Third Person Omniscient

Skylar nervously traced shapes on the floor with her bare feet. Kweide was still awkward with her at times, far more careful with her than he ever had been. He'd even warned N'kai from training with her and yet... there was an unmistakable distance between them that was felt more than spoken. "They're here," he said. She held onto his hand for a moment before pushing herself off the wall to greet her friend.

Although she would have to tell Kayla about what she learned at some point, it wasn't yet. Things like their permanent separation could wait until after they got their weapons from inside the armory."Hey Lala," she smiled softly.

"Hey Sky," An awkward grin pulled over Kayla's face as she met Skylar's gaze. She fell silent as she came to stand beside Skylar, unsure of what to say. Her mind was still mulling over their last interaction, the one she never got around to telling H'chakde about. As much as she would like his input, she was unsure if it would truly help.

H'chakde followed suit, coming to stand beside Kweide. "Any idea when the Elder is going to call us in?" He inquired, gesturing to the door with a tilt of his head.

"Perhaps now" Elder Luar'ke appeared behind them from another hallway. When Skylar jumped his tusks clicked in amusement. "It seems you are all eager to choose your first weapons, let me not delay you." With a press of his palm on the scanner the door slid open and unveiled a room filled with shelves and racks to the brim. Weapons hung and rested on nearly every surface, silver and gold and bronze and some green metal that shone brightly. It was daunting though still beautiful.

Kayla stepped toward the room enough that she could see inside, but not so much so that she was blocking the doorway. Her eyes canned the assortment of weapons taking all of them in and how likely she'd be capable of wielding each one.

"You may pick one weapon after your wrist blades and armor are measured out for you," Elder Luar'ke gestured for them to follow as he stepped inside. A Yautja awaited the girls by a workbench, a scanner in his hand as well as two gauntlets of a smaller size.

"Well that's going to be a hard pick." Kayla thought to herself as her and H'chakde followed the elder. She stayed back waiting for the cue to approach the yautja by the workbench. In her head she was already beginning to sift through which weapons she wanted, and which would be most useful to her during the hunt. Perhaps a long range one.

Elder Luar'ke motioned for Skylar to go first and stepped aside. She approached the yautja and allowed him to scan her from head to toe before he set a mock up wrist blade on her. It was too big at first but with a few twists of a knob it shrunk bit by bit to her skin until it was tight enough to not move an inch, but just loose enough her hand was moveable. He seemed to think it was properly finished because he showed her how to unclip it before he sent her on her way. "Next".

Kayla stepped up, allowing the yautja to go through the same motions of scanning her and fitting on the wrist blade on her. When it was secure, she stepped back twisting her arm momentarily to get a good look at the weapon. She had never used something like this before. However she was sure both H'chakde and R'kadekna would remedy that in the next few days or so.

The Yautja clipped his scanner to his belt and dipped his head to them, "your armor will be sent to you before the hunt so you may practice with them, any leathers or furs you decide to wear you must craft on your own". He left the room at a languid pace, a curious glint in his eye.

"Elder Luar'ke," Skylar raised her hand, "are we allowed to know where we're going?"

"Yes, of course the details of the inside will be kept to a minimum, but your environment will be humid and thick with greenery. Prepare for that as you will."

Kayla had been stationed somewhere like that not too long before she had been taken. Its description was not too far from the ones she had given Skylar over the phone during that time. "Elder, how long will it be until our hunt?"

"Not much time, a... week at most." He gestured behind him, urging the girls to start looking for their weapons.

Kayla nodded as she turned her attention to survey the weapons again. A week, that was so soon, yet somehow felt so far away. She couldn't help the excitement bubbling in her chest that soon died at one thought.

That meant the time for her and Skylar to part ways was also drawing closer. If they both survived the hunt that was. According to H'chakde, not everyone made it out.

Her eyes stopped as they landed on one weapon in particular. It was a double sided ax with a long handle handle with a knife at the very end of it. She walked closer grabbing it off the rack and testing its weight in her arms. The weapon was heavy, but not heavy enough she wouldn't be able to use it. Her eyes squinted as she looked up at the other weapons, debating silently whether she wanted this one or not.

