Trial by Hunt

The Scouting Squad made their return journey without incident, but caution slowed them down. They took extra care not to lead anything back to the camp, moving carefully to ensure that if they had been followed, their pursuer would lose them. But there was no sign of pursuit.

When they finally emerged from the pass leading into the valley, a quiet sigh of relief passed through the squad. They had made it.

The guards at the perimeter greeted them with silent nods as they passed through the valley's entrance. Roki turned to Rashid and spoke in a low voice, "You come with me. Nikolai, you too. Luke, Peter—the rest of you are dismissed. Rest well… I have a hunch we're going back there soon."

The five soldiers peeled away from the others and headed toward the command tent to report directly to Bogi and Oliver. As they approached, an entirely different kind of tension greeted them.

Just outside the tent, Lazar and Zeke stood locked in a silent standoff. Their shoulders were squared, their gazes burning into each other. It wasn't just an argument—it was a clash between two men who refused to back down.

The five scouts slowed their steps. None of them wanted to get in the middle of whatever this was. But Roki, knowing the mission came first, stepped forward and said, "I have an urgent report. Make way."

Both Lazar and Zeke turned toward him, their expressions unreadable. Reality caught up with them then. Their personal squabble could wait. Without a word, they stepped aside, following Roki and the others into the tent. 

Inside, Bogi and Oliver had just returned, fresh from handling the mess with Viper's reckless food experiment. But the moment they stepped inside, they immediately sensed the shift in the atmosphere.

The air was thick with tension. Both captains scanned the room, understanding instantly. Bogi's sharp gaze landed on Lazar, his voice firm but filled with irritation. "Stop being stupid and fix your behavior." Oliver turned to Zeke, his tone equally commanding. "Same goes for you. Whatever this is, end it."

Lazar and Zeke exchanged a silent look—something between a reluctant truce and an unspoken apology. Neither wanted to say it aloud, but they understood they had pushed too far.

For now, the mood settled. Then, all eyes turned to Roki. Roki felt it before he could even speak. A sudden, crushing weight pressed down on him—the same feeling that had gripped him in the jungle.

The moment he had stumbled into the territory of an unknown predator.

He swallowed, steadying himself. "Captains," he began, his voice firm despite the lingering pressure, "I've discovered the presence of something like the panther—one hour scouting from the spring's location."

Bogi and Oliver's expressions darkened slightly. Roki knelt down, using his finger to draw a rough map into the dirt of the command tent. "This is the spring," he said, marking it clearly.

Then he traced the paths he and the others had taken. "This is the direction I scouted," he continued, marking an area further out. "This is where I felt it. The same way I felt the panther before it revealed itself." Nikolai, standing nearby, gave a firm nod of support but said nothing—his presence there only to confirm Roki's words.

Luke, Rashid, and Peter stepped forward next, reporting their findings. They had discovered nothing in their own directions. As Roki finished the map, a rough circular pattern emerged. A perimeter.

It wasn't that they had been watched or hunted. They had simply stepped into something else's domain. The spring was safe for now. But beyond it, in that uncharted direction, they had crossed into another predator's territory.

A long, heavy silence filled the command tent as everyone processed Roki's report. The weight of his words hung in the air, pressing down on them like the unseen force he had felt in the jungle.

Then, Oliver spoke. His voice was calm, but absolute. "Everyone. Out. Except Roki." His sharp blue eyes swept across the room, leaving no room for argument.

Lazar and Zeke—who only moments ago had been at each other's throats—exchanged brief glances before turning toward the exit. Luke, Rashid, Peter, and Nikolai followed suit without hesitation. None of them questioned it.

Bogi said nothing, merely watching as the tent emptied, his arms crossed. The only ones left were him, Oliver, and Roki. The flap of the tent settled shut behind the last man, and for a moment, there was only silence.

Then, Oliver's piercing gaze locked onto Roki. "Now," he said, his tone carrying a new kind of weight. "Tell me everything." Roki took a steady breath before speaking. He described it word for word. "We were on an uneventful scouting job—moving in this direction," he said, pointing at the rough map he had drawn in the dirt. His finger traced the path carefully, marking the exact spot.

He hesitated for a moment before adding, "At the start of our journey, when we first stepped into the jungle, I felt it—just like you, Captains. That strange energy. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was there, in the back of my mind, making everything seem clearer. I didn't think much of it at first, but…"

He exhaled sharply, steeling himself before continuing.

"Then, as we stopped to rest and prepared to return, I felt it again. This time, it wasn't just the clarity—it was pressure." Oliver's expression sharpened. "Like with the panther?"

Roki gave a slow nod. "Yes. Except… this time, it wasn't stalking us. It wasn't watching. It wasn't following. It was just… there." Bogi folded his arms. "Explain."

Roki tapped the map again. "It felt like something was passing through its own territory. Not in a hurry, not hunting—just moving. Like I had accidentally stepped too close to a road where something much bigger was walking by. It wasn't focused on me or Nikolai."

His fingers tensed slightly, pressing into the dirt. "And I think—no, I'm almost certain—that the energy I felt helped me notice it. Nikolai didn't react at all. He was completely unaware. If I hadn't felt it, I wouldn't have known anything was near us."

He inhaled sharply, his voice steady but firm. "And if it had noticed us—if it was anything like the panther—I wouldn't be standing here right now." Bogi and Oliver exchanged a long, measured look. A silent understanding passed between them.

As Roki finished his report, Bogi gave a sharp nod. "Get some rest. We'll handle the rest." Roki didn't argue. He saluted briefly and left the tent, leaving only Bogi and Oliver inside. The flap settled behind him, and the space fell into silence.

