Taste of the Hunt

by Matt Mememaro

  Biting her lip, Laksha frowned at her Lieutenant. “If they are Hunters, I fear for the Councilor’s life if he isn’t dead already. Then again, I’ve always wanted to face a Hunter in combat.” With a smile Laksha yelled at the top of her lungs. “Bring the cannons to bear on the tower and bring it down along with all those that would see Renor harmed!”

  “You wish to fire upon our own arena, Commander?” Mercer asked.

  Laksha replied with her smile still upon her lips. “Aye, indeed I do. If the Councilor is dead, all we can do is avenge him and bring his killers to justice. Fire at will!”

  The first cannon fired, its ball striking the tower sending out rubble in every direction. Not far behind their leader’s call the second and third cannons fired their shots. Finally the last three cannons rumbled into position, loading and taking their shots after the first volley.

  “Fire all!” Laksha said as the second volley smashed into the tower. With a sick pleasure, Laksha watched on as the Hunters emerged from just below Reiner’s quarters. “There they are! Kill them now!”

  Her cannons reloaded while the Hunters stood outside on the balcony, two of them quickly descending several floors. The remaining two lingered a while longer until suddenly both of them were plummeting towards the sand. Laksha held her breath as she watched two potentially dangerous foes fall to their deaths.

  Abner plummeted towards the earth with nothing but Barros to save him from certain death. Surely the Hunter had a plan? There was no look, save for the face of that of concentration. Without a word, Barros flipped himself so that his body would take the brunt of the fall. He’d survived worse in years past.

  They hit the ground with a sickening thud with enough speed to smash any normal human to pieces. Barros grunted as he took the force, Abner still wrapped up in his cloak. The boy rolled off, coughing, clutching his ribs before looking down at his father, who slowly sat up, selling the injury.

  “By the gods, Barros! What in the hell was that for?” Abner asked. “You could have killed us. How did we survive?”

  “I’m a Hunter,” Barros said. “Your armor stopped most of the impact, but your ribs look like they’ve taken a hit.”

  “You know that’s not why we’re alive and you know it, Hunter. Don’t lie to me,” Abner said.

  “My armor protects me from Vampires, now stop arguing and get ready to fight. We need to get to an area where we only need to fight one or two at a time. Rowan get down here!”

  Rowan and Lois descended the tower at a rapid pace, sprinting down the last few remaining stairs as rubble fell around them. The Highlander paused as he opened the door to look at the arena with the regiment of Renori Vanguard beginning to move towards them.

  “Fuck me, that’s a lot of Vanguard.”

  “Alright, listen here. We need to keep our heads down and keep out of the line of fire. Those cannons will tear us apart if they hit us. Keep together, no fancy stuff. We’ve got a lot of men to get through. If you two stay behind us we should be just fine,” Barros said.

  “Umm, Barros. Not for long we aren’t,” Lois said.

  Vanguard now surrounded them from all sides as the cannons ceased firing. Their silver armor reflected the sun, blinding the group they surrounded. The Hunters looked around at the Vanguard, sliding their swords back into their sheaths.

  “Well I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk to them,” Barros said. “Take us to see your leader.”

  Wordlessly the Vanguard tightened around the small group, forcing them to march onto the sands after binding their hands and taking their weapons. Unarmed the Hunters stood face to face with Laksha, her angry brown eyes glaring through the slits in her helmet.

  “So you’re the Hunters I’ve longed to meet? I thought the reports were false until I saw you falling from the tower.”

  “Sorry to keep you wondering,” Barros said. “We had official Hunter business to attend to here, which directly involved our two novices here.”

  “Hunter business,” Laksha said. “You realize that you do not actually have any real jurisdiction, here don’t you?”

  “Any Hunter at any place within Taagras has as much jurisdiction as they fucking well feel like having,” Barros said. “How dare you question our order. Who died and gave you the right?”

  “The man you just killed,” Laksha said. “Councilor Reiner.”

