Chapter 8: the chase
Vaughn studied the predator and challenged him. "You know I could just kill you, escape, and are done with this stupid test shit." The predator spoke again in his rock solid tone. "Try it ooman, I would gladly cut you down where you stand. I have no care for these games." He was not amused. "Games? What games?" Vaughn tried to get a better hold of his situation, but to no avail. "I have said too much already ooman, you are to be informed after, and only after you have passed all three tests." "Three tests? Well I thought you weren't supposed to tell me anything?" The predator spoke again, his rocky voice wavering a little from anger due to revealing a little more information. "Silence ooman, you will follow me now." The predator turned and walked towards the jungle. "Hey wait a minute, what did you mean by you being my test?" The predator shimmered and disappeared as his cloaking activated and he rushed off through the trees. "Oh great..." Vaughn gave chase quickly as he too went headlong into the dense foliage.
The scared predator sat impatiently on his chair awaiting confirmation of what had happened. One of the predators in a computer station in front of him turned in his seat and spoke. "Sir, we have just gotten word on what happened to the ooman." "Well?!" The scarred predator snapped up and glared at the other predator. "Um sir, his shuttle pod malfunctioned and one of the landing thrusters exploded and well... he landed near the original destination, but scans of the area have brought back no life forms..." "what?!" The scarred predator leaped from his seat and roared at the top of his lungs. "My goddamn ooman better not be dead! That one has incredible potential! And the games are only a month away! That's hardly enough time to train him as it is! Let alone if he is hurt, or dead!!! Even if he is an unnatural!"
Vaughn ran as fast as he could through the thick trees and brush, small branches whipping him in the face and barbed vines cutting at him legs all the way. He could still see faint traces of the predator he was in pursuit of, leaves being thrown aside only a few feet in front of him, at least that's what is seemed like, he was moving to fast to acutely tell. Suddenly light poured in all around him and he was blinded as he broke through into another clearing. The predator stood on the other side of the clearing. This clearing was bare of grass or any other foliage. The ground was made out of what looked like dark blue clay. The clearing was circular, definitely not natural. There was a large metal pole sticking out of the ground in the middle, and a thick chain attached it to a creature that paced back and forth.