The roar of the beast shattered the tranquility of the forest. It’s animals and avian life sprint far away from the source at intense speeds; fearing for their lives. This was no mere predator, but a special breed of monster. A large Behemoth of brown fur, which stood 8 ft tall with fangs and sharp claws. It’s only prerogative was to satiate its hunger by eating whatever living creatures it could find. Opposing the behemoth is a band of hunters known only as the Elysian Monks. Residents of the village of Elysium, a paradise for the creatures of the forest, and the enlightened mortals that reside there. Armed with their assortment of crossbows and nets, the combined effort of the hunters fails to bring down the beast, who proceeds to lay waste to the land of peace.

  But hope soon emerges in the form of a hunter unlike any other. A man who moves with the speed of a cheetah, with the strength of a grizzly and the wings of of an eagle. Skin of purple stone and the horns of a bull; claws that can cut through steel, and fangs that can pierce granite. His name is Andre Axle, and he storms onto the battlefield on horseback. He leaps off of his steed and grapples the beast. Putting him in a choke hold, Andre hangs on to the Behemoth as he attempts to shake him off. It’s of no avail, As Andre suffocates the rampaging beast, causing it to pass out onto the ground. And thus, the beastly hunter stands victorious yet again.

  Soon after, Andre and the hunters return to the village. With the behemoth trapped in a net and struck with special herbs to keep him unconscious. They bring his body back to their beautiful village. One of large huts both planted in the ground and suspended in the trees. It’s people broken up into three categories; Hunters who specialize in otherwise dangerous predators, farmers who practice agriculture and care for the animals. And finally Crafters who use the forests materials to create clothing and pottery amongst other items.

  Out of all of these types, hunters are the most celebrated for their bravery and expertise, helping to maintain balance in the forest by preserving a delicate balance between predators and prey; removing those who threaten that balance. Andre in particularly has been praised and renowned for his hunting skills. Dubbed as the Violet Raptor, he has been blessed with supernatural speed and strength, and remarkable endurance; Along with sharper sense of smell and sight that make him the ideal hunter. Thanks to him, the village lives in peace and tranquility with the innocent and peaceful creatures that surround them.

  The leader of the Monks, known only as the Chief, is ready to greet the hunters on their return home. Despite his old age an nurturing personality, he still commands respect from those that follow him.

  “Good evening father.”

  “You’ve done well again Axle. I heard the beast was most formidable.”

  “To tell the truth, it was rather mundane. But at least we caught it before it hurt anyone.”

  “Then let today be blessed. The creature will make a fine feast, and the small critters can rest easy.”

  “Indeed. Is Serena here?”

  “She’s venturing into the garden. I believe she was getting some kind of soup prepared. Though you know how she tends to wander off.”

  “I’ll go search for her.”

  “Just be back in time for tonight’s harvest.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Andre ventures off to the flower garden, located on the other end of the village. On his way, he’s greeted with smiles and praise from the residents. They all wear decorated robes befitting of those enlightened, often traveling with animal companions like deer and Wolf Cubs. In no time, he makes it to the garden. A vast and beautiful land filled with the most exotic combination of flowers the human brain can imagine. Some grow so large, they rival the trees, casting beautiful color fields of Red, yellow, violet and many more. With such a vast area, it’s easy for one to get lost in the beauty. To wander aimlessly for hours in the silence. But Andre finds the person he’s looking for in no time. With his keen senses, he locates his older sister; Serena Axle.

  Unlike her brother, Serena is completely human. She’s tall with flowing raven hair and dark skin with piercing blue eyes. And unlike the other residents of the village, she doesn’t wear robes of any kind. Instead her wardrobe is more traditionally urban, as she’s currently wearing a thin blue jacket with jeans. She sits on a rock in the center of the garden, staring at the skies in front of her, as the wind flows slowly through her hair.

  “You’re back early.” She says with a smile as Andre walks up to her, standing next to the rock.

  “A pretty easy hunt today. Another one of those giant creatures.”

  “Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

  “Tired of what?”

  “Doing nothing but hunting and eating.”

  “Not at all, it’s provides food and keeps the balance of the forest in tact.”

  “But don’t you want to do something else? Something new?”

  He chuckles

  “All right, what’s the catch?”

  “Catch?”

  “I know that face. You have something in mind don’t you?”

  She smiles before turning to gaze at the horizon.

  “I love it here. Truly i do. But I’ve also been in this forest since we were little. There’s not much to do besides hunt, farm and create.”

  She pulls out a book from her backpack. A book titled “the city of dreams.”

