Chapter 34- Joint Hunt 

*Two months after the previous chapter*

"Kayla, up." H'chakde's gruff voice called to her, pulling her from her rest and back into the present. The human gave a small grunt in reply before pushing herself up off the bed. Kayla rolled off of the bundle of furs her feet touching down softly on the cool metal floor.

"I'm awake." The half asleep blonde muttered. She brought her hands above her head, twisting her body one way then the other until he tired muscles were stretched. "What's the plan for today." She asked, reaching for one of the leather strips on the bedside table.

Kayla's hazel gaze flicked up to the yautja in front of her. Watching him closely as her fingers ran through her oily hair, pulling out as many tangles as possible so pulling it into a ponytail would be easier.

H'chakde stood in front of his small collection of weapons hung on the wall. His yellow eyes traveled over each and every one as he studied them, and debated which to choose. "We will go collect rations," He said, grabbing a bone knife and a small spear from their respective hooks.

They were two of his oldest weapons, worn down from use but still usable nonetheless. It would have been preferable if he was sending Kayla on the hunt with her own weapons, but she had none. So these would have to do until he had the opportunity to remedy that problem.

"After we do that, we will meet up with Kweide and his ooman in the ship bay."

"You mean Skylar?" Kayla corrected him.

"Yes, Skylar." H'chakde tossed the spear to her, Kayla barely catching it in her hands. The correction irritated him, but he wasn't in the mood to argue with her.

"Oh goodness! My very own spear!" Kayla commented with mock joy as the hunter held out the bone knife for her to take. She watched his tresses sway side to side as he shook his head. It was his turn to correct her.

"These are for you to borrow. Soon you will get your own weapons." He told her hands reaching up to pull at the leather straps of his armor.

"What are you doing?" Kayla asked as he pulled off his chest plate. "I thought we were going hunting."

H'chakde waited till he stripped down to only his loin cloth and shoes to answer her. "R'kadekna suggested we hunt without armor this time around." He told her before turning around to give her some privacy. "Remove your poncho."

Her clothing wasn't exactly armor. It was too soft to protect her well. However some of the clan could consider it light armor, and H'chakde wouldn't take that chance.

If it hadn't been for the bandages wrapped around Kayla's breasts, she would have given much more of a fight. She was by no means shy, being okay with showing a little skin here and there. Though she wasn't very keen on running around a foriegn planet in just shorts and sneakers. Both of which were barely hanging together by mere threads.

"But why?" She asked, almost surprised when she didn't get an annoyed growl as an answer.

"Both her and I thought it would be a good way for you to show off your skills, and strength." The hope was it would win her some respect from the clan members that still doubted her. Though even H'chakde didn't blame them.

Her first hunt was barely even considered as such, not something very ideal. This time would be better, the young warrior was certain of it.

He grabbed his own weapons before he stepped to the door. He looked at Kayla as she nodded and followed behind him out of the room even she considered her own. They slipped into the hall of the ship, the human coming to walk beside her mentor with much ease.

The two made their intended stop at the dining hall. Grabbing their needed rations before heading straight to the ship bay. The area was crawling with a few yautja, but much to her disappointment, Skylar was nowhere to be seen. Just her mentor, Kweide.

Kweide turned to acknowledge them both with a greeting. "Hello-" He halted as he took in their appearance. "Where is your armor?"

"We are hunting without armor this hunt." H'chakde told him, while Kayla preoccupied herself with looking for Skylar. When she didn't see her brunette friend she cut into the conversation.

"Where's Skylar?" She asked, keeping her eyes on her surroundings.

Kweide almost ignored Kayla in favor of figuring out what in Paya's name H'chakde was thinking, but then he thought better of it. She was an annoying thing when she wanted to be. "She is still asleep." He looked at H'chakde again. "What do you mean you are hunting without armor?"

"Oh." Kayla nodded before falling silent.

"R'kadekna thought it would be a better way to show Kayla's strength, hopefully prove to anyone who doubts her that she is fit to be a part of the clan." H'chakde explained with a tilt of his head. "Why? Did she not suggest the same thing to you?"

Kweide stiffened, "I have not seen her for some time... Are you certain this is for the best?"

H'chakde nodded, he wouldn't be risking this if he didn't believe that it was. Humans were fragile. "I do."

Kweide seemed to be deliberating something for a moment as he glanced between Kayla and H'chakde. Several heartbeats passed before he dipped his head, "I will return with Skylar shortly."

H'chakde nodded, turning his attention to Kayla and the food they were holding. "We will get the ship ready. See you soon." He said before walking away, Kayla followed closely.

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When Kweide entered the room he closed their quarter's doors and nearly roared her name to wake her. "Skylar!" He pulled the blade from his side and gauged it's sharpness.

"What! Who's invading? I didn't eat Hitler!" A bleary Skylar shot up in bed as she clutched at the pelts. There was a tense second of silence as her confused blue eyes landed on the long blade in his hand. "Um... I don't feel like we're on the same page here right now." She looked at the beautiful dagger before looking back up at him. "Why the big knife?"

"Do not worry, what I am going to do will not hurt ." Kweide approached as calmly as possible, unaware that he looked like a Yautja Michael Myers.

"That's not as reassuring as you think-" Skylar's protest was cut off by her shriek as he lifted her leg up in the air and began to slice up the pant leg until he reached just above her knees.

"Will this length suffice for you as well?" Kweide looked up to stare at her horrified face. "What?"

