by R W Caron
The hunter screamed in rage and pain as he punched out driving Nahan back. Nahan tripped over the body of the guard he just slew and fell back. The hunter launched himself at Nahan as he fell and two crashed through the railing falling hard on the marble floor.
∆∆∆
Alina lay in the rain, several cuts on her arms and a few nicks on her face but relatively unschaved after the smack from Shatina. Andrew and his men came rushing out moment after as Alina tried to push herself up she realized something inside her was broken. She placed her hand on her ribs and pushed wincing in pain. ‘yep your ribs took the most of that.’ She said. Then she pushed herself up breathing through the pain. She got to her feet and clutched to her left favoring her ribs. She started towards the door but Andrew stopped her.
“Carmae has got her.” Andrew replied. “We have the king now.”
Erwin stared up blankly at the sky as Andrews men layed him on the stone. Andrew stared down at the man and pulled his sword out. “Do you have any last words?” Andrew asked leveling his sword at the king who was barely concuss.
“I…” the king started. “I’m…” He coughed up blood trickled while it from his mouth. Everything inside the man was crushed from Shatina, Andrew could leave him here and no cleric nor magic nothing would save him. “I’m sorry.” She choked out.
All the rage in Andrew disappeared for a moment. That was not what Andrew expected, Andrew had expected him to get and plead while being hold strong willed. The words echoed in Andrews head and he sheathed his sword and knelt beside the man. “Why?” Andrew asked.
“She poisoned my mind and I was a horrible king.” He spat. “Treat them well, as your father would have.” The king said as his eyes rolled widened and his strength fled his body.
“I will.” Andrew vowed. “Go in peace to wherever will except you.”
“And so, this ends the tyrant rein of King Erwin the second.” Tuck spoke soundly. The men cheered as Andrew stood. The sound of battle ended in the room they had come from and tuck slipped back in.
“Send word the king is dead.” Andrew said to one of the men.
“Who shall I say took his place? You sir?” He asked.
“No.” Andrew replied quickly. “No one shall take his place. Our land is free.” The men cheered again and Andrew smiled. He looked toward where Alina had been standing but she was gone. The rain did well to hide her blood trail, but he knew where she was going. “Clear out the rest of the guard that will not join, help the people of Debec, the war is over.” Andrew commanded. The men took off to do as they where commanded as Andrew turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could to the great hall. He had hopes of finding Nahan and not the Hunter. However, if the Hunter lived he would slay him himself for the good of the world.
∆∆∆
Nahan rolled to his side couching up blood and trying to regain his senses from the fall. He found one of his blades and grasped it will all his might. The pain in his side was excruciating and now his left shoulder was useless from the fall. He could not wield two weapons if he tried. He looked over to where the hunter had fallen a few feet from him. The man was recovering as well and Nahan new the fight would be on again.
Nahan pushed himself to a knee and stared over at the Hunter who glanced up at him. Suddenly as if in no pain at all the hunter shot at Nahan with blinding speed slicing down at him with his sword. Nahan deflected the blow aside but the Hunter drove his knee into Nahan’s jaw. Nahan fell to the ground unable to defend himself as the Hunter stalked around him and put the tip of his blade to Nahan’s throat. “I have seen those eyes before.” The hunter laughed.
“We have battled before.” Nahan said.
“Nay’ those are your fathers eyes.” The Hunter said. Nahan’s head was swirling as the Hunter continued. “I wondered how you were so talented, since our first duel but now I understand.”
“Your lies have no meaning hear.” Nahan replied having heard the story about how his family had been killed Nahan could feel that the Hunter was not lying but he refused to give him the satisfaction of toying with him. “Kill me and be done with it.”
“Your father said something similar. He begged I let his wife live. So I slit her throat first. Then I killed your father and was about to finish you off once that damn griffin came to your aid again. I was but a boy and could not defeat such a great beast.”
“You’re a liar.” Nahan said not wanting to believe him and suddenly slapping the sword away from his throat and kicking the hunters legs out. He rolled over his damaged shoulder and fought off the yell of pain as he grasped his sword and rushed in. All the pain aside Nahan attacked hard and fast driving the hunter back. The hunter countered Nahan’s attack and meant to run him through.
As the sword drove for Nahan’s belly and Arrow slammed Into the Hunters shoulder. The impact sent the Hunter off balance but he grasped the dagger from Nahan’s belt and fired it in the direction of the arrow.
∆∆∆
Alina had entered the Grand Hall and saw her love pinned to the ground. She loaded a shot but could not pull the string back. She grasped the bow in her off hand and take a deep breathe fighting through the pain as she drew the bow back. She leveled for the Hunters head but Nahan suddenly sprung up and attacked. Alina fought the pain as she held her shot.
