Unnaturally Natural

Alexander - A New Enemy Revealed

The streets were overflowing with lively chatter. Children were playing, and adults arguing. It was still early, and the merchants had just set up their caravans in the streets. Many eager townsfolk came to see what the merchants had to offer. The gate was the busiest this time of day; all the merchants coming and going, citizens leaving to run errands.

Alexander stood at the edge of the gate. He could not stand being surrounded by so many people. He felt anxious and desperately wanted to leave, but he couldn't; he had agreed with Dara to meet at the gate. But there was no sign of him, which worried Alexander.

He caught the attention of many onlookers, despite his attempts not to. It wasn't easy for him not to draw attention because of his snow-white hair. Usually, whenever he went to any public place, he would wear a hood or blacken his hair with coal. But he had left his house in such a rush he forgot.

The people of Urbemontis were lenient toward supernaturals. However, they did not appreciate them in their city, and it was considered taboo to even speak to a supernatural.

Alexander did his best not to draw unnecessary attention. He made no eye contact and instead looked at his feet. But it did not do much to help.

Two young women passed him; each seemed to be in their twenties. When they noticed him, they giggled and whispered to each other. Even though they whispered, he heard every word and blushed furiously.

He was saved from his embarrassment when he heard Dara's voice.

"Alex!" He called.

He was walking at a much faster pace than usual. He had to keep his hand on the small notebook on his hip to keep it from falling.

"Where have you been?" Alexander asked, annoyed.

"When I was here waiting for you earlier, a carriage came through the gate. I followed it until I couldn't keep up with it anymore," Dara explained, out of breath.

Alexander rubbed his temples, shook his head, and smiled.

"Stealing from a currier and now stalking a carriage? You're becoming a real stalker, Dara," he laughed, no longer upset.

"The carriage-" Dara breathed, "It had the Huntsmen's crest engraved in the door."

Alexander's smile quickly faded. He did not expect the Huntsman would arrive so early. Suddenly, he was glad Dara was late. He put his hand on Dara's shoulder and gave him a moment to breathe. After he caught his breath, Alexander looked him in the eyes.

"Where did it go?"

"I followed it as best I could, but I lost it, sorry."

"That's okay. Do you remember where you saw it last?" 

Dara thought for a second. He looked upwards and moved his hands in front of him as if he was drawing a map.

"Yes. I lost sight of it when it turned down Pine street."

"That should be good enough. We might be able to find it if we ask around some," Alexander said hopefully.

"There is a tavern on that street, that should be a good place to start," Dara suggested.

They decided the tavern would be the best place to get information. While they were walking to the tavern, Alexander thought over what the white wolf had said. 

The reply had come much earlier than he had expected. He was expecting a response after a day at the least. But she had shown up at his door the very next morning, in her human form. She was absolutely stunning. She was only an inch or two shorter than him. Her long blond hair reached all the way down to her lower back. Her dark blue eyes seemed to stare into his soul.

If she hadn't spoken first, he would have never realized he was staring, but his wandering eyes did not seem to bother her; they seemed to entertain her.

After getting his attention, she introduced herself as Jaslyn and told him what the Beast King's answer was. It wasn't quite what he had expected.

Alexander was so lost in thought; his surroundings were a blur. If Dara hadn't pulled his arm, he would have been run over by a large carriage.

"You should watch where you're going," Dara said, letting go of his arm.

"Sorry, my thoughts were elsewhere. Lead on."

Alexander had been to Urbemontis many times before, but he had never taken the time to explore. He found many of the sounds and smells to be repulsive, and he hated being surrounded by people. Dara, on the other hand, lived in the city. He seemed to know the city like the back of his hand and never had any trouble getting around. 

As they were walking, Alexander thought about telling him about his encounter with the white wolf but decided to wait until they got to the tavern. He had to share it with Dara; however, discussing such a topic in public wouldn't be wise. There was no telling who might overhear their conversation. A tavern would have been the best to conduct their business in private. Half of the people would be too drunk to care, and the rest would not be able to hear over all the drunken chatter.

The tavern in question was circular. It had a large door with a small window on either side of it. Alexander was ten feet from the door and could smell the alcohol. It seemed the people were celebrating something. When Alex opened the door, the strong odor of alcohol hit him like a brick. His ears were flooded with lively drunk chatter.

Immediately upon entering, Alexander felt eyes watching him. Unlike the eyes of regular citizens, which only noticed him, these were of a predatory nature. It was the first time in his life that someone had looked at him as prey. While Dara spoke to the bartender, Alexander looked into the crowd, trying to identify the predator watching him.

