The walk was tough, since we had to push through the crowd to get to our destination. And since I wasn't on my own this time, I had to keep checking behind me to make sure Jet and Silver were still following.

'IIIIIIIRIIIIIIIS!!!!' I suddenly heard a husky female voice from behind me, causing me to spin around to investigate. Which resulted in me getting tackled to the ground by someone. I lay there stunned for a moment, while the person sat on my stomach with a toothy grin.

Wait a minute... Blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, turquoise streak that covers one of their aqua blue eyes, scar, purple shirt, turquoise shorts, brown boots, brown fingerless gloves, mechanical right hand, green long co- OH MY GOD!

'HUNTER?!' I squealed as soon as I snapped back into reality. I was grinning like an idiot due to the appearance of my old friend. The girl nodded with a smirk and stood up, pulling me up with her. 'It's been forever, you dork! How've ya been?' She asked as we fist bump.

'Ehh ya know. Same old same old. Still finding a way to suppress my you-know-what...' I shrugged. And if you were wondering what the 'you-know-what' standed for, it's my powers. Hunter, along with my brother, are the only two out of three in Resuk who actually know about that. 'What about you, girl?'

Hunter sighed and straightened the hood of her long coat. 'Nothing new on my end. Still training at the academy to become a guard, while attempting to leave my assassin life behind.' Oh yeah one more thing, she was an assassin. And a very skilled one at that. 'So who's this dude?' she asked, while pointing at Jet with a raised brow. I shrugged.

'No-one important...'

'Hey!' Jet barked.

'Aaanyway... Hunter. Since we've met up, think you can take us to the guard academy?' I asked her, while showing her my best puppydog eyes. She blinked at me with a frown, before rubbing the back of her neck with her mechanical hand and thinking about my request.

'Sure I guess... I mean you are the general's sister after all... but what exactly for?' She asked me with a confused look.

'I have the potions the academy ordered from Alzdrak. Hence why I'm in Resuk in the first place.'

'Aaand you can't be bothered to go through security, so you want to use me as a free ticket in.... Right?' she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

'Heh... guilty...' I laughed sheepishly.

Hunter shook her head playfully, clicking her tongue in the process as she looked over to Silver and Jet. 'Them too?'

'Yep.'

'Alright then.' she grinned. 'Follow me, dorks.'

She began walking down the street, with Silver, Jet and I close behind. Jet seemed to be focused on her mechanical hand, with his nose scrunched up in confusion. I raised my eyebrow and nudged him, wondering why he was staring at my friend.

'Staring's rude.' I muttered to him.

'Sorry. Just wondering why she has a mechanical hand, and is wearing a long coat which is a bit too large for her.'

'The coat belonged to her boyfriend.' I explained, shrugging slightly.

'Then... why is she wearing it?'

'He's dead...'

He seemed to go pale for a moment. 'How...?'

'Same reason she has a fake arm. They were ambushed, he was killed and she barely made it out alive, losing her right arm in the process. Luckily they were able to share their final kiss before he passed... She wears his coat in memory of him, with hopes that someday she can avenge his death. It's kinda sad actually...' I finished, as I clenched my fists. I hated that my friend was suffering. She really loved her boyfriend, to the point I'd even say they were soulmates.

'Sorry I asked...' Jet muttered as he ran a hand through his long raven hair. I shrugged again, before speed walking to Hunter's side. We began chatting about training and whatnot while my travel companions walked in awkward silence. Then, the topic of the academy's bully came up. Turns out Hunter had actually beaten him up after about two years of him endlessly harassing girls and punching boys in the face. Man I love that girl.

(Narrator POV)

The five stopped in front of a large, castle-like building. Which believe it or not was actually the guard academy. As they got to the gate, they were once again stopped by guards. Two women in their early twenties blocked their path.

'Uh, Ashley, Marigold, it's me.' Hunter told them with a bored expression. The two smirked.

'We know~ we were just messing, Hunter.' Marigold, who had long light brown hair tied up in a ponytail which fell down to her lower back, grinned while showing her teeth. Since she was a shifter, they were pointed and sharp to the touch.

'Yeah soz mate. Been kinda uneventful today, so we got bored. No hard feelings yeah?' Ashley apologized in her Australian accent. She had short wavy white hair which hovered just over her shoulders, and white rabbit ears on her head which were black tipped.