She had heard everything and as much as she knew Nahan did not believe it, she knew it to be true. Magmus had told her the Hunter was the Child of a Rivaling family in land of Okora. Nahan had been a babe and Nayla had saved him before the hunter could kill him.
She knew that that is why the master feared this encounter. They Had hoped the Hunter blind to who Nahan was but after what she just heard she knew that that was not true. No one could match the speed and focus of Okora Noble blood. Magmus had told her that Nahan was a Noble but he had suppressed the focus for so long that he feared Nahan found fall. Magmus had told her of what would happen if Nahan was to die.
That was not a reality she wished anyone to live in and she would not let a little pain stop her from saving the name she loved even if it cost her, her life.
The hunter’s defenses opened and he twisted his blade to stab Nahan and she let the arrow go. The pain in her shoulder was do much and the arrow fired off target hitting the Hunter in the shoulder. Alina closed her eyes as the Dagger flew at her, accepting death and her failure to protect the man she loved.
∆∆∆
Andrew pushed through the door just as shot was fired. He ran with all his might, his heart hammering in his chest as he seen the shot hit the hunter’s shoulder and him reach for the dagger. Andrew Knew he didn’t have time to think as he rushed towards Alina to cover her, to protect her. The dagger came in hard and fast thrown with blinding speed.
It happened so quickly that Andrew thought the dagger had missed him completely. He pushed Alina out of the way just in time to take the dagger in the chest. The weapon, thrown at such incredible speed pierced his armor and now hung from his chest. Andrew looked down at the blade as blood slowly started to flow from the hole in his armor. Andrew fought to stay standing, but his knees buckled and he fell hard, unable to catch himself.
∆∆∆
As Andrew fell the Rest of the men cam into the room. The Hunter knew he was out numbered, wounded and exhausted. He spun around and fled. Nahan forced himself to his feet and started to give chase but the sobs of Alina held him where he stood. He turned to see Andrew laying on the floor, dagger protruding from his chest and moved to his fallen friend. Nahan knelt beside Andrew and his eyes started to fill with tears.
“Hey,” Andrew said in distress. “Don’t cry over me. Big softy.”
Nahan smiled at the joke. “I should have been quicker.”
“No.” Andrew replied. “I should have been quicker.”
Alina cradled his head in her lap trying to comfort him as he stared at Nahan. “I am sorry brother. I should have never left your side, never thought you anything but on honorable man. I should have
never left you.” Nahan said sobbing slightly.
“I would never have built the army I did if you wouldn’t have.” Andrew coughed. “I would not have had the strength for it.”
“Yes, you would have.” Alina said. “I too left you.”
“Nahan,” Andrew said softly slowly losing strength.
“Yes Brother.” Nahan said.
“Promise me that you will hunt the man that did this, but that you will not become him.” Andrew said even softer into Nahan’s ear. Nahans heart felt as if a giant where stepping on it and he could not hold the tears back any longer. As the slide from his eyes as if free flowing rivers.
“I promise.” He said as his voice cracked trying once again to control his emotion.
“And take care of Alina for me.” Andrew said with a smile. “She couldn’t ask for a better man.” Nahan nodded knowing Andrew to be quoting him from a mere hour before. With a few last breaths Andrew slowly left the world of the living. As he left the world he breathed out and everyone in the room heard the words as clear as day, though they were only a whisper. “Hello Father.”
Nahan felt the strength leave his friends hand as his body went limp. Nahan’s jaw tightened and he bowed his head. The soldiers in the room turned to each other for comfort as Alina fell into Nahan. He wanted to go after the hunter, to find and kill the man that had murdered his family and his friend. He was needed here unfortunately. He closed his eyes as tears pushed out and consoled Alina. There would be a time to hunt that man, but that time was not now.
∆∆∆
The hunter had never fled from a fight, he always had a plan but this time he had to. Nahan had learned more in the year that he could have ever imagined. He knew that he needed to return to his homeland, heal and train. He also knew that Nahan would come for him and that excited the Hunter. Never before had someone pushed him to his limits, never before had even come almost close to dying.
The hunter grasped the arrow in his shoulder and pushed it the rest of the way through his shoulder fighting through the pain and then snapped the shaft and let gravity do the rest as the rest of the arrow fell behind him. The Hunter continued through the castle and exited through one of the many secret passage ways her had found in his time here. He made his way to the stabled and mounted a horse, spurring it on and heading towards the docks. It would be a two-day trek but he needed to get free from this land.
