Huntress

The Hellhound growled behind me as I wove through the trees, sword heavy but comfortable in my hand, I whirled and slashed out towards him the hellhound jerked back surprised even though he was still just out of reach of the blade. I dove forward snapping my hand out and threw fire in its face, my blade sinking into its paw. It snarled with rage backing away giving me the advantage to put some distance between us however it was now enraged and would gun for me all the more.

The heavy footfalls behind me were increased as another maybe two more hellhounds catch up with them. Silently I ran through every powerful spell I could think of, each other of them would render me weak and helpless after all the magick I had already used. If whatever spelled I used didn’t kill all the hounds behind me then I was as good as dead.

The Alley not too far from me at this point, another trap was near by as well, I debated using it. They were behind me but they were being sure footed and caution after what happened the their pack mate.Using one now might be the wrong move; they could possible skirt it if they noted something in my movements or behavior.

“DOWN!”

I dropped to the ground at the voice, the whistling of arrows above me told me I would have been a pincushion if I had stayed standing. I rolled away my sword tucked against the length of my body to prevent hurting myself with it until I hit a tree truck. I sprang to my feet back against the tree trunk and surveyed the area; the hellhounds were wiping their paws over their face to break the arrows embedded in their skin. I gasped when Sean landed next to me.

“Are you ok?” he asked as he wrapped his arm around my waist and leaped into the air, landed us on a tree limb, where everyone was hiding.

“Come on the Fae will keep them distracted.”

Together we climbed through the trees leaping from branch to branch, sometimes Sean helping me get across until we came to the main clearing of The Alley where Sam waited.

“Show time,” she said grimly, I nodded as I walked towards her, the Fae boys bursting through the tree lines towards.

“How far?”

“Not far 2 minutes top,” Rhydian replied as they created a circle back to back.

“Remember the plan, split up one on one we have a chance, use the traps if needed, we have two left, I used the one by the white birch, right now we are evenly matched,” I told my friends.

Sean leaned over and kissed me hard, “we have a lot more to follow, so don’t die, I really don’t want to do council meetings with your cousin.”

I laughed, “same for you, your little cousin is creepy.”

He grinned but it changed swiftly as the Hellhounds leaped before them and they charged forward.

“I got leader!” I yelled heading for the biggest of the hellhounds, snapping my hand out and throwing some ice daggers to force him to shift away from his pack.

“I have never seen anyone run to death before,” the leader growled.

I leaped into the air my sword slashing downward, “I am death.”

The hellhound laughed blocking my attack and lunged forward with his own, I shifted his claw grazing my exposed left side. I hissed at the sting but didn’t stop. The fight was a frenzy and I couldn’t even check on my friends as the monster and I went deep into the woods, each drawing the other where they wanted. I needed a trap then I could help my friends.

“Do you think me a fool Hunter? Do you think I do not know you are trying to lead me to that trap of yours? While my pack makes cannot sense them, I can. Interesting mix Hunter and Fae magick, something I have never felt before, it is quite powerful but it will not work on me.”

Inside I cursed because I knew he was right, every time I tried to get him closer he pulled back, leading me away. Throwing my plan to the wind I whirled around to face the hellhound head on instead of the duck and slash I had been doing.

“I am done with this and done with you dog breath,” I growled angrily, returned my sword to its sheath and shook my hands out.

“You are going down and so is your pack. Ask me nicely now and I will let you guys go back to your own realm alive.”

The hellhound laughed as he circled me, “why don’t you beg me for your life, maybe I will keep you as a pet, after I break you of course.”

“In your dreams, drool face,” I snapped, my hand snapping as well throwing a flash of light and fire towards the hound’s face, he batted at it with his protecting his eye.

“You will need more then that little Hunter.”

I lunged forward whirling becoming a windstorm my hands tossing out sharp ice shards, the hellhound growl and batting at the shards hissing in pain before swatting at me, knocking me out of my whirl and into a tree.

I gasped in pain and confusion, groaning to me feet before I was knocked down again flat on my back this time looking up at the hellhound that stood over me, paws on either side of my head. It’s massive head close to my face, a grin across its muzzle.

“Looks like your time is up, Hunter.”

“Really? I thought I had you right where I wanted you.”

My hands slammed against its chest and threw every ounce of power up my arms into my hands and right through the monster’s heart, the sheer power throwing it back away from me, a smoking blacken hole smelling of burnt meat in the monster’s chest. I staggered to my feet, using the tree I had been slammed into it to support myself as I vomited, the world spinning around me, I staggered to side, blinking hard and trying to stay conscious, in the distance I could heard snarling and growling.

“The cage…” I muttered softly thinking if I could make it and changed the spell it would protect me, I was useless to my friends now.

I fell to my knees, my vision filling with the black spots, my hands running over the leaves covering the cage, I could feel the spell under me, I drew strength from it, using the same magick to change the spell to keep the hounds out instead of in, using nothing of my own, as the cage changed it allowed me in, I fell into the hole and into utter darkness.

Notes