The Winter's Hunt

by R. K. Rickson

  Leila walked to the crate and opened the knapsack to find her clothes and some of her belongings neatly packed away, and a sword shaped like Gerald’s with it. She put a hand over her mouth and gasped, then looked to Torga and asked, “You found the stuff I had packed last night…didn’t you?”

  “Well, you left it in the main hearth of the longhouse. I wasn’t going to forget it. That told me you made your choice,” Torga said with a knowing grin. He held an arm out to the villagers and added, “I think they all have known for some time, too. And they’ve got something to say, yes?”

  The villagers all cried out words of encouragement and best wishes for Leila’s new journey, and she stood apoplectic while her eyes saw all of their joyful faces and heard their words to follow her dreams of seeing the world.

  Leila sniffled as tears streaked down her face, then she ran and jumped into her father’s arms and sobbed into his shoulder. Torga pulled her tight to his, and said to her, “Go into the world, and see everything to your heart’s content. The village will be here cheering you on every step of the way.”

  “Thank you, father, thank you all for your kindness!!!” Leila choked out as loudly as she could back to everyone. She then personally said her goodbyes to most of the villagers with a hug, then came to Olga. The elder woman took Leila’s face in her hands, then smiled with great love and said, “You’ll do just fine out there. Your mother would be proud.”

  Gida ran over to Leila and threw her tiny arms around her leg, and Leila scooped the child up so that she could hug her back. As her arms wrapped around Leila’s neck, she let out a sniffle of her own and said to the jarl’s daughter, “Leila, don’t get eaten by any scary monsters, okay? Beat them up! And if it gets bad, Mister Ryland and Mister Kaito will help protect you!”

  Leila laughed heartily at Gida’s words, then looked at her and replied with a smile that forced herself to stop crying before the young girl, “Of course I will. I’ll take them all on and make them my dinners!”

  She set Gida down and patted her on the head, then walked over to her belongings. Leila slung the knapsack over her shoulder, took the sword, and asked her father, “You didn’t bring my greataxe?”

  Torga shook his head and replied, “From what I was told, you’re far better and more suited to a blade, courtesy of Erik’s blathering and Gerald’s praise. Why not step out of my shadow and become your own warrior?”

  Leila nodded, and agreed that the weight of a sword was much preferable to the heavy heft of the greataxe she wielded. She strapped her belt through the scabbard loop, and walked down the pier to the brow, then sighed, and walked up the wooden path to the ship. One of the crew members offered to take her stuff to her bunk, which Leila agreed too.

  She then saw Ryland’s beaming face and Kaito’s modest grin, and jogged over to the two, and hugged Kaito first. The martial artist was not as used to such shows of affection and quite surprised by it but returned the embrace after. Leila then moved to Ryland, who almost had to catch the jarl’s daughter from having nearly jumped at him.

  “Ryland, I want to be a bounty hunter like you and Kaito,” Leila said with temerity as she stepped back to face the two. “Can you help me?”

  Ryland clenched a fist and pumped it before his face with a smile, then replied, “Absolutely! The next exam isn’t until the summer, so until then, you’ll travel with us and help us hunt down bounties. You won’t be able to receive anything from the IHB themselves until you’re licensed, but we’ll help out where we can. Sound fair?”

  Leila nodded and grinned back in kind, “That’s perfectly fine to me. I just want to see the world, and why not do it like how you two do?”

  Jeff called to the crew, and bellowed, “All right boys, all hands man your stations, we’re departing from Hjaalren!”

  The men roared back their acknowledgement as the wooden gangway was pulled from the boat and the ship’s rowers dipped their oars in the water from the lower decks, which started to move the ship from the pier. All the villagers from Hemmigatr at the port shouted their goodbyes, with many of them going to Leila.

  Ryland and Kaito waved their goodbyes as Leila ran to the railing, leaned on it, and shouted to them, “Thank you all! I’ll be back sometime, I promise!”

  As the pier grew further away, Jeff called to the mast personnel, “Drop sails, let’s head to Durassa!”

