Chapter Four

The Cherub and the Hunters

The world had grown very hot, and very dark. I was being crushed, mashed into a tiny cube of a person by the

invisible force closing in around me. It was the end; I could no longer breathe, and that heat - it was growing so

incredibly strong now, and I was going to faint! Why wasn’t anyone helping me, I was screaming so loudly (or at least I

was before, since my throat no longer seemed willing to produce any noise) but no one seemed to hear. This was it. I

was going to die.

Was it over yet?

I let out a shallow moan, slowing fluttering open my eyes. I was sprawled on my side on the soft ground,

which was still damp from the earlier thunderstorm, completely covered with smears of wet dirt and grime. My blond

hair hung limp and knotted before my eyes, and everything around me swam in and out of focus. My entire body burned

with some sort of unseen agony, and my bones ached painfully every time I moved. And my head - there was some sort

of merciless pounding inside my head, thumping relentlessly within my skull and stabbing viciously behind my eyes. I

managed to shift myself over onto my back, sprawling heavily down onto my spine with a gasp, and lift my eyes to my

blurred surroundings. Everything was still pretty dark with the exception of a few smeared pastels overhead

announcing a slowly approaching dawn, and my eyes continued to make objects cloud around me, but I gradually began to

recognize the shape of the Davises’ back forest, with its black branches stretching out over me like bony hands.

I rubbed at my eyes, even though it made my arms start to sting, and forced my vision to slowly clear itself.

Yes, I was definitely still outside in the woods behind the Davis house. Casting a quick glance up and down my arms

(eww, that black and blue was huge!) told me that I was still alive, and with a strangled groan I managed to pull myself

up into an unsteady sitting position and gaze about me. The house was no longer in sight, maybe just because of the

darkness and my own dizziness (but I really didn’t remember running so deep into the woods the night before), and all I

could see around me were thousands and thousands of tall, dark trees, hideously bare with the exception of a few

patches of brown, dead leaves hanging limply from the branches. The rising sun cast creeping shadows of lofty tree

trunks slithering across the dirt beneath me.

Something was beating lightly against me with every breath, and as I shot a groggy stare down at my chest I

instantly noticed the creepy form of my necklace hanging from my throat. I started suddenly (I had completely forgotten

about it and I guess I wasn’t really expecting it to be there), then slowly took it into my hands and gazed down at my

reflection in its dirty red jewel. “...‘The Eye of the Blind’....” I whispered distantly, my voice cracking with every word

and now hardly recognizable as my own. “...That man.....He really seemed to want you, didn’t he...? Almost sliced off my

head in order to get you......The message on the wall said to leave you alone.....I wonder what I’ve done by taking you

away...?”

I must have sat, gaping vacantly down at the pendant in my hands, for almost five minutes before something

connected in my head and I shot straight up onto my feet with a loud gasp. “That man!!” I repeated breathlessly, lifting a

hand to my mouth. “I...I almost completely forgot about him!! He’s still out here somewhere!!...And Julia!! Oh my God,

Julia!” My eyes gradually fell to the sun rising through the trees, then grabbed at my tangled hair with a terrified cry.

“Dammit!! The Davises.....They must be home by now!! Oh God, what if they came in and saw that I wasn’t there, with

Julia locked in the bathroom and Sebastian going out of his mind?! Oh no, oh no....They’ll kill me, totally annihilate me!! I

bet they’ve already called the police and everything...!! I’ve got to get back!! Right this minute!!”

I spun about in place in one complete circle, and even though none of the trees bore any sort of recognizable

feature I randomly chose one direction and immediately took off at a mad dash. I was forced to forget about my aching

body, and how my head was still pounding angrily with pain. Leaves were whipping viciously against my cheeks, and

the mud under my shoes caused me to slip off balance more than once. I had to make it back.

The sun had thrown out a vast golden blanket of warm flaxen stitching across the forest floor when I trudged to

an exhausted halt, leaning weakly against a tree trunk in order to catch my breath. “.....J....Jeez....” I panted in

discouragement, pushing back my disheveled hair and gazing down at the dirt beneath me. There, sitting only four or

five inches away, were my own familiar footprints stamped in the mud and leading off to some random direction.

“.........Where the hell is it??” I questioned nastily, straightening up and furiously scraping my foot across the tracks in the

soil in front of me. “Where’s their damn house?? I must’ve run around this stupid forest for close to an hour!!” I looked

back down at the smeared footprints beside me, then at the seemingly endless maze of trees around me, then angrily

clenched both my hands into fists, threw my arms outward, and let out a loud, piercing shout: “Where am I??!”

I was answered by a soft chirping sound from overhead, and after I started in place I glanced upwards towards

where the noise had come from. Sitting atop a tree branch at least five feet over my head, peering down at me from

within a batch of shriveled leaves, was a little furry head of a pale purplish color, with long, rabbit-like ears, large blue

eyes, a cute tiny pink nose, and some sort of odd circular sphere atop a stem growing from its forehead that bobbed in

place every time it moved. The creature seemed to be watching me in amazement, its minute pink nose sniffing around

furiously, its small antenna nodding up and down every time it stirred.

I gaped up in shock at the unusual animal, then took a step up underneath its branch. It let out a startled squeal,

ducking deeper into its flock of dead leaves, and disappeared from sight.

