Hunters
“N-No…” Roxanne muttered.
She was so close. Just a second more, no… Maybe even less and she would have gotten him.
“You couldn’t land your hit, that’s too bad..” Damien said, turning to face her.
Roxanne glared at him with caution. Did he already anticipate this? Was that why he didn’t make any moves while she wanted to attack? She had felt like things were going too well for her, but could it be that he was just playing along because of the time.
“You should have taken time into account when you were formulating your plan” Damien commented.
“I have to admit though… You’re not bad”
What did this mean? Did he finally acknowledge her?
“Rita, what do you think?” Damien turned to their timekeeper.
“Roxy, you did great… Better than most on their first try. I was low-key rooting for you, but I knew you wouldn’t have landed that hit on Damien. You could tell, right? His speed is out of this world.” Rita said.
“Y-Yeah, I noticed,” Roxanne admitted.
“I can’t believe I thought I could actually beat this guy in the past. Even with werewolf powers boosting me, I still can’t do anything,” Roxanne thought to herself.
“Don’t be so down, you passed the test after all” Damien said, slightly nudging her shoulder.
Roxanne smiled and nodded. Yes, she admitted she didn’t win the match, but she had gotten recognition from this man in front of her… That was not enough for her, but it was a start.
“I’ll make you eat your words one day though,” She said to him with a determined smile.
“I await the day, sweetheart.” He laughed.
Since they were done with the test, they all ventured inside. Not long after, Dax arrived. He looked surprised and happy to see Damien, and they both went out after greetings to talk about whatever Damien had to report.
“How old is he anyway, Damien I mean…” Roxanne thought aloud after the two men had left.
“Hmmn, 37, why are you asking?”
“Wh-Whaoh… He’s younger than my mom, but she has always looked way younger than her actual age, still… He looks so young!” Roxanne commented.
“Pfft, that he does. You should have seen him 10 years ago. Haha, everyone thought he was a teenager ” Rita smiled.
“Somehow I can picture that in my head”
“I’m still surprised he and mom hooked up, though,” Roxanne replied.
“What do you mean? Your mom is such a hottie, you know?”
“Hey, you don’t have to tell me that. I’m just surprised. He seems like one of those cool jocks in high school, while my mom is like the shy bookworm. See the difference? It’s just hard to place the both of them together” Roxanne explained.
“Well, you have a point, but then look at you and Asher. Do you two look anything alike?” Rita pointed out.
Roxanne thought of it and found out Rita was right on the mark.
“Fate has a funny way of dealing with us. I’m so very distinct from Dax. The same goes for you and Asher, and Miss Melissa and Damien. Do you see? It’s never predictable, but that’s what makes it fun!” Rita said.
“They do say that opposites attract… But I believe it is not necessarily true. Something pushes them together, the force of destiny is the binding force that brings two together… And in time you find out that the force is never wrong”
Roxanne wondered about it and considered her recent feelings for Asher. It felt so unreal, yet she could feel it ringing true. She brushed it aside before Rita would notice. She had to switch subjects before the subject for discussion would get to that of her and Asher.
“Rita, what are the ‘Hunters’ that Damien mentioned?” Roxanne asked.
As soon as Roxanne heard this, Rita’s face clouded up. She was no longer smiling, but a stern and grim look replaced her usual demeanour.
“… The Hunters, uh? Well, I suppose you deserve to know…” She began.
“Being a werewolf isn’t just fun and games, you know? I did tell you about the wars that happened between the packs of this region in the past, right?”
Roxanne nodded as she paid rapt attention to Rita’s words.
“In the past, we werewolves were enemies to one another, but we weren’t our only enemies….”
“Don’t tell me… The Hunters are Vampires?!” Roxanne exclaimed unbelievably.
“No, Roxanne… They’re pretty much more relatable than you think. Their full names are Wolf-Hunters, and they are humans” Rita revealed.
“W-What?!” Roxanne was stunned.
“Yes, humans. Why are you so surprised, Roxanne? Didn’t I tell you the story of our origin? How the humans hunted down our predecessors and have always hated our kind?”
