Half-Breed Hunter: Arrival Read online

  “Oh, come on,” I complained. “Here too?”

  “I knew there would be a lot, but not this many.” Esther peeked back at me. “You’re really popular.”

  “Thanks. Think they’ll let me through if I ask?”

  “We both know the answer to that.”

  They were already moving towards us. Most were still slacking, only one stage away from being a stationary shadow. Others had discovered the art of ambling like a member of the undead.

  The most concerning had gained the ability to attack.

  Reminiscent of our encounter in the park, the eager monsters charged from the graveyard. Their one-track minds were dedicated to my destruction.

  “Let’s move,” I said.

  Esther agreed and kicked the engine back into life. We took off away from the monsters and drove onto the field which flanked the cemetery.

  The creatures followed, but they couldn’t outrun technology.

  I kept my eyes glued for an opening. They had the entire place surrounded. Dozens had been wide of the mark. There had to be hundreds of them congregated around the graveyard. And if just a fraction of them turned rowdy, that was still a mob versus Esther and I.

  “There’s no way in,” I said.

  “There has to be,” Esther said as we bumped across the field.

  “Can’t we go somewhere else? Why does it have to be here?”

  “Trust me, Jake. This is the closest path. We need to get inside.”

  We couldn’t drive around forever. The bike would eventually run out. Sooner or later, I didn’t know. Besides that, all it would take was one nasty bobble and we’d be helpless.

  “Head for the gate,” I said.

  “Jake, there’s too many,” Esther warned.

  “We’re not making any progress. It’s risk it now or wait for more to come to life. Which sounds better to you?”

  She kept quiet and mulled over my question before conceding.

  “This is crazy.”

  “Sometimes you need a bit of crazy,” I laughed.

  Esther sighed. “Hold on. I’m going in.”

  We skidded and changed direction. No more laps of the perimeter. We hit the tarmac and raced to the gates. Lumbering demons served as obstacles, but Esther’s amazing control steered us past them.

  “Brace yourself!” she yelled.

  We hit the gate, head-on, and smashed it open. The impact did a number on our bike. Esther was a top driver, but we were out of control.

  The tires squealed and the bike collapsed. It threw us clean off. I pulled Esther into my chest as we slammed into the ground. My flesh was ripped away and replaced with searing pain. I bit down to avoid screaming out.

  By the time we came to a halt, agony invaded my right side.

  “You okay?” I mumbled, opening an eye to look at Esther. I couldn’t see a mark on her.

  “Enough about me. What about you?” Esther gasped. “Jake, you’re bleeding! I’m so sorry. I should have been more careful.”

  “Little cut like this doesn’t bother me.” She didn’t need to know I felt sick to my stomach.

  “We need to get you patched up.” Esther tapped my arm and made me grunt. “I’m sorry!”

  “Stop apologizing. It’s not your fault.” The rumble of incoming, bestial, traffic grew louder. The chasing pack was hot on our tail. I forced myself up to my feet, using my one good arm. “Come on. We need to move.”

  I could tell she had more to say, but she nodded. “Follow me. I know the way from here.”

  We went as fast as we could. My movements were dulled. The damage encompassed more than my arm. A milder pain shot through my right thigh. Still hurt like hell. The breeze invaded where there should have been fabric, striking my open wounds.

  Drunken teenagers gathered to watch us go. They were like flies to shit. A crash was too enticing for them to ignore.

  I knew they’d be here, showing no respect for the dead.

  “The hill. The tree,” Esther said. “That’s where we need to go.”

  “Of all the places,” I sighed. The only incline in the entire cemetery. We had to navigate a maze of graves and intoxicated nuisances to reach it.

  “Hey, dude. You okay?” a stoner asked.

  “Woah, check out that girl,” somebody said, staggering towards us. “You can totally see her vage.”

  “Oh man. You totally can.”

  “Hey, Jake. Is that you?” a drunk Sally asked. “Woah, what happened?”

