It took a certain amount of self-control for Sain'ja not to roar with excitement and pride as he watched Dto-Raija make her way through one of the small passageways. Fox and Adahy, however, freely voiced their approval and enthusiasm. They acted like two exaggerated fans at a human sporting event. Makya would occasionally give a simple nod or grunt, but not much else to signify what might be going on in his head. All stood in front of a large video terminal on the deck of the ship. For a moment, Sain'ja had thought she was a goner. It had been as if the gods themselves had given her that test of cunning; something only she couldn't do on her own. He felt his lungs release the air they had been holding back.
Sain'ja glanced around at the others watching the Chiva. Only relatives, the Council of Clan Leaders, a few chosen Elders or Arbitrators, and the training masters were allowed to few what was going on. The rest of the populous of board would be informed when the ship prepared to land. However, since Dto-Raija had no family and was instead close to his comrades, they had been allowed to watch as well.
Someone else had joined them on this journey; someone no one in the clan had been expecting and someone Sain'ja had refused to inform Dto-Raija of, making sure the two didn't chose paths. Even when they went to the dining hall, Sain'ja would steer her and his friends away from this certain Yautja and picked a spot far from him to eat at. Still, Sain'ja himself often had to make contact with the skilled warrior.
The unexpected guest was none other than Arbitrator Megedagik, no doubt being sent as an agent. Chivas were important ceremonies, yes, but only the Yautja in the clan of those being tested typically involved themselves in them. Never had someone so high in rank chose to witness one from another clan. This both pleased and distressed Sain'ja. Their visit to Yautja Prime had only been meant to be a short trip to gather supplies and catch up on new intel, but instead they had been sent to visit the Council of Ancients as well. Sain'ja had a pretty good feeling that it wasn't due to any interest in the clan or Chiva itself either. But rather one specific human amongst them taking it.
Humans typically did not take the Chiva. Once one had been accepted into the clan as Apprentices, that was it; end of story. Neither Kota nor Halian had taken it. It was not a requirement for them; mainly because Yautja had little confidence that the Soft Meats could survive it. It was true that a few humans had managed to prove themselves worthy by killing a Serpent, but even that was rare to say the least. What Sain'ja had asked for Dto-Raija had been the radical thing. For the Council of Ancients to involve themselves in this though…what could they want?
Sain'ja did not regret his decision in keeping Dto-Raija and the Leader of the Guardians apart. It would only cause her to raise suspicions and give her one more thing to worry about rather than focusing of the Chiva. He, however, was often asked- and by asked, it was more like kindly demanded- to answer Megedagik's questions regarding her. He would answer truthfully, but vaguely when he could.
If Dto-Raija does not live up to the Council's expectations, Sain'ja thought, will she be stripped of her title as an Apprentice? The Council of Ancients' word was law, no matter what the status of a clan might be. In the end, it might not be the Kiande Amedha that Dto-Raija needed to be concerned about. If they considered her unworthy, she would not be set free and sent back to her homeworld. She would either be taken as a slave or killed, hunted down as prey all over again. If she was very lucky, they might instead let her live the rest of her days- now he was feeling sorry he had prolonged them- as a sort of pet, due to her service to the Yautja from picking off so many Bad-Bloods. Admittedly, those thoughts worried him. He didn't share it with his friends though, and they themselves seemed to naïve to notice anything.
Arbitrator Megedagik noticed him staring from across the room, and Sain'ja quickly turned his attention to the others on the deck; both out of concern that he might disrespect the man and that he would find some way to read his thoughts. The clan's own council spoke to one another quietly, thoroughly examining every detail of the Chiva. Liwanu's trainer said nothing save when he was voicing a mistake he felt his Youngblood was making. Ehawee's trainer just stared at the screen with deadly concentration, as if willing the young female along. The two Youngblood's families, much like his friends, were very much excited about the Chiva, rooting for their sibling or descendant.
Fox purposefully bumped Sain'ja in the arm as a way of telling him to pay attention to what was happening on the screen. He didn't want his friend to miss out on anything.
