Special Announcement for Serious Fiction Writers – 100 Voices in the Night

100 Voices in the Night

20 writers. 1 anthology. 100 Voices in the Night. This is the idea I presented to Jim Stitzel of Flashes of Speculation a couple of weeks ago. A project inspired by a Flash Fiction contest that I entered in August of 2006. If you’re an author and are interested in working with a group of 20 like minded storytellers with a goal of getting published, then I urge you to read about our project at:

100 Voices in the Night Project

Writer’s Resources – A list of useful sites for writers

Writer’s Resources
By Ben Marroquin
StoryMask.com

Just thought I’d post some resource websites that I find helpful when I’m writing. (Last updated on 10-3-06)

1) Need help coming up with character names? Try Baby Names Garden and Baby Names World

2) If you need help coming up with last names for your characters you may want to use Search For Ancestors Surnames Origin

3) (Just Added 10-3-02) Just found some real fun name generators over at Paperback Writer and Serendipity. They have name generators for Places (Streets, Taverns, Towns, and Cities), Realms, and Planets. You can even choose English, German, and Pseudo-Elizabethan sounding name generators. Go on over and give it a try.

4) Need inspiration for your story? Then try viewing some art and photos from: Fred Miranda Galleries and Deviant Art and Elfwood

Quick Note: When using the FredMiranda.com site, you can browse the galleries by simply clicking on the hosting button on the top right of the site. You’ll be shown random set of thumbnail pics. If you like one, simply click on the pic to be taken to that photographers gallery. Or hit the refresh button on your browser to be shown a new random set of thumbnail pics.

5) Need help coming up with story ideas? I wrote an article listing five methods I use to create ideas for my stories. It’s a quick read and gives some examples. You can read it at Writing Step 1: Story Ideas. I also came across an interesting and fun article that may inspire you to write at 35 Reasons.

6) This tip was provided by Jim Stitzel of Flashes of Speculation: Wikipedia is also a good place for some quick and dirty research. It’s not something I’d ever use as the final, authoritative source, but it is a good place to get started.

7) Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable comprises over 18,000 entries that reveal the etymologies, trace the origins and otherwise catalog “words with a tale to tell.”

Dictionary.com is a great online dictionary that offers a very useful Thesaurus.

9) The following is a list of Articles that focus on writing errors: Ten Common Writing Mistakes Your Spell Checker Won’t Find, The Standard Deviations of Writing, and Some Common Mistakes.

10) Seth Godin has written a solid article that you may want to read titled Advice for authors. Also, if you’re into writing fan fiction, then you may want to read Rewriting the Rules of Fiction.

There you go. This is the list of resource sites I use when writing stories. If you know of any sites or articles that would be of use to writers, feel free to post them through the comment box

Road Rage – A Horror Flash Fiction Story

Just a little fun piece of horror flash fiction. It takes place in the world of seraph hunters, but is an independent story with no characters from the book I’m working on. Hope you enjoy it.

Road Rage
Written by: Ben Marroquin
StoryMask.com

He was jogging under the new moon in the park when it happened; a crazed animal, all fur and fangs, tore into his leg, causing him to scream for help. The sounds of sirens filled the night as darkness claimed him. The last thing he saw that night was the beast running off into the darkness on all fours.

The sound of beeps woke Nathan Mace. Stark white walls and medical machines greeted his sleep hazed eyes. He lifted his arms and saw the IV tubes pierced into his veins, feeding his body much needed liquids. The cloud of confusion lifted from his mind as he realized that he was in a hospital.

His hands clenched the railings of his bed, his pulse began to race as flashes of the vicious attack assaulted him. He saw the savage beast, with red gleaming eyes, open its fang filled jaw. It sprang at him and tore into his leg: “AARRRGGGGHHH!!!!”

Sounds of footsteps filled the hallway beyond his closed door. Light flooded in as the door flew open. “Mr. Mace…” said the nurse, staring at his sweaty face, “are you okay?”

