AKLESH (Under Strange Skies) (31 page)

“If you have a problem with a member of my group, Vol. You come to me. It is our way.” She smiled viciously, but backed down all the same. “I have nothing but problems with your group.”

The moment was tense as both hunting parties stared each other down. Those who had been sitting in Vol’s group were now standing, and the situation seemed to be heading toward conflict. In an all-out brawl, Vol’s team had the most force, but the looks on the faces of Tyro’s group meant they weren’t in the mood to be playing any games.

Sometimes hunting teams had small incidents with each other, and Vol, being the current head warrior at the time, encouraged this, but they kept these to themselves lest the tribal elders interfere.

“Go on. Go practice,” Vol practically spit, breaking the tension. “Like it will do you any good.”

Her crew laughed at this and the danger had passed. Although Kai was still offended, both sides calmed down. Tyro’s group headed back on their path, leaving the laughter behind. Tyro was making a mental note to pull Kai aside at some point and tell him to reign in his temper. If he had let Kai slug Vol, she would have definitely deserved it, but the ramifications would have been bad for them in the long run. If the head warrior couldn’t have her way in a fight, she’d find other routes to get her revenge.

The sooner she was challenged as leader, the better.

“We’re going to get a kill in the hunt, Tyro. I know it,” said Cho.

Tyro grunted and sped up his pace, even more eager for them to show what they could do.

Kai would always remember the three words that Gar had whispered in his ear before the all warriors had left the keep for the great hunt, a day that would change everything.

“Kick their ass.”

He didn’t quite understand what the expression meant, which was obviously from the stranger’s world, but the sentiment rang loud and clear and he’d felt Gar’s emotions behind them, that of determination, solidarity and pride. Kai had told him of Vol’s offense the previous day. Gar had used some more choice expressions that Kai couldn’t quite make out the meaning of, but understood that Gar was on his side, which made him feel good anyway.

The whole tribe was awake early that morning in order to send the 12 hunting teams off. They would wait impatiently all day to find out the results. It was dangerous, but it was tradition.

There had been no more altercations between the hunting groups. Everyone had hunkered down to their own hunts, making individual plans for the event and hoping that theirs would be the team to bring in a kill.

Kai could not remember a time when there had been more than one or two kills for a festival and plenty of times where there hadn’t been any.

It was about half a day’s ride to the Rasclaan feeding grounds and they had to make sure they kept their distance once they arrived. What made hunting the Rasclaan so difficult was that the species was highly telepathic, more so than any of the other creatures that existed on Aklesh. As a group they could sense a predator’s approach from miles away.

They were very large, agile creatures with four legs and tremendously large front haunches that, when employed, gave them great speed. The creatures stood about seven to eight feet high and were about the same width and length. They had a large shoulder area that looked a bit like a hump, a sloping spine and wide spread back legs. The neck stretched down from the collar and was encased in a mane of white fur. On the rest of their bodies the hair was shorter and sleek. Their snouts were broad and flat with flared nostrils. The mouth of the creature was large and although the teeth were not big or particularly vicious, they had many of them. The Rasclaan was a grazer by nature but could use its bite as a means for defense. Another means of attack and protection were the large, bony protuberances that stood out from their joints like daggers about ten inches long both at the elbow and the hip area.

These were of particular concern to Kai since one of these had been the means of his father’s premature death.

So, they were hard to hunt for several reasons -- they were agile, strong, potentially vicious, had sharp spikes sticking out of their bodies and, of course, could sense an approach from far away. It was a nearly impossible prey, and the Aklesh warriors relished the challenge. To make a kill of the Rasclaan was to prove your worth as a hunter.

The warriors arrived at the site and set up a temporary camp, settling on a ridge overlooking the majestic creatures while they ate peacefully on the plains below. It was far enough away to be out of the telepathic range of the Rasclaan, which was important. If the creatures were alerted to the presence of the Aklesh too soon, they would start a stampede and the hunt would be over before it could even start. It was important that a run started when the warriors decided it was time and not before.

The herd was made up of about a hundred Rasclaan. There were 12 teams of Aklesh hunters and it would take a whole hunting group to successfully bring down one Rasclaan. So, they were in no danger of over-hunting the creatures.

Once the warriors had settled in at the first campsite, it was nearing midday. After a brief meeting of the leaders from each hunting group, six of the teams were sent up the ridge about three miles, where they would wait for their turn.

The strategy worked like so: the first six teams would simultaneously charge the herd, who would detect them and start a run towards the other six teams up along the ridge farther away. During the initial part of the stampede the first six teams would have their chance to make a kill. They had the element of surprise going for them.

Once the herd reached the checkpoint for the next group of warriors, the first six would back off and leave the running herd to the next six, who would then make their attempt. About three miles beyond that area was the Jujin Hills. When the herd reached them, the hunt was over.

Tyro returned to his team, which was waiting eagerly.

“We are in the second group,” he said.

“Mount your rides, the hunt will begin in approximately two hours.”

Kai, Cho and her brothers were a little disappointed. They had wanted to have first crack at the game, but they had also known that being in the second round was more likely. They were a lower-ranked hunting group. The ones with more kills always had first go during the hunt.

Cho looked at Kai sympathetically as she climbed onto her noss. “Next year,” she said to him. “Next year we’ll be in the first group.”

