Token Huntress (3 page)

I
t was only a short walk back to the Guild. The human would be fed, and then tomorrow the transport team would escort her to the human camp, where she would be looked after by her own kind. There were a few hunters that protected them there. The humans were not permitted to leave the small compound. We only monitored the one camp, and as far as we knew, most Guilds only had one human camp to protect. We were their only true form of protection from the plague of vampires that roamed the earth. Out there by themselves they would not last a day. And the night would be merciless.

There were three forms of vampires. Firstly there were those who were a part of the Council: tactical, clever, civilized, and self-regulated. This much we had learnt by torturing members of the Council, but none had told us of their location. They refused to tell, no matter how much we tortured them. Miss. Campture’s ability was also useless. It seemed that like us hunters, some vampires also had gifts. And whoever was in control of this Council was able to haze the vampires’ memories so no one could enter and inspect their mind. The Council often hunted for humans, and took them back to feast on. It was an even larger gain if they could get their hands on us living hunters. We tasted better.

Then there were the covens of vampires. They weren’t aligned with the Vampire Council, but they weren’t sabers either. They loved everything dark about being a vampire. They were the rebellious vampires who had no rules, only respecting the hierarchy in their own coven. They were ghastly creatures who ventured through the land in large packs.

The nastier scum of their race were driven into a frenzy over our blood. Which brings us to the sabers. They were monsters. Most couldn’t even speak words, their sense of humanity fully erased. Most of the time, they couldn’t even control their own speed or stamina, slipping over the ground and grasping wildly at nothing. We believed they were the vampires who had deteriorated over time. Perhaps they thirsted for too long. There was speculation that they drifted away from any real structure, and this was what ruptured their mind, causing them to snap into insanity.

Hunters saw an increase in saber activity around the time that human society was broken. They did not know where to go or how to act. We could identify a saber by their long fangs. Their mindset was that of an animal, and killing was all they knew. They were my favorite to kill. They decayed quickly and stunk more than the coven or Council vampires.

“Where are you taking me?” the girl sniffled as she tripped over a log. We were so close to the wall already that I flagged one of the archers to open the gates. The clunking noise was heard before we could actually see the fog breaking before us as the gates opened. James was there, waiting patiently with his arms crossed over his chest. “Ah, thank goodness,” he said, walking toward me. It agitated me that he would think something had gone wrong. I was more competent than he was in battle. I would not be put on a pedestal because I was a woman, and often he pushed for that.

A fleeting memory returned to me as I recalled the first raid I had gone on at sixteen. My mother was in the same stance as the gates were pushed open and I looked up at her. Hunters usually displayed no emotion, but my mother had come rushing toward me with the largest, most relieved smile. She wiped vigorously at my face where blood had splattered across it from Drue stabbing a saber in front of me. It was only supposed to be a simple day raid, but it went on longer than expected and we were forced to travel at night. We were attacked by a pack of them. Drue had protected everyone and brought the apprentices back safe. I had highly respected him as a mentor and a fellow hunter. He had been murdered on an attack against the Council. We had been studying their small camp, then we had swept in. After two days of fighting, Drue had been murdered and dragged away. It was the day after that that Campture replaced me as Token Huntress of the group.

It was not him who trained with me personally, but my mother. My father trained me more on the sensory side of hunter skills, such as patience, listening, concentration, and keeping my temper intact. I was a very aggressive child, but he made sure that I quickly pulled that into line.

Both my mother and father had been very special. My mother was able to insert herself into any living creature. She could heal them. She could take out their organs and replace that space with her energy, and still the creature or human would survive. Despite this being a huge advantage to us in healing our hunters, it also served an outstanding purpose in the raids, as she could simply touch a vampire and rip out their heart. My mother was one of a kind. I couldn’t fathom how she so easily died. I stopped myself from thinking about the matter any further. I had to be very mindful of my thoughts, especially the ones I conjured within the walls of the Guild, where Miss. Campture could hear.

My father was murdered when transporting a large sum of humans to security. He was a member of a raid team. Thirty humans were found surviving in a small cave underground. With so many humans to transport, two raid teams had to assist the transport team, just in case they were ambushed. Unfortunately the Council had intervened, and both my father and another hunter were captured as they protected the humans. By the time the bodies were found — by my mother and Drue, no less — there was hardly anything left of their bodies. It was a merciless attack.