“I’m… okay. Just a bad dream. Felt real… where am I? How long have I been here?” Nathan asked.

“I understand Mr. Mace. I’d have nightmares too if I was mauled. Your at St. Vincent’s Hospital. You’ve been out for the past two days. You lost a lot of blood and have had a very high fever. You had us all worried. I’m glad you pulled through.”

“The beast… animal that attacked me, did they get it?” he asked.

“No. They think you were attacked by some kind of large wolf. At least, that‘s what they got from the tracks. You should get some rest. We‘ll run some more tests in the morning, okay.”

With that, she left the room, leaving Nathan alone as he drifted off into a stark forest of dreams.

The days went by rather quickly for Nathan as he found himself getting ready to sleep in his own bed. His leg was healing quite fast, very little pain remained and the scars were diminishing every day. Soon, there would be no sign that he had ever been attacked. In fact, the only real reminders were the constant stream of strange dreams he’d been having, night after night.

Dreams of hunting in forests, stalking prey, tasting the slick tang of blood and flesh in his jaws.

It was Monday evening when Nathan found himself rushing home after a busy work day. The sun had already set and the highway was filled with a sea of commuters. He was looking at the beauty of the moon when he noticed that his turnoff was nearly upon him. He clicked his signal and changed lanes, cutting right in front of an old 4×4 truck.

The man in the truck flashed his highlights into Nathan’s rearview mirror and blared his horn as he followed him onto the turnoff. Nathan looked anxiously into the mirror as the light at the intersection turned red, forcing him to stop. He could hear the man and his buddy cussing up a storm as they exited from their truck, slamming their doors closed.

Nathan locked his doors, praying for the light to change color, when the man’s face appeared in his window. “Open up you bastard! You trying to kill us you prick. Get out of the car…”

“Sorry, didn’t see you there. It was just a mistake…” Nathan said through his cracked open window.

“Sorry? You almost kill us and your sorry. I’ll show you sorry…” he said as he smashed his fist through the window, slamming Nathan in the jaw as the man’s friend egged him on.

Nathan felt dazed; then the blood began to surge through his veins as adrenaline flooded his body. The man laughed as he swung his fist through the broken window, landing another blow across Nathan’s temple. Nathan’s eyes closed, as a part of him fell into a dark pit of unconsciousness.

Within his mind came the howling as his eyes snapped open with rage. He could hear the man laughing as his friend told him to knock his head off. The man hooted with pleasure as he swung his fist through the broken window again.

Nathan moved his head back. The man’s fist went right past his face, grazing his nose. He grabbed the man’s wrist with his right hand, just as he was pulling it out the window. “My turn!” Nathan growled to the surprised man.

He pulled the man’s arm towards the passenger seat, with all his might, slamming the man’s head into the top of his car’s door frame. A loud ‘CRACK’ pierced the air as the man groaned in pain. Nathan then grabbed the man by the throat and pulled him halfway into the car through the broken window.

He smiled as the man’s eyes widened with fear at the sight of his face. He pulled the man’s head back by the hair with his right hand and held him study by the chest with his left hand, exposing his throat. Nathan then opened his mouth, unnaturally wide, as the man’s friend stared in horror through the passenger window.

Blood splashed onto the windows and seats as Nathan’s teeth ripped into the man’s throat. He chewed the flesh and swallowed it down as the man’s friend ran away into the streets screaming. There came the sounds of screeching brakes and a loud ‘THUNK’ as the friends body splattered onto the ground. The semi was just too big to stop in time.

Nathan tossed the body out of his window. He watched the head roll down the turnoff, into the gutter through his blood stained rearview mirror. He turned on the radio, drowning out shouts and screams from the commuters behind, and drove off into the night, heading for the moon as his car speakers blared out; “I see the bad moon rising.”

