Mitchell the Hunter
By Lord Mitchell

Lord Mitchell looked around his town, the town of Peace. It was a bit small, but it would get bigger. It currently had a library, and a governor's house. That was it. He needed more members. The only other friend he had was the librarian. He remembered that he needed to ask her something. He walked to the Library.

The Librarian saw him, and stood up. She was a perfectly normal human being. She asked, "What are you doing in the Library?"

Mitchell said, "Grabbing my diary. I need it. I plan to go on an adventure."

The Librarian sighed. She said, "You are only fourteen. I, being twenty years older than you, should advise you on this. I have been your foster mother since the incident."

Mitchell looked solemn for a second. He said, "I know. The Cult of the Blood was to blame. They attacked when I was a baby, out of the house with you. Only my mom and dad were home. The Cult wanted new recruits, but..."

The Librarian finished, "I know. I was at the funeral. Don't forget your armor."

Mitchell nodded, and went into the back of the library, which was also a museum. He saw his armor, and diary. He brushed his brown hair out of his eyes and smiled. Soon he would be able to have some REAL fun. And if he got to beat up on the Cult of the Blood, well, that would be fun.

Outside the boundaries of the town, Lord Mitchell adjusted his armor. It covered his entire body, hiding him from attack, and view. Nothing could harm him in this. Well, maybe a griffin, but that is all. Well, possibly a dragon. Okay, his armor wasn't the best. But it was good armor, made of polished gray iron. Armor perfect for a Hunter, because that was what Lord Mitchell was.

Hours later, Mitchell walked into a town. He saw the bar. It would be a perfect place to get some information. He could also have a nice drink on the side. He walked into the bar.

In the bar, Mitchell was sipping his drink with a straw. He was still wearing his armor. As he was drinking, he saw another Hunter enter the bar. This hunter had black hair, cold brown eyes, like that guy from the library named Adolf something, and a pale face. He seemed like he would be ruthless to his enemies, but relatively nice to his friends.

The guy walked up to Mitchell, and sat down. The guy said, "I'm Bill. Who are you?"

Mitchell introduced himself, "I am Lord Mitchell, governor of the town Peace. I also work as a Hunter. I am specifically after the Cult of the Blood."

Bill laughed, "A governor? Working as a Hunter? What are you going to do, beat Blooded to death with a pen?"

Mitchell said, "Yep, I'll beat them to death with my Pen." He placed a long, deadly sword on the table. "I'll destroy them with my sword, Pen." He laughed.

Bill laughed, but then frowned. He said, "Sword users are fools. You get close to a Blooded, slice them, and next thing you know you are one. Fool. I use a spear. The monster is killed, and you are okay."

Mitchell shook his head, "Some monsters have skin that is too hard to penetrate. A sword can get at a good angle that a spear can't."

Bill ended the debate. "Whatever weapons you like, only a fool journeys alone. I, Bill, the greatest Hunter of all time, will help you."

Mitchell responded, "Thank you, I accept your help."

A few days later, at a camp that Bill had set up, Mitchell was joking around, "What kind of vision does a Chimera have? 20:20…20:20."

Bill laughed, "You are a nice guy. For a person with a helmet for a head."

Mitchell said, "I just don't like to take off my armor. Okay."

Bill taunted, "What, are you ugly or something?"

Mitchell joked, "Better looking then you."

Bill said, "Where I come from, that's fighting words." He stood up.

Mitchell stayed seated. He said, "Save the fight for the Blood Monsters."

Bill shook his head; "We haven't seen a single monster since we left town. I want to fight something."

Mitchell hinted, "Blooded are closer than you think. We will find one I know it. Wait. Smell that?

Bill asked, "What? I don't smell anything?"

Mitchell said, "There is a griffin around here somewhere. Blood Monster. Smells like it recently ate some sheep or something."

Bill said, "When we left town, I heard someone saying that a griffin was attacking sheep in the town. It was a Blood Monster, not a Blooded, and had put a person in the hospital. The guy had two broken arms, a broken leg, and five cracked ribs. Plus a few slash marks on his chest. Luckily that was all he had. He wasn't transformed."

Mitchell smiled, "Lucky him. Well, if the griffin is around, then it is time to prove my worth. Now where is OOF!" The griffin smashed him from behind. Bill rolled to the side as the battle began.

Mitchell could not draw Pen because of the angle, so he backhanded the monster in its face. The griffin was knocked back. It growled, and lunged at Mitchell. It sliced him across the chest, pierced through his armor. Mitchell began bleeding.

