Thunderdrop, p.1
Thunderdrop, page 1
part #7.50 of The Space Merchants Series
Thunderdrop
A Space Merchants Novella
By Wendie Nordgren
Copyright © 2017 by Wendie Nordgren
www.wendienordgren.com
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, places, and events are fictional and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Victoria Cooper Art
Also by Wendie Nordgren
The Space Merchants Series
The Space Merchants Book One
The Space Merchants of Arachne Book Two
The Parvac Emperor’s Daughter Book Three
Omnes Videntes Book Four
The Spider Queen Book Five
The Inquisitors Book Six
Omnes Videntes Series
Xavier
Jazon
Clue Taylor Series
Clue and The Shrine of the Widowed Bride Book One
Clue and the Sea Dragon Book Two
Clue and the Tree Spirits Book Three
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter One
Relieved to be free of the confines of the starship and enjoying the fresh air of Thalassa, Thunderdrop, an Arachnean Silk spider of the finest breeding, blinked his eight eyes at his surroundings. With all of its sand and water, it wasn’t his favorite planet in the Parvac Empire. However, even though the planet’s frequent showers and downpours annoyed him, its jungles did offer him some amusement. Thunderdrop detested getting wet. All of the sentient Silk spiders of his home world disliked rain. It was the reason they constructed their elaborate rainy season webs. However, the happiness of Princess Teagan of House Probus of Parvac, the humanoid with whom he shared a symbiotic bond, meant much more to him than his irritation with the rain and the seemingly boundless ocean that butted the mansion to which they had temporarily relocated. Currently, Teagan was happy, and that was enough for him.
The breeze pulled him forward and back as he dangled upside down from a thin line of silk that he had attached to the second-floor balcony. The fresh ocean air lifted the fine hairs covering his cephalothorax and appendages in the most refreshing way. Before him, the pink and orange sky stretched out vast and welcoming after days of sterile space travel. Vegetation sprang up in wild abandon past the beach and house where the jungle constantly battled against civilization for mastery. The secrets hidden beneath leafy green trees and flowering bushes beckoned discovery, but in order to investigate he needed permission.
With that objective in mind, Thunderdrop stalked his prey, waiting for the perfect time to strike. The sounds made by Teagan’s offspring gradually transitioned from cranky and hungry into the calm vibrations of sleep. Now was the time to attack. Making his eight eyes as wide and sweet as possible, he detached his line of silk and dropped to the balcony. Leaping up to the windowsill, he sensed Teagan’s presence and hopped through the open window to her lap. With her children napping, Teagan would be eager to play privately with her mates. Currently, she had too much lap on which to sit. She needed a new spiderling nestled in her abdomen.
Thunderdrop blinked at her slowly. Doing so always had the effect of softening her emotionally. It was his version of the sweet smile she so often used to get her way with her males. Telepathically, he shared visions of the various lizards that he had hunted and captured on their previous visits to Thalassa. He fondly recalled sinking his fangs into one lizard in particular, paralyzing it with his venom and then trapping it within a cocoon of silk.
No mere lizard would escape him, not an Arachnean Silk spider who was capable of protecting Teagan against humanoid male soldiers. He had done so before. Thunderdrop showed Teagan the big green leaves below which a hidden world begged to be discovered. He silently urged her to grant his request to explore and hunt within Thalassa’s jungles.
“The jungle is dangerous,” Teagan said in her sweet voice. Her fear for his safety brushed lightly against their symbiotic bond.
Thunderdrop blinked at her. He knew she meant well, but the jungle would only be truly dangerous once he was unleashed upon it. Didn’t she yet realize how formidable a predator he had become? He was about to remind her with a display of his fancy fighting footwork that he had learned from his observations of both Yukihyo and Hiroshi when Zared’s thoughts of support brushed against his own. He anxiously waited for Zared to speak up.
Teagan said, “You know how important you are to me. I love you. I don’t want you getting hurt.” Her green and gold eyes were full of love.
