Finding Pickman’s square wasn’t difficult as Robert’s directions were accurate enough as was his description. Pickman’s square was by far the seedier part of the city with streets filled with trash and other floating debris that Kile didn’t want to think about. Buildings stood neglected, their windows and doors boarded up, a home only for the rats, and even the people, unfortunate enough to live down here, appeared abandoned.

She picked her way carefully thought the streets. Finding Saybela wasn’t going to be easy. She had no idea where to look or even who to ask and felt as if she was just wandering aimlessly about the square until she smelled jasmine. It was the same sweetness she had smelled back at the Tally house, beneath the overpowering stench of burnt wood, but it was no more than a slight scent carried along on a stray breezed and she had dismissed it, but here, in this dreadful section of the city, the smell was so out of place it was like a beacon and she was forced to follow it.

Like a dog with a scent she tracked the stray smell of jasmine through the back streets and byways of Pickman’s square to a lonely looking two story house that sat a little crooked on its lot. It looked, much like every other house, to be deserted, save for a single candle lit in an upstairs window. She tried the door, and much to her surprised, found it to be unlocked.

“What do you think Vesper, should we go in?”

-Don’t like.-

“Me neither, but it doesn’t look as if we have much of a choice.”

The interior belied the exterior as it was furnished in a very comfortable styling that did not fit with its location. It felt and smelled more like a library than the abandoned building that it appeared to be. There was carpeting on the floor and shelves of books lining the walls with scrolls and papers laid out neatly on the table. The furniture was of a higher quality than she had expected to see, polished burl wood with brass accents was not something common to the lower levels of Azintar. She entered slowly, closing the door behind her, cutting off the sounds and the smells from the street.

With nothing to distract her, she sniffed the air and tried to dissect the different smells. There was the scent of old paper which was to be expected, mold, burnt stew, an acidic substance that she couldn’t identify and then there was the ever lingering smell of jasmine. It was the strongest odor in the house, so strong in fact that she drew her weapon, spun around and dropped into a defensive stance as the sword struck from the shadows. It was not just any sword. She would remember that blade anywhere, the long slim edge, and the worn cherry wood handle. She had been attacked with her own weapon. She easily deflected the blade away from her and jumped back to get a better grasp of the situation.

“It would appear that I underestimated you, but then I guess I wasn’t the only one.” The attacker said as she stepped from the shadows.

She was older than Kile, a little taller, but of the same statue with the same red hair, dressed in her hunter greens and wielding Kile’s missing Lann. She moved silently as she circled, almost as if she was floating across the floor rather than actually having to walk.

“Who are you?” Kile asked as she readjusted her grip on her own blade.

“I’m you, or haven’t you figured that out.”

“That’s what you want people to believe, but why? Why are you doing this? Why me?”

“So many questions.” She laughed, and it was a melodic laugher, but not a very warm one.

“And I assume you don’t plan to answer any of them.”

“It’s nothing personal Kile. It’s just a job. You know how it goes. You get an assignment, you see it through and you get paid.”

“Yeah, but you’re not a hunter.”

“Same concept, different guild.”

“An assassin.”

“If you already know the answers, why are you asking the questions? But you are correct. I am Cerys Samare of the Assassin’s guild, but most just call me Scarlet.”

“Scarlet? How original. So why tell me your name.”

“Because there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m almost finished with my list and you still have no idea what’s going on. By the time you do figure it out, if you figure it out, your own guild will have put an end to you. So, if you’ll excuse me, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I get paid.”

“You know I can’t let you leave.”

“I know you’ll try to stop me if that’s what you mean.”

Kile lunged forward with her blade coming in low, catching the assassin off guard, forcing her to jump back. She managed to knock the blade aside and countered, but it was clear that this assassin wasn't used to handling a lann. Kile managed to spin into Scarlet’s weak attack, and grabbing the assassin's wrist with her free hand, she threw the woman off balance, wrenching the lann from her grasp. With her own blade, she sliced a crossed her body with a near fatal strike, unfortunately there was nobody to strike. Scarlet had broken Kile’s grip and was easily outside her range before she realized it. She quickly retrieved her second Lann and for the first time in a long time she felt more in control.

