《A New King》


 Leaving Home

    ¡°Well, boy. Another day¡¯s work behind us. You may make a fine smith one day!¡± the bearded man laughed.


    Orven was a master smith, as was his father and many generations before. That is how his family earned the name Stonehammer. At least that is how the story went.


    The man was tall and heavy-set with thick and defined arms from many years of working in the family smithy. His chest was deep and his beard dipped past the neck of his brown shirt. His eyes were hard and brown, and his hair matched his eyes closely.


    Alaric smiled at his father. ¡°I¡¯m sure that soon I¡¯ll out smith you,¡± the he smirked. Alaric looked much like his father, but his hair had the same fiery red that his mother''s had. Alaric was easily as tall and heavily built as his father, but he hadn''t yet grown a gut.


    The pair sat in the dining room of their home. It was small, but the table was always set for four. Aviah kept the house set as if the family would be eating. The room was fairly bare, except for the intricate white table cloth and some small plates that Aviah kept on display.


    The old man¡¯s grin nearly touched his ears. ¡°Maybe so, but I doubt it,¡± Orven patted his son''s shoulder with a heavy hand.


    Alaric and his father both knew that he wasn¡¯t truly meant for the forge. Alaric was good with his hammer, but he always had a drive for adventure. Even as a young child, he often got lost in the rolling, green hills outside of Baerlon. They had talked before about other options, but Alaric hadn''t yet chosen his path.


    Orven looked at Alaric. He was nearly at his 19th year and still not looking for a wife yet. Alaric was strong and handsome but at the same time too often wild and reckless. One day he would make a good husband, but Orven thought that it could be years before he would be ready for it.


    Sarai entered the dining room gracefully. She eyed her father and brother careully.  Her brown hair was braided as was the tradition for young women in Baerlon. She was of her 14th year, but most thought she was much older. She was a much sought after prize by many of the young men, but Aviah was not likely to approve of anyone in Baerlon. Despite this, Sarai was often in trouble because of her suitors.


    Aviah and Sarai were nearly identical except for their hair. Many men would have given their life¡¯s earnings to be with Aviah, but she would not have anyone other than Orven.


    ¡°Have you heard the news?¡± Sarai asked with excitement.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been working all day, Sarai. Of course we haven¡¯t heard anything,¡± Alaric shot at his sister.


    She stuck her tongue out and him, and Orven chuckled.


    ¡°What is it, little one?¡± The father said with a gentle smile. Orven treated his two children very differently.


    Orven was hard on Alaric more often than not, but Alaric knew that it was meant to make him stronger and a better man. Orven was much more gentle with Sarai. He treated her as if she were fragile. He wanted her to know how a man should treat his wife. Orven showed that even more with Aviah.


    She turned to her father with excitement in her eyes. ¡°There are Hunters. They¡¯ve just arrived. They are at the inn,¡± she replied. She could barely be still because of her excitement.


    Orven and Alaric¡¯s eyes widened. Orven stood. He was frowning. ¡°That is strange. We haven¡¯t had Hunters in these parts in years. Have you heard why they¡¯ve come?¡± he said softly to his daughter.


    She shook her head.


    Orven looked toward his son. ¡°I think Lady Fate has something in mind for you, boy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alaric asked. He was lost. What would Hunters have to do with him? Hunters weren''t interested in young blacksmiths. They were interested in hunting creatures from the madlands.


    Orven shrugged his shoulders silently as he strode out out into the bright, green world with Sarai. She took his hand in her hands and tried not to skip and the group walked to the tavern.


    Monster Hunters or Hunters as they were called were indeed a rare sight in Baerlon. It had been nearly one hundred years since a Hunter visited. Legends held that they were originally nobles or great men chosen by an ancient king to protect the kingdom from the beasts that terrorized his people. They did so successfully, and they recruited more to help in their work. Overtime the dangerous beasts became few in number and many of the hunters returned home. Few hunters remained at the end of that time, but they passed on the art to others.


    Everyone in the village believed that they were a thing of the past, except for Orven. He would not say why, but Alaric had always believed him.


    The walk to the inn was short. The family walked down their hill into Baerlon. The town was small and the inn close, but the streets were nearly empty. Everyone must have been in the inn already.


    Gurder¡¯s Inn The Bear¡¯s Den was nothing to look at, but Baerlon was a small town tucked between the Thorn Mountains and the Rose Lake. The inn was crowded with people from the village. The inn stood at the top of one of the larger hills in the town. Most of the town was built around the inn. The Stonehammer Forge and the Glenn¡¯s Mill where two of the only other buildings in the town that had their own hill. The Turmer¡¯s home was also on a hill, but a Turmer had been at the head of the Council of the Elders for as long as even Orven could remember.


    The inn held four long tables lined with benches. The tables were covered in food. It looked as if there was a feast being had. The inn was filled with the smell of cooked meats and steamed vegetables.


    The Hunters were a ragtag group. They were nothing like the stuff of legends. There were five of of them in total. The oldest seemed to limp about with a commanding air. He spoke too softly to be such a great soldier. Alaric thought that he had likely not ever even seen many of the beasts that Hunters were supposed to fight.


    One was a strange boy with dark skin and even darker hair and a flat nose. He barely spoke, but when he did, it was with a strange accent. Alaric could barely understand the timid boy though.


    Two seemed to be a couple. The woman had blonde hair with blue eyes, and the man had red hair with blue eyes. They spoke with a strange, thick accent as well, but Alaric could better understand them. They were thin and muscular. Each of their movements were graceful, almost as if they were dancing with every step.


    The fifth was a young woman. Alaric could not stop looking at her. She was tall, fair, and beautiful. She too looked like she was dancing with every step, but she seemed to be warily watching all of those around her.


    They all all sat around tables, while the red-haired man told them of some of their adventures. Half of the village sat and stood around


    He paid no attention to any of the names but hers. Lilia. Lilia was the beautiful girl. She stayed close to the old man and the couple as much as she could. They said that they were just passing through the town on the way to the capital. They were all dressed finely.


    Orven and Sarai excused themselves after watching the hunters for nearly an hour to get home to the dinner that Aviah had made. She would not mind Alaric being late. If everyone was late for dinner, though, there could be bodies to hide. Alaric laughed at the thought. His mother always got her way.


    Alaric decided after awhile that it was late enough for him to leave as well. He watched Liliia slip up the stairs quietly, and he wasn''t sure that she would be coming down. Alaric slipped toward the door.


    Alaric jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Lilia sitting down beside him with a smile on her face. Her eyes were crystal blue.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the looks of anything special,¡± she said flatly.


    He tried to hide the shock at her bluntness. He was disappointed by her reaction.


    Lilia chuckled, and he frowned at her in reply.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked quietly.


    Lilia stared into his eyes silently for a moment while she thought. ¡°We aren¡¯t here to simply pass through. We¡¯ve come to Baerlon seeking something. Someone, really,¡± she said in a near whisper. Her soft voice and accent made Alaric uncomfortable. He wanted to hold her and run away all at once.


    ¡°Wha- what do you mean?¡± he asked and then cleared his throat.


    ¡°Erika says that you are the one that we are here for. Nathaniel and Tyron agree, and Chas doesn¡¯t care who it is. I''m not convinced though. You have the look of a smith. Am I right?¡± she replied with something that sounded like boredom.


    Alaric squared his shoulders. She was tall for a woman, but he stood a head over the tallest man in the room. ¡°I am a smith. My father and his father for generations have been smiths. A smith I¡¯ll remain too,¡± he replied with as much confidence as he could muster.


    She didn''t seem phased by his size or determination. Nothing seemed to affect her. She affected him though. The more strongly she stood, the more he felt weak.


    ¡°You plan on becoming a soldier then?¡± She asked with a change of tone to curiosity.


    ¡°How did you kno-¡°


    ¡°You will not truly live as smith. You have a drive for something more. I can see it in your eyes.¡± She cut him off.


    Alaric clenched his jaw and said through his teeth,¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I want more than to be just a smith.¡±


    ¡°See was that too hard?¡± She flashed a smile. This time there was a light, even a joy in her eyes. Alaric realized that she was enjoying pushing him around.


    I¡¯ll not be pushed around that easily, he thought to himself.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Where are you from and how old are you anyway?¡± He asked impatiently.


    She put a finger over her lips to shush him and nodded at the man telling stories. Alaric realized that all of the Hunters were standing in different places in the room staring at them.


    One by one each of them waded through the crowd, ignoring eager and drunken questioners. They all sat down together leaving a spot for Alaric and Lilia.


    Lilia led Alaric over to their spots. Each of the hunters nodded at him and introduced themselves.


    Tyron was the name of the limping old man. The dark-skinned boy was Chas. Nathaniel dismissed himself from storytelling immediately upon introducing himself, and he was followed by his wife Erika.


    She seemed at this moment to be the leader of the group. ¡°Lady Fate shines hope upon us today young man. I question though, what does she have interest in one like you?¡± Erika asked. Alaric felt as if she was nearly singing as she spoke with her smooth and silky voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of you are talking about. I¡¯m just a smith. Lady Fate has little to do with my kind, but decide when and if I inherit my father¡¯s hammer,¡± he replied. He realized that his entire body was tense.


    ¡°Quite a spirit you have boy,¡± the old man said in a creaking voice that echoed wisdom,¡±If I were you though, I would listen to this one. Have you ever heard of a Gift?¡±


    ¡°Like the Gifts of Fate?¡± Alaric asked. They were something that he hadn''t heard of or talked about since he was small.


    The old man¡¯s eyebrows raised but he simply nodded in reply.


    ¡°I suppose I have heard of some of them. They¡¯re bestowed by Lady Fate. They give the bearer enhanced abilities of some sort or something like that. The only one that I know of to be real is feeling the weather. My ma can do that, but others are just wive¡¯s tales.¡± Alaric looked the man in the eyes. That''s what his gather had always told him to do.


    The old man grinned. Erika spoke again in her soft, sweet voice,¡±I have a Gift, if you can call it that. My Gift tells me that there is something special in you, and that means that you must come with us.¡±


    Lilia grabbed his arm and looked him in the eyes. ¡°I can see it too,¡± she said,¡±Not like Erika can, but there is something special about you. I''m sure of it.¡±


    Alaric realized that he was blushing, but he thought that for a second he saw something in Lilia¡¯s eyes as well.


    Alaric faced the group. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want with me, but I have responsibilities that I can¡¯t leave here. If you expect to take me from Baerlon, you¡¯ll have to fight my ma and father over it. I wish you luck there.¡± As he finished, he stood to leave, but Lilia¡¯s hand firmly held him. Her grip was more powerful than that of any girl¡¯s that he new and nearly every man too.


    He stared into her eyes for a few seconds. He wanted to stay there staring forever. He wanted to run at the same time. He pulled his eyes and arm away. He knew that she would be able to convince him to go with them on her own easily. Alaric bowed and bid the group farewell. Each of them returned a nod. He walked out of the inn without looking back. It was too dangerous for him to turn back.


    It was dark now in Baerlon. Alaric was frowning as he walked. He wanted no part of any gifts. Can I actually leave with them? Lilia had guessed right on all her counts. Orven never planned to let him stay in Baerlon,  and Alaric never wanted to. He had planned on joining the army once the recruitment company came to town again.


    Why did Lilia have to be with them? he asked himself. Old Gurder and Rolin Turmer had nearly begged Aviah to marry him off to their daughters. Aviah was not from a small town like Orven. She would have no planned marriage. She always went against tradition. It was up to Alaric to find the one he was to marry much to Alaric¡¯s relief. Gurder¡¯s daughter was nearly a cow, and the Turmer girl was sickly and ugly, inside and out. Lilia on the other hand was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen.


    Alaric decided that he needed to talk with his father. The group was strange, but being a Hunter for the crown had to be an adventure. He knew that it would be dangerous, but so would being a soldier. Hunters were legendary. He would rather live a life full of adventure than being bossed around as a soldier if he was honest with himself.


    Aviah was waiting at the dinner table for him. She stood as soon as he entered and began filling a plate for him. Aviah was slim but muscular. She worked just as hard as her husband if not harder. She was also considered by most to be the most beautiful woman in Baerlon.


    When she finished, she told him to sit firmly. She sat across from him. He could tell that his mother was not excited about whatever was on her mind. She stared intently at her son. ¡°Have you decided to leave with the Hunters yet, Ric?¡± She asked. Her voice was calm.


    ¡°No. I told them that I would rather stay here and work with da,¡± he replied quietly.


    ¡°Your father says that they have come for you,¡± she frowned. She waited for a moment and then continued,¡±We have decided that you should go with them. You are too much like your father to stay. He became a smith because he had a child and a wife to care for. You are not bound to this forge like he is.¡±


    A sudden wave of excitement flowed over Alaric. He hadn''t thought that his mother would let him go with the Hunters so easily.


    Orven stepped through the doorway behind  the room and nodding in agreement. He walked slowly over to his wife and laid his large hands on her shoulders. ¡°I left Baerlon for many years when I was your age. I was less behaved than you were of course. Much more reckless. When Aviah became pregnant with you, I decided to take up my hammer again next to my father in the family forge,¡± Orven smiled at his wife and son.


    ¡°You can join the army or you can leave with the Hunters,¡± Orven said firmly,¡±But I¡¯ll not have you stay here any longer. You¡¯ll marry the Turmer girl or you¡¯ll leave this week.¡± A twisted grin crawled across the large man¡¯s bearded face.


    Alaric¡¯s face twisted in disgust at the thought of marrying Andra. ¡°How do you know that the Hunter¡¯s want me to leave with them?¡± Alaric asked quietly. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. He knew that his parents wanted him to leave Baerlon but something felt odd about how this was playing out. He had never seen his father or sister speak to


    Orven handed Alaric a sheet of parchment. He hadn¡¯t noticed hid father gripping the paper from the time that he entered the room.


    He smoothed out the sheet and began reading silently.


    To the recipient of the letter,


    By the order of the king, the person or persons that receive this letter are to leave with this band of Monster Hunters. It is by ancient decree that these men and women work for and on behalf of the king as his agents in protecting the realm. The recipient has been deemed worthy by this group and is chosen by the king to travel with them unless there are financial obligations binding him or her to a family.


    King Arafael


    Alaric reread the sheet again silently. He finally looked up at his parents. They were both sitting silently with stern looks.


    ¡°You see, boy. The old one, Tyron was his name, gave this to me. We talked for a bit in private. They didn¡¯t say why they had picked you, but disobeying a King¡¯s order is most unwise. You have to go,¡± Orven said quietly. Alaric knew that what his father said was right. He really didn''t have a choice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with them then,¡± Alaric said as he tried to hide the excitement in his voice.


    Orven nodded and smiled i agreement. Tears began to swell in Aviah¡¯s murky, green eyes.


    Alaric rose and clenched his fists with excitement. ¡°Don''t worry about me ma. I¡¯ll be fine. One day, there will be stories told of Alaric the Monster Hunter and¡­¡±


    Suddenly Lilia appeared from the back room where Orven had come from. She was smiling. Alaric¡¯s heart nearly lept out of his chest. "Keep going," she smiled.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alaric frowned at the beautiful woman.


    Lilia''s smile grew. ¡°No please continue, Alaric. I want to hear the stories of the great Alaric that will be told across the realm,¡± She taunted.


    Suddenly, Aviah was laughing through her tears. ¡°You remind me of how Orven and I used to act when we were young,¡± she said taunting as Lilia had. Alaric was unsure what she meant by that, but he thought that it meant that she approved.


    Alaric could feel his face turning red as he stared at Lilia.


    Lilia cleared her throat,¡±Pack now. We will be leaving early in the morning. Chas or I will likely fetch you when it is time to leave.¡± She turned and left briskly. Alaric thought that he could see some pink growing in her cheeks as she left.


    ¡°I think you embarrassed them both there, dear,¡± Orven . ¡°You heard the girl. Go and pack son.¡±


    Alaric nodded. He ate his dinner first. Aviah wouldn''t let him walk away from a warm meal. Boiled potatoes and ham. Alaric knew that he would miss her cooking when he left with the Hunters.


    Alaric woke to someone shaking him. Through blurry eyes, he saw Lilia standing over him. She was smiling with a cruel kind of satisfaction. ¡°Wake up, lump,¡± she laughed.


    He pushed her away as he sat up. ¡°You¡¯re crazy woman. I¡¯m coming,¡± he grumbled. He had no idea how early it was, but he could see through his window that it wasn''t light yet.


    He grabbed the bag that he had packed from the foot of his bed and followed the girl out slowly. His family was waiting for him in the next room. His mother and his father both grabbed him as quickly as they could. They both let go after a few seconds. They hid their faces, but there was enough light from their lantern for Alaric to see their tears.


    Orven smiled a large smile. His father was proud to have him leaving to do something more than smithing. They shook hands. Orven was never an emotional man, but Alaric wasn¡¯t too surprised to see the tears.


    It all felt like a blur to Alaric. The world flowed by almost as if it were made of water. He followed the girl performing the motions without thought.


    The rest of the Hunters waited outside for them in a covered wagon. The heavy rain made it hard to see. ¡°C¡¯mon, quick!¡± One of them shouted. It sounded like Nathaniel, but it was hard to tell over the roar of the rain who the voice belonged to.


    Alaric followed Lilia quickly to the wagon and climbed in. He stared back at his family. They stayed in the house to avoid getting soaked by the rain, but their faces peered out through the doorway.


    Alaric thought that he should feel something akin to sadness as the wheels started turning, pulling him away from his family. He knew he would return one day though. He knew he would see each of them again. He hoped that he would return soon.


    As they descended the crest of the next hill, his home fell from view. He knew that he could not turn back. He would make his father proud. He felt tears beginning to well in his eyes. He was afraid and excited all at once. It was hard for him to accept that he was actually leaving his home.


    Alaric turned toward the group. They were all silently staring at him. Alaric was sure that were waiting for him to say something. ¡°What is everyone looking at?¡± he asked over the pattering of the rain on the canvas that covered the wagon.


    ¡°It¡¯s never easy to leave your family like that,¡± Erika said with sympathy in her green eyes.


    They were all frowning. He realized that they each wore a similar expression. The thought never crossed his mind, but they all too had left families and lives behind to become Monster Hunters.


    Alaric shook away his tears and thoughts of home. ¡°It isn¡¯t too hard. I always knew that I would leave someday.¡±


    Erika nodded knowingly but didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°So now what?¡± Alaric asked with a smile,¡± we kill monsters?¡±


    Tyron let out a loud, wheezy laugh. Everyone stared at the old man. Once he stopped, he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll not be fighting much anytime soon, Alaric, at least not if we have a say. We may be Hunters, but you are not. Have you ever even used a weapon?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alaric replied. He had held a few swords before. They were all too small for Alaric¡¯s smith hands. They were each made by his father for a soldier, but he had never lifted a hand against another creature with the intention to kill.


    ¡°Well your father had a gift for you. He said you need something to suit your strength,¡± Tyron said with a wave toward a long piece of cloth draped on the floor of the wagon.


    Alaric reached down and tugged on the cloth. It was wrapped around something heavy. He tugged harder to reveal a sword.


    His jaw dropped. He had never seen a such a large sword. It was over two hands wide and much longer than any sword that he had ever seen.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a great sword. They¡¯re too large and heavy for most men to be able to carry. They are rarely used successfully let alone safely. They¡¯re too slow to be used in actual combat unless you¡¯re a monster of a man,¡± Tyron explained with a thoughtful frown. He stared intently at the massive blade.


    Alaric smiled. ¡°Then a monster I will be.¡± He ran his fingers along the large blade. There was nothing remarkable about the blade except for its great size. The hilt was made of steel and wood. It was fit perfectly for his hand.

 The Hunt

    The Hunters rode from sunrise to sundown stopping only to let the several horses horses rest and eat. Alaric found the ride over the barren hills was almost calming.


    Each Hunter spoke of their homes, describing them to Alaric. They each made their home sound so wild, beautiful, and exotic. The description made Alaric want to visit each of the places in their travels.


    Chas was of a line of men and women that he called the O¡¯irin from across the Storm Sea somewhere. He said that his ancestors had left their land after it was destroyed by dragon¡¯s fire and warmachines. This was his legend at least. It had been carried down for many generations but came from a time long forgotten. He had left his home near Rhoergard and began hunting monsters before he even knew what hunters were. He was found by Tyron shortly thereafter and became an apprentice.


    Lilia was from Eirone in the Northwest, near Titanvale. She was from a long line of Hunters. She called herself a Valkyrie. She explained to Alaric that the Valkyrie are female warriors that are pledged to fight for the king as Hunters. Her family could trace its lineage back to the one of the first Hunters. Most Hunters were from that same family line.


    Nathaniel and Erika were from the city of Aerlonne. Aerlonne was about a two and a half week ride from Baerlon to the east. They sought out the Hunters after their marriage. Apparently to them, danger and adventure were perfect in a marriage. Alaric thought that he might agree with that philosophy to an extent.


    Tyron was from the capital city, Ilian. He worked closely with the Hunter General Fendrick Abigor. Tyron was considered one of the few Master Hunters alive. Alaric thought it hard to believe that the limping old man was truly a master at hunting anything too dangerous.


    The group settled for the night in a small grove of trees off of the road and out of sight. They sat around the fire that Tyron had lit. The night was cold, but the fire brought life into Alaric¡¯s soaked bones. He was grateful to Lady Fate that the rain came, but he was more thankful that it finally left.


    ¡°What do Hunters hunt exactly?¡± Alaric asked staring at Tyron.


    Tyron sat quietly for a moment before answering. ¡°We hunt a many great things. There are still dragons that wake and decimate cities that have forgotten their own old law, storm drakes are seen too on rare occasions leaving the mountains, and there are a many great other beasts that hunt men just as much,¡± the white-haired man replied casually.


    The thought gave Alaric a chill. He did not wholly believe that beasts existed that could decimate entire cities. He also didn¡¯t know that dragons weren¡¯t extinct. ¡°When was the last dragon seen?¡± He then asked. He knew it had to have been many years ago.


    Chas was the one that replied with his thick accent. ¡°I watched a Dragon decimate an entire fleet of Lord Intgarsson¡¯s finest ships. That was less than a year ago.¡±


    Lord Intgarsson was one of the four High Lords, along with Lord Abigor. Each of the High Lords ruled over a large portion of the country. One of the four High Lords also ruled as King. The current King was King Arthfael. Each king was chosen from the three remaining High Lords by vote after the death of a King.


    Alaric shuddered again. He suddenly could not believe what he had gotten himself into. His thoughts and desires for adventure put his life in real risk.


    Tyron chuckled. His eyes spoke honestly though. ¡°Do not be afraid boy. Being a Hunter is the most dangerous profession, but I¡¯m not sure that it is for you just yet. Tomorrow we will discuss. Rest now. Chas and I will watch first. You can watch with Lilia after us.¡±


    Alaric sat, bored, with an old tree stump at this back. He had never been on a watch before, but he understood the point. Stay awake. Stay alert. And watch for trouble. He would have little trouble doing that. His ribs were likely bruised from where Lilia had kicked him awake.


    Lilia had disappeared in the woods to grab something which was fine by him. She wouldn¡¯t explain what she had left for, but he was baffled as to what she could find out there that wasn¡¯t close the camp. She had been gone for a few minutes at this point. Alaric almost wanted to look for her, but he knew that his duties were at the camp.


    He had heard that there were rumors bandits that roamed openly outside of Baerlon, but he never thought that he would meet one, but it didn¡¯t seem to be be the night that he met one.


    Alaric was fighting drooping eyelids by the time that Lilia emerged from the woods carrying a long branch, stripped of bark and a shorter, thin branch also stripped.


    She dropped the large branch at his feet. It was straight, white, and roughly carved. He could see on the thin end notches that she had carved in.


    ¡°Stand blacksmith. I¡¯m bored, so you get to learn how to fight.¡±


    She wore a cruel smile. He wanted to feel something for the girl, but she was too coarse for him.


    Alaric nodded gravely and climbed to his feet with the makeshift practice sword in hand. He knew what was coming, and he was afraid of it.


    He decided that he needed to be patient. He was sure that she was a very skilled fighter and that he could learn much from her. He knew that he was going to hurt in the morning though. Alaric decided to himself that she didn¡¯t know how to be gentle.


    Lilia slid into a defensive stance with her stick overhead. ¡°Stand like this,¡± she commanded firmly.


    Alaric copied her movements carefully. He felt clumsy, but Lilia was patient for what must have been the first time in her life.


    After several minutes had gone by Alaric was dripping with sweat, but that wasn¡¯t good enough for Lilia. She faced Alaric. He saw that she once again wore a smirk. She¡¯s not going to take it easy on me, he realized as she lunged toward him.


    He caught her stick with his and pushed her back. Her fist landed in his ribs faster than he could move. Alaric blocked her waves of attacks frantically. More often than not, her stick hit him. His body quickly began to hurt everywhere, but he refused to show it.


    He would not dare to swing his club at her. He knew that he was too slow, and he would only really open himself up to more attacks.


    Suddenly, Lilia froze and put a finger over her lips to keep him from talking. He wasn¡¯t sure that he liked when she did that. He stood motionless. He wasn¡¯t sure what she had heard, but it had to be serious judging by the look of fear in her blue eyes.


    After a few seconds, he stopped focusing on what trying to hear anything and stared at Lilia. She too was sweating from their practice, but it changed nothing. She was the most beautiful women that he had ever seen. She was also the most wild woman that he had ever met.


    As he stared at her, the silence was broken by a distant, strange howl. Alaric knew wolf howls. Whatever this creature was, it was not a wolf.


    Lilia darted to the camp. ¡°Come! Quick. Grab you sword!¡± She ordered. They had moved just far enough away to not disturb anyone while they trained. Alaric followed her closely. He obeyed her exactly. He didn¡¯t know what the beasts were that he had heard, but Lilia seemed to think that they meant trouble.


    She grabbed her sword and began shouted for everyone wake up. They all were up and armed in a matter of seconds. She shouted something about being hunted by the Urulaki. The faces of each of the Hunters were grim.


    They each spread out. They peered into the darkness intently in every direction. All was silent.


    Alaric stood in the middle of the group, near the fire. He thought that he could hear a noise growing slowly louder. It sounded a lot like footsteps, but it was too fast to be anything familiar.


    A eerie mist began to seep from the darkness. It looked thin, but it made it impossible to see into the darkness. The mist brought with it a smell that almost made him gag. He wanted to ask about the mist, but he was afraid to open his mouth.


    Alaric began to hear growling and snarls as the mist began to suffocate him. His grip tightened on his sword. It felt much heavier in his hands than the stick had. It was a mix of fatigue and the sheer weight of the massive greatsword. He had paid little attention to how foreign it felt in his hands when he first held it.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    A flash of movement in the darkness caught his eye. It was close to Lilia.


    Soon more and more silhouettes danced at the corner of his eyes. It was hard to tell how many of the creatures were out there, but Alaric thought that he could count at least half a dozen.


    Chas lept with his curved sword. He swung wildly at the darkness and one of the beasts screamed.


    As if Chas was the queue, the others in the group began diving into the darkness. They would disappear and then dance back into Alaric¡¯s view.


    A hulking figure crept close enough that Alaric began to make out what the others were facing. Before he could comprehend what the beast was, a swiping claw narrowly missed his throat. Alaric staggered back. He felt his body move as though someone else was controlling it. He could feel the beast''s body tear and crack as his sword tore through it. In a single motion, the beast was nearly split in half.


    He knew he would get sick if he looked at the fresh corpse at his feet. Instead he searched the darkness. He could hardly make out anything though. It felt as if the mist was thickening more and more every moment.


    A snarl from behind made him spin. Another beast was rushing toward Alaric with its teeth bared.


    The beast moved much faster than he could. It crashed into Alaric, throwing him to the ground. In a flash, the beast was on top of him. Its breath was hot and foul. Alaric nearly retched as the creature''s breath filled his lungs.


    Claws dug into his shoulders. His skin almost popped as the sharp points pressed through. Alaric screamed as pain washed over his body. Searing heat filled his wounds as the claws sank deeper into his flesh.


    The beast''s greedy eyes barely met Alaric''s. It was rushing for the kill. Before it could fully open its maw, a loud thump echoed through its body.  The beast fell limp on top of Alaric. Drool trickled out onto Alaric''s face. It burned as hot as fire. Alaric wanted to scream but he couldn''t find his voice. His eyes were growing heavy.


    The last thing that he saw was Lilia¡¯s face as she leaned down from somewhere above. He wasn''t sure if it really was her or not. He hoped that it was.


    Light poured into the camp through the trees. He started to move, but a hand stopped him. ¡°You aren¡¯t ready to get up yet, Ric. You should keep resting,¡± came Lilia¡¯s voice. ¡°The Mist Wolf would have killed you had Nathaniel not seen it leap,¡± she said softly to him.


    ¡°H- h- he¡­..¡± Darkness engulfed him again.


    Alaric woke once again to Lilia shaking him.


    ¡°H- how.. long have you been here?¡± he asked.


    She smiled a tired smile. A dark bag sat under each eye. ¡°I am the only one that really knows their way around herbs. It had to be me that stayed with you. You were in bad shape,¡± she replied.


    ¡°What were those things?¡± he croaked. He could remember vividly face of the beast that died on top of him.


    ¡°Mist Wolves by our tongue. They¡¯re twisted beasts from the Madlands. They¡¯ve not ever been seen outside of the Madlands as far as I know. They are cursed things that are followed by mist like you saw. Their saliva can leave burns on skin. You¡¯re lucky, I was able to get it off before the burns became permanent. You¡¯ll scar nicely though on your shoulders. You¡¯re lucky that it didn¡¯t tear deeper.¡±


    Alaric groaned as Lilia pulled him up. A thought flashed through his mind. ¡°What about Baerlon? Is my family ok?¡±


    Lilia nodded slowly as if she was in thought. ¡°Yes, blacksmith. Even in the Madlands Mist Wolves won¡¯t bother humans unless they are sent to do so. The Wolves came for us¡­ for you, I think,¡± she stopped and then stared at him intently. She continued after a few seconds,¡± Erika was right to have chosen you. Her Gift may have very well saved your whole village from a raid. Even skilled swordsmen are lucky to survive an encounter with them. We faced the largest group that I have ever seen. Mist Wolves rarely travel in group of more than two or three. We had more than a dozen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about wolves as if they¡¯re men. Wolves are smart, but not enough to be ordered around and to hunt people miles from the masters, right?¡± Alaric asked with a frown. His whole body ached despite his lack of injuries.


