The Hunters: Paranormal many shots

All Sight, Insight...And Weed!

Annie turned the jar in her hands, inspecting the liquid within. It was a shimmering white with swirls of reds, blues and purples smudged through, it looked like a nebula trapped in a jar. The eyes had been added last; they had dissolved instantly, turning the concoction from its original oily colour to the glow it was now. She knew drinking this would change everything. Giarn, Kiara and Jared stood around her, silently waiting to see her response. Jared had told her that she didn't have to do this if she didn't want to but she'd simply shaken her head and told him she was on board.

"What will this feel like?" she asked Kiara without looking up from the jar.

The elf placed a hand on her shoulder. "The world will change significantly and you will suddenly be flooded with knowledge you never knew. You will gain all the knowledge the seer possessed but not his memories. It will take a bit to adjust to, but when you are settled I'll teach you how to turn it off."

Annie looked up at the elf's gentle face. "Turn it off?"

Kiara nodded. "The All Sight is more of a power. In addition to the information you gain and the receptiveness to the wider nature of reality, it will also allow you to willingly create a magical enchantment over your eyes that will let you see things as they really are."

Annie scratched her chin nervously. "So kind of like night vision but for magic?"

"Sort of, yes."

Annie looked over at Jared. "So I'll see Jared as he really is, rather than the human shell he inhabits?"

"Yes," Kiara replied, taking a step back. "And Giarn, and myself."

Annie took a deep breath and popped the cork from the jar; it smelt sweet. She raised it to her lips and hesitated. "Here goes nothing," She said.

It was warm and surprisingly delicious. She swallowed the mixture, replaced the cork and set the jar down on the table. She felt a strange tingling run through her body and her eyes began to feel warm. Her vision began to cloud over and a strange panic set in.

"I don't feel too good."

Jared stepped over and took her hands in his. "Focus on me," He said.

She looked into his eyes, which were quickly beginning to glow. His skin seemed to be dissolving away and a spectacular light seemed to glow out from under it. She fell to her knees and he went down with her as great spasms shook her body. The world around her started to peel away and the rainbow lights she'd sent at the magical places of power leaked into the room. Large, shimmering wings of golden light faded into existence behind Jared and his entire body melted away. He was fast becoming nothing but a radiant shape made of warm light.

"What are you?" She asked, completely aware of the answer.

"You are seeing me as I really am," he replied warmly.

"You're beautiful."

Kiara appeared in her peripherals. Her skin was pinpricked with diamond lights, as if the precious stone flowed through her veins instead of blood. In her new mind, she knew she was seeing pure magic. Giarn stepped up next to her. His skin was now purple and large horns folded backwards from his head. Intricate black markings adorned his body and a thin purple fog wafted off him, distorting the air around his head. Within that distortion, Annie saw flickering glimpses of different planes of existence. Giarn's very form warped reality.

She was trying to take all of this in when her mind was flooded with all manner of information. Names, dates, spells, numbers and shapes all flashed into her mind's eye. She fell to the floor and curled up in a ball as her consciousness struggled to process all this new information. She felt a kind of pulling sensation in her head, like her brain was trying to leave the skull. She steadied her breathing and let the process happen.

She wasn't sure how long she lay there, processing all the new things that flooded into her knowledge. She now knew that mixing something called Parasythis and Melodran together would create a highly combustible liquid that could last almost indefinitely. She also knew that putting a stone blessed with a Verga enchantment into a sword would make the blade unbreakable. She was now aware that dimensions were stacked a lot like the pages of a book and that large amounts of space altering pressure could merge them together and allow two realities to exist within each other. Scholars called this The Fold.

Her head snapped up suddenly. "The Fold," she hissed. "Mal'kia'biareth will cause a dimensional fold."

The three looked on, stunned. It took her a moment to realise that saying his name hadn't almost killed her. The potion had worked. She pushed herself into a standing position as the world began to return to normal.

"Why is everything going back to the way it was?" She asked Kiara, slightly worried that it had failed after all.

