Soulstrings

7: Cambire Hunter

No one takes my friends away from me.

"Cameron!"

Iden's cry of alarm alerted everyone in camp. Jerilyn shot up from her deep slumber, pushing herself to her feet in an instant. Vara yelped, palms shooting to the ground as she sat up. She quickly grabbed Padge out of his dazed state and pulled him over to Iden. Jerilyn was already by his side. Iden began running in the direction he saw his friend pulled, almost ignoring Jerilyn's question.

"What happened?"

"Something happened to Cameron. It was as if something yanked him off the tree."

Jerilyn matched Iden's pace seconds later, and the pair skidded to a halt upon noticing the figures in front of them. One, a man, towered over a figure on the ground, the light of the sun appearing behind them making the image seem no more than a silhouette.

Groaning, Cameron turned his head around. Gaze landing on his friends, he panicked. "Jerilyn, run!"

"Why don't you keep quiet, hmm?" Acteon stomped his foot onto Cameron's back, slamming the boy's torso to the ground.

"Leave him alone!" Iden declared. "You mess with him, you mess with all of us."

"But I'm not interested in all of you." Acteon pointed a finger towards Jerilyn ."I'm only interested in her."

On instinct, Jerilyn took a step back. At her sides, Padge and Vara appeared.

"What do you want with her?" Vara demanded, placing a defensive arm in front of her friend. "Who are you?"

"My apologies." Acteon bowed his head. "My name is Acteon Legere, a wealthy lord of several estates. But I believe some of you may be more familiar with my other title..."

Cambire Hunter

Padge feigned to be deep in thought. "Nope, never heard of you."

Bending down, Acteon lifted Cameron up by the shirt. "I have no interest in him." A giant block of brown pushed Cameron forward, sending him stumbling over to his group mates. Jerilyn unfroze. She stepped forward, catching Cameron by the shoulders as he pressed his weight onto her.

"Well I don't care if you're interested in some weird magic system. You are not laying a finger on Jerry," Padge announced.

Acteon raised an eyebrow. "You want a demon like her around? She could slit your throats in a split second. Look at her! She doesn't wield the ability that makes us humans different from the other lifeforms of the world! She looks like us, but is not one of us. She's no better than the Spirits we're supposed to hunt down and kill."

"Jerilyn wouldn't harm anyone!" Iden protested. "We don't expect you to know that." His pupils shifted to Vara, then to Padge's feet. The young girl took note of the movement, and her hands slowly moved to remove the stopper on a tube at her belt.

Padge popped a red vial in his hands. "Now get out of our camp!"

Vara shifted her stance, pulling a black ring around Padge's feet. The boy shot forward with incredible speed, leaving a trail of grass in his wake. Padge gripped his fingers around a freshly made hilt, and swung.

Acteon watched with unwavering eyes. As the boy approached, he took a step to the side. Padge flew by harmlessly. The boy caught the man's gaze. The sheer calmness in Acteon's expression angered him. Padge felt his feet barely touch the ground before he pushed off again, charging at full speed. He held out his dagger.