Prolog: one who does not belong

Nogoushi had just about decided to call the unnamed yautja "Sakana," the Japanese word for "fish", when Topknot suddenly appeared at the mouth of the tunnel back to the main part of the ship. Half a dozen novices trailed behind him, their speckled chests heaving with excitement. Loincloths only were the standard dress or the trainees; blooded generally wore chest harnesses as well, for which she was continually thankful. She didn't think the yautja wouldn't be aroused in any way by her nudity, but she was still human enough to feel some modesty.

Topknot and his followers lined up behind Tress and Sakana, the Leader speaking quickly, apparently wrapping up a speech he'd been at for a while. Nogoushi stepped away from the dark corner, gleaning as much as she could from his postures and words. Her physical makeup and lack of talent made it almost impossible to speak an entire sentence in their language, but after a year of total immersion, she understood a lot more than they suspected.

…he is—a blooded of songs, a yautja who-wins? Wins many children, has trophies of all and many enemies…

The leader's respectful tone and the eagerness of his students was impressive, she'd never seen Topknot acknowledge another Hunter as anything other than competent. Whoever was docking had quite a reputation and she decided to stay for his grand entrance.

As the airlock hummed into motion, topknot finally noticed her. He silenced the hissing young males and ignored her completely. Nogoushi was well aware that her presence often complicated matters; she hung back but didn't leave, exercising her rights as a Blooded Hunter and doing as she pleased when not on a hunt. She was surprised when he stepped into view, flanked by two others. He was in front, there was no doubt who was Leader, but he was young. The new arrival wore body armor but no mask, the scars across his speckled brow and on his clawed hands were extensive, but from the condition of his tusks and talons, he was no older than an unBlood.

Topknot greeted him, touching his shoulder and calling him by name, a phlegmy rattle. The young worrier returned the gesture, completely at ease, when Nogoushi saw it.

Her vision tunneled, her heart skipping a beat. Without making the appropriate request to approach, without thinking, she stepped forward to see it better, certain that she was mistaken. But, she was not. To the right, flanking the Leader, a darkly tanned human female stood, her face a visage of distaste. Nogoushi frowned and stepped closer and thought, even as she was backhanded by the male, that she was seeing things wrong. The female, maybe in her teens, had black hair that hung around her hips, Plaited in the original "Dread-lock" fashion of the hunters and pinned together with golden clips; her light blue eyes were hard and cold like ice, even as she turned and stared Nogoushi down. Her body was well shaped, littered with scars here and there, and deeply tanned bronze as well as sculpted with rippling muscle. Despite her thin body, her breasts were full and round and she had some meat on her muscle. Obviously she had seen a hunt or two. Nogoushi frowned at her numb arm and looked away from the female, who had turned her head at the scene. She heard a seemingly random clicking, higher pitched than a male, come from the human female as she frowned at the human again. Nogoushi only caught some of the words, one of which she thought to be the Leader's name, the same rattle as before.

…I am… see a female of my- Kind here… followed by the name she could not pronounce.

The hunters began to talk a little and she saw the female look up to the young Leader and smile.

You're not alone, Nogoushi. Look at her.

She frowned and stood silently, wondering if the female knew any English. To her surprise she heard the girl ask if she could speak to her a moment. Nogoushi saw the leader nod and… smile? She was still taken aback by how the girl was treated. She must be very well respected. She was taken even more by surprise when the girl walked up to her and shook her shoulder saying something, a word Nogoushi didn't understand. Seeing her silence, the girl repeated…in English.

"Your name?" she smiled.

"D-Dautoodi." Nogoushi stuttered.

"Da-treyu, of the Third Mark. Pleased to finally meet Dachande's last Blooded." She spoke respectfully after a moment.

"Wait, you have…THREE marks?"

"Yes…" she looked slightly taken aback.

Suddenly, the male walked up behind Da-treyu, put a hand on her shoulder, and spoke softly.

…we are going…the fighting ring. Come…

And Da-treyu nodded and turned to leave, she said one last thing, sounding more threatening than Nogoushi had heard in anything.

"I can't wait… for you to fight me."

They turned to leave, her catching up without a sound and falling to the right of the burly Leader and ahead of the other two Hunters.

Da-treyu frowned as she followed her Leader. The other human was skittish and blasphemous. How had Dachande Blooded her? Da-treyu frowned deeper as she continued to walk. The yautja Leader must have been desperate to be remembered. To Blood one human was outrageous, but to Mark two? Unheard of! She growled to herself and stomped unconsciously as they continued to walk. Maybe she was even a little jealous of the other, not that it seemed to be treated very well. Well the human, she guessed was Japanese by her shortness and her eyes, was about in her twenties with shoulder length dread-locked hair and three piercings in her right ear and two in her left. She was stalky and well muscled and had obviously seen a number of fights. Da-treyuende smiled at the thought of fighting the small female. Maybe she'd win and take her kills as her own, for that was the way was it not? You kill a Hunter and you receive his kills as your own. Numbers that was all that really seemed to matter. She frowned at the sudden thought of the girl beating her and taking her place in the Clan. The pure image of the small annoying female looking up to her Leader and Hunting with her Clan made Da-treyu's Blood nearly boil and for a second, she almost lost her cool, calm exterior in the cramped hallway. She frowned and looked at the balls of her fists, closing them tighter in her rage. Da-treyuende would fight the human and she would win, or her name didn't mean "Clever Knife"

