Welcome to Gaia! ::

Chapter One:
Jasik

Everyone knows about the Chimera, right? Its front half is that of an eagle (complete with fully functional wings), the back half is one of a goat, its tail is a snake, and it has the head of a lion. Overall, it is a dangerous piece of patchwork, wouldn’t you say? It is a certified threat.

What no one told me was that the damn thing could breathe fire.

I narrowly (don’t ask me the margin; I don’t even want to know) dodged a stream of flames. I still smelled singed hair, though. There was going to be hell to pay at HQ when I got back. If I got back. I hate when HQ has the info, but doesn’t give it to me, especially when it could possibly end my life.

Before I go further, let me explain who I am and what I do. My name is Jasik (pronounced as Jay-sick) and right now I’m attempting to subdue the aforementioned Chimera. I’m about seventeen years old, and… Huh? You’re wondering why a kid like me is facing down a creature of fiction?

Okay, let me clear up one thing. The Chimera before me is a living, breathing, flesh-rending creature, along with every other being of legend, myth, and folklore. From the Greek Hydra to the Japanese Kappa, and everything else in between, these creatures are real. They exist alongside us, the human race, but in a separate dimension of their own. These creatures are rarely ever seen and, as a result, are considered nonexistent outside of the legends they appear in.

The Great Shield, an enchanted barrier that has supposedly existed since the Dawn of Time, keeps our two dimensions separate. Because of the Shield, the worlds don’t always overlap. Notice I said they don’t always overlap. No one is exactly sure why but at certain times, creatures from the Other Side slip through the barrier to This Side. Mostly these occurrences are far from harmful, and the creature soon finds its way back home. Other times (like in the case of this beastie here), the creature turns hostile and causes a scene. That’s where we come in.

I don’t know when the organization was founded, but our main purpose is to hunt down these creatures (you’ll notice I avoid calling them ‘monsters’. That’s because they aren’t, they’re just far from home and confused) and capture, not kill them, and send them back home through a hole in the Shield. These holes are common, almost like the holes in a hospital blanket, but not as plentiful. These holes are named voids.

The organization I work for has gone by many names, but we just call ourselves ‘The Hunt’, for obvious reasons. We track down the beast, we do our homework on it, and then we capture it. At least, the ones who do the research go by the collective name of ReSearch. That’s because they search for the creature and then they research it. Catchy, huh? Before you ask, no I’m not with ReSearch. I’m with the madmen (and madwomen, for those who want to be PC) who do the actual legwork.

We are the Hunters, a group dedicated to bringing down all manner of ferocious beasts and protecting all of humankind. We’re a rare breed. Only one in every 100,000 people has the capabilities to become a Hunter. Half of all applicants (roughly 20 to 100 every two to five years) are trained, and only ten ever become a successful Hunter. The rest are sent to work in ReSearch. Essentially, for every single Hunter, there are about twenty or so ReSearchers.

The rock I was hiding (I’m not afraid to admit I’m hiding. You would too, in my situation) behind suddenly superheated. Running seemed the best option, so I took it. My lance was soaked with sweat. My knuckles were white from gripping the haft.

“Uh, Jasik?” it said.

“Yeah, Gram?”

Yes, my lance can talk. My lance, Gram by name, is a weapon made from the most up-to-date technology, and he is linked to my genetic structure, effectively making me the only one able to use him. Gram serves the purpose of a familiar. He gives me advice, acts as a defensive measure, and functions as my I.D. when I go to HQ. He provides numerous valuable services and functions.

The only drawback is that he’s an insufferable smartass.

“Were you planning on capturing this thing before or after we got fried?” See? That’s what comes of having a lance programmed with its own personality. The programming is why I refer to him as if he were human. Gram isn’t some clunking piece of iron or steel. He’s a sophisticated machine. That doesn’t mean I always like him, though.

Gram is about six feet, slightly taller than I, with a broad head. The haft is decorated with a spiral mark along it, and the head is two circles in the shape of the sun and moon. There are two extendable/retractable wings on either side of his head. Two small blades form the tip of the lance. He’s versatile and deadly, a Hunter’s weapon.

Don’t give me that look. Being a Hunter is fine, but we can’t do everything alone. That’s why we all have a weapon as a partner. The weapon depends on the Hunter. Some of us have swords others have axes or bows. I have heard that there are Hunters with ninja stars (shuriken) with boomerang abilities. I even know a man with a small blowgun for a partner. Hang around HQ, and you will find all sorts of characters.

I bit back several choice remarks, and observed the area instead. The whole ground was littered with gravel, the last remains of once-mighty stone pillars. The Chimera and I were battling in an amusement park remake of the Parthenon. Whoever had had this place built had spared no expense. The stone was real, no five credit super-foam fake. The battlefield was fitting, since the Chimera is a creature of Greek mythology.

A feature caught my attention. As a slow smile grew on my face, Gram spoke up.

“Boss, you want me to contact HQ?” he asked.

“No need. I have the makings of a plan.” I replied.

“Why does that not reassure me?”

“How many times has one of my plans gone wrong?”

“There was once. Need I remind you of Sicily?”

“Point taken, but that shouldn’t serve as an example to compare the rest of my plans to. Besides, how was I to know the freaking volcano was still active?” I cut off his sarcastic reply by readying him in my grip. Gram may be a jerk, but he knows when to keep silent. I dashed out from behind a pillar and shouted, “Hey, kitty! Come get me you patchwork freak!” More than the words, my tone drove it to anger.

I aimed carefully. One mistake and I would be cat/eagle/goat/snake food. I threw Gram as hard as I could. He bounced of the pillar I was aiming at, taking a huge chunk with him. The Chimera was almost on me when a loud rumbling reverberated around us. One thing about this amusement park; they had turned the Parthenon into a roller coaster. The rails were made from extremely heavy but fragile combinations of metals. That, combined with the wear and tear of erosion and Gram’s attack on the pillars, had caused the pillars, which acted as supports for the rail, to collapse, one on top of the other, in a massive domino effect, breaking the rail.

Before the Chimera could react, the pillars nearest it fell on the beast, pinning it with their weight. I jumped from in front, remembering the fire it could spew with no fondness. I walked over to Gram. He was stuck in the ground. When I picked him up, I immediately got an earful.

“Boss, warn me before you use me like a common javelin. I’m not made for that kind of job.”

“Hey, the plan worked. We have successfully captured the Chimera. I don’t think HQ is going to complain about property damage, especially since this park has been abandoned for ages. As for you, I apologize for the part you played in my scheme.”

“Sorry ain’t gonna cut it, dude.”

“How about, when we get back, I look into getting that new upgrade you’ve been after?”

“…Deal.” Gram is easy to please. All it takes is one upgrade, and he’s happy. Me? I prefer a good meal, and a quiet room in which to meditate. Peace, quiet, and tranquility make up a rich soul and a strong spirit. As a result, I’m incredibly strong-willed and stubborn.

Three hours later, the Retrieval Squad arrived in their usual, nondescript vans and garbage transport vehicles. I warned them about the Chimera’s unforeseen (by me) ability to spit fire. Unlike others I could name, I’m generous with possibly life-saving information. While the Squad was busy with the beast, my superior, Section Chief Wall, strode up to me.

At approximately six feet by five, the Chief is almost as wide as he is tall. Not a trace amount of excess body fat covers an inch of him. Chief Wall is all muscle. His black hair and beard were closely trimmed. His partner Glamring, a claymore of enormous proportions, hung on his back.

“Heya, Chief. How’s the missus?” Usually I open a conversation with the Chief with some witty banter or a casual remark. Today, his face showed that he was in no mood for my usually flippant attitude. Instead, he looked like he was ready to murder the next poor SOB who pissed him off. Unfortunately, it looked like I might be the one on the short end of the stick, which would fit in with the rest of my luck so far.

“Lone Hunter Jasik, what the hell were you thinking? You not only caused several thousand credit’s worth of property damage, you nearly got yourself killed in the process!” Okay, so I was wrong about the property damage issue, so sue me. Actually, don’t sue me, since my paycheck wouldn’t cover even the legal fees. You’d think that saving the world would be appropriate grounds for a decent pay raise, but you’d be wrong.

“Chief, given the situation and the resources at hand, it was the only plan I could come up with. Besides, the target can breathe fire, which I was unaware of.”

“Fire? It’s not a dragon. Breathing fire is impossible for a Chimera.”

“Tell that to Retrieval, and to my hair. Both beg to differ.” He told me, in no polite terms, what I could do with my hair, and where it could go. Notice he said nothing about Retrieval. I bore the lecture with calm indifference on my face. Inside, I was wondering about how my pet project was coming along. Saving the world’s all well and good, but a guy needs a hobby. After the Chief began to wind down, I took my leave.

As I was settling into one of the vans, I was distracted by Gram.

“Wow, Boss. He really chewed you out.” He remarked. A master of the obvious is Gram.

“No kidding. Once the old man gets started on a lecture, he can really go.”

“I second that emotion; he roasted your a** as sure as the Chimera would have.”

“Yours, too, if you had one, my long stick of a companion.”

“If I did, it would be a nice, well-sculpted piece of art.”

“You’re already a piece of work, Gram.”

“Ha ha. Speaking of nice cabooses, Elise is headed in your direction, Boss.” I dismissed the lewd remark with a scowl as I turned to talk with my fellow Hunter, Elise. She noticed the scowl. Elise didn’t approve of any facial expression except for a smile. As Hunters go, she’s a little odd, but I’d sooner have her at my back instead of being alone. I didn’t mean that in the sense you took it, Doc Freud.
“What’s with the evil glare, Jase?” she asked as she strode up.

“Gram is just remarking about how he admires your posterior, is all.”

“That perverted little creep.” was her response. In all honesty, Elise is nowhere near the ‘ugly’ end of the Looks Spectrum. Her hair’s style is constantly changed, in accordance with her mood. Today, it was bound into a single knot at the back of her head. The color, a deep golden brown, never changed. Her face had none of the false beauty caused by plastic surgery or makeup. Her features were roundish, but bordered on a slimmer look. Her eyes were bright blue-green.

Moreover, she and I had been best friends since I joined the Hunters twelve years ago.

“Yeah, he is perverted. It makes me glad that he and I are total opposites. I’m nice, he’s a jerk. I’m handsome, he’s an ugly stick.”

“I take offense to that, Boss!” he interjected. Elise dove in on the exchange.

“That’s why he said it, stick-boy.”

“Stick-boy? Kids these days have no respect for their elders.”

“Elders? Gram, you were made ten years ago. I’m older than you.” I remarked.

“Then you’d best be careful, O Venerable Ancient. You might break a hip.” I ‘accidently’ let Gram drop to the ground. Over his protests, Elise and I giggled. As a weapon, he obviously had many disadvantages in mobility. Namely, he couldn’t move without me. Score one each for arms, legs, and evolution.

“What’d you do to get the Chief so mad?” Elise asked. She never was one to beat around the bush.

“Oh, you know the usual. Doing my job right for one but, just not to his liking. Reckless behavior also.” I replied sarcastically. Being chewed out was one thing. Being blown up at when I did my job right is another matter entirely. I was admittedly a little miffed, but what could I do?

“Maybe if you didn’t try grandstanding, the Chief might give you a break” she suggested.

“Where? My head or lower back? On the other hand, maybe he’d prefer my arms. And when do I ‘grandstand’?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know. He’s just doing his job. I wish he’d let me do mine, though. If it weren’t for him, I’d be a Class A.” I complained. Class A Hunters are the semi elite of the Hunters. The whole group of us ranged, from lowest to highest rank, would be Classes E, D, C, B, A, S, and X. There was only one Class X Hunter, the leader of The Hunt, the Master Hunter. Ranks of Hunters are given based on merit and skill. That’s not to say you can’t work your way up. I started as a Class D Apprentice Hunter. Because of my performance, I was able to skip Class C and go straight to Class B Lone Hunter.

Each Rank has a title associated with it; Class E is Novice Hunter, D is Apprentice Hunter, C is Advanced Hunter, B is Lone Hunter, A is Expert Hunter, S is Lead Hunter, and X is Master Hunter. I repeat: there is only one Class X Hunter, making the position much coveted. The Master Hunter has total dominion over other Hunters.

It’s never easy to get a higher rank, but it is so worth it. You get better quarters, more range of missions, and I’ve even heard that Classes A and S get to choose what missions they go on. Higher ranks, like A and S, are given command of a certain number of troops, and can even act as mentors or teachers to would-be Hunters.

Having said that, I really wish my workload was lighter. Not a day goes by where I don’t have a mission lined up especially for me. Crap like the Chimera, the Minotaur, Hobgoblins and various other threats and creatures are always ready to tear my throat out. Lovely isn’t it?

