Eternal Reality: Part Two, Wolf in Hunter's Clothing

Taken from her home. Stephanie tries to make the best of a harsh situation, and under the tuition of those who saved her, she learns the way of the Witch Hunter.

Chapter 1

     Growing up in the community of Red River, Lilith grew up with a family of strong women all with her name. The name Lilith had been passed down her family line, with every first born girl being given the name. However, she was the first born in around seven generations without the magical power that made the Lilith women revered and respected. It was a great disappointment to the others in the family, as so much hope was put on her even before her birth. However, her mother continued to show that she loved her all the same. That was until she was cast into the Witch Hunters. Then she found herself having to act as if her little girl no longer existed, but once in a while, when nobody was watching, she would flash her a warm smile and a subtle wave. This was the only way that Lilith knew her mother still cared.

     Only just inside the Red River towns outskirts there stands, only one empty house. Purposely kept standing, it's wood could have been used to build three or four more houses, but it was kept standing for the Witch Hunters. Not used as a barrack or a store house, it was what the trainers and hunters, ironically called the Kill House. The reason it was ironic, was because the house was filled with the souls of the dead. Ghosts, spirits, phantoms, phantasms, and any other paranormal entity called that mansion sized house, home. It was the only place that they could train the amateur hunters in ghosts and the type, and it was where Samael and the young Lilith found their friendship.

     With a foot pushing her shoulder, Lilith stirred awake and saw Samael standing over her. He looked as if he had just washed, but Lilith had no idea where he had gotten the water. With a nod to each other, Lilith then moved her fingers trying to check on Wolf. However, there was no feeling of her, and quickly she looked down to see her head was missing from her thigh. When she looked around, Samael could see the growing distress on his partner's face and with a gentle tap from his foot to get her attention, Samael told her that she was having a wash in a stream down the cliff side.

     Pointing along the edge of the cliff to a small gathering of bushes and trees, he then told her that he had made sure she was within earshot. As Lilith looked at the growth of greenery she realised that it was beyond their search radius, and the fresh wood from it was the reason she never thought of looking over that way for fire wood the previous night.

     Moving threw the water's edge, Wolf found it refreshing and exhilarating that she was only a few metres away from a waterfall that led far and deep down into the sea. When she had woken up, Samael was already awake, and preparing himself some meat and bread for breakfast. Having some herself had helped her wake up a little, then washing in this stream gave her a cold brisk wake up that she needed. Samael had given her some sort of soap, and told her to wash her new clothes while she also washed her body.

     Sometimes his vision lingered a little creepily when he looked at her. Nevertheless, there was always kindness, care, and advice in his words and actions. Therefore, Wolf thought nothing of it, and took all he could give while ignoring the looks and stares.

     "Are you alright,"Lilith called out as she moved amongst the bushes and trees trying to reach the stream of water and Wolf.

     Hearing the familiar voice of Lilith, she stepped up from the water and looked towards where the voice originated. She then caught a glimpse of the black large brimmed hat and high coat collar of Lilith walking around. Waving her hand, Wolf called out to her and waited to see if she was heard. Hearing her call the female Witch Hunter swiftly and silently moved to the stream keeping out of sight until she was right next to Wolf. It was as she looked around, wondering where Lilith was that she jumped out and gave her a scare. Angrily Wolf half heatedly yelled and lunged at Lilith, who apologised for her actions, and asked for mercy. It was only after a while that the two had made up, and Lilith went about teaching her how to properly wash her new clothes. Then after she cleaned each piece, Wolf handed the pieces to Lilith who used a small flick knife to pull out the stitching of the Witch Hunter coat and trousers. Trying to make it look less and less like a hunter's gear, the pieces removed still made the Witch Hunter markings on the clothing.

     However, when the long coat was turned inside out it became a whole new coat. The thick rough lining looked like the coat had been reinforced on sections of the coat, and she handed it back to Wolf. Wearing the rung out clothing, it was clear that all the pieces were way too big for her small frame, compared to the seven food undead hunter they took them from. It was time for Lilith to use her womanly abilities to resize the clothing, but without any sewing thread it was going to be a job half done.

     With the trousers cut so they fitted, the shirt and vest were then cut so that they were not so baggy, and then Lilith then took the gloves and cut the fingers down. Then lastly, she looked at the coat and saw the tails of the coat were still long, so she cut and folded them. Lilith then removed her coat and began to take off her body armour, a piece layered plate armour that wouldn't have looked out of place on a medieval battlefield. The clam shell style armour was then split into its front and back components, and as Lilith fit the rear half into Wolf's clothing, she made sure that it would stay in place with the strapping that was meant to be used to keep the clam shells fastened together. When Wolf asked her about her own piece of front armour, Lilith just smiled and told her that everything will be just fine. Feeling the hard collar of the rear armour behind her neck, Wolf reached up and touched it, there was a fur padding on it that was soft to the touch but the metal underneath was hard, firm, and unyielding.

     Fixing her front armour to her body by using strips of the material she cut off Wolf's clothing, Lilith then realised that the young woman didn't have any footwear. Therefore she traded hers with the ones taken from the dead Witch Hunter, this meant that although Wolf would have a pair of boots that fit her, Lilith would have to use the remaining cloth stuffed into the toes of the oversized boots.

     Emerging from the area, Lilith and Wolf had seen that Samael had bee busy covering over the fact that they had built a fire, set up a protective semicircle, slept on the ground and any other trace of them that they had left behind. They were now ready to move along, and while Wolf knew she had to follow Lilith and Samael, she had no idea where they would lead her. Nevertheless, walking along the dirt track, away from the coast, and the cliff top, Wolf tried to find all the similarities between her world and this one. She tried to ask the others about this world but for some reason all they would answer was, "you have got to find that out for yourself."

     Walking away from the cliffs, it became more and more clear that Lilith and Samael had no idea where they were and when Wolf asked her, all Lilith could tell her in explanation was that the portal had a strange effect. Where you entered into Wolf's world or one like it, was not where the portal would return you to. Not only was there a difference in place but also time. One minute spent in Wolf's world could be as much as a hour in this world. She explained that they had just chased the Wild Folk amongst the trees of a forest when they ran into the natural anomaly, it was then the wild men found their way into Wolf's bedroom and although Lilith and Samael were right behind them the time difference caused their late arrival.

     Wolf asked the pair of Witch Hunter's had been chasing the wild men, and the only reply she got was that the Wild Folk had been using a powerful and illegal magic. To the Witches and their Hunters it was called the darkest of all arts and although its use was documented it had no real name. However, it was known amongst the common people as Natural Magic, this was only because anyone could use the powers. This was something that the Witches and their families could not stand, Lilith then quoted her mother, "Power in the hands of the People is no longer Power, it is a chaotic animalistic nature." Then Wolf asked about elections and democracy, all the things she knew of that were true and right from her world. After Lilith and her partner gave each other a look, Samael gave her a cold answer,

     "Such a thing only exists in the "free" city states, and they are constantly at war. So the Empire and Imperial lands ignore the practice of leadership threw vote."

     It was then that Lilith realised that they could have been transported to one of the city states, and looking around for a sign of where they were, she unthinkingly said,

     "I hope we are far from one of the city states; God I knew going to that other world could have doomed us."

     When she heard this, Wolf was slightly angry at Lilith, but she also knew that it was not their fault that the Wild Folk, as she now knew what to call them, had come to her world. It was also not Lilith's fault that the Wild Folk had did what they had done to her family. In fact it was just Lilith being scared of whatever lay in the city states, and hopefully wishing they were far from the city states. It was when she loked at Lilith's face with the words that Wolf pondered over what caused the normaly stoic hunter to talk so openly fearful of the place.

     Walking for half the day, the trio came across the first settlement they had seen. With tall brick walls, which looked like a military fortification rather than protection against nature, the pair of hunters evaluated the situation. They talked of how it seemed like a Empire structure, but the material used in building the great grand wall were ones from far away. White and black stones from lands not around here where the normal rocks were variations of a brown colour. Walking around the outside of the wall they could see they surrounded a city, not a village or town, the wall reached far and wide. The Witch Hunters then knew where they had come to, Maiheim, known as the city of god's grace. This was the capital city of the Empire and a long way from their home on the other side of the great continent.

