THE BOUNTY HUNTER LUNA

CHAPTER 3 - AINE'S POV

We traveled all day, only stopping once for lunch, that we ate in near silence.

I was used to traveling alone, and Alex gave up on conversation when I'd respond to his curious questions with sarcastic remarks.

By nightfall, I'd taken him to a cave I knew where I often left supplies.

"There's a blanket there," I pointed to the corner, before I went into the back section of the cave and retrieved a sack filled with crystals.

"Avalon," I smiled as I opened the back and emptied the contents onto the ground.

Avalon pranced excitedly for moment, "Thank you, Aine!" He spoke into my mind before eating his fill.

I busied myself making a fire, before opening my bag and pulling out a large container filled with meat, which I started cooking on the open flames.

"So tell me, Alex," How did your Alpha get taken to begin with?"

"We were traveling, and we were attacked, but they threw some kind of liquid on Emmet, making him pass out, and the 4 of them carried him off while the rest of us were fighting."

"Where are the rest of your soldiers?"

"Some went after Emmet, but they were killed, and the others went to the original meeting stop to give our intel."

"Why didn't you go with the others?"

"I followed from a different path, but after I lost them, I went for help on the next villa over and they mentioned you."

"I see." I said as I turned the meat.

"Why do you do the work you do?"

"Money."

"Really?" He questioned, "Because I've seen you give money away like it's nothing since we met."

"The travel opportunities then, Goddess, what exactly do you want me say for the reason?"

"The truth."

"I don't owe you the truth."

"But I'm expected to tell you the truth?"

"Everything I ask is related to this task," I pointed out, and turned the meat again, "Do you think I'm asking about your Alpha because I care? I don't. I was paid to do a job, end of discussion."

"Is that the only reason you took this job?"

"Let's have more quiet time." I snapped at him, and he frowned.

After we ate, we both fell asleep quickly, but I woke Alex early, gently kicking him until he opened his eyes.

"Look alive, we have to go."

He yawned and nodded as he sat up, stretching before he reached for his boots.

"I was having the best dream," He told me, and I frowned as I packed my bag. Did this guy ever shut up, "There were all these Elves and there was a beautiful stream and..."

"Do you know what I keep asking myself?" I cut him off.

"No, what?"

"I keep asking myself, when did I ever ask about his dream?"

He frowned and asked, "Why are you always like this?"

"Just pack up, so we can go."

It was after lunch that we finally reached the canyon filled with an eerie smoke.

"Are you sure they went this way?" Alex asked, and I knelt down.

I dug my Fingers into the Earth and close my eyes, I reached out with my mind and there near the very edge of the canyon, right before the wall, to climb out, was a small camp with six men, and one unconscious body.

Stood back up dust it off my knee and looked back at Alex.

"I'm sure," I answered, "Let's go, but make sure you follow my footsteps exactly."

I turn to Avalon, and gently brush my fingers over his main.

"Please wait here." I requested and pulled out another sack of crystals, "The canyon is no place for someone as pure as you."

"Alright," He said easily, as he began munching on the crystals, I dropped over the ground.

"Shall we?" I said to Alex and began walking down the steep rock face, going lower and lower into the mist.

I felted instantly the spell working itself into my mind.

Memories started to Spring up, memories I didn't want to remember.

I pulled 2 vials from my coat, and drink one quickly, before turning to Alex and holding up the 2nd vial.

He was already looking pale, his body trembling.

"Drink." I ordered, and he quickly followed my order, looking relived as it too effect.

"Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

We walked in silence, despite taking the antidote to the mist, I could still feel it trying to get into my mind.

I moved us through the canyon, having mapped it out over the years, by venturing in and challenging myself to see how quickly I could get through it.

I'd even left tiny rocks on pointing the safe and quickest directions, that only an Elf's eyes could see.

We made quick work, only navigating the treacherous terrain for 4 hours, when it most likely took the Alphas captors 2 days.

When we finally broke free of the mist, I pulled Alex down.

The camp was near the base of the canyon wall, and the men were pointing at specific spot to climb up.

I smirked to myself, if these fools had taken even a moment to search, they'd have found the stairs, carved into the rock face from some unknown being, years prior.

"Are you ready to fight?"

"Yes."

I pulled out my two swords and smiled. It was finally time.

I stood up and walked confidently towards the men, who spun around looking surprised until they noticed Alex.

They all growled in warning and walked towards us.

"Okay," I said to Alex, "You take those 3, but scar face is mine."

"What?" Alex complained as he grabbed my arm, "Why do I get 3 but you only get 1?"

"Shut up and fight!" One of the men interrupted, pissing me off.

I held up my hand, "Are you to that eager to die? Shut up, we're talking." I said before looking back at Alex, "Okay fine, you take 2 I'll take 2." I agreed as I put both swords in one hand, and pulled out a small dagger.

"Lets begin," I said, and threw the dagger.

I landed right into the man's chest, and he gasped in surprise, before he fell to the ground.

I turned to a stunned looking Alex, "Those 2 are yours."

Before he could respond, I walked over to scar face, who smiled.