"Kweide you could have cut me like wet paper with that thing!" She gestured to her thankfully uninjured knee as he set it down.

He looked down at her knee and then to her carefully, "I did not intend to frighten you."

Skylar looked at him before she lifted her other leg, "Why are you doing this?" She looked at the meshing that still covered her, grateful that it hadn't been sliced any shorter, knee length would have to suit her just fine.

"Kayla and H'chakde are choosing to hunt without armor, so are we." Kweide was jerked forward as Skylar tried to pry her leg out of his grip, the tip of his blade went higher up her leg and she screeched despite the cool metal not even nicking her skin.

"No! no!" Skylar practically leaped from the bed, "I am not hunting armorless! " Her eyes were wide with indignation and a hint of fear as she stared at him.

"Why not?" He began to hesitate although he moved to pursue her.

"When we came back I was battered and hurting and covered in bruises. That was with armor Kweide!" She took a step back from him as he carried on after her.

"Most of your bruises and aches came from the water, not the animals. You will be safe from storms this time around, the weather is clear."Kweide tried to explain this as he drew nearer, but Skylar doged around to the other side of the bed much quicker than he thought she could move.

"Can you guarantee me that the only danger we will face will come from prey?" She stared at him, chin jutted out but eyes swimming with turmoil.

He stopped his movements, lowering the blade a moment to look away. "I cannot," when he looked back up he stepped closer, arms still lowered. "But that is to be true of any hunt, and whatever may happen, I will not leave you or let you die Skylar. You know that."

And she did know that. Skylar knew very well that he would do anything to keep her safe on the hunt. She just wished she didn't have to risk anything at all, "why do we have to hunt like this?" Her voice was resigned as she sat down on the bed.

"You made many mistakes on your first hunt," Kweide squatted down and finished cutting the netting from her leg, although his face could not be seen beneath the mask the words were plenty pointed. "Enough so that some still talk of it." He carefully inspected her leg for any cuts as he continued. "Yautja earn and keep respect through blood,to be their equal means to live like they do."

Skylar's face softened with pity, the fact that he had made the other Yautja separate from himself was not lost on her. He was as much of an outcast in ways as she was and that meant he also had to play by the rules even harder than most. "Will we-" She paused. "Will I ever stop having to prove myself?"

He unhooked his mask and delicately placed it on the floor, looking at her with his cloudy blue eyes. They looked so human compared to the rest of him, they spoke in a very human way too. He reached up and gently touched the soft planes of her cheeks. She was all a little blurry to him and not as visually beautiful as she was when he could see her through the view the mask provided. But her face and it's delicateness were burned into his mind clearly enough. He knew his thumb was passing over the starlike spattering of freckles and brushing across her small little lashes that blinked obligingly against the pad of his finger. "Only until you are a warrior. Only until then Skylar. Then-" He stopped speaking but his thumb moved across her nose.

It tickled but she smiled half heartedly as he halted his thumb back against her cheek. She didn't press him to continue against the confusion in his eyes. Instead she reached up to cup his hand. The hunt was going to be frightening, but she was learning that maybe fear is what kept you alive.

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"I can't believe I'm wearing this. I feel so weird." Skylar tugged at the armor on her chest. Her weathered hide chest plate had been reduced to almost match Kayla's bandages but it couldn't quite fit the look due to her body. After a minute or so of bargaining she was able to keep the shoulders for support.

"Why?" Kweide did not look down as they walked down the hallway but he kept within a distance of her, never too far away from his human. They weren't amongst the fauna yet and it made her staggered gait worrying.

"I-" Why did she feel awkward? Skylar tilted her head as she thought about it. Although she was effectively dressed in a crop top and some high waisted bermuda shorts, she knew Yautja did not care, she might not be their equal but it was unlikely she would be ogled or made fun of. There was really nothing to feel self-conscious about. She just had to worry about protecting her fragile flesh. "I guess it's okay..." She gave him an apologetic half smile before she saw the ship they were going on come into view.

Kayla and H'chakde stood inside the ship, though the door was wide open as the two talked. The blonde human's attention was fixed on the control panel as the hunter explained it to her. It wasn't until she looked up to ask something that she noticed Skylar.

"Sky!" She called to her as she waved.

Skylar waved back as she jogged to Kayla, "Lala!" She giggled as she pulled her slightly shorter friend into her arms.

Kayla let out a laugh or two of her own as she wrapped her arms around Skylar. It wasn't until she pulled back from her friend that she noticed her newer attire. Her face shifted from joyful to confused in a matter of moments. "What happened to your other clothes?"

Skylar grimaced and tugged again at her top. "These are what's left of them, we're supposed to be hunting like you and H'chakde." She checked her wrist quickly to assure her backup hairtie was there. It was getting harder to sweep her long hair into a ponytail as her favorite yellow tie aged and stretched, but she knew she needed it to feel strong on her hunt. It had been with her through a lot, it could survive one more hunt.

Kayla nodded as her eyes glanced over the clothing, it wasn't an outfit she was used to seeing Skylar in. "They look nice on ya." Kayla grinned giving Skylar's shoulder a playful punch. "Welcome to the half-clothed hunting club."

Skylar squinted and giggled at her friend, "thank you I suppose?" she rubbed her arms. "Are you ready for this?" She asked while her eyes diverged and followed Kweide's slow arrival into the ship.

"Ready as I can be, H'chakde was a great help in that department." Kayla laughed nervously, pulling a loose strand of hair and tucking it behind her ear. When she looked back at Skylar, worry simmered behind her eyes. "What about you?"

