“I always wondered why Piero made you head over me, old friend. Guess it doesn’t matter now. I hold an empire vaster than any Hunter could ever dream of controlling.”
“You never raised a hand against me, why side with Tal’davin? Were you really that power hungry all along? What about Abner and Lois? Your own son!” Rowan said.
“Sophia showed me the way. I needed something more than a Huntrey or the Hunters. Tal’davin is more than that, even if I am, in turn, a slave to him. As for my son, his time will come. He is immortal after all. I will ensure he rises further than any Hunter has before.”
“You’re mad,” Rowan said.
“Better mad than dead,” Barros said lowering himself beside Rowan. “I’m sorry it had to end this way, my old friend.”
Rowan shook as Barros stretched out a hand, reaching for his neck. The claws caressed the Highlander’s skin before a moment later, Barros pushed them through Rowan’s neck. With a sigh, Barros rose not feeling the need for blood, letting those closest to him feed.
31
Aftermath
Abner and Lois arrived on the edge of the Huntrey plain just over a week later. Both bore saddle sores as a result of the rough journey, taking less than normal due to the increased stamina and speed of their horses. The Hunters could only stare in horror as the smoke cloud they had been heading towards for the last hour was now confirmed to have been coming from the Huntrey tower, spiraling high over the tree line.
Most of the smoke rose from the main tower, its top blown out as a result of what appeared to be mortar shell. Abner spurred Nagor forward, with Lois right behind him. The sun hung low in the sky, adding a bloodied effect to the smoke as it curled out of the tower. All around them there were signs an enormous army had passed through the area.
He hung low from his horse, inspecting the tracks as they rode closer to the battered gate of the Huntrey. No two boot tracks were the same and it looked as if no heavy artillery such as a cannon had been in the area. Bodies littered the dirt, both those of Hunter and Vampire origin. The Hunter’s corpses were shriveled and white, their blood sucked from their systems.
Several lay in pieces, missing limbs and their heads. The Vampires that lay with them that had maintained their form were in a similar state. No quarter had been given in this battle as the mortal enemies became locked in combat. Lois smelt the air, using what supply of the Vampire blood she had left in her system to no result. Nobody breathed within sight.
They made for the tower, leaving Nagor and Mirabel a short distance away. In the silence save for the screeches of vultures above, the horses could warn them of approaching danger. The Vampires had truly ravaged the tower like the rest of the Huntrey. Bits of rubble flung from the giant crossbow as they climbed were thrown askew underfoot.
Abner pushed the door to find it not moving. He frowned at Lois before backing up, charging it with his shoulder. His armor smashed into the heavy door finding it jammed from the inside. Abner backed up again and this time broke through just enough to lift the latch that held the door in place. Lois’ eyes were now fully red as she glanced around the lobby of the Huntrey.
“I can smell someone alive on Rowan’s floor,” she said running past Abner.
“Wait! It could be a...” Abner started as a steel cage dropped down on her.
Vampires leapt down from the top of the stairwell, their rotting fists smashing into the tiles of the main hall as they landed. They rose as one, Abner counting at least ten of them. One Desire copied Lois’ face, taking the form he found most appealing.
“Well, two young Hunters returned from a hunt. How the tables have turned for you,” it said. “One kill is made easy for us brothers, kill the boy.”
Before the fiends had begun to move, Abner already had his sword in his hand. The blade glowed red, darker than the sky, ready for blood. He bashed his hilt into the skull of the closest Vampire, the fiend stumbling backwards. More leapt upon him, each fiend thinking they were faster than the young Hunter. With a single cut, one Vampire was split in two as if it was butter cut by a warm knife.
Abner spun and caught the next Vampire on a down stroke, where he anticipated it would be. The sword dug into the Vampire’s shoulder, forcing a scream from the monster. With a vicious roar, his fangs extending, Abner ended the scream flicking a knife into the monster’s brain faster than any eye could follow.
