Nick Gautier stalked through the darkened city streets, annoyed that he had to go through this pretense of protecting the area he was given. Having briefly met the other Dark-Hunters that shared the city, and taking an immediate dislike to them, and them to him, he headed out into the clear night air.
He had moved into Keegan’s old house three days previous and had immediately informed the Squire’s council that he did not need, nor want the services of a Squire. He then spent the next two days tearing his new home apart. He had yet to find the arrow, or anything that hinted to where it could be.
So, either it was very well hidden, or it wasn’t in the house. Either way, he was getting annoyed with searching.
On the plus side, Keegan had been rather 'in to' comfort and the house boasted the latest of all the finest gadgetry and electronic equipment that money could buy. When he wasn’t searching, Nick researched the arrow and Keegan on the internet, viewing it all on the dead DH’s 45-Inch High-Definition LCD Monitor.
Nick pulled his attention back to the area he was patrolling and noticed that he had walked straight past a group of good-looking blondes who didn’t seem to be much older than he was. Pegging them for Daimons, but not really caring, he continued walking.
He looked at his watch, noticed that it was not quite three in the morning, and decided to call it quits for the night. He was tired and wanted to catch some sleep before tearing apart another room in search of the arrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I need a favor.”
Aiden looked at the man who spoke. “What? You have another incredibly annoying jerk who wants to kill you that you’d like me to baby-sit?”
Ash stared for a moment, then replied in a sickly sweet tone. “Maybe you could take that sarcasm and shove it someplace? Hmmm?”
“Don’t…tempt…me.”
He shook his head slightly, sending his long black hair flicking behind him. “How can I make it up to you for putting up with Nick?” He asked. “That doesn’t include me wearing non-leather white,” he added quickly.
Dang! Aiden smiled slightly. “Him being long gone is enough for me.” She paused at the brief look that passed through Ash’s eyes. “He is gone, isn’t he?”
“No, he’s not.” Ash easily admitted.
Aiden rubbed her temples as a headache started. “I need a Tylenol.”
“Tylenol’s poisonous to Were-Hunters,” Ash reminded her.
“What’s your point?” Aiden inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “Okay. The Dark-Hunters are your domain. Who am I to offer anything but help.”
Ash stared at her, slightly annoyed at the attitude she was giving him over this. She was right, it was his domain, and barring any interference from Artemis, he called all the shots. “I’m sorry I asked you to keep an eye on Nick.”
“Okay,” she replied easily, then smiled. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it.” Her smiled grew as he glared at her. “Now, what is this favor you need?”
If he lived to be a billion, he didn’t think he would ever understand the way her mind worked. He shook his head, then sobered. “Don’t mention Nick to Simi.”
“Why not?”
“At all.”
Aiden looked confused, then something Nick said merged with what Ash hadn’t said, and suddenly it all made sense. “Oh-h-h,” she breathed, stretching the word out to show that she understood what he was saying. Then her head jerked slightly. “Hey, no, wait.”
“Hey, no, wait, what?” Ash asked in a dark voice.
“Never mind,” she said as she held a hand up. “It’s none of my business.”
Ash immediately silenced all the voices in his mind and concentrated on her thoughts. You cursed him for sleeping with Simi… His eyes flashed red for a moment before returning to black.
Realizing that he was staring at her, Aiden closed her mind to him. “How did Nick die?”
“What does it matter?”
She sighed in annoyance. “It matters to me,” she said in a voice that promised unpleasant circumstances if she were ignored.
Ash knew he should feel angry with her, but somehow he wasn’t. Something was telling him that she needed to know, and he looked upon that as a sign the Oracle in him was at work. “I said something stupid in anger, then after he found his mother’s body, he killed himself.”
Aiden brought a hand up and covered her eyes as she shook her head. Lowering her hand, she looked at him. “Whatever happened to free will that you’re always fighting for?”
“What?” He was confused at that question.
