I Am: Hunter 57

Chapter 4: Hunter 22

Dakota whinnied as I opened his stable door. It had been a couple of weeks since my last job, and he was fed up with being locked in the stables. Dakota was a magnificent black stallion, a Clydesdale crossed with a Thoroughbred. Though he was my horse, I had never connected with him, nor he with me. He was often a difficult horse to ride, and we did not agree on many things. I constantly felt like that: like I was missing something. I didn't feel whole, like a piece of me was out there, waiting for me to discover it.

But of course I didn't tell anyone. Anyone I did tell would think I was crazy. I shook my head: I seemed so distracted lately. Hunter 22 had been becoming a constant worry in my mind, but I couldn't figure out why. I had not thought of him for two years. Why now? As she thought more and more about him, the more likeness she saw in the description. Except Hunter 22 had once had short and spiky black hair. It couldn't be him. The scar was exactly like one he had, but this couldn't be Hunter 22. He was probably dead, or caught by the Council and executed.

Dakota pranced around as I saddled him, and I swung into the saddle and opened the door.

"Ready boy." I whispered in Dakota's ears and he whinnied in anticipation.

Dakota jumped out and cantered down the lane, causing Hunters to jump out of the way in a hurry as he whizzed past. Ash squawked and flew high into the sky, until he had disappeared out of the mouth the Sanctuary. He would meet us outside of the Gate. I reached the Gate in no time, and got off Dakota, who was not even puffing.

"Hunter 571098, reporting to sign out." One of the demons that was a Gate Guard handed me a clipboard and I filled out the details I had too and the demon scanned my wrist, before I swung back up into the saddle. The large metal gate began to rise out of the ground, and as soon as it was high enough, Dakota was off, his long black mane and tail whipping in the wind as he galloped down the mountain path. I was not afraid though; Dakota was strong and sure-footed on mountains, and I trusted him....mostly. Eventually we reached the bottom, and in front of us was a wide expanse of desert, with not a soul in sight. To my left, towards the North, the mountain range bordered the entire of Amphilias, leading around to ArrowHaven Forest, a dark, dangerous forest that had once been fair and beautiful, before it had been overrun by the great spiders of the Eastern Mountains. Now anything that grew was evil and poisoned, and it was where the most dangerous super-naturals lived. Also there were the people who also lived there, much like Hunters, but they were Rangers, loners who called ArrowHaven their home. Some called them witches. Rangers lived everywhere and anywhere, often to be found wandering the desert or on an adventure. It was also where Gargyons lived, terrible beings that fed on the happy memories of souls, able to take the shape of anyone's worst nightmare. Normally to any eye, they were pale beings, much like vampires, almost angelic to the untrained eye. ArrowHaven Forest was surrounded by an impassable bog where the dangerous Iron Sabde's lived, horrible wingless serpents that flew during the day, and lay in wait below the muddy waters at night.

At the bottom of the mountain path, I stopped to check Dakota's girth, and even though it was only 6am, I was hungry and didn't eat last night. I shot down two scrawny hares and skinned them, cooking them over a small fire I created. I loved the pyro power. I was the only Hunter I knew of to possess the gift, and the flame I produced was bright blue. Gently blowing into my cupped palms, a small flame began to crackle, until a fiery blue flame emerged, dancing along my fingertips, before I threw the flame onto the dry wood.

As I sat there eating my meat, Ash landed, and hopped forward, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"No." I replied bluntly. His hopeful shoulders dropped in disappointment, but I didn't feel guilty. Ash could find his own food. It was a bad habit, but the Hawk always tried his luck. After finishing my food, I swept my hand over the fire and it disappeared immediately. Once I tightened Dakota's girth, I mounted and we were off, the Sun only just beginning to peek his head over the horizons. I rode for three days to Ranwick Forest, stopping little and travelling fast. One of the many skills a Hunter possessed was the power to shut down their brain while still being awake. Many called it "sleepwalking". It allowed Hunters to conserve energy while they travelled for many hours, leaving them refreshed and pumped for the job ahead. Then my thoughts turned to Hunter 22, just as Ranwick Forest came into sight. I knew so little about him. Yet he had said I was the only one he could trust. Why? I had planned to hand him in, I really had. But for some reason, I couldn't. Dakota was starting to sweat, and his feet were struggling to move. His breaths were labored and shallow.