Hunter

by Joanna White

  I just barely caught the movement Hindah made flicking his sword back inside his belt. “Maybe that will help you remember.” He glared down at the now-dead Gredi in disgust.

  “You want me to uh…help them?” a voice right behind me asked. Whoever spoke was the one holding me.

  “No, Novarch. I think they can handle it now.”

  The pressure on my arms relaxed for a second, although I still couldn’t move my wrists. Two more Gredi replaced Novarch’s place holding my arms. I stumbled as they shoved me forward to face two huge creatures I recognized very well. They were the ones who had taken my brother away. The Gredi chained my hands in front of me, connected the chain to the creatures, and then they dragged me away.

  ***

  JARED

  “You’ve nowhere to go…” Kellarch held out his hands and ice slithered away from them. A massive earth wall circled around the group of eight prisoners, enclosing them inside with Kellarch, Becx, and I.

  None of them stood a chance.

  One scrawny man on the right grasped the wall and started climbing up. For a starving prisoner, he scurried up the wall faster than expected. With a shrug, I zipped over to him before the others could fully see me, and leapt into the air. As I jumped, I gripped the back of his collar and jerked him back down to the ground. The instant his back slammed against the ground, it cracked and blood pooled beneath him.

  Becx shot me a glare. “Jared. We’re supposed to toy with them.”

  I shrugged. Toying didn’t matter much to me, as long as we did our job and killed the prisoners. It seemed Becx and Kellarch disagreed, however. Even if I couldn’t read minds, that much would have been obvious by the sheer grin on Kellarch’s face as his ice snaked around the feet of an older and younger man—likely a father and son, or grandfather and grandson. Their thoughts wafted to me, and I realized they were the latter.

  “You can kill me, but just let him go!” the younger man shouted.

  “No…” The older man wheezed as the ice slithered across their skin. Frost gathered on his beard, and both of their skins turned a nasty shade of blue. “I’ve lived my years, but please, just spare him.”

  Kellarch threw his head back with a laugh. “Now, why would we ever do that…?”

  Becx lifted a finger. “Tell you what…” Becx trailed his gaze around the other five men each with earthlike chains around their wrists from his powers. “I’ll make a deal with you. The other five of you chose one of them to die—the old man or the younger one.”

  “We’ll never choose between them, you sick monster!” A man on the left glared at them in fury, veins bulging out of his reddened forehead.

  Becx wagged a finger. “Ah, ah, now, now. Don’t answer in such a rush. If you choose one of them to kill, we’ll let you go.”

  “You’re lying.” The younger man spoke through gritted teeth.

  I smirked at him with a shake of my head. “I can see into his thoughts. He isn’t lying…” Technically, Becx wasn’t. He truly intended to let the killer go.

  That wasn’t to say that Hindah wouldn’t be interested in taking him. Whoever had the will to kill his own friends like that might have Hunter-potential, after all. Either that, or he would let one of us kill him. But I simply watched the scene unfold and kept my mouth shut.

  With a wave of his hand, Becx released the five men from their earthly shackles, while Kellarch kept up the cold temperatures. By then, the old man and his grandson looked near death—their eyes fluttered shut and they’d stopped shivering. I knew all too well that a body eventually would go numb from the cold, and begin to shut down.

  At first, the five men exchanged a glance. The angry one whose face was still red charged toward Becx with a wild cry. But I sprinted behind him and slammed his head against Becx’s earth wall, shattering his skull. “Well? What’s it going to be?” I prompted.

  “Don’t,” a heavyset man muttered.

  A redheaded one shook his head. “Sorry… But I gotta live. I gotta.” Closing his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath and picked up a fallen dagger off the ground. Then, he plunged it deep into the old man’s throat.

  He dropped the dagger and gazed at Becx with widened eyes. “So, you’ll let me go now?”

  Becx nodded and brought his hands down. With the movement, the earth wall collapsed on top of the other three men, and the young man. Only the redheaded killer remained alive.

  “Th—thank you…” The man’s eyes widened and he darted off into the woods.