“Very good, but you can keep your weapons, they are of no more use to me, although I can’t fathom why you would want them.”

“Let’s just say they have sentimental value.”

“Let’s see how well you can use them.” Scarlet remarked as she slowly drew her own weapon.

It was a long thin blade nearly three feet in length and when she lunged it whistled as it cut through the air. Kile was forced to leap back, bringing both blades down to block the attack, but Scarlet was faster. The blade moved under her defenses and knick the inside of Kile’s right arm. Before she could even think to counter, the whistling blade struck again, this time cutting a line across Kile’s left leg. The wound wasn’t deep, no more than a scratch, but it burned so hot that she had to force herself to remain focused. She tried to push the pain from her mind, but as she pressed her next attack her leg gave out from under her and she fell to her knees. Her right arm wasn’t cooperating either, and she could no longer feel the sword in her hand, probably because she had already dropped it, although she didn’t feel that either. It was clear at this point that something was definitely wrong. The room was starting to spin as Kile fell to the floor, she could hear the assassin laughing.

“You should consider yourself lucky, that was meant for another Hunter. The poison of a Bari serpent is not easy to come by.” Scarlet said as she set one of the fallen chairs upright and took a seat directly in front of Kile.

“There’s no use fighting it. The poison is now working its way through your system, you’ll be dead soon enough. A pity really, what with two more targets to go and no one to pin them on. But I suppose you served your purpose.” She laughed.

Kile could feel the numbness spreading through her body. She tried to speak but either the words weren’t coming or her mouth was no longer working and all she was able to do was make a guttural noise that reminded her of her former uhyre prison guards.

“This is not in the scope of the original agreement.” Scarlet said shaking her head as she looked down at Kile. “This really is just a waste of resources. Do you know how expensive it is to refine poisons? Not to mention the difficulties in just procuring the ingredients. Do you know how hard it is to find Bari serpents?”

Kile could feel the entire room spinning away from her now as her eyes began to lose their focus. Everything was in hues of grey and growing dimmer until there was nothing but darkness. She was falling, but she didn’t fall very far and the darkness reached out to her with black strands of sticky molasses that embraced her.

“I don’t know what he actually had planned for you. I suppose he had intended to do away with you in the end if the Hunter’s Guild didn’t do it for him, although his, so called, justice was more important than you were. You were just a means to an end for him. I don’t suppose he’d mind too much that I finished the job ahead of schedule.”

This was the Maligar Kile realized, and it came from the dark place deep inside her. It filled her with an all consuming fire of golden yellow, burning her and leaving nothing but an empty unsatisfied hunger. She could taste the sweat, she could smell the blood, she could hear the beating of a vir’s heart, and she laughed.

“If I can’t get him to pony up the extra coin then maybe I’ll drag your body to the Hunter’s Guild, there’s a pretty fair bounty on your head, although, that may be a little tricky.”

Kile opened her eyes and stared up at the vir that appeared to be preoccupied. She slowly pulled her legs up under her and her muscles tensed as she waited. The vir looked away. It was only for a moment, but it was enough as she sprang, lunging for the throat. Scarlet turned back just in time to get her hands up before the Kile slammed into her, sending them both over the back of the chair. Kile rolled to her feet and lunged again before Scarlet even knew what had happened. The assassin drew her sword but not before the hunter got under her defenses her fingers gripping the assassin’s throat once again. They toppled over backward and Scarlet managed to get a boot up between them, kicking Kile off her as she staggered to her feet.

“What are you?” She asked, trying to catch her breath.

Kile laughed and without warning she leapt again. This time Scarlet fell back to the wall, and as the assassin easily passed through the solid stone, Kile hit it face first and dropped to the ground.

 

***

 

-Kile alright?-

The sound of Vesper’s pleading voice brought her back to her senses but did nothing to alleviate her headache.

“What happen?” She asked as she tried to sit up, the taste of blood was still in her mouth. She felt her nose, yep, it felt broken. She tilted back her head and pinched the bridge to stem the flow of blood.

