The Hunt

he tall, scruffy man could feel the electric tingle coursing through his body, every nerve afire with burning pain. He knew this had happened before, not recently, perhaps in another life, but still it hurt his body.

He was standing in a dark alley, he had just been violently sick and his friends had left him at his weakest, not that they were really his friends, they had just been happy to let him buy the drinks, but then, that sort were the only friends the young man ever had.

But now things were different, the wracking coughs had subsided, he no longer felt sick and the tingling had reduced to a tolerable level, and he could hear noises in his mind.

He knew that a Hunt was on, his memories dredging up images of tall, dark animals, dripping black ichor from the pores on their scaly hides, their razor sharp fangs reflecting the intense red fire burning in their eyes, always a pair chasing a single, helpless victim.

Instantly, he fell into the role he knew he had played so many times before, the long sword, so familiar at his hip, appearing when his mind called, fitting snugly by his side. Now he moved swiftly, keeping to the deepest shadow in the dark alleys, joining the Hunt.

The creatures were clamouring loudly but not audibly, using their minds. He followed them, but soon he knew where to go, so left the Hunt to continue its course. The creatures continued to pursue the rank smell of fear and panic, an exotic smell, the Hunt was worth while this time.

The woman ran on, running blindly, fear and panic filling her mind. Her dress had been torn what seemed like an eternity ago, her heels had shattered on the cobble stones. The dark had surrounded her long since, she could not see her Hunters but she could feel them gaining, ever drawing closer, her flight was hopeless but she continued on.

An arm reached out and clasped itself round her waist then a hand came from the darkness to stifle her scream. She was pulled into an alleyway she had not seen, darker than the last, but still she could make out the tall, young man holding her firmly. She could feel the aura of strength and calm radiating from him, she relaxed in his grip.

As she relaxed he released his hold and moved her gently behind him as he felt the panting beast draw close. His long, slender blade slipped silently from its scabbard, seemingly eager to be free once more, its eerie, dark glow piercing the gloom.

The panting reached a crescendo as the beast turned the corner to confront the man. At the very instant it became visible the man struck with all his might and one of the beasts taloned arms flew from its body, the stump pumping green fluid sizzling to the cobbles.

Pain filled its mind, filled the aura surrounding it. The man struggled to block the cry of pain from his mind as the creature cried inaudibly to its fellow Hunter. Now the other could smell blood and feel the pain of its brother, the Hunting was going to be excellent tonight, perhaps a genuine challenge, but who would dare to challenge their might? It sent a questing thought out to answer questions it thought it would never need ask, recoiling slightly as it touched a mind completely alien to its own.

Running swiftly, the man ushered the woman ahead of himself, turning this way and that, not knowing where he was going and not caring, he only wanted to be away from here.

Sword in hand he ran on, searching with his mind for the Hunters. Hesitating slightly when he found a presence so close he turned as the shadow loomed toward him from his side, the pain of the shadow battering his mind as the wounded beast flung itself at him. he raised his sword as it thundered toward him, knocking him to the ground as it hit him, forcing the sword between them deep into the beasts hide, piercing its life source leaving it a lifeless husk.

Struggling to free the blade, the man turned to look for the woman but she had run ahead, ignoring his own wounds he turned and ran following her projection of fear. He never felt her pain intermingled with the fear as the other beast knocked her to the ground.

He came shortly to a crossroads to find her lying dazed in the centre of the four ways. Pausing he looked about himself knowing it was here somewhere. Then swift as lightning it raised its body and threw its bulk at him. He reacted in the nick of time, throwing himself clear and swiping at his assailant with the blade only to be parried.

Back and forth they battled, his sword inflicting agony on the beast each time it so much as scratched its skin, the beast flailing with talons, drawing deep gashes in the man's body, throwing its pain at him as a weapon, battering at the frail human mind. Both were tiring, blood and ichor running lazily down their torn bodies.

The man lost his footing on the slippery cobbles, his weak human body finally giving up its struggle, making him fall in a heap to the ground, at the mercy of the beast.

The beast drew up to its full height, an aura an intense satisfaction washing across the man as it threw its full weight at him, intent on crushing the life from him. Everything started to move in slow motion as the man watched his mentor move toward him.

The black blade twisted in the defeated man's grasp as the beast drew closer still and pierced the tough hide covering its head, entering its brain and killing it after but a brief moment of anguish and torment, enough time to send the feeling of great disappointment to the man.

With energy he did not know he had, the man rolled to one side, losing his grip an the sword, sending himself crashing into a brick wall; he blacked out.

He awoke and blinked his eyes, feeling the deed he had accomplished suppressed by a hangover and the realisation that the tingling in his body had left him. He weakly turned his head to look for the woman.

The woman was smoothing her dress and brushing dust from her shoulders when she turned her head to see the scruffy, young man laying in a bloody heap not far from her. Wrinkling her nose in distaste she turned and walked into the gloom.

He was alone again.