The hunter smiled as he pushed the horse harder towards the water. Nahan and him would meet again, that much was for sure. The thought that made him smile what the uncertainly of it all. The thrill of the fight. Nahan had more spunk that his father ever had, for the hunter remembered defeating Nahan’s father quite quickly. The hunter did not count the woman as a true kill as she sat there staring at him, no fear no fight nothing. She accepted death where as the man had tried to fight. The Hunter however had been taught to fight and kill one when he was merely 5 years old. His father had wanted a killer and he created one.
The Hunters smiled widened at that thought. His father had made him into a coldblooded killer and so when he got a piece of paper with his father’s name on it and a sum of gold more then he could ever imagine he was more then glad to slide his blades between his fathers’ ribs.
He did not think that that alone would ignite the second war between the family of Okaro but it did. The hunter had started both wars, fifteen years apart. He took some pride in that as he thought back to it and let himself fall into memory as he rode.
The two-day ride was over before he knew it. He had taken some elkroot, jewelflower and limestone to grind a paste to fill his wound. It was a minor fix but one that would allow him time to seek real medical attention. He found the ship Shatina had said would be waiting for him and climb on. A beastly looking man stepped up to him, his skin as red as blood and his triangle shaped hat resting on what looked like hair but was hard like bone. “You are late.” The man growled in common tongue.
“And you are ugly.” The Hunter shot back with a smile. The man looked shocked but Shatina had told him to be brash if he wanted to live. The creatures snarl turned slightly to the smile.
“You are,” he seemed to struggle with the word as he stroked his long black goatee. “Blood?” he said pointing to the hunter’s eye and shoulder.
“I am injured.” The hunter replied. “But that shall not delay us. Let’s go.”
“Fix you.” The creature said then pointed to a trap door on the deck. “Doc will.”
He then started barking orders in a langue the hunter did not know. She slowly moved to the trap door then climb the best he could down the steps. Below deck there was bunks on top of bunks and enough supply for ten trips to Okora and back. Sitting on a tiny stood sat a man nearly three foot tall. A stubby little man in a white coat. The hunter turned to head back up to the deck but as he turned around the little man was standing there and blew dust into the hunter’s face. The hunter dropped and was out cold within seconds.
“Gnome magic,” he little man said. “Works every time.”
Epilogue
Mistress Carmae, all the hunting parties have come back, no one has seen her.” Said a young squire boy taking a knee in front of Carmae. Her elegant robes hiding her still healing burns. The silk felt good on her skin but on the burns, they caused irritation when she moved. Carmae looked down at him and smiled.
“Relax child, you have nothing to fear.” Carmae said in a soft tone and the boy visibly relax. “Then there is only one place she could have gone.” Carmae’s gaze fell on a man to her right. Tuck stood hands clasped in front of him. Tuck smiled at her and stepped forward dropping a small bag of coins into the boys hands.
“Run along son.” He said in his gruff voice. The boy smiled at them both and turned exiting the room quickly. Tuck dropped to a knee once the boy was gone and stared at Carmae. “The Forest of Azar.”
“We don’t have the man power to find her there.” Carmae said plainly. “Nor do I care to find her.” She lied.
“You don’t need to lie to me.” Tuck replied with a knowing smirk. “Let me take a handful of men to find her.”
“Shatina isn’t worth it. How she survived I don’t know, but I can’t risk losing you, or the men.” Carmae replied.
“Me?” Tuck asked trying to act shocked.
“Who else will carry me around?” Carmae asked playfully.
“Ah, my use is finally brought to light.” Tuck continued the game.
“I would have no one else,” She said pulling him to her.
“Mercenary.”
The two kissed long and passionately, Tuck lifted her out of her chair and she visibly winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Its ok. Lets me know I’m alive and will be kicking soon.” Carmae said wrapping his arms around his neck.
“I’ll carry you to the clerks.” Tuck said with a smile.
“Onward Mercenary.” Carmae replied with a smile.
∆∆∆
The wind was warm against Nahan’s skin and the seasons change was in full swing, the hustle and bustle of Debec was behind him as he stared out across the Helkus Sea. His heart ached at the loss of his friend and though months have gone by his eyes showed the many sleepless night he had suffered. The Hunter had gotten away, his friend had died, many of his people where killed, Shatina somehow survived and disappeared, and it was all because of him. Nahan breathed deep, wondering how the color of his skin and the belief of his people had cause so much loss and pain. ‘Am I to blame’ he wondred ‘was it a fools errand to think this would be over by taking this city? Did I honestly believe that the risk was worth the reward.’ Nahan’s moment to himself was ended suddenly as an eagle landed on the dock in front of him. In a flash the eagle transforms into Lexi. Nahan removes his cloak and hands it to her. She wraps it around her naked body and grins.
“I have news.” She said seemingly out of breath.