The sun had nearly disappeared behind the treeline when Haatim finally pulled the car onto a narrow, overgrown dirt road. They drove for another few minutes before coming to a stop in a small clearing. A lone figure stood waiting, his silhouette barely visible in the fading light.

The priest waited until things settled.  Lightning struck in the distance, followed seconds after by the roll of thunder.

As they sped down the highway, Frieda twisted in her seat to face Petrillo and Emma in the back. Her expression was grim, all traces of the earlier training session's levity gone.

The crowd watched in mute fascination.  Petro couldn’t believe it.  He didn’t think this was right, but he couldn’t understand why no one else did anything. The duke wasn’t a bad man.  People often talked about him, and how good he was to his people. Yet no one spoke up. No one said this was wrong.

The morning's surprise combat session set the tone for the rest of the day. Haatim and Frieda put Petrillo and Emma through their paces, drilling them on everything from hand-to-hand combat to demon lore. By the time the sun reached its zenith, both young Hunters were exhausted but exhilarated.

Six guards walked to the right group.  The first guard grabbed the duke and pulled him away.  The second grabbed his wife.  The third grabbed the Captain of the Guard, and the forth and fifth grabbed the thirteen year old son of the Duke and a nobleman in expensive clothing. All ...

Petrillo jolted awake, his heart racing. The digital clock on his nightstand read 5:37 AM, its red numbers glowing accusingly in the darkness. He'd been having that dream again – the one where he was running from something he couldn't see, his legs moving in slow motion as if trapped in molasses.

The crowd hushed as an enormous platform was wheeled into the square.  On it stood a tall man in white robes with a thick black mustache and jet black hair.  He stood calm as the platform was wheeled to a stop in front of the crowd.  Behind him on the platform stood a large devic...

Frieda caught up with Petrillo and Emma as they were about to head home for the night. "Hold up, you two," she called out, her voice carrying a note of authority that made both young Hunters pause in their tracks.