Xenomorphic

Chapter 29: The Huntresses Final

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Hunters of Men

September 23, 2006

A bayou in Louisiana

The dove had been good. Jess' recipe had been to season the breasts, use a toothpick to nail a couple of jalapenos to either side, and then wrap the entire hor d'oeuvres in a strip of bacon, before letting the entire mass of bird-breast ferment for a week before finally putting them over the fire.

Asteria had drained her acid sacs just so she could inhale more.

Jess was a really good cook.

After spending a few more days in Texas, traveling around the state for better land to hunt, Artemis decided it was time to head east for the bayous of Louisiana. Asteria assumed they were here for alligators and the odd bull shark, but the mood of the girls was...dark.

Even the normally chipper and exuberant Sarah was subdued, and Amelia had forgone sucking her thumb for clutching her teddy with both arms, slightly twisting her upper body in place. The rest of the Huntresses, from the otaku Victoria to the stoner Katie, all had dark lights in their eyes, like they were mentally steeling themselves for something. Thalia had this look, and Lucy looked excited.

'So, am I supposed to guess what we're doing here, or is someone going to fill me in?'

Since discovering that all the girls present knew she was a telepath, Aster didn't see any point in 'talking' anymore, and just went straight to the point. It was always funny how she could speak into someone's mind, but not be able to read it. It was the same for the gods. Aster couldn't read a god's mind, but she could talk to them just fine.

The Hunt had gathered in a large, wooden shack nestled in the trees of the bayou swamp. There wasn't electricity, so all the light was provided by candles. It was a cozy place, had a distinct Cajun feel about it, and was clearly a favorite spot for the Huntresses to use as a base or lodge. The silver-clad girls were spaced around the shack's main room, with Asteria leaning against a window so that her tail could wave about behind her without worry about knocking into someone.

There was an exchange of glances and looks between the sisters, and Asteria began to feel vexed. Finally, it seemed the Hunt deemed the sea princess worthy of being clued in on the secret, because Thalia stepped forward from the wall she was leaning on.

"Uh," she started, clearly not knowing where to begin. "We're the Hunters of Artemis, right? So, we hunt monsters and animals, right?"

Asteria gave her cousin a deadpan stare.

"Well, what if I said that we do...more than that? Like, vigilante stuff."

The stare did not let up. 'I would say that I'm unsurprised, and then go on to theorize that there's some kind of illegal operation nearby, and that we're here to do something about it.'

"Damn," Cathy said, "Little Girlie is smart."

'If you ever call me 'Little Girlie' again, I'll shove my tail up your ass.'

"Ooh, kinky. I think I'll need to stretch myself a bit before we do that, though."

Asteria rolled her eyes, and Joanna face-palmed. Cathy snickered.

"Ignoring that," Thalia mumbled, then she said in a louder voice, "Yeah. There's a human trafficking ring that operates out of here. We're going to find it, make a plan on what to do, and then bust it up."

'I take it this a practice almost as common as hunting?'

"It is," Artemis answered. "I figured many years ago that in a world where gods can only interfere so much, why not do what I can to help bring just a bit more light to the world? So, my Huntresses have been doing vigilante work for a long time now."