Slashing the dagger down, the Fyndfire finally took full effect, erupting in its throat. Abner withdrew the blade allowing the Vampire to choke on its own burning blood as it disintegrated into nothing but ash. Even with three dead, they kept coming, attempting to dash around him, potentially exposing a weakness he did not have.
With Lois in the cage, the fight was harder but at least she would not fall in there for as long as Abner lived. He thrust out with his sword again, a Vampire running straight onto it before falling to ash. His back step saw another monster take the fight, this one grabbing the blade with one hand, twisting it, forcing Abner to let go of the blade.
The Fyndfire seemed to have no effect on this Vampire, its hands guarded by thick gloves. Abner retreated to his legs, retrieving two knives from their sheaths meeting the first Vampire he belted over the head. Using the force in his legs, Abner leapt up, swinging both knives both into the eyes of the Vampire. It screamed as fire erupted from its eyes.
They hit the ground, Abner continuing to roll forward using his momentum to carry him forward, slashing at the knees of the two closest to him. They howled, clutching their legs, falling onto their backs. As he rose Abner thrust a knife into each of their skulls, finishing the job.
Three Vampires remained, one wielding a sword. With a look at each other, the Desire nodded, licking its lips. With the distance between the Hunter and his prey, Lois took the opportunity to open fire, three bolts landing in the side of the fiend. Abner unleashed a toothy grin upon the two the stood remaining, his fangs ready for blood.
The two snarled, leaping forwards engaging Abner, their hands slicing the air as if knives themselves. Abner countered each blow, crossing the two daggers to stop a heavy blow from the one with the sword. He aimed a powerful kick at the Vampire’s knee, the blade dropping. With a vicious cross cut, the Vampire lost his hand as Abner’s blades ducked underneath the hilt of its weapon.
Kicking the monster away, Abner focused on the last intact. He shrugged off the two strikes before unleashing two of his own into the fiend’s heart before turning on the handless Vampire. It looked up at him, its red eyes showing less fury than before.
“You’re one of us,” it said.
“No,” Abner said. “I am much more.”
“Why do you kill us if you are one of us? Why turn your back on your kind in order to stand with these filth we slaughtered?”
“I am the son of Barros Toldar. That is why I stand against you.”
The Vampire laughed. “Ah so you’re the son of the one that embodies Tal’davin. Everything makes sense now as to why you survived and why we were stationed here. You have passed the test. Now kill me!”
“As you wish,” Abner said.
He threw a dagger down into the Vampire’s shoulder, before his fangs sunk into the dead flesh, tasting blood for the first time. Both the half Hunter and his prey screamed, one with the delight, the other with pain before the latter dropped dead. Abner rose from his kill, black blood staining his face.
“That was invigorating,” he said.
“Oy, Ab, get me out of here!” Lois said.
Returning to his senses, Abner walked around the steel structure, assessing it looking for any weak points he could exploit. High above the cage a pulley looked to be the only way to release it.
“I’m not going up there, without my feet on something solid,” he said.
“Well, how do you expect me to get out of here? You can’t lift it, it’s way too heavy.”
“No, but I can break it,” Abner said.
He dropped his sword, grabbing two bars s
ide by side bracing himself before tearing them apart from each other. He beckoned to Lois who slipped out from between them within a manner of seconds. She straightened before smiling as they headed higher into the Huntrey.
Rowan’s office lay before them, its doors wide open, broken by the Vampire horde that had crashed upon them. No more traps were visible, however that did not mean some were present. On the balcony, Abner could see several Hunter’s, prone on the floor, dead or unconscious he could not tell.
“They’re alive,” Lois said in his ear and he broke forward without a second thought.
Elizabeth and Alexander along with the two islander brothers lay amongst dozens of Vampire corpses, their weapons beside them out of hand. Abner ran to check on the two novices before he even looked at the islanders. All four were alive and relatively uninjured, however took minutes to wake.
Gunthos was the first, who woke spluttering and coughing. “Fuck the gods, we’re being overrun! Get to the walls, shoot the fuckers down!”
