𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 18: 𝕳𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖝𝖆𝖒
Anthony and the others were in a carriage. They had all left as early as they could and boarded the carriage for hours now.
Anthony looked through the window to see the last lights of the sun creeping out. He felt more than comfortable in his uniform. The black trouser and long sleeved shirt, warm and cozy, the green short cape which bared the symbol of the western kingdom. He felt the honour bestowed upon him by wearing the uniform, the sword in it's scabbard tightly strapped around his waist.
Anthony turned to his left where Barry sat and Chase on the far end, closest to the carriage door, they both seemed lost in thoughts. Probably thinking of what challenges they might face next.
He turned to his right to see Tyler, His eyes dim and James who stared down at the flooringof the carriage. Anthony looked to the opposite side of the carriage where the girls sat, and was stunned to immediately meet Artlery's stare. His eyes locked unto hers.
He didn't know what to make of the situation. He felt an urge to say something, but felt an opposing force as he attempted to.
He clenched tightly unto his trousers, feeling uncomfortable, his heart aching to spill out his feelings. But... What was he feeling? He asked himself.
"Hey" Artlery whispered breaking the silence.
Anthony gulped, not knowing the best reply to give. He wasn't experienced in talking to girls. "You look good... In the uniform", Anthony reddened in embarrassment as the words came out of his mouth.
Artlery giggled softly " thank you", she exclaimed smiling widely "you look manly in yours".
Anthony grinned " thanks, so..." He replied "after all this... Would you like to have a quick grab of food?"
Artery's smile deepened, she furrowed her eyes and replied "sure, as long as it's just me and you, no third party."
"Deal" Anthony said relieved to see this go better than he planned. He took his eyes off her and rested his back staring up at the roofing, getting instantly drowned in his own world, elated to have spoken to Artlery.
Chase tugged on Barry's arm violently, calling his attention.
"What?"
"You heard that?" Chase asked
"All of it" Barry replied, unsure of what point chase was trying to shed light on "why do you ask?"
"That is how real men do it", chase said " learn brother, learn".
...
The carriage came to an alt all of a sudden. Anthony peeked outside the window to see a crowd, some dressed in yellow capes and black uniforms baring a symbol on it, some others in blue capes baring another symbol on it, and others in grey with another different symbol.
"These are the students from the Eastern, Nouthern and Southern kingdoms" Tyler explained as if knowing the question roaming Anthony's mind "blue for Eastern, the symbol is two swords crossed. Nouthern are yellow, symbol of a rose set ablaze. The grey is the Southern, the symbol is a grey dragon and the Western is a flaming Phoenix".
"Ohhh, the Nouthern Hunters seem to be everywhere!" Barry exclaimed loudly staring out the window.
"That is because most of their students do not get thrown into demon possessing forest and get killed like the western" Fiona muttered " you should know this".
"Know..." Anthony turned to her confused "what?"
"Every year the population count of all the kingdoms are released. From the highest is the Nouthern, then Southern, Eastern and finally Western.
You can also use the population count to rank the strength of each kingdom. The Western owning the strongest of hunters, then the Eastern, the Southern and Nouthern" Tyler explains "the Nouthern kingdom is the...."
"Out!!!" The coach yelled out as he pulled open the door " Vindacurve gave me a last order to you all", he muttered with a deep scowl on his face "he told me to tell you, to go your separate ways in this final test, do not rely on anyone for protection or guidance. A true hunter is he that trusts his gut over anything else".
"Fine by me" James got up from where he sat, walked to the door, shoved the coach back and alighted the carriage.
Anthony and the others followed, leaving the carriage to take off raising a cloud of dust as it disappeared into the dark and gloomy night light.
"I guess this is it" Fiona said as she walked into the crowd disappearing, before their eyes.
Tyler smiled and walked away too "good luck all of you, make sure to stay alive".
Anthony turned and went his way walking shoulder to shoulder with the other recruits.
Anthony walked aimed at reaching the front of the line of recruits, and on his way he fed his eyes at the sight of gracious fountains, trees and statue. This place wasn't as bad as he thought it to be. He glanced at all the wonders of the place, and saw exotic sights, trees giving a fine golden glow. A smile beamed across Anthony's face, he was enjoying the veiw and savoured every moment of it.
The cool night wind swept through his hair letting his red hair fall back into waves on his head, at this place he felt at peace.
