Saturday

August 31, 2012,

10: 30 AM

Emma sighed deeply, a wide steaming coffee mug held to her lips as she sat on the front porch. She's been alone for a few days, three months after Valli and his group disappeared into a portal rip. She's still unable to comprehend why or how they did so, as there is no concrete evidence of what they were researching when she scours the library for clues. None of the other Hunters under Valli's management knew the blind man was hunting again, let alone any cases he might've had. At this point, the Huntress suspects the group is gone forever or met the hunter's fate of death. She's kept her promises to him and Addy; she lived in the house and cared for it, the animals, and the market. Rather than leave to hunt, she's also taken up Valli's management. To the outside world, and some of the inside, Valli is off on a vacation.

While she's curious, her gut and the limited investigation she held, suggest the case the group worked on was way over her head. The giant hybrid haunts her dreams. Addy was vague when they spoke, the witch blatantly stated Emma was not prepared to handle whatever it was. The Huntress is more than content to stick close to the house, as she has no family or partners impatiently waiting for her and hunts have been suspiciously low for the past few months. Since the portal, it appears hunts have lowered with its disappearance. Other Hunters are having difficulty locating Hunts as well, the men and women Valli manages have been held up in motels stifling through the internet, newspapers, and news channels in an attempt to find omens and haunts. In a world where monsters should be overpopulated, running rampant; no sign of them is worrying, if relieving. For the past three months, Emma has housed ten different Hunters and Huntresses in Vallis' home. Each of them scoured the library, and newspapers and ran into New Orleans in search of haunts to check out.

For her, she finds it relaxing. The woman needed the long break, as her last Hunt before she came to Louisiana was rough. She had bones that needed mending, severe gashes, and a missing middle finger (she flipped off the wrong Ghoul) she needed to heal. This domestic farming life is soothing after a decade of blood, gore, and death and she secretly – selfishly – hopes Valli, Kane, and their Aunts don't return. It's a shameful thought, and she makes up for it by wishing they return in one piece every night in the bed she claimed on the first floor. The woman tried to keep everything the same, only cleaned and kept the house neat. She's used her saved money to keep the fridge full for all the Hunters, a bill she nearly cried at – how does Valli spend so much money on only groceries? It's ridiculous, honestly, she scoffs at herself humorously. However, she doesn't genuinely hate that complaint of bills and the lifestyle has taught her to pick her battles; a safe, protected farm where the only real worry is the grocery bill? That's almost too good to be true, and every Hunter she knows would take that risk.

This morning, Emma woke up expecting the same routine to play out as the day she arrived. She'd make breakfast depending on who was here, drink some coffee, and then do the chores for a few hours. She'd research bestiaries for hours until the middle of the night, when she could pass out in bed. This was her first mistake: expecting the expected.

Breakfast went well; she ate alone, blissingly. Currently, the woman is basking in the sunrise from the outdoor patio loveseat. Slippers on her socked feet leaning on her knees with her mug of hot coffee under her nose, still in her pajamas. An old pair of sweatpants she stole from her dead husband's dresser, a tank top with an unbuttoned worn thick plaid (also her husband's) over top. With her eyes closed, she cannot witness the sky abruptly rippling and tearing with a slice of glittering purple light. The piercing roar of Venus shocks Emma from the blissful silence, yelping as her coffee burns her hand and splashes over her thighs and the wood of the porch, the mug drops heavily at her feet yet her attention is caught elsewhere.

In the sky, above the house is the massive three-school-bus-sized hybrid gliding into the atmosphere on strong veiny wings. The woman gaps, eyes wide and scrambling to balance herself while the house trembles and quakes with the heavy landing of Venus's paws; the back legs then the front. The great head of the Hybrid shields her passengers from the woman's view, Emma is only able to observe as the gigantic creature shifts and moves cautiously, hypervigilant as if concerned to jar either an injury or an injured someone. This doesn't connect with the stunned woman's mind, overwhelmed by the sensory change of her surroundings. Quiet and peaceful; the only sounds are the stream in the back, the cows in the barn and the chickens, the wind in the branches, and the birds in the sky; flipped abruptly for the squawk and grumbles of Venus's chest, the birds and cows have gone cricket quiet and even the water in the swamp has been silenced in the loud stomping of the hybrid.

