The Charmer and the Hunter

Arilea

The man called Hunter goes one way, and the winged man goes the other. I follow the former. He has the answers I need.

I follow from the rooftops, staying to the shadows, keeping my feet light. Having grown up on the streets, I know a thing or two about tracking people.

As I walk, I think of what he called me. A Charmer. What the hell is a Charmer? Only he has the answers. And he'll give them to me, one way or another.

It's a long walk, giving me plenty of time to think. When the man turns towards an apartment building, I drop to the ground, my feet soundless.

Still, he turns with a smirk, his heterochromatic eyes glowing.

I fold my arms and scowl, trying to still my racing heart.  I'm not used to my real body, with all the smoke skins gone.

I glance at the street we're on, noticing only one other man. He walks towards me, and I feel a smoke skin that I'm actually quite familiar with erupt around me.

The tall man stops by me, smiling at me. His honey-gold eyes trace my features, from the top of my black-haired head to my emerald green eyes.

"Got into trouble again, Raven?" Acharus Wensing says, smiling. I nod, smiling back.

Acharus has called me Raven ever since we first met in the streets. He had yelled at me, telling me to go back to the orphanage. Then, he seemed to realize that I had no clue what he was talking about.

He apologized, saying that he thought I was someone else. His eyes had held a strange light, and I saw a flicker of movement on his neck. Now, he seems to know anytime I come around. He calls me Raven, because of my black hair.

"Nice company you keep," he says, gaze flickering to the man. I smile, but inside I'm writhing. Just move on, I scream. I need answers. And only this man has them.

Wensing looks back at me, and I see the strange light enter his eyes once more. It sets the honey to flame, making it turn gold.

"Be careful, Raven. Strange things are afoot these days. Strange magic. Strange people. Trust no one. Then, you might be safe," he says. Then, he continues walking, leaving me baffled.

The other man shuffles on his feet, bringing my attention back to him. As my eyes connect with his, the single smoke skin fades away.

"I'm curious, but I know how to hold my questions," he says.

The jab seems directed at me, but I ignore it. I reach behind me, pulling my backpack forward. I had stashed it on the roof earlier, and had put the bag of loot from tonight in it.

But I don't draw the loot out. Instead, a silver knife gleams in my hand. The Hunter looks at me, then at the knife.

I point the sharp blade at him, and say,"If you even think about touching me again, this blade will be through your chest before you can blink."

The man laughs, and gestures me inside. I feel wary, having him at my back, but it's only for a few seconds.

I walk in, all of muscles tense and my eyes scanning the lobby quickly. It's empty, unfortunately-or fortunately, depending on how you look at it.

The man gestures to the elevator, and I hesitantly walk in. He follows, standing on the opposite side of the small five-by-four metal box. His head scrapes the top of the elevator.

He pushes a button, and the rattling of the box fills the air. I focus on the two doors, watching the man out of the corner of my eye. Unfortunately, he's very good at hiding his emotions and thoughts from me.

We step out onto the third floor, and the man leads me to a door on the left. He opens it with a key around his neck, and gestures me inside.

I step in, and am confronted with a simple living room. To my left is a kitchen, and to my right is a short hallway with two doors.

The man speaks up from behind me, saying,"Can I come in, or are you just going to stand there like a dumb rabbit all day?"

I say back,"At least this rabbit can hold her own. Even with your size and abilities, I almost had you." "Almost," the man growls.

I roll my eyes, but a smile curls my lips. I step into the living room, allowing the man to squeeze in behind me. I hear the lock engage as he closes the door.

He steps around me, and sits in one of the two armchairs. He gestures for me to sit, so I lean against the back of the couch.

He rolls his eyes, and says,"I won't hurt you. My power's depleted, anyways. I've never fought a Charmer before. Normally they're scared out of their wits when they see me."

"And why would that be? Is it your Hunter powers?" I ask, fixing my gaze on him. He looks back at me, his gold and sapphire eyes gleaming.

"Yes. My specific abilities dictate that I hunt others like me. They also allow me to scare and frighten my prey. So much so that they're practically frozen when they lay eyes on me."

I roll my eyes, and say,"So others like us are all scared of you? Hmp. They just have no spine."

The man glares at me, and says,"Others like me have spines. People like you are just nuisances. Words are useless. True power lies in the ability to fight."

I laugh. I don't know why; I just do. The man glares even more, and I see his muscles tense. He's about to leap at me. Fine. I can handle him. I've taken down bigger brutes before.

"Words are very powerful weapons, my friend. Words can start and end wars before a single blade is lifted. You just have to know how to use them."

The man growls,"All you Charmers are the same. All talk, no walk. Why Sionic sends us after you freaks is beyond me."

Anger alights within me, and I snarl,"Apparently your sources are wrong, as I can fight pretty damn well, even against you and your powers."

The man rises, and I tense up, expecting him to attack me. But, no. He simply walks past me, towards one of the two doors down the short hallway.

"You get the couch. And don't event think of escaping. This place is rigged. We'll talk more in the morning. Right now, though, I'm going to bed," he says over his shoulder.

As soon as the door closes behind him, I cam hear another lock engage. Well, that ruins that plan.

I want to escape, but I believed him when he said that this place is rigged. And besides, my body is aching for sleep.

I crash onto the couch after taking my boots off. Surprisingly, the couch is quite comfortable. I fall asleep quickly, and a familiar nightmare plagues me.

Sometimes, I hate my life.