“Es?” James words broke me out of my trance. I was staring at the place where my mother had once stood. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said, nodding to the girl behind me. “We need to prepare her for travel tomorrow. I found her with the vampire. They were… together.”

“Together?” James repeated.

“Hey Es,” a man called out, interrupting our conversation.

I turned and saw that Dillian was walking toward me. We had been close friends for years and sparring partners for even longer. He had iridescent pink eyes and long black shaggy hair, with four bars of metal in his ear. He looked harsh and grungy on the outside, yet he was the most sensitive man I had ever known.

“I can take this one if you want me to?” he said, gesturing to the frightened girl, who trembled at the sight of Dillian’s rough exterior.

James and Dillian greeted one another briefly as I made a quick decision. “Yeah, you take her. I should report to Campture.”

“Cool. Are you on wall duty with me tonight?” he asked, cracking his neck.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I stated sarcastically. I patted him on the shoulder. When James turned to walk ahead, Dillian looked between James and me, mouthing, ‘All good?’ I mouthed back, ‘Tell you later.’ We had been friends for so long now that we spoke of almost everything to each other. James and I began walking toward Miss. Campture’s room, which was three flights of stairs up. The girl behind me began crying. Luckily for her, she was escorted by Dillian, who was very sensitive to human emotion.

I turned my attention to James. “She claimed she loved the vampire,” I said with distaste. As ridiculous as it sounded, we had to take every word seriously after she claimed to have been held within the Council.

“She
loved
him?” James repeated in bewilderment. He shook his head. Nothing more would be said on the matter; it seemed that the girl was merely delusional, and we did not have the time or inclination to discuss her mental health. My mind was already on my meeting with Campture. After a moment of silence, James spoke.

“Hey, Es,” he said suddenly, grabbing my hand and halting me. “Before you watch over the wall tonight, come over to mine?”

Last time I had gone to his home he wanted to yet again pursue the details of our future and voice his concern for me as Token Huntress. It annoyed me how much he tried to bubble wrap me. What initially drew me toward James was that he was so strong, and I respected him. I was young and we had both become flirtatious at the hormonal age of sixteen. Many of the younger huntresses wanted him. He was, after all, attractive and fairly well-respected amongst the Guild. I jumped at the chance to claim him as mine. But after my mother’s death, much changed. I didn’t want to be ‘just’ his. I was my own, and hated the thought of someone else trying to control my life, especially someone who claimed to love me. It all came down to control. Only one of his parents was a hunter, so when he was born with his fluorescent green eyes, he was separated from his human mother. That was why he clung so tightly to the thought of a family. A family I was not ready for. Now when I looked at him, he always seemed so sad. Although I put distance between us at times, I still did love him. I often fought with myself at how I mistreated him.

“We can do that,” I agreed.

He smiled with relief, obviously expecting a different answer entirely. “That sounds good. I’ll see you shortly?” His grip tightened around my hand as he pulled me toward him, kissing me on the lips. He cupped my face with a lingering look that insinuated that he wanted me to stay the night after wall duty. I nodded my head at him to agree I would see him shortly.

I ventured into the same tunnels where we met for our lectures, and only a few short minutes later, I found myself at Campture’s large steel door. She was reading a book at her desk, and pretended not to notice my entrance. I made myself comfortable in the seat opposite. I liked to unnerve her, simply because I didn’t trust her, much like she didn’t trust me. I could sense it.

Campture snapped the book closed. “What do you have to report?” she asked with her nose pointed higher than usual.

“It was only a lone vampire with a young girl of perhaps sixteen years of age. I killed it, obviously.”

She nodded in agreement. Usually if our spotters found something suspicious or there were vampires nearby, we disposed of them, and that is all we had to report.

“She mentioned coming from the Council,” I said forcefully, taking her by surprise.

“How is that possible?” Her yellow eyes were quick on me as I left my thoughts blank. It was something you had to become accustomed to when around her. I knew her distrust in me would have her searching for something further.

