

Bal stared up at Jack standing between her and the Skrahak and for the first time in her life she froze. She knew she had at least one broken rib and was out of the fight. She knew she had to flee but Jack was there protecting... her. She was no help to him but as she stared at the strips of flesh and gore dripping from his horns and the blood covering his head and shoulders she was shaken to the core.

Jack lunged at the creature and it jumped back the same distance. That gave Jack some confidence. He recalled some old advice for confronting bears. He stretched himself as tall as he could with his hands stretched up over his head to make himself look as big as possible. Then he roared at the creature with everything he had. The scream of rage that ripped from him echoed off the walls filling the area. The beast shifted back again.

Then it began to rear up as well. Jack watched the torn maw rise up and up and still higher.

Jack wet himself, just a little.

The creature drew in a breath to roar back-

And disappeared.

A poof of snow was the only evidence it had been there at all. The cliff's snowy edge had given way under its concentrated weight.

Jack sagged and dropped to his butt on the packed snow. His body shook with unspent adrenaline. He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and turned his head to see Bal standing there nursing her ribs. He immediately turned entirely around to face her in concern.

"Are you ok? Did it injure you?" he gasped.

"Why do you not listen when I tell you to stay put!" Bal scowled at him but he could see she wasn't really angry. He just smiled and shrugged.

Gee skied up to them and checked on her partner. Then she stared at Jack. "Why does he not stay put!" she asked her partner. That got an actual smirk from Bal.

The two teens approached, looking at Jack with wide eyes. The young male was Jett and his mouth opened and closed a few times as he took in Jack's bloody face and the shredded flesh on his horns. He truly looked fearsome. "How did you know?"

Jack looked at him. "How did I know what?"

"How did you know how to do the mating challenge?" Jett gasped.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"When two dominant Skrahak meet, they challenge each other and the victor impregnates the loser. Rising up and roaring is the challenge. It's instinctive. They have to respond. How did you know!?!" Jett asked again.

Jack snorted. He turned to the agents with a bloody grin and gestured to the cliff edge with his thumb. "I guess I really fucked him, didn't I!"

Gee and Bal rolled their eyes and moved to collect Bal's skis so they could leave.

"Hey! That was a good one! Come on guys! You have to admit..."

When they continued to ignore him he turned back to Jett with a sigh. "I was pretending to be a bear. A similarly frightening creature on Earth. I had no idea what I was doing. I'm just glad it worked out." He looked up the slope to where his hat was. His head was getting cold as the blood cooled. His horn caps were long gone.

He looked over at the young female and she looked very sad. "What's wrong?"

She looked mournfully at him. "I think it got Khee."

Jett explained. "Khee was out with us when the Skrahak attacked. We got separated. It followed us and cornered us in this box canyon. We haven't seen-"

"JETT! SHAY!" cried a voice from the top of the ridge.

The teen's faces lit up as they looked up towards their friend. Behind him was a large group of Ridgers all armed to take down the Skrahak. They rushed down the slope to check on them and Jett excitedly described the battle while Jack climbed back up the hill to get his hat. The group joined him, eyeing him and his bloody appearance especially the horns, and they made their way out of the shadowy pocket.

Jack immediately had a problem. Now that they were no longer in the shadows he couldn't see. He'd lost his goggles when he crashed through the jaws of the beast which was now dead at the base of the cliff. He had to close his eyes against the glare.

The Ridgers came up with a solution. Along with the others they loaded Jack, Gee, and Bal with their ski equipment onto the flatbed behind the snow crawler they'd driven out in and everyone rode in style on the way back. Jack pulled the hat down over his eyes and heard the horn tips tear through the fabric.

When they got back to the village they went down the ramp into the bay and everyone marched inside into a huge crowd of Shreen who'd come to see 'Jack the Skrahak killer'. News had travelled quickly and the mayor was right there to check on them.

"Mayor Ghen, is someone going to check on the body of the Skrahak?" Jack asked as he tugged the remains of the hat off. There was a collective gasp as the gathered crowd saw the carnage on his horns and the razor sharp tips.

Blinking in surprise Ghen nodded. "Uh yes! We have a team going to the spot right now."

Jack sighed in relief. "Great! Could you ask them to retrieve my goggles from it?"

"Your goggles?!?"

"Yes."

"Where are they?" Ghen asked faintly.

Jack paused to think about that. "Well, I likely lost them when I was in its mouth but it might have subsequently swallowed them."

Stunned silence. Jack blinked at the crowd. "What?"

A huge cheer went up and in the contained space the noise was deafening. Jack winced and looked to the two agents who were also shrinking back from the wall of noise. He pointed in the direction of the resort and they nodded. The mayor saw the gesture too and nodded to Jack.

The trio managed to get through the crowd and on their way and soon enough they were in their room. Jack kicked off his skiing shoes and walked into the shower fully dressed. He got the hot water going and carefully washed the blood and bits of flesh and skin from his horns. He was surprised to feel the surface of them had gone back to its original rough texture. The coating was gone. Maybe dissolved in the saliva of the Skrahak?

