Uncharted Paths

Sighing heavily, I watch as the helicopters land near us. "Just how did they find us?" I wonder, my mind racing. Who among us could be carrying a tracker? Jenna, Draken, Dolura? The thought of a hidden tracker among our belongings irks me. "Tsk, this is going to be a pain."

Jenna, still nursing her injury, wakes up, confused. "What are they doing here?" she asks, her voice laced with pain and bewilderment. Draken, equally perplexed, shrugs. "I have no clue."

Out of the largest helicopter steps General Harlan, accompanied by Aeliana. "Tsk, it's that bratty rich kid," I mutter under my breath. Harlan's gaze sweeps over us, pausing on Saxon, Mia, and Tamsin. When he sees Jenna's wound, he commands, "Get a medic over here." Immediately, a soldier salutes and a medic rushes to tend to Jenna.

Harlan addresses us, a hint of amusement in his tone, "Looks like you four made some new friends." His eyes flicker to Jenna, Draken, Dolura, and me.

Saxon grins and steps forward. "I didn't think I'd meet the Honorable General Harlan," he says with a mixture of respect and cunning. Harlan, somehow recognizing the hunter, pats Saxon's shoulder, remarking, "It's great to have another hunter around," before moving to address the rest of us.

Meanwhile, Aeliana approaches me. We lock eyes, and I can't help but wonder what she wants now. Is she here to cause more trouble? To my surprise, she bows respectfully and says, "Thank you for helping me out last time. You were right, the general did have what I needed."

I'm taken aback by her gratitude and demeanor. It's not the reaction I expected from her. "Huh? What is this reaction..." I think, puzzled. Did she actually undergo military training? The change in her is notable – she seems more composed, more grounded.

Rubbing my temples, I address Aeliana's comment with a hint of sarcasm. "You act as if it's life-changing. If you had an actual parent or even just a parental figure, you wouldn't need the General's help. But regardless, you're better than last time." I'm curious to see how she reacts; if she's truly undergone military training, this won't trigger her.

Aeliana sighs deeply, her response measured. "I see... well, thank you for your honesty." She clenches her fist, a sign of restraint. "Wow, the general didn't let her slack, huh?" I think, somewhat impressed.

General Harlan's gaze then shifts to Mia and the kitty, which causes the cat to shiver. I let out a sigh, sensing the general's scrutiny. To my surprise, the kitty scampers up to me. Grinning, I scoop him up and place him on my shoulder. "Hehehe, I knew you liked me," I say, scratching the cat's head affectionately.

The general, with a raised eyebrow, inquires, "This is...?" I pat the cat's head, replying, "This is a cat I found." I sense Harlan's underlying concern. He's probably worried the cat might do something unpredictable, as cats often do.

I assure him confidently, "This cat doesn't cause problems. Right, buddy?" The cat seems to understand, settling comfortably on my shoulder.

Harlan then directs his attention to Mia. "What about her?" he asks. I'm momentarily caught off guard. What am I supposed to say? It's not like I'm in charge of her. After a brief pause, I reply, "Hmmm... She's Jenna's friend." It's a simple answer, but it's the truth.

Harlan nods, seemingly satisfied with my responses. The situation is strange, with us standing here, a motley crew under the scrutiny of the military.

Standing amid the tension and confusion, I glance at Dolura, whose grip on my arm is still uncomfortably tight. "Can you not hold me so tight?" I say, trying to mask my irritation. Seriously, that was starting to hurt.

As the medic finishes up, Jenna, still visibly in pain, stands up and confronts General Harlan. "What happened? What made you come here?" she asks, her voice heavy with curiosity and concern.

Harlan turns his gaze briefly towards the helicopters before answering. "The base was destroyed. We managed to get all the valuable resources and equipment, but we couldn't stop the colossal beast from destroying it." His tone is solemn, hinting at the scale of the catastrophe they faced.

Jenna's eyebrow arches inquisitively. "Colossal beast? Does it perhaps have a similar body to a wild dog?" she probes, trying to piece together the information.

The general nods in confirmation. This revelation clicks with my own memories. He must be referring to that damn beast that destroyed the helicopter Jenna had been in. It makes sense that the base would be destroyed if it was attacked by that thing. After all, it was multiple stories tall, a true monstrosity.

Harlan continues, "It took me a while, but I managed to get rid of it. However, the amount of destruction it caused is forcing us to move bases." His words are casual, but the implications are immense.

He killed it? What did he do, drop a nuke on it? The thought of such a powerful creature being taken down sparks both curiosity and concern in me. The general's capabilities and the resources at his disposal might be far greater than I had anticipated.

Rubbing my chin thoughtfully, I ponder over General Harlan's plans. "Just where is he planning to relocate? Is there even a place left that's not completely overrun?" The situation seems to be more complicated than I initially thought.

The general, rubbing his shoulder, remarks, "That was the biggest workout I had in a while." He gestures towards a massive box, the size of a house, tied to two helicopters. The box is completely sealed, and its presence alone piques my interest. "After I dealt with the beast, we managed to secure that," he explains.

Jenna, always sharp, questions, "That must be the biggest one, right?" The general nods, confirming her suspicion. "Yeah, but it seems worse than the one we encountered with that monster that killed itself."

Harlan then steps forward, addressing all of us. "Thanks to you, we managed to find you all," he says, his gaze landing on Dolura. So, it's Dolura's fault he's here. I should've seen it coming.

