Piero leapt onto the stage, his sword shining in the firelight of the braziers beside him. Namzal ducked under one swing, ramming his fist into Piero’s stomach before taking flight. Piero recovered and called for Rowan’s men to follow him. Twenty broke out from the brawl in the square and took off after Piero.
Barros picked himself up, placing the crossbow on his back and leapt off the gazebo. He landed, executing a perfect roll before springing to his feet and running after Namzal and Piero. Several Highlanders broke off from the brawl, men that Barros didn’t recognize from Rowan’s den. Unsheathing his knives, Barros leapt upon the back of the closet man, tearing him down with two swift jabs.
The other Highlanders were too far ahead for him to catch up to. With two mighty throws, the knives left Barros’ hands and planted themselves in the backs of the running men. As he ran past, Barros retrieved his knives, never breaking his stride. Namzal had fled into the closest village with both Piero and Rowan’s men hot on his trail.
Namzal was a cunning and ruthless foe, resorting to whatever he had to do in order to survive. He was one of the few Counts that could bend the minds of humans to his will. Barros did not want to end up fighting twenty Highlanders before facing the Vampire himself. The fight between the Hunter and Namzal had been hard enough when Barros had encountered him for the first time.
It was during the young Hunter’s second hunt, assigned to him after showing great promise throughout his training. Barros had tracked the fiend for three weeks before finally cornering him on the Alilletian – Tyrain border, only to have him slip from his grasp when Namzal temporarily blinded Barros before fleeing into the night. Killing the Count this time around would be the only way to end the threat that was Namzal.
Barros rounded the corner of a hut and headed into a tight alleyway. A blood splatter was strewn across several walls and a body lay slumped several meters away. It was one of the first men to take off after Namzal. His throat had been torn out, either by fang or claw. The wound was already festering, filling with grubs, unusual in the cold. Barros sighed, drawing his sword and pushing it into the man’s skull to ensure he wouldn’t turn.
He stood up from the dead man, looking around for any clues on Namzal’s location. The blood trail carried on in the snow, leading further through the village. As he followed the path, Barros came across more bodies with their heads removed or mutilated. Namzal was a butcher, proud of the work that he left on display. As the Hunter followed the trail he came across more bodies. Each time he stopped to ensure there was no threat of another Vampire being created.
At last the sounds of steel clashing could be heard and Barros saw Namzal surrounded by Piero and eight remaining Highlanders. In his steel armor, the Vampire was almost untouchable. With his back to the wall, Namzal was trapped like a dog and all the more dangerous for it. Barros joined the circle that surrounded the Vampire, each man not wanting to take the first swing, fearing for his life.
“Ah, Barros,” Namzal said. “It has been far too long since I’ve seen you ready to kill me.” His exotic accent was thick and hard to make out. “What has it been? Seven years? You were only a boy back then. How good to see you’ve grown into a strong man.” Barros twitched as the Vampire spoke. “You won’t be able to kill me, I have your son.”
“I will rip your fucking head off with my own two hands if I have to get to him,” Barros said. “Where is Abner?”
“Oh, there is more fight in you this time. It seems you have grown as a man. Sophia would have put you through your paces. Now your son is special, Barros. I wonder if he were to be raised by a Vampire if he could change the world. With my army of Highlanders, I don't need him of course but it would be such a waste of an opportunity not to use him. It would also be a tragedy to see one of the great Hunting families wiped from the face of Taagras, would it not?” Namzal said.
Rowan had carefully selected the men that were tasked with taking down Namzal, but they were no match for the Vampire, even more so with him covered in armor. As Namzal finished speaking, the Count lunged forward ducking under a heavy blow from one of the Highlanders. Spinning, the Vampire’s claw tore into his stomach, ripping out the man’s gut.
It took all of Barros’ skill to keep not only himself alive but the Highlanders; however, his efforts were in vain. Namzal was everywhere, leaping and evading every strike that came his way. At times he would use the Highlanders to project himself in another direction, only to take down another man.
