Chapter 61

A large dog, practically the size of a wolf, shimmered into existence at Quill’s side. Upon Pren’s shoulder, a golden eagle sprang into existence. Similar dogs popped into existence at the sides of the other hunters with their silver whistles, while a literal bear appeared beside the man who’d also blown a golden one. For the Hunter with the bronze whistle, a smaller dog, with large floppy ears, and much less fur, appeared at his side.

“Go now,” Pren said, turning away from the Hunters to face the jungle. “You’ve got your assignments. Spread out, and to each of you, I bid you a successful hunt.”

The Hunters cheered. The other Climbers cheered. Their magical animals all let out various barks and howls of excitement, and I stood there, quietly, trying to process everything, alongside my friends, and Alax.

“Let’s get going,” Quill said as the others all began to move out. He offered us his same, confident, grin, and motioned towards the center of the jungle. “We’ve got the best spot for the day.”

His massive dog, whose body was now no longer shimmering, and was covered in pitch black fur, moved ahead of him, padding silently past Pren. The Hunt Overseer, who’s own eagle had taken flight high above us, gently ran her fingers across the dog’s fur, as she looked back at our group.

“Have a good hunt, Quill,” she said to him with a smile. “And remember, don’t do anything reckless. A race to have your shot at Master Hunter, isn’t worth your life.”

“Easy for you to say,” Quill responded with a chuckle, “you got the title younger than any.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but Quill continued.

“Don’t worry Pren,” he said as he moved past her. My group and Alax followed dutifully behind, still uncertain of just how the hunt on the second floor was going to play out. “I’ll come home in one piece.”

“And ideally without any extra scars,” Pren gave him a sly smile, “no need to damage that pretty face of yours anymore.”

Quill let the comment slide with a laugh, as the two shared some sort of look. Then Pren turned her attention to us, her gaze hardening.

“Keep him safe and do your duty,” she said sternly. “Today, your lives belong to Quill. If the Tower is to take any in its clutches, see that it is one of you, and not my hunter.”

I nodded at her; my throat too tight to speak. The pressure settled heavily on my shoulders, and I could only hold her gaze for a moment, before I looked away from her, towards Quill. He didn’t have the safety we did. If he died, he’d be gone for good. And yet, he was walking so confidently forward, his uncaring air still about him. What type of courage was that? What drove him to do this, every day?

“Can I just say it here and now,” Nyle said as he stepped beside me on my right side. Lyn made her way to my left, while Alax, I noted, trudged silently behind us all. “Can we not take on dangerous protection jobs anymore until we’re a bit stronger? All this about danger and the risk for them of dying, is really stressful.”

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“You’re telling me,” I whispered back, trying hard to ensure Quill couldn’t hear us. “I’d rather face the Den Mother again than bear this type of responsibility.”

We caught up with Quill shortly after, the man having slowed his walk as he approached the massive trees that served as the entrance to the jungle. Within I could see the dark layout of the jungle, the light fighting to push through the massive leaves, bathing the area in a darker light with a strange, greenish tinge to it. My eyes scanned ahead, looking upwards for any signs of slimes, glancing across branches to seek out the dark shapes of the jaguars. The sound of birds and other animals echoed from the jungle, and even in the hot, oppressive heat of the floor, I shivered.

“Alright everyone,” Quill said as he turned to look at us, “if you guys do as I say, everything should run smoothly. But before I lay out the plans, do any of you have any questions so far?”

“What’s with the whistle?” Alax asked, pointing his spear towards the large dog. “What’s that?”

Quill smiled and patted the animal in question.

“Once a Hunter achieves their apprentice rank, they receive a Hunter’s Whistle. It allows them to call forth an animal companion to assist in hunting. At Journeyman, they receive an upgraded whistle, and again, at Master. This,” he patted the dog atop the head, “is Shadow. He’s a powerful hunting dog the whistle is able to summon within the Tower. He’s loyal to me and will follow all of my commands, and unlike me,” he looked down at the dog, “if he dies in the Tower, I’ll be able to resummon him tomorrow.”

“Is he strong?” Alax continued, “because I can’t imagine him being of much help against the gorilla.”

Quill’s eye twitched as he looked at Alax. I had no doubt he’d picked up the cynical tone in Alax’s voice when he made that comment.

“I’m pretty sure Shadow could take you on, if that’s what you’re asking. But,” Quill took a breath as he continued, “just like the rest of us, he’s not meant to fight by himself. Hunters are very similar to wolves; in that we are most effective in packs. We don’t rely on pure brute strength. We work together, we use our wits, our tools, our traps. All to be successful. These whistles, our animal companions, are a gift, a tool given to us by the Tower, to ensure even without Climbers at our sides, we can conduct hunts as needed.”

“So then, what are we here for?” Alax pressed. “If you’ve got your precious animal companions.”

“You’re here,” Quill said, his smile faltering for a moment, “to add an extra layer of protection, and ensure the hunt goes as smoothly as possible. Climbers aid in these hunts, to increase the effectiveness of our hunts, and to allow more hunters to spread out and hunt our prey than if we needed to band together in a single hunting party. Furthermore,” he looked at each and every one of us, “because death means nothing to Climbers within the Tower, you’re able to put yourselves in more dangerous positions, and can stay behind if needed, to ensure those of us who can die, can escape.”

“So-,” Alax started, but Quill cut him off.

“-If you didn’t want to act in that role,” Quill said, clearly frustrated, “you shouldn’t have accepted the job.”

Alax had no counter to that, his jaw tightening as he stopped any further statements. His attitude had completely changed now that we were away from Pren and the others. There was a defiance in his eyes, and something more. I had a good feeling I knew why he’d taken up this job. And it wasn’t to keep the hunters safe. He was here for revenge against the creature that had so easily crushed him to a pulp during the Reaping.

“Any further questions, or comments?” Quill seemed to have regained his composure as he spoke. “If not, I’d like to begin laying out our plans. Once everyone understands how this hunt will go, we will need to set up a safe zone within the jungle, lay out my traps, and set up a kill zone. After that, we still need to track down a pack of gorilla, and then, lead them back to the kill zone.” He slowly looked at each of us, “meaning, while the day is still young, we’ve a lot to do, and I’ve a quota I really, really, really, would like to reach today.”