Eirene Town. A beautiful, urban settlement located to the northeast of Pandora City. Vast, serene fields of green farmland and crops stretched out across the plots of land. People of all shapes and sizes tended to the fields, planting and retrieving food from the ground. The sight of the hard work and unity showed by the townspeople brought smiles to the faces of Elma and Chayse as they passed by the fields on the dirt road nearby.
The fields of green that stretched on seemingly forever reminded the Hunters of the Gardens of Eden.
The town was rather small in population. Ranging up to only about three hundred people. But despite that, the place was still beautiful; especially the women from Chayse's perspective. Most of them were breathtaking—hopefully single. Even as they worked the fields, building up a sweat, their bodies glowed elegantly as the rays of the sun shined down on them, illuminating their flawless features.
It was like watching angels.
All the fatigue Chayse felt from his battle against Thelo immediately melted away at the sight of the women. Their sweet, harmonic voices and gentle gestures as they welcomed the team into the town boosted his spirits and ego to the moon. Oh, how he wanted to spend quality time with them. Unfortunately, his partner refused to let him out of her sight.
She was cruel that way.
Whenever they were on the job, Elma would focus solely on that and nothing else. She'd claim that their missions took priority over their wellbeing.
Not even twenty-four hours passed since Elma and Chayse captured Thelo in Pandora City. Their hunt for the man proved difficult considering his powers of telekinesis. It was thanks to their Technical Officer, Caz Homer, that they managed to track the Exousia down in the first place. And because of the assistance from another Huntress, Runa das Meer, they defeated Thelo and took him into their custody.
Through nearly the entire trip to Eriene Town, Chayse couldn't keep his mouth shut about the blue-haired beauty that stole his heart in an instant. His ramblings about her strength and features annoyed everyone in the vehicle. Elma considered throwing him out and making him walk the rest of the way to the capital.
If not for needing at least two people to watch over their prisoner, she would've done it.
Each irritable glare or groan that escaped from Elma's mouth throughout their trip, Chayse chalked it down to jealousy. The two of them had teamed up for years, so they were pretty close. Chayse would often flirt with Elma, only to receive insults or physical assaults here and there. Elma would try to make sure to keep their relationship strictly professional.
But, Chayse never got the memo. As far as he was concerned, if he never spotted a ring on the finger, everyone woman was free. He couldn't help himself. Chayse was a lover before a hunter. Spreading his love to every beautiful woman he came across was a necessity.
A necessity that wound up with him getting punished by Elma each time she felt that he crossed a line. Her punishments were far from safe. While cruel, there was nothing Chayse could do. Elma was the master. He was the protégé. He had to follow her orders no matter what.
He owed her at least that much.
So, when Elma left him on babysitting duty, he accepted the job, albeit reluctantly. Thelo remained heavily chained up in the back of the Nemean. He kicked and screamed his head off about how he'd escape and that he had friends look for him.
Elma and Chayse ignored him for the most part. It wasn't unusual for their prisoners to spout out nonsense upon their capture. If his boast about having friends proved correct, the Hunters had no qualms about taking them down as well.
Outside of the Nemean lined a crowd of angry townspeople. If looks could kill, Thelo would've died the moment the group arrived. Although their glares of disdain and hatred weren't directed at the Hunters; even they couldn't help but feel somewhat intimidated by their presence.
Most of the townspeople shouted and threated to kill the Exousia for all the chaos and mayhem he caused throughout Pandora City. They waved around weapons and pitchforks, a classic angry mob scene. None of them seemed hesitant to resort to violence.
The Hunters hoped it wouldn't come to that. The last thing they wanted to do was protect the man responsible for the massacre of innocent civilians. Their orders were to capture the Exousia and bring him to Tartarus. If anyone got in their way, they were granted permission to neutralize them.
That was just the filtered version of the order.
They didn't want to have to attack the townspeople. But, if they left them with no other choice, then there was nothing else that could be done.
"These villagers seem hostile." Thelo nonchalantly commented, ignoring the insults and death threats that came from those outside the vehicle.
"And they have every right to be." Elma harshly stated. "Once we reach our destination you're going to tell us everything that you know about the Varvara invading the kingdom."
"I already told you that I had nothing to do with that incident. You Hunters always assume that we Exousia are behind everything."
"That's because it's usually true." Chayse decided to cut his way into the conversation. "If you hadn't attacked all those people, the Varvara wouldn't have shown up in the first place."
"We've been through this already! You Hunters attacked me first!" Thelo kicked the back of Chayse's seat.
"Stop kicking the seat!" Elma demanded. She slammed her foot on the brakes, stopping the vehicle abruptly. Thelo flew forward and smashed his face into the back of the seat. "Prepare yourself, Chayse. Things could get messy."
"Yeah." Chayse nodded.