“Gunthos, calm yourself!” Abner said. “The fight’s over!”
“What are you doing here? You’re meant to be down in Sauria!”
“You’ve been unconscious for how long is anybody’s guess. The Vampires have come and gone, you’re all that remain!” Lois said.
“The four of us?” Gunthos asked shocked. “Why didn’t they kill us?”
“Fucked if I know, brother,” Havoc said. He lifted his head, groaning as he rose. “They executed Rowan on the plain when he demanded a parley. We were left alive for a reason, pawns to be used and discarded at whim.”
“I can’t help but now feel I’m part of a bigger plan, something bigger than this Huntrey falling. Our hunt was rather revealing,” Abner said.
“Ah you’re another one that had some soul-searching moments. Too bad you weren’t here with the rest of us,” Gunthos said.
“Stop complaining,” Abner said. “What are we going to do now?”
“None of our messenger birds made it out alive. The Vampires seemed to be under direct orders to prevent such a thing. It was different, as if they were summoned by Tal’davin,” Havoc said.
“Impossible, I still hold two of them,” Abner said. “A Hand of Tal’davin would need all seven to raise a force.”
“You misheard me boy. I said Tal’davin called them. Not a Hand,” Havoc said. “Things are worse than we originally thought. He declared he dominance over the Hunters by destroying us.”
“We remain,” Lois said. “We are not yet all dead.”
“We need to warn Tyrain,” Gunthos said. “I’ve been there and can see us through the gates. Otherwise we die here, alone. Make your choice.”
“I’m not leaving these two here. They’re our friends.”
“Fine, bring them. We’ll have to squeeze onto your horses if we wish to travel with any kind of speed. They can handle it,” Gunthos said, lugging Alexander over his shoulder. “It’s time we left this place.”
32
New Refuge
The Hunters followed the map of Taagras to the southeast, cutting through the northern parts of Renor until they were in an area directly to the south of where the Fortress had once stood. This far south in Tyrain, the surrounds still looked the same with its lush plains and enormous mountains. One was larger than the rest and that would be where the Huntrey lay.
“How far off are we, Gunthos?” Abner asked.
“The tower rests upon that mountain. I will be able to see it soon, the walls are at its base,” Gunthos said.
Abner looked over his shoulder at his companions, both Alexander and Elizabeth were unconscious still, the Islander brothers holding the novices steady as Nagor and Azurus trotted on. The ride had taken its toll on all members of the party, Havoc looking nearly dead from exhaustion.
“If this fucking journey ever ends I would be grateful,” the Islander said. “However, I would prefer to head home, not chase this endeavor to destroy such an overwhelming force.”
Abner turned Nagor, cutting off Lois. “I need you with us, Havoc. All Lois and I have is a name, whereas you have a face they can recognize. You’re either with us or we can leave you here to die.”
His words were greeted by a blow to the back of the head. “Don’t speak to my fucking brother, without respect!” Gunthos said.
“Lois and I can do this without both of you,” Abner said. “But we do not know any Hunter here and I would have someone at my back that I can remotely trust.”
“Very well, you know where the walls lie, if you wish to go alone, so be it,” Gunthos said.
“Hold up, pretty boy,” a female voice said from above them. “Don’t you get that down from that horse. I’ve got twenty crossbows trained on you and it’d be a shame to see that fine body riddled with bolts.”
“You’re still here, Tori?” Gunthos asked. “Do you ever go on a hunt?”
“Only when you’re not around. What brings you from West Anacore, Gunthos? Can’t be me, you haven’t seen me for years,” Tori said.
“We came to seek the Board; urgent matters need to be discussed. The West Anacore Huntrey has fallen to the hands of a Vampire horde, led by Tal’davin,” Gunthos said.
There was a soft mumbling of exchange from the invisible wall above before Tori spoke again. “I better come down and meet your friends then.”
