My big o'l book of OC's

Oc stories 6: Blood is thicker then water.

'Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there; I did not die."
- Do not stand at my grave and weep, by Mary Elizabeth Fyre

The maelstrom hunter's academy was a prestigious hunter's academy, it's line of existence spanning the age of several generations ever since the divine civil war. Much more longer then any of Remnant's huntsmen academy ever been created or existed. Though it exchanged hands and ideas during and after the divine civil war, it eventually settled with being just a neutral power with no political alignments. Many of the best demon, vampire, beasts and angel hunters have trained in this academy. Located on the green rolling hills right outside the walls of O'kallis, it could almost be mistaken for a mansion from far enough of a distance. With massive courtyard within it's walls and an expensive library that had stretched its knowledge from the very start of the academy to the vey end days. The classrooms were large and well built as well as well used. The most successful of the hunters (aka the richest.) sent their children here to continue the family tradition of hunting these things that often messed with the normal lives of mortals that appreciated that they wouldn't screw around with their day to day lives. Highly praised and highly decorated, this academy was one of greatest and most sought after places to study for a job to do with the supernatural. Their symbol still holds meaning to those who know what it was, and brings a feeling of painful burning nostalgia when remembered.

Notice how I've used only the past tense. Well the academy no longer exists, it was raided and burnt down during the skirmish in between O'kallis and Sparta. Suppose that you read the reports and the history books, supposedly O'kallis raided and burnt down the academy and left only one survivor Huston Everest or vice versa with Sparta doing the burning. History is funny like that, as they say; history is written by the victors.

But we are not here not here to discuss historical political spectrums nor the rights and wrong of a government under a single leader or a democratic government with several rulers of state. There was a reason why Maelstrom academy was built outside of political territory. But we are here to talk about the three who survived by the skin of their teeth, in different ways, yet all still alive. Fate is cruel like that, it twists and turns with thorns that'll sting. And I'll tell you the truth, without the messy historical truths and lies.

Maybe we should rewind the clock, tell you about them before I tell you their final tale together.

But we do not have such fortune. So, let me tell you a tale; where romance, brotherhood and death dance hand in hand with one another. Where one would be willing to do anything to keep the others alive including making a deal of the devil to do so.

Let me begin...

About a decade ago...

