The Hunter's Gambit

by Nicholas McIntire

  Bael waved the man away, “No, thank you Stephen. Though I must commend you on your accuracy.”

  Jonas noted with some surprise that both men were Magi, both strongly steeped in the Nagavor.

  “No, I’d much rather use him for one of our little pets. Can you do it, Stephen?”

  The other Magus scratched his head, “He’ll have to be a step away from death. He’s too strong otherwise.”

  Jonas hid his confusion. Stephen commanded the revenants? Surely a Magus of Bael’s strength would not entrust a magic like the Demonic Presence to an underling.

  Bael nodded, “Not surprising, given his parentage.” That cruel smile returned, and he aimed a kick at Jonas' side. “Well, Prince Belgi? Would you like to be one of my charming little pets? Imagine your friends’ surprise when they see you staggering from the Wood with the rest of my children, the same hunger, the same fever in your blood. How do you think that will make Aleksei feel? The others might not recognize you, of course, but I have a feeling he might.

  “Bring him along, Stephen. And make sure he’s shielded. I don’t want him trying to escape.” Bael regarded the Prince and chuckled, “Not that he’s in much condition to be doing much of anything at the moment.”

  Bael turned to go, then paused. “Stephen?”

  He turned and was unable to stop the gasp that escaped him. The other Magus was staring at Bael in shock. A moment later he fell forward. His body struck the ground with a sickening thud. His head kept rolling for another three or four paces.

  “How….” Bael demanded. His words were cut off a moment later as three feet of red steel burst from his chest.

  Aleksei stepped out of the shadows, his eyes dripping with rage. “Crawl back to your master, you little worm. Crawl back and let him know that I’m coming for him.”

  He wrenched the sword from the Magus.

  Bael collapsed like a limp doll. Aleksei gave him a contemptuous kick to the head and wiped his sword on the back of Bael’s fine blue coat, then rushed to Jonas' side. “Can you stand?”

  Jonas tried to summon the strength to lift himself, but only succeeded in sending another wave of hot pain and nausea through himself.

  “Shh.” Aleksei whispered, gathering his Magus in his arms and lifting him gently from the forest floor. “Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here. Save your strength.”

  Jonas tried to nod, but found himself incapable of even that minute effort.

  Aleksei kissed him gently, “Save your strength. Rest now, darlin’.”

  The Magus managed a smile and closed his eyes, knowing suddenly and unequivocally that he was safe.

  Despite the pain, he managed to slip into an uneasy oblivion.

  CHAPTER 27

  Duty and Divergence

  JONAS AWOKE IN alien surroundings.

  He was comfortable and warm, but he didn’t recognize the room. It was oddly constructed, organic in the way it followed natural lines and curves. A fire burned merrily not two paces from where he lay.

  “Ah, you’re wake at last.”

  He twisted in his bed and immediately regretted it. His left arm throbbed horribly, and he had to close his eyes and breathe evenly for a few moments to regain his bearings.

  “Try not to move too much.” the man said as he came into view.

  Jonas' eyes widened. Before him stood an unusual man. A man he had come to think of as a friend in the last year.

  “My most sincere greetings to you, Ri-Hnon.” he mumbled, disturbed by how weak his voice sounded.

  The Ri-Hnon smiled, “And to you, Son of Ilyar. Aleksei asked me to watch over you while he attended to something in the Wood.”

  Jonas frowned, “How did I come to be in the Seil Wood? I thought….”

  Roux shook his head with a helpless smile, “Save your strength, Jonas. I will explain later, when your head is clear.”

  Jonas began to protest, but Roux held up a hand, forestalling him. “Aleksei has given you several herbs, one of which numbs your pain. It also numbs your mind. I will explain the particulars to you later, when your senses have sharpened. For the moment just know that you are extremely fortunate to have a man such as my cousin for your Knight. He’s a berry in the brambles, that one.”

  The Magus managed a weak smile, “Yes he is. You’ve seen the Mantle, then?”

  A light seemed to flash behind the gold of Roux’s eyes. He nodded, his smile gone, “Indeed I have. And it is a very serious matter indeed.”

