Obsidian rock forms from molten lava that cooled very quickly and had no time to form into glass. It is said to be a type of volcanic glass, and is found in a number of places worldwide. Obsidian meaning is deeply rooted in its reflective nature. It reflects deep truths, some of which may be difficult to accept. Obsidian cuts through illusions to reveal the reality of a situation, interactions or intentions of others and one's self.

(Crystal Encyclopedia)

Chapter Three: Obsidian

The market was bustling as it was any other day, but Za-Ma'ji felt that today was going to be particularly interesting. Noting an elaborate aircraft docking in the port, he signaled his brothers who were dealing in things a bit more taboo in nature among their kind. As everyone shuffled hurriedly to hide the hardcore contraband, two elaborately decorated Yautja stepped out of the ship and surveyed the area before progressing forward. Za-Ma'ji composed himself and began his approach towards the two newcomers.

"Greetings brothers, what brings you to the market today?"

"Ah, Za-Ma'ji. Good to see you brother!" One clad in a crimson cape turned to him immediately in response while the other clad in obsidian continued to inspect their surroundings. Recognizing his voice, Za-Ma'ji found himself a little startled.

"T'aitei, is that you? Paya it has been many suns and moons since…" trailing off and lowering his gaze, there was a nod from the other. T'aitei was one of the few that survived his failure during their chiva. Despite his blunder, the two remained relatively close given that T'aitei was very boisterous and saw things differently than most Yautja.

"It has been brother! Still a merchant I see." T'aitei said while shaking Za-Ma'ji's shoulder in greeting.

"Sei-i. And look at you! You have risen the ranks and claimed the Elite title. Amazing." Za-Ma'ji clicked while returning the gesture.

"It was no easy feat, I will say that much. Tell me of the interesting food that is around the market these days!" he said energetically, genuinely excited to see Za-Ma'ji. Before getting carried away however, his obsidian-caped companion finally stepped forward and broke his silence.

"Do not get distracted T'aitei. We are here on a mission."

"You are too serious U'than. Loosen up. This is one of the finer black markets after all." T'aitei insisted as he began to wander towards various stalls possessing foreign edibles. With a heavy sigh, the stranger turned his masked gaze to Za-Ma'ji before looming over him imposingly. As they sized each other up, he found it rather curious that an Arbitrator was even travelling with an Elite ranked Yautja such as T'aitei.

Before Za-Ma'ji could even say anything, the other Yautja asserted himself once more.

"Merchant, this sort of market is very dishonorable. However, my companion has forced me to turn a blind eye this once given the situation at hand. There is business regarding a signal emitted from lost technology at this location not so long ago. A little over half a moon... Did you bear witness to this event?"

Digesting the other's words, Za-Ma'ji tilted his head and began to think. He could not recall anything unusual in terms of technology. There was an old plasmacaster that was tested in a bidding and the bio-mask of an Ancient one, but other than that nothing particular came to mind.

"I do not remember anything that stood out much Arbitrator."

U'than cocked his gaze upward and nodded his head towards a surveillance camera haphazardly concealed on the corner of the nearest building. There were many more posted throughout the area, and despite that it was against Yautja law to steal from one another, this was the black market. Anything goes.

"I have seen this device before on the ooman planet. Does it not gather visual information?" Blinking his eyes, Za-Ma'ji turned towards the camera and was almost surprised that the other male noticed it. Then again, Arbitrators were not granted their title for no reason. They were one of the best warriors and went through grueling experiences for the glory of the rank.

"Follow me." Za-Ma'ji beckoned the Arbitrator into a nearby building with various wares stashed away on neatly crafted shelving. Entering one of the back rooms, a fusion between Yautja and Human technology lined the wall with various images on the display.

Spending the next hour speeding through multiple footage, the Arbitrator suddenly tensed as footage of the auction house began to play as it was around the time that the activity was sparked. All U'than saw was another Yautja purchasing a young ebony haired female from the stand as she struggled to use the wooden item in her grasp. It was quite the pathetic display in his opinion and wondered what was so appealing about purchasing a human as a pet. With a low growl, he felt that his time had been wasted as he was unable to locate the lost technology through the lack of indicators in the footage.

Watching the girl practically crumble in the warrior's arms, he was about to skip through the feed before something caught his attention as the video became slightly fuzzy as she clutched the wooden piece close to her chest. The video began to emit a strange high-pitched frequency before it suddenly cut to another scene.

"Ah, sorry about that. This happens from time to time as connecting primitive ooman technology to our own advanced technology can be quite taxing on the equipment."

Za-Ma'ji fussed as he deftly swiped through options on the feed, attempting to restore a smooth connection.

Perhaps it had been U'than's imagination after all and before he could dwell on it further, his wrist gauntlet began to beep with a transmitted signal. Deciding he had spent enough time staring at screens as well as dabbling in black market matters, he turned around and exited the building with Za-Ma'ji quickly trailing after him.

T'aitei had been standing where they initially split up with a serious aura emitting from him, something Za-Ma'ji was both unfamiliar with yet fascinated by.

"What is it brother?" he cautiously pried, hoping to not overstep his boundaries as a lowly merchant.

"U'than and I must go now brother. There is a report of a bad blood pack wreaking havoc close by. Keep your eyes open. This one is targeting black markets in particular. It will only be a matter of time." he warned grimly as he briefly shared a look with U'than.

"Take care Za-Ma'ji. Until we cross paths once more." T'aitei added before bidding Za-Ma'ji a farewell shoulder shake before boarding his spacecraft.

Assuming he was no longer needed, Za-Ma'ji was about to return to his previous tasks before the obsidian-caped Arbitrator abruptly stopped him.

"Merchant. Send me all the footage you have acquired over the past two moons as well as the name of the warrior that purchased the ooman girl with ebony hair."

Feeling his mandibles twitch in annoyance, Za-Ma'ji knew better than to ask questions.

"As you wish Arbitrator. The warrior is named A'thael. His location is generally unknown but he is highly renowned around these parts. I am sure you will run into him eventually."

Without responding, U'than took his leave and boarded the spacecraft as well.

As the vessel took flight, Za-Ma'ji narrowed his eyes and began to make multiple preparations. He would first message A'thael of this event and warn him of the potential complications coming his way. Following this he would begin to scour the market for this so-called lost technology the Arbitrator spoke of. If found, a chance at redemption in terms of clearing his dishonor would fall in his hands and he would finally be able to rejoin his brethren in the never-ending hunt for trophies.

What Za-Ma'ji was unaware of was the extra set of eyes and ears who had been watching the encounter with the Elite and the Arbitrator as they slipped back into the darkness.

"Alpha, I have gathered some interesting information. Let the hunt officially begin…"

Terms Utilized

If mistakes are made with any of the terms, please don't hesitate to correct me.

Sei-i: yes

Ooman: human

Paya: God/warrior