“Can you feel it? It's closer now"

"Yes, it's impossible to miss"

"She is restless"

"Wouldn't you be in her place? Fate is rarely wrong and now she has to adjust the whole thing again. I would definitely feel restless too"

"Do you think she'll forgive them?"

"She always favors those that have the spine to go against her..."

"But the last ones didn't end up so well, remember?"

"That was not her doing. I can still feel her heartbreak and guilt over their end...it was he who changed it all"

"And he will do it again. We must stop him!"

"He is not ours to deal with. He is not of our plane, you know the rules"

"Yet he broke them and faced no consequences, what does that say about us? About whom we are? We must do something"

"And something we shall do"

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing really but I think it's time that Fate and I have a little conversation...”.

            The sky was dark, the wind was cold and the rain was bent on pouring. His breath was shallow, his lungs were burning, his legs could barely hold him but stopping was out of the question. When the sound of dogs barking reached his ears he snapped his head back peering through the darkness torn between the need to see those that were chasing him and the hope that there was enough distance between him and his chasers that he wouldn’t see them. For a brief moment his steps faltered thinking that his eyes were deceiving him but just then a cloud moved out of the moon’s path its light revealing his chasers in all their despicable glory. He slowed down filled with confusion. He took in their rotting flesh, the sharp black teeth of their hounds, their burning red eyes and their strange attire. He’d dealt with them before, they were already dead. So why was it that they were chasing him now in a forest that had been long since replaced by a very large city? He came to a complete stop, turning around to face them. If he had stopped them once he could do it again. A strange laughter came from nowhere in particular and seemed to wrap around him like a blanket. He looked around but there was no one else there and strangely enough even the walking rotting corpses and their dogs were gone. He was once again alone. Then the whispers started. They were coming from everywhere, getting louder each second, mingling with heavy, rhythmic footsteps as if an army was gradually approaching. The noise became too much, so he covered his ears in a futile attempt to make it stop. He was getting dizzy and everything started spinning at an impossible rate. Then just like that it stopped. He hadn’t noticed that he’d closed his eyes, but when he opened them everything was eerie quiet and it was even darker than before. He could suddenly sense the smell of fresh grass and wet earth, the cold air chilling him to the bone, but the wind had stopped its hauls and the rain was almost gone. There was a dark figure in front of him as far as he could tell, but it was not moving. A thunder crossed the sky and for the split second it was all as clear as day. The army was indeed there, swords and bows drawn all aimed at him. The soldiers were tall and big, their helmets hiding their faces, but the design of the armor as well as its deplorable state, spoke of a race that no one regardless of species would want to cross paths with. He turned his attention to the dark figure in front of him. It still had not moved.  Even though he could not see any distinguishing features, he felt no sense of danger coming from it, like with the rest of the army. The next flash of lightning however revealed a motion in the one before him that left him staring down the barrel of a gun.

    ‘You think you’re safe?’ a smug voice whispered in his ear.

            He didn’t move or make any attempt to answer. He was paralyzed, as if something was holding him in place, making sure he would not dodge the bullet.

    ‘You think she won’t do it’ this time it was a statement uttered on a mocking tone and indeed he had yet to feel fear towards the figure that stood before him.

            It was then that the strangest thing happened. Someone licked his cheek. There was no one around and looking back in front of him it happened again. The figure in front of him took the gun’s safety off and he saw a pair of silver eyes staring at him with sadness.

“I’m sorry” she whispered and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit his chest and he felt that tongue on his cheek again.

            He snapped his eyes open and tried to jump out of bed, ready to tackle whoever was there, but his legs got tangled in one of the sheets and he fell to the floor. A cat hissed at him from the other edge of the bed and getting into a sitting position he hissed back glaring at it. After a short staring contest between the two, which the cat obviously won, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

• You know Benjamin, one of these days I’m going to kill you while I’m still asleep and I bet you will blame me for it from the afterlife, he said defeated.

