The Awakening

“Come in Henry and yes I am awake if you can call it that.” Jake yelled at the door so

that he could be heard across the large room and thick door. A bulky looking man

walked into room with a large tray and a suit on a hanger.

 The man placed the tray on a small antique table that stood in the centre of the room.

Then he walked to the dresser and hung the suit with the hanger on a hook that came out from the wall nearby. He

then went to stand opposite to where Jake sat. He waited till Jake finished his coffee

before he spoke.

“Sir may I give my report it’s urgent.” Henry asked in a deep voice that together with

his large frame made him look and sound like a Grizzly bear.

“Henry you don’t have to call me sir it’s so formal and you’re my friend. Please sit

down, have some coffee.” Jake said with a grin. “Go ahead with the report.” Henry

remained where he was standing.

“It seems the four you sent to find Matthew have a mission of their own. Furthermore,

a Hunter-Soul has escaped and its one that’s particularly unpleasant.

“Don’t worry Henry.” The Prince started with a very selfsatisfied smile. “I sent out

the best we have I’m sure they will bring me its head in no time.”

“And what about the little mission on the side they have planned?” Henry asked

hoping he would be in charge of tormenting them for their betrayal. While pretending

to anyway since he had sent them on the other mission.

“It doesn’t matter as long as they do as they were told first.” Jake said with a smile

that meant the discussion was over.

“Even if their plan involves finding the girl?” Henry had to add, knowing it would

spark him into action and hopefully to his death. He had served this spoilt brat for

most of his life and he was nothing like The King they had before.

“We leave tonight after the wedding party.” Jake said and went to get dressed. Henry

nodded; happy he had gotten exactly what he had wanted.

“There’s one more thing Henry. Find a way to explain why half of Main Street was

demolished by the Hunter-Soul.”

 “We thought we could blame an earthquake although they don’t happen in that area.”

Henry said knowing it was a bad idea but having nothing else to say.

“Was it really so strong that it would look like one?” Jake threw over his shoulder as

he took the jacket from it’s hanger to see how it looked.

“Considering they have nothing to compare it to and that it was strong enough."

“I know I can leave you to handle it Henry. You’re my general. A place you worked

long and very hard to achieve. You were my fiercest combatant before you became

my friend. Why did my young cousin have to choose orange and green as wedding

colours? This wedding is going to look like a bowl of fruit.”

 Jake slowly walked to the mirror then took a few steps back. Henry started to laugh

as Jake saw what his reflection looked like. The look of shock and disgust was just

too much not to laugh. Jake started to laugh as well. The day would come

when he would make his cousin suffer, when he would get his revenge. Jake had to

get married some day too.

“I believe your cousin’s future bride is from the Earth Elemental region and he

thought it would be a nice touch to use bright, earthy colours.” Henry added trying to

help.

“You know that whole myth about Vampires not having a reflection? Well its times

like these I wish it were true.” Jake gave his reflection a dirtier look and then turned

around to hang the jacket up again.

“Wonder how they came up with that kind of nonsense.” Henry said knowing he had

helped Jake come up with myths that would keep humans away.

“I can’t imagine but who came up with the garlic thing I mean really. Who is going to

go centuries and centuries without pizza? It’s better though that the humans believe

nonsense then that they find out the truth.” Jake’s face dropped as he walked closer to

Henry. “This situation is becoming serious here and I don’t need to tell you we have

no way to save any of us if this becomes a war.”

++

Natasha looked up at the clock on the wall for the forth time that hour. She had been

working twelve hour shifts at the small corner grocery store for the last month and

wished the last two hours would just be over.

 Sam kept herself busy by downing the last of her jumbo energy drink that seemed to

do nothing except take her thirst away. Sitting down to try and read the magazine that

had taken day to get almost half way, the bell at the door went off as a customer came

inside.

It was a young man who looked very agitated and nervous. His dirty blond hair stuck

to his forehead. His clothes had rips and holes in them and looked like they had

last been clean when they had been bought. Natasha watched him as he walked

down the four narrow aisles of the store and finally came to the counter with a can of

cold drink and a pack of sweets.

He took his hand out of his jacket pocket and dropped an assortment of coins on the

counter. His finger nails had a yellow tinge to them and had dirt and grease trapped

under the long tips. When he asked for a pack of cigarettes he didn’t smile or even

greet her but she saw that he had the nicest blue eyes. When he had left she returned

to her magazine but didn’t get far before the little bell above the door rang again. It

was the same blond man that had just been there and he looked even more unpleasant

then before.

“You gave me the wrong change.” He said as he slammed the money she had given

him on the counter. He looked at her as if she had done it on purpose, had cheated him!

Natasha could only manage a weak smile.

“Sorry I’m a bit tired.” She mumbled as she took the money to count how much she

had short changed him with. Sliding the coins from the counter into her hands she

frowned. She had only given him fifty cents too little, was that even worth coming

back for?

++

Love Is Eternal

The wedding had been smooth and beautiful to watch. There had been Vampires and

Werewolves who turned out in the millions to show support and loyalty to one of their

leaders and his new bride. The Ogres had even come out of their three-year

hibernation to attend.

The fairies had spent the whole morning finding the best flowers to give their new future

Princess. The main entrance of the palace was open where they were usually shut and

well guarded. Tables heavily loaded with food and refreshments had been set out in

the garden near a five-thousand-year-old Weeping Willow that reached up and kissed

the clouds above it. The castle had taken more than eighty years to build and as

impressive as it was, it paled to meet the size and beauty of the proud tree.

The rulers of the five regions had turned up with their families and even the animals

had sat nearby to witness the ceremony. It was a rare occasion when Vampires said

their vows. They tend to live rather long and take the ‘till death’ part very seriously.

