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The evening alarm sounded, signifying the end of the day which meant prey were off-limits. Fanian Uldri, like every other hunter in The Hunt, fell into a personal transportation pod and was whisked from the active gaming arena. Every evening the pods located the hunters, tracking them via the control collars secured tightly around their necks, and collected them from anywhere they happened to be on the planet.
Any hunter lucky enough to capture prey before the alarm could call a pod that would take hunter and prey directly to the processing center. It was the only time that option was available to them.
For the second night in a row, he wasn’t one of the lucky ones. His pod propelled forward at breakneck speed, traversing a series of intricate tracks that was undoubtedly not taking him to the processing center.
The tracks were lit with glowing white lights, making the other pods with the same destination as his visible. Fanian recognized some of the hunters within the bubble like structures. They wore disgruntled expressions at being forced to return to the communal lodge for the night. None of them could venture out again until the next day.
While the hunters were sequestered in their communal lodge for the entire night, prey were able to move throughout the arena, relocating from where hunters had seen them last to another hiding spot or area. It was one of the major advantages prey had over the hunters. The other advantage was the ability to call for a transportation pod and escape a hunter’s grasp. The number of times a pod could be called was determined by which Level the prey was in.
Fanian’s pod stopped abruptly, and he lurched forward within the confined space. The top of the pod slid open, and with it, the ground above moved aside, allowing the waning sunlight to peek through. If he had to, he could jump out, easily clearing the space, but like the night before, a surge of air rushed from unseen vents in the pod’s floor, ejecting him. Fanian landed gracefully on the wet grass in a crouch before standing. The ground slid back into place as if it had never been disturbed at all.
The engineering it took to make an underground traveling pod system was something he pondered often since arriving on Turolois. The technology it took to build such a place which catered to many different species was incredible. But he wasn’t sent here to wonder about the technology that made Turolois a unique gaming planet. He had a very specific job to fulfill.
Fanian pushed the wayward thoughts from his mind. The study of science and technology was a part of his distant past and no longer relevant to his current life. With his thoughts refocused, he stared at the lodge. It was a massive structure that looked as though the surrounding jungle would swallow it up in a few short years. As he stood there, other hunters were thrown from their pods, dotting the area around him.
There were grunts and curses as they hit the ground, some awkwardly. En mass they lumbered toward the lodge’s double doors, though a few turned to stare longingly into the jungle, knowing they couldn’t return until the morning alarm. If anyone tried before then, their collars would send an electric shock directly to their spinal columns, rendering them powerless while they succumbed to convulsions and pain. He’d witness that last night.
Fanian blew out a hard breath and glanced at the jungle with the same pitiful look as the other hunters. He hadn’t planned to spend another night here. Humans were supposed to be weak and easy prey. He’d intended to catch one quickly the first day, then be on his way to his client. After failing the first day, he’d still had high hopes the second day. Now, here he was, returning to the lodge to endure another horrible night in a communal living area.
“We can’t go back,” one of the hunters said to him as he also watched the forbidden jungle.
“I’m very aware of that.” Fanian didn’t glance the hunter’s way.
“Which human are you after?” the hunter asked.
“Any of them.” When it was apparent Fanian didn’t plan to engage in further conversation, the hunter grunted and strode away.
Who he was after was Fanian’s business and his alone. Az’ud, his client, had made one request when he’d contracted Fanian to enter The Hunt on his behalf. He wanted a mate, a strong human female, to bear his children. While there were seven females left in the game, only one had caught Fanian’s eyes.
The mother.
Fanian had been able to observe her from afar. The Dar’E hunter who’d followed the group she traveled with challenged any other hunter who ventured too close. From what he could see, the mother had rudimentary survival skills and the burden of children. Without her companions helping her, someone would surely catch her in Level One. Fanian just had to make sure he was that hunter. To do that, he needed to work out an understanding with the Dar’E.
Fanian surveyed the returning hunters he competed against. Not finding the one he looked for, he balled his hands and finally stalked toward the entrance. If Fanian—or rather his benefactor—had paid for the upgraded package, he would’ve been on his way to a private executive suite with all the amenities needed to secure prey fast and efficiently.
Az’ud had paid for a spot in the expensive game and any remaining credits were Fanian’s to keep. It was the sole reason he slept on a cot and ate in a dining hall shared by most of the other hunters. The cheapest package allowed more credits staying in his account.
Fanian had been in worst accommodations. When he’d first come to this galaxy, he’d been homeless and without any credits recognized by the monetary system here. If it wasn’t for a kind-hearted merchant, he would’ve probably died. With help, he’d survived. It had taken him years to build what he had. He still wasn’t financially stable, but that would change as soon as he delivered the mother to Az’ud.
Fanian planned to retire as a bounty hunter and make the necessary upgrades to his spaceship.
As he crossed the threshold and entered the lodge, cold air draped over him. The sweat dotting his skin immediately dried. He inhaled deeply of the clean air, knowing the smell would be much different when he reached the communal area.
Another hunter entered and pushed past him with a low grunt. Fanian narrowed his eyes on the hunter’s back. With the mood he was in, he could’ve ripped the hunter’s head from his shoulders. The only reason he didn’t was because of the collar and the pain it would elicit if he broke one of the rules. In Level One, hunters were not allowed to harm each other. That rule didn’t apply in subsequent Levels, not that he expected to stay in The Hunt that long. In and out, that’s what he hoped for.
