“If I bring back one or more, I can put my name in for Chieftain? And if someone else is picked, I’m able to be on the tribes council, right?” I turned, my bulky body and hide armor fitting easily in the door built for these ‘small’ giants. Having to tilt my head back to make eye contact with the extreme height of my Zatari instructor wasn’t new at this point, this was my sixth month training with the Zatari.

“That is correct, Lashu Pawłowscy. If you find you cannot accomplish this, there is no shame. Touching one is enough to earn a place of honor among the tribe. You must not harm it in the touching, though. I believe in you, Lashu. You will succeed.” The immense man towered over me, his voice a medium and deep bass resonance of tones washing over my ears with a shiver.

I have to crane my head back … and I thought being over six feet and more than two hundred pounds would make me one of the biggest around.

The Zatari are over eight feet in height and are very well muscled due to their lifestyle of nomadically following a herd of Harr. As the Harr traveled from region to region, the Zatari traveled along behind them, hunting those that would slow the herd down or drain needed resources. This management of the herd means that the herd stays strong and the Zatari have abundant resources.

Later that morning, I left camp with my instructor, my witness, my veteran companion, and the novice who panicked and quit the ‘Hunt’ a year ago. We had our clothes and enough food and water for a day. We expected to be gone for one to two weeks. The novice and the veteran would be the only ones able to assist at all; the other two would use our supplies, expect expert care, and give no advice or aid while observing to make sure we did the things we claimed. If we could not keep our group alive without assistance, we were not ready to be Zatari adults, with some concessions since I was both a Lashu and in the culture of the Zatari only six months old.

The Hunt begins.

After about a half-hour walk (I still couldn’t tell time by the sun) to where the Harr graze, we stopped at a stone monolith. I kneeled at its base, concentrating on the stone.

[You are now bound to this location. If you die, you will respawn here.]

Alrighty … Now if everything goes wrong, at least it’s only a half-hour’s walk instead of a day.

We located the herd of Harr as the sun was setting. Over three thousand Harr grazed unconcerned. Two-thousand-pound bundles of muscle with shimmering scales and four curving horns. Right, don’t get sat on … Now I understand why touching one and surviving is such a big deal. If I get that close, I need to be careful or they’ll just stampede me to death or whatever.

I steeled my nerves. “I need to touch or capture just one, right?”

Ladt’ikt, my trainer, nodded to me.

“Right.” I nodded once while analyzing the best course of action. I pointed to my assistants. “You two stay here. I’m going to see how they react to just me. Who knows? Maybe being Lashu will give me some mystical connection and they’ll just let me touch them …” I attempted a confident smile.

“That … is up to you, Lashu. I would be wary; they are temperamental in the best of times.” The veteran, Khaal’ishta, stated.

“I’ll be fine! I’m a Lashu, remember, I can’t die!” I grinned in Floridian, then started my descent into the valley towards the Harr.

At about a three-hundred-foot distance, the nearest Harr huffed. Nearby Harr raised their heads and huffed back, turning towards me. A young Harr started meandering past a larger Harr, who shook its head, waggling its large horns and slowly positioning itself so that the Harr calf was corralled into the semicircle of horns facing out at me. So they don’t wanna do mystical connection stuff. Right … just gotta touch one, go real slow. They’re more scared of you than you are of them. This is fine, they’re basically like big cows from Earth … No biggie, people do rodeos all the time … gonna be fine.

Professionals who try to avoid touching or being touched… but yeah, fine… I cautiously moved forward. Only thirty feet away, one of the Harr rushed half the distance at me in an unexpected burst of speed. I skipped back as it circled back around to its semi-circle.

Oh, shit! Okay … Just gotta touch one. I can’t harm them. Right, I can do this. I giggled with nerves.

I darted forwards, rushing at the one who charged out at me, figuring I just needed to swipe a hand along its side and run for it.

I pushed off my left leg hard, diving to the side as the Harr charged. The one directly behind it clipped me, missing me with the tip of the horn but cracking into my leg. Pain shot up my leg before adrenaline kicked in, the pain dropping to a dull throb.

[Adrenaline. This is the first time you are seei…]

I gritted my teeth and growled, “SHUT UP!” while hurriedly waving away the notification blocking my vision. The beginnings of a mini stampede took form in slow motion to my amped-up senses. Standing up on the cracked bone sent a twinge of pain response. A Harr circling in from behind the first two came rushing in at me.

Yessss. My time to shine! I stuck a hand out and up, the horn chasing it around as I barely side stepped, twisting my waist out to the side and away. I stroked my hand along the horn as it passed, brushing along onto it’s oil slick shimmer as it rushed past me, churning up dirt and grass with huffs.

