Lukrh - Prologue

Lukrh : A Holly Hatchet Novel

Unknown to the greater population of modern day Earth, another world, Lukrh, exists in parallel with
ours. It is inhabited by creatures featured only in stories on Earth: human-like beings with super
skills and instincts, known as vampires, and super intelligent wolf-like creatures called lycans. On
their world, humans have been extinct for centuries. After warring for many years, both sides are
reduced to two factions. When the lycans discover Rifts, portals to Earth, everything begins to change,
and centuries of allegiances fade. Follow Holly, the daughter of the best agents of Scarlet Draconis
Coven, as she finds new allies, new enemies, and maybe even love.

Prologue: Nathan and Beth

Nathan Hatchett moved slowly backwards down the darkened hallway, his stance wary, his pistol pointed
into the darkness before him. The old passageway was a deserted subway maintenance tunnel rumored to lead to
another Rift. Nathan and his newlywed wife, Elizabeth, had received orders to explore it and see what they could
find. He was still angry that Scarlet Draconis Academy had called them during their honeymoon to ask them to take
another mission, and frustrated that Elizabeth had readily accepted before even asking him. She still enjoyed the
job; Nathan tolerated it. They were good together, the best the Academy had, in fact. It was no wonder they had
been called to take this mission. He returned his focus to the assignment, determined not to be caught off guard.
Nathan scanned the leftover equipment ahead of him for signs of movement, his vampire senses
heightened. He was back-to-back with Elizabeth, making sure they wouldn't be surprised by an enemy attack. A
flicker at the corner of his vision prompted Nathan to spin towards the movement and fire his pistol three times in
succession, the flash creating shadows on the walls. A whine and the sweet smell of blood meant he had hit and
killed his target. Subconsciously he licked his lips, his eyes narrowing. There were lycans here, apparently. The
Academy had broken them into two packs, classified as Alpha and Omega based on the believed ages of the
leader.

---

<Looks like we have lycan activity here.> Beth was communicating by mind-speak, a mind-to-mind
communication technique that allowed for speech with other vampires in close proximity without actually talking
out loud. It required a little more effort, but the silence was necessary.
<I wonder which pack they're from.>
A growl came from behind him, where Elizabeth was facing. Elizabeth quickly aimed and shot, but the
bullet clanged off the wall. Nathan tumbled to the ground as the lycan tackled Elizabeth. Her weapon slid across
the ground, and the contents of her belt spilled across the floor. Nathan hissed as he stood; his eyes became dark
pools and his fangs extended. Elizabeth held the lycan off by its jaws, cutting into her fingers.
"Nathan!" Elizabeth called.
Nathan stood and grabbed the beast around its waist and teleported a short distance. Its victim suddenly
gone, the lycan squirmed trying to break free from Nathan's hold. Elizabeth grabbed one of the silver plated knives
from her belt and ripped open the lycan's abdomen, blood and entrails falling to the floor in a chaotic spill. Nathan
let the body drop to the floor as the creatures eyes glassed over. Elizabeth cleaned the blood from her blade and
began picking up her spilled supplies. Nathan noticed another pair of eyes in a darker corner, and pointed his pistol
in that direction. The eyes didn't appear to move, and he sensed no threat. He moved closer to discover a mother
lycan, curled around two small black cubs. She bared her teeth, but made no sound at his approach. He
swallowed. Lycans were the enemy; under other circumstances she would already have killed him, and her cubs
would learn to do the same. He aimed the gun at the bitch lycan, and took a deep breath.
<Nathan, you coming? What's back there?> called Beth.
<Yeah, I'm coming. I thought I heard something, but, I guess not.> He replied, shaking his head. He put the
gun down, and turned away from them. If she meant them harm, she would have already made an attempt. The
lycan they had gutted had probably been the father of the cubs, protecting his young. For the first time in a long
time, he felt sick. It was easy to think of the wolf-like creatures as the enemy; to kill or be killed. This had been
different. He swallowed heavily before facing Beth, with a nod. <Let's go.>

