It had been only a year since Jeanette’s death but Cameron could still feel her presence every time he went out to kill demons. Manikai had long since left the demon hunters, said he had more important matters to attend to. He had given up his leader role to Cameron. Cameron accepted the job despite his father Ryan wishes for him to return to his family. His little brother Taz was now standing by his waist. Taz was only nine years old but when he grew up, he would be taller than Cameron himself.
Today, Cameron’s goal was to capture and kill Serena. Serena, was the fox girl that Matthew had dated. Matthew was killed by demon hunters but now it was time for Cameron to personally take his revenge on Serena for her mate hurting his little brother.
“Brother, can I come?” asked Taz giving his older brother a puppy dog face. Cameron looked down to him and messed with his short wavy hair.
“Not today. When you’re older, I promise I’ll take you with me.” smiled Cameron sharpening his sword.
“But brother, it’s boring here without you.” complained Taz.
“I’ll be back. This hunt won’t take me long.” smiled Cameron as he slid his sword into it’s sheath and stood as he got down on his knees and put his hands on Taz’s shoulders.
“I promise I’ll be back as soon as possible. Just promise me you won’t follow me.” spoke Cameron softly.
“I promise but brother promise me you’ll come home.” spoke Tax worried about his brother. It seemed every day, Cameron had to go out and kill more of these demons. Taz feared that one day, the demons would kill him.
“I promise.” spoke Cameron embracing his brother as he headed into the forest. He looked back and saw Taz waving to him.
Cameron had no clue where Serena was, many hunters had tried to discover her location with little to no luck. She was no longer at the cave where they had found Hunter, one of the silver wolves. Hunter had escaped them and Serena had gone into hiding long before that. Cameron knew he was the one meant to capture and kill her. After what happened to his brother, Cameron had sworn to be a demon hunter for life. Not even his family was going to keep him from doing what he thought was right. Demons were evil and they had to be dealt with.
Suddenly a branch moved near him and he saw the tail of a fox. He chased after it and chased it to the edge of the forest. Where the only escape was the hot spring or to go around Cameron and if it was Serena, the only way she was getting around him was if she was dead. Cameron drew his sword the minute she stopped and looked at him.
“Who are you?” asked Serena taking a minute to get a drink from the spring.
“It doesn’t matter who I am. I’m here to kill you.” spoke Cameron as he inched closer and pointed the sword at her back.
“Kill me why?” asked Serena as she zoomed right past him without another word. Cameron just stood silenced. She had speed beyond what he had ever even heard of before. He had let the demon escape him. He put his sword away and headed back home. Serena was long gone by now, he had his chance to kill her and she had escaped so easily. He didn’t deserve the title of leader if one little fox could escape him.
He didn’t make it home until almost dark. He went to his tent and sat down and then a thought occurred to him. Taz hadn’t ran to him the minute he got home. Cameron stood immediately and went around and asked any of the hunters if they had seen Taz.
“The last time I seen him was this morning sir, right before you left.” answered Kyle. Kyle who had used to be the newest hunter, was now one of the strongest and one of Cameron’s closest friends. He knew if Kyle hadn’t seen him, then he wasn’t here.
“Oh Taz where are you?” shouted Cameron across the camp. There was no answer, no response except for the wind. Cameron went back to his tent and tried to think had Taz gone into the forest after him. There was only one way to really know, he would have to ask that girl. If he could find her.
Serena was resting in her new hideout in a rabbit’s hole that was abandoned. She had turned it into a fox’s den and lived peacefully, until today.
“Why did that hunter want to kill me? I’ve never killed any humans. There has to be a reason.” asked Serena to herself. She thought more and more of the hunter. She knew he was their new leader but why did he remind her of Matthew? It had been over a year since his death and she occasionally wished it had been Hunter that had died instead of Matthew. Matthew had been the only other fox demon she knew. Why were they so hard to find? Surely she had a mother and a father? She thought of herself as an abandoned pup. If she could find her clan, she would rejoin it without hesitation. She wondered if she was the last of the foxes just like Daceria was the last silver wolf. She had heard many, many stories of how Daceria had found an older brother but then her older brother had sacrificed himself to keep her living. She was the chosen one, maybe Serena, herself had a destiny to fulfill and if she could figure it out maybe she too, could meet an older sibling. The only problem with the idea was Serena was a half demon which meant any fox clans made of purely full demons didn’t even accept her as one of their kind. She had found many clans like that and each with the same result. She remembered Timothy. He was about eighteen two years older then her from one of those clans. He had acted nice to her, while everyone else wanted to kill her for just existing.
“I’m sorry about them.” spoke Timothy as they sat next to each other outside the fox’s clan’s territory.