Kiara leaned in close and inspected her eyes. "It appears that you're deactivating the enchantment," she replied, confused. "I...I don't know how you already have control over it."

Annie shrugged. "I'm not doing anything. I just thought how much I wish it would go away for now."

Giarn let out a bark of laughter. "You truly are a natural when it comes to magic," He said, grinning. "I'd love to take you on as a student full-time, one day."

Jared placed a hand on Annie's shoulder. "You are an amazing being," he said, affectionately.

Annie smiled and pulled him in for a hug. "What do we do now?" She mumbled into his chest.

"We go back to your world and prepare."

Annie looked up at him. "Like...right now?"

He nodded. "Things could change at any moment. We really do need to go back."

Annie let out a sigh. She was really enjoying here time in Shyra; it was peaceful, there was very little to fuck up her day and Giarn and Kiara were great company. She regretted not asking Jared if they could go explore more; they had rarely left the hut or its immediate surrounds and she wished now that she had seen more of this stunning world.

She turned to Kiara and they shared a smile. Kiara held her arms open and Annie rushed into them. She still smelt like flowers. "I'm going to miss you," Annie said, holding back tears. "You have been so good to me."

Kiara laughed. "You will see me in a day or two in your time," she replied. "Although that'll be a good few years to us."

That sentence hurt. Annie had failed to realize just how much time would pass for her and Giarn while they were gone. Another question popped into her mind. "You're not going to die of old age before I can move here...right?"

It was Giarn who laughed this time. "We are immortal, Annaliese. Our kind doesn't age."

Well that was comforting. Annie pulled away from Kiara and approached Giarn who gave her a warm smile. "Remember, you are more capable than you give yourself credit for. Don't overthink your magic. It'll come to you with ease when you let it."

Annie hugged him tightly. "Thank you, for everything." She genuinely was grateful for all his tutorage.

Jared cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to rush you, babe, but we do need to go."

Annie pulled away and wiped a from her eyes. "Thank you," she said as Jared stepped up behind her. He placed an arm around her waist and they were gone. The world tumbled and spun and they were once again standing out front Eden's house.

Jared pulled her tighter against him. "I'm sorry we had to leave so quickly," he gently kissed her neck and she raised a hand to stroke his face.

"It's fine. I understand."

Tears welled up in Jared's eyes. "Those poor Auron. I will miss riding them through the skies." He fell to his knees. "Damn it," he punched the ground. "I'll miss those little whale boys."

Annie rolled her eyes, grinning. It was nice to see that even in the face of all the weird shit they were experiencing, Jared could still find something so simple to pretend to be upset about. The front door of the house opened and a figure stepped out. He smiled and held up his hand, showing off a fat joint. Affection washed over Annie and she raced up the steps, throwing her arms around Marcus as she cried freely. "I missed you so fucking much," she balled.

Marcus wrapped his arms around her. "Felt like a long time for you, hey?" Annie nodded into his chest. He pushed her back a bit and held up the joint. "Shall we?"

She smiled and took it from him; he already had a lighter under it. She took a long draw and held it, savouring the feeling. She really needed to decompress. "Let's get fucked up," she said. "I have so much to tell you."


****

Inside, Michael, Thoth, Thor, Paul and Gabriel all stood around a map, marking points of interest and talking among themselves. Jared noticed two men sitting in the corner. One, he knew; it was Damien Black. A cold sweat formed on his brow. The other he didn't recognize. He appeared to be made primarily of metal. Michael hugged him as he approached.

"It's good to see you, brother," he said, smiling a wide grin. "How did Annie fare?"

"Kiara made her an All Sight," he replied.

The others all looked up from the map, each of them processing the information.

"A wise choice," Thoth commented, stroking his chin.

"Agreed," Gabriel added.

Michael pointed to Damien and the metal man. "Damien and Thayden were drawn here by Dissonance," he pointed up. "Robert Kelly is wandering around here somewhere, too."

Jared raised his eyebrows. "The Necrotic One? He's here?"

Michael nodded. "Seem's things are going from bad to worse."

