-This is your punishment hunter, said the old woman as she pointed to the sky. The moon started to appear behind the clouds.
The werewolf approached him slowly.
-What are you going to do…?, asked the hunter horrified.
Aerys cried out in pain. The wolf had bitten him. Its fangs entered his flesh near his neck. It was atrocious. He tried to kick it away but its hold was too strong. Tears came in his eyes as he could not contain the pain. He had never felt something as painful s this. He cried louder than ever. It was unbearable.
The wolf finally released its hold and took its fangs of his flesh roughly. Aerys fell down bleeding heavily. He had no energy. He felt as if all the life in him was pouring away.
The last thing he heard was the shouts of the hunter. Everything became dark around him and he sank into the darkness.
CHAPTER 14
The cold rain woke him in the morning. He was drenched and he lay on the muddy ground by the dead fire. There was no sign of the werewolves anymore. He stood up shaking uncontrollably and walked towards where the hunter was still tied. He found the blade where the hunter had thrown it and he began to cut the rope.
The hunter opened his eyes and looked at him. His eyes were blank and expressionless.
-Where are they? Aerys asked with a tired voice.
-Gone, he said simply.
He did not add anything else and watched as Aerys cut the rope. When it was done he stood up painfully and walked towards the cottage. Aerys followed him. He was hungry and hoped to find something to eat inside.
There was nothing left unfortunately. He looked everywhere in the little kitchen but they had obviously taken everything.
-There’s nothing to eat, he said before realizing that something was wrong. He turned around.
The hunter had drawn out his sword and he was looking at him in a very curious way.
-What are you doing?, Aerys asked nervously.
-This is the only way lad, he said looking at him with hard eyes.
-What do you mean?
-You have been bitten lad…
Aerys shuddered and an awful thought came in his mind. No…it was not possible. This was not happening. He shook his head.
-No. I can’t be.
Aerys heart beat faster. He was not a werewolf. He had been bitten… no…he was not turning into a werewolf. He refused to accept that.
He breathed heavily.
-That’s not possible, he muttered. No… I can’t become a werewolf.
-There’s a fair chance that you have been contaminated, said the hunter slowly.
A fair chance…so it was not a certain fact. He could not transform into a monster. His eyes shone with hope.
-I know what you are thinking lad, the hunter said before he could point out this to him. It is true that there is a chance that you will not transform but the probability is too low. I’ve been a hunter for many years and not once have I seen someone who had been bitten not transform.
-But it could happen, he retorted quickly trying to grasp anything that could prevent him from this fated destiny.
He did not want to become a werewolf. It was not his fault that the wolf had bitten me. But what if he like him; a werewolf? He would kill people. He would become a murderer. He did not want that either. He looked at the hunter with teary eyes.
-Is there no cure?
The hunter hesitated and Aerys noticed it.
-Tell me if there’s one, he asked eagerly, his hopes rising.
He shook his head.
-Its only a tale lad. I don’t want to give you false hopes. One I’ve heard of a long time ago.
-But still…
-I’m sorry lad but this is the only way now.
He lifted his sword and walked towards him. Aerys did not move though. He had been facing death so many times since he had joined him that he was not even afraid now. This was probably what the hunter had meant when he had said that a hunter did not fear death. The hunter lifted his sword. Aerys looked at him while his mind worked quickly. He had to find a way out of this. It was then that he remembered.
The hunter’ sword started to descend. He knew that the hunter would not falter. But he also knew that there was only one thing that could stop him.
-Remember Master’s Elric’s words, he cried out loudly.
The sword stopped and the hunter looked at him with cold eyes.
-Remember what?
-He said that no harm should come to me. I’m sure you did not forget.
The hunter’s expression was impossible to decipher. Aerys waited tensely. Would he kill him nevertheless or would he obey Master’s Elric’s words. He could not make out what the hunter was thinking. Maybe he himself did not know what to do. Finally the hunter put down his sword.
-I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now, he said grumpily. I remember the old man’s words clearly but if you turn into a werewolf and trust me, you will, I will kill you without any remorse, whatever Elric said. Is that clear?
Aerys nodded quickly. He was relieved to have been able to buy himself some time. He knew that the hunter would kill him if he transformed but the most important for now was to live. There was a way out of this and despite what the hunter had said, tale or not, he would find the cure. Even if that meant escaping the hunter and fleeing away. He did not want to die.
The hunter tossed him his bag but he kept Aerys sword with him.
-There’s no way I’m letting a would-be werewolf yield an artifact, he replied harshly when Aerys asked for it.
Aerys did not argue. He knew that he had bought himself time and he did not want to push his luck too far.
The hunter broke several tables and cut them down into tiny logs with the axe he told him to fetch in the clearing.
-We are in for a long hunt, he said when Aerys ask him the reason for it. And as you can see everything is damp out there and it will be hard to light a fire in these circumstances. So we should prepare ourselves.
-So what’s the plan now, Aerys asked as they walked out of the house afterwards.
-We hunt them down, said the hunter with a sinister face. Try to keep up with me lad.