-Kile hit wall.-

“I did what?”

-Kile face first into wall. Red lady pass through wall but Kile didn’t.-

She looked around to find Vesper sitting on the table some distance away, the yarrow seemed agitated.

“What’s the matter Vesper, what happened?”

-Kile… not Kile.-

Vesper said and within those words, she saw the events transpire from the yarrow’s point of view and she couldn’t blame him for putting as much distance between them. She would have done the same thing. What had she become? Was this what her brother saw that night? If it was she could blame him or Jenny for being frightened. What ever happened she didn’t remember any of it after she had been poisoned.

-Kile is Kile now?-

Vesper asked as he started to get closer.

“Yes, Kile is Kile.” She replied, releasing the pinch on her nose. It appeared to have stopped bleeding which meant she probably didn’t break it after all.

Vesper came from across the room to run up her arm and sit on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

-Worried.-

The yarrow replied.

She scratched his head as she got carefully to her feet. The first thing she checked was the wall. It was a very ordinary, very hard stone wall. If the assassin went out that way, she had to have some means of passing through solid objects. Did assassins have to have some knowledge in the mystic arts, the same way Hunters did? That was something she hadn’t considered, but it made sense.

She looked around the room again. They had made quite a mess of the place. Broken furniture, scattered paper, it was going to take the owner some time to reorganize everything.

“Saybela.” She exclaimed as she ran to the stairs, taking two at a time. She had almost forgotten the reason she was in his house. Had she beaten the assassin to her quarry or was she too late.

The upstairs hallway was dark. The only light came from the door at the end of the hall. Kile approached slowly, it wouldn’t do to run into the assassin again, so soon after recovering from her first encounter. She opened the door to a small bedroom with a white canopy bed, a stone fireplace, a single flickering candle on an otherwise bare table.

“Come… back to finish… the… job.”

Kile spun around to see a man sitting in a darkened corner. He was old and thin, a narrow face that looked under nourished. His clothes were as old as he was. Thread bared and tattered, fraying at the sleeves.

“Mr. Saybela?”

“You’re not… her.” He whispered and each word sounded as if it was an effort to speak.

“My name is Kile Veller.” She said as she moved closer. “Let me help you.”

“Too late.” The old man replied. “I was… able to slow it… but not stop it. She did not think I was learned… in the old poisons.”

“Let me find someone who can help.” Kile said, although she really wouldn’t know where to look for someone with knowledge of poisons, not to mention the fact that he would probably be dead long before she got back. If Daniel was here, he could help, but then Daniel was helping the Hunters track her down.

“I will be dead soon.” Saybela replied. “I finally paid for my sins.”

“Your sins? What sins sir? What is this all about? Who is Ravenshadow.”

“Ravenshadow, is that what he’s calling himself?”

“You know of him then?” She asked a she crouched down beside the old man.

“Yes… I knew him… He was my student after all.”

 

***

 

“Windfoil.” Folkstaff announced as they rode up the road to a rather impressive old castle high up on the hill, its tall battlements casting them in shadows from the setting sun.

“I’ve never heard that name before.” Daniel remarked as he stared up at the walls feeling incredibly small.

“Seldom used but by the old.” Folkstaff replied. “In the days of lore it was believed that the walls upon this hill were so tall that it would divide the northern winds, forcing them to blow both east and west, thus earning it the title of the wind’s foil. Its original purpose was to protect the southern provinces from the men of the north and to serve as a seat for the High Kings. Now it is no more than a summer home to them, as they have moved the court to the city of Azintar.”

“Never talk history around Folkstaff unless you want a very long, drawn out, detailed lesson.” Erin said as she pushed passed them and made her way to the gates. Grey said nothing as he followed up the rear.

The front gates were open as they passed under the arch and were met by castle guards dressed in the King’s colors.

“What business do you have here?” One of the guards asked. He was a tall, broad man with graying hair and leathery face. He was also the only guard without a helmet which meant he was probably the one in charge. Erin dismounted.