It's only as Venus is lowering her enormous torso to the ground, grand legs bending to lay her taut belly in the yard – her tail accidentally knocking three trees down. Emma hears the panicked shouts of Valli under the ruckus of the creature, her instincts kick in to drive her forward. She reaches the beast just as Sunny is lowered down softly by the tail, the Elder Huntress barely spares the woman a glance, too focused on tilting her head back to watch what is happening higher up. Briefly, without looking away, Sunny speaks quickly, the motherly concern now shining through since they are back home. "Kane and Addy got it good!" She waves a distracted hand towards the house, stepping back as Venus lowers the Witch down first. "Go get a bed ready, and some hot water!!"

The Witch is soaked from her left shoulder to her left thigh, and the black clothes she wears are sodden and sticky with warm, dried blood. Emma gasps, hurrying to help get the woman on the ground safely for the creature to get the men. Addy is pale, eyes calmly closed as if sleeping, and her hands are glowing a bright violet to shelter the long, gash-pumping blood with a numbing spell. She's breathing, yet that is the only clue given to identify if she's dead or not. Too much blood, Emma thinks gravely, no one will survive that. She gulps, carefully assisting Sunny to rest the Witch on the soft grass. Vaguely, she is concerned with the lack of noise Addy fails to make.

"Kane!" She jumps, head snapping upward so fast she's dizzy and her eyes spin momentarily with disorientating sparkles at the heart-wrenching shout of Valli. Sunny is frozen kneeled by Addy, eyes hopefully and painfully closed as they listen. "Wake the FUCK UP!!"

Within a moment, Sunny shoves Emma towards the house, repeating the orders from earlier. Emma stumbles over her feet, blinking as her mind struggles to comprehend where her morning went. She obeys, sprinting inside the house to prepare two beds and boiling water. Lord knows we're gonna need so much moiling water, maybe I can find a clothing iron as well?

Venus holds the men loosely with the tip of her tail, quickly yet carefully releasing them on the ground to give Valli time to get to his feet and lower Kane next to Addy on the grass. She moves off directly after, jumping into the open sky with only a judder from the earth. The gashes along Kane's torso are worse; his gut is shredded open, flesh flapping, chunks of muscles torn, and dark, discolored organs are free. The Hunter is pale, with clothes heavy with ichor, and breathing shallowly, head lolled to the side where his hair and beard are tangled with dried, clotted blood. Valli is torn between his Aunt and boyfriend, unable to comprehend where he's needed more. He settles at his knees between them, a hand clenching Addy's wrist while he carefully helps Sunny tear the filthy clothes from Kane's wounds.

His eyes overflow as he gets shiny glimpses of intestines and viscera, the sources of which make Kane the immense, robust man he loves. These parts shouldn't be seen or revealed. They are the secrets, the weaknesses, of a formidable, survivor of a man. Sunny yanks the ruined top layers off leaden arms, the damp fabric discarded in the grass behind the woman. She copies the action with Addy, instructing Valli to use knives to cut the moist and dry-hardened material from the witch. The tops land in the pile of Kane's useless layers. Now, bare to her hips (her breast hidden by her worn bra) it is clear the wound is worse than first thought.

From her left hip to the underside of her left breast is torn open, the slashes are even deeper than Kanes – while he is halfway gutted, Addy's lungs are visible through the rib cage, and the air sacks might be pierced as well. Stark white bone dirted with crimson greets the pair and a sharp breath is sucked in by Sunny as she studies the wounds with soft pokes and prods as she had done with Kane. The witch's dark flesh is slick with blood, and her torso is shredded by extensive, bloodied talon marks where the beast had snatched and hurled her into the air. Similar to Kane, flesh hangs uselessly against her side; disconnected and loose, unable to mend back together. Valli bites his lip, tears streaking his cheeks as his eyes flick between the two most important people in his life – feeling helpless.

