Primal Hunters: Remembrance

CH.0

Moonlight filters through the dark curtains, slipping through like a thief as the figure lay in bed unaware of the eyes that watch so painfully from the darkness. Tired, undeterred eyes lay unmoved from the body as they toss and turn within the night. Shooting up from their sleepless nightmare the eyes disappear into the shadows. Leaving them with a heavy heart and paranoid thoughts. Rubbing their eyes they throw the blanket off their legs and stand, striding for the bathroom where they turn the faucet. Splashing water into their face before leaning against the counter, eyes downcast as they breathe.

"Come on Aura this is just like any other night deep breaths. Everything is gonna be alright." Aura tries to reassure herself as her eyes draw to the mirror, jumping back for a split second as a creature sat before her, eyes sharp and vibrant. Disappearing in a blink as she leans back against the bathroom doorway. Breathing heavily she holds a hand over her heart. Slipping out of the bathroom she drags her feet across the carpeted floor to fall onto her mitch-matched bedding. The light of her cell bouncing off the walls as it vibrates softly.

“Hello?” She answers as a fit of coughs meets her ears. “Marcus?” She questions as the fit of coughs draws to a stop.

“Y-yeah, you okay?” He questions back, his voice too rough for just having woken up.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just a nightmare? You sound like shit.” She answers as Marcus laughs. “Have you gotten any sleep tonight?” Aura questions back as Marcus mumble some incoherent babble. “Marcus…”

“My heads been killing me all night.” He finally gives in the sound of moving sheets coming from his end. “I don’t want to head back to the doctors this early…” He grumbles, as the sound of his door closing catches my ears.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere.” Came the quick retort before the knob on my door jiggled. “Unlock the door its cold as hell out here.” Aura can't hold back the laughter as she gets up out of bed, making a quick stride to the door where Marcus stands with the phone still against his ear. Dark raven hair, choppy and stuck up on all ends, with his back to her he taps his foot impatiently. Shaking her head, she grabs him by his arm making the poor man jump ten feet into the air. “SHIT!” He curses loudly whipping his head to look at her.

Which by the look on his face wasn’t the best idea as he reaches a hand up to cradle his forehead. Grumbling, he allows Aura to pull him into the room. “Did you forget what you were doing?” He nods slowly as she leads him to her bed. “That's bad…” Falling back into her sheets he grumbles incoherently. The bags under his eyes become more apparent as he closes them for a moment. “Give me a second I’ll be right back.” He nods as she jumps up from the bed, rushing to her bathroom she keeps her eyes from looking at her reflection. Opening and grabbing a bottle of sleep aid she rushes back into the room. “Try this.” Depositing two pills into her hand she holds them out.

Marcus takes them without resistance eager for sleep to overtake him.

“Thanks…” Sitting up for a few moments he rubs his eyes and takes one of my blankets that were closest to him, wrapping himself up he yawns. “Do you think we can wait on taking me to the hospital tomorrow?”

“And why would we do that?” She asks knowing all too well the answer as his eyes start to grow heavy, falling to one side he tightens his grip on the blanket.

“Already know-” He yawns burying his face into the blanket. “say…” After a few minutes, I check him by moving the covers from his face, seeing him passed out. Breathing slow and easy Aura lets the blanket drop, falling back she grabs another blanket that lay scattered on the floor, curling up with it, sleep quickly does the same.

The morning rays met them, Marcus is the first to awaken rubbing his eyes as the dull thudding pain wreaks havoc within his skull. Gripping his hair tightly between his fingers he sits up his forehead against his knee as Aura pops an eye open.

“Marcus?” Sitting up she rubs circles into the base of his neck, tears from the pain have already started trailing down his cheek. “Hey it’ll be okay, they’ll figure out something.”

“It feels like something is trying to eat me from the inside out…” He groans as Aura continues to rub circles down his spine in some way to comfort him. Nothing she could do as he crumbles into a mass of needle pricked pains.

