The Black Heritage

Chapter 20: The Hunting Is On - Part 1

"Mr. Hunter, you have been sharpening your dagger since this morning, when will we start our train --" Andrew stopped speaking when Ethan suddenly turned around with the dagger raised high in the air. Andrew shaded his eyes with his arm because the shone of the dagger was blinding when it was hit by the rays of the coming sunset.

"Do you need something?" Ethan asked, tilting his head.

"Whoahh, Mr. Hunter, aren't you afraid to handle that? It seems that, in just one wrong move, it will cut your neck or your hand. That is too sharp and sheen. It can be mirrored." Andrew gulped the lump in his throat.

"Oh, catch it." Ethan suddenly tossed the dagger above Andrew. His eyes grew bigger and his body shivered as he ran sideways.

"Mr. Hunter, what are you doing?" Andrew almost burst into tears.

Ethan stood up and approached Andrew. He held him on both arms and erected upright. In Ethan's serious gaze, the young man was terrified to look at him directly.

"Look at my eyes." Ethan said in a low but commanding tone.

"Why? Mr. Hunter, don't you think it's proper for us to be as close like this?" Andrew avoided his order.

"I said, look at my eyes."

Andrew could do nothing but look into Ethan's eyes.

"Andrew, are you scared?" Ethan asked.

"Of course! Who wouldn't be scared if someone suddenly threw a sharp dagger on your head? "Andrew growled.

"Didn't you say you want to join the organization I will build? What? Are you going to back down now?"

Andrew snapped Ethan's hands away and stepped back twice and stood firm. "Who said I am going to back down? I made up my mind to join."

Ethan snickered. "When I suddenly threw the dagger, you almost urinated in fear. Then what if all of a sudden the deadly claws of the monsters were thrown at you? Will you cry while calling for help from your mother? "

"Mr. Hunter, don't belittle me. I just need training and I will make progress. I promise you that."

"Alright! I will remember your promise. If you can't do it, I will ---"

"Mr. Hunter, you have a letter." Mang Fabian's other house servant was running while waving the paper he was holding from the yard. He already has a family.

"From whom?" Ethan asked as he reached for the letter.

"I don't know. When I was about to enter the gate the messenger just handed me that." The man replied. 

"Thank you." Ethan said once patting the man. When the man turned around to leave, he opened it and went on the words. He smiled at what he read with mixed hatred.

Andrew tried to peek but Ethan immediately folded it and tucked it into his pants pocket.

"What did the letter say Mr. Hunter?" He couldn't help but ask. 

Ethan eyed him. "It's something you feared the most." Ethan turned around as well as he grabbed the dagger and sauntered back to his room. Andrew followed him.

"Andrew, I'm leaving tonight. I request you to accompany Jotun in his room while I'm away."

"Yes. But Mr. Hunter, aren't you tired or even sleepy? You didn't sleep last night."

"I am fine. Don't worry about me."

*********

As the night came, Ethan secretly left the house. Except for Mang Fabian and Andrew, the three servants and Jotun did not know about his departure.

As he traveled through the darkness of night, the contents of the letter came to his mind again. 

"Mr. Hunter, I'm not sure if this information I gathered is authentic but I heard something strange about the owner of the newly built Exquisite Spa. It was only about a five minutes ride from the tricycle station in front of our barangay clinic. So far, as I investigated him, there were no recorded victims yet but he was really strange. He fits the description of what monster's do to charm others. Due to strolling monsters scattered around, drivers rarely travel at night so you may end up walking until there. But here is my offer. I want to join your operation. At 7: 00Pm I will wait for you at the tricycle station and when you do not arrive after half an hour it means you do not want to take me along. I want to learn how to fight from you to avenge my brother as well as the other victims. I am really eager to join your team. Hope you will accept me. Truly Yours, Celix. " The letter said. 

Dressed in  garments, soldier pants and a long sleeve black shirt and red veil, Ethan grinned foolishly and evilly as he ran into the tricycle station once saying, "This will be fun tonight."

*********

Celix was happy when Ethan arrived. His get-up seemed to be ready for the coming war. He was wearing thick denim clothes and imitated Ethan to wear a veil. Probably his clothes were about three layers and on his side there was something protruding, Ethan guessed, it was a knife and in his pocket a garlic clove was exposed.

"Not bad huh. But next time, keep your ornaments hidden." He called Celix's monster killers as ornaments. Celix immediately tidied himself. "Here! Keep it." Ethan threw a small medicine bottle and small glass spice jar at Celix.

