6 The Man In The Suit

'Scarlet Strings Of Destiny.'

Night Six...

"Remind me again why I have to stay here?" Brave asked laying down on the couch as she let out a silent yawn. It quickly turned into a full on yawn against her will though.

In the kitchen her teacher was reading a newspaper as he sipped black coffee out of a large metal cup. He let out a small hum as he closed the news paper. "Because of the Mares." He nodded.

"Mares?" Brave asked raising an eyebrow. "Never heard of them."

"They say that long ago they rose from the darkness taking form... Hellish monsters from our very nightmares. Knights of darkness that exist in the shadows of our world... Long story short they move around at night seeking out those who were foolish enough to wander around during their time... Typically they are alone, lonely monsters, but sometimes you have an Alpha... One that forms a pact..."

"Sounds like a spooky ghost tale." Brave snorted. 'Though... I can kind of see Ghosts...' Brave thought shuddering. 'I've only ever seen good ones... Ones that I can get to move on to the next life with the palm of my hand. Never met an evil ghost... But I guess if good ones with wings exist it isn't a stretch to think ones with horns could as well?'

" It is far to dangerous to walk around at night right now." The Teacher said letting out a small sigh as he took another sip of his drink. "Several of them have been seen recently... In the forests... I'd feel safer knowing you were here for the night... Or at least thats the rumors. Humans can't see them though so you have to use other sources. Thankfully animals can. Many of the animals have been spooked on the mountain. If I had to guess I'd say thats why."

"Can they not enter cities, or villages." Brave yawned.

"No they can. Some weaker Mares can't enter holy places, but strong Mares can with ease."

"Then that proves they aren't real right." She yawned her eyes slowly closing. "We'd all be dead if they could just go where ever they want." And with that she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Mr. Pluto gave a small hum as he clasped his hands together. "Sadly its not so simple little Brave. Wakes are very good at keeping us out of places with humans. Sometimes the only way too get to people is to play the role of a human-" Quiet snoring echoed through out the room making the old man jump. He turned finding Brave had passed out on the couch. "Always sleeping during my lessons aren't ya..." He chuckled. He let out a sigh as he looked up to the sky for a moment. "God help all of us..." He said shaking his head. "Please guide this girl on her journey..." He reached into his shirt fishing out a small candle with the number two on it. The candle lit up with a faint blue light as he pocketed it. "It's almost time... I wonder what will you say to her little Kale? How will you react to this one..." He smiled.

The Next Day and Brave was finally off of the mans couch heading towards her home now that it was morning. She waved good bye to her teacher and quickly left his home, and the cities borders.

"Teacher Pluto is actually really nice." She smiled letting out a small hum as she walked down the path heading back up the mountain and through the woods. The trip back would still take a while due to how long it was but thankfully as long as nothing went wrong she should have been able to arrive around twelvish... "I should bring the others to his house next time we're all in the city. He asked me about my family before. I suppose it's natural to wonder about a mountain witch-"

Brave barely had time to process the fact that she was falling before her head hit the ground. She simply stumbled over and fell flat on her face as her eyes went wide. She swore she was blind only seeing a pitching white light even when she closed her eyes tightly. Her head felt like it was going to burst as she heard everything around her. Staring at the ground she saw them. The tiny ants, every step they took exploding like a billion thunder storms, every gust of wind sounding like a trillion chainsaws. Her nose felt like it was on fire as she smelled everything around her. It was so much worse than the other night when this happened.

She didn't make a noise, or move, a muscle for fear of what that would do to her. Instead she stared with pain filled eyes as she could make out the very cells that formed her skin, and she could even hear the tiniest sounds of nervous system sending electrons back and forth.

Her entire lungs felt like they would burst as she refused to take a breath to scared of how loud that would sound. She was certain her brain was simply going to pop as her entire body felt like it was on fire.

She was certain at that moment that if there was a hell, it was nothing compared to this...

'Focus...'

It was a soft voice. It sounded just like her own. It was so soothing.

She didn't know how long she had laid there in the dirt but when she did finally allow some oxygen back into her body it didn't kill her. In fact everything seemed to be slowing back down the thunderous sounds getting more, and more silent.

Once it was done Brave allowed a few pained sobs out as her head slowly settled back down. "What's happening to me..." She cried out. It was hard but she eventually got back up to her feet wobbling slightly as she let out a quiet hiss still far to scared to let out any loud noises for fear of the feeling coming back. She felt sick to her stomach as she slowly walked down the path wobbling slightly.

If she had hurried and nothing went wrong she would have been there by around twelve, but it wasn't until around six to seven that she was finally walking up the large sloped mountain and saw her village in the distance. She had moved at a slugs pace every step sending shivers through her body imagining the hell it would be if the weird sensation came back...

She'd rather die than go through it again...

The scent of blood is very similar to a iron like smell. Rubbing blood over skin results in a similar metallic smell based on the same scent molecules. Blood also contains iron atoms thus allowing for the smell. This smell was nothing new to Brave. She had been on plenty of hunts with the men of their village before they had been called away to the war. Smoke was also not a new smell. And neither was the smell of smoke and blood together. Those were two things she was used to.

