Summer Kingdom rests beneath two mountains called Geminin they're not two tall but linked and shaped in letter L they shield Kingdom from North and West. On the South after endless fields comes beautiful see and harbor for ships. They get their fish from there and trade their goods with other kingdoms with their ships. On East is Magic forest and way to Dark kingdom. It's way they never wonder through and Kingdom they never deal with. It's not necessarily bad place, it's just place of magic with awful queen that rules with darkness and fear. A lot of people from there hides in other kingdoms hiding their powers just so they could escape cruel Queen. Some of them hide even in Summer Kingdom where rules against magic are harsh as King banned all use of it from kingdom. Jasmine, the capitol city of Summer Kingdom lies in corner between those two mountains with castle raising on sides of mountains in levels and high towers all made from black stone. The castle connects with city with moveable bridge over the Crystal lake. Jasmine in itself is beautiful city with breathtakingly looking gardens and huge houses. Only elite of whole kingdom lives there. As city runs fourth from castle and elite streets houses get smaller with no gardens and far more bars and brothels where elite comes to spend money and act like snobby jerks they are. All the way to the West half way to mountain in middle of woods one shabby house stands. One floor house made of wood is where Witch hunter's family lives. Family of two with old Sam Hunter as father and retired Witch hunter and Down Hunter as daughter and mischievous loner with wolf for a pet. Down loves mountain and woods, likes to hunt her own food and hates people from capitol. She hates all of them, rich and poor, good and bad. On good days she tolerates some of them on bad days she even hates her father. Today might even be the worst day yet.
She was high up in mountain hunting when od feeling came over her. It wasn't surprise those odd feelings like something was crawling her skin, wet and cold, would come to her when something specially bad was about to happen. Like when somebody stupid would wonder into magic woods. She lost the count of how many times she had to save some rich kid from claws of some wild, magical creature. Now there was that feeling again and in sudden shiver it brought to her body she missed her target. Brown rabbit looked at her with mocking glint in his eyes and cheerfully jumped deeper into woods losing his trail.
-Damn it. -she cussed lowly looking after rabbit, she could try and track another animal but she lost her interest. Awful feeling wont leave her till she solves the problem. She tried to resist it before but it drives her mad till she gives in. It's like magic forest uses every opportunity to call her. And she hates how it feels like home while she wonders through those dangerous woods.
-I guess it's only vegetables for dinner tonight. -she said turning around to look at her wolf resting beneath one tree. Wolf huffed at her annoyingly like she was to blame for missing rabbit. His big grey form jumped ready to hunt rabbit on his own.
-No Silver. -she warned and wolf huffed again but listened her orders. -We have to get to city by nightfall. Something's wrong.
Wolf looked at her disinterested like he didn't give a damn of what was going on in human world lazily stretching his body and she smiled at him.
-Yeah, I hate those motherfuckers too. -she said to him cussing but still put her bow over shoulder leaving the woods towards her home. Maybe, just maybe her father was there surprisingly sober and knows who from rich bastards decided to play hero in Magic forest. But finding her father home and sober wasn't possible in whole last decade of her life.
As she expected her shabby home was empty aside from huge, black raven. It was old and lazy bird Down never saw flying further then apple tree behind house. Raven named by her father Mr. Grumpy just looked at her once then went back to his half sleeping state as any other day. Silver growled at him but raven didn't pay him any attention.
-Where's dad? -she asked knowing well that raven wont even move to her question.
-Useless fucker. -she added leaving her bow on hook next to door. She took her belt with sword and short dagger from the hook and put it on her waist instead. Then she ran to her room taking small leather beg with coins from there. It wouldn't be first time that she had to pay for her father's drinks in Lady's den.
Lady's den was favourite bar of her father, sometimes he would stay for days there if she wouldn't come for him sooner. But it was also good place to find information on all shit happening in Jasmine. And that was her first destination. She had her own path through woods avoiding main roads and getting there faster but it still took her almost two hours to get there on foot. They used to have horse but her father sold it so he could drink himself into oblivion. Silver followed her focused like he could feel danger too. People got used to weird Hunter girl walking around with wolf by her side but they still avoided getting closer to her which's why she never went to city without her wolf.
She reached Lady's den by the time sun was getting down behind the mountain, shadows were already stretching through half darkness. The bar was old looking two floors house in dirty grey colour. All windows were painted red and you could barely see weak lights inside. But she could hear noise of loud drunk people as soon as she stepped into street. House located somewhere in the middle with few more bars with different names close by. She sighed facing wooden door also painted in red once upon a time. It faded into dirty, rusty colour over the years. Owner only made sure that lock was always new.