Skylar gave an unsure half-smile, "I think i'm ready-" Her smile began to falter. R'kadekna was approaching.

"Greetings Kayla and Skylar." R'kadekna said, giving them both a nod as she slowed to a stop in front of him. Her right arm rested in a sling of sorts that hung from her neck.

"Hey." Kayla responded with her eyes traveling to the sling, though she wasn't sure she wanted to ask how it came to be there. "What brings you here?"

R'kadekna straightened a little, placing an uninjured fist on her hip. "I came to wish you luck on the coming hunt." Her own red eyes roamed over Kayla, she seemed pleased H'chakde had followed her suggestion.

Skylar's heart rate picked up as she looked back to Kweide. She didn't know what to do when it came to R'kadekna. The female wasn't horrible but she was mixed in the horrible mess of their capture all the same. It became all the more confusing when she knew how uncomfortable she made Kweide. When he looked at her Skylar made her way towards him.

"Thank you R'kadekna." Kayla offered the tall huntress a slight smirk as H'chakde emerged out of the ship.

"It's ready," He said before he caught sight of R'kadekna. She gave him a tiny nod of recognition. "Whenever we are that is."

"I'll let you be off then." R'kadekna looked to Skylar and Kayla in turn before her eyes traveled to the two males. Her fiery gaze hardened for a moment, then softened. "I wish you a good hunt, and if something were to go wrong, I wish for you to greet the black warrior with honor." With a nod she stepped back, still determined to see them take off.

Kweide's hand tapped Skylar's shoulder blade as he ushered her and Kayla inside the ship and pressed the button to close the door. He had remained quiet but as R'kdadekna was being closed out, he could not look away from her under his mask. The twinge of shame that pained him in her presence would linger far longer than his punishment.

"Get strapped in." H'chakde ordered, slipping into the pilot's chair once more. His full attention turning to the controls in front of him.

Kayla took a step to one of the extra chairs in the ship. Her eyes roaming over it as she tried to figure out how exactly to strap in. It had been forever since she had been given the opportunity to leave the mother ship. "You remember how to use one of these?" She asked jokingly, turning to look at Skylar.

"It rings a bell somewhat faintly," Skylar giggled and gestured for her to sit down. "Take a seat."

"Thanks Sky," Kayla couldn't help but laugh as she settled herself into the chair. "If we land in one piece I guess I owe you."

Kayla couldn't help but laugh as well as she settled herself into the chair. "Thanks Sky, if we land in one piece I guess I owe you."

"I'll count on it!" Skylar grinned and buckled Kayla in properly. "You never know when i'll need a favor."

"I hope you don't use it to steal my kidney." Kayla joked, her leg shooting out to playfully but lightly kick Skylar. "Thank you Sky."

"Me? Steal your kidney? I would never!" Skylar kicked her back and plopped down in her own seat. "But I might borrow it if I need it." Kweide turned in his seat to stare at her with a confused expression she could feel despite being unable to see it.

"Borrow someone else's! I need mine too." Kayla responded with a giggle.

"No kidney stealing." H'chakde cut in, just as baffled by what they were talking about as Kweide was. He gave Kayla a look, and she returned it.

"But-" Skylar shut her mouth. She forgot sometimes that they were not a friend group, that she was not close to H'chakde in the same way Kayla was not close to Kweide. She zipped her mouth closed.

"Don't mind him." Kayla whispered to Skylar, a kittenish smile on her face as she glanced back at H'chakde. "We'll just steal his kidney if we need to."

Kayla's grip on her belt tightened as the ship jerked. It pulled out of the mothership's port and into an air lock. It's doors pulled shut as a hissing sound filled the air. Before any of them knew it, they were flying through space, headed toward the blue planet below them.

A click of amusement echoed out from under Kweide's bio-mask and Skylar smiled in surprise. "We'll get Kweide to help us." He looked back at her over his shoulder.

"We'll need it. Maybe R'kadekna will help too." Kayla's eyes lingered on the giant blue planet before them. It looked intimidating, foriegn and entirely new. However, where nervousness should have lingered in her, excitement was at the thought of hunting there. It was a feeling that confused her, but she was ready.

Skylar nodded, less enthusiastic now. The planet was beautiful, large and vast and eerily colored like the oceans of earth. The few land masses in the water were no larger than Hawaii ever looked and Skylar hoped to the Lord above that they would be landing there. Please.

"Can we unbuckle yet?" Kayla asked, eyes fixed on the piece of glass that showed the outside of the ship. How long had it been since she had seen the ocean? Or any body of water really? As excitement tingled in her fingertips, she knew it had been too long, way too long.

"Not yet." Was H'chakde's only response. His attention remained glued to the control panel as they made their descent toward the ground. It wasn't long before the ship jerked as they landed, and the engines slowed to a stop with a flick of a switch.

Kweide unbuckled himself first, his clawed digits tapped away at the dashboard until a long hiss echoed inside the ship. The atmosphere around them changed slowly but noticeably as the different airs mixed. The atmospheric mix of nitrogen and oxygen were balanced in favor of the humans but the Yautja's masks would aid them either way.

Kayla breathed in deep as she unbuckled herself and slipped from her seat. Oddly enough enjoying the slightly muggy scent that filled her lungs. "Ah, actual fresh air." She commented turning to Skylar checking to see if she needed help. All the while ignoring the pair of yellow eyes on her back.