Sain'ja looked back and watched the human he had come to know and appreciate. Paya, he prayed silently, Paya, watch over this one…
Nina moved in silence, cringing and cursing in her mind when her armor made even the slightest of noise. One wrong move could ruin everything.
She could hear the temple shifting around her, however, the passageway seemed endless. Thankfully, and at the same time regretfully, nothing changed in this course, which meant that she had nowhere to go but forward as well.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Nina came to the end of the tunnel. On the down side, it was just another dead end. And she had seen no other way to go on her way here. She kicked the wall in frustration, only succeeding in causing her foot to throb with pain. She was too angry to give it too much attention though. Had she trapped herself in the temple? Maybe she should have accepted Ehawee's offer to carry her. Would anyone even come to her rescue if she was trapped?
She mentally slapped herself; Of course they would, you idiot! Nobody's that heartless! At least, that's what she hoped. Nina slumped against the wall and slid down to a sitting position, deactivating her wristblades. Nothing seemed to be happening anyway.
So far- minus the first time the temple had been activated- there had been five shifts of the temple. Three of them had occurred while she had been walking down this path. That meant the Chiva had been going on for at least an hour. Apparently, Sain'ja forgot to mention how long these things took. Or maybe the others had already made their kills and they were waiting up on her.
The solid feel on her back lessened as the stone gave way for another shift. Happily, Nina turned around and crawled out before the stone had even finished moving out of place. She turned back around in time to see the tunnel seal away once more and a statue of a Yautja warrior move in place in front of it, standing over her by at least a good ten feet. She had landed herself right in another passageway. The difference was that this one was enormous; probably one of the main halls. More statues lined up on both walls in a set pattern. Looking upward, it seemed that there was a smaller, second level. The exits on either side led to more hallways and chambers.
Nina activated her hologram; checking to see the fastest way to the others. She had made a promise she would find them before she did anything. Besides; she could already feel herself growing uneasy. She spotted them one still one level above her, actually heading her way. She checked her position in the temple. How had that path put her ahead of them? Never mind; something to think about another time. Anyway, she could meet them by going down a few more hallways and going up a couple flights of stairs. If she hurried, she could possible meet them before the next shift.
She turned to head down the southernmost path when she heard a low, guttural hiss echo off the walls around her. She reacted instantly, drawing out her blade and snapping into a fighting stance. She quieted her breathing, her heart pulsing rapidly, as she looked around for the source. It had to be a Xenomorph.
This moment meant everything; pride and shame, honor and derision, life and death. There was no running from this fight.
A second hiss never came. Nina couldn't see anything standing out like it should either. So where was the little bug? She constantly jerked her head around in search of her quarry. Her senses all tuned in on her surroundings. She could just feel the Serpent there, watching her. The only sounds she could hear were the beating of her own heart and the occasional sliding of claws against rock bouncing around the hall like it could come from anywhere.
Suddenly,a blur of bright green- she still had her EM vision on- pounced down out of nowhere, landing directly on top of her and sending her sprawling to the ground in a heap. Learning from past experiences, Nina held onto her blade like a vice, refusing it from sliding out of her grasp. The Xenomorph towered over her, its feet on either side of her body, keeping her from rolling away. The two glared at each other hatefully, both recognizing their long despised enemy.
Nina called herself every foul name she knew, chanting them in her head; You stupid, idiotic, numb-skull! How could you not expect a move like that? It's the oldest trick in the book!
For the most part, the Xenomorph seemed like the ones that come from average humanoids, only much bulkier and about a foot taller. But all other similarities stopped there. The tail seemed duller than usual; still very much capable of piercing through flesh, but thicker and looked like it could better be used as a large baton. The muscles were large and powerful, making it stronger, but less graceful and quick than the typical Hard Meat. Its claws and teeth appeared double their average size. When the beast let out a shrill shriek in her face, it sounded of a lower pitch than normal. It revealed its inner mouth while doing so. The smaller set of jaws looked more flexible and longer than a regular Xenomorphs would be as well. The Hard Meats that were born from the Su'vis were definitely tougher opponents than the more well-known ones.
