Pursuer (Alwahi Series) (13 page)

Dressdon walked into her view, again the serious look in his eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him; he was once more playing the responsible team leader. For some reason, this annoyed Zanas and she found herself glaring at him.

“
You, Fless and I will be on one team. This round we will be the hunters. We will each choose our own colored arrows. Points are awarded for tagging an enemy, with higher points being awarded for critical shots. Second round we switch roles, with the same rules applying,” he ended his statement with a grin and then walked to the wall, collecting a quiver of black arrows. Zanas walked over to the arrows and pulled a bag across her shoulders, keeping one ready in her hands. Dressdon pulled the door open and looked pointedly at Zanas.

“
The hunted enter first,” he said, and the three prey rushed out into the course. They waited quietly, not saying a word, and then they too entered.

Zanas was looking up at tall cliff walls. She could see different shafts that were visible ahead, and it was quite evident that this was some kind of maze. Dressdon and Tress split off in different directions, choosing separate access points into the labyrinth. Zanas stared ahead and scanned the other openings in the cliff, not sure which entrance to follow. She closed her eyes for a moment. She would let her instinct lead her. Opening her eyes, she began running, going the way that felt
right
.

Zanas strung her arrow as she ran down the path, surrounded by high cliff walls. The canyon was void of all sound, reminding Zanas eerily of death, and possessing the faint scent of spilled blood. Her arms begin to flex as she pulled on the string of her bow, sensing stirring up ahead. It was Tress darting down a side tunnel. Before he could fully round the corner, Zanas let her arrow fly, striking his leg.

She heard a soft curse as she rounded the corner. Tress had stopped and waited for her arrival. He tried to maneuver around her and run back down the way they had come from, but Zanas had already notched another arrow. As he leaped in the air, the arrow sailed straight into the center of his chest. He crumbled to the floor, seeming like a lifeless body, and then began to beat his hands furiously on the ground. Zanas could not help but laugh, his actions reminding her of a naughty toddler throwing a fit.

“
Curse you woman, you have killed me all ready? I’ll never hear the end of this one.” He sighed as he pulled himself up and began to walk back to the waiting room.

Zanas pulled another arrow from her quiver and continued down the closest tunnel, picking up her pace. She found Ressna next, running with lightning fast speed. Zanas closed in behind her, letting loose her arrow and just as it seemed as if it would strike Ressna, the girl flipped to the side and it flew past her in the air. Out of the corner of her eye, Zanas saw a black arrow flying towards her target, striking Ressna in the arm.

Ressna fell to her knees just as a second black arrow flew through the space, were just moments before, her heart had been. Zanas scanned a side tunnel and saw Dressdon standing with his next arrow aimed at Ressna. She felt her vision turning red as she let her arrow fly. It was though it soared at Ressna in slow motion, flying straight and true, as it slammed into her suit directly where the heart was. Just a split second before a black arrow struck beside it. Ressna looked down at the two arrows sticking out of her chest.

“
Curses!” she cried, shaking her fist in the air and then gave them both a look. “Sheesh, you two are deadly.” She grinned pulling off her hood and walking back towards the entrance. Zanas saw Dressdon’s eyes flash for a moment and then he disappeared down another passageway. She had just picked up her pace, when she heard a commotion and knew that the last prey had been terminated.

When she stepped into the room, they stopped chatting and looked at her, Ressna grinning.

“
You scored the highest this round,” Ressna said with an excited laugh. “Two critical hits and one minor hit. Dressdon came in second, with one critical and one minor and Fless hit nothing,” she finished, giving Fless a sheepish grin. He pretended to scowl at her but instead broke into a smile of return.

“
These hands were made for smashing,” Fless said as if in explanation.

“
Come on. Stop wasting time and get in your suits,” Desstina said making a face at them, the blonde girl walked over to the arrows, pulling the red ones to her back. She viciously pulled an arrow out and gave Zanas a menacing smile.

Zanas walked over to the wall, grabbing one of the suits, and began pulling it over her clothes. The black material was lightweight, but it was obviously extremely durable. As she pulled over her mask, she caught sight of Dressdon watching her. He raised an eyebrow in challenge and she felt her anger rising. It was Ressna who opened the door for them this time, and Zanas quickly ran into the first tunnel she came across, trying to get deep into the labyrinth.

Once again the quiet of the human created canyons, seemed eerily empty. Her feet landed softly onto the rock floor, as she made her way towards the center. Zanas realized that the course had limits, these canyon walls did not run on forever. She ran faster, pushing herself to gain time. When she made it to the center, she circled back, taking the outer passageways. Zanas knew her opponents would be making their way toward the center and she could sneak up behind them. She came up on Ressna first; the girl did not even hear her coming as Zanas quickly stepped into one of the side tunnels and avoided her.

Zanas heard Desstina before she saw her. There was a slight movement of air as Desstina breathed in and out. The blonde had climbed up on the ledge of one of the canyons. Desstina was not stalking her prey, but instead was waiting for it to come to her. She had anticipated Zanas’s plan of evasion and had quietly waited, preparing to ambush her. Desstina already had an arrow cocked and ready, and just as Zanas heard her steady breathing, she heard the soft hiss of an arrow being released. She felt the pain as the arrow pierced its target and punctured the material, plunging into Zanas’s flesh.

The impact of the arrow knocked her to the ground and she lay there for a moment dazed and confused. The sound of soft laughter reached her ears, and she realized that it was the joyous elation of Desstina. Her vision turned from hazy, to red, as she felt her blood boiling. Two green eyes appeared above her and Dressdon was pulling her to her feet. Her chest throbbed and she felt blood begin to trickle down her stomach. Zanas felt no pain however, only one thought echoing in her mind.

