.x.
I have prided myself, for the better part of my life, on being in shape. My hobbies—indeed, my very career—have dictated that I must be. But after almost an hour of keeping pace with the eight foot, solidly and excessively muscled hunter, I was on the verge of collapse. He navigated the shifting temple with such ease that I was certain he had some method of determining our heading and direction, not to mention an unerring familiarity with the walls and rooms that continually reshaped themselves. One would expect a creature that large and bulky to move without grace and speed but I was amazed at the agility with which the predator led the way. Every now and then he would slow to a halt and cock his head to the side, a gesture I was beginning to recognize as intense regard or curiosity, before casting an inscrutable glance back at me as if to ascertain I hadn't dropped dead before starting to run again.
I followed him doggedly, still clutching his spear, the water bottle I'd tied across my body thumping against my thigh in rhythm to my rough gait. I'd gone above and beyond my own limit of endurance during this escapade. My vision had begun to swim and a sharp, lancing pain was racing up my sides when finally the hunter stopped again. I staggered to a walk and then collapsed weakly against a wall, breathing hard. I simply could not go any further, and so I dropped to a crouch and let my head hang between my knees, panting hard. There came from the hunter his chittering noise and I looked up wearily to see him gesture with one closed fist to a passage to the right. I hoisted myself up with more than a little difficulty and immediately tottered to the side. My companion, regarding me, let out a gravelly growl that clearly seemed to indicate his disdain.
"Yeah, fuck you," I muttered, disheartened. I feared that if he grew too impatient with me he'd leave me behind and that could not happen. For the first time in god-knew-how-many-hours I felt safe, and it was all because of the massive presence that was leading me through this hellish labyrinth. He made no further sound but when he continued moving he did so at a slower pace for which I was thoroughly grateful. We hadn't gone very far when the pyramid began to shift. So used to this occurrence was I that I stopped in the shadow of my companion and merely waited. When the commotion around us had ceased, however, the predator gave a thoroughly disgusted snarl. It took me only a moment to realize the cause of his irritation.
We were currently standing within a room with no exits.
And, I noticed upon further inspection, said room was not very large. I took this newest occurrence as an opportunity for me to rest and walked to a corner, sinking down cross-legged, laying the spear across my lap. The hunter was examining a stone slab decorated with the image of an alien on the opposite side of the room, looking for another way out, perhaps. I unscrewed the top from the canteen, took a small drink, thoroughly savored it, and took another. All the while I watched my guide as he moved about, studying our temporary prison and continuously emitting his rattling purr I was fast becoming familiar with. I gave into my weariness then and let my eyes close; it would only be for a moment, I told myself …
I was rudely jolted out of my daze by something hitting me square in the forehead. Hard. A small rock bounced into my lap, and at the same time I heard the unmistakable laughter of the hunter. Clutching my forehead, I glared up at him through eyes that watered in pain. He had another rock in hand and made sure I saw it.
"What the hell?" I demanded, coming to my feet.
His strange hair rose and fell as he shook his head and he let the rock drop. He pointed once at the image of the alien on the stone wall, pointed to me, and then back at the alien. I understood suddenly—I couldn't afford to let my guard down for even a second in this place. I nodded, all the while contemplating casting my own stone when next his back was turned.
"Fuck you," said a tinny, somewhat distorted voice, and a second later I realized it was my voice—my words coming from the hunter. He was mimicking back to me what I'd said earlier, as if knowing about my rock throwing fantasies and warning me against them. Disgruntled, I snapped, "Neat trick."
"Neat trick," He echoed again in my voice, and his low rumble of amusement immediately followed the words.
While his entertainment was solely at my expense, it did serve to lighten the mood. Still acutely aware of the fact that he could crush my head between his hands, my apprehension of the hunter had faded somewhat in the face of his rather one sided humor. Not only that, but I began to feel more confident, more secure. Perhaps we would make it out of here alive.
