A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The Hunter Speaks

“At least one of you sees me,” the woman says as I pad up to her. Shifting into human form, I scowl at her.

    “Why do you watch but not speak?” The woman laughs at my question, and answers with one of her own. “Why do you act before you think?” I blink, trying to think of an answer. She laughs again, but my heightened ears are able to detect sadness in it.

    “I will help you if you help me.”  Her abrupt statement startles me, and I blink at her. “All that I ask if for a place to rest for a few months.” My eyes trace her body, but not in a bad way. It’s the calculating gaze of a hunter. My eyes pick out small things I didn’t see before. Her clothes hang too loose on her already-skinny frame. Her bones are too pronounced along her arms and face. Her bloodshot eyes had dark bags under them.

    Suddenly, two things occur to me. One, Ally is standing behind me. And two, an odd sound is tickling my ears, making me smile. “A few months we can grant you and your baby.” Anger and grief flash in the woman’s eyes, but no surprise shows. Strange, I think, looking into the woman’s emerald irises.

    “What’s your name? Where do you come from? Why have you been watching us?” I turn to see Ally with her arms crossed, glaring at the woman. Her head draws up regally, and her eyes flash silver. “I am Alexis, daughter of Artemis and Apollo. Ruler of Sulud. Bonded of Sunhigh. I come from two places, one I do not wish to name.

    “As for why I’ve watched you? I’ve simply been curious about these blue-pupiled people, who think they’ve got it all figured out. They think their world is all complete now that their brethren are all together. They don’t know that Atlantis now sits beneath the Earth. They don’t know that dragons and griffins and hydras and phoenixes and many other creatures exist. They don’t know that there are secret islands in the oceans and seas that the governments of the world keep hidden, because there is magic and superpowered technology on those artificial and mysterious islands. They. Don’t. Know.”

    Alexis looks at us, silver pain flashing in her eyes. “But I do. I may be one of the most knowledgeable people on the face of the Earth. I have powers that man can only dream of. You people may be artificially enhanced, but my power comes from birth. I was made like this. I was made to rule, to harness a power long forgotten. But you? Ha. You don’t even know the full extent of your abilities. You’re playing with the most deadliest and amazing fire of all time. But I can help. It would do me good to help those in need.” A small smile curls her lips as she says,”This uphill battle is going to be a hard one. You need all the help you can get.”

    I smile along with Alexis, her strange and partially meaningless answer reminding me of Ally.

I glance at Karlee, who’s sitting with Ava, Alexis, Trevor, and Psyche, laughing and eating. Karlee raises her eyebrow at me when she catches my eye. I smile and shrug. Karlee rolls her eyes and continues throwing bits of bread at Trevor. Alexis follows my gaze, her eyes darkening slightly. Her hand rubs her tattoo, as if by nervous habit.

“Let’s eat. We’ll discuss this with Karlee. But right now, I’m famished.” Ally laughs at me, but Alexis gives me a strange look. “What?” I ask, suddenly defensive. Alexis frowns, her left eye turning silver while her right stays green. “You aren’t the leader of this attack, great hunter?” Her choice of words stop my blood.

“What’d you just call me?” I feel the heat rising in my chest, faster than the first time. I try to control it, push it down, but it keeps rising as Alexis speaks. “Great hunter. That is what you are, s it not? The hunter of the Irises.” A shiver runs down my spine, and I feel the heat rise up my throat. I feel Ally’s hand slip into mine, as if she knows wht’s happening inside my mind.