Chapter Eight; The Hunt Begins

Zayven travels through the valley of dead trees, the wind blows like voices screaming. He sense that someone is watching him, his chest mark pulses, this time not for her, but from danger. He whispers; 

''They are not just after me but now they want her.'' 

At night fall he rested, he light fire using one of the feathers . The smokes rises in strange shapes forming her face for a second, then change to claws. He sense a shadow watching him, hiding between the trees, Zayven didn't sleep that night.

At dawn, the first attack comes , a dart hits a tree near his head. Three hunters appear, masked in bone and ash. Zayven fight them off using his instinct, fire, and was able to wound one, he escapes with burnt mark. As he flees, a hunter yells after him saying; ''We see the heart in you , traitor. We will burn it out.''

Zayven ran and stumbles on an old carved stone of another marked one grave. On the stone, were written words and it say; 

''She died to protect him. He burned the world to find her.''

That night, in a dream, the girl appear, surrounded by smoke and light. Her eyes like fire, voice sound urgent saying; ''They known about me now. They are coming for us .'' He wakes up with her name on his lips still unable to call it out.

He continued his journey and suddenly he was dragged by, A Wild-eyed boy with two glowing marks, one on his chest, and another on his face. His name was Kael, another Marked one. 

kael say; "They don't just hunt you. They use you and trap your heart, steal your glow."

Kael lead him to an underground refuge carved into canyon wall. Inside are symbols, blood painted warnings, and memories of old battles. 

Zayven ask; "Why are you helping me?''

Kael replies; "Because you are the last of our kind and she called to. If they get her it over.'' They now agree to fight back but time is short. 

As they prepare to move, ash falls from the sky. 

Kael looks up and say:"They have summoned the beasts. It has started." 

Zayven replies: "Let them come but this time I will burn brighter."