“I don’t know, and when I questioned where it was, she couldn’t say. Perhaps if
you
pursued this further. Maybe her mind hasn’t been tainted by the Council,” I mused.

“Very well, I will meet the child tonight and question her before she is shipped off to the humans,” she said, dismissing me. I stood tall, before charging for the door.

“And Esmore?” Campture drew my attention before I walked out. “Vampires do not know love.”

I trembled with annoyance. I must have let the thought slip when I considered the human’s words.

Campture continued, “That girl did not love the vampire. I will inform the humans that she is sick and needs attending to when she arrives.”

I gave her a twisted smile, one that conveyed I did not appreciate her squirmy tentacle-like mind. Her mouth twisted in displeasure as she witnessed what I perceived her mind to look like.

“Leave,” she demanded.

I
stalked toward James’ small house, where he lived by himself. Since my mother’s and father’s deaths, I also lived alone. I pushed away the sad thought, looking into the sky. The moon was dimly glowing amongst the clouds, and already the screeching of animals had begun. You could hear their lives being taken from them as they were torn apart. Although there were no sabers close by, I knew they were in the forest, killing. The animal population had peaked many years ago, when the sabers’ numbers began to grow. Now many animals were extinct, and those who survived adapted. It made food scarce for us, and as the animal population dwindled, so did the humans. We kept living animals within the Guild in the farming section. But for a survivor out in the wild, finding animals to live off would be tough. The world had gone through so much and yet most animals were able to adapt and still thrive. Although the population slowly decreased because of the lack of plants and water, the animals found other resources. I guess it was because of Mother Nature; somehow it always adapted.

The homes were built out of stone, and were close to one another. They were small spaces with very little to offer, but still everyone had their own door for privacy. My home was further in the back, right next to the Guild’s wall. Often if I couldn’t get to sleep, I would slip up the wall by myself, watching over the mist as it swirled through the woods. Further past the houses I could see the outline of our farm. It took so long for the Guild to find land that could be efficiently used for crops. We had a few animals such as pigs, chickens, goats, and cows. We even had six horses, with a foal on the way. The horses were now used only for transporting the humans. They were once used for the raids, but quickly it became impractical. We could easily match their speed, and they became a liability as the vampires and sabers began hunting and feasting on them. The many cries and squeals of sixteen horses in one large raid being taken down by a pack of sabers pierced my memories. I was only sixteen then, and Drue had lost three hunters as well. We had lost much to learn so little.

The doorways were short, and tall hunters like Dillian often had to dunk their heads to fit inside the door. James’ house was in the middle of the row of houses. A few sticks with flames rested along the path for anyone who was walking around at night. Most preferred to be within their homes at this time, but some roamed the grounds restlessly. I greeted one of the older hunters.

I opened the door to James’ home, where he sat patiently waiting with a few slices of fruit on the small wooden table in the middle of the room. Our food was supplied at the eating quarters, but sometimes we were able to take some home with us, not that we had any place to store it.

There were only two chairs, a single bed on the left, and a narrow bench along the wall behind him. Beside the door were a few of his personal weapons. Although there was a section in the Guild where weapons were supplied, the raid teams were able to keep their own collection beside their door. There were no windows and only the candle he had lit on the table brought light to the room. The only weapon I had in my home was my crossbow. Sometimes I took my sword as well, but still that was property of the Guild, although everyone knew that I wanted to handle that blade. Most of the other hunters used the larger bulkier weapons, which was the reason why some struggled holding their own ground against the tactical members of the Council.

“How did you get on with Campture?” James asked. He had now changed into a sleeveless tight-fitting shirt.

“It was as fun as ever,” I said blandly, looking at the various fruit on the table as I took my seat. There was a heavy silence as I grabbed a grape and popped it in my mouth. It was an overly bitter batch, forcing me to impolitely spit it into my hand.

“You know after you left to eradicate that vamp, Corso was permitted to trial the chainsaw in our next raid,” he said, biting into one of the plums. It was a cooler night than usual, and a cool breeze swept through the room.

“Well, that sounds wonderful. That sounds like another responsibility I will have to handle.” They were wrong, and I knew it would end badly.

“I don’t know why you and Corso don’t get along,” he tried to sooth me.

