Haunt

XIV

"I must say I'm amazed at your feat." Eris says to me. "Thank you, it's only the beginning though. I plan to leave them in complete and utter desolation you should know." I reply. He snorts in response. Oh, but I will. I will rip each Hunter to shreds. Tear out their bones one by one. I want each soldier to watch as they painstakingly have each organ pulled out from their quivering bodies, as the flesh is torn to exposed muscle and leaving them writhing in pain. I want each one to wish and beg for their deaths. And I want to make sure that they do not receive that plea until they bleed out due to our acts and have lost all hope they may once have possesed. I want to watch as the light fades from each Hunters eyes just as I've watched so many of my allies do in the past. After all it is possibly to die without truly losing your life.

From here on out I want to reclaim my revenge for every damn friend I've lost. We were a family. And we were torn apart. I shall wait for the day when I see the same happen to these beasts. And then I'll know it's safe for her and I once more.

I'll find her. I can't bear to be apart a day longer. Valera is alive, I know it. She was never the type to be beaten down so easily. I'll be damned if her light was stolen away so easily. No, even on that day she had a flame still burning inside of her. We fought against those who attacked. It was long ago back in Prague, a ragtag duo of Gifted had sided with some Hunters for what I'm assuming was immunity in exchange for helping dispose of other Gifted. A sick compromise.

It had taken place four years after the exact date we had found ourselves with these abilities. And I had known the group I was with at the time for three of those years. We became a family for eachother. After all so many of our type so quickly became isolated from the rest of the world for fear of what we were capable of. So we formed our own clique and tried to live our lives peacefully far away from the rest of humanity, tucked away near the mountains. Patiently waiting for the day when we would live in peace. Unfortunately we were wrong.

Left unaware of most of the turmoil going on in the world around us we were left unprepared for the attack that night. The group had ambushed and we were left scattered and confused as we had been thrown into a sudden state of chaos. I remember Alistair had been the first to get up and directly retaliate. He had always been quite daring despite his usual self preserving style. Perhaps I would've been as reckless as he if Valera and Quinn weren't beseeching me to find the others. There were only two more of us if I'm excluding Alistair who had started a skirmish.

We found Jade running to Alistair's aid and then our final companion, Elysia, inside the home. I don't mean that in a cowardly way as if to say she was hiding because she was never the type. No, instead she was gathering weaponary for us to fight off the invaders. She was Alistair's younger sister although despite having the same warm and welcoming chocolate brown eyes it would be hard to tell they were siblings. Especially with they're striking personality differnces, Elysia was practically our healer, as well as the only one here that was without a Gift. Yet she was there helping us and so the three of us quickly formed our plan to defend and ran out to Alistair and Jade.

The situation grim. Valera's icy blue eyes had truly looked cold for the first time. Pieces of her ebony black hair left carelessly dangling on her face as she rushed to assist.

Jade stood at Alistair's side, casting illusions of attacks at the attackers in order to distort their reality. Unfortunately the Gifted the Hunters had brought with them weren't necessarily weak. One had us left scrambling for cover as he hurled spiked bone projectiles as us whilst another moved so quickly that he was nearly untouchable. Our group merely exchanged one glance before we decided which foe we would take. Al and Jade had been in charge of Mr. Porcupine while Valera and I handled the one with super speed.

Unfortunately for the guy we were up against, Valera's Gift trumped his. I covered her as she activated her ablilty, stopping everyone in their tracks as she quite literally froze time. During the twenty seconds she was able to hold it for, our opponent was left defenseless while Valera still had freedom to move while the rest of us remained still.

Our opponent quickly fell as time returned to its original pace.

Valera collapsed, her power draining her of what little energy she had. I had Quinn attend to her as I knew she'd be safe with him inside the house. I went to help Jade and Alistair in their duel with who I later found out was called the Manticore, a play off his Gift I suppose. I knew I had a chance to beat him if I could just get close, the downside was he swatted us away at every attempt. I only noticed the Hunters advancing far too late.

Gathering behind Manticore they took aim as the four of us were left scrambling to cover. We weren't as successful as I'd like to say we were. Bullets and bone shards flung through the air and we propelled ourselves downward. A desperate attempt to dodge the barrage of bullets. Somehow, Alistair was the only one hit, a mere bone shard sticking out from his shoulder. Elysia cried out in a fury and charged at the others. Charging forth, clutching a sword she swung at the few Hunters that dared cross her. She had her eyes set for the Manticore. Alistair could only scream for us to pull her back as he watched his sisters recklessness. Jade decided to take the rest of the Hunters as it was true that I had the best bet to kill the other Gifted.

I ran after her, throwing myself at the man but not before he made his move first. As if time had slowed down I watched in silent horror as a fragment of bone pierced through Elysia's body. Her eyes widening in alarm momentarily as her tiny frame unleashed a blood curdling scream. And then her slumped figure falling to the ground, dyeing the soil a deep red.

Enraged I lunged at him. Once I had touched him I was able to absorb the very power that had killed my friend in front of me. I shot out my own knife of the same material and dug it straight into his face. The battlefield all but quiet except for Alistair's cries. Jade had ensured the Hunters were dead and I carried Elysia's corpse to the house.

That was the day I swore to never let anyone I care for die. But I failed. I know Alistair fled, grief stricken but Valera's disappearance still remains blank in my memories. I remember so little. Perhaps if I find Valera than they will return to me as well.