Tah'kath was told as a pup that the eyes were a doorway leading to the soul. While responding to a kiande-amedha (xenomorph) attack on a human farming settlement, Tah'kath finds a surviving child whose eyes seem to hold the stars themselves. Against...
Daih'kea moved throughout the dwelling, preparing herself for the day when Zaiyu stepped out of his quarters. He was in the process of strapping on his armor and gear, and the matriarch took in the sight. "Have they gone?" Zaiyu nodded without looking at his mother.
"Father will be waiting for us when we arrive." Daih'kea clicked nervously as she moved about but again her eldest ignored her actions. "We need to leave soon if we want to get decent seats."
"Yes, yes. I'm coming. You will take us, Zaiyu." He had already expected to pilot their shuttle; he could see the female's hands trembling from across the room. She was donning her usual red and gold armor as she did whenever she wanted to present herself well; likely a way to stand out in the crowd so Dahdtoudi would know that she had in fact shown up. His sister had grown agitated the night before and claimed that she believed Zaiyu would be the only one there to see her fight for her position in the chiva, an accusation that had nearly caused a confrontation with their father and rattled their mother's already shot nerves. "Let us go, then." Her voice pulled Zaiyu from his thoughts, but he nodded and led his mother from the dwelling and down to the shuttle.
He wasn't sure what had pissed off the small human so badly the day prior, but he only hoped she would be able to push it aside for the tournament. She couldn't afford any distractions, and he couldn't afford to spend any more time than was already necessary to help her repair the damage in her room. ————————————————————————
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The Young Bloods had all arrived at the arena before the sun had risen in order to get everything set up and learn the rules of the tournament. In short: if you are killed, you lose. If you surrender, you lose. If you use a plasma burner, you lose. If two fighters are rendered unable to complete the fight, it will end in a draw and neither fighter will advance to the chiva. Each fight must end in a clear victory. No pressure, simply victory or death.
A last minute broadcast announced that an Ancient would be present for the event, and it had simultaneously excited and put everyone on edge. It was not often that an Ancient would be present to observe an actual chiva, but it was nearly unheard of for one to sit in on a trial tournament.
Dahdtoudi had been assisting with the setup of clan emblem banners when spectators began to make their way into the vast dojo. Tah'kath was one of the first ten to arrive, and within the half hour the bleachers were half full. This was when an aged, slightly haunched male with long, decorated tresses and donning a long, flowing cape that draped over both shoulders stepped inside the dojo. Scars adorned his body, and he held the fierce intensity of a centuries-old hunter. It was the Ancient, O'stba. He was greeted by several Blooded Hunters as well as the present Elder, but soon took a seat on the lowest level of the bleachers toward the middle division of the arena.
Dahdtoudi inhaled deeply to steady her breathing, an attempt to remain calm until the fight. The matches would be paired up by random choice of an automated system at the beginning of every fight.
As the arena was filled to capacity, the Young Bloods were called to the center of the fighting area. The master gave an introductory speech to the crowd before repeating the terms of the event. The opening match was decided by the system: a large female named Yida against an average sized males named Hatall. The rest of the group was directed to sit crosslegged on the opposite side of the arena, facing the audience. Within a few minutes, the signal was given and the tournament began.
The fight wasn't actually much of a fight, mostly due to the fact that Yida snapped the male's neck with one well-placed strike from her combistick. No one reacted at first. Everyone was rather shocked that it would end so soon. After a long, awkward shocked pause, Yida let out a roar of victory which was echoed by nearly every Yautja in the crowd.
A cold chill ran along Dahdtoudi's spine as she was suddenly reminded of just how strong these hunters could be. They were born and bred warriors, often learning to fight soon after they could walk and speak. Although she had experienced the same upbringing, at the end of the day she was still pyode-amedha, and their strength was nothing compared to that of a mighty Yautja.
She struggled to hold her focus through the next several matches, only keying in during pertinent moments. Her mind wandered back to the days when she would spar with Zaiyu when he arrived at the dwelling after combat training. Every so often she would think back on her sessions with T'ahrou, but she fought hard to keep those memories at bay.
"You can't let your anger take over and control your movements. It makes you sloppy, careless, and it will cost you your life. Keep your emotions in check. Stay level-headed. We can smell your fear. Don't EVER give them that advantage over you, because they will exploit it and you will die."
Another Young Blood fell in battle, this time a female named Thudta.
"Your small stature gives you an advantage over us. We are large and powerful, but you are small, limber, and frustratingly quick. Catch them off guard and attack with everything you have. If they come after you, don't add to the aggression. Back off and dodge. Let them exert their energy on empty air."
One of the twins was being dragged away, but she couldn't tell from the distance which brother had survived the match. The next round was being chosen now: U'kuid, one of the largest Young Bloods she had seen in her lifetime, and T'ahrou. Another chill spread throughout her body and she could feel the blood fall from her face as an uncomfortable feeling churned in her stomach. Even with T'ahrou's abnormal size for his age, U'kuid made him look like a scrawny weakling.
