Page 12 of Wayfinder
“Please get dressed and congregate in the common room in fifteen minutes.”
Pearl frowned at the speaker but didn’t attempt to smack it again.
“I have something for you,” I told her as she turned toward the bathroom.
The shuttle we occupied belonged to the space station, and as such, Jala selected our rooms and filled them with necessities. One particular necessity being an outfit for Pearl. I’d noticed she favored simple slacks and tunics, but that would not suffice for what came next.
Moving toward the hidden closet, I touched the panel, and the doors sprang open, revealing a stack of clothing in soft brown leather along with a pair of boots.
“What is it?” Pearl asked as I gathered the garments in my hands.
“A trekking outfit.” I placed the clothing in her hands and watched her blue eyes widen in delight. “The fabric is waterproof and temperature-regulated, and the boots are made for hiking."
“I take it we’re going to be doing a lot of walking?” Her lips twisted wryly, but she couldn’t hide the pleasure dancing in her eyes.
“You don’t hunt much, do you?” I couldn’t help the smile that tinged my lips.
Although she didn’t say a word, Pearl’s blue eyes raised to mine, and her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink.
She disappeared into the bathroom to change, giving me a moment to don my own leather pants and vest. The battle garb of a Vaktaire.
“Do you think you’ll need all that?” Pearl asked, returning as I adjusted my bandolier.
“Better safe than sorry,” I retorted with a sly smile as I patted over my blades.
A few minutes later, we stood in the common room with the others. A long table near the door held breakfast offerings—protein bars, water, and kaak, a favored morning drink. I made sure Pearl was served, offering her a cup of kaak, which she refused, citing it as similar to something she calledRed Bull on steroids.
“Oh God, this is awful.” Pearl’s face scrunched in displeasure as she took a bite of the protein bar. “It tastes like packing peanuts covered in molasses.”
“It is not the most appetizing.” I agreed. “But it will give you energy for the hunt, and that is what’s important.”
“You’re not a foodie, are you?” She snorted.
“Foodie?” I frowned. The word was not familiar. My confusion made Pearl laugh, a rich sound that bubbled up from deep in her soul.
“A foodie is someone who likes food,” she explained, taking another bite of the bar and grimacing. “Good food.”
The Chancellor rushed us along, cutting short any further conversation. I stayed close to Pearl, lingering just long enough to gather several more protein bars and stuff them in my pack. A Vaktaire warrior could go many days without sustenance. I knew humans must eat several times a day to retain their strength.
Once inside the docking bay, like every other team, the Chancellor directed us to a two-seater short-range skiff. The contraption was not much bigger than an escape pod, and its only amenities were two separate seats and an onboard waterfiltration system although it had been fitted with cold storage at the back for the competition.
“Let the competition begin!” The Chancellor clapped his hands gleefully, turning to give each contestant a wide, slimy grin. “Your first challenge is a behia. You must hunt, kill, butcher, and prepare the behia meat all before sunset. The winner will be judged on both timeliness and taste. Good luck to all the contestants!”
“What the hell is a behia?” Pearl muttered as I helped her into the skiff.
I opened my mouth to answer, but the AI beat me to it.
“A behia is a large bovid ungulate most commonly used for meat and leather. The female behia is referred to as a behiline, while the male is commonly called a behital.”
The screen at the skiff’s dash shimmered, revealing an image of a six-legged, green-skinned creature with a large body, a long neck, and four green tentacles on either side of its head.
“Looks like a cow,” Pearl murmured, seemingly more interested in how I manipulated the controls than the creature.
“What is a cow?”
“Domesticated livestock on Earth.” Her voice was light, but I noticed the way her knuckles whitened when she gripped the harness as the engine roared to life. “They’re slow, and easy to kill.”
This time, I beat the AI to a response. “The behia are incredibly fast, and they have the ability to stiffen the tentacles on their heads and use them like swords.”
