Donva turned his gaze away from the hunter to look down at the metal contraption that kept his leg bound. Blood began to leak out of the puncture points of the jagged protrusions. He grunted as he put all his might into trying to pry his leg free.

"No point in trying," Willheim scoffed. "Even that big, bulky friend of yours wouldn't be able to pry himself out, no matter how much he tried."

"Gah!" Donva's fingers gave in to the pressure from the clasp, pressing his hand against his leg. "Why?"

"I'm going to save you the trouble of finishing your sentence. I can see that you're busy." Willheim winced, his body wobbling to the side of his injured arm. "I… can only assume you're talking about the Hunt. Why we do it?"

"It's sick!" Donva blurted out in the midst of his panting.

"To some it is. For others, it's just a form of entertainment. To each their own, right? That's the common sentiment of your average Tersaian these days." The hunter took his hand off his wound. With a flick of his hand, he sent the blood that covered his fingertips onto the ground. He reached around his back and held onto the long rifle with both of his hands. Donva's entire body shook as he watched him eject the clip from the bottom of the gun and slowly replace the ammunition. "Unfortunately, the entire event has been compromised. Outsiders aren't allowed in here. Don't know how you got in. But I do know how you'll be getting out."

"Wait!" Donva too his hands out from the clamp and used them to cover his face. "You... you don't have to do this!"

"I know." Willheim put the stock of the rifle underneath his arm and pointed the barrel at Donva's head. "But I'm not taking any chances. I'm not sure how you managed to shoot me, but I won't make... the same mistake that you did." Willheim stared at Donva with a crooked grin. Sweat coated his forehead, making it glisten from the sun.

"I... I wasn't trying to kill you! Honest!"

"You're not going to be able to talk your way out of this one. I might not go home with the main prize tonight, but at least I won't be leaving emptyhanded."

"Please!" Donva shouted. His eyes turned red as he peered into the barrel of the rifle. Tears clouded his vision as his arms contorted to cover up as much of head as possible. "I'm just here... to see a friend! I won't say anything! I won't—"

A single shot rang out.

"Ugh!" Donva coughed. His entire body tensed up, curling into a small ball. He opened his eyes and saw the hunter's gun laying on the ground beside him.

"Bodahn!" Willheim shouted as he gritted his teeth. Gone was the twisted smile and in its place was a look of pure rage. "What are you doing!"

Standing across the burnt plains was the masked gunslinger. He held his pistol in one hand, smoke rising from the barrel. He kept it pointed at the other hunter as he slowly walked closer. "Put 'em up, fella."

"You cocky brat!" Willheim barked as he obeyed the other man's commands. He placed his hands over his head. "You're going to let an infiltrator escape? Do you know how much trouble we could get in?"

"We ain't executioners, Will," Bodahn replied. He closed in the distance between him and the other two. He looked down at Donva who had returned to trying to stop the trap from cutting into his flesh any further. "Give the poor fella the keys to that trap."

"You're making a mistake you fool!" Willheim kept his hands on his head. "You know who's watching this event. You know what they're capable of!"

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Don't care." With his free hand he pointed to his mask. "Why do you think I have this thing on? Combine that with the fact that I ain't got an Implant makes me untraceable."

"You're too arrogant. Tersaian forces could easily wipe out all of your kind if they wanted to."

"But they haven't, now have they?" Bodahn walked up to the other hunter and pointed to the ground with his pistol. "On yer knees."

Still enraged, Willheim knelt on both knees while keeping his hands raised as high as he could with his injury. "I knew Mag should have kicked you and your father out of our little group."

"Singin' a different song, now eh?" Bodahn reached down at Willheim's hip and pulled a small key off from his belt. He tossed it on the ground in front of Donva. "There ya go. There's a lock towards the bottom. That'll take all the pressure off."

With shaky hands, Donva found the keyhole and promptly put the key inside. The clamps became loose and fell to the side with a clank. "Gah..." Donva closed his eyes as he rubbed the spot where the trap had latched onto. "T-Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Bodahn kept his gun pointed at Willheim's chest as he looked at him from the side. "Now. I'm not trying to get anyone killed. Yer hurt bad, Will. So is that fella over there. I don't know if the heat's gotten to ya or if you losing blood ain't makin' ya think straight. But we're in the middle of the Eco-Dome and the two of ya ain't in the greatest shape. I just wanna make sure as many people as possible come out fine and dandy."

"That's not going to happen!" Willheim snapped. "You Outskirter oaf! Do you really not know who's watching this Broadcast?"

"Never paid much attention to it."

"They'll do anything to make sure that no one finds out about that they've been watching this! That includes making all those involved disappear. And now that this even has been compromised by an intruder, they'll make sure to take care of everyone involved!"

"Sounds like crazy talk to me," Bodahn replied with his finger still on the trigger. "Y'all can sort this mess out once everyone is out of the Eco-Dome safe and sound."

"Idiot!" Willheim turned around and lunged for his gun. He put his uninjured arm onto the stock of the rifle as Bodahn's aim followed the Hunter's position.

"P-Put that down Will!" he stammered. "Don't make put a second bullet in ya!"

Willheim lay on his back, pointing his gun back at Bodahn. "I knew you'd never shoot me! You don't have the guts for it!"

"Dammit Will!" Bodahn said with a shaky voice. "Start makin' sense! Never thought I'd be havin' an old-fashioned standoff with a fella like you!"

"I am making sense!" Willheim yelled. "I'm doing what it takes to make sure I survive! What's the point of making it out of the Eco-Dome alive if I'm only going to live with a target on the back for the rest of my life?"

"Ironic considering what you're here for," Donva replied. The hunter swung his rifle and pointed it at him. The former scholar quickly put his hands up and took a step back, only for his body to completely freeze upon seeing Willheim squeeze his finger against the trigger.

"Will!" Bodahn exclaimed as he held his gun with both hands and his arms fully extended in front of him.

A gunshot rang out. Willheim's rifle flung backwards from the blast. He then opened his eyes and stared in the direction of where he shot. Slowly, Bodahn turned his head to the side while keeping his gun pointed at the grounded hunter.

"How could—" The masked man's sentence cut short when he saw Donva standing to his side with his arms still blocking his face. He slowly revealed his head and looked behind him. On the ground lay the twitching remains of an Essencima. Despite the gaping hole formed from Willheim's shot, Donva immediately recognized the species.

"That's a..." Donva knelt next to the slain creature. Covering most of the body were thin black spines that served a thick layer of pin-like hair. It had a humanoid figure but with a stouter build and more muscle mass. Long claws were at the tip of its fingers and toes. Donva leaned forward, staring at the section where the head would have been if it weren't for Willheim's marksmanship.

"Primore," Willheim said. "They always travel in packs. I shot it not because I was trying to save you but because I didn't want it alerting the rest of its pack."

"I'm quite aware of how they operate," Donva snapped back. "I studied them for my dissertation during my first year at the Academy."

"Fascinating," Willheim replied with derision. "I'm glad you told me that." With his bleeding arm, he reached down towards the magazine of his rifle, only for Bodahn to step closer and waving his gun.

"Think yer slick, Will? Just because you stopped us from getting attacked by a ravin' pack of Primores, we're friends again?"

"Of course not! But I need to reload. There's probably more around here and you're going to need me to take them out!"

"Yeah, right. You'll take 'em out the moment the two of us turn our backs on you. Should've reloaded sooner. Don't you know the first rule of gunslinging?"