I looked at the stone wall, trying to push my agitation away. “Is this why you asked me to come here?” I was so sick of him lecturing me.

“No, I’m sorry,” he said earnestly, grabbing hold of my hand. He stood up, pulling me toward him with a shy smile. “I’ve missed you lately.” He wrapped his arms around my waist. I dropped my shoulders, forgiving him, trying to let the moment sweep through me. I wrapped my hands around his neck, following his lead. His iridescent green eyes brightly shone when the flame flickered.

              His waist was firm against me, and his chest felt warm. He leant in, kissing my forehead. He began to roll a small piece of my golden hair between his fingers. “Do you know that tonight is our two-and-a-half-year anniversary?” he asked, kissing me gently on the lips. His warmth filled me, and I could feel it slowly trying to creep toward my cold heart. “I know you didn’t remember, but that’s okay.”

              He parted my lips and his tongue found mine. He pulled me closer to him, his hands lightly playing with the hair behind my neck as he pulled me to him. We moved toward the bed, James laying me down on it as he looked at me endearingly. “I love you, Es,” he said, finding my lips again before I could speak. His large body swept me with warmth and his cold hand slid under my shirt.

              I kissed him back, enjoying the relief that swept over my body. I didn’t have to think of anything else when we were like this. I could simply be with him.

              “You should move in with me,” he said between kisses. His mouth began kissing down my neck, as I stared at the dark roof. When James went to press his lips against mine again, I pushed his chest away. He stopped and looked at me in surprise.

              “James, we have spoken about this,” I said, exasperated. Why did he have to push such matters?

              He gave me a cocky smile, trying to dismiss the uncomfortable atmosphere. Propping himself up on one elbow beside me, he said, “C’mon Es, your parents had only been dating two months when they married,” he smiled.

I opened my mouth in annoyance and shock. “My parents are not me,” I said, now propping myself up on my elbows so he was no longer lingering over me. The mood was gone.

              “No, they are not. But you know I love you more than anything. Let me look after you,” he begged.

I pressed my hand on his chest again, pushing him against the wall as I slithered out of bed. I gathered my crossbow that I had left beside the door.

“What, are you going to run out again?”

              Why was he always like this? All he ever wanted to do was keep me like a bird in a cage. “I’ve told you before, I don’t want to get married, and I don’t want children. I am a Token Huntress and I will not let you take that away from me,” I said proudly.

“You are something else sometimes, you know that?” he said, infuriated. “I am telling you I love you and want to look after you, and all you do is push me away. Tell me what I am doing that is so wrong?”

Here it was again, the same argument had aroused itself. “You are trying to control me. I am who I am. If you are looking for obedience in a woman, then maybe I am not the woman you should be after. I imagine that is what you tell Corso and the others, isn’t it?” I asked spitefully.

His eyebrows knitted together in infuriation. “Well, at least they listen to me. You have changed ever since your mother died!” he shouted.

The air went still as my sharp gaze reached his eyes. My jaw clenched as I tightened the grip on my bow. No words could convey my fury at him. If it were anyone else, I don’t know what I might’ve done. One of the greatest lessons my father taught me was how to hold my outbursts. I nodded my head, pinching my lips firmly together as I considered this lesson. Everything that boiled in my mind, every destructive word… I could not continue this pattern with him, because I knew shortly I would not be able to hold my temper anymore. Inside a darkness, an emptiness, swirled. I felt scared. I did not yet know how far it would go. His words that hung in the air were enough of an invitation for me to leave. I had nothing to say that would be productive in this conversation. I still felt pain in my chest, not at the thought of losing James, but at the memory of my mother, and having her death thrown in my face. I turned on my heels and left.

After slamming the door shut behind me and slipping into the cool air, I felt something wet on my face. I touched my cheek, revealing a tear. I was bewildered by such mixed emotions.
Why, why are we still together if this is the outcome of our nights spent together?
I knew within myself I could not choose James over my duties.

I stalked toward the northern wall, where tonight Dillian and I were due to keep watch. Perhaps Dillian had some insight for me. He understood human emotions far more than I did. Maybe he knew the answer as to why I would shed a silent tear.