Hidden from the burning sun by an overhanging shelf of rock, Orion, Marchus, and Sagitta made a plan. They had arrived early in the morning, before dawn and well before the day could warm into its full Issiq heat, but they had not found a single one of their intended prey. Now late afternoon, the trio had grown tired and frustrated after checking every source of water in the region. Plenty of animals were spotted, but none were nukap, which the picky aerobic royals had specifically requested.

Sagitta leaned against the rock face, watching a herd of izumi return to the watering hole the group of hunters had just vacated. After a moment of thought, she suggested, "Maybe they're nocturnal."

Orion was too busy chugging water to respond, but Marchus perked up. "To avoid the heat, you think?" he replied.

Sagitta nodded. "Yeah. And maybe predators, too," she added.

Marchus tapped his chin, considering. It made sense to him. But it didn't solve the problem of not knowing where the nukap were. "So, do we find them wherever they hide during the day, or wait for them to come out?" he asked.

"I am too worn out to go tramping around in this damned sand any longer," Orion put in. "I swear my feet are burned. Let's find a spot to rest and then maybe we'll get them in their hiding spots tomorrow."

Sagitta rolled her eyes at her mother's complaining, but didn't argue. She was tired too, and it was going to take some time to set up camp. It was better to start looking now. The trio set off, searching for a more sheltered spot to stay the night.

The next morning, an alarm started beeping before dawn, and all three groaned and grumbled as they got up. Marchus started making breakfast while Sagitta packed and Orion reviewed the maps, and soon all three were fed and underway again, heading toward a nearby stream.

When they arrived, a cool mist lingered over the water, but nothing disturbed it. If they had been hoping to find the nukap by arriving early, they were sorely disappointed. Orion stuck the end of her spear in the mud and folded her arms, frustrated, but Sagitta ranged up and down the stream bank, staring intently at the ground. Marchus watched her, curious.

After a moment she called out, "Aha!" and the other two trotted over. She pointed to a set of hooved tracks in the mud, the frequency indicating a hexapodal gait. "I think these are nukap tracks! We just need to follow these and we'll find out where they're hiding!" Sagitta exclaimed. Marchus's ears pricked forward, excited, and even Orion's dour gaze intensified.

The three set out following the trail, and it quickly wound into a set of canyons that they had not explored the previous day. They lost the tracks several times over flat stone, but it seemed this was a common path for the nukap and the area was littered with dung and cropped-off vegetation that kept the trio going in the right direction. The sun rose as they traveled, lightening the sky though unable to reach directly into the slots in the rock they walked through.

Sagitta saw them first. She came around a corner and stopped dead, quickly backpedaling into Marchus, who was right behind her. Orion managed to back up in time to avoid the pile-up, but she raised an eyebrow at her daughter. Sagitta put a finger to her lips, and led the other two back a bit. "They're right there!" she whispered. "Four of them, I think. They're asleep."

"Do we just run in with our spears, then?" Marchus whispered back. Sagitta shook her head.

"There's another way out of the area they're sleeping in. Maybe one of us could sneak over and block it, and then one of us blocks this path, and then the third goes in and attacks?" she suggested.

"That's a good plan," Orion broke in. "Marchus, you're pretty sneaky, do you think you could get over to the far side without waking the nukap up?" Marchus thought a moment, then nodded. "Good," she continued. "I can block this side, if you want to do the honors, Sagitta?"

Sagitta blinked, surprised that her mother was allowing her to take point on the hunt, then grinned. "I'd love to," she replied.

With that decided, Marchus crept around the corner while the other two waited. No noises erupted from the clearing, and Sagitta peeked around to find Marchus parked in the gap between two stones. He gave her a thumbs up. She glanced back at Orion, who nodded. It was go time.

Sagitta stepped out into the open. The nukap slept peacefully, a pile of four tucked against the rock face, and she felt a little guilty attacking them in their sleep. But maybe that was for the best. It made the hunt easier, and didn't people say it was more peaceful to go in one's sleep? She stalked closer, watching their brown spotted hides rise and fall slowly. When she was close enough, Sagitta raised her spear, ready to strike.