The skies above Maelstrom hunters' academy rumbled and tumbled with thunder and lightning. Dark grey, almost black, clouds obscured the bright moon and the twinkling stars. The bright flashes of lightning illuminated the sky with blinding white light. Both rain and hail pelted down relentlessly onto the ground below, throwing up mud and making the dirt roads nearly unusable in some areas. But in Maelstrom, the rainfall didn't seem to stop the flames that quickly spread throughout the buildings like a malignant cancer that reeked of smoke and carbon.
Huston Everest was the first to wake up out of the three siblings, the scent of smoke was familiar to him thanks to the suffocating air that he had to inhale during his time in the orphanage, he immediately started coughing like mad as he covered his nose and mouth. He tried to sit up; only to find a weight on his chest, that was Alexa Robinson, that prevented him from doing so, so it was more in truth him propping himself up onto her elbows. It wasn't a secret that they were dating; to most students in Maelstrom it was common knowledge that the two most prolific hunters-in-training were often seen holding hands, giving quick pecks on the check or Huston cheekily kissing her much to her embarrassment.
"Huston! Not now! People can see!" Alexa squeaked quietly as Huston held her by the waist. The blush on her face was incredibly heavy. They were right outside one of the classrooms while class for the younger years was in session.
"Well then, let them stare. You're my lover and I'm not allowed to show affection?" Huston teased slightly, kissing her lips again.
And so to most, it wasn't a surprise that Alexa often slept with him since the trio had been housed in the same dorm since they were children. Alexa woke up merely seconds after Huston did so, who also started coughing and gagging from the suffocating smoke that seemed to seep throughout their door. She immediately pulled herself up from where she was lying on his chest, covering her face much like Huston was doing.
"A fire?!" Alexa shouted, fear was seeped into her voice. But her face remained calm, much like a hunter was trained to do.
"Unless someone burned their midnight snack real bad, that's good assumption. Grab your stuff, we need to get going. I'll wake Nathan." Huston replied calmly, his face remained stoic but the look in his eyes betrayed his face.
She nodded, getting up as she gathered her armour and pulled it on quickly yet calmly. All the while covering the lower part of her face and avoiding the build up of smoke that seemed to be at their front door. Huston did the same, fastening his chest plate as he kicked down Nathan's door, almost knocking the old piece of oak off its hinges completely.
"Nath! Nath! Get the hell up!" Huston shouted with urgency. He was now fastening his sabre onto his belt.
Nathan Tanner shot up in bed, concern setting in as he had never heard his adopted brother ever sound so urgent before even when they were under attack from blood thirsty demons. "Smoke?! Hust, what's going on?!" Nathan could feel the panic set in.
Huston peered into his adopted little brother's room, his grey eyes now narrowed against the stinging if the smoke. He pulled on his hat, fixing it correctly. "Either we're under attack or someone burnt their snack! I pray it's the second one! Now get up and get your gear on!" Huston shouted into his room as he quickly snatched a photo off their mantle piece.
Nathan nodded and jumped off the bed. Out of the trio, he was known to be the daredevil and the fun lover, taking big unnecessary risks just for the thrill of it. This was much against Huston's, screw with me and I'll judo flip you, or Alexa's, if it's likely going to get us killed then don't, attitudes but it gave him a charm unmatched by the three of them. He quickly pulled on his armour and strapped on his gear. "Let's hurry up and go!" He shouted.
Huston nodded and kicked down the door, only to find that one side of their corridor was completely ablaze. Hunters-in-training, ranging ages from young children to teenagers almost their age, either cowered from the flames or were dashing through the flames to a promised safety that was most likely a lie. He covered his mouth with his dark blue cloak, the dark smoke now threatening to gag him. "I think we're under attack!" He shouted, his shout muffled thanks to his cloak.
"Gee! You think?" Nathan asked sarcastically, running up to his brother's side.
"Nath! Not now! We need to get the people out of here!" Alexa replied angrily, running up to her lover's side.
Huston eyes narrowed; drawing his sabre as he cut a way through the flames, the flames seemed to recoil away from his sabre as if they bent to his will. Something glimmered at his waist, something that looked like a piece of obsidian or a piece of black diamond. He turned to the two of them. "Get them out. Something is wrong." He ordered calmly.
The two of them nodded, going off to search for survivors but it seemed like the flames had claimed their victims or that carbon monoxide poisoning had starved them for air. Creaking and crackling of burnt wood could be heard, a sign that the ancient wood supports that had long held up the the academy wouldn't hold up much longer. One of the full blown hunters stumbled through the flames and into Huston's arm, it was quite clear that he wasn't going to make it with a massive gash on his back that was made by a blade rather than a claw as they had expected.
"We...c-couldn't.... s-s-sto-op th-em," the hunter coughed up blood, "th-ey a-are-e to-o s-stron-g-g.....g-get...e-everyone-e o-out..." The hunter uttered, his body falling limp in Huston's arms. Huston gritted his teeth in anger as he closed the hunter's eyes, the trio now all had grim looks on their faces.
Huston stood up, now drawing his shotgun. "We are going! Right now!" He shouted.
The other two drew their crossbows. "Agreed! Let's go!" Alexa shouted.
The three of the dashed through the flames, other full blown hunters could be seen limping or dragging themselves through the flames with the similar grievous wounds that the first had. The trio only ran past, knowing very well that they could not be saved. Huston suddenly grabbed the other two by their scarfs and hurled them out of the building. There was a sudden roar of noise as the ancient timber finally gave way to the flames and collapsed inwards and on top of Huston and leaving him underneath several piles of rubble.
"HUSTON!" Alexa and Nathan shouted, turning back to him and attempting to pull him out of the rubble though even with their combined strength they were unable to pull him out of the rubble. Huston let out a cry of pain, cupping Alexa by her chin and kissing her on the lips with tears streaming down his cheeks. He knew very well what must be done; Alexa knew what was most likely going to happen and cupped his face in her hands and kissed back. Huston let out one last heartfelt sob before he pushed the two of them back. "Go...run...save yourselves...." Huston let out, shock setting in and hard.
"Another hunter eliminated, take out the others." A voice unknown to them, said coldly. Figures in the shadows seem to close in one them.
Alexa looked severally conflicted about what to do but Nathan took her shoulder and looked down at Huston with tears running down his cheeks. "See you in the next life, Hust." Nathan said, before the two of them ran.
Huston nodded, seeing the two of them run was enough to comfort him. But he saw a pale female with blonde hair and dressed in a crimson/maroon dress running after them. He weakly lifted up his shotgun and fired, the thing that glimmered at his waist was now identifiable as a symbol of Blackdread. "Hey! Your fights with me!" He shouted with the last of his strength, in a desperate effort to keep the two of them safe. The woman teleported in front of him, now revealing herself to be a vampire. She looked at him with displeasure as she kicked his shotgun out of his weak grip, drew her blade and aimed it at his chest.
"You'll die forgotten but at least you'll die quickly." She hissed with some form of seduction in his voice.
"Forget about him! We've got bigger fish to fry!" Someone ordered her. She let out another his of displeasure before she teleported away.

As Nathan and Alexa ran from the ablaze remains of Maelstrom academy, all of them pursued by figures clad in dark armour and symbols of Nihil surged into their armour when Nathan made a harsh choice. He stopped and turned around.
"Go ahead Alexa!" Nathan shouted.
"Wait, what about you?" Alexa shouted back.
"I'll hold them! Now run!" He shouted, now firing upon the incoming agents.
And with that, Alexa ran as far as her legs would take her.