“The name is Erin Silvia of the Hunter’s guild, I have been tracking someone for several days now and I believe she may be on her way here.”

“Here and gone.” The captain said, and he didn’t look too pleased about it. He turned to a young blond haired man on his left and whispered something behind his hand. The guard nodded and started off toward the inner gate. The captain then turned his attention back to the Hunters.

“The one you seek was here two nights past. She spoke with the High King and then left.”

“She spoke with the King.” Daniel exclaimed, sliding off his horse.

“What did they talk about? What did they say?” Erin asked.

“That is not for me to know.” The captain replied and waited as the young blonde haired guard returned, they exchanged a glance, nothing was said but the second man returned to his post.

“His majesty has been expecting you.” The captain said as he turned. “Please, follow me.”

“Interesting.” Folkstaff commented as he looked at Erin. “Odd that we should be expected since we were not expecting to come here.”

“Odd or not, I’m starting to get used to it.” Erin remarked and she handed off her reins to one of the guards before following the captain through the inner gate.

They didn’t go up to the main keep, but took a side path through the grounds and arrived at a small garden surrounded by flowers and trees. A stone bench sat in the center and upon it sat a man who seemed to be preoccupied. He was tall, slim with a neatly trimmed beard wearing an old tunic and staring down at something he was holding in his hands. He looked up only when the guard made his announcement.

“Your majesty, they are here.”

“See that Denir is brought here then leave us.” The King commanded.

The guard appeared reluctant to actually leave and looked at each of the Hunters carefully as if committing their faces to memory should they do anything that warrants their arrest. He then turned in true military style and marched off.

“Please, be seated.” The King said, waving at the stone benches that sounded him.

“Your majesty…” Erin began, but was stopped as he held up his hand.

“Roland. I’m not in the mood for formalities today.” He said as he set what looked like a dog’s collar on the bench beside him.

“Roland.” Erin corrected herself, and it just didn’t feel right to be calling the High King of Aru by his first name.

“Let me help you out. I know why you are here. I figured you’d show up soon enough.”

“You know why we’re here your majesty?” Folkstaff asked.

“You are after one Kile Veller, are you not?”

“Then she was here?” Grey shouted, probably too loud, as a few of the guards on the wall made gestures that they would shoot him if he did it again. “Are you alright your majesty, did she harm you? I cannot believe she would attempt an assassination of the High King.”

Roland looked up at Grey. The look on the King’s face was clear to read, he thought the man a simpleton.

“If you think that, then we are not speaking of the same person.”

“She is a fugitive your majesty and is wanted by the guild, by the tower and by the crown.”

“She is no longer wanted by the crown.” Roland said, holding his hand up again, this time to cut off Grey’s protests. “I have since revoked that as of yesterday.”

“But your majesty, you can’t be serious.” Grey exclaimed.

“I am.” Roland replied. “The girl that I met last night would not harm me, nor do I think she would harm anyone.”

“Perhaps she didn’t have the opportunity.”

“Oh, she had the opportunity, instead she sat with me and my dog through the night, at least until the guards came, only then did she leave.”

“Your dog?” Daniel asked, looking around.

“Tyler. He passed away yesterday morning.” Roland said as he placed his hand upon the collar that sat on the bench beside him. “I was grateful that she was here that night. She helped me understand a few things.”

“That sounds like the Kile Veller I know.” Daniel added and shot a look at Grey who just rolled his eyes.

“You can’t be serious.” He said again.

Roland looked up at the Hunter. He had taken an instant dislike to this man.

“If you would excuse my honesty, it is my belief that the Hunter’s guild has acted rashly on the persecution of one of their own. Only through their evidence did I believe that their case was valid. I see now that this is more a game of political opportunity than a need to see justice served, and I will not be a pawn on someone else’s board.”

“You presume much sir.” Grey remarked rather harshly, and then thought better of challenging the High King in his court and remained silent.

“Please, your majesty, if you could tell us what happened. How did she get in to see you and how did she out? What did she come for? What happened that night?”

