Artwork: I forgot >...< sorry!

2014 Copyright © A. M. Forest

All Rights Reserved

Thirteen Years Ago

Apolla and Argon walked slowly through the carnage of what was once the tribe of the Dukh Okhotnik, otherwise known as the Spirit Hunters. Fire licked at there bare feet as they walked over a charred sabertooth's body. Similar bodies were scattered across the burnt down village; under them, much smaller human bodies. What was once a strong, peaceful, and thriving village of the Spirit Hunters was replaced with silence.

"Have you spotted any survivors?" someone from another group shouted from across the clearing.

"Nothing yet!" Argon replied for her as they continued to look through the rubble.

Apolla stepped on a small patch of fire, the red flames unnoticeable to her, before turning to Argon, unfazed by the carnage around her.

"There is no point in this rescue mission. Everyone is dead." she hissed in annoyance.

He turned his head in her direction for a brief moment before looking away. "Labren asked us to do this. Just keep looking."

She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the smell of blood and burnt flesh. At least she could enjoy the air. "The battle between the Scorpio Dragons and the Sabertooths was a pointless one. The Scorpios, no matter how dumb they actually are, had the advantage. The Sabertooths didn't stand a chance, as you can see."

Argon scoffed. "The fact that you just justified this massacre says a lot about your character, Apolla."

She gaped at him, offended. "That's absurd. I would never compliment those vermin."

Argon looked at her in disbelief. "Was that all you heard?"

Apolla shrugged. "I never said that the massacre was justified. War is war. Casualties are meant to occur. But the Scorpio dragon's mindset is that to destroy all of their enemies. Those of impurity and those of innocence fall victim to this mindset. No one survives." She said as she lifted up a piece of wood before throwing it out of the way only to see a woman laid under rubble, curled up and shivering on the ground. "What do we have here?"

Apolla gave the woman a once over, taking in her bloodied tan face, long matted black hair done in a braid that was coming undone. She was young, Apolla guessed around her early twenties. She figured the woman was once a beautiful creature, one everyone desired. Apolla looked down and noticed a spear sticking out of her stomach, her hands around the wound. The woman coughed and Argon rushed to her side.

"Don't bother. She's going to die." Apolla brushed off looking around the clearing for anything more interesting.

With the paling woman in his arms, he turned to glare at her. "Could you be any more heartless?"

She gave him a look. "I'm being realistic. She looks like she's about to give out any second. I've seen enough people dying to know the signs."

Argon reached for the spear ready to remove it when Apolla's words stopped him. "Unless you want to kill her faster, I would advise against that."

"I...I need you to...find my...Jäger..." The woman whispered, catching Apolla's interest. When she looked at in the woman's direction, her attention was already on Apolla. "He...he's my only..."

"Shh, it's okay. We will find your hunter." Argon said, adjusting her in his arms so he could pull a rag from his pocket to wipe her tears.

Apolla stared in the eyes of the woman, watching the golden blue orbs glow with an unfamiliar emotion to Apolla. "Find...my Jäger..." Her eyes grew hard with pleading before they glossed over.

Argon let out a deep sigh as he laid the woman down before taking out the spear and placing it beside her. He moved her hands to cover the gaping wound.

Apolla watched him as he closed the woman's eyes, her mind still on the woman's last words.

She squared her shoulders and continued walking. "Let's go. Her hunter is most likely among the fallen."

He stood before turning to Apolla, "Sometimes I wish you had more compassion for others."

Apolla glanced his way as she stepped over another ripped up body. "How can I express such emotions when I don't know what they are?"

"When you were on your own, did you ever feel lonely? Did you ever feel the desire to have someone by your side? To feel another emotion besides emptiness?"

She was silent, the pain in her chest betraying what she was trying to show: cold-hearted nothing.

He looked at her face and saw the angst, giving him his answer. "You don't have to hide your emotions all the time, Apolla. I'm here for yo--"

She cut him off, glad to be distracted from the conversation.

