Chapter 5

            “So the lady that gave him the sword and helped him, was she really the witch from the mountain?”  I asked Lucas after he finished his story.

“Yep.” Lucas answered.

“What happened to the boy?”

“Well he found the demons, but after they saw that he could kill them, they fled.” He answered. 

“To stop the demons for good and prevent them from attacking other villages, he hunted them down one by one and killed as many as he could.  He asked the strongest and bravest of men whom he'd come across during his journey, to join him. He trained them to hunt and kill demons and that's how Hunters came to be.”                                                                                                                                                                          
“That was a pretty cool story and all, but what does it have to do with my gramps?” I asked him, referring to my original question.

“The young boy in the story, the one blessed by the witch with her magic and was brave enough to stand up against the demons and lead his people to do the same. His name, was Avan Latro.”

“Latro?” I said, my brows furrowing in confusion “Wait. I don't understand.”

“Avan Latro, the first hunter, was your ancestor. Just like Avan, and your grandfather, you're a Blood-born Hunter.” Lucas added cutting me off.

“You had me for about 5 seconds, then you lost me again.” I told him.

“We call the descendants of the Latro bloodline, Blood-born Hunters. It's only through death that Blood-borns truly come into their power.” Lucas tried to explain.

“What do you mean, through death?”  I asked, squeaking out the last word.

 I'm usually not such a coward but this entire situation was scaring the crap out of me. First, the pain that made me collapsed at the airport, and then watching as my house went up in flames, seeing that thing standing in my living room as it burned and now these guys bring me here in the middle of the forest and start telling me all this stuff about my gramps and hunters. 

If I wasn't so shell shocked from information overload, I'd probably be running and screaming at the top of my lungs, bawling like a two year old.

As if he could sense my panic bubbling to the surface, Daniel walked through the front door.  “That's enough, Luc.” Daniel roughly said to Lucas, cutting him off from any further discussion as he stood in front of the open door, looking directly at me. 

Giving me an exasperated look, Lucas stood as he left me on the couch and walked over to Daniel.  Handing over the firewood to Lucas, Daniel said to me over his shoulder “You can sleep in the bedroom.” as he pointed to the door to the right. “Luc and I'll sleep out here.”

I almost sighed in relief at the notion of being left alone with my thoughts, to just take in everything. Lazily getting off the couch, I followed Daniel as he walked through the bedroom door and into the darkness on the other side.  The dim light of fire that spilled in through the bedroom door from the small living area, was barely enough to make out the small room. 

Pulling out a lighter from his back pocket, I watched as Daniel walked into the darkness of the room and began lighting candles. The soft candlelight lit up the room, finally allowing me to see its contents. I was thankful for the sight of a bed as it sat in the right corner, under a small window and an armoire in the other. 

Walking over to the armoire as he finished lighting the candles around the room.  “There are sheets and stuff in here.” He said to me, tapping his knuckles on the old wooden door of the armoire as dark and faded as the cottage walls.

“Thanks.” I said to him as he turned and walked out closing the door behind him, leaving me alone.

I sighed in relief at the silence of being alone, allowing myself to wrap my head around the events of the night gone.

God is any of this even real? What if this is all just some wildly vivid dream? I'm probably asleep on the plane right now, hours away from my European Tour Adventure. 

I thought as I walked to the small window, looking out at the dawn sky. Taking a deep breath I laid down on the single bed, my damp hair falling across the limp pillow. My thoughts on constant loop as my heavy eyelids closed without protest.

It felt like my eyes were closed for only a second before I saw his purple eyes through the thick smoke, his face distorted by the flames, lips curled in a feral smile that sent ripples of fear through me, straight to the bone. As he made his way to me the fire parted, dancing out of his way. I tried to run, to get away but my feet couldn't move, stuck the ground. As he came to stand in front of me, shadows covering the top half of his face leaving me only the sight of his smug grin, his hands wrapped around my neck and began to squeeze. 

I woke with a choked scream stuck in my throat as I bolted upright in bed. Blinking back the tears of fear, forged from a nightmare that felt all too real, I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and cleared my vision. Looking around at the same faded walls, the same old room as the day before, the reality of my situation sunk back in. 

                                          Guess it was all real.

I depressingly thought as I stiffly got out of bed. Walking to the bedroom door I stopped at the sound of muffled voices on the other side. Leaning forward I pressed my ear close and tried to listen.

“This is insane Dani, she's Marcus’ granddaughter and you've been watching her for almost a week, per Marcus’ request. Why are you so suspicious of her?" Lucas asked.

“I don't trust her, because before a week ago…….. no one even knew Marcus had a granddaughter. She didn't exist!” Daniel answered.

“Which is why we both agree that, that little bit of information is gonna stay between us. Marcus, kept her a secret for a reason, and until we figure out why, she stays with us.” “Marcus, trusted you with this secret…….. with her. It's why he asked you to shadow her for those couple of days and keep her safe before she left for her trip.  We can't abandon her, she needs us.” Lucas said to him.