  “I’d apologize but once again he was interfering in Hunter’s business. Had he kept his nose out of it, his head would not have been removed from his body!”

  Laksha reared back, sending a vile projectile from her mouth. “How dare you! You come here, into my country, murder my Councilor and still question me!”

  “You’ve crossed the line, bitch,” Barros said. He wiped the spit from his face.

  “And what are you going to do about it, Hunter?” Laksha asked. She drew her curved sword. “You are surrounded by the men of the fourth Renori regiment!”

  “I’m not at all worried about that, Captain - Commander. We have you surrounded,” Barros said.

  “How? There’s four of you and over four hundred of us. You stand no chance, Hunter.”

  “That’s exactly the point. There’s four of us. We have you surrounded... from the inside. Rowan get the weapons!” Barros said.

  The Highlander lashed out at the Vanguard carrying their weapons. Even with his bound hands the Highlander packed enough force to knock the man off his feet. Ducking underneath the counter attacks of the men in silver, Rowan tossed up three swords and his axe. Barros caught his sword on the full, grabbing it by the hilt as it sliced through his bonds. Within a matter of seconds three Vanguard lay in front of him, outplayed by the mastery of his sword.

  “Kill them! Kill the Hunters!” Laksha ducked out from behind her meat shield of men.

  Rowan barged into the opposite side of the shield wall, threatening to break the entire line in two. With his hands bound he still cut and knocked Vanguard to the side, making them fall by the dozens. Lois followed Rowan while Abner followed Barros covering their flanks, doing less than the Hunters but still playing a vital role.

  Within a matter of minutes Barros could finally see the sand between the bodies of the Vanguard. Urging Abner on, the pair pushed forward finding themselves face to face with the Captain - Commander and a small clutch of her men. She looked at the bloodied and battered Hunters before dropping her sword to the ground before them.

  “Hunters, you have bested my men in a fair fight and we have no chance of winning,” she said. “I do not know how you did it, but all I would ask is that the remainder of my men be let go to live free. I will give you a two-day head start before I personally will seek to bring about your demise.”

  “Are you sure that is wise?” Barros asked. “Your men are all but defeated by our hands and where we are going there are only more of us that will not hesitate to slaughter you the moment they set eyes upon you.”

  “I have connections in very high places, Hunter. The Councilor was just one of my many contacts. Some of them have killed Hunters before. Leave now and you get your two-day head start. Linger and have the entire wrath of Renor strike you down. One regiment was not enough to stop you it seems, I wonder if legions would crush you underneath their heel,” Laksha said.

  “I’d like to see...” Barros said.

  “Excuse me Commander, we’d love to hang around and wait for a legion, but I’m afraid we have pressing matters to attend to,” Rowan said. “We shall leave immediately.”

  “Thank you for sparing us,” Laksha said.

  “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today,” Barros said as he sheathed his sword as he began to walk off the sands.

  14

  Ambush on the High Road

  Within a matter of minutes, the Hunters had their gear packed and loaded onto their shoulders before heading towards the southern entrance of the arena grounds. Both Abner and Lois however had left their steeds on the eastern side of the small town that surrounded the giant struc
ture. Conversation was sparse each member of the small party keeping their heads down, eyes on the road.

  The first thing Abner noticed when they arrived at the southern tables was the size of two horses that turned their heads as the Hunters approached. Both of the beasts stood well over six feet at their shoulders.

  “These are your horses?” he asked.

  “Yup, we breed them ourselves at the Huntrey. They’re usually good for thirty years of service before we have to retire them if they aren’t killed,” Barros said fondly stroking the muzzle of his steed. “I’ve had Azurus for as long as I can remember and he hasn’t let me down. They truly are amazing creatures with what we do to them.”

  “And that is?” Lois asked.

  “Never you mind until we get back to the Huntrey,” Barros said.

  “We going to get our own? I’d hate to give up Mirabel even if these horses are superior. What do they even do better?”

  “For a start we run them harder, they can go faster and further than any other horse I’ve seen. And let me tell you I’ve seen a lot. We’ll be able to make Mirabel just like them,” Rowan said.

