Chapter 42

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

It was decided that the hunt should be conducted in the jungle, close to the hideout but far enough that no one will go looking in that general area. There were some close calls with patrols but it frustrated A'stea. The grim reminder of what was happening in the outside world and its effects on the leading members.

I know everyone is scared . . . but that's no excuse. They want to risk pups and females in the line of fire . . . just to try an escape plan that might end up more than their lives at stake. The audacity of them coming up with such—

"A'stea?"

She snapped out of her thoughts when Kaail called him, waiting for her on a cliff, overlooking the thick part of the jungle. She shook her head, slapping her cheeks. Knock it off.

"Is something the matter?" He called her again.

"Nothing. Just have a lot on my mind."

She noticed Kaail turn his head. His mandibles stiffened to his mouth, as if in concentration. She tilted her head when he was looking away. Is something the matter with him?

"Anyway . . ." She cleared her throat. "We should be close to some Kee'vas by now. Luckily, the Ri'ghar are on a migration away from here so it should be easy to get a few."

But then, A'stea noticed something in Kaail. His body was tensed and when she looked down, his hands were tight into a solid ball on his sides. "Are you okay?"

He relaxed but refused to look at her. "Nothing. It's the weather getting to me."

She tilted her head. What's his problem? She shook her head, not in the mood to deal with whatever he was thinking about. A'stea slid down the cliff with Kaail following closely behind. She debated on climbing trees but thought it best to stay on the ground. With the Ri'ghar gone, it'll be safer and easier to track the Kee'vas, even chase them if it comes to that. Once they were down on the ground, they got to work and began tracking the Kee'vas for the hunt.

Slowly, they traveled through the thick brush of the jungle, looking out for scents, footprints, or fur of their prey to start. A'stea knew they would be in this general area but not sure. With things being as they are the sounds of blasts from the patrols, it's highly probable that the herd might have moved to another location. With her luck, it might be that.

"So A'stea . . ."

Kaail's hushed voice got her attention but kept moving forward, pushing leaves and branches away. "What's up?"

"Do you know that male . . . Nu'hka?"

She stopped in her tracks. Her heart started to quiver. Why is he asking this now? She smacked her lips to collect the saliva that began to drip from the corner of her lips. "He's . . ."

Oh geez . . . Why is this so hard? Everyone knows about it. So why are you freaking out?

She sighed but it did little to help. "He's . . . the first person I've known since I came to this planet. Why do you ask?"

She turned around slowly, worried about what she might see. She hates it when she's right. Kaail was at his fullest height, looking rather intimidating. She's used to this from him and other Hish but this one somehow stuck her as odd. Oh man . . . What did I get myself into?

Kaail grumbled. "He seems grumpy when I'm around. And I've seen the way he acts when you're near, especially when I'm also around." He crossed his arms. "There's more to this than what you're telling me."

A'stea rubbed the bridge between her nose, frustrated. Really? Does he want to talk about this now? But the look and attitude he was giving were not one she wanted to deal with on a hunt. Just get it over with.

"Alright. You want the whole story. I get it." She sighed and stepped closer, placing her hands on her hips. "He's just a friend that I had been with for some time."

"Been with?" His red eyes squinted tighter.

Really? Is he interrogating me? The frustration was growing.

"Look. I don't know what's up with you. Yes . . . Nu'kha and I were together in the past but it's over now. We're mutual friends and nothing more. Can we get this hunt over with?" A'stea was hoping for a good time with Kaail but it has become nothing more than a pain in the ass to the point she wants to leave and be done. She already had a lot on her plate right now.

A'stea moved on, pushing through the jungle. Kaail, on the other hand, was processing what he'd heard. Her . . . and that male were together? Were they mates? He couldn't firmly establish that fact but the male's reactions between him and her were hard not to consider. The thought of it made his blood boil. He barely is getting her trust, getting so close to kissing. But something was missing. He felt like a creature was eating him from the inside.

What does he have that I don't?

Both barely talked to one another, mostly being silent as to not scare their prey but also because it was too uncomfortable. But there was no helping it. Eventually, they found a couple of muddy tracks and a few bushes half-eaten, leading them to a small herd of them grazing near the edge of the jungle where a few small cliffs were. With their prey having the only escape route that heads back in the jungle where they resided, A'stea felt confident this would go smoothly.

Of course, she wished it was the same with Kaail. His interrogation was not over with and his mind was far from hunting.

"Is Nu'kha a strong male?"

Now, his curiosity was starting to piss her off. But she had to concentrate on the hunt so she had no choice but to answer his questions . . . just to keep him busy. She watched the Kee'vas carefully as she did. "He is. Why does that matter?"

