A screech pull me out of my dreary thoughts, I let go of my reins, pull out my compound-bow and arrows. They swarm towards us. I break out in a cold sweat when I catch sight of the suns dipping below the horizon completely, hailing the almighty darkness. We have less than a ten-minute' window of light before everything's claimed by complete, unforgivable, utter darkness.

They come in hordes, harbingers of our death. Their skin, a cold ashy- gray tone. Eyes a sickly pale, yellowy-gray color to show that they were from the ranks of Reapers. Ghastly, hooded, deep-set eyes, domed foreheads adorned by a network of blue veins and wicked, sharp teeth. A horn rings out, lodging a sliver of ice in my heart. The closing horn, my throat closed in, restricting my airflow, bile rose in my throat, I choked when I thought of not seeing my family, of turning into those things, of hunting them to join our ranks. It is so primal I couldn't breathe.

Goosebumps break out on my ebony skin, I shiver as they pucker to life, becoming more pronounced. Thinking of what would happen if we are closed out. I turned around, bow and three arrows in hand, I let loose my deadly rain of projectiles; they hit the Reapers in the front row. But more soon took their place. Our fate does not look too auspicious right now.

Unthinkable. A torment from the darkest pits of hell.

With a slight twitch of my reins, I let Namia run for both of our lives. She did, eyes wild, her pupils barely discernible. They fell, but it wasn't enough and more soon took their place; there's always more. Madi was the first to go through the gates, a Reaper jumps me as the gates clicks shut behind us. I elbow it in the throat just as it tries to swipe at me with the small, clear-orangish small blade in its hand.

I got a hiss in return. Undeterred, it clung onto me like a spider, while Namia went crazy under me, sensing the danger, she bucks both of us off her. I fell, rolling with the small, wiry bundle of death. The Reaper was a child of six and robust.

I wrestle with it. Madi steps forward, but Jagne claps a hand on his shoulder, it took four of them to adequately restrain him. The first cardinal rule's to never try help anyone out if they're locked too tight with a Reaper, you do more harm, some got taken that way, it took us a long time before we realize that small pearl of wisdom. I'm glad that they stopped him before he could. I would never forgive myself if he got hurt on my behalf.

All it takes is being worthy, one measly slash, and touch of their leader. That thought spurs me into action. I had to finish the fight fast. Cursing, I draw the blade I had stowed in my boot for such a thing, and slashed at the Reaper's throat; it gripped its throat letting out an animalistic growl that should never have come out of a human's lips, but it was no longer human.

Snarling back, I met it halfway, grip him by the hair, and slip my blade in the hollow space of its neck, severing his spinal cord in a second. I gently lowered its slight body to the ground, close my eyes, and whisper. "Te'dal amu'l ted'ak' i jam'aa, halel bi."

Sleep in peace, little one.

The farewell prayer for the dead, pinching sand between my fingertips, I sprinkled it on his forehead. The spider-child combusts, leaving only fine gray dust on the ground. A tear crept out of my left eye, trails down my cheek and splash on it. It was the little ones' death that was the most tragic, yet; they were the most dangerous.

Chances of surviving a spider-child's attack are minimal compared to a Reaper's. Dozens of spider-children could end a village. There's something about them its almost unholy, a hunter's true nightmare. No hunter, even the ones worth their salt want to ever encounter any of these infernal creatures. I took Madi's proffered hand, letting him yank me up. 'Are you okay?' his eyes probed.

I nod, letting him check me for cuts. He curtly nods to Jagne to say that I was clear. The bastard smirks, I send him a nasty glare, Jagne had hated me the first time he had set eyes on me which was when we were kids. 

Well, it was mutual, I never liked him then and hated him even more now. He was too perfect for my liking, slimier than a batch of newly hatched maggots and nastier than a nest of starving Reapers. Its still is unbelievable how he could be related to Madi, just a few years older than Madi, tall, wiry, with corded muscles. Got a face that most girls would swoon for and glacial-gray eyes that could stop a deadly Reaper in its track.

He's got this air around him that tends to make a lot of people stay out of his way, ruthless, arrogant, controlling jerk who cares not if he hurt anyone, even those closest to him. I don't even know why he had to lead this expedition? Couldn't the council have chosen a hunter better than him? A more responsible hunter, one who feels emotion. Because he sure doesn't. There is Adilo, he was far more experienced than Jagne, hard as nails but as sweet as coconut candy. He is got a level head on his shoulders and can feel your plight, someone who will not watch on while you die, a real front-runner. Yells has me snap eyes to the front gates, I run for the watchtower.

Another hunting party of five rode for the gates, a sea of Reapers after them. Sealed off on all sides. Desperation and fear coats their shouts as they fought for survival, to see another sunrise. I recognize Muna, Saliu, Corr, Moro, and Brime riding for the gates. What in the name of all Kendulusu made them so late?

The hunting fortress's not too far away from the hunting grounds, I stare at Jagne's grim, tense mien and know that there's no way in the underworld he was going to let them in. I once had the misfortune of watching him lock three hunters out for the Reapers to get, it was my first night as a huntress after being awakened, no one did anything as the hunters fought to survive the enormous wave of Reapers and spider-children, they fought really well.

But their sheer numbers overwhelmed them, I sensed their desperation, and had clashed eyes with one of the hunters and saw the accusation and the acceptance, that we did nothing to help.

I knew of him, even though I didn't know him that well, but he was a decent hunter, a good man, with a family waiting for him back in Kendulusu. Someone who doesn't deserve to die, that night I vowed to never let that happen again. Even now, when I close my eyes, I see the same look in his eyes, some lines should never be crossed. In the end, the inevitable happened, they got them. Only one made it into their ranks, the others died because they weren't worthy of becoming Reapers.

It's what the obsidian guild stands for, I don't know how they could do such things and sleep at night? Watching people, you knew to die in front of you. This time, it will be different, because I won't just be a bystander, this time I will not let them die while I watch. This time I will give them a fighting chance, I'll grant them life.

"Open the gate; it's Muna and the others!" I sprint for the watchtower.

  "That gate stays shut!" Jagne growls out, a hand on his blade.

The silence is weighed with the stench of their fear, sacrifice people to save their own necks. No one wants to cross Jagne. The last one who did was bedridden for weeks. Never to be seen again, Madi avoids my gaze. Even he wouldn't help. No one wants to take the risks of being on the receiving end of Jagne's displeasure.