After a while, the door opens and a mop of grey pops enters the room. “Guys, we got a problem…” Confused his arms sit outstretched as he walks across the room, fingers gripping the leather-bound computer chair in front of Aura’s desk. He turns it around before sitting, making sure it was the right way before doing so.

“What’s up Skylar? Where’s Eli?” Aura questions him as he runs his fingers through his hair.

“Probably by this point going full Viking on those girls on the second floor…” He finally says a worried look gracing his features.

“What happened?” The urgency drips from Aura’s words makes Skylar rub the back of his neck embarrassingly. “Sky? What happened?” She repeats as Skylar lets out a heavy sigh.

“If you haven’t noticed it by now, I believe it's a lost cause.” Giving him a questionable look it finally dawns on her.

“Your cane? Where is it?” He shrugs leaning back in the chair.

“No possible idea to be honest.” He folds his hands together, his clear blue eyes staring passed us as his sunglasses hang idly by his pinkies. “One minute I had it in class last night the next it was gone and I had to call Eli to come get me.” He admits with a wave of his right hand as though whatever Eli was doing wasn’t such a bad thing. Shooting up from the bed Aura rushes for the door.

“Watch him!” She yells over her shoulder leaving them sitting there with the door wide open.

“How the hell am I suppose to do that?!” Skylar yells after her but as no response came, he lets out a loud sigh. “Well fuck.” Getting up he holds his arm out until Marcus grabs his outstretched hand. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Marcus sighs, running a hand through his hair as he helps Skylar sit down.

“So, headache giving you problems.”

Rushing down the stairwell Aura could already hear the yelling from behind the 2nd-floor doorway, flinging the door open she comes face to face with a short electrical blue-haired girl. The one the only Eli, with a roar she tackles one of the girls to the carpeted floor.

“WHERE IS IT!?” She yells keeping the girl pinned to the floor as the other two watch in shock. Reaching over Aura pulls her off the girls with ease.

“Calm down Eli, no need to lose it.” Aura whispers into her ear as she struggles slightly. Stopping after the words fell from her lips her eyes glaring daggers at the poor girl as she sits up.

"Are you fucking psychotic!!" She yells pushing herself off the floor as the other two girls hover over her. "I didn't steal your little boyfriend's cane. Besides if I did it wouldn't be here." She declares folding her arms over her chest.

"Let me at her Aura… please just this once let me knock her lights out. Please." Eli pleads as Aura shakes her head keeping a tight grip around her arms.

"No Eli. You have one last write-up on you. Skylar needs you to be here." Her voice stays barely above a whisper so that the other girls couldn't hear her. Grumbling and cursing under her breath Aura lets Eli go. Dusting herself off Eli jerks causing the girls to all jump back. Laughing loudly Eli turns to Aura a prideful twinkle within her hazel eyes. Smirking, they walk towards the stairwell.

"Tell your boyfriend he's got an hour to return Skylar's cane before I go get it myself!" Eli yells over her shoulder, slamming the door behind her as they scale the stairs.

"Did you really have to give them a heart attack?" Aura asks a slight smirk grazing her lips as she opens the 5th-floor stairwell door.

"Yes, yes I did." Eli retorts as they walk back to Aura's room.

Stepping inside Eli strides over to Skylar who is laid out tapping the sheets as Marcus snores having fallen back to sleep.

"Hey birdie, you're gonna get your cane back soon." Grabbing Skylar's hands she pulls him up off the bed. "Until then we got to let the office know I'll be your seeing-eye girlfriend for a few hours." Skylar snorts, shaking his head as he stands, stretching he has to set his wrist against the ceiling. "Tall ass…" Eli grumbles. Marcus sits up having woken up from the sudden movement and Eli's semi loud voice.

"At least you don't gotta worry about anything on the top shelf." Eli slaps his gut making him cough. "Hey what was that for?"

"Your blind I'm deaf dumbass. I'm the one getting things off the top shelf." She smirks walking off and leaving him standing beside my bed.

"I can steal your hearing aid!" He retorts making Eli laugh as he throws a hand out to follow her. Grabbing his hand they leave the room with smiles.