    Lilia¡¯s face gave nothing. She stood and motioned for him to follow her. ¡°Come.¡±


    He rose slowly. The pain was at least bearable now.


    The rest of the group was waiting outside of the tent that had been set up for him. They were gathered around a pile of corpses. The pile of dead wolves was disgusting. Organs spilled out of the pile at random spots.


    The wolves were unnatural beasts. Their rear half was much like that of a black wolf, but the rest of the body was strange. The front limbs were much longer and looked nearly human except for the fur and long, black claws that extended from the fingers. The creatures had muscled shoulders and a neck much like a human¡¯s. The eyes of the beasts were entirely human in the light with varying colors from grey to blue and brown. The eyes that were shadowed we pitch black entirely. Grey fangs that protruded from each of the oversized muzzles as well.


    Alaric has never dreamed such a horrifying beast could exist, but there they lay in a pile in front of him. He felt his stomach begin to turn as he stared at the dead. The putrid scent of burning hair and flesh made him more nauseous than the sight.


    He turned away before he retched. He heard Tyron chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boy. Most get sick when they see death on such a great scale for the first time. ¡¯Specially after it¡¯s had time to rot like these. Urulaki rot faster than most. Comes with the Blight,¡± the old man spoke causally as if he was commenting on the weather.


    Alaric peered back and met the bent, old man¡¯s eyes. Tyron¡¯s face was serious despite his laugh. ¡°Do you know why these beasts hunt you?¡± Tyron said with a frown.


    Alaric gave the Hunter a confused look. ¡±What do you mean, after me? I did nothing to be hunted.¡±


    Tyron shook his head. ¡±I thought not. It would seem that Erika chose well. You indeed are special.¡±


    Nathaniel piped up. ¡°It is likely that we are still in danger. There could very well be many more creatures behind us that are sent to kill him. We need to leave as soon as he is ready.¡± Alaric could see that the man was growing anxious.


    Each Hunter nodded in agreement and looked toward Lilia. She pursed her lips. ¡°I think he is as ready for travel as he needs to be. It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll be riding a horse. The wagon is safe enough.¡±


    With Lilia¡¯s word, the group gathered their things and packed it into the wagon quickly. Lilia guided Alaric to the wagon while they worked. ¡°Wait in the wagon. We¡¯ll gather your things for you,¡± she said with a gentle smile.


    Alaric nodded. He wasn¡¯t waiting long. The Hunters piled in one by one and within minutes, they were off.


    ¡°Where are we going exactly?¡± Alaric asked as he stared at the wrinkled man sitting across from him.


    Tyron gave a small smile and replied, ¡±Well we were taking you to meet High King Arthfael of course. We need to arrive quickly too, if you are being hunted.¡±


    Alaric realized that the whole group was staring at him. Erika¡¯s eyes stole his attention even from Lilia¡¯s gaze. Her eyes had changed from green to a deep purple. He thought he saw a ripple through her eyes.


    ¡°Why is everyone staring at me?¡± he shifted in his seat. He didn¡¯t love the attention that they gave him.


    Erika spoke softly, but she was the one that answered. ¡°You are special Alaric Stonehammer. I know that much. I am never wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you see that no one else can?¡± He was growing tired of the Hunters not telling him anything.


    The air around Erika suddenly began to emit heat. The heat engulfed the whole wagon. She wasn¡¯t doing anything that he could see, but he couldn¡¯t pull his eyes away from hers.


    Her voice was soft, but her words burned Alaric¡¯s ears. ¡°I am a priestess of the Dragon. Only we have the power to recognize the power of those chosen by the Old Gods to protect the Pact of Dragons. You will be one such or suffer the death of all that you hold dear.¡±


    As suddenly as the strange feeling in the air came, it left. Everything was calm. All eyes were back on him.


    ¡°I guess that I have no choice then. Not if what you say is true,¡± he said as he searched the eyes of his new companions. Each Hunter¡¯s face showed a mix of emotions. Pity, fear, sadness, and expectation were the most common. Alaric¡¯s stomach was in knots and his shoulders throbbed.


    ¡°What is a Priestess of the Dragon exactly?¡± Alaric asked with a frown. He had never heard of such a thing despite the fact that it sounded important.


    She frowned back. ¡°Do you country folk truly know nothing about the kingdom that you live in?¡± Alaric could tell from her voice that she was nearly offended.


    Alaric felt a wave of frustration flow over him, but he knew she spoke some truth. He rarely ever thought of his home as part of the larger kingdom. Baerlon was mostly self-governed, but the arms of the government could only reach so far with so few soldiers.


    The two stared silently at each other for a few seconds, and then Erika began speaking again. Her voice was calm.


    ¡°Over a thousand years ago, this land was ruled by dragons. Man was a young and primitive. We were treated like sheep to the beasts. One day, men grouped together and killed their first dragon. Many more fell to men after that. The men and the elder dragons that led the dragon armies met together and established peace. The conditions of this peace were that men could rule themselves but the dragons would choose the rulers of men. The first of the Priests and Priestesses of the Dragon were blessed by the dragons to recognize those that would shape the fate of mankind. Usually we see those chosen to be nobility.¡±


    Alaric stared at Erika silently for several minutes before responding. His wrap his mind around what she was saying. He knew most of some history but magical Dragon Priestesses and Priests seemed ridiculous. Could she really claim to know him just from a look or know some part of his destiny?


    He decided that he should at least humor Erika despite his doubts.


    ¡°What do you see then?¡± Alaric said softly.


    ¡°A bumbling idiot that knows nothing of respect!¡± Lilia spat with a wicked grin.


    Erika shook her head and smiled. ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple. Only time and the correct decisions can reveal the truth. For now though, you must come to the capital with us. There your fate will begin to be determined.¡±


    Alaric sighed loudly. He too tired to care what the others thought. Nothing was ever simple with the Hunters. ¡°How much farther then?¡±


    Erika shrugged. ¡°It depends on how long you make it take, my Lord.¡±


    Alaric smiled back. He hated how being called a Lord felt. He hoped that it was something that he would never get used to. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you all my subjects?¡±


    Tyron cut in sharply,¡± No boy. A Hunter serves the crown, not the Lords and Ladies. You are neither a noble yet, nor are you a king. We are to protect you until you reach our destination, but you are no leader of ours.¡±


    An uncomfortable silence fell on the group for after that. Alaric took time in the silence to sit and let his mind wander. It was hard to see himself as anything special. He was after all just a young blacksmith.

 Marked

    By the time that the sun rose to what must have been midday according to Alaric¡¯s estimate. He wasn¡¯t all that great at guessing the time of day though.


    The whole group was beyond hungry. They had a small loaf of bread to curb the hunger a few hours before, but it was time to stop for something more substantial.


    Once they found a nice clearing in the thin trees, the group eagerly leapt out of the wagon and stretched. Alaric¡¯s legs were sore and tired from the bumpy ride in the wagon, and he was beyond tired of sitting.


    Immediately, Nathaniel started handing out dried meat from his bags to other members of the group. They all sat silently for several minutes as they gnawed through the tough meat.


    Alaric decided to break the silence. ¡°So if we are headed to Ilian, does that mean that we need to go through Hewe?¡± he asked.


    Tyron began chuckling quietly. Chas replied with his strange accent and soft voice,¡± The roads are best this way. We will most likely continue on this route to get around Rose Lake through both Hewe and Lucenne.¡±


    Hewe was a small fishing village across Rose Lake from Baerlon, while Lucenne was the capital of the division of the central territory of the kingdom. Lucenne and the rest of the surrounding area was ruled by Lord Moats.


    Alaric had never been to either place. He had heard of nothing good about the people from Hewe. He was told that they were full of filth and treachery by many of the people in his village that claimed to have been there. The village elders were the only ones that really ever dealt with the trade between the two villages, and they never spoke highly of their dealings.


    Lilia replied quietly,¡°It¡¯s not like there is really any other logical option. The beasts should never go into a large city like Lucenne in a small pack. They are at least a cautious breed, but that is only one of many agents that may be hunting you. We must be on our toes even when we reach the capital.¡±


    Alaric frowned. ¡°What kind of creatures could hide in a city full of so many people?¡± he asked.


    Tyron was glaring at Lilia as he replied,¡± I guess that you should know these things, but we don¡¯t have time to teach you about everything that you may face wherever you may end up. Know this, the agents of darkness take many grotesque forms. Avoid darkness, being alone, and basically anything that would help you to be singled out. Do that and we should be able to keep you alive.¡±


    He then turned to the rest of the group, with a face that showed lines and wrinkles that he gained from long years of fighting for his life. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± he said.


    Immediately, the group began packing the little that they unloaded back into the wagon. Alaric wanted to argue. He wanted to take more time to rest and be out of the argue. There was little point in it though. Alaric directed his attention elsewhere. Lilia caught his eye quickly.


    Lilia was strange to Alaric. She was strong and beautiful, but something in her mannerisms reminded him more of the boys that he grew up with in Baerlon. Still yet, she smiled at him on occasion in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about her yet.


    She sat next to him on the wagon. The ride was again quiet. Alaric thought it appropriate that it was quiet. They were after all, running for their lives from creatures that were sent to kill him, and it was their duty to protect him. It was a solemn ordeal.


    Alaric was beginning to be able to see the wear of the harsh lifestyle of a Hunter in each of their faces. Erika looked especially worn. Alaric thought that it had to have something to do with her special abilities.


    Tyron had volunteered again this time to guide the wagon, allowing Nathaniel to spend time with Erika. Alaric thought that they were an odd pair, but there was no doubt that they were in love. They rarely spent time more than a few feet from each other and the way that they looked at each other was similar to the way that Orven and Aviah looked at each other.


    As Alaric sat thinking, he realized that Lilia was staring at him. He felt an uncomfortable warmth in his face, but he held her gaze. He knew that he cheeks were growing red, but he didn¡¯t care.


    The two stared at each other for what felt like a few minutes, Alaric thought. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. ¡°Do we need to get out and walk next to the farm, to give you some alone time?¡±


    Alaric and Lilia both looked at the same time toward the voice. Nathaniel was grinning from ear to ear. Everyone in the wagon was chuckling at the pair. Lilia met each smile with a glare, while Alaric could feel the red in his face growing stronger.


    Nathaniel spoke again with daring, blue eyes,¡±What¡¯s wrong Lilia? Did I ruin your moment?¡± The man¡¯s accent had grown easier to understand as Alaric spent time with him. Nathaniel was a fun-loving and wild man.


    Alaric turned toward her and her face fell. Alaric realized that he had begun to lean forward, and he sat back in the wagon and closed his eyes. He was unsure of his feelings. There was too much moving around him for his feelings to make much sense.


    He heard Chas speak next,¡±Lilia, you know that you cannot.¡±


    Alaric opened an eye to watch the dark-skinned man.


    ¡°I do what I want,¡± she came her cold reply. She had crossed her arms and begun to pout like a toddler that hadn¡¯t gotten her way.


    There was a moment of silence and then Chas spoke again,¡± Alaric, what do you know of the madness?¡± It was hard to make out what the man said.


    Alaric gave the man a concerned look. ¡±Its the borderland disease, right?¡±


    Chas nodded. ¡°That is part of the truth. The southern borderlands are infested with the madness, but do you know what the madness is?¡±


    Alaric shook his head. It was true. He lived too far from the borderlands to really know what the madness was. He had always thought of one of the elderly whose mind had slipped away, but that didn¡¯t feel right to Alaric.


    ¡°The madness is a disease that strips away sanity and humanity. Those with the madness have been known to viciously attack loved ones like the diseased were a wild animal, often with tooth and nail.¡±


    Alaric shook his head again. He couldn¡¯t imagine that any person would try to bite and scratch like an animal. ¡°What did the madness do to create Mist Wolves?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Mist Wolves and every other creature that survives in the blightlands for long periods of time is twisted into a new being. The Mist Wolves were once wolves, but they are not even close to the most terrifying or most dangerous beasts that reside in the madness,¡± Chas said. His voice was grave as if he was warning Alaric.


    ¡°What could be worse than Mist Wolves?¡± Alaric asked. He was having trouble imagining what could be worse than the monstrosity that stood over him. His wounds burned when he thought of the beast.


    ¡°There are too many. Each breed is an abomination of nature, but they all are extremely dangerous,¡± Nathaniel said with a cheery voice. Alaric was confused at the odd, cheerful attitude that Nathaniel often carried with him. Monstrosities were not all that amusing in Alaric¡¯s opinion.


    They sat and road together mostly silently well into the night. While they road, Nathaniel and the others taught Alaric about some of the creatures spawned from the madness. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to remember most of what he was told.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Viil are giant vultures with few feather anywhere but on their wings. They are covered in oozing boils that contain a liquid strong enough to melt steel.


    Shadows are pale remenants of men and women that drift between civilizations, killing those that their masters command them to kill. They are characterized by an unnatural paleness, empty, black orbs for eyes, and an uncanny ability to walk through any room or crowd without drawing almost any attention.


    Amzani are pale remenants of men and women caught in the darkest of strains of the madness. Their limbs are all unnaturally long. They walk on all fours with inverted legs and sport long claws. They are fast climbers and runners, but they are only talked about, never seen.


    Ungul are an ancient race that was altered little by the madness physically, but they were instead altered mentally. They are a race that lives to fight and kill. The Ungul have large, muscled bodies, covered in thick grey skin. Nathaniel said that they were as tall as a wagon, if not taller, but Alaric couldn¡¯t believe that any creature was actually that tall.


    Galateir are some form of creature that feed off of dreams. Nathaniel didn¡¯t claim know much else about them.


    A few hours into night, the wagon stopped again. Alaric was hungry and could feel his eyes burning. The Hunters didn¡¯t look nearly as tired as he felt.


    Once again, this stop was short lived. They were there just long enough to scarf down more dried meat and bread.


    Shifts were determined for the Hunters to guide the wagon. Erika and Nathaniel would be the next, then Lilia and Alaric, and Chas and Tyron would finish the early morning into the afternoon.


    Everyone was slow to climb back into the wagon, but after a few minutes of rhythmic creaking, the majority of the group was asleep.


    Alaric sat thinking about all of the information that he had been fed as they rode. In one day his life had changed and in another day it had taken another drastic turn. He wanted to be anxious or afraid, but something felt right about the path that he was on.


    I guess I really can¡¯t hate this, he thought to himself as he looked down to Lilia. She had chosen to sleep on his shoulder. Alaric was glad that he had chosen a fairly comfortable position to sit in before she leaned on him.


    She was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen despite her wild attitude. Even by lantern light through the light canvas of the wagon, he could make out some of the lines of her faces.


    As he stared at the girl, he couuld suddenly feel that their paths weren¡¯t intertwined. Knowing that made him sad. He knew that a life with Lilia would be filled with adventure. A life as a Hunter would be a life worth living.


    As Alaric sat thinking, sleep came.


    After what felt like only a few minutes, Alaric and Lilia were awoken by Erika.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn. Keep her awake Alaric,¡± Erika whispered with a pat on his shoulder.


    Lilia climbed through the canvas first. Nathaniel came into the wagon to make room for Alaric.


    They sat quietly for a few minutes as Alaric tried to wake himself up. His eyes refused to stay open, but the cold air of the night was helping wake him.


    He spoke first. ¡°Do you actually know where we¡¯re going?¡±


    Lilia glared. ¡°One of us has to, and you don¡¯t so yes. I know where we¡¯re going.¡±


    Her attitude drove Alaric mad. One minute she was kind and the next she was a hag. He was beyond confused. ¡°Why have you been so kind to me recently?¡± Alaric asked. As it came out of his mouth, he could feel the burning in his face.


    She turned her head away toward the darkness. ¡°It does not matter. We will not see each other probably ever again once we reach the capital.¡± Alaric thought that he heard her choke up for a moment.


    She was right and Alaric knew it. Alaric frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t be allowed to leave the capital anytime soon, but you have to go back out to do your work, right?¡±


    ¡°There is little romance for Monster Hunters. Honestly, it is expected by everyone including myself that I will marry Chas. Over time from lack of contact with others, we will have little choice. He is quiet and dry, but he is a great man and skilled hunter,¡± she said. Alaric could hear the boredom and disappointment in her voice.


    Alaric thought for a minute about what he was hearing before he replied. ¡°Why me then?¡±


    Lilia smiled. ¡°Well, you are brave, reckless, handsome, and unpredictable. You keep life interesting.¡±


    Alaric stared at the face of the young woman. He thought that he could see the young girl that had been forced to assume a role that she was unsure of.


    ¡°Wherever life takes you, you will be one of the best Hunters to have lived, Lilia.¡± Alaric returned a smile.


    After that, they chatted about nothing of importance. Lilia told him about some of her wild adventures, bizarre beasts, and strange cities and cultures.


    After what felt like a short time, it was Chas and Tyron¡¯s turn to guide the wagon.


    Rest once again came quickly and suddenly.


    When Alaric awoke, it was nearly midday. His cut burned as he rose, and his body didn¡¯t look like it was healing.


    As he moved, the burning subsided. He turned his attention to the empty wagon that he was laying in.


    He climbed out of the canvas and onto the ground. He was totally alone. There were remnants of a small campfire on the ground. The sky was clear but in the distance all around him, he could see a heavy fog on the plains.


    Alaric wondered whether or not the fog was actual fog or mist from Mist Wolves that were hunting him. The thought of such a large pack made him shudder. There would have to be hundreds if not thousands of wolves to create such a large fog.


    The sound of footsteps came behind him. Relief washed over him at the sound. He turned to greet his new friends, but there was no one behind him.


    He could see footprints in the grass that led to him, but they weren¡¯t his.


    Again he heard footsteps behind him. He spun quickly to see what the noise was.


    He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him as a shadow stood before him that faded before his eyes could catch it.


    Footprints led to him but he had never walked from that direction. Fear suddenly gripped Alaric as he realized that whatever this was, it was sent for him.


    ¡°What is wrong, child?¡± the icy voice of an old women asked from behind him. He whipped around and was face to face with Lilia. He stared into her bright eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my love?¡± She asked as she placed a warm, soft hand on his chest, which he realized now was totally bear. She leaned in slowly toward his face.


    Alaric was lured nearly to her lips when he caught a glimpse of flashing steel. He pushed at Lilia to keep her away from the steel, but his arms passed through her body. He fell to the ground as she vanished like smoke.


    Alaric rolled to see a new sight. The sky had turned red and over him stood a strange being. It¡¯s body and face seemed to blue with the air around it as wisps of darkness shifted and surrounded its body. It¡¯s eyes were red and it had no other distinguishing features. This time it spoke with its own voice. ¡°You have been marked boy. Marked for death. Many hunt you, whether for the purposes of good or evil. Run if you will but you cannot escape the death that my master has sentenced you.¡±


    Alaric woke as he flew off of his seat on the wagon. He landed with a thud on the floor of the wagon. Once again his wound was burning, but he wasn¡¯t alone. The Hunters were all sitting around him in the wagon. Apparently the heavy bump had woken them all up.


    Tyron peaked through the off-white flaps of the wagon. ¡°Good morning everyone. We should be about a day¡¯s journey away from Hewe. We must stop for a short time to rest the horses. They may be a strong breed, but even they must rest.¡±


    Tyron and Chas pulled the wagon off of the trail and the group climbed out. Lilia asked Alaric to wait in the wagon with her.


    He sat nervously while the last person climbed off of the wagon. Then he sat alone with Lilia.


    To his relief, she just wanted to change his bandages. It was strange taking his shirt off for the girl, but as she worked with her herbs and bandages he relaxed. His body had large scabs with thin cracks. He was just thankful that his body wasn¡¯t bleeding.


    After he was bandaged once again, he was allowed to join the rest of the group. He body was beginning to feel very tight and sore from all of the sitting and bumpy riding that they were doing. The thought of getting back in the wagon made him uneasy.


    It felt good to be able to stretch out. He moved to stretch his arms and torso, but he stopped short when he felt his scabs pulling. His legs were starting to loosen and feel good by the time that he was given food.


    He felt full before ever he started eating, but after his first two bites, hunger filled his stomach. The dried meat and dry biscuit were gone too fast.


    Alaric looked around and realized that Tyron and Erika were gone.


    ¡°Where did Erika and Tyron go?¡± he asked. He hadn¡¯t heard them say anything about leaving.


    Nathaniel replied,¡±They have gone ahead to prepare a place for us and our horses in Hewe. It can be a dangerous place at night.¡±


    Alaric shook his head. He was worried that the village elders weren¡¯t lying to him when the spoke ill of the people of Hewe. He could already smell the fishy people, and that thought made his stomach turn.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Alaric. We¡¯ll arrive in the night and leave. Long before sunrise. We shouldn¡¯t have to deal with the people there,¡± he said with a knowing smile.

 The Madness

    To Alaric Hewe felt like a filthy town full of cutthroats and dirty people, as the village elders had told him it was.


    Alaric wasn¡¯t happy to be spending anytime in that mud-caked, fishing hole. The people of Hewe had even found a way to take the prettiest lake in the country and make their part of it filthy.


    The Rose Lake got its name from the pink water. Alaric was told never to drink the water, but it made a beautiful sight. Next to Hewe, the Rose Lake was a muddy brown. The people there didn¡¯t seem to care as much about the lake or safety of the water.


    Alaric stayed close to Lilia, Erika, and Nathaniel. They seemed to like the place more than he did but not by much.


    The group was ushered into the back of a dirty inn by a plump maid. She warned them all multiple times to stay quiet to avoid disturbing any of their guests. The fat woman wasn''t at all graceful next to the Hunters. Alaric was surprised that any innkeeper would allow such a strange and grotesque woman to work there.


    Two other girls worked in the kitchen. They were both much cuter than the large girl. Alaric thought that they looked to be about his age. Alaric didn''t pay much attention to what the girls looked like despite that. He was too tired to really care about any of the girls, including Lilia.


    They were led to a small table in the back of the kitchen and the fat woman disappeared. Everyone sat or stood quietly. Everyone was too tired to rest. Erika had left Tyron in Hewe to being the rest of the group to the inn. Tyron had been gone for a few hours, but no one seemed worried about him. Alaric had seen first hand the skills of the Hunters. He too was realizing that they were each on their own very capable of taking care when danger found them.


    The girls busy were warming up the stove and prepping food for the travelers. They both had a look as if they had just been woken up. Alaric watched them work. He only half paid attention to the girls as they worked. His eyes were heavy, but he fought to keep them up.


    As Alaric sat scratching his chin, the smell of savory meats and sweet bread engulfed the room. His stomach reminded him that he hadn¡¯t eaten nearly as well in the past few days as he was used to.


    When the food finally came, the Hunters tore ravenously at the bread and fish that was given to him. It was the best fish that he had ever tasted. He had only tried fish a handful of times, but it was his favorite food. The bread was sweet and melted in his mouth with each bite. There was also a large platter placed in the center of the table that was covered in cooked vegetables. He ate some, but the meat and bread was too good to waste his time on the vegetables.


    The food disappeared queckly. Alaric, Chas, and Lilia ate the majority of it, but Nathaniel put his own dent in the meal as well. The mood had lightened in the room as they ate. Despite this, there was still some gloom that hung in the room. The Hunters had traveled far before they found Alaric.


    Tyron stepped into the room not long after the food disappeared. His eyes were bright, and he walked with excitement. ¡°I found a group of soldiers. They are under the house Irix. The Sword and Shield will lead us to the capital faster,¡± he said with a wave of his hand.


    The Sword and Shield was the emblem found on the flag of royal house of Irix. Alaric thought that it was unusual for a group of soldiers under that house to be in the area, as he didn''t know the name or emblem. Alaric thought that it was still at least good news for the group. They might not help speed the movement of the group, but it would be safer.


    Alaric assumed that it was the leader of the group of soldiers that came in behind Tyron. He wore a white cloth and grey steel armor. Alaric was surprised that the man came in full armor. It was too early in the morning for him to have been wearing the armor when Tyron called for him.


    The man had short black hair and blue eyes. He seemed to be impartial, until his eyes met Alaric¡¯s. The knight glared at the young blacksmith. Alaric shrunk behind the man''s glare.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be off when morning comes,¡± man said sternly. His voice was hard and matter of fact.


    ¡°Thank you again for your help, Lord Irix,¡± Tyron called as the man stormed out without another word.


    Tyron turned back to his group with a grin. ¡°He may not be cheery but a Dragon Knight here cannot be coincidence. He was sent because reports of Mist Wolves from the southern blightlands had reached the castle. Once I told him that we were being hunted by them, he agreed that we need to be escorted quickly to the capital to see the King. Lady Fate smiles upon up today.¡±


    Alaric frowned. If he¡¯s here to help, then why did he glare at me? Something felt off about the man to Alaric, but he couldn''t place a finger on why.


    Lilia was sitting next to him. She gave a sympathetic smile and a pat on his leg. It seemed like she noticed the knights glare.


    Chas was staring into the depths of the table. He hadn¡¯t looked up at all during the entire encounter. Alaric felt some sympathy for the boy. It would be hard for anyone to leave home at such a young age, and grow up around a group of people that live to hunt and kill monstrous beasts. It seemed that he wasn''t yet used to the traveling.


    After a few minutes more of silent waiting, the heavy woman returned again to the kitchen. She waved and grunted for them to follow her. At even the sound of a creaking board, the woman would turn back and glare at the group despite her heavy steps. The entire building was poorly constructed from wood. That meant nearly every step caused some small noise.


    The Hunters were led to a room on the second floor of the building. It was empty except for a few beds that were organized along the back wall. There were enough bed for each of them to have a bed, but Alaric knew just from seeing small bed, that he was too big for it.


    He laid down slowly on his bed next to Tyron and Nathaniel. It bowed, cracked, and popped. He was worried that it would break under him, but it somehow held his weight. The fat woman crept out without a word.


    He was too tired to change from his dirty, well-worn clothes. Sleep came before Alaric could move to get comfortable.


    Alaric heard the door creak quietly. No one next to him was moivng. Alaric thought that everyone seemed to be asleep still. Who was the person that opened the door then? He thought. He watched the door. After a few minutes, the door opened a little bit more. They must think that I¡¯ve fallen back to sleep.


    He watched the door creep open farther and father until a small man could creep in. It wasn¡¯t Tyron, so this must have been a thief of some sort. As Alaric expected, the man crept over to Lilia¡¯s bags and started picking through it. He was exceptionally quiet. Alaric thought it was quite impressive.


    Alaric knew that he was going to have to give the man a good beating, but he wanted the man to get just a little bit closer. He felt his muscles tighten in anticipation.


    Alaric leapt from the bed and ran toward the door to cut the man off. The man bolted as fast as he could toward the door, but he hesitated just enough. Alaric cut the man off and caught him by his throat. The muscles in his shoulders screamed as he held the man, but even with his injuries, he was stronger.


    Alaric slammed the man against the wall. As if in reply his muscles burned more and warmth soaked his shirt. Alaric knew that he was bleeding again, but he didn''t much care.


    The man crumpled to the floor. He was totally unconscious. He entire group had awoken and were standing. They were armed and ready for a fight. They lit the room and used their blankets to bind and gag the man. He woke as he was being tied, but he was too weak too struggle against the Hunters.


    The blob of a woman burst from into the room with a cleaver in her hand. She was looking wildly for the source of the noise. She spotted the man being tied up on the bed, and anguish crawled across her face.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What are you doing with my husband!?¡± she yelled. Suddenly her eyes were glazed over and had a purplish, sickly color.


    The woman lunged forward with kitchen knife and started swinging wildly at the Alaric.


    Tyron called a single word that they rest of the group, including Alaric understood. ¡°Madness.¡±


    Nathaniel sprang into action. He had already fetched one of the daggers from his bag. He danced around the flailing woman before she could ever reach Alaric and planted his knife in the back of the neck of the woman.


    Instantly, she collapsed on the ground with a loud thud.


    ¡°We need to go now,¡± Tyron said.


    Immediately, they grabbed their bags. Alaric was kept in the middle of the group as they filed down the stairs. There was no sound nor movement as they left the building. It was eerie, but the morning was coming quickly. They all followed Tyron to the home that the soldiers were staying in.


    Tyron pounded on the door, and then pushed it open. The entrance was dark and empty, but within a few seconds there were soldiers coming out of the the rooms connected to the room that they had entered. Each of them was armed and ready to fight.


    Lord Irix came in the room with a look authority. He was somehow still in his armor. ¡°These are the Hunters that we are escorting to the capital. If you lay a hand on them, you will have to answer to the King.¡±


    The soldiers all dropped their arms to their sides.


    ¡°What do you need, Hunters?¡± he asked calmly.


    Tyron stepped forward. ¡°We need to leave right now. We were just attacked by someone with the madness.¡±


    Lord Irix¡¯s face fell. ¡°If there is Blight this far from the the blighted lands, then I must stay here to protect the people. I will send a few men with you and a few to Lord Moats to notify him, but the rest must remain with me.¡±


    His men nodded to acknowledge their leader¡¯s instruction. It seemed strange that they already knew how they would divide up without another further word from Lord Irix.


    The men got to work immediately. There were six that grabbed their bags. Four were going with the Hunters, while the other two left immediately to seek out Lord Moats and his family.


    One of the soldiers that were going with them seemed to be the senior of the group was the only one that stayed cool. The other three looked nervous as they followed the Hunters out.


    The soldiers¡¯ wore light, brown leather armor. It bore a simple mark of Lord Irix¡¯s house on the chest. They also carried a sheathed sword and a dagger. The emblem was on each of the sheathes as well.


    Tyron bowed toward Lord Irix, and the Hunters filed back out. They were followed by the four soldiers.


    The sun was nearly ready to peak over the horizon. There were small sounds of people in the distance beginning to wake and work. The smell of freshly baking bread wafted through the buildings from some bakery tucked further into Hewe.


