The alliance

The three kids are back!

Shadow Vale : hunters forever

Chapter 8: the alliance

It was a cool night in Shabow County. It was late in the day and the streets were empty.

Thomas was with his girlfriend walking down the aisle holding hands. He was leading her somewhere she didn't know.

"Where are we going to, Tom?" She asked him.

"You said you wanted to be like me, so I'm taking you to where you will get that chance," Thomas replied.

She stopped and looked into Thomas' eyes. "What of my family? Will I be able to see them again?"

"Yes, but from a distance." Then he held her hands. "You took a huge decision when you decided to be one of us. It's okay if you wish to turn back."

"I'm not turning back. I love you more than anything." She kissed him.

Thomas heard something growl some metres behind him. The growl sounded familiar, it was the growl of something ancient.

There in the shadows was a man standing. The street lights gave away his bodily features except for his face which the light didn't shine on. The man had animal hair all over his body and he growled like a dog. Thomas knew what creature this man was and he was prepared to take him on.

"Why are you here?" He asked the man.

No reply came, instead, his growling grew louder as he started advancing at Thomas.

"What's happening?" His girlfriend asked him.

"Just run!" He told the girl and she ran away leaving him alone with the beast.

"This pie's delicious!" Max exclaimed after taking a piece out of the pie which Jake had made. "How'd you do it?"

Jake who was dressed in an apron smiled and replied. "It's a secret." Then Ella walked in. She saw the pie on the table and took a piece out of it.

" Hmmm." She grunted. "This is delicious! How did you do it?"

"It's a secret." Jake responded.

Ella dropped a piece of newspaper on the table.

"What should we do with this?" Jake asked

"It's a case."

"No, no, no." Max countered. "We can't go hunting. We are on a case already."

"Dude, this case we are on, we don't even have a clue on what to do next." She got up." Get ready, we move in an hour." She walked out.

"Are you in support of this?" Max asked Jake

Jake shrugged. "I don't know, she's the boss."

The team arrived in Shabow County. They stopped at the crime scene which was filled with cops.

Ella picked a fake ID and then said to the boys. "Alright, Max, you are coming with me."

"No, why don't you stay back and leave this for me and Jake?" Max implored her.

Ella stared at them. "Cause you guys are novices?"

"You are just afraid that we will do your job better than you." Max answered back.

Ella scoffed. "You guys know that's not true."

"What's not true?" Jake asked her.

"Both the things you guys are insinuating."

"Try us." Max uttered.

Ella scoffed "I've been at this since I was a kid."

"We know that." Jake retorted.

"Well, go on." Ella released them.

Jake picked his fake ID and stepped out of the car with Max following behind.

Ella watched them as the went on to the crime scene.

"Jerry Brown and this is my partner. We work with animal service." Max said as he showed the cop his ID. "What happened here?"

The officer raised the tape allowing them to pass.

The officer was a black short man with swollen eyes

"What happened here?" Jake asked.

"A minor got attacked by a beast."

"What kind of beast?" Jake asked.

"A wolf, perhaps." "Where's the body?" Max asked the cop.

"It was taken to the station for autopsy some minutes ago."

"Okay," Max said. "My partner here," he said pointing to Jake." Will follow you to the police station, so he can see the body."

"What will you do, then?" The cop asked Max.

"Yeah, Jerry, what will you do?" Jake asked Max too because he was against Max's plan.

"I will tag around to see if I can find something useful." He replied as he patted Jake "Over to you, partner." Then he walked away.

"Do my job better than me? Who do they think they are?" Ella was mumbling to herself in the car. The door opened and Max stepped in

"So what mess have you made?" She asked Max with pride.

"Nothing," He replied." We didn't make any mess."

"Where is Jake?"

"I sent him to the station to inspect the victim's body."

"You sent him, alone?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Everything!!!" Ella yelled.

She stepped out of the car to go get Jake but then she saw a familiar face standing outside their automobile.

The lady was red haired and had her hair braided. Her lips were red and her face was pale.

"Hello, Hunter." The lady greeted.

Max stepped out of the car and was shocked too.

"Ella Lexington?" Were the words that escaped his lips.

"This is Ella Lexington's body but it's not her soul." The lady replied.

"Who are you?" Ella asked. "Or what are you?"

"I'm Irene, an Original"

"You mean, Irene the queen of blood?" Max asked

"That was me." She replied. "So you hunters really do your homework?"

"How'd you know of her, Max?" Ella asked Max

"I've read of her in the history of the Vampires." He replied "There were four siblings who wanted immortality, so they sold their soul for one."

"That's right." The lady replied.

"What are you doing in this innocent girl's body?"

"Chill, you hunters summoned me when you killed my sister."

"Explain."

"We originals don't really die. We get reincarnated when another Original is killed. We return in the body of the last vampire turned by that Original."

"So when we killed your sister, we brought you back?"

"Exactly."

Ella brought out a knife from her pocket. "Enough, we should kill this abomination." She advanced at Irene.

