"You really should know better."

That's something a Yuajta Youngblood gets used to hearing after a while. As I walked the corridors of the ship, a few steps behind my Elite older brother, he once again voiced his disapproval at my tactics last hunt. I snarled at him, my mandibles curling in a sneer and my fingers tightening around the Biomask in my hands. "Had enough of saying, 'I told you so'?" I snapped at him.

He turned a yellow eye to glare at me. The Elite he may have been, he was always tormented by one fact: Me, his little brother. Big Brother just growled at me again. "Watch your tone, Youngblood. Don't forget I am an Elite before I am your brother." I turned by head away. We came to a stop at a door. Big Brother took a deep breath and sighed. "Shadow," He sighed, without even giving me the decency of looking me in the eye, "The Elders are doubting you."

"Of course they're doubting me," I roared, stamping one foot on the deck, my guttural growl, "They never give me a fair chance!" It was true. Usually, at this point in a hunter's career, his belt was full of skulls, and his trophies were many.

Me? All I had was a fang on a necklace around my neck, and I hadn't even taken it myself.

I'd killed plenty of prey, but the Elders either deemed them unworthy of recognition, or someone else took credit for my work. Big Brother, for all his arrogance, had always had my back. It didn't take a genius to see that it was hurting him, dividing his loyalties between his clan's prosperity over his little brother's mistakes.

Big brother turned and glowered down at me. We both were matched for height, just over seven feet, the same pale gold skin and dark dreadlocks, and the same gold eyes. The only difference was in our dress. Big Brother was well-armored, with skulls of great kills and wielding a spear made from a Serpent's tail. Me? All I had was mesh netting over my chest, brown cloth pants, wrist guards, and one large pauldron on my right shoulder. My belt was a bare cloth rope, waiting for a worthy trophy to adorn it. Match the two of us up, and he was still more impressive.

No wonder all the females liked him.

We stood in that stand-off for a while, until I sighed and looked down. "They don't, Brother." He placed a clawed hand on my bare shoulder. I lifted my head to meet his eyes, and Big Brother looked sad.

"You have great potential, Shadow," He said to me, "I could never find you when we played Hunter and Serpent back home." Then, he smacked me on the back of the head. I growled at him as he pointed a finger in my face. "You've got to start using it, Shadow! Otherwise," He growled, turning away and pressing the controls next to the door. "You'll end up just like Father."

I roared. With two hands, I lifted Big Brother by the collar and pinned him against the door, my Biomask clattering way to the side. His chest to the door, he roared at me and attempted to wriggle free. "Don't you DARE," I snarled at him, my wristblades revealing themselves with a nasty shriek, "Speak of Father like that!"

The door slid open, and my brother and I crashed to the ground. We groaned, looking up to hear a tapping foot.

The Elder, a massive Yautja, towered over both of us, an eyebrow raised in a mixture of mild amusement and annoyance. "I see," he growled at us as we both rose from the floor, "That brotherly quarrels transcend the importance of this meeting?" I stood first, collecting my Biomask and snarling at Big Brother, who kneeled before the Elder.

"Apologies, Elder," He said, head down, "The fault was mine. I…Aggravated Shadow." Big Brother gave me a sideways glare. I snarled at him before lowering my head at the Elder. Pompous asses they were, they deserved SOME respect.

At least, when they were present.

The Elder shook his head at me. "You two are far too much trouble for your own good!" He snapped at us, Big Brother rising from his kneeling position, "I had hoped you had matured when you became hunters, but it appears that you have not!"

Big Brother glared at me again before lowering head at the Elder again. "Forgive him, Elder." The Elder sighed and turned.

"Come," The Elder said, leading us to the computer, "You two have wasted enough time already."

I strode past my brother, taking good care to led my shoulder smack his on the way by. He gave a low growl, but didn't fight back.

I could have taken him. Totally.

As I stepped to the display, the Elder pressed a button to reveal the planet we were orbiting. One large landmass lay in the west, with small islands to the east and large ice sheets in the poles. "Youngblood," He growled, looking at me through the hologram, "Thus far, you have failed nearly every test any Youngblood must pass in order to become a hunter in our society." He tapped the planet, and the holograph shimmered. "Consider this world your redemption."