  Hours later, The Raging Hammer was coasting through the chilly sea, southwest bound for the arid country of Durassa, while the crew members were manned at their stations. A gentle tailwind from the north was pushing the ship along, and the weather provided the optimal day for travel.

  Leila looked around in astonishment at the open sea and had never seen the ocean as blue as it was. She took in a deep breath of the salty oceanic air, then exhaled with a sense of gratitude and wonder as she walked around the different areas of the ship, curious to how they functioned.

  Ryland was tucked into a plate of seared cod and bread, then took a swig of his waterskin, looked to Kaito, and asked, “How’s the letter to Bettis and Donna coming along?”

  Kaito pointed to the sky and replied, “Griffith was sent out on flight this morning to Durassa. He’ll arrive far before we will, so they’ll get the news before long. Until then, the distance there is on the longer side since we have to make our way down and west, so we may as well prepare the best we can.”

  Jeff walked down the stairs from the bridge and joined the duo, “Well lads, you certainly both know how to make a salty sailor’s thirst of adventure hit hard. You keep finding these big shots to take on and giving my boys fights to handle, I may just make your travel fare non-existent at how we’re going!”

  Ryland held up a hand and answered, “Oh, that’s kind of you to offer, Jeff! We’ll pay our fare until then. If you truly deem that worth a bargain, then you make that call.”

  “Since I took ya from Minoteague to the exam, it’s been a wild month and some change. My boys are already itchin’ for another brawl, so if Hackshot has this big crew like they say he does, then we’ll join you.”

  “What exactly is he like? We don’t know much about him, other than he’s Boswick’s boss.”

  Jeff rubbed his sideburns, then explained, “Hackshot is a notorious crime boss that, as you know, is an expert at procuring supplies and finding treasure. My only guess to why he made Durassa his home base is due to the limited presence the World Guard has there. Unlike Erik or Lyle, he’s dangerous, so it goes without saying to be extra careful when picking a fight with him.”

  “Fortunately, Bettis is a native of Durassa, so hopefully he knows a thing or two about Hackshot to help our hunt.”

  Kaito folded his arms over his chest and interjected, “Not to mention, having a large brigand group under his belt isn’t going to make this hunt easy. We’re going to need to strategize with La Bastione when we arrive.”

  Ryland nodded and agreed, “Certainly. The good news is that we have Leila with us now too, which helps with our numbers. She’s not official IHB, but the rules do say that unlicensed members can travel with a team and operate as one in the loose sense.”

  “That’s right. Brock did mention that one team that’s real popular with the public in the world and has five members, with one that’s not a registered team member or IHB hunter, yet still helps with the hunts.”

  Jeff’s eyes lit up a bit and said, “Five hunters? Popular team? You mean the Raigen Riders? They’re almost celebrities in the public eye!”

  “Wait, they’re the Raigen Riders?!” Ryland asked, baffled. “Rockfort told us they were his heroes and were a team of vigilantes that fought crime and helped people! They’re hunters?!”

  “I’m not fully certain if they are the hunting team in question, but there’s five of them and they’re real popular with the people. Fancy suits, over-the-top poses, and really good at martial arts. Maybe they’re one in the same.”

  Kaito’s face was the one that lit up to attention at the mention of martial ar
ts, as well as the team as he answered, “My master loves reading about them in the news scrolls. They’re so popular with the public, they were written into comic characters for the news scrolls. I don’t know if they’re an actual hunting team. Otherwise, we’d know about them from the IHB, right? Besides, it would be great to spar with them and learn from them. The comics depict them in coordinated colored suits, stealth masks, and each a practitioner of a different style of hand-to-hand combat.”

  “Well, I certainly hope we run into them down the line! Even if they’re not IHB hunters, it’d be great to see why Rockfort loves them so much,” Ryland replied. “I have never heard of them until Rockfort told us back in Harkenwild.”

  “They’re real; that much is certain. Master Yatsura couldn’t get enough of reading their comics. He saved the issues of the news scrolls with their stories in them. For the time I’ve known my master, he’s always been calm, stoic, and disciplined. However, those comics were always the thing that could make him smile like a child when he’d read them.”