Kaail merely grunted, almost catching their prey's attention. "He's only a guard."

She snorted, deciding to give him an ultimatum. "If you're not going to learn on this hunt, then I suggest you leave. If not, pay attention." Her voice stern.

He grunted softly and looked down at the herd below, watching their movement. The lesson was to understand the behavior of their prey, how they react to certain situations, and especially to watch for warning signs that they sense danger. Although he tried his best to pay attention, every time he turned to A'stea, the jealousy in him grew.

This . . . Nu'kha isn't so strong. If he's merely a guard, then he listens to anyone. What does A'stea see in him before? And why did they break up? Probably how weak he is.

Kaail looked down to the herd and made a decision. I'll show her I'm not the same as him.

With that, he lifted to his feet and proceeded to push through the bushes. But as he was about to break through the bush, A'stea grabbed for his forearm and pulled him back. The first instinct was to growl but she beat him to the punch, slapping him on the forehead. It wasn't hard but enough to send a message.

"What are you doing!?" She spoke quietly but the shock in her voice was evident.

He snorted. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm going to hunt some prey."

"Something's wrong. Look at them."

A'stea pointed to the herd, trying to get him to see the same thing. The herd was quiet and grazing peacefully until she noticed their heads raised in alarm. They started making some chirping noises. For A'stea, she knew that they were agitated.

"So? They might have heard us."

"No." She shook her head. "It wasn't us."

She scanned the herd again and noticed something. The Kee'vas' heads were looking towards the cliffs and in the opposite direction of them. Whatever it was, it was drawing the herd's attention. The distress was clear on each Kee'vas so it wasn't a welcome . . . far from it.

"See them? They're being drawn to the cliffs."

"Does it matter?"

The way he said it and the words he used . . . A'stea couldn't believe it. What's happening to him? He's like he's a different person.

"Yes, it does. They're alert and afraid. Charging in as they are is dangerous. We need to be patient until we know everything." It was the first lesson she ever told him and now it was like it had gone down the drain, completely forgotten in Kaail's mind. Even worse is that he didn't seem to listen to her now.

"I'll show you."

Before she could stop him, Kaail rushed out of the bushes, exposing himself to the herd and making a lot of noise. Her anger boiled inside her blood. How can he just . . !? But there was no helping it. She watched as Kaail charged towards the Kee'vas, slicing through the herd like it was nothing. The prey scrambled to get out of the way and moved in a wide circle to get into freedom. Kaail brought down his bone wrist blades and cut down a few at a time, decapitating the unfortunates while cutting into bellies of others. Blood and guts were everywhere, decorating the nearby foliage in a blue hue while the mix of cries and shrieks dulled everything else.

To A'stea . . . this was nothing more than a massacre. The very thing she wanted to avoid teaching Kaail at all costs. He was nothing more than a beast. Although fear would be the normal response, she was disappointed . . . not in him . . . but herself.

Why, Kaail?

All because he began asking questions about Nu'kha. Everyone who knew her already had a description of her prior relationship with him but both ended them due to personal reasons . . . more from her side. They were good friends now but Nu'kha's behavior was disturbing. She should have taken care of him when she had the chance.

Is Kaail acting like this . . . because he's jealous? It does make some sense.

But her attention was drawn to a subtle noise but somehow made it through the loud noise. What is that?

As Kaail kept striking down more prey, A'stea glanced to where the noise was coming from. Again, she heard it. A hissing sound that almost hummed, nothing like a bird or a snake. It was bigger and deeper. She squinted her eyes to get a close look at what was moving in the bushes, shaking the leaves off some foliage as it came closer to where Kaail was. He had stopped from exhaustion, unaware of what was coming.

A'stea kept her eyes on the bushes until she saw something peer from the top. A long limb extended into the air, dark purplish, and looking like a tail. She didn't like it one bit, making her fears grow. Finally, to her horror, at the end of it was a stinger. It was bulbous with a sharp point at the end, dripping with a clear liquid. A'stea knew all too well what it was as it claimed many Hish servants who tried to run or hide from the Amengi.

Realizing that the unknown creature was aiming for Kaail, she broke from the bush and ran for her life, screaming for him as the creature attacked.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was an act upon instinct. Kaail ran into the herd with the intent to kill a few in one swing, ignoring A'stea's warnings. The intention was to show A'stea that he was stronger and faster than Nu'kha but his drive to kill and jealousy got mixed in. The joyous of feeling blood between his fingers got the best of him. Eventually, exhaustion wins in the end and Kaail had to take a break. His chest rising and falling to fill the demand for air. He looked around at his work, seeing about a dozen Kee'vas dead on the ground, littering any open spot. It was tiring but he felt proud of himself.

