(DISCONTINUED) Skyfall /// Beyblade Burst Fanfiction

Chapter 3: The Hunters

The hunters arrived at dawn.

There seemed to be infinite numbers of them. The ones marching forward at the front were dressed in long pants and shirts, while the ones at the back seemed to wear more normal clothing but their faces were shadowed by the taller ones.

"Who are you?" a Hikari soldier asked suspiciously.

"We are the Hunters," their leader said. "And I am the Snake God."

. . .

Twenty-four hours earlier, the Hunters were still residing in their base.

"They do not know of the threat," the second-in-command observed. "They act like all is normal."

"To them, all is normal," the leader reminded him. "They do not know what came of their gods, nor what will come to them."

"Ugh," the other said. "Are you sure about this? You have one hour to make up your mind and then there's no turning back."

"Yes, I'm sure," the first declared.

"It's not a good idea," the third-in-command grumbled. "They will learn without us."

"Stop," the first commanded. "This is what we are going to do. Got it?"

"Yes," the two muttered. "Snake God," one answered jokingly.

"Do not call me that. It is for intimidation purposes only. Here, my name is Ashtem."

. . .

"Ashtem?" Shu echoed.

The word was at the back of his head. Tantalizingly familiar, but just out of reach.

Free shrugged. "That's what I heard."

Despite his calm attitude, the name was familiar in his mind too, but for a very different reason. As soon as he heard the name, his memory sparked. It was frustratingly blurry, but clear enough that Free could imagine the voice. Which gave him no doubt Ashtem was the first man in his dream.

"Cool!" Valt chirped. "Do you think they bring food? I'm starving?"

"You wouldn't like what they have," Free said dryly. He had lived hunters and travelers before. Their food was nothing compared to the kingdoms'.

"Aww." Valt shoulders drooped for a millisecond, but then he perked up again. "I'll go find Honcho! And Wakiya! And Daigo! We can have lunch!" He bounced off towards the dorms.

"Free."

It was his father. Tall, regal, calm. He towered above Free. "He is coming with me," he told Shu. "Alright," the Kaen prince agreed.

Oh, am I?

But he followed his father without argument anyway.

"What is it?" he asked immediately.

His father's eyes flared with gold, which meant he was angry.

Mother's always said I'm better at controlling my temper.

A small surge of pride flooded through him. Being the son of the leader of the Ryoko Travelers, he had always had to be the best. When he first surpassed his controlling father, at the age of eight, he had felt like he could have ruled the world.

"We are leaving," he said stiffly. "Gather your things. Your mother and the others are waiting outside."

"Hang on," Free interrupted. "Going where?"

His father scowled. "We are leaving the kingdoms. Go alert the other students."

"No, no," Free said. "I got that. I was saying, why should I follow you?" He tilted his chin up defiantly.

"Because I say so," his father declared. "By the end of the day, I want to be out."

"Pity that won't happen." Free rarely lost his temper, but against his father and sometimes Lui, it flared.

"Free De La Hoya." His father was speaking normally to anyone who didn't pay close attention, but underneath was a layer of simmering fury. "I am your father and your leader. You will listen to me and follow the travelers. We have resided here long enough. It is time to leave. I tell you to go and tell your fellow student travelers."

"And I tell you I won't," Free snapped back.

Free's mother had been weaving her way through the school, looking for students from the travelers, when she stumbled across her son and husband arguing.

"You are coming," Free's father hissed.

"No," Free said defiantly.

"Free!" the leader almost shouted. His eyes blazed with anger. "You will come."

Out of the corner of his eye, Free had caught a glimpse of his mother. The graceful hunter slid into sight. "Leave him. We left some behind."

"Alright," his father relented.

His mother turned to Free. "You will have a new family in the future."

Little did he know, those would be the last words she would speak to him in a long, long time.

Barely five minutes later, his parents were having their final fight.

She whipped towards her husband, anger blazing in her eyes. Her calm demeanor was gone. "I told you not to force him!" she hissed. "How can you not notice how much he loves the colors and sunlight and animals?! You can't force him back into a colorless, lifeless world."

His expression is steely. "I know what is best for him."

"You think that living in a world where he's ordered around with no chance of being his own person is the right thing for Free?"

"Savannah, you're being stupid!" he yelled. "You an I know Free needs to have barriers. He needs to be controlled, or his powers will go wild. I can't allow that. He is too powerful."

"You're controlling him because you're afraid he will surpass you?" Savannah laughed incredulously. "You're being stupid, Gael."

"This is what's right. If you cannot accept it, leave and never come back. We would do better without you."

She stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open, but she regained her composure quickly. "Fine. Be like that. You'll never see me again, if that's what you want."

The golden silk scarf that hung around her waist reflected a wave of light.

And she was gone.