            The cat hissed again but then approached him cautiously. He stretched a hand and scratched it for a little while, then got up looking pointedly at the mess his bed was in. The cat purred at his feet as if trying to sooth him, and then gave a weak meow.

• Don’t worry Ben, it’s not like my nightmares will come true. They’re just that, nightmares and they will stay in dreamland. I just…For once I wish I could have a nice dream, instead of these freaky ones. I’m not even asking for a beautiful one, just a good one you know, where no one is chasing me or trying to kill me, he followed the cat into the kitchen.

            It was still dark outside, not that it was a surprise for him. He rarely got up after the sunrise and those were very special occasions. Walking slowly through the kitchen he took out the cat food from one of the cabinets and made sure that Ben’s bowl was full, then proceeded to grab a glass of water for himself. He walked through the living room, and headed to his office. Once there he started his computer and tapped patiently on the desk until it came on. He started his usual routine checking his messages, then answering the most urgent one first. Scrolling through the short list one in particular caught his attention. He liked keeping in touch with his contacts, it was a sure way to get good information on time, but this one had been off the radar for a very long time. He opened the e-mail and read a surprisingly short content

“To: Damian Mason

A. K.  fishing.   

M.”

            Damian frowned at the number of words, but was not going to complain since the man had bothered to give him a heads up. By now Benjamin was scratching at the door to be left outside, so he got up to indulge the cat.

• Just be careful, we have company, he warned Ben opening the door.

            He was just about to go back inside when a strange growling noise made him stop.  Still barefoot and only wearing a pair of sweats Damian climbed down the few steps from his apartment and walked to the end of the alley that opened to the road. It was quiet now and still deserted, but on the other side in the shadows there was something moving and he wanted to know what. Quickly considering his options, he jogged across the street and slowly advanced through the shadows. A few steps into the alley he spotted a small child hiding behind a dumpster, which raised the question what was he doing there. Taking another step forward he noticed the lack of clothing on the said child which only confused him more, however the thud that came from the alley entrance snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned around. He instantly glared at the newcomer. One thing Damian knew for sure was that he’d never been a fan of people that collected muscles like others collect stamps. And this guy had a vast collection.

• “Well, well, well! What do we have here? the man said
• Save it Kendrix, I haven’t done anything to deserve to be hunted, Damian replied not bothering to hide his dislike for the man.
• Aren’t we a bit full of ourselves! Sarcasm poured out the man’s mouth, what makes you think I’m here for you?

            Damian considered that for a moment.

• He is only a child! He finally stated.
• Are you sure about that? Kendrix asked in turn his gaze moving above Damian’s head.

            It was only then that Damian registered the low growl that came from behind him. He turned around very slowly only to stare up at an 8 foot creature that resembled a slug to a disturbing degree. He took a cautious step away his 6 1 height and lean body, seeming rather small in comparison.

• You might want to get out of the way, princess, Kendrix advised.

    While the nickname annoyed him, the advice was extremely sound and he did just that. In less than a second he was next to Kendrix and was eyeing him up and down thoroughly.

• We can kiss and indulge later right now I’d rather get rid of this thing first.

            Damian rolled his eyes. This was another reason why he couldn’t stand the man.

• Tell me you have a Belcroux blade.
• This is not my first party you know? Kendrix pointed out already attacking the creature.
• I meant for me, Damian mumbled.

            When Kendrix ended up at his feet with a split bottom lip, Damian just smiled at him and retrieved the blade from the man’s reluctant fingers

• Watch and learn” he threw over his shoulder.  

            Damian quickened his step until he became nothing but a blur. He raised the sword ready to strike when the creature changed its shape again, reverting to that of the little boy from before. He stopped staring into those innocent and radiant blue eyes for a moment then smirked.

• Nice try!