Elma took a deep breath and stepped outside from the safety of the Nemean. The angry mob crowded the vehicle, preparing to tear it down if they needed. If there was one thing Elma liked about the situation, it was that the sun still hung high in the sky. If not for that fact, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that the Varvara would've appeared and attacked the town long ago.
That was always an issue in the country. The people had to bury their emotions at night at the fear of being attacked by the Varvara. So, whenever the sun rose, so did the hidden feelings of the people. Anger, sadness, jealousy, it didn't matter what it was. Daytime was when people could release their tension.
For the most part, Elma stood in front of the Nemean and allowed the people to vent out their anger and frustration. There was never any point in speaking to people when rage clouded their minds. No rational thought could form in their small brains.
When things finally calmed down, Elma opened her eyes. The ferocity in her eyes unsettled the townspeople.
"I understand that you're all enraged and frustrated. I've heard all of your complaints and grievances," Elma stepped forward. "The man chained up in the Nemean is an Exousia. For seven years, they've reeked havoc across the world, laying waste to anything in their path. I'm sure all of you have lost loved ones to these monsters."
The townspeople roared in agreement, brandishing their weapons toward Thelo.
"And I'm sure you'd like nothing more than to tear that Exousia to pieces. Trust me; I want to do the same thing. But, that wouldn't solve anything. Your loved ones would still be dead. They wouldn't come back to life." The white-haired Huntress shook her head, the ferocity in her eyes slowly died down as her tone of voice turned smoother, calmer and gentle. The subtle change in her glance and voice slowly eased the townspeople. They slowly lowered their weapons. "There's much we can learn from the Exousia. But, we need them alive. I promise you that he'll pay for his crimes."
Although reluctant, one by one the townspeople dispersed and returned to their daily duties. Chayse exited the Nemean and dragged Thelo out with him.
"Guess we're good to go?" Chayse asked.
"Yeah, come on." Elma nodded and led the group into an Inn. Traveling from Pandora City to the country's capital, Soteria City, would take at least a day and a half by driving. It wasn't a long time, but, the Hunters were far too exhausted from their fight to continue.
They entered the establishment and showed the innkeeper their military clearance. Thanks to that they were given a free room on the second floor. Being a retainer for the Soteria Kingdom had its perks. Ordinary people could only dream of the privileges the Hunters got.
The group entered the spacious, refurbished room. Two large beds occupied one section of the room, a small dining area with a table took another. Through the double doors on the other end of the room resided the balcony, which provided a fantastic view of the town and the fields of grass and farmland beyond it.
"This room ain't half bad. We got two beds this time." Chayse commented as he tossed Thelo against the nearest wall. He hopped onto one of the beds, letting out a sigh of exhaustion as he allowed the soft mattress and sheets absorb his fatigue. He looked over at his partner, who seemed occupied with something else entirely as she paced around the room. "Something wrong?"
"Why hasn't the military arrived yet? Didn't the council demand that they increase their presence?" Elma wondered.
"They did. It just takes time to mobilize, Elma. Caz told me that a commando unit in General Amos' army got dispatched here." Chayse answered.
Elma stopped pacing and clicked her tongue. "Those War Dogs always take their sweet time."
"Relax, Elma. The sun's still up. We don't have to worry about anything right now." Chayse assured as he continued to settle into the bed.
"That's the same thing you said the last time we captured an Exousia. Remember what happened?" Elma moved her hand to her hip, shooting her partner an irritated glance.
"What's that supposed to mean? What happened last time?" Thelo suddenly asked.
"The last time Elma and I captured an Exousia and attempted to bring him to the capital. A large angry mob banded together and executed him themselves without the consent of the council." Chayse revealed.
Fear immediately sparked in Thelo's eyes after hearing the story. He pictured many gruesome details as to how that could've happened. His fear and anxiety only continued to spread once he thought back to the faces of the townspeople he passed earlier. No doubt none of them were satisfied with how he got to escape from their hatred and rage. It wouldn't surprise him if some of them tried to assassinate him in the middle of the night.
He had every right to be terrified. Without his powers, he was as weak and vulnerable as any ordinary person.
"What's with that expression of yours? You scared of the townspeople?" Elma looked over at Thelo with a mocking grin on her face, clearly enjoying the sight of the man cowering.
"Don't worry about a thing, Elma and I won't let you get killed by the people," Chayse assured him. While his words sounded convincing enough, the menacing expression on his partner's face said otherwise.
"He won't let you get killed. I may be a little lenient and turn my back for a little while." Elma headed for the door. "I'm going to tell the Director about our situation. Make sure you keep a sharp eye out on him."
"I know, Elma. You don't have to keep treating me like a child. I think I know how to watch a prisoner." Chayse leaned up from the comfort of his bed.
"Oh really? Because it didn't seem that way back when…"
"Alright, alright! I thought I apologized for that already!" Chayse quickly interrupted her. He didn't know what she was going to bring up. But, past experiences with her had made him realize that apologizing immediately often kept her quiet.