I continued to gawk blankly up at the motionless group of foliage up over my head, which rustled softly in a

passing breeze, then lowered my gaze once again, paused, and furiously rubbed at my eyes. I glanced, squinting, back up

at the branch a second time and immediately spotted an unnaturally large pair of adorable blue eyes watching me from

inside the leaves. I shook my head, then looked back up at the pair of eyes staring down at me. “Here, kitty,” I called

comfortingly, holding my arms upwards towards the branch. “Are you stuck, poor kitty? Here, let me help you down!

It’ll be OK, don’t worry! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, I’ll help - ” I fell silent as suddenly I heard the flapping of feathery

wings, and with a sudden gentle shower of leaves I watched in shock as the small creature slowly floated down towards

me, supported in the air by a small pair of white wings sprouting from its shoulder blades. The animal was only about the

size of a normal house cat, and more than likely could have been one, with the exception of its pale violet fur, its large

ears, its plumed wings, the unusual antenna in its forehead, and the bushy fox-like tail that hung in the air behind it. It

hovered casually in the air in front of me, its small wings fluttering violently to support its seemingly too-large body,

sniffing at me with its tiny button nose.

I was absolutely frozen in place, gawking stupidly at the floating creature smelling my face. My body had gone

completely rigid, and some sort of unusual twitch had started at the corner of my mouth. The animal only had to emit a

cheerful purring noise in order for me to snap out of my trance and emit a terrified scream, reeling backwards and

dashing off in the opposite direction, ducking protectively behind a tree. My sudden shout had obviously startled the little

beast, because it almost immediately let out a alarmed squeak and fell clumsily to the ground with a heavy thud, its large

purple ears falling awkwardly over its face.

I peered nervously around the trunk, down at the dazed animal shaking its small head at least ten feet away

from me. Its antenna swung lightly back and forth. It blinked several times, then almost instantly noticed my position

behind the tree and, with a purr, began to approach me with quick little steps. I let out a loud gasp, spinning about on my

heel and sprinting off behind another tree. “St...stay away from me!” I ordered roughly, pointing a threatening finger

down at the animal that let out an amused chirp and began to skip on all fours towards my current tree, causing me to

dash towards another. “...Don’t you hear me, you stupid....thing!” I yelled in a firm but quivering voice as I was forced to

duck behind yet another tree trunk. The creature squeaked happily again, automatically changing direction in order to

approach me again. “Stop it!!” I backed up, turning about and fleeing behind a large moldy trunk. “Stop following me!!” I

watched in shock as the animal emitted something highly resembling a high-pitched giggle, crouching low to the ground

and scampering up towards me with its fluffy tail held high. “...Think it’s funny, do you...?” I bent to my knees, grasping

hold of a long gnarled tree branch sitting at my feet, then standing up again and pointing it threateningly at the

approaching beast, which immediately stopped in place and began to sniff at the end of the stick. “Ha!! There!! Now you

stay back, you stupid animal, or I swear to God I’ll - ” I instantly fell silent again as it let out another amused chirp,

tumbling playfully onto its back and beginning to paw happily at the limb in my hands. I drew in another sharp, startled

gasp, dropping the branch to the ground and watching the disappointed animal gazing at me with its head cocked slightly

to the side. “.....What....what in the world are you...?” I stammered in amazement, stumbling several clumsy steps

rearward until my back struck the tree trunk behind me. The beast smiled a broad, unusual but undeniably cute grin,

emitting another throaty purr and waving its tail around behind it. “....I’ve...I’ve never seen anything even remotely close

to you before.......Why do I have the feeling that - ”

I was cut off as the creature sprang happily over towards me, flapping its tiny wings furiously and letting out a

series of cheerful squeaks. I let out a loud scream, tumbling oafishly over my own feet and sending myself sprawling

painfully down onto my back. The animal stopped gracefully in midair above my face, hovering gently atop my nose with

its miniature wings whipping up and down.

I opened my mouth to scream again when I was silenced by a loud shout from somewhere to my left. It was

definitely a man’s voice, and it sounded like it exclaimed, “There!! I’m sure I heard it this tahme, it was a chick! Over

there, I’m sure uh it!”

“....People??!” I instantly sat straight upwards, causing the beast to let out a frightened squeal and reel itself

backwards, landing clumsily in the dirt next to my feet. It was far from my mind now. “There! There, I heard it, there

are other people here!! Hey!! Hello!! Can you hear me?!”

There was another pause, and then I heard a second masculine voice: “...Damn, you was right, I hear ‘er too!

There’s uh chick out here, awright, time to split up, gentamen!”

“Yes!” I exclaimed happily, clasping my hands before me and letting out a joyous squeal. “They’re coming,

they’re coming!! They’ll help me, I’m so out of here..!” I lifted my hands to my mouth in order to amplify my voice and

was just about to cry out again when I felt a sharp tug at my left ankle. I shot a startled glance downwards and instantly

noticed the small form of the creature beside me, clutching a handful of my knee-high sock in its teeth and staring up at

me through wide, frightened eyes. “...Ack, what the heck are you doing?!” I sputtered in terror, wagging my leg around

in order to get my ankle free and watching in surprise as the animal continued to hold fast, swinging around through the

air behind my foot. “Let go of me, let me go, you stupid thing!! Help me!! Hurry up, please help me!!”