  “Hm. I’ll read one of their comics when the news scrolls come through then.”

  Leila approached the guys with a jubilant disposition and said to them, “What are you guys speaking of?”

  Ryland replied, “IHB matters and the hunt ahead. Hackshot’s going to be a tough one to capture, so we’re discussing how to approach the matter.”

  Leila nodded and answered, “Ah, that makes sense. Well, we’ve got some time until we arrive, why don’t we relax a bit until then?”

  Ryland stretched his arms out and said, “It is a nice day for some fishing, why don’t we kick back a bit today?”

  Jeff chuckled and pointed to the aft, and said, “I already got a line in the water, hurry up and get some bait on and cast out! There’s good fish along this part of the sea!”

  News of the World, Volume 2: The World Summit Prelude Begins!

  Heartstouch 20, 1008

  “Oh my, the World Summit letters have gone out already! I suppose we should be on standby for our invitations and hold our council meeting before summer rolls around,” Head Registrar Geno Carusso mused as he read the news scroll near the fireplace in his office. The kind old man thumbed through the pages for any updates on IHB activity around the world.

  Geno nearly fell out of his seat as a stocky dwarf threw the door open and barged into his office.

  “Oi, Geno!” the dwarf boomed, while he caught his breath.

  “Brock, what in the world has you so spun up today? Could you knock before scaring an old man like that?” Geno replied as he relaxed his shoulders. “I would not like to pass away from a heart attack, after all.”

  “Forgive me, head registrar,” Brock answered. He paused at the old man’s words, then said with a skeptical look on his face, “Wait a minute, we both know yer’ far tougher than that! Don’t be playin’ coy, now! Anyways, I found out some incredible news that you’ll want to hear.”

  “What is it, Brock?”

  “I saw some of the recently turned in bounties, and whaddya know? Ryland and Kaito took down Lyle!”

  Geno’s eyes perked up as he looked with an eager grin at his dwarven subordinate and asked, “They did, now?”

  “Aye, they did! Turned in about six days ago, out in Hjaalren! Even better, I peeked at the current bounties still out there, right? And they have taken the same bounty as Bettis and Donna did to take on Hackshot! I’ll tell ye what, these kids in the Decade Seven are a friendly lot with one another!”

  Geno laughed, took a sip of his tea, then replied with exuberance, “That’s wonderful news! They’re probably the most cooperative round of hunters with one another to ever come out of the exams! Most of the others are more or less indifferent to each other. They could stand to learn the value of team ups more. Or at least, the ones that aren’t A and S rank. At that level, there’s far more necessity to leverage other teams with each other with the challenges in the Halthian Rim.”

  “Aye. Ryland and Kaito are already D rank, so in terms of progress with ranks, Frontier Okami leads the way. The Wind City Wakers have been building their rank steadily in Harkenwild, and La Bastione have been working at Hackshot’s crew. If Hackshot gets toppled there, that’s going to put their teams on the map for the Jepsward region.”

  Geno stroked his long silver beard and replied, “Well then, we should be looking forward to seeing Hackshot go down next, hm? They’re a brave lot. Most E and D rank hunters wouldn’t have bothered with Hackshot, and yet, two of the three Decade Seven teams are going out of their way to pick a fight with him. These young ones are certainly rookie hunters to watch!”

  “That they are, sir. Now then, shall I leave ye to yer readin’?”

  Geno held a hand up and answered, “Not quite yet. The World Summit is approaching in the summer, and that means we need to have a council meeting for the IHB before then. I plan to speak with the other council members on arranging that before we’re needed at the summit. I’m going to write each one and await their replies. Would you like to join the trip when we finally agree on a date?”

  “I would love that, sir!” Brock roared back. “Oh! Speaking of, the magistrate in Hjaalren told me we have some recovered supplies on the way back, thanks to Mister Legato and Otani. They should be here within another week or so.”

  Geno beamed and answered, “These kids are going to leave a mark in the world. I cannot wait to see how the Decade Seven grows!”

