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Introduction
"Look what the cow dragged in."
--Artemis
Congratulations!
If you’re reading this, you’ve activated your Dark-Hunter
decoder ring or recited whatever ridiculous nursery rhyme
Ash thought up this week to decipher this amazingly
complicated, intriguing and mysterious text.
You’ve also found yourself neck-deep in the biggest pit of
divine quicksand this side of the universe.
Right now I’m guessing you’re a bit confused, and your mind
is full of who's, what's, when's, why's and how's that
haven’t exactly been answered by a certain representative of
upper management who is as arrogant as he is tall and in
severe need of a haircut. (Trust me, you’re not alone. Get
used to it.– P.S. don’t tell Ash about the hair comment as
I’d like to continue breathing for a bit longer and if I’m
dead, there won’t be anyone here to help you.)
Well, I’m here to sort you out.
Lucky you!
Here’s the situation in a nutshell: You’ve bought the farm
on a dead-end street. You’ve bitten both the bullet and the
apple, my friend. Your soul cried out for vengeance and I
certainly hope you took advantage of it. You should have
listened to your mama when she told you to be careful what
you wish for. You got more than you bargained, and there’s
no going back. We don't do things that way 'round these
parts.
I’m here to tell you what you’ve won.
Consider this handbook your education. Hunter 101. And don’t
go thinking you got off easy just because there’s not a pop
quiz at the end (well, there is a quiz, but it won't self
destruct or anything– however you might if you don’t pay
close attention to certain sections).
This is the good stuff. The real deal. In here you’ll find
out all there is to know about being a Dark-Hunter. How to
live. How to kill. Where to go to buy weapons. Where to
socialize. Who to talk to…and who not to talk to. Your
physical attributes – what you’ve lost and what you’ve
gained. There’s also a history lesson or seven inside that
it would behoove you to sit through--one of the first things
you’ll need to learn is that ancient gods have a habit of
popping up in the strangest places. Knowledge is power.
Always has been; always will be.
And stupidity kills. Trust me.
Now for the disclaimer: This book is mutable. It goes with
the wind. It changes more often than the mind of a
sixteen-year-old Gemini with a closet full of clothes and a
date in an hour. It’s been around for-almost-ever and it's
still a continual work-in-progress, kind of like Earth
herself. Don’t be surprised if you open it up for the
thirty-five thousandth time and find something old,
something new, something borrowed or…well, you get the
point.
This book also won’t get too deep into the nitty gritty. You
understand there’s only so much we can put in print that we
wouldn’t mind Daimons and pesky Squires (Hey Squire, you
think you’re the first one to stumble across this book?
Hah!) getting their grubby mitts on. The real down and dirty
stuff you’ll have to ask the tight-lipped Goth Royal
Tallness himself.
Yeah. I wish you a lot of luck with that. I’m sorry but I
have to pause so that I can laugh...
Back and sober. *Clearing throat* There are other ways to
find out certain little secrets, of course…but that is not
for me to divulge. If you are resourceful enough, if you're
in the right place at the right time and you have the right
passwords and proper identification, it won't be much of a
challenge.
At this point, while I’m sure you’re appreciating all the
knowledgey goodness I’m about to fork over, you might be
feeling a little sorry for me--the poor sucker who’s been
conned into compiling all this nonsense for you then, now,
always, and forever until the end of Time. Let me set your
lovely, selfless mind at ease. Please remember, there are
very few people to whom Acheron Parthenopaeus owes a favor.
I am one of them.
So I’ll leave you to it then. Curl up in a comfy chair with
some millennium-old scotch and feast upon the informative
banquet I have prepared for your enjoyment.
Welcome to your new life.
Go kick some ass.
~Alethea
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