Within a minute all but one Highlander lay dead. Namzal stood proud, blood over the grey skin of his face and claws. He snarled at the Hunters, feigning an attack at Piero who withdrew, allowing the Highlander to rush forward into the trap. Namzal struck like a cobra, grabbing the giant man by the throat, breaking his neck with a single twist. The Count rose from his kill and smiled at the Hunters and the bodies of the dead.
“Come now gentlemen, there is no further need to fight. I have just evened the odds. If you so desire you can turn your backs now and die painlessly or I can kill you slowly if you refuse to give up.”
“There are two of us against one of you,” Piero said. “Why would we surrender? I mean, it hardly seems fair that you’ve put yourself in this situation and to be honest I’m still feeling rather fresh. How about you, Barros? Reckon you could fight Namzal on your own?”
“Probably, but it’d be nice to have you along as backup,” Barros said.
“Do you Hunters think this a laughing matter? You are weak and pathetic. It has only been by chance you have survived as long as you have.” Namzal drew two long swords from their sheaths on his back. “Now come, fight me like the men you are supposed to be. I may not have an item like your wife did, but you know just how powerful I am, Barros.”
"I was but a boy when we last met, Count. I was a mere shadow of what I am today," Barros said.
"She thinks you are weak. Prove her wrong," Namzal said.
"How do you know her?" Barros asked.
"She was always my favorite student, back when I turned her into one of my own. She learnt the ways of deception and trickery well. Faster than any of the others." Namzal flashed a smile at Barros. “You could have been just like her, if you had the sense.”
Barros and Piero positioned themselves to either side of Namzal. With their swords pointed towards the ground and their eyes watching the Vampire they waited for any sign of movement. Piero struck first, flinging a knife from out of nowhere. Namzal ducked to the side and Barros charged his sword extended. They exchanged two quick blows, before Barros was shoved away.
Namzal blocked two cuts from Piero swinging one sword, jabbing wildly with the second. On the third strike Namzal deflected Piero’s sword and lashed out with a violent kick, which sent the old Hunter spinning and crashing into a nearby hut. Barros drew back, waiting for Piero to rise from the rumble the collision caused.
“He will not be joining us any time soon,” Namzal said. He opened his mouth, stretching it so Barros could see deep inside. “Yes the scars are still there that you left, boy. You were too weak to finish me then.”
“I’m a man now, and you hold my family hostage. Just let him go and I can let you walk away from all of this,” Barros said.
“Hah, Barros you never fail to deliver. Tell me, what would you do if you found out Sophia never loved you?”
14
Execution
At the mention of Sophia’s name, Barros lost control. He charged forward throwing his sword and caution to the wind in an attempt to take Namzal off guard. Roaring, he drew the two long knives from his belt, working himself into a fervor. With each strike Namzal deflected off his swords, Barros grew more frenzied, his eyes wider, and his attacks faster, pushing the Vampire to the limit.
Namzal forced a break, pushing the enraged Hunter away as he lashed out a second kick that aimed to put him away. Barros leapt over the leg, landing a kick of his own that swung Namzal to the floor. The Hunter smiled down at his prey holding the knives by his s
ide.
“I’ve defeated you,” Barros said. “Tell me where Abner is.”“Ah of course. The name translates to Father of Light in the old tongue. That is where I have heard it before. I’m not quite sure if you naming him that was on account of your stupidity or your arrogance,” Namzal said.
“Where is he?” Barros asked. “Tell me or I will put this fucking knife into your skull.”
“No you won’t,” Namzal said.
Before the Hunter released his weapon, Namzal flipped to his feet, sword in hand. Barros cried out as he felt the skin part from just underneath his left knee. As Namzal followed through with the strike, Barros rammed the knife down into the creature’s back. He pinned Namzal, one arm holding the Vampire head while his other arm drove the second Fyndfire dagger trapping one of Namzal’s claws.
“Answer me, you fuck! How did you know Sophia and where is my son?”
