Isran walked in, and everyone's heads seemed to turn towards him. "Oh, if it isn't the woman of the hour." He looked at Ian. "Hold your whining, let's get a room." He guided Ian and Veda to the furthest conference room from the corridor. It also seemed to be the only empty one. "All right, let out the complaints now." Isran looked at Ian. "You are such a jerk. I told you we were coming straight after school, and now she had to lie to her parents. We don't need any more loose ends, Isran." He said, irritated.
"I was busy, so sorry to mess up your schedule a bit, Ian. But, it was more important than this. They were coming to- they were coming where they shouldn't have, and I needed to be the reinforcement to our brothers." Isran defended.
"Great excuse." Ian laughed sadly. "So, Veda. I hear you're having a second realm related problem. It's actually great that you're here, now my doubts can be voided about you being subjugated." He admitted. "Yes, I do. Shadows, spirits, have been following me. Chasing me. I think they're trying to hurt me, but I don't know why." Veda tried to explain.
"Yeah, got it. He gave you the blade?" Isran asked. "Yes, but I haven't been able to use it. They haven't come since Ian came to the house the other day." She mentioned. "Wonderful. That means they're backing off. They know we have you." He smiled.
"I was told that you could help me, not manage me." Veda crossed her arms. "Right, well, to do that we just need to train you as a hunter. Officially make you one of us, and everything will be great. Peachy, even. Once you're fully one of us, they wouldn't dare to touch you. They would have to give up, like the prophecy suggests." He smiled even brighter this time. Silence filled the small conference room for just a moment.
"Everyone keeps saying prophecy. What prophecy?" Veda asked, wondering just what she had gotten herself into.
"I'll explain this as simply as I can, but it's not a simple story. About 15 years ago I was on a hunt with my comrades, and we were exploring a cave. There was a younger woman who was determined to wash writing off of this wall. We all thought she was crazy, that they had hypnotized her. We tried to talk to the lady, but she was bent on ignoring us. I even tried to grab her, to get her off of her hands and knees, but she shoved me off with immense force. My heart stopped beating when she shoved me, it was like I was frozen in time. One of our girls went over to her, my sister in fact. That crazy woman stabbed her with a small rock from the cave, and she died in my arms. The woman went back to her scrubbing, like nothing had happened. I snuck behind her and stabbed her through the back." He finished.
Veda grimaced, but he didn't seem to notice. "She was a witch, that's what she deserved. I studied the wall and realized what it was, a prophecy. A girl that would be unknown to the witches or the hunters for her first 15-ish years of life. But whoever could find her, and entice her to join them, would prevail in the war. You see, the war hasn't even begun, but now we have the weapon. It's you. You have the blood of a witch, but with us, you won't carry on the line. You're one of the very few of your generation in our area with the witch blood. Not only that, but you're half-and-half. Meaning that you can learn both the skills of a hunter and a witch. Well, anyone can learn the skills of the hunter because all hunters are human. But someone with the powers of a witch fighting the other witches, that makes us more powerful than you think." He chuckled, walking to the other side of the conference room table.
"You want a potential enemy against ally lines for extra strength. That's the only reason you're going to help me? Not out of the, I don't know, goodness of your heart?" Veda asked accusingly. "Well to be fair we're also preventing our demolition by the witches." Isran added.
"So I'm just your tool." Veda put on an unsettling smile. "You're no one's tool Ve-" she cut him off, "don't call me that." Veda interrupted. "Because your brother used to?" Isran asked cunningly. "You know what, I'm not your weapon. I feel bad for the other hunters. You're a terrible leader." Veda turned to walk away, but Ian had grabbed her arm. "Please stay. You may not like it, but you need him. Even if he is sort of a jerk, okay?" Ian asked.
Veda stood for a moment, pondering the different outcomes. With a sigh she began, "fine, my mother would be angry if I came home without you. So, great leader. When can I get started?" Veda pulled herself together and plastered a polite smile. She held her hands at her waist and sighed lightly. "That was quick, someone has experience. Well Ian, your assignment is over. You can stop being gentlemanly now. Act like a hunter." Isran scolded. "Yes sir. I'll leave after weapon briefing." He announced, leaning against the wall. Veda was confused in so many ways. "Weapon?" She asked.
"Oh, yes. You'll need this, it's specially made to help fend off any being from another realm, and it's more efficient than the blade. Go ahead, Ian, you can leave. Go get the next one for your assignment. Make sure you get everything from this one's home." Isran instructed.
While walking out, Ian added, "you thought that was real?" He chuckled, "man do I make a good prince charming. This was your first test, and you failed. I could have let you to your death. I'm disappointed, do better… So naive Veda. It is interesting how easy you trust, you should work on that." He stretched his arms up and added, "I am free of acting like Ty, thank heavens!" Ian and Isran shared a laugh.
Veda was hurt and confused. It all started to slowly make sense the more she thought on it. Ian and Isran are the same, Ian was on a mission to grab me for his leader. His goal was to be charming, to soften me up and make me want to join. She scoffed. "So all I am is a tool. That's just wonderful, isn't it?" The life slowly drained from her eyes. It felt like she was being pulled to sleep, into another nightmare.
She was pulled back to reality when Isran began speaking again, "what a woman, making it more dramatic than it is." Isran shook his head. "Excuse me? I thought for once I could get some damned support and not have to do everything by myself. I'm just so, so sorry that it feels so dramatic for you." Veda realized that that phrase was not meant for him, but for her mother. It was too late now, though. He cut in, "your par-" Veda interrupted his statement. "No. My parents are so caught up in ruining themselves and their marriage that I might as well just be non-existent. I guess that's it though, I'm just that naive to use your words exactly." She paused for a moment. "You know, I'm just gonna go." Ian grabbed her arm, before she could move this time.
