Rise Of The Hunters - Chapter 11

“Max, don’t forget to get him marked!” said the woman as she put her glasses back on.

Xun’s head flew up at that, and Max chuckled.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing big. Come on.”

As Xun followed him, he saw that while he too had muscles, they weren’t as big as the guards’. They made their way to another building, this one smaller, and entered in a side door. There was a line of chairs on one wall with mirrors and several benches on the other.

“Max! What brings you here? You just had your hair cut a few days ago.” The woman who came up had her hair cut at an angle so one ear was visible and the other wasn’t.

“Well, Pink, I’ve brought a newcomer who needs the works and a mark. Do you think you could squeeze us in real quick? I’m starving and want to get some lunch.” Max didn’t even glance at the people who were waiting their turns, and judging from their lack of a reaction, they were probably used to Max doing this.

“Of course, Love! Trudy, you’ll have to wait a minute while I handle Max and his newcomer.” The woman in the chair waved her hand as they walked by.

They had Xun sit in a chair and he was spun around so he could see himself in the mirror. His hair was crazy today, probably because of the soap last night.

“Ever have your hair brushed?” asked Pink as she picked up a comb.

“No.”

“Alright then. I’ll try to make this as painless as possible, just try to be still.”

Xun watched in the mirror as she combed and cut his hair. He was waiting until it was time for this mark they kept mentioning. There had been one place he had decided not to even attempt staying, where they branded the newcomers with numbers. Another place had used a needle and ashes to tattoo marks. He didn’t relish either option and wondered if he could get out of it.

“Alright, time for the mark.”

While Pink had her back to him messing with something he couldn’t see, he examined his hair. It was shorter than his ears, and didn’t tickle the back of his neck anymore. The scissors she had used were much better then the knife he had used the last time he trimmed it.

As she turned around, she was holding a strange scissor-like tool.

“Have they told you about the mark?”

“No.”

“Well, dear, it will bleed just a bit, but not too bad. What we’re doing is cutting the tip of your ear. As it heals it will leave a permanent mark that will be easily recognized by everyone who sees you. It’s just a quick way of letting people know you’re new and to be a little easier on you if you don’t know everything.”

Xun watched her as she placed it next to his ear. There was a moment of pressure, but no pain. He knew what she said made sense, considering most people who arrived were probably older and wouldn’t understand things like plumbing. But, he also knew there was way more to the mark than that. Otherwise, as he learned things and integrated better, the mark wouldn’t be needed. It being permanent meant that others would forever know he was an outsider.

“There you are. See? Not too hard.”

“Thanks, Pink. Are you free tonight for supper?” Max smiled at her with a wolfish grin as she broke out laughing.

“Trying to warm up to me won’t work. You know I’m dating Joe. And while he wouldn’t go against you, I love him.”

“That’s what you said about the last guy,” he said, fake pouting.

Pink laughed and shooed him away, heading back to Trudy who had waited patiently.

Leaving the barbershop, Max turned to him. “You’ll be expected to come once a month as time allows to keep your hair trimmed. It helps with cleanliness and keeps bugs down.”

Xun nodded, holding a piece of leather to his ear. Getting his hair trimmed didn’t bother him. Of all the demands of past compounds, this was nothing.

“Let’s get some food and then I’ll show you the barracks where you’ll sleep.”

The kitchen was huge. There were dozens of tables set up around the room and Xun could see people lined up on one side grabbing trays to pick out food.

Max seemed lost in thought as they waited their turns to get some food. He didn’t seem to want to flex his power as a leader to cut in line this time, and Xun was relieved not to have people watching him. By the time they could grab trays, his ear had stopped bleeding.

The foods that were offered, were not all new to him. He saw many dishes and foods that he recognized and was able to pick a large ȧssortment. His stomach rumbled as he turned to follow Max to one of the empty tables. Sitting down, he started eating immediately. Having stomach issues and missing breakfast really made him appreciate the food now. Watching to see what Max did, he returned the dirtied tray and followed him out of the kitchen.

“You’ll be allowed to go there three times a day,” Max said as they headed in a different direction.

As they came around the corner of a building, a large expanse of land opened up before them. Xun stopped in surprise. Plants were growing in straight rows, with paths between them. He could count ten different types of plants just from here, and knew there had to be many more. Off to one side, he saw rows of trees, grouped by their type. And dotted throughout the area were people tending the plants.

“Like it? It’s one of our pride and joys. By growing our food, we can guarantee food during hard times and be able to provide for more people. It also frees us up for other pursuits.” Max looked out over the fields and orchards unimpressed, as if seeing them for the thousandth time.

Xun had seen people encourage wild plants to grow better by pulling weeds around them, but he had never seen anything like this before.

“Further in that direction, we have animals. We also have people who head to the ocean every day and bring back fish.”

Turning in the direction he pointed, Xun thought he could see the edge of a building through the trees, but Max started moving again. He wondered at how much he could learn here.