Too bad they didn't have half the brains to back it all up.
As Nina swung her blade up at the Serpent, it reared its ugly head back. In those few free seconds, she tried to scoot backwards so she could get back on her feet. The Xenomorph swiftly hit her weapon out of her grasp with one swing of its arm, and then followed up with a second swipe that knocked her mask right off, sending it skidding across the floor with a horrid scraping noise.
Soon, the Hard Meat had both clawed hands pinning her to the ground by her arms. She couldn't shake him off. Drool dripped from its fangs on onto her chest. It shot its inner mouth at her skull twice. The first strike she was able to dodge, but the other hit her square in the shoulder, spattering her own blood on her right cheek. She nearly gasped from pain, but held her tongue since she knew the event was being recorded.
The Serpent seemed pleased with itself as she continued to struggle from its hold. Nina made several grunts of effort and tried kicking up with her legs to no avail. Had she been a Yautja, it would have been sent flying halfway across the hall.
The two heard something crawl toward them; just what the Xenomorph had been waiting for. Looking past one of its legs, Nina turned her attention to what was approaching them. The new being was spider-like in stature. Although she couldn't see as well without her mask, she could just make out the figure.
A Facehugger…
Ehawee and Liwanu stood back to back as they moved slowly across one of the upper levels of the temple, keeping an eye out for each other and searching for any sign of movement. They could hear the Xenomorphs moving around them, but so far none had made a move to reveal themselves and strike. Occasionally, a glint of green could be seen ducking behind another piece of wall or a statue.
"They're using pack-like maneuvers," Ehawee observed and whispered softly. Liwanu gave a nod of acknowledgment. For once, he wasn't saying anything. His muscles were tense in anticipation for a fight to start.
Slowly, carefully, they managed to shuffle to the end of this particular hall. As soon as they had reached the vast doorway, the Xenomorphs made their move, lunging toward the pair from above. A Facehugger shot down from the arch in preparation to impregnate Liwanu. Spying it first, he flung his Smart-Disc at the parasite, slicing it horizontally and ending its life. This move sent the other Serpents into action.
"I made my first kill!" Liwanu said somewhat unbelievingly, a hint of excitement in his tone.
"Good to know, now get over here and help me finish these things off!" Ehawee growled at him. Honestly, the male was acting like a child. Meanwhile, she herself was struggling to fend on three Hard Meats at once with her Combistick, and only more drones were approaching.
Snapping back into reality, Liwanu began firing his Plasma Caster at the incoming wave of Serpents. One by one, they fell. However, Liwanu wasn't too skilled a marksman when it came to any long-range weaponry besides the Smart-Disc and the Shuriken, and he missed part of the time. One Xenomorph easily dodged one shot and came close enough to leap over and tackle him to the ground.
For a while, the two opponents went back and forth, wrestling each other. Liwanu gathered up his sheer strength and lifted the Xenomorph into the air with both hands, tossing it across the hall. The Xenomorph got into a pouncing stance automatically and hissed at him. As he lifted his Smart-Disc and lifted his arm to toss it at the Serpent, it shot its inner mouth out at him. The thing stretched a surprisingly long length, like a Su'vis would, and coiled around Liwanu's raised wrist twice before snapping down on it with its fangs. The razor-sharp teeth seemed to sink straight through the bone. The injury caused him to drop his Smart-Disc.
Liwanu growled from pain, certain that the inner mouth had damaged something important. He felt his feet unwillingly drag across the stone floor as the Xenomorph pulled him closer. With his other hand, he activated his wristblades and cut himself free, stumbling back after doing so. Acid blood poured upon the floor and ate some of it away. A few drops fell upon his unguarded thigh, and he hissed from the burning sensation, but held back his tongue. That familiar pain would come again soon anyway; he would have to get used to it.