Raising Havoc – A Short Horror Story

The following short horror story is based upon a character of a novel I’m currently working on; Seraph Hunters. It mixes the horror genre with the comic book genre. I hope you enjoy it. (Last Updated: Sat. 9-18-06)

Raising Havoc
Written by: Ben Marroquin
StoryMask.com

He heard a chorus of screams resonating in the night. It seemed to come from several blocks away, somewhere round the shipyard. He took off at a sprint to investigate.

He rounded the corner when it came into sight; a man running frantically, out the open loading doors of an old warehouse. Two dark mucus hued beasts were giving chase on all fours. The tough leathery hide on their backs were adorned with long deadly quills. Scrather demons, they make pit bulls look like Chihuahuas.

The man screamed out in pain as they ripped into his legs with their fangs, dropping him to the ground. His fingernails tore out of their beddings as he clawed at the concrete ground, staining it with blood, trying with great futilely to keep the beasts from dragging him back into the darkness of the weathered warehouse.

Shae Wynstorm started to run towards them as they disappeared from sight. His strides grew longer as he began to change. Bones popped, lengthened, and thickened. Muscles rippled as they expanded. Skin changed to large scales, only to be covered by black velvety fur; swirling tattoo like patterns of gold accented his entire black furred body. A great golden mane grew and waved in the night as it bordered his ‘demonesque’ face. And his large dark horns glistened in the moonlight.

He reached the large open loading door and entered; his horns scraped the top of the doorway signaling his arrival. The creatures stirring within gaped with hungry eyes at the mammoth seraph hunter known as Hellbeast.

Flecks of gold danced within his onyx eyes as he looked around inside the large dark warehouse. He could hear the creatures shuffling about, chattering to each other. He could smell the metallic scent of blood and rot in the air, and taste its tang on his forked tongue. There is much death within he thought to himself as his massive muscles flexed in anticipation of battle.

He stalked into the warehouse as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He made his way through a labyrinthine jumble of stacked crates and storage containers; smashed objects littered the blood stained ground. He clenched his fists and jaw when he reached the large clearing in the center of the warehouse.

Whoever… whatever did this will pay with their lives! he thought to himself as he unconsciously let out a long low growl.

Standing before him was an exquisitely detailed 12 foot tall statue of a scaly demon with bat like wings. The mutilated bodies of many dock workers were strewn round it in some sort of ritual circle as their blood pooled towards the statue. The broken remains of a large wooden crate lay on the ground a short distance away.

He heard the creaking of metal coming from above and looked up. It was then he noticed them on the walkways, dozens of wine eyed Blood Sprites. They flapped their leaf like wings, clacked sharp claws, and chattered through splintered teeth. Their mahogany bark skin was covered with patches of moss. They were evil owl sized fairy like beasts made of plants that fed on blood. And they were bordering both sides of their demon master.

“What are you doing here demon? This feast is not for you.” The dark demon master said, gripping his demon bone staff with his right hand.

Hellbeast studied him for a moment before replying. He was dressed in dark leathers; boots, pants, and a trench coat etched with blood runes. His scarlet hued skin covered the well defined muscles of his stomach and chest like leather. There was a large amber stone embedded in the flesh of his chest, and two smaller ones embedded near his collarbone.

The stones seemed to pulse with magical energy as his four dark eyes studied the hulking form of Hellbeast.

Recognition came to Hellbeast as six large Scrather demon dogs and dozens of tall lanky ghouls surrounded him. They crouched on the concrete and stacked crates that bordered the clearing, awaiting their orders. He was dealing with a demonic necron summoner; a Necrelian.

“I know what you are Necrelian. I know what you plan. You actually think that you can capture a full fledge Havoc demon within one of your necron stones with this ragtag group of beasts you’ve gathered?”

The Necrelian cunningly smiled. “And now I know what you are, seraph hunter. I no longer have to worry if my beasts are strong enough to take down a Havoc demon. No, now I can just raise him and let the two of you tear one another apart. My beasts will then ensure that I, Necrax, am successful. And once I have a Havoc demon within my necron stone, I will become Lord Necrax.”

