Chereads / Hunting Darwin I: Blood Winter / Chapter 8 - CHAPTER 8: DEATH PREYING

Chapter 8 - CHAPTER 8: DEATH PREYING

The room, filled with a heavy tension between two brawling minds. The atmosphere getting thicker each moment as both of them stand face to face sending daggers and death glares to one another. One is trying to infiltrate the other one who's trying to cease the fury.

Stephen was about to move his lips when Darwin cut him off.

"What do you want to know?", His strong eerie vibe slowed down a bit.

"Tell me everything you...", Stephen tried to command him but he only got an insulting laugh in return.

"You think it works just like a compulsion?", Darwin threw his hands in the air and rolled his eyes. His expressions says how much he thinks Stephen is that stupid.

Stephen looked away in anger. His fist starting to grip like a rock at his desires to punch Darwin in the face. But he just let out a big sigh and fleek his eyebrows at him then frowned. He didn't have any idea what is he gonna do with him. Taking him to the Colossal will only risk his life, for this guy is so stubborn that he even the gods gave up on him. But if he keeps him, the Colossal will hunt them down together.

He looked at Darwin walking playfully across the wall and to the ceiling, defying gravity like it doesn't work at all.

"Why are you here? Why did you come here? What are you up to?", Stephen's eyes followed him walk upside down across the room.

"This isn't a job interview, is it?", Darwin playfully replied with his taunting voice.

"You are truly pissing me off!", Stephen took the vase sitting on the corner of the room and threw it to Darwin but he evaded it smoothly with his lightning speed. He faced Stephen down from above, looking at him straight and upside down.

"Answer your phone...", Darwin whispered.

"It's not ringing", Stephen replied.

It took a few minutes before the phone rings. Darwin smiled at his flawless senses. Stephen frowned at him before picking the phone sitting on the table.

"New request. Are you up tonight?", A raspy voice came came from the other side.

"What type?", Stephen replied. He traced Darwin walking upside down across the room out of boredom.

"Can'y tell. We deal different types almost every duty", the man on the other side replied.

"Well then, I'll go ahead", Stephen hang up and looked at Darwin with a disappointed look then to the clock.

Darwin sit on the couch across the room with his legs crossed and his lips slightly open. The small light coming from the window illuminates his pale complexion and his silver hair and his blood red lips that looks like it's always dripped in blood. He wore a taunting bored expression looking back at him.

"Spare me the truth. I'll go ahead", Stephen turned his back on him and walked towards the door but Darwin moved fast in a split second and block him out of the doorway.

"You wouldn't let me rot here, will you?", Darwin gave him a playful yet threatening smirk.

"Rot in hell, idiot. You are smart right? Go find ways to pass through the force field", Stephen bumped him as he passed through the door ignoring Darwin's whole existence.

"Oh no wait, I can use a little help", Darwin blurted with enthusiasm.

"No thank. I've been through a lot", Stephen replied.

"Not as much as I've been and I'm pretty sure that whatever it is I can easily finish it and the credits are yours", Darwin tried to bargain an idea.

Stephen looked at him and then to the window. The sun is still up but he needs a preparation. Something about him wants to make truce with Darwin but knowing how evil he is, he might be dealing with another mess again. He looked at Darwin's face and hope that there is still a flicker of light, just a little bit that remained of his humanity.

"I'd rather make deals with Satan", The only thing he said before walking down the stairs and into his armoury.

"Satan is my agent", Darwin replied tauntingly with a malevolent smile. But his expression shifted to fury as he lost sight of Stephen. He thinks of truly killing him with the right timing before he kills him.

Stephen just ignored him one more time and pulled the key to his armoury. He grabbed a pair of suit and choose what color he'd wear tonight. The blue light touching his face as he rummage through his cabinet and wiped a little of his knives and guns. He came out of the vault and the sun is already set. He's been working out and preparing for like 3 hours already and its time to take a little shower to freshen up his mind.

He walked through the hall silently and to his room, grabbed a towel and cracked open the bathroom.

"Gosh! Wear something!", He turned around after seeing Darwin bathing naked to the icy shower on his bathroom. His body almost shinning like diamonds in the sprinkle of water dripping into his perfectly toned body. Stephen took a short glance at his body and he can't help but get insecure about his own flaws.

"Cool. Is this your first time seeing a guy naked?", He teased him with one eye closed because of the drop of water.

"I've seen myself naked so technically not. Second, why are you here?", Stephen pulled the shower curtain back and stood at the corner. He looked up waiting patiently for Darwin.

"I'll go take a shower on the next room", He turned around and walked out of the bathroom only to see Darwin playfully blowing his hair in front of the mirror already.

"When did you?...", He looked back at the shower but no one was there. He turned to Darwin again and gave him a confused and annoyed look.

"Actually I was taking a shower in the room next to this one. I was just wondering if I can play a little trick on you by flashing my image in your mind. Guess you're as vulnerable as ever", Darwin looked at him with malice from the mirror.