“It’s okay. I’ve never been accepted. Aren’t their any more foxes like me?” asked Serena as she looked at her human hand. Timothy sat in his human form as he took her hand into his.
“Yes, the only difference between you and I is the fact you have a human mother or father nothing more. We are both demons, we are both foxes. Why should I throw you to the hunters? I think you can stay here with us, surely my clan could grow to accept you as one of our kind.
“I can’t do that. I can’t stay where I’m not wanted.” spoke Serena softly.
“You are wanted here, I want you here. Stay with me. I’ll protect you.” smiled Timothy as he kissed her hand.
“I’m sorry Timothy but I can’t stay here. Thank you for everything.” spoke Serena. Just like that she had left him and never spoke to him again. She had heard that many demons were dying due to the demon hunters and she knew she was one of their targets because of Matthew. She still didn’t understand why she desired to be hated by both of her kinds. She was human and demon, wasn’t their anyone who could accept her differences and see her as Serena not as just some half breed on the wanted list. She wanted to find Daceria but she was never home. She knew Daceria lived at the edge of the forest by the hot spring but every time she tried to meet her, she wasn’t home. Instead a human answered the door. A man named Adam. Adam was very kind to her and told her last week that Daceria was visiting with her younger sister Forest. This week she hadn’t even got to knock on the door. This was probably the one time she was home.
The sun rose into the morning sky outside Cameron’s tent as he woke up and the first thing that came to his mind was Taz. Surely he would have been found by the hunters by now.
“Has anyone seen or heard from my little brother?” asked Cameron as he went around to all the hunters again stopping with Kyle.
“I didn’t see Taz but I did see a small boy in the deepest part of the forest where the Indian tribes live.” spoke Kyle.
“A boy you say that is the same age as Taz, are you positive it wasn’t him?” asked Cameron.
“Pretty sure, but you can check for yourself. Just follow the trees till you come to where the forest ends and the swamp begins. There’s a path right before that, it’s behind a rock that will take you to their tribe but be careful, those Indian’s can be nasty at times.” Kyle informed him. Cameron quickly packed his bags and left for the Indian tribe. There was a small chance that Taz was there, so that’s where he would go.
Cameron made his way through the forest and there by the hot spring sat Serena. He quickly hid behind the tree as he watched Adam, a man he hated and his uncle stepped out of the tree.
“I’m sorry Serena but Daceria still isn’t here.” spoke Adam softly. “Everyday without her, I feel like I’m dying but I have to be able to trust her to travel on her own.”
“Okay, thank you Adam.” smiled Serena as Adam went back down the stairs and wondered how Charlie’s training was coming along? Daceria was there with Shawn because Shawn could only travel at night, he needed Daceria’s magic to make it night time all the time in the swamp and also to seal a barrier about them to protect them from the poisonous bugs. Daceria had told Adam to take care of the house while she was away but it was as he told Serena, he was dying without Daceria by his side. He hoped that soon she would be able to come home.
“Hey you fox girl.” yelled Cameron as he slowly approached her making sure to keep his hands away from his sword. As much as he wanted to kill her, he had to know if she had seen a little boy, his brother.
“Oh it’s you again. Have you come to kill me, if so I can easily outrun you before you grip your blade.” smiled Serena. She was only a half breed but she had speed. She was even faster then Hunter and Matthew. Hunter had given her the nickname of speed demon.
“No actually, I’ve come to ask you something.” spoke Cameron as they now stood next to each other. Serena looked him up and down. He was the leader of the hunters and wore their silly uniforms, his blade was tucked in it’s sheath in his belt and his black pants went well with his dark hair. His brown eyes matched his dark brown hair. He was just an average hunter with average skill, he would never be a threat to her. If she could outrun him, she knew he was nothing like the last leader, Manikai. He was part fox, Serena knew that and she wondered if maybe he too was searching for a place to belong to. Serena wished she could talk to Manikai but no one knew where he was. He had disappeared after Jeanette’s death.
“What is it?” asked Serena as she looked up at his face and she could see the worry behind his determined hunter face. He was a typical hunter and Serena knew once he had his information he would try to kill her just like the rest of them. It made her sad, this hunter was one of the better looking ones.
“Have you seen a small boy about nine years old at all in the past few days?” asked Cameron.
“No, I haven’t.” spoke Serena. “Who is it?”
“My little brother Taz, the day I came out to kill you the night I returned he was gone. I have to find him. Please is there anything you can do to help?” begged Cameron as a tear rolled down his face. The thought of his little brother out in the forest all alone, if he was even still alive. Cameron knew the forest like the back of his hands all the demons would love to eat a poor little boy who couldn’t find his way home.
