Translations:

Dah'kte: wrist blades

Ki'cti-pa: spear

H'ko: no

Paya: their god of creation (I prefer to refer to Paya as a woman in this book. Just a quick heads up)

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Fully armed and ready, Lex waited by the small entrance to the ship. Her fitting armor had been a gift from her friends for being a "good sport" during her period of rest.

Scar took his time walking down the hallway as he adjusted his dah'kte fir the thousandth time.

Night walked beside him in complete silence.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"Quite positive. You two have fun." He gave a quick grin and patted Scar on the back.

Scar gulped.

Night had been smirking for weeks now and if Scar didn't know better, he'd say all four, including Elder K'ash, were betting on something. What? He wasn't sure but he knew it had something to do with him and Lex. It left him more nervous than before.

Once they turned the corner to the docking station, Night left his side to prepare the shuttle's launch.

Lex breathed a relieved sigh, glad Scar hadn't ditched on her. Both entered and closed the door before Night released them into space.

"I'm glad you've decided to stay. Jag hopes to challenge you into a friendly sparring match upon our arrival home." Scar didn't turn to Lex as he focused on piloting.

"Well, I'm not too surprised," Lex laughed quietly. It was true, Jag seemed excited about her return before she even packed to leave. "But I don't want to get my butt kicked or anything."

Now, Scar laughed. His trills floated about the small craft causing Lex to laugh as well.

"Your trills echo."

"So does your laughter." Smiling at each other, they chatted idly until they landed.

Stepping out, they assessed where they were and what to hunt. The Gra'lin-chi was a mammoth-like creature. Large in size, a thick coat, and tusks would make anyone assume it was a mammoth from Earth but this one was not only green in color but a carnivore as well.

And their new target.

Scar led the way to the base of a mountain range. A two hour walk.

Once there, they set out to make a camp in one of the underground caves. These caves led deep into the core of the mountain where springs could be used as a water source and a place to bathe. With the entrance covered by a curtain of vines and tree branches, Scar collected wood for a fire and Lex collected the water.

"So want to tell me more about these Gra ha things?"

"Gra'lin-chi. Other than the fact they are huge and meat eaters, they travel alone and instantly are aggressive to anything in their line of sight. Despite their large coats and huge bodies, they can run up to 50 miles an hour. Anything else I'm leaving out?"

"Um yeah, how do we find and kill one?" Scar trilled in laughter at that before patting her head.

"Patience." Raising an eyebrow at the one word answer, Lex returned to set up the rest of their camp.

Then as the sun went down, a chill settled among them. Lex had been told before heading off of some areas of the planet reaching a horrible 200 degrees and then by nightfall be a frigid -20. Luckily for them, this particular region usual got up to the mid-90s and then as low as the 30s which worked just fine for Lex. However, Scar seemed quite irritated at the "cold" weather.

"How is it cold?! It actually feels nice and warm!"

"Warm?! It's way too cold." Scar huffed.

He would have preferred a different area to hunt but he had no choice. Everywhere else would have a scalding hot temperature much like his own planet. His homeworld could reach up to the mid-200s, but only when all three suns were high in the sky. The occurrence of a third sun happened every few years and never more than five months, but that didn't mean the usual two suns didn't blaze the planet to an average of 130 degrees.

The region they were in could only stay this cool due to the constant rain and springs that ran about. It rained most of the days and only three days did the sun ever come out in the entire year. It flabbergasted Scar who was much more use to humid, hot, and sunny weather.

By morning, a terrible storm had already passed and only a drizzle remained.

"Tracking will be difficult. Let's look for groves and herds that are grazing." Nodding, Lex followed Scar's lead as they tread through the jungle swamps.

From branch to branch, they stealthily made their way about. The slush on the ground would make it nearly impossible to travel on foot.

Five hours later, they settled in the branches to watch a small field. A herd of Rangoose were settling down as well. They were twice the size of a buck and had feathers that decorated their head. Scar explained that the feathers were useful for mating but nothing more than that.

It reminded Lex of the peacocks back at home.

They sat and watched the Rangoose fight, eat, nap and play. All the while believing the clearing to be a safe haven. The two, watchful hunters unknown to them.

