Kayla's POV

Kayla had been anticipating the arrival of her armor since she had been measured for it. Being in it now felt surreal, like a dream. Though it was neither a good nor bad one from what Kayla could tell. She stood in the mirror a long time, studying every detail finger running over every bit just to assure herself it was all real. The upcoming hunt was real.

Silver plates protected her shoulders, breasts, and her sides. She had pulled on a strip of leather from one of her last hunts to cover the parts her armor didn't reach, the bottom of her breasts and just above her belly button. Putting the thing on had been difficult, to say the least. H'chakde had helped her out with most of it, especially the skirt which bunched up at the front and was held together by a bone buckle she had whittled between training sessions.

Once she was content, she took to sitting on the bed to add the finishing touches to her boots. A strand of hair fell in front of her face and using her shoulder she tried to push it back. It stayed put for a moment before slipping in front of her eyes again. She let out a soft huff the strand lifting with her exhale.

"H'chakde, could you put my hair up?" She asked steadying the tooth against her boot with one hand while the other worked the needle through the leather strips at its sides.

H'chakde gave no response, but the bed dipped behind her, and she could feel his claws softly combing through her hair. She tilted her head back as he pulled her hair back and up. Her eyes closed a moment as she found herself enjoying the feel of his hands expertly working the knots from her hair bit by bit. It soothed her muddled mind that was still reeling with all that was to come, and all that already happened. Working through her conversation with Skylar had been a very slow process. Certain things just didn't seem to click, no matter how hard she tried to make them.

She soon opened her eyes and continued her work on her footwear. Allowing H'chakde to keep working his magic while she let her mind wander.

Kayla had always thought herself an extra, someone Skylar cared about but ultimately wouldn't mind when she had permanently left. Her parents hadn't been upset when she did, hell they didn't even fight to keep her at home. Others always referred to her as a separate unit from Skylar and Jason. However, Skylar's reaction betrayed that. The Elder's reaction only added to that.

She had already accepted a while ago that not all of this was her fault. Even if she hadn't gotten them lost in her moment of cockiness there was no guarantee they wouldn't have been taken.

Everything else was a new thing to process entirely. Slowly, however, she was getting there.

"Are you ready for your hunt?" H'chakde's gruff voice cut through Kayla's mental chatter bringing her back to the here and now.

"Yes," She responded, not because she was, but because she had to be. There was no other option before her other than the hunt.

Kayla took a deep breath and began running over what she needed to remember for the few hours ahead of her. She and Skylar were to part soon, whether by death or because her friend had gone home, they wouldn't be staying together. Though she hoped it wouldn't be the latter.

Never mind though, she could worry about it later. She had to make it out, and somehow ensure Skylar would too.

"Good, you'll do well. Just remember what we've taught you about the Kainde Amedha." He had finished raking his fingers through her hair and began to twist it above her head. Many strands still fell around her face, though H'chakde either didn't notice or didn't care. Using one of her makeshift hair ties, he tied the knot of hair into place.

Once he moved his hands away, Kayla stood and began slipping her boots on. Her fingers moved deftly as she laced them up tightly and stuff the strings into her boot.

"They're to leave soon, we should head for the ships if you are ready." H'chakde grabbed Kayla's chosen weapon from the table and handed it to her. She turned her head up, meeting his gaze as she gently took it.

They held each other's stare, taking in one another as if this would be the last time they'd see each other. The thought truthfully wasn't far-fetched, but it was certainly a discouraging one. If she lived, maybe staying by his side would be as bad as she had initially believed it to be. As a friend or something more didn't matter to Kayla.

She took a step closer, and he mirrored the movement. Kayla opened her mouth to speak but a knock made the words die in her throat. Their heads turned in unison as the door pulled open and R'kadekna came to stand in the doorway. H'chakde lowered his head as she crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze traveling between both of them.

"I've come to see you off, they're loading the ships and readying to depart." The huntress stepped aside, giving Kayla the room to pass her. Once she did R'kadekna stepped out with her.

The two walked beside each other, with H'chakde only a step behind Kayla. She held her head high as she strutted down the corridor, Yautja turned their gaze to her momentarily as she passed them. There weren't many in the halls, she assumed they were either in the docking bay, or in the showing room waiting for the hunt to begin.

Kayla paused once they reached the ships and turned to look up at R'kadekna as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "I wish you a glorious hunt or a death that would make Paya proud." The huntress gave her a comforting squeeze before letting go. "I'll be watching."

"Thank you." Kayla gave her a soft smile as R'kadekna walked away, leaving only her and H'chakde alone, or as alone as they could be.

