- 3 -

The bodies of men filled the air like autumn leaves, then fell to the ground covering it in a deep red. Pandora met eyes with the massive dog as it ravaged the men Fennel had left behind. When the creature batted something at the group, she jumped aside tackling Fennel to the ground with her. A person flew past them. The force it must take to toss around grown men like toys.

Pandora darted to her feet and shouldered her shotgun, lining the youkai up in her sights. She drew a deep breath, fingered the trigger, then stopped short. Untrained men wandered between her and the beast, a mistake no good hunter would make. Even if it was to protect their home letting these men come along was a mistake. All Pandora could do was bide her time and hope an opening appeared.

The dog rushed forward at the men. One was thrown to the ground as sharp claws ripped his leg to thin strips. The other managed to dive off to the side leaving the youkai's jaw to snap shut against the air. A clear shot. Pandora pulled the trigger turning one of the dog's ears to mush and leaving long wounds on the side of its face.

The creature yelped in pain; its cry alone produced a force that pushed Pandora back. She raised her arms to shield her eye against the great wind. When she looked back the black forest had turned a ghostly green. The youkai's now open ribcage overtaken with spectral flame. It matched the fire in the eyes now fixed firmly on her.

Pandora thumbed the break release on her shotgun. The barrel swung away from the stock exposing the breech. A spent cartridge shot back from the opening, hitting a lever, then spinning away over Pandora's right shoulder. A spring-loaded tube on the weapon's left slammed down over the breech feeding a fresh round into the weapon.

The Barghest exploded forward. Pandora mirrored the action, diving forward into a roll. She came to a stop beneath the beast's chest. The spot she had just occupied shattered. Dirt and clay shot into the air, the youkai's claws turning the ground into a deep crater.

Pandora snapped the barrel of her gun back into place and aimed at the dog's underbelly. An explosion of blood erupted as Pandora pulled the trigger. The dog yelped, then stomped its back leg at her. The attack missed but the force sent a ripple through the earth below. Pandora was knocked off balance and fell flat, then the forest fell black.

"It's trying to crush you!"

The voice came from somewhere above. Rather than worry about the source Pandora decided to trust its judgment. She rolled to the side, then the world went upside down. The youkai's body slammed down next to her, missing by inches. The earth gave way to the weight and Pandora was sent airborne in an explosion of dirt and rock. The trees spun in her vision as she tumbled through the air. Her body landed hard, bounced, then came to rest. Clumps of frozen dirt and moss pelted her body like hail. She willed her body to its feet just in time to watch the creature run off into the darkness.

"Bastard!" she screamed after it.

The shout brought a sharp pain to her side. She clutched her ribs and stumbled over to help check the wounded. She hadn't left the encounter unscathed but the real damage had been to the untrained men. At least one would die and three others were likely to follow. The rest made it through with only small cuts and bruises. Good, there were people left to carry the bodies.

Pandora muttered under her breath, "This is why you don't let untrained men run through the woods with pitchforks and torches playing monster hunter."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

She looked across the men, trembling and unfocused like scared children. "Any of you that can move, move! Start cutting down branches; as long and straight as you can find. You'll be tying your cloaks to them to make stretchers!"

Her shouting seemed to snap Gregor from a stupor and he called to the other church hunter, "James, put some pressure on this one's wounds or he'll bleed out." The man quickly threw himself to the ground and pressed hard against the leg.

"Oh God, It's the vicar."

Pandora could see Gregor's muscles tighten at the news. He had already been digging through the leather satchel at his waist but his pace quickened.

"We can save him," Gregor said.

He fished out a tourniquet, then dashed over sliding to the ground. The briefest moment passed as he assessed the wound, then he set to saving the vicar's life. Well, he was still likely to die, but maybe he had a chance now.

"Sorry, I should have had this the last time," Gregor said.

The other hunter's face went grim. Pandora wondered for a moment what had happened during that last hunt.

Fennel dropped down next to Pandora. "Thanks for saving my ass back there."

It is a nice ass.

"You did the same. I would have been crushed without your callout."

"So, how bad is it?"

"Cute and considerate. You're a real catch."

"I try."

"It's not bad enough to worry over. Hurts like hell though."

"Here, it's restorative." Pandora glanced down at a vial of blood Fennel extended towards her.

"Duration?"

"Two and a half, maybe three minutes."

Pandora took the blood and swallowed it without hesitation. There would be more than three minutes before they were ready to hunt again.

"Thanks. Maybe I can trust you after all."

Fennel giggled. "Of course."

Footsteps marched up behind the two women. The other freelance hunter. His body shape was unbalanced. A normal head connected to normal legs by way of a massive upper body, like that of an ox. He smelled a bit like it as well. What did they say his name was? Gammy?

"Gamal, Did you see where the youkai ran off to?" Fennel asked.

"Just a rough direction, but it's bleeding. There will be a trail."

"Are you able to continue?" Pandora asked.

"Hardly a scratch on me." Pandora ran her eye along the scars that made up the better half of the man's face. Yeah, sure.

"Good, we're about to lose enough manpower as it is," Pandora said looking over at Gregor. She noticed he had finished dressing the wound and called over to him. "Gregor, you should help the injured men back to town. Take..." She looked down to the other hunter, still attending to the vicar. "Take Jack with you."

James jumped to his feet. "Does she mean me?"

"Yeah. You two can protect the men as they carry the injured back."

"I should stay to help," Gregor protested. "I'm the strongest fighter among us."

Pandora pointed her shotgun to the ground and carefully held onto the auto-feeding mechanism. With a flick, her thumb released the break action and sent the spent shell flying free. "Exactly," she said sparing him no attention. She rolled a fresh shell along the line of her fingers, pressed it into place, then snapped the gun shut. "If the barghest doubles around following the scent of blood it'll be a slaughter. Unless you go with them that is. Once they are being treated in town you can rush right back."

That's what Pandora said, but there was also the matter of what she hadn't said. Something that had been on her mind for a while. The barghest is a creature said to be an omen of death. It had laid across Gregor's threshold. It had howled at him. Pandora had her problems with religion, sure, but Gregor was not a bad man. If it had been Andor maybe she wouldn't have cared. But if possible she wanted to finish things before the barghest's prophesy could come true.

Gregor bit his lip and paused. "Come on James, let's gather the men."

"I refuse to go!"

His indignation caught the church hunters off guard. All eyes turned to James.

"I'm not taking one step outside this forest until we kill that fucking thing and I can personally cut my wife's wedding ring from its wretched stomach. Last time I had a body to bury but now I have nothing left so I'm hunting that thing until it's dead or I am."

Andor stomped forward waving his revolver like a jackass. "We don't have time for this, the vicar is—"

Gregor pressed a hand to Andor's chest. "No, he's right. He and Fennel both have personal stakes in this hunt. It's wrong to force them away. Will you accompany me in their stead?"

Andor clicked his tongue, sighed, then holstered his gun. "Fine. But we better hurry."

Pandora smiled. She was rid of the two people she least wanted on the hunt. She would finally be able to let loose.