“How she entered Windfoil and how she left it, we still do not know, though I wish we did. It is rather unsettling to have someone come and go with such ease, as to what happened that night… what those dogs did, it amazed even me.” He said with a hint of a smile, but then shook his head. “But now is not the time. You came here seeking answers, and I have found someone with those answers.”

Two guards arrived escorting a tall, slender, older man. He looked bent and broken with his head cast down and wouldn’t even look at Roland.

“This is Samuel Denir, up until yesterday he was my advisor.” Roland said as he stared at the man. “After Kile left, I questioned him and he has told me a story that I think you will find very interesting.”

“But your majesty.” The old man whispered.

“Tell them Samuel, from the start.”

“Very well.” He said as he sat down on one of the benches. “What you have to understand is we did what we thought was right.”

“On with is Denir.”

“As you wish your majesty. It begins in the summer of 1252, when High King Jusen Waltair II was badly wounded in a hunting accident. His horse was startled by a wild boar and he was thrown. It was believed that he would not survive his injuries and as custom dictates, his eldest son, Prince Jonland Waltair III took the throne in his absence. He was only eighteen at the time, still young and not ready. We tried to aide him the best we could, but power does… strange things to people. He did not heed our advice, nor did he hear our concerns…” Denir looked over at Roland as if he feared the truth of the tale would hurt the young King, but Roland was staring at the dog’s collar that he was now turning over in his hands. It was obvious that he did not like the story any better the second time around.

“What you have to understand.” Denir continued. “Prince Jonland was not very well… accepted.”

“What my advisor is trying to say so diplomatically was that my brother was hated. Jonland had a dark side. He could be cruel and manipulative, even to me. I was only eight years old when my brother became king, if but for a short period of time. I did not understand what he did back then, probably because it did not affect me personal, but I could tell he was not very well liked.”

“The people feared Prince Jonland.” Denir continued. “They feared what he could become should he take the throne and during the King’s absence, that fear came to fruition. He denied King Jusen the aide he needed, it is my belief that once Prince Jonland tasted power, he desired nothing else, and he was loathe to relinquish it.

“A small group of us petitioned the Tower for aid behind Prince Jonland’s back, and it was granted in the hands of a healer. The mystic was able to save the King’s life, bringing him back from the very edge of death. Upon King Jusen’s return, Prince Jonland was forced to step down, but the King was never completely healed. We had seen how close he had come to dying and knew that it was only a matter of time before he was beyond the aide of even the mystics, so we formed what we called the Dark Conspiracy and we set our plan in motion. Please believe me when I say that this was the only way would could see to save the Kingdom. Should Prince Jonland become King, the Kingdom would have torn itself apart from the inside out, and it would have been a war the likes of which none of us had ever seen.”

“So you had him assassinated?” Erin asked.

“No.” Denir said shaking his head.

“But everyone knows that Prince Jonland was assassinated on the eve of the winter’s feast back in 1254.” Folkstaff added.

“Nobody died that night.” Denir said. “We could not bring ourselves to cross that line, and so we had Prince Jonland arrested for his own murder.”

“So what you’re saying is that the assassin that was arrested for Prince Jonland’s murder, was Prince Jonland, and that no crime was actually committed?” Folkstaff replied.

“That is correct. We could not bring ourselves to actually commit the heinous crime of regicide, and so we simply had him arrested, tried and taken to Blackmoore prison… for the rest of his life. With Prince Jonland out of the way, that left the line to the throne clear for Prince Roland. I will not apologize for what I’ve done, for I did it in the best interest of the Kingdom.”

“Who was involved in this conspiracy?” Erin asked.

“There were seven of us all together. Besides myself there was Rothershire, Prince Jonland’s bodyguard who was the one that actually arrested Prince Jonland on that night. Elmer Saybela identified the body because no one would question the Prince’s own tutor who had taught the prince for the last sixteen years. The magistrate that presided over the hearing was David Draw, Brian Tally was the clerk that made out the proper certificates and Arthur Linny was the warden that admitted Prince Jonland into Blackmoore. Once the Prince was in Blackmoore, nobody questioned the proceedings. I’m not sure if it was because they believed the story that we spun, or that they didn’t care.”

