Taste of the Hunt

by Matt Mememaro

  “They’re still going to be there,” Gunthos said.

  “I have to check,” Rowan said.

  He stopped next to a birch tree, drawing his knife from his belt before cutting his hand open. The Highlander pressed the wound against the grassy exterior and a gaping hole slowly opened. Rowan blinked twice utilizing his night vision to see inside the vault that was reminiscent of what Barros had built years ago under Rhorn.

  The Fyndfire lake bubbled and churned, the water surging around the small island in the center of the underground cave. As they neared the liquid, Gunthos pointed out a prone shape on the edge of the lake. Rowan groaned as he saw the large white wolf, its paws sprawled out at odd angles.

  “La Gardanto is dead,” he said.

  “And the Fyndfire wall has been disabled,” Gunthos said. “Only one of our own could do that.”

  “None of the men that know about this would have.” Rowan shook his head. “The Keeper has only recently passed. Its wounds are no more than half a day old.”

  “What kind of weapon did it?” Gunthos asked kneeling beside the beast.

  “Not a weapon, a claw,” Rowan said.

  “No, not possible.” Now it was Gunthos’ turn to shake his head. “The Magicians can’t have let a Vampire inside the walls aside from that boy.”

  “He’s a half-breed, Gunthos,” Rowan said. “And he’s the best damn chance we’ve got in this fight now.”

  “He’s still a Vampire, Rowan. You saw his fangs and claws better than I did. There’s no denying that fact. What about the girl?”

  “For fucks sake, Gunthos! I would have smelt traces of Vampire on them when I was seeking in their presence. She’s clean,” Rowan said.

  “Well who else has had an affiliation with Vampires and the amulets?”

  “It couldn’t be either of them,” Rowan said. “They’re away in Sauria with Barros...”

  “He married the Countess, that fucker! It’s his son who’s the half-blood!” .

  “No, the wounds are fresh, how could Barros have slaughtered the La Gardanto? He’d have to be a Vampire,” Rowan said.

  “He carried the amulets for years before we built this place, Rowan. They could have corrupted his mind. Do you remember seeing anything strange happen over the years?”

  “Shit,” Rowan said. “All those things over the years I thought to be the Bloodrush. That was him and his Vampire rage. We’ve been deceived. But what’s he going to do with the amulets now he’s got them?”

  “He’s got five, yes?” Gunthos said. “Where are the other two?”

  “Abner carries them,” Rowan said. He bit his lower lip.

  Gunthos cradled his face in his hands. “We’re fucked! All of us!”

  “Are you forgetting who Abner was trained by before he came to us? The only person to ever beat Barros in a fight. His brother. Before you go on with that attitude, stop and think. The boy can take care of himself,” Rowan said.

  “Fuck, I don’t have time for your belief in the boy, Rowan,” Gunthos said. “If you don’t mind I’m going to go die with some honor while you skulk around in here trying to think of some clever plan to get us out of this mess.”

  Rowan looked around at the cave and at the Keeper that had once guarded the amulets. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “There’s no clever plan. We have to fight it out. Simple as that.”

  Minutes later both Rowan and Gunthos stood side by side at the entrance to the Huntrey tower. The preparations were finally complete, the battlements stocked with weapons and more than enough Hunters to wield each of them.

  “Brothers and sisters! Allies and friends!” Rowan called out across the courtyard. Today we face a foe like no other, but one we have trained our entire lives to defeat. They outnumber us a thousand to one if our scouts are to be believed. The Vampire horde approaches, ladies and gentlemen! One not seen since the time of Tal’davin was upon Taagras. Some of you will die today, but know this. We will defeat them and your blood sacrifices will not be forgotten! We are Hunters and we stand together, bound together by blood and with that lies our strength!”

  “I don’t want to die!” a novice that had not yet completed the Blood Ceremony screamed as he ran towards the gate.

  Rowan shook his head and raised one of his crossbows before shooting the boy dead in the back. He stumbled forwards before flat on his face.