---

The couple returned to silence. Nathan and Elizabeth made their way toward a large door, leading to
another dark hallway. As they approached, the door retracted into the walls, and closed again when they were
through.
<Take a break?> Elizabeth asked, and Nathan took a deep breath.
<Yeah, sounds good. Did you get all your things?>
<Most of them, lost some of my silver ammo, though. I don't understand why they can't provide us with
more than a few rounds worth. It's not like silver is rare." She ranted, and popped open a vial of red liquid she
carried with her. Nathan decided to follow suit, and opened one of his own. Together, they sucked down the
Bloodwyne that rejuvenated them and kept their powers at maximum. Elizabeth watched as her fingers healed in
front of her. She let her hand drop, looking instead at her husband. He slumped against the wall, letting the
Bloodwyne work through his veins while he rested. He still held his own pistol, loosely in his hand.
<Remind me what we're doing here again, putting our asses on the line?> He said, and Beth shot him a
reproving look.
<We were given an assignment, as Agents of the Scarlet Draconis Academy, it is our duty to do what they
ask.>
<We were offered an assignment. You could have said no, Beth. It was our honeymoon.>
<Well I didn't. We're the best Agents the Academy has; we're made for this job. Nikolai is making a new
group of Agents called RiftHunters. He wants us to be in charge. Once we finish this mission and return, he's going
to announce it.>
<I thought we were going to settle down together, and start a family.> His mind flashed back to the lycan
with her cubs, and he winced, shaking it from his memory. <Isn't that why we got married?>

---

<Of course, but we can't right now, not with all these new discoveries! Rifts to another world, don't you
find that exciting!?> Beth's eyes were wide with excitement, her eyes practically sparkling. She had always thrown
herself into every mission they had together. He truly admired her and loved her, believing that she would throw
herself into their marriage with the same verve. He began to wonder if she might only be truly married to her job.
His mind drifted to the new discoveries that Beth had mentioned; portals that had been revealed to lead to
another world. Nikolai, the head of the Academy and the highest ranking vampire in Scarlet Draconis, hadn't been
willing to send his best agents just yet, in case something went very wrong, but they should start receiving reports
back soon.
<Anyway,> Nathan said, changing the subject, <when are our... associates supposed to be showing up?>
He double checked all the items on his standard issue utility belt, and reloaded his pistol while they waited.
<They should be here any time now. I honestly don't feel that we need them, but orders are orders. Maybe
another set of fangs will help, somehow.> Beth looked thoughtful.
The door swooshed open, and the two jumped to their feet, pistols aiming for whatever came through the
door.

"Don't shoot," said a voice. "It's us. You guys cleaned up nicely. Counted at least five fur-bags on the way
in and we weren't hassled at all."

"You're from Onyx Arachnia?" asked Elizabeth, mirroring Nathan as she put her gun in its holster.

"Yep. I'm Jordan, and this is Jake. He doesn't talk, so don't mind his silence." The two moved forward,
and Nathan discovered that they were dressed very similarly, black clothing, gloves, and a standard utility belt,
complete with weaponry. He noticed they hadn't touched their Bloodwyne at all.

"Alright, well I'm Nathan Hatchett, and this is my wife, Elizabeth. We don't know how much farther this
tunnel goes, but the Rift is supposed to be at one of the dead ends. I figure we'll stick together until we reach a
fork, then we'll split, and come back." Jordan shrugged, and gestured for them to head out.

---

Shortly after they headed down the new hallway, a picture flickered across Nathan's mind. He was used to
vampire mindspeak, but this had a different feel to it. It was a series of pictures, feelings, sounds, and smells,
completely separate from what he was actually seeing, feeling, hearing and smelling.

<Betrayal.>
The voice was so faint; it was like it wasn't there. Suddenly his mind raced with pictures. Beth lay on the
ground, her head bleeding. A bullet wound! Suddenly he felt anger, wanted to rip out the throats of those
standing over his wife. He growled. Then sudden pain, and he fell to the ground, whimpering. He watched his own
blood spread from his body. Everything felt far away.

