Evaluations of the Tribe - Prossia Book 0 : A Coming of Age Space Opera Read online

Chapter 13

  The mastras got up at the break of dawn, and checked to see if any would-be easy prey had left tracks for them to follow. It was getting harder to hunt people, now that the best survivalists remained. However, Catty lucked out and came across a piece of half-eaten fruit, not even two hours into the search when she broke off from the others. Then again, she already knew leaving evidence so bluntly out in the open was a given invitation, so she decided to play it safe and backtrack to her team.

  She only took a step before her spine shook. Not enough time. She raised a charged hand, swatting the yellow ball of energy away. She couldn’t hold in her scream as the kick from the shot turned her own being in on her own hand.

  Catty charged a sphere, more angry than hurt at someone having the audacity to sneak up on her. The shooter gave away his position easily, since he expected an easy hit. She spun around and aimed at a male Young One with yellow tents, stiff as green oak wood. His spotter, another master, pinched him in the arm so he would move. Even then, the lad’s withdrawal was slow and cautious.

  “Your heightening, Masters!” Catty said as she fired.

  The lads plummeted down to a branch beneath them, only to have it explode when Catty’s other beam struck it. The shooter made it to another branch, reaching out so he could grab his falling comrade. He touched the tip of his fingers before Catty fired again and sent him soaring.

  The mastras heard the shot and the yelp of the victim as they ran toward the sounds of combat.

  “Perhaps we needn’t worry so dearly, yes?” Glani said. “It sounds as if she is well enough.”

  Requai flipped onto another branch. “Be that as it may, if we can hear this, so shall others. Double time.”

  Catty and the lad both somersaulted back onto nearby branches, placing ten meters between them altogether. The lad charged both hands while Catty switched to a defensive form.

  The master shot a beam, and Catty spun around it like a dancing partner. The Young One shot with his other hand, and Catty cartwheeled to the right in a half circle, knowing the tree was as solid as a rock.

  The other three came upon the duel, ready to aid their comrade.

  Catty motioned them to stand down. “I have this.”

  The lad uncharged one of his hands to wipe the sweat off his forehead, and Catty shot a beam into his chest the second she saw the opening, knocking him on his back. Before he could get up, Catty soared into the air, breaking twigs, and landed on top of him. She shoved a knee underneath his chin, and held his left arm down with her forearm so he couldn’t shoot her off of him. After pressing her other leg down on his right arm, Glani covered her eyes, knowing what would happen next.

  Catty pushed the knee she had underneath the lad’s chin deep into his windpipe. She let up just so he could get a second hint of air before she pressed in harder. His gag made Aly and Requai cover their ears, its sound mixed with an interrupted exhale and high pitched shriek that a five-year-old couldn’t even make. His eyes bulged out of socket as he clawed Catty’s knee and tears ran down his cheeks. And then, Catty pressed harder.

  With oxygen not making it to his lungs or brain, the lad’s primitive instincts cried out to him. Breathe. He needed to breathe, and there was only one way to do it. He tapped the ground until Catty finally let up.

  Requai uncovered her ears. “Truth’s Grace, that was a brutal sight. I did not know she could manage close-quarter so well.”

  “And neither did I,” Aly said, still eyeing Catty.

  After they updated their notepads, Requai and Glani went on-guard so Aly could clean Catty’s wound. The masters they just dismantled were pretty thorough, considering the two of them alone managed to take out six people. Now, according to what they knew, only twenty-four remained.

  “I am relieved the two of you were able to silence your quarrel,” Glani said as she watched Aly wrap Catty’s bad hand. “Truly, the last thing one needs in a group is inner turmoil, yes?”

  Requai looked over her shoulder. “Glani, has anyone ever informed you that you make settings uncomfortable?”

  “Nay. Why?”

  “Truly, you make settings uncomfortable. By Truth’s Grace, be still.”

  “No worries, Requai.” Aly ripped the bottom part of Catty’s top and wrapped it around the mastra’s arm, since they wanted to reserve the remaining bandages as long as possible. “I suppose I did take a more aggressive approach the prior day to prove my worth. It be difficult to watch others do what I cannot at times, yet there be no excuse. I can admit my fault.”

  Catty rubbed her face, wiping the agitation off it. She knew if she could just explain why Aly couldn’t control her being, maybe the self-loathing would go away a little. All the secrecy over the past six years made her sick, both physically and mentally. Still, such was the way of things on Gooliun, which was why, even then, Aly had no idea she was a Sungstra, nor what a Sungstra even was.

  Aly stopped when the mastra groaned. “Are you well, Catty? You seem troubled.”

  “Fret not. The wound merely stings, that be all. I am fortunate the burns are not as severe. I would hate having to lose an arm.”

  “Truly,” Requai said. “Perhaps you would give us a fair advantage, then, yes?”

  “Not funny, at all.”

