A court of dreamers and survivors

Chapter 22. Happy hunting :)

(Marcus POV)

"Ready?" I asked as soon as my team assembled outside the townhouse.

"As ready as I will ever be," Vita mumbled. She looked pale and Viv was no better. I promised myself that this wouldn't be like last time, I would successfully protect both of them.

"How are we going to go there?" Viv asked.

"That is a good question and the answer is-"

"Winnowing," Skies' said from behind me. Honestly, after all these years he still managed to startle me, appearing out of nowhere.

"Let's go then!" Vita exclaimed. I swear she hasn't been able to sit still since yesterday's meeting.

"One second, I will be right back," I said as I saw Mira advancing towards us. "Hey," I said as I jogged towards her.

"Take care or I will kill you," she said. Honestly, I think I loved her.

"You too Mira," I said and hugged her tightly. She gave me a quick parting kiss and I prayed she would be safe, not that I doubted her, she was very much capable of taking care of herself but I could not help but worry.

(Skies' POV)

We winnowed near the cabin. Without missing a beat, Viv and Vita made their way towards the cabin. I felt a pang in my chest at the thought of the pain they must be enduring.

"Remember when we played tag..." Vita softly said, her hands running on the cold wall.

"Catherine won thrice in a row before we became pissed and started dancing," Vivi laughed through the tears that had formed, mirroring Vita's.

"She is gone Viv," Vita croaked, her lips wobbling and my heart clenched.

"She is at peace now, with her mother," Viv said softly and hugged Vita tightly. They stayed like that for a few more minutes. Marcus and I went outside and watched for any signs of danger, giving them the privacy, they needed. I hoped they both got their closures, they deserved it.

After some time, they came outside, tears staining Vita's cheeks. I held out my hand in case she needed and when she clasped my hand tightly, I gave a sigh of relief.

"Let's hunt that beast," Marcus said and Viv grunted; determined.

After about half an hour, we heard the first roar.

"There," Vita pointed through the trees that helped camouflaged the beast.

Marcus signaled and him and we advanced from each side. The beast was terrifyingly huge with a hideous shell. Marcus made the first move and hit it on its side with a spear. Instead of getting hurt, the beast more or less got annoyed and started trying to trample Marcus to death. I advanced while the beast was distracted and threw my spear which found its mark on the leg that was going to be the cause of Marcus' death. Marcus stumbled and got away from the beast's paws. I dodged its tail and came halfway, face to face with the beast.

"It's bottom is unprotected, no shell," Marcus said, coming to stand next to me.

"Together?" "Together," Marcus signaled the girls to come in from behind. I used my shadows to keep it from noticing them, poking the beast all over who was getting more annoyed and confused by the moment.

(Vita's POV)

Marcus signaled us after almost getting trampled. I had gripped my spear so tight that my knuckles had gone white when I saw the beast. I looked at Viv to see if she was ready and she nodded with a bloodthirsty grin that I answered with my own.

"You take right," she said to me, I nodded and we advanced slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Now!" Skies shouted as soon as we took our positions. We threw our spears which found its mark... more or less on its limbs. Roaring, the beast raised his forelimb, giving the boys access to his belly. In a blink of an eye, two spears went through the beast' belly, blood oozing out.

It should have weakened it... it didn't, at least not as much as we had hoped.

"Six spears and it still has energy to trample us all, what next," Viv asked as we went to join Marcus and Skies' side who were the beast's prey at the moment, Skies' shadows darting around the beast. You could see the strain on his forehead that had started glistening while we kept on attacking as a team.

"Stab his belly repeatedly? Gauge its eyes?" I suggested as I dodged the beast' forelimbs. Skies came to my side and slashed the forelimb. Tired of us, with one mighty roar he sent Marcus flying. Fuck.

"I will go," Viv offered and ran off but only after throwing one last spear that struck the beast in his eyes. I silently thanked her, knowing I didn't- couldn't- leave Skies alone.

The beast looked at us for a second before attacking. He towered so much that almost the entire sunlight was blocked for me. I took out my longsword when my spears got over. The beast lunged and hit me squarely on the chest before I had the chance to do anything.

"Shit! Vita run!" Skies cried and looked towards me. Like hell I was going to run. But that was all the beast needed before it changed its focus and hit Skies with its thorny shell. Skies fell, hitting his head and now it was my turn to panic. I ran towards him, ignoring the pain in my chest along with something I couldn't quite decipher. Just as the beast was about to hit Skies on his chest, I covered Skies with my own body and raised my sword high. The sword made a gash through the beast limbs and blood was now running through it. The beast stumbled and gave out a cry of agony.

Before it could retaliate, a spear found its way to his underside. I looked up to see Marcus. He looked like a warrior to be feared with blood trickling down his forehead and an angry expression on his face. Viv took one look at me, assessing me, before she ran towards the beast.

The beast was still recovering when Viv's picked a spear from the ground and threw it with all her strength. It went through the beast's forehead. Bullseye. The beast swayed and fell to the ground. Dead. Thank Mother for Viv and Marcus.

I turned around and kneeled near Skies' face, he was unconscious and I swear the world stopped for a moment. Marcus and Viv came and stood beside me.

"I will try to contact Nyx or Mira, they can winnow," Marcus muttered, running a hand through his hair. On further inspection, I noticed that he held his arm in an odd way and was limping.

"Lets' go back to the cabin," Viv said. Luckily,she and I had minimal injuries and so we could keep our energy and attention towards the boys.