'M'kay... anyway can you let us past now? These guys have a delivery for the General.' Hunter told the girls, while pointing behind her to Iris and her companions. Ashley eyed them for a moment, ears twitching, before nodding.

'Yeah, mates go right on through. No need for security check since you're with a guard of the academy.' She grinned as she and Marigold stepped aside. Hunter and Iris thanked them, as they, Silver and Jet walked past the gate and into the courtyard. Everywhere you looked, there were guards training. As they continued to walk, a familiar face caught Iris' eye.

He was tall, with long brown hair that almost fell over one of his dark green eyes. He wore a green scarf around his neck, as well as his academy armour which was silver and brown.

Oh by the way the Resuk guard academy allowed you to customize your armour colours to fit your taste, as long as the crest was visible on the chestplate.

Iris let out a tiny squeal, as she ran up to the seventeen year old boy. 'OI! VINCENT!' She yelled, getting his attention.

'IRIS?!' He gasped, throwing open his arms for the girl to run into. She did so, and their chestplates clanged together as they engulfed each other in an enormous hug. He span her in a circle as she squealed happily.

'Who's he?' Jet asked as he and the others walked up to them.

'Oh, that's Vincent. He's Iris's childhood friend who I think she has a crush on. They've been tight ever since they were three and four years old.' Hunter smirked.

'How you been, shriek box?' Vincent smirked. The two clashed heads.

'What did you call me, Scarfie?!' Iris growled with an angry smirk.

'Oh nothing... Shriek box~' The brunette smirked back.

'You know I hate it when you do that!' she cried. 'You know what? You. Me. Race. Now!'

'You're on!'

'Iris wait!' Jet called. 'The potions?'

Iris rolled her eyes, before unclipping a leather bag from her armour belt and throwing it to Silver. 'Go without me! I gotta put this douche in his place!' and with that the two teens were off, pushing and shoving each other as they ran farther away from the group. They sweatdropped.

'They are so made for each other...' Hunter sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. 'Anyway let's go see the general.'

'Yeah...' Silver replied blankly, tying the bag Iris tossed her to her belt. Jet shrugged, before he and his emotionless friend followed Hunter into the building.

They climbed three flights of stairs, and were currently walking down a large stone hallway. They stopped at a simple wooden door, which Hunter said was the General's office. She knocked twice and waited for a response, standing up straight with her hands behind her back.

'State your name and business!' ordered a firm, yet angelic voice.

'Hunter Bloodrayne, sir! I have two people from Alzdrak here with a delivery for you!' Hunter stated clearly, earning an 'enter' from the person on the other side. She opened the door, allowing Jet and Silver to enter, and entered herself before closing the door behind her. On the other side of the room, with his back turned to them, stood an eighteen year old boy with honey coloured hair. He seemed to be wearing General armour, which was coloured platinum and aqua. He had his hands on a table, with his head down.

'General Luke?' Hunter called, standing up straight and saluting. The boy turned round, revealing his icy blue eyes and tannish freckled skin. He looked so pure, yet he had a scar which ran horizontally over his nose. His hair parted at the middle and fell over his eyebrows. A few other guards were in the room with him, but they minded there own business.

'Good afternoon, Hunter.' he exclaimed, nodding at the blonde.

'Good afternoon Gen--' she was cut off by a loud crash, and a brown blur ran through the door.

'OH NO YOU DON'T!' yelled a voice, as an orange blur leaped through the window and tackled the brown blur to the ground. The five looked down at them surprised, and they turned out to be Iris and Vincent. Iris scrambled to her feet and ran to the table, quickly sitting on it. 'FIRST!' She laughed, flinging her arms in the air.

'NO FAIR!' Vincent cried, slamming his hands either side of her. She just brought her hand up to her face, pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tongue.

'So fair.' she giggled.

'YOU TWO!' boomed a voice, getting their attention 'ATTENTION!' Luke yelled again, making them both stand up straight side by side.

'Sir!' they saluted.

Luke slowly walked in circles around them, while eying both intensely. He wanted them to think he was going to give them a long lecture, but he actually wanted to scare his sister. Since it was usually her who scared him. He stopped behind the teenagers and took a deep breath, making them flinch. But instead of yelling, he threw himself onto Iris and wrapped his arms around her torso.

'IRIS!' He cried happily, making her stumble from the sudden weight add on.