"Seeya guys!" Eli yells as they disappear to the front office.

"I always forget Eli's deaf sometimes." Marcus finally says after a moment. Aura s

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hakes her head, as she takes a seat beside Marcus.

"Well, she's a bundle of energy so most of the time no one notices when she is focusing on the words coming out of our mouths."

"Years of practice." Marcus injects as he looks at the red clock on the wall. "Shit is it really only 7?"

"Yep. Still got two hours before class." Marcus nods falling headfirst into my pillows. "Why do you always end up sleeping in my room?"

"You've never stopped me before so?" Aura shrugs falling back beside him.

"Hopefully the others got up for class. I've already had enough excitement for the day." Marcus nods, throwing the blanket over Aura who smiles and curls up to his chest. "Don't crush me." She mumbles as her eyes close.

Grumbling awake a sharp ember eye scans the destruction known solely as its room. Slowly they sit up and draw their attention to the illuminated green numbers of their alarm clock. 7:15 am dull and flickering. Rubbing their eyes thick rough skin surprises them. Jumping out of bed the figure rushes to the bathroom, flicking the light and staring at themselves.

“Noir? What's wrong baby?” Heavily freckled skin and emerald eyes meet Noir’s gaze. No, rough skin to speak off. Running his fingers against his eyes once more he lets out a heavy sigh.

“Nothing Darling, justa terror be all.” He steps back into the messy room, wrinkling his nose at the sight. “We really gotta clean.” He mumbles stepping up to the bed, a set of arms grab either side of his tank top pulling him down onto the bed.

“Not now, sleep.” She sighs as Noir wraps his arms around her.

“Fine but if I’m late for class I’m blaming you again.”

“I can deal with that.” She retorts before the loud ringtone of one of their cellphones goes off annoyingly. “Fuck-” She draws out making Noir chuckle.

“Time to get up Mari.” Burying his face into her obsidian curls she glares at his chest.

“Damn you…” She curses pushing him away and sitting up. “Fine, fine I’m up!” She reluctantly yells as Noir digs through the horde of books at the head of their bed, pulling out a bright purple case, he hits the alarm. Sitting up he stretches and gets up, gathering some of the clothes from the floor and tossing them into the nearby hamper beside the bathroom door.

Pulling a white button-up, black skirt, and matching leggings from the closet Mari slips into the bathroom. Noir throws on an oversized sweater with the collages logo on the front, along with a pair of jeans he finds on the small dresser that they had shoved into the closet the first day. Stepping out of the bathroom Mari smirks at Noir as he jumps up fixing his pant leg.

“What are you doing?”

“Just feeling all weird today that's all.” He grumbles scratching his leg as he bends down to tie his shoes. Mari gives him a questionable look which he misses as she draws towards the door. Grabbing his backpack off from the wrack behind the door they both leave the room and head off to their class.

“Try to feel better okay.” Mari whispers pulling him into a quick kiss before trotting off to her classroom. He nods slowly behind her as he steps into his own, a sense of dread dropping over his shoulders as he finds his seat.

“Morning students, good morning.” His professor smiles a stack of papers within his arms, walking to one side of the room he starts passing them out. “Today I have a special guest for you all.” Motion to the front of the room an older man in a grey lab coat stands with his back to us, eyes glued to the blackboard in thought. “Let me introduce Professor Finnigan Roswell.”

“Just Dr. Finnigan thank you.” He interjects making our Professor nod sheepishly. Turning to face us his eyes graze the growing crowd of students as they either enter late or are finding their seats. Leaning back in his chair Noir quirks a brow at the man. That is before their eyes met, a sharp pain rushes through Noir's head, right down his spine as every nerve in his body was trying to pull a fight or flight all at once. Clenches his fist under the desk his nails dig into his palm as The Doctor looks away. The feeling slowly fizzles out making his shoulders relax as he pulls his hands apart.

“What the fuck…” His mind screams as the class begins. Doctor Finnigan walks to the other side of the room pulling out a small cage covered in a very thin black veil.