"Did you hear that?" She stopped and looked around, listening for the source of the noise.

"Hear what?"

When the whine came again, Apolla charged towards the woods, Argon's protests muted noise in the background.

She followed the noise as it got louder and stopped just before a smaller clearing.

In the center stood four men from their unit, who were supposed to be searching for survivors, huddled around a bundle of brown fur that was trying to escape. They all continued to laugh as one kicked the fur back into the center. When one of the men moved, Apolla got a clear view of what the fur actually was: a sabertooth tiger cub.

The little thing growled before charging at one of the openings, only to be kicked back into the center again, the whining noise she heard earlier filling the air after the impact.

The cub pushed himself up and Apolla's eyes connected with the small bundle of fur's gold ones. The same gold orbs of the dying woman.

The same fire in its eyes burned in her when she was that young, being bullied by those who were stronger. Those who were crueler.

Rage filled her.

Just as one of them lifted his hand to clap another on the back, Apolla found herself grabbing his fingers and bending it back until she heard a satisfying crack. She spun around and threw him over her shoulder before disabling the other three in four swift moves.

"What is the meaning of this, Apolla? We were just having a little fun." the one whose hand was broken yelped as he got up, clutching his hand to his chest.

Apolla's eyes flashed and all the men took a step back. "You call this fun? When was terrorizing a child who just lost their entire village fun?!" She roared, blue flames licking at her skin. She stepped forward as the men continued to back away. "Shall I show you what I call fun?" Her smile grew animalistic as white scales appeared on her skin, her teeth replaced with canines, her nails replaced with talons.

Just then, Argon broke through the trees. He took in the situation before yelling, "What is going on? Explain yourselves!" he ordered as he moved in between the men and Apolla.

When her bloodthirsty eyes met Argon's pleading ones, her flames died down to ash and she turned her attention to the small bundle of fur behind her. Instead of fear in its eyes, she was surprised to see curiosity and gratitude.

Apolla's smile was more gentle now as she bent down, her hands out welcomingly as she spoke. "Hello, darling. I promise on my life I won't let anyone harm you anymore." She whispered the same words Labren did all those years ago.

The cub took in her genuine vow and honest eyes before jumping into her arms. A shimmer appeared and the bundle shifted into a bruised and battered tan boy around the age of five. The only clothing on him being a tattered loincloth and a tribal zigzagged band on his upper arm. He curled further into her arms causing her grip to tighten protectively. He defied death just like she had, being the very last Spirit Hunter alive.

She was alone for most of her life, both before and after Labren found her. She fought to survive, and eventually fought for fun. She kept everyone at a distance, hid her emotions, hurt those that got to close, and killed many, young and old. She had a blood thirst she couldn't control, a man who she can't let love her, and only one person she could truly trust to keep her safe. But, as the little boy tightened his grip around her neck, shaking and flinching from the pain, she finally understood the emotion in the woman's pleading eyes.

When she stood again, her glare aimed at the four men, Apolla spoke.

"I, Apolla Dudgeon, last Relic Dragon to breathe blue fire, hereby claim this child as my own. He is and will be under my protection and the protection of Labren Fleeter for all eternity. If harm is to come of him, the penalty is death." She announced, her voice booming through the trees as she spoke. Her gaze landed on the faces of the four men. "If you so much as look his way, I'll gut you and feed your insides to yourself before burning you to a crisp." Her words echoed as she walked towards the treeline before she paused. "Oh, and don't worry, I know how to make it painful. We will have much fun." She gave Argon one last look before walking away from the men, hugging the boy to her chest.

When she was far away, she crouched down to allow the boy to slide off of her to the floor. When she was level with him, she noticed his eyes were a crystal blue against his dark skin before she asked, "What is your name, little Jäger?"

He stared at her for a long time before answering. "Darrion," his quiet voice reached her ears like a summer breeze, and she knew if she had any doubts about her sudden decision before, those dissipated immediately after hearing his voice.