Thunderdrop blinked patiently at her. When had he ever stopped her from doing any of the crazy spiderling stunts she tended to pull?
“Teagan, should Thunderdrop require assistance, he knows how to call to us for help,” Zared said. He was one of Teagan’s mates. Zared was a hybrid Laconian warrior capable of telepathic and empathic communication. He and his hybrid brothers served as Teagan’s Omnes Videntes, Imperial Guards who could read the minds of her enemies and keep her safe. Zared had solid black eyes like an Arachnean Silk spider which made him even more attractive in Thunderdrop’s opinion. It was probably why Teagan was so fond of the male she had once called Puppy Petter. His long hair reminded Thunderdrop of spider silk.
Capitulating, Teagan said, “Alright.”
Thunderdrop nuzzled her under the chin to tell her that he loved her, too. Then, he disappeared out of the window through which he had entered before she could change her mind. Zared would distract her from worrying about him. Teagan was very over-protective of him and her children, Neema, Niklos, and Peter. Climbing the railings, he made his way up to the third-floor balcony where he attached a line of silk. Then, bending his leg segments, he pushed himself away from the house and jumped. Catching an air current, he floated away from the parked transports, small congregation of staff who chattered amongst themselves, and the various guards who were charged with protecting the Imperial family.
Walter, one of the hybrid Laconian thought readers who had bonded to Teagan, watched him with the solid black eyes of a spider as he floated down to alight on a large tree frond. Walter had short brown hair and looked very similar in appearance to his pod brother, Jazon. Walter had a kindness to him, but struggled against a second nature, one that raged against his rather introverted personality as the Enyo and Eriopis aspects of his genetics warred for mastery. When he felt himself losing that battle, he kept to himself.
“Chirp!” Thunderdrop said in a polite greeting, encouraging him not to worry about his safety.
Walter grinned at him. “I know you’ll be fine. I’m here if you have a problem, like rain.” Laughing silently, Walter showed Thunderdrop a mental image of a large umbrella.
“Chirp!”
Walter understood him. Thunderdrop might not like the rain, but he was strong and fully capable of a bit of jungle exploration. The warrior would come to his assistance if he needed it, but otherwise he wouldn’t interfere with his adventure. Teagan should take Walter as a mate, he thought as he disappeared into the jungle.
Chapter Two
Following the frond to the tree’s trunk, Thunderdrop climbed down through the leaves and vines to investigate the scurrying sounds below. One such sound belonged to a fat beetle who had sensed that Thunderdrop, a fierce predator, was near. Moving as quickly as its legs would carry it, the beetle tried to hide. The beetle’s efforts were futile. Thunderdrop descended upon it, swiftly sank his fangs through its carapace, injected it with his digestive enzymes, and then began grinding the bug to bits with his jaws. Thunderdrop didn’t need to be provided with canned spider food in bowls as long as he could hunt. He was a skilled hunter, like Yukihyo and Nico who hunted ice bears. However, unlike the two males, Thunderdrop didn’t need blasters because he was a weapon.
The Arachnean Silk spider decided to hunt something big so as to prove his power to Teagan. Then, she wouldn’t be afraid when he wanted to explore new planets. She would feel the same awe for him that the spiders of his home world felt. Those spiders knew that he travelled and hunted off world because he was brave, fierce, and had poisonous fangs that struck fear into the hearts of his enemies.
“Splat!”
Thunderdrop cringed.
“Squawk! Squawk!”
Thunderdrop glared up into the branches of a tall tree at a large red bird. It had just pooped on him! Even worse, the bird seemed proud of himself as though he had been taking aim! Affronted but also curious as to what had prompted the bird’s death wish, Thunderdrop examined its thoughts. He quickly discovered that he had beaten the bird to its dinner when he had caught the beetle. The big red bird was angry that another predator had invaded its territory and was eating its food. It squawked loudly and flapped its wings in agitation.
