Chapter 100

100 Chapter One Hundred

Jackeline, the fastest of the hunters with the agility Prometheus gift among those in Brigadia. At least, that is what she knew to be true. There were those who were faster such as the thunderclap, but that didn’t stop her from soaring through the trees at breakneck speed to get to the girl she’d spent a large part of her life raising.

‘Katie, I know you are strong, but this is not among the things you can handle,’ she thought to herself, ‘ It’s all not worth it if you end up dead yourself. You are one of the most important creatures in the world. You’re no longer the famous rogue killer that handles everything on her own. You’re Katie Sirius, one of the moon goddess’ chosen and one of the greatest tools we have in ending this war. We cannot do this with you dead.’ The hunter’s thoughts spurred her to go faster. Using her slingshot arrows to propel her faster through the trees.

Earning the title of the deadliest shooter was not an easy feat and she stood at the top in this field in Brigadia. Many hunters wondered why she and Frost stayed in this remote town, but part of it was because they wanted to protect the girl who was the biggest hope in ending the war. Not all hunters wanted to fight rogues for the rest of their lives and send the task on to hunters in the future.

Not far behind her, a lean white wolf blessed with blue eyes dashed managing to keep up with her even at this speed. She weaved through the scores of rogues with ease paying no heed to them. One mission in mind, just as her own. The moon was high in the sky and illuminated the path they were to follow. Jackeline didn’t know what to call the phenomenon. Tongues of flame, the same colour as the moonlight, marked the path to the Rogue killer. She knew this phenomenon to be true for it had been spoken of before. It was how the moon goddess guided people to places she wanted them to reach.

A loud growl filled the air, getting the hunter’s attention. She changed the trajectory of her next arrow and propelled herself far into the air of the night sky, high above the trees, just in time to see the girl get shot by arrows. The beta alphas were already here... ‘Cole was right about those ones. They aren’t normal,’ she thought while she nocked an arrow into her bow. She released a barrage of arrows to stop one that tried to strike Katie while she was down, ‘If I’d gotten here a second later, she would be dead...’ the silently thanked the moon goddess. She was losing altitude, however, and soon wouldn’t be able to fire her arrows again.

Thankfully, the arrows she’d fired were enough to alert the wolves of an archer that was watching. The beta alpha grabbed the boy that lay on the ground and dashed off with his lifeless body. That was irrelevant to the woman as she immediately dashed forward to Katie’s side. “Katie, stay with me. Don’t fall asleep,” she tried, but it was no use. The girl fell unconscious. The wolf that had been following appeared before her almost immediately she had managed to get Katie down from the tree. Slowly and carefully, the woman pulled the arrows out of the girl’s body.

“Who could have fired these arrows and with such precision?” she thought to herself. It was unimaginable for a hunter to be the one that did it and yet here they were. Arrows were issued to only hunters that were good with a bow.

“We need to get her to the infirmary at the Hunter’s Agency. Those are the only facilities that can help treat this kind of thing. But we are over ten miles from there. How are we supposed to get her there still alive?” the woman thought, despair was starting to set in. The wolf before her shifted back into her human form... a sixteen-year-old girl.

“I’ll carry her back. I’m the fastest wolf that I know of. That’s our best chance right now,” the girl said, ripping her light shirt into shreds and tying the above the wounds. She was incredibly calm about the situation they were in and immediately turned the shirt into strips to make tourniquets for the unconscious girl.

.....

“You must be Lina. Where did you learn to do that?” she asked.

“I’m not so good in a fight, but I make up for it in support and this is part of what one must know on the battlefield,” she explained while she skilfully tied above the wounds to slow the progress of the wolfsbane through the girl’s body.

“That’s nice to hear. Do you think you can get her to the infirmary in time?” Jackeline asked. To be honest, she hadn’t volunteered only because she knew she wouldn’t be able to make that distance either before collapsing. Rogues were still running away. It seemed they were retreating and the beta alphas had long fleed from the scene with Kyle in hand or on back... All in all, the rogues had accomplished their mission without fail...

The girl took time to answer her, “I have to... Who else can get my sister to the facilities she needs...” just as she said it, thunder rumbled loud and clear. In the next few seconds, a bulky man stood before them, dressed entirely in black. A scar ran across his forehead but did nothing to hide the warmth of his now ageing face. It was clear that he was beyond his forties, but the power he exuded was insurmountable.

“Let me take the girl to the infirmary,” he said to them, his eyes making quick work of the situation. From the experience he’d had in the field, it was easy for him to make out what was going on. He knelt down and grabbed the girl in both his arms... “So this is the one that’s bound to lead us out of this war?” he asked. ‘He got that just by touching her?’ Lina asked herself.

The man quickly took off his coat and threw it at the sixteen-year-old. “You might want to cover up before the rogues decide you’ll make a good breeder,” he joked.

“That is not funny at all,” the girl groaned, putting on the coat quickly, “Get my sister there safely.”

“I will do my best to get her there safely,” he said, walking away from them, “Would someone point me in the absolute direction of the Hunter’s Agency then. I assume there is an equipped infirmary there.”

“Yes, there is,” Jackeline said, pointing the man in the right direction. Making sure he had the girl nicely tucked against his chest, the Mighty warrior was gone, a loud boom sounding with his departure. Three more booms sounded shortly after he had left, the sound intertwining to sound like a thunderstorm.

“That’s insane...” Lina exclaimed, looking at the spot the man was standing in only moments before.

“Yes, it is... What’s left now is to take out the trash?” Jackeline said.

“What about Kyle? That is the name of the boy that Katie was trying to capture, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Those beta alphas won’t be easy to catch. There is no way we would catch up to them. We are only left with killing the rogues that are trying to escape,” she said. The rest of the hunters are on their way as well to finish this,” Jackeline said to the girl. In truth, she was looking for ways to blow off steam.

“Can’t we cast Prometheus evaluations on them?” the girl asked.

“That is a luxury that’s granted to rogues that willingly surrender to us. These ones are trying all sorts of things other than that. This is a battlefield, young girl. It’s the reality of the world we live in. Rogues are not meant to live,” she said, releasing arrows into the trees. Using her werewolf vision, the girl was surprised to see that the arrows were all hitting targets and downing them.

“Why aren’t they coming into this clearing?” she asked.

“My guess is that they knew about the clearing and they also know that getting into it would make them more of targets than the cover of trees that they are depending on. I don’t have so many arrows left. I might have to get into the woods myself and do this the old way,” she said, finally running out of arrows, “You don’t have to fight...”

“Okay then. I don’t want to, but if you need my help, don’t hesitate to call me,” the girl said, stunning the woman. Looking at the werewolf, she saw a look she wouldn’t have recognised on the wolf unless they were in this situation. Lina Sirius was afraid to draw blood... ‘Royals continue to amuse me,’ Jackeline thought before rushing off into the battle that ensued. The rogues were starting to seem hopeless, having lost their purpose to fight. There was no reason for them to continue. Jackeline, on the other hand, wasn’t feeling entirely merciful at the moment and went on a rageful rampage, cutting down any mutt that she found on the way.