Kweide was already bending over Skylar, his deft fingers quickly unlocking her as her breathing calmed and she jumped off her seat. Her hand touched his arm, a thank you, and his fingers ghosted over her shoulder before dropping to his side, an acknowledged welcome. "Is everyone ready?"She asked.

H'chakde grabbed up his and Kayla's weapons as he stood. He nodded, tossing her spear to her. "Ready." He confirmed.

Kayla found herself nodding in unison as she stepped closer to the door of the ship. "Ready." She breathed.

The small pack of hunters made their way out of the ship and took in the area around them with wary and eager eyes, mostly. They weren't in the water yet but that didn't make the area around them any less dangerous or foreign. In a way it was exciting, the slowly rising thrum of their heartbeats in their chests were enough testament to that.

Kayla turned her head up to H'chakde as the doors slid closed behind them. "Why didn't we a visit a planet like the last one we were on?" She inquired. She couldn't forget the green grass and trees that stretched on for miles, it had been so beautiful.

The planet they were on currently was mostly water, more of a swamp really. Kayla didn't mind water, she had just been hoping to see the butterfly like creatures once again. They had been her favorite thing from the other planet.

"You need more experience with terrain." He said ushering her forward with a wave of his arm. "This will be good for furthering your training."

Skylar pouted quietly until a nudge from her ever silent mentor caused her to look up at him. He brought his hands into the air and began to slowly speak the way she had taught him too. They needed a secret code and although she couldn't teach Kweide her and kaylas' childhood language,(secrecy is key)ASL was the next best thing.

"He needs practice. Not Kayla." Kweide tilted his head and she giggled softly in response. He may not be using words and she couldn't see his face, but she could picture his expression.

"Be careful. He might pick up on this. " Skylar shook her head with feigned disapproval.

Even if H'chakde hadn't yet picked up on the secret thing between the two, Kayla noticed. Although she didn't understand most of what they were saying of course. She hadn't been taught ASL, save for maybe a few curses.

Kweide looked ahead towards H'chakde and then back to Skylar, "That is unlikely." When Skylar gave him a shocked look as she covered her laughing mouth, he merely gave a nonchalant movement of his shoulders and rejoined H'chakde in the lead.

Kayla, for the most part, kept pace with H'chakde as the two walked. However she began slowing her pace, letting H'chakde take the lead as she came to walk beside Skylar. "Hey Sky." She greeted with a bright smile.

"Hey,"Skylar gave her a fond look, although questions sat in her gaze.

"Enjoying the terrain so far?" Kayla asked playfully, gesturing to their swampy surroundings with the end of her spear.

"Oh definitely, I might even open a timeshare if the neighborhood crime rates stay low." Skylar giggled and nudged her side.

"You like it here that much? I'm certain we can prevent the crime rates from rising." Kayla couldn't help but giggle at that, though the sound came out as more of a trilling noise then her usual laughter.

Skylar looked around with false thoughtfulness, "well it could use a little redecoration but hey, it could work." Her hand came up to mess with the foreign necklace hanging from her throat. Her usual locket lay back on the ship in the safety of Kweide's room and under the watchful eye of Ferdinand. Just where it belonged.

Kayla's attention traveled to the necklace Skylar was fiddling with. Her head tilted as she pointed to it with her free hand. Had she seen it before? Though she certainly had no memory of it. "Where did you get that?" She asked.

"Get what?" Skylar's brows furrowed before she looked down at the necklace caught between her thumb and forefinger. "Oh!" She smiled gently and then looked up at the whirring metal bird following them. "I'll have to tell you later, if you understand." Her eyes stayed on the bird before flicking back down to Kayla.

Kayla's curious look turned into one of confusion until she too noticed the metal contraption flying overhead. "What the hell is that?" She questioned her eyes following the bird for a moment before she looked back to Skylar.

"The equivalent of Yautja reality tv. We're being watched whenever it's around," Skylar grimaced slightly before taking her eyes off of it and focusing ahead, "it followed you too on your first hunt, it just remained more out of sight." She grabbed Kayla's hand to guide her around a root in front of them, "Don't look at it too long though, we want them to get bored with us if possible"

Kayla kept her focus ahead, her brows raising a little. "I feel like I should be honored." She laughed, despite feeling slightly creeped out. "Never thought I'd be a TV star like this."

"You're the highlight of the show! Like the snookie of the Yautja world. Or a Kardashian." Skylar tried to hold her giggles but she couldn't help it as she covered her mouth to keep them quiet. "I want to be Kylie, I hear she has lots of animals!"

"Which one am I?" Kayla questioned with a shake of her head. She wasn't as passionate about reality TV, but she would always listen whenever Skylar wished to rant about the 'wonders' of hollywood.

"Hmm," Skylar tilted her head as she observed her. "Well Khloe is more athletic but Kendall and Kylie are just so close... You pick! Who do you wanna be more?"

"Khloe, always wanted my name to be Khloe. Although spelled with a C." Kayla nodded as she laughed. In truth she didn't remember who was who, nor what they were like her consensus was only based on the names.

"You'd make a wonderful Chloe," Skylar smiled and linked her arms with her. "It would be kind of sad though if I couldn't call you Lala, though I suppose Lolo is an option?" She quirked her eyebrow playfully.

"Don't know about Lolo, but I suppose you can get away with calling me that." Kayla said playfully. "Only because you're my best friend."

"Special privileges are bound to happen, Best friends are for forever after all." Skylar said, she squeezed her friend's arm and continued walking.