     It took half an hour to walk around the wall, to find the entrance, in the form of two large wooden doors fitted with reinforced metal bars over them. Unsure of what to do next Samael knocked and then waited, and when there was no reply he knocked again, this time harder as he called out for them to open the doors. It took a while but eventually, the mechanism behind the doors cranked away and the doors slowly opened. Behind the walls and doors stood a large city, built with brown bricks, black tile rooftops, steel fencing, and glass windows. When she looked at the buildings, Wolf recognised the colonial north American architecture, and the late Victorian looking clothing the people were wearing. Taking history all the way through her school life, she thought it was easier than taking advanced science. However, it was hard, but she stuck with it, and in the end graduated with a B average.

     However, the technology that came with the Victorian era, was missing from the picture. There were no ancient motor vehicles, and no sign of the advancement that came along. It seemed that there was some connection between the two worlds, a connection that Lilith and Samael were trying to keep, or at least trying to get Wolf to find out on her own.

     Walking into the walled city, the pair of Witch Hunters received stares that were filled with wonder and fear. The people gave the trio of wanderers a wide birth as they walked the streets, and in return the two hunter's, gave them no response but kept their heads raised high and kept walking forward. Behind the pair, Wolf looked around at the city her eyes searching for more and more similarities between the two words, finding more than she thought possible. Mothers pushing babies in steel and cloth prams, children playing games, using the layout of the stone work to play some version of hopscotch. It may not have been the same time or technology of her world, but the people all had that same human look and feel.

     Comming across a row of shops, Samael looked at Lilith as he told them to do some shopping while he went to see if there was any local work. It was with that news that Wolf knew that their life was not an easy one, and that no matter where they were Witch Hunters would protect the people.

     Shopping with Lilith began like normal, picking up a kitbag for each of them to fill up, and some extra clothes, mostly underwear, and then it became strange. Walking to a blacksmiths, the two women were surrounded by large strapping men sweaty and dirty from their hard work. While Lilith ignored the large muscular men, Wolf had never seen this manner of masculinity on show, and didn't want to, but stated at them. This forced Lilith to drag the young woman through the hot steamy workshop until she reached the selection of weapons at the rear. Not particularly illegal, Lilith explained that weapons in this land were for the selected few who had a good reason to wield them, this came in the form of licences, and other documents that gave the owner the right to buy weapons. This meant that Lilith would have to buy Wolf her weapon and take responsibility for any crime committed with it. This also meant that the female Witch Hunter would have to use her hunting licence to buy Wolf's weapons.

     Looking at the selection of weaponry, Lilith pointed to them, and asked the youngster which one she wanted. However, as Wolf looked at the collection of weapons, she didn't know what to say. Weapons were not on her mind, she had no intention of using one ever in her future, not after what she was forced to do to the Wild Folk who invaded her bedroom. Therefore, with that in her mind, Wolf shook her head and said,

     "I'm not going to... to kill again."

     Looking at the girl by her side, Lilith could see the sorrow in the ice blue eyes as they looked towards the weapons. She then nodded, and with a sigh she refused to push the weapons onto Wolf and instead she said,

     "Fine, you can have a tool instead. If push comes to shove, you can use the tool as a weapon."

     "What kind of tool can do that," Wolf asked looking at the swords, maces, and spears.

     Walking up to them, the blacksmith James looked at the pair and forced his way into their conversation,

     "An Axe, hatchet sized can be used as a tool and a weapon, chop wood and with some skill cut down people. Or a dagger, made of steel, single edged, can skin animals and can be quite dangerous in the right hands."

     Looking at the bearded man, who only wore leather gloves and a leather apron on his upper body. Then on his lower half he wore a pair of leather chaps over some smart suit trousers, with a pair of steel toe boots on his feet. Lilith looked at him, she was sure that the blacksmith knew what he was talking about, but still she put on her hard stern look, and with her arms crossed she stared him in the eyes and asked,

     "What would you recommend for her?"

     Looking at the strangely dressed young lady behind the mean looking Witch Hunter, James sighed and gave her a good look. Her stance was poor, her hands seemed fidgety, and her whole demeanour was lacking something. But then she looked his way, and the look in her eyes gave him a cold shudder up his spine, then looking back at Lilith he replied with a cheeky,

     "Other than a new set of clothes? I think she could use some training first."

     "Give me a short sword and a hatchet," Lilith reploed as she then added, "make sure they are the best you have."

     Pulling out her purse, Lilith poured out the coins from inside into her hand and then shoved them into James' hands. As he walked away, Lilith looked to Wolf and she knew that the blacksmith was right. Wolf was lucky against the Wild Folk who had found their way into her bedroom, skilles but still lucky, she needed some proper training and Lilith was the one to do it. Wolf would receive the training of a Witch Hunter, and perhaps she would survive with Samael and her, in their journey. It was the only thing that Lilith could think of, and although it was going to be hard for the young woman, Lilith knew it was better than teaching her nothing and having her dying on the sword of some foolish bandit.

     Returning with the weapons and paperwork, Lilith had to show him her licence and sign the contract. It was when Lilith signed the paperwork, that James handed over a short sword and a hatchet. Looking at them, they were not what Lilith or Wolf were expecting. Looking them over, their design was strange to Lilith, but to Wolf they resembled something from her world. The short sword looked like a "Ninja" sword from her father's old samurai flicks he used to watch with her, and the hatchet seemed to resemble a climbing axe on one side and a wood cutting axe on the other. Looking at them, and holding them in her hands Wolf had only one thing to say,

     "I'll take them."

     With a smile of wonder forming, Lilith looked at the forever confusing young woman. Then James handed over a set of leather training armour and shoved it into Lilith's arms as he walked away and told them they could have the set for free and to make sure that the little one trains hard before coming back.

     Looking at the expensive leathers, Lilith knew that Wolf's strange wonder had rubbed off on him too, and that something about her made people this way. This included herself who felt more and more like a surrogate mother for the young woman. This was a strange thing to feel for someone not of her Clan.

     Chapter 2

     Meeting up with Samael after doing some more shopping, Lilith had bought Wolf some more clothes. Now among with the leather training armour, and the Witch Hunter coat, this time, the right side out, Wolf wore a cheap but smart looking man's suit. She refused to wear the high nexk wide bottom skirts that they sold for women, and instead chose the grey pinstripe suit.

     They had found themselves some work, and while most of the local work could be handled by the local clerics, there was one job that needed someone like them. It seemed that a lot of people were killed in a ritualistic manner and the police were at a loss. Unable to find the killer, there had been a killing every night for almost the past week, and they had just sent out a letter to the local Witch Clan asking for hunters. Luckily though, they had arrived at the city before another death, and Samael knew that he and Lilith could solve their problem.

     Therefore, the trio walked away from the shops and into the living district, where the people of the city lived according to their wealth. The rich lived in whole apartment buildings built for multiple families, the lesser wealthy lived in the apartment buildings with other families, and the poorest lived in makeshift shanty towns between the buildings.

     Leading them deep into the city, Samael gave out the information he had gotten from the local police. In fact they were more like a city guard, there was no detective unit using forensics, or any other type of investigative branch willing to seek out the criminals. That was left to the bounty hunters and rich eccentrics to do. But for the fact that the crimes seemed ritualistic in their origin, meant that nobody would step forward and aid the people, no matter what price they put on the criminals head.

     Walking to the place of the crimes, they all took place around one area of the city, Robin Cross. When Wolf heard this news, she chuckled a odd chuckle to herself, and when Lilith asked her what it was about, the young woman told them about Jack the Ripper, and his terror on Whitechapel. The pair took the news seriously, and asked the history buff about the murders. However, she didn't know them that well and just told them what she could about the murdered and mutilated women. The Witch Hunters listened with interest, and sometimes interpreted and argued over the possible motives for mutilation. With most of their guessing coming to a magical or mystical conclusion, Wolf had to keep on reminding them that in her world such a thing did not exist.