"Boy, let her go." Isran turned to Veda. "You know you can't leave without that weapon. You'll be completely defenseless, I have the blade Ian gave you." Veda checked her pocket, it was gone. When had that happened? She paused.
"Then I guess I'll be defenseless. Maybe then you'll have a vengeful spirit to deal with, I hear they're nasty." Veda yanked her arm from Ian's long grasp, and swung open the door. Why did I even think I could trust someone to help with this? Naive, idiot. She smacked her forehead lightly. A sudden pain pinched the back of her head. "Oh, Miss Veda. Are you okay? Where are you going?" It was Ivan, standing by the nearest exit. "I'm fine, thanks…and I'm going, anywhere. Your boss is a dimwit." Veda faked a smile and pulled the door open. "Just be safe." He gave his regards and let Veda leave.
She had no idea where she was, and so she called her father. No answer. She tried her mother. No answer. "I swear." Veda mumbled. She took a guess and headed in one direction.
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Twenty minutes later, Veda was completely lost. She turned around, looking for anyone to help her find her way home. This is what happens to the naive, she thought ironically. She couldn't get the word "naive" out of her head. Veda laughed, and pulled pepper spray out of her boot. She was ready if anything were to come. She spotted someone, a woman that seemed to be in her mid-20s. "Hey! You look kinda lost there sweetie. Do you know where you are?" Veda noticed her country style accent right away. Veda didn't want to seem completely lost, she replied with "sort of. I have a meeting at the rec center in ******* City, and I'm not sure exactly how to get there." Veda fake chuckled. "May I ask how old you are? You look like a highschooler." The girl assumed.
"I'd rather not answer, I can get help from someone else." Veda began to walk away. "Oh no, sweetie it's fine. I was just wondering because I'm looking for a highschooler. I was supposed to pick up my niece, but I have no idea where she's gone and she seems to be about your age." The woman excused. "Oh, I'm sorry." Veda quickly expressed her apology. "No, I'm sure she's just out with her friends. Okay, here's a piece of paper. I'll write it down." They stood in silence while she scribbled directions on a small notebook.
Then she handed it over to Veda. She reached out to grab it, but recoiled in pain. "AH!" Veda backed up slightly, shaking her hand up and down in pain. "Oh my, I am so sorry honey. Looks like it was probably just a paper cut, you know they say some people are more susceptible than others." She smiled politely. "Yeah, must've been... Well thanks!" Veda accepted the paper with no burn this time. "Anytime! You better hurry up and get home before it gets real dark hun!" She yelled. Veda hurried off into the distance.
Finally returning home, she became suspicious. She knocked on the front door, no answer. After fishing through her small, across-the-shoulder purse, Veda found her keys. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Veda walked over to the houseplant by the stairs and picked it back up. Oh god. Were they really fighting? Veda wondered. A shadow appeared behind her, creeping over her shoulder. "Get away." Veda muttered aggressively. She jogged up the stairs and called out. "Mom? Dad? Are you okay? Did something happen?" She heard some crying. "In here Ve, in here." It was her father's voice.
She hurried to her room, that's where the voice was coming from. Her mom was on the floor, with a pool of her blood around her. Her father was holding her, crying. It felt like Veda had just had the wind knocked out of her. A voice fogged her mind. What once was doesn't have to be what now is, little witch. Veda could feel her eyes filling with tears. You just have to join me Ve. Then you'll learn. You can save her, if you work for it. Her eyes were now swelling up. Ved- "bloody hell would you shut up!" Veda screamed. Her father looked at her with fear in his eyes. She shook her head. "Not you, not you. The voice." Veda tried to explain.
"What voice?" Her father asked, a lifeless look in his eyes. "The one in my head." Veda crouched down, and placed her hand on her mom's cheek. She was cold. "Veda we have to go." He stood up, now his eyes just looked empty. "Dad what happened." Her throat was starting to burn from holding the tears. Now she could feel them falling down her face.
"It came, it came, it came Ve. We have to go before it comes back." He pleaded. "It?" Veda questioned. "The man. But, almost not a man. Maybe it wasn't a man. He had a crossbow. He shot her. I took the arrow out, but, she bled out. I couldn't save her Ve. What am I?" He asked, his voice becoming shaky. The word crossbow sat in the front of Veda's mind.
"They wouldn't. Son of a gun. We really have to get you out of here. They killed mom, I am going to kill them all. But they can't hurt you." Veda felt like she was slipping from reality. "You need to leave. I will not let them hurt you." Veda assured, a deranged look crossing over her face. "You can come with me Ve, you have to." Her father added. "No, I want to stay here. Go stay with Aunt May. She's not happy with us but she'll take you in. I'll, I guess I'll call. Just go."
Veda pushed him out of the door and he went flying down the stairs. "Oh my god! No! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She jumped down the stairs and pulled him up from the ground. "What the hell was that?" He asked, now filled with panic. "You have to go before they come here." Veda was so sleep deprived, she could feel it weighing on her. "Who's they?" Her father asked. "Funny, I was just asking the same question. But it looks like we have different answers." She sent him off, assuring that she would be okay. He had no choice but to listen, the man was so shaken up he could have strangled someone. She sat in the kitchen, just staring at the wall. What the hell did she put in motion by going to see Isran?