Taste of the Hunt

by Matt Mememaro

  “Feel that change in the wind?” Rowan asked.

  “What about it? It’s coming from the north,” Barros said.

  “Then you know what I want you to do. You were always the better Seeker between the two of us. Find your son, Barros. We need to get them to the Huntrey as soon as possible.”

  “Sometimes I still think you’re that savage Highlander that attacked me in your village all those years ago.” Barros sighed reaching for a saddlebag. “What’s the good of having you around if you’re not going to be a Seeker for me?”

  “I kill lots of Vampires,” Rowan said. “What else do I need to do?”

  After searching inside the bag for several seconds he retrieved two small items. He pulled back the reins on Azurus forcing the horse to slow down to a trot. Barros casually slid into a more comfortable position on the saddle, revealing a large black vial and a hilted Vampire fang that made it look like a white shiny dagger. Without warning, Barros ran the fang across his opened palm, before holding the knife between his legs and unstopping the vial. He dripped several drops of the Vampire blood inside onto his hand, the liquid sizzling on contact with his open wound.

  The world began to turn grey, transitioning from color to a single monotone. Once the grey filled his vision, Barros could see outlines of where people had travelled in the past several days, those that came earlier, more faint. The outlines of Abner and Lois stood out in a bright red. They began to move again, Barros attempting to dissect the different trails.

  “How far away are they?” Rowan asked.

  “Not far, we should see them any minute. Let’s push on,” Barros said. “We’ve got an hour before we turn west and I’d hate for the novices to miss it.”

  “No need to worry about it, I think I see them now.” Rowan pointed ahead of them. “Just there at the base of the mountain. They weren’t that fast.”

  “I’ll bet ten gold that we reach them in five minutes,” Barros said.

  “You’re on,” Rowan said.

  Abner continued to ride onwards, hoping the Hunters would eventually catch up. The last he’d seen of them was Barros taking down a pack that was trying to cut off their escape. Lois’ head swung around as they found themselves in the shadow of a mountain, her eyes narrowed as if she had heard a sound.

  She began to smile. “Look! They’re coming!”

  Abner turned Nagor side on to see the two Hunters on their enhanced horses quickly closing the gap between the two parties. A hundred meters out the Hunters slowed their horses, the magnificent beasts needing the extra time to come to a stop.

  “That went rather well,” Barros said.

  “How many attacked you?” Lois asked.

  “Couple of hundred, I’m not sure. We weren’t really keeping count,” Rowan said. “We need to hurry as they may be more coming for the both of you.”

  “We only killed one of their kind at the arena. That hardly warrants an all-out assault against us,” Abner said.

  “You don’t understand boy. We go through this process with every new Hunter we attempt to recruit. When we lay claim to a novice, Vampires pick up your scent and begin to hunt you. Usually there’s only one or two that will track you, but for some reason all of those you saw plus more wanted in on the kill,” Rowan said.

  “So what happens now?” Abner asked.

  “You both need to get to the Huntrey as soon as possible. Once you pass through the barrier that protects us you will be safe. I on the other hand need to take a journey to our suppliers in Trawln and Delton to make sure they’re keeping up their end of the agreement,” Barros said.

  “I would go with you,” Lois said.

  “Barros! She needs the protection of the Huntrey,” Rowan said.

  “She’ll be fine with me. Besides we’ll be gone for a day or two at most. You’ll hardly miss us,” Barros said. “You’ve seen what I can do with my back against the wall.”

  “Fine but if she doesn’t make it, it’s on you. We’ll ride with you until the first stream crossing and then we’ll part ways,” Rowan said. He turned signaling for the rest of the group to follow him north.

  An hour later the group had passed the mountain, riding in the full glare of the morning sun. They then headed west, now protected from the sun until they heard the crashing of water in the distance. A few minutes later the stream came into sight, gallons of water falling off a cliff face that opened out onto an open plain.

