Hunter

XXVI

The first thing Jade noticed were the little balls of light floating around.
They were shiny and they glimmered like fireflies, but without any warmth.
They made the whole place seem so much colder.
She shivered, gripping her dagger. Aric forged ahead, swinging the sword that he has replaced the ax with.
It was like a hidden tunnel inside the wall, the ceilings were too high for them to see, and there was so much space in front of them. It was cold and dark, and Jade was grateful that she still had that towel wrapped around her head. At least, her head was still somewhat warm.
But it didn't make her warm enough to prevent the goosebumps rising on her skin, like sharp welts.
Aric cursed as he stepped in something, knocking Jade out of her thoughts.
Jade walked next to him, staring at what was in front of her.
It was the city. But it wasn't.
If the city she had lived in for her whole life had been in the middle of some apocalyptic war, it would look like this.
The buildings were crumbling, sheets of glass shattered across the streets. The pavement, if that was what it was, was scraped, like it was scratched by claws. Huge sections of it, jutted into broken buildings and up into the air.
The city looked like a vampire almost, drained of life and color.
Lights flickered on and off, and Aric walked forward.
He swung his sword, and the flickering light bounced off of it. He and Jade were standing on a broken stone ledge that led down to the city below.
The stones shifted under their feet, and Jade's breath caught in her throat.
She forgot how to breathe for a second.
Aric gripped his sword, and held Jade's hand tightly. She squeezed it tightly, willing her skin to soak in the warmth Aric was providing.
"Gimme something useful," Aric muttered.
The sword glowed and grew, until it formed the metal wings that Aric had before.
He slipped them on, and Jade propped herself up, holding on to him.
They flew down, landing in the street.
As soon as they hit the ground, the buildings moved.
Aric pulled off his wings quickly; they formed a sword in his hand.
They shifted across the ground, and Jade and Aric raised their weapons, back to back.
A row of buildings slid across, blocking off the ledge and the way they had come. And to Jade and Aric, the only way out.
Another set of buildings split two sections off, more branching off like a maze.
Aric took a step forward, and he shot into the air, propelled by a giant column of rock jumping upward.
"ARIC!" Jade screamed, reaching to grab his hand.
She cursed as more buildings moved, trapping her within walls. She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her, and she tried to stay calm.
Jade took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
What do I know? I know this is insane, Aric's gone, and that something is causing this. The question is-
A howl shot through the air, and it sounded close. Too close.
Jade's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to cover the sound of her breathing.
She could hear pants, and a hungry growl getting closer.
She backed up slowly, stumbling though the dark, into an open door.
Jade couldn't hear the wolf anymore, and she took a deep breath.
Something took a deep breath behind her.
She backed up quickly, looking up at the titan in front of her.
It was fat, and over 8 feet tall. It wore a dirty, torn loincloth, blood splattered across its chest and mouth. It's eyes were glassed over, glossed over; they were so unfocused and hazy, that though it stood so close, Jade couldn't even see her reflection in its eyes.
It opened its mouth, showcasing monster fangs dripping with blood.
It smiled.
Jade screamed, swinging her dagger. She missed and the monster took a few steps forward, reaching its bloody hands out.
Jade screamed again, turning to run.
She held the dagger away from her as she ran, not wanting to stab herself.
The monster ran after her like a drunk, smashing its shoulders into the maze of buildings.
Jade shrieked as sections of buildings fell around her.
Adrenaline pumped through her as she ran faster, avoiding the monster's fat fingers.
Glass from the buildings fell around her, and Jade slid into an open window.
The monster skidded to a stop in front of the building, sniffing.
Jade backed up, wrapping the towel around her head around the bottom half of her face.
She crept into a corner, steadying her breathing.
She had never felt so scared. She felt like she was about to plunge headfirst into a dark ocean without knowing how to swim. Her breath was still coming out strangely, her heart pounding in her chest, her pulse racing in her neck.
The monster stepped into the building, sending reverberations through the ground.
Jade felt a hand on her shoulder and she stifled a scream. She turned around, pressing the dagger onto the person's neck.
"Jade! It's me!" Aric hissed.
She let out a breath of relief, hugging him tightly. She whispered near his ear,"Oh, thank God! Let's get out of here!"
Aric nodded, leading her to a hole in the back.
Jade's heart thrummed in her ears, her body refusing to calm down.
Sweat poured off her forehead, making her brown skin sticky.
Aric turned around suddenly, pinning her against the wall.
"What are you doing?"
Aric growled, his mouth turning up. "It's been so long since I had a decent meal."
Jade's eyes widened and she screamed, flailing the hand that hand that held the dagger.
It cut into Aric's shoulder, and he laughed gruffly. "Silly girl. I can only be hurt by silver, which you do not have."
As he said the last words, his face and body transformed. Gray hairs sprouted, his ears elongating. His nose grew into a snout, his mouth filling with fangs.
His claws dug into her shoulders, and Jade screamed.
The werewolf howled, and inky black figures melted out of the darkness, snarling and circling around them.
The werewolf let Jade go, and he smiled. "Run, silly girl. My pack likes a good chase."
Jade's fear took hold, and her feet slapping against the broken glass.
Fears pounded on her, breaking her down bit by bit.
Shadows raced after her as she weaved through the maze, biting at her arms and legs.
She screamed at the pain tearing though her limbs, and hot tears ran down her cheeks.
She tumbled down as a wolf bit down on her ankle.
They climbed over her like a whirlwind of claws and fangs, nipping her arms and legs.
Jade screamed, flailing.
A huge thud hit the ground, and the wolves bounced off of her.
Jade jumped onto her knees, breathing hard.
She could just make out the huge shape the wolves were jumping on.
She staggered on to her feet, running into a falling building.
She felt so helpless, so-
Jade shut down, huddling into a corner.
She rolled her self into a ball, covering her ears and started staring into space.