     Comming to a abandoned shanty town, the group stopped as Samael pointed to the alleyway and told the others about the first murder. A young boy, no older than ten was found dead by his mother when she had come back from begging. He was bled out, drained of all blood, although there was no large collection of blood around him, only small droplets next to his body. The same night the boy's body was found, everybody abandoned the camp and moved on to a different shanty town. The police talked to everyone, but nobody saw anything, mostly because the boy stayed in his shack, making sure nobody broke in. Then his mother came home to find him dead and ran to the police for aid, that was six nights ago.

     When Wolf asked where she would be begging at night the pair of hunters seemed uncomfortable before Samael then looked at the young woman and told her straight,

     "The inn's, public houses, and brothels. Anywhere people gather at night. Sometimes the drunk and lustfilled, will gladly give out to beggars when during daylight they would not."

     Wolf understood now, and as she looked at the shanty town between the large brown brick buildings, she wondered who lived in them. When asked the pair shrugged their shoulders and Lilith explained that they were not of their concern, and that the victims were all that mattered. And although Wolf understood Lilith's reasons, she still thought that if they knew the people around the crime scene would help know the crime better. Therefore, she told her idea to Samael and Lilith, and was told that she should stop thinking like it was her world and start thinking like them. In a world where everything is possible, what could have committed this crime.

     Moving to the next crime scene, Wolf began to wonder about all the dark and fantasy stories of her world, and then when she asked the pair if a vampire could have done it. They told her about vampires, how they were generally gentlemen during calm times and beasts the next, but one thing was true about vampires, they like most beasts were messy eaters.

     When she realised that those nightmarish creatures were real and true, Wolf wanted to know more about this new world. However, she was told the same thing again by the two Witch Hunters, "you're going to have to find out on your own." This made the young woman ask her companions about all the dark things from her world that were thought to be part of mythology and legendary. However, she got the same reply to her questions, and this made her believe that they were all possibly out there.

     Arriving at the next crime scene, this time it was in a apartment building, around the corner from the last, Samael explained that all the other murders took place in this one building over five nights. All children under the age of puberty, all drained of blood, and all inside seemingly locked rooms. To Wolf this seemed like something her mother would watch, but it was right in front of her inside the brown brick building.

     Walking inside, Samael led the way, reading from the notes he had taken while talking to the policeman who had given him the job. Behind him Lilith began to understand the crime scene more as Samael read off who was killed where, and when the body was found. At the rear, following them slowly, Wolf realised that there were people still living in the apartments, trying to cope with the loss of their loved ones. Nevertheless, the Witch Hunters had to do their job and went around the apartment building, trying to make sense of the killing. Then they reached the last crime, a little girl who was found dead in her crib, and like the others she was drained of all blood. However, this time the crib was covered in her blood, unlike all the other times, something had changed with the murder or the murderer.

     Walking into the empty apartment, Wolf asked where the family were, and was told by Lilith that they were burying their young one. Making their way to the parents bedroom, where the crib sat in a corner, Samael walked over to the window on the far side of the room. When Lilith walked in she stood at the foot of the twin bed and looked at the crib as Wolf walked in and gasped a little when she saw the bloody crib in the corner. She then noticed a small feather below it, and pointing to the small thing, Wolf asked the professionals what it meant. She wondered if it resembled some strange religious belief, and had asked them. However, when the pair looked at the small black feather, only Samael walked to the crib, and bending over, he plucked it from the ground. Lilith then watched in silence, as he held it to the light coming from the window, and Wolf stared at Samael as he rotated it in his thumb and index finger.

     "It's a Strix, how did I not see that before," Samael asked himself as he held his hand over his eyes in shame.

     Looking to the Witch Hunters who looked angrily at each other, Wolf asked them what the problem was. And when they did not reply, she walked forward and asked them again,

     "What's a Strix?"

     Lilith looked over to her new ward, and explained what a Strix was in the stern manner that Wolf was accustomed to,

     "A hell beast. part bird, part vampire, but all witch."

     Storming around the room, Samael was clearly angry, and when he opened his mouth it revealed how clearly angry was,

     "This should not have happened, this is a great..."

     Samael then let out a angry roar as he walked out of the bedroom and then out of the apartment. Wolf had not seen the usually laid back and calm hunter like this, but Lilith had, every time there was a lack of action from the local law enforcement. They should have sent for a Witch Hunter after the first strange murder, but now they knew it was a Strix, it was clearly a Witch Hunter issue.

     As the sun began to set, people disappeared from the streets, making their way home or to work. Following the angry Witch Hunter as he moved swiftly through the streets, Lilith and Wolf had no idea where he was leading them. He then stopped in front of the closest police station and waited for the others to catch up. It was when they were next to him that Samael looked at Lilith and with his angrer hidden behind a calm facade, he said,

     "Don't stop me, Lil... Please - do not stop me."

     Wolf had never heard Samael call his partner by her nickname, and found it cute. Looking into her friend's eyes, Lilith nodded as she patted him on the back and told him,

     "Do what you have to. Do what you think is best."

     With a exchange of nods, Samael then let that anger out as he stormed into the police station, kicking the door open as he went. With wide strides, he walked up to the front desk and looked at the officer behind it, after asking his way to the officers duty room, he followed the instructions. Once he entered the room with desks and officers behind them, Samael leapt upon the closest desk. Then with hand held high, and the Strix feather in it, Samael told the police nothing but the truth,

     "I am a Witch Hunter, and this is a feather from a Strix. It may seem like a normal crow or raven feather, but the gold like dust that covers its fibers proves otherwise."

     Looking at him in wonder and for guidance, one of the younger officers, Simon, looked at the formidable figure on the desk and asked,

     "What can we do?"

     "Tell me where a beautiful, yet lonely girl lives in this district," Samael said as he then looked at the young man and added, "where is that one girl who turns down every man that tries to be with her. And yet some nights she is seen with boys and girls too young for her?"

     All the officers knew who they were looking for, and as they looked to each other in disbelief, Simon then looked at Samael,

     "You want to find Anna, she helps the homeless orphans. Takes care of them and finds them homes out in the country. I think she's helped the area so much I haven't seen a homeless orphan in weeks."

     Samael shook his head, she had killed them all and was now starving enough that she broke into homes to get her feed. He then realised that she had fixated on the apartment building not because it was full of children, but because it was close to where she lived. Then after asking where Anna took the homeless children, they pointed him to the building next to where the first victim was found, between the crime scenes.

     Walking out from the police station, Lilith and Wolf had stayed outside waiting for him to return. Then when he walked behind Samael as he told them where the Strix was hiding. He also revealed everything he found out about Anna, but there was something that the police kept to themselves. That bothered Samael, and he made sure that Lilith knew the way he felt and that perhaps Wolf was not ready for what was about to come. Not sure if Samael was being overly cautious, or if he had one of his feelings, which are a byproduct of being a witches offspring. No having active magical powers did not mean no magical powers. Nevertheless, they did have passive magical abilities, such as feelings and enhanced abilities.

     Standing outside the house where the police had directed them, Samael began to get agitated and looking to Lilith, he asked as if she felt what he felt. Feeling fine, Lilith shook her head and then he looked at Wolf and asked her, and all she could do was tell him that she felt fine as well. It was then that Samael looked at the house and looking to the name plate on the front of the large house, he realised that there was only one name written on the plate. This was not a apartment building like the others around it, and as he walked up the steps to the front door, he reached out for the knocker. Shaped like a bull's head with the knocker being its nose ring, the brass ring moved towards his hand and that made him wonder. He then grabbed it and smacked it onto the wood of the door, creating a thud that vibrated. Walking up behind him, Lilith had seen the ring rise to meet his hand and asked if they should have their grimoiurs at the ready. With a shake of his head, Samael raised up and slammed down the knockers ring, this time with enough force that it did not vibrate. The sound of the dead knock made Wolf jump as she waited at the bottom of the stairs looking at the people on the streets. Then the sound of locks coming from the Strix's door, made her look up the steps towards it; as the Witch Hunters reached for their grimoiurs, like the police from her world reaching for their service pistols. Wolf found this interesting and continued to watch as the door opened up and revealed the dangerous monster they were hunting.

     Standing just the other side of the doorway, with the ajar door in her hand was a beautiful young lady, not a little more older than Wolf. With long blond hair in ringlets, and a smile that would brighten anybodies day, she answered the door,

     "I've been waiting for you, Sam."

