“You shouldn’t interfere, Hunter.”
“He was going to kill my prize!” Conan, the Wyvern, growled from the far side of the bar, realizing that the blow would have killed Emma if it had hit. “I want his head!”
He pointed at Garret, sending his small group of Wyverns to attack the Dragon. Garret paused, looking at the men rushing at him. “What the fuck?”
Emma got back to her feet, seeing the man stretching out a hand to help her up. She was a little dazed, but she could have sworn she had heard Garret call him a Hunter. “Come on!”
She didn’t have time to think, and since he had saved her life once before it was only fair to think that he was going to help her get away from the chaos. The bar had fallen into chaos as everyone had jumped into the fray, each person looking for a chance to take a strike at Garret
The man led her through the bar until they came out into a long corridor that stretched out for miles to her left and right. Emma paused for a moment, looking around. It was a large cavern that was perfectly carved out. The roof was covered in pipes and spaced-out halogen lights that kept the entire place illuminated at certain intervals.
“What the…?” Emma said to herself, wondering if they were in some sort of bridge tunnel. “Where are we?”
“Come on!” he yelled, calling Emma to join him.
She turned and joined him, running down the corridor. She looked to the floor as she ran, seeing that there was a canal that ran across the center of the floor, with water rushingthrough it. Instantly, she realized she was in the sewer. The hole she had jumped through had dropped her into the sewers. They ran until they got to a steel door alongside the walls of the sewer.
He got to the door and pulled on it, trying to get it open, but it was stuck in place. He turned to her. “Do you mind?”
Emma nodded and grabbed the handle, pulling easily and breaking the lock. They rushed in and shut the door behind them as the sound of footsteps filled the cavern. Emma found herself pressed right up to the Hunter, their faces inches from each other in the small space. She opened her mouth to speak, but he brought up a finger and put it against her lips, silencing her.
She put her hands on his shoulders to keep herself from falling, and she noticed just how muscular he was. He had well-defined shoulders and biceps that were sculpted by years of work. His dark brown hair was a messy tangle, with pieces of wood from the bar still stuck in it. He had broad shoulders and a chiseled jawline that rocked a little scruff.
“Wyverns have better hearing than a lot of paranormals. We have to stay quiet.” He spoke by moving his lips slowly, allowing Emma to read his lips.
She nodded, responding silently, “I’m Emma.”
“Hunt,” he replied.
Another thirty seconds passed before he was comfortable that the Wyverns had left the corridor. He reached for the door and put his head out, looking into the corridor to see that it was completely empty. Emma couldn’t hear anything, and so she stepped out from behind him. “It’s empty.”
“Great,” he replied. “Good luck.”
Emma watched as he began walking away. She raised an eyebrow. “Wait, no. Wait. I have no idea where I am or how I can get out of here.”
“Just find a ladder, and head up. Don’t talk to anyone. Head straight that way, you’ll see a ladder. Head up, and you’ll be back on the street,” Hunt replied.
Emma nodded, and watched as he continued walking. She had no idea who the man was, and while he had saved her life, he still seemed to be quite the asshole. A good-looking asshole, but an ass nonetheless. As she turned, Emma stopped, realizing she still hadn’t found who she had come to Orin to find.
“Hey wait! Hunt, I’m looking for someone. I need help finding them,” said Emma.
“I can’t help you,” he replied, without bothering to turn around.
“He’s right,” Garret said, walking out of a dark corner.
Emma and Hunt turned around instantly, seeing the Dragon in the hallway. He waved a hand, opening a portal. Emma stared into it, seeing hundreds of eyes, each of them a dull green color that seemed to shimmer in the darkness of the sewers. With a snap of his fingers, the creatures rushed out of the portal.
They were small doglike creatures, standing on powerful hind legs with a long tail. Their front paws were tipped with two sharp claws that curved inward. Most of their faces seemed to have rotted off, exposing their jaws which were filled with several rows of serrated teeth.
“Get behind me,” Emma whispered to Hunt.
“So you’ll do what?” Garret chuckled as he waded through the creatures, closing the portal behind him. “You’re not leaving this place alive, Emma.”
“I intend to,” Emma replied. “We know you’re alive, and we know you’re planning something. Whatever it is, we are going to stop you.”
Garret brought his hand to his head. “What, you and your band of misfits? Your pack could barely stand against a pack of Dragons. Now, with all of the power and creatures at my disposal, I’ll have you all dead in a matter of moments.”
“I’ll stop you,” Emma repeated, shifting her fingers into claws as she got ready to take on the Dragon. She knew she wasn’t going to do much, but Emma would give it all she had.