The ride back home was quiet and uneventful, just the way I prefer. Elise and I talked more, discussing missions, reminiscing about our student days, and everything else we could think of. Several hours later, the HQ, the Hunt Quarters loomed into sight. I was home.

Chapter Three:
The All Inclusive Tournament

The stone beneath his feet felt cold, even through his boots. The matte black cloak he wore blunted the worst of the chill, but he still shivered, not from the cold, which he had grown used to, but from apprehension. Meeting with the Master was never a pleasant experience. The chamber he soon found himself in was as dark as a moonless night.

In the middle of the room was an object that was darker still, an evil, twisted black, darker than death itself.

It was a mirror, fully twenty feet tall, and half as wide. Its frame was richly decorated with curling leaves and vines. The only illumination in the room came from the mirror’s pure-black surface. Twin points of flame-red light, in the shape of evil, cruel eyes, stared out at the lone figure. This was the current state to which the Master had been reduced, but when the baleful gaze fell on him, the hooded man shivered.

“Master, the mission you have given me is proceeding smoothly,” he began. The Master’s voice, when it reached him, was powerful enough to make the chamber tremble.

“And what of the sacrifice?”

“He remains blissfully unaware of our… of your intentions, O my Master.”

“See to it that he remains such. I have waited too long for his arrival to have you ruin my plans through your incompetence.”

“I hear, understand, and obey, Powerful One.”

“Make sure you remain faithful to my cause, and you shall be appropriately rewarded when the time comes. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Dark One. I live only to further your aim; that is my duty and my purpose. Without you, I am as nothing.”

“And do not forget that. You are mine, manling. I was at the height of my power when your pathetic race was still being hewed from the mud from which it was born.”

“I shall not forget, Mightiness.”

“Good. Now leave me. Follow your mission, and you shall be granted what you most desire.” With those words, the red eyes faded back into the still, blacker-than-death surface of the mirror.

“As you command, so I obey.” The man stood, feeling relieved that his Master’s eyes were no longer on him. To occupy his thoughts until he could move again, he remembered back to when he first stumbled onto the tunnel which led to this secret chamber, the feeling of sheer terror he had experienced when his Master’s eyes had first gazed at him. Now he served the Master as his most trusted servant.

Soon, he would restore the Master back to his full power, free from the accursed mirror into which he was bound.

Soon…soon, what was his by right would be his in fact, as his Master’s favored servant.


I woke up early the day of the tournament. I had gotten only a little sleep the previous night, going over the entry list. I had taken it upon myself to set up shop for signing up participants for the tournament about ten days before. I then looked over the list to see if the signers had been eligible for entry. With events like this, there was always some joker who tried to enter, even though he had been disqualified from the prelims. There were roughly three hundred, twenty-four applicants. Of those, only twenty-six were found ineligible. That left two hundred, ninety-eight, which meant that there had been about three days of more preliminaries lasting one hundred, forty-nine matches. After that, many more people were found ineligible, so the Tournament was scheduled to begin with a total forty combatants, myself included. That meant twenty matches, so the Tournament was going to be roughly four to five days, depending on extenuating circumstances.

Class A Hunters made up about one-fifth of the competition, so there were eight of them…of us that could actually compete; the rest were either ineligible or on a mission. It was still difficult to think of myself as Class A. The remainder of the participants included six Class B, ten Class C, three Class S, and the remaining thirteen were Class D. After all of the participants’ names were finalized, my job was then to rally the Mess Hall to provide culinary support for the Tournament.

Long story short, I had a busy two weeks.

On the day of the Tournament, I stumbled into the shower and went through the Anti-Zombie Rituals of the Morning, which included showering, brushing my teeth and other early morning actions. That done, I stopped by the Mess to grab a bite before the Tournament began. I ran to the Rec Hall after grabbing Gram and Terry. The ceiling had been opened, and the walls lowered to about twenty feet to let in the bright summer sun. The Hall seemed even bigger than usual this way. A small tunnel, the hallway into the Hall, extended into the main building. This would be where the combatants would enter the arena, and step onto the single one hundred-by-one hundred fighting platform that had been raised in the center of the Hall.

I stood there with the other thirty-nine fighters. Raid stood about five people down from me on my right, and Chief Wall, a Class S, grade-A brute fighter, stood at the end of the line to my left. This Tournament was going to be a pain, and it hadn’t even started yet. I knew for a fact that it wouldn’t be easy to win, but now I wasn’t even sure I had a chance. Only the best were here, and, despite my record, I was not quite as experienced as some of the other Hunters.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no slouch when it comes to battle, but I have no illusions about my skill level as compared to someone like the Chief. What little hope I had fostered suddenly decided to take a trip to downtown Getting-the-Crap-Out-of-Here and it was quickly gone. I swallowed, and found my throat suddenly dry. I scanned the crowd, taking in the sight of such a gathering. Did I say crowd? I meant veritable ocean of sheer humanity. My nerves were quickly heading for the FUBAR District of the town my hope had gone to.

Hunt Master Xavius stood in front of the brave (and in my case, scared stiff) competitors.

“Hunters! ReSearchers! Spectators all!” he began. He had no bullhorn or microphone, but his voice had no trouble carrying across the muted ocean.

“Welcome to the annual All Inclusive Hunter’s Tournament! This event is the pinnacle of the year, and allows our most skilled members to showcase their talents and earn fame, glory, and, more importantly, to win bragging rights as the strongest of our organization for a whole year!
“This year’s crop of Hunters is our most promising yet, and you’ll notice some new faces mixed in with returning champions. Now allow me to introduce this year’s competitors! First is the man who is a living example of his name: Section Chief Wall!” The introductions went on like this for several people, and each person got a cheer. Finally, as the last one to be announced, I was in the spotlight, so to speak.

“And now, last but certainly not least, is this year’s favorite choice candidate for first place,” (which was news to me) “our newest Class A Expert Hunter, Jasik!”

The ocean was suddenly on its feet, practically screaming to be heard. They were giving me a standing ovation. I hadn’t been expecting this, and I suddenly felt a small fire burning in my chest. If that many people believed in me, then maybe I had a chance after all. That many people cheering me on could only have been what we in the business call a “bolster.” It brought my courage to the forefront, and I jabbed my right fist into the air. The ocean exploded. I saw, from the corner of my eye, the Hunt Master inclining his head in a slight nod, but I couldn’t tell if the gesture was aimed at me or if was more to himself.

After the screaming died down, the Master Xavius held up a hand. Any cheerers that were still going quickly wound down.

“As Hunt Master, I would now like to announce the prizes up for grabs this year!” All was as silent as the grave. “Third place will be a versatility upgrade for the hero who takes it! The prize for the second place winner will be an all-expenses paid vacation to a destination of his or her choice! And now, the grand prize! The winner of this Tournament will not be given any small reward! The grand winner will skip all other Classes in The Hunt to become my heir apparent, and shall then be trained to take my place when the time comes!” A collective gasp went up from the crowd, the competitors, and me.

The grand prize was a surefire ticket to becoming the leader of the entire Hunt. If Master Xavius was offering such an apprenticeship, he must have been optimistic for all of us. I turned to look at him to see him glancing at each of us. When his gaze got to me, I felt something inside twitch, like a bad stomach flip. The eyes looking at me, just for a second, so quickly I wondered if I had imagined it, those friendly eyes looked malevolent, as if he wouldn’t think twice about spilling my blood. I suppressed a shiver down my spine.

While the Hunt Master was wrapping up his speech, I felt another pair of eyes at my back. I turned to see Elise and several of her friends waving at me. I grinned back, feeling slightly nauseous. The sight of the Hunt Master’s eyes was still unnerving me. I snapped back to attention as the same man said,

“And now, let us dispense with the blowhard chatter and let the 250th Annual All Inclusive Hunter’s Tournament begin!” The ocean roared with another mighty cheer. All competitors were led off the stage, where I was greeted by the same girls I had smiled at a few minutes ago.

“Well, Jase, I hope you plan on winning, or we’ll never speak to you again and you’ll never see me around,” said Marcia, a slight girl with striped blonde hair and strike-you-dead blue eyes, the color of pure sapphires. Rumor had it that she’d spent the last few years working more on her come-hither-go-thither vibe than her Hunt duties, and she had fully half the hearts of the young men of the Hunt. Her partner of choice was a small dirk (which is shorter than a sword, but longer than a knife) and she knew how to use it.

“Come on, Mar, you know Jase will come in first, just watch. We’ll make a killing in the rackets when he does,” piped up a mousy, nervous girl named Larissa. Whenever I was around, she always had the habit of looking everywhere in the room but at me. In any case, she had a shrewd mind for enterprise, and for chess. Larissa’s partner, a spring-loaded dart launcher, was bound on her left wrist.

“Ladies, please. I can’t guarantee a win even in the first match, so why place hopeless bets?” I said. There were betting rackets? Why hadn’t I heard of this?

“Maybe because you’re a shoe-in?” sniped Mar.

“Or perhaps because you’re the guaranteed favorite?” shot Larissa.

“But there are Class S in the Tournament,” I stated. Elise came to me and smacked me in the back of the head. I spluttered and, before I could speak, she said, “Jase, just try your best. We can’t ask anything more than that.”

“That, I can do. In any case, I had better head to the drawings to see who I’m up against first. I’ll see you in the stands.” I took my leave and moved toward the Tournament tree. The tree displayed the names of the competitors, and as I looked, I spotted my name at the far right, which meant that my first match would be last of all. My first opponent was…I quickly rubbed my eyes to clear them.

My opponent would be Section Chief Herman Wall.
I double-checked the tree to see if I had read the name right. Herman? The Chief’s name was Herman? Oh, this was going to kill him. Professionally, at any rate. I scanned the tree looking for Raid. His match was fifth, and his opponent was named Fitch. I remembered that he was a Class D with a good proficiency in blade work. He had twin daggers for partners, if I remembered correctly. Raid excelled in wave blades, himself, which were severely curved swords held in reverse grips with one arm over the other.

I walked back to the stage to watch the finish of the first match, which had started just before I went to the competition tree.

By the time my match came, (Raid had won his, and had made it look easy to boot) I had worked myself into a fine fit. I tried my usual deep-breathing exercises, with some success. The Hunt Master stood in the center of the stage, as he was performing duties as announcer.

“And now, the match you’ve been waiting for! It’s time for the final bout of the first round; Section Chief Wall versus the crowd favorite: Expert Hunter Jasik!” The ocean roared. “Will both competitors please report to the center of the ring?”
I swallowed my apprehension and stepped forward, Gram firmly in my grasp. I locked eyes with the Chief. What I saw there surprised me. I saw, not the usual derision or patronization, but respect and admiration, albeit of the grudging variety. I’m not sure what he saw, but I gave him a nod; the kind you give a worthy adversary. He gave one to me in exchange. The Hunt Master stepped up to give us a run-down of the rules.

“Alright, gentlemen. The rules are as follows: there will be absolutely no hitting below the belt, no cheap shots, and no grappling. Both of you will fight until one of you is unable to continue. The winner moves forward to the next round. Good luck, and may the better fighter win.” He raised his voice and said, “And now, let the match…begin!”

I jumped back a few feet to gain some distance. I saw the Chief slam his sword down where I had been a few seconds ago. I knew from experience that the Chief tended to favor close range combat whenever possible, so the smart thing would have been to bring Terry with me. Why then did I have Gram? The reason being that I wanted to face the Chief on equal terms and fight him as an equal. Besides, Terry was still a secret, and I wanted him to stay that way until the right time.

I readied Gram and leapt forward in a lunge. The Chief sidestepped to dodge the blow, and spun his blade toward me, which I then blocked by quickly reversing my grip on Gram’s haft and bringing up the butt end. The impact Glamring made against my block caused my arm to go numb for a second. Hellfire, but the Chief could pull his weight! I leapt back again to regroup. The Chief stood motionless, waiting for me to take the offensive. His stance said, “I can take anything you throw at me and turn it against you. Just try it.”

All right, if that’s how he wanted to play it, then I’d just have to give him what he wanted. I spun Gram around in my grip, then around my body. This motion, being almost totally automatic from so many times of practice, gave me the chance to formulate a plan. Start to finish, it took me almost twelve seconds. I don’t know if you know this, but my mind, in the midst of battle, can churn out plans like nobody’s business. Some of my best plans came from this accelerated frame of mind.

I felt a fierce grin work its way onto my face. I started forward, then changed direction and sped off to my left. I jabbed forward with Gram, nicking the Chief in the side before he could react, then leapt backward again, just dodging the tip of the claymore. I repeated this trick twice more, then switched tactics. I twisted Gram’s haft and pushed upward. The twin points on his head lengthened and the head itself came closer to my hand. In the empty circle of the sun-shaped half of his head, the shaft now made a grip for a twin-bladed sword.