     Confused at the fact that the Strix and Samael knew each other, Lilith looked to her partner as she asked him if he had any idea who she was. It was then that the male hunter shook his head slowly, as his dark eyes were fixed upon the big blue eyes on the Strix's face. Like a lightning bolt, Lilith swiftly pulled out her grimouir, wrapping its silver chain around her fist, she punched the Strix. Stumbling backwards into her house, Lilith followed after the Strix who held her hurting jaw, and Samael followed after Lilith.

     Standing outside, Wolf didn't know what to do. Yes she wanted to see what the pair of Witch Hunters were doing inside the house, but she wasn't sure if she could handle it. Looking down the road, trying to ignore the feeling of atraction she got from the open doorway. Wolf then heard a sound of clatter coming from the inside of the Strix's heart, and then glancing up the stairs she noticed that the door was still open. Wondering what was going on inside the tall house, the sound of a struggle got fiercer, and as Wolf got closer she could hear some words being spoken as well.

     After Lilith had given the punch in the jaw, and had followed her into her home, she grabbed the young woman by her thin neck and tossed her deeper into the building. Following them, Samael wondered what the Strix was talking about, and then he remembered a dream he had when he was a boy. He dreamt about his future, about living with a wife and kids, and when he remembered his wife, he realised that the Strix was her. There before her was his wife from a dream, a dream he had over twenty years ago, a long way away from this place. It was then that Samael felt a pull over him, a power that just wanted him to protect Anna the Strix. He wasn't sure if this was some magic that could effect Witch Hunters, or some other natural power that made him protect a possible loved one.

     Walking between Lilith and Anna, Samael faced his partner, who was searching for the right way to deal with the Strix. Looking among the pages of her family grimouir, she looked up at her partner and asked him what he was doing, before going back to looking at her book. It was after a short break that Samael that stood tall and gazing down on her he said,

     "I can't let you do that Lilith."

     Looking back up from her book, Lilith was confused with the situation, and as her eyes met Samael's she asked him, in shock,

     "What are you doing?"

     "Something that I want. And not something that is needed," he replied in a strong voice, as he flipped the grimouir from Lilith's hand.

     The two then began to fight, and for the times Lilith had the upper hand, she made sure that Anna stayed put, with her voice or her fists. It was during this conflict that Wolf ventured inside the building, and made her way around the home trying to avoid the fight. While the loud noise was distracting, between the thumps, screaming, and yelling, Wolf made her way around the house. From room to room, she ventured around making sure that each one was safe for her to enter.

     Moving from living room, to dining room, and then kitchen, the fighting was mostly contained in the hallway and the study. But Wolf kept away from them,and then followed her instincts that led her up the stairs to the second of three floors. It was when her feet stood on the second floor that she couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong. The air felt thick and as she tried, Wolf found it hard to breathe, as she began to walk around. Most of the fighting sounds had subdued from downstairs, and as she moved silently around, she was sure that there was something else in the tall house.

     With a little bit more lightness in her step, Wolf walked into the first room and found that it was another study. But unlike the one downstairs, this one had a library full of books all over it's walls, and a set of desks in the middle. Walking around the set of desks, she looked at the books trying to find if any had something in common. She could see that a few books had one thing in common; there was a strange language on them, and while it looked vaguely familiar, she wasn't sure why.

     Sitting either side of the living room, Lilith and Samael stared at each other. After all the fighting, they were not willing to kill each other. Beaten down and exhausted, they waited for something, anything that could make them do something other than fight. Then from upstairs came the sound of Wolf calling out for them, and instinctively they were up on their feet, and moving to the stairs. As Lilith tried to drag the Strix with her, Anna's arm was pulled from Lilith's grasp by Samael, who would have started to fight her again, but instead Wolf's voice made them ignore their fight and move up the stairs. Where they found her beckoning them into the book filled study, and showed them the books with the peculiar language on them. It was then that Lilith broke the news to Wolf, it was not some great puzzle piece, it was just one of the old languages, forgotten by almost all but the most dedicated of scholars. But that in itself brought up the question, what were books like this doing in the home of a Strix.

     When asked by both Lilith and Samael, Anna did not reply, instead she continued to worm and work her way into Samael's mind. Telling him about his dream, things that only he should know, things about their imaginary children and home. And Samael couldn't help himself but get taken away with the fantasy. Taken away so much that he could not be gotten to, as he and Anna stared into each other's eyes.

     Trying to get him to snap out of it, Lilith didn't want to become physical because it might start another fight. Therefore, she tried to make him break the spell by yelling at him, but it was no use, their lovers gaze was fixed and still Lilith had to find a way to break the Strix's spell and kill her. However, it was not helping, and eventually Lilith gave up, and left the room in a huff as she began to search the rest of the house.

     Chapter 3

     Venturing forth from the study, Lilith didn't bother searching the bedrooms, she looked in the rooms and once she saw what they were, she moved on. And that eventually led her to the stairs that led up to the third and final floor.

     Walking up the stairs, she tried her hardest to make as little noise as possible, but her new boot's were heavier than her normal pair, and she made more noise than she wanted. Nevertheless, she moved up to the last floor which was a large open area, and found what she had known all along was there.

     Sitting at the back of the room, beneath a window, a nest built like any other on a shrine with idols around it. Then either side of the room running the length of it were skulls, the skulls of all the children she was supposed to have been saving. She had done her best to make each child last, not just consuming their blood, but also eating their body. But when she ran out of homeless orphans, she turned to the homeless, and tried to eat them. However, the boy, the first victim, she must have almost gotten caught, and began her killing spree on the apartment building. Sneaking in under the guise of her bird form, she used her witch like powers to keep the family asleep and her victims calm. Then she drained the children of blood, using some needle, tube, and container combination, she had carried with her, while a bird. While most Strix change into owls, she preferred the shape of a crow or raven, this was not only strange, it was unique and that scared Lilith. Monsters were creatures of instinct, habit, and very rarely changed unless forced to by a outside influence. This made her wonder what would cause a creature who would live moving from village to village, live in a city and change so drastically. Perhaps that was why the Strix wasn't talking, Lilith thought to herself, nobody had been asking the right questions.

     Walking back down to the study, where Wolf looked through the books, and Samael was still entranced by the Strix. Lilith wandered into the room, and knew that she had to try and be civil with the beast that had turned his best friend. Therefore, she looked down at Samael and Anna, who had found a corner to sit and be romantic in, and with her arms crossed, she asked the Strix,

     "Who's the cause of this? What have you been running away from?"

     "Not running, no never running. Relocation," Anna replied as she looked up to Lilith with a cheeky smile.

     "Who's the cause," Lilith asked, repeating her first question, as she stared down at Anna, who looked back up at her, silent as a church mouse.

     The staring contest, could have lasted forever, but then out of the blue Wolf stopped her studies and called out that she had found the possible cause of the Strix's activities. In the books she had been looking for a common thing among them and had come across something called the Equalising Reformation. It was referenced in books about ancient history and prophecies, in texts dealing with the natural and supernatural world, and it even featured within the pages of books written on myths and legends. It may have gone by other names, but the two words pushed together meant the same thing, a change was coming. When she told this to Lilith, Lilith had heard of this before but there was no reason to believe it was nothing more than a name for some kind of occurrence, nothing of significant importance. But Wolf was sure that the information she had gathered from the books, was more than just another legend of lands forgotten, and people lost in time.

     Looking at the collection of books open to the relevant pages, lay over the desks and floor, Lilith then turned her gaze to the Strix and asked it, if it was true that something had come back from the darkest reaches of history, and made her run to the sanctified safety of the city. The only answer from Anna's mouth was a weak angry confession,

     "You should know huntress. My kind does what it can to live. We hunt where we can, we kill the old and young, and we flee from danger."

     Shaking her head, Lilith was getting frustrated by the way the Strix was acting around her, and the way Samael and she fawned over each other. The only thing that Lilith could think of doing was breaking the spell, by killing the Strix, but that would mean no more answers from it.