    The group wasted no time. They hurried straight back to the inn quickly yet calmly as to not draw the attention of any prying eyes.


    They reached the the horses quickly and set off immediately. They left without the wagon, before most of Hewe had woken. Alaric felt bad about disturbing those that still slept as they rode the horses hard out of the town.


    The riders were silent as they traveled fast and hard toward Lucenne. Alaric was worried about how well the horses would take the ride. They got rest here and there, but he wasn''t sure how much was enough. If they were pushed too hard, it could slow their progress. As the sun approached, the sky collected clouds and turned grey.


    Alaric thought that it may rain, and he knew that would made the ride more miserable. Dread filled his stomach. Alaric hoped that rain would slow down their pursuers.


    Alaric still often felt uncomfortable around the quiet group. They were kind and seemed to care for him, but he felt that it wasn¡¯t real care. It was their duty to deliver him to the King. He truly didn¡¯t understand the reason that they tried to pretend to care. They would soon leave him behind.


    ¡°Al!¡± he heard Lilia call from a few horses up. His eyes shot up and his body became tense. He was becoming paranoid. Nowhere felt safe.


    She slowed her horse down so that he could catch up with her. ¡°Relax, Alaric,¡± she said with a laugh. Her eyes were gently resting on him. ¡°You can relax. We¡¯re safe for now. We¡¯ll arrive at the Lucenne soon and then this nightmare will be over.¡±


    Alaric nodded at her. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint a reason, but he just wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    She wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°Do you worry about your family?¡±


    He looked down at the saddle. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± he asked softly. He doubted that she had even heard him speak.


    ¡°Even with the training that my family has, I would worry. When we get to the Lucenne, you¡¯ll be able to send a letter to your family. Let them know that you¡¯re safe.¡± Lilia smiled warmly.


    That was a comfort to him. He felt more relief in that moment than he had the entire trip.


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Alaric asked. He had to know if it was out of pity. He knew that there was no good reason behind it. They had fallen far enough behind that he was sure that the others couldn¡¯t hear their conversation.


    Lilia was quiet for a time. Alaric could see that she was weighing her answer to the question carefully.


    When she was ready to reply, her face seemed softer and gentler. She had gone from being a warrior to being a woman in his view despite the weapons and armor that she bore.


    ¡°Alaric, we do care about you. Genuinely, we do, Each of us. We may be taking you to the capital, but that does not mean that you will be rid of us entirely. At least, I hope not.¡± As she finished, her cheeks began to turn red.


    Alaric couldn¡¯t find words to reply, so he just stared at the beautiful woman riding next to him. He didn¡¯t often put much thought into the future, but a future with her was something that he thought that he might want. He let his mind wander for a time, while she rode silently next to him.


    After a few minutes of silent thought, he turned again to the young woman riding next to him. She smiled softly at him. Her face was still red. ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± she asked.


    He smiled back. ¡°Nothing important, Lilia. What are Lucenne and the capital like?¡± It was the only question that he could come up with. He was still unsure about the group of Hunters. He decided that he wanted to trust them, especially Lilia.


    Her face didn¡¯t change. ¡°Those two cities are very different and in many ways the same. They have very different appearances. Both are beautiful. They are large though. There are many good people filling the streets, but many more cruel and selfish people,¡± she replied. Alaric thought that it wasn''t all that much of an answer, but he didn''t push for more.


    He had heard that most people in cities were selfish and that he couldn¡¯t trust them. The village elders always made that much clear. Alaric put more trust into their words after the stay in Hewe.


    He suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. ¡°What are the nobles like? What do you think that they want with me?¡±


    Lilia smiled. She enjoyed chatting. ¡°Well each of the houses are very different. Most of them are either lazy and selfish or kind and benevolent. I know you may not trust people that you barely know, but you are safe from the nobles. The High Lords and the King need to meet you, and they will decide your fate...¡± Lilia paused and made a concerned face.


    ¡°Wait¡­ that sounds worse than it is¡­ They will be deciding what you do and where you belong¡­ That still sounds bad.¡± She frowned. "You get the point."


    It made Alaric chuckle. He hadn¡¯t yet seen her struggle at something.


    She grinned at his chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s true. You are safe.¡±


    He was feeling better. ¡°I know. It is hard being so far away from home. I am worried about my family, but it also feels good to be on an adventure. It might be like the stories that my parents told me when I was younger.¡±


    It was then that he looked down at his shirt and saw the red stains on his pale yellow shirt.


    Lilia frowned. ¡°The bleeding stopped or else we would have stopped to address your wounds. How are they feeling? It seems like you barely notice them.¡±


    Alaric rolled his shoulders. ¡°They¡¯re sore, but I think that they¡¯ll be fine soon. Fighting that man reopened everything.¡±


    Lilia nodded knowingly. ¡°There is a good chance that had you not stopped him, things could have gone very differently. I don¡¯t know that any of us would have awoken before he started killing.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure that he would have tried to kill anyone?¡± Alaric asked. He didn¡¯t remember the man carrying any weapons.


    The frown that Lilia wore deepened. ¡°The madness isn¡¯t a normal sickness. It takes otherwise harmless people and turns them into monsters. He had a knife, but he never got to unsheathe it because of you. He came in to kill. Greed slowed him down though.¡±


    ¡°So why hadn¡¯t the man and wife killed each other yet?¡± Alaric asked as he stared at his reins.


    ¡°Those with the madness that contract it around the same time won¡¯t attack each other. Once you have the madness, you usually only attack those without it. To... spread the disease further.¡± She shuddered at the thought.


    Alaric thought that was strange. ¡°How is it spread then?¡± he asked.


    Lilia replied carefully. ¡°No one really knows. Some say that it¡¯s magic and others say it¡¯s vermin or bad water. Honestly, no one knows.¡±


    Alaric felt uneasy again. He didn¡¯t like the thought of a disease that came from nowhere. He shuddered too.


    Lilia¡¯s face showed agreement. She had seen too much of the madness for her own taste.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve seen the madness this far from the madlands. What are we taking you from Ric?¡± She asked.


    He looked into her eyes sadly. She wasn¡¯t accusing him. He saw worry in her eyes. He wished that he could tell her. He wished that he knew himself.

 The Old Gods

    Lord Darren Moats of Lucenne stood next to Alaric. He was a short, heavy-set man. The man had a greying, bushy brown beard that matched his greying hair.?The man wasn''t all that much to look at. He was very kind and welcomed the Hunters with open arms.


    The man always war ornate striped shirts and pants. Today, he wore a burgandy and orange striped from top to bottom. Alaric thought that it wasn''t likely that he would ever be caught dead in such an outfit.


    Alaric found the man''s excitment at the presenece of the Hunters interesting nonetheless. Alaric felt that he was growing paranoid. Every person, every movement, everything that happened around him had a reason to it, and he knew it. Alaric was suspicious of each and every motive. Alaric wanted to trust the kind Lord, but the man was too welcoming for his taste.


    The pair of men stood atop the northern wall surrounding Lucenne. Alaric tried to watch the Lord carefully out of the corner of his eye. With every movement, Alaric respond carefully.


    "Alaric, you need to calm down. I am not your enemy. I will protect you all the way to the King," the jovial Lord said as he extended his hand toward Alaric.


    Alaric frowned and faced the man. Alaric knew that he had to play nicely with the Lord for his own safety. The young man grabbed the Lord''s hand and shook it carefully. Alaric pulled his hand away from the Lord as quickly as he could.


    Lord Moats met the boy''s eye with a smile. "I know your father, Alaric. He was a friend of mine many years ago. Orven and Aviah both."


    That was news to him. Orven and Aviah had never mentioned anything about knowing a Lord or Lady, especially the Lord over the territory that Alaric was raised in. "They never mentioned you once. Why do you think that is?"


    The Lord nodded. "I understand. Our past is... complicated to be sure. Nevertheless, I owe that man more than my life. Choose to believe me or not, it is up to you, but I know them well."


    Alaric drew a breath. He knew that he would have to choose his words carefully. "I do believe you. You have no way of knowing their names except from me. I do trust you though. I haven''t been away from home longer, and I already am losing faith in the world."


    The Lord grunted in agreement. "That is the way that the world is now. Darkness prevails at every corner. Our kingdom stands out of necessity not out of good ruling. Disease, madness, and death are rampant everywhere. You only see what sent your father back to Baerlon."


    Suddenly the Lord fell still and silent. Alaric gazed out over the plains surrounding Lucenne. He too was silent.


    A deep, gravely yet familiar voice came from behind Alaric. "That all could be yours one day, my young friend."


    Alaric spun around to find the source of the voice. The source stood a dozen or so feet behind him. Alaric froze as his eye met the eyes of the man. It was himself.


    The being smiled. The look in the being''s eye made Alaric uncomfortable. "What''s wrong, Ric?" the being asked.


    Alaric glanced at Lord Moats. The Lord stood motionless. His eyes were open, staring into nothing.


    The being chuckled. "Do not worry, my young friend. You could say that this isn''t even real. The Lord is well, despite all."


    Alaric looked back at the being. "What are you?"


    The being gave a deep bow. "I am Dominus. King and Father of the Old Gods. It is very good to make your acquaintance!"


    Alaric frowned. "D''you know who I am then?"


    The being strode toward Alaric casually. "Of course I do, Alaric. I have been watching you since the day that you were born."


    Alaric felt his body tighten. He definitely didn''t trust whatever this being was. He was ready for the being to lunge at him.


    "Don''t be rash, Alaric. I am not here to kill you. You and I will be spending much more time together from here on. I am a part of you." The being stopped next to Alaric and gazed out over the horizon.


    "What do you mean, a part of me?" Alaric asked as he followed the being with his eyes. He knew that he couldn''t give the creature any advantages.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The being sighed. "When you were an infant, I bound my soul to yours. It isn''t all that complicated to be honest. I needed a host or else I would die. You are the most promising being that I have ever seen, and so I chose you."


    Alaric had more questions than he could begin to ask. "What do you mean bound to my soul? Or needed a host? Or promising being? None of what you are saying makes any sense." Alaric was beginning to be frustrated with the being. It gave no straight answers.


    The being waved a hand in the air. "Do not worry. All will be revealed in time. Until then, I will visit you more. You interest me. Despite the fact that you''re a fool."


    Alaric clenched his fists. He wanted to take a swing at the being, but he wasn''t sure if he could take him in a fight.


    The being laughed. "Alaric, I am a part of you for now. Your every thought, every desire, every feeling. I know them all. You can hide nothing from me. Swing if you like, but you''ll be disappointed in the result. I am stronger than you by far."


    Alaric sighed. "What''s the point? If you do know my every thought, fighting you would be pointless."


    The being nodded in agreement. "You are right. For now, I am leaving. I''ll come see you again when I need you."


    Alaric refused to respond, but it was Lord Moats voice broke the silence. "You alright, Alaric? You look like you''ve seen a ghost."


    Alaric shook his head. He had a feeling that Lord Moats had no clue what had just happened. "I''m alright. I think that I just need to rest. Traveling has been difficult for us. I''m just tired."


    Lord Moats nodded in agreement and sighed heavily. "I believe it. You''re travels have been hard thus far and all of that in less than a week. Go and rest. Perhaps we can talk more as we escort you to the capital."


    Alaric nodded slowly as he walked away from the lord. He knew that it was rude, but he couldn''t pretend to care. Too much was on his mind.


    Alaric winded his way through the streets of Lucenne. The walk was a blur. Alaric thought a few times that he might have seen a few of the Hunters as he walked. He would''ve stopped to talk to them, but he felt off.


    He needed to clear his head. He needed to be alone.


    The walk felt both like it took hours andlike it tookseconds. Alaric was relieved as he made his way to his large, soft bed.


    He colapsed on the matress and began sobbing. His body shook as he wept. He had lost all control.


    Alaric jumped at sound ofhis door slamming. Lilia stood with he hands on her hips, smiling down at him. Her smile was gentle. Alaric glared at the beautiful girl. "Are you ok, Alaric? The Lord said that something was off with you. I... got worried. Are you ok?"


    Alaric grunted and turned his head away. He wasn''t in the mood for even just her pity.


    Lilia sighed heavily and Alaric heard her shut the door. Alaric thought that she might have left, but then he heard her footsteps. Alaric felt the bed shift as her weight pressed down on it.


    "What are you doing, woman?" Alaric grumbled.


    She shushed him. Alaric nearly shuddered as he felt the girl''s fingers running through his hair. It felt nice. He rolled onto his back and stared at the girl that sat above him. She was even more beautiful in the dark room. Her features were softer in the darkness. A desire to reach up and touch her face came over him, but he didn''t have the motivation to move.


    "Alaric, I''m sorry that this has been so hard for you. This isn''t normal travel. Every step we take, we are in grave danger. I am afraid for you." Her voice was soft. He thought that he heard her voice waver. This wasmore emotionthan he had ever seen from her.


    Alaric wanted to comfort her but his body was stuck. He couldn''t move though he wanted to.


    A drop landed on Alaric''s cheek. He realized that she was crying. He wanted even more to comfort her, but he couldn''t find a way to move.


    Lilia began sobbing. "I''m sorry, Alaric. I''m sorry that I couldn''t protect you. I''m sorry that I wasn''t good enough."


    Alaric wanted to speak, to comfort the girl, but he was powerless. Tears began to well in his eyes.


    Lilia draped her arms around the large smith and began to sob harder. Alaric broke. He threw his arms around the tender girl and sobbed with her.


    He felt horrible. He was the reason that everyone was in danger. He wasn''t sure why, but he was being hunted. He felt worse that he was hurting Lilia. He wished with every ounce of his being that he could find a future with her, but they both knew that it wasn''t possible for them. Alaric suddenly felt as if he was a burden, dragging the Hunters down to an early grave.


    Alaric cried harder as he held the girl and fought off his dark thoughts. He knew that he needed to leave the Hunters before he got Lilia hurt. It broke his heart to think of leaving her, but his mind was set. He needed to get out. He needed to get away from all of them before he got anyone killed.


    Lilia had stopped crying. She was nearly motionless on his chest. Alaric could hear her gentle breathing. He found her rhythmic breathing soothing. "Ric, aren''t you going to say something?"


    Alaric clenched his jaw. He had nothing to say to her. He wanted to be able to open his mouth and comfort her, but he couldn''t. Instead, he slid his hand into her hair and held her tightly.


    She reached up to his hand in her hair and held it. Alaric desperately wanted to give her something more, but he had nothing to offer the girl.


    Alaric lay still holding the woman and listening to her breathing until he was certain that she was fast asleep. He gently pulled his blanket over her shoulders.


    He wanted to stay with her through the night, but he felt too restless. He needed to be up. He needed to get away. Maybe tonight was the night that he would leave.


    Alaric gave a heavy sigh. He would have to eventually. What made tonight any different? His mind was made. He would leave right then.


    He had little to pack. He brought next to nothing with him. He needed his small bag of clothes and his sword.


    Alaric gave one last long look at the beautiful girl. His stomach turned as he thought about leaving her. He knew that she would be even worse off once she woke and found him missing. He wished that there was another way, but he had to protect the Hunters, especially Lilia.


    The air was cold and the guard was light. It took almost no effort for Alaric to slip out of the gates without drawing attention to himself. He wasn''t sure where he would go, but he had to go as far away as possible.


    Northwest. He decided that that was the safest bet. Toward Lilia''s homeland. He knew that he would be pursued, but he was sure that he wouldn''t survive long on his own.

 Thronebreaker

    A cold feeling crept over Edwin that sent a shiver down his spine as he stood on Princess Lilia¡¯s balcony. He stared over the capital city. Lantern lights dotted the landscape before him creating a soft glow against the darkness.


    It seemed that every latern in the capital was lit tonight. He frowned. It always seemed that the commoners were celebrating something. He longed to be free of his bonds and celebrate whatever unimportant thing that they celebrated tonight.


    Edwin¡¯s surname was Thronebreaker. There was a time when his family had a different surname, but Lady Fate was likely the only one that remembered such a time.Thronebreaker was given to one of Edwin¡¯s ancestors in the end of the War of Dragons. One of his ancestors killed many Dragon Titans earning his family a title of greatness.


    The meaning of the name changed drastically when the father of Edwin¡¯s father murderedtheking. Once the crime was discovered, the Thronebreaker¡¯s were removed from their status as nobles. After that they began a life of shame and punishment.


    Edwin took seriously the assignment that he had been blessed with, the task to protect the princess by Knight-General Vendrek. He had worked for many hard years as a soldier to restore the name of the Thronebreakers.


    The job had proven to be very uneventful much to his disappointment. The princess was young and wild, but no one seemed to have ill-will toward the young dragon knight in training.


    Edwinsighed heavily. There was always too much on his mind.


    The sound of footsteps behind him made Edwin turn. He bowed his head at the princess. ¡°What can I do for you, your highness?¡± he said softly.


    The girl standing before him was uusually easy to tend for. She was a beautiful girl with dark hair and blue eyes with a hint of green. The Princess pretended to be a hard girl, but Edwin knew better.


    ¡°Come sit and talk with me Edwin. I need to hear your thoughts,¡± she replied with a soft smile and a wave.


    He came back into the young woman¡¯s room and sat in his usual arm chair in the corner. She sprawled herself over her bed casually.


    ¡°What troubles you Princess?¡± he asked flatly. He enjoyed his talks with the young woman, but he could never give her a smile. In his position,displaying the wrong emotion could cost him his life. Lilia may not mind, but a lapse in disciplinewould catch the attention of one of the many eyes in the castle. Edwin could not risk that.


    ¡°Father tells me that he must soon give me to a man. He desires my opinion on the matter, and I do not know whom to choose,¡± she replied quietly. She twirled her hair in her fingers mindlessly as she stared off into the air.


    Edwin sat quietly. Hesympathized withher trouble. She had to choose from the young nobles. Most those that she had to choose from were either lazy or fools. Even fewer of them bore any semblance to attractiveness either.


    ¡°That is a hard decision that you have been asked to make. Do you think that Our King will listen to your counsel?¡± he replied carefully. Princess Lilia and High King Arthfael had a complicated relationship. The King never truly accepted Lilia as a daughter. It was well-known amongst the nobles that he considered her more of apawn than blood.


    The devastation from unexplained death of Lilia¡¯s older sister Iris had twisted their parents intostrange and distant people. She passed away mid-training suddenly one afternoon. No one could explain how or why the young girl died, but the death still haunted the capital. Her name was nearly forbidden to be spoken.


    She frowned deeper. ¡°It will not matter what I say. I will be given to the man that Father thinks our next Kingneeds to be. We all know it is going to be Vayne Abigor, so why not just accept my fate now. I think I¡¯ll be cursed to marry thatmonster one way or another.¡±


    That statement made the duo frown harder. Edwin knew that any woman that was married to Vayneshouldfeel cursed. He was fair-skinned and even handsome by some standard. Despite this, he was cold andcruel like the other Abigors.


    Vayne had been caughta few times harassing animals. It was common for boys to torment their pets to an extent, but this young boy was sadistic. Many of his victims never walked away. Those animals that did were often maimed and died soon after. Rumor was that he wasn¡¯t much gentler withthe men and women that crossed him.


    ¡°Maybe I should run away, Edwin. You could come with me Edwin. Protect me as we find a new life,¡± she said with a sudden light in her eyes and a daring smile.


    ¡°You and I both know that will never happen, Princess. I must honor my ancestors and my the name Thronebreaker. You must honor you duties as the Princess and as a Dragon Knight,¡± Edwin replied sternly. He knew that she expected nothing less from him.


    ¡°You are quite right, Edwin. Well, I must rest. We have much training tomorrow. You are dismissed.. my friend,¡± she said with a sad smile and tired eyes.


    Edwin shook his head as he closed the Princess¡¯s door behind him. She will be a handful for any man that is married to her, he thought with a smile.


    He began the walk to his room. No thought went into the walk.


    His room was intentionally close to Lilia¡¯s so that he could reach her quickly if needed. Guards were left at her doors each night. Few that weren¡¯t Dragon Knights that could stand toe to toe with Edwin in a fight. He had trained from the time that he could walk to be the man that redeemed the Thronebreaker name. It was his purpose. It was his life.


    He noticed a shadow shift next to him in the hall. He turned to see Vayne Abigor coming up behind him.


    Edwin stepped to the side and bowed slightly toward the young man.


    Vayne was smiling causally. His eyes were nearly as dark as his short, black hair. Edwin could hardly look at the evil boy.


    ¡°How is the princess, noble knight?¡± Vayne asked. His voice was filled with venom.


    ¡°She is well. She rests in preparation of her training,¡± Edwin replied quietly. He knew that it was wise for him to choose his words carefully as he talked with the boy.


    ¡°What is your relationship with the princess?¡± Vayne asked casually. Edwin felt a trap.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    He turned toward Vayne with a set face and replied calmly,¡±I am her assigned guard. I take my job seriously. I am a Hearthgaurd for the Crown. That is the extent of our relationship. Now if you¡¯ll excuse meLordAbigor, I must be off. I have other duties to attend.¡±


    Edwin felt Vayne¡¯s hand grasp his arm before Edwin could move away. His hand was cold and his grip was uncomfortably tight. Vayne was glaring at him, but Edwin refused to show pain.


    Vayne spoke slowly with a threatening tone. ¡°You should watch the princess more closely. She will be mine, and she will not be soiled by any other. If I doubt your ability for even a moment, I will make sure that you suffer the pain of a dozen deaths.¡±


    Edwin bowed deeply and gently pulled his arm out of the young man¡¯s hand. He then turned and walked away without another word.


    Vayne was abad man, but Edwin knew better than to crossany child of a High Lord. The Abigors were dangerous even as allies, and they would not hesitate to execute an innocent man under suspicion.


    Edwin continued slow his walk to his room. He shut the door and locked it behind him. He hadn''t realized how exhausted he truly was.


    The morning came faster thanEdwin liked as was usual. His body creaked and his joints popped as he rose from his soft mattress. He had grown accustomed to the hard mats that he slept on as a soldier. This mattress to him was worth every part of his assignment.


    His room was dark but fingers of light reached from under the door and between its cracks. He knew that it was early, but the princess would soon need be up for her training.


    Edwinrather enjoyed training days. He would sit and watch the Dragon Initiates train for hours on end. They were beyond anything that he had ever seen.


    Most initiates were slim with tight muscles. Their traininghad stripped away the excess fat that they had stored as noble children.Their training was more than what most humans could endure, but the initiates were much faster, nimbler, stronger, and had sharper senses than almost any other being. Those that become Dragon Knights were even more frightening in combat.The knightsmade the initiates look like children stumbling around with wooden swords.


    Edwin watched Liliadive headfirstinto her training. The Initiates didn¡¯t need much supervision for most of their training, but a different Dragon Knight each day spent most of trainingshouting at them. Even highly trainedsoldiers could not keep up with the Initiates, but Dragon Knights could see mistakes that were nearly invisible to the naked eye.


    Today¡¯s supervisor was Orik Intgarsson. He was one of the most well thought of men that roamed the castle. He was a leader among the Dragon Knights that had proven himself worthy of such a position through many fights against the blight.


    Orik and Edwin were good friends, but they rarely had time to spend together betwixt their separate duties.


    Edwin waved at Orik before sitting in the grass. There were many Dragon Knights that Edwin would stay to keep an eye on as they trained the Initiates, but Orik was a good man. They would not be pushed or punished without need today. That was a comfort to Edwin.


    After a few hours,Edwin got bored and walked to the library.


    A young maidrounded a corner too fast and slammedinto him.Immediately, she fell to her knees begging for pardon. She didn¡¯t look to see that he was no noble.


    Edwin knelt down next to the girl. Tears streamed down her round cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, girl. You must be careful with who you run into in this castle, but I am no noble. You have done no harm,¡± he said gently. Edwin patted her shoulder comfortingly.


    She brushed the tear from her eyes and allowedhim to help her to her feet.


    She was a pretty girl. She had long black hair and bright blue eyes. Her face was oval-shaped. She had to have been around Lilia¡¯s age.


    ¡°What is your name, young one?¡± he asked with a soft smile.


    She smiled back brightly. She seemed to be feeling more comfortable with Edwin suddenly.


    ¡°My name is Amindra Iyre. I¡¯m awfully sorry that I bumped into you,¡± she replied with the softest and sweetest voice that Edwin had ever heard. Her voice reminded him of morning songbirds.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright as I said before. Just mind yourself around nobles. There are some that would have horrible things done to you for such a little offense. Now be off. Tend to your duties lass.¡± Edwin urged the girl on.


    She replied with a bow and a sweet smile before she scurried of back to her duties.


    Vore Aidan met Edwin at his small table in the library. Vore was the King''s scribe. He looked older than the oldest book in the library. His body bore a permanent hunch. His grey eyes and long, thin nose had an odd relationship with his bald, square head. Most laughedat the man afterthey met him.


    Edwin knew better than to laugh at Vore. Though he looked and acted strange, there wasn¡¯t another person in the castle that knew as much as he. Vore was a library in and of himself.


    The two chatted casually for a few minutes before Edwin made his way deeper into the library. He passed many shelves before he reached where he needed to be. He knew the route well.


    It was part of Edwin¡¯s routine each day to find time in the library. He often studied his ancestral history, arts and strategies of war used in ancient times, and the philosophers and beliefs of ancient clans that worshipped dragons. The library was extremely extensive. Books were banned in all other parts of the kingdom.


    Vore often had further insights into topics. He seemed to have a special interest in the time of Dragons and their interactions with humans. Edwin often pestered the old man in search of new insights.


    After a few hours, Vore came to Edwin and asked him to leave. Edwin had been lost in the book. He realized that he was growing tired and hot.Edwindecided that since Vore was closing the library for his afternoon nap, he too would rest.


    Edwin''s nap was short lived. It wasn¡¯t a problem that he slept. He could have spent more time sleeping. On a training day, Lilia needed no guard.


    An uncomforatble feeling crept over him as he laid in his bed. The only light in the small room was coming from beneath the door. He couldn¡¯t see anyone, but he couldn¡¯t escape the feeling that someone was in the room with him.


    He sat up slowly to avoid acting suspicious and moved for the door. He thought he saw a shadow shift, but he had made it already. He grabbed the door and threw it open.


    His room was empty as far as he could tell.


    He scratched his chin. I guess it was just my imagination then.


    It was the first time that he had ever felt uncomfortable in his room. He left quickly.


    He jumped at the sight of a moving shadow to his right. He faced the shadow to see a maid women standing a several feet away.She bore blank stare that trailed off somewhere beyond him. She was tall and thin with blonde hair.


    ¡°She must die¡± the woman whispered quietly to the void that she was staring into.Edwin recognized the woman from her work in the kitchens. She was one of the lead serving women that directed food in and out the kitchens as the nobles ate.


    The woman¡¯s eyes slowly drifted to Edwin¡¯s. She began whispering again but more softly.


    Edwin stepped toward the woman to better make out what she was saying.


    ¡°She must die¡­ the princess¡­ but first¡­ the guards¡­ then he says the knight too must die¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    A flash of steel caught Edwin¡¯s eye just in time. He sidestepped the madwoman and she swung wildly at him with a dagger. He caught her wrist and felt a sharp crack in it despite his gentle grasp.


    He pulled the knife from the woman¡¯s hand but another dagger flew toward his side.


    He staggered backward to escape the woman¡¯s thrashing, but she was relentless. He knew that he was going to have to kill her. He pushed her other knife out of her hand. Again another knife appeared from behind her back that she slashed at him with.


    He grabbed her arm, pushing it and the knife over her head. He placed the taken dagger into her chest and immediately she collapsed.


    He heard a single pair of footsteps behind him. He turned to see Vayne slowly walking toward him and the body. Vayne wore a cruel smile. "It would seem that trouble is afoot, Edwin."

 Exile

    Edwin sat on his knees. His brow beaded with sweat.


    King Arthfael sat on hisornate throne, staring down at the man. The king was thinking silently. There were others in the room, but they didn¡¯t matter in the moment. Edwin knew the punishment that he faced. A life for a life.


    The King''s eyes were closed.The shoulder length blonde hair matched his short beard sat limply almost as if wet. His sharp features worked well with his soft, blue eyes. The King was by all means handsome. Edwin admired everything about the man that sat upon the throne.


    Vayne had already recounted what he had seen Edwin. No one heard the conversation that Edwin had with the woman before killing her. Edwin felt justified in his actions in the moment.The woman had said that she would kill the princess, and he would give his life for hit. It was his duty.


    She had not been permitted to attend Edwin¡¯s sentencing. It made sense in his mind. She was very strong-willed and would not take the event lightly.


    The King has heard both Vayne and Edwin¡¯s accounts of the story, but without proof, the King could not wholly trust the word of a servant.


    After what felt like years, the King spoke. ¡°Edwin Throne-Breaker. You have killed a fellow servant. You claim it was your duty, but your victim was a long time servant here. She never showed ill will toward any other being. I then must judge between the character and actions of two servants. One of which is dead.¡±


    The room was silent as the king paused. ¡°The law is clear. There is little that I can do. You took the life of another and now must lose your own. You seek nothing more than to honor your family though, therefore you shall not be killed. You will live in exile for the rest of your life. For youthis is a punishment truly worse than death.¡±


    Edwin gaped in disbelief at the king. Death he could have taken. He knew that the King was right. This truly was a fate worse than death.


    Edwinfelt that he had to respect the law. He rose slowly to his feet with his head hung low and bowed to the king. ¡°Thank you, my king.¡± His body and mind felt numb. He could''t move.


    Guards on both sides of him, men that he knew and once called friends grabbed his each of his arms and begandragging him out of the room.


    The room remained silent as the small crowd of nobles watched Edwin as he wasdraggedout of the castle and out of the city.


    Vayne met Edwin''s eye. Veyne held an air of truimph and defiance. His cruel smirk was more than Edwin could take. He began to weep and shake.


    The walk was long. The guards, his friends,draggedEdwin out of the city without a word. The streets were empty except for a few people. No one paid any attention to the guards or Edwin.


    Edwinhad nothing, and hefeltit. No money, no clothes, no weapons, no money. There was little chance that he would be able to survive for long outside the city. He had no resources at his disposal.