Elma held her head up in triumph before she finally departed from the room. Once she was gone, Chayse did as instructed and kept his gaze on Thelo.
An awkward silence hung in the air as the two stared at each other. The hatred and disdain between the two were as clear as day. On one side of the room was the man that slaughtered dozens of innocents in a single night. On the other was one of the people that put a stop to him.
Even though Thelo was in a compromising situation, his shit-eating grin irked Chayse. If given the option, the Hunter would've shot an arrow through the Exousia's smug face. No one would've complained or missed him.
But, Chayse wasn't Elma. He suppressed his rage and kept a cool head.
The only thing that kept him calm was the thought of all the money and recognition he'd receive after completing the mission. His name as the great hunter would spread even further throughout the kingdom. Hell, possibly even the Gardens of Eden. With great money and fame—came beautiful women. He already pictured it, being surrounded by beautiful women from all over the world; wishing to get acquainted with him and his greatness.
"I see that your partner doesn't treat you very well, huh?" Thelo suddenly called out to Chayse, breaking him away from his delusions.
"Yeah, she can be a bit of a bitch sometimes. But she means well." Chayse responded.
"If by well you mean that she treats you like an incompetent monkey, then yeah. I guess she does mean well."
Incompetent monkey.
Chayse was surprised Thelo could use those words in the same sentence and not crack a smile. That was a new one. The Hunter had been called many things before, but never an incompetent monkey. He kept a straight face and humored the prisoner.
"I'm not some incompetent monkey. Sure, I make mistakes sometimes, but I'm completely capable of handling things myself."
"I'm not too sure about that." Thelo tilted his head back. "I mean back when we were in Pandora city she appeared to be the one in charge during the fights."
"I could care less about being in charge. As long as we get the job done, I'm okay with Elma treating me like this for the time being."
"That's not a good mindset to have you know. You're a man, aren't you? You should be more assertive and stand up to her when she treats you like that."
That guy was a riot. It took everything Chayse had not to laugh at him. He remained silent and allowed Thelo to keep talking, leading him on to believe that he was convincing him.
"You two are meant to be partners, right? What kind of partnership revolves around one being more dominant than the other? I think you should confront her and…"
Chayse reached his limit. He burst out into laughter and mockingly pointed at Thelo. The priceless look of confusion that crossed the Exousia's face made the reaction all worthwhile.
"I'm sorry, but you're terrible at trying to convince me to betray Elma. She and I have been through too much together to be separated by mere words and a little mistreatment. Plus, I don't feel like losing another arm." Chayse brought his hand over to his Neoframe with a faint smile. His fingers slid across the smooth, steel frame of the prosthetic.
"You're no fun at all." Thelo dejectedly said while hanging his head, giving up on his plan of escape.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to laugh at you like that. But you must be pretty damn desperate to escape by trying to convince me to betray Elma." Chayse told him after calming down. "You're not the first prisoner to try and do that, and you certainly won't be the last."
"Well, you know what they say about cornered animals."
"Comparing yourself to an animal, huh? You know things wouldn't be so hard on you if you cooperate with us. Once we reach the capital and bring you in front of the council, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll get sentenced to death for your crimes. But if you work with us, we can convince the council to spare you."
Despite his anger toward Thelo; Chayse attempted to appeal to the man's better half. No one was truly evil in the world, no matter how much people claimed they were. He had no plans to forgive or forget everything Thelo had done. However, he didn't think it was too late for the man to change. That's what he offered him.
A chance to change.
Thelo shook his head and scoffed at Chayse's words before he responded, "Don't patronize me. You and I both know that your council won't spare my life. Everyone detests the Exousia. As far as you humans are concerned, I'm a heartless monster hell-bent on destroying everything in my path."
"Well, your attacks across Pandora city didn't exactly scream out that you were a loveable person." Chayse nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.
"Well perhaps if you people only stood out of my way and let me continue with my work, then maybe those attacks wouldn't have happened."
"So, you're not going to cooperate? You're going to resist us until the very end?"
"Of course, I am." He nodded his head with a look of determination in his eyes. "You can bring me to the council and sentence me to death all you want. Things will never go your way. I will escape from this situation one way or another."
"That won't happen." I declared.
Our conversation ended when the door to the room opened. Elma stepped into the room and set her gaze on Thelo. "You'll be brought to the capital where you'll be kept in Tartarus until the day of your execution."
She approached Thelo and knocked him unconscious after punching him square in the face. Poor bastard never saw it coming. Neither did Chayse for that matter. He collapsed to hard, wooden floor.
Afterward, Elma returned to her bed and stared up at the ceiling without another word.
"You seem a little stressed out. Did something happen?" Chayse asked.
"Nothing that you need to concern yourself over." Elma gave him the cold shoulder. She turned her back to him and said, "You take the first watch, Chayse. Wake me up in four hours."
Chayse offered no resistance. He got up from the bed and headed out onto the balcony, watching the sun slowly lower from the sky.