            In a flash the blade had cut through live tissue with a deadly precision and the head of the creature fell to the ground rolling away. The sizzling sound that followed got Damian to snap his head around where his enemy’s body now lay stretched on the ground bubbling up as if to…

• Oh shi…

            The last of that sentence was lost when the body of the creature exploded, throwing Damian against the wall. His body slid down the bricks and he was motionless for some time. Kendrix had managed to get out of the way, mostly, and was now coming closer to assess the damage, still whipping a trail of slime of his left sleeve. Damian moaned registering the pain in his head and back. Saying that he was feeling like a squashed bug was a severe understatement on his part, but his throbbing head was limiting his trail of thoughts.

• Good job princess! Next time though, you might want to try not to blow yourself up in the process, he laughed.
• It’s dead, isn’t it? Damian mumble, picking himself up

            He looked down at himself and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the green and yellow slime that covered him from head to toe.

• Oh man! This is going to take for forever to wash off! He tried to get as much off as he could right then, without much success.
• What the hell was that? he looked at Kendrix
• No clue. I’ve been tracking it for weeks now. It had its share of fun before you took it out.

            For once Damian saw the man being serious which was as disturbing as a live grenade in a kindergarten.

• Weeks? I thought you were supposed to be a gifted hunter Adrian? He teased the man trying to ease the sudden tension.

            Kendrix didn’t answer, just gave him a thoughtful look.

• You don’t seem surprised to see me? Did you at least bake me some cookies while you were waiting for me?

            Damian clenched his fists to his sides and tried to take a deep breath. Instead he just managed to inhale a bit of the slime and started spitting. 

• Whoa there sunshine! Don’t get all choked up over me, I’m not going anywhere, the man patted Damian on the back.
• Wh-what? Why? He managed to get out between coughs.
• Oh I missed you too! Besides it seems your senses have grown dull over the years old friend. You might need some help staying alive these days.
• Friend? Damian managed to ask without coughing, you wouldn’t recognize a friend even if one hit you in the face with a shovel, not that I would ever be that lucky, he finished mumbling the last part.

            Adrian just laughed at him and once again patted him on the back. Damian glared briefly and headed back home, with the hunter right on his heel.

• So…, he started just as the door closed behind them, what do I have to do to get rid of you?
• You manners astound even me, he smiled for a moment, but just like that it vanished. Actually I’m not here on official business. We haven’t had any of that in a while now, he stated gravely
• Haven’t had what?
• Official business, then, probably seeing the confusion on the other man he added, I haven’t been on a mission in about 3 months now.
• Maybe they finally decided it was time for you to retire.

            Kendrix scoffed.

• A. I’m not THAT old and B. I’m not the only one. Blade was actually the last one to receive a mission as far as we know and he never came back. That was nearly 2 months ago and he’s never been the type to be out of touch, he frowned. To make matters worse, they didn’t seem to care. Some of us tried to go find him, but they said that if we tried anything we would end up on the ‘Most Wanted’ list instead.

            That caught Damian’s attention.

• So what brings you to my doorstep then?
• Officially, I’m off on rest leave…between you and me, I’m trying to figure out what the hell is going on and stay alive at the same time. To be honest it’s not necessarily you I came to find, although any information would be helpful at this point, but that thing whatever it was came here with a purpose. It usually stayed outside the city, but as soon as it arrived here it went straight for this place. So…
• So it’s either me or something here that drew it to this part of the city. He thought about it for a second. Still, there is nothing out of the ordinary to look for here, only a bunch of dilapidated buildings, and the homeless people that take residence in them. As for me, I can’t think of a single thing I’ve done in the past few years to raise as much as an eyebrow.
• I can assure you, something is definitely wrong, Adrian frowned looking Damian straight in the eyes.
• As much as I can’t stand you, I do trust you. He paused. Well I desperately need a shower…or ten and you look like crap. So why don’t you clean yourself up as well, then get some rest. We can talk later. I’ll poke around and see what comes to the surface.
• Thanks, I really appreciate this, the hunter said giving a curt nod.
• No problem, just pick one of the guestrooms and take up residence there, he turned around leaving Adrian near the front door.

        It was time for a very serious cleaning session.

