A War

A War
Sera's POV 

I snatched my sword from my belt, and I unfolded it, gripping it tight with both hands, ready to strike. I turned around, my eyes jumping about furtively, restless, shifting, watching the crowd swarming me slowly. My fingers trembled on the sword. The hilt hot against my palm.
But how did they fucking find me? Adrian had said this was a path between his castle and Cassian's, so why would they move this many hunters past their castles—unless they were trying to start a war? I gasped, my eyes widening fast at the realization, still darting around as the army of hunters gradually surrounded me. This was a war. That is the only explanation for this.
Because there were so many hunters, and all fully armed, basically an army, and it was packed full of all ranks of vampire hunters. All ranks were marked by the armbands they wore. The armbands were also an indication of war, because it was only then that the hunters walked in full march and would hence need to identify and march by their ranks.
Black for the Elders, if their matching black uniforms and their old scraggly faces didn't already do the trick of separating them from the rest. They weren't much fighters, just a bunch of old geezers who are just the ruling class. Still, they could manage a trick or two that would put me on the ground fast before I could even lift my sword. Against one, I might be safe, but against two, I would blatantly get my ass whooped.
I counted with my eyes the number of elders coming. I grunted, grinding my teeth, when I couldn't count anymore. It was basically the whole seventy-plus of them coming.
The great grand hunters were the next in line, marked with red armbands. They were skilled fighters, an elite class. I couldn't last a minute against one of them even if I had Nix’s potions, which I don't have now, yet almost the whole two hundred of them were coming.
The grand hunters, my rank and category, are all marked with white armbands. I was the best of them. I could defeat five, but anything else and I would be kissing the snow with a bleeding neck and ripped stomach.
The other ranks, less important, were marked with armbands of colors ranging from purple, green, blue, and orange.
They could all charge at me with their super speed by just taking the potions they would have gotten from their personal witches. Yet, they walked slowly, prancing carefully towards me, patiently waiting to charge.
I unclasped my fingers from my sword as they ached, folded them to ease my joints a bit, and clasped them again, tightening my grip on the sword. I dropped into a defensive stance, ready to defend. Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead, dripping down my eyes, matching the heat inside my body. This was a sure death. Sure defeat. Still, I’d rather fight on my feet than run.
I raised my sword, defensive, turning around to make sure I had all the Hunters covered with the scope of my vision. I was still on that when the air thickened with presence, and like a flicker of magic, thousands of vampires surrounded me, pushing the Hunters back.
Sigurd, Roman, and Fabian all traced to me at the same time, and I eased my grip on my sword, a wave of calmness flooding my chest.
Thank hell! I would have been minced meat had the Hunters charged at me. The vampire's presence saved me a great deal, saved my life.
I eased off my legs, standing uptight. “Hullo, vampires.” I greeted.
Sigurd and Roman both turned to me, their gazes hostile, their faces strung tight, a mask of frowns.
“The only reason we came to save you is because you are the royal bride. To be candid, I see it as a form of poetic justice for you to get your ass wiped by your own people.” Roman grunted.
Sigurd just spat on the snow near me. He hissed and turned away.
“Don't mind them, my queen.” Fabian said, giving me a warm smile. He snatched my hand before I could even decide to let him or not. He kissed the back of my hand and looked up, his eyes flirting with me. “We came together not just to save you, but to fight a war. Because the Hunters clan had officially declared war on the vampire race.”
“Why?” I asked. “The Hunter clan has always struck from the shadows. Why show their faces now?” My brows narrowed on him, while my mind busied itself with thoughts.
Fabian held still to my hand. I tried to snatch it back, but he didn't let me. And he was too strong, so I just let him. He held my hand high for his lips again, brushing another kiss on them, and he stared at me over the reach of my arm. “We are hoping you will know why. Where are the princes?”