The animal let out a high-pitched cheep, continuing to stare pleadingly up at me, and began to furiously shake its

head back and forth, causing its huge ears to smack against its face and its antenna to waggle back and forth. It grabbed

another chunk of my sock and pulled again, emitting shrill squeaks. I gaped down in frightened shock at the small beast,

then took its moment of diverted attention to give my leg one quick, unexpected kick. “...Let....me.....go!!” The creature

was taken completely off guard, letting out a loud shriek as it flew through the air and tumbled awkwardly back onto the

ground, rolling several times over its tail.

“Hello!!” one of the men’s voices bellowed to me through the trees, seemingly coming closer. “Are you still

there, girl? We can’t hear you anymore! Hello!”

Instantly I whirled back towards the noise, lifting both hands to the sides of my mouth. “Yes, yes, I’m still

here!!” I called in desperation, ignoring the dazed form of the creature slowly gathering its senses and beginning to squeal

again. “Can you still hear me?? I’m over here!! Follow my voice!!”

“Over there! To the west!” another voice exclaimed to the others, and faintly I could hear the approaching

sound of feet crunching across dead leaves. “Keep speaking, girl! We’re almost there!!”

“Please hurry!!” I yelled back. “I’m right over here!! Please help me!!”

“Northwest!” the voice commanded his companions again, and now I could definitely tell that the footsteps

were headed towards me. “Don’t stop talking, girl, we’ll lose your position! What’s your name?”

“...Nikka!!” I cried after a brief hesitation. “Nikka Starling! I live over in the historic district of town! I...I was

baby-sitting, and...and I think I’m lost!! Please, you need to help me!!”

I could hear a number of inaudible murmurs running between the group of men, who were seemingly just out

of my field of vision through the trees, but I heard the first voice shout out again, “That’s it, keep talking, girl! You can’t

stop, keep talking!”

“...Ummm...” My mind raced furiously for a moment, and then I took a step forward and lifted my hands to my

mouth a second time. “And the murderer!! He was here!! I know what he looks like, he was chasing after some little

girl I had never seen before!! But...but something definitely wasn’t right! There’s something very strange going on, and

there’s this bizarre little animal staring at me.....Where the heck are you, what’s taking so long?! Hurry, I need your

help!!”

The men shouted something back to me, but before I could listen to what it was, something clamped tightly

about my ankle. One quick glance downwards told me it was the strange rabbit-like creature, now finally in control of its

senses again and with its two front paws wrapped firmly about my shin. It stared up at me through watery, fearful eyes

and let out another piercing chirp, then lowered its head and tightened its grip around me. “...No, no, no, I said get off!!”

I ordered it angrily, kicking at the air a second time. The animal, however, refused to budge. “What the heck is the

matter with you, I said let me go!! Leave me alone, you psycho little freak! Get off, get off, get off! Enough’s enough, you

ugly little devil!” I actually got down on my hands and knees and slid my fingers between my leg and the creature’s

paws, attempting to pry its grip from my ankle. “Let go!! Now!! You stupid little monster, I’m warning you - !”

I was cut off as a loud series of rustling noises erupted from before me, and as my head snapped upwards

towards the sound I noticed the forms of at least four men, probably in their mid to late twenties, suddenly emerging

from the foliage in front of me and standing in a line. I felt a joyous smile break out onto my face, but the expected wave

of relief that usually spread itself through my body didn’t come. Something was very unnerving about their appearances,

and I couldn’t exactly place my finger on what it was. They all had very rugged demeanors, with unruly hair and dirt

smeared on their faces, but I don’t think that was it; their clothing...it must have been their clothing! So sickeningly

unfamiliar and barbaric, similar to the garments I remembered on the man and the girl, like they had just stepped out of

the pages of a book about the Dark Ages. There was something definitely wrong with this picture.

The man standing closest to me, with a long, dirty face and short, dusty black hair, gazed down at my form

kneeling at his feet with a sneer. “....Well, hello there, sweetheart,” he said slickly, bending at the waist to get a better

look at me. I recognized his voice - he had been the man instructing the others and calling out commands to me. “Now

what’s a pretty girl like you doin’ out in the woods all by yourself at such an hour...?”

“....I........I....” Something about the icy tone in his voice, and how he and his other companions all seemed to be

smirking hungrily down at me, made my blood run cold. My heart was beginning to pound mercilessly in my chest and

in my ears, echoing loudly in the quiet forest. “.....Who....who are you......?..”

One of the men standing behind the first took a step towards me. He looked like the youngest one out of the

four, with greasy brown hair oozing messily over one shoulder in a crude braid. He let out a throaty chuckle, crossing

his arms across his broad chest. “......You must realize this truly ain’t no place for a chick...Nikka, was it...?” he told me

smoothly. “....And you said you was lost too? Tsk tsk, poor sweetie....heheh....”

My whole body seemed to have cramped up and was now beyond my control. My mind was screaming for me

to run, to flee screaming in the opposite direction in search for help. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t seem to break out of

my frozen position on the ground, or to remove my eyes from the foreboding row of males standing predatorily before

me.

The third man, taller than the rest with his head shaved completely bald but with a messy brown beard

sprouting around his chin, grinned down at me with a toothless mouth. “....Would be kinda rude ‘a us to leave such an

innocent little chick behind in the forest, eh?” he sneered to his partners, who all broke out into a series of deep, amused

snickers.

“...Not ta mention horr’bly indecent,” the final man continued, who was short and pudgy with a thick mustache

covering most of his mouth. “Well, we just wouldn’t be able ta call ourselves men if we left ‘er, aye, boys?”

“.....Don’t....don’t touch me!!” I warned them unsteadily, lifting both my fists in what was supposed to look like a

threatening gesture.