  Jonas' brow drew down, “I don’t understand.”

  Roux raised a hand, “We’ll talk about this later. Right now you need to rest.”

  Jonas sighed. It would do no good arguing with the man. He was as obstinate as Aleksei.

  The door, not much more than a wicker panel, swung to the side and Aleksei stepped into the room, one hand cradling a small cloth bundle. Jonas was shocked at the sight of him. For just a fleeting moment, his Knight looked as wild as Roux.

  He wore no shirt, instead displaying the black Mantle for all to see. Jonas supposed amongst the Ri-Vhan such a display would be important. Four streaks of dried blood streaked diagonally across the hard muscles and light golden fur of his chest. He handed the cloth bundle to Roux and muttered something to him.

  The Ri-Hnon nodded solemnly and then stepped out of the room. Aleksei turned to Jonas and smiled broadly, “He lives!”

  Jonas returned the smile to the best of his ability, “What’s going on? How are we in the Seil Wood? How long have I been out?”

  The Knight leaned down and kissed him gently before he considered a moment, “Perhaps half a day? You slept the night through, and then most of the morning. I love you too, by the way.”

  Jonas tried to laugh, but only ended up coughing violently. “And this?” he asked, indicating the room about him.

  “The home of the Ri-Hnon.” Aleksei said, as though such an answer should be obvious. He realized the deeper question Jonas was asking and smiled, “The Relvyn Wood is as ancient as the Seil. I told Him of my need, and He showed me the path back here. I had to get you somewhere with healers, and begging your pardon, but I wasn’t about to entrust your life to the Magi in Drava.”

  Jonas chuckled at that. He instantly regretted it, as sharp stabs of pain shot through him.

  “How did you know where I was?” he slurred when he regained his breath.

  Aleksei’s face took on sudden gravity, “The Wood spoke with me. I asked Him about the creatures moving beneath his branches. He told me about the Magi steeped in the Nagavor who had come and gone under His shade, and I was concerned. So I asked Him to take me to them. I was on my way when He told me that you’d been shot down.”

  “But how did you get to me that fast? How did you get to the pass so quickly?”

  Aleksei tapped his shoulder, and the black markings rippled at his touch, “I told the Wood that I needed to get to you, so He took me there.”

  Jonas nodded, closing his eyes, “I wish you’d killed Bael.”

  Aleksei frowned, “Who?”

  “The Magus you ran through. He killed Lord Captain Lenox and Bazin. He was the one in the Cathedral of Mokosh. He was the other Magus that tried to bond you.”

  As he said the words, Jonas understood the deeper implications. They had wondered why a Magus of such dark power would be skulking around the Voralla. At the time, Jonas had suggested a thousand reasons that might exist in the Voralla alone. But suddenly only one made absolute sense.

  The Prime Key.

  Aleksei frowned, “I tried to keep that thrust from being fatal, but unless one of his Magi found him before nightfall he couldn’t possibly have survived. Between that and the kick to the head, I might very well have killed him. I’d much prefer that he fear me, and that he spread that fear to his master.”

  Jonas held back a sigh. “Aleksei, I think Bael is seeking the Demonic Presence.”

  Aleksei frowned, “But I heard them talking. He acted as
though the other Magus, Stephen, was summoning the revenants. You said yourself that such power lay behind the second gate. That’s why I made a special effort to kill the man.”

  Jonas tried to nod and immediately regretted it. “I have a feeling Bael is more cautious than I gave him credit for.”

  “How do you mean?”

  Jonas managed a small smile, “If you opened one gate and found a sea of lesser demons, what would you expect to find behind the second?”

  “Something worse?”

  Jonas nodded, “I don’t think Bael was stupid enough to risk facing something he couldn’t handle.”

  Aleksei grunted. If such was the case, they might just have bought themselves a little time.

  “So what’s our next move?” Jonas asked softly.

  Aleksei sighed, “Well, for the moment, you regain your strength. Now that you’re conscious, the Ri-Vhan Healers can tend you. It’s not as perfect as your healing, but it’s a far cry better than those misguided fools in the Voralla.