  “If any of you think fleeing is acceptable, think again! We will survive together, or we will fall to a glorious death, together!”

  “Rowan, Rowan!” Prasad burst out from the tower, nearly knocking into the Highlander. “Come quickly, there’s something you need to see, sir!”

  “What boy? I have a war to fight, it can wait!”

  “No, sir! The Magicians... in their chambers. They’re all dead!”

  Rowan glanced at Gunthos before they both raced into the tower, leaping up the stairs three at a time to the highest reaches where the magicians kept the Huntrey safe from prying eyes. Three kept the blood shield active at all times while another four rested, ready to take over at a moment’s notice in case the shift ended or one member failed.

  The door to their chambers was ajar, blood splattered across every surface. The kills had not been quick or clean. Three of the Magicians had lost their arms, their swords lay scattered across the room. One appeared to have been flung into the wall.

  “How did we not know about this sooner?” Rowan asked. “Somebody should have realized.”

  “We grew complacent,” Gunthos said. “We thought they’d be safe here. The last threat the Huntrey ever faced was Tal’davin himself and that was a millennia ago.”

  There was a groan in the room and one of the Magicians was stirring. His was the only corpse that was not mutilated. Rowan ran to his side, helping the man gain his feet. Even in the dim lighting, something was wrong with his skin.

  “What happened to you, Magician?” he asked.

  “Attacked, changed, stronger,” the Magician said.

  “Move, Rowan!”

  The throwing knife left the Hunter’s had less than a second later taking the newly turned Vampire straight in the throat. It crumpled to the ground before bursting apart leaving nothing but dust.

  “I had it,” Rowan said as he picked the knife up handing it back to its owner.

  “No you didn’t,” Gunthos said. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

  “This is the first time since Tal’davin that a Huntrey will fall. If we had the Magicians I wouldn’t be as worried, but now with none of them, we’re fucked!”

  “We need to get outside and fight. They’re nearly here. Listen,” Gunthos said.

  From outside there was now a rumbling. The Vampires were approaching, and Rowan looked out the window. In a column several hundred wide the Vampires approached the Huntrey from the north, spilling out onto the plain. From this height they looked more like a swarm of ants marching across the grass.

  “We’re not going to win no matter how many we kill,” Rowan said as the Vampires began to make a circle around the Huntrey blocking off all chances of escape.

  30

  Fall

  “Stand to!” Rowan said, throwing his fists in the air. He stood at the base of the tower, overlooking the operations. “As soon as they’re within range kill as many of the fuckers as you can!”

  “Do we ride out to meet them?” one Hunter asked saddling his horse.

  “No, save them for in here. Attempting to push outside will just weaken us. Hold your ground!”

  Gunthos shook his head. “I still can’t believe it. West Anacore has stood for more than a thousand years and today it falls.”

  “Everything comes to an end. It just so happens that this Huntrey will fall today,” Rowan said. “Just be grateful we will have so many fucking Vampires to kill today! Take command of the southern wall.”

  “Where the fighting is sure to be weakest?” Gunthos asked.

  “Not only that, but where your brother is.
As much as I hate to admit, Gunthos, you’re one of our best when it comes to brute strength. You just lack in strategy. Clear the south wall of Vampires and then sweep around taking them by surprise from the west. With one side of the Huntrey free, we might stand a chance of escape.”

  “It will be done,” Gunthos said. “I pray to the gods that you survive, friend.”

  From his viewpoint beside the tower, Rowan gripped his sword tighter as the Vampire horde continued to swell onto the plain and stretch further backwards. Ordaris hobbled up to the Head, bowing before him.

  “Rowan, I would offer my services to fight with you today.”

  “We need every hand we can, today,” Rowan said. He smiled at the old withered Hunter. “You will die in the glorious death you have sought for decades.”

  “It will be my honor,” Ordaris said.

  “Rowan! They’re stopping!” a Hunter on the wall shouted.

  “How far?”

  “Five hundred meters, sir. Do we open fire?”

  “No! Is that one of ours they’re letting pass to the north.”