She found herself brushing his hair to the side as she rehearsed her next words. "This might be hard for you to understand now why all these things are happening so suddenly, but you are coming to stay with me and a few trusted companions. We aren't a big healthy family, but a family nonetheless." She rested her hands on his small shoulders as her expression grew serious. "I'll teach you everything I know, everything you need to know, so people like those vermin don't keep you down."

She brushed his hair back again and was taken aback when he leaned into her touch. He had looked down during her speech but when he looked up at her, tears glistened on the rim of his eyes and his bottom lip quivered.

"Come here." Apolla said before pulling him into a tight hug. "I swear on my life, I won't allow anything to harm you again. Or so help me, the fires of hell will meet the flesh of those who dare cross you."

She could feel his body relax and picked him up again just as Argon walked up to them.

She saw the question in his eyes but shook her head as she put a protective hand over the young cub's head.

He sighed, "Let's go home."

With a wave of Argon's hand and a few whispered words, a white sparked portal appeared. On the other side, the bronze hallways of the Facility glowed.

Both Apolla and Argon walked through the portal, only to be met by Labren's back as he slowly walked in the same direction.

Labren turned at the sound of the portal and quickly closed the book he was reading when he saw his pupils. His golden gaze swept over them briefly for any injuries before landing on the child in Apolla's arms.

He was quick to set the book down and rush to her side to take a closer look at the boy. "Let's get him to the infirmary," Labren said as he slowly tried to pull him from her grasp.

The boy cried out and tightened his grip around Apolla, causing her to turn away from Labren. "I got him," she growled out.

Labren took a step back as Apolla past him. He shot Argon a puzzling look. Just before he could walk past, Labren grabbed his arm, "What happened out there? Who is the boy?"

"A couple of the Scorpio dragons from the search unit were beating up that boy while he was trying to escape. Apolla saved the cub and claimed him as her own. That boy is under the protection of you, Labren." Argon summed up quickly before following after Apolla.

Labren stood still for too long. "Wait, what? I'm a grandfather now?" He yelled after them in confusion.

After setting Jäger, who was all bandaged up, on the bed to sleep, Apolla walked out of the infirmary to finally answer the questions of the two men that awaited her.

"You adopted the child, is what I've come to learn?" Labren's words came out almost as a question. He had his arms crossed and a hand on his chin in thought as he looked down at his pupil. "Are you sure about this? Taking on a child is a lot of responsibility."

"You did it, twice, and look how we turned out!" She argued, gesturing between herself and Argon.

Labren grimaced, "that is what worries me. What if he turns into a younger version of you? This facility can only stand for so long."

Apolla glared at Argon who snickered before covering it with a cough.

She turned back to her mentor, her expression hard. "I gave my word that I would teach him all I know and protect him from all harm. I will not go back on now just because the path ahead looks difficult. Are you two going to help me or not?"

Both men gave each other a long look before turning back to her with knowing grins.

"Of course we will support you and help guide this child in the right direction," Labren said as he put a balled fist across his chest, "you have my word."

"Besides, we don't need another blood-thirsty version of you out there causing up a storm." Argon nudged Apolla teasingly before she pushed him back.

