[P] 023 - My Teammates

[A/N: Changed the name of the Trial Brother]

Well, that settles it.

It's been three months since I first met my Teammates, and they are...the worst.

Nixer, the Trial Brother, hardly ever speaks and constantly trains, striving to improve himself and our team.

Meanwhile, Ariea, the Trial Sister of our group, also barely spoke, and when she did, it was with very few words.

Nixer's name translated in the Yautja language to Gifted Hunter, and he was a hulking brute of a Yautja with solid muscles and great mass, he wielded a Combistick and Glaive along with his Wristblades and seemed to know how to trap and hunt, but when confident he would recklessly charge in expecting an easy battle.

Ariea, on the other hand, was more agile and nimble than the two of us and preferred to use smart discs, her wristblades, a Yautja Bow, and a Combistick.

Her name translated to Quick Bird, which was somewhat accurate with her speed and skill.

She would be a perfect ranger in a wooded environment where she could leap between the trees and hunt the largest of prey so long as she was careful and determined.

As for my name?

Eolde, which meant Wild Hunter.

The Yautja language was far more complex than any language I knew from Earth, with its written counterpart being just as complex.

Hell, even to this day, I was still having to learn how to read and write the damned language because the Yautja written language was mostly slashes and lines in strange patterns that could be written either vertically or horizontally like Japanese, and had so many different combinations that I knew more than a dozen symbols for just a single written word!

Although it's been three months since I first met them, we trained for hours daily, which greatly boosted quite a few of my skill levels.

This led me to believe that the Trainer that trained me when I was a Youngling, Yi-holmbe was not as skilled as I first thought...

If I had a guess, Yi must have only started training Younglings after he completed his Blooded Trial and has not improved himself much beyond that point, which is why I guess he was given the job of training Younglings.

Personally, I would not ever want to train Younglings due to their sheer stupidity and overwhelming arrogance.

But what I really wanted to know was how skilled and strong were the Hunters of the Clan compared to our current strength?

My best guess was that we would be able to last a little while before we ultimately would be defeated.

And how are we to grow if we don't face difficult challenges?

So when it was time for lunch, and most Yautja would go to the great hall to eat and talk amongst themselves, I grabbed a plate of food, which also tasted much better due to my rise in ranking to Un-blooded, and sat down with my teammates.

"How would you two feel to sparing against one of the Hunters?" I asked my two teammates, who were gulping down their food like starved beasts.

"We would lose," Nixer said calmly and without expression.

"Agreed," Ariea replied after hearing Nixer's response.

"Yes, we would lose, no doubt about that, but we would also be able to test and hone ourselves against a greater foe," I responded.

"Then I have no qualms with sparring against such a foe," Nixer responded with a clack of his Mandibles and eyes that looked off to the distance, showing that he was deeply considering this.

"Think of this as training, do either of you mind if I ask one of our Seniors to spar with us?" I asked them, and both of them said nothing.

Eating my fill, I cleaned up after myself before walking up to a group of Clan Hunters, who hunt for trophies, food, and quite a few other things for the Clan. If I remember correctly, there are even Yautja who specialize in hunting for technology to improve the Clan and or race as a whole.

"Excuse me, Seniors, may I perhaps have a moment of your time?" I asked as politely as possible.

"Sure, Un-Blooded, what is it you wish to speak about?" Asked one of the younger Hunters, while the reso mostly ignored or paid little attention to me.

...

Meanwhile, back at the table where Nixer and Ariea were eating, they watched as Eolde calmly walked up to a table where some Clan Hunters were eating and began talking to them.

"What do you think of him?" Ariea asked Nixer.

"Strange...Strong...Confident."

"Agreed...but don't your find it strange?"

"Strange?" Nixer asked, confused.

"Doesn't it feel like he's holding back in our training? Like he's not using everything he has against us?"

"I noticed that long ago, but it's not our right to pry."

Ariea frowned hearing this but still wondered what Eolde could be hiding.

"But what about the things he knows? Doesn't that at least concern you? How does he know everything he does?" Areia asked.

"You can see it happening now. He's not afraid to ask and learn from those better than him while many of us are too Prideful in our ways to even think of asking for help," Nixer explained.

Areia stopped asking more questions, and both sat in silence as they watched Eolde talk to one of the Hunters as he ate his meal.

When the Hunter finished his meal, both walked to the table where the two young Yautja sat.

"So these are your Trial Mates?"

"Yes, sir. The Huntress is Areia and the Hunter is Nixer."

"Hmm...come, let's see what you three can do," The hunter motioned for the three to follow.

The hunter led them all to a somewhat large training chamber and lined them up on one side of the room while he walked to the other side of the room with a Combistick in hand.

"So, I want you to come at me with everything you got, go for the kill, and try not to get knocked out, would you?" The hunter said with a strange creepy smile as he extended his Combistick and walked forward.