  “Once that’s taken care of, we’ll head back to Kalinor. You’re going to need a bit longer to recover, I think, and we need to figure out what our next move is going to be.”

  Jonas nodded, “Alright. What are you going to do about Drava?”

  His Knight suddenly looked very tired. He ran a hand across his face and breathed deeply before answering, “I left Vadim in charge before I went into the Wood. If nothing else, we’ve given them time to fortify things. I might have to go to Mornj myself and get some troops out into the Relvyn region. Those villages need to be protected. Yrinu hasn’t shown any signs of aggression in decades, so I think we can spare the men.”

  Jonas nodded again. It was about all he could do at the moment. Why was he suddenly so tired? Surely he couldn’t be this weak.

  Aleksei smiled gently, “You look about ready for the crows. Go back to sleep, Jonas. I’ll wake you in an hour or so for your medicine.”

  “Medicine?” Jonas asked in dread.

  Aleksei winked, “Don’t worry. It’ll make you forget your own name, much less that your arm’s broken and your right leg’s in shambles.”

  Jonas chuckled softly as he drifted back into his dark, dreamless sleep.

  When Jonas woke again, Aleksei was sitting not far away, deep in conversation with Roux. The two men were speaking in low tones, but Jonas suspected that even had they been talking at a normal volume he wouldn’t have been able to understand them.

  Whatever Aleksei had given him was muddling his head, and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open. The room swam in blurry swirls and warm blankets of light, but Jonas was not bothered by the experience. Rather, it simply seemed the way of things at the moment.

  He realized as he lay there that nothing about his situation seemed to affect him. He could remember Aleksei telling him that his arm was broken, and while he understood what that meant, it didn’t bother him.

  He recalled his encounter with Emelian Krasik and the Magus Bael with the same level of intensity as he remembered the color of Tamara’s dress the last time he’d seen her. No one thought or concern took precedence over any other.

  “Ah, he’s awake.”

  Jonas tried to focus on the face floating a few paces away. He recognized Aleksei’s voice and tried to manage a smile.

  “Is he aware?” Roux asked.

  Aleksei nodded, “Mostly. I’ve given him quite a bit yuselk, so he’s not feeling any pain at the moment.”

  Roux frowned, “Where did you find yuselk? I didn’t realize it grew in the Wood this time of year.”

  Aleksei shrugged, “There was a patch along the southern border. I’m not really sure how it’s growing this late in the year myself, now that you mention it, but I asked the Wood where I might find some, and that’s where She took me.”

  Roux shook his head in wonder, “She’s taken quite a shine to you, hasn’t She?”

  Aleksei chuckled, “Apparently so. I think She’s been lonely without a Hunter to protect Her for so long.”

  Roux nodded, “Understandable. I mean, I can interpret Her messages, but not as directly as you can. I suppose our dealings with Her depend upon the different services we provide?”

  Aleksei shrugged again. It wasn’t something he spent a lot of effort thinking about, but he could understand Roux’s desire to grasp it. He remembered how hard it had been for his cousin to accept Aleksei being named Hunter.

  He looked at Jonas and an expression of sympathetic misery broke across his face. The Magus looked terrible, lying there on the bed Aleksei had built, covered in blankets and watching them, his normally brilliant green eyes dulled by the drugs in his blood and the pain his body refused to acknowledge.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  Jonas smiled weakly, “I’m not.”

  “Good. The Healers will be here after a bit and then you’ll be in better condition. We’ll be able to go to Kalinor in a day or two.”

  Jonas didn’t waste the energy trying to nod. Instead he closed his eyes and attempted to slip back into sleep, hoping to conserve what little strength he possessed.

  Aleksei turned back to Roux, satisfied that Jonas was resting peacefully, “So you were saying? About this?” He indicated the markings of the Mantle.

  Roux nodded, “Right, well, as I said before, no one has seen a Hunter marked by the Wood before, not in living memory. We have accounts of such a thing happening, but the last Hunter described as having markings like yours died during the Kholod War.”