The first man, who I can only assume was the leader of the four, threw back his head with a raspy guffaw.

“...Oh, come now, dearie, you said yourself you needed help! We’re only goin’ along with what you said.”

“I said don’t touch me!” I repeated, holding both fists out defensively in front of my face. “You...you take one

step nearer and that’ll be it, you hear me?!”

“She wants ta fight, boss!” the youngest one exclaimed in amusement.

“I’m not going to tell you again!!” I went on shakily, even though I was becoming increasingly less confident by

the way they seemed to be closing in on me with large smirks on their lips. “By golly, you’re really asking for it! Don’t

make me hurt you!!” Oh God, please make them believe me!

The man in charge lifted an eyebrow, gazing down at me with a twisted smile. “....What are you waiting for,

boys?” he said calmly to the men positioned behind him without removing his eyes from me. “The girl wants to fight.”

I let out a piercing scream as with a sudden jerk the other three men simultaneously leapt towards me, causing

me to topple awkwardly down onto my back and knock the breath clean out of my lungs. The world had begun to spin

and blur about me, but through the amused laughs and yells of the men that seemed to echo around me, I could now feel

myself being pulled upwards by two separate hands beneath my armpits. Two of the men were now holding me atop

my feet, restraining me easily and snickering as I began to sway and lean shakily off balance. I could taste blood in my

mouth.

The headman hadn’t moved from before me, but continued to stare down at me with a sneer on his face and his

arms fastened across his chest. “...Was that all...?” he questioned me mockingly, as I let out a weary moan and glanced up

at him from beneath my sweaty blond bangs. “And here I was expecting to have to call in reinforcements. Tricked me

good, little girl, I was most certainly expecting more of a fight from you.” The rest of the men let out taunting cackles.

“...Ugh...” I winced significantly, my chest still tight from a lack of air, and cast a dazed glance to either side.

The youngest and bald men each had a tight grip on my arms, holding me weakly atop my feet in front of their leader.

Both were eyeing me with satisfied grins on their faces. Their smirks seemed to be blurring in and out of focus.

“...’ey, check it out, boss!!” the one with the mustache exclaimed loudly, and I felt a violent tug on my ankle.

“She’s got a cherub wi’ her too! Heheh, she’s the chick that keeps on givin’!”

“A cherub, eh...?” The leader bent at the waist again, and this time I heard a high-pitched shriek erupt loudly

from my feet, where the mustached man was kneeling. “What in the world is it doing?? Get it away from her!”

There was another sharp tug from my ankle, almost ripping my feet out from beneath me, and this time I

watched the mustached man stand up, now holding a squirming bundle in his arms. I breathed in a startled gasp as I

recognized it as the small purple animal, which was now writhing and scratching around furiously, letting out piercing

screeches. “Whoa there, killer!” the man exclaimed tauntingly, struggling to keep a firm grip on the creature as it

scurried angrily over his arms and clawed at his tunic. “Feisty little devil, ain’tcha? Might earn us a couple ’a coins at the

market, eh, boss?”

“...Hmm...” The headman walked indifferently by my swaying body, over to his companion holding the animal.

“...It looks like it just recently lost its white coat....damn!! Oh well, I’m sure such a splendid color should score us a gold

piece or two. I have a feeling skinning this scoundrel will be more of a challenge than usual, though.” He eyed the

wiggling creature, who was still opening its jaws and howling so shrilly that I was almost afraid of fainting, with an

amused smirk on his face. “...Calm down, you senseless monster, you haven’t got your white fur anymore! And that

means that your deadly yell has disappeared too.” The animal completely ignored his voice, still fighting against the

mustached man’s grip and shrieking like a banshee.

“...What now, boss?” the youngest man broke in, giving my arm a rough jerk upwards as my body began to sag

weakly towards the ground. “The chick looks like she’s dyin’. All the fightin’ must have worn her out.” The air echoed

with mocking laughs.

The leader smirked, clasping his arms against him and crossing back over towards me. Even though my eyes

had closed, I could feel by his warm breath against my face and the loudness of his voice that he had leaned down directly

in front of me and was now only a matter of centimeters from my nose. “Is that right, my dear girl?” he hissed

tauntingly. “You most certainly do look rather fatigued.....Well then, let’s hurry on, and quickly, men! The girl needs the

proper attention.....Let’s give it to her.”

A chorus of approving cheers sounded out from the other men, and the next thing I knew both males at my

sides were dragging me forcefully forward, my feet straggling weakly across the dirt behind me. All of their voices were

blending together into a confusing collage of words and sounds, coupled with the incessant howling of the creature, who

was now hanging painfully from the leader’s fist by the scuff of its neck. Where are you taking me...?!! my panicked

mind screamed frantically, but my depleted body was in no state to act. I was completely powerless to stop them,

absolutely unable to wrench free as they pulled me further into the depths of the forest.

My shoulders were burning from the uncomfortable position my arms had been bound into, but I couldn’t move

due to the scratchy rope tying my two wrists together. All I could do was watch helplessly, from my isolated location in

the corner, as an innumerable amount of tousled men of varying ages and appearances moved about in a dizzying

commotion before me. The building I had finally been pulled into was rather small to house the huge sum of males that

were scattered out in front of me and constructed entirely out of a sandy colored wood, composed of one enormous room

with three or four empty square holes cut into the walls for windows between the grotesque forms of animal heads

anchored to the planks around them. The rising sun was just beginning to filter into the chamber, casting four-sided

patches of light stained with masculine shadows dancing across the floorboards.