"How was my body then?", He added with his voice tinted with seduction.

"Horrible. Just so you know", Stephen rolled his eye at him and slid into the bathroom.

Few minutes passed and everything is set. Darwin is nowhere to be found.

"What a useless brat", He murmured as he locked the front door and walked down his yard to the driveway.

"Not if you let me out", A familiar voice broke off from the roof of the parking. Stephen looked up and saw Darwin siting with his legs crossed, smiling like evil with his blood lips and grey eyes brushed smoothly by the soft moonlight.

"Talk to the man in the moon", Stephen just gave him a bad look.

Darwin blocked him on his way to his car in split second. Looking straight into his eyes with a deadly expression.

"Look, I'm trying to help because I'm bored and rotting here. I don't want to be with you it's just that my hands are itching for someone to kill and it will be a real spoiler if I kill you. So let me out and I might be a little help", Darwin gave him a fake smile as he tried to bargain.

"That's why you should stay here. You could kill thousands of innocents in just a night", Stephen shrugged his shoulder and walked passed beside him . He opened the car and slid himself to the driver seat and pound the horn which get the shit out of Darwin, the fact that he hates loud noises.

Darwin just rolled his eyes and walked away as he watched Stephen's car pulled away from the driveway. He kicked open the front door and towards and the living room. Threw himself on the couch and lay there totally pissed off. He tried to convince himself that somehow he was nerfed so bad that he can't do anything at all. All because of that night that he tried pulling Stephen's heart out and a light or something he didn't understand shut his ravaging spirit inside. But that doesn't mean that he's not on top of everything, it's just that something on his league just broke off and took rivalries with him.

He looked at the door and to the glass like walls of the force field. He picked himself up and wore his savage mode before dashing like lightning towards the wall. But an overwhelming electric shock grabbed him by his core and toasted the hell out of him to the ground. His skin, smoking in roast as he pulled himself up.

"Fuck!", He cursed under his breath and tried pushing his body again. But the same thing struck him over and over again.

He laid down defeated. His energy dropped down real quick like it was siphoned by the force field. He looked at the moon and closed his eyes, trying to absorb a little power that he can out of the moonlight that shines upon him. He tried once again, this time the shock was so strong that blood dripped down his ears, eyes and nose. He pulled back, catching his breath at the loss of energy and lay down once again.

Stephen on the other side parked his car and walked silently inside an abandoned hospital. The atmosphere feels so thick that his senses tingled on the presence of things that are unknown. He pulled his phone and dialed his co-hunter's number.

"I'm here", He said as he looked at the request paper on his left hand.

The request says about children abducted by some people that transforms into dogs. Usually lurking at night and taking children even inside their houses. The request has 300 signed petitions and 15000 loots as a reward for the head of the alpha. Requested three days ago.

"About the request, these things are werewolves, aren't they? I mean this is too obvious. Only werewolves shift shapes", Stephen added on.

"Actually there are many creatures that transforms, werewolves are just one of them. But if you look further at the request, they are into children rather than anything else", the voice on the other line replied.

"So what could it be?", Stephen asked again.

"Did you hear about hellhounds? The dogs of the underworld. An old myth says that they are the harbringers of death, so there's a bigger chance that they take children for a meal or a sacrifice for something bigger and more malevolent", explained the voice coming from the other line.

Stephen looked around the building.

"So we dealing with Satan here?", He tried joking.

"Haha somehow, now your task is to first, exterminate the hellhounds and second, bring the head of the alpha. You will have a bounty worth thousands after this one and besides, it must be really easy for you to finish them off", the voice complimented him with a hint of smile from the other line.

Stephen thanked him and hung the phone up.

He looked around once again and walked further inside the building. He can smell blood lingering in the air as reeks of dogs bothered him while he goes.

"You gotta be kidding me", He whispered under his breath as a sight came into view. His heart almost crumpled like paper on the heartbreaking scene.

Children, crucified naked and unconscious inside a circle of fire. Their cries filled the open air, the sounds of agony and pain weighed down the vibe of the surrounding. Stephen closed his eyes and picked himself up. He looked up again and wore a furious look.

He was about to run towards the children when a huge doglike creature blocked him with a threatening face. Its bile dripping like glue from his watery mouth as its razor sharp tooth showing as an intimidation to him.

He pulled a tube from his pocket and it immediately wiggled into a whip that shines like a river of stars. He danced at the strike of it and a growling sound roared like thunder. The doglike creature lanced forward and hovered him with its huge body but Stephen evaded him. He pulled a pair of gun out from his legs and showered a couple of shots towarfs the enemy. But it seemed that silver bullet doesn't affect it either. He tried luring him away but unfortunately, the enemy came as a pack. A wave of hellhound broke lose coming towards him all at once.

"Shit!", he cursed under his breath as he looked around surrounded by flesh-hungry canines.