Irene sighed and stretched forth her right arm sending Ella flying towards the car and she crashed into it

"You know, they don't call me queen of blood for nothing. I'm not her to kill you"

"Then why are you here?"

"To talk."

"About what? Why should we talk with you?" Ella said as she tried to stand up.

"Cause you need my blood to open Tartarus."

Max and Ella were taken aback by this.

"How did you know of this?" Ella asked her.

"I've been watching you since I came to this world and I can say that you are a pretty good show." She acknowledge

"What do you want to talk about?" Max asked.

"Max?" Ella cried out.

"She might have useful information." Max said to Ella

"I came here to offer you a deal."

"We are listening."

"I will give you my blood if you help me track down the lycan killing my people."

"How sure are you that it's a lycan."

"I've lived long enough to know a lycan attack when I see one."

She replied " Help me hunt it down and you get my blood."

"It's a good deal but we will only accept if you agree not to hurt any more humans."

"Then how'd you except us to feed?"

"Animal blood. Raise a livestock farm and feed of it." Ella chipped in." Or we could just watch as that lycan kills you all."

Irene knew she had no choice." I agree but only if you promise not to hunt us anymore."

"Agreed." Max said.

"Sorry, can't take your word for it." She sliced her finger and blood started dripping. She stretched forth that finger to Max. Ella stopped Max from doing it.

"Let me do it." She said to Max as she cut her finger with her knife and used it to touch Irene's bleeding finger.

"Today, we have taken an unbreakable oath as long as each sides keep to the end of the agreement."

Max phone rang and he answered it. Jake was the one on the line.

"What's wrong, Jake?" Max asked.

"The victim couldn't be examined cause his organ denotes that he had been dead for like a decade."

"We know."

"You know?" Jake was surprised. "How?"

"Just come back and we will explain to you."

Irene walked out of the toilet covering herself with a towel. She went to her bedroom where she picked a red night gown from her

Wardrobe. Then she went to the sitting room, switched on the T.V and sat on the couch to watch. Then she heard a knock on the door.

Irene sensed that the visitor would not be someone friendly. So she picked up a silver knife from the kitchen and tiptoed to the door.

She opened it but no one was there. All she was hearing was the sound of the wind going through the trees cause she lived close to the forest and far from the city. She stepped out to look round.

A man touched her shoulder. Immediately, her vampire instinct kicked in and in an unusual speed she turned back. Sh held the man's hand and threw him down.

"Stop! Stop!" The man pleaded.

"I can smell you. I know what you are." Irene replied.

"I'm not here to hurt you." The man said. "I came here to help you."

"Help? Why will I accept help from a Lycan?"

"Cause I can end this war."

She scoffed. "End the war? Nobody can."

"I am the son of the first curse and I can end this if you help me."

"Help you do what?"

Jake sat on the chair not knowing what to say about Max and Ella's action.

"Say something, Jake." Max implored.

"What do you expect me to say? Congratulations to you guys for making a deal with a vampire? Well, congratulations cause oaths don't bind vampires only humans."

The door opened and it startled the hunters. Irene walked in holding the man that invaded her home.

"The door is for knocking." Max said.

"I don't knock and besides what privacy do you guys have to hide?"

She threw her hostage to the middle of the room.

"Who's this?" Max asked Irene.

"He's a lyacan. He has an offer I thought you guys would love to hear." She sat on the couch. "Since, I'm a part of the team."

"We are not a team." Ella told Irene.

"Heartbreak." She held her chest like she was in pains. "I can be very useful."

Jake helped the hostage up. "Who are you?"

"Lois is my name and I am the son of the first curse."

"First curse?" Ella asked.

"The first curse are our leaders like the vampire Originals."

"Why not give them a better name like the vamps gave their own?" Max asked him.

" The reason being that lycanthropy is a curse that is hereditary unlike the vampire's that can transfer theirs to a strange blood through a single bite." He answered. " Lycanthropy was a curse bestowed on our ancestor, Theiss by name when he cheated an old witch. "

" Hmm, interesting story. "

" Now, tell us. Why are you here? " Max interjected.

" I'm here with an offer. Help me stop Theiss and I will end the war between Lycans, humans and vampires."

" Wait, the dude is still alive?"

" Surprisingly, yes. We all thought he was dead untill he showed up and started killing."

" My people." Irene said.

" My people, also." Lois added.

Ella got up. " So you are saying that your ancestor is killing both Lycans and Vampires?"

" Exactly."

" Then how is that our problem? As far as we know, he hasn't hurt any human. He's doing our job for us."

Lois chuckled. " You can't predict Theiss next victims. It might be humans. He needs to be stopped now!"

" That's it! He needs to be stopped." Ella said. " So what's the plan?"

In the outskirts of Shabow City, lay an abandoned mine. From the outside, it looks and seemed abandoned but the hunters who were standing outside thought otherwise.

" It looks abandoned." Max said to the rest.

" On the outside. I can sense danger inside that cave." Jake replied.

" Is stupid sense part of our powers?" Max asked Ella.

Ella ignored them and walked into the cave with the others behind her.