Jared was about to agree when a loud quacking to his right caught his attention. Senor Quackington flapped his way into the room and made a beeline to Jared.

"Quackington!" Jared bellowed as he scooped up the duck, tears falling from his eyes. "It has been a dark time without you indeed. I missed your feathery little head."

Quackington nuzzled his beak into Jared's hair for a few seconds then pecked him on the nose before struggling free and waddling away. Jared watched him leave, rubbing his nose. "He missed me," he told Michael who slapped him on the shoulders and turned back to the map.



****

Annie stared up at the clouds, enjoying how spacey she felt and the feel of grass under her. Nearby, the sound of waves rolled on, unconcerned by the events that had transpired. Earth didn't give a shit about the worries of mortals; she would be here long after all had faded and returned to dust. Marcus lay next to her, puffing on the joint.

"So, how did you enjoy Shyra?" he asked.

Annie closed her eyes, reflecting. So much had happened. She was still struggling to sift through all the new knowledge in her brain. Knowledge that simultaneously confused her and made perfect sense. She had never heard of Veldan root before, but she knew eating it could close open wounds in mere seconds. She also knew that doing so also had a ninety-seven percent chance of liquefying your internal organs. The thing that troubled her the most was Mal'kia'bia'reth. She shivered. The name seemed more familiar to her now; as if she had heard and read it a million times before. She guessed that the Seer who had 'donated' his eyes might have researched him before but to no avail.

"It was good," she replied, reaching for the joint.

Marcus turned his head and passed her the weed. "Just good?"

Annie took a long draw and closed her eyes. "It was amazing. I could see myself living there one day even. The elf, Kiara, made me an All Sight and Giarn started teaching me magic."

Marcus propped himself up on one elbow and tuck his hair behind an ear. "You know magic?" he inquired.

Annie rolled her head towards him. "I know of it. I only managed to use it once."

"It should be much easier to use here."

"Whys that?" Annie took another puff and handed it to him.

"Dunno really. Magic is much easier to use in this reality. Maybe it's something to do with how few people actually use it here. I honestly don't understand it myself. Thoth once described it to me like the internet. The more people in a household that are accessing it, the harder it is to download. On Earth, very few people can successfully access it." He rolled his head her way and grinned. "All those downloads are yours, girl."

Annie folded her hands on her stomach and stared up at the sky. It was strange being back. The sky here was different, less vibrant somehow, but still uniquely beautiful in its own right. She also felt...lighter; as if every part of her body no longer required as much energy to run. She had barely had any time to let her body settle; she could still taste the All Sight on her tongue.

"I want answers, Marcus, to all the questions you could never tell me."

Marcus let out a long cloud and handed the joint back. "I'll answer what I can but you should know, some things are kept secret from you not because you won't understand, but because you shouldn't."

"Like what?"

"Like what happens when you die, or the origin of your species. There are some things that you aren't supposed to know, for your own sanity's sake."

Annie pondered this. He had a point. She had no desire to know what came after all this, especially in light of Jared telling her that Heaven, as an afterlife, wasn't in the books. Half the fun and beauty of life was the knowledge that it was all so fragile and temporary. It was that fact that allowed even the simplest of moments and actions to seem life changing. A person might not appreciate a beautiful sunset if they thought they could see it any time.

"So, what can I ask?"

"Ask whatever you want. If I can answer it, I will."

"Did God...your father, create the world?"

Marcus let out a huff of laughter. "The answer to that question ties into a much larger answer that, quite frankly, will break your brain...even with the All Sight flowing through your veins. I'm sure you'll learn about it one day...but today's not that day."

Annie sighed. "Okay, something less heavy then." She took a long draw on the joint and passed the stub back. Marcus had a talent for getting the last few draws out of what most would consider a finished joint. She exhaled and clicked her fingers. "Alright, how about this then? I already know that we don't go to Heaven after we die...but what about Hell? Does your brother really torment people for all eternity?"