It wasn't too long before Scar and Lex began to get bored. Hunting takes patience but with the conditions, they had no time to wait.

"Maybe try to tomorrow? We have to walk all the way back too you know." Lex crossed her arms and watched the ghostly outline of Scar's form.

He had long ago used his cloak to conceal his bulky form, but Lex found that the branches and leaves hid her smaller figure much more easily.

"H'ko. Wait." Lex rolled her eyes and waited as asked.

I had more patience with clients than with Scar. Hmmm... Maybe I should go back to Earth.

The thought of her homeworld floated only for an instant in her mind before it disappeared. She knew she couldn't. She couldn't just get up and walk away. If she was a quitter then she'd have quit the expedition in Antarctica. She winced at the name.

She couldn't quit. Never did learn how to, just like her father.

I'll have to learn to be patient here, just like I was on Earth.

"There." Snapping out of her daze, Lex looked to where Scar pointed.

Across the field, two shiny tusks barely poked out the brush. Lex held onto Scar as she leaned out of the tree.

Scar bit back a growl when Lex used him to leverage further out of the tree. He didn't want to alert the Rangoose or the Gra'lin-chi of their presence. Rather, he grabbed a hold of her waist to keep her steady. His hands felt sweaty at the contact.

Shaking the feeling, Scar tugged Lex back.

Lex nodded and sat crouched in anticipation. They didn't have to wait long before the giant charged from the trees.

With a terrifying roar that would shame a tiger, the Gra'lin-chi scattered the herd and managed to trap a small baby Rangoose in the middle. The small fawn couldn't make a break to the safety of the trees since the predator continued to jog around it in a tight circle.

When the carnivore decided to attack, Scar slightly shoved Lex in a sign to move. He uncloaked and roared as he jumped from his perch and she moved by the edge of the clearing. She managed to block its retreat as Scar's distraction provided her the perfect cover.

As soon as it saw her behind it, its eyes widened and it reared onto its back legs. Scar jumped to step away from the earth chunks thrown his way as its front paws came to smash into the earth.

Spinning, it almost caught Lex with its tusks but she ducked and rolled forward to release her ki'cti-pa to stab the neck. Roaring from pain and what seemed to be anger, it turned back to charge.

Eyes feral, steam puffed out its nose, the animal charged with a deafening roar. It made it only a step from where Lex stood before Scar headed back into the fight and slid his dah'kte into the side of the beast.

The attack threw it off balance and it gave a sound of surprise before tumbling to the ground. Lex ran forward before sliding on the ground to strike at the heart and end the fight.

Once the beast laid still, Lex stood next to Scar.

"That's it?"

"Sei-i."

"So how do we get it back to the camp?" Lex looked at the carcass and then back at Scar.

While she didn't doubt Scar's strength, it would be difficult to carry it back through the muck and to add on top, Lex knew she couldn't be of much help.

"We will have to use the robes and drag it back." Sighing, Lex grabbed one end of the robe Scar had pulled out and headed towards the beast.

Once tied and ready to go, Scar strapped himself to the robe.

"You need to clear a path." Activating her wrist blades, she began to hack away the vines and tree branches.

When they finally reached the camp, they decided to sleep and deal with their kill tomorrow. That next day they skinned and cleaned up the animal before trudging back to the ship. They already decided the meat, bones, and skin could be sold for money and split the earnings.

Scar insisted the skull and tusks be hers as she delt the final blow.

"I know for a fact not all hunts are like this." Her question limply hung in the air between them.

"This hunt was for the purpose of you getting your own room."

Oh... Scared that my skulls will take up too much in your trophy room?" Lex sniggered at her joke while he seemed to stiffen.

"Haha." His voice fell flat. "No. You deserve your own room."

And I deserve not to be tempted.

"Alright, alright. I was only joking."

On the ride home, Lex curled into one of the seats for an extra nap while Scar navigated them out of the atmosphere. He continuously glanced back at her as his mind wandered.

Only a few weeks back he had pulled her into his arms. A feeling he'd never soon forget. Luckily for him, she didn't wake before him and for that, he thanked Paya every day. She would have killed him or at least, they wouldn't still be good friends.

At least she will have her own room now.

Yet, the thought twisted his gut.