She leapt off the wall, from a great height, more than fifty meters above. Tori slid down the wall, before touching down as light as a feather. She was of average height, made to look even smaller from the horses.
“So who are you four? Never seen you before, but you look familiar,” she said pointing to Abner. “You’re not related to Toldar are you?”
“I’m his son,” Abner said.
“Well, shit, we’ve heard about you,” Tori said. “This makes everything more interesting now. I’m Tori Salvatore, head of the Tyrainian Huntrey.” She lowered her hood, revealing a face similar to Lois’ save for two red streaks in her hair, identical on either side of her head. “You all look like shit. How did you survive?”
“Abner and I were on a hunt when the attack happened. We returned to find these four on Rowan’s balcony, unconscious. Days pass and the novices are yet to rise,” Lois said.
“The endless sleep has been put over them,” Tori said. “Come cut your hands and we shall see them to the infirmary.”
The Tyrainian Huntrey was massive, buildings running all the way up the mountain, walls twice the size of West Anacore’s. At the summit of the mountain sat a plateau that housed the Huntrey tower and main training areas. Another mountain was linked to the current one, by a stone bridge, serving as an escape route, one that West Anacore had sorely needed.
Tori led them to the infirmary leaving instructions for the medics to attend to the endless sleep, a curse rarely applied so powerfully by Vampires, no doubt its strength increased by the amulets of Tal’davin. Moving on quickly to the highest reaches of the tower, Tori took Abner and Lois alone to the boardroom.
“These eight Hunters are the highest echelons of our order. Some have lived as long as most Vampires and have seen empires rise and fall. Treat them with respect and tell them exactly what happened,” Tori said.
“You’re not coming with us?” Abner asked.
“No, the Board only sees who they wish to see. I would not go against their commands even though I am much younger and faster,” she said as she pushing open the mahogany door. “Good luck.”
True to her word, eight Hunters sat around a table raised on a stage in a dark room, three women, five men. Their eyes were lit up, sixteen red rings following Abner and Lois as they made their way closer to the stage. Instead of the typical Hunter armor, the board members all donned embroidered red and green robes to denote their station.
Each of the elders were of a different nationality, with two Tyrainians present. They all had a thinning set of grey hair, varying in colors and length, wrinkles etched upon their face, their ages, unknown. The man in the ce
nter of the table rose slowly, nodding at the two Hunters that approached him. He paused to stroke his long, grey beard before speaking.
“This hearing is now in session, all members in attendance. Who stands before us today?”
“Abner Toldar and Lois Behan, formerly of the West Anacore Huntrey,” Abner said. “We come before you today to inform you that our Huntrey is no more at the hands of a Vampire horde.”
There was an instant uproar from the board that sounded much like an unorganized rabble before the first man that spoke ordered them to silence.
“What do you mean, the Huntrey is no more? In my three hundred years I have never borne witness to a Huntrey falling at the hands of anyone. Man or Vampire.”
“There’s a reason for that, Masters,” Lois said. “For the first time in our history, a Vampire has collected several amulets of Tal’davin.”
“But how?” one of the women asked. “West Anacore kept five hidden underneath the tower in what you called the vault and only few knew of its existence. How did they come to be in the possession of a Vampire?”
“We do not know. Gunthos and Havoc are the only two of our party that could possibly tell you a true accounting of what happened, however they are being examined in the infirmary,” Abner said. “We arrived after our first hunt.”
“Your first hunt? You were the ones tasked to take down the Countess Sophia?”
“We were,” Abner said.
“Are you aware that she was the first to claim one of Tal’davin’s amulets and used it to almost conquer Rhorn?” another board member asked.
“We spoke to her and she shared information with me, in my mind. I believed it to be her memories and it showed how my father defeated her.”
“You broke your mandate, novice!”
“No, I did what I had to. From what she told me, I know who I am and what my purpose in this place is. Before Barros was kidnapped he left this.” Abner brandished the letter before him, placing it onto the table.
Taste of the Hunt Page 20