Marcus took a deep breath. He seemed to be weighing up the best response. "Yes, and no. Humans can end up in Hell after they die but not as a result of being bad." He made air quotes and rolled his eyes at that. "Heaven, Hell...it's all beyond a human's ability to comprehend and interpret properly so they ended up attaching their own sense of morality to it. Your species has an uncanny talent for labels, groupings and black and white thinking.
Lucifer is the king of Hell and has a strange ability to control everything that exists within. My father has no power over it and can't even enter there. Lucifer is the only one who knows how to enter and exit Hell and, yes, sometimes he drags humans there but we honestly don't know why. We cannot see him when he's there and we can't see what goes on. In all honesty, I have no real idea what Hell is or why only my brother has power over it."

Annie sat up, resting her weight on her elbows. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Uh huh. Pretty freaky, hey?"

Annie licked her lower lip and nibbled on the ring there. "Well, what about Heaven? Can you tell me what it looks like?"

Marcus pursed his lips, considering the request. "I guess I could tell you a little about it. What would you like to know?"

Annie had expected more resistance so she wasn't fully prepared for this. She stuttered and stammered for a moment. "What about...um...what does it look like?"

Marcus chuckled. "Well, it's an enormous, self-contained city nestled in a small tear between your reality and the next. It's approximately six point three million square miles in mass and its tallest point, Mount Ariel reaches about fourteen miles above Mount Everest's peak. The city itself is made mostly of Tangringium, a mineral found only in that little pocket of reality. It closely resembles marble but kinda glows. The city itself is built upon and around Mount Ariel, with my father's throne sitting at its peak. The Sea of Glass stretches for miles around it and beyond are meadows full of wild flowers and all kinds of beasts."

Annie stared off blankly at the ocean, trying to imagine this massive glowing city surround by glass. It sounded nothing like what she expected. "The Sea of Glass...is it real glass?"

"Kind of. It's sort of like putty made of glass. It's liquid when undisturbed but if you were to walk on it, it becomes like diamond. When Lucifer rose up against our father, that's where the battle was fought. The ocean was red for months after and every year on the day of his defeat, the water turns red. I guess the waves remember the horror and don't want us to forget."

Annie was about to reply when a tearing sound split the air. There were several loud whooshes followed by yelling.

"What the fuck?" Annie said as she and Marcus scrambled to their feet and hurried towards the sound as best as their muddled minds could manage.

They rushed into the clearing to find several figures standing there. Some were slumped over and others were laying in a heap on the ground. Some had their arms around others, supporting them and more were appearing by the moment. Many of them were injured. Blood spattered them here and there and a few unlucky ones had major wounds; one was clutching at a stump where his arm use to be and screaming while a woman tied a golden sash above it.

The front door burst open and the angels piled out accompanied by Thoth, Paul, Eden, Thor, Thayden, Damien and Kelly. They took in the sight but the angels seemed more affected by the newcomers than the others.

Michael rushed down the stairs and helped one of them up. A woman. "Riael," He boomed. "What are you all doing here? What happened?"

Riael steadied herself against Michael and brushed a blood-soaked lock of hair behind her ear. It left a smear as it trailed back. "Ahk'Ria'Nithis caught on. I don't know how but he learned we knew he had possessed your father. He summoned his Dith'Idua and lay waste to Heaven. Michael...Heaven burns...it's lost to us. All of it. Your father's throne, the plaza, the barracks...Gabriel's horn. It's all gone."

Michael looked as if he'd been levelled by a blow from Thor's hammer. "But...without that horn...we cannot completely release Azrael and Abaddon. We can't open the portals. Earth will be lost and with it, the human race."

Riael placed a hand on Michaels shoulder. "There is some good news." She pointed off into the crowd.

Michael followed her direction, his eyes searching for any good news among the throng of his wounded kin. His gaze landed on a woman with flowing blonde hair covered in blood. She was knelling next to a man, holding his hand as another angel put pressure on the gushing tear on his throat. It took a few moments for her identity to register in his shattered mind.

He took a few steps forward and she seemed to sense his presence as she looked up and over at him. A smile crossed their faces at the same time. "Mother," Michael gasped.