I faced the Chief, my grip firm, but neither too tight nor too loose. That’s the trick to using a sword; finding the right grip. I swallowed, and brought my blade to bear. The Chief looked surprised to see a sword instead of a lance, but it didn’t throw him. He rushed forward, swinging his blade faster than I had ever thought possible. I barely met his sword with my own, the impact again jarring my arm. I threw him back with all of my strength, and swung my blade in response.

We fought this way for a seeming eternity. The way he and I acted and reacted was almost akin to a dance. Never did we land a decisive blow. He nicked me, and I slashed him. Neither of us was willing to give an inch. This indeed was a battle of pride, of fierce determination. I could barely tell where Gram ended and I started, where I ended and he started. This state was a true awakening of my instinct for battle. I was convinced of it then, and remain so.

Forgive me if I seem to wander, but my thoughts came after this battle, as my body seemed to move without my commands during it. Finally, after the eternity had reached its peak, after gods-only-know how long, I noticed an opening in my opponent’s defense. I had an opportunity to end this, despite my reluctance to do so. This moment was the perfect realization of my being, and I didn’t want it to end. However, my conscious mind told me to take the opportunity, and I did. I smashed Gram into Glamring, knocking it aside, and rushed forward, slamming my shoulder into the Chief’s chest.

Glamring fell from his grasp, clattering to the stone ring. I held Gram’s tip at the Chief’s throat. I was gasping for breath, and noticed the Chief was doing the same.

“I…win…Chief,” I panted.

“Yes, Jase…you…you do.” I removed Gram from his throat and held out my hand. He grasped it, and I pulled him to his feet. He then held my hand up as the victor. The crowd (which didn’t seem like such an ocean now, and had been totally silent up to this point) exploded. The Chief and I were being assaulted by noise from an audience over five thousand strong. This was beyond a standing ovation. This was raw emotion from our fellow fighters and family.

Hunt Master Xavius stepped toward us. He had a smile on his face that seemed less kindly and more…hungry. I couldn’t describe it more accurately than that. His eyes had shifted back to what I had seen before, that dark gaze. It all disappeared again, but this time I was sure of what I had seen. The Hunt Master was not what he seemed.

“Congratulations Jasik and a fine match by both competitors. Jasik advances to the second round!” He announced. I looked over the crowd and held my sword for all to see. Another burst of sound rocked the stadium. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Chief Wall looking at the Hunt Master. No doubt, he had seen what I had. He glanced at me and I nodded. By unspoken agreement, we decided not to discuss here what he and I had seen in the Hunt Master.

The same man was now wrapping up his speech.

“The second round of the Tournament will take place tomorrow at noon. All competitors for the next round will be given a large feast in celebration in honor of their prowess. They are free to invite as many guests as they like. Until tomorrow, sleep well and rest, Hunters!” He turned and left. I shuddered, though from what I couldn’t say. It was like a cold wind had left with him and the sun was just now warming me. Before I could turn to the Chief, I realized that he had already left. I had only a moment to ponder this before I was caught in tackle-like hug. When I could see again, I realized it was Elise trying to break me in half. I surprised myself by finding my own arms around her, and by realizing how hard I was hugging back. We broke apart a second later, faces red. I started to say something, but she beat me to it, saying, “You know, you still have two more rounds to win, Jase.”

“I know. I will win. There’s something not quite right about this, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.”

“Not quite right? What do you mean?” I quickly and quietly explained what I had seen. She didn’t seem convinced.

“I dunno, Jase. I mean, if you say you saw it I believe you, but it just doesn’t fit.”

“I know, that is exactly why I’m gonna win this Tournament. As the heir apparent to the Leader, it would give me unlimited authority to organize a crew to investigate. I need proof of something.”

“Proof of what?”

“That’s the thing. I have a bad feeling in my gut, and it’s not going away. My instincts are telling me something, I’m just not sure what yet.”

“Okay, then. I’ll keep quiet about what you’ve said for now, then.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Something bad is on its way. I need to prepare for it, and finding information is the best way to start.”

“Right. Anyway, I’ll see you later, Jase.” She turned to leave when an idea struck me.

“Elise!”

“Yes, Jase?”

“Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the celebration this evening? You can bring Lar and Mar if you want, but…I’d like it if you came.” I turned this time, afraid that she would see the blush working its way onto my face. She didn’t answer out loud, she just squeezed my hand. That was a confirmation enough to make me glad I had asked. As she melded with the crowd, Gram spoke up for the first time since before the match.

“Wow, Boss. I can’t believe you just did that.”

“That makes two of us, old friend. That makes two of us.”

“Look at it this way, Boss; at least now you can finally…”

“Gram, don’t you dare say what I think you’re about to say, or I swear to all of the gods, I’ll trash you here and now,” I said. It surprised me how much heat was in my voice. I hadn’t ever gotten quite that short with Gram. Hmmm. I wondered about it for a moment, but then became nervous at the implications. I cut the train of thought there and walked back to my room.

It would be another three hours until the party, so I took that time and got ready. I searched through my wardrobe and pulled out my formal attire. I hadn’t worn it in some time, but I found, to my surprise, that it would still fit. I bathed, washing away the sweat of the fight and of the scare I had gotten. I then dressed in midnight-black pants, slipped into a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and pulled my finest black jerkin over that. I pulled black socks over my feet, and then dropped into my black boots with white buckles. Over my forearms went my jet-black bracers, inlaid with white designs. I had been told that the designs were in fact charms for strength and wisdom. With what lay ahead, I was sure I would need as much of both that I could possibly get.

The bracers had three indentations each, lined up along the arms. They were the only things I had of my parents, aside from a photo, scattered memories, and fragments of memories.

I had come to The Hunt as a small child, carried in the arms of a Hunter. I had been told, years later, that I had been rescued from the burning remains of a small house while the Hunter had been on a mission. He had seen the glow of the fire from a distance and decided to investigate. When he got there, the house was close to falling apart, as the support beams had been reduced to ash.

He had been about to leave when he heard a small cry from inside; a baby me. The Hunter, whose identity I have never found out, then carried me back to HQ, and left me in the care of the organization’s nurses. The only other things that had survived the fire were the bracers I wore on my arms, and a photograph I kept on my desk, which showed my family. I had never found out exactly what had started the fire, or even why it had occurred. The only thing I could piece together was that my entire family had died that day. My mother, father, and my grandparents had all been burned to death.

If I tried hard, I could recall the soft, loving voice of my mother, the strong baritone of my father. I could also piece together seeing the eyes of my grandfather, feeling my grandmother holding me. Beyond that, I could only remember one thing; a pair of eyes belonging to an entity so evil, I still had nightmares, even from childhood. Those eyes burned, literally burned, with ambition, arrogance, and greed. Those eyes, I was certain, had no small part to play in my past. I jumped when I heard a loud knock at my door. I opened it to find Raid standing there in his best finery, which was essentially what he usually wore, but made from a better material.

“Jase, you ready? I came to escort my best buddy to his date.” I pulled on my black cloak, nearly a cape, but with a mantle and a lot of billow, and closed the clasp at my throat. I gave Gram instructions as to what he could do while I was gone, and bade Terry keep an eye on his brother.

I nodded to Raid and we started to the Mess Hall, which also doubled as a Banquet Hall.

“Who said I had a date?” I asked.

“Dude, I heard you talking to Elise after your match. If that wasn’t a request for a date, I don’t know what is.”

“What else did you hear?” I tensed. Raid was another of my best friends, but keeping secrets was not among his talents.

“Huh? I only heard you ask her to the party. Why, did you say something else? Something about after the party?”

“Raid, you’re as bad as Gram.”

“Really? I’m the same as your fighting stick?”

“Yes, you are. And he’s not a stick, he’s a lance.”

“And a sword, too, apparently. When did you get that modification?” Discussing Gram’s other form consumed the rest of our attention until we made it to the Banquet Hall. We nodded, and went in.

The tables had all been pushed to the sidewalls, and were piled with foods of different origins and descriptions. There weren’t as many people as I had thought there would be, only the competitors, and two or three guests to each. I spotted Elise near the other entrance, and felt Raid’s elbow nudge me in the ribs. I turned to glare at him, and he tipped me a knowing wink. He nodded in her direction and promptly vanished from my side, choosing instead to attend a young woman that turned out to be Marcia.

I was about to call after him when I felt a warm hand on my arm. I turned to see Elise there, looking radiant. She wore a dress of white, with a small black belt around her waist. She, too, had a mantle about her shoulders, and it was clasped with a small dove. Her leggings had been exchanged for stockings of white as well.

Truth be told, my breath was taken, and I didn’t mind in the least.

“Jase, you look…dashing,” she said.

“Dashing? I figured I looked more grim than dashing.”

“Grim? Never. Shall we dance, Sir Hunter?” It was then I noticed the music in the background.

“I don’t see why not, but forgive me ahead of time if I tread on your feet.”

“You are hereby forgiven.”

“Thank you.” With that, we danced. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t step on her feet or even come close. It was…amazing. I had never danced before, so she took the lead. We danced for what seemed like another eternity, but this one was a more pleasant eternity than in the fight this afternoon. We stepped softly, deliberately. It was a slow dance, and a sad song accompanied it. For me, it brought memories of rainy days and feelings of painful longing.


When the song ended, I felt as though a part of me had vanished with it. Elise and I broke apart, and I excused myself to get something to eat. I piled a plate with goodies and sat down to eat. Eating occupied my motor functions, freeing my mind to think, so I couldn’t tell you what went into my stomach.

I scanned the small crowd. I saw the man I was looking for standing against the far wall. I walked up to him after trashing my plate.

“Chief, glad to see you’re here.” Section Chief Wall was acting as chaperone for the soiree, just as I had expected. He nodded a greeting at me.

“Chief, what do you think about it?”

“About what?”

“You know.”

“Yes, but I wish I didn’t,” he said with a sigh.

“I agree.” I looked over the crowd for any listening ears. There were no obvious ones, and I dearly wished I had Gram with me. His scans could pick up an electronic bug at fifty paces. Seeing nobody listening, I discussed my plans with the Chief. He listened intently, and nodded at the right times to indicate agreement. When I finished outlining my scheme, he said, “That’s a good idea, but you’ll need the eyes of those higher up than yourself to accomplish it.”

“That’s where you come in. I was hoping, as the only other one to have seen what I have, you’d help me out.”

“I dunno, Jasik. It’s risky, and if he catches wind of your plan, the suspect pool will be damned small.”

“I know. That’s why I’m winning the Tournament. If I do, that’ll give me the authority I need to put my plan into effect.”

The Chief seemed thoughtful. “That could work, I’ll grant you. But if he finds out…”

“He can’t find out. If he does, I’ll take the heat. But I need to find out everything I can about the Hunt Master’s past. He had to come from somewhere, and the Records Division will have that. I can’t access them myself at this point, but…” I left the thought unfinished, leaving the Chief to pick it up.

His eyes widened with sudden understanding. He looked troubled with the idea, so I allayed his fears.

“Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll walk the straight and narrow and win it all fair and square. I just need you to get support from the other S’s on my side after the Tournament.”

“That much I can do. Be careful, Jase. I know you tend to get reckless when you see victory, but that same target can be an illusion.”

“…Got it, Chief. I’ll be careful”

“That’s all I ask, my boy.” With that, I took my leave of the Chief. I found Elise at the balcony. I told her of my discussion with the Chief. Her brow furrowed in answer. I could tell she was worried, but this time, I had no idea of how to ease those fears.

“Jase, if the Master finds out about your plan, he’ll probably expel you from HQ.”

“If he finds out about my plan, he’ll do worse than that. If my suspicions are correct, should he find out, I’ll probably find myself on a one-way trip to Hades, Gahanna, or Hell.”

“Jase…”

“Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be as careful as I can. In any case, my hands are tied until I either win this Tournament or can get the winner on my side. But if I’m gonna participate, I might as well win, you know?”

“That’s the kind of attitude I’m looking for in my heir. That’s the spirit!” a voice said from behind me. I would like to say that I didn’t jump or start, but I am scrupulously honest, so in that spirit, I will instead say that I probably would have needed brown pants had I been any more startled. I spun to see Hunt Master Xavius walking toward me. His grin could have illuminated an entire city block, and his eyes were no less bright.

“Hunt Master, I didn’t hear you approach.”

“A mistake. A Hunter is always, always, on his guard, even at home, for one never knows when an enemy will strike.”

“A lesson I will keep in mind.” Was it a lesson? On the other hand, was it a warning? Alternatively, was it a threat? I didn’t plan on dropping my guard during this conversation. I had to be especially careful.

“Good, good,” Xavius continued. “I have high hopes for your continued success, Jasik, and I wish to see you excel as a Hunter. If you keep up the work you’ve been doing, even should you lose the next round, I’ve no doubt you’ll be Class S inside of another year.”

“Thank you, Hunt Master. I’ll not disappoint.”