Fanian quickly forgot the other hunter as the Dar’E maneuvered past him. One look at the Dar’E’s muscled frame, and Fanian knew he’d make a formidable opponent. The Dar’E didn’t glance at any of the other hunters. Normally, Fanian wouldn’t engage, but there was a matter they needed to discuss.
Fanian grabbed the Dar’E’s arm. The Dar’E stilled. The hair covering his face and neck stood on end. A warning bell went off in Fanian’s head, but he ignored it, sure the Dar’E wouldn’t want to end his night in a convulsing fit.
“I want the mother and her children,” Fanian said bluntly.
“Remove your hand from my arm.” The Dar’E’s warning came in a low rumbling voice.
The Dar’E was much larger than Fanian. The size of his arm alone was bigger than Fanian’s thigh. The Dar’E could hurt him, but killing him was a different matter entirely. Fanian doubted the Dar’E even knew what species he was. Givveks weren’t native to this galaxy, and with his remaining people scattered throughout the universe, they were few among many.
Fanian released the Dar’E’s arm as a goodwill gesture. He thumped a balled fist to the middle of his chest, a universal greeting in this galaxy. “Fanian.”
The Dar’E returned the greeting but didn’t offer his name. Some hunters worked in groups, but most were solitary and didn’t enter The Hunt to make friends or exchange names.
“You’re following the large group of prey,” Fanian said. “I have an interest in the mother and her children.”
When Az’ud had learned this round of The Hunt was filled exclusively with human prey, he’d put out a contract for a hunter to procure him one. The payday was something Fanian couldn’t pass up.
“And this matters to me, why?”
“You follow them. No other hunters can get close. The rules state we can’t poach your prey if you actively hunt them.”
The Dar’E stared at him with dark eyes that threatened a fight Fanian wouldn’t back down from if initiated. They’d both end up convulsing on the ground if it came to it.
“I’m well aware of the rules.”
“Is your plan to take them all?”
If that were the case, he might not have a choice but to kill the Dar’E after all. He would have to be quick about it, suffer the consequences afterward. The punishment, albeit painful, would be well worth the result. He would heal and recover in time to continue The Hunt tomorrow. With the Dar’E out of his way, the mother and her children would be his. They could be in the processing center by tomorrow night. Fanian liked that plan very much.
The Dar’E grunted. Fanian narrowed his eyes, letting them roam up and down the Dar’E’s formidable body. “I think you can afford it, but that would be costly.”
The Dar’E’s expensive clothes were made to protect him from the elements. The fibers in his bodysuit shielded him from the harsh sun. Everything about him screamed of wealth and credits to spend. “And greedy.”
When Fanian made a left, the Dar’E would make a right toward the executive suites. There he would have catered meals. He would shower with real water instead of relying on a sonic shower. His clothes would be laundered and plentiful, his every need taken care of.
“If I’m greedy, that’s my business,” the Dar’E growled.
This was the type of situation where Fanian would typically use his gift. Some called it a compulsion; others called it an allure. It was a little of both, but his species called it zvodny. It meant to tempt. The only problem was that it was temporary. Even if he used his gift on the Dar’E tonight and told him to move out the way allowing Fanian to claim the mother, the effects wouldn’t last until the morning.
“Then claim who you want and get on with it. Some of us have business arrangements to fulfill. My buyer doesn’t care what Level I acquire his mate. His only requirement is that she be able to provide him with children. The mother is a perfect choice.”
“You’re a contracted hunter,” the Dar’E sneered.
Fanian didn’t mind how the Dar’E viewed him. Some people thought contracted hunters were worse than the opportunistic hunters. Opportunistic hunters were just as their name implied. They went into The Hunt, blindly, as scavengers, seeking out the weaker and easy prey. Prey they could easily capture in Level One, the cheapest round of the game. The prey caught there were mostly used as domestic help, lower level mates, or pets.
Contracted hunters worked for individuals who couldn’t participate in The Hunt themselves and only cared about one thing. Credits. They would do anything to keep the credits flowing into their accounts. Lie, cheat, steal. Nothing was considered off-limits. Not even hunting a mother and her children
Fanian ignored the disdain in the Dar’E’s voice and the disgusted look on his face. “You don’t want Level One prey. I know your type.” Fanian smirked. “You’re looking for someone valuable. Level Three prey. Move out the way so I can claim the mother. Not all of us have power, prestige, and credits handed down to us. Some of us have to work hard for each scrap we’re given.”
The Dar’E snarled, “Do I know you?”
Fanian could’ve mentioned that the elusive owners of Turolois were Dar’E. Which family he didn’t know, but it didn’t pass his notice that the Dar’E standing before him shared the same species. Coincidence? Fanian didn’t believe in coincidences.
Hm. Maybe a relative? A friend? Someone who could bend the strict rules?
The Dar’E took one step back and glared at one of the other hunters walking by. It was apparent the Dar’E didn’t like the direction the conversation had turned.
Fanian could’ve pressed the Dar’E about Turolois. With the power of his voice, the Dar’E would tell Fanian everything he wished to know.
Another hunter sauntered by. Close enough to hear what Fanian discussed. Too many listening ears.
No. Any information gathered today would not be shared with others. This conversation would continue another day. Fanian smirked. “No. I don’t know you at all, Dar’E.”
Without another word, Fanian turned on his heels and left.