    The guardsthrew him on the ground beyond one of the small doors that guards used to enter and leave the city. Then the door was slammed behind him forever. With the slam of the door, Edwin felt the full effect of his sentence. The weight of the world was crushing him.


    As the man lay on the ground, tears began to flow harder.


    After a sleepless night by the city door, Edwin began to feel the sharp pains of hunger.


    He knew that he would have to relearn many skills that he hadn''t used since he was a young boy. He used to be a good hunter and tracker, but it had been many years.


    Edwin started toward the southeast. He knew that once he reached the forests to the east, there would be more food. Until he reached that point though, food would be scarce.


    His head throbbed and his feet fought each step. Exile. The word echoed in his mind. He was the first man put into exile in many years. Even an execution would have been more merciful than the shame of being the only exile in the world.


    Every ounce of his being begged to turn back andplead for forgiveness. He knew that there was no turning back at this point. He was too far gone. He knew thatreturning would mean his death regardless of the reason. He would almost prefer to go back just for that reason.


    Vayne¡¯s face burned in Edwin¡¯s mind. The beady, black eyes, the short black hair, the cold stare, the angled features. Every detail was etched into his mind perfectly. Edwin hated the man. He wasn''t sure how, but he knew that Vayne was at the center of everything that happened.


    After two days ofgrueling travel, Edwin was beyond ready to give up. There was no wildlife. Despite being beside the King¡¯s Lake, there was nothing. Edwin thought it fitting that his luck was so poor. He was resigned to the fact that his wretched life would soon end.


    As he topped the crest of one of the manyhills, he saw a small tree stump placed oddly in the grass not far from the water¡¯s edge. The small stump was strange. There were very few trees that grew in the plains. Edwin felt drawn to investigate.


    The glint of steel caught his eye as he approached. A hole had been dug into the stump. In the hole laid a black dagger. The grip was pitch black and the butt of the handle had a sharp curve that was supposed to sit under a small finger. A thin spike persuader sat underneath the butt. The small guard and curved blade were also black, though not as dark.


    Edwin stared at the knife for a moment. It looked expensive. The craftsmanship was the best that he had ever seen, better even than that of the smiths that created weapons for the Dragonknights and King¡¯s Guard.


    He reached down and slowly wrapped his hand around the hilt. It was cold. Like the cold truths of justice, he chuckled silently to himself. The knife was heavier than it looked, but it felt perfect in his hand.


    He turned the blade in his hand and noticed a faint inscription on both sides. The writing was faint and identical on both side, but it was in a language that he could not read. He had never seen such a rough looking language.


    Maybe it fits. The name of a blade forgotten just like the name of the man that holds it.Edwin squeezed the grip tightly.


    Edwin nearly smiled at his thought, but then he looked away from the knife and remembered his plight.


    The landscape seemed bleak. ¡°Justice,¡± Edwin said aloud to no one as he began his walk again toward the forests beyond King¡¯s Lake. The word sounded familiar. It nearly gave him a feeling that he hadn''t felt in days. Hope.


    He knew that soon he would reach Overlook Hill. It was a small village set on a hill above the lake. From the village, he would be able to see both Ilian and the forests that he was trying to reach.


    He hoped that he would be able to find some scraps that had been thrown out. He was starving. He would take anything at this point. He had even take to chewing on weeds that he found to sate some of the hunger.


    His pace quickened, but he didn¡¯t notice. He could not explain nor did he notice, the breath of purpose that he had experienced. A single word that rested in his mind had replaced his sadness. Justice.


    He felt like he was nearly being guided to Overlook Hill. Justice was now leading him.


    Within the hour, he spotted the small village. He did not dare approach the village. He would be executed upon entering the town if any guards were there with knowledge of his exile.


    He instead would find a spot to rest nearby without disturbing the nearby farmers.


    After a few minutes of searching, Edwin settled on a flat piece of grass. The sun was setting slowly, and he was exhausted. He sat in the grass and enjoyed the cool breeze. The pains of hunger had vanished, but he knew he would have to eat soon. He wouldn¡¯t finish his journey to the forest if he didn¡¯t eat.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He leaned back into the grass. The ground was soft. He slowly drifted away.


    A sudden scream broke the silence of the night.


    Edwin leapt to his feet. The knife was already in hand. Edwin ran as fast as he could toward the scream.


    He saw two dark figures struggling on the edge of the village. He could see the silhouette of a large man fighting to hold onto the screaming woman.


    It was late, so Edwin knew that there were likely few if any that heard her scream. Justice. The single word crept through his mind.


    He reached the pair before the man could get a firm hold on the woman.


    Edwin could see a small piece of cloth wrapped around her mouth. How she had uttered a scream at all, he was unsure.


    The man didn¡¯t notice Edwin¡¯s approach. He was too busy fighting with the woman.


    Edwin tucked in his arm and slammed into the large man with all of his power. The man and woman were both sent several feet. The man¡¯s face was buried in the dirt. The woman was motionless on the ground.


    The man climbed to his feet clumsily. He was clearly drunk. ¡°Wh-who d¡¯you think you are? I demanded that no one leave their home tonight. I¡¯ll have your head for this. Thinking you can attack a soldier from Ilian.¡±


    Edwin barely heard the man speaking. His only thought was of justice. The man pulled a dagger from his belt and lunged for Edwin¡¯s throat.


    Edwin sidestepped and put a boot in the man¡¯s back sending him tumbling again. ¡°You are guilty of your sins, soldier. You abuse your powers and those that you are sworn to protect. Your sentence is death.¡± The words flowed naturally from Edwin, but he felt as if the voice was not his own.


    Before the man could rise to his feet, Edwin¡¯s kicked away the man¡¯s knife and planted a knee firmly on his back. Justice, he thought with satisfaction.


    The knife seemed to drink the man¡¯s blood as Edwin pulled the man¡¯s head back and slid it across his throat.


    Edwin realized that he was smiling as he executed this man that he didn¡¯t know. He glanced over to the woman, but she must have gained courage and ran home.


    Edwin knew that he needed to run. It didn¡¯t matter what he said as an exile. He entered the town and was to be put to death despite his good deed.


    Edwin turned and ran. As he ran, man¡¯s death last breaths echoed in his ears, and he couldn¡¯t stop replaying the blood seeping on to the dagger.


    His heart was pounding in his ears. He felt alive. He knew that what he had done was wrong, but he had just taken a vile man from the streets and saved a woman.


    He knew his smile was out of place, but this was hope. He had no purpose for the last few day, but this was something. It was a purpose, and justice felt good.


    It felt like he had run for hours without stopping. His heart was bursting with excitement. He occasionally had to fight off fights of wild laughter. It was exhilarating and horrifying. Edwin ran until his legs were numb. Once they gave out, he fell to the ground and allowed his body to rest. He knew that he couldn¡¯t rest for long, but he had no choice.


    He tried to fight sleep, but within seconds sleep won.


    Edwin was standing over the corpse of the man that he had killed in daylight. He reached down to his belt to feel for his knife. Relief flooded over him. He had his knife. He felt the urge to kneel down and look at the man¡¯s face. He did.


    When his hand touched the man¡¯s head, he felt a rush of pain, anger, and sadness. He pulled his hand away and then stared at it. Nothing had changed, his hand was fine, but it had scared him.


    He realized suddenly that he wasn¡¯t alone. A handsome man wearing heavy plate armor stood over him. The man looked to be in his forties. His black hair traveled down the sides of his face and over his shoulders. The man had a gaunt face and the entirety of both of his eyes were blue. ¡°Touch it again,¡± the being whispered.


    Edwin obeyed. His body reached down against his will and touched the man¡¯s head.


    Instead of a jolt of pained emotion, he saw the sins committed in the man¡¯s life. The man was called Jeol. Jeol was what many would consider a good man. He fulfilled his day to day duties as a soldier well enough. What was done in the late hours revealed his true nature. He was a thief and often took bribes. He bullied those he was sworn to protect into looking the other way as he took advantage of many. Especially women. Edwin saw the face of every woman that the filthy man had ever touched. It made his skin crawl.


    Edwin drew his hand back and smiled. He was glad that he had killed Jeol. He would no longer be able to exercise his unrighteous dominion on others. Woman would be safe from his filthy hands.


    Edwin began to laugh again uncontrollably. He fell back and laughed harder than he ever had before.


    The being standing over him cleared it¡¯s throat. Edwin¡¯s eyes shot up to the man. The eyes made him beyond uneasy.


    ¡°You see why he needed to die then?¡± the being asked quietly. Its voice was cold but familiar. He recognized it from when he sentenced Jeol to death. It¡¯s voice was his voice.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Edwin asked trying to sound at ease. He stood and looked the being in its cold eyes.


    ¡°I am your hope and newfound purpose Edwin. You may call me, Tilrer. I am an Aishan,¡± it said with a thin smile.


    ¡°What does that mean and why are you here?¡± Edwin growled as he reached for the dagger, but it was gone.


    Tilrer smiled and laughed at the man. ¡°I am here to save you Edwin. You are lost, are you not? Weren¡¯t you broken at the loss of everything?¡±


    Edwin¡¯s glare intensified. ¡°I should kill you where you stand.¡±


    Tilrer¡¯s smile slid from his face. ¡°I think that you and I will get along once you learn to listen. Let us consider instead a challenge to determine whether or not you listen.¡±


    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Edwin asked. He had no intentions of doing anything for the creature, but he at least felt like humoring it.


    ¡°I think that you and I could duel over it. How does that sound?¡± the Aishan replied casually.


    The thought of holding a sword again was nearly enough to make his mouth water. He nodded almost instinctively at Tilrer.


    Tilrer drew a longsword from a sheath that Edwin didn¡¯t before notice. It looked almost identical to the sword that Edwin had grown to know intimately while he was guarding Princess Lilia. Tilrer hand the sword over and then drew the black dagger.


    ¡°Where did you get my knife from?¡± Edwin demanded. He was getting quickly tired of the creature¡¯s tricks.


    ¡°It belongs to me, but I allowed you to use it. Now I will let you make the first move now, Edwin.¡± Telrir said as he slid into a defensive stance.


    Edwin recognized the form. It was a simple stance, and he knew just how to break past it.


    For a moment the duo stood silently staring at each other. Edwin rolled to the balls of his feet and lunged to the offside side swinging carefully. He knew that there was no way that the man could safely catch the sword at that angle.


    Right when he should have felt his sword touch flesh, he instead met steel. With the impact, the sword shattered, and Edwin felt the ground disappear from underneath him. He was engulfed in darkness almost instantly.


    Edwin shot up. His knife was still in his belt. His clothes were sweat soaked despite the cold morning air. It was all just a dream. He sighed with relief.


    The sun would sun peak over the mountains in the distance. Sunlight meant that someone would soon find the body, and people would begin to search for the killer.


    His entire body ached from his travels, but his legs were by far the worst after running so long the night before. He forced himself onto his feet and began walking toward the mountains.


    Just north of the mountains sat the forest that he was working toward.


    As Edwin reached the crest of a hill, he thought he caught a glimpse of the man that he fought in his dream.


    Edwin quickened his pace and moved toward where he saw the man. Whether it was his curiosity or something else that drove him to follow, he was unsure. Regardless, he followed the Aishan.


    The hills rolled for miles, until they grew into mountains. Edwin¡¯s trudge had turned into a purposefull march. He caught glimpses of the Aishan off and on. The slim, armored man was far in the distance, but Edwin refused to lose sight of the being.


    He had questions for the being. It could not be coincidence that the thing was in his dreams and now in the distance as well. He needed to know how he saw the man¡¯s sins, and why they were both there in his dream. Edwin seemed to question everything that he had ever known. His hunger for answers had grown over his actual hunger.


    Edwin stumbled after the Aishan until the sun was nearly setting. Once the sun left the sky, he caught the scent of a fire. It was weak, but suddenly Edwin¡¯s hunger grew intense. He thought that the smells of something cooking occasionally cut through the smell of fire.


    As he climbed over the crest of a small hill, he saw the fire. The smell of stew was suddenly much strongers. He could see a small pot sitting on the fire, along with a single figure stirring the contents slowly.


    Edwin crouched down and crept closer. He was fighting the urge to steal as much of the food as he could. He reminded himself each time the thought came that it was not right. He knew that he could not give justice and not live that same law himself.


    ¡°I know you are out there, Edwin,¡± the woman at the fire called out once he reached clear earshot. ¡°Come and sit by the fire. The food is ready.¡±


    Edwin froze. He knew that he didn¡¯t know the woman. How then did she know him? He rose from his crouch and walk closer slowly. He clutched the dagger warily. He didn¡¯t plan to use it unless necessary.


    The woman sat patiently as Edwin slowly walked toward her. She stood once he entered the light. She was wearing a mask that covered all of the features of her face. The mask was plain and white with a crescent slit cut out over her left eye and a circle over the right eye. As he got even closer he saw the faint outline of a smile that had been etched into the mask. Her hair was long and dark. Probably black, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. She was slender, yet he could tell that she was muscular by the way that she moved. She wore a dark red silk dress that seemed to flow with the wind, despite not even the lightest wind was blowing this night.


    ¡°Why do you wear a mask, women?¡± Edwin asked gruffly. All of these people that seemed to know him made him uneasy. He knew there had to be something at work, that he could not trust.


    The woman nodded at him. ¡°I am one of the Masked. My name is Shyra. It is my oath to always wear this mask.¡±


    Edwin froze. The Masked. He knew that he had heard that name before. Maybe somewhere in the capital. ¡°What do you mean that it is your oath? To who?¡±


    ¡°Please sit and eat. The stew has finished, and you haven¡¯t eaten in several days. We can talk as we eat.¡± The woman said as she leaned down and began scooping food into a bowl for Edwin.


    Edwin frowned, but he took the bowl gladly. He knew that he couldn¡¯t refuse any food offered to him. He didn¡¯t know when his next meal would be. ¡°So who is this oath to and what is it for?¡±


    She sat across the fire from him and was silent for a moment. ¡°I think that much will be explained soon, but Tilrer is to whom I pledge my allegiance. The mask protects me from many dangers.¡±


    Edwin was satisfied with the answer. Though she told him little, he knew that Tilrer had to have been involved at some point. ¡°What is Tilrer? And what does he want with me?¡±


    ¡°Tilrer is an Aishan, as he already told you. What that means, few remember. As for what he wants with you, I would assume that he would like for you to become one of the Masked, but who is to say. He only knows what he plans. I am simply sent to take you to him,¡± she said as she rose from her spot on the ground.


    She strode toward the former-guard. After his third bite of stew, he was fast asleep on the ground. The stew spilled over. The poison had worked well enough. It was a little slow, but it also wasn¡¯t meant to harm the handsome man. Just make him sleep.


    Shyra looked up as some of the other masked flowed into the light to take him.

 The Masked

    Edwin woke in a small stone room. His hands and feet were bound to the chair that he was sitting in. He could feel stone on the backs of his arms and shoulders. He had been set as far away from the door as possible.


    A small bed lay just a few feet out of his reach to the left. He recognized the woman laying in the bed. He couldn¡¯t place a name though. He knew that he had talked to her before.


    She was sleeping softly. She wore a strange mask. He couldn¡¯t see much of it as she lay facing a different way, but he remember two eyes, each a different shape of the moon and a faint smile that made him uncomfortable.


    ¡°Why am I bound, woman?¡± he asked loudly. If he was a prisoner, then there was no point in etiquette.


    Immediately, it seemed as if her breathing stopped. She rolled over and sat up. For a moment, Edwin thought the he saw an eye inside one of the mask holes but it was gone as fast as it appeared.


    ¡°I am glad you are awake, Edwin,¡± she said softly. The words that flowed from her covered face weren¡¯t muffled in the slightest. They sounded clear and crisp. He would have believed she was singing if someone told him so.


    ¡°Why am I bound?¡± He demanded. He tugged on the cords and felt them tighten.


    The woman tilted her head to the side. ¡°We would not let someone enter our den unbound. Especially not someone so dangerous.¡±


    Edwin didn¡¯t reply. It was true that he was a dangerous swordsman, but he had no swords. He also couldn¡¯t understand when she meant by their den. Who else was keeping him captive.


    A soft knock on the door broke the silence. Tilted strode in. The knock was apparently just to inform them that he was entering. ¡°Edwin, good. You are awake. We must talk.¡±


    The blue-eyed man man waved his hand. The woman nodded and left silently.


    Edwin stared silently at the man. He had a few questions, but he knew that answers would come.


    Tilrer was frowning. His black hair looked limp and lifeless. ¡°You have heard of the Masked, correct?¡±


    Edwin nodded. Tilrer seemed to be a very straightforward person. He liked that. ¡°Just the name. That¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°There are many that know more, but you were a guardsman. Many of your nobles know us. Same with the rich in the largest cities. We maintain their order.¡± Tilrer said. He flashed a cruel smile at the thought.


    Memories flooded back to Edwin. He was a young guard. Fresh from training. He was assigned to work next to a captain. The dishonor on his name, so they watched him closely.


    He and the Captain had to investigate a grizzly murder and a mask identical to the woman¡¯s was left at the scene. The victim was discovered to be a rapist. Edwin remembered his joy when the man¡¯s deeds were uncovered. He deserved to die.


    ¡°Good. You remember,¡± Tilrer said casually.


    Edwin glared at the man. ¡°How do you know that?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°I am a Vaoriin. I know many things. Many more than most.¡± Tilrer said. His face never changed.


    Edwin tugged on the cords, and they pulled tighter on his wrists.


    Tilrer seemed to not notice the man¡¯s pain. ¡°Edwin, I know everything about you. I know you better than you know yourself. That isn¡¯t what is important though. The Masked killed the man that you remember because he deserved justice that you and the other guard weren¡¯t giving.¡±


    Edwin stared silently and the black haired man. He felt the words. Tilrer was right. Edwin knew just as well as Tilrer that the guards in any city weren¡¯t perfect. Crime went unseen constantly. ¡°So you are the enforcers then? You take justice into your own hands then?¡± Edwin asked.


    Tilrer nodded. ¡°We do. We are the force of justice that normal men are unable to be. We are the sword of justice.¡± Tilrer¡¯s reply was firm but gentle.


    ¡°Why did you kidnap me, Tilrer? I¡¯m an exile. Wrong or right, I should not be in anyone¡¯s home or any form of civilization. I am to be killed. That is justice!¡± Edwin hated that fact, but it was true. The curse of the exile was that he was to be killed on sight by any that saw and recognized him.


    ¡°Edwin, do you think that you no longer have purpose?¡± Tilrer was glaring. He obviously thought not. ¡°You would not be here if that was so. I would have allowed you to die. An innocent man though, duty bound and containing great potential, should not be left to die. That is not justice.¡±


    Edwin¡¯s jaw was clamped shut. He was an exile no matter what. He wanted to believe that he could find a way out of that, but he didn¡¯t believe that it was possible. ¡°Why am I here?¡± Edwin spoke slowly and clearly. He could feel his anger boiling.


    ¡°I want you to become one of the Masked. Honestly, you have no choice.¡± Tilrer¡¯s glare never lightened.


    Edwin¡¯s hand slid over to the knife in his belt. Everything felt right suddenly. He felt that he needed to become one of the Masked. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have no other choice. I can either rot and die in the wild, or I can be a force for good.¡±


    Tilrer¡¯s glared lightened. ¡°Smart man. Shyra will come in and release you. Then you will start training with her. She seems to have claimed you.¡±


    The Aishan didn¡¯t wait for a response. He turned and left without another word.


    The masked woman was waiting outside the room. She strode in as soon as Tilrer was out of her way. She tugged a section of the cord tightly; it loosened around his wrists and feet. ¡°Welcome to the Masked, Edwin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you are Shyra, then?¡± He faintly remembered her sharing her name, but his memory was foggy.


    She stood with her arms crossed; he assumed that she was staring at him, but it was hard to tell through the mask. ¡°I am, but you can keep calling me woman if you want to wake up without your tongue.¡±


    He chuckled. He liked her attitude. It reminded him of Princess Lilia in a way. ¡°I would like to keep my tongue a while longer Shyra. I think, I¡¯ll use your name from now on.¡±


    She nodded with satisfaction. Everything about her screamed beauty to Edwin. ¡°We need to get your equipment, and then we¡¯ll start your training. I will make sure that you survive.¡±


    He knew that he didn¡¯t want to find out what she meant by that. He would need gear to be able to do anything useful. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you Shyra,¡± Edwin said with a smile.


    Shrya turned gracefully and led the way out. The walls and floors were made of grey stone. The halls were long, and they were lit with small lamps. The doors were few and far between. There were no other Masked in sight the entire time.


    Shyra stopped at a reddish, black door. She had a key that turned a heavy bolt and pushed the door open.


    Beyond the door was an armory. This is where the Masked spent most of their time. There were used whetstones scattered throughout the room, the stone floor was heavily worn, and every blade in the room looked to be razor sharp. There were 6 tables in the room. One was empty, but every other table had dozens of blades and tools scattered across their tops.


    ¡°Your table is the empty one over there. There are blades along the back wall. Pick three. As you work, you will earn and gather.¡± Shyra sang. She waved toward what had to be the back wall. She then opened a small cabinet and began digging in it. Edwin thought the woman strange.


    Edwin searched through the blades along the wall. There were blade of every shape and size. Some were attached to blades. Most of the blades were small. Easier to conceal. He realized that his hand was on his dagger. Maybe it is time that I try out something new, he thought. He grabbed two daggers similar to the dagger that he wore on his belt and a one-sided shortsword. They felt good in his hands. They were all too light, but he would get used to it.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Are you ready yet?¡± He heard Shyra ask. He hadn¡¯t realized that he was taking long.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t realize.. There are some strange blades here. Styles that I¡¯ve never heard of.¡± He shook his head as he strode over to his empty table and set down his new blades.


    Shyra was holding a mask. It looked nothing like hers. The mask had one similarity. They were both white. The mask had four red lines slashed across the face. It looked like a bloody hand had been scraped across sideways. The eyes were thin vertical lines. Edwin liked the look. Perfect for a killer. ¡°Is that mine, Shyra?¡± he asked.


    She stared at the mask for a moment before handing it to him. ¡°Be careful. any mask is dangerous in more ways than one, but this mask is more dangerous than most.¡±


    He took the mask. Staring into its eyes, he asked,¡±What makes it so dangerous?¡± He had the urge to put in on, but he resisted. Once I know the answer, he thought.


    ¡°Imagine being totally anonymous. No one knows who you are. That means that you will feel like there are no consequences for whatever you do. People can lose their humanity with that kind of power.¡± She sounded like she was talking to a foolish child. The answer seemed obvious.


    He traced the four red lines across the mask. ¡°What makes this mask more dangerous than other masked? You don¡¯t seem to be affected by your mask in some extra way.¡±


    He heard a small indignant puff. She didn¡¯t like that, but Edwin didn¡¯t care much at all. She crossed her arms. ¡°Masks that we wear are unique. Mine is very different from that. Have you heard of magic?¡±


    Edwin¡¯s grip tightened on the mask. ¡°So that''s the secret, then? Tilrer uses the evil power to manipulate the Masked?


    Magic had been outlawed as long as he could remember. Even in the history books that he read, he had never heard of a time that the use of magic wasn¡¯t deemed illegal.


    Shyra straightened. ¡°Magic is not evil. Man is just afraid of what it does not understand. The books that you have read lie to you, Edwin. Magic was once used by everyone that could use it.¡±


    Edwin grunted, but he listened. He was raised to hate magic. Few thought that it was more than tales told by grandmothers to scare children into obedience. Edwin knew better. He had seen the effects of the dangerous. Those that used magic often ended up killing themselves and those close to them.


    ¡°I want nothing to do with that. I¡¯ll be a Masked but no magic,¡± Edwin said firmly.


    ¡°Put on your mask,¡± Shyra said. She seemed to ignore Edwin¡¯s protest to magic.


    Edwin hesitated. He would not use magic. No matter the cost. His body seemed to take over and slid the mask over his face.


    The world blurred for a moment. Edwin collapsed but Shyra caught him and helped him to his feet. ¡°Are you ok?¡± she asked. It was the first time that Edwin felt concern in her voice. Her voice no longer seemed to be a song.


    ¡°What is this cursed object?¡± he asked. He could feel the unevenness in his voice. He had to keep himself from cursing in order to catch his breath.


    The Masks have innate magical properties, but don¡¯t worry. Once you learn to control that power, you will be able to remove it. The Mask won¡¯t allow you until then.


    He wanted to strike at the woman, but he could see her strength with the mask on. He could explain what that meant, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t lay a finger on her. He released his fists. There was no other option but to accept this new fate.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you do not fight the inevitable. You were broken by the exile then. Maintain this humility for awhile longer, and I will make you strong.¡± She moved fluidly. Edwin saw the knife coming. It looked like she was moving slowly, but he wasn¡¯t able to react in time. She stopped her swing just before his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to do much more than just kill.¡±


    She turned away from him. ¡°Follow me. It is time to train.¡±


    Edwin followed. He had only seen a person move that fast in the castle. The Dragon Knights and Initiates were the only ones that were able to move like that. Was that magic too? he wondered. He had always thought that the tonic that they were given was some foreign mixture of herbs, but magic was seeming to be the true reason.


    ¡°Is magic secretly common?¡± he had seen little evidence of it but he was unsure now.


    She looked over her shoulder at Edwin. ¡°You forgot your knives on the table.¡±


    Edwin didn¡¯t think that he would need real weapons for sparring, but he went back and grabbed them. He could see clearly through the slits. He hadn¡¯t thought anything of that initially, but he was distracted before by all of the details that he had to take in.


    The pair walked slowly back toward the room where Edwin had been bound. On the way Shyra was doing her best to give Edwin every detail about Masked that she seemed important.


    There were Seekers and Hunters. One of each former a pair. Seekers worked as scouts and the Hunters were the executioners. Each Seeker and Hunter had a single partner. It was rare that they ever changed. Masks identified Seekers from Hunters. A Seeker¡¯s mask was simple, while a Hunter¡¯s mask was more ornate and showed more of the power that they contained.


    Edwin¡¯s mask was a Hunter¡¯s mask. Masks were reused. The previous owner of his died on a mission, but a pair had gone in simply to retrieve the mask. The man that wore it before him was partnered with Shyra. Edwin thought that was why she was attached to him. She intended on making him her new partner.


    The room that they entered was empty except for a small, platform. The platform was made of three rings. Each ring was stacked on top of the other. The rings grew as they crept close to the ground. The formation created strange steps that rose to around Edwin¡¯s knee.


    Shyra led the way up the platform. She stopped at the top in the center. ¡°Come here. You will not like this at all, but it is necessary.¡± She offered him her hand.


    Edwin frowned. He knew that she couldn¡¯t see it though. He took her hand and stepped on the platform next to her. There were strange shapes on the three rings. Not one of the symbols was the same. The symbols all began to glow except for a single one. ¡°I already hate this.¡±


    He heard her chuckle and then mutter something before the world went white. His entire body felt like ice immediately. The cold and light faded slowly. The whole experience made Edwin¡¯s skin crawl.


    He was in a forest. Nothing looked right. The bloated trees were a shade of dark red and seeped green pus out of tears that looked similar to stretch marks. The sky was bleak and grey, and the air smelt sickeningly sweet.


    Edwin could only see a dozen paces in any direction. The forest was thick. He knew where he was from the stories that he read while he was in the castle. This was the Blight. He had been taken into the Madlands.


    Edwin turned to face Shyra. ¡°Why did you take me here? Do you have a death wish?¡± He was mad and afraid. Too long in the Blight and they would both go mad.


    ¡°No one truly understands how the Blight works, but our masks protects us. Either way, we aren¡¯t going to stay here. We¡¯re must go into the Palewood. That is where we¡¯ll train.¡± She said gently, as she started walking.


    Edwin felt like a child when she spoke to him that way, but he bit his tongue. He would make her respect him one way or another. ¡°Why did that thing send us to the Blight?¡± he asked, ignoring his frustration.


    She looked over her shoulder to make sure that he was following her. ¡°We call them Travel Gates. No one really remembers their names. Not even Tilrer. They work by moving you as close as they can to the location that you say. Sometimes you land a mile away while other times you end up in the next city over. I¡¯ll explain more once you understand more about the workings of magic.¡±


    Again he felt as if she considered him a child. He was a seasoned soldier. He was the personal guard for the Princess. He didn¡¯t that she was treating him fairly, but he bit his tongue.


    The pair walked silently for almost an hour. The entire time Edwin imagines how he would prove himself to her. He realized suddenly that he was acting like a child.


    ¡°Shyra, I¡¯m sorry for being so foolish,¡± he said. He knew that acting so childishly never would earn him respect. ¡°What training can be done in the Palewood that cannot be done anywhere else?¡±


    ¡°Do you know much of the Palewood,¡± she replied. Her voice was even. Edwin thought that may have been pleased with his new attitude, at least for a moment.


    He paused thoughtfully before replying,¡±It is always dark, except for where man has cleared the trees. The trees are all white, that is where the name comes from. Also many people consider it more dangerous than even the Blight. I can¡¯t say that I agree with that though.¡± He had read many accounts from the simplest of folk to the greatest heroes of disappearances inside the Palewood. It was almost always attributed to the creatures in the Blight wandering out in search of prey.


    ¡°More proof that you are a fool then,¡± she said gently. Again he felt like a child.


    ¡°What do you mean I am a fool, woman?¡± He let his temper flare.


    Shyra faced him. He couldn¡¯t read anything past her mask, but he thought that she was angry. ¡°I am going to show you how to do things that you never knew were possible, but now I do not want to travel with you. Go west to the Palewood. Once there find the town of Va¡¯el. I will be waiting there.¡±


    Edwin knew that he shouldn¡¯t have lashed out or gotten angry with her. He knew that he was a proud man, but that was no excuse.


    Before he could apologize, she strode toward the dark side of the nearest tree. It looked as if she stepped into the shadowed side of the tree as if it were some type of doorway.


    Edwin walked over to the tree. The was nothing out of the ordinary about the pus-covered tree. The was no doorway nor any trace of Shyra. She had simply vanished. A chill ran down Edwin¡¯s spine. He wasn¡¯t sure that he would ever get used to the strange workings of magic.


