Chapter 8 - The Hunt Begins

Rai'Ze walks away, and despite my previous unspoken statements, I feel compelled to get up. I'll have to go with her, I think, looking towards the sands. Fear sips back in. Every single cell of my body hates that place as it remembers what I had to endure out there for the last two weeks. The heat, the thirst, the hunger, and the suffering....

And yet I'm forced to go back there, for the hunt, whatever that is.

Suddenly a sharp pain jolts my arm around! The bracelet lights up and starts spinning. What the hell? I gave it no commands! I haven't even touched the damn thing! Damn! There's pain again. Growing, burning, making my muscles spasm once more. Not this shit again! I grab it and hold it tightly, watching its core slow down and eventually shut down. The pain goes away as quickly as it started.

What the fuck just happened?!

"Th'al-nik," I whisper into my bracelet, touching the right symbol, waiting for its glow.

Nothing.

Is this thing fucking with me right now? I try starting it once more.

"Th'al-nik," I speak, louder.

Still nothing. The bracelet is completely dead.

So what now, you're giving me the silent treatment? You think I forgot how you burned my hand? You piece of shit! My muted revolt calms me down somehow. The pain really startled me, and for a moment, I thought I'd have to face it all alone. I wonder what got into it, why spin like that without a reason?

One thing is clear. I'm not ready for this thing yet.

Maybe the beast is right, maybe I really am too weak for this world...

"Marcus?" I hear a voice behind me. One of the servant girls stands there, looking at me.

"Rai'Ze told me to feed you." She smiles and points toward the side exit. I look at her and nod. I silently follow her back inside the cave, gazing disappointed at the completely dead bracelet.

I hope I haven't broken the damn thing.

I end up in the kitchen, seated next to some of the servants. A cute small girl and a tall brutish guy, torso naked, built like a horse, or a bull, or something in between. Are all of the men here so strong? I shake my head, no, most of the captives were nothing like that.

They looked tall, well built but barely as impressive as these... these warriors? Taller, ripped, giant muscles bulging everywhere, intimidating and scary as hell. He's got to be a warrior, and yet he looks more like a servant.

"Master will be pleased," the girl speaks, smiling and placing a full plate in front of me.

The food smells great, and I'm famished. Roasted meats and spicy fruits make my mouth water in anticipation. I take a bite. The roast feels less tender than last night's dish but still just as tasty and flavorful. Oh damn, this smell, it's amazing! Time to eat! Forget about the morning, the horrible pain... the memory of almost losing my arm. Food! Yes, food is all I want now!

I bite down, eyes closed, and let the taste explode inside my mouth. Fuck yes! I quickly devour another piece, licking my fingers in the process. I chew and swallow, the meat is filling and the spiced fruits are just delicious. I wonder what kind of tree makes them, or maybe, is it a bush?

I keep going, one piece after another. There's nothing to complain about it, well, except for the water.

Or better put, lack of it...

The last two weeks got me used to drinking a bitter, soiled, dirty liquid. It smelled terrible. Raw, salty, and deeply rancid, just as the waterskins used for its storage. Water? Doubt it. But that was all the captives got, and I had to adapt somehow. I came up with a strategy, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes right before gulping it down in just one go. The taste was just as horrible as its smell, but there was no way in hell I dared to miss my ration or puke it out! They spared as little as they could, barely kept us alive in the burning desert heat, let alone satiated.

Somehow I got used to that filth. One night, I even dreamed of drinking a whole bucket of that crap! My thirst persisted. I couldn't escape it. Even the dreams seemed real. Parched for days, lips cracked, wishing for another sip. That thirst, I can still feel it. I slow down eating, starting to look around for something to quench it. A beautiful engraved gaeng jug sits right before my eyes.

Since I became Rai'Ze's personal "wizard", I got myself spoiled with this amazing fruit juice. Sweet, refreshing, and a thousand times better than the stinking sand water, it makes for a real treat, one fit for the mighty chieftains and their most trusted servants. And yet, reason stops me. For me, the juice is poisonous, deadly even. The damn thing almost killed me once. I must resist the temptation. I'll just finish eating and head down to the animal pens, find myself some good old stinky desert water, and drink to my heart's content. That's the plan, and I'm sticking with it!

It seems a perfectly reasonable plan if not for the burning hot kitchen fire and the salty smoked meat pieces. It doesn't take long for the sweat to start pouring and for my lips to crack open again. Thirst. Damn it! I'll be out there in the desert once again, back in that heat, desperate for a drink...

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" I whisper to myself, reaching for the jug.

