Chiri moaned. Lying in the mud body throbbing. Rain fell around her as she gazed up at the open window.
Unable to prevent the girl’s immediate decent Chiri had lunged forward after her. Both engaged in a perilous free fall. Chiri extracted a blade. Hurling it to the ground below them with all her strength. It hit the earth well in advance of them. Grabbing on to an outstretched limb, she clung on to the other woman. Finally, is a desperate stroke of last-minute inspiration, Chiri managed to teleport them the rest of the distance.
Rolling her head to the side Chiri regarded the blade beside them vacantly. Half-submerged in the mud less than an arm’s length from them. It had been pure luck they had avoided being impaled by it. Her eyes drifted over the smear of blood across the flat edge of its face. Although capable of using other forms of dark magic, Chiri had the unique advantage of a shortcut wherever blood magic was concerned. Without the need for incantations or
Early that morning, everything was as usual in the mess hall. Forced from his sleep by Tristan’s unapologetically abrupt wake-up call. Allen and Tristan arrived in the canteen earlier than most other Hunter recruits. Morning drills guaranteed Twilight Gate trainees to be among the first to rise in the dorms. Training often running well into the early afternoon for Hunters, it resulted in the first meal of the day becoming a riotous free for all. Allen had unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way in his initial week. After discovering the canteen practically stripped clean on multiple mornings; he had suffered through drills, sustained on less than a glass of juice. Occupying their customary corner of the canteen, Allen was sipping a second cup of coffee when Morose entered. Waving to her from across the room he signaled for her to join them. Spotting Allen’s gesture, she made her way towards the two men. Gingerly shuffling past a burly group of Hunters ensconce
There was hardly a sound within the deepest levels of The Alliance prison. Only the echo of expensive leather shoes as they progressed along the winding corridors. Their determined gate stopping once they reached a dead end.Met with a fortified door, Cazer scrutinized it momentarily. Before placing a hand on its cold metal. His palm against the near microscopic carved sigils, there was an aggravated grating grinding and turning of gears opening the metal locks. Followed by a rapid scramble of symbols as several seals were simultaneously dispersed. After the physical and magical obstacles that barred his entry were removed, Cazer entered the cell.Having the large hollow interior of a cave. It was lit by large jagged crystals jutting from the ground like stalagmites. There dismal light, barely strong enough to cast so much as a shadow, they seemed to exist solely to complement the oppressive atmosphere. The air was thick within the cell. Frigid, it chilled every exhala
“The Banshee did that?” Lance Armistice said contemplatively from across the cluttered desk. The hard-nosed trainee captain, after listening patiently to Allen’s retelling of Morose’s story, roughly stroked the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. Although not the giant that Frank Brunes was nor as beefy as some of the other Hunters, Lance possessed an appearance of constant agitation, which made him difficult to approach. Anxiously reporting the incident with the Mare. Allen, Tristan, and Morose had arrived at the Captain’s office late within the afternoon. Standing in front of him now, they were made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that Captain Lance’s office appeared to be the obvious den of a hoarder. Crammed with curious objects, artifacts, and documents there was barely enough space to accommodate the four of them. The chairs occupied by his collection of oddities; all were forced to stand while they conversed. “You did well to report this.” Lance s
Shaking a small glass vile, a few pills fell out into Chiri’s palm. Concentrating on the scrolls in front of her, she did not spare a glance to consider the dosage before popping them into her mouth. Stolen from the medical unit, the pills eased the pain of the multiple injuries Chiri had received over the last two days. She chewed on them distractedly. They were large and bitter but were the only thing she had consumed that day, so she shallowed without minding the taste. The wounds proving too agonizing to allow her to sleep, Chiri had been granted ample time to plot her counterattack on the Mare. Sitting crossed legged on the corse wooden floor, Chiri’s eyes moved steadily between the documents and the overlapping hexes drawn across the closet room. Their dizzying patterns strewn over every wall, each were complex and meticulous by design. Her amber eyes narrowed as she compared each sigil and rune. Taking great care to scrutinize each protection, lure, and the re
“Chi Chi?” called a familiar voice “Hey Chi, wake up!” Chiri’s eyes fluttered open. Blinking away the sleep, she stared directly into the bright energetic blue eyes of her brother in bewilderment. Propping herself up, Chiri found herself sitting on the floor of what appeared to be a very well stocked closet. The size and form vaguely reminded her of somewhere she recognized, Chir thought for a fleeting moment of the Night Gate. Although, she was uncertain as to why. “Honestly, how could you fall asleep in such a place?” Horus reprimanded. Standing tall over her, he was dressed smartly in a crisp white and sky-blue Day Gate uniform. The Alliance crest emblazed proudly in gold thread on the breast of his jacket, evidence of his status as a full Guardian. It filled Chiri with an odd mixture of pride and sadness, which hung heavily in her chest. “We’re going to be late.” He urged again, taking Chiri by the elbow and lifting her to her feet. Exasperated, h
Frantically looking around in the dark, Horus leapt into a defensive stance. Alarmed when he did not immediately see Chiri, he called out “Chi?” The sound of his voice pulled Chiri from the daze of her ruminations. Realizing she had fallen behind. Chiri paused, momentarily stumbling as if the lack of light had only just begun to affect her. Separated by some seven or eight paces, Horus stepped in her direction. Only to freeze mid stride, too terrified to progress further. The gap between them remaining, Chiri turned slowly to regard what had provoked such an extreme reaction from her brother. There, like floating lanterns, were two angry yellow eyes. Its pupils, merely thin slits, they darted between the intruders. Decidedly, coming to rest on Chiri, its eyes narrowed with a threatening hiss. Becoming painfully aware of her heart rate quickening, the giant serpent was very near to Chiri. Careful to take a few calm breaths in order to slow its tempo, she star
Cazer’s presence did not go unnoticed as he advanced through the halls of the Night Gate with Captain Lance Armistice hot on his heels. Rarely see together under normal circumstances, the two were possibly the most unlikely pair one would expect to see within The Alliance; much less amongst the ground floor corridors of the Night faction.It had been scarcely an hour since Lance Armistice had stormed into Cazer’s office. Much to the protestation of Amelia, the Captain had demanded an audience. After immediately launching into a myriad of colorful and slanderous accusations, he had obviously reserved for the occasion, Lance finally arrived at the climax of his grievances. Although, not easily discernable between his many reprises of ‘villainy’, Cazer gleened that it involved a recent incident which had endangered a few of Lance’s trainees.Discovering himself the reluctant victim of the repercussions of his wife’s antics once again. C
Crossing over the threshold the shadows dispersed at Cazer’s feet. Fleeing to whence they came, only Chiri was left. Still writhing against the remnants of her lingering nightmare, Cazer could see the beads of sweat on her brow as he knelt next to her.Attempting to release Chiri from her daze, he placed a hand on her shoulder. However, startled by the sudden sensation of his touch, she jolted from her sleep. Slapping Cazer across his face in an act of defense, he felt the hot sting of a cut on his cheek. Unfazed, he looped an arm around her back calmly. Pulling her into him tightly, he secured Chiri’s arms at her sides to mitigate the risk of another injury to either of them.It was then that Cazer noticed with some fascination, the subtle gleam of a tear sliding down the curve of her face in the dim light. Captivated, he followed its course, watching as it quivered on her sharp chin. Shaking as though in trepidation, it teetered there for a moment, before