A full bearded man stood at the entrance to another section of the mine. Suddenly, a silver bullet flew into his head killing him.

Ella stepped out and blew the smoke off her gun. She smiled as she looked at the dead body.

Max came out looking around in a strange way.

Jake noticed this and asked. "What's wrong, Max?"

"Aren't werewolves vulnerable to silver?" He asked them.

"I just killed one with it." Ella said with pride.

"This cave is a silver mine. It's rich in silver." He said. "Why would a werewolf come to stay here knowing he will be vulnerable in this place?"

Ella shrugged. " Sheer stupidity."

Then they continued their journey, killing more werewolves as they went.

The hunters reached the middle of a cave which looked like a meditation room. In the middle, sat a man with grey hair with his eyes close and legs crossed.

"Welcome, hunters I've been waiting for you." The Man spoke.

Ella scoffed. " Waiting for us? This is the part where we will be shocked? Sorry old man, ain't gonna work." Ella drew her bow and a light in the form of an arrow appeared in the bow.

The man got up. " You wish to kill me for a wrong reason."

Out of nowhere, Irene appeared and attacked the old man. The old man held Irene with one arm and threw her back at the hunters unharmed.

Max helped Irene up."I thought we agreed you'll stay back."

"And miss out on all the fun? That's not happening."

The old man spoke. " My name's Theiss and I am the First Werewolf."

" Dude, we know that." Max replied.

" I perceive you are here to kill me."

Jake faced Ella. " His Spidey sense is working."

" It would do you no good to kill me."

" Leaving you would do worse."

" I am the reason why my kind has not anihilate your kind."

" Come again?" Irene spoke.

" Our task is to protect humans not harm them."

" Huh? Protect from what?" Max asked him.

" The vampires." Theiss replied

. "When the vampire went apocalyptic, God had to create a something to counter them. He did a test run with the proud Babylonian king."

" So you and your kind are Angels?"

" Kind of, we are what you can call the dogs of Heaven. We are the lowest class of Divine creatures."

" Then why the vicious attacks on humans?"

" We decided to include humans without God's counsel. He got angry and cursed the humans with painful transformation and animal instincts. We fell and became powerless."

" So there are others?" Asked Ella.

" They're dead, hunted down by humans."

" But Lois never told us any of this." Ella said.

" Because Lois was never on your side." Avoice spoke from behind. It was Lois at the entrance.

" You lied to us." Ella said to him.

"Yeah, I did." He answered and Ella took a step forward towards him.

"If you come closer, I will snap my fingers and a thousand werewolves would invade this place and kill everyone."

"I knew werewolves were never to be trusted."

"You were right, baby. You see, I needed to get the throne and the only way was to kill the First. I was still planning when I heard the three baby hunters were in town and I thought why not get all my enemies in one place to make the job easier and here you all are." He picked a silver rod and ran it through Theiss. Theiss screamed and a bright light emanated from the spot pierced by the rod.

" Now, I'm king." Lois said. He then faced the Hunters. " Who's next?"

He threw the rod at Ella but Irene caught it and broke it into two. " I hate werewolves." Her teeth grew as she attacked Lois. She tried to punch him but he caught her punch and threw her towards the rock.

Ella shot her arrows but she was too slow for Lois as he avoided being hit by them.

Jake attacked with his spear. He pushed his spear forward but Lois caught it and used it to fling him towards the cave wall.

Max attacked. He was as fast as Lois but he lacked the strength. He swung and his sword and created a huge wound on Lois' left arm. Lois took a step back and looked at his wound.

He smiled. " I'm a hybrid, I can't be killed with silver." He punched Max in the lower abdomen and it sent him flying.

Lois laughed in a menacing manner. "Today, I shall get rid of all my enemies."

Max and Jake started laughing as they tried to get up in their feet.

" What's funny?" Lois asked them.

" The fact that you think you have won." Jake replied.

" You see, we never trusted you. So we made a plan in case this happens." Max showed Lois his sword. " This has been dipped in silver."

Jake walked to where Max stood and said to Lois. " We know that you can't be killed by it but you can be weakned for some time untill the wound heals. But the problem is that it's flowing with your blood right now, damaging everything in you. The more they try to heal the more it destroys."

" It won't kill you but it will leave you in pains for eternity." Max added.

Lois fell on his knees. His eyes were red and his veins were visible all over his body. He was in great pains.

"Please, kill me." He pleaded.

"You don't deserve death." Max replied as he went to help Ella up and together with Irene, they walked out of the cave.

Max dropped his bag in the car booth.

"Well, we have the original's blood." Max said feeling satisfied.

"So, how did you guys come up with such plan?" Ella asked Max and Jake.

" By using the clues and thinking deeply." Jake replied.

" So we won the bet, didn't we?" Max asked her

Ella sighed. " I admit you won the bet and you did better that me." She smiled. " But it also mean that I'm a good teacher. Maybe I should consider opening a hunting school."

Max covered his face with his palm. " Oh dear."

©️ Stephen Muhammed