  In Durassa, a falcon flew in a tight spiral in the evening sky around Bettis and Donna while they walked through the streets to get dinner at Bettis’s favorite curry shop, one that Donna had come to like quite nicely since their time there.

  “Bettis, can we hurry up and take down Hackshot already so we can leave this place?” Donna complained as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. “If it’s already hot now, the spring is going to be scorching.”

  Bettis sighed as he answered, “We’re taking down the members of his crew first, Donna. If we go charging after Hackshot so quickly, we’ll be killed. There’s only two of us and way more of him and his crew. We’ve gathered some allies to help, but there’s only so much we can do. The methodical takedown of taking his lower crew out and working our way up the chain is our best shot.”

  Donna harrumphed and stomped her foot, then puffed her cheeks up in frustration and retorted, “This heat is not to my liking. I’d like to go elsewhere at some point for more bounties.”

  “Me too, trust me,” Bettis replied, an air of sincerity in his voice. “This is a bit of a personal bounty for me, so when we take him down, I promise you get to pick the next destination.”

  A screech from above jerked the attention of the bounty hunters into the evening orange sky as the falcon above them swooped down and slowed its flight.

  “Hey, that’s the messenger falcon the others got!” Donna replied as she held out her arm for the falcon to land. Griffith gently plopped down on her arm and the young woman saw the paper tied around its belly. Bettis untied the string and took the paper out, then unfurled it.

  “Well? Well? What does it say? Who is it from?” Donna excitedly asked with a smile as she pet Griffith under his chin.

  Bettis’s eyes scanned the paper, then widened as a grin formed on his face. He paused and said, “This is excellent news! This is from the Frontier Okami!”

  “Ryland and Kaito?!” Donna gleefully asked.

  “Yes! And they’re on their way to Durassa to take down Hackshot as well; we have another team to hunt with now!”

  “Di molto! That’s fantastic news! What led them to hunt down Hackshot?”

  “They took down Lyle back in Hjaalren, but Boswick escaped for here. Apparently, they both worked for Hackshot, and judging from what is written here, Ryland’s furious at Hackshot and Boswick. Kaito wrote this letter, no doubt.”

  “So that means we’re going to see them again and take on Hackshot together, huh?” Donna asked excitedly.

  “Yes indeed! This is great new
s! When they get here, we’ll strategize with them and finally be rid of this guy!”

  “Well then, let’s go celebrate with some curry! Dinner’s on you!” Donna cried with a playful wink as she walked inside with Griffith. Bettis shook his head and smiled, his spirits boosted by such a letter. The Frontier Okami were a welcome edge La Bastione sorely needed in their fight against Hackshot and his brigands.

  “Thank goodness we have some help on the way. I can’t wait to see those two again,” Bettis thought aloud to himself as he walked into the curry shop and took a seat with Donna as the waiter approached their table.

  In the hideout where the brigand group of Hackshot’s crew was, a muscular man with an eyepatch read over the news scroll of the bounties turned in by the IHB.

  “Hmm…we’ve lost twenty of our own the past month,” the man said in his deep, gravelly voice. His eyes continued down the page until he saw Lyle’s name among the turned in. “Lyle?! He’s been captured?” The man looked up and bellowed down the hall, “Boswick! Get in here!”

  A moment later, Boswick sauntered into the room and took a polite bow before the man. His eyes met his powerful build, one that easily towered over him at a whopping eight and a half feet, with green skin and tied back black hair in a ponytail. The exaggerated size of the canines he had further showed one half of his lineage, and was an impressive and dangerous being, despite one of his brown eyes unusable under an eyepatch.

  “You called for me, Hackshot?” Boswick politely replied.

  Hackshot tossed him the news scroll and Boswick caught it opening the page and turned to the bounties. His eyes went through the names and stopped on Lyle’s which then stared transfixed at it.

  “Was…he really caught?” Boswick asked, a hoarse whisper in his voice. “He was supposed to have escaped!”

  Hackshot grunted and answered, “It’s unfortunate. You and him are two of my best men to carry on with the work that you do. If he’s now in IHB hands, someone most likely has a lead on us from Hjaalren.”