Kayla nodded giving her friend's shoulder a pat in return. "Friends are forever." She muttered

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"Oh my gosh Kayla look!" Skylar darted away from her friend and quickly plopped down with a hard thunk onto the halfshell of a giant coconut. "Wouldn't this make a great boat?" She kicked her legs against its side with a smile.

"A giant. . ." Kayla squinted her eyes as she approached the thing Skylar was beside. "A giant coconut. Never thought I would see one of these again."

"Me either, it's so big that I bet it'd make so many coconut cakes... Honestly how could such a similar thing even exist here?" Skylar patted the hairy shell thoughtfully. "Must be something to do with the soil and climate since the air is so similar to our own. Everything is a little wrong but it's beautiful isn't it?" She closed her eyes and let the warm sun hit her skin, the rustling of leaves even felt soothing to her eardrums.

But there was a problem. Why were the leaves rustling if there was no breeze?

Kayla's eyes landed on a large canine creature as he jumped from beneath the branches. Panic rose in her heart at the sight of him. "Skylar!" She readied her spear and prepared to charge until more of the same creature appeared. Each of them took their place around the group, surrounding them entirely.

Skylar didn't have time to think as she dove for the ground, the sharp snapping of teeth echoed behind her, inches from her skin. The group fell to pandemonium. The pack of wolves made quick work in separating each hunter enough to have them almost isolated and turned from a unit to individual prey.

Kayla jumped back as one of the creatures lunged at her. Body tense, and her grip on her spear tight, she turned the bladed end toward the beast. It bared its teeth and growled at her. Kayla found a growl rising in her own throat as she attacked.

H'chakde was in the same situation. His muscles tense as he loomed over the large animal. Their eyes remained locked on one another as each growled. Without another moment, they lunged at one another.

Kayla waited patiently for the wolf to pounce at her again. It knocked her to the ground, but her spear sunk deep into its chest. Using her weapon as leverage she shifted the wolf away from her. Making it fall to the dirt instead of on her.

Adrenaline pumped through her system as Kayla pushed herself to stand. Her teeth were barred, and her focus zoned in on her surroundings. She allowed herself a moment to check on the rest of the crew.

H'chakde was holding his own, a couple of the wolves already lay dead at his feet. The third was still standing, its stance tense and its sharp teeth on display.

As the beast charged, H'chakde clasped his arms around its neck. With a sharp shift of weight he sent both himself and it into the dirt. The two scrambled, H'chakde punching the wolf as it scratched, and its jaw snapped.

Kayla shifted her attention just as another creature ran forward. She held her ground as she stared it down, her spear pointed directly at it. The human was ready to end this one like she had the other.

Skylar yelped as the wolf who first snapped at her leapt again, this time though she was prepared and lifted the coconut shell up above her body. When it rammed into her intended shield and whimpered in shock she quickly unsheathed a long tooth dagger and sunk it deep into the skull. It cut like butter and the wolf was dead before it could inhale another breath.

Kweide spared her one glance as he spun his spear around and plunged it deep into the side of a wolf. As he ripped out his spear he noticed the kill at her feet. She was getting good at that.

A loud yelp rang out as Skylar fell to the ground below, long fangs were sunk into her calf as another wolf dragged her backwards into the tree line. She flailed desperately for something to grab but her hands came up empty.

Another nearby wolf bit into her hand before letting go to help an injured packmate. She winced in agony as her blue eyes darted between Kayla and Kweide for help. But they could not help her, not on a hunt. Soil rushed through her fingers and then she was gone from view.

Kweide turned his head in search of Skylar after he downed another one of the creatures but she was nowhere to be seen. He called for her twice before another wolf came into view, it's teeth stained red with human blood. Kweide let loose a furious roar as he barreled into the wolf and slammed it into the ground.

Whatever the creature had been expecting, it hadn't been that. With snarling snapping jaws, the creature ripped into Kweide's bicep. Although, it did little more than piss off the already angered yautja as his hands came against the beast's throat and smashed it's head into the dirt. Then again and again, and again until it was still and the wolf's head was caved in.

Kayla looked up as the wolf she had fought turned tail and ran, limping badly with its injured leg. Skylar's absence made her heart drop to her stomach as her face paled. "Skylar!" She shouted, head moving to and fro as she searched for her friend.

There was a cacophony of barks and confusion as the wolves began to retreat and huddle into a group. They still snarled and snapped but they looked frightened now as they stared between the beings they had chosen to be prey. They had chosen wrong.

A piercing howl echoed out and each wolf stilled, their alpha came tumbling into the clearing, his eyes wide with fear as blood drained down like a trail behind him. He fumbled from side to side, delirious and growling. He barked to his pack, an order probably, and then as he finally stopped moving his innards tumbled from his belly to join the pool of blood on the ground. The alpha snarled and his eyes were clouded quickly before they saw no more.The pack fell into chaos as they tried to decide where to flee and who to follow.

Kayla sprinted for the edge of the clearing. Calling for Skylar as she searched the treeline for any sign of her friend. "Oh God no." Kayla muttered, praying Skylar would answer soon.

H'chakde stood from the ground, the body of his third kill thrown over his shoulder. When the chaos of his wrestling finally settled, he noticed there were only two beings. The other human was nowhere to be seen.

The wolves were gone now and only the dead remained. One breath. Two. Three. Four breath's after the silence there was a rustling of bushes as a wounded figure limped it's way into camp.

