Chapter II
Disclaimer:
This story has been written purely for entertainment purposes, and in no way, shape, form, or fashion means to impede, or infringe upon any copyrighted material whatsoever. I do however retain credit and claim responsibility for the creation of names and character statistics of any and all characters within this publication. These characters are based on copyrighted ideas and or characters of the respective owners of said material within the entertainment industry. No money will be attributed to the author of the following publication in any form. Definitions and wording used to describe devices, and other such items are derived from other literary works involving these types of characters. This publication was created for the sole purpose of entertainment and the expansion of a concept formerly copyrighted by an individual or individuals as a group.
OK, so now I hope that you've figured out that Chapter 1, as well as the rest of the chapters here have been re-written. I have no beta so these are as good as they are going to get and again, as I said before, this is only fun practice for me not my actual published work so there might be some mistakes, flaws, errors, and/or discontinuity. PLEASE point them out to me in reviews so I can go back and make the necessary repairs. Thanks, and enjoy.
Chapter II
Hulij-Thwei slowly but confidently strode through the crowd and made his way towards his adversary in the center of the Kehrite. As he moved through the thick crowd of spectators, they began to withdraw from their positions in front of him as if he possessed the power to split them apart by sheer will. The scene closely resembled that of an Earthly boxing event, as the combatants walk through the aisles and people disperse from their current locations, to allow for the ease of movement, in regards to the individuals doing battle that day.
There was simply nothing more satisfying than being the victor in a contest, aside from a good days hunt, according to Hulij-Thwei. He viewed these ritualistic events as more than just a challenge; they were his way of blending in to the Yautja society nearly as one of their own. His position of rank within the clan was actually a direct result of these challenges, and the unspoken fear that most of them felt at the mere mention of his name had also been a product of these confrontations. As much as he disliked the idea of injuring or even killing one of his fellow clansmen, it was a necessary evil, in order to preserve the integrity of discipline throughout Yautja society. In many ways, these challenges, and the various reasons behind why they occurred, were mainstays of Yautja life.
It was as Hulij-Thwei neared the edge of the Kehrite that his long time friend Pok'de it'ktse had stopped him in his tracks.
"I would wish upon you good fortune in this event, but I don't believe that you will need it."
"I appreciate the thought, but I have no doubt that I will punish this Tarei'hasan." Replied, Hulij-Thwei. "He is undeserving of the right to challenge me."
"Consider yourself fortunate that you did not have to face me, as was the case earlier this day." Said Pok'de it'ktse, as he clicked his mandibles in laughter.
"You are the fortunate one my friend. For it is now that I grant you the honor of guarding my weapons in the meantime." Stated Hulij-Thwei laughing, after reaching up and gripping the shoulder of his closest ally, and then handed all of the removed weaponry he had been wearing to his loyal friend. He then confidently walked away and into the open expanse of the arena floor where the lessons in behavior and respect, would soon begin for his unworthy foe as well as the Unblooded youth that were watching.
Hulij-Thwei had finally seen his challenger since arriving at the scene, and he appeared to be ready for the forthcoming fight. His mandibles were flared wide in anger and arms spread outward in a pose that typically preceded the Hiju. He was the larger of the two, and looked as if he could rip through solid steel. His muscles rippled with activity, and the strands of sub dermal tissue, that were the source of his strength, now appeared as fine lines on the surface of his leathery skin. Any species unfamiliar with the Yautja would surely be intimidated, and recognize the menacing form of this creature as a sign that they were about to visit the afterlife.
It was Hulij-Thwei that looked out of place. Being the smaller of the two, one would swear upon sight, that his days were numbered. For a human he was only of average height, rising to only around five feet, ten inches tall, and as a result he was left with a less than intimidating form. That is until noticing his stature, and the mere shape of his muscle structure, along with the width of his shoulders, and torso. In his defense though, his muscle mass, by comparison of overall dimension and size, was far greater than that of his rival. It was due to his origins of being both conceived and birthed on a planet with immense gravity that contributed to his thicker, sturdier frame, and musculature of superior density. He was beyond the perfect human specimen, in respect to his overall shape and appearance and instances where that may have been a concern. Stronger, faster, sturdier, and more resilient to physical injury was he, than any human he had ever seen on the viewable radio signals transmitted by Earth a hundred years or so ago.