“Arrogant fool, lusting for power. All you will accomplish is your own death and that of the countless innocents it will kill if it flies off into the night. No, I won’t let that happen. I will stop you from raising havoc and make you pay for the murders you have committed.”

“Hahahahaha! Such bold proclamations for one about to become a meal for the masses. Well, that is if the Havoc demon doesn’t eat you first.” Necrax lifted his demon bone staff into the air and began chanting the ritual of raising.

Hellbeast remembered the demon lore that his handler Averus Stevens had made him learn. He knew Necrelians had the power to trap demons and the undead within their embedded necron stones. They could then summon mirror images of the trapped beasts to aid them in battle.

The only limits they had were: They could only trap one species per stone, so they were always looking for stronger demons and undead beings to trap, thereby increasing their power. And the more powerful the trapped beast, the less mirror images of it they could summon at any given time. He already knew which three species currently occupied the stones.

He looked at the Havoc statue and saw that the stone was starting to change, starting to become scales. He saw movement begin to take place near its wings. The demon will fly away into the night! I’ll be responsible for all the deaths it commits for not stopping it from escaping.

“NNNOOO!” Hellbeast roared out into the warehouse, leaping to the side and grabbing a startled Scrather demon by the throat. He hefted it into the air and threw it with all his might towards the demon statue. A loud crack echoed within the warehouse as the Scrather beast slammed into the statue’s wing. It whelped in pain as it fell in a bloody heap near the statue’s hoofed feet. Cracks appeared on the stone wing.

“What are you doing you big oaf, STOP THAT!” Necrax yelled as Hellbeast grabbed a ghoul this time and flung him towards the wing. The stone wing and ghoul both smashed to the ground. “Attack… kill him!”

The summoned beasts swarmed to Hellbeast to begin their attack. A Scrather demon leapt towards his head with gnashing fangs. Hellbeast stuck out his right arm, bending it at the elbow to shield his face from the beast‘s vice-like jaws. The Scrather’s jaws clamped down on his forearm. Its fangs drew very little blood due to his near impervious fur covered scales, but the pressure it was applying was painfully intense.

Hellbeast fought through the pain and concentrated on his right arm, causing a deadly row of spikes to protract from his wrists to his elbow. The bladed spikes ripped into the Scrather demon’s jaw and into its brain. He retracted the spikes and caught the dead Scrather, round the neck, with both hands.

Three ghouls came bounding towards him with slashing claws. Hellbeast hefted the dead Scrather and swung it at the ghouls like a giant club. THWACK! He connected with the ghouls, impaling two of them on the spiny quills of the Scrather demon and sending the other one crashing into a pile of wooden crates.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the Havoc demon coming to life and heard it roar out in pain from the loss of its wing. “Hahahahaha! You are too late hunter, Havoc has risen,” Necrax shouted out.

Hellbeast began spinning in a circle, using the Scrather’s dead body as a bat to keep the beasts at bay. He heard the flapping of wings coming near from above. “This isn’t over yet Necrax!” With that said, he launched the dead Scrather and impaled ghouls into the dark cloud of Blood Sprites, scattering them.

He then turned and charged towards the Havoc demon with dozens of ghouls, blood sprites, and 5 Scrather demons on his heels.

The Havoc demon glared at the charging Hellbeast as his muscles tensed for glorious battle. Hellbeast concentrated on his body, the gold tattoo like accents shimmered as his fur changed colors, blending with the environment just as he neared the battle ready Havoc demon.

Hellbeast disappeared from sight as his camouflage abilities activated. The Havoc demon, caught off guard by the act, grunted as something massive climbed over him and onto his shoulders. He felt a tremendous force push his shoulders down as Hellbeast launched himself into the air towards Necrax. Before he could recover, the Havoc demon found himself swarmed by summoned beasts.

Necrax heard a loud metallic rattle and felt the metal walkway violently shake as it announced Hellbeast’s unseen arrival, just a few feet away from him. The Havoc demon raged in battle below as Hellbeast’s body shimmered back into view. Necrax gasped out loud and took a step back.