    He turned west. Va¡¯el was supposed to be filled with odd people that have very strange superstitions. Edwin thought that they might know something that had been forgotten by the rest of mankind. They were under the rule of High King Arthfael by territory, but he had charged Lord Everset to watch over the King¡¯s territory until their family returned and a new king was named. King¡¯s couldn¡¯t focus their efforts on both governing a region and running the nation as a whole. Traditionally, they leave their lands to be governed by another nearby trusted lord. It was considered a great honor and a great burden.


    Edwin frowned. He was thinking too much about a king and a group that turned their backs on him. He decided that they may think that have tarnished the name Thronebreaker for good, but Edwin knew otherwise. He would make sure that if they refused to praise his name, then they would begin to fear him.


    Edwin smiled as he quickened his pace toward Va¡¯el.

 A Masked Killer

    What is the meaning of good or evil? Who drew the first lines? Why is it so important for men to abide by laws, when they only limited those that the world defined as good? Those laws meant to protect all seemed to only limit those that bore no ill will to the world. It saves no one from evil. Edwin frowned. He hated the thought of a world without law and justice. He felt that his new pattern of thought was right. He had lived his life opposed that way of thought entirely. Now that he was one of the Masked, he knew that would have to change.


    He smiled. Part of him had always admired heroes in the tales that he had heard about men that took judgement into their own hands. He was turned away from that concept though. It was dangerous and reckless. It took away the chance for true justice. Edwin couldn¡¯t see truth in that anymore.


    Edwin shook himself from his thoughts. He had long left the Blight and entered the Palewood. He found a well-worn path and followed it for several miles. He felt that he was getting closer to Shyra with every step.


    Edwin thought that it had something to do with the connection between their roles as a Hunter and Seeker. It made sense in his mind. They were supposed to be a team after all.


    A small shack marked the first home in Va¡¯el. Edwin tucked his daggers out of sight. He didn¡¯t want to attract any unnecessary attention. He reached to take off his mask, but once he touched the mask, he decided against that. He need to hide who he was.


    He crept off of the path to the shack. It looked abandoned. He wasn¡¯t surprised. It was too dangerous for most sane people to live in the Palewood.


    A hand touched his shoulder, and Edwin spun as fast as he could with his dagger in hand.


    He was met with Shyra¡¯s smiling mask. ¡°Welcome Va¡¯el Edwin. I¡¯m glad that you were smart enough not to venture further into the town. You would scare our prey with your mask.¡±


    Edwin frowned. ¡°I thought that a masked man would be likely to cause panic anywhere he went. Especially with a mask like mine.¡± The bloody lines scraped across the face of the mask were enough to scare most soldiers let alone villagefolk.


    Shyra nodded in agreement. ¡°This is where we¡¯ll be staying though. Spooky enough to attract very few, except for the foolish.¡±


    Edwin thought that he picked up a hint of jest in her voice. Is she calling me a fool? He thought. ¡°Who is the purpose behind the visit to this place?¡±


    Shyra led the way into the shack as she spoke,¡±You are Edwin. You don¡¯t understand enough to be able to use the extent of your abilities yet. The Palewood is the perfect place to train you to use them though.¡±


    ¡°Shyra, just speak straight with me. I am not a child. I can handle whatever you throw at me.¡± Edwin felt sure of the truth in that. He may not yet be as fast, but he was a skilled fighter, and he had faced enough horror to harrow the hardest of men in his time as a guard.


    Shyra faced him. ¡°You are a fool, Edwin. You would risk your life in more ways than you know if I just let you run rampant with your abilities. I¡¯ll not lose another Hunter to stupidity.¡±


    Edwin nodded. ¡°Very well. Teach me. I want to learn, but do not coddle me. I am no babe, even if I am a fool.¡± He couldn¡¯t seem to get mad at the woman despite how she treated him.


    ¡°Let us begin your training then. I¡¯ll show you how foolish you really are.¡± Shyra grabbed Edwin¡¯s hand and pulled him toward the darkest corner in the room. She marched as if the wall wasn¡¯t in her way. Edwin tried to pull away, but she drug him easily.


    Her body melted away in the shadow. Edwin stared in horror as his body was pulled into the darkness and melted away.


    He felt cold flow over his body as if he had been dropped into the northern ocean. It made him cold to the bone.


    He opened his eyes to a strange sight. The ground of the shack was almost glowing white. Shyra stood in the center of the room with her arms crossed. She looked different though. She was flushed more than normal. Her clothes were shades of grey and black.


    Edwin looked around the room. Everything was just as it was before except there were only shades of black, grey, and white. The ceiling matched the floor. A pair of black footprints that faded slowly led to the spot the Shyra stood.


    ¡°What did you do Shyra? What is this place?¡± he asked. His voice was calm, but seemed to roar like thunder in this strange reality.


    Shyra placed a quieting ginger over where her mouth was under the mask. Her reply was a whisper that came a loud as if she spoke normally. ¡°This is the Land of Shadow. It is closest to the real world in the Palewood. That is why the shadow is so feared. We must be quiet here though. It is more dangerous than anywhere in the real world.¡±


    Edwin sighed softly. The heavy breath echoed in the room. He was beginning to see why magic was considered evil. It brought more danger than it prevented, especially around women.


    Shyra waved for him to follow out of the shack. The world outside was much like it was inside the cabin. The forest was black, while the ground and sky were nearly blinding.


    She again placed her finger over her face to remind him to be quiet. She led him into the heart of Va¡¯el. Edwin thought that Va¡¯el was unchanged like the rest of the things that he had seen. The only difference was that the world was drained of color everywhere.


    Edwin felt uneasy. He had trouble wrapping him mind around the strange things that he saw. The shadowed trees seemed to shift and move in the corners of his eyes.


    Shyra seemed to dance through the strange world. Edwin knew from her comfort that she had spent a large amount of time in the strange world.


    Dark footsteps marked the walking paths recently used by those that were in the real world. It was strange to watch people walking but with bodies invisible to the Masked eyes.


    Shyra waved for him to follow. They walked to the northern edge of the town. She stopped to point at a pair of footprints. These were a sickly green. Shyra whispered a loud explanation,¡±This is the man that we have come to deal with. These are the footprints of our target. They will always look similar to this.¡±


    Edwin whispered a loud reply,¡± That is fine and well, but how can you tell that those were left by a man?¡±


    Shyra looked at Edwin. He could nearly see her condescending look as she spoke,¡±No women has a foot that big, nor do women wear boots of that style.¡±


    Edwin suddenly realized how foolish he had made himself look. ¡°Oh,¡± was all that he could muster in reply.


    She took his hand and led him to a spot next to a tree that was less white than the rest of the ground. ¡°This is a shadow in this land. You will have to learn how to use shadows in both worlds to be able to travel in and out of both worlds. Step into the shadow and feel with your mind for the tear between the two lands.¡±


    She stepped into the white shadow and melted again. Edwin¡¯s face was growing tired of frowning, but he knew that he needed to prove himself to his Seeker.


    With a sigh, he stepped into the shadow. He stood still, he wasn¡¯t sure how to reach with his mind. He thought of the real world and began to shudder at the difference between the two worlds.


    In his mind, he was the two worlds and a line between them. He suddenly could see his reality in the shadow. He stepped forward and felt his body begin to melt away. His eyes closed as he was embraced by warmth.


    A searing pain in his left arm made his eyes shoot open. He hadn¡¯t left the shadowland yet. He saw red blood seeping from a gash in his arm.


    He drew his black dagger and looked around wildly for his assailant. He caught a glimpse of something large crawling through the dark trees above him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Whatever the shadowed creature was, it was much larger than a human. It had at least for long, thin legs. It almost reminded him of a spider but much larger.


    Edwin wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to fight a shadow beast. He dove back into the white shadow. He reached desperately for the real world and dove through into it as fast as he could.


    Heat and blinding light came over him as he faded into reality. He crashed into Shyra, who was waiting right outside the shadow.


    She lept to her feet and pushed him into his back. Her fingers and eyes ran over his body with unimaginable speed. ¡°What happened to you?¡± She asked with urgency in her voice. ¡°Were you bitten by anything?¡±


    Edwins arm seared like fire. Through clenched teeth he spoke. ¡°No, nothing bit me. There was something in the trees. It scratched me but that¡¯s all. Just a scratch.¡±


    She ran her fingers over the wound. She sighed with relief. ¡°I told you that it was dangerous there. A bite could have meant death if you were without a Seeker. That was an Amzani. They are extremely dangerous. You could have died.¡±


    Edwin chuckled. She didn¡¯t want to take it easy on him, but he liked the challenge. ¡°Let¡¯s do our work, Shyra. Where is this man at?¡±


    Shyra nodded approvingly. ¡°You are as bloodthirsty as you mask. I though you would fit together well. Follow me.¡±


    Edwin was sure what she meant, but he could feel the mask begging him for blood. It made him happy. He knew that it wanted to bring justice just as he did.


    They assassins walked to the spot where the footsteps were in the shadowed land. There were no footprints in the real world, just a dusty path. ¡°I see nothing, Shyra. What was the point of finding the prints, if we see nothing in this world?¡± Edwin asked.


    Shyra chuckled. ¡°So much to learn Edwin. Don¡¯t think so quickly. You are a Hunter and I a Seeker. Your mask will help you kill. Mine helps me find. I see things that no Hunter can. Now follow me and mind your tongue. It may not seem like there are many people in Va¡¯el but there are hidden ears everywhere.¡±


    Edwin shook his head. He was realizing slowly how little he actually knew, and he didn¡¯t like it.


    He followed Shyra as she tracked the target. They pair dipped out of sight between the short buildings whenever they heard any movement.


    Shyra stopped near the center of town in an alley. ¡°This is his home,¡± she whispered. It¡¯s time for you to practice a new trick. Enter the shadow, push through this wall, and then exit the shadow. I want him dead with as few witnesses as possible.¡±


    Edwin nodded. He took a deep breath. He wanted to move quickly in order to avoid attracting the Amzani that he met before.


    Edwin steppes into the shadow with his mind focus. Cold washed over him. He opened his eyes and stared at the grey wooden wall in front of him.


    He placed his hands against the wooden wall and slid through the wall clumsily. The blinding floor made it hard to take in the room well. The were only two sets of footprints. It looked as though a woman had just left the room, while the target sat in a large, high-backed chair.


    He needed to act immediately if he was to leave no witnesses. Edwin stepped into the white shadow behind the chair. He slipped from the shadowed land and was embraced by the warmth of the real world.


    Knife in hand, Edwin stared at the target. He was a plump, hairless man. The man had no clue that Edwin stood armed behind him.


    Edwin gripped his knife tightly. ¡°I am death,¡± he whispered.


    The man jumped at the sound of Edwin¡¯s voice. The man was too slow though. His body slumped in the chair. A red stain spilled over the white seat.


    The woman entered the room carrying a silver platter covered with heaps of fruit and steaming meat. The tray clattered loudly on the floor when she saw the masked man standing over her dead master.


    Edwin realized that the woman was chained. He could see bruises on her arms that were hidden under white lace. His anger boiled. ¡°What is your name?¡± He asked through clenched teeth.


    The woman looked at the ground. ¡°I am Leyha. Without a master, what purpose do I have sir?l


    The woman¡¯s word cut at his heart. ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She spoke through sobs,¡±I was taken from my family at birth. I was Gaendril¡¯s father¡¯s slave until he died. Then Gaendril inherited me. I do not think that my family knows that their daughter is even alive.¡±


    Edwin walked to the woman and placed his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Go to them. They may not know you but they do remember you. Trust me on that.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I watch them when I can. I have never left this house, but I have seen them through the windows. Gaendril made it a game to torment me by making me watch them and reminding me that I would never know them.¡±


    Edwin felt tears trying to find their way out. ¡°Go to them, Leyha.¡±


    Edwin dug through the pockets of the dead man until he found a for the shackles that the woman wore. As soon as she was loose, she ran out of the room.


    He heard her open the door and leave. His turned his focus on the dead man. Instinct seemed to take over his body. He dipped his fingers into the man¡¯s blood and ran it over the marks on his mask. He felt the mask drinking the blood and satisfaction ran over him. He understood why he and the mask were a good pair. They both were bloodthirsty.


    Shyra was suddenly standing next to him. ¡°In and out, you sentimental fool. We should leave before people come to see where the slave women are coming from.¡±


    Edwin nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that there were more. Let us be off then. One witness is enough to spread the word that the Masked bring justice.¡±


    He stepped into the shadow. It felt oddly natural this time. It was beginning to feel almost natural to step between the two lands. The cold seemed less shocking and the warmth was less pleasant with each step as the duo ran from their victim.


    They stepped between the worlds nearly a dozen times before they were out of Va¡¯el. By the end, Shyra was laughing. She was so much like a girl at time.


    Edwin was smiling at the woman though she couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°How was that?¡± Edwin asked once they had stopped running.


    Shyra replied softly with a gentle hand on his shoulder,¡±You did well, Edwin. It would have been messier had the woman decided to attack you. It is not unheard of for slaves to reject being freed. I would have hated to have you suffer taking the life of an innocent. Especially this early in the process.¡±


    Edwin nodded. He wasn¡¯t sure how he would have taken killing Leyha either. It was strange that people would reject being freed, but people were strange.


    Shyra¡¯s hand slid from his shoulder up to his mask. ¡°You and the mask have bonded well. You are even taking in the altering from the shadowland as well. Can you feel the difference?¡±


    Edwin wasn¡¯t sure of what the woman meant. ¡°I could feel the mask share my satisfaction at the work that we did, but I don¡¯t know anything about a difference coming from the shadowland.¡±


    Shyra moved quickly. She spun and plunged a dagger for Edwin¡¯s stomach. He saw the movement. He wouldn¡¯t be shown up again.


    Edwin sidestepped carefully and grabbed her wrist. He trapped her arms with his and held her tightly against his chest. It felt nearly instant.


    She gasped against the pressure. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have come close to that before. The shadowland grants additional strength for your mask. And you in turn. It is important to shift often between the two worlds.¡±


    Edwin let the woman go, but she kept her body close. Edwin didn¡¯t mind having the beautiful woman so close. He felt drawn to her every moment anyway. The connection between their masked was nearly overwhelming.


    She ran her fingers down his mask slowly. Once she reached the bottom, she hesitated before pushing away. ¡°I forget that a mask doesn¡¯t represent a man fully. You are so different than my last Hunter and yet so similar.¡±


    ¡°I can tell that you two were closer than you let on,¡± Edwin replied softly. He could understand how lonely this life could be. It was even harder to resist the attraction to a companion when the connection between the masks of a Hunter and Seeker were so strong.


    His mask was screaming at him. He could feel how badly it longed to be close to the other mask in that moment. Edwin grabbed the woman firmly at the hips a touch his mask to hers.


    They both gasped as emotion flowed over them. Edwin felt intertwined with her being suddenly. He felt all off her pain, shock, sadness for the loss of her former Hunter and her strong attraction to him. She could feel his attraction to her as well. He sensed it.


    Shyra pushed away again and slapped him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that. It isn¡¯t fair to either of us. You do not even know my face, Edwin. It would have been nice to at least let us know each other better before binding us together like that.¡±


    She said so many strange things. ¡°What do you mean binding us together? I couldn¡¯t resist the urge. I am sorry if I did something wrong. I know it was strange.¡± He truly didn¡¯t mean any offense by his actions.


    She shook her head. ¡°It was going to happen eventually. The way we speak of masks makes it sound and almost feel like they¡¯re alive. They amplify our own abilities. They are not separate beings. The connection that we have between our masks is amplified emotion. It will continue to grow stronger still, but what you just did is reserved for Hunters and Seekers that are wed.¡±


    Edwin¡¯s mouth opened, but he was at a loss for words. There was a time and place for things of that nature, especially among wed. He had accidentally done one of those things out of place. ¡°I- I am sorry. I didn¡¯t not realize that I was doing something wrong. What does this mean?¡±


    Shyra gently squeezed his arm. ¡°It means that we need to talk to Tilrer. I knew from the moment that we met that you were going to be mine.¡±


    Shyra leaned forward and touched her mask to his. Affection, trepidation, and desire flowed over him. They paused, masks touching. The emotions swirled between them, changing and shifting slowly. Fear was replaced by calm. Desire shifted to peace and affection grew nearly overwhelming.


    Shyra pulled away. Edwin shook. He hadn¡¯t ever thought that love would be a serious part of his life. He had been a slave with hopes of becoming a master. His life would have been arranged for him.


    Freedom and spending his life as a killer with Shyra suddenly felt more right than anything ever had. They would make a dangerous and beautiful pair he thought.


    ¡°Let us go home then, Shyra. Lead me, my Seeker,¡± he said with as much warmth as he could muster.


    She nodded and took his hand with both of hers. She began leading him to the Masked. His new home with Shyra.

 The Betrothed

    Alaric had meant well. Making an escape felt like it was the best option. He didn''t want anyone to get hurt on his account. Alaric was frustrated that he hadn''t made it more than a few feet from the gate when Tyron and Erika caught him.


    Alaric felt that chastisement that followed would stick with him for years. He shuddered at the thought of the things that had been said to him.


    Lilia was beyond distant after Tyron and Erika woke and told her what Alaric had tried to do. He hated that he had hurt her, but he was just trying to do the right thing.


    Lilia was sent to fetch Alaric in the morning.


    ¡°We are not done traveling Alaric. Everyone is ready and waiting to leave. Get up!¡± Lilia commanded. Her voice was without sympathy.


    Alaric couldn¡¯t see the agitation in her face, but her voice told him that she was angry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize. I¡¯ll be up and ready quickly.¡± He stammered as he looked around for his clothes with his eyes. He wanted to say more, but he could tell that she wouldn''t have any of it.


    Lilia chuckled. It felt out of place. ¡°What is wrong Alaric? Are you not going to get up and dressed with me here?¡±


    Alaric could feel his cheeks burning. There was no way that he was getting up with her in the room with him. He had taken his clothes off when he had been locked in his room. ¡°I¡¯ll get ready but not until you leave, Lilia.¡± He wasn''t sure what was wrong with her. She seemed to be in the better mood than Alaric though she should.


    ¡°Whatever you say, my Lord Alaric,¡± she laughed as she dipped down into a mocking bow. She moved with grace, and her crystal, blue eyes glittered in the light as she eyed him. She danced out of the room slowly.


    ¡°Fool woman.. Probably drunk..¡± he muttered as he climbed out of bed and gathered the clean clothes that Lord Moats had his servants purchase for him.


    It seemed that either Lord Moats or his servant had good taste. His breeches we loose and grey. His shirt was light and black. They had also purchased a hooded, dark blue cloak, but he decided not to wear it. He instead packed it into his bags. It was much too warm during the day to be wearing a cloak. He slipped on his new, black riding boots last. They were heavily cushioned on the inside but had thick soles.


    Alaric stepped out of his room just as Lilia was again approaching. Alaric thought that she was coming again to fetch him.


    She smiled at him shyly. He hadn¡¯t noticed her outfit, when she came into his room before. She wore a light grey dress with orange flowers that crawled halfway up. A thin, white belt wrapped around her waist. Every step she took in the dress made it look as if she were dancing.


    ¡°Come Alaric, it is time to be off. Lord Moats insists that we leave just before sunrise,¡± she said as she  grabbed his arm and started pulling him down the hall.


    Alaric didn¡¯t complain at all. He was unsure about his feelings toward the girl and about how she felt. Whatever they both felt, having a woman on his arm felt good.


    "I''m sorry, Lilia," Alaric muttered quickly.


    The beautiful girl looked up at the smith with a tenderness in her eyes. "Alaric, I can understand why you tried to run. You were trying to protect us, and I forgive you for being a fool."


    Alaric nodded. He wanted to speak with her of the topic more, but the duo reached the doors that marked the exit from the mansion.


    The pair strode casually out of the large, ornate double doors. Lord Moats said that every door in the mansion told a story about the Moats family.


    The double doors that sat at the entrance of the home told of the Moats family¡¯s rise to nobility. The paint on the doors was heavily faded but the carvings were all still clear. At edge of each door was half of an anvil. When closed, the anvil was completed. Flowers much like those on Lilia¡¯s dress crawled in all directions away from the anvil. From the outer edges of the doorway, flames crawled up and devoured the flowers that reached too far from the anvils.


    Lord Moats admitted that there was little her knew if the meanings except that the anvil has always been the symbol of their line. He assumed that the flames had some relationship with the dragons, but it was all unclear.


    Hunters were waiting patiently on their horses or digging through saddle bags, when the pair came out of the mansion. Erika and Tryon both frowned at Lillia and Alaric, while Nathaniel smiled at them. Chas was digging through his bags and didn¡¯t acknowledge the pair.


    Lord Moats rode out from the stables on a jet black Charger. Alaric didn¡¯t know much about horses, but it looked to be the strongest and fastest among the group. ¡°Come, children. We must be off soon. High King Arthfael will be eager to meet you boy!¡± The heavy man said with an excited look in his eye.


    Alaric nodded. He didn¡¯t like being called a child, but a lord or lady could nearly do anything that they decided to do without penalty.


    He walked over to the large grey and white gelding that he had been told to use. It already wore a saddle, and someone had put his few things in bags on the saddle.


    ¡°One thing young man!¡± Lord Moats said as he climbed off of his horse. He was smiling large than ever, revealing clean, white teeth.


    He pulled a large leather sheath from his saddlebags and waved Alaric over. ¡°Your father is Orven Stonehammer, yes?¡±


    Alaric nodded. ¡°Yes, Lord Moats.¡±


    ¡°Orven was once a good friend of mine. He worked many years as my personal blacksmith,¡± the large Lord said. He was still smiling, but he seemed to be remembering something.


    Orven had talked very little about his time away from Baerlon, but he never said anything about working as a blacksmith for a Lord or Lady. Alaric suddenly felt that his father kept many things quiet about his life.


    Lord Moats looked up at the large, young man. ¡°You remind me a lot of your father. He was one of the best men that I ever met. I have a gift for you. I saw the large sword that you father made. I would recognize his work anywhere. Easily the best in the kingdom, and that is well known. This sheath will sit on your back, so that you can actually carry the beast of a weapon.¡±


    Lord Moats then showed Alaric how to put on the sheath, and how his sword would sit in and be removed from the sheath. It seemed smart and simple, but the sword was so heavy that it would be hard to safely move the sword. Alaric would need quite a bit of practice, but he had a lifetime to master it.


    ¡°Thank you very much, my lord,¡± Alaric said afterward, with an attempt to bow.


    The man chuckled and patted his shoulder. ¡°No need for formalities among peers, boy.¡± Lord Moats turned and climbed back onto his horse and waved Alaric away.


    Alaric turned toward his horse and Chas was waiting with Alaric¡¯s sword. Chas helped slide the large sword into the new sheath. It felt strange having the heavy sheet of metal sitting on his back.


    Alaric climbed onto the gelding carefully. The sword sat mostly still on his back.


    Once everyone had mounted, the Hunters, guards, and Lord Moats were off. They crept slowly out of the city. As they left the city walls, the horses in the front broke into a run. Everyone else followed suit.


    The plan was to make it to Ilian in two days time. They would stop very little on the way. It was easily just as far as Lucenne was from Baerlon.


    The sun was well over the sky before the guards leading the group waved for the group to stop. Alaric was hungry enough that he might have been able to eat a full pig on his own. At least he thought so.


    The food was light and the break was short. They had some honey and bread that had been baked that morning. It was good but not enough. Most of them finished their food as fast as they got it.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Alaric realized he was the only one unaccustomed to hard and fast travel like this. Some of the guards seemed to even enjoy the trip.


    One man in particular, an older man named Caenic, spent most of the day humming and whistling songs that Alaric knew from his childhood. Caernic, Alaric found out during the second break just before nightfall, had been born and raised a soldier. He was captain of Baerlon¡¯s guard and one of the most respected swordsman in the world.


    Alaric wanted to train with the man, but there wasn¡¯t time. The group would be riding hard through the night.


    They would pass the village of Fate¡¯s Stand in the middle of the night and the large city of Amrithanne midday the next day without stopping.


    Half of the group was supposed to sleep on their horses, while the other half led them. Alaric was part of the half that was to sleep first. Lilia was assigned to lead his horse.


    The heavy hoof beats and rough terrain made it hard for Alaric to fall to sleep. Everything that he thought that he was begin to drift away, the gelding reminded him roughly that he was riding and not in the soft bed in Lucenne.


    Lilia went to sleep nearly on command. Alaric held the reins on her horse as it ran closely next to him.


    Alaric¡¯s eyes were heavy, but the rough ride kept him from even thinking about sleep. He thought he caught a glimpse of Fate¡¯s Stand off to the right in the distance, but it was hard to tell by moonlight.


    Fate¡¯s Stand was one of the New Villages. Alaric knee by the name. Villages with simpler and sensible names were the new settlements. Places like Baerlon and Lucenne were settled in and built before men¡¯s great grandfather¡¯s could remember.


    It was something that the Elders in Baerlon made sure that everyone knew. To them it was something to be proud of. Alaric never truly understood the importance. It seemed to him that the always just wanted to be better than everyone else in one way or another.


    Alaric shook his head. Even in Hewe, the men and women seemed to be less horrible than he had been told. They couldn¡¯t help having the madness. It seemed that nowhere was immune to its effects.


    The sun was rising before it felt that it should. Alaric didn¡¯t feel like he rode all night. Most of the group had woken already and taken control of their horses.


    Lilia was the only one still sleeping. Alaric hasn¡¯t noticed before that she wore dark, leather breeches underneath her dress. He laughed to himself. Even when dressing like a girl, she was still a Hunter. And it showed.


    Chas rose up on the other side and pulled the reins from Alaric¡¯s hands. He never said anything or looked at Alaric though.


    Alaric shrugged as he let go of the reins. He looked behind him to the other Hunters. They were all riding silently. Nathaniel was the only one smiling. Tyron and Erika looked as if they had just woken up.


    Alaric slowed and weaved to Nathaniel¡¯s side. The slim man smiled at Alaric. ¡°Did you sleep at all? Alaric?¡±


    Alaric shook his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not used to sleeping on a saddle, yet.¡±


    Nathaniel chuckled. ¡°I thought not. It is a talent that you will quickly acquire. Sleeping on command becomes second nature even after just a few weeks of hard travel.¡±


    Alaric hoped that he never had to gain that skill. ¡°What is bothering Chas?¡± he asked just quiet enough for only Nathaniel to hear.


    Nathaniel half turned in his saddle and studied the Alaric¡¯s face. ¡°Chas and Lilia will someday be married, Alaric. I¡¯m surprised that no one has told you yet.¡±


    Alaric frowned. He had been told that before, but he didn¡¯t realize that it meant so much to Chas. Lilia made it seem like it was a casual thing that she would do because there was no other option. ¡°Is he jealous then?¡±


    Nathaniel nodded. ¡°Yes. That essentially is his problem. Because of his culture, in his mind he and Lilia are already engaged. An expectation for most, is a requirement to him. Despite this, he respects that it isn¡¯t his place to control her.¡±


    Alaric looked down. He wasn¡¯t trying to steal Lilia from Chas. She was beautiful, but she was also aggressive. She acted too much like a man at times. He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around being with someone so much like himself. ¡°She is beautiful, but perhaps she is also not the right fit for me.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say that I agree. You two are very similar. The problem is the difference in your destinies. Lady Fate has different plans for you both.¡± Nathaniel was not smiling and laughing any longer.


    Alaric was frowning too. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what I feel toward her. We are friends. That is all that I am sure of.¡±


    ¡°That is good. Protect your heart. It belongs to someone that you don¡¯t yet know, I¡¯m sure.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s smile had returned. It was easy from him to speak of love, Alaric thought. He and Erika were deeply in love.


    Lilia had woken while he talked with Nathaniel. He watched Chas interact with her through different eyes for the first time. He could see her appreciation for him as well as his love and respect for her. Her movements showed care. His every motion was gentle. Chas never really touched her, but he did as much as he could for her. As Alaric watched, he realized that he wanted something similar. He wanted to have someone to care for and to adventure with.


    ¡°Your smile suits you. Maybe you will be able to attract a few women in Ilian. Could you imagine having great Ladies swoon as you pass by.¡± Nathaniel sounded to Alaric more like one of the young boys running around in Baerlon. It was the first time that Alaric really saw him laugh and joke.


    ¡°From what I hear, most noble women are about as ugly as they come, inside and out,¡± Alaric replied with a daring smile. He wasn¡¯t totally sure how, Nathaniel would reply.


    The slim Hunter laughed. ¡°You are both right and wrong. You may find a few that aren¡¯t the best to look at, but most of them are beautiful. There are also many kind and gentle woman in Ilian and all of the other noble families.¡± His face was serious again. ¡°Trust as few as you can. Politics are more dangerous than living in the madlands.¡±


    Alaric shuddered. He didn¡¯t understand how Nathaniel could go so quickly from jovial to dark. Either way, he made staying around nobles sound too complicated.


    Alaric fell silent as the group continued their ride. The distant grey blur that was Amrithanne had grown much larger. It sprawled for leagues off to the right in the distance. It seemed as if they had ridden for an hour without ever passing the end of the city.


    Amrithanna was a marker for the group. They stopped just after the northern edge of the city. It would be another few hours until the group reached Ilian, but they were close.


    Alaric was nervous about his fate once he reached Ilian, but he was hopeful that it would be an adventure rather than a hardship. He smiled at the thought of being raised to a Lord. He would be given his own land and domain. He would rule over people.


    As he thought about his work as a ruler, he realized that he would have to be a leader and care for people. That was not as fun a thought as he had fantasized suddenly.


    ¡°Alaric!¡± He heard a gruff voice call from behind him. Alaric to see Lord Moats waving for him to come.


    Alaric slowed his horse to ride next to the heavy-set man. ¡°Yes, Lord Moats?¡± Alaric asked. It was strange talking to a lord, especially the lord that was supposed to rule over his home land. He knew that Lord Moats had told him not to address the lord that way, but Alaric was also given no alternative.