But what she wasn't used to was the sheer silence that hung in the air...

She hadn't noticed due to the blast of sounds that hit her but now there was almost nothing... Just the sound of leaves, and trigs breaking under her footsteps.

No animals.

It was so quiet.

Where were they-

"Brave!"

The voice made Brave jump. It had been loud and shattered the darkness around her. She looked up finding Irene was rushing towards her.

The girl looked like she was out of breath. "Oh thank God you're back." She said breathing heavily.

"What?" Brave questioned shaking her head. Her senses were still twitching and for some reason she was aware of the sun that was beginning to set making the forest they were in get darker and darker as the shadows began to spread out. She swore she could see things in the shadows for a moment. Almost as if they were reaching to her.

"Brave." Irene grabbed the girl by her shoulder. "Is Father Darvin, and Sister Leena with you?"

"W... What? No." Brave shook her head. "Why?"

Irene bit her lip. "Where were you?" The older girl looked on the verge of tears for a moment worry having clung to her. "W... We woke up and they weren't here. The front door had been left open. A... And you should have returned seven hours ago. I... I came to look for them and you. I thought something might have..."

"S... Sorry. I slipped and I guess I blacked out for a while." Brave winced. "I... I didn't mean to worry you. U... Um... Do... Do you think we can head back home... I... I think I need to lay down and its starting to get dark."

Irene nodded grabbing Braves hand. "Right come on."

The two girls quickly hurried back home. The village was nearly empty everyone being inside. No animals still something Irene didn't seem to notice but Brave did. The forest should never be this silent.

Never.

They entered the church and were surrounded by Chase, Max, and Lumo, who held the baby but Irene pushed past them all. "Hey I found her but she needs some rest leave her alone." Irene said shaking her head.

Brave numbly walked past them shaking her head as they all began to ask Irene questions.

"Brave-" Lumo asked reaching out to her.

"P... Please. I just need to lay down for a moment." Brave pushed past her as the small ringing in her ears began to slowly start up once more and her eyes and nose began to ache. She squeezed down on her palms hard enough to dig her nails into them but that seemed to do the trick as her senses focused on the pain making the sights, smell, and hearing, go down. She marched through the house and headed to the back room where her and the other kids all slept. "I just need to lay down and-"

"Yeah... They live here for sure." The voice stated. Brave had opened the door and stared ahead dumbfounded. Standing in her room was a man. He wore a black fancy business suit which was heavily scratched and cut up, blood and dirt, clinging to it. His skin was bruised and he had slick black hair. His eyes were covered by a pair of black sunglasses and he looked around calmly. "Hmm... Three were here? So thats what you were trying to do huh-"

"Who the hell are you!" Brave yelled kicking out with a panic and slamming her foot into the mans side sending him flying as he crashed into the wall. "Why are you in our house!"

"Brave!" Lumo ran around the corner. "Brave whats wrong!"

"We're being robbed or something look at that guy!" Brave yelled in a panic pointing at Cliff Williams who was sitting dumbfounded in the corner of the room.

"What?" Lumo turned and stared past Williams at the window. "Did he escape through the window?"

"W... What? No he's right there?" Brave said pointing down.

"What?" Lumo stared directly at Williams now but looked away. "Brave... There's nobody there?"

"It's no use." The man in the suit said snorting. "She can't see me. Her and the others are normal humans. No like you."

Brave felt a chill go up her back. He was like a Ghost then. Something only she could see. But he had no halo nor did he have wings. And what kind of Ghost walked around with a sword.

'Humans can't see them though so you have to use other sources. Thankfully animals can. Many of the animals have been spooked on the mountain. If I had to guess I'd say thats why.'

Those had been her teachers words.

"I... Is this a Mare..." Brave mumbled out slowly backing up.

"Brave are you okay?" Lumo asked reaching out and grabbing Brave's forehead. "Oh God you're running a fever-"

Lumo's eyes suddenly became glassy for a moment and she suddenly turned away and simply walked out of the room.

"Lumo?" Brave asked alarmed.

"There." The man held a small pink flask now which emitted a pink gas. "She won't bother us now." He hummed. "I'll admit I'm a bit shocked that the New Blood here is you." Brave felt fear cling to her once more. She slowly looked up seeing her reflection in the pair of black sunglasses the man who was standing in front of her wore. "Brave Larison..." He said slowly reaching into his jacket.

"...Y.. Yes?"

"You need to run." He said pulling out several silver knives. "We need to get you out of here before it can get you. I don't have time to explain everything but they should be coming for you about now. If not for that Damn Alpha this would have gone a lot smoother but-"

And than they heard it. The sound of the many growls that came outside of the window next to them. The house seemed to rumble for a moment.

"W... What was that..." Brave gulped.

The man gave a worried look as he raised his knives. "This is their time..." He hissed.

"What the hell do you mean-"

'Bam!'

The house shook as something seemed to slam into it. Like a car going off the road and crashing into the house. And Brave heard the screams of her siblings as her eyes filled with panic and fear.

"Damn." The man hissed out. "To late..."