  “Dammit, get out of the way.” They were crowding us; obstructing us with their intoxicated hijinks. And placing themselves in great danger.

  The roars were on our heels. I glanced back and saw a tidal wave of darkness swarming towards us. They were going to engulf me, Esther, and the drunken morons who weren’t even involved.

  “Fuck. Esther, this way,” I barked, darting to the side.

  Our evil stalkers followed, sparing the idiots.

  They were right on our tail and we weren’t heading the correct way. We couldn’t beat them there.

  A claw sliced into my back. I growled in pain and stumbled, slamming my thigh into a headstone.

  “Jake!” Esther squealed.

  I winced and threw myself to the side as a four-legged brute charged in and demolished the stone. It left me open and another monster pounced. A fanged beast pinned me to the ground. I tried to break free, but its paws were stronger than I was.

  Another demon collided with my challenger and knocked it from me. I used the accident and scrambled away.

  “Jake, come on!” Esther screamed, offering me her hand.

  I reached out, but something nasty caught my leg. It had arms like drainpipes and hands like catcher’s mitts.

  “Let him go!” she yelled, jump kicking the ugly creatures head.

  The deformed humanoid grinned and slapped her, knocking her clean across the graveyard.

  “Esther!” My mouth fell open. I didn’t want to believe it. She’d been hurt because of me. Red hot anger bubbled in my veins. I twisted and kicked at the monster. “You bastard!”

  My boot connected, but it didn’t care. It heaved me from the floor and dangled me like a fresh catch. The other demons surrounded us, watching with the same unholy look.

  I kicked again, smacking its fingers, but I didn’t break his grip. It didn’t even falter. Yet, I didn’t quit. I kept kicking, smacking my sole into its hand.

  “Dammit, I’ll kill you!” I roared.

  It smiled at me, showing all of misshapen teeth. He wasn’t taking me seriously. I was but his prey.

  I was helpless.

  “No, no, no,” I growled, kicking as my muscles went sore. “I won’t lose. I’ll kill you!”

  Looks like you’re in a bind.

  A voice. From where? That wasn’t some drunk and Esther was nowhere to be seen.

  Is this the time for small details? You look like you could use some help.

  “Damn right I could,” I snapped at the voice.

  It’s about time. I’ve been waiting.

  My heart pulsed. I winced as an insane heat bubbled inside me. Imagine heartburn with the intensity of an active volcano. Like your blood is turning into lava.

  The overbearing warmth spread through me, invading every inch and crevice. My insides were ablaze and I was a vessel too small to contain it. The supernova erupted within me and burst outside. Everything flashed blue and my demon captive howled, releasing me.

  They all backed away, giving me room to stand. My pain and exhaustion were gone. I was still torn up, but its importance had been reduced thanks to a spontaneous, blue, light show. My hands were ablaze. Literally on fire. A blue flame engulfed them, leaving my skin untouched.

  “What the fuck is this?” I bluntly put it, rolling my hands and watching the fire crackle. I could feel the heat, but I wasn’t burning.

  Pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Jake, that same lingering voice said.

  The owner was nowhere to be seen. The monsters were. They seemed captivated by me. Their sense of superiority had been replaced. I could smell their fear.

  “I’ll save the questions for later,” I said, readying my fists. “First, I’ve got a score to settle.” I made the first move. I stepped up and drilled that Esther-slapping punk right in his malformed face.

  It gave him the mother of all facelifts. Right into orbit.

  Exploding heads was a large step up from not even flinching.

  Their allies death kicked them into action. They came straight at me, swinging a mix of claws, paws, and what could I only call built-in blades.

  I weaved to the side and elbowed the closest monster in the gut. He dropped his head and I met it with a killer uppercut that vanquished him into dust. His death gave me an opening I used to escape my confinement.

  The monsters followed, falling over each other to get at me.

  I struck at every opening I saw and that was a lot. They were leaving a lot of holes. My flaming fists exploded with every punch, disintegrating the beasts.

