by K. Dzr
Chapter Six
A L E X A N D E R
Eventually, life in the village of Nephram returned to a state of normalcy that was unfamiliar to them all. Homes were rebuilt; the wounded were healed. Gone were the anxious mumblings of a curse, while proud voices rose to speak of heroism. The stillness of night was no longer shattered by ominous roars echoing over the hills. Even the shadow of a large bird failed to evoke fear. For the first time in hundreds of years, there was peace in Nephram.
Demetrius, now the man of his home and hero to the village, welcomed his new responsibilities as a way to honor his father. He must provide more food than could be gathered from the few crops that survived Netiro’s final assault. Into the wilderness he went every day in an attempt to hunt and gather food. Though he accompanied his father many times before, he simply was not the sportsman his father had been.
Initially, he thought to use his magic to hunt. Once he found suitable game, he could simply tell it to come closer and it did. That was the easy part. He immediately realized he didn’t know how to kill anything with magic, aside from burning it to death. Fire would only destroy the creature and waste the meat, which seemed not only cruel, but caused more destruction than it was worth. Next, he tried using his magic to lure them close enough to strike with his sword. This too, proved futile. Before they stepped within striking range, Demetrius could not maintain control of the luring spell while concentrating on the death strike simultaneously. The instant Demetrius’ spell faltered, their radar for danger sent them hurtling off in a blur. A few times, he talked an animal into coming so close that he was able to stab it. On several of these occasions however, he was either unable to keep hold of the thrashing creature, or failed to hit a vital organ before it escaped. He’d spend the rest of the morning following its trail of blood—sometimes for hours—while it died a slow and miserable death.
Without a teacher, learning magic was more time consuming than he would’ve liked. Eventually he learned he could immobilize an animal or object indefinitely. That was the way to hunt. With a simple wave of his hand, his prey was pinned in place: an easy target for his bow or knife.
Armed with his father’s bow, he waited behind fronds of leaves for his next shot. The deer grazed no more than a hundred steps away, oblivious to Demetrius. He lifted his hand and whispered his incantation. The deer halted; so perfectly motionless one would think it a statue. He emerged from his hiding spot and readied his bow. He figured it was good to practice all of his skills, not just magic. He took aim, focusing his eyes along the shaft of the arrow and across the distance between its point and the deer’s heart. As his breath came in, steady and deep, so came the realization that he too, was being watched.
In his peripheral vision, he spotted two sharp blue eyes glowing in the bushes, directed at him. He’d never seen such a creature. He turned and squinted his eyes in an effort to focus clear enough to see the creature better. It appeared to be a predator. It’s face resembled the wild dogs that roamed the desert, but poorly suited for the heat. Its fur was thick, with black and white patches on its face. If it was anything like the wild dogs, it was not alone; they always hunted in packs. He tuned his ears for sounds of other dogs; there was nothing. Confident it was a rogue of some sort, he did not perceive the animal to be a threat, but he could not have it ruining his hunt either.
Demetrius lowered his bow and with a wave of his hand, he cast his spell, then returned his attention to the deer. The dog moved out from its cover into plain view. Demetrius’ eyes grew wide. How had this creature escaped his spell? The dog sat down a few feet away, watching him.
“There’s no thrill in the hunt that way,” it said in a deep voice, thick with an unfamiliar accent.
Demetrius was shocked, frozen in place, staring at the animal. Was it his imagination? Or had the animal actually spoken to him? No, it couldn’t have. Animals didn’t talk, at least not to humans, and certainly not in sentences. The most he ever heard from an animal was maybe a single word repeated, or broken fragments expressing an emotion. But such eloquence, from a dog?
“The deer hardly had a chance.” the dog scoffed and scratched his ear. “Considering how close you managed to get, I imagine you employed magic to improve your stealth, and you obviously used a spell to bind the deer in its spot before it even knew you were there. Impressive use of magic for one so young and without a teacher. Unimpressive for a hunter.”
Demetrius squinted at the dog suspiciously.
“It’s not the thrill I’m interested in; it’s the feast,” he said. He let the arrow fly, intentionally missing his mark. With a sweep of his palm, Demetrius forced the arrow to abruptly change course and guided it directly into the deer’s heart. He released it from the spell and it collapsed dead on the ground.
“Also impressive, but that is the problem with humans. You are arrogant and impatient. Always wanting, but not respecting the process; the journey.”
“Do you know the problem with dogs?” Demetrius asked, putting his bow away with a smirk. The dog raised an eyebrow.
“Fleas,” Demetrius answered with as straight a face as he could muster.
The dog laughed.
“We are going to become good friends, you and I, young Demetrius.”
“How do you know my name?”
“There are many things I know, and all of it I wish to teach you.”
“I knew a teacher would come. Forgive me, but you’re not what I expected.”
“You will soon learn that is often the case.” the dog said with a chuckle. “Things are not always as they appear, young Demetrius. You see, I am no ordinary wolf, as you are no ordinary boy. I have traveled the world over to find you.”
“Why?”
“Because I know who you are and what you are to become. My name is Alexander.”
PART II