Immortal : Revival. (book two) REVISED VERSION!

Chapter One: Lives Rebuilt.

Chapter One

Lives Rebuilt.

Part One: CODY

      The market in Ayda was bustling with life. The hunters who had made it through the battle were stocking up on weapons and battle gear and clothes. Even though the sun was burning brightly, there was still a chill in the air that Cody couldn't ignore. He'd cut his blond hair, shaved the sides, creating a Mohawk, more floppy than spiky. Last month it had been his twentieth birthday, and thirty days into his twenties he was already giving up on his life as a demon hunter.

The battle had filled him with dread: dread that he would start caring for someone only to have them ripped apart by demons. Dread that he would have to go through the same emotional pain as Lars had, seeing his girlfriend dead at the hands of the brutal demon summoner. Dread that he would trust someone only to have them lie and deceive them, just as Toby had.

It had been unbelievable. How someone so young and as sweet as Toby could be so cunning, deceiving and killing, all for a shield that he didn't even get to keep.

This life can be so cruel. But it was in Cody's blood to be a demon hunter. Now he sat alone on a bench in the market, contemplating having his powers stripped by Lukas, the warlock, then live his life like a "normal" human being.

He'd spent so long in the Hall, surrounded by the same people every day, that he had forgotten how many people lived around here. Seeing everyone go about their day happily, blissfully unaware of the dangers that are lurking in this world, made him want to scream at them all. Warn them. But he knew they wouldn't listen. It was normal. It was their life. In their blood as much as it was in his.

So why did he feel so differently now?

It might have been the sight of Skarlet and Jayden, their fingers entwined as she skipped a pace or two ahead to twirl around and face him, smiling widely as if they were sharing a joke. They stopped walking and Jayden embraced her, his muscular arms encircling her lightly, and he touched her lips softly with his.

The sight may be beautiful, or romantic, to some people, but Cody just found the relationship pointless now. One of them was sure to be killed horrifically in battle, leaving the other devastated and heartbroken.

When they broke away from their embrace, Skarlet saw Cody out the corner of her eye. She smiled and waved. Jayden began walking over, while Skarlet went off to browse items on a nearby market stall.

"What's the matter with your face?"

"Charming as ever, Jay." Cody said sarcastically. Jayden chuckled and sat down next to Cody, who carried on talking. "Nothing really. Just tired, that's all." He lied.

"Don't lie to me, dude. Something is wrong. Just talk to me. "

"Maybe later. I'm going to go for a little nap, I think." He stood up from the bench and began walking in the direction of the Hall.

When he was sure Jayden couldn't see him anymore, he changed direction. The park. More of a field than a park. It was to be rebuilt after the towns and houses were completely finished. The one remaining marble bench gleamed in the sunlight. As he sat on the sun-warmed marble he realised he had just been going from bench to bench all day. He hadn't eaten, hadn't drank. Just walked and sat.

Autumn is definitely coming, he thought as he began to regret not putting on a jacket. He looked around him. Broken down trees littered the ground. Snapped and battered fences lay across the pathways. The rose garden, once blooming bright and beautiful, was now just a patch of burned grass with a broken gate standing alone as the black picket fence enclosing the rose bushes had been torn down.