"How much is he paying you to help him?" He asked, clearly sensing my power, "I'll double it."

"Wow, what a tempting offer," I smiled as I twirled one of my swords in my palm, "But here's the thing. He's just paying me to get the dog back. You... I'm killing for free."

I tilted my throat, revealed the X he'd left on me 10 years prior and smiled.

"You probably don't remember me, what with you killing so many," I continued as I heard Alex fighting behind me, "None of the others remembered me. But I remembered each and every one of you. And I vowed to kill you all, and guess what, you're the last man standing."

I threw up one of my swords as a distraction, dipped my hand into my pocket while his eyes followed the sword, and pulled out some powder that I blew into his face, before catching my sword again.

"What the hell was that?!" He shouted as he stumbled back, wiping it frantically from his face.

"Just a little concoction I invented," I answered, "It prevents you from shifting."

The man growled in rage as he pulled out a large sword, but I just smiled. I'd waited for this day for far too long.

10 years. 10 sleepless years distilled into this single moment.

Thirty yards away stood the man, who'd haunted my every moment.

He was older, but still just as broad and heavy-set as I remembered. Though I expected this, Lycans aged slowly.

He had forgotten me. Forgotten my face. But I had never forgotten his.

I moved. I vanished into a blur of motion, my boots whispered against the gravel as I closed the distance in the heartbeat between breaths.

He roared, stepping into a sweeping horizontal strike designed to snap my thin blades in half and cleave my torso. The steel whistled through the canyon air with crushing momentum.

I didn't block. I dropped beneath the arc, my knees sweeping through the dust, my left sword rising in a blinding flash.

Clang!

Spark-light erupted in the narrow trench as my blades deflected the flat of his heavy sword, altering its trajectory just enough to carve air above my shoulder. In the same motion, my right blade lashed out like a striking viper, biting deep into the exposed leather joint of his thigh armor.

He grunted, staggering back as blood, dark and thick, soaked through his wool trousers. He spun, swinging a heavy elbow into my path, but I was already gone, fluid as smoke, circling behind his blind side.

"W.hore!" He bellowed, pivoting heavily on his good leg, his sword raised high in a crushing overhead strike.

He brought the blade down with all the weight of his body, but I crossed my twin swords above my head, receiving the blow at an angle. The impact shivered through my bones, driving my knees an inch into the dirt, but I yielded no further.

With a sharp twist of my wrists, I locked his broadsword between my crossed guards, stepped inward, and drove my forehead violently into the bridge of his nose.

Bone crunched with a satisfying sound, and he staggered back, blundering against the sheer red rock of the canyon wall, blood spurting from his nostrils, as his vision swimming in red.

He shook his head, clearing his eyes just in time to see me coming for him again.

There was no honor in my assault, no theatrical fencing. It was an execution. Plain and simple. I'd contemplated toying with him for a while, savoring it, making it last longer, but my temper was forcing me forward to end things quickly.

My right blade carved across his forearm, severing the tendons at his wrist, and his heavy broadsword clattered uselessly into the dirt. He gasped, his back pressed hard against the freezing wall again, his left hand scrambling frantically for the dagger at his belt.

"Wait," He choked out, raising his gloved palm, his arrogance finally shattering into raw, unadulterated panic. "Wait! I have gold, chest of it, down in the..."

I didn't pause. I didn't listen. I had gold, and mine wasn't covered in the blood of the innocent

Before the plea could fully clear his cracked lips, my left sword drove straight through his palm, pinning his hand against the canyon stone behind him. My victim screamed, a high, wet sound that echoed uselessly up the high walls of the canyon.

He looked into my eyes, searching for a spark of hesitation, a tremble of doubt, or the self-righteous hesitation of a noble avenger, but he found nothing. My eyes were empty, dark wells of hatred and rage.

With my right hand, I raised my second blade.

I did not draw out his agony. I gave him no time to beg, no time to pray, and no satisfaction of hearing his final words.

I drove the point of my sword directly through the hollow of his throat, thrusting upward until the blade bit three inches into the rock wall behind his spine.

His eyes bulged. A wet, choking gasp bubbled up from his chest, rattling against my steel.

"That was for my family!"

His body convulsed once, twice, and then went limp, hanging pinned against the basalt like a slaughtered beast on a hook.

Silence crashed back into the canyon, heavy and absolute.

I stood frozen for a long moment, my chest rising and falling in slow, measured rhythms. The blood pooling at my feet ran dark into the thirsty red gravel.

I pulled out another small dagger and cut away his canines to add to my collection. The final set. I wrapped them in silk and tucked them safely into my pocket, before I pulled my blades free with a sharp, sickening slide. His heavy corpse collapsed in a heap at the base of the wall, unceremonious and broken.

I wiped my twin swords clean against his coarse woolen cloak, my fingers steady, my hands untrembling, and I placed the blades back into the twin scabbards crossed over my back.

The wind howled through the high rocks above, carrying away the scent of blood, as I turned my back on the corpse, pulled my hood low over my ears, and walked towards Alex, who saw watching me with wide eyes, leaving ten years of darkness bleeding out in the dust behind me.