They turned to look at one another once again, though this time was briefer than it had been in their shared room. "H'chakde, before I go." She took a deep breath, holding it momentarily before letting it out slowly. "If anything happens to me. If Skylar makes it back and I don't-"

"You will make it back." H'chakde placed a hand on her arm. Kayla couldn't tell if he was sure she'd come back, or if he just wanted it to be so.

"But if I don't," Kayla's voice was firmer this time. "Promise me you'll take care of her, that you'll make sure she gets home."

"I will."

"Promise?" Kayla reaffirmed.

"Promise," He nodded. "You better come back, even if you're badly injured, please come back."

"I'll try." Kayla nodded as she stepped through the door into the docking bay.

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Kayla took a deep breath as she approached the ship. Many Yautja gathered around in small clusters around the ship, seeing off the younger one on the most important hunt of their life.

Her boots thunked against the metal as she stepped inside, her eyes slowly surveying the area to see if she could spot her friend. She wanted to check on her before they took off.

"Lala!" Skylar called out from across the room, Kayla's eyes shifted towards her, and the girl smiled softly. Her bow was across her back and her feet were covered in what appeared to be cloth foot wrappings as she padded closer to Kayla's side.

"You ready for this Sky?" Kayla adjusted a strand of hair behind her ear. The mask was going to be an adjustment even after training with the mock-up R'kadekna had made her wear. The real one was certainly... different.

"I don't think I ever am" What Skylar said had been proven more than once. Every hunt, every separation, every day. Life had a way of keeping you unprepared on a Yautja ship. Nothing always ran smooth. Her blue eyes bore into Kayla's, a piercing softness behind the stare.

She wished she could assure Skylar they were, truthfully though, she didn't know herself. They had a fair chance at surviving, they were fighters. Both of them. "I guess no matter what, we gotta be Sky." Kayla did her best to usher Skylar to her seat as more Yautja began to pour in.

"No matter what," Skylar agreed with her, but her eyes wandered off, not seemingly afraid but for the first time in their lives the girl who often was engaged deeply in any person-to-person situation was suddenly silent and in her head. She followed Kayla though and took her seat like they were supposed to.

Kayla felt the ship rumble as she took her seat. The woman remained just as quiet as it parted from the mother ship and began its descent. There was so much she wanted to say, and so little time, it made it hard to piece all of it together.

The ship landed, and the youngbloods began to rise from their seats, Kayla followed suit, though she paused at the opening of the ship. She reached out, grabbing Skylar's arm. They had some time before they had to split up, she wanted to use it. "Skylar, remember no matter how this ends, I love you, and you're going to get home." She would ensure it, even if she had to use the last request the Elder had given her.

Skylar squeezed Kayla's hand firmly, "I love you too Lala, take care of yourself down there, okay?" There was another squeeze, lingering for comfort, and then she pulled herself away and headed down the ramp like it wasn't the hardest thing either of them had ever done.

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Kayla cloaked herself once she stepped foot into the cone. Her eyes widened with surprise to see the structure had an ecosystem all its own, a jungle that stretched the length of it if she had to guess. Her mask was lowered and switched on as she slunk further into the mass of trees. Her eyes scanned past them, only vaguely aware of the Yautja before her as greenery gave way to their feet.

The further she ventured the more rock formations broke the sea of green, remains she assumed, of what had once been buildings. She burned a few of the more memorable ones to memory as she continued to sprint.

A formation that looked akin to a crocodile, a turned-over tree covered almost completely with vines, and a broken stone pillar with its pieces scattered at its feet. They would be key to her finding her way out once the time came. She wouldn't get lost, not again.

Plants and trees, structures that looked bigger than the last, and even a few animals crossed Kayla's gaze. Nothing stuck out, or at least in a way she thought it would tip her off to where she was to go.

Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Kayla slowed to a stop her head turning to get a better look.

A stone arch stood before her, it was worn down, but not as beat up as some of the other ruins around her. Vines reached up its surface hooking itself in the more cracked parts of the stone. Despite the wall of flora, Kayla could still make out the carvings on it.

A Yautja, his mandibles flared, and his hands raised as he leaned back ready to slash the creature above him. It looked a lot like the one the Elder had shown her and Skylar, Kainde Amedha, him, and H'chakde had called it.

She moved closer, finding the arch was much wider than she originally thought. So much so that no sunlight hit her feet where she stood. In its center was a flight of stairs that led into the area below. The place where the creatures were if she had to guess.

Kayla inched toward the stairs finding that she couldn't even see the bottom of the stairs. She switched on her night vision, thankful to see there was nothing lurking at the bottom of the steps. No matter, she raised her weapon and began to descend into the dark.

The inside reminded her much of a Mayan temple. Well, what of it she could make out anyway. Stone walls towered above her, their size obviously meant to accommodate an Yautja. It gave her plenty of room to run from or dodge whatever came after her.