His adoptive Yautja father had found him when he was approximately five or six Earth years old, and he had already began to exhibit signs of superiority over other examples of human physiology, according to Yautja scientific records. It was the first several years of life with these Yautja, that he was on occasion studied for his unique attributes, and unbelievable displays of strength, and speed even by Yautja standards.
These extraordinary abilities would serve him well in his youth, and more so as he grew into the warrior that he had become. It would benefit him even more often during events such as challenges from his comrades, and Kainde Amedha hunts, where he could easily break an Aliens neck with little effort.
He would come to find that his superiority would be beneficial in the confrontation about to take place as well.
The Elder was then seen parting the crowd from one side of the arena and entered into the empty space between the two combatants, and the entire collection of warriors that had been gathered, were suddenly silenced, as his presence alone had demanded.
"I, Itu're Kra'a, Elder of this clan, will judge this combat as I see fit. Any one of you who disagrees with this, challenge me now, and suffer the consequences." He paused for a moment as if to give time for any would-be challenger to speak his mind.
"For those of you who may not be familiar with our combatants, the challenger is K'tek-de'Sa, a respected member of our bridge crew, and a seasoned warrior. It is he that has been marked with the symbols of both the clan and his progenitor" It was at this that a good portion of the crowd had noisily shown their appreciation of his having challenged this human.
"He, who has been challenged, is perhaps one of the most honored of warriors that ever lived, and has been marked with the symbols of his clan, his founder/instructor, and my own. He is Hulij-Thwei." The crowd seemed to be split, in regards to which of the two, they would like to see as the victor. Although, it was perhaps those that preferred to see Hulij-Thwei as the winner of this match, which made the most noise, even with their existence being fewer in number.
Itu're Kra'a then peered at each of the contestants for but a moment, spun around to face the direction from whence he came and raised a hand in the air as he again spoke.
"Let this begin!"
Hulij-Thwei had long ago mastered the Yautja's native language and even learned to mock their bodily expressions, which was a large part of their communication between each other. This being the case, he was able to read the opposition like a book and counter the foe's movements with his own unique, but comprehensible, brand of intimidation. In no way did he give any indication that he was unsettled by his adversary, and this action, or rather the lack thereof, would be perceived as an insult, which was exactly the intent. This would serve him to better judge the temperament of the one he was about to face.
Yet again K'tek-de'Sa flared his mandibles wide, and produced audibly a combination of a hiss and some low pitched growling. It was with hope that this would distract, if not intimidate Hulij-Thwei into submission.
K'tek-de'Sa was the first to initiate any kind of aggressive behavior, and quickly approached his competitor.
Hulij-Thwei slowly took a step or two forward in his direction, then stopped and stood with only a slight bearing of tension upon his muscles in preparation of what was to come. His facial expression gave no indication that he was even concerned for what his challenger was about to attempt.
K'tek-de'Sa had applied great force in attempting to launch himself at Hulij-Thwei in the attempt to punch him square in the face. It was unfortunate for him that Hulij-Thwei was faster and reacted with a speed that was sure to have surprised his giant attacker. In reaching outward with his left hand Hulij-Thwei blocked the punch, and caught his assailant's fist directly in the center of his open palm, then with nearly no effort, began to twist the offender's arm outward and away from them, as he stepped into closer range. Upon doing this he reached up with great force and released his right fist with fantastic energy, making direct contact at the space between the two lower mandibles, which to the Yautja was like having a chin.
There was heard a great screech from K'tek-de'Sa, as he was sent into mild shock. His body flattened and spun sideways in mid-air adjacent to Hulij-Thwei. Like most Yautja though, his ability to recover from such a blow was astounding and he quickly adjusted his body position so as to land in a somewhat aggressive stance that was half defensive and half offensive. He then rose cautiously and strategically and began to circle around the confines of the Kehrite as Hulij-Thwei did the same.
They took their time to analyze each other and potentially formulate how the next few moments would proceed.
Simultaneously, they leaped at one another, both of them displaying their skills as an agile and spirited Yautja Warrior.