What would happen to me once I left the temple, however, was another matter completely that I had no wish to dwell on.
Minutes ticked past, and wary of further projectiles being hurled at my head I leaned against the wall and kept my eyes wide open. The hunter resumed his scrutiny of our chamber, and when they pyramid began to move again he barked an order at me as before him the stone slab rose. I hurried to comply and was right on his heels as he stepped through into another chamber—
—and abruptly halted. I barely managed not to bump into him. He roared, a sound I hadn't rightly heard in all its strength before, and it wasn't a nice sound. From his gauntleted wrist two large, wickedly curved blades suddenly protruded, and I eased around him to see what exactly the problem was.
Oh.
Aliens. Two of them, large and hissing and completely focused on the hunter and I. They were on us before I really had time to react and I was thrown backwards into the chamber I'd just left. The now terribly familiar double mouths were snapping at me and the only thing that stopped them from connecting was the length of the spear I wedged between the teeth. Claws were rending my arms, and the sharp, deadly tail hovered above, waiting, waiting—
The alien's saliva flowed into my face, obscuring my eyes and covering my nose. The stench was so foul that I was gagging. My arms, holding the spear, began to shake as the alien bore down on me, and I turned my head to the side as those deadly, needle-like teeth snapped shut near my face over and over. I couldn't win this struggle, I couldn't—I wasn't strong enough. I pulled my knees in close to my chest, and thrust out with my feet hard and fast and with enough force to propel the alien off of me. Distantly I could register the sound of the predator's cannon firing, but none of that mattered now. All that was important was the ebony monster that stood slavering in front of me. My grip on the spear was tenuous now—the alien's saliva had coated its length almost entirely and it slid loosely in my grasp. When the beast leapt, I struck out in panic and the barbed end of my weapon tore through the alien's right side. The spray from the wound splattered my body as the spear was ripped from my hands. I whirled away, tearing frantically at my sizzling jacket and trying to keep the shrieking alien in my sights—
It exploded then in a burst of radiant blue. The predator stood in the entryway, laser sights on my now dead combatant. I managed to get my jacket off and let it fall, watching dismayed as the left sleeve and most of the front dissolved beneath my gaze. The hunter, having retrieved the spear, chittered at me and approached, holding the weapon out for me to take. My hands were shaking so violently that it took me several tries to take it from his grasp.
Head tilted to the side, my companion rumbled deep in his chest and placed one large, solid hand on my shoulder. For a moment I could only stare terrified into the mirror-like surface of his mask. Was he going to break my neck and rid himself of me here and now? But then his hand was gone, and he indicated with a thrust of his chin at the smoking alien corpse before raising the other hand, tightly fisted, and thumping it on his chest. Utterly bewildered, I watched as he repeated the gesture, pointed to the alien, and then placed his hand once more on my shoulder. Abruptly I realized what he was doing—he was telling me I'd done well in my struggle against the alien, that I'd put up a good fight.
"Thanks," I whispered, disconcerted. My trembling having subsided somewhat, I knelt by my jacket and rifled through the pockets that were still intact for things I may need, stuffing them in my pants pockets and belt pouches. Standing, I saw the predator prying a long, curved tooth free from the alien body, being careful to avoid the blood. Like the finger I'd seen him take earlier, he tied the tooth to his belt with a length of wire. I shook my head, confused, and stepped into the new chamber I'd been so recently expelled from. There were two alien carcasses here, exposed innards burning holes through the stone floor; apparently another had appeared after I'd been removed from the room. A glint of metal caught my eye not far from where I stood. It was the hunter's long knife that he usually carried in a sheath on his thigh. I stooped to pick it up. As he came through the door I handed it to him before turning to survey the area.
"Thanks," said my voice back at me, and I couldn't help the small smile that crept across my face. You could say whatever you wanted about my new traveling companion, but you couldn't deny he had a sense of humor.
.x.