Addy softly sighs, so silently the hovering pair don't catch it in their hast to clean her and Kane off with warm water Emma runs out with. She's breathing through the agony as best she can, her Seiðr assists in distracting her. It hurts, and inhaling a small breath pierces her with a throbbing anguish she yarns to end. She isn't passed out purely because of her residual power from the electric storm, the purple surrounding her injury slows the blooding and numbs her misery. However, the witch has sent most of this spell toward Kane — allowing her energy source to strengthen the man rather than heal herself.

Unlike the others, The Witch was prepared. Nothing surprises her much anymore; with a few exceptions. She knew her time would come on this journey, she designed for it. Her improvised plan was risky at best, a designed flaw at worst. While she was correct, the male beast (The Father) was too focused on his Mate, he was also prompt to react once she removed the invisible spell purposely. She had done it knowing she would get attacked, but she had done it to keep the male from dashing into the group. He needed to be distracted enough for the others to crowd the Nest, to give Venus time to land. If she hadn't, he would have bulldozed his way through them to protect his barren Mate. It was a calculated risk; one she prepped for before she even left this world. She had fulfilled her goal, her promise to Valli's parents, and she got to witness her nephew be himself again. That is all she ever wanted, she can leave this world happily now.

"Val... Amethyst..." Her voice is a mere croak, yet the rough rasp makes the three rushing to clean them, freeze. Emma and Sunny give small glances, continuing to use washcloths and towels to clean the dangerously wounded pair of gore and blood. Valli gasps, clenching his aunt's hand as he carefully leans over her.

"You're gonna be okay, Aunty! We'll fix this right up for you!" He reassures, the words more for himself than the woman, but he attempts to hide his fear with a kiss to her forehead.

He blinks as she shakes her head slowly, sluggishly. The Witch uses her last mental strength to magically push the hands off where they scrub softly. In shock, Emma and Valli just stare at her for a moment, Sunny bites her lip as she moves back to Kane – a painful sting in her chest as she comprehends where the Witch may go with this. Valli frowns deeply, tears drying and rewetting as he watches Addy shake her head softly. With a cough, she wheezes slightly as her eyes squeeze shut. "No. Kane will live, care for him."

Suddenly desperate, Valli refuses to understand the meaning behind the words. "What do you mean?! You can live too! We can–"

"I've lived my life, Val. It's time, Love." The words are hoarse but clear and firm. She gives neither him nor Emma time to argue with her on the matter, continuing with a sniffle and hack of blood. "I prepped. Moonstone – in the barn." Another croak, warm blood flows down the corner of her lips. "Check cabin."

"No. No, Addy, you're not gonna die!" Valli cries, pressing his cheek to her clammy and sticky one. Tears travel freely down his face, wetting and mixing with the blood. He rasps, "I can't– please don't leave me."

Emma scurried to give the pair a moment to say their goodbyes, her heart sinking to her gut as she once again witnessed not one but two different families feel the Hunter's Fate. While Valli mourns Addy, Sunny is left to try to piece her nephew back together. Knelt at the man's broad shoulders, the black woman stubbornly refused to cry as she cleaned the worst of Kane's wounds near his hip. His body is limp, vast chest shallowly rises and falls with ailing breaths. The massive, immovable, and intimidating man she had met previously has been cut down similar to a tree; impassive, unyielding, until it is cut down in its prime. The woman races to help, breaking open the four first aids she found on the first floor to gather the supplies. They work fast, hearts pounding and blood zooms through their ears, drowning out Valli's sobbing and the croaked breaths of Addy.

Kane's irritated muscles flinch and jerk at the introduction of alcohol, the first aid is stocked with medical and drinking alcohol; they use both. Slowly, with water, washcloths, and two rolls of gauze, the women sit back for a small reprieve. The man is now cleaned from the hips up, from his pelvis to his rib cage are thick layers of tight bandage to hold the loosened flesh and organs together, the stark white of the gauze gradually staining red.

"Shit." Sunny hisses under her breath, bloodied hands wringing her curly hair, uncaring of the sticky fluid. Her alert eyes stay trained on the bandage, and worry eats away at her from the inside like a worm.