It was during the split second of flight that each had maneuvered into their strike positions and at the peak of their mutual airborne attack, contact was made. A loud thud of a sound was made as Hulij-Thwei's elbow and forearm slammed into the thick hide of K'tek-de'Sa's chest consequently knocking the wind from his powerful lungs.
Despite having done damage to his opponent, it was K'tek-de'Sa that served the most punishment in this particular volley. For at the same moment that he struck, K'tek-de'Sa's right arm was outstretched and effectively contacted Hulij-Thwei across the throat. It was a matter of height that allowed his opponent to have such an advantageous blow as Hulij-Thwei's body was flung upside-down and flipped through the air. His body let out a loud, fast, choking sound as it occurred.
Fortunately for Hulij-Thwei this wasn't the first time that he had been hit hard or seemed to have made a mistake in judgment when it came to combat. To him it was all an advantage. Mistakes taught him what he knew today and how to recover from them. He recovered in the air and twisted his body so as to land in a controlled manner. He landed on the floor with both his hands and feet and was immediately ready to rise again to face K'tek-de'Sa.
Again the two combatants faced one another after regaining their composure and began to circle each other, getting closer with every revolution around the Kehrite ring. When they became close enough, K'tek-de'Sa attempted a combination of hardened punches; one to the ribs and the other to the face. The first made contact, and Hulij-Thwei seemed to buckle over from the pain. This reaction of Hulij-Thwei is what partially saved him from K'tek-de'Sa's second swipe at what would have been his face.
What K'tek-de'Sa did not know though, is that Hulij-Thwei reduced the effectiveness of the blow by purposely bending his body with the incoming force of K'tek-de'Sa's giant clawed hand. The second advantage of this was to cause his opponent to miss with the second strike of the combination and side step a bit past him.
Hulij-Thwei quickly reacted as K'tek-de'Sa's momentum forced him forward and left him off-guard. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, Hulij-Thwei reached for his adversary's legs when he turned back around to once again face the fight head on. By lurching backwards he managed to pull K'tek-de'Sa's legs out from underneath him. As his body fell to the ground Hulij-Thwei rotated around to build some speed and used his body weight to force an elbow downward into the face of K'tek-de'Sa.
While Hulij-Thwei had done some damage the fight was not over and each had rallied their full efforts to best the other. It was only getting started though as the two were only now beginning to truly begin the combat they came here for. Up to this point they were only testing one another's abilities; neither of them really showing what the other was capable of.
From this moment on, the combat between the two had taken on a much more serious atmosphere. The striking and maneuvering had sped up to an unbelievable pace and keeping track of the traded volleys between them was nearly impossible.
It wasn't long into this newly energized period of the fight that it became apparent that Hulij-Thwei's skills were superior to those of his opponent. Yet it was obvious that K'tek-de'Sa was no average Yautja either. He had displayed enough skills to impress even those that doubted him before and this was a sign that perhaps he may have once been an Honored Warrior rather than the lower ranked Warrior that they currently thought he was.
There was no doubt that K'tek-de'Sa was more than just a member of the bridge crew. Hulij-Thwei, despite being upset at being challenged by what he thought was a lower class Yautja was now impressed with his opponent and knew there was something more to K'tek-de'Sa than met the eye. Hulij-Thwei then decided he was going to find out.
It was now time to end this and move on to his regular duties. Yet with what he learned about this supposedly lower class Yautja and his combative skills, he would no doubt have an additional self-appointed task of figuring out how K'tek-de'Sa could have gained such abilities.
Hulij-Thwei slowed the pace and separated from K'tek-de'Sa just an extra foot or two so as to throw his attacker off balance as he attempted to strike. K'tek-de'Sa's large clawed hand came swinging with great force towards him as he dodged the blow and lined up for his own counter strike.
With speed rarely witnessed by a Yautja before, he reached out for K'tek-de'Sa's arm as it passed close by his head by only an inch or so. Violently he grabbed his assailant's still moving arm and rotated around while maintaining his grip and swung his own right arm up and over the front of K'tek-de'Sa's head and face. In an instant Hulij-Thwei, used a good portion of strength and heaved his body forward pulling the giant opponent's full weight off the ground and over his head. K'tek-de'Sa landed hard in front of him with a thud and in a rather prone position. Still holding on to his opponents arm he lifted his foot and smashed it down onto K'tek-de'Sa's face, snapping off one of his mandibles in the process. Hulij-Thwei took only a moment to assess his opponent's condition and decided that one last move was in order to ensure that this was the end of the battle. He reached down with his right hand and gripped K'tek-de'Sa's unprotected throat.