Now I just had to avoid all the Harr that decided to follow the first. I was in front of a swarm of angry Harr. It almost felt like a dance. A very fast dance with partners that are actively trying to step on your toes. I kept it up with them for an entire minute before a dull thud of pain in my knee made it give out right as I was putting my full weight onto it. The point of a horn drove through my chest, shattering ribs with a series of cracks and a spreading cold numbness. My sight dimmed. I could hear my voice screaming in agony from a distance, but I couldn’t feel anything.

I watched from a dozen feet above as my body was shook in half and trampled. My vision softly faded to solid black.

A red sign with text slowly oozing black ink read:

[You have died. You have an hour to think about strategies, how best to avoid death in future, and how to recover from this setback. Since you are below level 10, you will not suffer any ill affects to your character. Deaths may occur outside of this protection, in which case, level progress in skills will reset to base and one-tenth of the progress to the next level will be lost.]

A shuddering gasp. I sat bolt upright, covering my eyes from the bright sunlight. I was back on the hilltop next to the stone monolith, a half-hour walk away from my group, who might be freaking out over my death, again. And I’m wearing just a bra and undies ... again … great.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

It was well past twilight by the time I spotted the group. I waved, exhausted. They waved back hesitantly, looking at each other.

“We have your clothes and gear, Lashu.” Khaal’ishta said, laying them out in a neatly folded bundle for me.

That death was … excruciating. Terrifying and unnerving as well … but mainly I was pissed. No way in hell is that herd going to get away with that. Not just killing me, but trampling my body like that and making me sit bored in the dark for an hour. Hell no!

“Alright, so—“ I started saying while quickly getting redressed.

“Lashu, that was most impressive! You touched a Harr on your first try. Most … are more cautious, but you proved the value of Lashu once again.”

“Thanks, Ladt’ikt. I’ve had some time to think about it annnd … how many people have done the touching?” I tilted my head quizzically.

“Well … most of the tribe are ‘Hunters,’ those who hunt and slay a Harr. It is safer than the touching, with maybe one in three of the rest being ‘Praunth,’ those who brave touching the Harr. The Zatari’ikt don’t have a living chief who has brought back a Harr; there are few even in the gatherings of many other Zatari tribes. It is quite rare. We have some Harr from a breeding stock, and groups will go out and capture them occasionally. Capturing some Harr and bringing them back would be a boon to the tribe and garner their respect while proving your own honor with your deeds and accomplishments.”

Damn. I’m so … boring back on earth. Here I can be better. Besides, doctor’s orders to push myself as hard as I can …

I looked up from under furrowed brows, trying to put as much fire in my expression as I could muster. “I’m going back in. I need to capture a few of these Harr, both for the tribe … and for myself. When I came here, one of the few instructions I was given was to drive myself as hard as possible to get and keep peak physical condition because of … where I come from. This seems like it will be best for everyone.” I paused, then added, “Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to be talked about with pride instead of … pity.” I spat the last word out.

This is a chance to remake myself. I cannot—WILL not—settle for less.

“There is a storm coming, Lashu. You are new to our world and are not in tune with it yet, but it is coming. It will sweep through here by midday tomorrow. Remember your training and you just might pull off a miracle,” Ladt’ikt advised.

“You would do better for both you and the Lashu to talk less and show that vaunted wisdom by silence. We are here to witness and observe. The time for teaching, and questions, is over.” The witness, Nal’ikt rebuked Ladt’ikt while making eye contact with me.

Yikes, relax lady. Also… damn right there’s a storm coming. I’m gonna destroy these stupid pointy buffalo knockoffs!

Khaal’ishta, the veteran, clasped my hands in his. “It is your risk, Lashu. Your companions are not required to assist you now, nor are we stopped from helping since you have proven you are one of the Praunth. If you will accept the help, I would join you in capturing Harr. What is your plan, Lashu Pawłowscy?” We made camp and together, we discussed the best way to capture the Harr … with a little less death.

Then I spent the night in my own head going over and over the events and how I could have done things differently so I could avoid dying in a similar way in the future.

Midway through the sun peaking over the horizon, a crack of thunder peeled over an otherwise cloudless sky. I had been on watch for an hour now when a hand touched my shoulder, making me jump.

“It is time to break camp and put your plan in motion, Lashu. It is an honor to run the Harrungdar with you.” With a grin, Khaal’ishta hefted their pack and loped off.

Reaching the ambush spot, we spent the next hours tensely crafting thrown devices to hobble the Harr. We dug a trench to separate the young from their parents, and I did a lot of pacing as I dwelt on my recent death.

