Vampire Hunters

Chapter 6

Axel

I look around the swamp, scared out of my mind. I hear a far away voice call my name, "AXEL! C'MON!"
I run to the voice relieved that I'm not alone. The water tugs at my clothes like a homeless person begging for food but, I don't want to give it what it wants. I try to go faster using all my strength wondering how that person up ahead got out of this. I finally get at the edge of the swamp and see the outline of a little girl. She looks at me and waves her arms wildly saying, "C'mon you can do it Axe!" I put on more force and finally break free of the swamp's greedy embrace. I walk up to the girl and see that it's Jinx, her long blonde hair trying to blow into her young pretty heart-shaped face. I smile at her and ask, "So where's the royal carriage? I thought you said it was around here somewhere taking in new young recruits?" I then turn on her and say, "You damn well better have not been lying! 'Cuz if I got my clothes dirty and almost die for nothing you will..."
"Are you here for the recruiting?"
I whip around at the sound of that angelic voice and am practically knocked back on my ass at what I see. It was a girl with long silver hair almost kinda blondish in the light, her eyes a blue that seems like you can get lost in them for eternity, and her face like an angel's. I must have been staring because I got a hard nudge at my side from Jin and I try to shake my head clear as Jin says," This Axel is the princess so yes this is where we are recruited."
I stop shaking my head and see a amused look on the princess's angelic face.
"Welcome and thanks for the introduction miss...um..."
"Jinx ma'm"
"Oh yes! Jinx! Thank you again!" She gives us a smile then a curt nod then leaves us going to a carriage that's golden and beautiful with little diamonds shining in the sunlight. I watch as she leaves and gets another nudge in the rib and Jin says, "C'mon Axe lets go try out!" She runs towards the swarm of guys who are wanting to be recruited. After a while I run after her looking out for the princess in hopes to get to talk to her again.
"Hello my loyal subjects I am here to take in the only promising looking men into the ranks of our guards." I see the princess sitting by her mom, Queen Mia. She gives me a dazzling smile and I start to smile back when I feel Jinx jab me in the ribs and whisper, "Please....never leave me...." I look at her seriously and nod. She looks at me relieved and skips off to the front of the crowd. I look back to the princess but she isn't really paying attention to me anymore, because too many people were crowding around. I look for Jinx and hear a loud scoff as the Queen says, "Ha! YOU become a guard at the palace?!" I turn and see that the Queen is talking to Jinx, her eyes filling with tears.
"You are a girl." The Queen states like she thinks girls can't handle themselves. I look to the princess and she looks infuriated by what her mother was inferring, she tugged at her mother's skirts and exclaims angrily, "Girls can do just as good a job as any other boy mom!" The Queen sighs heavily and says in resignation, "Oh fine! You can join...but you Namine are responsible for any of her mess ups." Namine nods in agreement and I watch as Jinx climbs into the guard caravan. She waves to me then disappears back into the caravan completely. I wait my turn watching boy after boy either get accepted or rejected. Finally, it was my turn. I came up confidently, like Jinx suggested earlier before we got here, and stood in front of the Queen and princess to be either excepted as a guard or rejected. The princess gives me a big encouraging smile while the Queen evaluates me. With what seemed like an eternity, the Queen says, "You look promising...ok your in." I look at her dumbfounded but hurriedly walked to the caravan so she could not change her mind. I walk in and see Jinx and that she had saved me a seat by her and some other guy. I walk over to them cautiously and Jin says, "Oh yay! You made it!" She notices me looking at the stranger and adds, "Oh and this is Talon he also, of course, is a new recruit." He gives me a shy nod and I sit down in the seat by them. On the outside the caravan was all dusty and tough looking, but in the inside is red velvet and a few jewel incrusted pictures of the kingdom's best guards and generals. I look around in awe and see all the others look around and take in the surrounding too. I jump as I feel someone's hand over mine. I look and see that it's Jinx. She smiles gently at me and says, "This is great...." She looks like she wants to say more but turns her head away and I barely catch what she says, "....I love you Axel....don't leave me please...."
I feel shocked at her words but nod and she gives me a small shy peck on the cheek.
"Hey no PTA you two!" Laughs out Talon. I blush hard and turn away knowing Jin is blushing just as hard.

We arrive at the palace and we all look in awe as the jewel-like palace gleams in the sunlight.
We hear from the more trained guards tell us, "Ok now is the time for you to get all your stuff and go to the guards quarters!" We all nod and start to get our stuff when we all stopped and looked at Jin. The higher ranked guard looked at her complexed, "Hmmm....where do you go? We haven't had a girl guard since Meme and that was years ago...." We all wait for him to make a decision on where Jinx was gonna stay.
He says with a sigh, "For now you stay with the guys till we find you a place." He waits outside for all us to get our stuff. I finish gathering my stuff, when someone comes up and spanks me. I turn and see its Jinx. She winks at me and says, before she leaves, "Someday we may even be married."
I wake up my eyes wide open and my body sweaty. I groan and flop back into the bed saying, "God I regret everything about my childhood...."
I get up feeling weary and get into the shower, cinnamon pawing at the door like usual.

I get out feeling more like myself drying my hair while I try to put on my boxers. Cinnamon crowding around me so I shoo her away so I can get dressed. She leaves and I get my pants on, my hair finally dry, then I put a shirt on. As I leave I fill up her bowl and give her a rub behind the ear.

I go out into the corridor that leads to the lounge when I bump into, speak of the devil, Jinx. I retaliate fast and see the girl I used to know, the one who didn't practically who're herself to make me jealous, but sadly that girl leaves and is replaced with the thing she has become. She gives me a glare, gets up and leaves. I look after her wondering what's up with her, but shrug, get up and walk towards the lounge.
I hear giggling and yells of 'Yes!'. I go in and see that the football game is on and all the guys are drunk on acid, human booze don't work on us and acid doesn't hurt us but gives us the kinda buzz humans get when they drink. All of them clinking glasses and cheering their own favorite team on or in a group in the corner setting up their bets. I frown and start to leave, when Talon comes up to me drunk and slurs out, "Come witch thwe game whith ush!" I sigh and turn back, only to keep an eye on Talon so he can't do anything stupid.

Few drinks later and an hour till the guys finally notice the game is over, I help Talon to his room. He hiccups and sways all the way there, making it a bit hard for me, but we get there after what seemed hours. I help him out of his clothes and tuck him into bed. I sneak out so I don't wake him. Just about out the door, I see a smiling Namine. She comes up to me as I close the door and she gives me a passionate kiss, but just as quickly as it started it stopped and Namine smiles and says softly, "Thank you Axe...for taking care of Talon....Jinx told me he was wasted outta his mind...." I look at her shocked that Jinx did something for someone else but herself. We walk to my room holding hands and talking about how the game went, the stupid stuff the guys did as they were drunk, and who was 'It' on clean-up. We reach my room, she gives me a peck on the cheek good night, then leaves. I watch her as she leaves, my heart aching for her already. I open my door, take off all my clothes and go to bed hoping I don't have another dream about my childhood.