Unfortunately for Hulij-Thwei, there was more fight left in this Yautja then he perceived, as K'tek-de'Sa mimicked his actions.
Each of them squeezed violently. They both hoped that the other was more winded or worn from the combat and would starve for air first.
Nearly a minute went by silently to both those in the Kehrite, and to those watching as this was by far one of the strangest bouts of Jedhin/Jedhin they had ever witnessed.
After what seemed like an eternal moment to Hulij-Thwei, he realized that he may have the advantage and shifted his weight downward with a thrust of his entire upper body putting even further pressure on his opponents windpipe, but knowing it still wouldn't be enough to finish him off, he took a risk of losing his grip by freeing his left hand from the one K'tek-de'Sa was holding it with, thenput his full force into a blow straight into the face and mandible of the Yautja below him.
While it didn't necessarily knock his opponent out cold, it stunned him enough to lose what valuable air he had left and began to choke violently under the weight and strength of Hulij-Thwei's equally strong grip. The blow also caused him to lose his grip on Hulij-Thwei's throat. A few seconds of struggle on behalf of K'tek-de'Sa ensued while Hulij-Thwei kept tight his grip. With their free hands the two jockeyed back and forth for dominance until K'tek-de'Sa ran out of oxygen and his body became too weak to fight off his opponent.
This match was over as far as Hulij-Thwei was concerned. Leaning in over the face of K'tek-de'Sa he spoke.
"You will listen to what I say, or cease to breathe, as it is that I can remove your windpipe faster than you could react. Are you listening?" K'tek-de'Sa motioned ever so slightly in affirmation of this.
"It is because I feel that you are still valuable to Yautja society that I will let you live, if you agree to submit the victory to me, and swear your allegiance to the Honored Warriors above you within the clan. Do you yield?" Again, K'tek-de'Sa agreed with the terms.
"And one last thing, never underestimate your opponent."
Hulij-Thwei rose and stated that he would spare the life of his challenger and the reason as to why this was to be the case.
It seemed to be that in the course of watching the event, more of the Yautja had earned a respect for Hulij-Thwei, maybe not specifically for what he was, but in the very least for his skills.
"Let no one challenge my reason for sparing his life, and let no Yautja show any disrespect to this challenger beyond this day; for he has shown great courage in challenging me, for I am Hulij-Thwei, Honored Warrior of the clan." He raised his fist in the air and turned to look at the recently defeated K'tek-de'Sa, noticing that he too had gained a respect for his decision and combative skills.
Itu're Kra'a then entered the Kehrite a second time, and announced Hulij-Thwei as the victor.
It was then that K'tek-de'Sa saw the Elder approaching him with a stern look upon the face, and bowed his head accordingly as is typically done when being addressed by a an Elder. Those in the immediate area of his presence quickly backed away as was customary to show respect for ones personal business with an Elder, where as ironically, a Yautja's personal business was never his own, and the manners in this regard were merely a formality left over from a time long ago. This practice was also done, if for no other reason, out of respect for the Elder and his presence alone.
Itu're Kra'a stood staring at the defeated K'tek-de'Sa and visually examined without care, the accompanying wounds, courtesy of Hulij-Thwei's brutal style of combat. Only after he was satisfied that K'tek-de'Sa was fully alert and had been patient enough to keep his head lowered for as long as he had, did the Elder decide to speak.
"You still breathe, consider yourself fortunate. It is not often that Hulij-Thwei sees the value in letting a challenger live. Although, I must agree with him in the fact that you displayed incredible courage to face a warrior with a reputation such as his, although, your lack of skills in battle may still be the death of you."
"I am honored that you would even speak to me Elder after such a pathetic display of Jehdin/Jehdin." Replied K'tek-de'Sa.
"As both Hulij-Thwei and I have stated, you showed great courage, and for this reason alone you live, your fate lies in the hands of Hulij-Thwei now. You are aware that by clan law, he has the right to decide your future and that only I can approve of his final decision?"