"Guys?" Skylar huffed and puffed as she looked at them all, the dagger in her hand was dripping and her arm was covered in blood like a child's hands get covered in breakfast syrup. Her leg was oozing but not unrepriable in it's damage as she smiled at them, she was fine.

Kayla breathed a sigh of relief. She bolted to Skylar, throwing her arms around her and pulling her close. "You're alive." She muttered, her grip around Skylar tightening.

Skylar coughed and slung her uninjured arm around her friend, "Of course, I'd kinda be the worst life buddy ever if I left you here alone with those guys." Her voice was but a whisper but she had no doubt the males heard her. "Is everyone alright?"

Kayla nodded as she gave herself a once over and stepped away from Skylar. She turned her attention to H'chakde, thankful to find he was alright too. Save for maybe the large bite mark on his forearm. "For the most part."

"I'm glad" Skylar's relieved words were cut off by Kweide's hand resting on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and frowned at the open gashes on his chest, before she could speak he placed his hand on her cheek and allowed his thumb to glide over her face.His actions spoke to say what he could not in front of the bird, he had been worried.

She simply patted his hand and held on for a moment longer as he slipped away from her and started walking to the kills. There wasn't much else she could do. "Let's round back and then get clean before we continue maybe?" She wasn't one to give orders but it was a fair idea. Especially since they were all bloody to some degree.

"That's a good idea. We can't really carry the kills around with us." Kayla stated, referring more so to her and Skylar than the other two.

"Then let's get moving." H'chakde grabbed up his other kills. The two didn't need to be slowed down or distracted during the remainder of the hunt.

The rag tag team of hunters carted their kills back to the ship relatively unbothered, though, that was probably due to the carcasses they were toting in their arms. The bodies were stored away and soon forgotten as they carried on to the closest source of water they could find. Kweide suggested he and H'chakde rinse first which left the two human girls on watch.

"So." Kayla broke the silence between her and Skylar. Her eyes trained on the sky above them, searching for their metal stalker. "Think it's safe to talk about that necklace?" She inquired.

Skylar looked skywards for a moment before nodding, "definitely safe now, at least for a little while, but can we talk once we get in the water? I feel so yucky and gross right now honestly." She scratched at the flakes of dried blood on her arm. She really hoped that none of that alien wolf's blood would get in her wounds. The Yautja passed them and nodded for them to enter.

"I'm with you on that one." Kayla nodded back as she put down her weapons on the muddy bank of the small stream before she stepped in. She paused a moment at the cool water before her body began to adjust to it.

Skylar clenched her hands and closed her eyes. 'It's like ripping off a bandaid," she thought, 'you gotta do it fast.' With a quick dash backwards she got her distance before charging ahead and cannonballing into the water. She came up sputtering and shaking. "It's cold!"

"Well yeah." Kayla laughed at her friend as she tread off further into the water. Allowing her body to get used to it bit by bit. When the cool liquid was hip deep she knelt and began scrubbing at her arms. "So, about that necklace?" She began, curiosity burning in the back of her mind.

"Yeah?" Skylar spit out a mouthful of river water before she waddle swam until the water was at the base of her shoulders while on her knees. It was still hard to handle the water at times but having someone she trusted with her made it more manageable. "I got the necklace as a gift, a kind of promise."

"What was the promise of?" Kayla asked, bending her head forward to finger comb through her hair. Did it have something to do with Kweide? Or was it someone else?

Skylar pursed her lips before she began scrubbing her neck, "Elder Lar'ja promised to not disappear again. We had a talk about why we were taken and he apologized, which was honestly...nice. And then he explained why he's been gone so long. Apparently-" She blushed and splashed her face with water. "-apparently some other Yautja were thinking we were..." She looked at Kayla and laughed, although the sound of it was hesitant and awkward. "They were thinking we were 'coupling'. " She used her fingers to emphasise her air quotes.

"Didn't expect you to attract a sugar daddy while we were here." Kayla joked as she wringed out the water from her hair. She didn't bother to ask why they were there, she already knew the answer to that question.

"Lala!" Skylar gawked at her friend before sending a wave of water in her direction. "He is NOT my- well he's not that! Gosh!" She shook her head and covered her face as she laughed. "Now I can't erase that from my mind! It's gonna haunt me forever!"

"Whatever you say Sky." Kayla giggled, sending a wave of water back to Skylar. She continued to scrub her torso, her fingers lightly brushing across the scar running up her stomach.

Skylar pouted and began floating on her butt, leaning back to pull her leg into her hands she accidentally rolled beneath the water. When she resurfaced after a series of big splashes she grinned. "So, how are you? I mean, like when I'm not around." Her eyes softened as she scrubbed out her hair, "I miss you ya know."

Kayla's smile faltered, she missed her friend too. "Busy, very busy. I've been almost nonstop training with R'kadkena." She stopped cleaning herself to flex her arms above her head. Showing off the muscles that were steadily growing bigger since they had got there. "Building up the guns ya know."

"Ooo, looks like you can crush rocks with those bad boys," Skylar giggled and flexed her own arms playfully, there was a toned look to what had previously just been squish. P90X had nothing on Yautja. "I haven't caught up to you in the muscle department yet but i'm actually getting some-" She looked down and poked her still soft stomach. "-slowly."

"Yeah, you'll be there in no time." A thought wormed its way into her head that made unsureness rise up into her chest. "How do you think Dad is gonna feel with us coming back as ripped hunters?" Kayla asked as she began to adjust her hair back into a ponytail.