  A roaring monster invaded my flank and swung its razor claws at me.

  I caught its arm and chopped, severing it off below the elbow. The creature squealed in agony. I put it out of its misery then used my new weapon to slice through the next beast that jumped for me.

  They didn’t stop coming, but the game had changed. I went on the attack, dodging through their hits and eliminating them with devastating, flaming, punches.

  With this power, they were no longer something to fear.

  I attacked every monster I could until none remained. Only the stragglers, yet to gain the strength to attack, survived. Every beast which challenged me was eliminated.

  My hoarse breaths filled the area. Sweat dripped down my brow. I took the ch
ance to collect myself.

  “Jake!” Esther yelled.

  “Esther!” I gasped. “Are you o—”

  She slammed into me and wrapped her arms around me. My legs just about managed to hold her up without buckling.

  “You did it. You really did it,” she cheered. “I knew it. I knew you were the real deal.”

  I hugged her back. The flames extinguished themselves without revealing their source. I let it slide. They’d saved my ass.

  “Whoa, dude.” I realized we’d managed to attract a crowd of drunken fools. “Gimme one of whatever you’re taking!”

  “That costume is the bomb,” another idiot said. “How did you do that?”

  “We should get out of here,” I suggested to Esther.

  She nodded. “Right. Now’s a good chance.” Esther wiggled from my arms and took my hand. “Come on. After me.”

  We crossed the graveyard and climbed the hill. Rumors say a chapel used to reside on top, but there were no ruins to confirm it. All that remained was a single tree and a swirling, red, portal.

  That latter one was new.

  It was as unnatural as the beasts which had hunted us and the power I had used to fight them. I’d seen this sorta thing in sci-fi shows.

  “Through here,” Esther said.

  “This is gonna take us somewhere safe?” I asked.

  “Somewhere I can protect you.”

  I hesitated and not because I was about to jump into something outside the spectrum of sanity. My gut told me I wouldn’t be seeing this scenery again for some time.

  “Sorry, Esther,” I said, turning back down the hill. “Wait here. There’s still something I need to do.”

  “Jake, what are you doing?!”

  “Please, wait right there. This is important.”

  I legged it down the hill and ran to a place I could have located from anywhere on the site. If I’d left without visiting, I never would have forgiven myself.

  “Sorry I’m late,” I said, dropping down to one knee in front of the grave. “And I didn’t even bring a present. Talk about a lousy son and brother.”

  Three names were inscribed into the stone. My mother’s, my father’s, and my little sister’s. All who died twelve years ago to the day.

  I laughed and rubbed my neck. “In my defense, things have been a bit hectic tonight. I’ve been attacked by thugs, chased by monsters, and fired from work because a catgirl broke the window. And now she’s waiting for me so we can run away together.” Damn, it sounded even crazier when I put it into words. “I’d love to tell you more, but I think she’ll flip a lid if I don’t hurry up. I’ll fill you in next time. I’m not sure when that’ll be, but I promise I’ll be back.”

  There wasn’t a religious bone in my body, but I still offered a prayer. If anybody could take care of my family better than I could, please do so.

  “Hey, dude.” A drunk staggered over and interrupted my solemn moment. “Come on, tell me how you did that fire thing. It was awesome.”

  I grabbed him by the collar and glared. “This party is over. Move it elsewhere or I’ll kick your ass.”

  “Understood!” he whimpered.

  “And don’t even try it next year. This place is off-limits,” I said pushing him away.

  The odds on that little threat stopping the annual cemetery invasion was slim, but that was higher than nothing.

  He scrambled off and I jogged back towards Esther.

  A vicious roar descended from the sky and stopped me dead. My body tensed and I looked up at the overcast heavens.

  The clouds flashed blue. Thunder boomed, but that wasn’t the noise I’d heard. It wasn’t nature. It was alive.

  Another crackle and something dove down from the veil of darkness. Not lightning, but a form. A giant beast with wings that gobbled its surroundings.