I turned my head inwards to myself as my mind struck on something. My brows narrowed in thought as I tried to piece it out. The witches and the hunters had always been buddies. Perhaps the goddess had planned this with the hunters. Once she got the brothers away from their kingdom, then the vampire race would be in disarray and without leaders. And that would be the perfect time for the hunters to strike.
I moved my lips, trying to speak. But Fabian just smiled again at me. “We have already figured that out.” He said, Suave as always. “I was just teasing you. The Hunters are working with the witches. Though the witches are staying back to avoid this backfiring on them.”
“Stop flirting with the damn hunter, Fabian, and let's fight a war.” Sigurd scolded, the frown on his face spreading to consume his eyes.
“She isn't just a hunter now. She is your queen,” Fabian challenged.
He dropped my hand, walking forward to Sigurd and Roman. “You don't want Cassian hearing you call her a damn hunter, would you?” 
Sigurd grunted, slanting me another heated glance. He spat again at me. Hey! I wasn't the one who scolded you, damn it. I wanted to yell at him. But I closed my lips. Right now, I figured I didn't want him to hate me more.
I grabbed my sword tighter, digging my boots into the cold snow to join them. I turned to Fabian, since he was less hostile than the rest. “What do we do now?”
He tilted his neck to a side. “We fight, queen.”
“Stop fucking calling her queen. It makes me sick,” Sigurd grunted, over his shoulders, while his eyes scanned the whole battlefield slowly. Roman grunted but said nothing after feeding me another hostile stare.
I disregarded both of them once again. “What is the plan?” I directed at Fabian.
“No plans! We just fight. The Hunters can't take us down. They are inferior.” Fabian shrugged his broad shoulders, a spark filled his eyes, lighting up his face just like the sly, slow grin he gave me.
“No, you are mistaken, Fabian.” A sudden force jolted me, and I grabbed his arm. He turned from staring at the enemy force to me. “The Hunters are much stronger now. We…” I paused to correct myself. “They have stronger and more advanced technology now, UV lighting and stuff. And with that also, they also gave the support of the witches. The vampires can't win this fight by charging head-on. You have to have a sort of strategy.”
“Can you keep your opinions to yourself, queen? You aren't one of us.” Sigurd grunted, enunciating his last word in a way that greatly derogated the word itself.
“Yeah. When we need your opinions, we'll ask for them. We have been keeping ourselves alive before you fucking show up.” Roman said too.
“I’ll take the right, you take the left. Fabian keeps the rear,” Sigurd said to Roman and Fabian, and with that, they traced away, and soon the whole snowy ground was vibrating beneath our feet as the vampire horde charged forward at the Hunters.
I grabbed Fabian’s arm again before he could trace away too, with my two hands. He was too big and strong. I feared he might get away. I tightened my grip on him so hard, my nails dug into his skin. “Please listen to me, Fabian. You can't win this war by just charging head-on.” I shouldn't care, but for reasons even I didn't know, I did. I didn't want them to die. They were important to Adrian and Cassian.
I stared up pleasingly at him. He looked down at me, his lips stretching in a broad smile. “I don't have anything against you, queen. But we also know how to handle ourselves. We will…”
We both turned to our front when an extremely bright light hit the desert of snow, so bright as if the sun was partially turned on around us. Then noises of bazookas and missiles being fired boomed in the air, seizing the battlefield fast, coming from every direction.
Hell! It was so brutal having to watch the scene around me. Vampires burned both from the UV lights, into ashes, while those that attempted to run from the UV light, because the UV light was disrupting their ability to trace away, ended up burning from the short-range missiles and bazookas fired and bombs and grenades thrown around them.
The fight hadn't even started, and yet more than a quarter of the vampire forces had been burned to crisps. The Hunters still stood behind the UV light, only a few of them venturing into the UV-lighted scene with their super speed to finish off already burning vampires, depleting their numbers faster and faster.”
Fabian growled, a hard yet low growl that echoed his rage. He spun sharply to me, forcing a smile at me amidst his rage-stricken face. “What were you saying, Queen? What are your plans? Give the order, and I will have everyone obey immediately.”