He smirked. Now that's how it's done. He starts to turn around. Look, A'stea and tell me if—

"Kaail!"

When he got a clear view, he saw A'stea running at him. She was frantic in her steps. Her scent was bitter and tainted with fear. It brought only confusion to himself.

Why is she—

Out of nowhere, he heard a hiss from behind. Turning around, he realized that a creature was right behind him. A giant, purple scorpion-like creature that was twice as big as himself, risen by its six legs and four pairs of small pinchers. Its tail was even taller, swaying back and forth with a stinger at the end. Kaail realized it was a Sy'ith since he heard stories of servants getting killed. He was caught off guard and realized too late what A'stea was warning him.

He was the prey now.

The Sy'ith screeched and jumped on Kaail before he could counter-attack, forcing him to slam into the ground. He tried to attack with his bone blades but the creature's legs pinned his arms and legs on his own, effectively trapping him. He began to curse himself while roaring at the creature, stupid enough not to see it. Its eight eyes blinked at him. Drool from its mouth began to drip on his face. And then, it raised its tail above him and aimed the stinger at his neck. One injection from it would kill him instantly.

C'jit! This is not good!

The creature screeches once more before plunging the stinger down on him. Kaail thought this was going to be the end of it and prepared for the worst.

But the creature shrieks in pain when a knife stabs into its neck and begins to thrash. Kaail heard A'stea's cry and watched as she jumped on the Sy'ith's back, pulling the knife out and then putting it in the middle of its back. But its tail suddenly whips and hits A'stea, knocking her off and forcing her to hit the ground hard.

When he heard her cry out in pain, Kaail went on full-rage mode. With the creature distracted, he grabbed a hold of its leg and twisted it so hard and fast that he managed to break and rip its leg without pause. It howls into the air and tries to walk away but Kaail wasn't done yet. With himself freed, he charges at the Sy'ith and slices his blades into the abdomen, making a clean cut that spewed a few parts of its guts. Realizing it was about to be killed, the creature makes a break for it, disappearing into the cliffs with a blood trail behind.

Pauk . . . that was close.

Kaail shakes himself and goes straight for A'stea. "Are you alright?"

But as he reached for her, she swiped his hand away harshly. He backed off, shocked by her aggression on her face. "You pauking idiot!" She screamed her lungs out.

"What?" He asked, raising his hands.

"I told you not to do that! And you went and butchered everything in sight! Have I not taught you otherwise!?"

Her anger stunned him. He didn't know what to say or do to make it better. "I only wanted to impress you and—"

"It pauking doesn't matter!" She screamed, moving her face inches from him. "You almost got yourself killed! That Sy'ith would have made you its lunch if I didn't intervene! You killed all of these Kee'vas like a wild beast! No better than the Amengi!"

That last part stung his chest. No better than the Amengi . . . He lowered his head in shame. To have A'stea call him as one of the masters was a hard blow and it did a big deal of damage to his heart.

Am I like them?

But then, he noticed something was wrong with A'stea. She began to breathe heavily like she wasn't getting enough air. Her body began to sweat, enough that a few drops began to fall from her forehead. She began to sway back and forth, trying to keep her footing.

"A'stea . . . are you alright?"

She nodded. "I . . . don't know. I think . . . that I got . . ."

She reached for her side, shifting her belt low enough to find a small cut stretching over her hip. Mixed with her blood, there was a small drop of clear liquid coming out. They looked at each other in shock and fear. Kaail's heart dropped in an instant, realizing she had been poisoned.

The next thing he knew, Kaail saw A'stea's eyes close and open as if struggling to stay awake. Her body swayed back and forth until she could no longer hold herself. Everything went dark after that.

"A'stea!" He ran as fast as he could as she fell to the ground.

Hi everyone!

Oh boy . . . This is what happens when jealousy and pride get mixed up in a bad way, amplified in a Hish/Yautja like Kaail. He wants to impress and show off that he's a better male than Nu'kha. But it comes back to bite him in the face. Or rather as a sting into someone close to him. Now, A'stea is not feeling well and Kaail had to deal with the costs for his behavior.

Will A'stea survive? Or is it too late to save her? And if so, Kaail is going to be in more than in a little trouble.

And what will happen to the Rebellion as a result of the outcome?

Find out when Chapter 43 comes tomorrow!

Thank you for the reviews (Anonymous-E, Mariah, and IanAlphaAxel)! They are very important for me and I hope I see more readers posting as well. All opinions are welcomed. I hope you keep on reading! ;)

And thank you for your support. :)

Happy Hunting! :))))