The Hunters

Lunus wasn’t sure why she kept thinking of Evan Marshal, but she did, and it annoyed her, because the only “person” who she wanted to think of was Balthazar. Although, even thinking to use the word “person” for him sent a shiver down her spine and a discomfort in her stomach. She had to remind herself again that the wolves were bloodthirsty monsters, not people. Surely, that was Evan’s fault, also. 

Balthazar was the leader of the wolves of the forest, and everyone acknowledged him as the King of the Lycanthropes. The wolves called him the Alpha, but the townspeople called him the Shadow of the Forest. His fur was black as midnight, and his eyes were black as coal. 

That was what the hunters reported and the citizens who caught a glimpse of him as his pack terrorized the town on the nights they entered the city. It was well known that the eyes of the Alpha were black as the devil, but one man said otherwise; one man said brown, the man he didn’t kill. 

The man claimed to have been lost in the forest one night when he heard the wolves surround him. Their piercing howls came near to the tree by which he hid himself, and his fire was faint. The wolves waited until the fire burned out, and he saw their eyes blacker than the night gather around him. He cried out for help and prayed to his God with tears as he trembled. Then, Balthazar appeared before him. The Alpha dismissed the other wolves as his eyes changed from the monstrous gaze of the deepest black to the soft and gentle look of a man. The creature bowed his head to the traveler, and he touched him. The man said that as he placed his hand on the head of the beast it was as if he could feel the spirit inside of him, longing to be free. 

That man was Ryan Hollis, and he thought as Evan did that there was a man inside of Balthazar, a man who didn’t want to harm them but longed to be free from a curse, the curse of the wolves of Banglador. 

Lunus shook her head in an attempt to dismiss the thoughts. No, they were not some unfortunate souls bound by the forest and living under a curse. The lycanthrope were ruthless, bloodthirsty creatures in need of extinction, and that was all they ever would be. There was not this spark of humanity inside of them that others saw. There was only the wolf-man, the monster. 

She shivered, growing cold and uncomfortable. Even that word choice slipped her up. It was bad... bad wording. That was all. Wolf-man? No. There wasn’t anything human about them. They were werewolves, monsters, shifting shadows. That was all, and, as a hunter, it was her job to stop them.

She mounted her horse, struggling again to dismiss the thoughts of Evan and the idea of a werewolf’s humanity. For some reason, it bothered her much more than she had expected, much more than it should have, and she didn’t know why. 

She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath to calm her crazy mind. 

“They are monsters,” she assured herself quietly as she sat on her horse and waited for her father to come and address the hunting party. “They are nothing but soulless, bloodthirsty monsters.”

“That’s right!” said the chaser beside her. 

“That they are!” said the tracker up front.

“Not having second thoughts are you?” another man jokingly prodded. 

She opened her eyes like slits and fixed on him with an icy glare. “Not at all,” she told him with deadpan monotone. Her eyes were as determined and cold as she wished her heart would be. 

The Chief Hunter arrived, riding out on his horse beside them and pulling the able-bodied stallion around by the city gates. The black horse neighed as it halted, and her father began to speak, addressing his riders. 

“Welcome, Hunters!” he said, still calming his steed as the ready horse thrashed about with nervous energy in front of them. “Tonight we ride to put an end to this menace and protect our town! But before we do, I have some shared objectives for us. Besides, we have some new hunters with us, so I’m going to be laying out some ground rules, as well. 

“First off is firing. Of course, we want to shoot the wolves, but not each other. So, please, be careful when you shoot. Nearly one-third of combat wounds can be attributed to human error, not the beasts.

“The second thing is this,” he said, patting his horse. “Your steed is your partner. He is your second weapon. He is, also, your best defense against the wolves when they’re on the attack. Werewolves are large, and they’re powerful. You’ll want to do your best to stay above them and maintain the height advantage. So, whatever happens, absolutely do not allow yourself to be knocked off of your horse, and under no circumstances do you ever dismount.

“Thirdly and, also, lastly is shooting. If you see a wolf, shoot it, and, when you shoot it, shoot to kill. We’ve lost too many men because they had second thoughts about killing them. A moment’s hesitation could mean your end, or somebody else’s.

“Now, I want to talk to you about our objectives here tonight. As many of you know, the town founding corresponds to the height of the werewolf’s mating season. If Balthazar hasn’t found a mate by then, it will mean another year without a chance at offspring, and with the casualties he has been taking to his pack lately, waiting is no longer a credible option for him. 

“I have no doubt that Balthazar will be taking a mate somewhere in the course of these last weeks leading up to the town founding and the harvest festival. It is our goal to kill him before that has a chance to happen. Our target is the Shadow of the Forest, the Alpha! Lure him out! Do whatever you must, but I want him dead! Do you understand me?” 

“Sir, yes, sir!” the Hunters responded together in a unanimous tone of military oneness.

“Then, let’s ride!” he said. “But remember, during the mating season, the wolves’ powers are also heightened. They will become stronger, more ruthless, and more powerful with each day through harvest. So, beware.

“Now... Hunters, to the hunt!” Eccord proclaimed as he spun his horse back to the front and the great gates of the city opened in front of them, granting them passage to the strange world of the forest at night.