The temple began to shift once more.
Liwanu quickly fired at the Hard Meat he had just fully enraged. However, a block of stone split them apart before it got the chance to hit its target. There was a shriek of anger from the Xenomorph on the opposing side; a promise that their fight wasn't finished just yet.
He looked over to Ehawee to discover she was already finished killing the three drones that had attacked her at once, and had already marked herself with pride upon the forehead. She seemed alright save for a definite amount of cuts and bruises. She currently was taking her share of trophies and paying him no mind.
That was alright; Liwanu's own attention was on something far more important to him than females at the moment. Standing up and collecting his fallen Smart Disc, reattaching it to his belt, he strode over to the dead Facehugger and pulled apart an appendage from it. For a moment, he just kneeled there, wondering where he should put his own mark. He lifted his upper-mandibles, grinning, when he thought of the perfect spot.
Pulling away the still attached inner mouth from his wrist, he traced the mark of the Blooded centered in the middle of the punctures. He would allow those to scar as well.
There was still the matter of the wound itself though. It pained him too much to move his wrist. A quick scan confirmed that it was broken.
He dug out his medicomp and did his best to brace it with only one hand, however it was difficult, especially for someone who hadn't paid much heed to instruction on healing one's self. Ehawee, smirking at his poor attempts, came over and took his wrist in her hands. "Let me help." It wasn't a request, but an order. She began working on it without waiting for him to respond.
A rough purr escaped Liwanu before he could help it. Ehawee looked up from her work and said, "Shut up."
They wondered how the human was fairing.
On the level just below theirs, Nina was in the midst of her own struggle. The temple's shift- thankfully- had not affected the area she was in, but the Facehugger was currently wrapped around her throat and attempting to gain entrance in order to impregnate her. The Xenomorph held her down by her arms. She kept her teeth shut tight, denying the egg proboscis the chance to slip in. However, the Facehugger's tail constricted tighter around her neck, choking her. If she didn't think fast she would die from lack of air or let a gasp slip by upon reaction. It was a strong sense of determination and will power- mind over matter- that kept her from falling into unconsciousness anyway. Only one idea came to mind to save herself.
Slowly unclenching her teeth, she felt the proboscis reach in and enter her mouth. And before it could reach her throat, she bit down with all her might.
With nothing to protect the fleshy tube, the Facehugger made something resembling a scream of agony. In an instant, it detached from her like the hurt animal it was. The breathing proboscis swiftly practically dove out of her nose. The Facehugger made a quick exit to some other part of the temple.
The Xenomorph turned it head, watching the parasite depart, as if not knowing what to think. Had Nina been just an observer, not trapped beneath a massive killing machine, she would've done so herself. She hadn't really believed that would work.
Distracted by the sudden turn in events, the Serpents grip loosened. Just enough for Nina the slip one arm free, activate her wristblades, and slice the thing across the face. It shrieked and released its hold on her other arm, its blood raining down on her. Nina lifted both of the armored forearms over her face in order to protect it. Her chest was safely covered by the plating she wore.
In a matter of seconds she rolled out from underneath the Hard Meat and stood; ready to face it head on. The Xenomorph lunged at her, but this time, she was ready and blocked the swing of its claws with her wristblades. She made a rapid punch and stuck the Serpent in the side, the blades piercing right through the tough exoskeleton. Nina followed up with a swift round kick at the beast's cranium.
The Serpent turned and swung its tail at her waist, hitting home and knocking Nina off of her feet as a breath of air escaped her. She latched onto the tail, hanging onto it as if for dear life, and swung herself over the top of it. The Xenomorph did what it could to fling her off, including bashing her against the wall and floor. She felt sick to her stomach and black dots danced around her vision as the rest of the world moved in a blur of motion. With one hand, Nina sliced the vicious tail in two, falling to the ground with her half of it.