The room must have been filled with at least forty or so people, all males, entirely dressed in unsightly clothes

and maned with unruly hair and beards of varying shades. They were scattered randomly around the chamber; some sat

lazily on the wooden floor, drinking beer from large mugs that they clinked loudly against others; more were seated at

crude clapboard tables, playing cards and betting with oddly shaped rocks; others still played loud music through rugged,

hand-made instruments as their companions danced awkwardly about the floor with heavy, pounding footsteps. The

small cabin echoed deafeningly with resounding laughter, conversations, music, and the prancing men’s footfalls. No one

seemed to notice my secluded position in the corner, with my hands fastened securely behind my back.

I gave another vicious tug on the section of twine hanging loosely from the knot around my hands, but it was no

use. The man who had tied me up (I think it was the bald man, but I’m not absolutely sure) had done so in an extremely

professional fashion; he obviously knew what he was doing, and there was no way I was going to unbind myself.

Occasionally between the moving forms of the dancing men I could see the leader from the forest, reclined idly atop a

wooden throne that I guessed was supposed to look elaborate and imperial (since it had been carved rather unskillfully

with portraits of animals and trees), with a goblet of alcohol clenched in his fist. He was gazing amusedly out at his

celebrating companions before him, sporadically sipping from his glass, and hanging from the ceiling behind his head I

could recognize the form of the small animal, bound together about its wrists and ankles while suspended upside-down in

the air. By the way its mouth was opening and closing, I could tell that it was still shrieking loudly, but its voice was

completely drowned out by the din of the partying men.

I pulled again on the rope, but deep down I knew it was completely hopeless; as a matter of fact, with each tug,

the knot seemed to be getting tighter. The only positive side of my situation was that the men seemed completely

indifferent to me (I had been sitting in the corner for at least half an hour, and no matter how loud I shrieked and wailed

no one had even turned to look at me), so I had taken their inattention to search for a sharp object to cut the ropes. I had

noticed several useful tools scattered about the room, including daggers and saws, but none were within reach. Suddenly

a metallic gleam in the sunlight caught my eye, and with a gasp I became aware of the glittering form of a small ax resting

against the leg of a table only three or four feet from me. I cast one glance about me, then slowly shifted my legs out

from beneath me and quietly stretched one out towards the weapon.

The room gradually fell silent, and as I gazed quickly upwards I noticed the form of the leader standing up from

his chair with his arms outstretched for quiet. The animal’s screeches were now audible once again, but they were

instantly stifled as two thugs leapt forward and gagged the creature roughly with their hands. I was running out of time.

“...My dear companions,” the leader began, slowly directing his vision about the room. All the men about him

had obediently stopped what they were doing and were gazing attentively up at him. He began to slowly pace across the

floor, his loud footsteps reverberating loudly in the silent room. “I would like to congratulate you on the incredible

bounties you have been pulling in recently. The black market has never been so successful, and our resulting profits

have exceeded anything we have made in the past. A toast to you, my fellow hunters.”

“Aye!” all the men shouted simultaneously, raising their beer mugs and letting out loud cheers.

My foot smacked clumsily against the ax handle, causing it to teeter unsteadily before it fell heavily onto the

floorboards with a loud metallic clatter. I cringed and froze, but fortunately the males couldn’t hear the sound over the

clangs of colliding mugs and clamorous ovations. I exhaled the breath I had been holding, then gradually began to drag the

ax towards me with my feet.

The headman let out an amused laugh, then raised his hands a second time, causing the shouting men to all

simultaneously obey. “And today, I believe it is safe to say, will not be an exception! Behold, hunters - the sun has barely

risen, and we have already secured a reasonable amount of money for ourselves! Direct your attention over my shoulder,

if you will - a lone cherub, hardly grown into its juvenile coat and rather confused over its abilities, if I do say so myself.”

He motioned to the animal hanging from the ceiling, still gagged by the two gangly men and now struggling awkwardly

against them. “What do you think, men?” the leader scoffed to his watchful followers. “Will make a splendid change

purse, wouldn’t you say? Or perhaps a lone sock, eh?” The entire cabin immediately erupted into joyous laughter and

striking mugs again, drowning out the grating sound of an ax being dragged clumsily across the floor. One more inch, and

I think I could grab it -

“....Ah, but nothing amounts to our second finding,” the leader’s voice continued, and I immediately felt a vicious

shiver. “Alone in the woods, ignorant enough to say she was lost....Look you, hunters, the ever-so-lovely,

ever-so-senseless, m’lady Nikka!!”

Instantly all eyes were directed upon me, curled up uncomfortably in the corner, now clutching the ax

awkwardly between my two ankles and gawking up at the men like a deer caught in headlights. I heard the leader let

out a loud, icy laugh, even though the majority of the males seemed rather shocked at the hatchet grasped in my feet, and

strutted confidently up beside me. With a vicious, exaggerated yank, the man jerked the ax from my grip, then sneered

sarcastically and stood upright once again, turning back towards his followers and thrusting a presenting hand down in

my direction. “...What say you, men? What should be the poor girl’s fate?”

As suddenly as the silence had begun it was severed, and immediately all the surrounding hunters exploded into

a smeared commotion of excited yells and shouts. “Skin ‘er, boss, skin ‘er down!!” I heard one voice cry out loudly, and I

think I recognized it as the mustached man’s from the forest. “Human skin makes a killin’ down in the black market!”