  The road slopped downwards with the stream forcing the Hunters to follow along beside the rushing torrents. It wasn’t long before the road bent north towards the two major cities of West Anacore and a bridge was present.

  “Well, this is where we leave you,” Rowan said. “Two days.”

  “Two days, no more.” Barros said.

  A silent glance passed between the two novices. “I’ll see you again soon, Ab,” Lois said.

  “I know,” he said.

  “Come on boy, we follow the stream west. Let these two go. You’ll see them soon.” Rowan slapped Abner on the back forcing a cough from him. “You’re on a slow horse so we won’t make it to the Huntrey today. I’ll make sure we find somewhere sheltered for the night.”

  The next morning Abner entered tent to find her sleeping. She’d taken the midnight watch, and only been asleep for a few hours. As he entered, the first rays of sunlight peaked over the mountains flooding the tent. Lois’ chest rose and fell at a steady pace, oblivious to the world. Abner knelt down beside her, gently shaking her awake. They needed to move before a repeat of yesterday occurred.

  “Ab?” Lois asked as he shook her shoulder. Her bright green eyes slowly opened

  “Yes, it’s me,” he said with a lump rising in his throat.

  “Good,” she said as she cupped his face in her hands, pulling him forward.

  Abner was hesitant at first until their lips met for the second time within a matter of days. The contact with Lois filled him with delight and he suddenly felt awake as his mouth began to explore hers more thoroughly. He fell forwards, using one arm to support his weight while the other moved to the back of her neck, pulling her closer.

  Lois only resisted pushing him off her. For a moment Abner was confused until Lois began tugging at her clothes, desperate to rid herself of them. Abner had his shirt off before she did but there was a loud noise from behind him and he awoke with a start.

  “Oy! Wake up, it’s time to go boy,” Rowan said. He glared at Abner.

  “But it’s not even light yet,” Abner said.

  “It will be before you get dressed. Now hurry up. I want to be back at the Huntrey before breakfast is finished being served,” Rowan said.

  Abner scrambled out of his tent, quickly stripping it down, rolling it into his saddlebag. He grabbed the bag that held his armor and looked over at Rowan that was waiting impatiently.

  “Guess I don’t need this today then?”

  Rowan responded by mounting his horse, Abner following suit. They started with a steady pace working their way further along the stream before Rowan turned south. As they entered a shallow gully surrounded by thick trees on either side, Abner saw the first rays of sun light appear.

  The Hunter and the novice then stopped on a ridge that overlooked a large plain pocketed with small hills to the south. Kilometers to the west lay a forest that looked haunted, filled with vines and vicious undergrowth.

  “We’re here,” Rowan said.

  “The Huntrey? Is it underground? I can’t see anything,” Abner said.

  Rowan sighed. “Fucking novices, you’ll never learn before you actually get there will you? It’s hidden from sight by magic and trickery. Nothing is as it seems in this world. Come on, let’s get you down there.”

  “Shouldn’t there be sentries patrolling around somewhere, Rowan?” Abner asked as they began to cross the plain.

  “Why? We have walls and we can see as far as the eye can see. That’s why we picked this spot. Ideal for a city, ideal if we need to expand and ideal if we are
ever set upon,” Rowan said.

  “And has the Huntrey ever been attacked by Vampires? When Malvrok taught us history he never made any mention of this,” Abner said.

  “That’s because we’re a mostly discrete and hidden order. Malvrok was one of us and he knew to keep our secrets. But to answer your question, yes. Many years ago, a Hunter attacked us from the outside. Cooper of Hedgegrove broke the ranks and took fifty of our own with him who weren’t happy with how we were going about our business. They hired a large company of mercenaries known as the Devil Runners who at the time had close to twenty-thousand men with them. Because Cooper and the Hunters could see the Huntrey we had to fight and we had to fight pretty hard. After a week we finally drove them off, killing Cooper in the process,” Rowan said. “And since then the Huntrey has never been under attack from an outside threat.”

  “Interesting,” Abner said. “Now how do we get into the Huntrey? I can’t see it.”