  Becx rolled his head and shot Kellarch a look, and then me. “Want to see who can kill him first?”

  Kellarch shrugged, and dispelled his ice. “You know I’m faster than you, man.”

  Becx placed a hand on his chest. “Ah, Kellarch, I made a promise, remember? I won’t kill him.”

  While the two prattled on, I disappeared into the trees and plunged my Inquiri blade into the redheaded coward’s heart.

  ***

  Hours later, Hindah mentally called us to meet with him right outside the ice-caves. He cast his gaze in the direction of the main gateway into Zagerah. “The Gredi picked up another one. Vinmir, come with me. Jared, you and the others split up.” He glared at all of us, yet there was a smile on his face, anticipating the upcoming kills.

  I gave him one quick nod and retreated into the woods. As I dashed through the trees, I scanned the area as far as my vision would allow. It didn’t take long before I found them—a group traipsing over logs and shrubs up ahead. I darted forward and climbed a thick oak, reaching the branch I wanted in just a few seconds. With my arms crossed, I stood on the branch and quietly looked across the other trees. From this high up, I could see the whole forest around me.

  I’m going to the caves. Most of them would head there for shelter, Malik told me.

  We could all communicate through our thoughts, able to reveal any thoughts we wanted to whomever we wanted. If the prisoners were smart, they’d know the caves would be the first place we’d look. It was obvious they’d need shelter, and the obvious shelter was the caves. How could they not know we would go there and trap them easily?

  I shook my head to focus on the task at hand. Uncurling the whip from my belt, I snapped it outward. It wrapped around the neck of one of the prisoners directly beneath me and all I had to do was yank on it. The movement jerked his body upward and suffocated him. He gagged and his feet dangled as he thrashed and tried to escape. Finally, his body stilled.

  “Cylo? Where’d you go?” The man left behind unsheathed a sword. His eyes gazed up into the tree—directly at me and his eyes landed on his friend’s body.

  I bent my knees to leap down toward him, but before I had the chance to jump, Becx sped toward him and had him dead on the ground by the time I blinked.

  What was that, Becx? I mentally asked him.

  Becx flashed me a wave with a wide smirk. Too slow, Jared.

  We all share the same speed abilities. So, even if you’d like to think you’re faster, you’re not. I rolled my eyes, but ignored him as he continued on through the woods. Strength, speed, simple telepathy… It was all a Hunter’s basic abilities. That and how well we could fight. Our similarities stopped there, though.

  Becx’s special ability was obvious, since he used it so much—power over earth. Likewise, Kellarch had powers over ice and could change the temperature around him. But not all of us had elemental-based powers. Or traits that were so subtle. Hindah’s trait was his tattoos, and with them, the ability to use them to cause pain to anyone that the tattoos touched. Others, like Novarch, had something more subtle. With him, his bulging muscles wasn’t anything new, but we all knew it contributed to his iron-grip ability.

  The problem was that all this power came with a steep price to pay. We all had our weaknesses, but we took extra precautions to keep that secret from each other and especially the prisoners. I was just grateful we all had something that could power-us up, in the event our weakness was used. But I was the only Hunter who knew what al
l their power-ups were—and what all their weaknesses were as well.

  Even with our weaknesses, we were unstoppable and no match for the prisoners here.

  They weren’t born that way, a thought formed in my mind.

  I blinked once to rid myself of it and scanned the trees again. Movement, in a tree to my left. Climbing ten feet higher, I jumped and landed on a prisoner’s back, which slammed him down to the branch. I slipped out my small dagger and stabbed him in the back of the throat. All of this took place within only a second. I stood and stared at the blood smeared on the blade. With a smirk, I wiped the blood from the dagger on the man’s back and then slipped the dagger at the belt on my waist. Quickly, I scanned the trees again.

  You get one? Malik asked me.

  Yeah, I answered him back, still looking.

  I don’t see anything from up here.