“Send the demon back Necrax and I’ll make your death quick.”

“Tempting, but no deal,” Necrax said, stepping back. “Take one step closer and I’ll… I’ll summon forth a dark vortex to swallow you up!”

“Your bluffing Necrax. I know what you can and can’t do. I know your weaknesses,” Hellbeast growled as he stepped towards him. “And I’ve had enough of your company.”

Cornered and desperate, Necrax swung his staff at Hellbeast’s legs, hoping to knock him off. Hellbeast didn’t even bother moving, he simply glared at Necrax as his staff shattered into pieces across his thigh.

Hellbeast wrapped his massive left hand around Necrax’s head and lifted his flailing body into the air. He turned on the walkway to face the battling Havoc demon, holding Necrax over the railings. He pulled his right arm back, cocked and ready, then swung his fist.

CRACK! His hammer like fist pounded into the large necron stone with tremendous force, pulverizing it into glittering dust, sending Necrax’s broken body into the battle below.

Hellbeast ripped out the metal railing, wielding it like a spear. He launched himself straight at the Havoc demon as the summoned beasts around him began shattering like fallen mirrors, signaling the death of Necrax. A puzzled looked crossed the huge demon’s face as it looked around. It held its head up, and began to let out a victory roar.

Its victory roar turned to a pain filled wail as Hellbeast’s makeshift metal spear ripped through its chest and out its back. Blood spilled forth from his mouth as he stared at his punctured chest with disbelief. His scales should have protected him from such a puncture, but Hellbeast’s strength drove it through. He fell to his knees as he clenched the spear with both hands, beginning to remove it.

Hellbeast walked round the badly wounded Havoc demon and watched as it fell to its knees. He concentrated on his arm as the demon began to pull the bloodied spear out. A row of bladed spikes protruded from his right forearm as he grabbed the demon’s head with his left hand. He yanked the demon’s head back and swung his bladed arm, hard.

The Havoc demon’s headless body fell to the ground as Hellbeast tossed the severed head into a puddle of blood. He won, but looking round at all the dead innocents, he didn’t celebrate. He simply headed back out into the night, shifting to his human form as he quietly exited the weathered warehouse.

Article: What and Who Are the Seraph Hunters?

The following is an article that answers many of the questions that I have received regarding the What’s and Who’s of the Seraph Hunters and their world. I hope this helps you to better understand their world.

What and Who Are the Seraph Hunters?
Written by: Ben Marroquin
StoryMask.com

“It’s because of free will that our world became tainted. Those seeking power and wealth and ‘everlife’ beyond the mortal opened the Abaddon. Releasing daemon beasts to prey on mankind; to mutate and birth the creatures of lore, the supernatural and mythological. If not for the Knights of the Seraphs and 3 priests of the order, the world would have plunged into darkness eternal.” ~ Quote from the book I’m working on.

It was the priests of the seraph order who called down the Seraphim from the heavens, while the knights battled the mad followers of the Cult of the Abaddon. While they were able to close and send back the hellpit beast known as Abbadon, the damage had already been done.

Countless daemons from the hell plane of Ashnur had escaped into our realm; leaving death, destruction, and worse in their wake. All of the Knights of the Seraph were bled and infected by these daemons before they scurried away into the night. But they soon discovered that our world was not made for their kind. The only way for them to survive long was to find hosts they could blend with; mutating hosts into strange beastly forms.

So they scattered into the four corners of the globe; some blending with animals, some with plants, some with insects, some with humans, and some with a combination of the four.

Thus, were born the beasts of supernatural and mythological lore.

Many creatures were unique and evil in their own way; some feasting on human flesh, some feasting on emotions, some with very wicked senses of humor, some just seeking power. Eventually, some formed races like lycanthropes, racnids, krendils, undead beasts, and many more.

Most of these daemon bred beasts are able to disguise themselves in human forms or hide in the shadows of the night or in places and planes humans rarely travel.