  “Turn to your left and stop!” Rowan said. “Dismount.”

  The Highlander climbed down from his horse and rummaged inside one of his bags retrieving a Vampire fang. He walked over to Abner and grabbed his arm.

  “Take this knife, cut your hand open and press here. Don’t question it, don’t fight the pain, just accept it for what it is. Then the way will be open to you,” Rowan said.

  Abner nodded again. He took the fang from Rowan, gripping the hilt causing his hand to shake. The novice closed his eyes as he made the cut, flinching away from the pain, waiting for Rowan’s next instruction.

  “Open your eyes, press your hand here,” he said.

  Abner walked to where Rowan was gesturing, placing his hand on nothing but solid air. He looked at the Hunter who just grinned before lifting his eyes, inviting Abner to look in the sky. Above him enormous battlements began to appear, thick stone walls racing to the grass. An iron gate swung open only meters away.

  “Welcome to your new home, novice. This is the West Anacore Huntrey.”

  16

  A Dark Place

  Trawln was dark by the time Barros and Lois snuck into the city. They slipped inside the gate just as they began to close, nearly going unnoticed by the guards on the walls above. The city’s grubby appearance of the city did not only take from the walls, but it also filled the streets, filling them with the smell of death and decay. There was no denying that Trawln was a dying city and those people that lived here did little to stop it.

  The Hunter and the novice rode down the main street, looking for the first sign of an inn. They found one with a rusting sign hung over the main street but upon closer inspection the entire building had been gutted by fire from the inside.

  “It’s free, so we might as well take it. We won’t be here long,” Barros said. “Tie Mirabel to Azurus and they’ll head to the stables together.”

  Lois dismounted and tied her steed to Barros’ and made her way inside the shell of the building. Barros quickly followed suit whispering several words to Azurus, taking a travel bag off the horse’s back. Once inside he lowered his hood and looked around.

  “Yes, this is the place.”

  “Place for what?” Lois asked.

  “We aren’t meeting Huntrey suppliers here. There are none within Trawln, they all lie within Delton. Tonight I will show you my world, and what has become of me,” Barros said. “Follow.”

  Barros stepped underneath a low hanging beam, grabbing hold of it before turning back to look at Lois who cautiously began to follow.

  “Come on, we can’t take all night,” he said. “This is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

  Lois sped up, and Barros turned to begin walking further into the darkness of the destroyed building. A rat scurried past dashing across a rafter, only to pause, lifting its head in the air before continuing on. Barros knelt before a new door, stashed away in the corner that would lead to the basement, however this door was made of steel and clearly placed here after the fire. Unbolting two latches, Barros stood and gestured for Lois to enter the open passageway.

  “What’s down here?” she asked.

  “My life’s work,” Barros said.

  “Surely that should be at the Huntrey?” Lois asked.

  “No, this is much more important. Something the Hunters could never know about because it would destroy them and they would try to kill me,” Barros said.

  “Why do you trust me. I’m going to be a Hunter and what’s to say I won’t spill the secret while I’m there training?”

  “You were my eyes and ears in the Blood Brotherhood, Redjay. You’ve begun my mission to get close to Abner, something this little venture won’t be helping. The reason why I trust you is because your mother is in the palm of my hand, or have you forgotten that?” Barros said.

  “No, I have not. Every time I look at you is a reminder of that. You own my family and I will do whatever it takes to free us from your slavery,” Lois said.

  Barros laughed softly. “Your defiance is noted should you attempt to lash out at me in the future. I will know why. Your anger is also understandable but know this Lois. If the plan is to be executed exactly as I need it to be, you are one of the most important pieces on the board. You’re about to meet someone that will play an even bigger part in what is to come.”

  “Why here? Why not when you took me to the Blood Brotherhood?”

  “The time was not right, you hadn’t learnt what was necessary to survive in the world. Malvrok’s training only took you so far. The Blood Brotherhood was the true test of your abilities.”

  “You still haven’t said where we are going,” Lois said. Her frustration was growing.