After Thunderdrop had finished grinding up the beetle in his jaws and swallowing it, he rubbed his abdomen against wet leaves to clean off the bird’s poop.
“Chitter! Chitter! Chitter!”
Thunderdrop knew exactly what he wanted to eat next. With clear intentions, he climbed the tree in which the big red bird believed itself safe from the large spider with his long black legs, blueish-grey abdomen, and lethal fangs. It watched Thunderdrop’s advance with mean, beady, little eyes. Quickly, it flapped its wings and lifted up into Thalassa’s pi
“Oh, we will battle, you and I, bird brain,” Thunderdrop silently vowed.
However, Thunderdrop’s angry chittering sounds were lost upon the bird. Unfortunately for it, the bird’s simple thought patterns weren’t lost to the sentient telepathic spider. The red plumed bird had flown away in search of another meal.
Thunderdrop climbed from the treetop and down into the cool humidity of the jungle. There within the leaf shrouded shade, snakes and lizards caught his attention. A large lizard clinging to a tree changed its color to match the light as it filtered down through the leaves. The lizard’s throat moved as it breathed. He studied it in absolute silence, watching its swiveling eyes as he planned his attack. Ever so slowly, Thunderdrop began his descent from directly above and slightly behind the chameleon’s head. Then, he dropped and struck before the chameleon suspected his presence. He sank his fangs into its thick skin, and his powerful venom immobilized and put an end to it before a thought of fear or danger could enter its mind. After shrouding it in a cocoon of silk threads, Thunderdrop carried his prey through the jungle and back to the white house on the beach where Teagan and her spiderlings slept, carrying it under the house and securing it.
Izaac, another of the Laconian hybrid warriors who had bonded to Teagan, watched him from his perch in a nearby tree where he performed guard duty. Thunderdrop’s eight legs carried him from beneath the house and across the sand. He climbed the tree and sat beside the genetically engineered telepath. Appreciative of the company, Izaac stroked Thunderdrop’s back. He showed Izaac the mean red bird and what it had done, still furious at its uncouth vulgarity. Izaac removed his hand from Thunderdrop’s abdomen.
“You could have warned me before I started petting you,” he telepathically whispered into Thunderdrop’s mind.
Izaac never vocalized his words but instead communicated by playing upon the mind strings of others. He was at the center of his own beautifully constructed telepathic web with strands running out to each sentient to whom he had anchored himself. He would give Teagan fine spiderlings should she add him to her web.
Into his thoughts, Izaac said, “Thank you. Shall I count on your support when the time is right to lure her into my web?”
“Chirp!” Thunderdrop agreed. He showed Izaac images of large kills, like deer. Females liked hunters who could supply them with plenty of meat.
Izaac silently chuckled. “I will keep that in mind. Your feathered adversary nests in the tree with yellow flowers. Your back and my palm require retribution.” Izaac showed him an image of the tree.
“Chirp!” Thunderdrop said in thanks while showing Izaac an image of red feathers raining down to the jungle floor from above. That is what would happen once he sank his fangs into that bird.
Then, he went to check on Teagan through her open window before beginning his hunt. She slept safely between Yukihyo and Nico. Assured of her safety, he climbed the house, attached a line, and floated on an air current away from the dwelling and into the trees.
Chapter Three
Within the jungle, darkness had fallen, and all of the lesser jungle beasts froze in fear at his approach. They were instinctually wise to feel terror. Thunderdrop was a predator worthy of their respect. The red bird had made a grave mistake when it had attempted to humiliate him. Soon, it would join the chameleon underneath the house. Silently clinging to the undersides of leaves, he discovered the red bird’s nest and constructed a web where he could keep it under surveillance and rest before their coming battle.
After a few hours of slumber, subtle vibrations along a few strands of his web alerted him to danger. Opening his eyes, he scanned the surrounding jungle. The bird slept with its head tucked beneath its wing, oblivious to the long, thick snake of yellow and black inching its way closer to the nest in soundless increments. From the triangular shape of the snake’s head, he could tell it was venomous. It began coiling in upon itself as it prepared to strike.