<Hey, Nathan, are you okay?> Elizabeth had moved next to him. <What's up? You stopped moving.>
Nathan snapped back, but was even more confused. He knew that he had been himself, but he had felt like a
wolf, growling and whining. Of course, that's how a lycan would have felt. Was this a lycan speaking with him? Was
it a trick?

<Sorry, I felt funny for a second. Let's keep moving.> He nodded forward, and they started off again. He
thought back to the vision, trying to puzzle it out. The two standing over Elizabeth had been other vampires. Did
that represent the enemy, the way the lycan had represented him? No, that didn't seem right. Lycans knew how
vampires looked, just not how they felt, or saw. It didn't make sense to replace them with someone else.

<Betrayal.>
The voice came again, and this time when the images came, he was prepared. He was able to keep them
separate from where he was, so he could watch without stopping. The same scene played again, but this time
from another perspective. He was racing forward, just in time to see himself, as a vampire, get shot. As he fell to
the ground, the new perspective leaped and tackled one of the vampires left. He ripped out his throat in an array
of blood. He felt bullets rip through him, but the pain was far away. He faded into blackness, the second vampire
swearing. He leaped again, and tore the throat from the second. His maw was covered in blood, but the pain from

---

the wound started to come back. He snapped back to himself again after this. He had seen the faces of the
vampires, it was Jordan and Jake.
<Listen.>
Nathan felt out for the mind that was speaking with him, and found it. He got a hazy picture of a large
white lycan-wolf, grizzled but strong, with two different colored eyes. It was the one from the last vision. He knew
this one. It was Titan, the head of the Alpha Pack. Nathan wondered what the lycan leader would be doing here,
and why he would try to contact him. He grimaced, and the voice came again.
<Foes.>
For a moment he saw Jordan and Jack glow with a menacing red light, but knew it was only in his mind.
He shook his head. This had to be a trick. He reached out to the minds of his companions.
<Hey guys, I think Titan is here. We better lie low.> he began, and the others looked at him strangely.
<Titan? Why would Titan be here? The lycans have no interest in these Rifts, if he really was here, he would
have attacked us already. Is something going on?" asked Jordan.
<I would have to agree Nate.> said Elizabeth <I highly doubt he'd be here. Did you sense something?>
<Just a hunch.>
<Jake and I will go ahead and scout a bit, see if we find anything.> said Jordan and Elizabeth shook her head.
<If somehow Titan is here, wouldn't it be better to stay together? He's taken out entire squads of our teams
before. You guys encounter him alone and we'll all be lunch.> she pointed out.
<We won't be detected. Just watch behind us, and we'll let you know.>

---

Jake and Jordan started off forwards. Nathan didn't like it much, but he wasn't about to admit that he was the
even the tiniest bit afraid. He double checked his weapon, felt for the other Bloodwyne around his belt, and was
satisfied by its presence. He thought about downing it for more confidence, but decided against it.
<You sure you're okay?> asked Elizabeth, concerned. Nathan wasn't sure how to answer. He couldn't explain
about hearing Titan in his mind. They had been told that lycans didn't possess the mind-speak ability. He took a
deep breath.
<Yeah, I was just->
"Lycans incoming! Get up here!" called Jordan from farther up the tunnel. Elizabeth and Nathan scrambled up
the hallway to find a bunch of large boxes blocking most of way; they quickly climbed over them and scanned the
hallway ahead. It was empty.
<Where are you!?> cried Elizabeth. Nathan just stared, his stomach turning to lead.
"No..." he whispered aloud. "Please..." The room was the same as the one from the vision. He knew what was
going to happen. Without thinking, he tackled Beth to the ground where they landed with a thump. Nathan wasn't
surprised to hear a bullet imbed into one of the boxes behind where Beth had been standing. He immediately
teleported to an area between the boxes where they would remain unseen by the traitorous Onyx Arachnia
vampires. His wife was unconscious, and he found a gash on her head where it had hit the floor. He wondered if
there was time to feed her a Bloodwyne. She must have hit pretty hard to render her unconscious; he hoped there
wasn't any permanent damage. His eyes became black pools of anger as he thought about it. Titan had been
warning him against his own allies. They had tried to kill Beth, and they would pay.
<What just happened?> He called out, slowly and purposefully. His emotions carried across the mind-speak,
unspeakable anger.
<I saw movement; I thought she was one of them.> responded Jordan.