  Aly finished the bandage, got up, and froze when her alarm mechanism jolted her. “Wait. Mastras, did you not just sense that?”

  The others felt a tingle in the back of their neck as well, and moved in to cover. As being markings on their faces protruded, they scanned the forest through infrared, checking their positions and designated corners. And as they marked their surroundings, each one of them knew whatever triggered their alert sensations was beyond the usual. Yes, something vile was out there, and Glani was the one that came across it first, when her eyes detected something charging straight for her.

  Catty, now watching the figure rush the mastra, hopped into a tree. “Truth’s Grace, what is that? Evade, Glani!”

  Glani didn’t blink. Her muscles tightened. Her lungs pressed into her chest, and her brain went numb, unable to settle its current fight-or-flight conflict.

  The creature in front of Glani wasn’t large by comparison to the mastras, only being a meter tall at the shoulders and one and a half times as long. However, its head was massive – twice the size of a Goolian’s. The body was compact and scuttled across the ground with the aid of six insect-like legs. It was furless and its dark green skin blended within the terrain perfectly. Requai ran after Glani when it opened its wide, ant-like jaws.

  “Glani!” Aly cried.

  Catty shot two beams right into the creature’s snout – solid hits.

  The creature flinched and stopped. Requai tackled Glani away from it and made her scramble to her feet without missing a beat. The wild animal hissed and jerked its head at the two mastras, even though it didn’t have eyes. Its large antennae twitched, picking up the mastra’s racing heartbeats. Like the Goolians, the creature was virtually perfect for its environment.

  Catty fired again. “Do not just stand there. Kill the damned thing!”

  Glani got her body’s controls again and did as told along with Requai. The three fired relentlessly, but the creature’s skin was thick and hard as stone. Before they knew it, the beast leapt right in front of Requai and Glani. Both girls shrieked before the creature knocked Requai away with its head, leaving what it already knew was the weakest link. Its jaws snapped around Glani’s left thigh before she had enough time to run away. It squeezed her leg like shears snapping a twig.

  Glani’s holler was beyond crazed. Catty froze as she watched the creature try to bite off more than it could even chew, its appetite showing by the saliva splotching across the tree limbs. Still, it was strong enough to pull and jerk Glani’s body around, positioning her so it was right on top of her. The creature crushed her thigh even harder.

  Glani stopped screaming and fainted from the shock. It took every bit of Catty’s mind to keep calm. She inhale
d and aimed. Unlike the shots she usually made in sparring, the next beam she fired flew insanely fast, bright, and shrieked loudly, indicating its lethal intent.

  The creature’s cry would’ve made the hairs on the Goolian’s skin rise if she had any. When Catty’s beam struck, the animal’s left mandible blew off where the hard substance met pure muscle. It then spat out the still quiet Glani, realizing it wouldn’t be able to enjoy its food unless it fended off the stronger opponent first.

  Catty looked over to Requai. Knocked out. She then searched for Aly, who was sharpening the tips to one of her sparring sticks with a rock. That only left her to deal with the odd animal. She shot the creature in the mouth when it ran in to take a chomp out of her.

  The beast paused momentarily and charged again with the remainder of its mouth closed. Catty somersaulted up to a tree and ran, already figuring the creature was made to kill anywhere it needed to.

  “Hey!” Aly went after the two. “We best stay together, fool!”

  “Then, I beg, give me a hand prior to its taking my head!” Catty yipped when she heard the animal take a chomp at her. “Ideas? For I truly struggle to think as I run on my toes!”

  Aly swore when the two switched their course. “Then this one has not been put under enough pressure.”

  “Just hold your tongue and make yourself of use!”

  Aly climbed up an extra level to get a better view. From what she could tell, Catty was now making the creature go in circles, up and down. She’d never seen the creature before in her life, but she couldn’t imagine it not knowing what irritation was until then.

  “Try and keep the same pattern, very good?”

  “Less talk and more action would be preferred greatly, Aly, my thanks!”

  She found the rhythm, her eyes locked on. She was the predator now, the strange beast the prey. Aly dropped off the edge of the branch she stood on. She shut her eyes so the twigs wouldn’t cut them as much as her face. Closing in on the unexpected target was a rush as Aly heard its hisses and Catty’s shrieks near.

  And when the moment came, she flipped over, tightened her legs, straightened her body like an arrow, and slammed her heels into the creature’s back when it passed underneath her. Her momentum made the branch break, and both bodies plummeted. Still, Aly tumble-rolled off the beast like a ball when it crashed into the ground.

  She got up, dusted herself off, and walked right up to the dead creature. She twirled her sharpened stick over the body, and thrust it in the center. Kill confirmed.

  Catty landed in front of her, sweating and panting. She bent over and placed her hands on her knees. “Whew! Better.”

  Aly grinned. “Why, this one made this all seem so difficult. Truly, it was easy enough for me.”

  “Hate you dearly.”