Aerys could not make out if he was joking or not. The hunter had been a huge let down. He had expected someone else quite frankly. He had always thought that all hunters resembled Master Elric; good and noble. Drake was the absolute contrary. He was quickly irritated and angered and he disliked talking as much as it was possible. He always kept their conversation to the minimum and would just drink his wine while contemplating the sky dreamily.
The next morning, the hunter woke Aerys up at dawn as usual and they started off after a quick breakfast of meat again. They walked all day without any midday stop surprisingly. Aerys did not mind much for he had his fill of meat but his feet were sore and he was having more difficulty to follow Drake’s pace. He could barely keep up the pace on which they had been walking since they left Dimes. It was so hot that he had to drench himself continuously in the little streams they passed to cool his body. If he saw that Aerys was tired, the hunter made no allusion to it. He continued to lead at a quick pace while drinking occasionally from his bottles.
They passed through a small wood and when they came out of it Aerys saw the smoke. At first he thought that it was the welcoming smoke of a chimney but as soon as they emerged from the woods, he realized his mistake. It was a pretty bad sight. The house before them had been burnt. As they approached, he noticed the darkened walls and the broken windows. The roof had fallen down too. Drake stopped by the door and looked inside but his gaze did not linger. He walked all around the house and stopped on the east side.
There was a trail of burnt grass that led away to the nearby hill.
-What does this trail tell you?, he asked Aerys.
The latter smiled, confident.
-It means that this house was burnt by monsters as this trail suggests.
-Good, replied Drake without heat. Now can you tell me what monster did this?
Aerys smile faded away.
-Hmm…could that have been a gorgon? He said tentatively.
-Nonsense lad, retorted Drake angrily. One does not make assumptions like this without any concrete proofs. Come here, he added kneeling down near the burnt grasses.
Aerys hurried to his side and looked where he was pointing.
-Here, do you notice these footprints? There are multiple ones which imply that there were multiple creatures and now that you have that information, you can easily find the culprit.
-Really?, asked Aerys dubious.
Drake sighed.
-Really lad. This means that the creatures which did this acted as a group and add to that they can use fire and this will point out to only one creature.
He looked questioningly at Aerys who reddened under his gaze.
-Imps lad…Imps.
-Imps? Asked Aerys puzzled. Imps can’t burn things.
Drake stood up and started to follow the trail.
-Have you ever seen an imp? He called from over his shoulder.
Aerys hurried after him.
-Yes, he replied. There was that day when some appeared in the village. Mater Elric dealt with them quickly though.
-Did you see how he killed them?
-Aye. That was some swordsmanship. He was really amazing.
Drake snorted.
-Never loses an occasion to brag this one. Well despite this, he used the perfect way to deal with imps. Normal imps are not very dangerous but they may become a pain in the ass under one circumstance.
-Fire?, suggested Aerys.
-Yes…fire. When an imp gets in contact with fire, even the smallest flame, his whole body ignites and he transforms into a flame imp which is ten times more dangerous than an ordinary imp and as they move in group, this means that the whole group eventually transforms.
-And how can we defeat them then?
-That depends on the situation and the environment lad. It there’s water, then you’d be a fool not to use it. However if you don’t have any, then you use your brains and your sword in last resort.
-Would it not be better just to shoot them at a distance with a bow?
-Aye…but I’m not any good with a bow and even then you’d have to be a really good bowman for the imps can shoot fireballs at a staggering distance.
They walked on for half an hour before Drake halted behind some bushes.
-There’s the lair, he said pointing towards an opening in the hillside.
Aerys did not particularly like the look of the place and wondered if they would have to go in. Luckily Drake did not favor that idea too.
-I have a better idea, he said as he sat down and began rummaging in his bag. He took out a small barrel and his stones.
-What are you going to do with that? Asked Aerys intrigued.
Drake smiled mysteriously.
-You will see lad but I guarantee that it will be worth it. Now, he added getting up. I want you to cover me. We will go near the caves entrance and while I do my work, you will have to keep an eye inside in case one of them decides to come out. Is that clear?
Aerys nodded and they made their way towards the cave as silently as they could. While drake opened the barrel, Aerys posted himself against the hillside and peeped inside. He did not see anything though for it was pitched dark and the fading sunlight did not help much. The first impression he got was that of an overwhelming heat coming from inside. He listened closely but the only sound he heard was that of droplets of water falling on the rocks.
He looked at the hunter and found the latter busy filling the crakes near the entrance with a black powder. He wanted to ask him about what it was but he knew that it would not be a good idea to talk at this moment. The last thing he wanted was to see a swarm of imps coming out of the cave. The work lasted a couple of minutes and at last Drake closed the barrel again and pointed towards the trees. They ran there and knelt behind. Drake put the barrel away and began to rub the two stones together. Aerys noticed that there was a trail of black powder that led towards the cave. The flame took at that moment and the black powder burnt. Aerys watched as the powder trail burnt and made its way towards the cave.
-Take cover lad, shouted Drake crawling down.
Aerys imitated him quickly and the next thing he heard was that of a terrible explosion. Dust and bits of rocks fell down on them. Drake stood up and looked towards the cave entrance which was obscured by smoke.
