Written by: Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

The Sixth was a huntsman. In life, he had hunted the savage, primitive, and intelligent to extinction for sport. In Death, he hunts any Demon or damned soul who wanders into his circle of Hell.

Edward and Dolan found themselves in a dense tropical jungle that remained unchanged by the falling snow and even seemed to flourish under it. They both became captivated by its beauty as they turned feral without knowing.

*          *

Alarms sounded throughout the entire Dreadnautilus as Chastity got back to her feet, “what happened?”

“It’s broken free, Captain” replied Magnus.

“We have lost visual,” replied Sun and Tzu.

“Nothing on the scanners,” replied Hubris.

“War, form a perimeter,” Chastity ordered. “Famine, keep me posted on those scanners. I  want to know if you see a damn asteroid. Strife, light up the stars. It’s out there somewhere.” Massive lights illuminated around the ship penetrating the dense vacuum of space like a burning sun as Magnus did as his Captain ordered. Chastity walked to the deck of her Dreadnautilus and searched the stars with her naked eyes. It is impossible for any Life to hide from Death, but Wyyverns are impossible.

*          *

A series of beeps sounded, and the Huntsman who was the Sixth twitched a feline ear. Smoke billowed from his wooden tobacco pipe as he turned to see which of his carefully placed sensors had gone off. “East Grove, near the watering hole,” he said with a smile under his imperial mustache. A new hunt had begun. He put on his coat, adorned his hat, and loaded his bayoneted musket before heading out the door of his log cabin.

Edward and Dolan frolicked through the dense plant life, down a small incline, and into a pond with two waterfalls. One waterfall flowed into the pond and the other down from that pond into a larger one below. The entire area was surrounded by a thick jungle. The water was deep, and Edward noticed he couldn’t straighten his body out in it. Something was forcing him to be on all fours like a wild animal, even in the water. “Dolan, can you stand upright?” he asked.

“Nope,” Dolan replied. “Haven’t been able to since we entered this forest,” Dolan’s voice was calm and casual.

“This does not worry you?” Edward questioned as he struggled to keep himself afloat.

Dolan swam to the shore and shook himself off, “Why does it matter?”

“It is much more difficult to fight in this form,” Edward replied as he went under, then he resurfaced at the shore where Dolan was, “and swim.” He spit water from his mouth, “I die here, even once, and they will all be free. ”

“Then I suggest that you do not die,” Dolan replied.

Suddenly Edward heard a loud bang and felt a sharp pain in his ear. Dolan tackled Edward and rolled under the water, taking Edward with him. In a bobble formed by the water disks Dolan had circling them, “I need you to hold on to me,” he said to Edward, “and the cliff face,” then he rolled them both over the edge of the waterfall.

“Six shots, Fennec!” the Sixth shouted to them. Even under the loud rushing waterfall, Edward and Dolan could hear him loud and clear. “If I cannot kill you in six shots,” he stood over the waterfall where he knew his game was hiding and aimed his musket down and into it. “You win,” the second shot fired produced a loud rawr of pain as the huntsman watched his game fall to the rapids below. Then he reached down and pulled a single six-inch claw from the cliff face under the waterfall. Smoke billowed from his pipe as he examined his first trophy, “for mountain climbing,” he smiled and unsheathed his own, “just like mine.” Then he tossed the claw in the air, caught it, and put it in his pouch. “Four shots left Fennec!” he shouted. “Blast. This takes forever to reload,” he muttered to himself.

*          *

“Off the Port Bow! Fire!” Chastity shouted pointing her sword at the Wyyvern of Fate who had come from out of nowhere and was charging at the great ship’s port side. The Dreadnautilus fired everything he had, but nothing could stop Fate as it rammed through him leaving a large hole. It flew over the Dreadnautilus and then disappeared as a greatsword fell, stabbed blade first, on the deck. Chastity walked to the greatsword cautiously.

A man wearing torn armored robes and a chainmail scarf came to the sword as though he had been pulled to it. He stood up and looked at Death, “Edward,” he replied to the question she had asked him.

The Dreadnautilus and the Horsemen disappeared, and Pip was left alone. He wondered why he was even still alive. He had planned that landing perfectly so he would be in the Dreadnautilus’s atmosphere before the vacuum of space could end him. Now the Dreadnautilus was gone, and he was floating in the middle of space. “It is not your time yet,” said a voice.

“Apocalypse,” Pip recognized the voice immediately and then turned to see the Fennec of black marble fur and sapphire blue eyes staring back at him. Then he noticed a large hole through the Fennec’s side.

“Please, call me the End,” Aleister replied as the hole healed almost instantly. “Did you find any weaknesses while in the belly of the beast?”

“Cut it in half,” Pip replied with an eye roll. “Honestly, you call yourself a professional.”

Then Aleister sent Pip back to his home world and returned his attention to the task at hand. He examined his axe closely, it was the combined form of all his Wyyvern weapons. The Wyyvern of Fate and Aleister charged at each other for a final blow.

*          *

The third shot zipped through the hole made in Edward’s ear by the first as he and Dolan ran the ever-thickening forest. “Hold still, Blast it!” the Sixth shouted as he fired a fourth shot that grazed Edward’s right shoulder. A loud yipe and a thud echoed throughout the forest, “come now my boy, this is almost too easy.” Edward got to his feet slowly and turned to see the Sixth charging a bayonet at his side when a bright light appeared. The Sixth looked around, having been stunned by the random light which had caused him to accidentally pull the trigger of his musket, “Blast, only one shot left. Where’d you go, Fennec!”

Edward jumped down from the trees and tackled the Sixth, grabbing his musket in his mouth and tossing it to the side. The sixth and final shot fired from the musket as it impacted a rock. “You’re all out,” Edward said as he pinned the Sixth down.

The Sixth laughed, “It matters not, dear boy, I’m just in it for sport. My gate is in my cabin, would you like some tea before you go?”

“Got any coffee?” Edward asked.

“What’s your game?” Dolan questioned.

“No game,” the Sixth replied as he poured a cup of tea and handed it to Dolan. They were all in his cabin now.

“When did we?” Edward questioned as the Sixth poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him.

“This is my circle,” the Sixth replied. “Everything here his how and when I want it to be. Drink up, you will need your strength for the big fight.”

“Fight?’ Edward inquired.

“My yes,” the Sixth began, “the Seventh is a beast of ravenous hunger, and his circle of Hell is one great arena.” He laughed, “you two will be eaten for sure.”

Edward noticed his missing claw was now on a neckless around the Sixth’s neck, “may I have that back?”

“No,” the Sixth replied, and Edward and Dolan found themselves on the other side of the Gate of the Sixth as it resealed in Edward’s teal snowfire behind them.