“You only want her to stay because you think you have a chance.” I heard Daniel say to Lucas with a laugh.

“Please, like your any different. I saw the way you looked at us, when you caught us together at the waterfall.” Lucas replied.

“Whatever. You should go check on her, see if she's awake.” Daniel told him.

I felt more than heard, as he got up and walked over to my door. My ass was barely touching the mattress before I heard a light knock. Quickly sitting up on the bed, I heard the door creak and saw a pair of clear grey eyes and a head of dark hair peeking through. Seeing that I was awake, I watched as Lucas closed the door behind him and walked over to me.

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, I noticed he had a newspaper in his hand. 

“What's that?” I asked him, tipping my chin in the direction of his right hand. Looking down at the newspaper, he looked back at me with hesitation in his eyes.

“What's wrong?” I asked him, drawing a blanket of calmness over me, just as my grandfather taught me.  “It's all over your face, just tell me.”

Sighing in resignation, he handed me today's paper. “Page five.” He instructed.

The Legend Of The Hunters

           Hundreds of years ago, tales were told of the woman that lived at the top of the highest mountain. Many said that she was an ugly beast that fled to the mountains to live in obscurity. Others say that she was a widow, who after her love died, left with her broken heart to the top of the mountain to die, but the most told tale of the woman who lived on the mountain, was that she was a witch. Strong and powerful, she was said to possess magic that could bring armies to their knees, while some whispered she had the sight to see the days to come.

Day became night as an eclipse turned the world dark, engulfing villages and its people in darkness. When the lights on the world were turned back on, villages that were once home to farms and families had been turned to rubble and ash, as horrible and inhumane creatures appeared from the darkness leaving carnage in their wake, only to vanish before dawn touched the sky. Night after night, the massacres continued, as the creatures from the darkness destroyed village after village. Torturing, raping, killing, leaving nothing but the dead bodies of their toys behind. 

Avan, was barely fifteen when they came to his village in the dead of night. He and his family were asleep in their beds when their home was set on fire, with all of them still inside. When morning came, Avan, was the only survivor of the bloodbath that fell over his village. He walked the dirt roads where he once played as a child with his friends, now littered with dead bodies and broken pieces of people he once knew. All his loved ones, everyone who he'd ever cared about were now dead, as the monsters of the night took them from him. 

As he fell to his knees in tears of loss, surrounded by the death and destruction left, the hooded figure of a woman came walking out of the ruins towards him. He had lived in his village all his life and never had he seen the face of the young woman, as she revealed herself. Hair as black as night, that glimmered from purple to  blue when touched by the sun, like the wings of a raven, skin pale and flawless and eyes of an impossible green that reminded him of the leaves in the spring.

“Were you sent from heaven to save me from this, angel?” he asked the beautiful stranger as she came to stand in front of him.

“No boy, I'm no angel. But I have the power to help you defeat the monsters that did this to you and your people.” She said to him in a soft voice that held an undertone of pure steel and determination.

“If you have the power to stop them, then why didn't you?” Avan, asked with anger.

“By the laws that bind my power, I cannot intervene. This is not my fight, but it is yours. Ask for my help and I will show you how to stop them, kill them and send these demons back to the pits of hell from which they came.” 

“Demons.” He said the word, finally able to put a name to the savage beasts, that ravaged his village like hungry animals.

“But you need to be sure that this is what you want, for once this path is chosen there is no going back.” She told him, a fierce warning in her words.

“I will do whatever it takes to rid the land of these demons. To spare at least one person my sorrow.” He said to her, strong resolve in his voice.

Kneeling beside, Avan, she reached under her cloak and pulled out a sword. Broad and the length of his arm, it was solid steel with symbols, that spoke of ancient language, craved deep into the metal from hilt to tip. 

“What is it?” he asked as she held it out towards him.

“The weapon that can kill them, but they are strong and many.”

Leaning forward she closed the distance between them and kissed him. As her lips touched his he felt a sudden jolt race through his entire body.

“I don't understand” he said as she broke the kiss, the remnants of  it still lingering through him. 

“The essence, the magic that  flows through my veins, now flows through yours. It will help protect you and give you the strength you need for the battle you will soon face.” “But with magic, everything comes at a price, for every blessing there is a curse.” Looking at him, he saw regret flash across her face as she said, “I am sorry that such a heavy burden is placed upon shoulders so young, but it must be done."

“I accept my fate and the path that I have chosen, witch.” Avan, said to her, as he realized the truth of the woman before him. That the beautiful stranger was the witch that lived in the mountains.

With a small smile, she confirmed his contentions. “Follow the trail of blood and destruction they leave behind, it will lead you to them. Be careful, do not let fear stop you from doing what must be done.”

As she handed him the sword she bid him farewell.  “Go, Avan, warrior born from my blood. Hunt the evil lurking in the darkness.”