  His trait was known to everyone as well, only because it was too obvious to hide…His wings; and with them, the ability to fly. As for me… it was obvious that everyone noticed how my eyes were different; red-gold instead of black like all the others. Malik was the only one who knew about the ability that went with my eyes; to see through anything physically, including people, but also mentally being able to see into their minds, thoughts, and consciousness.

  Since there were only ten of us, most prisoners would assume that we were all close, that we all strategized and hunted together. Truth was, most of us didn’t even trust each other. The only thing we did trust was our ability to kill without mercy and to hunt without hesitation. And Hindah trusted our insight to follow all orders without argument.

  Hundreds of prisoners scattered throughout thousands of acres that belonged to the prison, and only ten Hunters. The odds seemed almost unbelievable.

  Except that the prisoners were no match for us.

  See anything your way? Malik interrupted my thoughts.

  Nothing. This one must’ve been alone.

  I jumped down off the branch and landed smoothly in a crouch on the moss-covered ground with a soft thud.

  The new prisoner just entered the grounds, Novarch told us all in synch.

  Along with the thought-communication, we could choose who to send the thoughts to. We could send it to one specific person, or as many as we wanted at one time.

  Malik landed, almost thirty feet to my right. We took off running.

  Do you want us to stay in the caves? Kehlarch asked Hindah but allowed us all to hear.

  Stay there and kill the ones hidden there. Jared, you and Malik go after the new one but follow close behind. Don’t attack yet; have some fun with this one, Hindah ordered us.

  Though I kept my face impassive, irritation grew inside me. I hated playing with them; I only wanted to kill them and end their fear, and the running they all hated so much. None of the others understood as much as I did because none of them could see into the prisoners’ minds as I could.

  Stopping behind a tree, I quickly looked through the trees until I saw the small group of people, where the new prisoner had been dropped off.

  There are others. They see him, Malik told me.

  I peered around the thick foliage. Sure enough, a couple of others were gathered around him. One helped him up, said something to him in a rush, and they took off together.

  I’ll follow close behind them, but without being seen. With that, I jogged around the tree I’d hid behind and trailed after the group.

  I’m goin’ up. With that, he flew up into the air, which I sensed rather than saw with my own eyes. Following behind the prisoners felt odd. I’d forgotten how slow it was to walk at a human pace. They had to walk slower than one of the prisoners, Lehlax, would’ve liked. However, the old one, Municx, understood. The new one had been dragged after the creatures, so he had to go slower because he was hurt. I glanced at the new one, looking into his mind, trying to figure out why Hindah had already taken another one so soon after a new one had already been taken. Maybe because he’d already been killed, but we had plenty of others to chase, so why?

  I focused on the new prisoner’s thoughts. Nothing. But I did notice how he desperately searched the faces of the others around him. Who was he looking for? Curiosity gripped me, as I knew it shouldn’t, and I sped up my pace to get within hearing range of their conversations.

  They spent several minutes introducing themselves to him and explaining to him how the prison worked. I followed them closely as they talked, patiently observing and watching everything. Malik flew overhead but did not attack. After several minutes of explaining, they began asking him questions.

  “What village are you from?” the old one, Municx, asked.

  “Averon,” the new one answered. His voice was different…. young. Even younger-sounding than the boy, Luke.

  Municx and Lehlax glanced at each other. They both knew something unusual. The new prisoner who had arrived just before this boy had been from the same village.

  I lifted a smooth eyebrow. Was that who this boy was searching for?

  Neither Municx or Lehlax were going to bring it up to him, though. Municx’s reasoning was that they shouldn’t assume the two knew each other; men were taken from the same villages all the time. Lehlax, on the other hand, kept thinking about how the first one was already dead, so it didn’t matter whether they told the new boy or not.

  “What’s your name?” one of the too-eager ones asked. I didn’t remember his name.

  “Dalex.” The new boy’s voice cracked and he winced—likely from the pain of how long he had been dragged.

  “How old are you?” The second eager one glanced at him.

  “What is this, an interrogation?” Dalex demanded, shooting him a glare.

  “Hey, hey. Calm down. We just like to know anything we can. The more we stick together, the easier it is for us to survive. Loners don’t last long in here,” Lehlax explained. “But Sine, Wexx… give him a moment to breathe.”