“Patience, Barros. You’re acting like one of my kind with all that yelling. I wonder, is the amulet having an effect on your brain?” Namzal asked. "It is too soon to tell, I suppose. You've only had it for a day at most. The corruption doesn't start until much later, when you think no danger will come of it."
“How do you know about the amulet?” Barros asked.
“I was one of the few that helped her claim it. Sophia used it to call us all. Every Vampire across Taagras heard her cry for assistance. It stopped only yesterday when you vanquished the Red Sky. Yes, I saw it all from here. You came from the south, Barros. You stopped what could have been the second coming of Tal’davin himself,” Namzal said. “Why did you take it?”
“Tal’davin will never rise again,” Barros said. “I took the amulet so that I could keep it out of your hands.”
“Ah, so you couldn’t destroy it. Lars never could. I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t turn you into one of us. Their powers are not to be reckoned with.”
“If I can kill you, I can contain the powers that will supposedly bring the most powerful of your kind back to life. Tal’davin will never come back to Taagras,” Barros said.
“You have nothing to threaten me with, Barros. With all your power, all your strength, nothing you can do, remotely threatens me. I’ve already died once, I can do it a second time just as easily.” Namzal laughed. “Perhaps you are just as twisted and evil as we are. Yes, the amulet has not corrupted you, only enhanced you.”
“Nothing about me has changed,” Barros said.
“Ah, but it has,” Namzal said. “Do you have any idea about what lives inside you? Have you heard of the Dreyth?”
“Aye, of course I have. Sometimes our weapons are called Dreyth because of how they were forged,” Barros said. "That's why we give them the runes."
“Quite right, but do you know what the Dreyth is in truth? Your masters dread to tell you. There are few left alive that know this terrible secret. It is a Vampire’s soul, the essence aside from blood that keeps us from decaying. For some reason, I sense it inside of you even though I know you are not one of us. You’re a strange human, Barros Toldar,” Namzal said. "I haven't sensed a Dreyth even inside the oldest Hunters, yet one radiates from you.”
“You know nothing about me, scum,” Barros said. “I‘m a Hunter and I will never turn my back on my brothers again.”
“That’s funny, I remember you saying something very similar the first time we met and I asked you to join me. But here you are, a deserter in every sense of the word. You walked out on your brothers, Barros. You chose one of my kind over your own. Beware, the Dreyth inside you is strong and now that you have an amulet of Tal’davin. You will turn again,” Namzal said.
Barros had heard enough. He grabbed Namzal, forcing the Vampire to stare into the face of his enemy. In Namzal’s angry red eyes, Barros could see his reflection. They rolled back in Namzal’s head before returning to normal. Barros slapped the stinging sensation on the side of his head that felt as if it was burying inside his brain. Withdrawing the hand, Barros saw it was covered in blood.
“What did you do to me?” He threw Namzal to the ground.
Namzal looked up, smiling, his fangs exposed. “I only sped up the process.”
“Undo what you’ve done!” Barros stomped down heavily on the Vampire’s midsection. “Now, you piece of shit!”
“It is too late,” Namzal laughed. “Sophia began the work, now I have finished it. How the mighty have fallen, Barros.”
The Hunter crouched down over the Vampire, pressing the knife against the fiend’s throat. “If you won’t fix me, tell me what you’ve done with my son, and then you have my permission to die.”
“Fair’s fair. You bested me. The Father of Light resides in the hut behind me.”
Knowing all that he needed from the Vampire, Barros roared one final time as he raised his weapon high. The knife rained down from above, splitting the Count’s skull in two, sending brain matter and blood across the village. Barros stood, the blood steaming on his face and walked to where Piero lay crumpled in a heap. The old Hunter was still alive, his breath coming steadily, eyes closed.
“I’ll be back for you, my friend. I need to get Abner,” Barros told him, walking over to the hut, stomping one final time on what used to be Namzal’s head.
As he peered inside, Barros saw nothing suspicious. Abner lay in a cot at the fair end of the building, oblivious to the war that was raging around him. An axe swung out of the darkness, forcing Barros to jump outside. He drew the last dagger he had, hoping only one Highlander waited for him in the dark hut.
