Chapter 11

Three days had come and gone, and Miria was more than worried. The third night was a lot brighter than the nights had been previously, and though she couldn't see through the tree line she knew a half moon hung low in the horizon. The jungle creatures were more alive that night with the excess light, and Miria had trouble sleeping because of it. Her restless naps got her through the night, and she knew dawn was approaching when she found herself wide awake.

And eerie silence now filled the jungle, and her first thought was of her hunter returning to her. Miria crouched in the doorway of the container, her senses straining as she tried to pick up any clue as to the goings on outside of her range of sight. She had detected a movement not too far out, but she was struggling to hear anything above the pounding of her own heart now. She clutched the spear at her side, her knuckles whitening as her grip tightened around its shaft.

Her eyes were darting wildly around the clearing, and she tried to force herself to focus. Slowly, she steadied her breathing and with it her heart settled somewhat. She crept out into the clearing in an effort to discover what had unnerved the jungle creatures. A scuffling somewhere in the overhead branches forced her to look up.

Her efforts to steady her racing heart were quickly dashed as the lump fell to the ground before her. With a loud thud as it landed, Miria was frozen the spot where she crouched. It was indeed a hunter. Just not hers.

Its skin was bright red and tones of Mahogany. It was devoid of any real armor. Instead it wore salvaged scraps of steel, and carved pieces of wood attached crudely together. Its tubular hair had been hacked off inches from its scalp. She vaguely remembered a tale from her school days that this was a sign that this Yautja had bought dishonour upon himself or his clan somehow. Its scalp rose in jagged tips, and even in the dim light she could see the horrid scar across this creatures face as his mandibles spread menacingly.

Miria pointed the spear towards it as it took in her own appearance. He snarled and crouched as he began to slowly circle her, sizing her up as an opponent. He roared his confidence at her, and Miria tried with all her might not to let the whimpers escape her throat. He held carved blades in each of his hands. Miria thought them to be sharpened bone. He continued to circle her slowly, and she knew that each move she made was being calculated and judged as he observed her. Her appearance must have confused him, with the dried Yautja blood spread across her clothing and skin, the beads in her hair, and the alien weapon her only protection. As hard as she was trying, she knew she could not prove herself a confident opponent to this creature as her hands shook with fear and her heart raced within her chest.

He made a lunge for her and Miria stumbled in her haste to back tread. As she found her feet quickly she could have sworn the creatures croaking barks were similar to her own hunters' laughter, and anger began to fuel within her. Her resolve renewed, and she crouched before this vile creature now with a grim determination. If she was going to meet her end this morning she would do so fighting. The creature made another lunge, this time flailing the bone knives in front of him as he ducked in close to her before spinning out of her reach.

He was toying with her, Miria fast realised. Taunting her for its own amusement. It had decided she was not a worthy opponent, however killing her would be for the sheer amusement of it.

'I see how it is' Miria said through clenched teeth. She had forgotten all else. It was her and the predator. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, renewing her strength and her courage along with it. She focused on the creature, and when he lunged again she made a deadly jab at him with her spear as she ran her finger along the indentation that would extend the tips to their fullest length. This indeed caught the creature off guard as it tore through the flesh of his bare shoulder.

He set into a more serious demeanour as he prowled around her with even deadlier determination. His angry snarls and growls continued to dissolve Miria's courage, and the predator began to circle more quickly. His roaring howl echoed through the silent forest and sent chills down her spine. She stumbled again as he made yet another dive for her, and he gave her a wound of her own as his blade connected with her upper arm. Miria couldn't help but cry out as the sting ran through her body. She felt the hot fluid seep from the gash, but she had no time to examine it now.

Her arm began to feel heavy as the predator attacked her once more and allowed for no moment of reprieve. She was able to duck his first deadly swipe at her face, and she positioned herself quickly as his fluid motions took him out of her reach. As anticipated, his deadly swirling dance bought him closer to her again, and she braced herself as she jabbed the spear in his direction. She was shocked as her weapon actually found a mark. It was not a lethal strike, but enough to grant her a moment to collect herself. The alien weapon in her hands had buried itself into the thick muscled thigh of his left leg and Miria felt a moment of triumph. But as he retreated the spear was wrenched from her grasp as the weapons tip disallowed for an easy removal. His howling pain muted her own cries as he tore the spear from his own flesh, and Miria's feelings of minor victory were quickly squelched as he tossed the weapon aside with ease. Miria clung to her profusely bleeding shoulder, and she realized that she was no match at all for this creature whose species had evolved to hunt.

Her breathing was heavy and her chest heaved. She watched in the dim light as the monster before her hobbled as he continued to circle her. Dismally she eyed the spear on the ground where he had tossed it far out of her reach. But she was not completely without defence as she grabbed the small knife from her pocket. She almost laughed at how ridiculous the thought was that she could defeat him with it. But she readied herself for his next attack, and like she anticipated he lunged again.

This time it was he that faltered in his step, and he tripped as he made a swipe for her torso. She dodged the blade carefully, surprising herself with her swift sidestep. Miria calculated carefully in the split second that she had as the creature stumbled in front of her. She drove the short blade with as much force as she could muster into the hunters neck and he fell to his knees beside her. His wailing screams began to gurgle as she used both hands and all her strength to tear the blade forward through the front of his throat. She didn't watch as the bright green fluid spurted over the ground while the creature fell forward on his stomach. Instead she made a lunge for her spear, and when she turned she noticed the wounded predator trying to pull itself along the ground in attempt to escape.

Miria was wild with fury and blinded with the pain in her shoulders. Her mixed emotions spurred deeper instincts of survival into action. Despite her overpowering fear, the adrenaline running through her veins gave her the strength she needed to finish what had been started. Standing over the weakened creature she lifted the spear as high as she could before driving it into his spine with all her might.

There was no sound as the predator died. The spasms ended swiftly as she tore the weapon from his lifeless body. Miria was beside herself with disbelief, and as she turned away from the creatures' corpse she fell to her knees sobbing. Wiping the sweat from her brow she then held her face in her hands as she tried to regain control of herself and the turmoil of emotions that swirled within her.

The two soft thuds on the ground before her jerked her back to reality as she glanced up. What she saw chilled her to her core and bought whimpers anew. Two more predators stood before her now, both equally as mean and gnarly in appearance as the first had been. One had bright green fluid seeping from a gash in its chest, and she wondered if it had been her hunter that had inflicted the wound. Had they killed him, and then come after her? Mirias knees trembled as she forced herself to stand once more, thrusting her chin out determinedly. She would not surrender to these vile beings that hunted her kind for sport.

The two hunters were standing confidently at ease, seeing her as no real threat now weakened and wounded. They seemed to be communicating amongst themselves with a series of clicking trills. Miria was infuriated even more as their barking laughter then rang out through the lightening jungle. She did not know if they had been laughing at her, but it had certainly seemed that way. Her fear gave way to anger as they seemed to make fun of her.

One of the predators began to approach her slowly, but she held her ground. He held no weapons, and merely clenched his fists at his sides. He stopped a few paces in front of her, and cocking his head to one side he let out a snarl as he nodded towards his fallen comrade who lay lifelessly behind her. Miria did not need to look back, for she knew what lay there, and her eyes gleamed with pride as she met the creatures stare. His snarl turned to a roar as she boldly held his gaze. His stance changed to a crouch, and she knew he was readying for an attack. Miria braced herself, spear ready. But what happened next took her by complete surprise.