Skylar took a moment to think as she stood from the water and forced her hair into a tight bun. "At worst? He's gonna make us do yard work." She shivered playfully before her expression took on a more serious tone, "but honestly I don't know... he's gonna wanna know how it happened. What do we tell him? Or anyone we knew..." She trailed off as the heavy weight of reality tried to rest on her shoulders, but it wasn't time to face that yet. Her eyes scanned over their Yautja companions. Not yet. "Guess we'll figure it out when we get closer to going home? All I know is we can't get too fit, I know for sure i'm still not gonna enjoy handling that yard!"

"Me either." Kayla laughed nervously, turning her attention to H'chakde and Kweide. They would need to start moving again, though she wasn't entirely ready for it. There was still a very long hunt ahead of them. "You think they'll let us rest for longer?" Kayla asked, turning back to Skylar.

"They might not but we can always ask." Skylar shrugged with a smile and began walking out of the water and towards her favored alien. She tugged lightly on his fishnet and waited for his attention to shift towards her. "Can we rest a bit longer?"

Kweide took a moment to look at her injuries before he turned to H'chakde and tilted his head, "Do you mind a rest?"

H'chakde examined both the girls a moment before he shrugged. They didn't need to push them too much, they had already done quite a bit. "No, I wouldn't." He admitted.

Skylar smiled and held out her hand for Kayla to take, "do you want to go rest over there?" She pointed to a fallen log nearby. Slightly decayed but nothing that would collapse beneath them. "Does that look comfy enough?"

"Yeah, it looks about as comfy as we're going to get." Kayla said as they two approached the log and plopped down on it.

It was a while later that something caught Kayla's eye. Her head turned down stream where a large pond rested. Her eyes squinted as she focused on the body of water. "I'll be right back. Sky" She said turning to look back at her friend. "I wanna check something out real quick."

"Okay, i'll be here. Defending the log." Skylar waved her off in a slow motion but popped open one eye. "Be careful though Lala!" And then her eyes closed and she was fast asleep.

"I will" Kayla chuckled quietly as she shook her head. Her hand traveled down to the handle of her knife as she gave it a soft squeeze. A silent assurance that it was still there for her to grab more than anything really. Her surroundings were foriegn, and dangerous. Walking anywhere unarmed was not in her best interest.

When she stepped away from Skylar, a voice called to her from behind causing her to pause. "Kayla where are you going?" H'chakde asked as Kayla turned to face him, a slight tilt to his head as he watched her.

"To look at something." She answered simply turning so the knife at her hip was visible to him. Even going as far as to pat it's handle once more. "I won't be going far."

For a moment, the two stood in silence. Kayla thought he was about to protest her exploring and truth be told H'chakde almost did. Instead however, he merely nodded and turned his head away from her.

She was turning into a fine hunter, and already proven herself to be a good fighter through training. H'chakde was confident that she could handle whatever beast came her way.

As Kayla began to approach the pond cautiously, she pulled the knife from its place at her hip. Her hazel eyes scanned the greenery that surrounded the small body of water, watching for anything that could be of concern. Though as far as she could tell, there was nothing but plants.

The pond itself was murky. Algae covered most of its surface in little patches. Upon closer inspection, Kayla could swear she could even see bits of plants floating below the water's surface.

Kayla knelt down on the muddy bank, setting her knife beside her as her other hand reached forward. Her fingers ran through the cool, slimy liquid. A frown pulling over her face at the touch.

She missed the other pond she had seen on her first hunt. The fairy tale atmosphere it had was calming despite all else that had happened there. Though as she thought back to her battle earlier, and the time she had with Skylar, she couldn't deny that this planet had its perks as well.

With her curiosity satisfied, Kayla began to pull her hand back. Before she could stand however, a green webbed hand shot out and wrapped tightly around her wrist. Its claws digging into her skin making her yelp.

Kayla's free hand reached for the knife beside her. The handle slipped through her fingers as the creature tugged her forward. With her balance off set, Kayla toppled over and into the murky water with a loud splash.

She thrashed about but couldn't shake the hand from her wrist as she was pulled further.

Skylar shot up from her position on the log,"Kayla?" She pushed herself to her feet and began running to the water's edge. "Kayla!?"

H'chakde was right behind Skylar. He bolted to the bank of the pond, stopping just as Kayla's head popped out of the water. He could barely hear her gasp in a breath of air before she was pulled back under.

Other figures slithered in the water, disturbing the algae on the surface. He tensed, readying for battle as he watched them swim closer. Straight toward them.

Kayla had to bite her lip to keep from swallowing water or gasping as Razor sharp claws dug into her back. She was tugged further below the surface into the depths of the pond.

Quickly, Kayla turned her upper body, her elbow hitting right between the creature's eyes. The attack stunned it long enough for her to wiggle out of its grasp.

She wasted no time, with all the strength she could muster she began to swim. Heading at an upward angle Kayla prayed she could reach the surface before her burning lungs forced her to breathe the water around her. She nearly cried out when she felt claws rake against the skin of her ankle, but luck was on her side. The creature missed its chance to trap her again. Then, finally she broke up through the surface of the water once more.

"AHHH!-Oh Kayla!" Skylar lowered the raised oar and offered the girl her arm as she breathed out a sigh of relief. Using the coconut shell from earlier and her oarlike stick had turned her into a creature smacking machine.

