Hunter

XX

Aric was distracted.
He would've been noticing the band on his wrist heat up if he wasn't.
His dreams, stalking this monster, and what man talked about yesterday bounced around his head, making it hard to think straight.
The monster turned his head suddenly, looking back, and Aric slid into an alley-way, pulling Jade next to him.
Her face was serious, her brows drawn.
And her hand was so soft.
Aric mentally slapped himself. Focus.
He let go of her hand and pointed to his left, whispering. "We're going to follow him until he gets to-"
He was cut off by a deep voice. A shadow loomed over him and he slowly looked up, until he saw the hairy features of a man-eating giant.
"Fee fi fo fum, I smell the blood of a pretty woman."
The giant's hungry bloodshot eyes stared at Jade, and the monster licked its lips.
Aric brought his wrist to his lips, muttering. "What's is it's energy level?"
Numbers floated in front of his eyes and Aric internally cheered. The monstrum hadn't eaten in a month, its power was so low that even a person like Jade could kill it.
Aric whispered," Gimme a dagger."
The giant didn't notice the silver knife forming in Aric's hand, or his other hand gripping Jade's tightly.
He pulled her out the way, stabbing upward. The dagger tore through the giant's stomach, and Aric smiled. "Deleo."
Aric and Jade ran away from the monster as it exploded, sending gore flying.
Aric cursed. "Damn, we lost him!"
Jade glared at the ground, thinking. Then she pointed down the street. "Let's see if we can find him."
Aric nodded, and they headed down the path.

The dirt in the street clouded up Aric's vision.
Jade coughed into her elbow, wafting the dust away from her face.
"I don't think he's here."
Jade rolled her eyes, hefting the bag on her shoulder. "Really? Whatever gave you that idea?"
Aric frowned. "You know, I think I could do without the sarcasm."
She pouted. "Awww, but it's so much fun!"
Yeah, and so is being douchebag. For a little bit.
"Whatever. Let's just find this guy-"
Plumes of dust surrounded Jade and Aric, shadows circling around them like sharks.
Aric cursed, readying a sword. He glared at the shadows, and one of them melted out of the dust.
It was like a wraith, with glowing red eyes that shined in Aric's eyes. It's smile was stretched, like a photo with bad quality, it's body like grainy static.
Aric turned, seeing more of them dissolve out of the nearby buildings, their circle closing in tighter in on them.
The main shadow laughed, and Aric gritted his teeth. It sounded like nails scratching against a chalk board.
Be strong. Stay strong.
Jade muttered," Are we gonna whip their asses or what?"
Her fists were clenched, positioned in front of her like weapons.
Aric smiled. "Let's do this."
He jumped forward, slicing the sword. The shadows moved out of the way, sliding around his sword.
Aric stabbed the air, making contact.
The shadow disappeared, and its brethren surrounded him, leaking into him.
Aric couldn't breathe. The shadows crawled up his windpipe, and Aric concentrated.
He willed the shadows to get out of him, imagined his consciousness as a giant axe, chopping away at the wall of darkness.
A flash of pain erupted from the side of his face, and he opened to see Jade with her hand raised.
"What the hell was that for?!"
She shrugged. "Got them out, didn't it?"
She was right, the shadows had slipped out of him, surrounding them again.
Jade backed up, gripping Aric's hand.
"Look, I need you to make a beacon or something. Shadows are made of darkness, right? What's the opposite of dark?"
Aric smiled, his brain firing away. "Light."
Jade smiled, and Aric lifted his sword.
"Gimme a flashlight or something."
A cylinder formed in place of his sword, and Aric looked at it.
"What the hell is this."
The shadows closed in, and Jade squeezed his hand. "Any time now would be good," she said, her voice wavering slightly.
Aric found a button and pressed it.
A beam of light erupted from the end, and Aric grinned.
"It's a God freaking damn light saber!"
He swung it, slicing through the wraiths like warm cheese.
The shroam of the light saber moving filled Aric with determination, and he swung faster, slicing the shadows into slivers.
After he had sliced the last one, he backed  up a few steps, smiling.
Jade stared at him in awe. "That. Was. Awesome."
Aric winked. "That's what I do."
Suddenly, a stab of pain erupted in his stomach and he collapsed, seeing the shadow slink away.
Jade had walked back to where she had dropped her bag and Aric had yelled out. He struggled to his elbows, yelling.
"Jade! Watch out!"
She looked up just in time to see the wraith stab her in the chest.