“So formal. Call me Danid. It is my name, after all.”

The unexpected request made me stumble inwardly. This could be a clever trap or it could be genuine. I nodded and said, “Very well…Danid.”

“It feels odd, does it not?”

“Yes, it does. I’m used to referring to authority figures by rank, not by first name.”

“I think you’ll get used to it. Strictly speaking, I’m not allowed to favor one competitor over another, but, (and this is off the record, mind you) I wouldn’t mind having an apprentice such as yourself. An apprentice that is strong and dedicated, intelligent, and loyal to his duties; a role model to his fellow Hunters, if you will, would be a great help to all of us.”

“Not that you’re taking sides, of course.”

“Of course. In any case, enjoy your evening, and best of luck tomorrow.” With that, he took his leave of us. I felt Elise’s hand on my arm again. My body loosened, which surprised me, since I had not even realized that I had been tensed. I looked at her and saw her face filled with unspoken worry. I put my hand over hers, a gesture I never would have even considered a few days ago. I felt the warmth of her hand against my own, which had gone cold during the conversation. It felt…right, somehow, like it had been meant to happen.

The rest of the night passed without note. I said my farewells to Elise and Raid, then stumbled to my room. I threw off my party attire, changed into my slacks and t-shirt, climbed into bed, and slept.

Chapter Five:
Tournament’s End

The Hunt Master stepped to the ring, and called out to the audience. As always, his voice projected effortlessly into the audience, and I caught every emphasis to his words and the cadence to his voice.

“Now starts the final match of the second round of the 250th Annual Hunter’s Tournament! This last bout will be between two very skilled fighters: Class B Hunter Raid Lethe and his best friend, Class A Hunter Jasik! Will we see a decisive victory, or will friendship prevail in this match? Now, without further delay, the final match will commence!”

He practically leapt from the ring in a rush to leave, which was unusual. I didn’t care in the least. The only person that had any of my attention stood only a few feet in front of me.

“Let’s hope we give the fans a match, eh?” Raid asked. Behind his usually jovial manner, he was tense, as taught as a drawn bowstring.

“No. Let’s give them a battle. If we do fight, I want it to be talked about years from now, as a clash between two equals, not just a fight between two faceless figures.”

“You know, Jase, I believe I like that idea better. Moreover, I’m glad you think of us as equals. You always have.”

“Well duh. You’re my best friend. I’ve never thought of either of us as being superior or inferior to the other.”

“I know. That’s why I’ve always decided to hang out with you, that attitude of yours. You never raise yourself above others, but you never give in to what others think. You’re always yourself, no matter the situation. I’ve always wished that I could be like that.”

“It’s never too late to change. Nevertheless, you know, I think you’re good just as you are. You never show weakness, and you’re always at the forefront of whatever big event happens. That’s why… I’ve always wanted to be more like you.”

“Heh. Well, let’s save the heart-to-heart for later, shall we? I don’t know about you, but I came here to fight.”

“Yeah. Let’s do this, Raid.”

“Right with you, Jasik.”

With those words, we clashed.

He aimed a swift shot for my head, but I brought Gram up one-handed at the last second, blocking it, and then twisted my wrist around to bring the blade under my control. At the same time, I jabbed forward with Gram, but Raid jumped backwards, dodging the stab. I took advantage of the retreat to press my attack. I kept up a lighting rain of stabs and slashes. Raid dodged most of them, and blocked what he couldn’t dodge.

He kicked out at my feet, but I leapt to my side to evade. Now it was Raid’s turn to pursue the offensive. I managed to block most of his attacks and sent one blade into the other, fouling up his other strikes. Neither of us could hit the other, but neither could we get any distance for breathing space. Do you remember what I said about my battle with the Chief? Scratch that. This was a battle of pride. This was a clash, not of people, but of souls, both of which burned fiercely, similar to the pyres of the sun’s fury.

Gram’s sword blade lashed out to block Raid’s left-hand sword. I wasn’t sure at which point I had changed Gram, so intense was my focus on the fight. I didn’t see small details of what was around me. Time had slowed around us. The only thing that mattered was the fight. I blocked one blade that was aiming to eviscerate me when I saw the other hurtling toward my head again. Time slowed for me then. I felt, more than saw, one of Gram’s blades block the oncoming attack. The two blades met with a resounding crash. When I chanced a small glance, I saw that the other of Gram’s blades still blocked the first wave sword. I looked at my hands. My left hand held the grip of a sword, the circle-shaped guard being the moon half of Gram’s head. My right hand held the sun half with an identical grip and blade as the other.

What the hell?

“Boss, I dunno why I’m like this, but I’d say it’s an improvement, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, but that still begs the question.”

“How about you fight now and puzzle it out later, huh?”

“Good idea. Let’s go with it. You with me, partner?”

“Always, Boss. Always.”

I spun my new swords in my hands, and then clashed the blades together, crossing them in front of me in a guarding position. Raid looked shocked to see me using two swords instead of one or my usual lance. I grinned, and he answered mine with one of his own.

The battle raged anew.

This time, we met with a new energy, weaving separate webs of metal and intertwining them. Blocking, slashing, evading, stabbing out, sliding to one side, and ducking. Our feet were moving in steps similar to a dance; our arms moving in complex, unseen patterns. Our blades met in a struggle, each of us pushing, pushing. He had no intention of losing, and neither did I. Our eyes were locked in a gaze so intense, that I wouldn’t have been surprised to see sparks.

I was so absorbed in the fight, that I didn’t notice the crisis coming until several voices in the crowd started screaming.

Raid and I broke our locked stances and jumped back. We both looked skyward, as a loud rumbling was coming from that direction. There, flying toward…no, barreling towards the arena was a dragon. Now, I say it was a dragon, but that might not give you the proper scope of what the thing was, or how terrifying it looked.

First, picture your typical dragon. The beast making its way towards us was twice again as large as that. Its skin was covered in countless scales, each of them a dull reddish-brown- the color of dried blood. Its mouth was full of fangs, each as long as Gram, and each jutting out in a different direction from its neighbor. The eyes that were in that terrible skull burned with anger, a desire to kill, and damn the consequences. The horns on this same skull were huge, one on its snout, and at a corner of its head, near where its brow ended on each side. With each beat of its dreaded wings, the very air shimmered and burned from the intense heat of the Creature.

I looked around quickly, and saw the crowd starting into a panic. The noise from the crowd was growing, providing the beast with a new way to pinpoint them. If the records I had read were accurate, then the beast would be hungry, and an arena’s worth of soft flesh would be just the thing it was craving. My eyes darted to and fro. Even the Hunters were becoming panicked. This was rapidly becoming an even worse situation.

It was then that a voice rang out across the arena. I didn’t even realize that it was my voice until I saw the other Hunters staring at me.

“HUNTERS!” I roared. Countless eyes turned towards me. I came up with a plan, and had to hope it would work.

“Hunters! Guide the citizens and representatives inside the main building! Try to keep them from stampeding!” Imagine my surprise when I saw the Hunters snap back to normal and do as I had ordered.

“Jase, what should I do?” Raid asked. I turned toward him. He was looking at me intently, waiting for an order.

“Help the others get the people inside. Then, rally our troops into formation. This thing’s big, but I’m sure we can bring it down. Organize our long-range troops into a force, then quickly move them out here to try and fell the beast, but don’t kill it.”

“What’ll you do while I’m taking care of all of that?”

I hadn’t thought about that, but my reply came readily, “I’ll keep it busy somehow and distract it.”

“Jase, that’s suicide! You’ll never live if you try to fight that thing!”

“I can take care of myself, Raid! Do as I ordered, Hunter!” I hated pulling rank, but it was the only way to get Raid to go. He gave a sharp nod, and then began helping the others herd the crowd into the main building. Elise came running up to me, Terry in her grasp, by which time the dragon had finished another lap around the arena, trying to sight its meal

“Jase, here’s your weapon. You might need it. I’ve already heard your plan. If you insist on fighting that dragon, you’ll need all of the help you can get.”

“Great, thanks! Now help Raid.”

“Like hell! I’m staying with you, Jase.” I noticed the defiant glow in her eyes.

“No, you’re not, Lone Hunter Elise Verianna Wells. I outrank you, and I’m ordering you to go inside with our other long-range Hunters until Raid can organize a force to bring that thing down!” She hesitated, torn between her Hunter training and leaving me to fight alone. I pushed her in the direction of the main building. She turned toward me, her eyes gleaming. I glared at her until she turned and left to obey my orders. I felt like an ogre for doing that, but there was no other option if I wanted to keep her and the others safe. I belted Terry’s holster around my waist and placed Gram (who had reverted to a lance by now) on my back.

Time to bring down a dragon.

I wouldn’t kill the Creature. It wasn’t evil; it was just acting according to its nature. I glanced back up at the thing. Having been deprived of its meal, it was now roaring loudly. It did, however, spot a lone figure in the ring below; me. It trumpeted a reverberating cry and dived below. Its landing was less than graceful, but the ground beneath me trembled with it. Seeing the beast close up, I felt tiny. My stomach dropped. It was even bigger than the dragons I’d read about, and its scales were serrated. Its breath was odorous, smelling of sulfur and brimstone. All of which meant that this wasn’t a dragon; it was a wyrm.

A wyrm is to a dragon what a mountain is to a hill. Wyrms are some of the oldest of dragon kind, and had the experience of years that most dragons would never have. They were the largest, strongest, and most devious of their race, and not in a good way. Wyrms were twisted, evil creatures (which I know clashes with my earlier remarks, but trust me) and were merciless beasts. I suddenly wished I had worn brown pants that day. I managed to keep my bowels from rebelling against me, but it was a narrow escape.

The eyes that I had mentioned before locked onto me. A deep scarlet, they were each larger than my head. I gulped down my apprehension and readied my stance with Gram.

“Boss, how are we gonna take that monster down?”

“Well, if you have any bright ideas, Gram, I’m open to suggestions.” He didn’t have any remarks to make. I had finally rendered Gram speechless, and I couldn’t even enjoy the victory. Damn the luck. The beast sucked in a deep breath, and I dashed out of the way before I could become a Hunter Crisp. However, instead of the usual gouts of flame that I had expected, it breathed out a cloud of noxious green gas. Where the cloud made contact with the ground, any and all plant life withered and died. It could breathe clouds of poison. This was just my luck.

I really should have worn those brown pants. I was having excessively many narrow escapes.

I couldn’t just stay on the evasive, so I charged forward. Its tail, covered in spikes and more serrated scales, swept the ground toward me, but I managed to jump over it and keep running. I got to its body and stabbed forward with Gram. His tip bounced off the scales, leaving them unmarred and left me with a tingling sensation that traveled up my arm. The blow did, however, get the beast to notice me in earnest.

Its wings spread out, knocking me aside and allowing the wyrm to take flight again. Knowing I’d stand no chance with it in the air, I drew Terry from his holster. I quickly switched from his current ammunition (tranquilizers, which were worse than useless here) to the laser card I carried. I spun Terry around my finger, gunslinger style, and aimed at the retreating beast. I didn’t aim for its body, but its wings. I fired off two rounds, and then watched as the wyrm twisted in midair to dodge. I let out a curse, and then fired off a few more shots.

The wyrm did a quick U-turn, and dove for the ground. I jumped to the side in time for its claws, which, by unfortunate coincidence were also serrated on the inside curve, from gutting me. As its tail passed, I was struck by an idea. I ran up to the tail, gathered my legs beneath me, and jumped for all I was worth. I grabbed onto the tip of the flailing appendage and started pulling myself forward, towards the wyrm’s massive bulk. Terry and Gram were still on my person, so I used Gram’s head to act as a climbing pick.

I kept climbing, heedless of the distance we’d climbed upwards. I didn’t chance a look down. I made my way to the spot on the wyrm’s shoulders, where the wings joined the body. I clamped my legs as far around the thing’s neck as I could to keep my balance. Thus far, it hadn’t noticed my presence. I hefted Gram in my hands.

“Boss, are you sure about this? I’m not a hammer, you know.”

“Jasik, if you do this, you’ll be in danger. We are currently at fifty thousand feet altitude, and climbing.”

“I know, you guys. Nevertheless, this monster needs to be brought down. This just happens to be the method at hand.”

They fell silent. I moved my shoulders around (gods, it was cold up here) and took aim. I swung Gram as hard and as fast as my body could manage. It wasn’t enough. I had forgotten to take into consideration the toll my fight with Raid had taken on me. The blow, which I had meant to be crippling, merely glanced off the solid bone ridges of the wings. I swore harshly under my breath. I pulled Terry from his holster again and turned the dial on the gun from a wide burst to a more concentrated one.