Her Leader, a young and well respected Blood of Dachande's as well, smiled and leaned down to her level. He sneered at her expression, but when she looked at him, he reared his head back. Her eyes were aglow with fury, the icy blue orbs almost shocking him into stopping. She however, continued to walk as if nothing had happened. Maybe he'd ask to have one of Gr-o'dan's (Topknot's) students to fight her. That might just calm her down. And he smiled at the thought of her flailing around in fury and rage, her silent form swiftly out-doing her opponent. She had never lost a single fight against anything and part of the Leader envied her that. Maybe that was why he liked her so much and had accepted her into the Clan so easily. She was resilient, strong, and hot-headed, not to mention she had trained and mastered almost every fighting style of the humans. She was death in some cases and life in others. He smiled again and was awarded a haughty look from her. Oh, how he loved to watch her eyes glow. She was an alien, but that hardly seemed to matter now.

The Ki'cit'pa, the fighting and training ring to yautja, was filled with young, rowdy males screaming for blood and hate. They didn't care whose. Da-treyu frowned. She had only just gotten out of these rooms, earning her place as a worrier in the Clan, and now she had to folly around in them? She let her gaze slip to her Leader. He strode confidently beside Gr-o'dan, letting his rank shush the males. She allowed herself a small smile of eagerness. These UnBloods had no idea how to fight; they'd offer nothing more than a small exercise and maybe a slight sweat for some. The group stopped at a fighting ring in the center of the room. Da-treyu smiled wider at the memories of her and a ring very similar to this one. She had won many a fight and killed many a yautja on rings like these. A slight pressure on her shoulder knocked her out of her memory. Da-treyu smiled and craned her head to look up at her Leader. He too was smiling.

"Do you wish to Dance?" He asked loud enough for everyone to hear.

"My pleasure." Da-treyu smiled and bowed slightly.

She flexed her muscles and stepped forward but stopped at the high walls of the fighting ring. As her opponent stepped up onto the ring, she frowned at her small stature. Some of the males, as well as her opponent on the ring, took it upon themselves to laugh. Suddenly, she felt strong, gentle hands on her hips and she was hefted into the air. Quickly regaining her composure, Da-treyu brought her legs up and stepped onto the ring. The yautja UnBloods were laughing at her disposure and that allowed her a small smile. She looked upon the form of the male in front of her. He was burly and tall like any yautja, but his eyes gave away everything. He was scared, and had good reason to be. Da-treyu smiled, baring her teeth, and crouched low to the ground. A memory flashed, brilliant and distant, across her eyes.

-The long corridor was tinted red and teeming with alien life, the giant bugs tearing toward them lightening fast.-

And the thought was gone in an instant, she watched the student launch at her. She shoved her leg out and her torso to the left, tripping the alien. He hit the mat with a thud and regained his composure too slow. Da-treyu was on him with her writs blades as fast as her first attack had come. The student never had a chance. Da-treyu smiled and bared her teeth yet again as she straddled his hips with her own and rested the blades to his throat. The position looked highly suggestive, but she knew she had won.

"Nain-desintje-da." She growled and clicked at him. The pure win.

The student and all of the UnBloods were silent and only her Leader had the audacity to break the silence with his growling laughter. He nodded his head at her and raised himself up on the mat. Da-treyu knew more than most that he did not want her up yet. She had learned that painfully one day for he treated her as he would any other young Hunter. She had been backhanded and kicked off the 5 foot tall mat. No one had laughed at her nor made a single noise for that matter.

Get back on track Da-treyu; don't stray from your Path.

Her leader smiled at her and looked down lower at her opponent. He clicked his mandibles in regard and rested his hands on his hips. Da-treyu stifled a laugh, he reminded her of the first time he had ever spoken to her so many years ago.

-a much younger Da-treyu frowned from high in the Bodhi tree in which she sat. The alien below her was laughing at the fact that she had dropped her fruit. The group had met her on earth and recognized her as a Blooded of Dachande's. She huffed and crossed her arms, hiding her frustration by closing her eyes. Only a moment later, he swung her fruit into the air and it landed right in her lap. He smiled at her and she growled in return.

"You think I couldn't have gotten it myself?" She hissed at him.

He didn't answer for moments. He simply stared and laughed, smiling.

"You're name is Alonē isn't it human?" the creature growled the last word.

"I'm surprised that you can even say human, Zabin!" Alonē shouted and turned in the tree.

The creature laughed at her actions and turned to leave.

"I out rank you Human. Be happy I take the time to say your name."-

Da-treyu was yanked from her memory by her Leader's voice. He frowned at the crowed and then motioned for her to stand. Daftly she nodded and looked up at the ceiling. The room was emptying and Gr-o'dan was again speaking to one of the other Hunters by his side. They seemed to be staring at her. She glared back and huffed a challenging noise at the Leader and his companion.

"Be calm Da-treyuende. They mean no challenge." The voice of her Leader broke the angry silence.

"Forgive me. I was out of place." She nodded her head downward in submission.

"Where may we rest, Gr-o'dan?" Da-treyu's Leader asked in simple conversation.

It might have slipped any other yautja, but to Da-treyuende's female senses, her Leader was tired and getting a little sick. His temperature through her mask had looked too high even for the normal 109.