The hunt begun then and it was nothing like what Aerys had known before. After verifying where the wolves had gone, they started immediately at a fast pace. The wolves trail led them straight into the heart of the forest. They were heading north and on this course, they would have to stay in the forest for quite some time for the Evergreen forest covered several hundred miles. They ran through the damp forest while the rain continued to fall at a steady rate and the wind rose. The weather turned out to be an incredible ally in these circumstances. The wind blew from the north which prevented the werewolves from sniffing their odor and this was bound to give them some advantage.
They ran all day long without stopping. Aerys had some difficulty to follow the hunter and was soon trailing behind but not too far though. He still had him in his line of sight. However much to his surprise he did not felt any fatigue after the first day of pursuit. He felt as fresh as in the morning and he caught up with the hunter. He reluctantly accepted to stop for the night.
-We should continue, he said thinking about Emily. They still had her and he was determined to free her.
The hunter shook his head as he opened yet another bottle much to Aerys indignation.
-We could but it’s too risky. This forest is contains more deadly creatures than werewolves and it will be unwise to continue our progression in the dark for it will only hinder us.
-But will they not attack us even now?, said Aerys looking around them in concern.
-Yes, but at least we are prepared here for whatever comes our way.
The hunter did not light a fire that night for the light of the moon sufficed. He did not want to give their position away. The werewolves were still unaware that they were being chased and the hunter wanted to it to last. Nothing happened during the first night. The hunter took the night guard as always. A
erys tried to stay up too but he eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, they started off at first light and ventured further north. They found the tracks of the werewolves easily and followed them. It continued to rain but that did not hinder their progress. Aerys had never felt so good. He was in perfect condition and he was not only matching the hunter’s pace but he also felt that they could go more quickly. He wondered if that was the effect of the transformation. He wanted to ask the hunter about it but he knew that it would not be a good thing to do. If he had the slightest hint that he was becoming a werewolf, he would not hesitate to kill him.
He purposely then reduced his pace. He trailed a bit behind the hunter as they advanced. They did not meet anything dangerous that day too. The only creatures they met were forest spirits which flew around them idly. They seemed to have a great interest in Aerys and soon a whole swarm was following him. However they quickly disappeared and this troubled Aerys. He wondered was sure that they could feel the danger all around and that they retreated to more peaceful areas.
The hunter again dismissed the idea of a fire hoping to go through the night without attracting anything as the previous night. However their luck gave away. Soon after dusk, they heard loud noises all around them and the sound of drums. The hunter immediately stood up and took his sword out.
-Stay close lad, he said as he tossed him his sword. We are in for a long night.
-What creatures are behind this?, asked Aerys as he grabbed the artifact. He felt its warmth. It felt good to have it again.
-Gnolls, replied the hunter as the first one appeared in the clearing where they had established their camp.
It was followed by several others. They were like humanoid-hyenas which moved on its hind legs. They were armed with frails and their whole body was covered with light armor. How they got it was beyond Aerys comprehension. They walked slowly and surrounded them.
-Stay close lad, whispered the hunter as he the first Gnoll attacked.
The others followed him and they brandished their frails menacingly as they approached. It was not a combined attack. They did not seem to be coordinated. Every one of them attacked at his own pace and this greatly advantaged the hunter and Aerys. The first Gnoll died as quickly as he attacked. The hunter’s sword danced in the moonlight as he killed countless of Gnolls. He evaded their frails so agilely that it was almost magical.
Aerys did not have time to admire him as the Gnolls attacked him too. He was not afraid of them. He had seen much much worst. He attacked them with as much intensity s the hunter. The blade seemed to move on its own as he cut through them easily. He felt the power surge in him and the blade became lightless. It shone brightly as it cut the Gnolls mercilessly. Aerys evaded their attacks easily. They could not touch him at all. He moved with such speed that it surprised him. His attacks were also so string that no Gnolls could stand before him. His mind worked as he fought. Was it the effect of his transformation which gave him this force or was it the artifact?
It was probably both. He felt invincible and he could not deny that it was an incredible feeling. The Gnolls fell one by one unable to face him. He continued to attack them relentlessly unable to stop.
His sword then met another blade. He attacked again and again but the blade resisted his attacks. He then heard a faint shout. He looked all around but he could only see dad Gnolls at his feet. The shout became louder and louder and then something hit him and he stumbled down roughly. The hunter knelt by his side and slapped him several times until he finally regained his senses.
-What happened to me? He asked troubled.
-You just experienced the side effect of using an artifact lad, replied the hunter as he nodded towards the clearing.
Aerys looked all around and he shuddered terrified. The whole clearing was filled with dead Gnolls bodies and the green grass was red…covered with the blood of Gnolls. He closed his eyes unable to stand the horrible sight.
-Did…I?, he asked hoping the hunter would contradict him.
But the hunter did not.
-Yes. You killed most of them. Even when they wanted to flee, you went after them and killed them mercilessly. I tried to stop you but you were not hearing.
So that was the faint shout he had heard. He cried. What had he done? He had spilled so much blood. This was not him.
