Warlocks

(•Aaron Eratul•)

Bitter End was really a less populated town that seemed secluded from the heart of Los Angeles. The joy of being alive and once again breathing the cool air possessed by my birth town was entertaining. Damned be that Nameless Ancient Beast that got rid of my kind, millenniums ago. A lot of things had changed ever since we were erased off the face of Mother Earth. Cars replaced horses, guns replaced swords and bows, tuxedos replaced shining armors. All in all, the era evolved.

Being clad in a blue tuxedo was elegant but the feeling differed from the one I felt when I was clad in a shining heavy armor, three millenniums ago. The one similarity both the present and the past shared was the bow and quiver of venomous arrows that were slung over my shoulders. The heavy bow was but a magical artifact and it's weight could as well crush an average human. Weeks had went by after our resurrection but our hatred for vile creatures remained.

Asides the brief encounter we had with the Ancient Beast and the Trio Travelers, we hadn't seen a creature of another kind. We did discover that more creatures had been created and their abilities differed. Some were like the Ancient Beast and the Trio Travelers, they couldn't die, just as we, Warlocks. The Serenal Vampires, those deadly creatures were created by magic, but the mystery about their creation was unfathomable and so also was the mystery about the creation of the self acclaimed Supreme Wolf.

Michael Morien, was he known as, the White Flower. I hadn't seen him but the words I heard about him focused on how much he favored elegance and honour. Some said he hated violence so I had no business with him since he was not evil. The Fetchers, our descendants, were really putting up with the evil actions those creatures were brewing but I couldn't blame them for they weren't immortals. I had the particular urge to exit my Clave, the House Of Bones, to take a look around the town.

All thoughts of mine were discarded at the exact moment an itch assaulted my right hand. I gazed at the `D' shaped rune that was plastered on the skin of my right hand and I already knew there was a dark creature around. Vampires were useless without blood, Werewolves were neutral for they required nothing, neither flesh nor blood, Travelers were useless without souls, and Fetchers were useless without magic. But, we, Warlocks, also belonged to the useless category if our runes were absent.

A gun with no bullet is utterly useless so also are Warlocks if the runes are absent. A Morken Warlock possessed three runes, a Norken Warlock possessed four runes, and a Vorken Warlock possessed seven runes. Vorkens were the strongest amongst the Warlocks for they also had the rarest rune which was `Rebirth Rune'. There were only seven Vorkens within the entire clave, including myself. The itch I had was the result of the detection rune, a dark creature had been detected and I wouldn't be a Warlock if I rejected the call.

I squatted and patted the soil of the forest I was contained within just I looked straight ahead. An itch assaulted my chest, a result of the `V' shaped rune I was making use of, `Vision Rune'. The rune could make one sight any scene that was miles away as far as the target within the scene was marked by the detection rune. I felt a suction force pull me out of my body and got attached to spirituality for I had already went past lots of trees, vehicles, trucks, and many others within my vision.

The movement halted just as two figures appeared within the vision, a male and a female. I heard each word within their conversation and amused was I just as the man discovered the lady was literally tricking him. From the conversation, I learnt he was one of the Seven Serenals, it was a commendable thing that a human was bluffing her way out of a supernatural's sight, what bravery! The man stretched his right arm forward and very soon, the lady's neck was within his grip. She looked pained, his grip over her neck must have been tough.

`Please, do not kill me. I'm innocent and I have no role to play in the whole supernatural plot.' Her usage of words amused me, she talked like she was within a fictional movie. I knew I had to do my usual thing so I pulled my spiritual form back to reality. Three seconds went past before I regained my senses, a side effect of the ability. I arose from the dirty soil and vanished away from the scene. Human eyes, if present, would have only seen an indiscernible blur as I travelled towards the scene to save the lady from the Serenal. Three seconds passed not and I was already few meters away from the duo, staying within a position hidden from their eyes, thanks to the invisibility rune.

