Silver Hatchet

Moon 3: The Hana Guardian

Ai flipped through the magazines, yawning at the sad choices they provided. "Bro!!!" The door was kicked down, Lillith tackling Ai head-on. "Your alive!" Ai winced in pain as he hugged his friend. "Could you not attack me like a dog seeing her owner?"

"What did the medics say?" Lillith asked, setting her bags on the floor. "I'm recovering fast," Ai lifted his shirt, a huge scar wrapping around from his lower back to his upper chest and more. "I also have a badass scar!"

"How can you be so calm about this?" Ai put his shirt down. "Remember why I quit wrestling?" Lillith nodded, rubbing her shoulders. "You took care of me after I broke my ankle," The man took hold of her hand. "You promised to always be by my side."

"That promise stands till this day," Sighing, Lillith moved a chair closer to the bed. "I guess I'll start explaining,"

()0()

Aster placed his mug on the table as the clamor of Elites calmed down.

"Shall we begin?" Aster asked. Everyone nodded. The lady, Teka, brought forth a large map displaying the country.

"We managed to retrieve the remaining member of the Hana clan," Teka began. "She had a brief meeting with us the other day and she has agreed to help in the cause." She pointed towards Mito, circling her fingers around the area.

"Those creatures demolished her home in search of something," Aster added. There was silence from the other end. Both shock and concern were brewing within the room. "Any clue as to what they could have been looking for?" Sugaku, the leader of the Blue Wings, asked. "Could there be another beast amongst your rankings like so many years ago?"

Aster gave the man a cold stare, to which the man snickered. "George betrayed you all, taking out one of your most famed clans the Red Claws had," Another BW member said. "His daughter could end up the same and purposely turn herself into a werewolf."

"Lillith Hana would do no such thing," Aster slammed his fist on the table. "It is very bold of you to start accusing our members when your numbers dwindle because they abandoned the Blue Wings for the Immortals."

Sugaku folded his arms. Teka saw the tension between the two. Out of the seven present, it had to be Sugaku to start something. Predictable. And yet smart. Aster was still too young for this type of meeting, and Sugaku was the worst teacher someone could go against. Training Aster with him could make the man a fine leader and thinker. Or not.

"If you are so concerned for the Hana girl, Su," Teka slid a scroll towards the man. "We'll be running low ranked missions for her and the others." I'an took the scroll. "You want us to monitor her?" He asked, handing the scroll to Sugaku.

"Not her," Teka said. "I want you to monitor her guardian." Sugaku scoffed. He placed the scroll back on the table.

"I also request one of your best to come and prep our members for the Immortals," Kenny stepped up from beside her. "I'll volunteer to brief the Blue Wings on useful tactics," Sugaku took a deep breath before giving his answer.

"Henry, I'an, you'll monitor the guardian," Sugaku motioned for Sage. "Sage will train the Red Claws." Both shook the hands of each other as their peers left.

Sugaku sat up, ready to depart himself. "I have a favor to ask you," Teka asked. The man looked back. "I'd like you to train Aster."

Sugaku laughed. Judging from Teka's face, she was dead serious. "Why would I teach a man like him?" Smirking, Teka strolled over to him. "You know good and well that he has a talent for firearms,"

Sugaku clenched his fist, turning his back on the woman. It felt like yesterday that Teka was just a child decapitating her first Beast with nothing but a wire. A bet between the two. A bet to which he lost, but it was still an eventful memory.

"His little 'Science Tricks' didn't work out, huh?" Teka rolled her eyes in annoyance. "He revoked the use of the blades in his clan save for Lillith," The lights turned off, the only light source coming from the window. "He's well adept to arrows but against werewolves it's useless."

"I'll think about it,"

()0()

The light bombarded Lillith's face, annoying her. "Rise and shine!" Ai exclaimed, clearly energetic.

"What time is it?" Lillith shoved the covers away. Ai pulled out his watch. "6 am," The woman got up and walked towards the door. The sight she saw was concerning. The living room was a disaster zone.

It was like there was a party without her. Food scattered the floor and on the expensive sofas.

Immediately, she began cleaning. "What the hell did you do?!" Lillith doused the floor with water and cleaning vinegar.

"I couldn't sleep last night," Ai stated. He slumped into the couch as Lillith slaved away at the floors. A little muffled scream erupted from her as she neared the kitchen.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Ai asked. "Won't the maids clean it up or something?" Lillith whipped her head around, pure fear on her face. "If they're anything like nine years ago they will beat the absolute shit outta you, fool!"

Ai scoffed. "As if they can take me," Lillith took the empty packets of meat and threw them into the trash. She then backtracked towards the empty beef tray, confused,

Ai eating meat? He's a dedicated vegan.

Lillith put the thought to the back of her head, continuing through the kitchen. In less than half an hour, the place as spotless as when they arrived. Lillith wiped the stress from her forehead, heading towards her room. "Get ready," She said. "We leave at seven."

Lillith closed the door, heading to the closet. A new outfit hung on the rack. A jacket made specifically for protecting her from little things. Modern problems required modern solutions.

()

Lillith and Ai headed out the estate. Ai was energetic as ever, something Lillith was glad to see. "What's the task for today?" He asked. The Hana grabbed a scroll from her jacket. "There's been a sighting of an Immortal near Akita," She furrowed her brow. "Immortal?"

"I thought we were here for the Beasts," Lillith folded the scroll. "We have an alliance with the Blue Wings," She stated. She touched the engraved flowers on the ax as they trudged further away from the estate. "I may not know how to fight these creatures but I'll be damned if I die by them."

"So what's the deal with Immortals?" Ai asked. "To be honest," Lillith began, staring at him with a lost look. "I'm not sure." They entered a garage filled with different vehicles.

Lillith hopped onto the motorcycle, turning the engine on. She shifted her hatchets to make room for her companion. Ai sat down behind her, holding on tight to her waist. "All I know about them, judging by their weak points, is that their strength is that of an average human,"

"Does that mean I'm stronger than them?" Lillith, without warning, put the vehicle in gear and drove out the garage. "We'll just have to see!" She grinned as Ai nearly tumbled off, only to hold on for dear life. "Let's just not die!"

()0()

"Time for another Worldly Fact!" Ai flips through random pages, Aster slowly getting impatiently annoyed.

"Are you uneducated or something?" Aster snatched the book from Ai. "Lillith doesn't even read much about our history yet she can still recite info faster than you."

Clearing his throat, the young man began.

"If you look real close into Sugaku's eyes, it looks like crystals,"

Ai snorted. "What's that suppose to mean?" Aster shrugged. "I didn't write this,"

"Anyways, thanks for reading!" The Hana Guard bowed. "Look out for the next chapter, 'Life At Stake'!"