His attention was jerked back to Dara when the bartender set two cups carved from Mahogany. The reddish-brown vessels held a strong drink, smelling of honey and wild berries. It was a drink Alexander had grown used to whenever he came to visit Dara. He found its aroma to be more pleasant than the other beverages, and its taste was bearable.

After handing Alexander one of the cups, Dara pointed to an open table near the center's fire pit. They walked through the crowd of drunken men. Alexander felt the deadly gaze follow him and Dara to the table. It made the hair on his neck stand on end. He felt as if he would be pounced on any second. His attention was shifted to Dara when he spoke.

"Where do you think we should start?" He asked, taking a sip from his cup. "I could ask the bartender if he has heard anything, and you could listen to some of the chatter around us. We should be able to piece something together."

Dara held his cup in both hands, nervously tapping it with two fingers and looking at the liquid inside. He took a big gulp before Alexander answered.

"I don't think that will be necessary," he said, leaning forward. "He's already here."

The look of shock on Dara's face was sudden yet brief. He tried his best not to look around. It was truly frightening that one so infamous and dangerous could blend in so well with a crowd of ordinary people.

Dara leaned closer to Alexander and whispered, "How do you know? Did you see him?" 

"No. He has been watching us ever since we walked in." He answered in an equally low whisper.

Alexander looked around, barely moving his head and scanning the room with his eyes. He did not notice anyone looking their way with any intent. He must be somewhere behind me. I should switch seats with Dara; maybe I can see the Huntsman then. No, that would be too obvious. Alexander's thoughts were disrupted when Dara leaned forward.

"Someone is coming this way," he whispered.

Alexander almost turned to look but was able to stop himself.

"Do you think it's the Huntsman?" He asked.

"It's not a man."

Their conversation was interrupted by a divine voice. If Alexander were not aware of the danger, it would have lulled him into a sense of security.

"Hello."

It caught him off guard; he was prepared to confront a large man who would be swinging a silver weapon. But now there was this girl, and he completely lost his composure. He could not find his tongue to speak.

Seeing that his friend couldn't answer, Dara was quick to respond, "How can we help you, Ms."

"Well, I'm new to this city, and I don't know much about it yet; I was wondering if you would mind showing me around," the stranger recited those words as if she had rehearsed them.

Upon hearing she was new, both Dara and Alexander were sure she was the Huntsman. It caught both by surprise; the Huntsmen did not recruit women. They were always men. The two of them exchanged a look, and then Dara replied.

"My friend here doesn't live in town. I, however, would be more than happy to show you around." He chirped.

Alexander could not see the girl's face, but he could hear her sigh. It seemed he had been her target. He was mad at Dara for giving her an idea of where he lived, but under the circumstances, it was the best choice.

The girl reluctantly agreed and followed Dara out. As they left, Alexander managed to get a good look at his predator. He had never seen such a girl. She carried herself with confidence and strength. It was not the shallow confidence founded in appearance; hers was grounded in something much more sincere.

She was wearing loose-fitting black pants, a Prussian blue jerkin with a white tunic underneath. Her pants were tucked into black mid-calf leather boots.

She was not what he expected from a Huntsman. She was shorter than the average woman and had an athletic build. Her raven black hair dropped just below her shoulders and hung loosely. She seemed to be unarmed, but Alexander was sure she had a weapon hidden somewhere.

With Dara keeping her busy, he had a window of opportunity. He wanted to find out where she lived and what kind of surprises she might be hiding. He focused his sense of smell as best he could and sorted through the pungent smell of sweat and alcohol. He was looking for a scent he noticed when she passed him.

Alexander had only gotten a quick whiff, but it was a very unusual smell. Unlike most scents, which were unique, her's was identical to a fire lily. He thought it was a fitting scent for the girl. An alluring scent for an equally alluring sight, but with severe consequences for those who come to close.

When Alexander identified her smell among the assortment of others, he followed it out the door where it split into two trails. The trail leading to his left was still fresh, whereas the other one was much weaker. He chose the older one, as it would likely lead him to her hideout.

 He struggled to follow the fading scent and lost it many times; he had to stop to find it again. The task was far more complicated than he had initially thought. It took him more than an hour to follow the trail to a house.

The building was small, mainly because it was in the impoverished outer ring of the city. It seemed to be newly constructed, as the wood had not yet turned dark with age. Looking through the window, Alexander saw some new furniture, but nothing else. There were no paintings or decoration pieces.