" Ayeee!" Anthony stopped as he felt an arm on his chest, he turned to see a recruit blue cape blocking him from moving further.
"You can't go any further", his voice was stern and gloomy.
Anthony looked around trying to understand what he was warning him about but couldn't comprehend it. He had reached the front of the line and there stood two women wearing the Western kingdom's uniform. They stood guard in front of a large golgen gate that led to a dark gloomy forest.
Finally after a while after scanning through his gaze met with a sight that stunned him. Down on the ground were multiple corpses of Nouthern and Southern students all freshly killed.
"Do not be a fool, they will cut you down like they did the others", the Eastern recruit urges his hand still on Anthony's chest.
Anthony shoved his hand off, feeling troubled by the sight of it "why were they killed?"
"Those hunters told them to back away from the gates, but..." The Eastern recruit turned to him, and whispers lowly for only Anthony to hear "you know Southern and Nouthern, their pride overwhelms them, so they challenged the hunters and in a second they were dead".
Anthony shook his head " what do you think is behind those gates?"
The Eastern recruit glared at him for a while before nodding "demon forest".
Anthony felt an intense wave of Aura enamating from the hunters by the gate. He could tell they were on a totally different level than the seniors that trained them, one of them could massacre the entire gathering if desired.
"Alright!" One of the knights walked forward "this is the final exam to the students of all kingdom's, this would determine whether or not you become a hunter or not.
Walk away while you still can for there is no going back".
There was a brief long silence as the woman finished with her words, no one dared to speak, knowing how powerful those women were.
The other lady walked past her, placed both hands on her waist and glared at them for a while.
"The fakani tree, is a tree that gives a golden glow that repels and poisons demons. Follow the trees and it will lead you out if the forest," she muttered continuing afterwards, "when those gates open." She completed.
"What's going to happen when..."
"We go in," the eastern recruit cuts him off.
"I am Anthony, Western kingdom," Anthony introduced himself with a welcoming grin on his face.
"Bradton, Eastern Kingdom, nice to meet you," Bradton replied.
Anthony hears a clang that calls his attention, after the officials, the gates weilded open showing the dark dim forest.
In a quick moment the recruits began to rush past him and towards the gate in a stampede, even Bradton had vanished into the mob.
Anthony felt overwhelming waves of anxiety wash over him, anxiety that formed into excitement that pulsed into his body. He jerks his head up a smile beaming across, "finally!" He yelled within before finally charging into the forest.
...
Anthony raced aimlessly through the forest as he had been for hours, surprisingly he hadn't caught sight of anyone ever since the gate. The forest was wide.
When there came uproars of screams, he would attempt to find the source but just as sudden as they came, they sufficed.
Anthony increases in pace, he had a sudden sense of foreboding and knew something was wrong. He paused his movements, tilting his head and surveying the area, Nothing. He narrowed his eyes even more to see deeper, he finally caught a glimpse of something. A shadow hovering over him and increasing fast in size.
Anthony recedes leaping backwards a few feet without hesitation. A little after he witnesses a human like object crash into the ground after him, raising a cloud of dust.
Anthony placed his right on the hilt of his sword clenching it tightly, feasting his eyes on the figure as the dust cleared out.
"Kakakakakaka!" It cackled, tilting his head around and back to give loud cracking sounds.
Anthony stared intently at the demon, huge purple horns, dark short hair, pale skin, huge claws and fangs, whole body filled with purple tattooed marks and blood all over it's face. It wore dark rag looking trousers, with no cloths on, showing it'ss well built body.
"You are a demon?" Anthony asks expressionless staring at the demon.
The demon launches to Anthony thrusting it's claws for his chest. Anthony sees this easily and recedes again by leaping backwards.
"Kakakakakak!" The demon cackles again slashing it's claws rapidly for Anthony, who dodges easily.
Anthony was shocked by the demons ignorance, such weak assaults, pointless and given less thoughts.
Anthony drew out his sword as the demon threw two punches at his face, he swung amputating it's hands.
"What!" The demon screamed. Anthony wastes no time as he slashed through the demons neck taking it's head off and plummeting down to the ground.
The head rolled a few feet away blood spewing from it's stump before stoping by a trees root, "how!" The head screamed in grief, "you took my head off like I was nothing! A warm up! I was just starting to have fun!" He barks out enraged.
Anthony turned to him sensing the resentment, he shook his head and watched the demons head and body crumble to dust.