In the few seconds she took in order to get her bearings, the Serpent lunged once more for her. Nina was smashed against the wall and the Serpent had her pinned once more. She attempted to lifted one foot up and kick it back, but it barely did anything. Her adrenaline was building with each minute that passed during their fight. On top of that, she was enraged with herself for not being able to defeat this thing as easily as she thought she would've.
The Xenomorph made another attempt to bite her again. Not a second after, Nina growled out a war cry pushed her entire momentum forward, shoving the Serpent to the ground. Without even sparing it time to react, she repeatedly slashed one pair of wristblades at the Xenomorphs neck. Her mind had turned to something more feral as her desire to kill her chosen prey grew. Pure rage tinted in her eyes.
Even once the thing was already dead, she continued her attack until the corpse had stopped twitching. And for another moment, she just sat on top of it, panting while she tried to calm herself down and rationalize with herself that the Xenomorph had been killed.
Oh man, Nina thought with a slight sense of dismay, what am I becoming? She'd had her share of moments where she had completely snapped before, but never one that left her so deadly and destructive, so intent on murder.
She had to shake it off. The Yautja on the clan ship were still watching- or at least attempting to, considering her mask currently faced the ceiling- and were no doubt wondering what to make of the long silence.
She walked up to where the Bio-mask was to confirm to them that she was still alive, glad to see there had been no apparent damage. Her blade was the next thing she collected; she smiled down at it, finding that it still looked to be in amazing condition. When and if she returned to the settlement, she would be sure to find the blacksmith who crafted this and give him her full gratitude for forging such a fine weapon.
Returning to the body of the dead Xenomorph, she eagerly yanked her dagger free from her belt and kneeled beside it. I did it…I actually did it… she chanted in her head, a sense of happiness, relief and pride washing over her. Like she had been taught to do, she separated the skull from the rest of the corpse and carefully put it in a netted bag, attaching that to her back. She would properly clean it once she was back on the ship. Even though it was only a drone, she was proud of the fight it took to claim her trophy.
Cutting single finger free from the body, she traced the mark on her mask, where it would show to others her worth in Yautja society. That she could indeed belong among them. She hooked it back on her face. Next, all she needed to do was decide where to put the mark on her skin. She already knew a good spot, and had been thinking of it for a while now.
The burning, aching feeling of the acid blood being sketched into her upper arm, right below the burn scar Nina had gotten many years prior to this- granted by the Jungle Hunter Clan Council, was surprisingly welcomed. She took a moment to stare at the designs, proceeding to trace both scars with her fingertips in awe at all she had been through to gain them.
Tapping on her wrist computer, Nina relayed a message to the ship in order to inform them that she had been marked and that when they were ready, they could come and join the battle.
As she stood, the sudden pain on her side reminded her of her still wounded shoulder. She had nearly forgotten it in her fight and then success. She figured she might as well heal it now rather than later. There was no promise that she wouldn't run into trouble before the rest of the Yautja got here.
She had just reached for her medicomp when she heard a shriek, this one much louder and much more powerful than the way the drones had sounded. Oh boy, she thought, readying herself for another fight, that can't be good.
This time, her sixth sense warned her just where the approaching figure of doom was coming from. Turning to face the other end of the hall, Nina heard the pounding of large footsteps. She saw the ominous tower of a Hard Meat bound into the corridor, smashing apart stone as it fit its way through the arch. It roared at her after seeing its dead comrade by her feet. Scanning it up and down, Nina confirmed what she already knew.
She was about to face a Ravager.
Sain'ja, she groaned in her head, Where are you guys when I need you?
((Author's Note: To answer any questions on how Nina survived the Facehugger; I don't think anyone had thought of biting the egg proboscis yet. And my guess is that if someone did, it would hurt, as in, kicking a guy where the sun don't shine hurt. XD And other people have stayed conscious while being Facehugged.
About the mark, I assume that the mark can be put anywhere on a Blooded Yautja considering other than in some of the AVP comics and the movie, we haven't really seen a Predator with that stamped on their forehead, and I'm sure that they all would have to go through the Chiva in order to be considered adults.))