---

<Lies.> Nathan answered, and Jordan sighed, suddenly looking down at him from a box above their hiding
place.
<You didn't know I can track you by your mind, did you Scarlet-scum? It's an Onyx Arachnia thing. No hard
feelings I hope. I'm only fulfilling my mission.>
<Your mission? You were assigned to kill us?> As hiding was useless, Nathan decided to try to keep Jordan
talking. He stood up, looking defiantly at the traitor. Maybe Titan would still come.
<Yes.> Jordan sounded impatient. <We're allied with Omega Pack now. It's all quite complicated. We're going
to rule earth as soon as we exterminate those in our way, namely your Coven. So long!> As he was about to
squeeze the trigger a white force bounded from the darkness, snarling, and tackled him backwards off the box.
Nathan decided to use the opportunity to teleport closer, and draw them away from Beth.
"What the!?" cried Jordan. Jake pointed his own weapon at the beast, but Nathan was faster. He shot the
Onyx Arachnia vampire full in the face. Jake fell back twitching, his black blood covering the wall behind him.
Meanwhile Titan was in the process of ripping off Jordan's gun arm, but Jordan's other hand was around Titans
neck.
<Kill.> Came Titans thought, unbidden, and Nathan complied. He emptied the rest of the clip into Jordan's
head. After the first, Titan moved out of the way, letting Nathan vent his anger. Jordan's black blood spilled over
the ground. In a terrible anger, he ripped the vampire's head from its body, and shook it in the air, before
throwing it against the wall. The skull crushed, and fell to the ground, a messy pulp. He moved away from the
scene for a few moments, returning with Beth, he set her down a short distance away. Titan said nothing, just
sitting on his haunches away from the bloody mess. He licked the blood from his muzzle, watching Nathan.
"How...?" Nathan whispered. "I didn't believe you."
<Yes.> replied Titan. <Difficult.> he said.

---

"They were going to kill Beth." He went into his belt and found his remaining Bloodwyne, opened it and began
feeding it to the unconscious Elizabeth. Titan watched, uninterested.
<Return. Message.> said Titan, and sent Nathan more images of himself, Nathan and Beth fighting side-by-
side, then filled in space with more lycans and other vampires.
"An alliance?" he asked, still shocked about everything that had happened.
<Yes.>
"I... can't. I'm tired of killing. Even those two wouldn't have attacked us if not for orders. We're gone crazy
with this war." He looked down at Elizabeth's head in his lap, and stroked her hair gently. "But she wouldn't give it
up. She's determined to die for this cause." He paused, and Titan's two colored gaze rested on him. He turned to
look significantly at something behind Nathan. When Nathan turned, he saw the shimmer of the Rift they had been
searching for. He thought hard for a bit, noticing that Beth's color was coming back. She would wake soon. He
grimaced, and switched to mind-speak as Beth began to move.
<Titan, I know that Nikolai will never let me go, and I was wrong to think that Beth would give up this life for
me. Maybe this other...world... will be free of war.>
<No.>
<Then perhaps I'm just a coward, tired of fighting. Please, tend to Elizabeth; she will take your message back. I
love her, so much. But I cannot fight this war anymore.> Nathan moved her gently, stood up, and then he moved
closer to the Rift. He slipped his arm into it, feeling no painful retaliation. As Beth began to open her eyes, a tear
rolled down his cheek.
<Goodbye, love.> he said and slipped through the shimmery Rift. As he did so, a young woman came from the
shadows to kneel next to Titan. She had white hair to match his, and her eyes were bluer than even the modern
outfit that she chose to wear that day. She looked at Titan for a moment as Beth began to sit up.

---

"You want me to help her, Daddy?" she asked. He nodded, and watched as his daughter helped the vampire's
wife back to consciousness. She would have to carry his message.

---