The general continues, "We could use a couple of extra hands. The base we're heading to is an empty, hidden underground base. I was supposed to head there a few weeks ago, but the apocalypse put those plans on hold." His words make it clear he's not just asking for Jenna and Draken's help, but Mia and Saxon's as well. 

General Harlan's proposal is straightforward. "Of course, it won't be for free. I will pay you," he states. "There's an area we need to pass through, a small one. It has high energy levels, so it's likely there's a hoard of monsters there. I will pay based on your requests, whether it's supplies, information, or maybe you need a ride out of the city. I can set that up."

My eyes light up at the mention of a ride out of the city. It's almost as if Harlan read my mind. "A ride out of the city... Did he read my mind?" I wonder, intrigued by this unexpected offer. The prospect of just sitting quietly through the ride, while Jenna, Saxon, Mia, Draken, and possibly Dolura handle the fighting, is appealing. "Heh, all I have to do is sleep through the ride," I think to myself, already planning how to make the most of this opportunity.

"You can get an escort ride out of the city?" I ask, wanting to confirm the offer.

Harlan grins, "Of course, I'm a man of my word."

Jenna, catching on to the plan, nods in agreement. "We'll do it," she says, taking charge of the situation. Aeliana then turns her attention to Dolura and me. "You two can ride with me," she offers. After a brief pause, she adds, "Ah, it's probably best if your cat and Jenna's friend came with us." Mia silently nods and joins us. Do they know each other? Whatever, its not my problem. 

Sighing deeply, I settle into the comfortable seats of the helicopter, preparing for what might be a smooth ride out of this chaotic city. The idea of escaping the immediate dangers and finding a moment of peace is a welcome one. As the helicopter's engines start up, I can't help but feel a sense of relief mixed with anticipation. "Finally, a break," I think to myself, ready for whatever lies ahead.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The helicopters soar through the air, cutting across the sky with their powerful rotors. Inside one of them, General Harlan rubs his temples tirelessly, a look of exhaustion etched on his face. "Just what happened... It has only been a couple of days... I seriously need to retire," he mutters, his voice tinged with fatigue and frustration.

Saxon, sitting across from him, lets out a laugh. "Come on, it's not that bad," he chimes in, trying to lighten the mood.

Harlan's response is sharp and laced with tension. "Not that bad? Not that bad!?" His agitation is palpable as he breaks the glass he's holding. "The cat he has is a dangerous monster! It's probably just as dangerous as that other monster disguised as a woman. And he is letting the only two intelligent monsters we might be able to communicate with travel with him."

Jenna, trying to mediate the situation, laughs awkwardly. "It's not that bad. Mia... Caelum forced her to turn into a human... and she can't turn back into a monster." She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "However, it's likely he won't let us interrogate her since the 'cat' he took in as a pet has a connection to her."

The general, looking weary, acknowledges the complexity of the situation. "This is no joke, we can't let them roam, but at the same time, we can't piss off someone as strong as Caelum."

Draken, joining the conversation, adds, "It hasn't been completely bad. Dolura seems to have awakened an ability thanks to Caelum. I'm not sure how he did it, though."

Harlan, raising an eyebrow, questions the dynamics at play. "I thought he didn't particularly like her?"

Jenna offers her insight, holding her katana. "Hmmm... I'm not so sure about that." She glances at her artifact. "I'm sure you've realized this is my artifact, Itza." She pauses, weighing her words. "Itza told me that a ring... a ring-type artifact that Caelum forced to take Dolura as its master..."

Saxon and General Harlan exchange a glance, both sighing deeply as they contemplate the implications.

Draken, confused by the revelation, asks for clarification. "I'm sorry, but can you clarify?"

Jenna nods, ready to explain. "As you know, we hunters have artifacts. However, it's practically impossible to forcefully use an artifact. The artifact has to approve of you. For Caelum to forcefully make an artifact take Dolura as its master, he needs to pose a threat capable of destroying the very core of the artifact."

The weight of her words hangs in the air, leaving a sense of unease among the group. The idea that Caelum could exert such influence over an artifact speaks volumes about his power.

Jenna, sensing the need to shift the focus of the conversation, speaks up, trying to inject a more positive note. "Although the monsters are an inconvenience, thanks to them, I managed to find out something... life-changing."

General Harlan, taking a sip of his drink, responds with a weary tone, "What else are you going to throw at me?"

Holding her katana, Itza, Jenna runs her hand over its red blade and reveals something astonishing. "Caelum said he can fix artifacts, make them brand new," she states confidently.

This revelation causes General Harlan to drop his glass in shock. "You must be joking. There's no way..." he stammers, clearly taken aback by the claim.

Jenna, with a nonchalant shrug, elaborates on the implications of such an ability. "Think about it. Why would someone as strong as Caelum lie? To be able to fix artifacts... isn't that something that can flip the world upside down? Those old hunters clinging to their lifeless artifacts... he can bring those artifacts back to life."

The gravity of her words sinks in. The ability to repair and rejuvenate artifacts, once thought impossible, could indeed revolutionize the world of hunters. It could shift power balances, give new life to old legends, and change the very nature of their struggles.

General Harlan, now holding his third glass, ponders this new information. The potential of such a skill in Caelum's hands is both an exciting prospect and a worrying one.