“Lemme put it another way,” Aiden said as she ran her fingers through her hair. “If Nick had free will, then how can you think that a curse would kill him?” She looked at Ash. “Honestly? He had the choice to kill himself or not kill himself, correct?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?” She held up a hand before he could reply. “Never mind. I’m not going to debate Nick’s death with you, or the fallacy of your thinking that you caused it.” She sighed. “I won’t mention Nick to Simi.”
“Thank you.”
“And if we see him while we’re out at the movies,” she continued, “I’ll kill him before he sees her.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Spoilsport.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After untold millennium, Stryker never really let the boredom that he sometimes felt bother him. Unfortunately for those around him, this was one of the rare times that it actually did bother him.
Taking his pick from the Daimons in front of him for his dinner hadn’t help, nor had the orgy that usually served as his pre-meal entertainment. Even the rare treat of one of his meal courses fighting back did nothing to appease the restlessness that seemed to occupy his mind.
“Get me a Skoti,” he called out to no one in particular, then waited while others left to do his bidding. He waited for the renegade Dream-Hunter to arrive, passing the time planning what he wanted the dream invader to do.
He looked up as a tall man with light brown hair and striking blue eyes approached.
“You require my services?” the Skoti asked.
“Indeed.” Stryker stood in one fluid motion and started to walk, forcing the Skoti to hurry to catch up to him. “I require you to enter the dreams of someone, look for a recent nightmare… any one will do… then recreate it, taking it farther along.”
“Why?”
Stryker stopped walking, and glared, his silver swirling eyes glowing in the dim light. “Why not?”
Sensing dangerous ground, the Skoti merely nodded once. They held no emotions, so he wasn’t scared. Any emotions they received were from the dreamers and he craved to feel what they felt. “I will require the name of the individual.”
Stryker smiled slightly. This really wouldn’t get rid of his own boredom, but it would at least make things a little more interesting in the days to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rolling over in her sleep, Aiden started to dream, a kaleidoscope of colors weaving in and out around her. She could hear her mother’s voice as she instructed her youngest daughter on what it meant to be a Were-Hunter.
…With our spiritual brethren the Dark-Hunters and Dream-Hunters, we help to patrol the universe and to keep mankind safe.
Our dominion is the ethereal. We go where our brethren can't. The third part of the Triad, we complete the Pyramid of Protection that was once promised to the humans...
It had all seemed so simple back then. Aiden knew what her life would consist of, and she looked forward to making a difference in a world that treated her kind as witches, demon, and Satanists. Then, her mother was killed in a vicious attack, and everything that was clear became streaked with confusion.
The need to continue her bloodline took over, and she worked her way through the male population in her own Patria searching for a mate. Pierce happened along about a year later, and they became mates after having sex. Children never arrived, for which she knew the reason for now, and she forgot her dreams of helping to settle down to become someone else’s property.
Aiden rolled back over in her sleep as the dreams continued. She saw herself in the mountain cabin just after she killed Pierce and her magick exploded, the walls collapsing on her, choking off both the air and light.
Mumbling and whimpering in her sleep, she could feel the crushing weight of the cabin, then suddenly she was on a beach on Neratiti. Inhaling deeply to relieve the feeling of panic she had been experiencing, Aiden looked around the empty shoreline.
Savitar was suddenly behind her, cupping her breast in his hands and nuzzling her neck. Reminded of her previous dream, and not wanting to experience that fear again, she started to pull away, stopping when he tightened his grip slightly.
“Trust me,” he murmured as he continued to nip at her neck. The caressing of her breast became a little too rough, and she forced herself out of his embrace and turned to face him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in a hard voice.
“This isn’t like you.”
He laughed briefly. “I show you what you want to see, so how could you possibly know what is like me or not?”
“Why-“
“Quiet!” he said in a sinister voice. “I hold the power of life or death over everything, so don’t you ever question me again, you insignificant eagle.”
Aiden suddenly remembered that this was a dream and not really happening. Suspicion started to creep in as she wondered whether she was imagining this, or if there were other forces at work. Either way, she wasn’t exactly impressed with the attitude she was getting.