His body trembled as he recalled coming back to his senses inside its mouth. He'd been able to breathe thankfully but it was never a good thing to be in another creature's mouth.

He washed the outer layer of his ski suit and the blood came right off. Nothing stuck to the slick fabric. He peeled it off, wrung it out, and hung it on a hook outside the shower. He did this with each layer until he was down to his skin. That he scrubbed until it was pink.

Once he felt like he'd cleaned himself of every remnant of the beast he shut down the shower and turned on the air dryer. He realized he hadn't brought any clothes in with him. He sighed. Well, Gee and Bal knew what he looked like naked so he made sure his ski clothes were drying properly and left the bathroom.

Queen Lyn and King Tyg smiled broadly at him from the cushions of the living room pit as he walked into the room.

"Jack!" the Queen cheerfully gasped and climbed up to rush over and hug him, rubbing her face against his. As soon as Jack recovered from that Tyg was next in line.

"What- it's great to see you two again but what are you doing here?" he gasped and gratefully snagged the underwear from Gee's outstretched hand. Once he had those on he felt a little better. Gee continued to hand him clothes he immediately put on as the Queen answered.

"We heard the interviews Tyg's parents have been doing with you and decided to come visit so we might join you. Tyg missed his parents and home too."

Jack blinked at her. "The interviews? You heard them too? I got the impression that they were only shared with the village! He said they were for the people who couldn't... join us in the restaurant." Jack realized that could also mean the people in Elleltris.

"Exactly. The broadcasts are very popular! They play all over Chrystan and I understand there has been off world interest as well which is surprising as everyone beyond Chrystan seems so obsessed with imagery," Lyn said with a smile.

"What's this I hear about you going after a Skrahak all by yourself?" Tyg grinned. "You're going to make the Ridgers look like... weenies."

Jack laughed hearing the Earth term coming from Shreen lips. "Where did you hear that word?!?"

Tyg couldn't suppress his own chuckle. "Hahn won't stop using it! He said you used it on him at Tanz's party and now he's telling everyone he's 'no weeny'. I have to say, it's a fun term!" Jack just shook his head as he had no memory of calling Hahn that. They made their way to the pit and sat down.

"So, we just got here and never got a chance to see this Skrahak you bested. Did you bring it back to the village?" Tyg asked with eagerness.

There was a knock on the door and Gee went to answer it.

"No, it fell off a very tall cliff," Jack answered.

Tyg laughed with delight. "You scared a little Skrahak off a cliff and they call you 'Jack the Skrahak killer for that?" Jack just grinned at him and the Queen smiled with relief.

Gee returned with a tall Shreen male Tyg immediately recognized. With a cry of happiness he leapt to his feet to rush over to him. Jack and the Queen looked at each other and left the pit to meet a male that could elicit such a response in the King.

Tyg pressed his forehead to the large, strong looking male. He turned back to his wife. "This is Oleg! He's our champion Ridger! He and his team kept the village safe and cleared the region during the big migration two years back!" He turned back to Oleg hero worship plain on his face and the champion smiled back at him in grateful appreciation.

Then Oleg's eyes went to Jack and rose to his horns. The smile slipped from his face to be replace with... something else. Actually It looked a little like the expression on Tyg's face.

"I- I've come to return your property to you," Oleg said to Jack and Tyg looked at him expectantly. The male raised his hand and he had Jack's goggles. They looked no worse for wear until Jack saw the strap was in tatters, eaten away by the saliva probably.

Tyg looked at the goggles and smiled back at Jack. "You dropped your goggles out in the snow?"

Oleg turned to Tyg with a serious expression. "No, King. They were in the mouth of the huge beast."

"Mouth? Huge?" Tyg muttered in confusion. He turned back to Jack. "How did your goggles get into a Skrahak's mouth? Just how large was this beast?"

Jack fidgeted. "The goggles fell off after I crashed through the side of its face into its mouth," he said pointing to his horns.

The Queen cried out in shock, her legs giving out to drop her to her butt on the floor. Gee was immediately at her side to help her up and back into the living room pit to sit down.

"King, this was a Dynast Class Skrahak," Oleg clarified. Tyg's eyes flashed to the champion's face.

"But... they don't come down from the high mountain slopes!"

"No, they rarely come down. We believe they do during their own migration cycles. Being very territorial, this one may well be the same one that took your great grandfather but there's no real way to be certain," Oleg explained.

"How big?" Tyg asked.

"Nine metres, end to end," Oleg answered.

Tyg's face whipped around to look at Jack. "Are you insane? You attacked a nine metre Skrahak?!?"

"Hey! I couldn't really see how big it was at first and it wouldn't have mattered. It was going to eat Bal! Nobody, not even a big Skrahak, hurts my friends!" Jack barked back then looked around. He looked to Gee. "Where is Bal?"

She walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "I gave her some painkillers for her broken rib. She is resting under your coat. Let her rest," she finished when she felt him try to move to the bedroom. She released him and went to sit with the Queen.

Tyg was looking dazed.