“Nay, scalp ‘er!” another hollered blatantly, pumping his fist into the air. “Such a color of hair will make many

expensive wigs! We’ll make a fortune!!”

“Ach, wigs!!” a third voice scoffed mockingly, and I could see it was coming from the young hunter I had met in

the woods. “Y’always want wigs, you damn fool!! There ain’t no money in wigs!”

“Ah, what do you know, you jackass!!” the other retorted angrily.

“I say we boil ‘er down!!” the large bald man shouted, and I watched as the rest of the males turned to look at

him. “Look at ‘er, men.......I’ve ‘eard that exotic women taste delicious in a bitter lemon sauce!!”

My eyes flew frantically back and forth through the group of men, who had begun to cheer again and now all

seemed to by thrusting their fists into the air. My ears were ringing with the sounds of their derisive laughter and

pounding feet against the floorboards. Faintly I could still perceive the small form of the creature struggling against the

two hunters gripping it across the room.

The leader beside me crossed his arms and let out another harsh cackle. “It’s settled, then?” he barked over the

clamor of the roaring hunters. “A fine meal of a fine girl......I suppose even we deserve a palatable feast now and then,

eh, boys? Ha ha!!”

I felt him seize hold of my arm and yank me brutally to my feet, and though my throat had been paralyzed

before it no longer seemed to matter. “Wh....what did you say??!” I screamed loudly, attempting to twist free but

rendered completely helpless due to the ropes around my hands. I could barely hear my cries over the cheers and

bellows of the hungry males. “You....you’re going to eat me?! Are you out of your minds?! Let go of me!! Help me!!

Someone help me, please!!!” I was being dragged forward now, through the pack of yelling hunters who all parted to one

side or the other as the leader continued to pull me onward. There was a metallic scraping noise, and I instantly noticed

the form of the mustached man pulling a huge black cauldron forward into the center of the room, where several others

were piling up firewood. “No!!!” I shrieked desperately, my feet skidding uselessly against the floorboards as I tried to dig

them into the planks to stop myself from being yanked forward any further. “No, let go of me!!!! Let me go!!! Someone

please--!!”

I was cut off as a clamorous slamming noise erupted from the front of the room, and all the men immediately fell

silent and whirled towards the noise. There, standing warily in the doorway of the chamber, was a short, young boy,

probably about my age, with long blond hair and gray eyes, panting hysterically and clutching his heart. The surrounding

hunters watched in dumbfounded shock as he stumbled weakly into the room, spilling large droplets of sweat and blood

down onto the floor. Even the headman grasping my arm had stopped to stare.

“........Hawkeye....” the youngest hunter whispered raspily from somewhere behind me.

The leader suddenly released his hold on my arm, sending me collapsing heavily down onto the floor with a

alarmed squeal. “Hawkeye!!” he exclaimed loudly, rushing over towards the boy who swayed sickly atop his feet and

toppled exhaustedly into a fellow hunter’s arms. I could see the boy’s face and arms were raked with vicious, bleeding

scratches and wounds, and his pale, gray eyes stared blankly out from beneath a veil of dust and grime. “Hawkeye, what

happened to you??!” the leader demanded furiously, grasping hold of the panting boy’s arms and giving him a slight jostle.

“Speak, boy, what happened?!”

“........It......it’s them......” the boy gasped weakly, so quietly I had to strain to hear him.

“What??” the leader hissed hurriedly, shaking him a second time. “It’s who?? Hawkeye!!”

“.....It’s....them....” Hawkeye breathed again, grabbing hold of the headman’s hand in a tight, quivering grip.

“....They’re.....coming....!!”

The boy’s voice was suddenly cut off by a second loud slam as the wooden front door flew open a second time,

revealing the ominous dark silhouettes of at least thirty figures standing in the hatchway. The leader instantly released

his hold on Hawkeye, who fainted into unconsciousness as he collapsed to the floor, and whirled towards the open

doorway. A dense silence hung in the air, and without warning the silhouette positioned before the rest took several

heavy steps into the cabin, stepping into the light. It was a tall, muscular-looking man, completely enveloped in a weighty

costume of oriental armor. His entire body was concealed beneath several layers of padding and portly metal shielding,

which reflected the rising sun with an amazing shimmer, and even his face was hidden beneath a scarf and exquisite

helmet, both emblazoned with a majestic eagle. His green eyes scanned the dumbstruck hunters frozen in place about

the room, then slowly lifted one gloved hand into the air and snapped his fingers with a resounding pop.

There was no hesitation separating his wordless command and the action of the shapes behind him, who all

instantly pounded forward into the cabin and revealed themselves as heavily clad soldiers, all of which wore similar

armor to that of the first but not as elegant. They shoved their way through the small door opening, causing some of the

wood on either side of the hatchway to crack and splinter off, and flooded into the room like a deadly tidal wave,

overturning tables and shattering mugs. The hunters about me suddenly snapped back into reality, springing back to life

with terrified yells and running frantically about the cabin.

