The hum of the pod zipping through the glass tubes barely registers on my mind, I try to focus on remembering the directions I travel, but I cannot. My mind feels frayed, why did I not take her hostage? I find myself caught in an internal strife. Did I do the right thing? Will others die because of me? Could I have saved my people?

“Sekat!” I curse, slamming my bloody hand against the pods glass wall. The blood from my cuts has begun to coagulate and dry, only a few wounds still seep.

Hope is not lost; my people are resilient. We will rise. My focus is pulled to a chime from my wrist.

“Attention Hunter – System Announcement – This is an official notice of an injunction filed relating to yourself – Originating within the Lower Senate of the Republic of Hekat – In accordance with subsection 893.756-B9 – Your Sponsorship account has been frozen – End of message.” The system chimes again, then fades.

Lower senate? Injunction? That’s what Senator Adonius called her to his office for, an injunction. What does it even mean?

“Attention Hunter – System Announcement – This is an official notice of an injunction filed against an injunction relating to yourself – Originating within the Middle Senate of the Republic of Hekat – In accordance with subsection 893.756-B486 – Your sponsorship account has been reopened – End of message.” The system says, then chiming off once more.

Middle Senate – how many are there? I swipe open my holopads menu, there are several notifications I had not seen, messages sent to me while I was in a coma for three days. Three days, surely the others have finished their challenge by now. A wave of worry grips me, refreshing my mind and pushing aside the internal conflict. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I hold it until my heart slows, exhaling slowly. The calm washes over me, I scroll through the notifications again, analyzing anything useful. I notice there are new messages from the sponsor sent over the last few days.

Are you there?

Did you receive my gifts?

Are they treating you well?

Are they preventing you from speaking with me?

The message ‘are they treating you well’ leaves a sour taste in my mouth as I swipe the messages away. They forced me to kill my people, subjected me to these sekating challenges. I am a slave, my people are in chains. Pulling up the messages again I am tempted to go off on them, release the rage that rises once more. Calming myself with another breath I remember what Warden Akaria said on our first day here regarding sponsors.

‘There are many benefits to having them, I suggest you show them the utmost respect - as they may just save your life.’

Should I swallow my pride and be cordial with them, what are these gifts they speak of? I see now in the corner there is a message icon on the ‘Hunter’ chat tab. There are messages from Neeba under the tag H778, his hunter number.

Kale, where have they taken you, I survived my wave, and they tell me you were taken a day ago?

Brother, my father and sister have returned… praise the gods, but my father returns injured.

Korra tells us of your miracle and that the gods healed you, there are many of us who need this blessing, can you ask your god to help us? I ask for my father, I fear with his injury he will not survive the next wave. His health is taking a turn. He does not have a sponsor, me and my sister have tried to speak to ours, but they do not answer. If your god will not help, perhaps you can ask your sponsor.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Do you still live… or have they taken you from us as well. My brother, there is little hope here. Please do not be dead.

My jaw is clenched, Nekam is injured. My heart lifts a little to know they all live though. I scroll down and see messages from Nevari under her hunter tag H449.

Some people say you came back to life, like in the stories we were told as children. I do not believe them, I know you have never worshiped any gods, there must be an explanation. My father is injured, please, however you can… you must help him.

You still have not returned, I can only assume the worst.

They beat the man daily who tried to kill you now. Even his brother has felt their anger. They do not fight back, I tried to stop the crowd once, but my brother told me to not get involved. Hope is fading amongst us.

My eyes grow wide, he is their protector and they beat him. He is the one who carved T’Akor deep into the stone, passing knowledge to the next waves. There is an anger that is rising in me again. Mixing with frustration creating a bile in me. The pod hums slowly along its path, if only it could go faster. I hear a chime on my holopad, there is a new message from my sponsor.

I have been informed via an intermediary that you have not answered my messages by choice, and have not accepted any of my gifts, also by choice. My legal team is currently working to file an injunction to allow us to meet face to face. In the meantime, if you are in fact not responding by choice, please reconsider as I only have your best interest in mind.

U’ton Ukar Nemi

My eyes squint at the last part, whoever this is clearly knows some of the words of my people, but has no idea how to use them. Their sentence is mixed apart and does not make sense. Translated roughly U’ton Ukar Nemi – My honor return my embrace. It is similar to another phrase we use, I think perhaps they have mistaken it. There is no one that comes to mind who owes me a debt, no one with substantial means. Before I can think on it further I see a single message from my Keeper tab.

When you return, seek me out. – Keeper Dargo

I can only imagine what the man who whispers riddles will have in store for me. Nothing good I am sure. My sore body groans at the proposition of his training regime. Another notification shows up, this one from the system.

Attention H777, you have been scheduled for your second challenge.

A timer appears where the old one was on the hub.

3 weeks; 3 days; 12 hours; 31 minutes.

Tension rises in my weary body; the only relief is that I will have three weeks between them. Why so long? Have the other waves not finished? The Senator said there were more than a hundred thousand of us. Perhaps it will take a long time for all the waves to go through. My attention shifts to the pod now, it begins to slow. Finally, I can see some of those I hold dear.

The door opens and I see the assembly hall now, its large black walls rising up to its silver domed ceiling. The pedestal is lowered, and I see Keeper Dargo upon it meditating deeply. There are some that sit before him in the center, focusing as he does. To my left I see a circle of people, I cannot see what is happening in the center but my gut tells me nothing good. My sore and bleeding legs take me towards it. Before I can reach it, I hear my name called from my right.

“Kale! You live… what has happened to you?” Neeba asks rushing towards me, his pace slows when he sees the sea of shallow cuts and trail of blood behind me. I see a bipki and a medibot start to hover slowly towards me now.

“As do you. It is good to see you.” I reach out my arm, he meets it in an embrace. Shouldering some of my weight now, a prospect I do not say no to, as my legs barely hold me up.

“What have they done to you?” he asks, looking closer at the markings. I do not answer his question as my eyes are drawn to the group of people encircling something or someone.

“What is happening over there?” I question, pointing to the group of people.

“My brother, do not concern yourself with it, it is how they vent their frustrations.” He says not meeting my eyes, I can tell from a glance he is bothered, but too timed to do anything.

“Help me over to them.”

“Brother, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He says.

I grasp him on the shoulder tightly and say “Kada, take me.”

He looks at me fully, his eyes growing wider, a fire being lit behind them as I say the word Kada – Brothers by Bond. His jaw flexes and he nods to me. The regret I had felt in the dream world for spurning him for so many years, lifts from my shoulders as I see him take in my acceptance.

“Kada.” He replies finally, helping me towards the group now.

When we arrive, I hear the pounding of flesh upon flesh, there is no whimper or complaint for it to end, there is only silence from the ones being beaten. My jaw tenses, the crowd whispers insults as they punch and kick.

“Ulima.” I hear one say, he says it to the ones being beaten. Ulima – The Forsaken. My people call orphans and outcasts by this. It is a cruelty they give.

“Move aside.” I say, but no one listens, they continue their mocking and beatings.

“Kada, I told you it is not a good idea.” Neeba says.

“Move aside!” I yell loudly, pulling people forcibly out of my way.

The crowd turns now to me, eyes growing wider as they take me in, bloody and beaten with a fierce glow in my eyes. I hear them whispering things, my eyes glow brighter still as I see whom they beat. The rage begins to rise and I do not stop it.