  Barros stopped walking as the staircase flattened out. “Do you see that light just up ahead? Lois, when you first met me I could tell you assumed that I was not a normal man. In truth I am not. And the room in which we are about to enter are filled with my kind,” Barros said.

  “So, you’re a Vampire.”

  “Yes, one of the youngest amongst my kind. Yet somehow I’ve managed to keep my true identity hidden to my peers at the Huntrey. I am more powerful than anyone truly knows.”

  “So the Bloodrush was really you getting your fill,” Lois said.

  Barros only returned a flash of a smile in the firelight coming from the nearby brazier. “Stay close to me and you won’t be killed. Nobody would dare move against me.”

  The Vampire laughed as he removed his Hunter’s garb. Lois was taken back at the sudden sight of Barros in nothing but his undergarments. Then she looked past the sudden and brash nudity, seeing the rippling muscles that reminded her of Marco and the many nights they’d spent basked in the firelight in the Blood Brotherhood den. He donned a fresh black robe and began to shed his human flesh.

  “Come,” he said when his transformation into his grey skinned self was complete. From underneath his robe, Barros pulled out the amulets of Tal’davin he had gathered.

  “Abner has one of those!” Lois said. “What are they?”

  “Later.” The Vampire dismissed her.

  Barros strode into the next his arms outstretched as he saw several other Vampires seated calmly around a large rectangular table. Each of the Vampires present wore a robe of some kind, their grey, non-human faces seeming out of place in the clothing.

  “At last he has arrived,” a hooded woman from the end spoke. “We were beginning to fear you would not come, Barros.”

  “I made this meeting and I said I would be here. I apologize if I put you all on edge, but I had Hunter’s business to attend to first.” Barros took his seat. Every Vampire around the table hissed at the mention of the word Hunter, one even went so far as to spit on the table. “Please try to be civilized, Ahimoth. I am the reason this council exists and why you have gained such favor with your peers.”

  “My station would be even higher if you did not dwell with the Hunters, leaving us as a second thought,” Ahimoth said.

  “You will know your place, Brother of Death. Just because Barros chos
e to turn you because of your keen mind does not give you free reign to speak it,” the hooded woman said.

  “Thank you, Sophia, but that is quite enough. I have not come here to argue with any of you, but I wish to know if the weapon is ready for testing,” Barros said as if the outburst against him had never happened.

  “It is indeed, my love. I wouldn’t have called here otherwise,” Sophia said.

  “Of course. Is he here?”

  “Zarazenih is most anxious to give to your cause, Barros. He wishes a quick death upon all Hunters and the other humans that would attempt to oppose us,” Ahimoth said. “I’ve trained him well in our ways during your absence.”

  “Good, do you know if he is immortal like us, or if he is less enhanced. It has been some time since I last saw my son and I would know what he is capable of before we test the weapon,” Barros said.

  “Our son, Barros, is a rare breed, even more so than Abner. Your transformation into one of us was slow, extremely slow by our standards and as you know, you sought me out when you were still part human. As a result, he is immortal, he will not age past a certain point, but I fear his resistance to weapons and death through other means are not up to par,” Sophia said.

  “Is he ready?”

  “I have fought him, Barros,” another Vampire said. “He seemed on equal footing with me, if not of greater strength.”

  “And where do you stand now, Murphis? Last I saw you, you were a Banshee, were you not?” Barros asked.

  “Indeed, I was, Barros, but now I stand as a Desire. Zarazenih saw through any disguise I attempted upon him and he was near flawless in combat,” Murphis said. “He’s been trained well thus far.”

  “How fare against a more superior opponent, say a Hunter?”

  “As of right now, he could kill perhaps one at a time with minor injuries. You must keep in mind the boy is only thirteen years old, Barros,” Murphis said.

  “Thirteen... he has two more years of training and growing left before he must be able to slaughter dozens at a time. Still he has not had the weapon tested upon him. Bring the boy forth!” Barros said.