"Yes Elder."
"You will wait here, while I speak to him."
"Yes Elder."
Again, K'tek-de'Sa bowed his head in respect, as Itu're Kra'a departed from his present location and proceeded to cross the expanse of the Kehrite towards Hulij-Thwei. Once the Elder was out of earshot and was a respectable distance away K'tek-de'Sa's supporters circled around him so as to discuss the recent events and his potentially grim future.
From the crowd and spectators here to witness the event, came a low grumbling sound much like that of a beehive of Earth. Various comments were made concerning the outcome of this particular Jehdin/Jehdin. Some were of the opinion that Hulij-Thwei should have killed his opponent outright, others were fascinated by his prowess, and yet were impressed to see how a human could be so concerned for a Yautja, considering what they had been previously taught of humans, and how the Yautja used to hunt them. Others, more than likely, the Unblooded, were pleased to finally see combat between two seasoned warriors, with little regard for the fact that Hulij-Thwei was human. After all, they were raised during a time when humans were finally gaining a respect from the Yautja after all the years of being hunted; and combat, regardless of the race involved, was more important than anything else in their lives.
Hulij-Thwei was being congratulated for his victory by some of his supporters, when Pok'de it'ktse had revealed to him the news that the Elder was headed his way. At that moment he turned and bowed accordingly to his leader, and awaited acknowledgement from Itu're Kra'a.
"Face me Hulij-Thwei." Said the Elder.
"Yes Elder." Replied Hulij-Thwei.
"Why was his life spared, for the need to feel some satisfaction at seeing him dishonored, while still alive?" asked Itu're Kra'a.
"No, Elder. I was simply taking into account that due to his great courage in facing an opponent such as myself, he may yet be useful in this upcoming war. I hope that I was not mistaken in thinking that we will need to have as many Yautja at our disposal when the time comes?"
"You were thinking of the survival of the Yautja race you say?"
"Yes Elder."
"A truly honorable reason." Itu're Kra'a then paused for a moment of thought in regards to the outcome of this Jehdin/Jehdin. It was then that he again addressed Hulij-Thwei.
"So, what exactly is to be the fate of your opponent?"
"He must be trained further in all areas of combat, then and only then do I see him being a valuable member of Yautja society. It is again because of his courage that I believe he has potential to become an Honored Warrior, and regain what honor he may have lost here today." Stated Hulij-Thwei.
"And so it will be. Follow me, and stand at my side as I inform him of the conditions he will be subject to from this moment on."
"Yes Elder. I would be honored. Though, my suspicions lead me to have to inquire of you something I feel is important regarding your approval of my decision."
"Speak." Replied Itu're Kra'a.
"I can't help but to think that K'tek-de'Sa was not always a low ranking Warrior, but perhaps something more; an Honored Warrior maybe?"
"You suspicions are correct. He was once one of the most revered of Honored Warriors among the Yautja. In fact, he was once a great Leader in another clan."
"How is it that he…?" Itu're Kra'a quickly cut him off in mid-sentence and spoke.
"That is something that I will leave up to him, and only after he has told you will I confirm to you what he tells you of his past."
"Yes, Elder."
Hulij-Thwei followed Itu're Kra'a over to where his former rival had been waiting, as instructed by the Elder, for his return. The crowd continued to communicate moderately, patiently awaiting the decision of the Elder concerning the future of K'tek-de'Sa.
It was upon reaching K'tek-de'Sa's position that the Elder spoke.
"Are you prepared to accept the terms of your future as deemed necessary by Hulij-Thwei?"
"Yes Elder."
"So it shall be that you will endure further training in the art of combat, and assign your loyalty to Hulij-Thwei and those whom he deems to be above you in rank."
"I live to serve the clan and your wishes Elder." Replied K'tek-de'Sa.
"Good." The Elder then addressed all those in attendance and stated the terms by which K'tek-de'Sa's life would continue. It was also announced that anyone who would disagree with this arrangement would face the punishment of the Elder himself. Also, to the surprise of everyone present, the Elder proclaimed that Hulij-Thwei was to be the newest Leader in the clan.
One by one, the crowd began to file out of the arena, still voicing their opinions to themselves about the outcome of today's event, and during this time the Elder too had taken his leave.