“Dammit!!” I heard the headman’s voice snap angrily from above me, hardly audible over the deafening clamor

that had unexpectedly exploded into the air, and as I lifted my vision to his face I could see terror burning behind his eyes

and sweat droplets streaking down his cheeks. “The...the imperial troops!! How...how did they ever find us?!” He

exhaled an aggravated snarl, bracing himself against an accidental shove from a panicked companion, who was instantly

grasped by a guard and flung viciously down onto the table to get his hands tied, and I felt an internal jolt as he shot a

furious glare down at my position on the floor. For a second it looked like he was going to lunge down at me, but

whatever he was thinking was instantly erased as a soldier roughly shoved aside the black cauldron, which tumbled

noisily across the floor, and seized him aggressively by the arm, pulling both wrists behind him. The leader let out an

enraged shout, as the recruit threw him violently against the wall and began to bound his hands, then cast a delirious

glance out at the rest of the hunters sprinting in circles about the cabin to escape. “Don’t give them the satisfaction of

fear!!!” he bellowed hoarsely, as the soldier yanked him back away from the wall and began to drag him towards the

doorway. “Show them no dread, men!! Grab all you can and escape!! We will regroup, have no fear!! We will

regroup!!!” I could tell that he continued to shout, but he was no longer within earshot since the soldier had pulled him

out through the open door.

The panic seemed to be dying down now, as more recruits led captured hunters out the door, and soon I was

practically the last person left in the room with the exception of the first soldier (who I guessed was the general judging

by his elaborate coat of armor) and only a few remaining troops, who were still flipping over furniture and searching

every square inch of the chamber. The general turned about in place, scanning the cabin, then lifted his hand into the air

and snapped his fingers a second time. “.....Tama.”

A catlike yowl came from outside, and I watched in shock as a young woman leapt gracefully into the room,

landing easily beside the general. She was clothed in strange garments as well, that seemed to resemble those I had seen

in Arabian fairy tales, consisting of an emerald tube top branded with a sparkling red jewel and enormous baggy pink

pants. She had long hair of a bizarre pinkish color, tied back in a loose bun and decorated with lovely strings of pearls,

and large golden hoops hanging from unusual, almost elfish ears. But that wasn’t what my eyes were drawn to - I

couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from the strange objects sticking out from the top of her head, and it was only after

one twitched sensitively that I could recognize what they were: a pair of large pointed ears, identical to a cat’s, were

positioned amongst her hair, and now I could also see the long form of a tiger’s tail swaying gently through the air behind

her. Between those and the peculiar, whisker-like markings on each of her cheeks, she almost looked like an unnatural

mutation between a feline and a woman.

She cast a glance over at the general, who continued to scan the room. “...Aye, sir,” she consented with a quick

bow at the waist, then fell onto all fours and began to swiftly dart about the cabin, like a large, pink-haired panther. I

could see that her small nose was twitching about furiously, sniffing the air, and I struggled to slid myself behind the

protection of an overturned table as she rushed up to the overset cauldron, only four or five feet from my location on the

floor. I watched in dismay as she froze in place and lifted her head into the air, sniffing more wildly now, then turned in

my direction.

“...The Devil’s Mouth, eh...?” the general commented distantly, waving on several soldiers who held up other

objects they had found about the room. This was the first time I had actually heard his voice; he didn’t sound much older

than maybe 18 or so. “So it actually does exist. And it’s only taken me half my life to find it. Ha ha!! Savor the moment,

Tama....It marks the end of the black market, and the end of my ongoing quest. Rather gratifying, wouldn’t you say...?”

His eyes fell to the animal still hanging inverted from the ceiling above the leader’s throne, now seemingly unconscious,

and took several steps over towards it. “A cherub? And still alive? Fascinating.....The scoundrels must have just

returned from a hunt of some sort only minutes before we arrived.” He carefully untied the ropes about the creature’s

legs and gently took its limp form into his arms. “Keep an eye out then, Tama....There are probably other objects left

behind that didn’t have time to be killed or sold.”

“Aye, sir.” The woman was now shifting aside the toppled chairs beside the table covering me, and I could feel

how quickly my heart was fluttering. My stomach gave one terrific lurch as her hands seized the end of the table hiding

me, hesitated, and then ripped it away, revealing my concealed body sprawled out over the floorboards. I let out a

piercing, involuntary scream, drawing my legs up beside me and leaping up into a sitting position.

“Eeeek!!” the woman shrieked shrilly, dropping the table heavily back on top of me and lifting her hands to her

face. She immediately whirled about and dashed on all fours back over to the general, who shot her a quizzical look as

she jumped protectively behind him. “A girl, sir, there be a girl here!! I saw her, she hides beneath the table, she does,

and she yowls like a banshee!! She wears strange clothes, I believe she is a witch, sir, a horrible witch!!”

The general stared bewilderedly down at her for a moment, who was still grasping his arm and quivering, then

slipped the senseless creature into her hands and took several steps over in my direction. I felt him grab hold of the table

and pull it away, and I slowly slid my eyes upwards to meet the general’s face. There was a pause, and then I shifted

myself backwards on my butt across the floor. “You stay away from me, you creep!!” I cried loudly, watching him lower

the table gently back down onto the ground and take a step forward. “I don’t want any of you weirdoes anywhere near

me, you hear!!”

“Ooh, how dare she!!” There was the scuffle of quick feet across floorboards, and suddenly the girl’s irritated

face popped up over the general’s shoulder. She pointed an accusing finger down at me. “You!! You no insult Master

Amari!! You say sorry, now!!”

