The Wild Hunt (Part One)

Killer Instinct

"Do you even know where your going?" I hissed, stepping over an upturned root.

General Koh stalked ahead, whacking at hanging palm branches. He annoyingly slashed at the fanned leaves and they fell behind him for me to tread across.

It had been two or three days since he pulled me from that waterfall and tied me up like a bad dog. The days and nights bled together in this never ending jungle. I was thirsty and hungry. My legs ached and my feet hurt. The bruise on my side throbbed every time I bent down. We hadn't passed a single clearing or stream of water. It seemed the further we ventured north, the more clustered the vegetation became. It was starting to feel cramped and General Koh hardly spoke to me. He was so in his head most of the time I had to repeat myself two or three times before he noticed I said something.

"Koh... Koh... General Koh."

"What?" He snapped, yanking my lead. I stumbled forward and winced. The vines were beginning to rub the skin on my wrist raw.

"I need to relieve myself."

He grimaced before turning around and waving a hand towards a large tree to the side of us. I felt the lead go slack and hurried behind the tree. I leaned against it and braced my bound hands against my thighs.

Okay. Okay. Breathe, Serri. Breathe. It's been a couple of days and still no sign of life or Kona. General Koh had to know where he was going. He had to have been trained for something like this. I had to trust his instincts and keep it together until we got to the palace. Remember... your doing this for Yokoto. It's Yokoto's life that's on the line here.

I squatted down and relieved myself, before walking back out from behind the tree.

"How much further..."

"Shh!" He held up his fist and I stopped. The jungle went quite and the birds chirping a minute ago stopped their chatter.

I looked around us through the maze of trees. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What is it?"

"Quiet."

General Koh stood impeccably still, his neck strained as he stared into the jungle ahead of him. I eyed my knife sticking out from the waistband of his pants and was tempted to go for it until I heard rustling behind me.

"Serri!" The general shouted, turning on his heels. He threw out his arm and his chain whipped out above my head. I had barely enough time to duck and the sound of a male yelping sounded behind me.

I scurried on all fours towards General Koh, who flung his whip back and wound it around his elbow and palm.

I looked back as soon as I was beside him. A Tewase man kneeled on the floor, clutching his right eye. Blood streamed through the crevices of his fingers and down his forearm. He held a knife in his other hand.

"Are you alright?"

I glimpsed up at General Koh and he looked me over once before returning his focus on the Tewase man.

"Who are you? You dare attack a palace guard?"

I looked towards the Tewase man and he smiled. He had very few teeth and the teeth that he did have were shaven into points that resembled canines. He barked something incoherent, staggering to his feet.
General Koh held his arm out in front of me and ushered me behind him.

"I don't know who you are, but your gonna regret having crossed paths with me." He stepped forward and the Tewase man dropped his bloody hand and sounded a bird noise.

I gripped General Kohs arm. "We need to run. Now!"

He looked at me and I saw the hesitation in his eyes before he grabbed my hand and we took off into the trees. An arrow whizzed past us and impelled a tree to our right. How many where there?