“Today I will be teaching about creatures beyond your imagination. These creatures are known solely as Primals. Beasts that were once hidden within the earth, to never see the light of day.” He places the cage on the podium turning to face us. “Some of you may have heard of the Dragons of Scotland? Or the renowned story of King Arthur? These Dragons were what we now call Primals. Some would bare their heart to a human forming a bind with them for centuries. Making these humans immortal.”

“What crock of shit!” Someone’s voice bellows from the back of the room.

“You say that only because you've never seen them. They hide within the bodies of flesh, making themselves look human. Almost unknown to those who do not look for them.” Removing the veil from the cage, gasps of surprise and fascination rupture. Noir’s eyes widen at the creature, darkened green scales cover every inch of its body, its long reptilian snout sniffing the air, a mane of platinum drawing down its spine. The surprising thing being the maw of jagged teeth.

“This creature small in size, for now, is who we can Ina, the unkillable. For years we hunted him and his family down. Until all that remained was the memory that he holds.” Poking a finger into the cage the reptile slings its head to snap at it. Pulling his hand away he smirks. “To never see loved ones again, trapped within the body it was born in. This is what a Primal should be for, science.” He sighs placing the vail back over it as the reptile struggles to stand.

With that, he takes the cage back over to the side of the room behind a metal wall, where a set of gloved hands take him.

“Any questions?”

“That looked like a normal reptile to me…” Noir speaks up, his hand raised. Dr. Finnigan strides over placing his hand upon Noir’s desk.

“You are not afraid of him?”

“He looks like a normal reptile to me.” Noir repeats agitation starting to form with his words as Dr. Finnigan motions with a swing of his arm. After a moment, a person dressed head to toe in a dark attire stepped forward, a chain and mask holding them.

“This is the son, we call him Striker.” With a quick nod, the masked man jumps up onto Noir’s desk knocking off his textbooks a loud growl ripping from his throat. Quickly followed by a loud roar from behind, the figure’s head snaps in the direction of the noise jumping of his desk and stalking over-cautious footsteps draw close to the metal wall he just walked out of before disappearing completely. Leaving the entire room in utter shock.

“Within these 15 years of research, we have found it easier to make the Primals turn, transform in better words into creatures we call Reapers. They have an insatiable hunger for the hearts of their once brothers and sisters. Only one heart can pull the trick, but the more the marrier as it keeps them under our control.” Doctor Finnigan continues the lecture as though he hadn’t just threatened a student's life. Striding from Noirs desk he finishes at the podium. “The only Primal we haven’t gotten to make a Reaper are those who are still hidden, and some we are keeping for further observation. If any of you see a Primal please take the papers your teacher is passing out and contact the number on the front. From there we shall do as we have always done to protect humanity from such a dangerous threat.” nodding towards our teacher he turns and leaves the room leaving behind murmured conversations as the cell chimes loudly.

"Well everyone keep your eyes peeled and be safe out there. No one knows when these creatures will appear next." No one seems to be paying attention as they all rush out of the classroom murmuring and gossiping about what had just accrued.



Noir steps out of the room, mind-boggled as he strides down the hall to Mari's class. Only to be stopped by sharp fingers against his shoulder blade.

"Noir Habersham correct?" Turning around d he comes face to face with Dr. Finnigan who stares him down for a minute.

"Ya, that be me? Everything alright?" Dr. Finnigan nods releasing Noir's shoulder before a Smith drew itself upon his face.

"I always wondered where you ran off too." Confused Noir backs away arms up in defense.

"Look I don't know who you be but you are giving me the creeps Doc. Why don't you go back to whatever you were doing and leave me alone." Noir snaps turning away from Dr. Finnigan who shakes their head and yells after him.

"You'll have no choice, Dragon, you'll never find it!" Shaking his head, Noir disappears down the hall a sudden weight dropping itself over his shoulders as he reaches Mari's class. Waiting patiently Mari plays on her phone a few feet from the entrance.

"Hey, Darling."

"There you are? Ready?" She questions with a smirk taking his arm within her own.

"As I'll ever be."