A Renegade’s Jeremiad

Chapter 4: Loss and Lost

April 23rd. 6:28 PM

Moon: First Quarter

Henry raced through the trees, jumping from shadow to shadow, his hazy pupils and purple sclera allowing his eyes to see the entire expanse of the dark, while Clarissa maintained her pursuit. However, when Henry attempted to hide, Clarissa always found him, causing Henry to grit his teeth and maneuver around her powerful hands to avoid being pinned and unable to run. What Henry didn't know was that, having shadow manipulation powers, Clarissa was able to sense anything wriggling in them, especially hunters who used purple hunter energy, making stealth impossible to use against her. Despite not knowing, Henry deduced, 'She seems to be constantly striking every place I hide without looking around or swinging aimlessly, meaning she must be tracking me in a way not even shadows or scent blocking can prevent.' Henry, despite the stressful situation, remained calm thanks to the purple hunter energy keeping his thoughts reasonable and efficient due to the lack of expression he now possessed. Clarissa huffed, her eyes sagging as she glared at Henry. "Get back here!" Clarissa shouted, charging at Henry. Henry jumped out of the shadows, taking a quick breath, he shifted his energy, his sclera turning red, his pupils becoming catlike, and his muscle mass increasing before he faced down Clarissa with an imposing glare of his own.

Clarissa, huffing manically, growled at Henry before rushing towards him. Henry growled as well, though it wasn't as loud, and charged at Clarissa, his shoulder bristling with red hunter energy as he bashed her off course. Clarissa attempted to swipe at Henry, but he just grabbed her arm, his fingers crackling with the same red hunter energy as he scowled. "You ought to control yourself more, you're an adult, after all," Henry claimed bluntly. Clarissa scoffed, trying to swipe with her free hand, only for Henry to grab that one as well and forcefully jam it into the ground before kneeing Clarissa in the face and sending her flying. Thanks to Clarissa's durability as a werewolf, these actions did little to slow her down, let alone damage her. Henry cracked his knuckles as Clarissa raced back to him and performed a headbutt. The headbutt did nothing to Henry except left a mark on his forehead. Little jumps of red hunter energy sprang over Henry's face as he clenched his teeth and headbutt Clarissa back, leaving her a little dazed before he took a deep breath to calm his energy and used his muscular legs to rush off, leaving Clarissa to pursue him once again. "Leave me alone, you annoying wolf!" Henry exclaimed, obviously influenced by the red hunter energy. Clarissa, being fed up with this chase, yelled back, "Then why don't you tell me what's going on instead of running away, huh?"

Henry slowed down, disabling his hunter energy as his eyes returned to normal. Clarissa went back to human form, pouting and glaring at Henry with a disapproving look in her baby blue eyes. "Care to explain why you're acting like this, Henry?" Clarissa asked with a harsh tone. Henry sighed, looking at the ground. "My mother died, Clarissa. I was so shocked when we met again that I forgot to tell you…" Henry admitted. Clarissa's eyes widened as she gasped, looking at Henry with a gentle gaze and tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. The thought that Henry was suffering and unable to process this event made her heart ache and her stomach twist. Clarissa immediately hugged Henry as if the fight had never happened. "I'm so sorry," Clarissa said mournfully, "I didn't mean to put pressure on you when already dealing with so much…" Henry looked up at Clarissa, his brow furrowed. "Clarissa… You're a werewolf, why aren't you tearing me to shreds?" Henry asked. Clarissa answered without hesitation, "Because I love you. It breaks my heart to see you in so much pain… I thought you were angry and that I'd have to force you to accept me, but this is far worse than what I'd feared. My poor mate…" Clarissa whimpered like a wolf, nuzzling her face into Henry's neck as she held him. Henry, however, was stunned at how forward and blunt Clarissa was about her feelings; it was something so personal, and yet she expressed all of it eagerly without any hangups.