Stopped?! Just in time, by one of the servant girls. She smiles, pushing the poisonous jug away from my reach. I look at her, confused, as she bows down and grabs another clay pitcher from under the table. Its shape seems somehow familiar, sand water?!

"Sag," she whispers in my ear. "It's good for you, no rot."

I smile back at her and quickly start gulping down the thick liquid. It tastes like bitter-sour milk, a bit less thick than expected, watery in a way, a far cry from the delicate sweet taste of the gaeng, but clearly not as dangerous. Refreshing, hydrating, that's all that matters. Whatever this sag is, it has to do for now.

I drink it all in one go. Can't lie, it felt good.

As soon as I put the jug down, I notice all the girls are looking at me, smiling. One way or another, they probably found out about my short trip to hell and heaven. They even seem mighty amused by my situation. I can't hold it against them, after all, one cannot complain about getting poisoned like a small child. Clearly, there's a lot of room for improvement, and looking across the table at the muscular guy, I feel even more motivated to do something about this. The only question is what.... and how?

Questions, questions must wait! I found my drink, and I feel too eager to quench my thirst as much as I can. I grab a second pitcher from under the table and finish it as fast as the first. One more, maybe? I reach down for the third when I feel a gentle touch on my shoulder. I turn my head towards the source and find my face buried deep between a warm pair of strangely painted naked breasts. Wait a moment! I know these tits! I pull my face out and look at the face. The healer woman smiles back, ignoring my useless apologies.

"Told them to give u sang. Three days, don't touch gaeng, or u'll puke ur guts out and die," she whispers, sitting next to me and grabbing herself a hefty drumstick.

"Thank you," I whisper back. "You saved my life."

She smiles again, pushing her body into mine. Her skin is soft and feels amazing against my arm. "There's nothing to thank. If I'm not saving, I'm not living."

I nod, words of a true healer. Her logic is infallible, and yet I cannot share her wisdom. She saved me from the poison, and I'll make sure to repay her somehow. It may be her job to keep me alive, but there's no way I'll accept this without giving her some kind of a reward. That's a promise!

A door opens. A cold, dry air rushes through, and everyone seems to tense up. I look around, confused, what's going on? A low thundering rumble shakes the room. The kitchen falls completely silent when a giant beast of a man walks inside and points at me.

"U, come!" he growls in a commanding tone.

Everyone looks at me except for the healer that bows her head and stares down. I jump off my seat and follow him out of the hot room. Going against the order is out of the question, asking for details is not accepted. The sounds of repeating thunders echo throughout the mighty cave sending shivers down my spine. Something is happening. I rush down the corridors feeling the sweat chilling on my back. As I get closer to the floor level, the thundering noise turns into a rhythmic drum beat, and I suddenly realize what's going on.

The time has come!

We're going out to hunt!

Outside, the morning winds died out, and the sun is slowly taking its place high above the sands. The night's chill still lingers, mixing itself with the rising desert heat. The giant cave mouth opens up in front of me. Six of the mighty riding beasts are snorting nervously as the hypnotic drums beat louder and louder, driving them insane with anticipation. Five fearsome savage warriors show up from the cave's depths, swinging their heavy weapons, moving to their riding beasts, and checking the multiple harnesses before climbing on their backs and saddling up, ready to ride. The beasts rise on their feet, each bigger than an adult rhino, their bulging muscles twitching, their eyes wide with maddening excitement.

Behind us, a giant beast slowly marches out of the cave's belly. A massive colossus, bigger than any living thing has ever been seen before, shaking the ground with each step. On top of it, three warriors sit inside a large makeshift saddle of sorts. Huge harnesses run across the beast anchoring the saddle tightly to its giant abdomen. One of the raiders seems to be the mad drummer, and his beat seems to set the giant beast's pace. One hit after another, one leg after another.

My jaw drops. I feel stunned and hypnotized by the sheer brute power of the beast as it makes its way toward the cavern's mouth and me. I'm completely lost for words. Thick rounded horns in front of a giant head slowly moving from side to side as it walks, giant eyes staring ahead, huge nostrils flaring, stomping the sands, stopping at nothing in its path. I move aside and push myself against the stone wall, trying my best to keep my temper in the face of such amazing savagery. The entire ground trembles, and my knees weaken and shake as the giant passes along. I'm breathless.

Thankfully, the drums stop, and so does the giant beast. My body recovers, but my heartbeat does not. Are we waiting for someone?

Rai'Ze appears, axe in hand and a huge grin on her face, marching fiercely directly toward me. Oh boy, here comes pain!