    ¡°Young man, I told you not to call me that. Call me instead Darren. It is my given name. We must talk about the things that are going to happen once we reach Ilian.¡± The older man suddenly looked much older. It seemed that the grey in his beard had spread overnight.


    ¡°What is it going to be like?¡± Alaric asked calmly. At least he thought it was calmly. He had a lot of questions, but it was hard to think of what he needed to ask.


    ¡°You will not be able to refer to most other Lords and Ladies by their given names. You will only be allowed to speak if spoken to by any noble. You must bow to every noble that you come across. You cannot cross in front of a noble. We will go over table etiquette as well once we reach Ilian. There are many rules, but it boils down to sense and those few things.¡± Lord Moats said. A large, toothy smile crept across the man¡¯s lips. ¡°This will especially be important if you are raised to be a lord.¡±


    Alaric shifted in his saddle. He didn¡¯t like the thought of having such rigid structure. Being raised to a lord sounded like it gave too much responsibility. ¡°Do you think that is what will happen? Will I be raised?¡±


    The Lord¡¯s grey eyes studied the young man. ¡°I think that there is little doubt in any of our minds as to why we are taking you to Ilian. A Dragon Priestess doesn¡¯t simply gather random young men off of the streets. They are the conduits of the ancient pact that men formed with dragons. Their position exists mostly just to gather new royal families. They make it seem all mystical, but I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s the case. I¡¯ve never heard of them doing anything else.¡±


    Alaric stomach was suddenly in knots. He left his home thinking that it would be some wild adventure with as a Monster Hunter. He didn¡¯t intend to be stuck in puffy clothes and to live a boring life of legislation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boy!¡± The large man chuckled and patted Alaric¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll not be set to doing any of the tedious and boring work that a typical lord or lady does just yet.¡±


    Alaric sat silently. It was a dream and a nightmare all in one. He spent time as a child dreaming of what it would be like to be a lord. They would take turns pretending with the other children in the village to rule for a day. He was older now. He knew that there was more responsibility than he was interested in. He wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to be a leader or to be responsible for the wellbeing of others. He was nothing more than a blacksmith. At least, he felt that way, even if no one else agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too quiet, boy. Always remember to speak when spoken to.¡± Lord Moats chuckled as he stared at Alaric.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Darren. It¡¯s just a lot to take in all at once. I didn¡¯t leave home thinking that I would be some young Lord.¡± Alaric shook his head.


    Lord Darren stared intently and quietly. ¡°It is true that you have difficult things to face, but you are your father¡¯s son. He was the best man that I ever knew. You¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    Alaric looked at the lord sitting next to him. It wasn¡¯t that Alaric thought of Lord Moats as a father, but how the lord acted acted like a father comforting a son that would soon face a dangerous challenge.


    Alaric nodded. ¡°My father is the best man that I know. He raised me right.¡± It was true. Alaric felt inadequate and unready, but he knew that he would be able to overcome it. He had always thought of himself as hard like the steel that he worked.


    The pair sat mostly silent for the rest of the ride. Occasionally, Lord Darren would feel the need to mention another small detail here or there about the life of nobility that Alaric would soon enter.

 The First Prophecy

    The high, white and grey stone walls of Ilian towered well above anything that Alaric has ever seen. He felt like every new city that they visited brought even more wonder and amazement.


    A dozen roads joined together several miles from the gate. After the junction, the roads had been packed with people. All shoulder to shoulder, bumping and pushing both to and from the large city.


    The guards leading the party were not gentle as they pushed through the crowd. Most got out of the way of the ground once they recognized the crest of the Moats family waving above the guard at the front.


    The Hammer and Anvil was the name of the emblem. It had been chosen to remind the Moats family of their heritage. They came from a small blacksmith family that had been chosen to be one of the founding Noble families. Most that came to Ilian could recognize most of the noble crests. Crossing noble families seemed to never end well.


    Alaric was grateful for the time that he was able to spend with Lord Moats. Between the jovial Lord and Tyron, Alaric was comfortable that he could at least survive his first few days in Ilian.


    The group traveled silently to the group. Even if anyone had anything to say, the noise of the traffic was much too loud around them to be able to hear.


    The gates were wide enough for ten wagons to fit through side by side with ease. Nearly a hundred guards stood at the entrance. They stopped every passerby to check wares and to learn the purpose of visits. It made Alaric wonder how many people lied their way in. It couldn¡¯t have been too hard.


    A shout from one of the guards informed the others nearby that a noble was approaching the gate. All traffic nearly came to an immediate halt as guards ran through the crowd to the group.


    The crowd was forced to part by the remaining guards, creating a large, clear walkway for the group. The guards on foot jogged along both sides of the group. Alaric thought it was strange, but they were simply watching the crowd. They were watching for any potential trouble that might come from the large gathering.


    The guards that waited at the entrance nodded as the group rode past. They knew better than to stop a lord, even one as kind as Lord Moats.


    The escort that ran alongside the group continued through the entire city all of the way to the keep. The crowds continued nearly all the way as well, but word for the crowds to part spread quickly. They all seemed used to the process. It made Alaric wonder how often nobles came and went from the keep inside Ilian.


    The castle built in the center of the city climbed above even the walls around the city. Alaric was sure that no natural thing grew that high except for the mountains near Baerlon.


    A smaller wall surrounded the castle. The walls were still much taller than other buildings in the city. The doors into the smaller walls were guarded by men more armed and threatening than the gates into the city.


    The only helmed man had a longsword strapped onto his back much like Alaric¡¯s massive sword sat on his own back. The man¡¯s armor was darker grey than normal steel. It was nearly black and stood out greatly among the other guards.


    The man didn¡¯t seem to care that the approaching party was waving a noble flag. He walked casually toward the group and waved for them to stop.


    Lord Moats pushed his way through the crowd to meet the man. Once they were close enough to hear each other, Lord Moats spoke. ¡°Dyal, how are you on this fine day?¡± It seemed that Lord Moats never noticed inconvenience.


    Alaric enjoyed how happy the large man was, but he knew that he could never maintain that type of cheer. It had to be exhausting.


    ¡°Welcome to Ilian, Lord Moats. What business brings you?¡± came a young, yet gruff voice in reply. Alaric thought that Dyal sounded to be close to the same age as himself.


    ¡°Young Lord Dyal that is my business and well as you know. Your father would not receive news of you pestering Lords well, but it can be our secret today.¡± Lord Moats chuckled.


    The man seemed to straighten. Alaric thought that it was weird for a Lord to be guarding the gates of the castle, but he knew that he understood little of the way of nobles.


    The young lord eyed the rest of the group before resting his eyes on Alaric. ¡°What is your name, boy?¡±


    Lord Moats laughter roared mockingly at Dyal. ¡°You have little room to call Alaric a boy. You are less than a handful of years older than him. If you must know my business, I am bringing that man that you called boy to the king. He has been chosen by the dragon priestess in our group of friends.¡±


    Alaric didn¡¯t think that Dyal could straighten anymore than he already had, but somehow he managed to. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry Lord Alaric. It would seem that I do not know my place.¡±


    Alaric didn¡¯t know how to reply to a Lord humbled simply by his presence. He simply nodded at the man. He hoped that would be enough.


    The man stiffly walked back the the gate shouting orders at the guard there. They all scrambled to follow the order and opened the gates for the group.


    Lord Moats maintained his lead. The guards that rode with the group took the all of the horses once they crossed through the gate. Lord Moats, the Hunters, and Alaric walked the short distance from the gate to the castle¡¯s great doors.


    The great doors were white with faint impressions of roses that budded and blossomed as they climbed up the doors. The impressions were so faint that Alaric couldn¡¯t see them until he stood only a few feet away. The stone on either side of the door was grey, but the rest of the castle used the same white stone.


    There were no knobs or handles on the large door. Lord Moats pushed on the doors, and they glided open in response to his push. It was amazing to Alaric that the doors were light enough to be pushed open so easily.


    The door opened into a small chamber. A large wood and steel door sat directly in front of the entrance. Hallways opened up on both sides that curved quickly out of view. The halls were wide enough for half a dozen people to fit side by side comfortably.


    The door in front of them had an intricate bear carved into it. Alaric had seen fine carving from some of the older men in Baerlon, but this was far beyond anything that he had seen at home. Were it not obviously carved into the wood, he would have jumped at the open jaw that looked to be reaching toward him.


    He reached out to touch the carving on the door, but Darren grabbed his wrist and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t touch things that are not yours.¡±


    Alaric pulled his wrist away. He hadn¡¯t meant to do anything wrong, but he would try to mind the things that he tried to touch.


    Lord Moats rapped on the side of the door. He was careful not to touch the carving at all.


    After a few silent seconds, the door made a loud crack and then swung open slowly. The man at the door met the group with a flat, impatient stare. He was tall and slim without a crease in his face. He looked older than Orven or even Darren.


    The man¡¯s voice was smooth and soft. ¡°Darren Moats, you know that you should not interrupt us when the door to the Judgement Hall is closed except when truly necessary. Our King will have some sharp thoughts to share with you surely.¡±


    The man¡¯s face grew into a cruel smile at that thought. He continued,¡±Hunters also should know better. Maybe I can convince King Arthfael to have my way with you fools. I¡¯ll teach you respect.¡±


    Alaric clenched his fist. This man knew no respect for others. The Elders in Baerlon would take a man this rude regardless of age and make sure that he couldn¡¯t sit for days.


    Alaric realized that the man was staring at him intently. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± Alaric said defyingly. He heard a gasp behind him.


    Before Alaric could blink a hand meant to remind him of his place stopped inches from his face. Darren has caught the man¡¯s hand before he could hit Alaric.


    The man stared with every ounce of hate that he had at Alaric. ¡°No Hunter will talk to a High Lord like that. Before the night is over, I will have you hung from the¡­.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± roared a voice from behind the High Lord. ¡°Darren, my friend, bring our friends in. I tire of sitting with stiff old men that can¡¯t see past the ends of their noses. Domayne come and sit, I decide my own business not you.¡± the voice said. The voice was gruff but warmth.


    A soft chuckle came from another person behind Domayne.


    The High Lord¡¯s face of hate never changed, but he obeyed the voice begrudgingly.


    The room was wide and deep. The walls and floors were all white. The stone had red and blue lines that crawled in every direction. Three long tables covered most of the floor from front to back. A large golden throne sat at the end of the room.


    Three men sat at the center table. Charts, quills, and inkwells were scattered between the three men.


    Alaric assumed that the group was made of the king and the other two High Lords. It was hard to tell which was the king.


    Darren led. Alaric fell behind Erika and Nathaniel, just in front of Lilia and Chas. The group fanned out in front of the man and bowed. Alaric tried to imitate awkwardly. He clench his fist with his palm against his chest facing the sky and dipped his body low.


    The man that sat alone dipped his head in response to the bows. ¡°Formalities and fancies. Such is the life of a king,¡± the man said. His was the voice that had commanded the High Lord before.


    High King Arthfael wasn¡¯t much to look at. He wasn¡¯t an ugly man, but he was also not handsome. He had dark, curling hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were grey and his beard was trimmed short and clean. His face was square and his nose was sharp, but his eyes looked curiously at the group.


    ¡°Darren and Tyron. What an interesting pair. It is unusual for Hunters to be escorted by Lord¡¯s. What was done and who did it?¡± the King asked. Alaric thought he could seem amusement in the King¡¯s eyes.


    Erika stepped forward. She was met with looks of respect from each of the High Lords and the King. ¡°Buel, I have found someone¡­. special. This young man, Alaric, from Baerlon. He must be taken to Ca¡¯arnnathadhair.¡± She spoke with authority and each of the men¡¯s faces changed as she spoke.


    The heavily set one stroked his long beard thoughtfully while the other High Lord frowned. Domayne stared blankly at the woman. The king was smiling at her.


    ¡°It seems that the world keeps turning. It has been awhile since we had something like this. Longer than I can remember. Ca¡¯arnnathadhair will appreciate the company surely,¡± the king said as he pushed himself to his feet.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The heavy set man looked at the king. ¡°May we join you, my lord. It very well could be a few lifetimes before something like this happens again.¡±


    The younger man next to him nodded in agreement. ¡°Tis true. I would like to see the man and the beast speak.¡±


    The High King nodded with a warm smile. ¡°Of course. Markes, Ilkren, Darren you are welcome to view the ceremony. Domayne, I think it will do you good to come as well. Priestess Erika, please lead the way. The rest of you are welcome to find beds. Hunters are always welcome here.¡±


    Erika nodded and walked past the group. King Arthfael and the High Lords followed. Darren patted Alaric on the shoulder and tilted his head.


    Alaric felt lost. He thought he was finally ready to accept his fate, but he hadn¡¯t thought a ceremony would be required to complete his ascension to a ¡°Lord¡±.


    Darren gently pushed Alaric forward. Alaric followed the group. He was lost in his thoughts. He hardly paid attention to where he was going.


    High Lord D¡¯varis and High Lord Intgarrson laughed and chatted with the King. They all seemed to be fast friends.


    Darren walked silently behind the group with Alaric. His hand on the younger man¡¯s back.


    Domayne sulked behind the other High Lords.


    The group stopped at a large door much like the entrance to the judgement hall. The carving was instead made of stone with the head of a horned lizard.


    A dragon, Alaric realized. He had heard plenty of stories about them, but to see a depiction made him realize how little even the Elders in Baerlon knew of the beasts.


    Erika ran her fingers gently along the nose of the beast. Once her fingers left the doorway, there was a loud click. The King stepped past the woman and pushed against the doorway.


    It swung open slowly. Alaric wasn¡¯t sure how the noblemen made opening such heavy door appear so easy. The sound of chains came from behind the darkness beyond the door.


    Alaric was not prepared for the sight that he received once he entered the doorway. A large monstrosity laid on the ground in front of him.


    The monstrosity¡¯s horned head was only a few feet away from him. It¡¯s head was easily twice his height. It¡¯s eyes were over half Erika¡¯s size. It¡¯s muzzle had a spike on the end and two larger horns pointed back from the sides of the top of its head.


    The beast¡¯s face was covered in scales. The scales were all different shapes and sizes, the color was hard to see because of the darkness in the room.


    The low rumble nearly shook the ground. It seemed as if the beast was growling at him. Then it opened its mouth. ¡°Why do you disturb my slumber priestess?¡± The wind from the beast mouth bearly knocked everyone except for Erika over. The gust smelled of dust and decay.


    The beast closed its eyes and shuddered as if in pain.


    ¡°Ca¡¯arnnathadhair, you know your responsibility. You must honor the pact. Even if we interrupt your napping. You knew days ago that we were coming. Isnt that so?¡± Erika asked.


    Alaric shifted uncomfortably. He had heard stories about the powers of dragons. No wise man or woman should talk so boldly to such a dangerous creature.


    The rumble came again. This time the being spoke slowly and thoughtfully. ¡°Priestess. I remember a time when I ate priestesses such as you. Though, your meat would be as sour as your sense of humor.¡± The beast blew out of its nose.


    The dragon was met with silence.


    The rumble grew. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s us be done with this then. You, boy, Alaric Stonehammer. Come closer. Touch my eye.¡±


    Alaric felt another nudge from Darren and stepped forward. He took a deep breath and set another food forward. After a few steps, Alaric was staring eye to eye with the beast.


    He reached out with his hand slowly. The eye was wet and covered in slime. He wanted to throw up. Everyone stood and watched silently. Alaric thought it was all too strange.


    The rumble came after several seconds of silence. It was so quiet Alaric thought his heartbeat had grown loud enough to be heard by everyone. ¡°Everyone leave,¡± the dragon growled.


    Erika straightened. She was apparently against the idea of Ca¡¯arnnathadhair giving orders, despite the fact that it was a dragon.


    Without a word, she turned and nodded to the group. The whole group started to leave, but Alaric didn¡¯t move. If the dragon was scared of what it saw, then Alaric had to know what was seen.


    ¡°Alaric, do you truly wish to know what I saw?¡± the dragon asked.


    Alaric paused. He wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to know what the dragon saw, but he felt drawn to the answer. ¡°Yes, Ca¡¯arnathadhair.¡± The name felt strange on his tongue, but he said it slowly without stumbling.


    ¡°Very well,¡± came the reply. The dragon paused. ¡°Young thrones will crumble and old thrones will be restored. Kings will fall and kings will rise. Fate will remain despite its death. Old laws and promises are at their end and new times come in their wake. From burned and razed, will a kingdom come again. All of this will be from your decisions.¡±


    Alaric stared flatly at the beast. ¡°Why do you speak in riddles? Do you fear what you see?¡±


    The dragon chuckled at the reply. ¡°I like you boy. It will be an honor to watch the world burn by your hands.¡±


    The flat stare grew into confusion and then anger. ¡°I will not make the world burn, you lying beast. I am a blacksmith, not a villain, nor a hero, nor some lord!¡±


    ¡°You do not control your fate. You are a puppet on a string just as the rest of us! Now leave!¡± The dragon hissed.


    Alaric felt no fear suddenly. He was filled with rage and felt nothing else. He pulled his hand back from the eye and then slammed his clenched fist as hand as he could back into the eye.


    The dragon screamed in pain. It dawned on Alaric what he had just done. He had punched a dragon in the eye. Alaric turned and ran out the door as fast as he could.


    He ran up the stairs that led away from the dragon. He couldn¡¯t remember the way that they had gone to reach the dragon. There were few paths to take along the way so Alaric ran as straight as he could.


    The path seemed much longer than it had been on the way down to the dragon. Alaric saw the exit and leapt out. The others were all there waiting. They jumped at his sudden appearance.


    Before anyone had time to speak, the ground began to rumble. The dragon¡¯s voice shook the entire castle,¡±Alaric Stonehammer, you will train to become a Dragon Knight. You will ascend to be a Lord. You will take the throne after Buel Arthfael. Your wife will be Lilia Arthfael. You can run from destiny, but it will take you either way!¡±


    The world fell still and silent. Everyone that he could see wore the face of shock. Erika stared at the ground angrily. The High Lords and King stared at the young man.


    King Arthfael broke the silence. ¡°Remember those words Alaric. We cannot ignore that decree, nor can we ignore Lady Fate¡¯s guiding hand. You are now a lord. There is no ceremony, and you have no subjects. You will be guided by my side to be able to rule as a king.¡±


    Alaric felt nauseous. A lord was too much, let alone king. He had no desire to ascend to any level of power in the first place.


    The king spoke more to the High Lords and Darren. Darren took Alaric and led him to a large room. His things were on the floor next to the bed. Darren sat Alaric down in a chair in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Alaric, my friend, what happened with Ca¡¯arnathadhair? I have never met the dragon, but I also know that he has never spoken with such spite. At least not since his imprisonment long before I was born.¡± Darren said. Worry filled the man¡¯s wide face.


    Alaric looked the Lord in his eyes. ¡°The dragon is a fool. It spoke nothing but lies to me.¡±


    Darren chuckled at the reply. ¡°As stubborn as your father. Maybe as hard-headed as well. That dragon is bound by ancient laws. It may speak in riddles, but it does not lie. It cannot. What did it say to you?¡±


    Alaric sighed. He didn¡¯t know why he was so angry, but he couldn¡¯t let go of it. ¡°The beast told me that young thrones will crumble and old thrones will be restored. Kings will fall and kings will rise. Fate will remain despite its death. Old laws and promises are at their end and new times come in their wake. From burned and razed, will a kingdom come again. All of this will be from your decisions. None of it makes sense. It sounds like something from the stories that my parents told when I was a child. I am no hero or villain.¡±


    The heavy man stroked his beard with a thoughtful frown. ¡°I admit. It does sound like something from old legends. I could not tell you what it means, but know this one thing. Tell no one of this. You are already the center of focus in the castle now. People are afraid enough of change to kill you before you have a chance to fulfill any of those prophecies.¡±


    Alaric shrugged. He had no intention of dying anytime soon. A few questions rested on his mind. He knew that Darren would be able and willing to answer them. ¡°Darren, who is Lilia? She has the same last name as the king. Does that mean¡­¡±


    Darren¡¯s frown gave way to a small grin. ¡°The dragon did say that she would be your wife, didn¡¯t he? That is a fate that I wouldn¡¯t wish on even my enemy. She is the beautiful, second daughter of the King. She is strong-willed and wild, probably much like yourself actually. Not one that would be easy to forge into a wife.¡± The large lord chuckled at his statement.


    Alaric frowned. At least she sounds fun, he thought to himself. Fun and pretty. ¡°I am sure that she and I will meet soon enough then. What about becoming a Dragon Knight? What does that entail?¡±


    ¡°Alairc, I must be frank with you. That will be one of the hardest parts of your journey. You will be trained for a few months as Initiates, and then sent out to each of the High Lords for a time. They will train and test the lot of new Dragon Knights. Few die though. These are noble children after all. The High Lord prefer to keep peace, when they have the option. I¡¯m certain that your first dose will be brought soon.¡± Darren shuddered at the thought of whatever the dose was.


    Alaric didn¡¯t trust the man¡¯s distaste for the thing that he called the dose. ¡°What is that then? This dose.¡±


    Darren eyed the young man. ¡°The dose is a mixture made by dragon priests and priestesses. Only they know the contents of the vile liquid honestly. It tastes terrible and will leave you sick for a month the first time you drink it. Your body will grow used to the contents quickly, but be prepared to suffer your first time.¡±


    A soft knock interrupted the men. The door swung open slowly. The King entered with two guards at his side. ¡°Ah, Darren, Alaric. I think that we three must speak of the things that will happen from now on.¡± The king didn¡¯t look to have any concern. Alaric thought that would mean that this was mostly consisting of formalities.


    Alaric pushed to his feet and bowed awkwardly. At least he thought it was awkwardly. ¡°What can we do for you, my king?¡± he asked as formally as he could muster.


    King Arthfael waved his hand at Alaric. ¡°There is no need for formality among friends.¡± The King saw on the edge of Alaric¡¯s bed and eyed the two lords. The men guarding him stood rigidly by the door.


    ¡°Alaric, it is hard to¡­ accept things that we do not want. We are men, and that means that we don¡¯t always accept being told what we don¡¯t want to hear. I couldn¡¯t honestly imagine myself in the position that you are in. None of the other nobles can, but there was a time when each of our fathers or grandfathers or those before them sat in your position. They were each followed by lines of nobility that have kept the peace in the world that you have grown up in. It is not a perfect system, but it has worked for many generations. I plan to immerse you fully into this culture though. Immediately actually. Erika will be up with your dose of Dragon¡¯s Veil soon. I trust that Darren has told you about that already?¡± The king said thoughtfully. When he finished, he looked to Darren. Darren replied with a nod.


    ¡°Then Alaric, once you recover from your first dose, you will begin training. Until then you will rest here and be cared for by my daughter Lilia and by Amindra, one of the servant girls.¡± The King said. The man stood and left with a nod. It seemed that he approved of the silence, despite his disdain for formality. Kings are strange, Alaric decided.


    Almost as the King left, Erika came in holding a steaming bowl. She moved carefully as to not spill the precious contents. ¡°Alaric, this is Dragon¡¯s Veil. Change into clothes that you can sleep in. Not your small clothes though. You will be in bed for a few days after you finish this.¡± She set the bowl next to his bed.


    ¡°Erika, can I at least have utensils with it?¡± Alaric asked. If he was going to suffer, then suffering civilly seemed less miserable.


    Erika frowned. ¡°No utensil can touch this. It will be destroyed and the mixture ruined. You¡¯ll drink straight from the bowl, Alaric. Now, I also imagine that this will be the last time that you and I see each other for a time. I want you to remember this, there are few that you can trust here. Pick your friends wisely. It is very important that you do so, especially here.¡± With that Erika imitated the awkward bow, and strode out of the room.


    Alaric didn¡¯t like how everyone seemed to be in a rush in the castle. Baerlon was much slower. Most people that didn¡¯t have pressing business often spent hours chatting away about simple things.


    Darren turned to leave as well. ¡°Alaric, do be careful and do get comfortable. You¡¯ll spend more time than you like in this room.¡± Without waiting for a reply Darren left.


    Alaric was alone for the first time since he left home. He could be considered a different man. He felt no different, yet he was now a lord not a blacksmith. He could be considered a man of wealth even, yet he truly had no money. He was still Alaric, yet he was supposed to be different. Alaric tried to shake his thoughts as he changed into loose and comfortable clothes.


    He sat on the edge of the bed with the bowl in his hands. The liquid was a deep purple, with grey clouds of substance that drifted through the mixture. He dipped his head to the bowl and turned it up.


    He drank the bittersweet liquid as fast as he could, pausing only to breathe. In Alaric¡¯s opinion, the liquid didn¡¯t actually taste all that bad. It was think, and he wanted to gag as it slid down his throat.


    He set the bowl gently back on the table next to his bed. He pushed on his knees to stand, but his arms gave out. His body slumped to the ground with a soft thud.

 Training

    The world spun. Alaric felt extremely nauseous as he stared at the bittersweet mixture sitting in front of him. He was told by Lord Moats that he had been asleep for nearly a month after the first dose, a week after, the second, and then a day. It was supposed to be his final powerful dose, but he wasn¡¯t sure that he could finish it.


    Amindra sat patiently next to him. Her face gave away almost nothing. Alaric had to admit that she was extremely beautiful for a maid. She had long, black hair and deep blue eyes. She had high cheekbones that framed her face perfectly. She was slim, but she had curves that gave her body a fair amount of contrast.


    Despite Amindra¡¯s physical beauty, her voice was like nothing that Alaric had ever heard. It was almost as if she was singing with every word the most beautiful song that he had ever heard. It was alluring just hearing her talk normally.


    Alaric knew that he was betrothed to the Princess, but Amindra was nearly tempting enough for him to attempt pursuing her. She bore no confidence though. She could have taken the heart of nearly any one of the nobles, but she acted as if she was worth nothing. Alaric tried to be kind to the poor girl in hopes that over time, she would grow into a stronger woman.


    Amindra spoke softly, her voice like a melody,¡±You need to drink it, Alaric. It is part of becoming a Dragon Knight. The great dragon said that you had to do this. It was a prophecy!¡±


    Alaric shuddered at the word. ¡°The dragon does not control me, nor does the king, and nor do you. I am my own man.¡± He hated that he had been forced into the role of royal. He mostly hated feeling so out of control.


    Amindra frowned beautifully. ¡°You are strong-willed Lord Alaric, but no one can resist the will of Lady Fate. You truly have no choice in the matter.¡±


    ¡°Amindra, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at you that way. The world just seems to be moving so fast, and I can¡¯t seem to keep up.¡± Alaric stared into the bowl before pulling it up to his lips.


    Amindra placed her hand on Alaric¡¯s shoulder as he choked down the vile substance. ¡°You¡¯re going to be an amazing king. Princess Lilia is a very lucky woman indeed!¡± Amindra¡¯s smile made him shift. He had to look away to avoid getting lost in her face.


    Once he finished draining the bowl, his eyes started to grow heavy. ¡°I think that I am going to rest now, Amindra. I appreciate your help.¡±


    Amindra smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you in a few hours. Lord Darren said that this time, you should only sleep for a few hours at most!¡± She stood and turned gracefully before exiting the room.


    Alaric watched her every move intently. He was gone before she made it out of the room.


    Suddenly light flooded into the room. Alaric covered his eyes to block it.


    ¡°Get up. Quit being lazy!¡± Lilia¡¯s voice came sternly. Her hair was brown and her eyes were light blue, almost the color of cold steel. She was built much like Amindra, so much so that they could have nearly been sisters. She held herself with air of confidence that Amindra lacked. Alaric thought that it had to come from being a princess.


    Alaric threw his blanket off and climbed to his feet. ¡°What purpose does this serve? Why torture me?¡± He wished that it had been Amindra that had woken him. She was much gentler and sweeter.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Would you rather be woken by the servant girl? Am I not pretty enough? Or would you rather me sing to you like she does?¡± The Princess stood with a hand on her hip. The look in her eye dared him to speak, but he knew better than to admit that she was even close to right.


    Alaric just grunted in reply. He refused to give her the satisfaction. ¡°What do you want, girl?¡± he asked sharply.


    Lilia pursed her lips. ¡°It time to train. You haven¡¯t had the opportunity yet. I¡¯ll be in charge of making you catch up to the rest of the Initiates.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You probably aren¡¯t much of a teacher anyway. You have no patience.¡± Alaric smiled daringly at his wife-to-be.


    She dropped her arms to her side and frowned. ¡°Alaric, I will not marry someone so weak and arrogant. Could you at least try not to be such a fool?¡±


    Alaric straightened. ¡°Could you get some food? I need to get dressed without you in the room with me.¡±


    Lilia flashed a devilish smile and sat down in the chair that Amindra always sits in. She waved her hand toward a tray near the edge of Alaric¡¯s bed that had some sort of stew and bread on it.


    Alaric sighed. Lilia was very forward, but she had never been so bold. ¡°We aren¡¯t married yet, Lilia. You should go.¡±


    Lilia shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, my love. I¡¯ve seen everything already. Who do you think cares for you while you sleep? It is not Amindra¡¯s place, as your wife-to-be, it is my duty.¡±


    Alaric frowned at Lilia. Things were different in the capital. Much more different than he thought that he could ever get used to. ¡°That isn¡¯t the way that we do things in Baerlon. It isn¡¯t right and you know it.¡±


    Lilia stuck out her bottom lip as if to pout. She stood and pressed her lips and body against Alaric¡¯s. Her warm body felt good pressed against his, but he pushed her away. ¡°Lilia, I barely know you. This is not how any courtship should be.¡±


    Lilia blew out in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re impossible. What do you even want from me? I can¡¯t fathom how you and I could ever fall in love.¡±


    Alaric chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s almost cute to see you so frustrated, now go. I¡¯ll be out quickly.¡± He gently nudged the girl toward the door.


    She turned her head to meet his eyes and smiled. She gave him a parting peck before leaving the room.


    Alaric shook his head. He didn¡¯t understand women, but the Princess made even less sense than a normal woman. She was hot then cold, happy then angry, seductive then repulsive. She loved him and hated him but also wanted him and wanted nothing to do with him.