There was no sound in the stone corridors, save for the click of her boots against the stone floor. If there were any Yautja, they were too far away for her to hear. Compared to how it had been outside, her speed reduced greatly, though her eyes continued to scan all around her. Looking over the space in front of her, before slowly swiveling her head to check behind her.

Along the walls were archways that led deeper into the structure. Kayla inched toward one of the openings and peeked through. The room it led to was empty, with no sign of the plasma caster she was supposed to find. There were, however, three archways that led to other rooms. Hopefully they held what she needed.

As slow as she could, she slipped through the archway, her weapon raised in front of her. All seemed well, till a strange hissing sound reached her ears. Kayla paused; breath caught in her throat.

Slinking in front of the opening across from her was the creature she was to hunt. It towered over her; she was willing to bet it was taller than even most of the Yautja. She saw no eyes, only that familiar glossy surface of the dome on its head. The information on how the creatures saw or even if they could slipped her mind. Honestly, she couldn't recall if that knowledge had been supplied to her. There was one thing she was sure of though; it knew she was there. That much was evident by how its lips pulled back into a snarl, its teeth bared to her.

Fear blossomed in her chest, but she kept her mind and hand steady. This was no different than the other hunts, she couldn't lose focus. If she did, she would surely die.

The creature stalked forward, and she stepped back, remembering the warnings H'chakde and the Elder had given her. She needed to keep her distance, if any of its blood touched her, it was all over.

Kayla threw herself to the side as the creature lunged forward. Using the blunt end of her weapon she swung smacking the creature. It wasn't enough to cause any real damage, but it bought her the time she needed.

As she bolted for one of the openings, Kayla pulled free one of her smaller knives from the sheath at her side. Her wrist blades would be too risky to use here. Honestly fighting this thing without a plasma caster was a gamble in itself. However, she didn't have much of a choice. The creature turned, and Kayla threw her knife, the blade spinning in the air before cutting into the creature's side.

The pyramid around her began to rumble as if caught in a steady earthquake. Out of the corner of her eyes, Kayla could see the archway at the end of the hallway begin to close. It could be her safety net or the bullet in her leg. She ran for it, and despite the loud clack of her boots, she could tell the thing was right on her heels.

It swung at her with its claws aimed at her back, the razor-sharp appendages grazed her skin as she slipped between the stone slab and the wall of the arch. The opening had become so narrow Kayla had to practically jump sideways through the remaining opening. The creature was thankfully too big to fit through, but that didn't stop it from trying.

Its tail whipped toward her, cutting deep into her arm. Kayla cried out, falling hard onto the concrete floor as her weapon rolled away. The wall pressed against the Kainde Amedha's tail preventing it from pulling its tail back through the opening. Screeching filled the air as its tail flailed in a weak attempt to get free from its shackles. The ones it had so freely put itself into.

"Serves you right." Anger flared in Kayla as she staggered up from the ground. Her hand pressed against the cut on her arm hoping to slow the bleeding. A breath hissed out of her lips at the sting, only adding fuel to the fire. She pulled free her larger knife, watching the tail pathetically swing as she approached. It nearly hit her again, but Kayla was able to duck just in time to miss it. She waited till the tail had gone still before raising the knife above her head. Swinging down with all the strength she could muster; Kayla hacked the tail right off. It had come off a lot easier than she expected. Blood oozed from the open wound and began to eat at the ground below.

The thought of grabbing the part of the tail she had just cut off crossed her mind, but Kayla dismissed it quickly. The risk wasn't worth it. Discarding her knife, she turned to look at the rest of the room. An open metal box was in its center, Kayla inched forward, excitement building in her chest before disappointment swung in and snuffed it out.

The box was empty. With only an indentation in it to let her know a weapon had been there. She couldn't be getting her plasma caster just yet.

Cursing under her breath, Kayla collected her weapon from the ground. She studied it quickly, ensuring none of the acidic blood had gotten on its surface. Once she was sure it was clean, she turned to the only opening in the room and walked through. There was no sense in dwelling here, she had a plasma caster to find, and a Kainde Amedha to kill.

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The halls had been empty of both the Kainde Amedha and the yautja. The only indication Kayla had been given that she wasn't alone in the innermost part of the pyramid were the sounds. Hisses echoed down the dark corridors followed by the resounding roar of the yautja that had crossed the creature's path.

The symphony of battle called to her, urging Kayla to run down and join the youngblood, though a more sensible part of her kept her feet still. The part that understood that she would need a plasma caster before she could think of engaging with the creatures again.