  “With the red eyes and everything?” Lois asked. “You can’t change their eye color.”

  Barros raised an eyebrow. “Can’t we?” Without another word he mounted Azurus before holding his hand out for Lois to ride with him.

  Rowan laughed and in a similar fashion leapt up onto his horse, offering his hand to Abner yanking the boy off his feet and into the saddle. Even with Rowan’s enormous body Abner could slide in comfortably behind him. A short sprint later saw the Hunters and their companions to the eastern stables where the novices saddled and readied their normal horses. Once they were mounted, the novices only came up to the Hunters chest.

  Abner’s horse, Nagor was a large horse by normal standards, however even he was dwarfed by the Hunter’s steeds. Even riding at a slow pace the group had left Renor behind within a matter of hours, crossing into Tyrain no more than a bowshot west of the Bulldrag Lake on the well-travelled High Road. Without fearing pursuit from Laksha and the remnants of her unit, the Hunters paused with Rowan calling for a stop.

  “We’ll need to go into the woods, keep clear of the road. I’ve had enough fighting for one day and do not wish for any more trouble,” he said.

  The sun finally finished setting as the Hunters hit the last pegs into the ground, securing their tents in the lush forest undergrowth. As Rowan lit a fire to prepare for the evening meal, Abner approached Barros who stood alone, away from the camp. His head was down as he hummed a slow, mournful tune.

  “Barros, shouldn’t you be helping with the camp?”

  The Hunter turned on his heel, raising his sharp eyes to meet Abner’s. “Not after the Bloodrush. I need to recover as much as possible before there’s an attack on us. We only have three days before they’ll find you again.”

  “The Vampires? How can they track us?” Abner asked.

  “Before you make it to the Huntrey, they can easily trace any contact you’ve had with us. Since you were at the tournament and have been interacting with me over the last couple of days, what we call the binding is in full effect. To start with we’ll only see one or two Vampires, but if we delay much longer there will be hundreds chasing us to the walls of the Huntrey itself,” Barros said.

  “And what happens when we get there?”

  “Every other Hunter kills them, we slip behind the walls and they won’t be able to track us anymore. The magic that protects the Huntrey is powerful and casts us away from the sight of the monsters. It’s a beautiful place. From the tip of the West Anacore building you can see Trawln to the north and the mountains to the south,” Barros said.

  “I can’t wait to see it then,” Abner said.

  Daybreak welcomed Abner with the chirping of birds and the sizzling of a fresh fire. Emerging from his tent, Abner saw Rowan crouched over the fire once again while Lois had led the horses down to the Bulldrag to give them water. Barros hadn’t moved from the position he had taken last night.

  “Ah, glad you could join us Abner. The last to rise I see. Better hope it doesn’t become a habit,” Rowan said.

  “I’m sorry, Rowan. It won’t happen again,” Abner said.

  Rowan let out a loud laugh. “I’m only fucking with you boy. I barely rose before you did. Lois was up well before me and Barros stood there the whole night. Go talk to him.”

  The morning sun reflected off the clear waters of the Bulldrag, seeming to make Barros’ eyes sparkle as Abner approached the Hunter.

  “Didn’t you sleep last night? You’re exactly where I left you.”

  “No, the Bloodrush stops me from sleeping. It clouds my mind and weighs me down. That’s why it’s important I do as little as possible. It calms me. Sometimes I can’t sleep for weeks so I just stand here and never close my eyes so the nightmares don’t return,” Barros said.

  “Nightmares? What are they of?” Abner asked.

  “Your questions,” Barros said. “No, they’re of the old wars. Ones long before your time, when I was but a child. My father was a Hunter before me so I grew up in the Huntrey. The wars of the Hunters is all I’ve ever known. Each time he left I feared he would never return.”

  “One day he didn’t,” Abner said.

