Chapter 6 - Xavius

Aurelia sighs as she sees the mission given to her a week later. Per every mission, she gets a rundown of the supposed target location, target class, and whether or not a partner is required.

Since she is a solo Hunter, most missions do not require one.

This time, however, there is an influx of creatures that are seen crawling around in a no-hunting zone. This location requires at least two Hunters to enter this zone. More will be preferable. Since she has none assigned, she has to wait or suggest to the Captain to assign it to someone else. She wonders the reason why as she calls her.

"Captain Sienna, why am I assigned to No Hunt Zone 3?" she asks as soon as the call clicks through. "I need a partner before I can go in."

She hears rustling noises in the background. "You're already assigned a partner but he's from another team," she explains. "It's a headache but you have to wait. I don't have enough to spare so I had to ask around for you."

"Who have you assigned?" she asks, not liking how this will unfold.

"I think his name is Xavius," she answers. "Yes. He's from the Whiskey Team."

Not the Elf. No! What is going on? What is happening? Why is this happening to her? She only met him almost a week ago, and the thought of him knowing her double life and having him in her work life is not something she appreciates. This can't be a coincidence. How on Earth did she end up paired with the Elf?

"Whiskey Team?" she asks and pauses for effect. "Aren't they all a bunch of psychopaths? Are you sure I can handle him?"

"Yes I'm sure you can and Xavius is considered a top Hunter," she explains tiredly. "One of the best. He's going to be a useful partner for these kinds of situations. And I do want you to start working with a partner, if not from the Wolf Team, someone from another team might be better."

She lets out a breath. "Okay."

"I want you to wait for him to arrive before you enter the No Hunt Zone 3. Is that clear, Aurelia?" 

"Yes, Ma'am."

The call clicks and Aurelia starts to prepare to head to No Hunt Zone 3. Slipping on her uniform, she pulls on her gloves, straps the gun holster around her waist, and clips the extra bit around her thighs. She slots her gun into the holster and straps on the arm and leg guards. Once that is done, she checks herself against the mirror.

Since she is a senior Hunter, her uniform shows her seniority and team insignia. Mostly in black, the material is designed to withstand elemental attacks and to keep the Hunter at an optimal temperature if they are to be stranded in a cold or hot climate.

However, as for Xavius and those from Whiskey Team, their uniforms are white which makes them stand out more than others as if they're not already a bunch of weirdos. Aurelia can't even fathom the reason behind her Captain getting her paired with Xavius of all the people that she can be paired with. She tries to put the issue aside and focus on getting to No Hunt Zone 3. 

She goes to the front door where her shoes are kept in a cabinet by the side. She opens it to pull her boots out and sits on the floor to strap them on. No matter how many times she wears the boots, they look very flashy against her uniform.

Strolling out of her apartment, she makes her way to No Hunt Zone 3 by taking the motorbike out for a spin which she keeps parked at the basement carpark. No trains or buses are plying through the route and honestly, a bike is a better option.

Arriving outside the zone marked by wire fences with barbed wires at the top, she parks her bike at the side and waits for the arrival of her partner. Sienna has given her his contact details so she has sent a text message before she left her apartment but still no reply.

How long does she wait?

She tries to call after half an hour of waiting but no answer, she suspects he doesn't have a signal judging from the dial tone and lets out a sigh. He must be preoccupied with something else instead, she thinks as she pockets the phone.

Entering the zone alone would be suicidal, so she revs up her bike to depart. There's no indication that Xavius will arrive anytime soon, and she refuses to wait around for him just for the sake of a foolish mission.

Before she can depart, her phone receives a message and her watch displays Xavius's reply - informing her that he's already inside. Sighing in frustration, she switches off her bike and strides off to locate him.

No Hunting Zone 3 exudes dread, enveloped in darkness and permeated with sinister magic. She shivers as she navigates through the dense foliage, forging her path forward. Despite the obscurity, she maintains her bearings, consulting her watch to track Xavius's location.

Muttering curses about him under her breath, she emerges from the tree cover into a clearing, where shattered remnants of stone statues litter the ground. Surveying her surroundings, she senses a presence nearby, confirmed by her watch, and catches a glimpse of white amidst the clash of swords against the darkened sky.

A second later, Xavius emerges from the darkness and smiles when he sees her watching him. 

"You're here."

"I was waiting for you."

"But you're here now," he says and turns serious. "There's still a large amount of creatures looming about. Let's go, my lovely Asteri."

She rolls her eyes and follows Xavius. He seems to have an idea where the creature is headed and they cross the forest with ease; using the darkness to cloak their position. They separate when their watches ping, signifying that the creature is close. Aurelia sticks to the cover of the dark, stalking forward until she sees the beast in the distance; its hot breath turning into steam.

The creature seems to notice the presence of two Hunters and starts getting agitated; its peace is now disrupted. It jumps and soars into the sky, forcing Aurelia to reveal her position by jumping out of the way as it lands and rolling onto her feet, launching a whirlwind of her blue flames to attack and disorient it.

It bays and grunts in anger; and pain from the burning flames and Xavius comes in with his sword, slicing the beast in places that would sever its tendons and leaving gaps of light where his sword had struck. With it struggling to stand, Aurelia uses the chance to manipulate her flames to act as whips, tying the beast down onto the ground to allow Xavius to exact a final blow to its neck. 

As he strikes, the beast lets out a long yet mournful bellow that seems sinister as well as terrifying. It echoed throughout the forest and abruptly stopped just as it began; leaving an eerie silence.

The silence is broken when they hear a chorus of beasts echoing the same sound it sings. It lingers eerily; causing the hairs on her neck to rise. She sighs softly and gets ready for the barrage of creatures to come crashing in. 