With them forever was really forever. After the ceremony as the guests were led to the

gardens, the newly weds went on their first hunt together. This was a tradition to see

how well they worked together and if they had strong trust between them.

“Hope it goes well don’t you?” one of the guests said to her husband as they made

their way over to the drinks table.

“I do yes but I’m afraid it doesn’t stand much chance.” The husband said as he held

his hand out to help his wife over the old, wooden bridge to the tables near the water.

“Well I think it’s lovely and they seem so happy. I think they will come back after a

successful hunt. Now let’s get something to eat before those Ogres scoff it down, they

always grab and leave nothing.” She finished as she stuffed a scone into her mouth.

Henry ran down the castle corridors trying to find Jake. He had looked in his room

and study. He had asked the guards and had checked at the wedding but there was no

sign of Jake anywhere. Finally as he got to the library he caught a glimpse of the loud

orange jacket The Prince had been wearing earlier.

“Highness we need to speak.” Henry said as he stood with his hands on his knees to

try and catch his breath. “There is no response from our team we sent in earlier. They

should have been done a long time ago it was just one Hunter-Soul.” Henry had to

convince Jake to leave the palace. He knew he would insist on leaving to save face in

front of everyone.

“But you did say it was more powerful than any of the earlier ones that broke through.

Maybe it’s just taking a little longer. Shaun and his team are the finest Collectors we

have. Why are you so scared? What aren’t you telling me?” Jake knew his friend for a

long time and also knew when he was hiding something.

“I’m planning to take a team through to find them. I can’t just leave them there as

much faith as I have in their skills, something just isn’t right here. Please allow me to

fetch them.” Henry said as fast as he could hoping Jake wouldn’t say no or be angry

that he asked.

 Jake remained quiet as he couldn’t act in hast. He had the welfare of millions to think

of. He had been listening very carefully to what Henry had just said. Jake’s first

instinct was to tell Henry to go and bring everyone back safely but it wasn’t that easy.

They would be killed if it were found out they had trespassed onto the human side.

Their entire kingdom would be under threat as breaking the agreement would be an

insult and insults lead to hurt feelings and an excuse to test unnecessarily giant

weapons. He would never turn his back on those who fought to keep them safe and

had to now choose whose life was to be in danger.

“Henry you do know what you are asking me, right?”

“Yes.”

“I could loose my kingdom or my life and could be responsible for our race becoming

extinct again. We don’t even know if the men are alive anymore.”

“I know I ask a lot but I MUST go.” Henry said starting to plead with Jake. Time was

getting way too little for him to be wasting it. If they died then he would be found out.

Jake wasn’t going to get the truth out of Henry any time soon. Henry had always told

Jake everything so this had to be something big. “We go in the morning you know a

wedding cannot be left while it’s still on.” Jake said as he started to walk away

towards his room to prepare.

“Highness I understand the tradition but this is not my kingdom. If I leave now the

people will know of nothing and that’s a good thing.”

 “That’s true but I’m going with you. Go to the wolves on the north side and ask them

if they would be willing to go with. We will need them to help us stay hidden when

we travel during the day.”

++

The four men crouched down as they watched the blond haired man enter the store

again. The bomb had been found and disarmed but they had no time to rest. They had

been following him after he shot two people who were now hospitalised. There wasn’t

enough evidence to link him so they had kept a close eye on him. As trained as they

were they had no way of knowing what was about to happen inside that store as they

stared at the big front window. They had managed to get rid of the bomb before they

had come here thanks to David who couldn’t get harmed physically. He had been

asked to help in the morning and had gotten there just in time.Natasha smiled and apologised to the man, she opened the cash register to take out the

money she owed him when she felt the cold metal against her forehead. She realised

it was a gun and froze to the spot as her whole body felt as though it had been drained

of blood. The man was screaming something at her and everything around her seemed

to be slowing down. The echo of the gun as it loaded a bullet into the chamber. It was

the loudest sound she had ever heard and closed her eyes as it pierced her ears. Natasha

felt a hard hit to the back of her head and fell to the floor unconscious.

a while later she opened her eyes and then closed them as a searing pain pounded in her head

making her feel sick. She could hear sirens just outside the shop so she took a deep

breath and opened her left eye to try to locate something to take for the pain. After

managing to get to her feet Natasha put a hand behind her head where it hurt the most.

She felt something sticky and as she looked at the blood on her fingers, the night

before came rushing back. Natasha looked around her and saw that the register was

empty and the place was a mess. Just then two Police officers came through the front

door with their guns drawn. Natasha stood where she had gotten up and tried to piece

together what had happened. She thought so hard that she hit the female officer on the

shoulder when the officer had come to her side and asked if she was ok. Natasha heard the

male officer speak into the radio clipped onto his shoulder. The only words she could

make out were “She made it….” And “…Has been cleared.” Natasha stepped back afraid

she had done something wrong and her left foot slipped on something on the floor.

She looked down and picked up a shiny piece of squashed up metal. Turning to

the officer near her to say that she was alright when the badge on the women’s shirt

caught her eye. It didn’t look like any Police she had seen before. Natasha felt too tired to

think any further and they were both being so nice, she had no reason to feel unsafe.

The warm tea and headache tablets that she had been given started to take effect as

Natasha tried to relay what had happened the night before.

The medic had checked the wound on her head and it was only a tiny cut that had

been cleaned. She stayed seated on the stretcher outside by the ambulance. Laying

down, she looked at the piece of metal she still had in her hand. Closing her eyes she

felt her whole body relax as she fell into a deep sleep.