Oliver turned to Bogi, his expression firm. "Listen, I think this is a perfect opportunity."

Bogi exhaled sharply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He already knew where this was going, and he didn't like it. "You want to go after it." It wasn't a question. His tone was flat, unreadable.

Oliver nodded. "We can try and hunt that thing—whatever it is." His blue eyes gleamed with calculation. "If Roki says it carried almost the same pressure as the panther, that means it can't be stronger than it."

Bogi stayed silent, his jaw tightening slightly. His fingers curled slightly at his sides. His instincts warned him against rushing into something they barely understood. The panther had cost them Julius. What if this one was worse?

"You're assuming that's a good thing," Bogi finally muttered. "We killed the panther, but it took one of ours to do it. This could be something different."

Oliver's expression didn't change. "It could be. But we won't know until we find out."

Bogi closed his eyes briefly, inhaling deeply before exhaling through his nose. He hated this. Hated the risk. But Oliver wasn't wrong. If they stayed on the defensive forever, they'd never control their own survival.

"…I don't like this idea." The words came low, gritted between his teeth. Then, after a beat— "But you're right. We can't stay here cooped up, living off water and hunting animals we don't even know are edible."

Oliver nodded, already knowing where this was going. "I agree with you. But." Bogi's gaze hardened as he made his terms clear. "Only six go this time. You and I have already been 'upgraded,' so to speak. And as you can feel, Lazar, Zeke, Michael, Ogar, Roki, and Rashid are right on the cusp of the same."

Oliver's smirk widened slightly. He knew exactly what Bogi was implying. "We take Michael, Zeke, Roki, and Rashid. We leave Ogar and Lazar here to defend the camp in case anything happens." Bogi locked eyes with Oliver. "Agreed?"

Oliver's smirk faded into a sharp, knowing grin. "Agreed."

As they finalized their plan, Bogi spoke firmly to Oliver. "We depart in the morning. We move quick and see if we can catch it off guard." Oliver gave a sharp nod, already anticipating the hunt.

As he turned to leave the tent, he glanced up at the sky. The two suns had begun their descent, casting long shadows over the valley. The deepening hues of twilight painted the landscape in an almost unreal glow.

He paused at the exit and turned back to Bogi.

"Thank you for agreeing," Oliver said, his voice unusually sincere. "We've been on the same page almost the entire time since we got here, and I'm really grateful for that. I could've been stuck here with some blockhead instead."

Bogi nodded once, his expression unreadable at first. "I feel the same," he admitted. With that, Oliver stepped out into the cooling air, leaving Bogi alone in the tent. Bogi exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He already knew what was coming. Sure enough, as soon as he made his way toward his own tent—Lazar and Michael were already waiting for him.

They stood with their arms crossed, their expressions unreadable, but their postures gave them away. Bogi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know." Then, without another word, he pushed past them, opening the tent flap. "Come inside. We're talking strategy now." Lazar and Michael exchanged a glance before following him in.

As they settled into Bogi's tent, he wasted no time. His gaze locked onto Lazar, his voice sharp—not angry, not accusing, just frustrated. "Okay, now, dickhead—do you need to butt heads with Zeke all the time?"

Lazar's expression barely shifted, but Bogi wasn't done.

"Since we came to this world, you two have been at each other's throats. You look stupid. He looks stupid. And worst of all, you're making me look stupid for putting up with it. I asked you to be nice to him—what do I get in return? You acting like a damn block of wood."

Michael let out a short laugh, shaking his head in amusement. This wasn't a conversation—it was a one-sided venting session. Lazar remained silent, but before he could respond, Bogi's frustration melted into something more focused.

"We're going on a hunting trip tomorrow." That got their attention. Bogi leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Michael, you and Roki are coming with me. Oliver, Zeke, and Rashid will be with us. We're going after that thing Roki thinks he saw."

Michael straightened, his amusement fading into something sharper.

"This was Oliver's request," Bogi continued. "But even so… I feel eager. I'm wary of this power, but I can't deny that I want to test it." His gaze flicked back to Lazar, his tone shifting slightly.

"Lazar, you're staying here in the camp with Ogar." Lazar exhaled, but Bogi raised a hand before he could speak. "Before you start, this isn't about leaving you behind. It's the opposite."

His voice carried certainty, weight.

"I need someone I trust to hold this camp together if something happens to me. And as much as I trust Michael with my life—" his eyes flicked briefly to Michael before turning back to Lazar, "I trust you more to steady the men if shit goes sideways."

Lazar's fingers tapped against his knee in thought, his brows furrowing slightly. Would he argue? Would he take offense? But he only nodded once, silent and firm. That was enough. Bogi gave a final nod, closing the discussion. "Get some rest and be sharp. We leave at dawn."

His words were meant for Michael—a signal to pass the message to Roki. Michael stood, stretching his shoulders before smirking lazily. "Got it. I'll let Roki know." Without another word, he stepped out of the tent, already preparing for what was to come.

Bogi and Lazar remained seated a moment longer, the weight of the upcoming mission hanging between them. No more words needed to be said. Tomorrow, they would hunt.

As Lazar rose, he stretched slightly, making his way toward the tent's exit. Just before stepping out, he paused, glancing over his shoulder. His voice was casual, but there was a warning beneath it.

"You better be back… or I won't have anyone to annoy."

Bogi exhaled, shaking his head, but a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'll be back." Lazar gave a short nod, then stepped into the night, leaving Bogi alone in his tent.

Tomorrow, the hunt would begin.