Masks Don't Prevent Scars

Hunting Accidents

Chapter 2

Raven was given to look half-dead on a good two-thirds of school days. With perfect reasoning, but not one he could tell his peers. Keeping them safe by keeping hunters in line wasn't something they understood, something they could grasp. Human minds were frail, prone easily to being misused and misguided. That's the reason many died while taking the blood of the beast to become a hunter in the first place.

Unfortunately, his school hour weren't as lively as his hunting ones. Excessive bags under his eyes tended to make others give him a wide breadth. Most days, nothing of note happened. He didn't care for other kid's irrelevant problems, nor their gossip. Additionally, he didn't need good grades to continue hunting. He went to school to not be arrested, nothing more nothing less.

Homeroom was his best class, he didn't have reams of homework piled up for it. It also annoyed his greatly day after day. His teacher was focused on everyone letting their feelings out to the group and getting to know each other. According to her, teenagers were too shut off because of technology. She was tittering before class about some new student, an opportunity to get everyone to open up a little more.

Everyone settled down into the circle of desks she insisted on, more people talking to their friends than concerned with those they don't already hang out with. The teacher hung out in the hallway, wanting the introduction to be a grand thing apparently. Then the door swung wide and with too much energy for an old woman, the teacher bounced to the middle of the circle. Beside her was the best person for these introduction, a confident looking girl, smiling wide.

The teacher gestured for her to go, probably already haven given her instructions out in the hall. "Hey, everyone." She started, something about her voice made Raven pick his head up a bit more. Nothing about her seemed familiar, aside from a charm on her bracelet. A small porcelain mask looked like the liar's last night, but Raven couldn't fault humans for not knowing about it or her. They were forbidden after all.

"I'm Marine Cullen," the confident introduction knocked the wind out of Raven. But she didn't know he became The Crow, she couldn't. His mask had been made to hide him from vengeful hunters who didn't know what they were doing. His tired composure quickly regained itself.

"In my free time I like to hunt," It felt like her huge brown eyes bore right into Raven, but he passed it off as paranoia. "Uh, I really enjoy that so I kinda wanna be a DNR officer, so I guess you could say then that I hunt the hunters who do wrong."

There was no mistaking it that time, the whole class had to see she was directing it right at Raven.

But how did she know?

How could she know?

Raven's mind lit up, buzzing with questions. As much as he tried to suppress his hunting blood, they could feel it rushing up. A simmer under the skin, the need to destroy the liar. To punish the hunter wronging them.

The Crow watched passively as others around the circle spoke of themselves. Pathetic humans, unaware of the beast in front of them. The danger surrounding them, what did they know of the situation? How could they be so blind to the obvious blight standing before them? The Crow vowed that not a day more would pass with her sin corrupting the world.

"...Raven!" The harsh snap directed The Crow's attention. They didn't have their mouth to restrict their words, they were given this stage to speak out against her corruption.

"Never..." will you walk this earth again, but their voice was too weak. Their voice scratched at their throat every step of the way out, it felt like speaking would tear them apart. An angered grunt became their only reply.

"Go to the nurse," Raven's teacher, for The Crow had no connection to any worthless humans, ordered them. "Marine, you saw it on your tour right? Would you be willing to go with him."

The Crow seethed, the idea that that plague was going to help them! She already tired to stop their good work! Hunters were menaces, killing beasts left them far too corrupted. A hunter couldn't hunt without losing their purity. Impure hunters made a mockery of the beasts, who are they to kill heaven's trumpets? Who are they to cut off the hand trying to give humanity their final peace?

Marine had herded The Crow outside, and called upon the nightmare. None would see them now.

Good. The Crow felt it in a moment of utter clarity, calling upon their blade. They didn't bother calling their mask, lunging at Marine.

"Look at you!" She called as she dodged, the movement stopping the summoning of her own weapon. "Are you no better than a beast?"

She didn't understand, she couldn't understand. The beasts were better than them, better than humans. Beasts were the sign of the end of humans, but they wouldn't accept that. Humans needed to muddle the natural order, prolong their toxic existence.

"Beasts are blessings, an honor" The words bloodied their throat, but the pain didn't matter. They just had to keep swinging at Marine, they had to rid the world of hunters. Hunters who became the plague to far superior beings.

Pain mattered. Marine had struck them. The swell of fire consumed them, pain opening their jaw and prying out a scream.

How?

When?

How?

How much longer am I alive? The Crow sank to their knees, their life pouring out of them rapidly. Blood pooled around the scene, yet The Crow saw very little of it. Their vision shortened, cutting out the edges.

The Crow could no longer hunt.