This is a writing experiment to practice implementing stuff. I also TRIED to do dialogue only (internal or external) by the characters to give setting and character development etc. in the least words possible. For the contest located here to craft the lore for the Hinterland hunters

You Don't Know Jack

I wonder if Jack is cooking that damn croc stew again. He always cooks that muck right after we have an underground match. "Honors the animal", and he's right. 'Cept wasn't no honor in what we done to get to the cookin' part. Heck "the Spider" is acting more hippie dippie bout' them crocs then those mates he rubbed out, or whatever it was he done did to get here. We're here now I guess, the seediest underground ring in central Australia. I suppose they have a special fight for us this time, some sortof somebody is gonna be there.

This walk back to the arena is always a bear, and I've wrestled bears. Ain't nothing like central Australia in the Summer, 'cept maybe having to wrestle in it. The only thing more unbearable is when I'll actually be there, fighting for fat ol' gits throwing money at "mudfolk" wrestling whatever or whoever is put in the ring.

Must admit that "whatever" is mostly a croc, and the "whoever" is usually someone getting eaten by a croc. And I suppose wes backwards for being convicts, eh?

I can see the crew cleaning the ring, those poor bastards almost have it as bad as we do... Almost. I think I'm going to actually find what rock jack is hiding under, that stew goes down like bile but I'm too hungry to think.

He's not anywhere, the stands, the ring, the shack for the rest of us. Nowhere. Wonder where he went off to? I'm hungry.

Croc Stew: Wayne or Shine

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, smell that cumin. Uh nothin' like a good stew before a match to get ya ready. Wonder where that putz Wayne went off to? Ah whatever. Just more for me. That meathead can't appreciate cuisine anyway, I mean we'd been eating just slop at Bathurst Correctional. Wasn't nuthin' correct 'bout it. Shivvings, brawls, gruel, and guards that'd turn the other cheek so fast Jesus'd blush. The only way out being the underground fights organized by fucks so wealthy they'd seen it all already, Except convicts wrestling crocodiles APPARENTLY. Now Wayne winces at croc stew, of all the shit he could've winced at all this time? Hah!

sniff

OoooooooeEEEEEEEE! that's about ready. And just an hour before too. We'd best get to eating, bet that dunce went out to da ring 'stead of da kitchens. Best take this over. Damn dullard.

The Savage Truth: It's a Croc

"That fight was incredible Ivan. I mean bada-bing bada boom that croc ate his tag team mate and then the two big ones with the tats in the other corner grabbed the croc and tossed it into that tree branch like it was a sack of flour. Incredible. Now I see why you flew me out to this mudhole. You said they're convicts?"

"Yup, former I suppose. The one with the Spider tatoo is serving 25 for multiple homicide, no surprise there. Look at him in the ring. The other was picked up for trespassing on a dirt farm, but each kill in self defense after incarceration tacked on 2 years. They got out of prison on a shady pardon for "community service". Seems that "service" is this underground arena. What do ya think Paulie? The crowd calls em "The Hinterland Hunters". I don't know what the fuck it means exactly, but they seem to like it."

"uh huh, uh huh, how many philly cheese steaks? Sorry Ivan, work call.
I think that if I know you Ivan Schister, you're gonna get me both those boys on a plane to Florida for a third of what they're worth. Make it seem like an exhibition, maybe their first time fighting an alligator or some shit. Call me when you've done it. I've got to fly back, Mad Mike locked himself in his trailer again and is spouting gibberish about sandwiches. Book em Shiester, I'm trustin ya"

The Hinterland Hunters are Born

"Good fight Wayne"

"Good fight Jack, didya see that fella in the suit jumping up and down? he was awful excited."

"Almost like he had never seen two Australians impale a croc on a tree branch before? Damn tourists."

"Ay hush up Jack. The one next to him is heading over. Act busy with sumpin"

---

"A-hem. Gentlemen my name is Ivan Shiester and I represent the Wrestling Organization. May I have the pleasure of knowing the names of the victors of today's fight?"

"Wayne" "Jack"

"It's just Wayne and Jack? A bit odd don't ya think?"

"We're artists. You know like Cher."

"What my pal Wayne here I think means to say is "what's it to you bub?"

"Well I wish to represent you two and promote and schedule you for a tour across North America. You would work off your "community service" on the road and be paid to do it. We would first need to see how you fare against an alligator."

"One moment"

whispering

"What do you think Jack?"

"I think we take it, what sort of manager heads to central Australia to recruit a couple of inmates in an underground arena? Seems like it might be a while before it happens again"

"Fair point"

clears throat and speaks at normal volume

"We accept" in unison

"You won't regret it boys"

---

How do you feel about this work with only character dialogue? This was my first dalliance of this sort, and it was fun to write. I was tempted to expand the setting and scenery and tone with narrator description but I was likely to reach well over the allotted word count and not necessarily develop the characters with any more depth.