Kweide eyed Kayla's choice quietly before guiding Skylar away from that rack. She simply was not meant for that kind of weapon. Nor vicious enough.

"Wait, why can't I look over there?" She turned back, eyes focused on the spears and axes on the wall. They were gorgeous. So beautiful and yet so deadly. She admired them despite the intimidation they presented to her.

"You hardly have the strength for them, Kayla is suited for those weapons but you must pick based on your own talents. Not your wishes." He stopped her in front of the long range weapons."Your hunt with a spear is evidence enough you need to wield something else".

She didn't like the uncomfortable sting in her chest but she nodded, at least to save face. He had insulted her but she knew he was just trying to be logical. It seemed everything that hurt her was always so right and she was so wrong. Their prey was smarter and harder to kill than ever before. Her hapless luck versus the alien deer wouldn't be able to get her out alive this time. "So... a bow?" She pointed at the one made of a dark green metal. It had spikes on the top and bottom meant for close combat. Something had to be there for when long distance was not an option.

"A better choice, you have enough arm strength for it and it will keep you far from the fray." He pulled it off the rack and placed it in her arms. "Try it". Kweide nodded with approval as she pulled back the string with relative ease.

Kayla watched Skylar go for the bow and couldn't help but agree with the choice. She would have gone for something similar, but wanted something more medium ranged, just in case her plasma caster failed her. She didn't know exactly what they were facing, just that H'chakde recommended she not get too close to the creatures.

"Do you know how to wield something like that?" H'chakde asked, coming to stand behind her. Kayla shook her head as she adjusted the weapon in her hand.

"No, but I have a week to learn don't I?" She responded simply.

"Are you satisfied with your choices?" When both girls nodded he gestured to the steel benches lined in front of the racks. "Even the smallest of sucklings know more about your Chiva than you do," Elder Luar'ke placed his holo cube on the ground and stepped back as the device opened and lit up the room in a blue tinted light. A cone-like structure, akin to the pyramids of earth, rose up around them. Vines choked its stairs, covering even the looming dark entrance like a warning. "The trial will take place inside, your goals are not much," a holographic image of a large black creature with no eyes appeared in front of them both. It made no noises but its lips peeled back in a silent drooling snarl. "Make sure none of the kiande amedha survive." It took a moment for the translator to work, but the message came through. Hard meat. These things the Yautja hunted were called hard meat.

Skylar had an awful feeling the black dome of their head was more exoskeleton than meat but before she could ask, the image in the room changed. Rows of hip high eggs laid out around them,the floors made of thick looking goo. "Their young are just as dangerous, if their tails wrap around your throat you will either be implanted with a kiande amedha or should you cut yourself free...be dissolved by the acid blood the species shares at all stages of life." The cube closed as he stepped on its edge. "Do you have any questions?"

Kayla couldn't help the look of disgust that pulled across her features at it all. The creatures, the way their kids were just as dangerous as the adults were. The thought of their acidic blood made her skin tingle. She raised her hand to get the Elder's attention. "Is there something we can take with us to protect ourselves if we get a little of that on us? Or should we book it for a body of water?"

"Water is not strong enough to save you, not much can withstand their blood besides our own and the secretions they use to make their nest," his mandibles twitched with disdain, "if you are wounded you will have to apply as much of their filth on you as you can."

"Understood." Kayla said simply nodding as she marked the information to memory.

Kweide crossed his arms, his helmet tilted away from the group as he stared at where the hard meat had stood minutes before, seemingly lost in thought. Skylar wished she knew why he kept his gaze so transfixed there. What was he thinking?

Elder Luar'ke picked up his holo cube, the red cape he wore swirled as he moved for the door. "I wish you both success but more than that I wish you an impressive hunt. The clan will be watching you that day, may you return to roars of blood and glory." It was a little uplifting to hear he had faith in them but still it did nothing to quell the very real underlying sense of danger. They could return victors, free and strong. Or they could not come back at all.