The simplicity of the house told him much about the girl. She was not one for sentimentality. However, that did not tell Alexander enough. He wanted to know what made her tick, and the only way he would find out was to get into the building.

He tried to open the door, hoping for the best, but no luck. He walked around the building, hoping to find an open window. Considering it was late fall, turning winter. The days were getting colder, so the chances of finding an open window were slim. But Alexander knew he needed to find a way, even if he had to break in.

As he walked around the building, it seemed his luck had run out until he came to the back of the house. He started to smile. "My luck has yet to run out." The back window, one of the smaller ones, was left open. Even though it was just a sliver, it was still open.

He slowly opened it further, looking for any strings which might trigger a trap. She might have just gotten here, but I am not taking any chances. After seeing there were no traps, he proceeded to climb through the window. He tried his best not to make any noise, as it was still day, and people would undoubtedly investigate.

Upon entry, he felt chills run down his spine. The whole house was early quiet. Apart from the girl's faint scent, It smelled stale. He looked around before continuing. The room was small and was made even smaller by a bed and closet. Another shiver shot down his spine. Even standing there didn't feel right. Every moment felt like someone would jump out of the closet and attack him.

He slowly moved to the closet, subconsciously tiptoeing. He put his hands on the closet doors and quickly ripped them open. It was not what he had expected. There were no clothes, no sheets, only a chest that took up the closet's entire bottom.

He looked around the large chest, looking for anything that might trigger a trap. It piqued his curiosity, and he knew he had to open it. But what would he find in this mystery container? t*****e devices? Weapons? Or could it just be a personal chest? His curiosity was getting the better of him, and without another thought, he threw open the chest's lid.

His senses were immediately overwhelmed by the strong smell of raw silver. It seemed there had been a trap, on the inside. Opening the chest triggered a puff of silver dust. If he had been any other supernatural, he would be writhing in pain, but he was special. 

Alexander frantically waved his hands in an effort to disperse the silver. After a moment, the silver was no longer so highly concentrated, and he could focus again. The overwhelming smell had driven him to his feet, and now he was standing, looking down at the chest.

It was anticlimactic, to say the least. The chest contained two swords, a dagger, and twenty vials, some filled with silver dust and others with a clear liquid. He actually felt disappointed. It was a let down from the image he had in his mind. I was hoping for something a little more…

Alexander's thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching. The smell of raw silver had so flooded his senses; he didn't even notice when she entered the building.

He was unsure what to do for a moment, but a light breeze reminded him of the open window. The footsteps were drawing closer. Knowing there would not be enough time, he took a running start and dove out the window.

Right when he hit the ground, he braced for impact and managed to minimize the damage. The impact still hurt, but he couldn't waste any time. He immediately jumped up and ran towards the gate, hoping Dara would be there waiting for him.

He almost ran into a few people and narrowly avoided being hit by a speeding wagon. It crossed his mind to look back, but he had the uneasy feeling that she would catch him if he did.

After he was confident that it was safe, he slowed down to collect his thoughts. His thoughts were jumbled; he was unsure of what to think. She was a Huntsman; there was no question. But unlike other Huntsmen, she didn't seem to have a deeply rooted hatred towards supernaturals. If she had hate in her heart, she would have had items of t*****e, something to make her prey suffer. She had no such thing. She hunted for a different reason. 

This girl was a true Huntsman. She did not kill out of hatred or anger. It seemed that hunting had a different meaning to her. Not one rooted in revenge, but rather in necessity. 

Alexander could not decide whether it was good or bad. One who kills out of rage is dangerous, but they are quick to make mistakes. Those who kill because they believe it is necessary are more precise and patient; they are far more dangerous. However, they are also more logical and can be reasoned with.

"Damn it! What am I thinking," he said, looking to the heavens. "She is the enemy; how can I even consider negotiating?"

He sighed loudly and started walking to the gate. Earlier, there was no opportunity to tell Dara about the Beast King's answer. Still, he hoped that he could meet him at the gate. I might need his help; I am no good with negotiation. While walking to the gate, Alexander was sure to keep a lookout for the girl, on the off chance that she was following him.

The city streets were starting to get more crowded as midday approached. More citizens were out in the streets. A few armed guards were out patrolling to keep the peace. Alexander saw some children running around laughing. All the sounds of the city were starting to get to him. He was getting restless, every sound made him jump, and every stranger appeared to be a threat to him.