He tightened his grip on his spear. He looked the weapon over, the notches and scars from previous hunts taken by his father, and his father before him. It was not a collapsible combi stick like the ones warriors usually carried; Unblooded weren't allowed to use blooded weapons. Only the traditional weapons of ceremonial spear and dagger could be used by the young hunters. The beast growled and he raised his eyes back up the creature before him. It was a s'ka. Six legs tipped with claws that could dent armor, broad shoulders stretched with tight muscles, two rows of teeth with four inch canines, a tail tipped with spikes that could be flung out, and four hundred pounds of lean muscle built to take its prey down. He stared into the eyes of the beast and an understanding came between them. One of them was going to die here, and the other would walk away. Both were confident the victor would be themselves. One was wrong.
The s'ka had snuck up on him while he was busy gutting and skinning the prey he had just taken down. It was drawn by the smell of blood in the air; the hunger and thirst for blood boiled in its veins. Finding a young Yautja was a bonus. Two meals in the same place. Kel'Vak heard the heavy footsteps as the s'ka padded through the woods to him. He turned to see the creature slowly walking towards him; head down, tail twitching above its' back. That leads up to the current moment.
Kel'Vak slowly slid the skinning dagger back into its holster on his right ankle. It wouldn't help in the fight ahead and he needed both hands for his spear. He clicked his mandibles while staring into the deep green eyes of the beast that wanted him for dinner. He glanced up to the tree behind the seven foot creature to see his master, Smoke, staring back at him. Behind him were his squad brothers Fin'Vak and Iht'Vak. Smoke looked at his pupils then back to Kel'Vak, shaking his head slightly. He needed no instruction. The Rules of the Hunt were specific. Even though the arrival of the s'ka was accidental, no one could step in to help him. Felling the beast was all up to him. He clicked his mandibles again as he brought his gaze back to the beast. He slowly lowered himself closer to the ground, coiling his legs and preparing to dodge out of the way. The s'ka noticed the movement and slowly bared its yellow fangs, hissing and the young hunter. Kel'Vak squeezed the shaft of his spear and brought his shoulders back to release a roar of challenge to the s'ka. It jolted its head back for a split second, then sent a volley of spikes at the hunter.
Kel'Vak rolled forward and felt the needles fly over his moving body. As he rolled onto his feet he pushed off of the ground and spun the end of his spear into the skull of the monster. Knocking the hell out of it wouldn't stop it for long, but it was better to fight it while it was stunned. He crouched low then stuck his spear into the side of the recoiling s'ka. An ear shattering screech filled the air as it spun to free the weapon from its side. Kel'Vak jerked the spear free from the wound with a spurt of bluish green blood. Seeing the ichor run from the beast filled his senses but dulled his focus. While trying to aim and jab at the weak points, the throat, eyes, stomach, he forgot about the tail. One second he was winning the fight, the next he was flat on his ass. Sensing its chance, the s'ka pounced on top of him. Four hundred pounds bared onto the Yautja, crushing the air out of him. He could feel the claws stab into his chest and the ache in his lungs, struggling for breath.
No. He wasn't going to be taken down by anything, sure as hell not some dumb creature. He dodged the fangs of the beast as it lunged towards his face, desperate to bite into him. Kel'Vak gripped his spear and jammed hard into the belly of the beast. It recoiled with a tremendous shudder and scream. As it howled in agony, Kel'Vak brought his leg up and pulled his dagger free. He leaned up and sliced the knife across the tender throat of his adversary. Thick, green/blue blood poured from the s'ka's jugular, covering the Yautja.
Relief flooded into him. He did it. Nothing could bring him down right now….except the four hundred pound monster that collapsed on him. Again the air was forced out of him as his body struggled against the weight. Then the weight started to ease up. His master and squad brothers lifted the s'ka off of him and stood over him. "Thank you", Kel'Vak told them.
"We couldn't let you go through a great battle only to suffocate under the spoils of your victory," Smoke chided him. His master let out a snort, followed by the laughter of his friends. Even he had to laugh. The thought of being killed by a dead s'ka, the shame he would bring! As the laughter died down he rose and took his trophy from his opponent. He took a claw and two fangs, cleaned them and set them down. Smoke gave him a piece of cord as Kel'Vak bored a hole in the trophies with his knife. Once he fastened them together he held them up above his head. His friends howled and cheered for his victory. He held on to the necklace as they made their way back home. Smoke congratulated them on their hunts today and let them retire to their rooms.
Kel'Vak set the necklace on a small table with his other trophies. He wasn't allowed to wear it yet; only blooded hunters could wear and show off their kills. As an Unblooded, he was very restricted as to what he was allowed to do. Even his name was a restriction. All male Yautja are given a temporary name when they are born; something short to go by until they pass their Trial and choose their blooded name. Kel was the name his parents gave to him. Once he reached the age to begin training, he was allowed to go to the choosing ceremony. There, the blooded hunters who wish to teach their skills to younglings are allowed to choose from the lot. During this process, you sacrifice your ties to your blood family. They are still your family but your loyalty and respect now go to your trainer. As a form of respect, the new trainees take the surname of their trainer. In Kel's case, Vak; the name given to Smoke when he was just a pup.
Kel'Vak loved his teacher and his new brothers. They had been together for 5 years now and their training was drawing to a close. As he lay down in his bed, he ran his finger over the fresh claw marks in his chest and his thoughts drifted to the battle today. The s'ka had almost had him, and compared to a serpent he might as well have been fighting a baby. Doubt in his abilities crept in, only to be shut out immediately. He would not bring shame to Smoke or his bothers. He would honor them by passing his Trial and bringing the head of a serpent back to his master. The day was soon but not soon enough. His eyes started to close as he thought of the honor of creating his mask and choosing his blooded name.