Oleg cleared his throat and Jack looked back at him. "What would you like to do with the carcass?

"What?"

"You killed it. Its resources belong to you," Oleg explained.

"Oh! Uh, tell you what. I'll take one steak's worth of meat from it and the rest can go to Asha. She deserves the closure for her grandfather in case this is the same one." Jack said and the champion smiled at the poetic justice in this.

"You're going to eat the Skrahak?" the Queen gasped.

Jack smirked at her. "Not the whole thing! Just one meal as a symbolic act of defiance." He couldn't keep a straight face. "Actually just because I'm really hungry and Skrahak steak tastes amazing!"

Gee just shook her head as she rolled her eyes. Jack touched his forehead to Oleg's in thanks then walked over and sat next to the agent in the pit. He slumped back to relax against the cushions. There was a tearing sound and all eyes went to his horns which were embedded in the large pillow. Jack sat back up and looked back with a pout. He faced the others. "I'm sorry about that. I lost my caps out in the snow."

Gee went up on her knees on the cushions next to Jack and took his head between her hands. He looked at her in surprise thinking she was going for a kiss but she tilted his head down with a look of exasperation and examined his horns much closer.

"You've lost the GowGow coating. Likely it shattered in the impact. More worrying, you have multiple stress fractures on the front surfaces of your horns. We should return to Altaria for your doctor to look at these," Gee recommended.

Jack sighed as he heard the tone in her voice that told him it was more of an order, one he would regret ignoring once it got back to Queen Elissa.

"Tomorrow?" he asked and Gee smiled as she nodded.

Tyg was speaking quietly to Oleg and they touched foreheads once more before the champion nodded to the others and left.

"Well, you have an interesting story for your audience tonight!" Tyg said with a smile.

"I live in interesting times," Jack sighed.

Chapter 10

Jack woke with a terrible headache. He moaned and tried to lift his hands to his head but discovered he couldn't move his arms. His eyes flew open in a panicked response but he saw he was just buried in furry bodies once more. He tried to relax back against the pillows in the living room pit once more but the throbbing in his head wouldn't subside. He thought back to the night before to recall if he'd had anything to drink or eat which might explain the pain he was in now.

Ghen and Asha's broadcast dinner had been a lot of fun. The Queen and King had joined them at the table as had Gee and Bal, who had been feeling a little better. Oleg was also at their table but left part ways through the night to go on a patrol. They'd talked and laughed until the restaurant closed and afterwards made their way to Jack's suite with a bottle of Nii. The Queen promised it tasted lovely, generated a light feeling of euphoria, and most importantly had none of the seemingly random side effects of Lussht. It was another beverage you drank in small increments and the seven of them lounged in the pit taking sips as they continued to talk and laugh. This morning Jack had to admit the Queen was right. He'd felt wonderful last night and could still recall every moment until the time he nodded off in the pit. Obviously this had been seen as an invitation to get some shut eye with him. This was a genuine Shreen experience.

The pain spiked and he couldn't stop another moan from leaking out. Seconds later he felt a gentle touch on his forehead. He opened his eyes and saw Gee's concerned expression.

"I think we must take you home now," she said.

"What is wrong with Jack?" the Queen asked as she woke up and stretched luxuriantly over his body.

"Something is wrong with Jack?" Tyg blurted as he woke with a start. His parents were a little slower to wake.

"I slept so well last night!" Asha grinned with her husband then they lost those smiles when they picked up on the tension.

Gee pressed her lips to Jack's horns.

Jack looked at her oddly. "It's just a headache."

She frowned at him. "No Jack, it's not. Your horns are hot. We must take you to see Jinnae." She looked at the Mayor. "Could we catch a ride on the train that transports your produce to Elleltris?"

Ghen's eyebrows rose. "Uh, I suppose you could..." The idea was obviously disturbing for him.

"Haste is required," Gee said as her partner joined her. They did that thing where they talked with gestures and Bal's eyes widened in concern. She moved away to begin packing.

"We will leave our skis here if you don't mind. I'm sure Jack will wish to return to use them again soon."

"You are all welcome to come back any time!" Ghen said as his wife nodded.

"I apologize for us sleeping on you last night," Tyg said sheepishly.

"No, it's fine. A... genuine... Shreen experience I will treasure," he said through the pounding pain. "I have the fondest memories, those the Lussht didn't steal away, of Chrystan and its people. Thank... you for making me feel... so welcome!"

The couples tried to smile at him but they could see the pain he was in.

Ghen used his com to hold the next train and add a car to the end for the passengers. He instructed them to bolt down three spare bus seats into the extra car which shocked the people at the other end of the com until they learned it was a medical emergency for Ambassador Danner and his two Altarian companions. Then they jumped to it.

Tyg ran out the door to bring a cart up the corridor as the rest got Jack up and dressed. His muscles ached badly and he was beginning to realize that maybe this was more than a headache. He insisted in saying goodbye properly before boarding the cart. Tyg drove like a mad man, hand on the cart horn at every corner but he got them to the train station without killing them or anyone else. He helped them on board and told them Tanz would pick them up at the other end.