Swirling black clouds blanketed the sky, covering the three suns. The heavy gale compacted more snow against the five foot drift that partially hid the front of his dwelling. The colossal storm raged outside, and the howling wind reminded him of a wounded Griglach. It sent a few shivers under his fur. The drafts reached deep inside his cave and stirred the flames of his fire. The warmth was not something he needed; he used it for the light and to cook his food. Unlike others of his kind, he did not rely on technology to assist him. He didn’t need a house made of stone, metal, and ice. Living in the mountains like his ancestors was what he was meant to do. No one understood his need to give in to his animal urges, the primal side of the Yetan nature to hunt with his claws and teeth. Others of his kind looked down upon him, but it didn’t stop them from coming to him when they needed to be healed.

With the severity of the storm, he heard the Griglach hide flapping about. He sighed and picked up one of the luma stones he used to light the darker parts of the cave. The cavern had an abundance of the luma stones. The stone he chose was a foot long and three inches around. When he blew on it, the warmth of his breath interacted with the crystal, and it illuminated a light blue. He charged a few by the fire in case he needed them. As he walked toward the front of the cave, he tore a leg from the sorna he’d caught, a large winged creature that had wandered into one of his snares attracted by the meat he had left behind. This one had a five foot wingspan and more fat on it than usual. It was a lucky catch. Sorna mostly kept to the air unless they were breeding and it was mating season. They made their nests deep in the ice by clawing out a hole with their four inch talons and dangerously curved beaks. He had gotten a few pecks even through his thick pelt. He took another bite before setting the drumstick down and headed toward the cave entrance

The luma stone gave him enough light to see through the snow storm. The large hide had been wrenched free from most of the pegs that held it into the stone. He thrust the luma stone into the snow drift and held fast against the battering wind. Some Yetan were thought to have been blown away by the great gusts. Ancient tales told that spirts had ridden the wind and stolen away his people, but he wasn’t afraid of archaic legends or the gusts. He lifted a hunk of ice and pounded the fasteners back into the stone. Some of the ice shaved off with each whack, but the repairs were easier than he expected. Working on the last pin, he heard a whistling sound overhead and then a large boom. Golden light exploded in the sky and streaked across the horizon. As he watched, another smaller flash broke off from the main one. In an instant, a sonic boom whooshed across the landscape, sending a wave of snow throttling toward him. He braced himself for the impact but didn’t know what had crashed. The surge washed over him and weighed him down, but he was far enough away that it didn’t bury him. With one good shake, he rid himself of the snow. He grabbed the luma stone and decided to investigate what had fallen from the heavens.

As he approached the crater, he noticed a silver ship protruding out of the mountain of snow it was immersed in. Parts of the hull and the insides were scattered across the frozen landscape. His father’s warnings sounded in his mind about how, in the past, their species had been hunted by beings who had come down from the sky. He had not seen this other race, but he didn’t doubt his father. Exposed wires and other sections of the craft sparked as he got closer. The way it landed made him think it ought to have cracked into more pieces. The scent of burnt ozone lingered in the air. He scrunched his nose at the stench of some putrid fluid that poured out of one side of the craft. Others from the village would be coming soon to investigate the crash. If they found any survivors they would be brought back to the town to be examined.

He should leave it alone, but he noticed a form submerged in the white drifts. An arm and a leg clad in black material was a stain upon the pristine snow.