            As soon as the door was closed behind the 2 men, a small figure crawled from a group of dumpsters.  It advanced quickly toward a building almost a block away, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. It made its entrance through a broken window and looked around the room for a second before heading to one of the darkest corners. As it did a stray ray of moonlight revealed it to be a black cat with big gold eyes.

• What happened? Asked a raspy female voice from the shadows.

            The animal stared for a brief moment, as if contemplating the question then suddenly burst into flames. The fire started out small, the size of the cat, gradually growing in height and width, fading away only to reveal a young girl. Her eyes still glowing gold, she took a step closer to the corner with a concerned expression written all over her face.

• It’s dead. There is a hunter here and someone else that helped him kill it. But right now I’m more concerned in how you’re holding up B, she told the other woman.
• I’m not sure, Riza. I could lie to you and tell you that I’m fine, but truth is I’m starting to feel a little bit cold and dizzy.
• Let me see.

            Carefully Riza removed the layers of armor and clothing of the other woman and stared at the bleeding wound.

• How does it look?
• Nasty, if you really want to know and we don’t have any supplies to patch you up. That thing destroyed everything.

            There was a moment of silence in which they both considered their options. Finally Riza decided that her friend’s life was more valuable than whatever mission they had.

• I’m going to go ask them for help, she stated already starting to stand.

            The other woman caught her by the arm and stopped her before she could move out of reach. The effort she made in speaking was becoming apparent.

• No! We don’t know where their allegiances lie. They could just as well have orders to kill us, she said weakly.
• Then you will die either way, so what are you complaining about? Riza asked sarcastically.
• I’d rather die in peace than tortured to death.

            Riza rolled her eyes and quickly walked away. She was staring at the door, that the two men had gone through, in under a minute and rang the doorbell without hesitation. It only occurred to her that she didn’t know what to say only when she heard footsteps approaching from inside. The door was yanked open and one of the men stared down at her.

• I’m not interested, he said after giving her the onceover.
• In what? She asked confused.
• In whatever it is that you’re offering.
• I’m not offering anything. I just came here to ask for your help.
• Look I’ve told you people countless times, just because I helped out a few of your friends doesn’t mean I run a welfare institute, the man said, obviously exasperated then slammed the door in her face.

            Riza stared at it stunned and unable to utter a word. When she finally recovered, she muttered a few choice words under her breath and rang the doorbell again and again until the door opened.

• Now look here little girl… the man started.

            Riza’s eyes took on a different color this time playing with a bright red that usually showed when she was angry.  She slammed her hand on the door that was barely ajar and forced it completely open.

• No, you look! My friend was injured while trying to take down that monster thing that you killed earlier and she’s bleeding to death. Since you are the only form of civilization around this area, I need you to help me. Now I know that it is most likely the last thing that you want to do, but let me tell you, if she dies you will quickly follow by my hand, clear?

            He looked at her, probably weighing the truth in her words, but when he opened his mouth to answer he was quickly cut off.

• Who dares yell at you at this hour Damian? The second man came into her view.

            Riza nearly swallowed her tongue. Up close he looked even better. As she watched the men fighting before, from her hiding spot behind the dumpsters, she couldn’t distinguish so much of their features, but even so this one had intrigued her. He was well build, obviously making sure he packed enough muscle to take down an army of werewolves barehanded, he was tall, standing a few inches over 6 ft. and his face held a strange attractiveness, with a strong jaw, high cheekbones and the most amazing blue eyes. She wouldn’t normally go for someone so bulky, but for some odd reason, known only by Mother Nature, she had the strongest urge to climb the man and never come back down.  An image of her friend flashed in her mind and Riza shook her head trying to come back down to earth. Apparently while she had been rendered speechless by the new arrival, he was just as tongue-tied at the moment.

• So? She asked, forcing her gaze to go back to the man that had answered the door.

            He was frowning, but not at her. He had obviously noticed the reaction of his friend and was giving him suspicious looks. He finally turned his head back around and looked down at Riza once more.