“Hush, Tama,” the general said, then turned back towards me and reached a hand out. “She must have been

captured by the hunters. We must bring her to - ”

“I’m not going anywhere with you!!” I snapped nastily, thrusting my foot out and giving him a sharp kick in the

shin. Unfortunately, he was wearing too much armor to actually feel much of anything, so all I truly accomplished was to

make my foot throb painfully. However, his surprise at my unexpected reaction gave me time to leap to my feet and

slide several feet backwards. “Get back!! I warned those other stupid men, I’ll say the same thing to you - ”

“Aiee!! You hurt Master Amari!!” The woman covered her mouth with her hands, then clenched her teeth in a

threatening growl, crouching low to the ground. “I kill her, sir, I kill her for you...”

“Tama, quiet!” he hissed angrily, which gave me enough time to whirl around and dash deeper into the cabin. I

stopped in place, basically because I had reached the far wall and had nowhere else to go, and turned about to face them

again. I must have been quite a sight, standing defiantly in the corner with my hands tied awkwardly behind me. Not to

mention that a painful cramp was forming in my side, so I was forced to slump over stupidly and look like I was about to

fall over. I’m surprised no one burst out into hysterical laughter.

But neither looked like they were going to laugh. On the contrary, both were gaping in unmasked shock down

at my chest. “........The....the Eye.......” the general stammered quietly, and the girl let out a quiet gasp, covering her

mouth. “..That’s the Eye of the Blind...”

I gawked emptily back at them for several moments, then slowly dropped my vision to where they were

staring. Sure enough, my necklace was visible once again, swinging casually from my throat, still maintaining its eerie,

majestic appearance even though it was smeared messily with dirt. I gazed blankly down at it for several more seconds,

then glanced back up at the two before me, whose expressions hadn’t changed. A heavy silence settled about the room.

The woman suddenly released an ear-piercing shriek, collapsing onto her stomach and thrusting her arms out in

front of her. “Romanichel!! Romanichel!!” she squealed repeatedly, her voice muffled due to the fact that it was flat

against the floor, and soon she began to chant in some unrecognizable language.

The general beside her would not remove his eyes from me, but slowly fell to his knees, paused, and bent into a

respectful bow. I ogled both of them, my jaw hanging open, and backed myself weakly up against the wall. My eyes

shot back down to my medallion. What...what in the world...? I thought in absolute confusion. What...what is this

thing...?

The general cast a glance up at me from beneath his helmet, then slowly began to shift himself forward towards

me, not getting up from his bow. I pressed myself up against the wall. “...Your eminence...” he whispered hoarsely

through the girl’s chants. “The Romanichel.....At...at last we have found you...” He now drew up before me, holding

both hands up towards my face. “...You have no idea...how long we’ve searched......Centuries, your eminence, if not

more....”

My leg muscle twitched, anxious to give him another hard kick, but I couldn’t seem to remove my foot from the

ground. “....Wh......Who, me???”

“Your eminence...” he went on, grasping hold of my arm and causing me to let out a loud gasp of surprise,

“...once only thought to be an image of legend, now you stand before me.....I am blessed, your eminence....” He began to

cross himself several times.

“Romanichel!! Romanichel!!” the girl went on, her face still pressed up against the floor. “We are saved!! The

Romanichel has arrived!”

“Wh....wait a sec...” I stuttered nervously, gaping unabashedly down at the general’s form at my feet.

“There’s...there’s been a mistake....”

“...You must return with us...” the man continued, grabbing hold of my waist and placing his cheek against me.

I let out a quiet whimper, too startled to pull away. “Cauchemar has been liberated, your eminence....Your arrival itself

has secured our safety....You must return...”

“...L....Let go of me!!” I cried.

Immediately he pulled away from me, bowing his head back towards the ground. “...For...forgive me, your

eminence!!” he exclaimed fearfully. “I...I was simply so overcome by your presence....I needed to grab hold of you...I

needed to be close to you and be cleansed...”

“What the hell are you two going on about?!” I finally snapped, pulling away from him.

The general climbed to his feet, dusted himself off, and bowed again, then snapped his fingers one last time.

Instantly his troops rushed back into the cabin, lining up in an orderly row with a respectful salute. “Men!” the general

announced loudly, and they all replied with a simultaneous, “Sir!” “This young lady is very special to us,” he told them

solemnly, even though they seemed to be distracted by the girl’s position on the ground. “Release her immediately and

escort her back to the castle. And if any harm comes to her, I’ll have all your heads on a silver platter. Understood?”

“Sir! Yes, sir!” they all answered together, clicking their heels.

“Very well, then,” the general continued. “Move on, then!”

The line of soldiers broke apart, sending several marching back out the doorway and the rest striding over

towards me. I let out a frightened cry as one, after bowing respectfully, picked me up about the waist, turned me around,

and began to saw away at the ropes around my wrists with the dagger that had hung at his hip. There was a loud snap,

and suddenly both my hands were free, though unbearably sore and covered with a series of painful red stripes. After

that, the soldiers bowed a second time, then closed in around me in a suffocating ring and began to forcefully move me

towards the doorway. “...H...hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” I yelled loudly, trying to slip free but unable to

escape my constricting escorts. “I said I’m not going with you!! Get away from me!! Ack!! Help me!!”

“One scratch and I’ll run you all through, do you hear me?” the general ordered, following my bodyguards out

the door with heavy steps. “She is not to be seen or noticed until we have reached the palace, right?”

“Sir! Yes, sir!” they answered mechanically, paying no mind to my shrieks or struggles. The next thing I knew

I was out into daylight, and the sounds of the girl’s tearful chants were gradually fading away into the sounds of the

forest.

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