Rita did tell Roxanne that, but wasn’t that so long ago? There was no way it still happened.
“But Werewolves are just myths to humans. If we knew werewolves existed, don’t you think I would have been less surprised when I found out?” Roxanne protested.
Rita chuckled at Roxanne’s naivety. She didn’t know anything at all.
“Of course, most humans do not believe in the existence of werewolves, and even those who do actually have no proof of our existence and mostly use them for fantasy and legends. There are also religious beliefs bordering on our existence, but it’s nothing concrete…”
“Exactly, then that means…”
“…But, there are a very select few who truly believe in our existence and have dedicated their lives to finding and exterminating us. They are the Wolf-Hunters!” Rita stated.
“W-Wow… I don’t believe it…” Roxanne muttered.
“They’ve been at war with our kind since ancient times. They’ve killed some of us, we have killed some of them, but the war has ended. We currently live in a period of relative peace, even thanks to the existence of one…” Rita explained.
“The Wolf King” Roxanne answered.
Rita nodded.
“The Wolf King is a source of authority for the werewolves, but also an object that inspires fear among the Hunters. There is nothing the Hunters fear more than a united front. It is easier to pick us off little by little and reduce our numbers if we are not united, however… With all the packs united under the Wolf King, we have formed a strong front against them. This guaranteed us moments of peace and tranquillity, the Hunters have not made any move on us for years now… Until just recently…” Rita said.
“A few weeks ago, we found activities of intrusion in our territory, and it has not ceased. They seem to be closing in on us, making it seem like a war could be brewing. Of course, the regular members do not know, but every member of the higher up is on edge, after all, it has been so long since we fought Hunters”
“B-But you’re werewolves, aren’t you? No normal human would stand a chance against you guys, I mean… We guys” Roxanne corrected.
Rita shook her head when Roxanne said this.
“Humans are very innovative and cunning. The Hunters are even more so. It would be a different story if they relied on only strength… But they possess many machinations that render them able to fight on equal footing with a werewolf or even dominate us. They have the objects that serve as our weakness”
“You mean like Holy water and silver bullets? Those sort of things?” Roxanne asked.
“No, those are just recently made up ideas used for modern tropes and werewolf movies. I’m talking about our genuine weakness, Wolfsbane.”
Roxanne appeared confused by Rita’s words, so she needed more explanation.
“Wolfsbane is a plant, it’s poisonous to our kind… Fatally so. Not only that, but it also interferes with our senses. The smell blocks our noses and the smoke made from it dulls our sight. Ingesting even a small amount can be lethal to us, it’s that bad!” Rita revealed.
“S-So… We’re essentially vulnerable to them, is that what you’re saying?” Rita muttered, scared by what Rita was saying.
“Yes, but that doesn’t make them invincible. They still have human limitations, after all. Plus… None of their attacks matter if we strike first. Our only advantage is if we make the first hit, that is the only way we can safely prevent any casualty.”
“I-I see… By attacking, do you mean… You know…” Roxanne whispered, making the slitting throat sign.
“Of course. It’s us or them. If we don’t kill them, they kill us. I don’t know about you, but I want to live. We’ve tried reasoning with them, but like it is said in the story, they only see us as beasts, spawns of the devil, or demons from hell. The list goes on.” Rita answered.
“You’ll most likely never experience it since it will be taken care of outside the village, and you’ll be here through all of it. I just wanted you to know” Rita said.
“O-Okay…” Roxanne muttered.
It was a lot to take in, so she couldn’t say much after that. Rita realised this and decided to give Roxanne some room.
“I’ll be going to get the table set for dinner. The men will be back soon,” Rita said, leaving her seat as she headed to the dining area.
Roxanne brooded on Rita’s words as she sat down. Everything all boiled down to survival. Her life had changed so much and this was just another part of it. She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about what she had just discovered.
Hunters. Werewolves… She was just learning about them. One thing was for sure though, her place was with the latter. She wasn’t sure she would be able to fight against the Hunters, but that only meant age had to become stronger.
She clenched her fist and determined to herself to grow herself until she too was able to protect herself and her people… Her race.