Monarchs of Above and Below (On Hiatus)

Chapter II: Gate Rescue

Matthew found it hard to keep pace with Luke as they both ran through the crowded streets of New York. There were several times when they had to quickly enter the subway station and bolt through the entrance and across the railway to the other side just to save some time.

"Did... the gate inspector... say how long since the party went in?" Matthew asked through a few heaves of air as he finally caught up to his fellow hunter.

"Bout' a day." He shouted briefly before shooting up the stairs of the subway in no more than two bounds. Matthew followed behind a second later.

"Inspector said an injured hunter came from the portal and was sayin' something that his squad was getting wiped," Luke explained before he bolted down the street, hopping over an oncoming taxi in the process. Matthew followed briefly behind, partially stumbling as a car nearly struck him.

"Just a few more blocks, c'mon. Every few seconds could mean death for the squad. Hurry up." Luke encouraged, grabbing the bag from Matthew's shoulders. "I'll carry this, just keep running." He said, once again, before sprinting down the sidewalk.

Even without his heavy luggage weighing on his shoulders, Matthew was still out of breath by the time he'd caught up with Luke across the street from the chapel.

Despite being in a rush, Matthew couldn't help but gawk at the church's sheer size for a split second. It was made purely of stone with intricately carved windows and statues. Its front gate was well over 10 feet tall and made from a mix of thick wood and iron. Although inside was an additional modern iron gate to keep out unwanted guests; due to the opening of a gate, it had been opened to let hunters through.

Several police personnel kept a crowd of onlookers at bay as they all tried to peer into the chapel at the swirling blue gate that rested in its interior.

As Luke and Matthew approached one of the guards, Luke flashed his hunting license, and the guard quickly moved aside.

Luke set Matthew's luggage by the large door as they entered the chapel. "I assume you packed your hunting gear?"

Matthew quickly opened the luggage bag to produce a metal briefcase within it (and various other items one would commonly have for vacation). Matthew clicked open the case to reveal two halves of a metal spear.

"In the place with some of the highest gate density in the U.S.? No, completely forgot." He retorted as he pulled the two halves together and locked them in place, the center of the weapon giving a loud click to signify it was secured.

It was a fine piece, from shaft to tip, it was completely forged from mana-infused metal. The spearhead was somewhat broader than most compared to the length of the shaft. As such it was weighted to be useful for wide swings as well as thrusts.

"Hope you've gotten some good use from that spear. A-Rank equipment isn't cheap." Luke retorted sarcastically as both of them marched across the chapel to the gate.

"Don't worry I have." The other hunter remarked as he propped the spear on his shoulder.

Matthew constantly felt the familiar pressure of mana as they approached the gate. It looked like a black and blue whirlpool hovering in the air. Matthew couldn't help but shake away a bit of anxiety as it began to creep into his stomach.

Suddenly, a man dressed in a simple black suit approached them. He held a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Hanging from his ear was a small black earpiece wired to a phone mounted on his chest.

"Hunter Sirius thank you for-" He abruptly paused and glanced over to Matthew, then back to Luke. "Whose he?" He asked in a slightly less professional tone.