  “Not far from here, there’s this large city. It’s called Conjura. It’s beautiful and filled with lots of opportunities for learning and discovery. It is very far from the village of course, at least several miles way….But/”

  “You want to go there?”

  “Yes. I’ve been reading about it in secret…because I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to leave…But now….I think I’m ready.” She says with nervous excitement.

  “Well, it seems like a nice place for a vacation.”

  She adopts a more serious tone.

  “Andre….I’m not taking a vacation there….I want to live there.”

  “For…..forever.”

  “For a while yeah.”

  “W-why. What’s wrong with the village?”

  “Nothings wrong….It’s just.” She thinks about her next words very carefully.

  “I don’t want to stay in one place all my life. There’s a whole world out there that we’ve yet to see.”

  “Will I ever see you again?”

  She chuckles

  “Of course you will silly. Because I want you to come with me.”

  He’s shocked and left speechless

  “Y-you want me to leave home.”

  “Yes. Come with me to the city. We’ll get a nice place together. We’ll be able to go to school, meet people, explore new hobbies. It’ll be great.”

  He can sense the enthusiasm in her voice. But it fails to match the hesitance in his heart.

  “I Don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Come on, why not.”

  “I read a lot of books about the outside world. it’s beautiful, but…..a bit cruel.”

  “I know what you’re thinking…..you look different from most humans. But you’ve got great gifts. People would love to meet you.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  “We’ll worry about that later. Besides you might even meet a special someone.”

  “Funny….but….I don’t know.”

  “At least think about it, OK? You’ll always be able to come back here if you change your mind. But no one should spend their whole life at home.”

  With those words of wisdom, Andre takes the time to think about the opportunity presented. He returns to the hut where they grew up together. Raised as a family by the chief who welcomed the rather uncanny child with open arms. As he stares at the collection of photographs taken, and items crafted carefully, he recalls the time they spent playing together. Running around the open field without the slightest of worries. Learning how to hunt and how to farm, watching the flowers bloom in the spring. A life of peace and freedom that seems to be nearing its end. Perhaps what Serena said was true. Perhaps it is time for Andre to leave the safety of his village and venture out into the world unknown. Perhaps new possibilities lie in Gehenna that aren’t possible here. Possibilities that could result in an even better life then what he has now. But that all changes at nightfall. When they lead their heads down to sleep. Andre receives a vivid dream of an encounter long ago. He encounter his Serena doesn’t yet know of. The first and only time he ever left the village. It only took a few seconds of the boy relieving that horrific day for him to make up his mind.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  A new day comes and goes and the village life plays out like normal. The farmers continue to grow the plants and the crops. The Crafters continue to sculpt pottery and beautiful jewels, and the hunters train in the open fields to prepare for the next adventure. What seems like an idyllic life to Andre has become mundane to his sister, who is already making plans to leave. Life goes on, and with each days she moves closer and closer to her idea. She makes a plan on where she’s going to stay, where she’s going to work, what her goals will be once she makes the move; a phenomenon that Andre quietly observes, trying his best to ignore the situation. Especially when’s she’s answer. An answer he hesitates to give until a week later, during yet another harvest. A weekly celebration in which the monks and the animals come together to give their blessings to the spirits of the forest for their home and its wonders; in addition to serving the creatures collected by the hunters during their travels. It has dancing, music, food and natural fireworks. It’s a favorite amongst the elders and the children, especially the ones who are newly participating. And while Serena enjoys being part of the festival, she’s been a part of it since she was little. Year after year, she denied the fact that it was slowly losing its luster. Something that Andre recognizes. So while the others continue their festivities, the two siblings sit down in private to talk.

  “This isn’t fun for you anymore, is it?”

  “This place will always be a part of me. And I’ll always cherish it……. But it’s time for something new, for the both of us.”

  “You made up your mind on where you’re going to stay?”

  “Have it all planned out. I have an apartment in the Gail district and I’ll be able to go to the university near there. It’ll be perfect.”

  He swallows the lump in his throat and comes clean.

  “I’m not going.”

  She turns to face him, concerned.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t belong in that world.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I Do….There’s something I never told you about.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He takes a deep breath, and begins to remember. 8 years ago; even by then, the boy was incredibly skilled and resourceful.

  “Promise me you’ll keep this between us.”

  “I promise.”

  He points his head at the ground, to help him cope with the uncomfortable memories.