-But why?, he asked sobering.
-It’s the curse that all that use an artifact must face. The artifact craves for blood. It wants more and more and it acts upon its bearer. You enter a berserk mode and attack anyone around you.
-Can’t it be controlled?
-Yes, it can but up to a certain limit. Even I have a limit. If I kill too much I will eventually enter that mode. This is why it is essential that a hunter should know his limit and try to push it further away. Now get up. We have to continue the chase.
Aerys nodded and stood up. He put the sword away and grabbed his bag. He followed the hunter out of the clearing without turning back to see the carnage that eh ad done. He could not watch the scene again. It was too painful.
CHAPTER 15
They found them two days later deep in the forest. They had stopped before an old bridge. The hunter and Aerys hid behind the trees that surrounded the place and waited for an opening. The old man was cursing Emily who sat on a down holding her right foot. The hunter took his sword out and Aerys did the same.
The woman was already crossing the wooden bridge which Aerys thought did not look very solid. They must have thought the same for they had retransformed back into humans. Her companion cursed loudly at Emily and grabbed her. She screamed and resisted trying to get away from him but he slapped her and dragged her towards the bridge. This was more than Aerys could bear. He broke out of his hiding place and ran into the clearing towards the old man despite the hunter’s curses. He was halfway towards him when the old man noticed him. The surprise on his face quickly gave way to anger and he jumped back agilely avoiding Aerys sword. Emily fell to the ground and Aerys rushed to her side while the hunter joined them.
-You did not kill him?, asked the old man angrily.
-I did not indeed, replied the hunter putting himself between them.
-Why?, he asked his face contorted by rage. He is a wolf now. You should have killed him like you killed my boy.
The hunter took a defensive stance.
-Unlike your son, he has not committed any crimes yet. Until he does, I will not lay a hand on him.
The old man let out a cry of rage and began to transform. The hunter gave him no time though and charged. His sword cut him just behind the head but it was not sufficient as he managed to dodge. He was severely injured though and blood was coming out at an alarming rate out of the cut. His face was covered with his own blood. Aerys then heard another growl and he looked towards the bridge. The old woman who was nearly on the other side was hurrying towards them. he knew that if she came here all would be lost. She could not transform yet for if she did she would probably fall as the bridge was not strong enough to support a werewolf weight.
He rushed to the bridge and began cutting the ropes. The old woman understood what he was trying to do and shouted at her man. The latter who had now successfully managed to transform growled and ran towards him. But the hunter intercepted him.
-Cut that bridge quick Aerys. I will delay him as much as I can. Just make sure that the other one does not make it here.
Aerys did not need to be told twice. His sword was sharp and the ropes fell quickly one by one. He heard both the wolf and the woman growl loudly. She was about to arrive when he finally cut the last rope. The bridge fell down with a deafening noise and he saw the old woman fall with it. It was the end for her. He turned back and saw the hunter lying on the ground lifeless. The white wolf growled and walked towards me with murder in its eyes.
He backed before the terrible foe. The hunter was on the ground moving feebly. The wolf growled but Aerys was no longer afraid of him. He had survived so many things during
the past months that fear no longer paralyzed him. He was fuelled by hatred and revenge. Revenge for all the innocents who had died in Adlington for his mistakes. If they had not failed them, they would still be alive now. But they had failed miserably.
But now he had the chance to avenge those who had been murdered. He grabbed his sword tightly and it shone brighter than ever. The wolf did not look impressed though. After all it had just defeated the greatest hunter alive but Aerys knew that it was not the case. The hunter was tired. They had run for days and after such a long period of captivity, his body had probably given up. He would have too long before if he had not been contaminated. He felt the power in him. It was different from the power of the artifact. It was raw and brutal; pure physical strength and it was increasing day by day. It troubled him that maybe he would transform sooner than he expected but now was not the time to think about all this. If that power helped him kill the werewolf, he would gladly accept it.
He straightened up and waited for the werewolf to attack. He took the defensive stance that the hunter had taught him. It was one of the few that he had successfully learnt. There was no observation round. The werewolf launched itself upon Aerys but the latter parried it easily and counterattacked. However the speed of the werewolf enabled it to evade the attack and it retreated. It seemed less sure of itself and Aerys confidence increased. Perhaps he had a chance after all. The wolf attacked again and again Aerys managed to dodge its attack. This time however he predicted correctly where the wolf would go and his sword met flesh for the first time. The wolf let out a howl of pain and stumbled forward out of range. The cut was not strong enough though for the wolf had managed to move at the last moment but he had succeeded in touching it. That was something. The wolf licked its blood and turned to face him growling savagely.
It attacked and Aerys again tried to dodge but he failed this time. The werewolf attack was quicker than his previous one and he crashed against Aerys who fell on his back under the weight of the wolf. However he managed to keep his sword and he swing madly over him. The werewolf retreated unable to touch him. He stood up shakily. It had been a close call. If he had lost the sword, it would have been over. He grabbed it more tightly and readied himself.
The Hunter's Apprentice Page 11