I aimed at the joint and fired. The only result was that the scales beneath me heated up to a pleasant temperature, which, at this altitude, was more of a comfort than you’d imagine, under the circumstances. The beast was circling HQ, and it was gathering its breath for another cloud of poison gas. If it released that breath up here, with the wind diffusing the cloud, everyone in HQ would suffocate or die from poisoning. My eyes widened with shock, then narrowed with rage. How dare this Creature threaten my friends and home! Screw sending it back, I was going to kill this b*****d! As I have said, wyrms are evil, merciless creatures, so sending it back was no longer an option.

Don’t give me that look. I am all for sending Creatures back where they belong. However, this beast was blight, an abomination, a mockery of the noble dragons. It wasn’t a Creature, but a Monster. Monsters were rare, but not unheard of. They were Creatures that had betrayed their clans and had turned their backs on the ways of the past, the unwritten coda that had been established at the time of the Great Creating, when time had first started moving. They were the true darkness, the real things that went bump, scratch, and growl in the night. The Hunter’s Law, the written coda we Hunters followed, dealt very strictly with Hunters who broke the law and killed a Creature. Monsters were a threat to all, though, and fell outside that rule.

Therefore, this beastie was fair game.

I carefully climbed to my feet. I held Gram at the ready, having him in a reverse grip. I stepped towards its head, careful of its movements and my footing. It had stopped circling, and instead hovered at a high attitude. When I got to its head, it was finishing drawing breath. I spun Gram in my hands and then stabbed downward, towards the beast’s unprotected eyes. I felt the impact of Gram’s point driving home, beyond the eye and into the wyrm’s brain. When it opened its mouth to breathe (totally out of reflex, I was sure), I drew Terry and shot laser rounds down its throat and into its chest. I barely managed to hold on as the beast bucked, screaming its death knell, but since the rounds I’d fired had shredded its throat, it came out as more of a gargle.

I felt a swift surge of triumph. Nobody had ever come close to felling a wyrm, especially as one as ancient as this one seemed to be. It was at that point that I realized that we were over fifty thousand feet in the air, and with as large a body as the wyrm had, it would hit terminal velocity in a few minutes. We fell, the wyrm spiraling downward in a corkscrew pattern. I wrenched Gram free from the skull of the body, his head covered in blood as black as tar. I held onto one of the spikes on its back, thinking that I was going to die.
We were at roughly twenty thousand feet when the wings of the beast opened one last time; a muscle spasm, as the beast’s brain was no more. At ten thousand, I felt light-headed. At five, I closed my eyes, wishing that I could have spent more time with Raid and Elise. Sometime during that moment, I blacked out. As the darkness took me, I wondered if my parents would be proud of me.

It was dark… darker than dark. I was floating in a sea of darkness. Suddenly, my feet hit something solid. I realized that I was upright. As I looked around, it was still too dark to see. I couldn’t see anything but darkness, if that makes sense. I took a step forward, and felt my foot hit something solid. As I stretched my hand forward to feel what it was that I had run into, a light suddenly flared in front of me. It wasn’t that white light people say comes when you die and are about to go to Heaven or whatever kingdom you go to if you’ve lived a righteous life. It was a red light, more like scarlet. It was the red of Hell or Hades.

I jumped back, startled. I reached for Gram, only to discover that he was missing. What a time to be unarmed. The light in front of me coalesced and began to take shape. In the time it takes to draw breath, the light took the form of a pair of eyes. My head suddenly began to scream in pain, as though someone were taking a lance of fire and shoving it between my own eyes. I clutched my head with a cry and fell to my knees. The eyes seemed amused, almost pleased. From the darkness, I heard a sound almost like laughter. Then a voice came.

“So, you’re the sacrifice I’ve been awaiting,” it said. I couldn’t do anything but tremble. Whomever the voice belonged to, he had Power, with a capital “P.” “I have waited a very long time for your coming, my boy. You could not fathom how long. Now that I see you, I must say that you do resemble him in a way. Hmph. Yes, you will make a worthy vessel. Now, come to me, boy. Join me and let me in.”

My body then began to move on its own, ignoring the scattered commands I sent it. My head was still awash with pain. My body walked ever closer to that dreaded gaze, that terrible power. I could not stop as myself from going forward, closer, ever closer. I could see the surface the eyes came from. It was a mirror. The mirror was fully twenty feet tall. Half as wide, its frame was covered in ornate designs. Golden vines, leaves, and small Creatures decorated the frame, every inch of the accursed thing radiating evil.

The mirror’s surface was reminiscent of a black lake. It was still, calm, and, aside form the eyes, totally empty. The eyes themselves were mirrored (no pun intended) points of flames, burning with…no, it couldn’t be. I knew, with every fiber of my existence, that going towards those eyes and “letting him in” were very, very bad ideas. Catastrophic, really. I had almost come into contact with the mirrors surface when it rippled like water. My right hand, despite the frantic commands I was sending it, reached for the ripples. A split second before I felt that no doubt cold surface, I heard a voice calling my name.

The being in the mirror roared and screamed out what could have been construed as curses in a language I didn’t know, but sounded familiar. The calling became almost frantic. I could feel myself lifting from the stone floor and gliding upwards, toward a new light, one that I knew led to wakefulness. I closed my eyes as the light became unbearable to look at.

“Jase! Jase!” the voice continued. When I opened my eyes, I saw white. White? I looked around and saw more of the same. I tried to sit up (when had I gotten onto my back?) but a hand pushed against my chest and forced me down. I followed the hand to its owner. It was Elise. Raid stood a few feet behind her, a look of concern on his features. Elise’s face was worse off. Tear tracks made strange lines on her cheeks, and it looked like a few more might fall. Her eyes were very bloodshot, and whatever make-up she had worn was smudged and blurred beyond all recognition. Some girls looked beautiful when crying. Elise wasn’t one such girl. As I had thought, a single tear made its way down her face.

A hand reached out and caught the tear before it made half the trip. It took me a moment to realize that the hand was mine.

“No more tears, please,” my voice was rough, though from emotion or disuse was anyone’s guess.

“Jase, you’re okay, now, right?” she asked. Was I okay? I couldn’t really say, and I told them as much. They glanced at each other for a second.

“What happened?” I asked. “The last thing I remember was falling with the wyrm after the fight. After that…I remember nothing.”

“Jase, it was amazing!” Raid enthused. “I had just finished rounding up our troops and gotten them outside when we heard that Monster’s death scream.”

“When it started falling, everyone thought that it was coming in for another attack, right up until we noticed its odd pattern of movement.” Elise continued.

“By the time it crashed, we had pretty much figured that you were up there with it, fighting. We knew for sure when you rolled out from under the thing’s wing a few seconds after it landed.”

“We all thought that you were dead, Jase. You were so pale and still. The Hunt Master appeared out of nowhere and picked you up.”

“You’ve been here in the Infirmary for four days.” I was in the Infirmary. That would explain the eye blinding amounts of white. Four days, though? I had been out of commission for four days? My muscles were feeling stiff. I turned in the bed and stepped down. Mercifully, I was clad in slacks and a tee, so there was no awkward moment. I walked, only slightly unsteady, to where I could see my clothes on a chair. When I picked up my jerkin, I noticed a few tears in the fabric. The wyrm’s scales must have shredded through. My undershirt was in better condition, but I wasn’t going to be wearing it anytime soon. Both were liberally coated in wyrm blood.

I pulled a face and deduced, based on the shape my shirts were in, that my pants had suffered as well. I breathed a sigh and dropped my shirts back on the chair. These had been my favorite outfit. I looked toward the other two. They both had odd expressions on their faces, as if I might fall out in a few seconds.

“You say the Hunt Master brought me here?” I inquired.

“Yeah, he did. I dunno where he came from, but he was right there when the rest of us started gathering,” Raid said. I pondered this. The Hunt Master had indeed been nowhere in sight when the wyrm appeared. It took Raid saying something about his appearance to make me think about his disappearance. He had practically run away from the stage just before Raid and I had started fighting. That train of thought reminded me.

“What about the Tournament? Is it over?”

“Dude, it’s been over since that Monster was buried.”

“Damn. I guess I’ll have to wait until next year, then.”

“Ah, that’s right!” Elise exclaimed. I stared at her. “The Hunt Master wanted to see you just as soon as you were up and about.”

“Well, I’ll have to go to my room and change, but I can go quickly. Ah, where are Gram and Terry?”

“In your room, resting,” Raid answered. I breathed a sigh of relief, then bid them farewell and left without a backwards glance. I rushed to my room, and shut the door behind me when I got inside.

“Boss, you’re awake!”

“Jasik, welcome back!”

I felt warmth inside, knowing that I had been missed. I walked over to where Gram and Terry sat in their stands. Gram had been cleaned, and shone with new polish. Terry had also received the same treatment. I quickly explained where I was going, then went to my wardrobe to find suitable attire for the visit.

“I dunno if that’s a smart idea, Boss. If what you suspect is true, then it could be a trap to finish what that wyrm started.”

“I know, but if I don’t go, I can’t get any info. I think the risk is worth it.”

“Jasik, if the Hunt Master called you, then he probably won’t try anything overt. Otherwise news will travel, and he will lose face and command,” Terry opined.

“Exactly. If he is trying to kill me, then he won’t do it while I’m in his chambers. Someone would find out, and an investigation would send him packing. He won’t try to polish me off just yet.”

“Still, it’s a risky spot, Boss. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“As sure as I can be, given the circumstances.”

“Okay then, Boss,” Gram said, resigned. I tried to find some way of reassuring him, but I couldn’t find anything. Why bother? I was most likely going to die at the hands of the Hunt Master, no two ways about it. I dressed myself in my more formal attire, my dark gray boots, pants, and shirts. I tied my cloak about my neck, purely for the billowing effect it would have. When going to face one’s enemy, it never pays to under dress, and the intimidation I would have would be very, very, very low. Microscopic, in retrospect. Refreshed and ready for an a** kicking (or so I hoped), I strode purposefully toward the official chambers of the Hunt Master.

Sorry to keep you waiting, loyal readers! As a reward for your patience, though, I'm including a bonus chapter, so enjoy!



Chapter Seven:
The Centaur’s Tale

Now, where to begin? I have asked myself this several times, and have found the beginning to the troubles now plaguing the Creature Realm. It started several months ago, when I and mine clan were crossing what, to you, would be known as the Great Plains. It was midday, and we had travelled far, covering several dozen leagues at least. We had stopped at one of the many watering holes that cover the Plains for the day. All of a sudden, and keep in mind it is midday, the sky darkens.

The darkening wasn’t caused by cloud-cover, nor was it from one of the larger Creatures passing overhead. This darkness was more on par with the sun of our world growing dim. I see thine eyes widen, Jasik, but I assure thee, this is no jest. Yes, the sun had seemed to grow dim, as though it were out of life. It took all of my command to keep mine clan together. After a while, the light returned to us, but the memory of darkness remains.

Several days later, we had come to guest in the village another clan with whom we were at peace. During our stay, a great Monster attacked, taking many lives and laying waste to the village. We drove I back, but the damage it had caused was extensive, and it fled to the south. As guest, I volunteered myself and several of mine finest archers to hunt the beast down. We tracked it over many days to a cave that was known to us. Many the brash young Centaur had ventured there to prove his courage, but few returned. Those that did came back to us broken, bereft of all reason and will. The Broken Ones, as we came to call them, died soon after, having lost all will to live. Knowing this, we had no desire to try fighting it inside.

One of mine engineers, a young colt by name of Listens to Song of Trees, devised a plan to flush the dread beast out. He made a catapult to throw jars of Pure Flame, a magic substance known to burn even underwater and to illuminate even the deepest darkness, into the cave. The catapult worked well, and the beast soon fled its shelter. It was a grotesque thing, fit for no mortal or divine eye.

It was twice the size of the cave mouth, and when it reared, it began to sneer. Its lower body was that of a serpent, its arms resembling those legs of a bird of prey. The head mounting this horror was atop a chest of thick fur, reminiscent of a mammoth. The head itself was of a nightmare. It was essentially humanoid, but bald with great, curling rams horns, shark-like teeth, and its yellow eyes were aglow with a twisted, fey light. Great black wings surmounted its back, giving it a more twisted shape. It exuded a smell, if not an aura, of madness and evil.

Several of mine clan went mad upon seeing it, animal fear driving out all logic and thought. Others regurgitated, heaving on the ground, unable to control their reaction. I myself felt the primal fear well up. I launched an arrow at the beast, but its serpentine tail lashed out, knocking it to the ground. I held my hunting horn and blew. From the surrounding hills, many more Centaurs came charging. The beast tilted its head, confused, and then snarled in rage and derision.

It let forth a mighty bellow, a sound as impure disease, dark as death, and as loud as a mountain falling. Its wings fanned out, releasing more of that stench of madness. Many centaurs fell to their knees in fear; others also began to give in to the fear, dying in sudden attacks of the heart. More, however, fell in battle against this Monstrosity. With each sweep of its arms, a Centaur fell, with each lash of its tail, one of mine clan fell, his spine broken, never to run again. This, above all else, was the greatest tragedy to us.