  “I didn’t always want to stay here. When I was little, I woke up to the sound of fireworks. They were in the distance, not far from us. So I snuck out to go and see where they were coming from. A couple of humans had setup a smaller village in the forest. And they seemed friendly from a distance…..But then I got closer…and the saw my face. My wings and my claws. And in no time, they got angry. They grabbed weapons and lit torches and chased after me. I didn’t want to hurt anyone….but they didn’t care. They wanted me dead…so I ran back home.”

  She’s speechless.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “When I got back home, father was upset. But he could tell that I was more angry then he was. So he wanted to keep it a secret. So the others wouldn’t think less of me.”

  “I….I’m sorry.

  “It’s not your fault. It’s just how people are.”

  “You’ve been hurt….I can see that. But not everyone is like the people in that village. Some people are kind.”

  “History says otherwise.”

  “Andre /”

  “Like I said, we read the same books. Humans don’t take kindly to those who are different from them…..the so called monsters.”

  She freezes up. She can see that he’s been hurt, and she doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable. So she has no idea if she can convince him to leave….or if she should try to in the first place. If the people of Conjura are anything like the ones he encountered, perhaps it would be best if he stayed in the village. He looks up and turns his head head to face her with a smile.

  “But don’t let what I said bring you down….if you really want to leave, then go ahead. I don’t want to stop you from being happy…..I just can’t be a part of it.”

  No response is given. She can’t even smile back. Though she appreciates his attempt to make light of the situation, she can’t help but feel a nagging sense of unease in her core. She turns him, firmly and gentling grasping his hand.

  “I’ll come visit. Every year….I promise.”

  “I know. Go and live your life.” He says with a smile.

  The two sit and continue to watch the festival. They both think back to when they were kids. The thrill and excitement of seeing this place for the first time. It was breathtaking; and since then, they’ve looked forward to each new festival. year after year, day after day. And yet…..it looks as though this will be the last one they spend together.

  Morning comes the next day. Serena is packed and ready to go. But while once she was certain of her decision, now she’s suddenly hesitant. That nagging feeling grows stronger and stronger with each step she takes to finish preparing. All of her clothes and items are packed, but that still leaves the other side of the hut. Where all of Andre’s creations lie. Creations that were partially sculpted by her. Pots, bracelets, even miniature clocks. They range in design and usage, but they all share one thing in common. They made those things together. From the time they were little, to when Serena became a teenager and Andre started looking up to her. She comes to the realization that the nagging isn’t coming from a sickness of any kind; it’s the ghastly feeling of guilt, gnawing at her soul. As if she’s breaking their bond with her own two hands. Separating them so she can chase her dreams in an alien city. Knowing that he will remain here, trapped by the shackles of a traumatic memory.

  Outside, at the entrance of the village, marked by a large wooden gate, a carriage is waiting for her. She emerges from her hut, slowly roaming the village. Her former friends and neighbors all wish her goodbye. And she feigns a smile to hide her guilt as she makes her way to the carriage. There, her friends and father are waiting for her, with Andre standing beside them; happy to see her pursue her dreams, but sad to see her go. Her friends all bid her farewell, leaving the final goodbyes to her family

  “Be brave young one. You are taking a great risk, but one that will no doubt yield great rewards.”

  “Thank you for everything father.”

  “You’ll always be welcome here. Good luck.”

  The two hug. Then she turns to Andre.

  “Are you sure you’re OK with me leaving?”

  “Of course.” He says with a smile.

  “But what about you? Will you be OK without me?”

  “I’ll be fine. Besides, If you stayed because of me, you’d be miserable. And I’d rather do anything else then make you unhappy. Follow your heart.”

  “O-OK.”

  One final hug is given. And with that, she enters the carriage. Feigning another smile as even now, she’s unsure of her decision. In the echoes of silence, she rides off into parts unknown, unable to look back out of hesitance. Andre watches with partial content and partial regret as the carriage takes her beyond the hills. And within another minute, she’s gone. Off to pursue her dreams of living in the city and starting a fresh new life. And though Andre is happy for her, he can’t help but wonder if he made the right decision not to go with her.

  Five days have passed since the goodbye. Nothing has changed in the village or its structure. To keep his mind off his dilemma, Andre has gone deeper into the forest in order to train. Practicing his hunting skills against dangerous predators. He has a code; he’ll never strike down any creature that’s innocent, nor will he attack those that merely follow their instincts. But in this forest, there are plenty of creatures that overindulge in savagery. Plenty of opportunities for the hunters to preserve the balance without harming the environment. He strikes down a rapid Grizzly, then a savage Hippopotamus, and finally a horde of viscous chimpanzees. All of these predators, seemingly invincible to the common man, were defeated with relative ease. Yet they all failed to provide a meaningful distraction.