"What are these?" Celix checked the bottles wonderingly. 

"In the medicine bottle are garlic cloves and coconut oil is the content of the other one." Ethan explained as he hopped on the back of Celix's motorbike. 

"What is this coconut oil for? Is this useful?" 

"Of course, but that is not an ordinary coconut oil. I personally cooked that and added something. Let's set in now and so we can kill a lot."

"How does it work?" 

"Sprinkle that oil on the person you suspected as a monster. If he is in his human form, once he receives a drop from that, he will transform back into his monster appearance. 

"Alright! It looks like you are really determined to hunt anddestroy every monster who unluckily runs into you tonight." Celix said as he started the engine. 

"That is for sure!" 

"Mr. Hunter, I thought you did not want to include me because I did not know." Celix said the motor was running. It would have been early in the evening but almost no one was around, Ethan and I were sad.

"I agreed that you could join my organization. Of course, I am going to bring you along. Besides, it is the best way to learn. An actual training. By the way, did you bring a family consent with you? I won't officially admit you in my team if you don't have one. It's a dangerous operation so I don't want you to hide it from your family. Oh, tomorrow morning. Come to the address I told you. We will start training."

"That's great!" Celix tapped the handle of the motorbike. 

"Focus on driving. Just drive slowly so I can have a good watch in every corner. Perhaps, we can spot some monsters roaming around."

"Alright!"

That was it. Celix slowed down driving almost as fast as a bulldozer. Instead of a five minute drive, they seemed to reach there in fifteen minutes. They didn't have to hurry to the Spa from the fact that the said owner has not yet started acting.

While the motor was running, Celix was constantly talking about random things. Ethan just ignored it and turned his attention to every corner of the street and he almost smashed his lips as it leaned over Celix's back as the latter suddenly braked the motor also due to his sudden scream of cessation.

Ethan ignored his numbing lips, even before Celix could speak, Ethan pulled out the dagger strapped to his back and threw it standing up into a somewhat hidden corner. The dagger rotated fast away. Ethan also jumped up and walked fast into the air to follow the flight of the dagger.

Shortly afterwards, a loud and frightening growl echoed from someone whom the dagger struck. Who would expect that in one corner, someone was wrestled. A woman against two men monsters. 

The woman was already wounded and was swaying when Ethan saw her. Ethan was impressed with the woman because even though she was not good at fighting, she still bravely faced the two monsters. He was even more impressed because the monsters did not just succeed in tearing her down.

But the woman was already really weak and had no more strength left to fight so she also fell to the ground as Ethan was approaching. In the blink of an eye, Ethan pulled out the dagger stuck from behind to the very heart of the monster. He didn't waste time to exhaust himself in so many fights, on his one perfect chance with a perfect swing of the dagger  and a perfect round, Ethan was able to cut off two monsters' necks continuously and throw their heads next to the woman.

Smile drew on the woman's lips when she saw the severed heads and she even laughed as if she had won the lottery.

"Master! Master! Are you all right?" Celix shouted as he ran closer to Ethan.

Ethan turned and scolded Celix, "Didn't I warn you not to call me master?"

"Oh, sorry Mr. Hunter! So they're dead? Just that fast?"

"What else then?" Ethan raised an eyebrow at Celix.

Celix fell silent as Ethan crouched next to the woman and supported her to sit down. He leaned the woman's head on his arm, "You are courageous, woman. You just faced such monsters bravely. You impressed me."

The woman grinned even though the pain she felt from the serious wounds on her body was written on her face. "If you didn't come for a rescue I would have died already. You still have the credit."

"Do you know what they are?" Celix asked.

"Of course. They were the monsters who helped devour my sister apart. I personally witnessed it with my two eyes. Finally, I avenged my poor sister. My poor sister is gone." The woman sobbed.

"I am sorry for your loss. But don't be too sad. Wherever your sister is now, I am sure she is happy and proud for you." Ethan said. "What is your name?" 

"Terry. Terry Lopes."

"Miss Terry, if you are willing to continue killing monsters, I want to invite you to join my organization." Ethan offered.

"I am so flattered by your invitation Mr. Hunter. But- - am I qualified?"

"You are! You are capable."

"Just join us. Mr. Hunter will train you personally how to fight." Celix interjected. 

"Then, I would love to. I didn't expect, such a young and handsome man could be the leader of an organisation that handles the most dangerous operations. I am honoured to be a part of your team."

"I'm flattered but enough talking. Celix, prepare your motorbike. We will send her to the hospital." Ethan ordered.