Bill went to help, but Mitchell yelled, "Stay back, I can handle this." Bill suddenly realized why Mitchell was wearing the armor and could smell the griffin. There was just one thing left to check.

Mitchell managed to pull Pen out and decapitate the griffin. Mitchell, who was still bleeding, turned away from Bill, and it sounded like he was vomiting. When he was done, he turned to Bill.

Bill had his spear ready. He ordered, "Mitchell. Take off your helmet. Or I will kill you."

Mitchell cussed. He pulled off his helmet. He was not human. He was a cat-creature, complete with cat ears and fangs. His face was covered in fur, and he had a small feline muzzle. His fur was white. He said, "See why I wear armor."

Bill asked, "How did you become a Blooded? I want to know before I kill you."

Mitchell said, "It runs in the family, okay. I am a werecat. I inherited it from both my parents."

Bill guessed, "And you search for Blood Monsters to get revenge for your parent's condition?"

"Nope. My family has been like this for generations. Since the beginning…"

Bill asked, "What beginning? It hasn't always been like this?"

Mitchell shook his head. He said, "No. But I don't want to talk about it. My ancestors were partially at fault."

Bill said, "Well, nice to know your story before I kill you. I love hearing the tale of a Blooded who tells a good yarn. Right before I destroy the accursed things."

Mitchell said, "You don't get it, do you?"

Bill asked, "Get what?"

Mitchell said, "Blooded are just human beings who had their forms changed. Sometimes a curse, sometimes a gift, it just means they are different. Evil Blooded are only slightly worse then evil humans. Just because they are different does not mean they are evil. Look on the inside before you look on the outside."

Bill thought for a minute. Finally, he said, "Maybe your right. But that doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous. They take away a person's humanity."

Mitchell asked, "What is humanity? Is your humanity something on the outside, or something on the inside? Is a human a human because of his looks, or because of his heart? Did I just go philosopher?"

Bill nodded "You just went philosopher. And I'm still going to kill you."

Mitchell smiled. "You forgot one, last thing. If you try to fight me, the hunter will become the hunted."

Bill exclaimed, "You would escape and go after me?"

"And I thought I was naïve. Your associates would hunt you."

Bill realized what Mitchell meant. He yelled, "YOU WOULD TURN ME INTO A UGLY, STUPID, MEAN, HORRID…"

Mitchell interrupted, "Excuse me, I'm a Blooded. I strongly resent those adjectives. It would help you see the other side of the street, realize how the Blooded live, help you walk in their shoes."

Bill said, "Okay, okay. I won't kill you."

Mitchell smiled. "That trick always works. I think. This is actually my first adventure."

Bill sighed. "I am adventuring around with a philosophical, amateur Hunter who is a Blooded. This is not my best day. Hey, night is coming. Want to go to bed?"

Mitchell nodded. Then said, "Oh, and I don't think of killing me in my sleep. I still have my armor." He put back on his helmet, and went to sleep.

Mitchell began dreaming. It was the dream of the origin of the Blooded. He had this ever so often. It was about Mitchell the First.

Mitchell, sitting in front of some cages, thought of what his lab was doing. It was creating new beings. They were based on mythology. They had incredible powers, and some were even almost immortal. Mitchell looked at his project. He dictated into his recorder, "The project is continuing, despite lab accidents with that scientist."

A voice from a few cages away yelled, "ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME! AND WHEN DO I GET OUT OF THIS CAGE!"

Mitchell sighed. He continued, "My personal project is the creation of a werecat. It is successful. I haven't gotten the morphing working, but I'm confident I will eventually get it right."

A voice from the cage behind him asked, "Am I not right?"

Mitchell responded, "No, you are perfect, Kitty. I was just talking about how I can't get you to be able to look human."

Kitty sobbed, "I'm not human?"

Mitchell said, "You are human in your mind. I made you like that. I didn't want to produce a monster like some of the others. You only look different. Humanity is something inside."

Kitty said, "Thanks, Mitchell. I liked you ever since you created me. But sometimes I wish I had never been genetically created in a test tube."

Mitchell said, "Kitty, you are the best creation I could make. You combine the best of cats, including my pet cat, and the best of humans, including many female athletes, Cindy Cooper, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, my cousin Katie, and just a bit of me."

Kitty said, "Cool. That explains my dislike of fighting and incredible strength. Well, get back to your report. I'm going to take a catnap."

Mitchell continued his report. "The end of this project is the werecat, Kitty. She doesn't like to fight, but has incredible strength when she does. She does sometimes suffer mood swings, but I think that is just because she is sensitive about her condition. However, she is contagious, and her blood can mutate people into werecats. Her claws and fangs also contain some venom, which can mutate people. She cannot morph yet, but I see if I can fix that. End Report."

