“Another Emperor has fallen! Ladies and Gentlemen this is unprecedented!” Marcus yells. The crowd responds in kind, a fervor sweeping them as my people defy the odds.

“We move.” I say to Arrum as we come upon another beast, there are twenty of my people prodding it, rope drags from its leg where they attempted to tie it. They have managed to cut some of the eyes, giving us a good side to move from.

“I am your shadow Kada.” He says following behind me as we run on the blinded side.

With a burst of speed, we jump to the back of the beast running towards its mouth. Leaping from its shell to the claw I throw the blade wrapped in cloth at the chittering hole, it lunges forward to catch it but misses, the beast’s blinded eyes impairing its depth perception. Sekat.

Arrum steps from my shadow sliding down the claw to the beast’s mouth, I want to yell no, but I must trust his instincts. He rolls down to the ground and shoves it into the mouth barely pulling his hand out in time before it clamps. The larger claw swings, nearly striking him before he can lay flat. The stinger comes next, the dusting of the sand obstructs my view I cannot see him anymore. I am about to move back in to find him, when he rushes from the dust cloud.

“Sekat - that was close!” He yells.

“Keep your distance!” I yell to the group, not wanting any of them to needlessly die.

“Stay back, they have killed it!” a woman yells. I recognize the voice; it is the woman who yelled Vitar. The group follows her words and moves backwards. A full minute later the beast begins its dying gasps.

Looking around I see there are only three Emperor Scorpions left on the field. Our numbers have dwindled significantly but there is hope in the eyes of my people, it fills me too as I look upon them. Arrum claps me on the shoulder with a look of pride across his face.

We send the next wave of hunters out with their venom-soaked blades.

“Only one Gana Emperor Scorpion remains, can you believe it!” Marcus yells. The crowd roars with excitement.

When the last falls it is pandemonium in the stands. The ground vibrates from their cheers, and they begin to throw things at us, but there is a shimmering energy field of some kind catching it. As I approach closer to the wall, I see they were throwing flowers to us. A large projection appears center field. It shows Marcus, standing with the Governor, behind him I see Warden Akaria.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, history is made this day!” Marcus says quieting the crowds with his hands “Never before in the history of the Grand Hunt has the first wave of hunters ever bested their challenge! It is unbelievable! Governor what are your thoughts?”

Marcus turns to the Governor, there is a vein bulging in his forehead, a forced smile on his face as he waves to the crowd.

“Indeed, it is unbelievable. As I told you before, this year’s selection is outstanding. Thankfully there are plenty more for the next waves of hunters, the festivities continue onward.” He says through clenched jaw.

“Give it up for these hunters!” Marcus yells, the crowd applauds loudly “A brief intermission while the field is cleared for the next wave.”

A large pod descends to the center of the field, there are people with instruments who begin to play loudly. The chords they strike ring in my heart, I find myself listening to it unable to think, until I see cleaning bots take to the field removing the dead and zapping the living towards the large door we entered. My focus returns swiftly.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“That was a good plan.” Arrum says to me, punching my shoulder lightly.

“I could not have done it without you brother.”

We make our way to the large gates, they close after us, dampening the sound of the music. There is pride in our hearts as people remove their masks throwing them to the ground and embracing one another. A great rejoicing among our people.

“These are the ones, my chief.” A woman says to a gruff looking man, she points at us, he stands a shoulder above most others. I recognize the woman; she is in my grouping with Keeper Dargo. She was the fierce one who was in the highest marked group. I realize now that she is the one who yelled ‘Vitar’ helping to inspire the others.

“You have my thanks, without the two of you - we would all surely be dead.” The man says, his voice is like gravel, he extends an arm now “I am Yuri, what do they call you?”

I recognize the name; Nekam has spoken of him before, he is well known as a strong warrior. I take the arm and reply “Kale.” Arrum does the same, giving his name.

“Strong names, who is your chief?”

“Nekam.” I say, a smile rolls across his mouth.

“He is a strong warrior; I am sure he will be proud of you both.”

The fierce woman comes now and grasps my arm a beaming smile on her face.

“They call me Korra.” She declares, pride in her words.

Her grip is firm, her hands deeply calloused. Even if I had not seen her fight over the last week, I would have known she was formidable, just by the way she carries herself.

“What Keeper do you have?” she asks, as she extends her arm to Arrum.

Arrum grasps it, and is about to reply when another group comes and draws our attention.

“They are the ones, my brother.” A man says.

“A smart idea, I wish someone would have thought of it sooner. Perhaps we could have saved more.” Another man says, his look turns glum, the faces of the dead pulling at him. I know the look well.

The first man slaps his back firmly, bringing him to the land of the living.

“What I mean to say is, we will not forget this. If you call, we will come.” He says to me and Arrum.

We are not used to this kind of attention, a flush in my face, unsure of how to respond. The group claps us on the shoulder and begins exchanging arms with us. There are smiles on their faces as they touch our shoulders, others whispering prayers to their gods hoping to get our luck. I feel a smile on my face as well.

“Everyone come - meet our lucky demons!” one of the men yells to the group.

People begin lining up to greet us, some say nothing, just giving a nod. Others say they will remember it. A man still wearing a mask reaches forward, I extend my arm to meet his, but I feel a sudden sharpness in my belly. I look down towards it and see a blade wrapped in cloth sticking from it, the tinge of the venom on the blade mixing with my blood. The man removes his mask, it clangs to the floor, I look upwards from it in confusion. It is the man I had beaten nearly a week ago, come to take his revenge when I least expected it.

I reach out and grip his shirt, it is not anger that fills my eyes, it is a deep and profound sadness. Not sadness for myself, but for my people. Can we not break the cycle and rise above our petty grievances?

“No!” I hear Arrum yell.

The man pulls the knife from my belly, it clangs to the floor as I fall to my knees, releasing his shirt, my vision becoming cloudy. There is heat coming from the wound, at first a small warmth and then a raging inferno as the venom spreads, finding purchase in my flesh.

“Sekating rat!” Yuri yells smacking the man to the floor. I reach my hand out to stop him but cannot, he is too far, my strength is rapidly leaving.

Must we follow this path? Is there no other way than vengeance? My mind drifts to the being of light standing over the field of dead - turning it into fields of wondrous beauty. Can we not be more… can my people not rise? I feel the poison burning in my body with each pump of my heart. I know I will die soon. Can we not unite against our common enemy?

“No - No - No - do not leave me Kada.” Arrum says grabbing me, ripping my shirt to inspect the wound, from his eyes I see the hope leave. He puts a hand over the wound to stop the bleeding, but he knows as well as I, soon I will be dead. We have seen scores of our people lying dead from the venom.

Some of the words from the being made of light replays in my head as my eyes grow blurry.

Ulima dom Sekar - Forsaken by man

“It’s okay - Kada.” I say, soft as a whisper “Be strong.”

“You can’t die, I don’t accept.” Arrum says, tears welling in his eyes.

I feel a tear falling down my cheek, I wipe it away with the last of my strength, my last moments will not be filled with weakness. I must show him strength, the strength he will need to survive. A burning sensation grips my lungs as I breathe, I am starting to wheeze now. The light fades quickly as Arrum desperately yells to me, his words becoming distant until I cannot hear them anymore. I am set adrift in the sea of dreams replaying the memories of my life while my body begins to die.