  “Jake!” Esther’s distant voice cried. “Come on!”

  “Coming!” I yelled, rushing over.

  Her face was pale, even by her standards. She was breathing heavy and her brown eyes were darting between me and the sky.

  “Quick. Take my hand and get in,” she said.

  I grabbed on and followed. The portal was so close that temptation whispered to me. I glanced over my shoulder to see what was arriving.

  It was much closer than I expected and three times as big. The beast was swooping down with a gaped jaw bubbling like a cauldron. Its brew exploded into a pillar of fire, aimed at the two of us.

  We were about to be burned alive by a legit dragon.

  The oncoming eruption warped, along with the rest of the world. It took me a second to understood why. We’d entered the portal.

  My reality faded and was replaced with a whirlpool of purple energy. Raw power whipped around us as we tumbled through the eye of the storm.

  “Jake, don’t let go of my hand,” Esther yelled over the maelstrom.

  “Wasn’t planning on it!” It was easier said than done. The vortex whipped us around. This was no country stroll. Our bodies thrashed to and fro.

  The walls were made from energy, but hitting them was like slamming into a brick wall. The wormhole assaulted us. My grip weakened. Her hand slipped.

  “Esther!” I said, squeezing down before I lost her slender fingers.

  “Jake!” Esther whined.

  I bit down and did everything I could to pull her back. It wasn’t enough. The portal was too strong.

  The violet current ripped us apart.

  “Esther!” I yelled, but the howl of velocity smothered my voice.

  Finally, impact. The world slammed into me and turned my consciousness off like a switch.

  Chapter 5

  I groaned. My body felt heavy. So damn heavy. I tried to move my limbs, but they didn’t respond. My eyelids did the same. They refused to open.

  Where was I? Had I managed to escape the vortex?

  My weary mind scrambled to regain order. Muffled voices filtered into my sleepy ears.

  “Hmm, what a fine specimen.”

  “Get away from it. We should kill him before he wakes up.”

  “And waste such a gift?”

  “You know what he is.”

  “And let Esther’s sacrifice be in vain?”

  I tensed. I heard that word clear as day. It was the wake-up slap I needed.

  “Esther!” I blurted, jerking up.

  There was a shriek and something sharp found its way against my throat.

  I froze and soaked in the scenery. This wasn’t the graveyard. There was a roof over my head. Two women were looking at me. Neither was Esther.

  The shorter of the two was using a spear to hold me up. Her skin was green and warranted immediate thoughts about little green men. The small tusks protruding from her darker, plump, lips, and the sharpness of her ears, changed my perception from sci-fi to fantasy. She looked like some sort of orc girl.

  Her partner in crime was the more noticeable of the two, which said something.

  She had a more reasonable brown shade of skin, like milk chocolate. But, that was where all sound logic ended. The pink haired beauty had a body that robbed my attention, even as I bordered great peril. Each hanging breast surpassed her own head in scale. They bulged out of a red bikini top, finished with a gold trim. She looked to be on the permanent verge of revealing something obscene. Modesty didn’t seem to be in her dictionary. Her meaty curves were on display. Mouthwatering hips battled her giant bust for supremacy, hidden by little more than a thin strip of string. She was wearing a thong, covered by a sheer, red, loincloth.

  It’s what I pictured exotic dancers rejecting for exposing too much flesh.

  “You have a blade to your throat and still you can’t help checking me out,” she giggled. Her voice was deep and naturally sultry. Like the rest of her.

  My cheeks burned. Stupid male libido.

  “Oh, I’m not complaining.” She pushed her arms together, compressing her breasts. “Look all you want.”

  It took all my willpower not to lose myself in the abyss of that mocha cleavage. I looked at my red-eyed captor. “I don’t mean you any harm.”

  “Shut it, demon,” she growled. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

  “Now now, Titania. Will Esther be happy if you kill what she worked so hard to obtain?” the larger woman said.