They didn't seem to have the technology that the Vepar did to cook food, as I could see smoke coming out of the tops of some of the dwellings. Most of the buildings were plain, but occasionally we would pass by some that had silvery markings all around the entrance.
Bruda leaned closer as we passed by an especially elaborate one. "Those markings denote the elite of the Khonsu culture. The ink used to make the markings is very expensive, and only certain families possess it.”
I nodded; thankful she knew so much about the Khonsu.
I came to a screeching halt a moment later when we passed by what looked like a courtyard. There were five very human looking Khonsu playing with the black whips that had been used to torture me. My mouth opened in a silent scream as I saw that they were using the whips on a dozen tiny creatures that possessed shiny white fur. The little creatures were emitting shrieks of pain that threatened to burst my eardrums.
Losing my head momentarily, I took a step forward to go to them. I was only stopped by Bruda grabbing my arm tightly. "You cannot intervene. Do you want them to use those whips on you?" she hissed urgently.
Resuming my slow walk in line, I shivered as we left the screams behind us.
Bruda was silent for a moment as we marched. "What was that back there? Do you have no sense of self-preservation?" she asked.
"I know exactly what those whips feel like. Forgive me if it was hard to see them using them on such innocent creatures," I said softly.
"You're going to need to toughen up if you are going to survive this next part," Bruda said matter-of-factly.
I could see what had to be the arena rising in front of us in the distance. Unlike the dome like structures that made up their dwellings, the arena looked to be a perfectly square copper colored box. I had never seen anything like it.
"From what I've been told, the Khonsu will do whatever to get their prey in the hunt," Bruda continued urgently. "If you're going to fight, be prepared to have those whips used on you again."
The thought of those whips touching me again almost made me want to just give in. “Almost” being the important word.
We arrived at the arena. Unlike the crudeness of their dwellings, the arena’s outside walls were perfectly smooth. A few of the guards at the front of the line made some grunting noises, and the wall in front of us began to slide open.
I gasped as we walked inside. There had to be thousands of Khonsu in both beast and their human looking forms sitting on stands that appeared to be floating in the air. The bottom two rows of the stands held only human looking Khonsu, however. They were all dressed in dark purple tunics. The fact that their eyes were lit up in anticipation let me know that these were the Khonsu who would be taking part in the hunt.
“I bet their dicks are small,” I muttered to Bruda, who let out a surprised snort.
The guard ahead of us looked backwards to make sure we were following him and must've seen the smirks on both of our faces. He rolled his eyes. "Pay attention," he barked at us. We immediately sobered up.
In the center of the arena was a large open space with packed dirt that was so smooth it almost looked like a giant basketball court. A pedestal stood in the very middle, where I presumed we would be put on display one by one for observation by the crowd.
The beastly guards at the head of our line made a roaring sound and the women in front of me all stopped. A Khonsu with oily black hair that reminded me of the first Khonsu that I had met, dressed in crimson robes, appeared from behind us and walked towards the pedestal, paying no attention to the prisoners he passed by.
He stood up on the pedestal and tapped his throat three times. The arena immediately went silent.
"Let the Tangazi begin,” he said in a voice that reminded me of a hissing snake. The crowd immediately began to roar again. The Khonsu dressed in the purple robes stood in unison as if they had practiced the movement. They began to beat their fists over their hearts. The loud thumping sound echoed across the arena, sending shivers down my spine.
The Khonsu on the pedestal stepped down and impatiently signaled the first female prisoner to step up on the pedestal. Another Khonsu male stepped forward with some kind of device in his hand. He waved it in front of the terrified looking female, a beautiful alien with gold looking skin and green hair that shimmered down her back. A series of numbers appeared above her head.
I leaned toward Bruda. "What are those?" I asked, gesturing to the numbers.
She looked at me wide-eyed. "I have no idea. But it can't be good,” she admitted, and her response terrified me.
The Khonsu with the device said something to the female and she opened her mouth, displaying her teeth.
I again leaned towards Bruda. "What’s their obsession with teeth?" I asked. I must have said something humorous because a smile crossed her face despite our dire circumstances.
"Are good teeth not important on your planet?" she asked.
"I mean I guess they are, but not to this extent,” I replied, listening as the crowd cheered at the beautiful alien’s display of her shiny, shark-like teeth.
I suddenly regretted all of the dentist visits I had been forced to attend growing up. Maybe if my teeth weren’t so straight and shiny the Khonsu wouldn’t want me.
The Khonsu must've been pleased with her exhibition, because she was led off the pedestal much more gently then she had been put on it.
Dread curdled in my stomach as female after female was displayed. Some of them garnered appreciation so loud that my eardrums threatened to burst while others had much quieter receptions. I somehow thought that those prisoners were the luckier ones as they were more likely to have less Khonsu after them once the hunt began.