  Aleksei frowned, “And none of these accounts mention what the Mantle does?”

  Roux shook his head, “Aleksei, when I say that the last Hunter to possess the Mantle died during the Kholod War, I’m speaking of the first Hunter.

  “I’m talking about Richter.”

  Aleksei felt a chill sweep through him.

  Richter was a legend. Aleksei wasn’t even convinced such a man had ever even existed. He idolized the man, if the tales were even half true, and yet to be the first to possess the same magic as a Magus who lived a thousand years ago was unthinkable. He had killed a hatchling Salamander. Had it been so long since She had bestowed this magic that that was all it took any longer? Or was he missing something?

  “However,” Roux continued, “there is a good deal of language that refers to balance and restoration. It’s apocryphal at best, and nearly impossible to put into the context of the time.”

  Aleksei cursed under his breath.

  It was enormously vexing to be gifted with something and yet to know so little of its nature. And the last bearer of this had been Richter? He tried to ask the Wood, but Her response was always the same and offered no solutions.

  A gift, for my Hunter.

  He sighed and walked over to the fire, staring into the flames as he mulled over Roux’s words. Hunters were rare enough, but for none to be so marked since the Kholod War was confusing. What purpose would the Wood have in holding back the Mantle, and why would She choose to grant it now?

  Perhaps it was nothing more than an odd series of coincidences, but somehow Aleksei found that unlikely. He needed to understand the reason.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices in the front room. He heard his Uncle Theo’s deep voice speaking in grave tones, and a moment later his uncle appeared in the doorway, followed by a woman who looked to be several years younger than Aleksei and a man who had to be Theo’s age, if not older.

  “Aleksei,” Theo said, smiling warmly, “this is Gaitan and Sorein. They’re here to help Jonas.”

  Aleksei nodded soberly, then crouched next to his Magus and touched his right arm. Jonas stirred, then opened one bleary eye.

  “Jonas, you need to wake up. The Healers are here.” he said softly.

  Jonas smiled and attempted to crane his neck to see what manner of people had arrived to heal him, only to remember that he’d torn practically every muscle in his neck during his fall.
<
br />   The woman called Sorein knelt at his side and smoothed her hand across his face, “There there, dear, try not to move.”

  Jonas glanced at Aleksei, and the Knight’s mind was suddenly filled with words.

  Who is this woman and why does she think I’m six summers old?

  Aleksei bit back a laugh and tried to scowl at his Magus. Jonas' levity was a good sign, he thought. It would help him heal faster.

  Aleksei’s attention was diverted by the sound of clinking glass. He turned his head to see Gaitan reach into a hard leather case and withdraw a series of small glass jars, each filled with a different colored liquid. Aleksei watched the other man intently, noting which potions he withdrew and which he left in the case.

  The Ri-Vhan art of healing had long held great fascination for Aleksei.

  Sorein reached into one of the pockets of her loose-fitting dress and withdrew a slender wooden tool, which Aleksei thought looked rather like a paintbrush. Gaitan produced a similar tool and then turned to Sorein, his face inquisitive.

  “What are the afflicted areas, then?”

  Aleksei opened his mouth to answer the question, but Sorein answered instead, touching Jonas' forehead and speaking in voice devoid of emotion.

  “Broken left arm, torn muscles throughout the neck and back, the right leg’s completely shattered. The injuries seem…off, though. I don’t know how to describe it.”

  Sorein was at a loss for words. Aleksei sighed. Of course the injuries wouldn’t seem right.

  “When he sustained the injuries,” Aleksei said wearily, “he was a bird.”

  The two Healers looked at him as though he’d gone mad.

  “I beg your pardon?” Gaitan said, his brow drawing down.

  “Jonas. He was a bird when he was shot through the left wing and fell to the forest floor. It was only after that he shifted back into the form of a man, and therefore the injuries would seem odd in placement, because they were originally caused in the body of a bird.”

  “Then we must heal him as a bird.” Sorein proclaimed. “He can change back, can’t he?”