He danced along with his whip and guns at the same time but the enemy is never losing number. He can feel a great loss of energy trying to fight and escape at the same time. He looked up to see more eyes looking down at him ready to attack him anytime. He pulled another tube from his pocket and it wiggled into a whip again, this time it looks like a river of flames. He danced again with a twin weapon in both of his hands, slashing and striking the enemy with all of his might.

The hellhound really outnumbered him at the situation.

A pair of claws grabbed him by his neck as claws digging harshly like iron nails through his skin. He scream at the pain as fangs dug deeply into his neck and arms. His blood spayed like water spout in the air as his voice roared like thunder in pain. His ribs broken by the smack of one of the hellhounds and his left eye blinded by a scratch.

Blood dripped down from his mouth as he laid down on the grown, almost unable to move. He never doubted his abilities but the enemy is beyond his expectation. But giving up is just a fantasy away, so he pulled up and grabbed his weapons again and launch another counter attack. This time he tolerated every pain and just moved forward. Another wave of hellhound hovered him but he ignored him again.

A few moments passed and his body gave up, he crashed down to the ground with his back. Bruises and wounds all over his body as the enemy looked down at him after shifting into a human again.

"Ignorant hunters", One of them said.

"You delivered your own death", A female voice laugh at the back.

Stephen shut his eyes. His body cannot move anymore and the energy has totally gone.

Suddenly, a voice came inside his head. A soothing male voice whispered.

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae" , the voice said.

"Who are you?", Stephen replied.

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae", the voice said once again.

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae?", Stephen followed.

"Call thy chain, the hollow had sustained", the voice whispered once again.

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae", another voice followed.

Another voice add up to one another and the whispers turned to screams.

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae!!!", the voice screamed in chorus.

Stephen opened his eyes as blue ring lights started circling around his iris. The markings on his back can be felt moving in circles. His lips moved by its own saying the words...

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae", he whispered.

Time stopped in a heartbeat.

Darwin, laying on the ground totally worn out lay on the ground with his eyes shut. Suddenly, a thunder hit him from the clouds. His eyes opened as blue ring lights started moving in circles. The mark on his chest can felt moving, the feeling like two snakes biting each other.

"Veni ad me, et torquem cavae", Stephen's voice whispered.

He felt a strong surge of power as flipped back from the ground. His eyes turned from blue to crimson red and his wounds healing rapidly. He bent over and pulled his wings on and dashed forward in a speed of light. Passing through the force field and into the air.

His surge of energy is so strong that it attracts lighting with his ever move. He looked up, feeling the taste of the open world once again. He flew towards the opposite direction of where Stephen was but something stopped him, he shook his head in confusion as he turned back and lanced straight forward to the same direction where Stephen is instead.

A pair of claws was about to hit Stephen open in the face when an eerie vibe just filled the air once again. The creatures stepped back a few steps after realizing that an entity beyond any imagination decided to make a visit.

"Just in time...", Stephen whispered as he saw a shadow figure decapitating the hellhound all at once.

"Stop charming me idiot!", Darwin snapped at him while beheading and slashing through the pack of hellhounds like it was nothing.

"The rest is up to you", Stephen let out a deep breath before closing his eyes. But Darwin grabbed him by his shirt up and gave him a bad look.

Darwin grabbed his wrist and dug his fangs. Drops of blood started flowing out of his veins as he grabbed Stephen's head and rubbed his wrist into his mouth to take his blood.

"Suck and heal dumbass. The dog show is still on", Darwin gave Stephen a mocking face, "Just don't die".

Stephen pulled himself up. He can feel a wave of energy flow inside him as his wounds heal by Darwin's blood. He pulled the whip and slashed it, the streams of stars and flame stared flowing from his weapon as they both stood back to back in their battle stance.

Darwin just stood at his back wearing a malicious smile and unbothered look. His eyes glowing and beating like embers in the dark and his smiles sending shivers to the enemies around them.

In a drop of time, the two of them lanced forward in a speed of a light towards the bigger waves of hellhounds coming their ways. Though outnumbered, they never felt any exhaustion in brawling against the horde of flesh eating hellhound.

The clash went on for many minutes. But all of a sudden, a very odd sensation cracked the thick atmosphere. Suddenly, everyone felt sleepy, anxious and afraid, like going insane.

Stephen fell into his knees in a sudden drop of energy.

Darwin also fell hard on the ground, the fact that his senses were heightened doubled the feeling that anyone in the surrounding felt. He looked at Stephen and signalled him to shut his eyes. He almost screamed at the mixed torture of his senses as he crawled towards the rock stairs.

"Death Preying...", Darwin whispered under his breathe. He tried to shut his eyes when someone just a few meters away from him spoke.

"It's been centuries big brother...", A sweet male voice came from a few steps above him. His eyes went from crimson to brown and his expression relaxed at the sight of a very familiar face.