Kai smiled. “Next year,” he agreed, though in his heart he didn’t believe it. Not really.

They rode out with the other six teams, heading to the checkpoint to await their chance at glory.

***

Tyro’s group stood along the ridge with the other five teams. All were nervous and anxiously awaiting their turn. They had only just arrived at the spot when an unmistaken thundering sound could be heard coming from their right. It was the herd on the run. It had only been about an hour and a half. The hunt had started early.

Tyro shot his companions a commanding look that told them very clearly, “We go now!” The other teams were scrambling as well to be ready as the stampede came into sight. Cho, Kai and the twins knew their instructions.

Kai quickly got down from his noss and tied it to a nearby tree. He then climbed up onto Che’s noss and sat behind him, his arms wrapped about his friend’s waist.

A tribesman from another hunting group saw this and laughed hard.

“Are you just going along for the ride?” He elbowed some of his comrades, who joined in the taunt as well.

“Tyro, it’s better if you use
all
of your team.

That’s the idea anyway,” said another warrior who was large and a little on the weighty side. “But thanks for giving us the advantage.” Tyro’s team said nothing. They were prepared and the time it would take to retort would be precious time lost. There were those who were still scrambling to get their gear together. Tyro didn’t wait. He hollered a short percussive command and dug his heals into his steed. The four mounts and their riders shot down the ridge as the herd was just coming into sight. They would soon be followed by the other teams, so they had to make due with the lead they had while they had it. No one looked back.

As the oncoming stampede approached, and since the beasts could telepathically sense danger, the idea was to get into a run along side the herd. This would be the principal method used by each group, the variations came into how they separated a Rasclaan from the mass of creatures and then executed a kill.

Many used arrows and spears, which they shot and threw from alongside the herd. Most teams opted each year for bigger or better weapons. This could have varying effect. A simple arrow might impact a creature but would hardly slow it down. Used en masse, it had proven in the past to have greater effect, but that meant using more team members as archers and there was no guarantee they’d hit the target since the creature’s body spikes moved in a half circle motion on them as they ran and acted like a shield, deflecting such attacks. Spears would inflict greater damage to the creature and even pull one down, depending on where it was hit. But to get a clear shot of just one was very difficult, and to do so on a noss was next to impossible.

The challenge had great difficulty, which made the kill so much more of a reward.

Other teams were heading down the ridge and Tyro’s advantage would soon be limited. He bellowed his signal and shot up ahead, getting far in front of the oncoming storm. Chi and Che, with Kai holding on behind him, fell into a parallel gallop alongside the herd. Cho fell to the side, a good hundred or so yards away where she could see everything and not be in the way. Soon Tyro was far ahead, nowhere to be seen.

Arrows started to fly from other teams, and looking across the large mass of animals, Kai could see motion of warriors riding as best as they could among the Rasclaan. The results wouldn’t be known till after the hunt was well over.

He could make out a few of the hunters from moment to moment and was surprised when he recognized a few that were out of place.. They were from Vol’s team, who had been among the first groups at the initial start of the hunt. They were supposed to fall back at this point to make way for the other teams but had obviously decided to bend this rule.

There was no time to cry foul.

The thundering sound from the animals as they ran was deafening, and only the three of them on two steeds would be able to help their team. This is where their plan came into action.

Tyro had come to understand that he had to work with his team’s unusual abilities, not force them to become like every other hunting group, which relied mostly on brute force.

Tyro

had

given

Kai

very

specific

instructions. Although he knew he was putting his friend in extreme danger, the young team member had volunteered for the job. That had been his plan and that was why Cho had backed into an observational stance. In an unprecedented move, she was taking over leadership of the hunt. The Rasclaan were telepathic and sensed intention of those around them. Tyro had instructed the twins and Kai to keep their minds blank. Kai had one command only he was to listen for. The twins would only do what Cho told them telepathically while she kept pace from a distance. Tyro waited up ahead for his time to act.

The one to your immediate right, with the broken
spike on its right haunch. He’s weaker than the
rest. NOW!

Cho sent this message to her brothers, who acted according to the plan and pulled along side of the massive creature. It couldn’t veer to the other side since more of its kind blocked its path. Kai’s heart leapt into his throat as he heard the creature snort.

It snapped its jaws towards the unwelcome riders.

This nearly knocked Chi off his animal but he was able to recover and keep on, only falling behind for a moment.

Kai focused on keeping his mind clear and waited for the signal. The animal was so close he could reach out and touch it. The creature was made up almost entirely of powerful muscle, and the strength coming from the creature nearly took one’s breath away.

In previous hunts they had not even been able to get this close to the Rasclaan. Whatever happened from this point on, they had already achieved more than they expected.

The words leapt out of the twins as soon as the signal came into their minds from Cho.

“NOW, KAI!” they shouted simultaneously.

The young Aklesh didn’t think but literally leapt into action. He threw himself off of Che’s noss and grabbed hold of the long white mane with both hands, swinging himself with marginal grace onto the creature.

This move had been unexpected and the creature reacted accordingly, slowing its pace slightly to try and buck the unwanted rider. Kai’s fingers tightened like vices into the huge mane of the animal and his legs gripped hard. He had been lucky on the jump and hadn’t been impaled by the spikes that were now dangerously near his own flesh.