She kept her steps careful, soft, but swift as moved along the corridor. The indent of a door was visible at the end of the one she was currently in. Once she was close enough to the frame, Kayla pressed herself against the wall. Turning her head, she peered into the room her eyes landing on something in the center of the room. Kayla's legs nearly gave out beneath her once she realized what it was.

Inside was one of the other hunters, his blood pooled beneath him mixing with the blood of the creature that was slaughtered alongside him. His armor had been burned through by the acidic blood that coated the floor. If it hadn't been for the Yautja she suspected it would have eaten through the floor as well.

The two had been there a long while, though Kayla couldn't calculate the exact time.

As she inched closer, she realized she recognized the fallen hunter before her. He had often been in the training room at the same time as her. His name escaped her memory, but she did remember he had a love of knife work. Kayla could even see the remains of his favorite bone knife dissolving near his hand. The aim he had was near perfect on the dummies they practiced on. And why wouldn't they? He had been training since the day he could hold a weapon steadily in his grasp.

If he had fallen, even when he had been training for much longer than her, what chance did Kayla have? Something far larger and stronger had fallen to these creatures, though how quickly was uncertain.

She knew the answer to her question, without the plasma caster, there would be little to no chance for her. Kayla scanned the floor quickly, wondering if maybe one was left there. Though she found quickly if the Yautja had one, it was now long dissolved. Even if it wasn't, she didn't want to risk potentially getting some of the acids on her skin.

Kayla took a deep breath, pushing her fear and uncertainty down as she kept moving. The distant roaring had yet to cease even though the hissing long had. That was a comforting notion, the sound of triumph meant the Yautja had bested the creature. Or at least she hoped that was the case.

Continuing on, Kayla had picked up her pace after leaving the room with the dead hunter in it.

The walls around her had thankfully not begun to morph into one path in her head. Even though they looked similar enough to one another, there were little imperfections that stood out enough for Kayla to pick out. They would be the arrows pointing her way back to the ship when the time came.

After inspecting a few more rooms, Kayla entered one with a familiar concrete box in its center. She moved closer, nearly whooping with relief at the sight of it. The box hadn't been opened, though she wasn't sure how exactly she was supposed to do that. There was no lock, no handle either.

Kayla knelt down, noticing the small indent separating the top from the rest of the box. She placed her hands on the stone, gritting her teeth as she pushed. Much to her relief, it began to slide open.

Fog pooled out from the box and spilled down the sides, filling the room momentarily before dissipating. There was something in the bottom that was vaguely gun-shaped, the plasma caster if Kayla had to guess. She reached for it, but her fingers were only able to ghost the metal before she was pulled back. In moments, her feet left the ground and her back met the neighboring wall.

She didn't have time to gather herself as a tail swung at her face. The razor sharp limb grazed her hair and the back of her neck as she rolled away. Kayla pushed herself from the ground, her weapon held steady in her hand. She and the creature circled one another, with slow, calculated steps. It bared its teeth at her, and Kayla returned the gesture with a low growl that vibrated her chest. Though it couldn't see her face, she knew for a fact it could hear her.

It lunged and she sidestepped, slicing into the creature's side with her weapon. The metal fizzled as the acid ate it away, Kayla chucked what was left of it at the creature before bolting toward the plasma caster. Its tail swung at her again, and she dropped narrowly missing the sharp edge yet again. Using her legs, she pushed herself forward, rolling closer to the box as the creature ran for her.

In one smooth motion, she pulled up the plasma caster and clicked it into the mount on her shoulder. It whirred to life, the red dots almost blinding in the dark room. The dots landed on the center of the creature's head, and as it lunged, Kayla fired. Her legs shot her back, ensuring there was enough space between them. The creature collapsed on itself, steam rising as its blood covered the ground below them. Kayla let out the breath she had been holding, a smile pulling across her face.

She did it, she really did it. Now she was truly one of the clan.

Kayla pushed herself up from the ground, wincing as pain shot up her ankle. It must have gotten sprained during the fight, though she couldn't seem to pinpoint when. It hurt, but she was certain she could walk well enough and even run if needed. Carefully, she maneuvered around the acidic blood toward the nearest doorway. Her head turned so she could look at the room, and the creature she killed one last time.

If there was no risk, she would go back for a souvenir for her growing collection. Though she'd much rather have a hand. Maybe next time she came across these things if there was a next time. Being so deep in the structure and so far away from the ship, she wasn't out of the woods just yet.

Kayla tensed as a now familiar hiss sounded off near her. No, she was far from any level of safety. Pulling free her weapon, she watched as the plasma caster righted itself. The newly blooded huntress raised her knife, though she knew it was useless, it gave her a feeling of safety. She charged, letting out a loud guttural cry as she came to meet the Kainde Amedha halfway. Its screech filled the halls as her next battle commenced.