She was going to make that girl bleed…

Dressdon was entirely too quiet, as they sat in the waiting room. His first act had been to take a mighty hold of the end of the shaft and with a swift jerk, pull the tip out of her skin. Zanas heard herself let out a small exhalation of air from the sudden pain. She pulled the hood from her head, yearning for more air. Shrugging off the arms of the suit, she took a closer look at the wound.

The arrow had torn her shirt as it entered and Zanas pulled the tear wider to get a better look. It was a nasty looking wound, but not too deep. She jumped slightly when Dressdon sank to his knees in front of her. She felt a slight stinging wetness as he deftly applied a bandage to the wound.

“
You know the object of prey is to
not
get shot.” He looked up at her, his face glowing with a wide grin.

Zanas gave him no answer, but simply looked pointedly at the arrow still sticking out from his chest. The silence was palpable for a moment, and then they both erupted into laughter, just as Fless came walking into the room.

Fless looked like a pincushion. He had two arrows in one arm, one in the other, and a fourth arrow jutting from his chest. The funniest part however, was when he turned around and they caught sight of the arrow stuck in his rear end. Once again, the room was filled with laughter, as first Zanas and then Dressdon began rolling in laughter, Fless joining in. She felt a stab in her heart, and thought for a moment it was pain, but then she realized it was something different. She felt the camaraderie that she had seen the other teams expressing when leaving the course. This was
her
team, and her heart soared.

The hunters returned and the waiting room filled with their excited chatter. As they exited the course, the next team was waiting anxiously to enter. Zanas felt an unfamiliar touch on her back and she turned to see a young boy, perhaps fourteen at the most. He was staring at the rip in her shirt and the white color of the bandage beneath.

“
Nice. Took a piercer to the chest, huh?” he said, his eyes dancing excitedly. “I’ve never had one,” he added with a slight frown. “None of my team has the force to do it.” His grin returned and he gave her a wink. He was just about to turn back to his party when he stopped, his smile fading for a moment. It seemed as though he was finally taking in her face, and there was something about it that he found startling. He smiled again, although to Zanas it seemed less genuine than before, then he joined his team.

The fourth level hallways were crowded with Pursuers. Everywhere Zanas turned, she saw her black laden clan mates. She could hear the roar of voices and sensed a large mass of people up ahead. They passed two women, whose long lines showed through their sheer clothing, seeming to float as they walked the halls. The roaring increased, and she watched Dressdon enter a large chamber. Two men stood in the center of a mass of people. The scent of blood entered Zanas’s nostrils and she felt her teeth baring in anticipation. A smack echoed across the room, as one of the men circled in the air, bringing his hand down on the other man’s face.

Unconsciously, Zanas felt herself pushing her way forward through the crowd. She was caught up in the wave of emotions, the rush of heated excitement, the pounding of voices that rose and fell with the beating of fists. The men were an equal match and the fight was far from over. Zanas was fascinated by the blows that were thrown and taken, with only the cries of the thrill escaping the fighter’s lips. Finally, it seemed as though surely there would be a casualty, the floor was splattered with blood. She watched as one of the men lifted his fist in the air in a pumping motion. The winner, laughing heartily, pulled the surrendering man to his feet.

Zanas heard the overflowing voices of the Pursuers around her. First, they roared in the culmination of the fight, some in encouragement and others in disbelief. Then, the room was filled with the heated conversations of the viewer’s debating the outcome of the fight. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“
Did you enjoy the match?” Dressdon asked his voice low but easily heard in the crowd, his lips close to Zanas’s ear. She felt a chill run through her, the excitement of the brutal fight still coursing in her veins, the musky smell of blood in the air.

“
Yes,” she said her voice almost a whisper. She heard his soft chuckle.

“
Good, because it’s time for your second test. All Pursuers must fight for the clan.” Zanas looked back at the arena, the splotches of blood covering the floor, and the understanding came to her.

“
Who do I fight?” she asked, turning to face Dressdon. His face lit up with a mischievous smile.

“
That’s the best part,” he answered. “You get to choose.”

Zanas felt that throb of anger pulsating inside her, and the memory of the pain of the arrow in her chest swam to her mind. She could hear Desstina laughing, her evil eyes flashing in delight. Zanas heard the low growl coming from her throat, and she found herself grinning back at Dressdon, the same mischievous smile.

His hands snaked around her back grabbing hold of her hair and pulling her closer. He tugged slightly on her braid, tilting her head back, and she thought for a moment that he would kiss her again. Instead, he leaned in, smelling her hair, his lips close to her neck. She heard the sound of him inhaling deeply, and then he turned, leaving her standing in the middle of the crowded room. He was gone before she even knew that he was leaving.

… … …

Zanas sought out Ressna in the crowd. The girl was speaking with a group of young Pursuers, her sharp teeth flashing as she held back her head, laughter escaping from her mouth. When Zanas walked among them, Ressna seemed to notice something in Zanas’s eyes and quickly excused herself from the group.

“
What is it?” Ressna asked.

“
Dressdon told me about the second test,” Zanas explained. Ressna began to laugh.

“
You’re not afraid of getting beat up… are you?” Ressna asked with a teasing smile.

Zanas laughed. “Never,” she growled. This brought another laugh from Ressna, who winked at her.

“
I didn’t think so,” Ressna said, grabbing Zanas by the arm and leading her out into the quieter area of the hallway. “Once you have been told of the challenge, you have twenty-four hours to declare an opponent. At any meal, you can stand up and make your claim. Be careful you choose wisely, we are all here because we can fight for our clan.” With that, Ressna turned and returned to the group she had been chatting with. Zanas felt overwhelmed for a moment by the many possibilities circulating in her mind. Without thinking, she turned and made her way back towards her room, and more importantly, the bathing pool.