The return of the Hunter: Lightning in the dark

The battle in town raged on well into the night. There were even more Widow Makers in the streets than there had been half an hour ago, signs that the members of the adventurer’s guild defending the town were quickly being overwhelmed. Fortunately, most people were safely hiding away in zones like the temple and central plaza. Others, however, were not so lucky.

Those who chose to hide in their homes were eventually found and hunted down by the monstrous creatures. They did not make it.

Lumia was running to the central plaza, finally deciding to go drop off the little girl, who she now carried on her back, before coming out to perform one more run. It was no longer safe. Widow Makers were constantly popping up in every corner, and Lumia was certain both of them would run out of luck at any moment and would soon be sighted.

There. The plaza was right ahead. If she could just… oh no.

Lumia suddenly stopped in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

There were so many of them. Widow Makers. They surrounded the barrier to the plaza, growling and scratching at the semi-invisible wall, trying to find a way in. When Lumia realized she was standing out in the open, she quickly dove into a corner, her heart pounding in her chest. What were they supposed to do now? How were they supposed to get past the monsters?

She could feel the little girl shaking, practically vibrating from fear as she rested on her back. The poor child was terrified.

Lumia rested her cheek on one of the little girl’s arms wrapped around her neck for support. “Don’t worry, it will be okay,” she whispered to the girl, trying to comfort her. “I’ll get us out of here. I swear, I’ll find a way.”

Lumia thought about it, then made a decision. She took off running back down the street she had emerged from, a new destination in mind. If she could just make it to the temple, then everything was going to be alright.

It seemed like the largest concentration of monsters was at the plaza, so maybe the temple wasn’t going to be surrounded. She just wished all those people she had directed to go hide in the safe zones actually made it, and did not run straight into a trap. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if that was the case.

Hunter, where are you? Lumia thought, mid-run. Please tell me you’re coming back to at least save the girl. You don’t have to save the entire town if you’re not able to. If anything, at least come back for this child and help her.

Halfway to her target location, Lumia nearly had a heart attack when a Widow Maker suddenly jumped out of a corner in front of her while crossing the street. Luckily, it hadn’t noticed them. Or so she thought.

She continued running, and soon, she could hear the rapid scuttling of something rushing up behind them. When she glanced over her shoulder to see what it was, she almost wished she hadn’t.

A Widow Maker was chasing after them, no doubt the one she had seen just a moment ago. However, this one had no tail, so it must have been the one Hunter had sliced the stinger off during the attack on the farmlands some days ago.

Lumia dove into another alleyway in an attempt to lose the creature, but unfortunately for her, it turned out to be a dead end. With no other way out, she reached for the knife in her dress pocket and, with shaky hands, held it out in front of her.

She didn’t know if she could kill the creature—probably not—but she was ready to put her own life on the line to protect the little girl. And as the six-legged beast appeared from the corner, it immediately dove in after them, jaws wide open. However, just as it was mere inches away from devouring them, something happened.

Lumia saw it from the corner of her eye. There was a flash, like lightning, hurtling from the sky like a shooting star. Was that… was that who she thought it was?

The weapon came shooting into the ground in front of her, bursting through the creature’s neck in the process. It was a spear.

The Widow Maker died instantly, reddish-green blood gushing out of its throat. As it collapsed, Lumia lifted her gaze to inspect the sky, hoping to catch another glimpse of what she thought she had seen. She was right.

Like an otherworldly force of nature, one dressed in a long coat jacket, weird blue trousers, and a pair of black gloves, Hunter crash-landed in the middle of the street in a gust of wind, causing a minor earthquake that drew the attention of four separate Widow Makers. He pulled out his sword that was resting on his back, and...

“Are you okay?” The towering form of Hunter was suddenly standing in front of her a second later, prompting Lumia to jump back in astonishment. His sword was once again resting across his back, and he seemed a little out of breath.

Huh? Lumia thought. Wasn’t he surrounded literally just a second ago? She peered from the side of his shoulder and found all four of the creatures that had ambushed him were dead. That was impossible. How did he…?

“You both should get to the temple, and fast,” he said, not bothering to offer an apology or even an explanation for his prolonged absence. “I’ll handle the monsters. Now, go. And don’t stop running until you get there.”

“E! EEE! E!”

“I’ll see you later, Sun Fruit, I promise.”

Lumia had a million and one questions, but just as he had appeared, Hunter was gone. Had he vanished or something? Where had he come from, and where had he gone to? She was so confused.

The little girl appeared much more excited now that he was back. He was going to clear a path for them. Lumia didn’t know how he was planning on doing that, but she knew she couldn’t waste this opportunity. She took off running out of the alleyway with the little girl still resting on her back. Hunter had returned, and whether or not this was going to change the outcome of the battle with the Widow Makers rested entirely in his hands.

Lumia could only hope.