    Alaric dressed slowly. The outfit had been picked out for him, most likely by Lilia. It was nice. His trousers were blue and his shirt was grey. They weren¡¯t his first choice, but he wanted to do something nice for Lilia while he could, even if she was hard to deal with.


    Once he was done, he sat at the edge of the bed. He grabbed a slice of bread off of the tray and dipped it in the stew.


    A sharp knock came from the door. ¡°Come in, Lilia,¡± Alaric said.


    He met the beautiful princess with a warm smile. She eyed him wearily but returned a gentle smile. Alaric realized suddenly that he enjoyed making her guess where she stood with him.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Alaric stood and extended his arms. ¡°What do you think, Lilia?¡±


    She frowned at him. ¡°You look like a fool. Did you really pick that for yourself?¡±


    Alaric looked at the clothes. They were nice and paired well together, Amindra must have picked the clothes then if it wasn¡¯t Lilia. ¡°What would you rather I wear then, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Throw on your leathers. We¡¯re training, not going for a casual stroll through the flowers.¡± Lilia stode over to a chest of drawers and pulled out a leather outfit that had been fitted for him for training as an Initiate.


    Alaric caught the clothing dropped it on the edge of the bed. He stared at Lilia while he peeled off his clothes and slid into the leathers.


    Her face turned red, and she looked away once she realized what he was doing. It turned out that she wasn¡¯t as bold as she pretended to be.


    Alaric had to try not to laugh. He changed slowly to savor extended her discomfort. With her, romance seemed to be nearly a game. They hadn¡¯t really been able to spend any extended amount of time together because of the concoction that he had to drink. He shuddered at the thought of taking in any more of the drink.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready now, Princess. Let¡¯s get to work. It¡¯ll be good to finally stretch my legs.¡± Alaric started toward the door.


    He had only taken a couple of steps and suddenly, Lilia was standing in front of him. He nearly staggered back. He had no idea how she moved so quickly, but she was blocking his path.


    Her eyes were daring. It seemed that she had recovered from him changing in front of her. ¡°You play a lot of games, but I will figure you out. You should know though that I will make sure that you survive your training. You will be mine and I yours, whether you like it or not.¡±


    Alaric cocked his head to the side. ¡°You have more to learn about this world than you know. I¡¯ll not accept anything that the dragon said except the things that I decided. You¡¯ll be my wife, if I decide that¡¯s the case.¡± He pushed her gently to the side and then walked out of his room.


    ¡°Do you even know where you¡¯re going, Alaric?¡± She shot from behind him.


    He looked back over his shoulder at the red-faced girl. ¡°Not at all, but with how fast you are, I assumed that you would take the lead no matter what.¡±


    Lilia glared. ¡°Follow me then.¡± She moved quickly, but slower still than before.


    Alaric nearly had to run to keep up with the girl, but they didn¡¯t travel far.


    Alaric was fairly certain that they headed south. It was hard to be certain of the direction in the evening without being able to see the sun past the walls.


    ¡°Why are we training so late? Everyone else must be preparing for bed,¡± Alaric said as he caught up to Lilia.


    Lilia didn¡¯t bother a reply. She waved toward the opening that they had almost reached.


    The training ground was an open field of green grass within the high walls of the castle. It seemed that none of the Initiates in the castle were preparing for bed.


    The dozens of men and women in the field stood still and silent. They stared expectantly toward the entry way that Alaric and Lilia came through.


    The eldest stepped forward. She carried herself with authority. Alaric knew instantly that she was the Dragon Knight in charge.


    Her eyes were as dark as her long, jet-black hair. She was the thinnest person that he had ever laid eyes on. She wore a black suit that was nearly skin tight with a sword at her waist.


    The Dragon Knight eyed Alaric carefully. It felt odd being studied so intently. Alaric wanted to step behind Lilia and let her soak in the spiteful gaze.


    Her voice was indifferent but still somehow soothing. Alaric had heard tales from his father of venomous beings that appeared in the shape of a woman, but turned later into horrific men-devouring monstrosities.


    Alaric pushed the thought away. She may have looked like a being from his father¡¯s stories, but she was a Dragon Knight. That meant that she was of noble blood and not a literal monster.


    ¡°Lord Alaric, I welcome you to our training grounds. This is where you will spend much of your time for the next several years. It is time to show you what it means to be a Dragon Knight though.¡± As she finished, a large blob of an initiate waddled out of the crowd with Alaric¡¯s sword. He looked much like Darren, the two had to be related in some way.


    Alaric had been so occupied with the potion and his new roles and rules that he had forgotten about his father¡¯s parting gift. Alaric braced to take the massive sword expecting the weight.


    He nearly jumped when the sword fell into his hands. Alaric knew that he was one of the strongest men in his hometown. He had always been larger than most and working steel had helped him grow strong. Despite that, his sword had always been heavy in his hands, but the sword in his hands felt as if it weighed nearly nothing.


    The Dragon Knight spoke in response to his surprise,¡±It is the potion that you drank, Lord Alaric. It makes us stronger and faster. There are different levels of effect though. We shall now see how strong and fast you are.¡±


    As she finished speaking, she drew her thin falchion. Alaric could feel immediately that she was slow and strong despite her appearance and thin blade.


    Alaric suddenly felt a rush of excitement. Alaric¡¯s eyes widened with fear and bloodlust as he lost control of his body.


    He could feel every muscle fiber move individually as he flipped the great sword¡¯s pommel into his hand. Once he had a firm grip on his sword, his body launched forward like a wolf leaping at the throat of a bull.


    The Dragon Knight sidestepped and partied carefully. Her face was calm and collected, but Alaric could smell her fear.


    A smile crawled across his lips that felt more like a snarl. He pounced again, but he watched her more closely. When she stepped to move and parry, he twisted in the air and flicked her sword away. From there, he spun and stopped with his sword at her throat.


    She pushed the sword gently away. ¡°You are faster and stronger than any other initiate. I¡¯m impressed. Let me attack you know, and we¡¯ll see how well you fare.¡± Her voice was calm and steady. Alaric was unsure of how she could act so calmly. He could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.


    Alaric stood up straight and nodded. His body was relaxed, and he felt no concern or nervousness facing her.


    The woman reached down to pick her sword up off of the ground. From her crouched position, she dashed toward Alaric.


    Her movements were fluid but slow. Alaric didn¡¯t feel the need to avoid her strike. He instead reached out and caught the blade between his fingers. The rest of the woman crashed into Alaric, but she wasn¡¯t heavy enough to shift his balance.


    The woman leapt to her feet. She showed no sign of angry or frustration or fear, but she reeked of all three.


    ¡°Very good. I think the other Dragon Knights will like to come and fight against you. There is little question as to why you are here.¡± The woman straightened herself and turned to the other Initiates.


    Alaric frowned. He could feel his body loosening. His whole body began to tingle. He glanced at Lilia from the corner of his eye.


    The beautiful girl eyed him warily. Alaric knew after facing the Dragon Knight, that he was stronger and faster than anything that they had ever seen.


    ¡°...now let''s get to work training.¡± Alaric heard the Dragon Knight shout at the Initiates. He realized that he hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the woman.


    She faced him. ¡°Lord Alaric, my name is Erika Abigor. I am Lord Domayne Abigor¡¯s eldest child. It is a great pleasure to meet and train next to the next King.¡± She bowed deeply.


    Alaric could see the resemblance between the venomous High Lord and his daughter. She seemed to be much more honorable and sensible than her father was. Alaric returned the bow. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. I met your father when I first arrived. I have much to learn from you. I¡¯m excited to train.¡± He felt that his response was formal enough.


    The woman smiled and nodded in approval. ¡°You¡¯ll be training with me today. The other Initiates wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with your abilities. You need to learn technique.¡±


    Alaric nodded. He had little clue how to effectively wield his weapon despite his success. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work then.¡±


    Alaric glanced around to look for Lilia. She was sparring with the hulking blob that was Darren¡¯s son. They both paused to glance at him occasionally. Alaric would have time to chat with them after, he hoped.


    He turned his focus to Lady Erika. ¡°No one has actually explained to me anything yet. My time here has been a painful blur. Why do the nobles become Dragon Knights and what was that liquid that I was forced to drink?¡±


    The Dragon Knight smiled. ¡°It is not my place to teach those things. That will be another Knight¡¯s duty. Mine is to teach you technique with the sword. My teaching is less important for a king though, especially one such as you. Ready yourself, Lord Alaric.¡±

 The Dark

    Alaric''s body ached with every motion. Over the past several days, he had been pushed harder and harder by each of the Dragon Knights that came to train the Initiates. It felt to Alaric as if they had begun to make a game out of it.


    He had trouble keeping straight the names of the Initiates and could barely imagine keeping straight the names of the Dragon Knights that tormented him.


    This day, the Knight in charge of training was something special. His name was Orik Intgarsson. He was the son of the High Lord Intgarsson.


    The Dragon Knight seemed to be perfect in every way. He had cropped, blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He was tall and muscular, but not quite as tall as Alaric. Every girl in the castle knew of his kindness and gallantry.


    Alaric thought the man seemed nice enough, but most of the other young men thought that the attention that he had received went to his head. It was hard to believe that the man had any real flaws though.


    "Alaric, come to me." The handsome man commanded. His voice was not stern, but it carried authority.


    Alaric obeyed without a second thought. He had been talking Owayn, the son of Lord Moats. They had been waiting for the Dragon Knight to arrive.


    The Dragon Knight looked concerned as he watched the other Initiates. "Initiates, get to sparring! You shouldn''t need a chaperone every moment of the day!" he shouted.


    Alaric was taken aback by the sudden venom in the man''s voice.


    The Dragon Knight''s face softened as his eyes shifted to Alaric. "I''m sorry about that, Alaric. I was trying to prevent any curious Initiates from eavesdropping." The perfect man said queitly.


    Alaric frowned. He wasn''t sure what the man wanted. "Why do we need to keep secrets from the other Initiates?"


    The blonde man shook his head. "It is less a secret than I have made it seem. There is an expedition that the Initiates will be taken out on in a few days. I have spoken with the other Knights that have seen you in action, and I feel that you should be appointed to lead the group. You will of course be working under me, but you would be my second in command."


    Alaric was stunned. He didn''t even know this man. He wasn''t sure that he was ready or able to lead the other Initiates. They had all been bred and raised to be leaders, and he was raised to be a smith. "I.. I.. can do that. I''ll follow your lead though."


    Orik nodded. "Of course. I know that this is a lot to ask of you, but you are going to need to learn to lead. You are to be the next king after all. Along with that, your skills are beyond that of even any of the Dragon Knights. The other Initiates know that and look up to you for it."


    Alaric''s frown deepend. "I appreciate your concern. What is it that you would have me do tonight then?" Alaric was beginning to be excited each day for training against the Dragon Knights. Each of the Knights challenged him rather than let him train against the other Initiates.


    The Dragon Knight furrowed his brow. The handsome man''s concern made Alaric uneasy. "I would like to challenge you, but there is little point in sparring from what I''ve seen from you. There are other things that you need to learn. Patience will be your lesson today."


    Alaric clenched his jaw as he turned to stare out over the other Initiates that were already in small groups, sparring. Patience was one of his weaknesses. He knew it. He wouldn''t admit that out loud.


    The Dragon Knight might not mind such a confession from an Initiate, but Alaric would not express his flaws aloud. Lilia had emphasized that it was improper for a king to do so, but he wasn''t all that comfortable with it in the first place. He was slowly beginning to appreciate the time that the stubborn girl spent teaching him the ins and outs of nobility.


    "Alaric, follow me. I need your full focus," Orik said firmly. It was strange to Alaric that the man could command with such an air of authority without any anger or condescension.


    Alaric nodded and followed the man out of the training grounds. The Knight led toward the library. The man that ran the library had a strange name that Alaric could never seem to remember. The old man was smarter than anyone that Alaric had ever met.


    The pair of men stopped just before they reached the library and turned down another hallway. The hall way short and ended with a heavy, steel door.


    Orik drew a key from his belt that fit perfectly in the door''s small keyhole. He pushed it open, but did not enter. Instead, he turned and motioned for Alaric to enter the room first.


    The room was pitch black except for the light that came in through the open door. Alaric could see nothing in the room at all. There were no beds nor chairs nor doors in the room. Alaric walked forward to give Orik room to enter, but as he walked, he heard the door slam behind him. The lock clicked immediately after.


    Alaric didn''t move. He held his breath in the darkness. He listened for any sound that might tell him if Orik was in the room with him. There was nothing.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Slowly, Alaric raised his arms and walked back to the door. He felt around the walls feeling for any spot that he might be able to grasp on the door, but the door was gone. Alaric suddenly felt nauseous. His breath was growing shorter and shorter.


    He wanted to scream, but he was having too much trouble breathing. The room was a new level of darkness. He had been out in pitch black night many times as a youth, but this was more. He placed his hand over his eyes, touching his face gently. He couldn''t see his fingers even with them touching his nose and brow.


    Alaric fought his body and took a deep and heavy breath. He made his way carefully to what must have been close to the center of the room and sat down. He fought with everymovement to reach the spot. His body trembled, but he tried to maintain stillness in the silence.


    He wasn''t sure what Orik was trying to prove with locking him in the room. Alaric hated patience.


    His heavy berathing echoed in the room. Alaric was unsure of how large the room actually was. It felt small, but the echo made it seem large.


    Alaric focused his mind of the cold feeling of the stone against his legs and the sound of his breathing. He felt his heart slow over time to a regular rhythm.


    Time felt warped. After awhile of sitting, he began to feel unsure about how long he had actually been sitting in that same spot. His back was starting to ache from sitting on the stone floor though, so he assumed that he had been there for awhile.


    Alaric''s pain got to the point that he felt that he needed to at least stand to allow his back to rest. He wandered slowly back to one of the four walls and began to feel his way around.


    The wall gave little to no room between the stones for his fingers. There was no slits in the stones that helped him find the doorway.


    Alaric felt trapped and had to stop his increasingly frantic search for an exit so that he could catch his breath again. The dark was unnerving, but he was at least fairly sure that he was safe.


    After sitting for what felt like a full day, his eyelids were heavy. He wanted to rest, but the room was growing slowly colder. He laid for a time and tried to rest. The cold seemed to creep up through the stony ground. His clothes offered very little comfort and warmth against it.


    Alaric had given up hopes of finding a way out after nearly a dozen attempts to find anything that could help him leave. He was at the mercy of Orik or whoever else Oriksent to release him.


    A loud click broke the silence that made Alaric jump to his feet. The door opened slightly, letting a soft light enter the room.


    Alaric had to cover his eyes despite the weakness of the light. It felt blinding. The door was pushed open little by little. Alaric wanted to pull the door open and run out, but that would have defeated the purpose of the entire exercise.


    It was Amindra that was slowly opening the door. She was the softspoken and very beautiful maid that was assigned to take care of Alaric''s every need.


    "L- lord Alaric, are you well?" the timid girl asked softly. Her voice was a song carried by the voice of Lady Fate herself.


    Alaric stumbled toward the door at the sound of his maid''s voice. "Yes, I''m here, Amindra. Thank you for coming to retreive me. How long was I in here?" He asked as his fingers curled around the doorway.


    "I- I''m glad that you''re safe," the girl sang.


    Alaric pulled the doorway open to face the girl, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Amindra? Where did you go, girl?" Alaric snapped. He was unsure of how she had made it out of the hallway so quickly and quietly.


    There was no reply, but Alaric heard instead the click of the library door shutting. Alaric sighed and followed his ears.


    The doors to the library were locked. Alaric swore that it was the library door that he had heard shut. He caught a glimpse of Amindra in theedge of his eye as she slipped around a corner back toward the training grounds.


    He wasn''t sure how she had moved all that way without catching his attention, but he shrugged it off. She was an odd girl after all. He would wake up to her coming into his room at times in the morning before he thought was appropriate. She was always extremely loyal and kind to him though, so he appreciated her company.


    Alaric strode down the hallway quickly. Something was beginning to feel off. He couldn''t place his finger on what it was, but he quickened his pace.


    Alaric rounded the corner when he was tackled by Amindra from the side. They pair toppled over onto the ground. Somehow he ended up flat on his back with her sitting on top of him.


    The beautiful girl stared down at Alaric with her hands on his chest. Her hips were placed firmly against his. He was frozen. He wanted both to push her off and pull her in, but he was too conflicted to really be able to pick a movement.


    "Alaric... I- I love you," she whispered sweetly as she leaned in to kiss him.


    Alaric squirmed under the assault of her tongue, but he really didn''t want to fight it. Something about it all felt off though. Her wet tongue pushed past his lips into his mouth. She tasted rotten.


    Alaric''s eyes widened as the girl''s eyes turned from blue to purple. He tried to push her away but her grip was too tight. She pushed further and further into his mouth until he started gagging.


    Her body grew warmer with each motion. Alaric gripped and pushed to get her off of him, but her body began to soften and his pushes dipped further into her body.


    Her face grew warmer and warmer until she began to melt before his eyes. Her enitre body slowly engulfed his. Her face seeped down covering his. He tried to pull her face off of his, but she wouldn''t budge.


    He realized that he was going to die underneath the girl. Once their faces touched, he could no longer breathe. He struggled for breath to no avail. Alaric felt his life slipping as he drifted away.


    Cold water poured into Alaric''s nose and mouth. He rolled to his side.


    Blinding light poured into the room.


    He was on the cold, stone floor.


    Alaric flailed wildly trying to strike the source of the water and protect himself.


    Someone caught his wrists firmly. "Calm, Alaric!" commanded a familiar voice.


    Alaric no longer trusted his ears and kept pulling and pushing against the firm grasp. "Let go," Alaric growled.


    He wrenched his wrists free and leapt to his feet. He could barely make out the figures that stood between him and the doorway, but he knew that he could make it past them easily. He planned to.


    Alaric dove for the door. The figures didn''t attempt to stop him though. He ran with all of his strength away from the hall. He didn''t slow to look back.


    He ran all the way to the training grounds. He only slowed when he caught a glimpse of Lilia. The Princess was standing idly talking with some other Initiates. Alaric grabbed the girl tightly around the waist and held her close.


    She froze in his tight grip. He had never showed any form of affection like this before. As he held her, she relaxed and even ran one hand through his hair. "I''m here, ''Ric. It''s ok." she whispered to him softly.

 Rivalry

    Alaric refused to release his betrothed. Orik, Vayne, and another Initiate appeared from the hall that Alaric ran from.


    Orik wore a concerned look as he searched the crowd of Initiates looking for Alaric. His face relaxed once he saw the sopping wet Alaric gripping Lilia.


    Vayne and the other Initiate wore sadistic smiles. They seemed to enjoy Alaric''s reaction in all of the wrong ways.


    "What happened, ''Ric? Where have you been?" Lilia asked. She stared at Alaric with more concern than he had ever seen from her.


    Alaric shuddered. He wasn''t sure if it was because of the cold or the thought of the horrifying thing that he had just experienced. He wanted to tell her about some of the thing, but he knew that he couldn''t. She wouldn''t understand.


    Orik dismissed the group of Initiates for the night and urged them to return to their rooms quickly.


    Alaric held onto Lilia and turned to leave. A hand caught his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He looked back to see Orik.


    "We need to talk about what happened while you were in there, Alaric," Orik said sternly. His blue eyes looked less concerned at this point, but that made Alaric more concerned.


    Alaric nodded but didn''t let go of Lilia. She didn''t look to have any interest in leaving Alaric''s side as it was.


    Orik didn''t seem to notice the Princess as she clung to Alaric. He waited instead for the last of the Initiates to wander out of earshot. Once, he was sure that they were alone, he spoke,"What happened while you were in there, Alaric?"


    Alaric shrugged. He didn''t want to share all of the details in front of Lilia. He knew she wouldn''t like it.


    She frowned. "It''s ok ''Ric. The things that happen in there are out of our control... I understand what you went through. We all do." She then reached up and touched his face.


    Alaric shook his head. Orik remained silent. He stared expectantly at Alaric.


    Lilia began to shake. "R- r- ric, its.. okay... I- i''ll tell you.. about.. what happened while I.. was.. in there," her voice shook more than her body. Tears ran down her cheeks at the thought of sharing what she had experienced.


    Alaric frowned. He didn''t like seeing his beautiful bride to be in such a sad state. He knew that whatever she had seen, it broke her spirit just as much. "Don''t. There is no need. I''ll tell you both."


    Orik nodded silently as Alaric recounted his experience. Lilia gripped Alaric tightly, he felt her pull herself closer as he talked about Amindra''s kiss.


    Once Alaric finished recounting the experience, Orik spoke,"I hate that room, if I''m being honest. Each Initiate must enter the room at some point. It becomes dangerous, if you enter knowing what is going to happen to you in there."


    Lilia shook her head. Alaric realized that he was the only one that hadn''t seen the event coming. "What is the purpose of that room and forcing us in there?"


    "You know what happens when you stay in the room your first time. No one comes out the second time that they enter the room," Orik said with an edge.


    Alaric realized the purpose suddenly. Fear. An Initiate was taken into the room in order to scare them into obedience. "When was the last time that an Initiate was actually put in there again?"


    Orik shrugged. "Not ever as far as I know. Lilia''s elder sister, Priness Iris, is the last to disappear in the room that we know of. No one knows why she disappeared the first time that she entered the room."


    Alaric looked at the woman clinging to his arm. He held her a little bit closer. "I can see why no one strays far enough to warrant a second time in the room."


    "Quite. Now be off. Don''t share the things that you saw with anyone else. Loose lips get other killed when that room is involved." Orik turned without waiting for another word and left.


    Alaric watched the man leave before looking down at his wife to be. "Are you ok, Lilia? I''m sorry about your sister."


    Lilia nodded but remained silent. He realized why she had been so concerned about him. That room truly scared her, much more than it did him.


    Alaric slowly guided the girl to her room. Two guards stood at her door as always. They would only let in those that had permission from the princess or the king to enter.


    Lilia walked slowly into the room. She stopped to face Alaric just before she slipped from view. "A- Alaric, please come in. For while." Her eyes were sad.


    Alaric wanted to comfort the girl. It made his heart hurt to see her in such pain. He nodded and followed the girl into her room.


    Alaric was surprised by the room. His room was nicer than any that he had seen before, but her room was even more. He expected it to be ornate. This was beyond what he had imagined.


    Her bed was at least twice the size of his. It looked to be large enough to hold half a dozen people comfortably. The bed sat on a white platform decorated with white ivy carved into the wood that sprawled around the bed.


    The walls were white with black stars. Every other piece of furniture in the room bore the same ivy pattern. Every piece was colored black, white, or gold. A heavy, white chair sat in the corner. The cloth was black with gold leafing.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Alarichelped Lilia into her bed. He made his was over to the chair and sat. Lilia watched his every movement.


    Alaric met the brown-haire girl''s eyes. "I want to love you," she whispered.


    Alaric felt a smile reach for his lips, but he didn''t let it show. "I want to love you too, Lilia. I think it will come with time though."


    Tears began to stream down Lilia''s cheeks. She turned her head quickly but not before Alaric saw the tears. He moved over to her bed and sat next to her. He was unsure of how he could best help her, so he just placed his hand on her shoulder.


    She pulled away from his hand, but then wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him gently down next to her and held his face next to hers. She touched her forehead to his and closed her eyes.


    Alaric enjoyed the feeling of having Lilia close to him. It made him think for a moment about the Hunter that he had spent so much time with. He missed her, but the Princess was just as appealing to him. Maybe more even.


    Alaric pressed his lips against the woman''s forehead for a moment and placed his head back against hers. "Do you want me to stay here with you tonight?" he asked gently.


    Lilia sighed and shook her head. "You cannot. It isn''t right. Despite how badly, I want you to stay."


    "It is ok, Lilia. I want to stay awhile longer at least," Alaric said softly. He rolled onto his back and gently pulled Lilia to his chest. She moved willingly and laid her head on his chest.


    Alaric didn''t need her approval or disproval. He just needed her close.


    After a few minutes of silence, Lilia was fast asleep. Alaric was growing tired. If he was going to leave, then he needed to soon.


    Alaricslid the woman off of his chest gently. He rose quietly and crept out of the room. The guards didn''t acknowledge Alaric as he left.


    Alaric wound his way down the halls of the castle. The route to his room was becoming second nature, but the walk made Alaric uneasy this time. It was dark, and he felt alone.


    He felt like the shadows were beginning to shift more and more as he got closer to his room.


    Alaric closed his door quickly behind him. He sighed deeply once he felt safe in his space. He took a few steps toward his bed when he heard a step behind him.


    Alaric spun around as fast as he could. His heart was racing.


    Amindra threw her arms up defensively. "I''m sorry. Please don''t hurt me!" She cried in her sing-song voice.


    Alaric lowered his arms once he realized that it was just Amindra. Seeing the girl made him uncomfortable after what happened to him in the room. "Why are you in here?" Alaric asked challengingly.


    Amindra began to cry. Between sobs, she answered. "I''m so sorry. I had heard that something happened to you. I came in to check on you, because I was worried. I was looking for you, when you came in, so I hid. Please don''t hurt me!"


    The girl collapsed on the floor, once she finished speaking. Her body shook as she cried.


    Alaric took a deep breath. He was growing tired of all of the emotion. "I''m fine Amindra. Please calm down. You just scared me is all." He reached down and helped the beautiful girl to her feet.


    She draped herself dramatically over Alaric and sobbed. Alaric thought it strange that the girl was so attached to him. The two barely knew each other.


    Alaric let the girl calm herself before pushing away gently. "You should go, Amindra. You need to go rest, as do I."


    The girl was still whimpering slightly. "C- can I stay with you tonight?''''


    Alaric shook his head. "No. You need to go to your quarters. It would look wrong if you were found in here with me."


    She nodded in agreement and stepped out slowly. "I''m still sorry."


    Alaric eyed his now empty room carefully. He wanted to relax, but he couldn''t. Too much had happened. He hadn''t really slept soundly in awhile. He wasn unsure if this was even really his room. He was unsure if he was even alone in the room.


    He sat on the ground with his back against the door. He gripped his knees and began to breathe heavily. He was losing control. He left home in search of adventure, and instead, he found horror. Sweat began to bead on his brow.


    The night was long. Alaric was becoming too used to that though. He often slept little and the sleep that he did get was filled with nightmares.


    Timid tapping on the door woke Alaric. Alaric pushed himself up off of the cold ground. He realized that he had fallen asleep right in front of the door.


    "A- Alaric, are you ok in there?" Amindra''s voice came from the other side of the door.


    Alaric sighed deeply. At first he had enjoyed the devotion that Amindra put in to serving him, but he was growing tired of her following him around like a lost dog all of the time.


    "I''m ok Amindra. You can come in now," Alaric rose to his feet and pulled the door open.


    The beautiful girl eyed Alaric wearily. Nonethless, she entered the room quickly. "A- Alaric... are you ok? You look exhausted..."


    Alaric nodded slowly. He fofrced himself to pull eyes away from the girl. Despite her beauty, she had little personality. She bored Alaric. She fit every description of the perfect woman, but she had no fire.


    "What do you need, Amindra?" Alaric asked flatly.


    The girl frowned. He hadn''t been flat with her in such a way before. "I was just worried about you. I didn''t mean to disturb you though. I- I can go."


    Alaric felt bad. She had come because she was worried about him, and he was only thinking of himself. "I''m sorry Amindra. You just caught me off guard. How did you sleep?"


    Amindra''s eyes lit up at the kindness. "I slept well. I would think better than you." She giggled.


    Alaric could feel his cheeks beginnning to burn. "I had a hard night. I''m fine though. No need to worry," he said with a wave.


    "Do you love Priness Lilia?" Amindra sang quietly. Her eyes looked sad again.


    Alaric frowned. He thought it strange that she would ask him such a question. He barely knew the girl. Love was out of the question, at leastfor the moment. Alaric heard afamiliar voicebehind him,"You can have them both, boy."


    Alaric spun around quickly, but there was no one behind him. He remembered suddenly the being that he met in Lucenne. The hairs on his neck stood up as he heard the gravely voice chuckle. The being was npwhere to be seen, yet Alaric could hear him.


    "A- Alaric, are you ok?" Amindra asked. Alaric could hear the fear in her voice. He didn''t mean to scare her, but he was just as afraid.


    Alaric tried to shake off the unease that he felt at the sound of the being''s voice. "I''m alright, Amindra. It was nothing. I just thought that I heard something."


    Amindra glanced anxiously around the room. Alaric was fairly sure that she hadn''t heard the voice. "O- ok... I have to do some chores. I- I''m glad that you''re well Lord Alaric," Amindra stuttered as she slipped out of the room.


    Alaric watched the girl flee from his presence. She paused in the doorway and met Alaric''s eye. "Alaric, I.. care about you." She was gone before Alaric could even think about what had just happened.


    The eerie laugh came again from behind Alaric. Again, there was no source to the voice. "Young Lord, it would seem that you have too many lovers. Can you hide them from each other?"


    Alaric''s stomach sank. He hated women. They just made life more complicated than it needed to be.


    He was to marry Lilia. End of story. There was no hope for a relationship with Amindra, and he desired no relationship with her.


    "Alaric, aren''t you going to reply? They both want you. We can make them both yours, if we are careful." The disembodied voice whispered.


    Alaric hated that he was even considering the words. "No. It is not right. I want none of it."


    "We shall see. Amindra is more than she appears. You''ll soon learn that."

 Bloodlust

    Edwin stared down at his mask intently. He found that most of his free time was either spent with Shyra or examining this strange porcelin piece. It had become nearly an obsession. He often found that he was lose himself in the mask at the most inconvenient times,


    He was confident that he knew every imperfection in the mask better than he even knew himself at this point. Between his dagger and mask, his tools were consuming him. Edwin could feel it, but it was hard for him to care.


    His glance occasionally darted over to the black dagger that sat next to him on the small bench in his modest room. He keep it in arms reach at all times.


    His tools helped him deliver justice. It had become his purpose. His thoughts were consumed by fantasies of striking down the monsters that lived among mankind. The world was too corrupt for any government to correct, but he was not bound by their forced mercy.


    A warm voice broke Edwin''s silent concentration. "Edwin, a new assignment is given. We are going to Hewe."