“Fine,” she said, turning. “This insignificant eagle is getting her ass out of here.” She stopped short when he appeared in front of her.
“You’ll leave when I say you can,” he yelled, an instant before flinging his arm out and backhanding her straight across her face.
Aiden fell to the sand in disbelief, forgetting the pain as anger welled inside her. She concentrated on the protection mark, and looked up at Savitar as he loomed over her. He stopped at the sight, took a step back, then turned as lightening flashed through the sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Catching another wave and riding it to the shore, Savitar hopped easily off the board and waded the last few feet to the sand. He turned to survey the water, checking for another great wave, and was ready to teleport himself on to it when he felt Aiden summoning her protection mark.
This was the second time she had done so, and like the last time, he peeked through her eyes to check out the situation. If it was just a warning, then he backed away, confident that she could handle most things that came her way.
He blinked as he looked through her eyes, not understanding why he was looking at himself. Pushing the confusion away, he checked other things and realized that she was sleeping and someone was directing her dream. Anger consumed him as he swiftly reviewed the dream.
He quickly sent a mental message to M’Adoc, who was the enforcer that watched over most Dream-Hunters and Skoti. I’m about to kill one of your Skoti he told him an instant before he closed his eyes and entered Aiden’s dream.
Lightening flashed over the dream version of Neratiti and his eyes flashed red as he saw himself reaching for Aiden who was on the sand. Then, his doppelganger stopped, took a step back, and looked at him.
Fear passed through the imposter's eyes and he immediately tried to leave the dream, looking around in a panic when he couldn’t.
“I don’t think so,” Savitar said in a low growl as he approached. His gait was one of someone who was out for blood and thoroughly intended to enjoy the damage he was about to dole out.
The imposter changed into a tall man with flowing light brown hair, and the bluest eyes imaginable. “You can’t kill me,” he said with a smirk.
“No?” Savitar asked a moment before the Skoti yelled in pain and disintegrated into a fine blue powder that floated away with the breeze. “Guess you were wrong.”
Aiden stared at him, not quite clear at what just happened, but wishing that she would wake up. She tensed as he turned to her, his eyes still an unsettling shade of red.
“Is he…?”
“Dead?” Savitar asked. “Quite.” He took a step toward her, stopping when she leaned back slightly. She was scared of him, and he wasn’t sure how to handle that. “You get back to your dreams, and I’ll see you sometime.”
“Wait.” She climbed to her feet and hesitantly walked up to him. Not sure if this was some Skoti trick, she studied him for a few moments. Standing on her tiptoes, she placed her lips against his, her relief melting as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Yes, it was the real Savitar. No one else could kiss like that.
Even though it was just a dream, Savitar could feel the heat of her body against his, which fueled the fire in him that wanted her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Stryker stared at the Daimon who delivered the news to him. There was no way he had heard that last statement correctly. “He what?”
“He…disintegrated.”
“Dream-Hunters do not just disintegrate,” Stryker said in a cold voice. Oh, this was just too frigging unbelievable. “Go away before I kill you.” He ignored the Daimon as he turned and quickly walked away.
He didn’t think that the eagle had the kind of strength in her that would be able to kill someone in a dream and have it carry over to real life. Something had happened, and now Stryker was not only without a Skoti to use, he was also without entertainment for the next few days.
Damn it. Try to have some fun, and there’s always something to stop it. This was turning into a rather crappy year for the Spathi Leader, and he had just about enough of it.
Maybe he could check with some other disgruntled gods and see if any had something in the works for screwing with either his father or aunt. When people tried to mess with Apollo or Artemis, he rather enjoyed putting his forces along with the other just so he could cause problems.
At least spending time checking would get rid on some of the boredom, and if he couldn’t find someone in the middle of planning an uprising, then he would just have to plan one himself. The plot didn’t have to work, it just had to remind his father that he was still alive, and firmly on the side of Apollo’s enemy.
