Monster Hunter Book 1 of the Wanted series

Chapter 1

 Belle's P.O.V.

 Scritch scratch, scritch scratch. I squeezed the dagger closer to my chest, turning my battered knuckles white. Just a little closer, let's make this easy. My ragged breathing was probably giving me away, but I didn't care. This would be over soon enough anyways. His talons were brown and sharp, knotted from years of hunting. I could smell his breath thick with rotten fish and the metallic tang of human blood. 

         "I smell a human, but where did she go? Surely she knows she can't hide from the manticore." he taunted, making my blood boil.

      The rotted barrel I was hiding behind was moist and smelled like something died. This warehouse is gonna give out soon. Someone has to make a move. I sucked in my breath preparing for attack, his legs were only feet away, his torn wings hovering above me, making the warehouse attic look small.

   I jumped out furiously slashing his torn left wing in flurry of feathers and animal blood. The manticore roared with fury knashing his teeth and charging towards me at an unbelievable pace. I dodged him while at the same time getting a lucky stab into one of his blood shot eyes. It's all over now. You know i've won. The manticore hollered in pain his tortured screams echoing throughout the warehouse causing some of the local dogs to bark in panic. I plunged my dagger into the middle of the beast's chest, sending it straight into his heart. I pulled it out and backed away eyeing my work. Head first the beast started to dissolve into black, almost sparkling, dust.

  My work here was done, the manticore had been devouring stupid teenagers and warehouse workers for years when they dared ventur into the attic. He would come back, all mythical creatures do but probably in a different time or place. I was tired and my vision was blurring from the lack of sleep I had been getting. But I had to make Elder Council happy or I would be punished.

      I wiped the sweat off my forehead. My arm was still scarred and dripping with blood from the gash he gave me. I touched it gingerly and winced with pain. The floorboards shifted beneath me shaking under my weight, forcing me to run down the stairs through the piles of bones. They would  be on the news tommorow probably blaming some innocent human for the crime. I slid down the rusty ladder's railing and out onto the sidewalk below. Huffing and tortured by the pain that was inching up my arm I took out a small vial and scattered a few drops onto my wound. Within minutes the gash was closed up and the pain was eased.

      I walked home limping. It started sprinkling and by the time i got to my apartment door it was pouring and i was drenched. I looked like I had been mugged. 

    "Belle? Is that you? Are you ok dear?" Mrs. Turner my nextdoor neighbor asked politely.

"I'm fine. Mrs. Turner don't worry." I lied. smoothing down my black jacket and covering up the scratches on my hands.

"Ok deary, you got a letter in the mail" she replied Cheerily completely unaware of the events I had endured in the past hours.

I sighed, she meant well but she was a bit too nosy for my taste. "Thank you Mrs.Turner" She handed me the letter and i walked inside my apartment and closed the door.

The letter's wax seal depicted a small cross entwined with thorny vines. Another mission? They know I have to sleep right? And eat, god i'm so hungry right now. I opened the letter and sat down resting my head on my lumpy stained pillow. My apartment was messy and a little dirty but I liked it that way. I didn't want to miss anything when I left. I twisted my dirty blonde hair into a messy bun and ripped open the envelope dreading what I would find. In gorgeous fine letter cursive was the following:

   Dear Miss Belle Pride Acora,

      Thank you ever so much for getting rid of that nasty manticore, you did the council a great favour. But we wish to ask of you another task. We suspect at Burmington High there may be a few Class Four monsters, we wish of you to 'dispose' of them. For they may pose a threat to the establishment and it's student body. We beg of you DO NOT get involved in any relationships with the students. Considering your age and talent we have chosen you for this task. It may be challenging but you will be rewarded greatly.

                                                                                                                      Yours Truly,

                                                                                                              The Elder council

                   A class four? Seriously? The Manticore was a class two and i could barely handle him. Oh well, it's a living, being a monster hunter was a difficult job but a necessary one. Cleaning up the streets of Chicago was my job and I tried my best to be good at it. I put my crystal dagger in my suitcase with my guide under my clothes and scoured the apartment for enough money to buy some dinner and a train ticket. I couldn't believe I was doing it but I 15-year-old Belle Acora was going after a class four monster.