Kayla grabbed Skylar's arm, and with her friend's help, hoisted herself onto the boat. As she landed hard in the coconut shell a pained cry escaped her lips. The edge's of Kayla's vision began to blur, but the sight of the creature's hand on the side of the boat made her straighten up.

Around the girls were around three or four of the creatures taking turns bumping the boat and grabbing its sides. Kayla's fist shot out, hitting one of their hands. As she shot for another she nearly sent herself over the side and back into the water.

"Woah, calm down Lala, I've got this." Skylar tried to soothe Kayla back down before she lifted her makeshift oar above her head and began furiously bringing it down on the creatures around them one by one. "Stupid! Ugly! Mean! Nasty! Vermin!"

Kayla took deep breaths, doing all she could to will herself from passing out. "Skylar, we gotta get to shore." She muttered swatting another webbed hand away from the boat.

"I know, I know, I'm just- I'm working on it!" Skylar hit another one off just as she heard the loud roaring and splashing from shore, when she glanced up she could see H'chakde and Kweide beating at the water and practically bouncing from the effort.

"Shit, how many more are there?" Kayla asked, though more importantly, why did they attack her?

The creatures once dead set on sinking their boat had turned their attention to the two yautja at the shoreline. Kayla saw the water shift as they sped off toward their new targets. "Nows our chance." Kayla teetered a little before falling back into the boat once again.

Skylar nodded and stuck her sorta oar in the water, desperately trying to make a quick and even path towards shore. Canoeing was clearly not her strong suit but she managed to smack them into the shoreline and begin pulling the shell onto shore in no time.

Kayla stumbled from the shell and rushed straight for the knife she dropped on the shore. Her fingers barely wrapped around its handle before hands wrapped around her ankles and dragged her to the shallow end of the water. Her arm lashed out and cut the creature that had come to loom over her. It cried out but still refused to retreat back into the water.

The frantic woman struggled to keep her head above water as she slashed at the creature again and again. Finally it went still above her and she was able to push it away.

She fell to the dirt when she finally trudged out the water. Her nails dug deep into the ground at the stinging pain in her back and ankle. She turned her attention to around her, eyes going wide at the number of creatures that surfaced from the water.

Skylar grabbed her oar and charged into the murky water. "Kayla grab my shoulder!" She tried to leverage her friend up as she backed out of the water, swinging her paddle wildly to deter the creatures.

To their left, H'chakde and Kweide were locked in a vicious battle against an increasingly larger number of the aquatic aliens. Outnumbered and soon to be overpowered, Skylar raised her oar in warning as she looked around for the reason of such a brutal attack. And then her eyes landed on the golden egg, or rather, eggs. Half submerged beneath the water she could make out what looked to be several nests close to where Kayla had been only minutes earlier.

There was no way they were going to win on their own, but maybe if she could make a big enough distraction..."Stay far away from the water, Kayla, i'll be right back!" She made sure her friend was no where close to the water's edge before she bolted for the nests, her feet pounding away at the dirt until she could finally lift her oar up high and smash it hard into the sticks and leaves glued together with mud. Skylar grunted as she swung again and again until eggs began pouring out of the once stable holes and the nest began to sink into the murky depths below.

She paused only a moment as her eyes ran across a shining blue egg that began to roll out of the nest, it was different in comparison to the moss colored ones before and unlike them, it floated. She eyed it, lips pulled into a thin line.

Kayla stayed put, her gaze locked on the body of the creature still floating in the water. An odd sense of determination filled her weakened body at the sight of the scaly creature. She wanted to drag it out. The creature had almost killed her, she would have a trophy from it.

With its brethren's attention diverted to their broken nest. She crawled to it, grabbing its wrist firmly before she began to tug it out of the water.

"Kayla!" H'chakde was behind her staring at the cuts along her now bare back. "Careful you are injured."

"I'm not leaving without it." She grunted in reply. She wouldn't, it wasn't going to happen.

H'chakde didn't argue with her. Grabbing the creature's body he slung it over his shoulder then pulled Kayla up. He turned to Kweide and Skylar. "We need to move."

Kweide was already beside him and Skylar was fast approaching, "Let's go, now!" She looped Kayla's arm over herself and began to help her begin to hobble away, she wanted none of them to have any part of the angry creatures still desperately trying to recover their young.

Somewhere along the way, Kayla's movement began to slow. Her adrenaline was failing and she was slowly starting to pass out. Her foot caught on a branch, and she began to stumble, knees hitting the ground hard.

"Kayla? Oh no, Kayla come on, don't pass out yet okay?" Skylar tried to sound soothing as she begged for Kayla to stand. "Please, we're almost back. Please don't pass out Kayla." The ship was in sight now, just a few yards more and they'd be there.

Kayla grunted, using Sklar as leverage to help her stand. She could make it, she could make it. Even as she began to grow woozy, and the world began to spin, she pressed on. "I'll. . .try. " Kayla breathed, her words barely above a whisper.

The Yautja were far ahead of them and already getting the ship ready to fly by the time they were aboard. "Come on Lala, just a little further." Skylar eased her into a chair, strapping her in as delicately as possible for the flight. "You're gonna be okay." She opened a water container and began sloshing it over Kayla's wound. "You're gonna be okay."

A/N : Hi guys! We've been absent for while due to personal reasons as well as college picking back up! But here we are with an update! And you'll be getting a second one this sunday as well! We hope you enjoy and forgive us ;) ! ~ admin sapphire 

Thank you guys so much for you patience! You guys are amazing and we love each and every one of you! - Admin Pearl ^_^