    Edwin looked up to see his lover. He smiled softly. "When do we leave Shyra?" He had no need to prepare. He was expecting new order from Tilrer.


    She chuckled. "I am as ready as you are."


    Edwin appreciated that she was as driven in their field of work as he was. She likely was prepared to leave long before he was.


    Edwin rose to his feet. He stood at least a head taller than Shyra and was twice as thick. His body engulfed the beautiful when they embraced.


    "Let us be off then, Shyra," Edwin said as he grabbed his knife off of the bench and slid his mask over his face.


    Shyra led the way out of the room gracefully. At times, Edwin thought that she acted more like a man than even he had. This moment highlighted in his mind that she was indeed a woman, despite everything else.


    He realized that he was smiling at the woman as she walked. It was strange to him to be falling in love with someone in such a dark place.


    He had to quicken his step to keep up with his Seeker. He knew the way to the Travel Gate, but he did not want to lose sight of her swaying walk.


    The halls were all empty. Tilrer was not one that cared much about decorating. It seemed that the other Masked were all gone as well. It wasn''t unusual for the halls to be empty, but it occasionally left Edwin with a feeling that he was being watched by something unseen.


    Edwin caught up to his Seeker in the gateroom. She was standing patiently on the stone slabs with he arms crossed. She beckoned for him to come to her silently.


    The symbols began to glow as he stepped onto the platfrom. That familiar cold feeling crept over Edwin''s body as he closed his eyes.


    After a few seconds, Edwin opened his eyes to rolling, grassy hills. Edwin felt a pang of sadness as he looked over the familiar landscape. He had spent a large amount of time south of Ilian as a young soldier. He had always wanted to one day settle in one of the small towns outside of Lucenne, but he knew that dream was not likely anymore.


    Shyra had learned of his love of the area during one of their late night talks. She grabbed his hand lightly and tugged for him to once again follow her.


    Edwin knew exactly where he was headed. Hewe was the only town in the territory south of Ilian that he despised. The place smelt of fish and rot. The people were strange and cruel. Edwin knew that it had only been a matter of time before he was sent to the town to deal with one of their many problems.


    He quickened his pace and took the lead from his Seeker. He knew that she was his Seeker, but he knew where he was going this time.


    Shyra didn''t say anything, but she didn''t need to. Edwin knew that she was uncomfortable from how she squeezed his hand.


    They both stepped into the shadows together to quicken their travel. Edwin had been told over and over of the dangers of traveling this way, but he hadn''t once actually seen anything in the shadowed lands since he was attacked by the Amzani.


    Because of this, strange lands no longer made him feel uneasy. He wasn''t quite as comfortable there as he was in the real world but nearly.


    The world raced by nearly instantly as the pair of Masked walked to the shadowed Hewe. Shyra watched the shadows around them much more than Edwin. The white, rolling hills left little to hide.


    The Masked reach Hewe long before sunset. Edwin preferred to hunt in the night, but waiting all day was not an appealing concept.


    They both stepped out of the shadowed lands before they entered Hewe. They needed to strategize before beginning their hunt. It was more of a formality than a necessity at this point.


    Shyra initiated. "I hate Hewe, but here we are. In and out. This should be an easy job."


    Edwin nodded in agreement. "Lets just get this done. Lead me to the target and then I can drink his blood." The words felt unfamiliar as they slipped past his lips.


    Shyra tilted her head and stared at Edwin. "Are you feeling okay, my dear?"


    Edwin nodded his head. "I''m not honestly sure where that came from. Lets just get this done."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He turned and stepped into the shadows. He knew that she would follow regardless. He was suddenly very uneasy. Those words weren''t his own. He felt suddenly aware of his mask. It was eager for the kill. Much more eager to kill than to serve the purpose of justice.


    Shyra moved silently behind him. He was worried that she was disturbed by what he had said.


    She stepped ahead of him and went to work searching. She was drawn to the tracks of the target.


    Edwin sometimes felt as if using the Masks was almost cheating while hunting. It was always so unfair to their targets.


    Within minutes, Shyra had found the tracks. It was a couple by the looks of it. Their tracks led into the inn near the heart of the town.


    Edwin stepped into the bright inn. He followed the footprints slowly. This was his pleasure. He wanted to savor this kill.


    The footprints led into the basement of the inn. After stepping through the door at the bottom of the narrow staircase, he froze. There were many more sets of footprints suddenly. At least a dozen sets of footprints were in the room.


    Edwin gripped his black dagger and clenched his teeth. This wasn''t as going to be as simple a job as they had hoped.


    He stepped out of the shadows with his weapon at the ready. The foul stench of rotting flesh met his nostrils immediately. He nearly lost his stomach, but the room was full of people.


    As he appeared, the shrill shriek of a woman next to him rang his ears. WIth a quick swing of his dagger, the woman fell silent.


    Other screams followed the death of the woman. Nearly twenty people stared angrily at him. Each one with purple eyes. The madness. Edwin realized why he was there suddenly.


    Faster than the diseased beings could move, Edwin danced from person to person swinging his dagger.


    Very quickly, he was surrounded by foaming-mouthed men and woman. He swung as fast as he could. Blood covered his entire body by the time that the last body fell to the ground.


    Edwin lost his stomach at the sight of the carnage that he had left. The rotting smell had even grown significantly stronger as he pushed his way farther into the room.


    Shyra stepped out of the shadows carefully. Edwin could see her worry in her movements. She rushed to his side. "Are you hurt at all?" Her eyes and hands flitted accross his skin quickly and gently, searching for any trace of an injury.


    Edwin tilted his head sideways and looked at the woman. He was suddenly filled with a rush of immense joy. He started laughing, loud and hard.


    The laugh continued. Edwin tried to stop, but he couldn''t. It wasn''t him that was laughing, he suddenly realized. It was his mask.


    Shyra backed away slowly as she saw the pools of blood on the ground from the bodies. Each pool was growing and slowly creeping toward Edwin.


    Edwin watched in horror as the blood slowly crept to him and up his body into the mask. He want to scream and throw the mask of, but he couldn''t move.


    The laughter stopped as the last drop of blood disappeared into the mask. Edwin collapsed at the same time.


    Edwin woke to Shyra''s worried eyes. "Are you feeling well?"


    Edwin''s head was throbbing. His eyes throbbed and body ached. He felt as if he was going to get sick again. "Wh- what just happened?" he asked shakily. Breathing felt harder than it should have.


    "Bloodlust. It was your mask." Shyra said softly. "Do not worry. It will get better. Everyone that wears this mask deals with it."


    Edwin pushed himself up from the ground. The foul smell had only gotten stronger. Bodies were still scattered across the floor. Despite the carnage, there wasn''t a drop of blood in the room.


    "How did this happen, Shyra? They were all infected with the madness. We are much too far from the Blight for this." Edwin slowly walked around the room, looking for anything worth noting.


    Shyra followed Edwin closely, much like a mother watching a child take his first steps. "By the looks of it, they were organized. They were killing others and poisoning water supplies with infected body parts. I''ve never seen them so organized, but its likely that all of Hewe will soon be infected."


    Edwin smiled. He could feel his mask growing excited. He thought it strange that the mask seemed to have a mind of its own. He wanted to throw it away, but he knew that he couldn''t. It gave him more greater abilities than he had on his own.


    "We need to leave Shyra. Tilrer will want to know of this as soon as possible." Edwin stepped into the shadows and strode out of the room with Shyra on his heels.


    As the Masked stepped out of the inn, there was another pair of footprints that led out and away from the inn. Edwin shook his head. He had no choice but to follow the trail. It was not only his assignment, but it was the right thing to do. He needed to save the people of Hewe, if he could.


    Edwin followed the trail at a near run. The tracks were sporadic, they person was much too inconsistent to not be infected with the Madness.


    Edwin leapt out of the shadow as soon as he saw the tracks stop. Smoke filled his lungs and burned his eyes. Edwin realized suddenly what the madman was doing. The town was on fire.


    Edwin tackled the infected man to the ground. The infected was still holding a torch as they tumbled onto the ground. Edwin stabbed the creature over and over until it stopped moving.


    A child''s scream took Edwin''s attention from stabbing the lifeless body.


    He leapt again to his feet and ran into the burning house that the scream came from. The roof had fallen in already in the main room, but Edwin pushed through the smoke and flames toward a closed door in the back.


    He could feel his skin burning as he climbed around the fallen debris and tall flames. The door collapsed easily when he pressed his shoulder against it.


    The small bedroom was mostly untouched by the fire. Edwin scrambled over to the small, limp girl in the corner. She had to have had less than eight years. Edwin scooped her up before stepping into the shadows.


    The young girl remained motionless as Edwin carefully left the ruin that was her home. He stepped gently out of the shadows once he had made his way a safe distance from the burning homes.


    He set the girl gently down on a patch of grass. As Edwin watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest, a wave of relief ran over him.


    Edwin sat back on his heels and peered around the burning town, looking for Shyra. He saw her dark silhouette approaching slowly in the distance.


    Edwin looked back to the little girl. Her blonde hair and fair skin was untouched by the soot and smoke. Her round face wore a peaceful expression despite her circumstance.


    Shyra''s voice pierced the roar of a burning town. "You are a fool, Edwin. First a massacre and then risking your life to save a child. You are going to get yourself killed!"


    Edwin met his lover''s eyes and rose to his feet. He realized just then how much he had scared her. He walked to Shyra and wrapped her up in his arms. He felt her bodyloosen in his arms.


    Suddenly more screams broke though the night air. These screams were very different. They were the screams of more infected. Shyra pushed away from Edwin and stared with him into the burning homes and shops.


    Dark figures began running from amidst the buildings. Edwin felt the sweet and sickly rush of excitement as the creatures spotted the two Masked. "Shyra, take the girl and run. I need you two to stay safe."


    Shyra moved away silently. He knew that she would help the girl just as he did.


    Edwin could nearly taste the creatures'' blood as what seemed to be every person in the town ran toward him. His right hand stung as he gripped his dagger firmly. He was suddenly aware of his burns from climbing through the burning building.


    Even if he didn''t want to purge Hewe of its infected, Edwin was unsure if his mask would let him leave. Tonight the mask was going to feast on the blood of Infected.

 Warring Aishan

    Edwin had somehow managed to not collapse after his mask finished feasting this time. Hundreds of bodies were strewn across the town. It looked as if every person in Hewe had contracted the madness before, the Masked had entered the town.


    He stumbled past the mounds of dead flesh, looking for any form of survivor. He was exhausted, but there was no stopping until he had finished his purge.


    Movement caught his eye off to the left. He turned sharply to face the figure.


    Tilrer was casually striding toward him. The strange being seemed to not noticed the bodies littered across the ground.


    Edwin loosed his grip on his dagger and breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to see the Aishan. "Tilrer, it is good to see you. They were all infected with the madness..."


    The Aishan nodded his head slowly, finally acknowledging his assassin''s handywork. "I am aware, Edwin. I sent you here to assess the extent of the outbreak. Little did I know, the whole town was already infected. It really is quite a shame."


    No emotion showed in the Aishan''s face. Edwin doubted that the being truly cared about the people of Hewe.


    Tilrer seemed to read Edwin''s thought. "Do you doubt me, Edwin? I may send my Masked to kill, but only that which is an abomination before my eyes must be cleansed. We do not kill innocents."


    Edwin''s fell. He knew better than to doubt the Aishan. Edwin had never once been asked to kill someone that did not deserve justice. He simply distrusted the lack of emotion that Tilrer showed.


    "I apologize, Tilrer. Is this happening in more places than just Hewe then?" Edwin asked with a slight bow.


    The Aishan frowned. "I have others purging towns as we speak, just as you had to here. It would seem that there are other forces pulling on the strings of this world as we speak. That is why I''m here actually."


    Edwin straightened. He was unsure of where the conversation was going. "What do you mean?" He asked flatly.


    "There is more than you see occuring is all that I will say. I have a new assignment for you though. You and Shyra will be going to Ilian. There are dark things happening in the castle as we speak, and I would like for you to tidy it up there." Tilrer spoke casually with a flick of his wrist and wave of his hand.


    Edwin''s heart sank. He knew that this job could carry heavy penalties, if he was discovered. Even with his new purpose, returning to the castle made his heart sink. He hadn''t spent much time thinking about his life before becoming one of the Masked on purpose.


    "Very well. Who is it that I''m being sent to kill, Tilrer?" Edwin asked. His voice cracked.


    Tilrer nearly smiled at the Masked Hunter. "I chose you for this job specifically. Does the name Vayne Abigor mean anything to you?"


    Edwin''s laugh returned. The wild, manic chuckle of a sadistic killer. It made his skin crawl and excited him with each occurence.


    Tilrer didn''t seem to notice the outburst. "He is dealing in something darker than he understands. He needs to die before he can cause the death of thousands. Think of it as doing the right thing and getting your revenge. Shyra is waiting for you at the Gate. I want Vayne dead by the end of tomorrow." Without another word, the Aishan vanished.


    Edwin''s wild laugh had reduced to a chuckle, but he couldn''t stop. He felt like one of the madmen that were held in the dungeons of Ilian that muttered madened things.


    Shyra was indeed waiting at the Travel Gate for him. The young girl was no longer with her.


    "Where is the girl, Shyra?" he asked the beautiful woman carefully.


    Her head fell a little at the mention of the child. "My love, she was.. she was infected as well. I had to kill her once she woke. I''m sorry."


    Edwin was disappointed, but it was no surprise. For one girl to have survived a plague that infected her whole town was very unlikely. "We tried. That is the best that we could do. Let us return home. We have important work to do tomorrow. I know our target well."


    Shyra tilted her head to the side. "You already know who it is? It is not like Tilrer to share that sort of information."


    Edwin shrugged his shoulders. "I know the target personally. He''s the reason that I was exiled in the first place. It is personal."


    Shyra was frowning. Edwin could tell. "Still yet, that is unusual. Regardless, we need to rest. Let us go home."


    He nodded and climbed onto the platform next to her. In the cold blink of an eye, the two Masked were back in the halls of their home.


    Edwin was always impressed with how well preserved Tilrer kept the ruins. Edwin was unsure of exactly where the ruins were, but he had at least gathered that they were far from any other civilization that he knew of.Stolen novel; please report.


    Edwin''s body ached more with each step that he took toward his bed. His hands and arms reminded him with the slightest motion that he was burned. Luckily, the burns were light enough that they would heal quickly.


    Shyra stayed close. Edwin liked that she was not ashamed to show her care for him. He gingerly placed his arm around his Seeker and kissed her head. They had not been together for very long, but the bond that they shared just from touching their masks together formed something deeper than he had ever felt before.


    She helped him undress once they made it into the bedroom. She went to work quickly tending to his burns and scrapes. Her care was always gentle yet effiecient. Part of her job as a Seeker was specifically to care for her Hunter. She had an extensive collection of herbs and poultices in her room. Edwin was confident that she could likely mend any wound.


    As soon as she finished, she demanded that he rest and porced him into his bed. She left abruptly, leaving Edwin to the dark, silence that was his mind.


    Sleep went as quickly as it came. A slam of the bedroom door woke Edwin suddenly.


    A dark figure stood over him. The being wore a dark, black robe that cover its entire body. The only skin showing was a gaunt, white hand that loosely held a long, black dagger.


    Edwin moved to speak, but the being lunged toward him wildly.


    Edwin caught the wrist of the creature carefully avoiding the weapon as it desparately reached for any piece of his flesh. The creature gave a sharp shriek that chilled Edwin to the core. He pull the creature across his body and rolled off the bed with it.


    The being felt cold as it fought undernearth Edwin''s weight. He knew that he was large enough that no human could throw him off.


    The dagger had disappeared in the tumult, but Edwin had pinned the creatures arms down well enough that it couldn''t retrieve or use the weapon.


    Edwin stared silently at the being covered in black. He wanted to tear open the sealed hood in front of its face to look his assailant in the eye, but he would have to risk letting the being loose for a moment.


    The door swung open again. Shyra flew into the room, shortsword and dagger in hand. She relaxed a little when she saw Edwin sitting up on the ground on the other side of the bed.


    "Are you alright? Something felt off and then I heard noises..." She trailed off as she came around the bed and saw the writhing creature pinned underneath Edwin.


    Edwin chuckled. "I had a visitor it would seem."


    "Wh- wh- what is that thing?" she asked as she tried to sound calm. Edwin was sure that she had never seen any beings other than the Masked enter their home.


    Edwin frowned. "I was honestly hoping that you would know."


    Shyra''s voice began to shake. "We n- need to t- talk to Tilrer about this. It i- isn''t supposed to be possible."


    "Woman, grab me some rope. I would like to be able to get up off of this creature as soon as possible." Edwin shook his head. She was a killer. This shouldn''t have shaken her so much.


    Shyra nodded silently and left in search of rope.


    Edwin turned his attention to the thing he had pinned to the ground.


    "Do you speak then?" he asked the being calmly.


    The creature continued to fight against it''s captor but let out a raspy hiss.


    Edwin squeezed the creature''s wrists tighter. The bones felt brittle in his hands. He was sure that he could nearly snap its wrists just in his hands.


    "Speak or else." Edwin demanded. He could feel his anger boiling. He wanted suddenly nothing more than to hurt the creature that attacked him. It was just and fair.


    The creature replied with another his, this time loud.


    Edwin tightened his grip on the being and it squirmed harder. Edwin squeezed the being tighter and tighter. His anger welled. He knew it''s wrists would soon snap under the pressure, but he still gripped tighter. He wanted to break the bones to break.


    "Edwin stop!" demanded a cold voice from the doorway. The sickly, white leader of the masked was glaring at Edwin. "Do not damage that thing just yet."


    Edwin clenched his jaw. He wanted to kill the being, but he loosened his grip on it instead. He didn''t want tond up on the wrong side of Tilrer.


    Two Masked stepped into the room from behind Tilrer. They helped Edwin lift the being off of the ground safely. The dagger that it had used to attack Edwin was nowhere to be found.


    Tilrer approached the being carefully. Edwin was unsure what the Aishan knew about the being, but seeing him approach it so cautiously was unnerving.


    Tilrer inspected the hood of the being. Edwin grabbed a thin-bladed dagger off of his side table and offered it to Tilrer. The Aishan took it with a nod and began to cut at the hood.


    The being seemed to have given up all will to react or move at this point. Edwin was unsure if it was even breathing.


    Tilrer cut at the base of the hood and then tore it off roughly.


    Everyone in the room gasped as the face of the creature was revealed.


    A grey, green eyeless face met their eyes. The being had no cheeks nor lips. A few teeth still sat in the skeleton''s jaws. Flakes of skin and dried muscle hung off of the bone limply.


    There was no real life in the creature, whatever it was. It tilted its head back and forth carelessly. Edwin was unsure what if anything was truly running through its mind.


    The skeleton''s jaw suddenly dropped off from its skull and a small hiss came from its throat. The hiss grew louder and louder until a thin, black mist began spraying out of its mouth.


    Tilrer dove away from the cloud and shouted. "Everyone get away from that thing! Do not let the mist touch you!"


    Edwin and Shyra were out of the room as fast as possible, but the other Masked were not so lucky.


    The two Masked still in the room were screaming wildly. Edwin peered carefully in the room to see the two melt melting away slowly. He wanted to help the poor men, but there was nothing that he could do.


    Edwin felt immediately nauseous. He turned to Tilrer. "What in Fate''s name was that thing!?" Edwin demanded.


    The Aishan met Edwin''s gaze without a trace of emotion. "Do not use that name. Fate is naught but a whore and cheat."


    Edwin was taken aback by the reply. The being didn''t seem to care at all about what had just occured.


    The Aishan''s blank stare turned into one of rage. "You dare, Edwin Thronebreaker, to question me? I am a god among men. Learn your place!"


    Edwin was stunned. He had never seen nor heard such emotion from the Aishan.


    "Edwin, those were my men that died in there. I regret every soul lost." Tilrer''s voice had gone back to its typical, icy tone.


    Edwin straightened. He knew that he was wrong for doubting the Aishan. "I am sorry... What was that thing though?"


    Tilrer shook his head. "I am unsure. It was sent to kill. You''re lucky to have survived."


    "Why was it sent to kill me?" Edwin asked. He hadn''t have the time to make many enemies since joining the Masked.


    Tilrer nearly smiled for a brief moment. "If it was sent after you, you''d most likely be dead. It was sent to kill as many as possible. Fate just chose your room for the event."


    Edwin understood suddenly. The creature came into his room out of happenstance. He wasn''t the target. He was a convenience. Any and every masked was the target this night. "Tilrer, who would know where we are?"


    Edwin wasn''t sure that Tilrer''s solemn face could ever grow firmer than it was at that moment.


    The Aishan eyed Edwin carefully. "I am not the only Aishan left living. One of them wants me dead. I have a feeling that I know who it is, but we must investigate further."


    Edwin smiled. Justice would be served to this Aishan. He could feel it.

 Blood Trails

    It was strange to Edwin to be back in the castle. For so long he had worked to live there and show his worth as a soldier. Edwin felt a melancholic wave rush over him as he walked through the empty walls. It was as he had left it. No stone had moved.


    He wondered how the princess was. It was bittersweet realizing that time moved on here without him. He missed aspects of his duties, but he had Shyra now. He would never go back.


    Shyra stayed at to Edwin''s side. Despite her proximity to him, she appeared totally comfortable in the castle. She eyed the halls very little. Edwin thought that she was eerily comfortable, but Masked traveled constantly. There was no reason for her to be uncomfortable.


    It was darker than usual this night. The darkness seemed to have scared even the servants into their rooms.


    Edwin walked with purpose though. He knew where he was going and what his assignment was. Not even a thick darkness would slow him.


    The path to Vayne''s room was one that knew Edwin by heart. He didn''t need his Seeker for this task.


    The masked pair crept carefully through the halls despite the absence of life. It was better to be safe than to create a larger mess than necessary. Edwin had grown to not mind the bloodshed, but he did not seek after it.


    Edwin fingered the hilt of his dagger gingerly. Justice would finally be brought to the demon that was Vayne. The thought made him smile. His masked thirsted for Vayne''s blood more than Edwin did.


    As the Masked rounded the final corner that led to Vayne''s room, Edwin froze. Something was different about the hall suddenly.


    Shadows were in places that they should not have been. They shifted and danced slowly. The Masked eyed the darkness. Edwin could see nothing in the darkness even as it danced ominously.


    Edwin drew his daggers and took a defensive stance. He had seen strange things, and knew that this was no coincidence.


    He waved for Shyra to watch his back and stepped carefully toward Vayne''s room. He was only a few feet away from the door. He hugged the wall as he walked, keeping away from the strange shadows.


    A few cautious strides and Edwin was next to the door. It sat slightly ajar. Edwin peered carefully into the room, but he could see nothing in the darkness. The smell of death crept out of the door.


    He pushed his way in slowly. He didn''t want to challenge a Dragon Initiate, if he could avoid it. A simple assassination would be much simpler.


    He remembered watching the Initiates spar eith each other during their training. There was nothing human about their abilities. Edwin was unsure whether or not his newfound abilities would actually be able to compete against an Initiate.


    The room was pitch black, but Edwin could make out two figures piled at the foot of the bed. Bodies. Two bodies tossed carelessly in a pile. Edwin could feel his temper flaring even as his stomach sank.


    Edwin said a private prayer to Lady Fate. He couldn''t bear seeing the body of the Princess tossed aside in such a way.


    The room appeared to be empty beyond the corpses. Edwin found a firesteel, tinderbox, and candle on the table next to Vayne''s bed. He lit the candle carefully moved over to the pile.


    He quickly pulled one body off of the other and examined their faces. The corpses were mutilated beyond recognition, but neither was Princess Lilia. A weight lifted. The eyes had been gouged out and the tongueless mouths hung open stiffly. Cuts ran across the faces and bodies of the women, removing nearly every distinguishing feature.


    The bodies had been left lying for days. "They were used for some sort of ritual then?" Shyra asked gently as she examind the bodies from over Edwin''s shoulder. Edwin thought as much himself. He wanted nothing more than to make that vile being suffer.


    Edwin shrugged. Every second that he thought about what these women had been through, he hated Vayne more. "It looks that way. I cannot say for certain. The man that we hunt would do this sort of thing for fun given the chance. He is not humans."


    Shyra placed a comforting hand on her partner''s shoulder. Edwin tilted his head to rest on her head, but a trail of dried blood caught his eye.


    Edwin rested his eyes for only a moment before standing.


    He eyed the trail of dried droplets. Edwin walked around the bed, but the trail came to a halt quickly against the wall.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Shyra gasped.


    She was staring at the ceiling. Edwin knew suddenly where the blood continued.


    Reddish, black words had been smeared onto the stone ceiling.Welcome home, Edwin.


    Edwin shuddered at the words. His head was spinning. How could Vayne have known that the Masked would be sent after him? Who was she? What else did Vayne know about the Masked? Was this all a part of the war that Tilrer spoke of?


    "Are you okay, my love? What is going on? How did he know that we were coming after him?" Shyra asked, gripping his shoulder tightly. He could hear the fear in her voice. His heart hurt at the sad sound, but he had no answers.


    Edwin squared his shoulders and forced his voice to steady. "I do not know. All is well though. The hunt is still on. We will kill the demon that did this. Do not worry, my love."


    Shyra nodded. He could tell that she was still afraid, but she was trying to appear as brave as he sounded. He hoped he could be as brave as he sounded, when the time came.


    Edwin looked around the room for anything that would hint at where Vayne had gone, but he could find nothing. "We need to return to Tilrer, my Seeker. I have questions for him after this and the attack. It cannot be coincidence."


    Shyra shook her head. "We have been tasked. We cannot return until it is finished. It is forbidden. You know that as well as I. We must find and kill Vayne first."


    Edwin grabbed Shyra by the shoulders and peered into the eyes of her mask. "There is no other choice. We have no options. There is something much greater than the Masked at work. We are in danger. Trust me."


    Shyra shook her head sheepishly, but did not reply. She knew that she could not persuade him otherwise.


    Edwin pulled the woman close and held her for a moment. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He let her scent fill his lungs before pushing her away.


    "Let us leave then," Edwin said as he stepped past her.


    The shadows that filled the hall before had vanished, and all was as Edwin remembered from his time spent as a guard for the Princess.


    Edwin and Shrya travelled in silence. Not a single Masked met the pair as they stepped off of the Travel Gate.


    It had begun to feel much like coming home to Edwin very quickly. He could come home and breathe a breath of relief. This day was different though. His home had become a place of danger.


    The door opened before Edwin could reach it. Tilrer''s face was emotionless as always. He slipped into the room silently and pushed the game behind him with care.


    His eyes met Edwin''s sternly. "You should not be here, but I know why you are. I knew as soon as the boy had moved, that you would be back."


    Edwin frowned. Tilrer always knew more than he should, long before he should. "Was I wrong to come to you?" Edwin asked. He had thought long and hard about what he should ask the Aishan, once he had the chance. Remaining calm was his first priority.


    The Aishan nearly cracked a smile. "Of course you weren''t Edwin. Times are changing. With that change, rules must change. This is why I chose you. A natural leader amidst a corrupted world. We must revisit this target with greater care. He is more dangerous than I had assumed."


    Edwin shook his head. He didn''t like any of it. He simply wanted to bring Vayne to justice. "What do you mean that you chose me?"


    The Aishan''s smile grew. " Things are in motion beyond my control. Powers are shifting across the world. The Masked have for so long worked to maintain balance by purging corruption. Now it is time for us to embrace and manipulate the changes."


    Edwin''s temper flared. He hated the secrecy. "What changes? Dammit Tilrer! Speak plainly!"


    The Aishan''s eyes narrowed warningly. "The Aishan are at war with each other. One, you know her as Lady Fate, has declared war on us all. She has held the most power for dozens of years, but something has changed. She seems to intended to end all life."


    Edwin couldn''t breathe suddenly. An Aishan inteded to kill everyone. He truly knew little of the Aishan except for what he had seen from Tilrer. If she was more powerful, then he feared that nothing would stop her. "W- what does this have to do with me or Vayne Abigor?"


    The Aishan relaxed again. "Do you remember the dagger that you found just before you joined our flock?"


    Edwin ran his fingers over hte hilt of the small, black dagger. He nodded on reply.


    "I placed that dagger for you to find. Infused within it is the spirit of justice. It sounds strange surely, but think less about it. It enhances your abilities beyond that of any other Masked. And it connects you and I. I can see all through the Masks that my children wear, but this is more. I am with you both figuratively and literally. The dagger is granting you power much like my own, slowly. It is a terrible blessing and burden that you will live with, but it is necessary, if we are to stop Amarnth."


    Edwin felt light-headed suddenly. So much information was being thrown at him. He wasn''t sure that he could process it all. He grabbed the wall and forced his body to take in and push out air. "What about Vayne then? Is he Amarnth''s puppet then?"


    TIlrer nodded. "That boy is worse than a puppet. He''s more akin to a wild animal tasked to be an executioner. He is extremely dangerous and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. He needs to be stopped before he becomes more powerful. I''m sure that Amarnth is doing something to make him even more dangerous."


    Edwin frowned. The boy was dangerous enough as a Dragon Initiate. The power of an Aishan would be enough to leave the world in ruin on its own. "How do we stop them then?"


    Tilrer shook his head. "With cold steel. They both must be killed. There isn''t another option. Trouble is that we''re trying to hunt an Aishan that is more powerful than I am. That is why I have a special task for you. There is a boy that you must find."


    "What could a boy possibly do to aide us in a war against a god?" Edwin asked.


    Tilrer chuckled. "The boy is powerful and tied to other Aishan. I believe that he will need a guiding voice and a friend. The fate of the world could rest on his shoulders. You must make sure that he chooses to ally himself with the Aishan that calls himself Hanaan. I don''t think that there is another way. Vayne and Amarnth will find you if you remain by the boy''s side."


    Edwin nodded. He knew that he would likely be separated from Shyra his role as a Masked for a time, if Tilrer truly needed him to leave to help the buy.


    "I''ll watch him them. Tell me how to find him."


    Tilrer smiled. "Good. His name is Alaric."