"Clarissa, you're not embarrassed about saying that? No need for any reasons as to why Mother's death caused me to be like this?" Henry asked. "Of course not!" Clarissa exclaimed, "What do you take me for? A temptress? A dishonorable rat?" Henry gave Clarissa some head pats, which immediately stopped her speech and made her purr like a wolf with closed eyes and a soft smile growing on her lips. "I need time alone, you understand?" Henry stated, "I'm not going to be able to do anything if I don't take care of these… feelings." Clarissa took Henry's hand from her head and held it gently. "I understand, Henry," Clarissa remarked, "I watched you when you thought I was dead. I know you shut down when things like this happen. I wanted so desperately to take you away from that horrible place and make you mine to cheer you up, but it was too dangerous. My pack also needed me." Clarissa looked into Henry's eyes, inching closer to his face. "Still, I never stopped thinking of you. All the time we spent together, the memories we shared, and how we always got along with each other and Nick so well…" Clarissa continued. Henry blinked twice, his head spinning from all of the creeping confessions he was receiving so quickly. Clarissa then blushed profusely as she finished, "I want to be there for you, Henry. So, I'll give you three days to mourn before I come back for you. If you still haven't grieved because those awful hunters are bothering you, I'll take care of them and stay by your side to help, don't you worry." Clarissa then kissed Henry on the lips. The kiss was wild and fast, Henry barely reacting to Clarissa's input. After the kiss, Clarissa patted Henry's cheek. Clarissa chimed, "See you in three days, Henry!" Clarissa turned to leave and then blew a kiss at Henry before saying, "Bye for now!" Clarissa ran off, leaving Henry with his thoughts.

Henry, after regaining his senses, looked up at the sky to check the position of the moon. He realized that the time was about 7:02 PM, so he quickly raced back to his hidden home, locking the door securely with several locks. After doing so, Henry looked over his supplies before realizing he needed more water, vegetables, and a bit of mercury to round out his rations. He made a list and attached it to the wall next to the stairs before heading to the second floor and shutting the stairs shut into the room so no one on the first floor could reach the second floor. Henry walked to his room, the door made of wolfsbane and reinforced with a silver design and doorknob. Other than the bed and a small desk littered with maps of the forest and lists of procedures to carry out in emergencies, the room was supposedly barren. Henry pushed a few bricks and pulled a lever near his bed before he changed into his bedwear and went to bed. The weight of his body on the bed activated a pressure plate that activated a series of traps. These traps were; several arrow traps (some with fire, some with an electric charge, some tipped with silver, others tipped with iron nails), a moat of mercury around the bed with the addition of a special tunneling system that funneled the vapors away from Henry and towards the rest of the room, a garlic bomb trebuchet, a ballista that fired wooden stakes made of wolfsbane, and a skylight that was hidden from view until Henry went to bed. These traps were pinned onto various entry points around the room, waiting for anything to try breaking into the room or smashing through the door.

On April 24th, at 7:38 AM, while the sun began to rise, Henry woke from his slumber, yawning widely before reaching to his right and pulling another hidden lever in the wall, disabling the traps, and venting out the mercury vapors from the area to prevent inhaling the toxin. Once that was done, Henry crawled out of bed before getting his laborer clothes on and unlocked the stairs to grab his list. Once he did, Henry locked his front door up tight, hid his identity with some cloth and leather gloves, and traveled to the town. The total distance Henry traveled was two hundred and forty-five meters at a brisk walking pace, only taking about two minutes and twenty-four seconds to get to the edge of the village.

When Henry got there, he used his disguise to sneak past hunter checkpoints and arrived at the Hunters' shop in the back alley. Henry knocked on the shut board in a specific code to make them open up. When it did, he saw one of his close partners, Sarah, peeking out at him before opening up the shop fully, her full lips forming a scowl as she glared daggers at him. "You've quite the nerve to show your face here, Henry. I should report you, here and now," Sarah threatened, her eyes never leaving Henry. "I understand everyone is upset. Please, though, hear me out, Sarah," Henry pleaded. "Why should I?" Sarah exclaimed, "You were being placed under protection to ensure that you wouldn't get hurt, but then you ran off three weeks ago unannounced. We're all worried sick about you, and you've the gall to try meeting me here, at my shop, behind everyone's backs?" Henry shuffled, realizing how much Marcus riled everyone up. "Please, hear me out. I will explain everything…" Henry begged.