Down pushed door harshly making it slam to a wall on her way in, it was sure way to get attention from everyone present. She gazed over whole place finding that her father wasn't on barstool like he usually was but she still made her way towards it with heavy determined steps. All eyes were still on her and grey wolf following right behind her. She looked gaze with bartender, old Mr. Smith that knew her very well from all the times she came to pick her drunk father up. In far corner on the left two girls were laughing and throwing themselves over a young man in expensive suit, nothing knew. But she caught glint in man's eyes following her all the way to bar. It didn't worry her only annoyed her to no end. She didn't know man, he must be new around here which means he didn't know not to play with her.
-Where's he Smith? -she asked locking gaze with old bartender again but before he could answer deep voice came from left corner.
-It's one fine looking beast you've got following you. -man said but she paied him no attention still looking at Smith.
-King's men were here few hours ago. -Smith said in dark voice. -They said that King needs his services and they took him with them.
-What the hell? -she cussed. -He doesn't hunt anymore, he misses shoo with his foot how drunk he always is.
-Yeah I know. -Smith agreed. -He's less threatening then old blind cat and he tried to tell them so but they had orders and they took him with them. I guess he's in castle by now.
-Shit. -she cussed again. -I had feeling something bad is coming but had no clue it's this bad.
-It's Prince. -deep, gruff voice said again man was standing right next to her now. He was tall, masculine, pretty even with dark hair and same deep dark eyes. He shamelessly looked her up and down smirking. -Prince has gotten himself lost in Magic forest. I guess King will task old Hunter with finding him.
-My dad can't find his own ass much less lost Prince. -she huffed more to herself already ignoring man as she turned to leave. She had to go to castle and face King, if she hated this part of city elite part and castle she hated even more.
-What's the rush baby? -man said grabbing her arm and Silver growled in warning but she just shook her head for him to stay put. Man was still looking at her with smirk as she turned around to face him. He was taller then her sure but she fought bigger man.
-Call me baby one more time. -she said with smirk of her own dangerous glint in her eyes that man obviously didn't see.
-C'mon baby. -he said again and she moved fast and swift. Her foot hooked with one of his sure kick bringing him down. He was still holding her wrist pulling her down with him but she was ready for that banding her knees not to fall on her face she used her focus to pull her wrist free hitting him in the face as they were falling. She was now sitting on him as his head hit the floor hard. Before he got his focus back on her she hit him in the face again family ring on her hand cutting his cheek open. She smirked again on sight of blood some sort of beast waking up in her. This time man's head stayed on the floor with painful grunting and swiftly Down jumped to her feet one foot pressing down on man's neck.
-That's enough D, you made your point. -old Smith said eyes focused on known madness in her eyes. Every now and then some fucker would try to flirt with her and it would always end up like this. They lived in world where men underestimate women, specially pretty women. And Down was pretty and challenging like warrior goddess. Unlike other girls she always wore leather pants and jacket which was in their society man's clothes and it accentuated her slim yet attractive figure. Her face was heart shaped, pale and flawless with just bit of blush on high cheekbones, her nose small and perfect, lips fool plump almost always curved in dangerous smirk, her eyes green like Magic forest and her hair long, wild and bright red like fire. Old Smith watched boys and men stare at her with interest many times but she stayed cold like Frozen Kingdom he once visited in his youth. She was still pressing on man's neck and he was making chocking noises but it seemed to amuse her even more.
-Smith. -she said not letting go of man on the floor. -You let too many assholes drink in your bar. It's not healthy.
-I know. -Smith sighed. -But it's assholes who have money.
-Pity. -she growled much alike her wolf would and then slowly she let go of man on the floor turning again to leave. This time man didn't say anything to her and Smith sighed in relief. Her wolf stayed next to man watching him carefully still growling deep in his throat and man paled on floor like he just now saw big, grey beast eyeing him.
-Come Silver. -she ordered when she was on door and with one finale growl wolf jumped after her leaving Lady's den.
Sun was completely gone now and darkness was tick in air on places where petroleum street lamps weren't placed. She pulled on hood of her jacket hiding most of her face and red hair with it looking up the street towards castle. Her steps were sure as she walked fear was never part of her nature. Even as little kid Down never showed fear, not in front of dangerous animals nor in front of witches that used to hunt her and her father when she was still small. It's when witches stopped hunting them that her father faded away in alcohol. Like he missed the danger or purpose. But one part of her knew that her father was broken for much longer, he just never had time to dwell in his pain before, not when she was small and needed his protection, not when they had witches and other magical creatures hunting them down. Down grow up little bit in all of four free kingdoms she knew of and still she never felt like she belongs there. Not the way she felt in Magic forest. Huge, black wings caught her attention as she was walking through street avoiding eye contact with all passers. Bird made full circle in the air above her head then landed gracefully on her right shoulder.
-Mr. Grumpy. -she hissed in surprise, old raven didn't flue this fare since she was kid. -What are you doing here?
-Hunt! -raven screeched on her shoulder unmoving, black eyes focused on castle in distance.
-Hunt! -he screeched again and she shivered on it's gravy voice. Whatever was going on wasn't some usual shit and she didn't like it one bit.