The Seraphim took pity upon the inflicted and dying Knight of the Seraphs by offering them a choice: to free them from their earthly forms and fly them to the heavens, allowing mankind to deal with the beasts that man had turned loose upon it or to turn them into hunters through their divine blood, ensuring their Free Will, so that they might balance the odds.

For it is Free Will that truly differentiates seraph hunters from the daemon made beasts.

There are several ways to become a beast of the supernatural. Some are born into such a life through the blood of one of their parents. And some beasts are able to transform a human by infecting them; some with their bites as lycans do, some through bonding rituals, and so on.

Vampires do so in a whole other way, actually draining their victims of blood until they are dead. They then bring them back to life by pumping their own blood into their victim’s corpse; usually by piercing their jugular vein with their fangs. Fangs which have small needle like holes allowing them to inject their blood into those they feel are worthy of becoming a vampire.

The victim’s soul still has a choice though: it can decline to re-enter it’s new undead body and head into the afterlife (as it’s soulless body becomes an undead soulless creature under the vampires control) or it can return to it’s body and accept the blending of it’s soul with the daemon blood and become tainted; thus damning their souls to an eternal flaming afterlife, which is why vampires greatly fear death and hang onto their immortality for as long as possible.

It’s the vampire’s blood that allows it to become an immortal predator of the night. Blood which heightens the senses, provides supernatural strength, transforms elder vampires into bat winged beasts, as well as other supernatural effects (some of which are unique to individual vampires).

But the blood also makes them deathly allergic to sunlight, garlic, and holy water. And their undead nature makes them abominations and an affront to nature, which is why wooden stakes through the heart is such an effective means of dusting such vile parasitical creatures.

Meanwhile, those that are bitten and infected by lycans have a choice as well: they can choose to become a beast of the prey, willingly blending their souls with the lycan’s daemon blood, becoming tainted savage beasts (which still doesn‘t ensure their bodies will survive the transformation since over 66% of the bitten die anyways). Or they can fight the blending and pray they survive till the virus runs it’s course 48 hours later.

What are Seraph Hunters

They are humans who become Seraph Hunters through heredity or through bite; like Jovianna “Jovi” Lynette Wynters (aka Darkclaw). She was bitten by a seraph hunter. He performed the Ritual of Ascension; it is the ultimate ritual because it calls for the seraph hunter to give his life in order to ensure the survival of the bitten.

Seraph Hunters are both gifted and cursed: They are gifted with supernatural abilities that many would give their lives to possess. They are cursed for they spend their lives in constant danger; battling beasts, assassins, dark lords, and protecting the world from apocalypses.

Those lucky or strong enough (most likely both) to survive till old age do so with many emotional and physical scars.

Most Seraph Hunters can transform from human form to hunter form. There are as many different types and races of hunters as there are as many different types of supernatural beasts; it’s just that the supernatural beasts greatly outnumber the seraph hunters because they don’t worry about the great number of humans that die when they attempt to turn them.

There are also rare Seraph Hunters that have only human forms. These hunters are usually gifted with different abilities, ranging from powers of the mind to the magical. 1 in 10,000 are born destined to become a seraph hunter.

Young Seraph Hunters are usually gathered into groups by an elder hunter who becomes their Handler. It is the handler’s job to unite, train, and support their cell of Seraph Hunters.

Who are the Seraph Hunters

1) Averus Stevens: He is a 35 year old male whose wife was killed by an assassin over a decade ago. To the public he is a detective/bounty hunter/dojo owner. To his young group of Seraph Hunters, he is their trainer/mentor/provider. His seraph hunter abilities reside in rune magic and weapons crafting. He has appointed Braydon Warrickson (aka Pulse) as leader of the group. He is also the godfather and legal guardian of Daemon Blackwell (whom was named Daemon by his mother); Daemon’s parents were both killed on the same night.