To a Centaur, our ability to run is our freedom, if not our identity. To be unable to run, to be unable to gallop across the vast expanses of land, is a Centaur’s worst nightmare. Our archery is what we are known for, true, but our running ability is our most prized virtue. Without it, we are but lame animals. I explain this to convey to thee the true horror of this Monster’s deeds. I see that thou dost understand, young Jasik. Understanding is good.

I know not for how many days we battled the beast. I have no recollection of how many arrows littered the ground by battle’s end. Nor could I say how many bows lay shattered after the end. In the end, all we could do was drive the beast away, for we could not kill it. Its hide was either strong as steel or else enchanted to repel our arrows. Its grotesque wings carried it away, toward the mountains of the far north. Many of mine clan tried to hunt after it, but soon came back, dejected and thinking again, as they had left with an animal rage driving them.

We buried many, young Jasik. Over half of mine clan fell in battle. Others were wounded beyond our arts. Still more were broken, unable to move. Of mine clan, only those you see here nearby were able to survive. After several days, I gathered the eldest of the clan together, to discuss what that Monster might have been. The elders had lived long, yet even they did not know what the beats had been, as though it had simply willed itself into existence from the darkest part of our world.

Together, we tried to find other clans to joins us. We did not hunt the beast down. The last skirmish had shown us that we were no match for it. We found a number of Centaurs willing to join us. Our ranks grew back to a semblance of what they were. Yet we still carried scars. There were other battles with smaller Monsters such as the previous one, but those we managed to kill. Roughly a few weeks later, we found an odd phenomenon. We had been travelling into the foothills around the Younger Mountains, the mountain range that forms the boundaries between the northern and southern countries of the continent, when we stumbled upon it. It seemed to be a round hole in the air. I see from your expression that you know what this thing was. It is called a void? An apt name.

A few of the clan examined it, and found it to be harmless, though still mysterious. I myself looked through the portal and saw this jungle. I stepped through it, and ended up here. After mine entire clan came to This Side, we began to claim the territory. The rest of the story, thou art aware of.


I took a moment to ponder the story that the Chieftain had told me. If what he had said was true, and new Monsters were popping up out of nowhere within the Creature Realm, then things were serious indeed. I wasn’t sure about the references he made to specific locations, as there has never been a mapping expedition of the Realm, so the cave could have been anywhere from a desert to another grassland. I pressed him for more details about the Monster, such as what kinds of movements did it have, what sort of abilities it used. By the time he finished, I had a pretty good idea of what kind of Monster it was. The only drawback was that it didn’t sound like any species I’d ever heard of, and I had aced my Creature Studies 101 class back at the Academy. In a nutshell, I could identify almost any Creature you cared to name.

If I couldn’t I.D. the beast, then there was a strong possibility that the Monster had been created artificially. The thought scared me. If there was a person manufacturing a loyal army of Monsters, then it could spell certain doom. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that it was just a new species. My gut said that it wasn’t. That avenue of thought just gave me more questions.

Foremost, why would someone build an army like that? What conceivable purpose could a person possibly have to use such methods? Next was the how. To my knowledge, it was impossible to clone a Monster, let alone create one. What kind of person had made the impossible possible? The sunlight on my skin grew cold.

All of a sudden, the sky went dark.

I don’t mean like with cloud cover; the entire sky turned black, as though someone had suddenly turned all of the lights out. I remembered what Storm had told me and readied Gram. The hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood on end. I spun to my left, just in time to see a hole, a freaking hole, rip in the fabric of reality. A limb emerged from that hole. It was the scaly claw that one might see on an eagle or a hawk. Sudden certainty filled me with dread. The rest of the beast came slowly from the void. When it fully came from the void, I saw that it was a Monster similar to the one the Chieftain had described.

It easily stood over fifteen feet. At least, it would have stood if its lower body had been normal. Instead, I saw a scaly trunk, like a great serpent, covered in sickly green scales with black markings that made me sick to look at them. Its barreled chest was covered in thick, coarse black fur, like the body of some primal beast, but unlike the one the Centaurs had encountered, it had no wings. The arms attached to it were coated in black feathers, and the talons on its appendages were covered red, no doubt from a recent kill.

Worst of all was its head. Its shape was basically human, but it was bald and had great horns, like a bull, above its pointed ears. Its mouth was set in a permanent snarl and was filled with needle-like teeth. Where a nose would be was a bare patch of flesh. Above that, its eyes were inhuman. They burned with a hard, ambient green light. They searched around, taking in the sights before settling on me. It let out a bellow, shaking the ground beneath me.

Oh, hell.

I readied Gram, taking my stance, but I wasn’t overly optimistic. The thing reeked of evil, just as Chief Storm had said, and it was already starting to affect my mind, a vile voice whispering thoughts of madness and despair. I shook my head, clearing the voice out using a focus technique I had invented some years ago. I stuck Gram into the ground, and slapped my hands together. I concentrated on the sound, lengthening it and amplifying the sound. I allowed the clap to occupy my entire mind, drowning out the voice.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw that I was alone. In my state of focus I must have ordered the others to escape. I then heard, more than saw, a hailstorm of arrows speeding to the beast. They all bounced from the thing’s chest and arms. It let out a sound like rocks shifting. That must have been its equivalent to a laugh. I saw the Centaur clan raise their bows to fire again, and I lifted Terry to join them. I fired a few tranquilizer rounds at it, and was not surprised to see them bounce off, just like the rain of arrows. The thing’s skin really was either enchanted or was just that tough.

It was then that the heavens started to weep, the rain coming in a torrent.

I switched Terry’s ammo to laser rounds and tried those. Unlike the previous attempts, these rounds hit, I was sure, but they didn’t even singe the Monster’s hair. I cursed, and then dropped to the ground as its tail swung toward me. I felt the wind from it as the tail passed. If I had stayed standing, that blow would have swept my torso from my lower body. I gulped.

I rose to my knees, taking aim at the beast’s face in a sudden spark of inspiration. The Centaurs had its attention, so I went unnoticed. Unnoticed, that is, right up until I put several Sonic Devastator rounds into its hideous, nose-less face. The beast screamed in sudden pain. I made a quick mental note of where I had hit it, then rolled to my right as the dreaded tail came crashing downward. Gram was next, his twin-sword form already in my hands. I held them behind me as I ran toward the Monster. I jumped onto its tail (gee, this whole tail-climbing thing seems familiar), and then leapt to slash at the back of its head. One of the blades glanced off a horn, but the other connected with leather-tough skin. The ever-sharp blade bit deep, and the Monster started bucking, pain causing it to go mad. I held on for a few seconds, until I heard the whipping sound I’d been waiting for. Gram’s blade came free, and I jumped from the Monster’s back, turning in the air to watch as its tail crashed into that ugly skull.

It was gonna feel that one with a migraine in the morning.

I landed on my back, and rolled with the landing to get back to my feet. I drew Terry again, and fired more Devastators at those hate-filled eyes. My shots weren’t aimed, and several went wild, but enough connected to blind the creature, its eyeballs having ruptured with the shockwaves. Those crimson-stained talons clutched that face, and all the while it roared and screamed in pain while its own blood, an acid yellow, flowed from its eye sockets like nightmarish tears.

“NOW!” I yelled. At my command, countless arrows from Layana and the Centaurs thudded into the ground and into the beast’s hide. My gamble had worked. Those eyes had been endowed with an enchantment to stop projectiles. Without that protection, it was vulnerable. A musket shot rang out, and a part of the beast’s shoulder simply evaporated in a red mist. Next to go was one of its talon-bearing hands, courtesy of Edgesmith and Verol’s chain-sickle attack. Saru and Samord ran forward and stabbed the thing in the chest and the back of its trunk, no doubt hitting its spine, if it even had one.

Despite the damage it had taken, the beast roared again and rose. It spread its arms and roared once more, a primal gesture of defiance and rage. Needless to say, I saw an opportunity. I charged forward, Gram back in his lance form. My blood, my very being was afire with righteous anger and the need to deal justice as I saw fit. Time slowed for me again. I saw my actions as though through the eyes of another. I saw my arms raise, Gram being in a double-handed grip, one on the shaft, the other at the very end of the shaft, to lend power to the stab. Gram’s points drove forward, aimed for the Monster’s impossible-to-miss chest. The next instant, they were buried in that same chest.

I didn’t know the thing’s anatomy, but if it had a heart, I had just pierced it.

All fell quiet. The beast paused and, as though it could still see, looked downward, at is chest. I spun, changed my grip, and ripped Gram from that abomination’s breast. A yellow arc sprayed from the great beast. It let out a small snuffling noise, and then toppled, causing the ground to shake beneath me. I was breathing hard, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My eyes were no doubt open in a savage, berserker’s gaze. No one moved for the longest time. The rain was still coming, lightning flashing in the sky. The distant rumble of thunder echoed into the silence.

I fell to my knees, breaking the spell.

“Wow, Boss. That was amazing. I’ve never seen you so focused on a kill,” Gram remarked. I didn’t have the breath for a response. I simply nodded. I felt something soft and heavy over my back and shoulders. I looked up to see Samord, her face showing concern, draping her cloak over me to keep the rain off and my body heat in place. Her hands on my shoulders were gentle, almost affectionate. I stood, grasping the edges of the cloak, trying not to let it fall.

I heard a young Centaur whisper, “By the gods,” into the stunned silence. I ignored it and walked to where my comrades stood. Samord walked beside me, for which I was grateful. I felt as though I was about to pass out at the slightest provocation. My voice, when I spoke, was little more than a whisper.

“We’re done here. Mission accomplished. Round up our remaining supplies and move our wounded to the rendezvous point. Make the call to get us home,” I ordered. I turned to Chieftain Storm in the Night.

“Chieftain, we shall leave thee and thine to claim this territory for a short time. When such a time comes as when we can send thee back safely, we shall give thee ample notice. Until then, make thyself scarce around the villages.”

“Very well, Jasik,” he said. I noticed that he dropped the “young”. “Is there ought we can do for thee? Thou hast aided mine clan in bringing down a terrible threat, and thou hast given us a home here, albeit a temporary one.”

“If thou canst find it in thine hearts to help us move our wounded, we would consider it an even act, Chief,” I promptly replied.

“You ask for so small a favor? Very well, Jasik, consider it done,” The Centaur Chieftain rumbled. I nodded my thanks. With the Centaur clan’s help, we managed to make it to another clearing a few miles west of our position without incident, but the rain kept coming, even as the AirLift landed to take us home. The Centaurs had left us once the craft came into sight, but not before Storm in the Night had given me a gift. It was a small carved wooden arrowhead, inlaid with glyphs and symbols of importance to the clan.

“This pendant is given only to those who have proven themselves worthy, and never has it been bestowed upon a two-legged walker such as thee. Thou shalt be remembered by our clan, Jasik. Thy name shall be known to this clan long after the dust has covered our bones. Thou art now a part of mine clan, and have full rights and privileges as such. Should thou ever have cause to do so, thou hast only show this mark to another Centaur and mention my name. We shall endeavor to aid thee, and we shall so to our dying breaths,” he intoned.

I was staggered by the enormity of this gift. If what he said was true, then I was an honorary Centaur. That also meant that I was otherwise obligated to help any Centaur that requested it, but the benefits far outweighed the obligations. I thanked Storm gravely, and then bid them all farewell and good luck. As they galloped off, I put the mark around my neck, next to my pendant. I smiled a half smile.

Once we boarded the Lift, I almost threw myself into a seat before I realized I still had Samord’s cloak. I searched the Lift for her, and found her on the deck, looking out at the passing scenery. She spoke without turning.

“Jasik, have you recovered?” The question was layered in meaning, and I answered it as best I could.

“I think so. That’s never happened to me before, so it could take some time to tell.”

“I see. That was an amazing thing you did. Nothing we tried worked, and then you came like a bolt from the heavens and slew the beast.”

“I can see where that would seem impressive, but really it wasn’t. To be honest, that moment scared me. It was like I wasn’t entirely myself.”

“And you enjoy being yourself?”

“Well, I don’t dislike it, if nothing else. Ah, here’s your cloak. Thank you for letting me use it.”

“Keep it. The cloth looks good on you, and I have several spares at HQ.”

“Really? Thank you.”

“The cloak is a small price to pay for having watched you fight. I was absent during the Tournament, but I had heard rumors of your fights against the Section Chief and the wyrm.”

“You think too highly of me,” I muttered.

“Perhaps, but perhaps not. In any case, I look forward to your growth, Jasik,” Samord stated. She turned to me and planted a kiss on my cheek before leaving. I stood there, dumbfounded. It suddenly occurred to me that Samord was only a few years older than I was, having turned nineteen the previous autumn. I shook my head, derailing that train of thought, and walked back to my seat. Before sleep took me again, my last thought was that Elise wouldn’t be happy when she heard about this.