  He instead returns to the garden to meditate, hoping to disconnect and forget about his constant worries. But unfortunately, his meditation would be broken by harrowing news. Several other hunters rush into the field looking for him, with looks of terror etched on their faces. Andre gets up to approach them.

  “Mr. Axle, we have terrible news!”

  “What’s wrong? Are we in danger?”

  “No!” The man says with a panicked tone. “It’s your sisters. She’s gone missing!”

  His eyes widen with fear. They tell him to head to the chiefs hut, and he does so without hesitation. Sprinting back to the village to learn more about what happened, he quickly arrives at the hut. Larger then the rest with enough space to hold 10 people at a time. He finds the chief speaking to the head of the hunters, along with a injured man sitting in bed. The same man that was riding the carriage that brought Serena to the City. He is now covered in wounds and bite marks, which are partially covered by the bandages wrapped around him by the village doctors. Andre approaches the Chief.

  “What happened?”

  “It’s terrible. Duvac came screaming into the village, half dead and wounded. He tells us that Serena was taken by some kind of creature.”

  “What creature? Who did this?” He shouts in frustration.

  “We don’t know. He passed out from blood loss shortly after arriving. But We’re organizing our best hunters to go and search for her.”

  Suddenly, the driver known as Duvac begins to fidget. Awakening from his unconscious state, he moans and grumbles his words, struggling to find the strength to speak. He talks in a low raspy voice.

  “It was….more then one person…..there were several of them…..they had…wings….claws…..they moved like lightning……horrible r-red eyes….I tried to fight back, but….I was helpless…..They took her….destroyed the carriage.”

  Andre approaches the man, kneeling down to try and get more answers.

  “Where did this happen? Was it on the road?”

  He once again struggles to speak, but he digs down and finds the strength to do so.

  “It was….in the city……we arrived…..She asked me to stay for a while longer….Later that day…..in the building…..That’s when it happened.”

  Andre replies “257 2nd street. Apartment 6.”

  “You know the location?” The Chief asks

  “Serena showed me in her notes. That’s where she wanted to live. The Gail district.”

  “Then that’s where we’ll start. Joan’s!”

  The leader of the hunters responds. “I’ll prepare an immediate search and rescue. We’ll find her.”

  “Avoid drawing significant attention to yourself. We may be familiar with the actions of the supernatural, but the residents of that city may dissolve into panic.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Joan’s immediately begins ordering his men outside to make preparations. While Duvac falls asleep once more, Andre continues to kneel with his eyes closed. A empty feeling of dread gnaws at his soul. The chief takes notice of this, and he places his hand on his sons shoulder. Andre responds.

  “It’s my fault….isn’t it?”

  “You couldn’t have predicted this. No one could have.”

  “She wanted me to go with her. I could’ve protected her if I wasn’t so afraid.”

  “You judge yourself too harshly my son. You remain shackled by the chains of your past.”

  “And those chains have hurt someone I love.”

  “We will find Serena. The spirits will guide us to her; that I promise.”

  The Chief begins to walk away as silence dons on the room. Andre’s mind has been made up. If he can’t handle the guilt of his decision, he can at least atone for his mistakes. He rises, opening his eyes and revealing the fires of conviction within them. he walks outside the hut to address the chief and the other hunters.

  “Enough! I will go alone and find Serena.”

  They are all shocked, especially the chief.

  Joans responds “Why? You have no need to do this alone.”

  “If all of us go to that city, it will arouse suspicion. But I can sneak in, find whoever responsible and bring her back home without anyone noticing.”

  The chief replies. “Are you sure? There’s no telling what dangers lie in that city.”

  “Serena’s life is in untold danger because of my cowardice. If I’m not back in 4 days, send the others. But for no, I must go alone.”

  The chief smiles while the others remain shocked, proud of his sons courage.

  “Then may the spirits be kind.”

  Andre nods to his father before heading off to begin preparations. He dons his traditional hunting uniform, comprised of black and dark red colors in order to blend in with the shadows. Standard weaponry in case of emergency, such as his crossbow and daggers; compartmentalized in his utility belt thanks to their unique design. The fear that once clouded his heart has vanished. All that remains is the undying determination. To venture forward into parts unknown, to rescue his family from whatever terror she finds herself in. To punish those who committed such a crime and bring them to justice. All it takes is a few short hours for him to prepare. And like before, a carriage is waiting for him. Next stop, the Gail district of Conjura; the city of dreams.

  Chapter 1 End