  The Hunter confirmed it and Rowan left his vantage point moving down through the courtyard to the northern wall. A lone Hunter charged through the Vampire lines experiencing no resistance from the horde. He stopped out of range of the crossbows trained upon him. In a voice that boomed across the plain, the mysterious Hunter spoke.

  “Many of you I considered my brothers and sisters an age ago. I’ve observed for years the reluctance the Hunters have displayed to adapt. In the same time I lived amongst those that are now my new kind. They opened my eyes to the ways of this world and workings of which you could never understand. Your home is threatened because I took apart piece by piece to expose how weak you were. And now with my horde and the items that belong to me we will wipe you from the face of this world.”

  “Are you Barros Toldar?” Rowan asked as he reached the battlements. His voice was loud enough to carry out over the plain.

  “I am Tal’davin. Barros was but a tool in my resurrection. Lay down your weapons and join us or be overrun!”

  “We do not surrender. Open fire!” Rowan said.

  The moment the words left his mouth, Hunters began to rein death down upon the foremost ranks of the Vampire horde. In the same moment they began to race forward, their unnatural speed aiding them to avoid the crossbow bolts fired upon them. Tal’davin sat back on his horse, pulling a small round silver item from inside his Hunter’s garb.

  He raised the amulet above his head and began to chant in the old language. Rowan saw the amulet pulsing, the power of all five combined within it, adding to the glow of gold. A beam of red light shot straight up into the air, the Red Sky surged to life once more.

  “Get down!” Hunters screamed as energy surges flashed overhead.

  The Hunters that remained standing began clutching their faces, blinded by the bright light as the first Vampires began leaping up the wall. Rowan turned his back, not looking directly into the light, leaping on the first Vampire as it climbed over the wall, hissing on the battlements. He ran the fiend through with his axe, cutting out its intestines as he turned the blade to the side.

  More Vampires surged forward, pushing past the volley of bolts reigning down upon them, some throwing knives and the bolts up at the Hunters. Rowan leapt down off the wall as a knife flew overhead, preparing for hand to hand combat. More of his peers followed his lead, bracing themselves as the Vampires came into sight on the wall.

  There was no way to hold back the waves of Vampires as they continued to attack, Rowan and those at his back slowly retreating towards the tower. Only a handful of Hunters stood with him as the rest had fallen behind the tide of their enemy. Those who remained were controlled by the Bloodrush, unable to contain their rage towards the monsters that invaded their home.

  “To the tower! It’s our only chance!” Rowan said.

  Some of them snarled, refusing to follow their leader, but several snapped out of the rage for long enough to retreat. Rowan flung open the tower doors ushering no more than ten Hunters originally from his section of the wall. Inside they were greeted by Gunthos and others including Alexander.

  “They’ve overrun the eastern and western walls,” Gunthos said. He was cut all along his arms, and had several scratches on his face. “We’re fucked!”

  “Is that all you have to report?” Rowan asked. “What else did you see?”

  “The Lotu assisted the western wall, but those that were not killed were captured. I dare say Tal’davin is executing them for treason against their kind.”

  “Where is he now?” Rowan asked. “If we can kill him, we can end this.”

  “Rowan, you’re not going out there!” Gunthos said, spittle flying from his mouth.

  “It’s the only thing I can do! Get your crossbows up on top of the tower and cover me. I have to face Tal’davin!”

  Gunthos snarled before turning on his heel, leading a group of Hunters into the higher reaches of the Tower where what Hunters remained were already firing death upon the Vampires that were inside the Huntrey wall.

  “Get ready to close the doors behind me,” Rowan said. “Don’t let one of them in here!”

  He braced his axe, nodding to the two men that were ready to swing the doors open. A line of Hunters stood behind him, their crossbows at the ready to cut down any that made it inside. Rowan stepped out under the Red Sky as soon as the doors opened before him. He parried attacks from several Vampires, knocking them back with his axe.

  “I demand a parley!” Those closest to him paused, unsure what to make of his demand. “I wish to meet with Tal’davin to discuss the terms of our surrender.”