Sarah, seeing how desperate Henry was to talk, huffed. "Fine. You have one chance to convince me before I report you," Sarah uttered. Henry breathed a sigh of relief before starting. "Listen, you know what happened to my mother, right?" Henry asked. "Yea," Sarah answered. "And you remember what happened to my father, too, right?" Henry asked. Sarah groaned, already fed up. "Where are you going with this, Henry?" Sarah pushed. "My mother's death was only the tipping point to getting me to leave, Sarah," Henry answered. Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean tipping point?" Sarah asked. "Well, when Dad died, I was devastated. Couldn't train, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep… I was a wreck," Henry responded, his tone heavy and mournful. Sarah paused, her eyes wide as she heard this. "Then, three days later, Marcus burst into my room and forced me to train. At first, when I was able to put my father's death behind me because I could take my mind off of it for a bit, I was happy Marcus intervened," Henry explained, "But then… Marcus got more demanding. He wanted me to train for longer hours and at higher intensities, even when my bones were close to breaking and I was bruised all over. Enduring it and forcing myself to take breaks did make me physically stronger, but… Marcus didn't seem to be my brother anymore, just a drill sergeant." Sarah's mouth hung open, and the color drained from her face. "My goodness… I… I didn't know," Sarah murmured, her voice soft and filled with hesitation. "No one did," Henry stated.

Sarah, after taking a breath, asked, "Then, what happened?" Henry continued, "When I told Marcus about my concerns, he brushed me off. He didn't call me weak, but he disregarded my autonomy and treated me like a weakling who needed to bulk up. He would stop me from hanging out with Nick and Clarissa all too often, so we had to meet in secret. By the way, Clarissa didn't die; she became a werewolf." Sarah gasped, not believing what she heard. "Clarissa, a werewolf?! How?" Sarah asked. Henry answered, "Because Marcus and Duncan left her alone in the forest, bruised and battered, after calling her weak. I know that because she told me herself and is currently pursuing me as a mate." Sarah gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with emotion. "Your father would never allow that!" Sarah stated scathingly, "And… You're out there facing a werewolf that's out to get you! You sound insane, you know that?" Henry continued, "That isn't all, Sarah." Sarah huffed again. "What else could there possibly be?" Sarah exclaimed, near her wits' end. Henry explained, "After I thought Clarissa died, I tried to mourn her, but Marcus wouldn't let me. He forced me to train and push myself, but all it did was make me worse. I started to lose control of my hunter energy because I never had the chance to process my emotions anymore, and it showed. I was exhausted all of the time, I blew up at everyone around me, and no matter how long I slept, it was never enough. Eventually, I learned to suppress those feelings and moved on, but even I could tell by seeing people around me that I was getting colder, less human." Sarah crossed her arms, turning her face away while waiting for Henry to continue as he teared up, unable to face him as he did so. "I then learned that Marcus became obsessed with that silly story my mother told us as a bedtime story when we were children, and that he was convinced that I was the Master of the Hunters in that tale, merely slumbering in a lesser form. I was distraught when I learned that," Henry concluded, wiping his tears away. Sarah looked back at Henry, her heart sagging at his downtrodden features. "So then… All of what he did behind closed doors…" Sarah began. "It nearly destroyed me, Sarah," Henry finished, "So when Mother died, I knew I needed time to grieve so that I wouldn't be a burden to everyone. Yet, I also knew Marcus would never allow my emotions to be vulnerable. That's why I left. I do not want to be the cause of someone dying because they can't rely on me in a fight or because my hunter energy explodes during a sparring match." Sarah nodded, Henry's logic finally making sense to her. "How can you be so sure this isn't you being delusional?" Sarah asked. Henry was taken aback by this, understanding how deeply Marcus dug his claws into everyone. After some thought, Henry inquired, "Sarah. Can you tell me that nothing got more cutthroat and brutish after Marcus took over? That nothing was altered to be more centered around the people at the top and away from everyone else?" Sarah hesitated, her brow furrowing as she tried to rationalize what had happened, only to look back at Henry with a newfound clarity in her eyes. "Fine, I won't say anything," Sarah asked, "Do you have any idea what made Marcus act like this?" Henry sighed. "All I know is that this started after Father passed away," Henry replied. Sarah nodded before telling Henry, "Come in." Henry purchased his materials, but before he could grab them, Sarah stopped his hand. "I'll package them for you," Sarah stated, "You'll have to wait outside. It's the only way to make sure you aren't spotted." Henry nodded before going outside to wait.