Regaining his thoughts, Barros rushed inside, rolling as the axe swung down once more. The Highlander swung again, determined to remove Barros’ head from the rest of his body, but to no effect. The Hunter was smaller and more nimble, able to run the dagger up into the back of the axmen. Once the Highlander lay dead, Barros moved to his son and scooped him gently in his arms.
The boy looked up at his father and Barros could see Sophia in the child. Their eyes were the same green colour and even the few specks of hair that had appeared on his head were golden. A solitary tear ran down the scarred and bloodied face of Barros as he heard heavy footsteps from outside. He looked up and three Highlanders entered, each of them cut and bruised with murderous looks upon their faces.
Barros searched desperately for a weapon to fight the men off with but found nothing in his belt or sheath. With Abner in his arm, the struggle would be even harder. The Hunter clenched his free hand into a fist, preparing to die with his son. As the Highlanders surrounded him, Barros closed his eyes, ready for the end.
He heard the snap of a crossbow string three times and opened his eyes. Rowan stood in the doorway, his large crossbow hoisted over his shoulder. Barros stared as relief flooded through him. “What took you so long?”
“You’re very welcome, you ungrateful bastard.”
“I could have handled them,” Barros said with a laugh. A glint of silver caught his eye in the corner of the room. “Get my sword too while you’re at it.”
“Yeah, right! I hardly think you want to die after what you’ve achieved. Let’s get out of here,” Rowan said following Barros’ pointing finger to the weapon. “I’d hate to see you charged with treason again if this fell into the hands of the Vampires.”
Piero woke as the sun rose from the south. Rowan had lugged him across the village back to his home, once the bodies of his people had been burnt. The old Hunter sat up in the large bed that dwarfed him, asking for the details of how Namzal had perished and the aftermath of the events. As soon as Namzal died, the Highlanders dropped their weapons and ceased fighting their kin. Whatever spell had connected them with their master, now died with him.
Piero turned his attention to the child. “He hasn’t cried all night? Any newborn I’ve ever seen has cried to some extent.”
“Indeed, I wonder if he will be able to feel pain and hunger like a normal human child?” Piero asked. “Vampires keep the blood reserves they take from us in their systems. You said he took Sophia’s
supply, didn’t you Barros?”
“Aye he did, as he came out of the womb,” Barros said.
“Well, bloody hell. I’ll have to file the biggest report in the Huntrey’s history when we return. By the way, can anyone else hear that ringing sound?” Piero asked, as he struggled to sit. A pain wracked through his body and he gasped, sinking back into the pillows.
“Piero, may I remind you that a Vampire, one of the most powerful we’ve seen, kicked you into a wall?” Barros said.
Piero shot a look back at Barros and raised an eyebrow. “Make any mention of it when we get back to the Huntrey and I’ll have your tongue cut out.”
Barros laughed. “If you did that we couldn’t have any fascinating conversation on hunts. My tongue simply has too much value.”
Rowan snorted, trying to smother a smile.
Barros shot him a quick look. “What?”
“Better to almost get kicked in half by a Count than just some Highlander,” Rowan said.
Before Barros could reply with a witty retort, Piero spoke up. “Speaking about just such a Highlander, we could use one full-time at Anacore.”
Rowan looked taken back at the offer. “Piero, you know I can’t, I have my son here.”
“How old is the boy? We could make an exception for the time being. The more talented hands we have inside the Huntrey will only benefit us,” Piero said.
“He’s seen fourteen summers. He was born in the winter months during one of the worst blizzards I’ve ever seen. Erak is a strong boy for his age but I just couldn’t bring him to the Huntrey right now. Besides, I have to assume control of this village and find a suitable replacement to lead my people,” Rowan said.
“That’s fine, my friend. You have three months to sort out your home and recover from the damage Namzal caused you. Then I will expect you on my doorstep when the winter’s moon is at its highest.”
The Toldar Series Box Set Page 10