     Under her left arm hung a dagger that was short, curved, and sharp. The Witch Hunter's called it the hags tongue, and while most hunters carried one on their hip or boot, she carried hers close to her heart. Reaching under her long coat, her hand found the handle, which was just a finger loop, and after she put her index finger in the loop, she pulled it from its holding. With ease Lilith gripped the loop with her thumb, and let it rest in her hand, curving towards her knuckles. Serrated like a saw, the blade was no longer than a finger as it stuck out from her fist, and as black as night. Just another reason for the Witch Hunters called the blade, the hags tongue.

     With enhanced swiftness and strength, Lilith produced the blade, drove it into the top of Anna's skull, and then tore it over and out of the bone, all before Samael could react. But when he did, it was not with joy that the spell had been broken, or anger at Lilith for the killing, it was sorrow over his loves lost life. He fell onto the Strix's dead body calling out her name, looking for some sign of life as he then began to weep with his head buried in her bosom. The grief was somewhat fast and peculiar, and seeing this Lilith wondered if this was the breaking of the spell. Cleaning the black blade, Lilith put it away and took out her grimoir and began to research the Strix and her power. She already knew where the page was, and found it quickly.

     With Samael still crying over Anna's deadbody, and Wolf still looking over the books in the study, Lilith found what she was looking for. Whereas some bits were written by her grandmother, great grandmother, and all others before that, this section had been written by her mother and that was rare. "The Strix is a fascinating creature, I have seen many males fall in love with the monster. All have claimed to have known the human face of the beast from childhood dreams, and all have always told the truth. It is my belief that the beasts implant dreams into the young men and become their dream girl, this is not beyond their range of shape shifting, or mind reading powers. However, the power of mind manipulation, which they use during their hunting, makes me think that their true potential is hidden away, and that perhaps there might be a superior of the species out there. But death brings an end to the hallucination of love, and makes me wonder if the mind reading and manipulation are somehow passed threw genetics. It is possible a mother could impart onto her children the memories of ones chosen to be her future victims, but that is just a speculation." Lilith looked down from the pages of her family grimoir, at Samael, who was still crying over the Strix's body. She knew that with the Strix dead, the spell was broken, but still her friend cried over the monsters body. Although the love was a fantasy inside a dream, the loss to Samael was real, and that made what Lilith had to do next even more harder.

     Walking up behind her partner, Lilith calmly bent over him, and then like a viper she struck. Wrapping her arm around Samaels neck she started to choke him, not wanting him dead or to suffer, she just wanted him unconscious. If he was out cold, the spell would be easier to ware off. Therefore, she chose to make it quick and easy, choking her partner out as a confused Wolf watched to see if there was another fight. However, Samael did not fight back, it seemed as if he had accepted his fate and let Lilith strangle him, or the spell and sorrow had made him too weak to fight back.

     With a sound of exhaustion, Lilith moved off the body of Samael, who she had moved off the Strix's dead one. Leaving Wolf to ask her if it was necessary to knock out her friend, to which she received the answer, "Yes." Before Lilith then grabbed Anna's body and dragged it from the study. She then looked out of the nearest window to see the night sky, and knew that it was too late to report that they had found and dealt with their problem. It was then that she looked back into the study, and informed Wolf that they would be spending the night. When she heard this news, the young girl walked to the studies window and gaze out to look upon the city at night.

     On every corner there stood a gas lamp, and while most of the windows were dark, a few had light behind them. Below the streets seemed empty, but between the lights, Wolf saw them there walking around in the dark. The Shadow Figures had come after the Witch Hunters, and entered the confines of the city and were most likely the reason the streets were free of anybody.

     With Samael resting unconscious in the study, Lilith and Wolf decided to use the bedrooms on the second floor. Preparing her bed, Wolf was sure that the house once belonged to another family, with paintings of unknown family members all over the room. Then next to the bed there was a small painting of a young girl who looked familiar, like a girl she knew back in her own world. There were so many links between the world's, and that was the thought going through her mind as she crawled into the bed and drifted off to sleep.

     Meanwhile, Lilith sat on her bed reading her grimoir in more detail. Wondering if what Wolf had found in all those books, was a part of her families collected research. Looking from word to word, and turning from each page, Lilith searched for those two words, Equalising Reformation.

     There were pages on rites, monsters, spells, and ancient myths, but nothing on those two words or any like them. Lilith found this strange, that Wolf would find a connection of words between books, and in this one book of information, there was nothing. Giving up about halfway through, she placed the book on her lap, and looked around the room as her mind tried to make sense of it all.

     Waking up, Lilith realised that she had nodded off reading the grimoir and the sun shone into the room. Getting up from the bed, Lilith moved to the bathroom and found that the basin was full of warm water. Wondering how it had gotten there, she then moved her way from the bathroom and called out to the house. Asking those within its walls, who was awake and who was not. Then walking from the study dressed in her suit, Wolf walked towards her and told her that it was she who filled the sink. It was barely dawn when she awoke, heard the sound of people coming from outside and went to see what the commotion was. Outside just behind the house she found all the people of the local houses around the water pump, the only way the local community got water. After returning inside she grabbed a bucket and moved into the area behind the houses. By the time Wolf returned outside, there was not a single person around and the water pump stood unoccupied. Filling up her bucket, she dragged it back inside the house and then went about preparing the stove in the kitchen. Setting up a fire in the charcoal filled pit beneath the top, using wood and supplies found in a container next to it. She then filled up the kettle with the gathered water and placed it on the stove top. It was from there she got the hot water for the basin, and had her first warm wash in a day or two.

     When hearing how Wolf had adapted to this world she wondered how much it would be a good idea to train her in the Witch Hunter ways. It was then that Lilith noticed that the Strix's body was missing from the landing floor and when she asked about it, Wolf told her that Samael had dealt with it. Taking it to the police station himself, trying to make up for his actions yesterday. With a confirming nod, Lilith then put forth her plans for the days activities, first she was going to have a wash then she was going to train Lilith, and then wash again. Lastly for the days activities, they were going to use all the books in the study, and learn everything about the Equalising Reformation. And that was how their day went, and about half way through the day, Samael returned home, and joined them. Although she was timid, Wolf was a quick study, and found that the fighting skills and investigation skills that she was being taught complimented each other. Being able to recognise openings in a fight, and being able to see evidence in a room, seemed to involve the same skills when Lilith and Samael taught her. Nevertheless, what Lilith and Samael was really impressed with, was the fact that Wolf seemed to find it easy to hold her own against them. However, Wolf had trouble with her hatchet, and Lilith sorted this by using the strapping on the handle and turning it into a loop to put her hand through. This meant that the hatchet would be harder to knock from her grasp, and would be easier for her to keep a hold of.

     For ten hours they trained Wolf's body making sure that she knew what to do in different fighting situations. Then came the studying, and although Wolf had already done all the research, she and the others sat in the study and kept looking for those key words hopefully finding some answers to the question. What, if anything, was behind the Equalising Reformation?

     But no answers were found, and Lilith, and Samael decided that tomorrow they would move on from the city of Maiheim. Trying to get to to Red River, or the nearest Witch Clan, where perhaps there would be the answers they were looking for. If not then they would look elsewhere, Lilith had faith in Wolf and what she had found, and although the Strix never gave them an answer something had made her frightened. And Lilith wanted to know what that was.

     The day passed swiftly, and then when the night came, and the candles around the house were lit, everyone knew that soon they would have to sleep. However, they stayed up for a while and continued their investigation into the books. This led them nowhere, and that was frustrating. Therefore, they gave up and decided to call it a night even though there was still plenty of time to continue. Splitting up to occupy three of the four bedrooms on the second floor, Wolf and Lilith went back to the rooms they previously occupied, and Samael moved to the furthest one from them. All day he had acted strange, he had apologised to them for his actions while he was under the Strix's spell, but there was something else that had made him act stranger.

     The first night, when they had dragged the poor girl with them, saving her and then taking her, Samael had a dream. It had already been a big night for him, facing off against a living dead Witch Hunter who then had to be given the last rites. But then when he closed his eyes to sleep, he found the strangest visions waiting for him. Then last night the visions returned when Lilith had choked him unconscious, and now as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, he found a familiar sight waiting for him.