After waiting around ten minutes, Henry heard a rustle and looked around before he was grabbed from behind, the smell of burning nightshade filling Henry's nostrils as a cold, almost baked thing nuzzled his neck while feeling a distinct heartbeat pressed against his back. After a moment, a familiar voice uttered, "Ah~ My lovely dear…" Henry immediately recognized that it was Vanessa. "You… You are a day walker!" Henry exclaimed, his muscles going weak in Vanessa's arms. "Indeed, my dear," Vanessa cooed, "I was working on a plan to get you all to myself, but since you arrived here, I figured I would grab you in a weakened state." Henry chuckled. "I must admit, this makes sense, given you threw around concentrated moonlight that matched the sun's power close enough to blast through fully grown trees and compacted dirt when we fought before. However, as I last checked, day walkers may survive in sunlight, but they cannot use their powers as effectively in it, and they cannot extend their fangs to draw blood either. Also, you still suffer pain from being in the sun, so from my perspective, you are the weak one here!" Henry exclaimed. Vanessa laughed, holding Henry tightly as her heart raced. "Did you forget that I am your mate? Your vampiric essence won't resist my touch, no matter how much you struggle. Besides, I know you can't use your hunter energy here or else those worthless hunters will know you are here~" Vanessa purred, nuzzling Henry's neck affectionately. Vanessa continued, "You will be mine, Henry. We will find peace in our upcoming paradise. I know that you will resist; you made that clear. So, if you will resist, it is imperative that I put you in your place!" Vanessa attempted to punch Henry in the back of the head, only for Henry to dodge thanks to him moving along Vanessa's body in a manner that wouldn't hurt her, thus, allowing him to keep resisting her without hunter energy as he grabbed her punching arm and used aikido to throw her off, causing his muscles to return to normal.

Vanessa hissed as she landed, the sun revealing her dry skin and weakened frame. One thing was clear for Henry, though: if Sarah saw this, her concern for him would make her panic, so to secure his supplies, Henry would have to defeat Vanessa. Vanessa vaulted at Henry, trying to grapple him, only for Henry to roll under her. Vanessa then began to unleash a rush of punches at Henry; however, due to Henry's training as a hunter and the sun having weakened Vanessa's base abilities, Henry was able to match Vanessa's onslaught with a mix of blocking and dodging without using his hunter energy, letting Vanessa tire herself out. Seeing the opportunity, Henry gave Vanessa a nasty uppercut after she began to pant and pummeled her into the ground until she was unconscious. Seeing Vanessa there, Henry paused, weighing his options. 'Hm… If I end Vanessa here, I won't have to deal with her anymore, and she wouldn't be able to hurt any innocent people in the crossfire. However, she might be able to slow down Marcus and his forces with her antics, buying me more time to grieve and find a solution to the situation with Clarissa before she does something reckless.' Henry contemplated, 'What is more beneficial for the people I need to protect? Short-term relief, or long-term reliability?' After some deliberation, Henry decided to spare Vanessa for now and prioritize his internal issues. But not before kicking Vanessa into the alleyway and using iron skewers to pin Vanessa's hands into the brick wall with hunter energy out of sight from other hunters and in direct line with the sunlight to ensure she wouldn't escape and pursue him immediately when she woke up. After Henry received his materials from Sarah, he thanked her, promised he would keep himself safe, and navigated back to the forest, now supplied for the next three weeks, so that he could grieve.