This is awful! I’m going to go out there and I’m going to freeze up and I’m going to die, or even worse, my friends are all going to die trying to save me. This is such a dumb idea. I can’t believe they’re trusting me with this. This is a stampede … and not a fairly tame one like running with the bulls, but a real stampede, without anyone to save me or them if it all goes wrong. There are no safety nets … I don’t want to do this.

I almost spoke up, and that was when my throat closed up with nerves for a split second, making me start coughing as I choked.

I’m not WEAK! A deep breath. Then another. I’M NOT WEAK!

“I AM NOT WEAK!” I howled at the approaching dark sky.

A second of silence before Khaal’ishta bellowed back. “I AM NOT WEAK!”

“I AM NOT WEAK!” I screamed.

“I’m not weak…” Tehdore, the extremely tense novice squeaked.

Ladt’ikt and Nal’ikt joined, and between us, a chorus of “I AM NOT WEAK!” rose up like the crash of thunder before the storm.

They believe in me. They trust me. I CANNOT let them down. I am not like at home. I’m not weak. I can do this. I MUST do this …

I stepped forward, turning to face the group. “I believe in us. I trust in our knowledge, our skill, and our abilities. We … are not weak. We capture Harr for the Zatari’ikt tribe!!”

I saw the smoke before I felt the trembling of the ground. The lightning struck just ahead of the Harr. They began charging at full speed into the storm. A dark wide line of heavy downpour blocked the forward line of Harrs from view as the thunder blasted away the hoof beats. We planned on this, and knowing the direction of the oncoming storm, as foretold by Ladt’ikt, we were ready. Whooping as I charged up to one side of the stampede, I did my best to spook the Harrlings to the edge of the stampeding herd. The ditches stopped the adults from charging over to save the smaller Harr.

They might not allow me into the tribe with just a touch. I have to go above and beyond. I always do. Besides, I’m used to pain.

Wind whistled in my ear. I felt the constant thunder in the ground through my thin-soled shoes the same as I felt the charge in the sky above me.

There! A small Harr, at most eight months old. I pointed at it just as Khaal’ishta and Ladt’ikt pointed as well. They readied their hobbles and nodded to me. I dashed out, spooking the young Harr into dodging around me and into the ever-narrowing ‘V’ shaped ditch formation. Two hobbles flew into it and wrapped its legs up, causing it to topple forwards onto its face. Oof. Sorry, bud. Nal’ikt raised her hands, palms upwards as green energy swirled around in a flat, spiraling disc before coalescing into a sphere. After a pause, the sphere melted and coursed out of her hands pouring over the creature. The frantic rising and falling of the heavy chested Harr slowed in seconds to sleep. Tehdore and Khaal’ishta ran forwards, looping ropes around the young Harr, dragging it onto a sled and moving it to safety.

“Hahahahaha!” I couldn’t help but laugh maniacally. I couldn’t even hear my own laughter over the stampede, the thunder, and the pounding of my own heart. After the painful experience earlier, this was exhilarating. Everything was going to plan! The group stayed out of the stampede but kept pace, the taller Zatari form ate up the ground with long loping strides.

I waved to one of the group who smiled at the ‘crazy Lashu’. The Harr speeding along next to me did not like the predator running alongside them to begin with. I saw the turning of that massive girth. I slowed slightly, letting the lumbering 2,000 pound beast slam into the Harr on my other side with bellowing and grunting I could barely make out.

I let out a cackle and put on a burst of speed to avoid any more horns that might be coming from behind. I could feel each pulse of my blood. The pounding of my feet like the thunder overhead. I couldn’t ever give up walking, let alone running, again. Lightning struck the ground all around and throughout the stampeding herd in a near blinding series of flashes.

I was racing in the heart of the herd. I could feel the herd moving around me like a single hive mind. The Harr on either side of me were rolling their eyes in panic. My heart was a drum in my chest with excitement.

Now for the final push. They’re clearing the storm. That gives me like … a minute? It’s gotta be soon before they calm down and I get meat-grindered.

Taking a moment to raise my head from watching for hooves, I glanced around, focusing my binocular vision for any final opportunities. I spot two young Harr, twins that were running together but with no adults close by. I pressed down into the mud, launching myself back towards them, narrowly dodging the wildly swinging horns of a passing Harr. A flash of lightning outlined the clouds and the roiling sea of the Harr stampede. I focused on dodging as the memory of my death flickered across my mind. No! Focus! More Harr passed. I was coming up to the twins as the last hundred or so Harr were filtering past. I yelled, driving my arms out at the Harrling twins to spook them into the next catching area. As I threw my arms out, a curved horn swept my feet out from under me. Ah, damnit. Not agai—

[You have died. Expand?]