"Marcus, with me!" she shouts, pointing toward one of the riding beasts. I quickly nod and run behind her. I feel nothing right now. My brain, or gut, tells me that whatever happens next, I'll be safer, close to her. Very, very close.

Our riding beast is by far the strongest, specially marked, dark and menacing paintings running all over its back. It's the only one wearing a dark red collar on its thick neck. Up close, I can see giant beastly fangs decorating it, teeth, some as long as my arm, the largest ones hanging low on its chest. What sickening monsters are those? Two rows of bone spikes flank its back all through its tail, giving it the look of a true prehistoric creature.

"Come!" she orders, rising on her saddle, how did she do that?! I approach the animal, trying my best to hide my fear and grab onto its harnesses, slowly making my way up on top of it, sliding inside the thick leather saddle right behind her.

"U hold on me," she whispers and rises on her feet, looking around towards the rest of the hunting pack.

"Aaarhhhghhh - hhhaaar!!!" she shouts as hard as she can, melting away any drop of sanity I got left.

Too late to complain about that, though! The beast under us rises, and I feel myself overwhelmed once more. The drums start beating again, and then we begin moving toward the sands. It starts slow, almost pleasant, I dare think, if not for the damn drums beating faster and faster, forcing our beasts to accelerate. The movement becomes rougher, and I start to fear falling out of the saddle as I desperately tighten my grip with my legs. It does not take much more, and I find myself clasping to her body, trying hard to convince myself that whatever happens, I will somehow make it out alive.

The wind picks up as we rush forward. I look around and see the other riders arching their muscular backs, holding tightly on their harnesses as their beasts gallop through the sands, jumping forward with each beat of the drums. One look behind me, and I notice the mighty beast pushing the sands aside like a giant ship crossing a sea.

The drums quicken their pace once more, and I feel my arms tightening on Rai'Ze's wide sides, grabbing with all my strength, praying for dear life.

And then the drumbeat gets faster!

This time, the beat is almost continuous! A rowing crash of thunders, one after another, faster and faster, collapsing one into another, driving our beasts to complete madness. There's no more pause, no more gaps for them to breathe. Their snouts sunk deep inside the sand, fangs, and horns pushing it aside, large dust clouds forming behind us.

We accelerate, rush forward at maddening speeds. Our giant beasts spit the sand, waves are forming. It feels surreal, we're no longer riding, we're floating! The sands melt under us, and the entire desert becomes a giant sea of sand. The ride gets smoother and smoother, and for once, I dare relax my grip. My hands are numb and sore, my arms are tired. I look around me in disbelief.

My fear fades. Adrenaline lingers, excitement starts pulsing through my veins. My heartbeat is matching the hypnotic beats of the drums. One, two, a hundred times a second! This! This feels amazing! I feel like yelling, crying out, asking, no, demanding more!

I want the drummer to go faster, the beasts to rush higher, the wind to blow harder! My adrenaline surges through my body, and I feel like I'm going to explode. I look around and see the rest of the pack going. Each of them rides on pure adrenaline rush, pushing their bests to the limit, crossing paths excited, and yelling out of their minds! Yes! Fuck, yes! This feels fucking amazing!

I look back at Rai'Ze. The beast's wild hair is flowing in the wind. Her eyes glow bright, her gaze crossing the horizon, her face smiling. The power, the sheer insanity, the sickening adrenaline rush, the time itself seems to slow down. Her fearless pride overwhelms me.

I follow her eyes ahead, through the sands, I can see it!

It can't be...

Of course, I should know better by now, this fucking forsaken world never disappoints!

My eyes cloud. A huge sandstorm appears right in front of us, wide as the eyes can see and just as dreadful! My heart sinks. The hunt is over, and so is our fantastic joyride. Well, I must admit, it was fun while it lasted. Couldn't ask for more. Riding on top of a mighty prehistoric beast across the endless desert, cutting the sands alongside a pack of savage hunters, adrenaline drunk, laughing, crying, wishing for more. And, for once, my fears give up!

But my newfound confidence is not to last, as the drums start an even more savage beat, and the entire pack rushes forward towards the incoming storm!

I stare around, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Why? Why aren't we turning away? There's nothing ahead of the deadly desert storm! We can't go there! We can still save ourselves, but we must turn now! I wish to tell her, signal the rest, make everyone aware of the danger.

But there's no time!

The sand gale hits us with full force, and I'm once more grabbing onto Rai'Ze's body with all my strength. I push my body onto her and bury my face deep inside her wild hair gasping for air as the storm rages around. Even our maddening drumbeat fades behind, yet there's no sign of us slowing down, let alone stopping and turning around.

This is pure insanity!

We rush forward through the sandstorm!