I kept my mouth shut, but my mandibles clicked in annoyance. I didn't need redemption, I needed a fair shot at honor, and the Elder would never give me that. The Elder sensed my annoyance and growled, but Big Brother spoke up first. "Elder, may I ask what my little brother will be hunting?"

The Elder's gaze turned to him. "Humans."

I almost laughed. Almost. "Humans!" I snarled in indignation, "Those weak little worms are hardly honorable kills! They may be cunning, but they are weak!"

The Elder chuckled. I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach. That was NEVER a good sign. "Not these humans," He pressed another button, and a new image appeared on the screen.

A human male was on the screen, standing atop a mountain. His robes were deep red, and a long beard occupied his face.

That wasn't what made my mandibles curl in a feral grin. The man was shooting FIRE. Not from some sort of weapon, but from his two hands. The Elder chuckled again. "This," he said, motioning to the hologram with some form of admiration, "Is but one example of the raw power these humans control. From what we have seen, they're power can range from the fires you see here to the water of the seas, from the ground under their feet to the very air they breathe."

I was almost trembling with joy. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my brother with the same feel of joy on his face. "Each nation has it's own elemental mastery, but one human out of all of them," The Elder continued, "Is called the 'Avatar'. His power in unlimited." The Elder sighed, eyes glazing over as he reminisced. "A hundred years ago, I hunted this one," He nodded at the old man in the picture, "His name was Roku. I saw mountains crumble at this man's touch, the very fires of damnation were at his command. He created a tidal wave with but a wave of his hand, and a whirlwind with a nod." The Elder sat back with a wistful sigh. "I hunted that human for a month, but could never claim him as prey. I was forced to abandon my hunt, of course," The Elder continued, "due to a Serpent infestation nearby."

I was excited now. My mandibles twitched as I tried to contain my joy. "I am to hunt this old man?"

The Elder laughed. "Of course not! The man would slaughter you; you wouldn't stand a chance." He crossed his arms, giving me a challenging glare. "Bring me the head of the most powerful human you can find," The Elder said with a grin, "Because you won't leave the planet until you have!"

My joy faded.

…What.

When I voiced my thought, the Elder began to cackle. Big Brother cast me a worried glance. "Forgive me, Elder," Big Brother said, gripping his spear tightly, "but this is sounding more and more like a death sentence."

"That's the beauty of this hunt!" The Elder roared, spreading his arms and standing straight, "He'll either gain his honor or die trying." He turned back to face me. "Whoever you kill is up to you. Just remember," He said, with a smile that looked quite cruel, "The final choice is up to me."

I took my hand away from the computer. My grip had been so tight; it had left an imprint on the metal railing. "I'll bring you that head, Elder," I snarled with a smile. His dark glare was all the proof I needed to confirm my suspicions.

He wasn't counting on me surviving this hunt.

In the landing bay, I sat in my craft, preparing it to depart. I took a deep breath and then sighed. This was it.

My last chance. My one shot at honor with my clan.

My one shot at getting The Elder's praise.

I felt a claw tap my shoulder. I looked up to see Big Brother. He didn't speak, just offered me the one thing I always admired.

His spear.

He had been trapped on a Serpent-infested world, his two hunting mates dead and out of weapons. So, after cutting the spear-tip of a Serpent's tail, he fought his way off the planet to the waiting vessel. I had always admired it, from the crafted designs on the wood of that hallowed hunt, to the dark wrappings at the top, and the large, triangular stinger that sat at the top.

I gaped. "Brother, I-"

"Need this more than I do," Big Brother said, looking down at me. I looked down at the spear again, and took it from his hands with a sort of reverence in my touch.

"Thank you," I said, looking up at him with the admiring smile a little brother should give his elder sibling, "I'll bring it back. I promise." I turned back to my ship and slipped my Biomask on. It hissed as it connected and came to life. As the blat shield began to slide shut, Big Brother offered me a salute, placing his hand to his heart. I returned it as the blast shield locked me inside.

I felt the trembling of the engines and the rush of the take-off as I shot, a lone pod towards the planet below.

The hunt was on.