Emma scoots closer, hesitantly laying a hand on the other woman's shoulder to provide comfort, as little as it is. She kept her voice low, a whisper between them. "What is it?"

The Huntress heaves a deep, grounding breath. Eyes slipped shut, hands resting on Kane's chest to feel his slow heartbeat. "He needs a hospital, now. He's losing too much blood."

Hospitals? Oh great. Emma winces but knows there is no choice. She doesn't have anything against hospitals, merely for Hunters they can be complicated. Hunters don't have the money to pay for bills, their injuries cause too much suspension or concern over animal attacks, and the number of lies can only go so far to be believable. However, these people are family, fellow Hunters and she never leaves a worthy Hunter behind.

"We can get him to New Orleans by his truck, then call EMTs to get a helicopter if needed. Or I can call right now, whichever you think is best." She's quick to give suggestions to help, eager to get Kane out of the danger zone. She had witnessed his and Valli's relationship very briefly, yet she knew they needed each other; now even more, with Valli left alone.

The Elder Huntress sharply shakes her head, clenching her jaw before sniffling softly. "Just call them now. They're gonna need a chopper, the ride will take too long with the roads like they are."

She refers to the half-paved and dirt path road, the only half-functioning road for miles. The Safehouse is buried in backwood country, no ambulance is making it through to the house within a reasonable time. Sunny is not risking Kane due to the emergency responders being late. Emma nods understandingly, wiping her hands on her pants (mentally notes to scrub them clean afterward, as she's done before). "I'll run inside to make it."

She spares a hesitant glance at Valli and Addy, only for the back of her eyes to sting in heartache. Valli is leaning over his Aunt, crying into her throat like a little boy again, slim body quaking with harsh weeps. Silently, she says her goodbyes and respects to the Witch; already planning to help with her Hunter Funeral. She deserves a proper farewell, as Hunters receive and she'll be damned if she doesn't gather Valli's Hunters together to make it happen. For now, she'll make the first, most important call she will make today.

###

He rasps, "I can't– please don't leave me."

A weak hand caresses the nape of his neck where he leans on her shoulder, frail fingers brushing soothingly. The witch projects her voice into his mind, her energy too drained to use her vocal cords properly. "You will." He sobs, body heaving and throat closing as he reluctantly nods. Addy sniffs, giving a lingering bloody kiss to his temple. "I love you, Valli. Take care of Kane, and yourself. My Moonstone is here with you, I'll be close by. But it's time I leave this plane of existence, and try something a little new ya know?"

Valli huffs, a shaky smile fighting his tears. "I get it." He nuzzles into her throat, desperate for more time as he whimpers. "I love you, Aunty. Thank you for everything."

"It's my job, Amethyst." Addy coughs, a guttural rasp that draws a pained sob from the woman. Weakly, she tightens her grip on Valli's. He hugs her tighter, cautious with her wounds. Then she's feebly pushing him away, "I've healed most of his wounds, but Kane needs you now, love. Let me look at you, please, Valli one last time."

His eyes are wet, flushed red when he rises to fulfill her last wish. Expression tight with grief and struggles to hold his wails, the paleness of her flesh is unnatural, and contrasts the fresh, dark, and bright blood coating her. However, he smiles back with trembling lips as the woman grins proudly at him. Cooing, her words echo within his skull lovingly. She can read he hasn't realized yet, but she knows he will soon -– her boy is too emotional to see just yet. "When you see, make a choice. Venus will grant whichever you wish, I promise." Cupping his cheek with a slim, graceful, yet weak hand, Addy allows herself to cry freely, fast stripes of teardrops create a path through the gore smeared on her face. "I'm so proud of you, Valli. Keep living for me, please."

"I will. I love you, I love you, love you," The words won't stop, he chants them to make certain she hears them. She gives a final small kiss to his temple. Then the words stop as she takes a stuttering soft breath, the exhale silent. The hand on his cheek slowly goes limp, and he wails silently into her neck.

Around them somewhere, Venus yowls her grief into the sky, echoing for miles like thunder.