  “Hmm,” Barros said. “I was a teenager when the Hunters began to train me. I’d already learned the basics and one day my father didn’t come back from a patrol. The next day in the middle of a storm my mother and I along with a few others set out to look. His body... was mutilated and we were set upon by dozens of Vampires. They slaughtered everyone, the one called Namzal biting her throat right in front of me... I killed every single one of those fuckers that day except for one. I rectified that mistake many years latest with the sweetest satisfaction. My only wish is that I hadn’t lost both parents within twenty-four hours.”

  “At least you knew your parents,” Abner said.

  “What?” Barros asked.

  “You knew your parents. I haven’t had that opportunity,” Abner said.

  “Your parents gave you to Malvrok in order to keep you safe from their world until you were ready. They cared about you because from what I know, you could rise to become one of the greatest Hunters to have ever lived. That’s a great burden,” Barros said.

  “But if they cared about me why didn’t they visit me?” Abner asked.

  “They both died, boy, in Rhorn. Both on the same day much like my parents. They both died so that you could have a chance to be whatever it is you will become. The fate of humanity might well boil down to you.” Barros took a deep breath. “Today is a fine morning, we should not dwell in such heavy thoughts.”

  The horses neighed with Lois by their side as they approached the camp. She was already in her armor, ready to move out before the sun fully rose. Abner nodded at Barros, walking back to Rowan by the campfire who was just beginning to cook dried venison from his saddlebag. The Hunter poked the fire with a long stick causing it to flare.

  “Ah Abner, nothing like a good meaty breakfast to get you going for the day. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Nothing I like more, Rowan,” Abner said.

  “Good, we leave as soon as this is cooked. We don’t want!Fuck! Get down!”

  A small axe whirled out of nowhere, landing square in Rowan’s hand. The Highlander flung it back at the unseen target, splitting a tree in two with the force of the blow. Vampires shedding their human forms appeared in a wave, charging the Hunters as one. Rowan drew his crossbow, dropping to one knee, opening fire.

  “Fuck, they’ve found us!” Barros said as he ran to help Rowan. “Get on your horse, Abner! Lois go with him and get out of here!”

  “What about you?” the novices asked.

  “Leave our horses, they’ll help us! Now go! We can catch up!”

  Lois dropped the reigns to the Hunters horses throwing Abner the reigns to Nagor. He caught them on the run, before launching himself into the saddle spurring
the horse to turn. Vampires were now cutting off the way to the road.

  “Ab, get the crossbow! Shoot them!” Lois said.

  As Nagor broke into a full stride, Abner opened fire on the cluster of Vampires gathered before them. Three Vampires fell in as many seconds, their bodies twisting and burning when they came into contact with contact with the skin of the fiends. Abner continued to fire into the Vampire horde as they ran forward until the crossbow ticked and no more bolts were spat out.

  “Lois I’m out of bolts!” Abner said over the screeches of the Vampires burning.

  “That’s fine, just run. They won’t be able to catch us. The Hunters will have it all in hand!” Lois said. “Don’t stop for anything!”

  Abner slung the crossbow over his shoulder, putting his head down, whipping the reigns around Nagor’s head urging the horse to go faster.

  15

  Arrival

  Rowan and Barros fought on, giving the novices enough time to escape the area and the Vampires chasing them. Seeing the pair flee, Barros shot through the rest of the pack chasing them down as the novices made their escape. Once they lay in ash or underneath a burning wall of flame created by their own bodies, Barros rejoined the fight, stepping in beside Rowan. The Hunters battled on for almost ten minutes before the Vampires finally gave up.

  “Well, that was entertaining. Where do you reckon the novices head off to?” Rowan asked.

  “They can’t have gone far,” Barros said. He climbed atop of Azurus and took the reins. “We’ll catch them on these within a couple of minutes.”

  “What direction did they go in?” Rowan raised his eyebrows. “That’d probably help.”

  “I saw them fleeing north just like I hoped they would,” Barros said. “Unfortunately for us I didn’t manage to take a sample of their blood before they left. You know that means I can’t track them properly.”