Suddenly there was a scream, and Lord Mitchell woke up. He saw Bill sobbing over his, now broken, spear.

Mitchell asked, "Did you try to stab me?"

Bill nodded. "But my spear broke. I don't know why. I stabbed at your neck."

Mitchell explained, "I have chain mail armor on my neck. It has overlapping little circles of iron. Interesting thing is, it is strong enough to stop a straight stab. It will definitely stop a spear with a wooden shaft, like your spear."

Bill said, "I guess I won't kill you then. You broke my spear."

Mitchell added, "Besides, I bleed like a fountain. If you stabbed me, you'd end up a Blooded. Oh, I also have venom in my fangs."

Bill said, "Okay, I won't try to kill you. Hunter's honor. Go back to sleep."

Mitchell went back to sleep. He began dreaming once again. He returned to his dreams of Mitchell the First.

Mitchell sighed. He still couldn't get the formula to morph. It looked like he would never get to make a true werecat. He suddenly heard Kitty yell, "MITCHELL!"

He rushed to the cages. He asked Kitty, "What's wrong?"

Kitty said, "I was reading the paper you gave me. War has been declared. We are in trouble."

Mitchell said, "Kitty. Just because war has been declared does not mean…"

A voice on the intercom said, "EMP missile detected. Will explode in 5, 4, 3…"

Mitchell said, "Never mind." He looked at the laser bars on Kitty's cage. "Uh-Oh."

The announcer continued, "2, 1, 0." A rumble shook the area. Then the lights went out.

Mitchell heard Kitty say, "Are we in trouble?"

Mitchell responded, "Yes Kitty. The cages are open." He turned on a flashlight. It didn't work. He activated a cigarette lighter. He saw Kitty, and catlike humanoid with a small feline muzzle, fangs, paws with claws, brown fur, brown hair, and a white jumpsuit. She was holding a table leg.

Kitty said, "Can I have the cigarette lighter?" She took the lighter, and lit the table leg, forming a torch. She then asked, "What do we do now?"

Mitchell answered, "We have to get out of here. I just hope that nothing else escaped." Kitty began muttering unintelligible phrases and pointing behind Mitchell. He continued, "There is something behind me, isn't there?"

Mitchell turned around and saw a giant griffin. It was growling angrily. Mitchell knew this model. It had no intelligence and existed only as a weapon. Mitchell gulped. The griffin pounced, and Mitchell closed his eyes.

Nothing happened. Mitchell opened his eyes. The griffin was wrestling with Kitty. She was doing quite well. They disengaged, and the griffin staggered back, with cuts all over. Kitty was clutching her chest, which had a long cut on it. She had numerous cuts on her back and arms, too. The griffin head-butted Kitty, and she was knocked back right into Mitchell. They both fell to the ground.

Mitchell pushed the unconscious Kitty off him, and wiped some blood out of his eyes. He was angry. He pulled out his gun, which he kept in his pocket. He pointed it at the griffin, and said, "You feel lucky, punk." He pulled out his other gun. "Well, do you?" He opened fire.

Later, Kitty woke up. She saw that Mitchell was looking over her. He asked, "Are you okay?"

Kitty nodded but then asked, "What color are your eyes again?"

Mitchell said, "Blue, why?"

Kitty revealed, "Now they are green, and the pupils are slits. Like mine."

Mitchell gulped. He summed up everything, "Uh-oh."

Lord Mitchell woke up. Bill had also awakened. Mitchell asked, "Ready to go on adventures?"

Bill said, "No thanks, I need to get back to town. And I am not adventuring with a monster."

Mitchell sighed. "I thought you said it was dangerous to adventure alone?"

Bill asked, "Foolish Blooded. I was talking about you. I am smart enough that nothing can harm me."

Mitchell taunted, "See you in the Cult recruitment chamber."

Bill asked, "What do you mean?"

Mitchell pulled out a little bulletin. He said, "Read this."

Bill shook his head. He said, "I have no time to read it. What is it?"

Mitchell said, "The Cult wants strong people. It says that people with power and ambition should join up. Or else."

Bill said, "So the Cult probably wants me." Mitchell nodded. Bill continued, "And if I journey with you, the chances of getting recruited are lower." Mitchell nodded. Bill sighed, "I'll go with you."

Mitchell said, "Okay. Let's go back to town, and then continue our adventures. It'll be fun."

And so the adventure begins. What will happen to our heroes? And what has happened before? Will the Cult appear?

To be continued...