Son of the Rivers (Wattys 2015 Entry)

Ch.10 Raze and Runa

“We need to pull back!” yelled a hunter as she fired an arrow into the nearing group of monsters. “We can’t pull back, we are surrounded!” yelled Thalia as she drew her hunting knives, shifting into a better position.

The hunters had been stalking what had seemed like a pack of hellhounds. It seemed like an easy enough task especially with Artemis away on Olympus.

But of course, it wasn’t that easy.

The hellhounds lead them to a trap, a seemingly empty clearing which became obvious that it wasn’t when a small army of monsters surrounded them.

The circle of maidens started to close in on itself as the monsters closed in and as more of the hunters started to fall.

Thalia remained in control but not for long as she saw her friend Phoebe get hit by a black arrow. She just managed to not charge into her enemies and end up getting killed. She narrowed her eyes as she ducked under the jab of a dracaena’s spear, thrusting her knives deep into the heart of the creature.

Even before it crumbled into dust completely, she turned to deflect a sword that was heading to the hunter next to her.

Suddenly as it started it stopped.

As if by an unspoken command, every monster took a few steps back, looking around nervously.

“What’s this,” barked a telekhine, “I thought he died?”

“Apparently not, you fool,” hissed a dracaena, as her twin snake legs shifted agitatedly, “We must go before he arrives!”

“Too late,” a voice echoed throughout the clearing, chilling the bones of everyone that heard it, yet the voice sounded eerily familiar to Thalia. She tried to remember but kept pulling up blanks.

But it became clear to her as soon as he stepped into the clearing. It was obvious who it was, same aura and voice of uncontrollable malice was evident in this being’s presence.

The name leapt unbidden to every creature’s lips that had met or heard of this being in front of them.

Or actually, only his titles as his name were unknown.

The Destroyer

The Hooded One

He took steps into the clearing, monsters and hunters alike both moving out of his path until he was standing in the middle. His face covered by a dark hood tilted upwards slightly, until only his smug smirk was visible.

“Runa!”

He shouted only one word but it still made every creature jump back in shock.

The hunters and monsters felt another presence enter the clearing but no matter how hard they looked, could not spot a new player on the field.

A white light flared on the opposite side of where the man was standing, causing everyone to look away unless they wished to be blinded.

When the light faded and everyone blinked away the spots in their eyes, gasps could be heard from every mouth.

It was a woman.

But not just any woman.

She was dressed in a pure white hunters uniform, with a white hood over her face. Such a stark contrast to the man who watched with amusement in his eyes. The only similarity was the same amount of power leaking off her presence.

It was as if the entire council of the gods inhabited her body, you just felt the need to beg for forgiveness.

 She walked forwards until she was facing the hooded man, ignoring the monsters, either incredibly brave or they were of no concern to her.