"We'll keep them pinned here!"

Xavius unleashes his power - forming some sort of a net barrier that crosses over to her side. She watches as the first creature bursts into the clearing and charges through the net, bursting into tiny pieces as if they are sharp enough to cut through flesh. She frowns at how effective they were.

Though his plan works for the first few creatures, some start to come in from other parts of the forest; bursting through the foliage, and eventually they are pinned back and surrounded. The creatures are gradually increasing in number and getting more agitated. It would be foolish to hesitate.

"Stand back!" 

She calls forth her flames and they roar out of her fists to surround the creatures. They jolt back in surprise and crash into each other as they fight to get out of the maelstrom of blue flames. Soon, her flames begin to burn them into cinders. Their screams filled the air as they fought to get out.

Xavius stays back, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as her blue fire roared in front of him. He watches as she manipulates them, ensuring that her powers are kept around the creatures so the forest and themselves are protected. He can feel the extreme heat burning against his skin.

Within minutes, the screams finally fade out and all that is left of the creatures are ash and their remaining cores. Xavius coughs as he steps into the aftermath, his boots crunching against remaining bones and burnt flesh. His eyes are smarting and burning as he grabs a core and starts to destroy them.

Aurelia frowns as she watches him from afar. The Elf takes emerald, sapphire, and onyx cores; destroying them and absorbing the energy from them. The power of these colored cores is poison. They affect one mentally and physically, especially if absorbed willingly. This is one of the reasons why Hunters don't destroy cores on their own, they send them to the Hunter's Association's lab department to destroy them.

She stays away, wary of the exposure of the poisonous powers from destroyed cores. Her heart is starting to ache and she winces at the sharp pangs that hit her. Looking up, Xavius did not stop as he continued to absorb the powers. She thinks he's gone through about ten cores now, she can see the colors of the core buzzing around him.

"Xavius, will you be okay?" she calls out.

As she speaks, he glances up, as though suddenly aware of her presence. Holding an onyx core in his gloved hand, he destroys it effortlessly, his power seeming to consume it with ravenous hunger. She observes him cautiously, swallowing hard as a painful twinge returns to her chest again.

"That's enough, Xavius," she says, her voice laced with pain as she tries not to wince. She tried to keep her face level. Anger stabs into her chest. "You can't keep absorbing them. Even you, being an immortal being, can't absorb that much at one go."

"I'm fine," he says, ignoring her words as he picks up another one, and repeats the same action.

Despite her discomfort and pain, she strides towards him, her boots crushing ash and bones beneath her feet. With determination, she seizes his wrist and forcefully removes the core from his grasp, letting it tumble to the ground. Attempting to pull him away, she finds Xavius unmoved, rooted in place. They lock eyes, one composed while the other simmers with anger.

"It's my job, sweet Asteri," he says. "You must understand."

She lets him go. "Fine, suit yourself," she says and retreats. Exposing herself further to the poison serves no purpose, and she can't linger without its effects taking hold. With a resigned shake of her head, she departs, retracing her steps to the entry point, and making her way back to her motorbike.

Perched by the roadside, she indulges in a cigarette as Xavius emerges from the shadows. His surprise at finding her there is evident, perhaps he assumed she'd abandoned him. Despite her anger, she's not one to forsake another. After all, she brought him here as well; why would she show him no mercy?

Observing the crackling aura of power enveloping his form, resembling electricity, she discerns that he has absorbed an excessive amount of energy. What folly. Even an Elf has boundaries. Is he oblivious to them or simply reckless? She extinguishes her cigarette and rises, extending the helmet to him, which he accepts in silence.

"Let's head home."

Aurelia parks the motorbike at her parking lot and Xavius climbs off swiftly, pulling the full-face helmet off his head with a soft sigh while Aurelia shuts off the engine. They are quiet as she keeps the helmets in the seat and they head up to their apartment together, the atmosphere tense.

As she goes off her floor, Xavius holds the door open. "I'll see you around, sweet Asteri," he says quietly, his icy blue eyes glittering under the light. "Stay safe."

She looks at him, noting the way his icy blue eyes are looking at her and the telltale signs that his powers are too much for his body to hold; there is deep scarring on the neck and it is slowly but surely creeping up his cheek. It must be hurting him. She closes the distance between them and holds his cheek; muttering a spell under her breath before she reaches to grasp a tendril of his power. 

"What are you … doing?"

"Quiet."

Wincing at the sharp sensation in her grip, she deftly withdraws it from his cheek in one fluid motion, and they observe as it transforms into a glowing blob of golden light, hovering delicately on her gloved palm. It appears as though Aurelia is cradling a miniature star in her hand. Holding his gaze, she incinerates the blob with her flames.

"How are you feeling?"

As the elevator dings and the doors glide open to reveal his floor, Xavius is momentarily frozen, caught off guard by her unexpected actions. His gaze meets hers, registering surprise and perhaps a hint of confusion. Before he can gather his thoughts to respond, she pushes him out of the elevator.

"Don't do reckless shit again."

Aurelia releases a heavy sigh as the elevator door closes, the pent-up tension draining her energy. Stepping out into the hallway, she makes her way to her apartment, her footsteps echoing softly against the floor. There are no greetings exchanged as she enters; instead, she flicks on the lights and kicks off her boots, the weight of the day's events lingering in the air.

Shrugging out of her uniform, she tosses aside the guards and gun holster, bundling up the rest of her attire to be thrown into the washing machine. With the laundry started, Aurelia heads into the bathroom, intent on washing away the blood and grime that cling to her skin, a ritual cleansing after yet another intense encounter.

What a mission.