2) Jovianna Lynette Wynters: Jovi was transformed into a seraph hunter through bite. She is currently a freshmen attending Paradise High. She lives with her mother and is new to the city. Her father was a cop in New York and was butchered one night by a hit man who goes by the name of Macabre; he believes that killing is art. Jovi is a myth lycan seraph hunter with the ability to turn into several deadly forms: the forms known to date are that of a deadly werepanther and that of a bird winged werepanther. What other abilities that are likely to appear in her future are unknown.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Darkclaw

3) Bree Aiken: Bree is a seraph hunter through heredity. Her parents died in a car crash involving a drunken driver, two years ago when she was in 7th grade. She is new to Paradise city and on her 3rd set of foster parents. Her current foster parents are deviants. She is currently a freshmen at Paradise High. Bree is a rare type of druic fae in that she is a summoner. She currently has up to six powerful vine snakes that sprout forth from her back; each vine snake is capable of individual thought and action, can spit out globs of amber hued sap, and are likely to develop further abilities. In addition, Bree can transform her skin to bark, has plant like abilities, can shoot ironwood thorns from her palms, is immune to poison, has an intense hatred of the undead, and can release seeds into the ground that transform into strange and deadly plant based beasts that fight to protect her. There is no doubt that her abilities will continue to grow and expand.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Thorn

4) Dezrie Breanne Hernandez: Dez is a seraph hunter through heredity. Her parents and little brother are currently in hiding through the Order of the Seraph relocation program. These drastic measures were taken in response to the kidnapping of her paternal twin sister, Sierra Rayne Hernandez. Obviously, some dark being or organization has discovered her nature. She was held back in eighth grade due to the stress of the crisis of losing her beloved twin sister, the relocation of her family, and her discovery of her seraph hunter abilities. Abilities she learned from her father that were passed on to her by her long dead grandfather. She is currently a freshmen at Paradise High and one of the trios. They spend their nights patrolling the streets and looking for clues as to what happened to Sierra. She still doesn’t understand why they kidnapped Sierra instead of her, since she is the hunter. No ransom or clues has come to light.

Dezrie is a draic fae seraph hunter. She is distantly related to the small fairy race. When she transforms into her seraph hunter form (draic fae form) she appears as a deep maroon dragon like fairy with golden tattoo like designs appearing on her body and wings. Her face takes on a golden hue, her long curly her resembles a burning flame, her body becomes protected by armor like scales, she has a long whipping tail, razor tip wings, dragon claw feet and hands. From the palms of her hands she is able to release fireballs and has been shone to actually control fire. There has also been unsubstantiated reports of her being able to spew forth streams of flame from her mouth. Her future abilities are unknown. What is known is that she offers a fiery death to her foes.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Spitfire

5) Daemon Blackwell: Daemon is a seraph hunter through heredity. His father was a powerful Spiritmancer seraph hunter and his mother was an Arachnid Reaper. He is rather exotic looking and has an athletic build. He is currently under the care of his godfather turned guardian, Averus Stevens; who is also his handler. From what we have gathered his powers seem to be a combination of Shadowmancery and Arachnid Reaper.

We have witnessed him use the shadows as some sort of shroud, concealing him from enemies. He has also used the shadows as some sort of onyx like exoskeleton and created weapons (claws and swords) from shadow webbing. We have seen him wrap enemies in sticky liquid like shadow webs, that he seems to be able to harden at will. He has even used these inky shadow webs as a flesh piercing weapon by shaping and hardening the tips into spear tipped hooks that rip through the flesh of enemies; they then wrap around the pierced area of the body like a stronger than steel shadow web tether. Quite impressive. We have no doubt that his powers will continue to grow.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Ripshade

6) Braydon Warrickson: Subject currently under surveillance. Report soon to come.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Pulse

7) Sierra Rayne Hernandez: Subject currently under surveillance. Report soon to come.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Frostbite

Shae Wynstorm: Subject currently under surveillance. Report soon to come.

Seraph Hunter Codename: Hellbeast