The dust winds creaming, howling around us! My body barely holding, my mind too shocked to understand....

And then... I see it!

The monstrous herd of giant sand beasts!

We... we're riding right inside it!

Each of them as tall as the mighty drum giant we left behind, and each running as fast as us, shaking the ground and pushing sand and dust behind them. The dust storm, the howling winds, the thunders, the shaking sands, it was them! This infinite herd of wild giants running across the land, from one side to another, stomping everything in their path! Colossal hunks of meat and muscle moving together as one single living organism, a single insane mass of sand beasts cutting through the desert together as one!

The sandstorm itself was our target! This was not a mistake, this is what hunting means for these people! We are rushing forward, chasing the signs, pushing our beasts harder and harder until, finally, we cross paths. We push through the storm's wall and rush deeper and deeper, riding inside their mist. The sand giants don't even seem to notice us.

"Aaarhhhghhh - hhyyyyaaaaaa!!!" Rai'Ze's raging yells cut through the roaring wind and thunder. Everyone looks at her as she points toward a monster twice the size of our sand drummer. My breath stops as I stare at the giant.

Is this our target!? There's no way in hell we can...

And yet the pack splits, rushing forward, slowly catching up with the monster! It's fast, so damn fast, but our riding beasts are faster! Pushed to their limits, they're racing with their heads buried in the sand, screaming and bleeding from their giant snouts. They squeal in pain as the sand rips open their flesh. The giant ahead rages, too, desperately trying to save itself from us, but it's too late! Our hunters surround it, taunting it, driving it insane with fear. Soon enough, its lungs give up. It's too tired to keep the pace and slowly falls inside our trap, surrounded from all sides. There's nothing it can do now but slow down, exhausted.

"Grab!" I hear Rai'Ze's voice as she pushes the thick leather reins into my hands. I instinctively grab hold of them just in time to see her entire body vaulting out of the saddle towards the giant. My jaw instantly drops as I stare, not believing my eyes. By the time I process the jump, she's already climbing on the side of the beast, holding tightly onto its thick sandy white fur. Four more hunters jump on and start climbing from different sides, while the last one positions himself in front and taunts the confused animal, throwing spears at him.

I look up. Rai'Ze is already on top of the beast, quickly making her way towards the giant head, axe in hand, ready for a deadly blow. The rest of the hunters follow her from behind, drawing their mighty weapons, struggling against the wind and dust. I hold my breath, trying to peek through the sandstorm at them. I can see her reaching above the creature's thick neck, raising her giant axe.

And then it starts!

The mighty giant shrieks and screams as she starts chopping it from above! Everyone joins her in hacking away the agonizing animal. There's no escape for the giant sand beast. No matter what it does, it cannot get rid of the deadly hunters.

Its horrifying growls make my skin crawl.

I look away, avoiding the blood rain. The sight of the giant convulsing and crying, maddened by pain, is too much for me.

Thankfully it doesn't last much before the creature slows down and finally collapses, waves of blood gushing out of its mouth. My riding beast keeps rushing ahead, leaving the carnage behind. I instinctively pull on the straps as hard as I can, slowing it down. We stop, some distance away. There's no way I can figure out how to steer this thing, I think, pulling from one side.

Thankfully the command is well received, and the beast slowly turns toward the rest of our pack. Success! I feel emboldened, cautious still. The thought of getting lost in this giant desert on top of a savage riding beast is slowly creeping in. I don't want to push my luck. I ease the reins and let the animal walk on its own back to the giant corpse.

Lesson learned, I think, hands still shaking. Pull to stop, pull one side to turn, just like all the horses I've never ridden in my entire life. I guess binging on stupid animal documentaries must have its usefulness. Or were the wild west movies? Who can say?

By the time I get back, the hacking stopped, and the mighty giant is lying on its side in a lake of blood.

I dismount and walk over to Rai'Ze, who's squatting next to the beast, her body covered in sweat. She gets up and smiles at me.

"Time to get strong, Marcus," she speaks, handing me a hunting axe. I take it in my arms, it feels heavy and brutal, massive too.

I look at her, confused, as I look ahead. Does she want me to start hacking this giant wall of meat? Will this make me stronger? Toughen me up somehow?

She looks at me and starts laughing, pointing at the giant and then at my confused face. The rest join her, laughing their asses off at my ignorance.

"This one is dead, Marcus," she finally speaks, clearing her watered eyes from laughter. "We can't eat the saln'har! It's the wahnz we hunt."

Wait, this is not a wahnz? Then why the fuck did we chase it and kill it? Just for fun?!

I look up at the majestic creature with a heavy heart.