Hulij-Thwei had been discussing the issues surrounding his newfound position with his closest supporter Pok'de it'ktse, when K'tek-de'Sa approached him, bowing his head and spoke the appropriate greeting afforded to those who were Leaders amongst the clan.
"Leader, may I speak?" Asked K'tek-de'Sa.
"Please do." Replied Hulij-Thwei.
"Perhaps I was too judgmental in regards to your position within the clan and of doubting your skills as an Honored Warrior."
"Your courage in having faced me in battle is enough to make up for your error in judgment, and all that I now expect of you is to serve the interest of the clan and Yautja society as a whole."
"You do realize that despite what warnings the Elder and I have given to the others, that they will become more creative in the ways in which they remind you of your loss here today, do you not?" Stated Hulij-Thwei.
"Yes Leader, I am aware. I am also prepared to defend the clan, you as my new Leader, and the Elder with my life."
"Then you are a true Yautja…I understand that you possess many trophies, is this true?"
"Yes Leader." Replied K'tek-de'Sa.
"I would like to see them; it will give me a better understanding of the kind of hunter that you are."
"Of course, Leader…" He was quickly cut off by Hulij-Thwei.
"You will refer to me as Hulij-Thwei except during times where formality is needed, do you understand?"
"Yes, Lead…Hulij-Thwei." Hulij-Thwei and K'tek-de'Sa both, along with Pok'de it'ktse and a few others gathered around had shared in what was various clicking of the mandibles and mild grunting, which was the Yautja equivalent of laughter, for a moment before the two spoke again.
"I will now go and prepare for your visit Hulij-Thwei."
"Excellent, and by the way, Pok'de it'ktse will be accompanying me to your quarters to help assist me in determining the future of your training, is that acceptable?"
"I would be honored."
"As are we, and one more thing. See the Healers before going to your quarters."
"Yes, Leader."
K'tek-de'Sa had left the area with some of his immediate associates that had been waiting on him to finish speaking with his new Leader, Hulij-Thwei.
In the meantime, Hulij-Thwei had further surrendered to the rest of the crowd that waited to congratulate him on his newfound position within the clan, while both he and Pok'de it'ktse continued to speak. It was only after most of the crowd had exited the Kehrite that a small group of Unblooded appeared in front of him and seemed to be quarreling amongst one another about the particulars of the match they had witnessed.
Hulij-Thwei glanced side-to-side cocking his head in a somewhat confused state. He then peered at Pok'de it'ktse, who then reached out with a slight grip on his shoulder and leaned closer so as not to be heard by the Unblooded in front of them, and spoke.
"They are like children, are they not?" Pok'de it'ktse chuckled a bit and clicked his left lower mandible.
"They seem more interested in the details of the match than having proper manners, wouldn't you say?" Spoke Hulij-Thwei with a grin on his face.
"Perhaps you could scare them straight, oh, great Leader." Pok'de it'ktse had mustered all the sarcasm possible into the grisly tone of his voice.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot." Without speaking another word to his friend, he then turned his attention back towards the Unblooded, still preoccupied with their excitement of seeing a true Jehdin/Jehdin.
In as deep, and authoritative of a voice as possible, Hulij-Thwei spoke loudly, addressing the Unblooded.
"WHAT…IS…THIS…RUCKUS?"
At that moment every Unblooded was startled nearly out of their skin and became silent as they stepped forward to meet the demand of Hulij-Thwei's question.
What was obviously the older of the Unblooded was pushed forward from behind by one of his comrades as a sign that he had been chosen to speak for the group.
"Leader, we are the group of Unblooded that were to be trained by you today in the Kehrite."
"Is that so?"
"They are." Replied Pok'de it'ktse as he walked around them and noticed that not a single one of them had their head bowed in respect for the new Leader.
He then approached Hulij-Thwei on his right side and spoke, while facing the Unblooded so that they would purposefully hear his words.
"Their lack of respect is unacceptable. What will you do with them?"
It was then that the Unblooded as a group looked around at one another for a sign as to what they had done wrong, when the oldest of them said, 'Bow.' Each of them then quickly bowed their heads in fear, and respect.
Pok'de it'ktse, and Hulij-Thwei both looked at each other and grinned, as it was the latter that spoke quietly.
