The mess hall was once again teeming with excited yautja. Everyone was talking about the chiva, and was watching it on the screens all across the walls. It was like Super Bowl Sunday times ten. Kujhade was seated across from her at what she had come to consider as "their table". In came Mar'cte strolling over to them, a large plate with a serious hunk of meat on it in his hand. He plopped down right next to Kujhade and immediately dug into the meat with his hand, clawed fingers cutting easily through it. Not too long after Lijia hailed them from a few tables away and came to sit down, so that she was across from Mar'cte and sitting next to Jasmine. Mar'cte looked up, food halfway to his mouth and stared at the female sitting across from him. He started trilling and purring at her, low at first then building as Lijia tried not to pay it any attention. He purred a little louder, and eventually Lijia trilled back at him lightly. He smiled and took a huge bite of food. Jasmine and Kujhade traded looks, and rolled their eyes at Mar'cte and his antics.
"So, who all sitting here thinks that Setg'in dude is full of shit?" Jasmine asked suddenly, taking a big bite of her own. She had more meat on her plate than she usually did, and was hungrier.
All of them mumbled their agreement.
"I can't help but feel he has something planned," Kujhade stated.
"He has to, because where I come from that's damn near a fight to the death just based off the humiliation alone," Jasmine offered through a mouthful of food.
"What I don't understand is what he has to gain by allowing himself to be humiliated in front of anyone?" Mar'cte asked, taking another big bite and watching Lijia like a hawk. Jasmine knew that look. It was the look of a man smitten by a woman.
"I can see that you guys are pretty straight forward. You don't have a whole lot of experience dealing with bastards that are just no good," Jasmine said, sitting back and looking at all three of them. They didn't seem to really get where she was going with her comments.
"What do you mean? We know about bad bloods," Kujhade said.
"Yeah? So why isn't Setg'in classified as one then?" She challenged. All three yautjas looked at each other, almost getting it but not quite.
"See, this is what I mean by you guys are super direct. He has to do something definitive to be termed a bad blood right?" She asked, as they all nodded.
"Sister, you must understand. A bad blood is a heavy title to be placed on any one of us, and it cannot be applied lightly," Mar'cte defended. Jasmine nodded.
"I get it. There are titles for us humans that are just as bad. No one wants to be a pedophile. Even just being accused of it, but not actually guilty could ruin your entire life and reputation. So I know about that, but if you're guilty you're guilty," Jasmine said. They all nodded except Lijia.
"What is a pedophile? We don't have a word for that," she asked.
"A child rapist," Jazzy answered much to the horror of the others.
"That is disgusting! There are humans who would force mate a pup?!" Kujhade exclaimed, pushing his food away. The others agreed.
"Yeah, and that's kind of my point. There are humans who are the lowest of the low, and they can be that way without killing, or raping. What they do is step over others, create situations where they come out on top no matter who they hurt, or who has to pay the consequences. Just so long as they get what they want, they will do anything to anyone, and they don't care about anyone but themselves. They are as much a bad blood as those who kill and rape," Jasmine said. She could see them thinking about what she said, and started to see her point.
"You have a point Jasmine. I don't believe we have ever thought about a bad blood who could be so without doing some provable act," Lijia said, thinking deeply about it.
"Do you believe Setg'in to be one of these new kinds of bad bloods," Kujhade asked Jasmine.
"Well, I don't know him but I know people like him. I've spent my life either avoiding or running into these kinds of jackasses. Just the way he was looking at Bakuub lets me know that he had some shit up his sleeve. Who lets anybody smack the shit out of them, and then walks away?" She asked them as they looked to her to answer her own question.
"Somebody who plans on getting his ass back in a big way. Something bigger than just fighting one on one. When you really wanna fuck somebody's life up, you don't fuck around in a street fight, you hit 'em where it hurts," Jasmine said, sitting back now that her belly was full. Kujhade's eyes lit up.
"He has always wanted Bakuub's position," he said.
"And he's gonna get it too," Jazzy responded.
"But that's isn't odd. This is a normal thing," Mar'cte said talking about Setg'in's desire.