     Dragging himself through his home of Red River, the sun shone above as rain fell all around him. He knew the houses and who lived in each of them, but there was another house, and as he walked towards it he already knew what lay inside waiting for him. But still he walked up to it, and opening the door he could already feel the same feeling again. Inside that house was a hollow room, filled with the bodies of the towns people. It was clear that they were dead, butchered laying all over each other, they were bloody and all seemed to stare at him. Then from the other side of the pile, covered in blood, Wolf emerged walking to the top of the bodies she looked down at him. Covered in a night gown and layers of blood, Wolf pulled out a knife from behind her back as her eyes moved to Samael's. With a big smile across her face, she then leapt at him with the knife above her head ready to stab into him. Thinking that like always, the dream would end when Wolf stabs him, Samael excepted his fate. However, this one didn't end like the others. As she stood over the confused Samael, with him kneeling before her, she raised her foot to his chest for leverage, and as she withdrew the deeply placed blade, her last words to him were,

     "I will be the first."

     Pulling the blade from his shoulder, Wolf held his hair, pulled back his head and sliced Samael's throat. Gasping for unwatchable air, his hands went to his neck trying to hold the pieces together, and he fell forward into Wolf's arms. Holding onto him like a mother comforting a weeping child, Wolf stroked his hair as his blood gushed and covered her from belly and bellow in thick coats of blood. Eventually Samael became too weak and fell to the floor and began to realise that he was going to die in this dream. As he lay on the ground facing the door he walked into the house through, Wolf stepped over him and walked away, out of the house. Watching her as his vision darkened and the colour drained from it, Samael smiled to himself, but he didn't know why. It was about then that he closed his eyes and couldn't reopen them, and for some reason what Wolf had said to him echoed in his mind, "I will be the first."

     Rolling over on the bed, Samael realised that it was still night, but didn't want to go back to sleep, and return to the nightmare again. Getting up from the bed, he made his way around the house with silent footsteps, and the feeling that he was not alone. Thinking that he was just sensing the other two sleeping, but he heard a noise from downstairs. It was then that he wasn't sure if someone else was wandering around. With open ears, and eager eyes, Samael prowled the hallway outside the bedrooms, and then made his way downstairs. Keeping his back to the closest wall, he reached down to the back of his waist belt and put his index finger through the loop of his hags tongue. Not pulling it out, he kept it in its place until needed, and moved to the living room. There as he looked into the room he saw something move from the living room into the dining room, and as he chased after it, he saw he was chasing nothing. It was then that Samael drew out more of his blade, and walked faster around the first floor of the house. It was as he walked to the bottom of the stairs, and as he looked up the stairs a figure stood on them looking down at him. For a few seconds they started at each other. Then the tall figure cast in shadow talked to him in a quiet deep voice and a calm tone,

     "You are not Anna."

     "And you are not human," Samael replied, using his senses to figure out that what stood before him once was a human, but that was long ago.

     Slowly walking down the stairs, the thin man showed his face as he walked past a dying candle on the way. Reaching out, his fingers put out the light, and then in his voice the thin face of the man said,

     "Very good child. What are you? Because I have got to tell you, you do not seem like any other human to me."

     With his hags tongue in his fist, Samael knew it was now or never, so he made his move. Pulling the left arm of the man past him and down the stairs, Samael stepped up the stairs behind the tall man and swung his blade for the man's neck. However, the man ducked the blade and spun around, catching Samael across the cheek with a right handed punch. As he fell up the stairs, Samael heard the thin man chuckle to himself as he said,

     "Well I never. A Witch Hunter in this of all houses."

He then turned to face the hunter, and with his hands clasped behind his back asked,

     "How did you come to find this house?"

     "Hunting," Samael replied as he then added, "your child had become sloppy. She had been taking too many."

     Squaring off against each other, the tall man and the hunter's eyes were fixed on each other. As they started to walk closer, the tall man spoke,

     "She was no child of mine. We had a agreement and I am only here for what she owes me."

     "And what was that?"

     "Blood for safety."

     Realising that the tall thin man must have been some sort of vampire like monster. Samael backed away slightly, so he wasn't within arms reach of the beast. He then let down his guard a little to see if he could lure the creature into a trap. With his head down and to the side, he asked the tall figure a question about their talk,

     "Safety from what?"

     "You mean you do not know," the tall man answered, as he looked at Samael with a fake shocked look on his face.

     Samael shook his head and the monster gave him a answer to their questions,

     "The clerics of White Tower have a prophecy. It has been in the making for years, and only now do we know the answer to it. They made a deal with the gods, to get their power, and now the gods want their end of the deal. This is called the Equalising Reformation. It seems they are in debt to the gods, and now the entire world have to pay the bill. We are all equal in the eyes of the gods."

     "How do you know that," asked Samael as he felt like the monster was telling the truth.

     With a grin the tall man leaned forward, and with a whisper and a sheepish smile he replied,

     "One of the clerics is one of my people not one of yours."

     Jabbing his hags tongue blade up the tall man's throat, and into the bottom of his jaw. Clawing at the hunters chest, the beast revealed his true face. Samael was right, he was a vampire, and an old one by the looks of it. The face and body of a inhuman vampire is one of battle scars, leather like skin, big muscles, and defined features. Samael, quickly used his free left hand to grab the back of the monster's head and with a lot of power and aggression, he snapped the beast's neck. Letting the heavy body fall to the hardwood floor, Samael knew that there was still a lot he didn't get from the monster, but he had to act to protect himself. Acting alive still the vampire could not move, with his neck broken, only his head had power. Therefore, Samael put him down, with a swift deep stab with his blade, right into the beast's brain through its eye socket.

     This still left him with a lot of questions, and one of those questions was, who seeks for protection from the gods, in the form of bigger deadlier monsters. There was also something else that bothered him, perhaps there were ones who were going to act on behalf of the gods. The interaction with the vampire may have answered some questions, but it gave him more questions that needed answers. So,before the sun rose and the others got up, he took care of the vampires body, taking it into the back of the building, and lighting it on fire. As he watched the body qickly burn like a oil covered rag, he gave the questions that were brought up more thought, and wondered if his dream/vision had something to do with it. With that thought he recalled what the evil Wolf had told him in the dream, "I will be the first."

     Chapter 4

     Waking up and prepared for walking out of the city, Samael had told them about their night visitor, as they ate a breakfast that he had prepared. Not telling them his dream/vision, he did explain that the vampire was protecting the Strix and why. Not one to believe too much in prophecies, Lilith still wasn't sure about the information gathered and then made a decision for the trio. They were going to her and Samael's home, to Red River and there they were going to find out about the truth behind the Equalising Reformation, or what ever the witches knew it as. This was the plan and everyone agreed it, and after the talk the group finished up their morning routine swiftly. Then before they left the city, Samael found a map of the local lands while Lilith and Wolf trained some more.

     Walking from the city, along and then into a forest, Samael wanted to hire a horse drawn carriage, but Lilith and Wolf wanted to walk. Wolf wanted to see the sights, witness the similarities between the two worlds, and Lilith wanted to privately teach her new student. This is what they did, with Samael adding and sometimes correcting Lilith's teaching, as they journeyed within the green forest. Seeing foxes, rabbits, deer, and all types of familiar birds, made Wolf homesick, and made her realise that she was stuck there. Stuck on a world like hers, but not, Wolf was trying to make a place for herself on this world. However, she sometimes wondered if that was a good idea.

     Moving through the trees, Samael was the first to notice that there was a town just a little ahead. Pointing it out to the others, Wolf noticed that the town was protected like the city. However, instead of the thick stone wall like the one that surrounded the city, the one that went around the town was wooden made with tall pointed logs.

     Making a diversion into the town, the trio found it empty, the log cabins were still standing and nothing seemed to be out of place. And yet nobody greeted them as they pushed open the large wooden door and looked upon the silence. Walking down the centre of the dirt road, Lilith looked at the several houses, and while some of them had their doors open, others were locked tight. This was not normal, even if all the men went out to hunt, where were the young and old, the women and labourers. Nobody remained, and as she stood still in the centre of the town, at its crossroads, Lilith watched the ever curious Wolf do her thing and investigate the situation.