“You said there were seven, you only mentioned six.” Folkstaff said.

“There was the young hunter that we hired to escort the Prince to Blackmoore, we couldn’t do it ourselves. It would have raised too much suspicion. He knew who the prince was and questioned us about it, once we explained what had happened and what we had decided to do, it was easy to convince him to look the other way. He was even rewarded by the King for his part, although the King never knew what we had done. His name was Garret Boraro.

 

 

 

***~~~***

 

 

 

20

 

“Boraro, as in Master Boraro of the Hunter’s Academy.” Kile exclaimed.

“I should think… it the same man.” Saybela replied although his breathing was getting shallow.

“Then Ravenshadow isn’t the assassin that killed Prince Jonland since Prince Jonland was never assassinated. Ravenshadow is Prince Jonland. That’s what he meant by justice. He is punishing everyone that had a hand in his imprisonment for a crime that was never committed.That meant that the poison that Scarlet used on me was supposed to be for Master Boraro, Scarlet is going after Master Boraro.” She said as she got to her feet and started to pace the bedroom floor.

- Kile? -

“Now the pieces are starting to fall together.”

-Kile?-

“If I can stop Scarlet and with your testimony, I’m in the clear.”

-Kile?-

“What's wrong vesper.”

Vesper didn’t have to say anything, she could feel it, could sense it. She knelt down beside the old man and took his hand into her. There was no more warmth, no more life. Elmer Saybela was dead.

She cursed as she got to her feet and paced the floor again. With Saybela gone that meant there were only two people left that knew of the Dark Conspiracy, three if she counted Ravenshadow but he wasn’t going to help her. Garret Boraro, who she knew all too well, would go out of his way to convict her for each and every murder if it was in the best interest of the Sons of Terrabin, and the last man on the list who she still didn’t have a name for. With each death her chances of clearing her name was getting slimmer, and now it looked as if she was going to have to save her old weapon’s master, the one person at the academy that made it painfully clear that she was not welcome.

“Come on Vesper, we have to go.” Kile said as she took the blanket off the bed and draped it over Saybela. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Vesper climbed up onto her shoulder as she made her way back downstairs and to the front door. Pushing it open, she half expected to see the full force of the local Guild House standing outside waiting to arrest her, but the streets were deserted, save for one man asleep on a park bench.

The academy was close, just on the opposite side of a forty foot tall, six foot thick stone wall, she could only hope that the gates remain open as they had done during her time at the Academy. It amazed her that it had come to this. That she had to now try and protect the one man that would never have returned the favor. In the back of her mind she wondered how disappointed she would really be if she arrived too late.

Pickman’s square gave way the lower merchant’s district that ran along Cannon street which ran up through the higher levels. She followed the street back down to the gates and found that, not only were they opened, but they were unguarded. That should have been a red flag since she had always remembered seeing guards posted along the walls during her time at the academy, and although they weren’t numerous, they did make their presence known. She wasn’t going to question her good fortune, if it was good fortune, as she slipped under the gates, keeping to the shadows and once again finding herself back in the Academy.

It was a far cry from the first time she had ever set foot in the Academy, when she arrived in the supply wagon through the southern gate. The headmaster Sir Oblum had told them that there were only two ways to leave the academy. The Venator gate or the western gate, sometimes known as the Hunter’s gate, or the Pudora Gate, the Eastern Gate, otherwise known as the walk of shame, the path of disgrace, the losers walk and about thirty other euphemisms pertaining to failure. Now she was entering the Academy through that gate.

Little had changed during her time away, but then it had only been about a year. The times she had walked these grounds during the hot summer nights, and the talks she had with… Gorum.

She sensed the dog before she saw him as the big Mastiff was walking his usual route around the outer edge of the stables, although the stable was much larger now since the fire. She wanted to call out to the dog but knew that yelling across the compound while everyone was supposed to be asleep probably wouldn’t go unnoticed. She crept across the field, trying to get closer to him.

-Didn’t you leave already?-

Kile spun around to see Hunar approach.