"Yeah but he avoided taking it the way you guys take it. If he wanted it on the up and up he should have fought for it, but he didn't. So that means that he's gonna do some crazy shit to get it. Now, as far as you guys are concerned, what's the craziest way he can get that done without directly fighting Bakuub for it?" She asked. Kujhade and Mar'cte thought about it.
"He must fight. The position cannot be taken otherwise. It will not be acceptable to anyone," they both said. Lijia agreed.
"Okay," Jasmine said, really thinking about it. "Both of you guys hunt right?" They gave her a look. "Alright, alright. So you know how it is to try to kill something much bigger than you, more dangerous than you right?" She asked again.
"Of course we do, what is your point Jasmine?" Kujhade asked.
"Don't you ever trap it, or wound it before you go in for the kill?" She said, and that got their attention. Their eyes went wide.
"Exactly," she said, sitting back and thinking about the implications of what they were discussing. She was planting a seed, and she really didn't mean to, but it was quite obvious to her what Setg'in was all about.
"You may have a point sister, but what is this supposed trap I wonder?" Mar'cte asked looking at Jasmine with wonder that she had thought about things this way. It was such a different mode of thinking than he was used to, than any of them were used to.
"I don't know Mar'cte,"
"Brother,"
"I don't know, brother," she amended, smiling up at Mar'cte who approved of the change. They all ate together, enjoying each other's company unaware that Setg'in's plan was already underway.
Yeyinde's spear was as deadly as it had ever been. His hands were sure, his sight steady, and his focus narrowed on Bhu'ja. The Old Hunter had made a habit of wearing his full armor at all times. You never knew when you would have to face an enemy, or a bad blood. He thought briefly of signaling Bakuub, warning him of this threat and to watch for more, but there was no time.
The space from the door to the monitors and controls was wide. It afforded enough room for the two yautja to circle each other. Yeyinde had been wounded several times by the younger, faster, more brutal predator. He didn't recall being cut very many times, yet there was a lot of blood running down his legs. Too much blood. He wasn't healing, the cuts that he could see were shallow and not very painful. Yet, his shoes were sodden in his blood and he was tracking it wherever he stepped. Something else was at work here and Yeyinde thought he knew exactly what it was.
"Shirxa venom. Used only by those who lack the ability to kill with only their skill in weaponry and fighting. Only a bad blood would think to obtain poison at all, let alone from a Shirxa, knowing full well that we cannot kill them," Yeyinde said. He couldn't see the other yautja's face, but he thought he could tell he was smiling.
"You can spare me the bad blood speech. I don't need your respect, your so-called honor, or your approval ancient one. The only thing I need you to do is die quickly. Are you ready to do that?" Bhu'ja asked.
Yeyinde didn't answer. Shirxa venom came from two sources. You either had sex with one, or you severed her head from her body to obtain the poison from her living hair or even her blood. It hadn't occurred to Yeyinde that one could simply ask for it, or make a deal for it. It was believed that their venom killed instantly, and while that was true in large doses, it could also do something else. The venom obtained through the serpents living on their heads was mild by comparison, but it acted as a powerful anti-coagulant.
"Yes, young one I am ready to do that, but you will join me have no doubt about that!" Yeyinde yelled, letting loose a powerful roar that his mask couldn't mute.
Spinning his spear, the Old Hunter advanced. He was more than one thousand years old. If he had been a few hundred years younger, this fight would have been decided. As it stood, he was an ancient now by the reckoning of his kind. He was not as fast, his reaction time was slower, his body reacted a half a step behind his mind. Even so, he was much faster than his opponent was giving him credit for.
Yeyinde swept his spear low, tripping Bhu'ja and making him land on his back, but he was up on his feet in a flash. He used his own spear to take several quick jabs at Yeyinde's chest, all of them successfully blocked by the older yautja. Yeyinde knew that his only chance now was not to be cut anymore. He was losing blood at an alarming rate, but he couldn't concentrate on that. Bhu'ja circled around trying to find a way through Yeyinde's defenses, but finding nothing. Bhu'ja was tiring out. The ancient one's defense was nearly impregnable. He was faster than an ancient should have been, but no matter. The Shirxa poison would be enough to kill him from blood loss due to the exertion. All Bhu'ja had to do was keep Yeyinde fighting.
