Chapter Text
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" You asked, blinking hard as your eyes tried to adjust to the bright light inside of the helmet that was just placed on your head. "I've never actually hunted. The only things I've taken down, you've done all the work and just helped me finish." You tried not to sound worried, but even you could hear the faint shake in your voice.
Your eyes stuck to the figure in front of you as they adjusted straps and such to adorn you with, much smaller than you've ever seen, Yautja armor. They seemed unphased by your concern and fully focused on what they were doing. You reached up, struggling for a moment to remove the helmet, "What if I'm not ready for this? What if I can't take this on?"
"Then you die, and we move on." A new voice said from behind you. Your head turned as much as it could, seeing one of your mate's hunting partners come in. Of course it was the one that still hasnt warmed up to you. They didn't even try to hide the slight look of disgust as they looked over you, their eyes lingering on the fact that your mate was putting your armor on.
"You will not die. We won't let you." Your mate said, a slight growl directed at their partner lead to a small argument that you didn't understand. By the time their strange noises came to an end, it had done nothing to help the worry growing inside of you. Though your panic was paused as the feeling of big hands on the side of your faces. "We will be nearby and watching. The elders understand that you Oomans are not as hardy or strong as a us Yautja. We can step in if you need the help, but that will end the hunt for you. If you're going to prove yourself, it has to be you."
"Don't Yautja usually do their first hunt in parties?! Shouldn't I have someone to hunt with?" You blurted out quickly. While you hadn't ever seen the Unblooded leave or return from their first hunts, but you had heard so many stories, mostly horror about losing their teammates or barely making it out alive. Your breathing began to pick up again as the panic returned, the voice in your head convinced that you were either going to die or shame your mate forever in some way.
You knew most of the rules of the hunt, but that didn't mean you understood everything. You didn't know what would happen if you should fail. Would your mate think that you were unworthy and just drop you at some uninhabited planet to fend for yourself? Would they even let you back onto the ship?
The sounds a soft clicks and purrs began to invade your thoughts. "You have nothing to worry about, Mate. You have trained with us and seen many hunts, more than the Unbloodeds before their first hunts. You know what to do. It is an honor for the Elders to accept your request to do this hunt. They would not agree if they thought it would be unreasonable." The reminder that you had asked seemed to sting.
Yes, you had asked, but it was mostly out of respect. You never thought that your mate, let alone the Elders would agree to this. This was your own fault.
You took a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves and center your thoughts. You began to repeat your mate's words to in your head, reminding yourself that they would be right there with you, that everyone seemed to have faith that you could do this... well, almost everyone.
Your mate's partner started spouting off a code, repeating it when you looked over and gave them your full attention. Your eyes followed as they motioned to the small, computer-like, gadget strapped to your wrist. "The code to end it if you get defeated, because you-" Their works had been ringing so loud in your ears that you hadn't even noticed the now roaring growl coming from your mate before the stepped in front of you.
To you what followed seemed like just a roaring fight between for Earthly predators, though you were sure they the two beings were in an actual yelling match, as the other Yautja ended up promptly leaving, the room then falling into a tense silence.
"If I fail this-" You began to ask, though your mate was quick to interrupt to say that you wouldn't fail, "If I fail," you began again, uninterrupted this time, "what does that mean for you? For us? I shame both of us if I can't do this on my own, don't I?" You watched the tension tighten their shoulders as they stood up straighter.
They said nothing as they turned to face you again, placing their hands over yours before guiding your hands to put the helmet back into place. You heard a translation to your own language echo out over the faint sound of the Yautja language, "You won't fail this hunt. I won't let you."
You didn't even have time to process or understand what those words even meant, as they grabbed your arm and started leading you towards the bay door to the planet outside, pausing only momentarily to grab their helmet and some last minute weapons. You said nothing as you followed them, stepping out into the bright light of the multiple suned planet.
This was it. The ground beneath you would either become a place of honor for you, where you would officially be accepted into your mate's community, or it would become your death bed, where your mate and their partners may just leave your body to rot alone in your own dishonor.