     Sauntering to every house, she never walked inside them, she just looked into them and gazed at what was left. No signs of a fight, pieces of food left on the dinner table, fires left burning in the fireplaces, and yet no sign of life. It was then that Wolf remembered such stories from her world, the Mary Celeste, or other ghost ships. Ships found abandoned at sea with no sign of the crew, having a whole town disappear like that made her wonder with a big smile on her face. This was another mystery that they could help solve, but Samael had other plans.

     After taking some supplies, and leaving some coin in the store, he just wanted to leave. Therefore, he called on everyone as he walked out of the town, ignoring the obvious fact that something strange was a foot. However, Wolf was not going to stand for that, and screamed at him one simple word, "No!" This caused him to stop and take notice, as she then pleaded with him. Telling him that something wrong happened here, and that she was sure that someone must be behind it. However, Samael didn't care, this didn't fall under his jurisdiction, missing people didn't always mean monsters. He explained that it could have been a relocation to a new town, or bandits could have drugged the town and stolen their bodies into slavery. Samael then received a stack of evidence against, coming from both Lilith and Wolf that no human could be behind the disappearance of a whole town made of a estimated fifty to seventy people. It was then that he realised, if he were to leave it would be alone, and that Lilith had become too close to a woman he had begun to truely fear.

     With the thought that if it was not natural, then it must be supernatural, neither one of the Witch Hunters knew what lay behind the missing townsfolk. It was as they gathered in the centre of the town, at the crossroads that it began to rain, and they moved themselves to the town hall.

     When he walked inside the large open building, Samael thought that he had fallen asleep and had found himself back in his dream. In the centre of a large hall with hunting trophies, stacked high, they found the bodies of the missing townspeople. It was just like his vision, which made him freeze in the doorway with shock, awe, and a cold creeping feeling in his stomach. As they pushed their way past him, trying to get out of the rain, both Lilith and Wolf realised why he had stopped when they saw what was waiting for them inside the town hall.

     With vocal reactions of shock and horror at what they saw before them, Wolf wondered what, who, and why? She then looked at the others, who tried their hardest trying to fathom what could have happened. Lilith pulled out her grimoir, and started to search its pages. Meanwhile, Samael wandered around the pile examining the bodies trying to figure out what could have done it. Sure that it was not Wolf like in his dream, Samael still thought that it was a bit strange that she was there, and perhaps it was someone like her.

     As she flicked through the pages of her families book, Lilith then came across the set of beasts and monsters that could do something like this. Perhaps it was a Siren who lured them with her enchanting song, or perhaps it could have been something more witch like. There were so many possibilities for what could have caused this carnage, Lilith had to know what had happened. Therefore, looking for input she looked over to Wolf and asked her if she had any ideas about what had happened. Unsure about the situation, Wolf looked at her mentor with a shrug and could only think of one thing. Telling her that perhaps it was a powerful vampire, or another Strix, the pair of Witch Hunters then shook their heads, and explained that creatures like them were rare. It then came out that it was more likely that a mermaid crawled out of the ocean, made her way through the forest, and came to the town to kill everyone.

     Rethinking the crime, the trio began to look around for a sign of what had happened. As Lilith continued to look in her grimoir, Samael investigated the bodies, and Wolf decided to see what she could find in the records. Perhaps there were signs of what had done this before it happened. It was there that she found records of a trial that was going on. Searching for the people who were part of the trial, Wolf came across a name that was not connected to any of the families in the town. Looking for something else that led to the name, she then found a piece of news that a young boy was found wandering the forest. Found by a hunting party, the boy was brought to the town, and housed with a local family. Refusing to take on the families name, the boy kept his own, Simon Parker. That was the name of the boy in the trial, and reading more into the trial, Wolf discovered what it was about. The boy, Simon, had been living with the family for about a week, when suddenly they became aware that he was communing with the gods, and they had given him power beyond human limits. Then he turned that power to the townspeople, and declared himself judge, jury, and if needed executioner. This led the towns folk to fear and then charge the boy with the crimes he had committed. That was when the trial began, and the records become filled with legal talk.

     Telling Lilith and Samael what she had found as she found it, Wolf wondered if it was a traveler like her. They however told her, that it was more likely what they had been told was coming. The people who were working on behalf of the gods, for the Equalising Reformation. Either that or just a monster's child given to the town as a decoy or trap, nothing in the writing led them to believe that the child had come from Wolf's world.

     Still she wondered, the name seemed like he was from her world, but there was the fact he was superhuman that then made her think otherwise. However, across the room, Samael who had argued against the boy being from Wolf's world, truly believed that it was possible. And that in a week or so time, Wolf too could start showing the abnormal powers the boy possessed. But with Lilith always watching her back he could not act and bring an end to a possible mass murderer.

     After standing around the dead for a while, Lilith decided it was best for them to have a break. Moving out of the gore filled town hall, they found a dry place to eat under a overhang outside of the bakery. Sitting on the steps the three ate their food, taken from the Strix's house and bought for in the city, and witnessed a new arrival in the town.

     Trotting up to the trio, riding a large black stalion, dressed in a long white robe with golden embedded symbols over it. The hooded man kept his face turned away as he spoke over the sound of the rain,

     "Are you here to see the boy to Hunters?"

     "We have seen no boy. Only his work," replied Samael as he pointed out the town hall.

     Continuing to the largest building, the hooded man just gazed through the open doorway, and recoiled at what he saw. Behind him, Lilith gave Samael a slap across the back of his head as she told him off. One for lying to the cleric, and with making a judgement no proof that the boy had done the crime. She then trief to turn the situation into a lesson for Wolf, and explained that they shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. With a understanding nod, Wolf then turned her attention to the returning rider as he aprotched the group. Then stopping where he had stopped before the hooded man asked,

     "Have you any evidence that the boy is behind the bloodshed? Or are you using your Hunter's wiles?"

     "We are currently looking," Lilith replied, as she tried to get a look under the hood as she asked,

     "May I ask, what brings a cleric after one boy."

     "He has the gift, and was to be taken to the White Tower for the proving," Replied the cleric as he continued to hide his face.

     Unfamiliar with the ways of the White Tower, only with what rumours poured out of it. Lilith was unsure if the hooded man was following his creed or just hiding his face. It was then that Wolf spoke out and asked,

     "How did you receive news about the boy?"

     "A letter was sent by courier," the man responded.

     Samael shook his head, he had seen a map of the local area and knew that the White Tower was a long way from the town. So, with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes he called the cleric out on his lie,

     "There is no way a courier could deliver to you, and you could be here within one week."

     It was then that the cleric kicked his black steed and galloped away like a thief from a crime. Both Lilith and Samael got up, pulled out their short blades and prepared to toss them. But the horse and rider disappeared from view out of the large wooden doors. This was something neither of them were expecting, it seemed that the cleric's in the White Tower had knowledge of the boy awhile before he arrived at the settlement. However, they did not know what horrors he would unleash upon the poor townsfolk.

     Putting away their hags tongue daggers, Lilith and Samael were sure now that the clerics at the White Tower were into something very bad. Something that it seemed they could predict but could not control, and that made the trio scared of the clerics of the White Tower. Wolf was sure that the Witch Hunters were the good side, and the White Tower too may have seemed like good people, but she wasn't sure about their actions.

     Gathering up their stuff the pair of hunters turned to the sun, the days were becoming shorter and that made their jobs harder. Samael then turned towards the town hall and told Lilith what had to be done. Explaining that if they didn't burn or put the bodies underground before nightfall the Shadow Figures would have some puppets. It was then that with the first sign of disbelief hit her, and Wolf asked about the comment. It was time for Lilith to explain some less than savoury facts about the Shadow Figures that followed Witch Hunters around. If near a recently dead body they could possess them for the night, and become the walking dead. It was then that Wolf brought up zombies and how they seemed the same, but was then told that while zombies were something real in this world. When Shadow Figures possess a dead body they don't become a flesh eating killing machine, they become normal people, try to live out the lives given to them by the memories in the dead body's brain. But when the sun rose on a new day, the Shadow Figure would have to leave the body, and they would die all over again. However, with the body destroyed or burried there would be nothing or no way for it to be possessed.