The Old Hunter attacked with ferocity, not waiting on Bhu'ja to make any moves. Advancing again upon the younger fighter, Yeyinde spotted Bhu'ja going for his disc. Bhu'ja swiped at Yeyinde with it aiming for his abdomen, but the elder caught Bhu'ja's hand with the tip of his spear, running it through.
"Aaahhhh," Bhu'ja screamed, his hand impaled on the spear. He yanked it off and spun away, trying to hit Yeyinde on the backswing with his spear and missing. The disc clattered to the floor, and the Old Hunter kicked it away in disgust.
He came at him again as the younger fighter tried to muscle through the pain in his hand. Bhu'ja lifted his spear again, and produced his wrist blade on the arm with the hurt hand. He blocked an incoming overhead attack from Yeyinde, but then stabbed him in the stomach with his wrist blades to the hilt. Bhu'ja looked into the Old Hunter's face and grinned at the pained expression he saw there. He made his way to his feet, keeping the blades in place and twisting them slightly. Yeyinde grabbed Bhu'ja's wrist trying to remove himself from the blades, but Bhu'ja didn't let him.
"You wanted to meet Cetanu, here's your chance Yeyinde, Old Hunter, or whatever the hell else you want to be called," Bhu'ja sneered. He was trying to intimidate or humiliate Yeyinde, but found that it wasn't going to work.
"While you're dying let me tell you a few things that you can take to your long overdue grave. The first thing is that you were right, I am here to kill Bakuub. The second thing to know, is that my name is Bhu'ja and you should remember it. The third thing, is that I am the son of Setg'in and he was the one that sent me here. The fourth and the last thing you need to know, is that we will succeed and you won't live to see it," Bhu'ja said, and snatched the wrist blades out.
A gout of blood followed the blades as Yeyinde went to his knees clutching his stomach. He had been disemboweled but he did not beg, or grovel for his life. He did however attempt to alert Bakuub with his gauntlet, but Bhu'ja took his wrist blade and immediately cut off his arm.
"Aaaaaaggghhh!" Yeyinde screamed. With his other hand he reached for his disc and was only able to slice Bhu'ja's thigh, before rolling out of the way of a retaliatory kick.
Bhu'ja stumbled back, shocked and angered by the Old Hunter's refusal to go quietly. While Bhu'ja stood stunned, Yeyinde quickly took his disc and cut off the entrails that began to drag the floor. He took his loincloth and tied it hastily around his midsection. If this was to be his end, then he would make such an end as to be told to sucklings for cycles upon cycles to come.
"Die!" Bhu'ja yelled, coming at Yeyinde with everything he had. He frantically attacked Yeyinde, striking his spear with his wrist blade until the spear broke in half. Without missing a beat, Yeyinde extended his own blades and went blow for blow, putting Bhu'ja on the defensive.
Bhu'ja was forced backwards towards the door, blocking each of Yeyinde's blows which seemed as though they were gaining more strength. Blood was pouring from his midsection, but he just kept coming.
"You will not…!" Yeyinde yelled, punctuating each word with a strike to the defending blades of his opponent.
"…kill Bakuub!" He said, continuing his onslaught against a stunned Bhu'ja. He couldn't believe that Yeyinde just kept fighting. The amount of blood he'd lost was astounding. It was enough to fell any foe, but not so for this old hunter.
Bhu'ja was backed into the door, and slipped in the blood there. Yeyinde delivered two more powerful blows. The first one drove Bhu'ja all the way to his knees. The second one sent a wave of pain up Bhu'ja's arm, making him yowl in agony. Yeyinde raised his arm for another strike. He was breathing hard, his diaphragm pierced, the blood pumped out to the timing of his ragged breathing. Bhu'ja didn't think he would be able to withstand another blow, until Paya blessed him. Yeyinde roared again tremendously, a look of hatred burning in his eyes so fiercely that it gave Bhu'ja momentary pause. Then suddenly, with his roar dying in his throat and his eyes never leaving the younger yautja's face, The Old Hunter fell to the floor on his back. The blood pooled underneath him as the life left him. His last thought was that Bakuub might not live through this, and he would not be there to save him.
A/N: I hope I did The Old Hunter justice in this fight. I wanted to give him a good ending, one worthy of him. Hope you guys liked it.