Chiva

Okay, second chapter. Just as short as the first one, but hopefully good anyway. ^_^ Enjoy!


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The mountain ranges on this planet were vast and high, stretching as far as the eye could see. Most of the landscaping was comprised of trees and marsh. Parts were lush, green and colorful. The wide variety of plants and flowers brought color and vibrancy to the atmosphere. Other parts of the land, the marsh were filled with swamp and willow. Rotted wood, moss and the stale scent of mold overwhelmed the air. Some of the two environments clashed at parts of the land, which of course was a strange contrast to any foreign eye. The rest of the land was overtaken by large mountains and wide meadows. The climate was always humid and warm, so most individuals had little reason to wear more than was absolutely necessary.

The scraggly little girl of five was no more. Fifteen years had passed since then. Her hair was still unruly, but now it spiraled down her back in thick tight ringlets of burgundy locks. Worn over her body mesh was a long and thick strap of brown leather that hooked around the back and crossed over her breasts, tying at the back of her neck. Her abdomen was elegantly chiseled and defined, her elongated torso tastefully shaping into somewhat wide and curvaceous hips. There; a simple loincloth of the same leather covered the necessary areas, long flaps of the covering hung between her legs from the front and back and stopped at her knees. Her legs were perhaps the epitome of her strength. Much of it was equally distributed, but in her trials throughout the years much of her physical exertion was carried out through her lower limbs. Her feet were covered in carefully makeshift leather boots, the leather reached halfway up her calves and folded over. Her combat staff was tucked into a holster that hung at her side.

She didn’t wear any armor, but the bio helmet that masked her face was a necessity. The atmosphere on this planet was similar to that of Earth’s, but an extra mixture of different gasses turned out to be rather toxic for her human lungs to inhale. When she was little and first set foot on her new home, she would easily fall ill or nauseous after staying outside for too long. It didn’t take long for her adoptive kin to figure out why, and because of this she was presented with the same masks the warriors and hunters adorned.

A trench divided the mountains where the girl now stood. She looked up, the gap seeming to travel upward forever. She needed to climb it though, that’s where she knew her trial would end. She’d been away from home for three days, using the survivor skills she’d learned from wise females that taught and trained their young. Throughout this arduous journey she’d hunted for game worthy of a confident battle. Her many trophies draped over her shoulder and across her chest, looking decorative and deadly.

She reached overhead toward a crack in the mountainside, preparing to make the long climb to the surface. She paused though; her attuned senses alerting her of a presence. She could smell it; could feel it on her skin. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew that it was there; stalking her as she had been stalking it. She knew that she would have to wait for the right moment. She needed to peek, but knew that she couldn’t turn around. So she took a deep breath, letting her hunter’s instincts take over. She reached out with her senses to feel her environment, and suddenly she instinctively knew where the beast was. It was standing at the entrance to the trench, a mere twenty feet from the sheer face of the mountain that she was trying to climb. It would be quick; she knew the beast would come hard and fast. The girl pulled herself into the mountain, preparing her limbs to spring back, and then she let hang her right leg to entice the beast to come.

The roar was loud and menacing; the mighty beast came at her with a swift quickness that nearly caught her completely off balance. The bait had worked; the beast had charged blindly toward her without a halt or a twitch, straight forward to its prey. But this predator was wrong to think that she would be its prey.

With a quick push off the mountainside, she flipped over the back of the beast, landing on the lightest touch of her toes and drawing her staff in one smooth motion. The beast managed to stop dead in its tracks before crashing into mountainside. She knew she had him! As the great beast turned, she could see now that it was indeed the thousand pound saber wolf that she had been tasked with taking down. The most prized trophy to soon complete her collection.

She bull-rushed ahead, her staff readied. The beast reared up to smash her beneath its claws; she plunged her staff dead through its heart and quickly tore away from it as it began to fall. The beast lay there, its last moments of life seeping away, and she loomed over it, this mighty and great beast conquered, by the likes of an ooman girl.

She climbed the mountainside now, her trophy severed and cleaned; now dangling with the rest of them. Halfway up she had to pause and catch her breath. She might have been raised by the Yautja, but half the time she certainly didn’t feel like it.

Her climbing slowed a little bit, she was wearing down, and she was hungry. Though she was more than capable of finding food and keeping herself healthy throughout the journey, today she hadn’t eaten. She knew by the dawn of this day that it would only be a matter of hours before she reached the mountain. She cursed herself now though, wishing she’d have at least stopped for some water. No matter now, she was almost done, just a few more yards.

Her hand slapped over the dusty surface of the cliff, and stepping into the last crevice, she hurled herself over the edge and crouched to catch her breath one more time.

A clawed hand reached forward in offering and she peeked up at the Yautja. It was the elder who’d saved her, Ko’tak, the one she’d come to call father after so many years. She smiled up at him and took his hand.

He’d easily helped her up with slightest pull. Once she stood to her full height of five and a half feet, which only reached the Yautja’s chest in contrast to his seven and a half feet. Their eyes locked, her looking up and he looking down. After a moment’s pause Ko’tak took her shoulder and shook it lightly in a happy greeting. The girl smiled widely and leapt forward to throw her arms around her guardian.

The Yautja hardly flinched, placing a hand over the top of her head as the other patted her back. He trilled softly at her to show his pride for her. She pulled away and he lowered his head and tilted his gaze in a gesture of respect; she thanked him by returning the gesture.

“Anthea,” Ko’tak said her name. A Latin word he’d heard long ago during his trials on Earth, it had always stayed inside his memory; the name meant flower. “Be proud this day,” he spoke in their native tongue, “for today’s trial was your last here. You’ve triumphed over all and grown into a wise and beautiful young huntress. Soon you will face your hard meat trials and earn the title of a true warrior.”

Anthea always knew this day would come, and she’d always been excited to hear her father say these words, but now that he did, all she felt was… anxious. Was it because she was scared of her future trials? No, that wasn’t quite it. She was worried about it, yes, but it was a different kind of worry. A kind of… lament.

All those years ago her true parents had perished. She hid under the covers half the time; she only saw a fraction of the gruesome happenings that day. So why did her heart ache all of a sudden? Her mixture of conflicting emotions warred inside of her, and for once she was thankful for the impersonal mask that shielded her unsure expression.

A familiar growl sounded in the distance and Anthea shifted her weight to one side and peered beyond Ko’tak. Another Yautja approached. It was Kro’nha, the son of another Chieftain, whom was her father’s best companion.

He approached her confidently and slapped at hand over her shoulder, shaking it lightly in greeting as her father had done. Though he’d been a bit more forceful than Ko’tak and when he lifted his hand she fought the urge to rub her shoulder. She tilted her head in thanks and he saluted the girl with a closed fist to his chest.

Anthea had known him since the day she’d been brought to this planet; she’d grown up with him. Despite his sometimes arrogant humor and sardonic charm, they’d become fast friends and looked after the other ever since.

Ko’tak stepped forward and placed his hand over the young woman’s shoulder again, this time a gesture to head out.