A sense of relief washed over Anthony as the demon was finally dust. His heart leapt in him as he acknowledged he vanquished his first demon. His sword throbbed for more.
"Hheeeellppp! Help! Meeee!"
A loud scream erupted not too far away for all to hear. Anthony snaps out of his revelling moment, 'the scream!' "What kind of hunter would scream as pathetic as that," Anthony mumbled to himself.
He wasted no time breaking into a sprint, he bends his legs in a crouching position launching high up into the trees, he lands on a branch and launches again unto another branch headed for the cause of the scream.
Anthony was forced from the trees down to the floor as he came up to a forest clearing, he could tell there was a hot heated battle that happened there recently, some of the trees broken, some uprooted. He walked slowly into the debris cautiously having a great sense of foreboding. He tightens his grip around his sword's hilt searching hastily for any unusual things.
"Please! Don't eat me!"
Anthony heard the squirms and followed it deeper into the debris and not long after was before a deep gorge.
He glowered at the sight of the five Nouthern corpse and two eastern limp they were brutally killed, torn into large chunks of flesh.
He heard a loud chuckle from deep within the gorge. He narrowed his eyes to see a demon, dark green hair, huge bulging muscles, massive arms twice the size of that of a bear, huge dark horns, he wore no shirt and his whole body drenched with blood.
The demon raised an Eastern recruit off his feet by his cape shaking him abruptly in the air, and chuckling lightly, revelling the moment.
Anthony took a deep breath and held it, he bends his legs in a crouching position and launches with an amazing speed, tearing through the air with a gale after him.
Reaching the demon, he shoulder clashes the it with a great force that sends it flying in the air and crashing dozens of feet away raising a cloud of dust.
Thud! "Ouch," the Eastern recruit crashed back first, squirming and crying in a pathetic manner.
Anthony released his breath and stretches out his left to the Eastern recruit, "up on your feet, the battle is yet to be over."
The Eastern recruit shook his head crying even more, shivering and his teeth chattered in fear. "N... No! No!" He screamed as he broke into a sprint escaping the gorge and into the forest quickly.
"Tsk," Anthony looked down to the sword of the Eastern recruit that was running. "He left his sword!" Anthony screamed within, establishing the guy wouldn't last...
At the side of his eye he caught the glimpse of a balled fist coming his way. He evaded swerving left at the last moment.
The demon attacks again lodging it's fist deep into the floor, Anthony sees an opening at it's clearly unprotected neck. He slashed for it with all his might. As his sword grazes the neck of the demon,a violent gust of wind explodes from the demon.
Boom!
Anthony is hurled into the air by the wind, he crashes on the floor a little after, groaning "graahh!"
He quickly got to his feet, having an uneasy feeling. This demon had a special move, he had to take caution.
"Hehehehe!" The demon chuckled, "I will put you out of your misery weak
mouse, you thought playing hero at the worst moment," he muttered raising both his huge hands high overhead. "I am not like other weaklings you have fought, I will crush your skull like hell I did your people."
Anthony drawed in a long breath and held it. He launched again at full speed, on assault but this time more cautious.
The demon gave an uneven grin as it's hands bulged violently. It strikes the floor with a strong force letting out another violent gust of wind.
"Tsk!" Too fast for Anthony to block, the wind takes him off his feet and a dozen feet crashing into a tree. "Gaaahh!" He cried out in pain.
"Hehehehehe!" The demon chuckled again, "I told you I was special," he bragged.
Anthony got back to his feet and spat out blood, "I thought demons here didn't have any special abilities."
The demon glared at Anthony before letting out an overwhelming cackle, "being a normal demon and captured into this forest was hell for me, I was weaker than most of the other demons and bullied for food." He took a few before explaining further, "enraged and loathing my superiors, I threw punches non stop at trees, and one day, i woke up with the power to disperse wind from my hands. So I trained my ass to I was damn strong to let out combustions large enough to match... No surpass my superiors." He hunched his back and grinned widely, "you can't stop Nick."
Anthony needed to change his strategy, he needed to be faster. The wind caused his stamina to drop greatly and that would cost him. He took in a deep breathe, "then I shall die trying."
Nick charged for Anthony too fast for him to register, before Anthony knew it, Nick threw a balled fist for his chest.
"Tsk!" Anthony braced himself for impact as the enormous fist flew for him fast.
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