"I could get used to this."
With a slight chuckle, Pok'de it'ktse replied.
"I am sure that you could."
"You will have to get used to it as well my friend. I am going to name you my new second in command." Hulij-Thwei was smiling widely as he spoke.
"WHAT?" Replied Pok'de it'ktse.
Maintaining a sideways glance, as well as a sharp grin, toward his friend, Hulij-Thwei addressed the Unblooded and gave them their first set of orders in regards to the punishment they would receive for ignoring the rules of respect, and simultaneously avoided answering Pok'de it'ktse.
Upon receiving the commands of their Leader, the Unblooded filed out of the Kehrite in preparation for the up coming training and hunt they were to be involved in. Hulij-Thwei and Pok'de it'ktse left the Kehrite as well and began casual conversation of their own while traveling the passageways of the ship.
"I know that you are curious as to my naming you second in command." Stated Hulij-Thwei.
"Yes, I am. There are others far more qualified than myself to fulfill that position."
"True, but none that I would trust with my life if need be. Besides, I truly believe that you have earned more than your fair share of rewards within the clan to deserve such an honor."
"Perhaps, but you will still have to seek the Elder's approval. Not to mention, the Unblooded are unruly, unskilled, they lack maturity, talk too much, and they smell."
"They smell?"
"Yes. Perhaps you're inferior human senses can't detect it but I can."
"They have been stuffed into very tight quarters below deck, and they weren't given the opportunity to bathe before finishing their training planet-side, before coming here. You remember how it was for us during those years do you not?" Replied Hulij-Thwei.
"Yes. Unfortunately I do; only because you reminded me." The sarcasm in Pok'de it'ktse's tone was more than apparent as he continued to speak. "I suppose the smell of the un-bathed Unblooded couldn't be as bad as when I had to endure your wretched ooman stench back then."
"You Yautja don't smell any better to the human senses either you know." Hulij-Thwei paused for a moment before speaking. "Admit it; you think that in having to train these Unblooded you will have less time for the Hunt."
"That thought had occurred to me. But they still smell."
"Do not worry my friend I will see to it that these Unblooded will not interfere with the Hunt. We will be bringing them with if necessary. That should make them the best Yautja they can possibly be. As for their smell, all I can say is that I allow you to be as creative as you want in forcing them to have to bathe."
"Do you think the Elder will approve of your decision?"
"He knows of your skills, and he values those around him who he can trust. He will understand exactly why I chose you as my second in command."
They had arrived at the hatchway entrance of Pok'de it'ktse's quarters, when he grabbed Hulij-Thwei's shoulder and thanked him for the opportunity.
"You may not want to thank me just yet; hunting with me may not be in your best interest, unless of course you think you can keep up the pace."
"Have I ever failed to keep up with you on a hunt before?" Asked Pok'de it'ktse sarcastically.
"No, you have not. Though, a little competition is healthy. Perhaps a friendly wager as to who brings back the better of trophies on the next hunt will bring to light as to who is the better hunter." Said Hulij-Thwei.
"Agreed." How will it be judged?"
"We will let the Unblooded decide who has bested the other in regards to the more distinguished of trophies."
"This will be interesting. Speaking of the Unblooded, have you forgotten the training they were scheduled to have today?"
"No, I have not, I thought it best to surprise them, and wake them from their sleep, and we will then see which of them are best prepared."
"A wise decision…I will meet you later at K'tek-de'Sa's quarters."
"Yes. In the meantime, I will speak to the Elder about naming you as my Second."
"Until then." Replied Pok'de it'ktse as he reached again for Hulij-Thwei's shoulder.
"Until then my friend." Said Hulij-Thwei, as he returned the gesture.
I hope that this chapter was a bit more satisfactory. Please read, and review.
NOTE: words that were already defined in other chapters will be listed in those particular chapters.
Glossary:
Hiju- fighting position, combat stance.
Itu're Kra'a- The Elder of this particular clan.
K'tek-de'Sa- The Yautja that challenged Hulij-Thwei in hand to hand combat.
Ooman- The Yautja slang term for human, this slang is more of a result of their having difficulty pronouncing our consonants, although they can over time learn to pronounce it correctly they purposely mispronounce it in this way when wanting to insult a human.