`Your role in the whole supernatural plot is quite important and I could assure you that your existence would change the setting. Once the setting is changed, the destiny of everyone changes, something that I wouldn't want.' He released his grip on her neck just as he replied. If what he said wasn't false, I needed to befriend the human so as to have a solid knowledge about the entire issue. The mention of `Navori' within their conversation had already placed me within the heart of a discomfort zone, he was a brother of mine, in the past. Someone that was casted away from our brotherhood by our master, someone that was really addicted to magic and the result of his addiction was death.

From the conversation, I had the epiphany that he really wasn't dead but was alive and not in a proper form. Just as I decided to bring in the Vampire for questioning, I retrieved the long but heavy bow and attached to it's string was a venomous arrow, a quick attachment I made with my fingers at the exact moment I retrieved the bow, I had always known I was a fine archer right at the moment I was birthed. `Get ready for the ride is going to ——' He had no choice but to scream just as a beautiful arrow jutted out of his chest. That arrow could kill a random creature but it had little effect on an Immortal.

He fell to his knees as he screamed in agony and within his hands was his head. He slapped the solid ground repeatedly till the pain was driven away by his madness. After few seconds, he arose and just as he did, he pulled the arrow out of his body with an unnatural force. `Show yourself, coward.' He yelled as he searched around for the arrow's owner. I walked but made sure the duo could hear my footsteps and informed were they about the tune of the direction my legs were dancing to. `You would do no harm to that woman, boy.' I discarded the invisibility just as I spoke, I found it dishonorable to fight with a weaker opponent in such way.

`Who are you? A lost Fetcher?' He might have been scared but he didn't show his fear towards me. `I'm a lot more than the puny magicians, trust me on that. Make the first move, you would be unconscious if I do make the first move so think of it as an opportunity to make use of your abilities before being hit by a cute force.' A smile was on my face as I threatened the Vampire. He grew furious and attacked, a blur was his body as he moved towards me with a punch of his aimed at my face. Thwack! Thwack! And so did my bow's end hit his attacking arm, twice.

He reeled in pain and maintained some distance away from me. Maintaining some distance from me made him stay close to the human and before I could think of what he was about to do, he already had the woman's neck within his hands, a single snap could as well end her life. `Trust me, I would kill her if you move.' I shook my head in disapproval for such dishonorable action. `I'm disappointed, is this how dishonorable you all are in your family? Hurt a hair on her head and I'll capture everyone within your clan. I would torture them till they get tired of living.' There was nothing I could do, a single action of mine could as well drive him to kill her.

Whilst I was thinking of a decision, a fast blur went past the duo. I already knew the result of the blur's action even before the start of the result. The figure was quite fast but not enough to escape my eyes, a white suited but black haired man. The purpose of his blur was to snap the dishonorable man's neck and so did he. After that, he blurred away. I took in his image before he did take his leave, in a supernatural way. I owed him a favor. The Serenal dropped to the ground, unconcerned. That was a thing about the Immortal Supernaturals, they might not be capable of dying but they could get unconscious for a short or long duration of time depending on the mode of attack.

The human broke down in tears, she must have been driven to the point of desperation. I blurred my image towards her and embraced her. She cried till she could cry no more and when she realized she was within the embrace of a stranger, she yelped and maintained some distance. `Thanks for saving me. I don't know who you are but I do appreciate it. I was on my way out of town, this is what I'm escaping from. The whole damned supernatural plot.' I knew to not claim the reward of another. `I wasn't the person that knocked him out, it was another, someone I know nothing of. I would advise you to not leave the village for one could never escape the hands and eyes of many supernaturals, if one is but a mortal. Visit the very popular bar we've got in this town and I'll give you answers to your questions. I might as well offer you sanctuary and teach you our ways, a method of staying alive. Anyways, the name is Aaron Eratul.'

`Why would you want to help me, Mr Aaron?' And so was I questioned but I knew the awakening of the unconscious creature was near so I had to take him to the Clave. I could as well keep knocking him unconscious every minute he regained consciousness but a factor affected that method. If he managed to regain unconsciousness when I was in the midst of many humans, that would be a nasty thing for the station of international broadcast would hurl an event of fast moving creatures giving a bite at each other, a way of alerting everyone in the world about the existence of supernatural creatures, something my master wouldn't want to happen. I picked up the man's body and so did I vanish away from the scene, leaving the human lady to battle her curiosity, alone.