Headstrong and confident, Mira was trained from a young age to be an assassin of the supernatural kind. Trained by her uncles in the "family business". Now at the age of twenty, fueled by the death of her brother and her thirst for vengeance, Mira h...
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Taking graceful movements through icy branches that offer nominal support, progress was steady but arduous. All the work of this past week led me here to this moment.
As I descended an icy mantle, I heard several thundering savage threats that could have been mistaken for thousands lions battling over their last meal. Had I not already been privy to their trap, they'd have caught me off-guard and unprepared.
"Awe, how sweet! A welcoming party." I taunted. I wasn't the type to play games, but since they went to all the trouble of setting me up, I figured I owed them at least a chance. Holding out my hands like another helpless victim, I pouted. "Do they know how to play fetch?" Then raising my brow I added, "Or maybe they just want a belly rub." It was a bit much, but I just couldn't help myself.
Barring razor sharp fangs, all the hairs on their backs stood up like a bad Mohawk. Snouts pointed skyward, they howled, saliva spiraling down freakish chests.
Mickiah stood his ground and spoke through barred teeth. "You do not understand what you're getting yourself into, Alastor. Please, let me clarify." Velvet gray fur swayed with the wind while his deceitful eyes bore deep into mine, hinting of an undecipherable secret that laid within.
Momentarily I hesitated, taken aback by the name he called me and considering what he was saying. That aside laws had been broken. Finally after a moment's thought my words turned aggressive, "My name isn't Alastor its Mira, not that it matters for you at this point because you're the one that has no clue what you've gotten yourself into. You went beyond the sacred law of the ancient order, which is forbidden, and for that you will now receive your judgment."
The pack was ready to charge at me like hogs on slop, but Mickiah looked at them, and spoke again with more urgency. "If you will not let me describe, you will face your end as will all of us and by someone far more fatal than you. We wish to keep that from happening." He seemed desperate now. "There is more going on here than you comprehend, and if you kill us, you'll never see the truth."
Being who I am, I almost heard myself saying, "Yeah right, little doggie, roll over so I can get this over with." Instead, I halted. I wasn't certain what or why, but something struck me as odd. Was there something more dangerous than me out there? If there was, I wanted to know about it, so I went against everything my uncles had taught me... I gave the mark the benefit of the doubt.
"Okay, I will listen, but only if you all turn to your mortal form and speak to me as an individual, otherwise..." I touched the amulet on my neck and tapped it, letting them see that it'd be over very quickly if they made the wrong move.
The six other wolves charged me without warning. With a swiftness that not even they possessed I grabbed my necklace. Instantly the hilt molded to my hand, constructing outwardly into a solid structure, sparks of light intricately trailing through the fibers of its otherworldly minerals. It was a sword built to eradicate these creatures to nothing. At that moment, the blinding glow of the moon bounced off my sword, revealing blazing amethyst runes etched into the blade.
The first wolf to reach me met his end swiftly as I severed his head from his body. I threw the dead body at the next one to come at me. The menacing wolf got knocked several feet into the surrounding woods where I heard a deafening smack against something hard and unyielding. The remaining four wolves approached cautiously while circling and gnarling at me. Together, they drove toward me, freight trains in full motion, hoping I could not defend myself and they could overpower me.
They pounced on me, and I fell to the my knees while they bit into me. Silently, I inhaled and counted to five. In those five seconds, I felt my power swell, rushing into me with full force. The wolf gnawing at my right arm abruptly let go with a violent roar. His body was engulfed in a fire he couldn't put out. The other wolf that was aggressively clawing at my back began to claw at himself. A frenzied howl escaped him as each slice buried deeper and deeper into his torso. Scared, the other wolves backed off.
Rising, I stared at them and with a gesture of my hand, I caused their bodies to contort to twisted pieces of mangled fur and flesh.
With all his pack eradicated, Mickiah did something few do before being killed. His towering frame bowed before me and he spoke reverently. "I'm sorry that my pack went against my orders. I only wish you knew what you were about to unearth and why I did what needed done. It doesn't matter now as you'll soon find out. But you will never find what they all seek, that I can assure you. At least I can die a martyr, knowing I did MY job." And with those words he let himself turn to his human form, naked and frail only a fraction in size compared to the monstrous beast he once was.
"You knew that killing of humans is forbidden and yet you did it anyway. I don't care if it was for pleasure or some great cause as you claim. You went against the laws of the order of the ancients." Holding my sword firmly, I twisted it in my hands, briefly considering if I should hear him further or just kill him.
"True, I have desires just like everyone else, and I don't deny that. But I also have a mission to complete and those were merely stepping stones to fulfilling my destiny."
"You failed and I have no sympathy for you."
His eyes flared neon, but he did not move. "If you knew what was coming, you'd side with me. Just make sure you're on the winning side when this world becomes divided. Because the he who is the one is here and when they find him and complete the ceremony, our kind will no longer have to hide or keep to this ridiculous law." Squaring his shoulders and holding his head up high, he remained fervent, appearing to believe every word he spoke.
"So what you're saying is that you like being able to kill humans senselessly?" I could feel my sword starting to burn and my body becoming filled with a feral rage.
"What I'm saying is, even you cannot save yourself if you don't stand on the right side of the war."
His words briefly caught me by surprise. A war, huh? Yeah, well, I bow to no one, my life is my own and no one can take me down, so... "A war, really? That's the best you got to save your ass? Geez, you need to get some new material, I'm over this."
He held up his hands in desperation as he saw the glint of my blade. "Wait! There's more."
"You bore me with your stories, you're just stalling..." I laughed and then threw in. "Those will be your last words, and I hope you enjoyed them." I swung at his neck before his final breath. He disintegrated to ash, which carried away with the snowy winds. He could never hurt another human.
Every creature's death led me one step closer to whatever monsters killed my brother. I protected the humans, all for him. I retrieved my cell phone and sent a text:
Jobs complete; the DIP is no more. Be in touch once I reach the safe house. MC.
Then I assessed the situation around me. Six bodies and blue blood that needed disposed off before the daylight hours. Only it was not my job because I was not a cleaner. So again, I sent a text:
Need cleaners ASAP, get coordinates from my current location.