• Fine, where is this friend of yours?
• Not far from here. Could you help me bring her here? That place is gross and I doubt she can walk anymore; she had addressed the question mostly to the new arrival that didn’t disappoint in stepping up to lend a hand.
• Sure, just point the way.
• I’ll stay here and bring out the first aid kit. When you get back, bring her into the kitchen, we’ll need a flat surface to examine her.

            With those words, she and Mr. Good-Looking left.

• Name’s Adrian, he said suddenly half way there.
• Rizarra, but you can call me Riza she smiled at him.

            They walked in silence after that, and Riza was thankful for it. She wasn’t really in a talkative mood right now she just wanted her friend to get better. Only then could she take the opportunity to explore the attraction that she had toward the man that was walking beside her.

            When they entered the building Riza noticed, gratefully, that her friend hadn’t moved but she looked even paler then when she’d left. She quickly walked over.

• Hey, I brought help, she said softly gesturing towards Adrian.
• Hi. I’m Adrian and I will be your taxi for the evening, the man smiled at the wounded woman.
• This is Bianca, Riza told him.
• I can speak for myself, thank you! The woman said, starting to gather herself up to stand.
• No, no, I’ll carry you. You look awful; Adrian quickly approached her and picked her up carefully.
• Well isn’t he the charmer, Bianca mumbled.
• I’m sure you look lovely in your better days, he replied giving her another bright smile.

            Riza chuckled and started walking back the way they had come. Once again no one spoke, and from time to time Riza peeked in at Bianca to see how she was holding up. The other woman held her head on Adrian’s shoulder and had her eyes closed, but she was breathing slowly, so she was still alive in spite of her paleness indicating the opposite.

            When they reached the house, Riza opened the door for Adrian and followed him in to what she believed was the kitchen. Indeed, Damian was waiting for them, surgical gloves covering his hands and an open first aid kit at the edge of the table. When he saw them he gestured for Adrian to place Bianca in front of him on the table.

            The bruises covering the woman’s face, arms and occasionally an uncovered spot on the leg, where her pants had been torn, were nothing to the gaping hole in her side that Damian uncovered, just as Riza had done before. If the man was surprised at anything, he didn’t show it and kept it to himself, but he was frowning as he was working and Riza hoped that it was due to concentration. She would hate for Bianca to be right, and the man plotting on how to kill them in the most horrible ways he could think of.

• Relax, Adrian whispered near her. He knows what he’s doing. Even though he doesn’t show it, he likes helping people. She’s in good hands and she’s going to be fine, he assured.

            It’s not like she had much of a choice, but as she watched Damian work on her friend with an efficiency that spoke volumes, Riza relaxed, just one tiny bit. He carefully removed the vest that covered Bianca’s upper body then the t-shirt she was wearing underneath. He took a clean cloth, dipped it into warm water and carefully rinsed around the wound several times to make sure it was clean.

            Riza watched him work carefully, with precise movements until a large hand was placed on her shoulder waking her from what felt like a trance.

• How are you feeling? He asked her gently leaning over, giving her a concerned look.
• I’m good she smiled weakly at him.
• No injuries at all? He raised an eyebrow as with the answer was already implied.

• Just scrapes and bruises, nothing serious, she looked back at Bianca, nothing like her.
• Come on, he tugged her shoulder gently. Let me have a look. There is nothing you can do for her by standing here and it’s going to take a while.

            The first instinct was to resist him, but now that the adrenaline was subsiding, she felt the slight tremors, her knees started feeling like goo and the wounds that seemed so minor before, started aching like crazy and seemed to have multiplied exponentially. Adrian guided her to the living room and sat her down on the couch. It was only then that Riza realized how torn and tattered her clothes were. Her magic only allowed her a small amount of clothing to follow into her cat form so she always went with an all-black outfit. Now her sleeves and pants were full of cuts, making a strong contrast to her golden skin and revealing all sorts of bruises and even open wounds. Riza stared at them for a long moment, feeling the pain they caused but all from a weird distance as her vision gradually got blurry.

• Pass out, she mumbled before everything went dark.