  No, groups make it easier for us to pick them off, I thought solemnly. I’d learned that the hard way a long time ago. Shaking my head, I suddenly became extremely focused on the conversation.

  “I’m nineteen, alright? Have you guys seen a man named Gabriel anywhere?” Dalex asked. The way he said Gabriel’s name…

  Prying deeper into his mind, I stopped dead in my tracks.

  I couldn’t see any of his specific thoughts.

  Vague feelings occasionally came to me, but I couldn’t hear literal thoughts from him, and even then, I couldn’t see feelings without concentrating. That had never happened before. I concentrated so hard that I wasn’t moving.

  He stopped suddenly and turned around, staring in the direction I stood. But there was no way he could’ve been looking at me…I was a good thirty yards back, concealed by trees, using them to blend in with the environment around me.

  “Dalex?” One of the prisoners stopped and turned to the new one.

  “I thought I saw…”

  “They’re always watching us. Come on, we should keep moving,” Lehlax murmured. Slowly, as if he didn’t want to, Dalex turned around and followed them.

  Can we attack? Malik asked Novarch.

  Make it fun, Novarch answered.

  Malik landed in front of them, cutting off their escape. I came out of the trees, hand on my Inquiri blade as I eyed them all.

  Malik grabbed one, Dorthar, I think his name was, and took off in the air.

  “Dorthar!” Lehlax yelled. I was in the shadows as he glared back at me, but I threw my dagger, knowing full well where he was. He dodged faster than I thought he could but was still hit in the shoulder.

  Municx knelt by him with his back toward me. I took out my Inquiri blade with my right hand and aimed it at the back of his neck. Sine and Wexx would come and try to fight me off, at least long enough to get Municx and Lehlax out of here. I had my left hand at the back of my belt, ready for them.

  The first one, Sine, came toward me, attempting to stab me with his sword. I turned, and using only one arm
, flung his sword away so hard it sailed it several hundred yards away deeper into the trees. Milliseconds later, moving so fast he couldn’t see, I took my hand and slammed it into his chest. He went flying backward and landed hard against a tree with a thud.

  Oops, I thought.

  I wasn’t supposed to kill any of them. To keep them alive to toy with them as Hindah wanted, I was going to have to ease off on my powers.

  I stood still, expecting Wexx to reach me next.

  “Not so fast,” a voice said in my ear. It wasn’t Wexx, it was—

  “Dalex, don’t,” Sine protested. He gasped with the effort it took him to speak.

  “Get out of here, Dalex. You have no idea what you’re up against,” Municx warned him. He glanced up at the Dalex, before turning his attention back to Lehlax and his wound.

  “Old man’s right,” I said. “You really should get out of here.” My voice was thick with threat and warning.

  “I’m not going to let you kill him,” he hissed in my ear.

  My left hand stayed frozen where it was, at the long dagger in my belt. I felt something cool against the back of my neck. How did….?

  My suspicions were confirmed when I heard Wexx gasp slightly in surprise.

  I smirked. “A sword. Where’d you find somethin’ like that? Your father’s closet, perhaps?” I asked him.

  The sword pressed harder into my neck.

  “Drop your sword and move away from him.” His voice, though light, was thick with warning.

  “I don’t think so.” The situation was completely laughable, though I forced myself not to.

  The sword pressed in harder.

  “You may stab me, but I can get a good strike in on Municx, maybe even have a chance to get Lehlax before I go down. I’m way faster than you can even imagine, boy. Don’t be stupid.” I flicked my left wrist closer to the dagger at the back of my belt.

  He hesitated. That was all I needed. Though my right hand, with my sword, was at Municx’s neck, the boy was my priority. I ducked forward, out of the range of his sword, and slid to the right faster than he could see with his human eyes. I stopped just at his right side. With my left hand, I reached up and knocked aside the boy’s arm, sending the sword flinging across the woods. Though I moved purposefully slow to keep from accidentally killing him, I still moved faster than he could follow.