[sylvanSpider]

Hell

The hand on Olivia's shoulder was a comfort, it was an anchor in her new silent world. Her former life was once defined by the sounds around her: music, overheard conversations of passersby, the tone in a voice, the steady sound of her feet beneath her. All of that was gone now, all she had were the remaining four senses, and where she once hated being touched, Xander's provided relief. The tension in her shoulders eased and when his hand found hers, she followed without a second thought. Bike? she signed back when both hands were free, It seats two?

Axle laughed at the apparent shock on his new hunting companion's face, “Yeah, I've got one of the newer versions. A nerdy science nerd friend of mine made it for me. Not for free, because the friend is also an asshole prick, but he did customize it for my purposes.” Once Nancy was situated in front of him he placed his hands around her waist, “Comfortable? Okay, good. So, I'm going to guide you with my hands – if you feel my right hand applying more pressure, lean to the right, do the opposite for the left. When we go up, lean forward, down lean back. Don't worry about falling. Even if it was possible, I wouldn't let you get hurt. I have my methods. And with that, awaaa~aaay we go!”

The pair took off flying at amazing speeds, Axle now wishing he'd asked Nancy to pull her hair up. She proved to be exceptionally good at following directions, and balance seemed to come naturally to the girl. He'd have to ask Simon for another one. The gods knew he could afford it. When she seemed to begin to understand how the board worked, he began to show off, leading them through dips and twists, showing her everything the board could do.

Soon after, Axle slowed the board down and they landed in front of a dilapidated building – a gladiatorial arena's ruins at first glance – sandwiched between what appeared to be old apartment complexes. Both pairs of feet safely on firm ground Axle looked up at the faded sign gesturing grandly, “This is where you'll learn the art of murder~! Of course, learning the techniques is only a part of it. If you're gonna hunt with me, you're gonna have to get on a steady workout regime. You spawn at pique physical condition, but it's gotta be maintained, you see? Border hunters stay in that condition. Civilian jobbers can lose it by leading a fucking boring - sedentary – lifestyle. Sooo, you'll learn what a gym looks like if you don't already know, and you'll learn to appreciate it. Your powers increase when your body's happy. You'll find that out.”

Heaven

“No, no, no. I can't. I don't even know how to use my powers yet, much less how to use them against anyone. I can't do this, Kat, I just can't,” Sage said, casting doubtful glances to Luka. Luka had his back. The thought of biting him like he would a big, juicy steak made him sick to his stomach. On Earth, in the mortal realm, he'd become accustomed to his brother's cooking; rich spices, tender pasta, the sweetest sweets were familiar to tongue. But flesh – raw flesh – ripped right off the bone of a human looking creature complete with likely screams of pain to make it so much worse.

Katarina squeezed the bridge of her nose, leaving two bloody fingerprints on either side when she brought her hand away, “Well, Avani and I can find new hunting mates. There are restaurants looking for busboys just about everywhere. You can live like you did as a mortal if you choose. Rent doesn't start for noobies until after the first year. You can theoretically save up living in your first complex until you might be able to maybe afford the next step up. If you had experience as a business person, you might be able to work your way up a little faster, but you'd have to prove your experience.” The blonde angel said, matter-of-factly. The sad part? She wasn't lying. Life was easy for the hunters, even if the angels that chose a more civilize lifestyle looked down on them. There was something different about the angels that had seen battle, something different in their eyes. There was more wisdom...more sadness. They knew what it was to take a life, but maybe they also knew what it was to save a life. To release someone from the eternal night they belonged to.

Sage was silent for a moment, his head bowed, his face pale, eyes wide with the thousand yard stare of one who was just exposed to a painful truth. When he looked up, the faces of Avani and Katarina disappeared. He took an unwilling step back, walls coming in close from either side of him, a fog just opposite. Luka's face disappeared in the mist and a genuine fear gripped his chest. Fear and...and...hunger.

Sage was really, really hungry.

Then he remembered Luka's power. He was being manipulated. For an intents and purposes, he was blind and he'd need to rely on his other senses. With an inhuman cry, he charged at superhuman speeds into the fog, coming into contact with a body.