Prey

Mountainous voids stretched out beneath the sturdy wooden Felucca. The sapphire blue waters reflected the suns of Sanghelios upon the rippling waves. Kaidon 'Zafamee stood in the center of the oblong watercraft, barely daring to move save to shift his weight from foot to foot to stop the craft from rocking. He deftly held a pike in both hands, trailing it above the water’s edge, back and forth in a languid, simple infinity pattern. The Kaidon stared with unblinking ferocity into the cerulean depths, watching for something to come and rise to his challenge.

Focus. Poise. Discipline.

The Kaidon breathed deep, and breathed even. His prey would come. His prey would always come. The mark of a successful hunter was patience; the hunter that overextended, and wasted precious effort, did not deserve the kill. The hunter that waited, and let the prey doom itself, showed themselves as worthy to claim the prize.

Focus. Poise. Discipline.

A piece of string, tied to a feather and ball dangled from the edge of the pike. Trailing the water, as fluid in its motions as a skimmer bug. The Kaidon drew a figure eight, shifting his legs, and his arms with practiced ease and grace. Once he completed the movement, he hefted the pike from the water, allowed the excess liquid to drip back down into the lapping waves, and restarted his motions once more.

Focus.

No ripples marred the surface, save for the ones he caused with his bait. The craft he stood on sat still as the grave, and his own shadow pooled beneath him in the midday heat.

Poise.

A shape darted beneath the waves. The Kaidon rolled his pike in one hand, shifting the weight of the bait back over the stick, and behind the sharpened blade. He kept his eyes trained on the shape, blue against blue, as it moved just underneath the surface.

Discipline.

He waited. The shadow kept moving. Half as big, easily, as the Felucca on which ‘Zafamee stood. He would only get one moment to make the killing stoke, or else he might lose his footing. Or worse; he may lose his prey.

It tested him, as he tested it, rolling back and forth in much the same motion as the Kaidon made with his pike. Back, and forth, a lazy infinity—a deft, and purposeful waltz.

The Kaidon forced his hands to be steady, never taking his eyes from the shape. On the next pass of his pike over the water, it lunged. Kaidon ‘Zafamee pulled back, and rolled his pike. Just in time for the sharpened head of a Lake Skrash to breach the water, and snap at his bait with serrated jaws.

Time stilled as the aquatic predator revealed its maw to ‘Zafamee. The Kaidon gripped his pike tighter, and hesitated for a split second. The maw opened a few inches wider, the gums and lips peeling back to expose more of the Skrash’s fierce jaws.

‘Zafamee thrust the pike straight down its gullet, skewering the beast from maw to tail. It thrashed once, impaled on the pike, before its eyes glassed over, and it ceased its twitching.

Kaidon ‘Zafamee’s arms ached, supporting the weight of the creature. He lowered it to the water, water dripping down his neck from where he was splashed by its emergence. With the weight of the creature now half supported by the rippling waves, the Kaidon managed to heft the lumbering beast over his Felucca.

Taking a deep breath, the Kaidon closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to relish the satisfaction of a successful hunt.

Pulling his pike free, the Kaidon once again stepped to the edge of the Felucca, and lowered the stained weapon over the water’s edge. The matted, pink-tinged bait dangled in the water, and traced a lazy infinity over the sapphire waters of the mountainous void.

Focus. Poise. Discipline.

Electric blasts of blue and white lit the blank and dark corridor from a broken light overhead. The four Humans stood, shoulder to shoulder, sweeping the adjacent rooms. The light sparked, and swung from the fixture it once inhabited, secure and illuminated.

‘Zafamee breathed deep, and breathed even. The mark of a successful hunter was patience. Focus, poise, discipline. He knelt, and watched from overhead, as the four Humans passed beneath him.

They gargled their barbaric, warbling tongue at one another, and split into two groups of two. ‘Zafamee huffed, and lowered himself from above them, just as both pairs entered separate rooms. The light behind ‘Zafamee belched sparks, bent and contorted around the outline of his active camouflage.

He stalked behind one pair of Human soldiers, taking a plasma pistol off of his belt. He would only get one moment to make the killing stoke.

He pressed down on the trigger, as his other hand lifted the energy sword from his belt, lighting it with a harsh sound, just as the thrum of the pistol filled the air.

Both Humans turned at once, just in time for ‘Zafamee to lose a green bolt, slicing through the air, and impacting the left most Human in the chest. He slumped over a table, then crumpled to the floor leaking red from the corners of his mouth.

The other Human raised his rifle, and ‘Zafamee swung his sword upwards in a neat, simple arc. The rifle was cleanly bisected, and the Human let it go.

‘Zafamee stowed his sword when he heard two more sets of thundering footfalls from the adjacent room. He watched the other two Humans file into the room and bark something, sweeping around.

The Kaidon kept low, and away from sources of light. The third, unarmed human stooped down to retrieve the functioning rifle from his downed comrade. ‘Zafamee reached for his belt once more, ignited a burning, phosphorescent blue orb, and hurled it at the three.

It hit the middle human on the helmet with a clang. The other two barely had time to jump away before the grenade detonated, showering the room in crimson. ‘Zafamee launched himself off of the floor and covered the distance between himself and the remaining two Humans in three strides.

The third man barely had time to react before ‘Zafamee plunged his sword into his chest, down to the hilt.

The fourth human’s rifle erupted in a shower of fire, aimed at where he thought ‘Zafamee might be. The Kaidon sidestepped, swapped sword hands, and stepped behind the dying, gurgling Human skewered by his blade. With his free hand, he grabbed the Human about the neck and hefted him up into the air.

With a sickening squelch the Kaidon ripped his blade out of the third Human, and allowed his camo to drop with a shimmer. The Human stared at him with fear. ‘Zafamee’s arms ached, supporting the weight of the creature.

Taking a deep breath, the Kaidon closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to relish the satisfaction of a successful hunt.

That was all he allowed himself, though, as he sunk the blade into the final Human, and held it as it stopped struggling.

He let the body drop to the ground, and stowed his blade. With another shimmer, he vanished, and moved out of the room, ready to continue his journey through the Human structure.

Focus.

Poise.

Discipline.