Into the Pit

2 - The Great Hunter

"Make way for the fearless hunter!" the boisterous vocals belted from the balding man's mouth, who marched through the crowded cobblestoned path.

The cheering crowd stepped aside, allowing enough room for the man to march swinging his hands to make a dramatic appearance of moving the crowd. "Make way! Hunter and beast coming through!"

Zach's eyes squinted through the surplus of sudden sunlight. His head reverberated with each loud cheer and sound. A large gash over his right eye, allowing an ever-slowing stream of now coagulating blood to stream down his face and neck, only to be absorbed by his once dark green shirt, the color of the Hunters.

Zach slowed to a stop before readjusting his grip upon the pulley that carried a large wooden crate. It teetered to and fro as the monster within let out scream after scream. This beast was a lively one. Even for his small stature, he sure put up a good fight against Zach. His honey brown eyes peered upon the entrance to the palace. His head pounded with each step, wishing to just get inside the palace so he could drop off this beast, collect his award, and get some much needed rest before his next mission.

"AH! Hunter Zach! My most accomplished hunter!" The Elder Leader greeted as Zach marched in, crate in tow.

"Leader," Zach bowed. "I have brought a gift, a monster for the Leaders of the kingdom."

"Splendid, splendid!" Leader croaked. "Leave him here, I shall have my servants tend to the beast."

Zach bowed his head and did as ordered, collected his award, before returning to his quaint home. His stomach growled, however his pounding head triumphed, food will have to wait, it was sleep that demanded his attention most, as it had been 2 days since he had left for his hunt.

Zach grabbed the pen upon the counter, added another tally mark upon the paper that hung on the wall, marking 32.

"Another one down Maddie." He muttered as he laid upon his couch, "I won't stop until they're all gone Maddie, I promise." With that promise his head hit the arm of his couch and he fell into an instant sleep.

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

"Hey! There's the champ!" The familiar voice greeted Zach as he entered into the hunter training grounds. His dark hair in an unruly mess as usual. Zach had grown, now at 20 years old, he was nearly six foot two, muscular, but lean.

Zach smiled a tired smile. It had been 3 days since Zach's return from his hunt, the gash upon his head now a scabbed up, ugly bruised mess. Another purple and blue bruise laid upon the bridge of his nose, spanning under both eyes, making him look like a raccoon. "Hey Vince."

Vince stopped beside Zach, clasping him on the shoulder, "That was a close call man. Glad you're still with us! Can't have the greatest hunter of all time lost in battle." His dark chocolate brown eyes twinkled in the sunlight. His brown hair hidden under a hooded forest green shirt.

"Oh yes," a growl came from behind them. "We can't have Leader's favorite huntress become lost. That would be such a pity."

"Get lost Travis." Vince quipped back.

"Make me tiny Tim" Travis snarled, his icy blue eyes staring down at Vince.

Vince stood at least 5 inches shorter than Travis' six foot three, but what he lacked in height he made up in muscle. He was what the hunter clan called a beast of a man, nicknaming him "The Ox". Travis was taller, leaner muscle, but fast on the field. His dirty blonde hair always messy, but in a "I meant it to look like this" messy, unlike Zach's "Sorry we listen to no master, or hair gel" hairdo.

"Travis, when are you going to grow up? Why do you always act like you have something to prove?" Zach inquired. Travis was his childhood nemesis.

Travis stepped toward Zach, fists clenched "What do you plan on..." his voice trailed off suddenly as he straightened up, his normal cold demeaner melting away to that of a somewhat charming individual. "Vaslia," he bowed deeply, "if I may, you look lovely as always."

The Vaslia nodded curtly, barely acknowledging Travis before turning her dark eyes upon Zach, Zach and Vince bowed respectfully. "You did splendidly in the pit brave hunter." She spoke to Zach, her eyes twinkle.

"Thank you Vaslia." Zach bowed once again.

"We can be sure the kingdom will be safe from those monsters with great hunters as yourself."

Zach stood, somewhat in a fog, his mind suddenly traveling elsewhere. Vince elbowed Zach snapping him out of the trance, realizing that the Vaslia was still smiling at him expectantly.

"Just doing my duty Vaslia." Zach stated.

The Vaslia smiled brightly her dark eyes locked upon Zach, which soon melted away with the sound of Travis speaking.

"You know Vaslia, it takes a lot of training and guts to be a hunter," he stated, "I could uh, show you around the camp, if you'd be interested."

"Some other time perhaps." She replied, "good day hunters." With that she turned and walked away.

"Smell that?" Vince asked, his nose up sniffing the air.

Zach raised his nose, breathing deeply, behind them, Travis stood sniffing discreetly.

"No." Zach finally replied.

Vince made a show of sniffing deeply, "That's the smell of toasted Travis, because he just got burned by the Vaslia!"

Vince and Zach cracked up laughing, a few other hunters on the training ground joined in.

Travis, however, glared. "Ha! Ha! I have better things to do!"

Vince waved in a snarky manner before turning to Zach. "Man, what is wrong with you? The Vaslia is totally vibing with you, and where are you? You're somewhere off in LaLa land lightyears away man."

"Yeah, it's just... not happening."

"You're crazy! Have you not seen the Vaslia?"

Zach shrugged. Sure, the Vaslia was a beautiful woman, with her eyes as black as the darkest abyss, her hair equally as dark that cascaded down her back in soft curls, and her bright red lips that matched her collection of ever so revealing red gowns. "Yeah, she's a beautiful girl, anyone can see that, she's just...."

"Not Maddie. Yeah, yeah, I get it. But Zach, Maddie has been gone for 7 years now. If the Vaslia, or any woman looking like that ever gave me the time of day..." he finished off with a low whistle.

Zach shouldered his best friend playfully, "Well go for it! Travis might try to give you a go for your money, but... I think we all know how that will turn out."

Together they walked into the hunter training grounds laughing together. Zach grabbed a double-edged sword, swinging it through the air, listening to the song it played as it sliced through the air, making the wind whistle around its blade.

"You sure you're up to it?" Vince asked as he chose two shorter blades. "You just came from a hunt literally days ago. You need rest."

"I'm fine. Honest." Zach promised before finishing in his head, I have a promise to keep, and I plan on keeping it. They're going down Maddie, I promise you. They're all going down.

With that their blades clashed.