     While the pair of Witch Hunters wanted to burn the town hall full of bodies, Wolf wanted to bury them. Give them a proper burial, and make sure they received a professional funeral. It was as Lilith heard this plea for the townsfolk that she looked at the town hall filled with bodies and agreed. She knew that if they had to give the bodies a good burial, and be better than the monster that had slaughtered them. And when she explained this to Samael he knew she was right, and began to realise that perhaps his vision had been clouding his judgement. Making him less caring and mor careless in his work, it was because of this that he knew he would have to be more thoughtful.

     With the sun setting in around five hours, they began to dig the mass grave for the sixty or so people. However, by the time the last rays of light shone through the trees, they had only just dug a hole big enough for a small amount of the towns population. It was then that Samael knew he had to be the bad guy, and make a decision. Rushing around the town collecting all the oil from the houses lamps, he quickly brought it all to the town hall as he called out to Lilith. Telling her that if they wanted to save some then she was going to have to do it now, Samael began to douse the bodies with the gathered lamp oil.

     Dragging as many people as possible from the town hall to the grave yard where they had dug the hole, Lilith and Wolf tried and wanted to take more but they ran out of time. The sun set, darkness descended upon the town, and as Lilith read them all the rites in her grimoir, Wolf covered over the grave, and Samael set the town hall ablaze. However, from the darkness of the night coloured forest, emerging from the depths of the trees, the Shadow Figures marched on the town.

     With the only light coming from the burning big building, the Shadow Figures may have entered the town, but stopped just before the light touched them. The fire stopped the possession of the dead, and stopped the Shadow Figures from getting to those not yet touched by the fire. Standing outside the town hall as it burned, Samael looked to Lilith and Wolf as he said with a quiet somber tone,

     "I'm sorry we couldn't save more."

     "I'm sure we'll be fine," Lilith replied as she gave him a pat on the back, looking at the Shadow Figures stalking in the shadows like starving wild animals.

     They were different from the other times they had seen them. Instead of the somber walking shades that followed them, these ones prowled, stalking in the shadows. It was very strange, and instead of the somber shades that wandered the night, these ones stalked the darkness trying to get closer to the Witch Hunters. Where as they used to be happy enough to just follow the hunters these ones wanted to get closer to the hunters,and the way they menacingly moved made Lilith and Samael uneasy at the sight. But Wolf was fascinated by the change in their mannerisms, she thought of it like a change in nature. Like a change in tides or a sudden tornado, Samael had once called the Shadow Figures a thunder storm. However, now they seemed like a whole new form of storm, like a type of tropical cyclone, or powerful hurricane.

     Seeing the look of wonder on Wolf's face, Lilith tried to make the actions of the Shadow Figures make sense. Telling her that they were probably acting up because they were so close to so many dead bodies. But, she was telling a lie. She had never seen them act like this before, even when they were around the dead. Which usually meant that the recently deceased would come alive, like they had told Wolf, but their proximity to the dead had no real effect on the Shadow Figures.

     Knowing that it was going to be a long night if they didn't get some sleep, they chose to get some rest. Settling down in front of the still burning town hall, Samael feared sleep and told the others that he would take first watch. It was not the Shadow Figures, but the dream that kept him from sleep as he stared past the centre of town down the muddy road to the figures still lurking in the dark. Sleeping in covers bought in the city, Lilith and Wolf had no idea the turmoil, Samael was going through in his own head. They just lay down safe in the comfort that they had someone looking out for them. But that was not what was happening, instead Samael found himself feeling that the vision was not all finished. Perhaps if he slept some more, more of it would reveal itself to him. But he didn't want to sleep while on watch, and instead he chose to try and force it while he was awake. Therefore, he wanted to at least try.

     With eyes closed, Samael made his way forward, and knelt in the mud. Then with eyes closed, he concentrated on the dream, the sight of Red River, it's rows of houses. He then remembered the new house at the end of the street, standing where the road ran through the village. Walking in his mind to the home, he reached out for the door and pushed it open, already knowing what lay inside. However, this time there were no dead bodies piled up in the centre of the room. This time the hall was empty, and as he gazed upon the open empty large building, he knew something was wrong. Samael turned around to walk out of the door and found himself walking on the deck of a ship at sea.

     With large waves crashing against the large wooden seafaring craft, Samael fell to the floor. His knees felt weak, and his balance was uncontrollable, as the ship rocked and bucked with the rough waves. It was as he tried once again to get his footing that Samael looked around the deck. The sailor's ran around tieing off ropes, reloading cannons, and calling out their orders was a man on the back of the ship. As he turned around Samael looked up at the man stood behind the large wooden wheel, and saw a unfamiliar young man pointing at the sea and calling out orders. Dressed in a vest and trousers, looking like a pirate of the southern seas, Samael looked at the man, and as he looked back at him, the man called out,

     "I am NOT the second."

     Laughing manicly,the man looked at the crew who all stopped and laughed with him. The sailor's then all walked up to Samael as the ship hit a large wave he fell to his knees, and they all rode the wave standing tall. Surrounded, the man from behind the wheel leapt down to the deck and faced the Witch Hunter. Bending over him, he grabbed the front of Samael's coat in both fists, and looking him in the eyes told him,

     "I told you, "I am NOT the second." But I can tell you this. I do know who he is."

     The man then firmly headbutted Samael as he then forcefully screamed out,

     "Now, Wake Up!"

     Awakening in the middle of the muddy road, Samael was still kneeling, as he had done when he begun. With sore and stiff knees, he clambered to his feet, still feeling as if he was aboard the ship at sea, Samael wondered what was going on. He had never heard of a Witch Hunter with powers like his, and knew that like answers about the Equalising Reformation, he would have to speak to people of his clan. However, first they would have to travel across the land to Red River, and that could take a while if they kept on coming across people in need of Witch Hunters.

     Looking forward, Samael noticed that the sun was rising and the Shadow Figures had disappeared. Glad that the night was over, he then turned towards the remains of the town hall, and while small flames and cinders glowed in the dark, it still took him a while to realise that Wolf was missing. But when he did, his saunter to the large pile of rubble turned into a run, as he called Lilith awake. Sitting awake with her hags tongue drawn, Lilith realised why she was called awake and pulled back the covers that should have been covering Wolf. With nothing of the young woman remaining, Lilith got out from under her covers and looked around the town. The air was thick with the fire's smoke, the smell of the burnt dead, and outside the town's walls, a mist filled the forest. However, there was no sign of Wolf, and as Lilith searched the town with Samael they found no sign of Wolf.

     Nevertheless, they did find tracks leading from the town hall, and out of the town via the front gates. Tracks made by boots first thought to be Samael's, Lilith had ignored them, but when he saw the tracks and where they journeyed, Samael knew that they were not his. They may have been Witch Hunter's boots, and his size too, but the fact that they left a trail out of the town made him wonder. Calling out his partner, he told her the facts about the tracks and his movements during the night. Not telling her about his vision, he just explained that he took up a position close to the Shadow Figures, and that was where he remained for the night. Then, when he turned around, he saw that Lilith slept alone, and told her that was when she was woken.

     Gathering their gear, Lilith and Samael followed the tracks to the front gates, and as they looked at the wet thick muddy ground, Samael realised he didnt know which way to go into the forest. Therefore, he asked his partner, who was better at tracking then him, if she could do what he could not. With a nod of confidence and confirmation, Lilith read the tracks on the ground like words on a page, and swiftly figured out which way to go. The Witch Hunter had carried Wolf off into the forest, and that was where Lilith and Samael ran. The leaves on the trees were beginning to brown and fall, the grass was slick and wet from the rain, and the ground had become soft from worms and moles digging around. The tracks may have been made during the night but the lack of foot traffic had kept them fresh and easy for Lilith to follow. With the odd broken twig, or bent stalk of grass giving her direction where there was no longer a footprint to guide her. She may have given the name Wolf to the girl, formerly named Stephanie, but it was her who embodied the animal. Tracking and running through the wilds, she ran with the rage of a woman scorned, a mother seeking her child, and a wild animal with freedom. Having trouble keeping up, Samael had never seen her like this and worried about her mind, and perhaps the fact that Wolf was still having some effect on her.

Author's Note

First time writing, just trying something new.