Chapter 4

           “Lucas!” Daniel said through clenched teeth as he glared back at  him.

           

            “She deserves answers Dani, and if you're not gonna give them to her, then I will!” Lucas said to Daniel in a raised voice.         

                                                                                 

“We don't know her, Lucas! She might be Marcus' granddaughter, but I have no idea what the hell happened in that house-” Daniel began to argue.       

                                     

“Marcus saved your life Dani!” Lucas shouted. “And if he really is dead, then the least you could do for him is answer her questions.”

“So that's it? That's how you know my gramps?” I asked Daniel.

Turning from Lucas he stood to face me, though clenched teeth he answered. “Marcus didn't just save my life, he helped me find out about who I am. Let's go, we can finish this conversation at the cottage.”

 Turning and heading out of the tree line, I followed Daniel as he began to walk downstream, back in the direction we first came. Walking a couple paces behind I could see Lucas from my peripheral vision as he kept stride beside me. 

“Thank you.” I told him “For trying to get him to talk to me.”

 Giving me a small smile, that I'm sure made many a girl's heart flutter, “No worries. But seeing as I just got into it with my best friend in a vain attempt to try and help you……….I think it's only fair that one good deed deserves another.”  He replied in a conceited tone that immediately made me stop walking.

 Stopping a few paces ahead of me, he turned to give me another one of his weak kneed smiles. Glaring at him I asked “And what, would this good deed in return be?”

Closing the distance between us with two steps, Lucas looked down into my eyes as he answered, “Oh I don't know, guess we'll find out together.” Stepping aside he waited for me to continue walking, taking his place next to me.

 Figuring there were better ways to kill the 20 minute walk back to the cottage than dead silence, I looked over at Lucas. “Go ahead, just ask me.” He said without even sparing me a glance. 

“How come you don't have a problem answering my questions?”     

                          

“Unlike stone wall over there” he said to me gesturing in Daniel's direction as he walked in front of us. “I don't really see any harm in telling you what you want to know.” He answered.

“Thank you. You said you two were hunters? What does that mean?” I asked, hoping to get some actual answers. 

“Well, hunters fight the bad stuff. We hunt and kill the things that go bump in the night.” He answered in a tone that told me it was no lie.

“The things that go bump in the night?” I asked, blinking back the vision of the creature I glimpsed through the incineration of my house. “What kind of things?”

“Demons” he answered with no amusement. 

“Demons? Like the bible, straight from hell, kind of demons?” 

“Pretty much.”

Stopping in my tracks I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself as my breathing began to speed up. Taking deep breaths I tried to stop myself from having a panic attack. When I was younger I would get them, when I was too excited or scared, my chest would start to burn like it was on fire, breathing would become harder and everything would just go black. It was always okay though, because my gramps would always be there when I woke up, reassuring  me that everything was fine and that I wasn't dying or anything. 

“Hey. You alright?” I heard Lucas ask.

“Yeah. I'm fine, Just give me a second to process all of this.” I answered as I finally began to get my breathing under control.

“Well, were here.” Lucas said tilting his chin towards the old cottage.

“So this is your home? Where the two of you live?”

“Actually, this is your gramps place. Dani came down to Troian because of Marcus, so he let him stay here for a while.” 

“And none of that seemed questionable to you?” I asked a little confused.

“Hey, when the legend that is, Marcus Latro, asks you to do something, you do it. No questions asked.” He defended.

“Why would my gramps ask you guys to stay here?” I asked Lucas as we followed Daniel inside “And what do you mean legend?”

Walking through the cottage door, I stepped into a fairly sized room. The wall directly facing the door was the only source of light, as the moonlight peeked through the window's dusty pane. To my left was a small stone fireplace, tucked neatly into the corner at the back of the room, with an old ratty brown couch sitting in front of it, facing the open fire. On the right, in the middle of the wall was a closed door that I assumed would lead to a bedroom, or maybe it was wishful thinking.

           Not knowing exactly what to do now, I stood aside as Lucas entered behind me. “You should go sit by the fire, warm yourself up a bit.” Lucas said, nudging me with his shoulder in the direction of the fire.

Hesitantly I crossed the room and sat in the middle of the couch, bracing my elbows on my knees. I just sat there, looking at the embers stir as the fire's flames danced with lethargic grace. I was so enthralled by the fire, that I barely noticed Lucas sitting next to me until he grabbed my hand. Jerking back in surprise, I turned to him. 

“Sorry. Dani went to get some more wood for the fire, he wanted me to check and see if any of your burns were serious.” Lucas said as he reached for my hand again. 

“I'm fine. My skin feels a bit raw, but the waterfall's cool water helped a lot. It feels better now, thanks.”

“Are you sure? cause Dani said you were in that house a while before he found you and pulled you out. ” He said as he gave me a once over, probably looking for burns. 

Not wanting to have to talk about the fire and what I saw, I leaned back on the couch “Lucas, what did you mean when you said my gramps was a legend?”