"Then it's settled, Darrion is among us."

~~~

Apolla stared out towards the sunrise from her seat on the cliff, remembering the first time she met her Jäger. Thirteen long years had past since that day and many trials and lessons led to the young man he had become.

Watching him grow, helping him learn battle tactics and strategies, molding him into the warrior he is now, only to have it be used against her.

Her eyes watered in frustration as she threw a rock off the cliff, letting out a stranged huff as she watched it decend far from the mountain edge.

Apolla heard him approach before he spoke, "Didn't get much sleep?"

She blew out air from her mouth as she threw another rock, keeping her glare towards the horizon. "Aren't you supposed to be in a medicine-induced coma?"

Argon used a crutch to help settle himself next to her on the cliffs edge, grimacing as he did so. "Well, I feel much better; however, not well enough to ditch the nurse guard that continues to follow my every move." He said, glancing back at the young woman that stood by the entrance to the Guardinal Facility. She was writing profusely on her clipboard, no doubt about his disobedience that was sure to appear on Labren's desk later that morning.

Apolla glanced back as well but brushed it off before her eyes caught on the purple bruises on his neck. When he turned to face her, she saw the extent of the bruises circled around his neck to cover most of the right side of his face. The swelling was down but the discoloration was still going to take a few more hours to heal. She scanned his body to see his entire chest and torso covered in white wrap, the skin that was showing purple from bruising.

Her gaze softened when she looked up at him, guilt for the pain she put him through before anger drowned it out. "Damnit, Argon! Why do you have to challenge me knowing this would be the outcome? It's bad enough I have to deal with the Elders' threats, but now I have to deal with the guilt of our duels as well!" She threw another rock, this one with an extra boost of blue flames to catapult it further than all the rest.

Argon perked up. "The Elders are threatening you? In terms of what?"

"Train the underlings coming from the Grass Guardinal Ward or lose Jäger forever." Apolla's anger spiked as the words left her mouth, throwing another rock into the vast below. The sun was more over the horizon at this point, lighting up the forest below the mountain. Clouds floated peacefully below their feet, dissipating when the rock fell through it.

"That is an extreme consequence for such an easy task. Why are we getting new recruits from the Grass Guardinal Ward anyway?"

"During your recovery, Jäger returned to report the destruction of the Ward. Being that we were the victors of the last tournament, we were chosen to receive the warriors left after the carnage." She muttered out, avoiding eye-contact as she launched another rock through the clouds.

Argon thought it over for a full minute. "And they want you to train them because Jäger came out to be such an amazing asset for them." He turned his head and spit off the cliff. "They sure do love to cause us pain. Not as much as you do, of course, but a close second for sure."

Apolla pinned him with a glare.

Raising his hands in a sign of surrender, he smirked, "What? It's true. If you get the chance to shed blood, you'd take it in a heartbeat." His smirk stiffened as he raised a hand to his neck, "trust that I know from experience." he laughed before breaking it into a coughing fit.

Apolla's features softened before she got up, offering a hand to him. "Come on, Argon. This altitude isn't good for your breathing.  You'll heal faster in the infirmary." Apolla looked up towards the nurse guard by the entrance, noticing the nurse's glare pointed at the both of them. "Besides, the nurse guard looks like she is ready to shed blood if it means you going back to sleep."

He sighed before taking her hand, using that and the crutch to lift himself up. "Oh, I'll be going to sleep, alright. Just not in the infirmary.  The smell of medicine gives me a headache. I am going straight to my chambers." Argon shot her a cheeky grin, "Care to join me?"

Apolla found herself smirking back at him. "I've been told I'm a 'rough sleep companion' by a irritational Phoenix no longer than two nights ago. Are you sure about that offer?" she asked as she helped him towards the entrance. 

Argon scratched the stubble under his chin. "hmm... Must have been another Phoenix. I personally don't mind your sleeping habits. Although, your ability to cause pain to me half asleep does put a damper on things." Argon paused in thought. "But, I'll look past it, this once, so you can reward my loss in the battle with your gifted hands." He wiggled his eyebrows at her in suggestion.

She rolled her eyes but nodded nonetheless, "fine. It's the least I can do."

"Wellllllllll... If we are on the topic of things you can do--"

Apolla raised a finger. "Don't push your luck."

He sighed defeated.

As they both reached the entrance, the nurse guard came up to them about to take Apolla's place helping him when Apolla raised a hand to stop her.

"No need; I'll take him to his room." Apolla said swiftly, brushing past the woman to the entrance.

Just as they turned the corner of the hallway towards Argon's chambers, Apolla caught a glimpse of the nurse writing furiously on her clipboard once again.