Besides, if any plan could also take a few shots at Acheron, and any of his friends, then it would be worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After leaving Aiden’s, Ash teleported himself to New Orleans with the intent to just kick back at Kyrian Hunter’s place and do nothing but stare at the walls with his cell phone turned off. He hadn’t been in the city five minutes before a group of tourists walked past him, followed closely by Daimons.
It hadn’t taken long to remove the soul suckers, but that was only the beginning. It turned out to be a hell of a night on the Daimon front, with one kill after another in the Bourbon Street area alone. It almost seemed like as the city got its life back, the Daimons also returned in an attempt to stop it from continuing.
Kept busy all night, including one rather exhilarating romp through the alleys and rooftops of the city, Ash didn’t have time for a breath, let alone time to just kick back.
Making a mental note to increase the number of Dark-Hunters in the city, he finally headed towards Kyrian’s. The one time Dark-Hunter, and father of Ash’s two god-children had greeted him warmly at the door, spending a few minutes on small talk while Ash played with Marissa and her brother.
Sensing how tired his old boss was, Kyrian suggested the park to his kids, and smiled as they scurried off with excited squeals. He then pointed Ash towards the stairs and told him that they would be back later in the afternoon.
Not wanting to chase them off, but grateful for the quiet, Ash ignored the stairs as he teleported himself to the room he always used when he visited New Orleans. Although he had his own place in the city, he liked the comfort that came from staying with other people.
Ash groaned wearily as he literally fell on to the bed. He rolled over slowly, dissolved his clothes and pulled the covers over his body. His eyes slowly closed and soon he was snoring softly.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dawn’s light flickered through the rich tapestry that hung over the windows and walls of yet another large meeting room in the palace on Neratiti. Motioning with his hand, Savitar dissolved one of the drapes and stared out at the rich colors that painted the sky with the sunrise.
Wearing khaki beach pants, and nothing else, he eyed the surf expertly, then turned and stared at a point on the beach expectantly. Within seconds, a figure appeared and started to walk towards the opening where Savitar stood.
Savitar raised an eyebrow at the man. He had expected M’Adoc to show up, but instead it was M’Ordant who had arrived. Another enforcer of the Dream-Hunters, M’Ordant had a tendency to be a little too compassionate in his dealings.
The visitor stood a respectable distance away, staring at Savitar with the vibrant blue eyes that marked his kind, and waited to be acknowledged.
“I was expecting M’Adoc,” Savitar said as he raised a hand and motioned him in.
“He’s a little…annoyed at the moment,” M’Ordant replied as he took one step in to the large room, then stopped. “I thought it wise that I come instead.”
Savitar adopted an air of indifference as he looked back out to the ocean. “Proceed.”
“You killed a Dream-Hunter.”
Savitar continued to stare at the ocean. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Actually, yes.”
“Well, that’s just too frigging bad, isn’t it?” Savitar strolled over to sit on a golden throne that was against one wall. It was slightly smaller than the throne that was in the hall used for the Omegrion, but just as ostentatious. “See, with me…when a Skoti enters a dream of someone I care for, and then pretends to be me and tries to smack the hell out of the dreamer, I tend to take it rather personal.” He leaned back with a bored expression. “And it pisses me off… severely.”
“I see.”
“Good.” He stood. “So, we’re done and I assume you’ll be leaving.” It wasn’t a question, but a dismissal.
M’Ordant stared at him. “It’s not that simple.”
“I don’t like it when things piss me off,” Savitar said in a deceptively gentle voice. “I tend to kill things that piss me off.” He raised an eyebrow. “Seems fairly simple to me.”
In a list
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
oh so very bad ass... that darn savitar and his temper... tsk tsk tsk.
and poor ash cant get a break. he really needs some down time when all of this is over... seriously.
but on another note- i thought that the dream section seemed very weird. like i know it wasnt supoposed to be realistic or anything but as a section of writing itself. i guess it just seemed disconnected or something.
Adding your comment:
