"Mistress, tell me. Who is that and why is an Ooman here?" Paya turned her aged neck to the younger voice. The Yautja who had addressed her was young by far. He couldn't only barely be a young Blood hunter at most.

"And what is your name young one?" she clicked and sat her aching body in her reception chair. The warrior was around 6 to 7 feet tall, had brown dreads and only his simple body mesh and hanging cloth. His sandals were at the door, as was the rules she held.

"I am Thwei Mistress. I come as a scout for the leader of my Clan and his son."

"So you are the scout, come to see if my little establishment is worthy of your Elders have you?" she clattered softly and wheezed slightly. She was getting old…

"Yes Mistress. And I can not see to come to terms with the sheer size of this place." The entrance was as large as a palace hall. The floors had a Japanese like theme to it with the wooden floors, walls, ceiling and many levels. The first floor was the reception and welcome area, where the Mistress of the Bath house signed the guests in and greeted them. Then there was a set of steps to the left and right, leading to the next level. This level was the dining level, a whole level for serving food and drinking C'ntlip until happily sedated. Then next level was the heat level, filled with individual sauna's and steam rooms. Then the soothing level, where massages and body rubs were performed with the best scented oils in the universe. Then was the soak level, where the famous boiling hot and freezing cold baths were, set to the perfect temperature for each guest. The level up from that was the community section. Here, the guest could interact in comfy chairs, converse on past hunts and drink together like old friends, and new ones. The levels up from them were the private quarters, all 5 of them. The rooms were graded by the rank of the guests and all were of the finest quality of silks and dark, crimson mahogany pine. The vast gardens were dedicated to training, sparring grounds and held tournaments in the outer square, tilled ring. Paya herself lived in a little cottage attached to the back of the Bath house, with a perfect view of the garden.

Paya smiled as the young hunter looked around with awe. After being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, Paya had to retire from hunting at a young age. Only slightly older than this young hunter before her. Back then she was arrogant, furious with her 'doctor's suggestion', that was forced, and needed to accomplish something with her life. She had been banned from every hunt to keep her healthy, as over exertion could result in her blood blotting in her veins and killing her. So she was forced to stay on 'home world' with no trophies, no victories and no honour. Because of this, no mate wanted her and she remained alone for all her life. So she ended up looking for an alternative, something she could do that would still make her name known to her world, which was going to be hard as she was simply an ETA now. ETA's were mostly crippled or lame Yautja who couldn't go on hunts and were untouchable. She was at the bottom of the pecking order, next were the Unblooded (young pups in training for the hunt), then the Young Bloods (Recently blooded Yautja. They are young, reckless, full of ambition and feel full of pride once they have collected the skull of their kill, which amuses the more experienced hunters), next the Blooded (The only difference between the BLOODED and the YOUNG BLOODS is that the BLOODED have more experienced but still not classed high among the great hunters). Then came the Honoured, the Elite of Yautja society. They have earned more kills than the average hunter and are skilled in all ways. Above them were the Elders. The greatest Yautja that have ever lived, they have survived a thousand hunts. They have hunted so much that they look for other means of sport. Consequently, they are more compassionate and disciplined than most other Yautja. Many have learned new fighting techniques over the ages. And at the very top, were the Arbitrators, the Yautja police that mainly consist of Elders who are bored with the Hunt. They represent judge, jury, and executioner. There are no appeals to their decisions. They were the 'top dogs' of Yautja society. And she was at the very bottom.

"This place is amazing. Not even the mother ship I come from is this vast in space."

"Oh young one. Is there anything I can do to make your troubles less?"

"Well, I did ask you a question, which you have yet to answer." He looked back to her and leaned on the mahogany like wooden reception desk. Paya smiled her wrinkled mandibles and leaned closer to him.

"Well, Thwei. Firstly, we will have none of this Mistress business. My name is Paya."

"But."

"No buts. And as for her…" Both Yautja looked to the left and towards one set of steps. There, were three girls. One was 8 feet with long black dreadlocks to her waist. She had sparkling golden eyes, light cream skin and darker mottled skin on her back, the backs of her arms and legs, framing her face and neck. She had broad shoulders and a muscular body. The second had slightly darker skin and was far smaller in size, a mere 6 feet and had a more, elegant and trim figure than the first. She had bright yellow eyes and brown dreads, sonly coming to her shoulders. But the third girl, was like nothing any Yautja had ever seen. It was an Ooman, with the muscular frame of a Yautja, broad shoulders, shapely legs, peachy skin, wild blood red wavy hair down to her waist with a side parting, so one eye was always hidden by her fringe. Her eyes were a brilliant Emerald green and she had lush lips. All the girls wore a blue halter neck bikini top, all with sufficient breasts to fill them, a blue hanging cloth that showed off their legs and left their back, arms, legs, stomach, neck and cleavage bare and on show. The three girls were giggling amongst themselves and scrubbing the steps happily, unbeknownst to the attention they were getting form the Mistress and the scouter Hunter.

"They are workers. The eldest and tallest is Guan, as her hair is as pitch dark as night. The second eldest is Dachande, as her tongue can be as razor sharp as any dagger, but on the inside she is truly delicate, like the most elegant of hand knifes. And the third, the youngest."

"The Ooman." He added.

"Yes, she is Ooman. But she is also my Daughter so I would like you to show your respect."

"Your what! But she is."

"If you would let me finish young Thwei, I will explain. I have a rare blood condition. It means that if my blood travels too quickly through my veins, it will clot and block them, killing me."

"So that is why you are not a huntress with your Noble blood. You are not well enough to attend them. I feel sorry for you, there is noting quite like the hunt."

"Oh, I know what it is like to attend a hunt."

"But I thought you said."

"Once again. you didn't let me finish…"

Flash back

"But that isn't fair!"

"Paya you drive me and your mother, and the council, to distraction!" Paya watched as her father paced madly up and down the room. she was a middle aged Yautja female, with no trophies, no liberties or freedom and no mate. She wasn't getting any younger and desperately wanted a child of her own. She had prayed to the great gods for a long time for a pup of her own, but she knew that wasn't going to happen without a mate. And she would never get a mate if she wasn't worthy enough. The only answer to her problems, was the hunt. "You are not well enough to train, yet I find you pushing yourself to your limits, and beyond in the training room. You are not well enough to hunt, yet your name is on the list for the next hunting party. Why do you do this? Do you want to die?"

"I would rather die in battle, with an honourable death, than whither away here, afraid of my own shadow. How will I ever know the thrill of the hunt, the birthright of our people, if you forbid me from the hunt! I have the right and passed my trails before you knew of my illness. What has changed but a diagnosis, which might be incorrect?"

"Paya you know full well that the diagnosis was not wrong. I don't want to lose you…" Paya looked away as her father knelt at her feet, and held her hands to his face. "You are my only daughter and I love you dearly."

"Then let me go on the hunt. just one hunt. just one I beg of you."

"No. I can not allow it. I will let you do as you wish as long as your health and well being isn't at risk."

"Then you will never let me do as I wish." The silence between Paya and her father ebbed away at his sanity, until it drove him from her room. Paya cried on her bed until she was sure there were no tears left for her to cry. Then she got an idea. "Father, if you will not let me go on the hunt, then I will run away. if you will not let me go with pride, then I will go alone, a lone wolf, behind your back and bring you back the greatest prize of them all."

End flash back

"You mean you went on the hunt? After everything your father said Mistress Paya?"

"Yes. I snuck aboard the hunting ship the next day, and trained hard until we came to an Ooman, occupied planet. But there were no Ooman life forms left from the hard meat outbreak. The hunting party landed at the site and we all began our right, our livelihoods and commenced, the hunt. I was hidden beneath my mask, unknown to the others and by their side."

"Did you kill many hard meats?" Thwei leaned closer to her and was enthralled in the story.

"I did. In my humble cottage, I have an entire wall of skulls from that single hunt. I saved every kill I made, and brought every skull back with me. To make my father proud."

"Was that the great prize you promised him?"

"No. actually it wasn't. my daughter was the greatest prize of them all. You see."

Flash back

We assumed that all the Oomans were dead. And they were.

Except for one.

Paya swung her Naginata across her front and sliced straight through the hard shell of an attacking Hard meat. She pressed further and followed the Ooman made metal structure, deeper into the building. She had separated from the other Hunters to go it alone, as she wished. That way, all her kills would be hers. All hers.

She gutted another and added its head to her back, strapping it to her, when a crying sound reached her ears. Quickly, she ran with all her might until she found the source of the sound, to find a small bundle of clothing, housing an even smaller baby. Paya was melted and crept towards the baby, only seeing its small body wriggling within the pink cotton prison. As she became a meter away, she saw a hard meat drop from the ceiling and crouch right over the baby. Her blood boiled and she threw her head back, spread her mandibles and roared with all her might. The hard meat screeched and turned to face her, to get a face full of wrist blades down its inner mouth. She severed the flesh from its mouth and lunched at it. She soon sliced it in two and kicked the carcass to one side. the crying soothed to a soft cooing and Paya crouched closer to the bundle until she could gather it in her hand. It was small, like a new born pup as she stood with it. Paya cocked her head to one side as she regarded the small infant. The creature proved to be Ooman with soft peach skin and a wisp of red hair. With one claw she opened the blanket further and looked down at it. The baby opened its eyes and smiled up at her, melting her heart and will instantly. Its big green eyes were beautiful and its skin was so soft, so delicate and vulnerable to danger. She couldn't leave it now. Its mother had been slain by the hard meat, and its father, if not dead from the same fate as its mother, could have been slain by her kind. Paya loaded the newly severed skull onto her back and held the infant to her bosom, clicking and purring softly to it to keep it calm.

"I have prayed to the greats gods that one day I would have my own pup to love and raise. I feel, my prayer has been answered. Prayer…that is what you are. My little prayer. My little…Kantra."

End flashback

"So I brought her home with me and made my father, angry at first, and then completely proud of my hunts, my trophies, and his adopted grandchild. He died a little after her 6th birthday and joined my mother with the great ones. But I am glad that I did what I did. Always follow your heart young one, and you will never go wrong.

"

"But what I don't understand is, how did you get from having such an adventure, to having such a palace as your business? How did you become the Grand Mistress of the Hunter's rest and bath house?"

"Well, after having my one and only hunt, I needed something to do with my life. As I saw the young girls, running around the streets, homeless, parentless and unloved. I had to take them in. I took al the unwanted children of the streets and raised them to be as you see today. And I ended up having to care for 23 children."

"You were busy." He clattered.

"Indeed I was. But the thought that I had given them somewhere to come to, after all the abuse and grief of their past lives, where they could relax and have fun. I knew it was worth it. That is when the idea of 'The Hunter's rest and Bath house' came to me. Hunters go on hunts and missions with their clans all the time. They get no break, and neither do the Elders or even the Arbitrators. And after my father died, he left me this vast plot of land. So I turned it into what you see today, by hand with my children and there you have it. At first only the local Hunters came, and my children helped me serve them. But soon the word spread fast and we grew bigger and bigger. And that is the history of the hunter's rest and bath house. (cough)." Paya wheezed into her hand and turned away. "I apologise. I am not as young as I used to be."

"I understand. I am honoured that you took the time to tell me your story. And I have one last question."

"Yes young one?"

"This place is like a palace. How many Yautja work here?"

"There is I, the original 23 children, although they are not children anymore, and over a 200 more Yautja workers. Anything else?"

"No Mistress Paya. Thank you for your help. I am sure that my Elders will be coming to stay here very soon. Thank you."

"Oh not at all. You should stay here to."

"I hope to, and I will return soon. Farewell."

"Farewell. Payas Leitjin-de."

"Payas Leitjin-de." Thwei bowed respectively and left through the grand doors. Paya smiled back to her daughters and waved them over as there were no quests in the welcoming hall.

"Yes Grand Mistress?" Guan bowed, as did Dachande and Kantra.

"Girls, that was a young scouting Hunter from the Cor'ja clan. His name was Thwei and he was scouting our bath house to see if it is worthy of his Elders."

"We have many Elders and many clans stay here." Dachande added, and thought deeply. "Yet I have never heard of this Clan."

"That is because they are never usually on home world. They are one of top 3 Warrior clans and the top 1 of them." Paya lifted the desk latch and stepped down to the floor. "Walk with me to my office girls."

"Yes mistress." They all said in unison. Paya walked slowly (due to her age) to the back of the welcoming hall and down a hidden set of stairs behind a large satin curtain. The steps winded in a spiral down another level beneath the ground and wooden torches illuminated the staircase. They were soon on the worker level and walked along the wooden hall. On each side was a door that led to the servants quarters. Paya hated calling them servants, but that is what they were. Though she never treated them like servants. "Now. The Cor'Ja clan are famous and infamous for a very good reason. They are ruthless and very skilled in what they do. The hunt. they never come home unless the High Council of Arbitrators demand it or they are restocking supplies and men. But they usually restock supplies on other planets anyway."

"Are they vicious Mistress?" Dachande piped and held her sides as Guan elbowed them, giving her younger sister a look of 'der'. But Paya answered all the same.

"They are very vicious and have more trophies and honour than all the other clans everywhere combined. And if they come here, I don't need to tell you how important their visit will be for us."

"Do you wish me to brief everyone of the situation after hours?"

"Yes Guan, good girl. And I will be preparing a work schedule for everyone to follow to get this place ready for them. As if I know them, they will give us enough warning to stop booking guests in."

"Will they want the entire rest house to themselves Mistress?"

"Yes Dachande. They will, as they keep to themselves in all situations." At the end of the corridor, was a large red door with 'The Grand Mistress' engraved in gold paint over the top. She opened it and ushered the three girls inside. After closing the door, Paya scuttled behind her large desk and started to sort her books and papers into piles and order. "But there is something else I must tell you. Please, you may wish to sit for this." The girls pulled up a chair and sat before Paya, who continued. "The Cor'Ja are well known for being the Lone wolf Clan. Or the Black vengeance Clan. As from the names you can imagine how…successful they are in battle and how…formidable an opponent they are. We must meet their wishes at all times and ensure that they not only have a relaxing visit, but that they are honoured at all times. The last person who dishonoured one of their clan members…well I don't need to say what happened to him." all three girls gulped as Paya dragged her thumb across her neck and made a dead sign.

"If they are so dangerous, wouldn't the Arbitrators do something about them?"

"No Guan. For they. Well they. They are above the Arbitrators. And I know that doesn't sound right. But they are. And even the Arbitrators wouldn't stand a chance against them if the Cor'ja clan turned against them or even the entire Yautja population. They are just that good."

"They sound like Bad Bloods to me…" Everyone turned to face Kantra. That was the first thing she said yet and rang closer to truth than any of them would like to admit.

"Well, I can understand where you would draw that conclusion from. But they are not actually Bad Bloods. Just…in control of their own. Don't worry; I wouldn't put you in danger. I wouldn't accept them if they were Bad Bloods. Now, I hate to say this. But it actually gets a hell of a lot worse." Paya rubbed her temples and the girls were sat on the edge of their seats.

"Yes mistress?"

"Well. Their leader at present is a Hunter, who is not a Hunter. For no Hunter could chill the spines of every Arbitrator anywhere into submission, like he does. He is a warrior, with God like strength and skill in battle. And out…" Paya saw how ridged all the girls had become, but she had to go on. "He can send your blood cold simply by being near you. His form is as terrifying as his temper. Which is foul and short. He is barely a hunter from age, but he has killed over a hundred Queens Single handed with no weapons and no armour. He stands 9 feet tall with a shadow that could throw even the tallest Arbitrator into darkness. His eyes have no whites to them, but black in white's place. His pupils are chaos black and his eyes blaze red like the fires of Hell. His first action as he came to life, was to kill. And from his physical form, his aura and all his kills, trophies and hunts…he has earnt his name. Cetanu…God, of death." The office was silent.

Paya watched to read the reaction of her closest friends and children. Guan was frozen solid, showing no reaction other than shock. Dachande gasped and held her hands together, cupping her cheeks in fright. And Kantra held her hands over her mouth, her eyes showing her fear for her. "I have taken all of you in as my daughters. I trust you with this information. But I ask that you not share this with the others. Tell them of how important it is, and let them learn the rest the long way. Not before the visit. I will talk to them beforehand, but not before that." they nodded, incapable of saying anything else and got to their feet. All, but Paya and Kantra. Paya nodded and indicated for the two Yautja girls to leave. "I must talk with Kantra alone. She will join you later."

"Yes Mistress."

"Good night Mistress." Guan led Dachande out the office and to their room.

"How can I help you Mistress?"

"Oh please Kantra. I know you like me to treat you like the others, but you are my daughter. I wish for you to at least call me mother in private, if you refuse to do so in public."

"Yes mother." Paya rose to her feet and slowly walked to her daughter.

"I fear I must ask you something that if suggested to me, would cause me offence. I must ask you to remain out of sight when the Cor'ja Clan arrive. They are old-fashioned and will not take an 'Ooman' working here very lightly. I would hate for them to see you as pray…"

"Worry not mother." Kantra giggled and hugged Paya suddenly. "Nothing would please me more to stay out of sight when they come. They all sound awful. Especially that Hunter Leader of theirs."

"Thank you my dear. You just mean so much to me. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't mother. I promise."

"Good. Now go and catch up with Guan and Dachande before they go to sleep without you."

"I will mother. Get some rest."

"I will. Right after I figure out a way to gather a speech together, asking my guests to leave before the Cor'ja arrive." Paya huffed and her grey dreadlocks waved behind her as she turned back to her desk.

"You will do it in the best way possible. I know you will. I love you mother."

"I love you too darling. Never forget that."

"I won't." Kantra smiled, her right eye hidden by her vibrant, blood red hair and her full lips curled warmly. She skipped out the office and went off to find her 'sisters'.

"My little Kantra. My little Prayer..."

"Typical. They went to sleep without me." Kantra rolled her eyes and looked to all the full hammocks. The servant quarters were large rooms with lots of large blue hammocks, three per room. Kantra shared her room with Guan and Dachande. They were the first two street pups that Paya took in the so all three of them grew up together like they were sisters. Only Guan and Dachande were actually sisters. But their father had turned Bad Blood, their mother died and they were disowned by their family because of their father's choice. Only Paya would look after them. And they were grateful for it.

Guan snored with one leg hanging out the hammock as Dachande drooled slightly. "Typical." She chuckled and climbed into the hammock at the far back of the room, curling up with plenty of room (as it was made for Yautja's, not humans) and slipped off to sleep.

AN: this was a long shot, kind of idea. Let me know what you think about it and whether I should continue or not. thanks. Not my usual thing but I like it.

From

Draguna