  “Our leader does not treat with Hunters,” one Vampire said.

  “We will make an exception,” Rowan said throwing his axe down. “I do not care if I live or die, you can turn me for all I care. Just take me to Tal’davin.”

  “Very well,” it said motioning to one of its kind behind him. “Follow us, Hunter. The rest of you, push forwards, see this Huntrey burnt to the fucking ground!”

  Rowan was marched through the thousands of Vampires under the charge of Tal’davin. His two escorts kept him protected from those that would lash out as they awaited those further forwards in the lines to die so they could proceed. As he walked out of the gates, Rowan could see the fallen bodies of his kin being fed upon, groups of Vampires huddled around each corpse.

  There was a horse up ahead, standing head and shoulders above the Vampires and a cluster of the fiends gathered in a circle, far removed from the fight and feeding. Rowan’s two escorts pushed through the group, to find the Hunter with his back turned. The body of a Lotu was slumped at his feet and his white claw was covered in fresh blood.

  “Ah... Rowan Kreen, you wished to see me, I assume” he said with a deep, husky voice. “Why would you leave the relative safety of your tower to open yourself to the mercy of my kind? You are extremely lucky they did not open you on the spot.”

  “I said I wanted to speak to you and they saw the relevance,” Rowan said.

  “So you came to surrender, then,” Tal’davin said.

  “No,” Rowan said.

  With a roar he charged at Tal’davin’s back, with no regard nor attempt to guard himself against the hundreds of Vampires within reach. A dagger fell into his hand from his belt as he leapt upon the Vampire that had caused the Huntrey to fall behind his heel. Tal’davin didn’t turn or seem concerned with the Highlander.

  As the dagger neared the Hunter’s armor of Tal’davin, a gold light shot out from him, sending Rowan flying backwards into the Vampires. Those nearest grunted as they were knocked over, but the rest began to laugh, a collective evil cackle. Rowan looked up at the evil red eyes around him, now wishing he had not left the tower.

  “Did you not listen to the tale while you were a novice at the Huntrey, Rowan?” Tal’davin asked, turning to face the downed Highlander.

  “And what was that?” Rowan p
icked himself up from the ground, grabbing the dagger that had fallen by his side.

  “That while I wear my amulets, I cannot be harmed by any weapon. Not even the ones I originally helped forge.” He gestured to the broken body on the floor behind him. “Not even your Lotu allies, the ones unbound, like I once was, could defeat me and they know the power behind the amulets. What hope do you think you had, Hunter?”

  “You were slain once before,” Rowan said. “Lars Hunter, remember him?”

  “Ah, the one that scattered my amulets to the far corners of Taagras after he stabbed them. He went mad and committed suicide. What hope would a Hunter like you have, Rowan?” Tal’davin asked.

  “Why don’t you become corrupted then? What makes you so different from Lars?”

  “I am the corruption!” Tal’davin said throwing back his hood. Rowan stared into a face shifting between that of Barros and a Vampire, the two a blur as the faces changed and mixed with each other. “Barros Toldar was not only a tool, he was my vassal, my way back onto this earth. The amulets contained my spirit, not my body. I am thankful that such a powerful and young Hunter let me inside him. At the same time I am both Tal’davin and Barros.”

  “You were with him the entire time he held an amulet? How did we not detect you?”

  “None of you have the sight to see my Dreyth where it actually is. I waited, Rowan Kreen, waited for a thousand years, waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. I hid in plain sight. Had you changed and adapted like I suggested the Hunters did all that time ago, this would never have happened. It is our time now, Rowan. Humans will bend and kneel before us,” Tal’davin said. At last the Vampire’s face was becoming clearer, more solidified. “Put him on his knees.”

  Rowan groaned as a Vampire kicked him square in the back, two claws pushing down on his shoulders. He struggled to shrug them off, but instead was held before Tal’davin, completely at his mercy. The Vampire slowly walked forwards, changing back to Barros, tilting his head.