“If you have something that belonged to him, I could smell where he is.” spoke Serena seeing that as long as his brother was missing he wouldn’t kill her.
“Oh! I’ll be right back.” spoke Cameron as he ran into his hunter’s hideout and bumped head first into Kyle. Kyle and him both fell to the ground as they looked up at each other.
“Cameron what’s the rush?” asked Kyle. Kyle was a little worried about Cameron. Cameron hadn’t been himself since Taz disappeared. Kyle was taking Cameron’s place as leader while he searched for his brother.
“Huh, huh the girl she said she could find my brother if I brought her something that belonged to him.” spoke Cameron panting from his run.
“You don’t mean that fox you were hunting the other day do you?” asked Kyle.
“Oh course, that’s who I mean. If she can help find Taz then she can live to see another day.” spoke Cameron.
“Wow, you’re starting to sound like Adam.” spoke Kyle. Kyle remembered Adam. Before Keri’s potion had taken him completely Adam had fought to get free but the potion took him in only a few days, the only one who could save him was the person he was trying to kill and now it seemed the same for Cameron. The only one who can save Taz was the fox Cameron wanted to kill for vengeance. Kyle had a feeling by the time this was all over Cameron would be a completely different kind of leader. Kyle thought it was a good thing, he sure didn’t want Cameron to be another Kedro or even another Manikai.
“That doesn’t matter, I need something that belonged to Taz.” spoke Cameron to the other hunters. Kyle brought him a shirt that Taz had worn the day before Cameron left to kill the fox.
“Thank you Kyle.” spoke Cameron as he rushed back into the forest and sure enough Serena had been waiting for him.
“Man, you’re slow for a human.” spoke Serena as Cameron handed her the shirt. She sniffed it good and sure enough she could smell the direction Taz had headed.
“I can take you to him but first you must swear something to me.” spoke Serena.
“What? Whatever it is I’ll do it. I just want my brother back.” spoke Cameron.
“You have to promise not to kill any more demons without a real reason for it.” spoke Serena.
“But… I’m a hunter it’s my job to hunt demons.” spoke Cameron, surely the fox knew who he was.
“Yes, but do you really have a logical reason for wanting to kill me?” asked Serena.
“No.” admitted Cameron. The fox girl was right. He had a right to be angry with the fox he had killed but not with Serena.
“Well, do you promise?” asked Serena.
“All right, I promise.” spoke Cameron.
“Then follow me.” spoke Serena as she led him to her den. Cameron was confused.
“We’ll prepare for our journey and tomorrow we’ll go find your little brother.” spoke Serena.
“Tomorrow could be too late, what about the demons in the forest.” asked Cameron worried.
“Don’t worry most of the demons in this forest are friendly and I don’t smell his scent at all here. He’s somewhere out beyond here and trust me there are places far more dangerous than the forest, like the swamp for example.” spoke Serena.
“Where do you think he is?” asked Cameron.
“He’s near. His scent it smells like it’s coming from the mountains. But why would you’re brother go all the way out there for? Surely he should have gotten lost in the forest. He’s closer than the mountains, I smell him. He’s with the Indians.” spoke Serena.
“Oh, this is just great. They won’t kill him will they?” asked Cameron.
“No, but he’s in danger if they decide they need to sacrifice
him to their god.” spoke Serena.
“How do you know so much about them anyway?” asked Cameron.
“I was their prisoner once. It was when I was a bit younger and still didn’t have a home. They captured me and danced and danced around me talking about their god and how he had provided them with such a good fox. They tried to kill me but someone saved me. I still don’t know who or why but a dark figure saved me and brought me here to the forest. He didn’t tell me his name or why he was there he just said the forest was safe, that I didn’t have to fear the Indians there and he was right. I watched him leave and saw his long black hair braided down his back.” spoke Serena.
“Wow, he must be powerful. Is he human?” asked Cameron.
“I don’t really know. It was so dark, it was only because of the sun in the forest that I saw his braided hair. I don’t know why but I feel like he too, belonged in the forest. Is that strange?” asked Serena.
“Hmph. A strange man with dark black braided hair. This is a mystery. The biggest mystery is where is my brother. I have to find him.” spoke Cameron with worry growing inside him.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Let’s get some sleep.” spoke Serena laying down as she drifted off to sleep. Cameron stayed awake throughout the night worried about his little brother.
“Oh Taz, please Taz be alive and safe.” spoke Cameron as he looked out to the many stars upon the night sky.
“I sure hope Serena is right and I still wonder who was that man that saved Serena, a man with a black braid. I need to know more about him for sure.” spoke Cameron. He may be on the wanted list he thought. Who could it be. Just who exactly?
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