Chapter Nine:
The Council of Chiefs

I made my way to the Round Chamber, my feet flying across the cool stone of the floor. If the Council wanted to see me, it was probable that they wanted to hear my report themselves. Traditionally, reports only ever went as far as the Hunt Master. If the Council did want my report, then matters had just become a great deal graver. If the Council was getting involved, the number on my “danger-o-meter” just jacked up to heretofore unseen heights.

Events were moving apace, and it seemed as though many of them were revolving around me. That being the case, I needed to get to my information-gathering done soonest. The faster I could get my hands on the facts, and the information to put Xavius down and away, the better. My gut told me that a bigger threat was working behind the scenes, though. I doubt Xavius had anything to do with the synthetic Monster, if his reaction was anything to go by. That or he was one hell of an actor.

No, Jase, don’t make things even more complicated. Take things as they come until you have reason to suspect otherwise. And maybe if I kept telling myself this, I’d start believing it. Yeah, right. I shook my head and pressed onward.

Far too soon, I found myself in front of the large oak door that marked the Round Chamber. Its polished surface shone like a burnished shield on candlelight. It was covered in runes, meant to bestow clear sight, wisdom, and a number of other attributes for a fair meeting or, as its other purpose, a fair trial and hearing. I gulped, nervous.

The door opened without my having to knock. I stepped inside, and the door close behind me. Yeah, that wasn’t the least bit creepy. The sight that greeted me would have been more at home in a small forest cottage than a courtroom. The hearth glowed in the center of a crescent-shaped ring. The ring itself rose far above the floor. Torches shone every few yards on the rounded walls. It wasn’t called the Round Chamber for nothing.

At the top of the Crescent, each man sitting in a high-backed wooden chair behind a table that was a part of the ring, the five Section Chiefs.

The Section Chiefs were, individually, second in skill only to the Hunt Master. Because of this, the Council as a whole was often grossly underestimated. To the extreme left of me, sitting at one of the points of the crescent, was Section Chief Wall. His expression was carefully blank underneath his black hood of office. To his left, Section Chief Markra looked at me with a smile of encouragement.

Nothing was known about the man, save a penchant for jokes and some serious skill with a kusari, a chain. He usually kept his head shaved, and his trim white beard would have done a Japanese sensei credit. Despite his laid-back manner, he was the top assassin of the Council, and he kept his ear to the ground, a finger on the pulse, and an eye on the goings-on around HQ. Rumor said he could spot a liar from a hundred paces.

On the other end of the crescent sat Section Chief Graen. Where Markra was all laughter and openness, Graen never made speeches where a word or two would suffice. He was known as a withdrawn man and, much like Saru, let his partner weapons, a pair of tonfa, do all the talking through combat. His critical eye and tongue were much feared throughout HQ. His sour face glared at me.

Next to him, Section Chief Ayaname, Chief Aya for short, sat with his eyes closed. The Chief had a nasty reputation for being a pervert, despite being around fifty years old. He was, however, far from decrepit, with the build of a much younger man. He used a club, a freaking club, with devastating results. He was far from subtle, but he was widely acknowledged as a cautious fighter.

In the center of the crescent, sharp, dark eyes gazing at me, as though trying to pierce me with that gaze, sat Section Chief General Hawk Pierson. Chief Pierson sat with his gnarled hands in front of his wizened face, his finger laced. Like Xavius, his voice was quiet, but when he spoke, people listened. When he gave an order, it was with the authority of someone who knew his will would be carried out. He looked like a wizard from stories, with long, white hair and beard, and a flowing black robe, his symbol of office. His aforementioned piercing eyes gave him an intense aura.

Rumor had it that he had joined the Hunt decades ago, and had jumped to his current rank like lightning. Nobody knew his origins, and if someone did, they weren’t talking. His skill with a simple staff was legendary, and there was a tale about that he and Xavius had once fought for the title of Hunt Master. Supposedly, the former had won, but declined the title, instead taking the position of Section Chief General. Without question, Hawk Pierson was quite possibly the most dangerous man I had ever met.

“Apprentice Jasik, welcome. You are, however, a few minutes late,” Pierson said without preamble.

“I apologize, sir. I was called in to teach a class, and they wanted to hear about my tangle with that wyrm.”

“I see. The fact remains, however, that you are tardy. That it was in education of our students is a noble cause, but ultimately a poor excuse.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Very well, as long as there is not a repeat, we have no quarrel.”

“Thank you for your understanding, sir.”

“I myself was young once, though that might be difficult to believe.” Was it my imagination, or did a chuckle color his words? I almost missed him saying, “Now, to business. Jasik, we have called you hear for several reasons, foremost to hear a report about your most recent mission. We could get it from the Hunt Master, but I, for one, would like to hear it from you. Leave nothing out. Give us your report, your opinions, and your view. The more we know the better.”

I decided that I could get to like the Chief General. He seemed easy to get along with. I still had to be careful, though. I gave them my report, leaving nothing out. I spoke of my interactions with Storm in the Night, and of the mark he had given me. I went into extreme detail about the Monster as well. To be honest, I forgot about the other four Chiefs. It seemed as though I were relaying this to Pierson only. When I finished, silence filled the space. All five seemed thoughtful.

“It seems to be as we thought, eh Pierce?” Markra said a few minutes later.

“Indeed. Graen, what are your thoughts?” Pierson said.

“It would appear to be a resurgence of the Darkness to me, Chief General. I can think of no other way these Monsters would be in existence,” intoned the somber Graen.

“I agree with Graen. Our fears seem to have confirmed,” remarked Ayaname.

“And with the coming of the Darkness, it would appear as though its agents are also beginning to show themselves as well. Another Eclipse is coming,” Wall stated.

“Excuse me, sirs, but what is this Darkness you’re referring to?” I asked. All five turned to me quickly, as though they had quite forgotten that I was there. Feel the love.

“The Darkness, my boy, is a very old, very powerful nemesis of ours,” said Pierson.

“Careful, Pierce. He doesn’t possess the know-how to understand it yet,” Graen remarked.

“Begging your pardon, Chief Graen, but I also beg to differ,” I said without vehemence.

“And what makes you think that you have the right to know? What makes you think this knowledge has anything to do with you?” Ayaname asked in response without malice. I carefully considered my response.

“Because whatever has been going on these last few months has been revolving around me, directly, sir. I’m not stupid, and I’m not blind. The wyrm last month and the beast that appeared during my mission were too close together in timing for me to think it was a coincidence. My own promotion has also made me think that someone wanted me to be there, and not because they thought I’d be good at the job. They wanted me in a position of power for a reason. In addition, I’ve noticed some strange behaviors in the Hunt Master, which Chief Wall can vouch for me in that respect,” I said.

“Chief Wall, does the boy speak truly?” asked Graen. The jerk.

“He does indeed, Chief Graen. I myself have noticed something odd about our leader. Also, I know the boy personally, and he is far from the sort to fabricate any sort of deception. Yes, I do vouch for his honesty.”

“Then this raises a prickly situation for us,” Pierson said.

“Sir, if you believe me, then tell me this; who or what is this Darkness? I know I may not be the best suited, but if there’s any way I can help, I will. My options are limited, however, if I don’t know what I’m dealing with,” I pleaded. Chief General Pierson turned his dark gaze on me. I froze and straightened my back. Suddenly, Chief Graen was standing.

“That information, boy, is far too powerful for…” he started.

“You speak from your heart, Jasik. I can tell this by looking at you,” Pierson interrupted. “I am old, yes, but my vision is still sharp. I see you as you truly are, my boy, so lying is futile.” This may have been arrogant to hear if anyone else were to hear it, but I believed him. His vision was indeed sharp.

“With all due respect, sir, what is it you see when you look at me?” I asked. Sweat made my palms slick. Pierson took a moment, deliberating.

“When I look at you, Jasik, I see a young man of promise and full of hope. I see that you speak from your heart, and you speak openly and honestly. Your eyes are full of the light of life. You are among the best of our organization, yet you do not raise yourself high above others. You are passionate and kind, with only the best interests of those you care for at heart. I see also, the potential in you.”

“The potential for what, sir?”

“Power. Whatever else you become, Jasik, you shall, perhaps inevitably, become a man of power. The kind of power is up to you, but that is what I see. Because of what I see, I shall tell you what the Darkness is.”

“But sir, nobody outside of the Council is qualified to know this information,” Chief Wall said.

“Your affection for the boy does you credit, Herman, but it also prevents you from seeing that he is more than qualified to know this. He is no longer the small, smiling babe you raised, but he is now a Hunter, and almost a man. I say he is ready,” Pierson said with a smile. His raptor gaze turned to each member of the Council in turn. He drew a breath. I held mine, waiting for him to begin his tale of earth-shattering proportions. In a burst of raging anticlimax, he said, “Before I begin, I find the need for a short recess. All in favor?”

I almost fell out of my chair, like they do in those cartoons. When I righted myself, I saw Chief Markra standing at my side. I stood and saluted.

“Evening, young Jasik.”

“Good evening, Chief Markra. I trust you’re well?”

“Well enough, especially with that new apprentice of mine. He’s quite a handful.”

“How is Raid progressing, by the way? I’ve been meaning to ask him myself, but I never get the chance.”

“I’ll say this for the boy; he’s nothing if not determined. He usually completes his lessons much more quickly than I would have expected. He’s also thick-skulled; no matter how hard I drill him, he keeps going.”

“I agree with you, he is determined. He told me before we fought that all he wants is for everyone to acknowledge that he’s as good as I am.”

“Ah, I see. That’s quite a worthy goal, I must admit. You are, after all, quite an accomplished Hunter, Mr. Prodigy.”

“Ha-ha. A prodigy I am not. I’m just like everyone else.”

“Modest, too, eh? I envy Xavius, stealing you from the tutelage of an illustrious Council member such as me. I’ll say this boy, even if you had lost the Tournament, one of us five would have taken you as an apprentice. Even Graen, as cold and sour as that old man is, would have jumped at the chance to have you as an apprentice.”

“Really? I never would have guessed.”

“Bah! You’re good, Jasik, and not just skilled. Like old Pierce said, you’ve also a good heart,” Markra said, tapping my collarbone with a knuckle.

“Thank you, sir.”

“It cost me little enough to voice an opinion, boy. But you’re welcome all the same. And if ever you have the time, stop by my chambers. I’ve heard from your old teachers that you’ve a love for history, and I have a few pieces from my travels that would interest you.”

“I’d like that, sir. History always has been a favorite of mine.”

“Good, good. Say, why not bring your partners with you? I’d like to see firsthand what the top rookie of HQ can do.”

“I’ll not disappoint, sir.”

He clapped me on the shoulder, like an old comrade. “I’ll keep an eye open for you.”

“Got it. Ah, looks like the recess is over.”

“So it is. I’d better get back to my seat, then. A word of advice, my boy. Never go into the Council. Those seats are damned uncomfortable, all angles and sharp edges.”

“I’ll…keep that in mind.”

Chief Markra nodded his head and walked back to his “damned uncomfortable” chair. I almost giggled, but this was neither the time nor the place. Still, it was fairly close. The Chiefs took their respective places around the crescent. I stood from my small chair, as a sign of respect. I only sat when they did.

Graen was the first to speak.

“Well, boy, we have come to a decision. Though some of us were against it (Gee, I wonder who?), we have decided to tell you the truth. You do need to know what the Darkness is, and how to best combat it.”

“In order to understand how to fight it, you must first understand why we exist,” Ayaname interrupted.

“You have probably never thought of this, but the roots of our organization, The Hunt, lie deep in the past, intertwined with the fates of all humans, and with the Darkness,” Markra interjected.

“We were created, foremost, as the last line of defense against the coming Eclipse,” Wall intoned.

“And now, Jasik, I shall share with you the reason for our existence, the true purpose we serve, and the nature of our ancient enemy. However, before we begin, I must ask you; do you wish to know this? Having this information could endanger you, your partner, and everyone you care about. It could make you a target for those who wish ill to our organization. Being aware of the risks, do you still wish to know? We will think no less of you if you choose to decline.”

I thought about it for a moment. If what Pierson was telling me was true, then the repercussions could be well outside the scope I could comprehend. Raid, Elise, Mar and Larissa; all of them could be in danger. I might not always be able to protect them. On the other hand, this was information I could hardly pass up. Knowing that kind of info would give me a serious edge when it came to fighting this unseen enemy. I spent a few more minutes deliberating. I nodded my head and came to a decision.

“Chief General Pierson. Council of Chiefs. I want to know. If knowing this places my friends in danger, at least I’ll be better able to protect them armed with new knowledge. Tell me what I need to know. You’re the only ones who can.”