-That’s some good business, he said with a smile.
-What was that? Asked Aerys getting up too, covered in dust. He tried to get some off him but gave up. There was simply too much.
-It was blasting powder, explained Drake picking his bag up. It costs a hell lot of gold but it’s worth it.
He cursed then and ran towards the cave entrance. Aerys looked there too and saw what the hunter had seen. His heart fell. The smoke had begun to disperse and he saw that there was a big hole where small yellowish creatures were coming out of. Their whole body was covered in flames. He took his sword out and ran to join the hunter who was already engaging in combat.
-Stay back, roared Drake as he cut three imps down with his sword.
Aerys backed away immediately. He wanted to help but after a couple of minutes he realized why the hunter had told him to stay back. Drake was an even better fighter than Master Elric. His sword moved freely and quickly in his hands and the number of imps lying dead at his feet increased exponentially. If Aerys had entered the fight, he would not have been able to fight that freely for fear of hurting him.
However, despite his strength, Aerys could see that Drake was quickly being surrounded by the imps who were still coming out of the cave in numbers. His hair was burning and he had already taken some fireballs despite avoiding the majority due to his amazing agility and speed.
Aerys knew that he could not stand there and watch. His brains worked quickly and his eyes fell on the barrel that lay on the ground not far away. He acted on instinct and ran towards it. He picked it up and looked up directly over the cave entrance. He saw that there was an excavation big enough to put the barrel. This was his chance. He hurried t
owards the hillside and looked up. The cliff was steep but he noticed several places where he could hold. He started to climb. He moved quickly and soon found himself at a reasonable height. He began to move sideways towards the entrance. This proved to be more difficult for he could not find holds to move on safely. IT was then that he made a false move and nearly fell. He managed to keep his balance and stay tightly on the cliff.
He breathed heavily as he hung on tightly trying not to fall. A sudden burn on his back made him cry loudly in pain. He looked down quickly and realized that if he had managed not to fall down, he had drawn the attention of the imps.
He did not waste time and started to move again. Another fireball caught him and he then thought of the barrel. It was lucky that he had put it in front of him. If it caught fire, he was as good as dead. As he moved, he could not help but fear that it would explode. His heart beat so quickly that he thought it might come out of his chest. The fire blasts were intensifying down there and his forces began abandoning him. His body pained him terribly as the fireballs caught his hands and legs too. But he held on though and finally arrived above the cave. He quickly put the barrel inside the cavity and looked down one last time. It was a critical moment and he waited for the imps to fire at him. As the fireballs moved toward shim, he jumped to the side and fell down.
He heard a deafening blast as he fell onto the pile of dead imps he had aimed for when he jumped. They soften his landing and he came out unhurt. He turned and looked at the cave entrance. Had he succeeded? If he failed, they would be in a tight spot. He watched as Drake cut down the imps around him. As the smoke lessened, he saw that no new imps were coming out. He had succeeded.
They continued their journey the next day after a night where they tended to their injuries. Drake insisted on taking the night guard again despite Aerys protestations. He had not slept at all since they left the village and Aerys felt guilty about that. However he was so tired that as soon as he rested down, he fell asleep. He woke up next morning and saw that there were dead bodies around their camp.
-A goblin party, explained Drake in a casual tone when he asked him about it.
He did not know what frightened him more; the creatures or Drake’s tone. There were monsters everywhere and if they were not on their guard they could lose their lives anytime. They walked back towards the road and continued east. The days went on monotonously without any major incidents. Twice they met goblins again but they fled before Drake as soon as he took out his sword. It shone brightly in the sun. Aerys looked at it with awe and some jealousy. He wanted to own his own soon. Master Elric had said that he would have to prove his worth to acquire one. What did that mean? The old man was always cryptic. He decided to ask Drake one night as they sat before a warm and welcoming fire. As usual the hunter had already begun drinking.
-I was wondering whether you could tell me more about the artifacts, he said tentatively.
Drake did not reply immediately and drank noisily.
-What do you want to know? He demanded finally.
Aerys eyes shone brightly.
-What are artifacts?
Drake put his bottle down and thought for a few seconds.
-Well do you know how we acquire an artifact?
Aerys shook his head.
-There are very few who have the power to use an artifact and when we found them we bring them to the guild. There they are allocated a master whose job is mainly to train them for the task that awaits them.
-Which is?, Interjected Aerys curiously.
-The theft of an artifact.
-Stealing an artifact?, Repeated Aerys.
-What you must understand is that artifacts are the weapons of dark creatures known as Zorgs, said Drake slowly. Few people actually know about them. They are really powerful creatures that live in secluded places on the known world. They are the servants of ancient demons that once ruled over the world. Those demons were the ones who created and used those artifacts before being banished far away.
-So I must defeat one of them to acquire an artifact?, Asked Aerys panicking.
Drake shook his head.
-No, it would be impossible for you. This is why every apprentice goes there with his master. While the latter contain the Zorg, the apprentice must find the artifact and steal it.
-It can’t be as easy as it sounds, noted Aerys incredulously.