Keeping his angry chitters to himself, Thunderdrop moved from his web to stalk the snake. The bird was deserving of his retribution, and he wouldn’t be cheated of his revenge by some snake who was ignorant of their feud. He struck quickly, and the snake’s tail went limp. With its death, its tail slapped against the leaves and branches. The sounds were enough to wake the red plumed bird.
With a startled squawk, the bird took off in terrified flight, leaving crimson feathers falling from its wings to either stick in its nest or waft down to the jungle floor below. Thunderdrop let the dead snake fall. Its tail hit first and was followed by the rest of it as it thumped to the ground. Before the last soft red feather had settled, a spotted jungle cat leapt from her hiding place and clamped her incisors into the snake. With it in her jaws, she ran away with it through the bushes. Then, she sank her claws into the trunk of a tree and climbed, carrying the snake up with her into the branches of a tree to eat. Thunderdrop scanned the jungle for the bird but couldn’t see where it had gone. It would hide until morning. Of that he was sure. His hunt began once more.
Thunderdrop made his way carefully through the foliage. Occasionally, he climbed above the jungle canopy to search the sky for signs of his feathered nemesis. He was busy scanning the horizon when a deep, guttural chuffing sound drew his attention. Climbing down from his great height, he walked along a branch. He let the sound vibrations guide him. The guttural sounds escalated into frightening roars and screams. Soon, Thunderdrop learned why. The spotted jungle cat was fighting against a male of her species. Long, sharp claws swiped and tore at fur. Sharp teeth bit down. The jungle cats slashed and screamed as they battled. Thunderdrop wanted no part of the dispute. He didn’t believe his carapace would survive such ferocious activities.
“Chirp chirp!” For a moment, the dispute between the two cats seemed almost like a lovers’ spat. It reminded him of how furious Teagan had once been with Inquisitor Drex Licinius. She had since forgiven him and had taken him as a mate.
Soft frightened mewling sounds caught Thunderdrop’s attention. Taking a closer look, he saw baby jungle cats. They were so tiny that their eyes were still closed. So, their mother was fighting to protect them from the male. That changed things. She was a good mother to protect her kits. The male might eat them. It also explained her hunger. It was no wonder that she had wanted the snake. She needed food so she could produce milk. He listened as the battle continued.
As he watched, a massive lizard with a long, forked tongue walked from the jungle and toward the mewling kits. Their mother was engaged in a battle that might possibly end her life. She was doing it to protect them, but while her back was turned this cowardly reptile meant to eat her young. It infuriated Thunderdrop. He leapt down from his perch and sank his fangs through the lizard’s thick flesh, filling it with his venom. The lizard’s clawed feet vainly scratched at the dirt of the jungle floor as its respiration slowed and stopped. The hungry baby jungle cats were safe, and their mother would get a couple of meals from the lizard. Worried, he decided to see which of the jungle cats, male or female, was winning the fight.
It didn’t appear to be going well. Going against his better judgement, Thunderdrop decided to intervene. He needed to be careful, or he risked becoming a meal for either one of the large predators. Thunderdrop decided to lure the male cat away from the female and her young with the promise of a meal. He wrapped sticky silk around the lizard’s tail. Then, he jumped high up into a tree and started dragging the dead lizard. When he neared the fighting cats, he lifted the lizard and let it dangle where the cats could see it. Thunderdrop taunted them with his kill. The male cat took the bait.
Thunderdrop ran quickly along a branch and then leapt to another tree. The male cat chased after the dead lizard. Thunderdrop let it swing along behind him through the trees, keeping it low enough to be an enticement but high enough to be a challenge. He kept going until he felt that a safe distance existed between the mother cat and her kittens. Then, he severed his line and let the lizard drop with a loud thud. The male cat pounced, sank his fangs into the lizard, and ran away dragging it with him. He hoped with a full belly that the male cat would leave the kittens alone.
