The Silent Watcher.

Freedom and honour.

Watching her, Cet'anu noticed how she always put herself in a guarded position, back protected and eyes alert. She was turning a piece of meat against his portable torch.

Ush'kiele had warned him that humans think of Yautjas as ugly terrifying despicable beings. Not her. No. She didn't even blinked at the sight of them sharing a meal.

In fact, every warning he received from Ush'kiele regarding humans went to waste. The green hunter even joking about how she was probably taken from another planet. A fact that, his brother made sure to check after she dismissed his taunting last night. This little human was indeed, unpredictable.

A trait that granted her attention. Cet'anu blood almost boiled at the memories of Vih'keis interest on her. The hunter, a desert dweller had lost his assigned human on the hunt yesterday and commented on how Luck Cet'anu was on his Choice.

"You are staring." It was the third time, since they gathered to eat, that he caught his brother glaring at His Human.

"I'm not!" The younger tried to lie, but failed.
"You are." Ush'kiele interject as a matter of fact.

"Shit! I'm just thinking." When the shortest of them saw he wasn't convincing anyone her offered." She defended me like I was a mere suckling. It's was shameful."

'Lies' His brother was good in many things. But lying was not one of them. Something had happened in the time he was alone with her. Something that made his normally Laid-back brother uneasy.

Cet'anu turned his attention to the human, observing her slow pace of eating. He was aware that she was starving, having noticed her absence from the meal the previous night. With the qualifiers concluded and nothing provided for the remaining humans today, he took it upon himself to hunt for her. Watching her devour the meal he had provided stirred that newfound sense of pride within him. This small creature had awakened emotions in him that he didn't know he was capable of.

"What have you done?" Cet'anu exploded, hitting the trunk of a tree using his brother as a weapon.

Shortly after the peaceful meal they shared, Cet'anu was summoned by Elder Tha'tab. He learned that the recordings from his bio-mask had been reviewed, and since he had successfully killed a xyrargöd, he found himself not only back in the competition but now at the top of it.

"I did what was right!" His brother roared back. Cet'anu eased the grip on his brother throat signaling that he expected him to continue." If you leave the competition now she will be considered Fair Game."

Cet'anu let go of the younger and landed a destructive blow on a nearby sturdy tree." No! I leave now and she will be sent home, with the others!" Cet'anu was livid. He didn't accounted the xyrargöd on purpose. He knew that only five duos would go to the next fase and deliberately had chosen to set her free.

"And then what?" Vor'mekta roared in his face. "Haven't you seen how every fucking hunter looks at her?" Taking a calming breath he continued." She would be set free, yes, but she will be branded as fair game, like every other human. And I assure you Arbitrator. She will be tracked down and will end up in someone's trophy hall."

"You don't know that!" She wouldn't be hunted. He wouldn't let it happen. Would he? Cet'anu didn't knew.

"I do!! Because I was one of the many that saw her for what she is! A cunning, fast thinking, unpredictable fucking Challenge!"

In normal circumstances that answer should make Cet'anu proud. Vor'mekta always had eyes on a good hunt. He had a bright path ahead of him. But now, it only made him angrier. The thought of her skull lifeless on someone else's hands. He couldn't even explain the fury burning inside with the mere thought of it. " What made you change your mind?" He managed to say without raising his voice.

"She did." Vor'mekta casted a glance towards the temple a few yard's away. "She is brave and smart and she has Honour. But she has no chance to survive and actual hunt. "

"Go back, set up our shelter. The weather is going to get bad." He commanded " And brother, if she end up dead because this fucking competition, I will kill you. Slowly."

"Just one more thing." His younger brother started. " If you die during the finals, can I keep her on your behalf?"

The bellowing roar of Cet'anu reverberated for miles as he advanced, simultaneously unsheathing his dual blades. " No one is going to touch her! She is Mine!!"

Vor'mekta, sensing his life was in danger jumped to the nearest branch and start to retreat back to the temple, but first he couldn't resist. The opportunity was too good to miss. "Ooh brother, she got you... She got you good."

----------------------------------------------------------

As always, vote and comment please 🥺. Love y'all.