Pierson let out a small chuckle. “I knew you would answer as such. Jasik, you are truly a unique young man. Since birth I have been gifted with foresight; the ability to see the future. I cannot see the immediate future; rather I am able to see places and events years from the present. When I first looked upon you, when you were little more than a swaddling babe, I was struck with a vision.

When the vision came, I saw shadows, endless shadows. The shadows were consuming everything they touched, blotting out all life, all hope. However, in that deep darkness, which symbolizes our enemy, I saw a lone figure. In his hand, a glowing blade was apparent. I could not see his face, but I knew with certainty that he had power. The power of the Pure Light was radiating from his body, driving back the darkness. The shadows then coalesced, taking the shape of a giant. The figure merely raised his sword, and leapt to attack the giant. After that, the vision ended.

I believe that that figure was you, Jasik. The outcome of that titanic battle could not be seen, but the clash will be epic indeed. I cannot say with certainty if this future will come to be, or if it is merely a possibility. However, with the knowledge we are about to give you, you may be one step closer to fulfilling that dread destiny. Even so, I ask once more. Is this truly what you want?”

“Chief Pierson, my answer will not change, even if you ask me a thousand times. No matter the outcome, I will fight. In order to fight, however, I need to arm myself with as many weapons as I can. Knowledge is but one such weapon. Therefore, it is your choice about whether or not you will arm me with this weapon,” I said solemnly.

“Your eyes are set, and your heart and mind are true. Very well. With this tale, you shall be set along a darkling path. Yet you must never waver, you must never lose sight of your true path. And now, allow us to share with you the true history of our clan.”

Chapter Eleven:
Archives

A loud sneeze erupted in the total silence that, before now, had been dominant.

“Excuse me, chief,” Sethmore said. He had joined the team I’d put together yesterday, and he had been invaluable to the cause. Already, we had a nice, big stack of scrolls and books with information on past Hunt Masters and past events of note. Things were dusty, as you’d expect. We had been at this job for five days before Seth joined. Archives looked like an enormous library, stacked to the ceiling with shelves, and full to bursting with books, scrolls, and pamphlets.

“Not a problem, Sethmore, but are you sure you want to help with this? It’s just shuffling through old documents.”

“Bah, I’m getting too old for field duty. Besides, I’ll have you know that in my day, I was the top dog when it came to matters of study. I had this entire building’s sorting system memorized, and I could find anything in here in five minutes, tops,” the elder man replied.

“If that’s the case, I’m glad you’re here. After a few days in here, Samord, Saru, and I were getting overwhelmed. Everything was starting to look the same.”

“That just means you don’t know what you’re doing, chief. If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly do you need these docs for, anyway?”

“Can’t argue with that. I’ve never set foot in here before now. To answer your question, I need it for two things; foremost being the research Xavius wanted me to do. Remember that Monster that showed on our last mission?”

“Gods preserve me, yes. Our leader wants you to hunt up some facts on this beastie?”

“Yeah. Second, I’m thinking something’s wrong with Xavius. I’m trying to find records of his past, so I might be able to figure out what exactly is up.”

“I see. In that case, check Case 593, Row 402. Registry records from that specific time are there.”

“Ah, thanks a ton, Seth!” I rolled the ladder down that way, and looked through the referred row. It took some doing, but I found the appropriate section. When I got to where Xavius’s records should have been, I let out a venomous curse. Samord, being at a table nearby, looked up with a quizzical expression.

“Seth, the doc isn’t here! Someone must have removed it!” I yelled to him.

“What? That can’t be right. Here, let me take a gander,” he replied. A few minutes later, he swore.

“Some joker musta been here and removed it, and not long since,” he fumed.

“How do you know it hasn’t been long?” I asked.

“The dust on this shelf, right here where the doc should be, isn’t long settled. And it’s fainter than the rest.”

“I see. Is there any way of tracing who might have gotten it?”

“Not unless they signed their name into the damn dust layer. I hate when people do that!” Seth exclaimed. Hearing this disheartened me, as this was the one lead I had on finding out more on Xavius. Having it snatched from me was frustrating, to say the least. I jumped down from the ladder, landing carefully on the floor. I walked over to the table Samord and Saru sat at, sat down, and pulled a few scrolls over to read.

I might have also been here to look for dirt on Xavius, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to do the research he’d ordered. When I’m ordered to do something, I do it. The silence once more hung in the air, dominating all with its presence. If I didn’t find the information soon, I was going to turn into a hermit, secluded among the countless volumes of Hunt history. Given the recent events, that didn’t sound like a half-bad idea.

“Jasik, I think I found something,” Saru said, startling me. I walked over to where he was sitting, and he pointed to a spot on the scroll he was poring over. Whoever had written this, he or she had a small, neat hand. The document was a journal of sorts, written about the time of the Siege, around two thousand years ago. The copy Saru held had to have been at least fifty, making it a very good copy. The entry read:

They come daily, almost driven in their desire to overwhelm us. Their bodies are hideous, almost as though mutated from a fusion of many Creatures and native animals of our world.

“This looks promising, Saru. Good job. If you and Samord can, get more documents from this time period. Scour every line for any mention of these beasts, and bring it to me.”

Saru and Samord nodded and walked off. I continued to read the journal entry. The account was grim:

The Monsters, named Rebellions by our Hunt Master, Lord Marik Shallnan, are a most curious and deadly foe. They are large, being twice again as tall as our tallest Hunter. Their lower portions are seemingly those of the body of a serpent. Their torsos are covered in a coarse fur or a dense scale. Conventional weapons do no damage. Their arms are reminiscent of a bird of prey, and their heads are a twisted mirror of the human visage. Many of our order have fallen victim to these beasts.

They seem to exude a most foul stench, almost of madness. Their eyes seem to be enchanted to put fear into even the most steadfast of our number and seem to repel any and all projectiles, and their breath is capable of corroding even tempered steel. Some even have wings, making it all but impossible for most Hunters to hit them. Only our archers have had any fortune. Insofar as the war is proceeding, we are at an impasse, a stalemate. The gods only know how long it will last, however. The Rebellions seem to propagate at a most alarming rate.

Below, I have enclosed a sketch one of our artisans made before he gave it to me. Should these beasts ever arise again the generation that faces them will need to be prepared. I have also included notes on what weak spots seem to be present on their bodies.

Below the entry of the unknown Hunter, sure enough, was a sketch of one of the beasts, the Rebellions. Its structure was slightly different from the one I faced before, but it was undoubtedly the same species of Monster. Saru had returned by then with a handful of documents; Samord with an armload. Sethmore had, during my reading, seated himself opposite me.

“Alright, people, we’ve got more information than we did before. If you’d be so kind, could you help me cart these to my room?”

“Just so long as you put them back where they came from, I’ll help,” Sethmore said.

“We marked where each document came from with a special marker, so the dust will not veil it,” Samord said. Seth nodded his gratitude and grabbed a few documents. We divided the rest between us, and made our way to my room. On opening the door, I noticed an air in my room. I quickly put the docs on my bed and looked around, eyes darting to and fro.

“Gram, has anyone been in this room since I left this morning?” I demanded.

“No, Boss, there hasn’t been. I would have noticed anything in here that shouldn’t be,” he answered.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, partner, but…”

“You feel something?”

“Yeah. Oh, you guys can just put those docs on my bed. I’ll sort through them later.”

“Jasik, are you feeling well?” Samord asked.

“You are acting oddly, as though something is haunting you,” Saru input.

“You know you can tell us if something’s wrong, lad. If you’d prefer to keep it under wraps, though, we’ll not hold it against you,” Seth said, glancing around my room. My heart leapt into my throat. I was moved, plain and simple. These three barely knew me, but were willing to stand by me in an hour of weakness. At the same time, reality crashed around my ears, reminding me of the number of possible dangers.

“Thanks, you guys. But this is something I can’t share with you, as much as I’d like to. It’s just…far too dangerous,” I said slowly. “In the meantime, you are all dismissed for today. I’ll be in the Archives again tomorrow if you want to join me. I need to look through what we have now, before we go adding to it.”

They all nodded or shrugged and left. When the door closed behind the last one, I slumped into my chair at the computer.

“I feel old, guys. Really, really old. I’m sixteen feeling sixty,” I remarked. Terry popped up onto the desktop, his features showing concern.

“Jasik, you can’t keep this up for much longer. The stress your body is going through will eventually cause you to make a mistake. If you do that, you might end up dead, and others my fall with you,” he said.

“I know, but I can’t back down, either. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, with no exit in sight. Some days, I wish things could go back to normal,” I sighed.

“Well, we can at least copy what you’ve already found, right? Just place the docs on the scanner, and I’ll do the rest, Jasik.”

“You do that, Terry. Meanwhile, I’m going to the Hunt Master’s quarters. If anybody took the docs I was looking for, he would be the most likely suspect. As his Apprentice, I have free reign, so I shouldn’t have any difficulty.”

“I’ll be finished by the time you get back.”

“Good. I’d better get to it, then.”

“Good luck.”

With that farewell, I stepped out into the corridor and made my way to Xavius’s chambers. Before I got there, I spotted Elise heading in the same direction as me from the opposite corridor. I ran forward and caught up to her. She had apparently been preoccupied, and hadn’t noticed my coming.

“Oh, Jase! Don’t startle me like that!” were the first words she said.

“Sorry about that. Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you, actually.”

“Why? I’m still have my room, so you don’t need to come here to find me.”

“I see. I was looking for you because I wanted to apologize.”

“What for?”

“Well, when you came back from your last mission, I was acting like an ice-queen. I thought you and Samord…anyway, she somehow found out how I felt, and she came by my room to straighten everything out. Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’ve been busy lately, and I haven’t had time to explain.”

“Yes, Samord told me that you’ve been imitating a mole.”

“Eh? A mole?”

“Digging around in the muck of the Archives.”

“Ah, yes, that does make sense. Yes, I’ve been researching some things.”

“Like what? Maybe I can help.”

“I dunno. The research itself is dangerous.”

“I see. Jase, are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine. Where’d that come from?”

“From you. You’re acting weird, like you’re caged.”

Damn. Elise knew me well enough to spot me in a lie (not that I would lie. I hate deceiving people; it’s just not my style.), and trying to joke my way through it was out of the question, since she’d immediately spot a rat. As I was debating, she turned her back to me and laced her fingers behind her back.

“Jase,” she said simply. “If something’s bothering you, you can tell me. You can’t keep it bottled up forever. If you did that, it might end up destroying you. If that happened, I…I don’t know what I’d do. You’re my closest friend, Jase.”

Double damn it. Elise was right; we were close friends. But how could I tell her the truth and protect her? Alternately, how could I not tell her and still call myself her friend? I couldn’t, that’s how. But the truth was too dangerous, too hot. Telling her might mean her death, or worse. After quietly fighting myself, I spoke.

“Elise, I’ll tell you if you really want to know. But keep in mind, this is dangerous. It could force you to keep secrets, even from Marcia and Larissa. Even so, will you still hear me out?”

“Of course! You don’t have to tell everything, but tell me something.”

“Alright. If you can find Raid, bring him, too. You both need to hear this. And frankly, I’m starting to think I’m out of my depth. I’m getting scared.”

“We’ll both be at your room in the next few hours.”

“Good, I need that time to search for something.”

“We’ll be there.” With that, she left.

Hoo boy, this was getting hairy. Today just could not get…no, Jasik. If you think that, things really will get worse. So, I’m superstitious, so sue…no, don’t think that, either. I leaned against the wall and blew out a loud sigh. Things were getting heavy, alright. If this problem grew any more horns, I’d have to Hunt and mount it over my fireplace…if I had a fireplace.

I went into the chambers after a moment’s hesitation. I searched the bookshelves from top to bottom (no mean feat, considering they covered his entire back wall from floor to ceiling), but I didn’t find anything. The shelves were filled with a number of odd docs. He had treatises on Hunter cooperation, HQ building plans (suspicious, yes, but not incriminating), and even some books that looked suspiciously…adult. These were covered in a thick layer of dust, so it was safe to assume that they hadn’t been touched in a really long time. I didn’t know what they were doing there, and decided I would never know, because I didn’t want to know.

In a nutshell, my search proved fruitless.

I drew another breath and jumped from the ladder I had used. This dead-end search frustrated me, simply because it seemed as though someone or something wanted me clueless about Xavius’s past. I swear that someone somewhere hates me. Dispirited and ready for some sleep, I then remembered my quasi-promise to Elise. I gathered my thoughts, rearranged them in order, and then started towards my room.

Bedtime just couldn’t come soon enough.

Hey, everyone! Day here! As of this point, things in the story are going to take off. Events move apace, and some twists are in store. Can Jasik keep up, or will he be swallowed by the Darkness? And who could be the one who sneds those notes? The answers lie ahead! Enjoy, everyone!