-You are right, said Drake. Zorgs are different from each other and even if they are all strong, there are some which are stronger than others. This is why, out of those who try, very few actually succeed.
Aerys swallowed. This was going to be much much more difficult than he had hoped it would be.
-And how do those Zorgs look like?
-Well they differ from each other but generally their main form is that of demons. Have you ever seen a demon? He asked Aerys darkly.
Aerys shook his head.
-Pray God that you never see one, said Drake. For we would be in deep trouble if demons appeared again.
-Have you seen one?, asked Aerys.
-No one has ever seen one lad, replied the latter irritably. Aerys told me that you loved reading but I highly doubt that now. Did you not read the books he had?
-He would not let me, replied Aerys.
-That old fool. Always too careful but what good did that do. He let it escape.
Aerys reddened at these words but luckily Drake did not notice anything.
-Well, he continued. I guess I should tell you more about them as you will face one of their servants. So open your ears.
-A very long time ago demons roamed freely on this world as the other creatures. They were in constant battle with the men that lived at this time for if there is one thing that they shared it was power. They wanted to rule over the world and it thus resulted in an open war. There were countless of casualities in both sides but the demons were stronger. However amongst the men that lived at this time, there were men of great honor and courage. When the demons crafted the artifacts, they set out on a quest to rally all the creatures to their side. While the demons slaughtered most of the human race, they travelled across all the known world to find allies.
Drake paused and took a swig out of his bottle of wine. Aerys waited impatiently. He loved listening to stories and this one was just perfect.
-Finally they came back and it was then nearly too late. The desolation that the demons had caused was beyond repair. The death covered the surface of the earth. The final battle for humanity survival took place at what is now known as the fields of blood. The remaining men arrived with their allies which included all the creatures which had embraced their cause and hence the battle started.
-The battle was a fierce one. The tide shifted many times but the demons power was overwhelming. The land became red with the blood of those who fell and it’s still red up to this date.
-That’s why it’s called the Fields of Blood then, interrupted Aerys.
-Yes…yes. Will you let me tell the story or should I stop?, replied the hunter irritably.
Aerys recoiled and the hunter continued.
-Well, where was I?...oh yes. The battle…Despite their combined forces, the alliance could not take out the demons. They were on the brink of defeat when they resorted to the last solution they had. The fairies knew about a spell that could bind the demons but it had a terrible cost for there is a price for everything.
-And what was the price they paid?
-Death, said the hunter slowly. One of each creature had to sacrifice himself willingly. And so the fairies managed to perform the spell and the demons were banned from the known world.
He stopped and drank nosily from the bottle.
-There was no celebration that day for the world wept the deaths of those heroes who had given up their lives for the world.
He indicated to Aerys that the night’s conversation was over and Aerys went to sleep dreaming about fairies and dragons. He would have loved to stand side by side with them.
&nbs
p; CHAPTER 3
-Welcome to your new home lad.
Aerys walked towards him half bent and looked past him as he took a step to his side. There was little house in a clearing that nested at the foot of a dome like hill. It was surrounded by huge wooden barriers and an impressive gate stood before us. They had arrived after several more days of tiring walk across the lands and just as Aerys was thinking that he would not be able to take another step forward, the hunter had said the blessed words. As they approached the house he heard the barks of dogs inside and sure enough three enormous dogs appeared from behind the house and ran towards us. Aerys had seen dogs before but he had never seen ones like them. They were more wolf-like. They were really big and furry. There were two black and one white one and they barked furiously as the hunter took a key out of his pocket and began to unlock the gate. He pushed it inside and walked in. Aerys stood at the door intimidated. The dogs were quite a frightening sight and they did not seem to like intruders.
-Get in quick, said the hunter with a harsh look. The sun will fall any time now. So get your ass inside.
He obeyed reluctantly and entered. The dogs growled angrily but they kept their distance. Aerys stayed close to the hunter while he locked the gate from the inside. He then knelt down near the dogs and began to caress them each at a time. When he finished, he pointed to Aerys and said:
-He is my new apprentice. So you are not to hurt him. Understood?
The dogs barked and their expressions towards him changed instantly. Aerys wondered how he had done it. The dogs had understood him at once. They walked towards him and began to bark joyfully. He was soon put to ground and licked all over his face. They were really playful and as he loved dogs, he spent a long time with them outside. The hunter did not wait for him for he went inside the house immediately and the lights inside lit immediately. Soon there was frail smoke coming out of the chimney. This surprised Aerys a bit for the hunter had not given me the impression that he was a cook nor a man who seemed to like doing house chores. He walked towards the little house too followed by the dogs who had adopted him completely now. He stopped on the porch and examined the house. It was a solid one built with strong wood. However it was very plain looking for it was built as simple as possible. He opened the door and walked in. The place was small and he found himself in the kitchen. The fire was burning in the chimney and something really good was already being cooked on the fire. His eyes wandered around and he jumped in surprise as they fell upon a tiny man who was busy waving his hands in front of knives which moved on their own in front of him and cutting vegetables.
The Hunter's Apprentice Page 2