-You still wouldn’t make a very good thief.-

“I was trying to get Gorum’s attention.”

-Oh, is that all.-

Hunar replied and let out a loud sharp bark.

“Will you keep it down?”

-You wanted his attention and whispering to him isn’t going to work, he’s as deaf as a post these days.-

“Maybe, but I don’t exactly want to attract too much attention to myself either.”

-Are you planning on stealing something from the vir’s hall?-

“No, of course not. I have reason to believe that Master Boraro may be in danger.”

-Ah, that one. He has been acting strange lately.-

“Strange, as in how?”

-He has been wandering the grounds at night. He goes to the place of horses. He is there now.-

“He’s gone to the stables? Why?”

-Like I care what the vir do.-

She looked up at the stables, sure enough there was a light inside. Not a very bright light, probably a candle or a single lantern, but it was out of place.

“Have you seen or smelled anyone else around?”

-I don’t know.-

Hunar replied and within those words Kile was stuck with a vision of a shadowy movement. It was fleeting and could have been just about anything from an old bag blowing in the wind to a stray cat, but it was enough for Hunar to think on and Hunar was not the type of dog that thought for very long.

“Find Gorum, tell him I’m in the stables, keep watch on the doors and warn me if you see anything out of the ordinary.”

-Will do.-

Hunar replied and set off to find her mentor.

Kile quietly made her way to the stable doors, they were unlocked, yet another indication that something was wrong. Pushing them open slowly, she slipped inside.

There was a familiar feeling to the place, even if they weren’t the old stables she was used to, it was more like coming home, more so than the Veller farm.

“So, you came for me at last.” A familiar voice said as the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath cut the silence of the old barn.

“Master Boraro.” She said, turning around.

The man stepped out of the shadow holding a sword tightly in his right hand. He looked very much as he had looked the last time she had seen him, that was during the graduation ceremony when he had refused to shake her hand in front of everyone. Of course she had refused to shake his hand as well, so there was mutual disrespect.

“You’re in danger.” She said and her hands fell to the grips of her own blades.

“From who? You?”

“No, from an assassin sent to kill anyone who was involved in the dark conspiracy.”

“I don’t know anything about a dark conspiracy. All I know is that I will be the one to bring in the fugitive Veller.” Boraro grinned and without waiting he attacked.

She knew this man and his fighting style. She had even managed to best him, but that was only once. Luke had warned her that if she was unfortunate enough to battle Boraro again, she may not be so lucky. He would not underestimate her a second time.

She rolled out of the way of the sword as it came down, but before it could strike the ground Boraro turned it and came in low on her right side all in one fluid motion. Kile was able to get her blade up between her and the sword, barley turned it away from her.

This time he wasn’t pulling any punches, if he had connected she would have been sliced in two.

The sword came around again as Boraro stepped into his swing. She managed to get both Lann up and deflect it over her head as she slipped under his attack. There was no conceivable way she could win this battle, because she had no intention of killing him, but he had every intention of killing her as he reversed the direction of his sword. She jumped back this time avoiding the blade altogether.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She pleaded.

“I’m supposed to believe you?” He said as his sword came dangerously close to ending the fight permanently. She managed to fall back between the slats in the stall as the sword sliced a chunk of the wood away.

“Somehow I don’t think you care one way or the other.” Kile said as she got back to her feet.

She was hit with a sudden sensation that something or someone had just jumped onto the stable’s roof and was now slipping into one of the hay loft windows. This was something new. Was she actually seeing it through Hunar’s eyes as it happened?

Boraro had broken the top slat of the stall.

“She’s here.” Kile told him. “The assassin is here.”

“Then tell her to wait her turn.”

Wonderful, how was she supposed to protect him while trying to avoid being killed by him.

Another vision from Hunar, or was it Gorum this time caused her to lose focus. Horsemen rode through the eastern gate, four of them in the lead followed by at least half a dozen more. Had the Guild house in Azintar found her at last? She couldn’t worry about that at the moment, if Boraro died now it would be one more death attributed to her, and Scarlet was closer than the hunters.

She tried to locate the assassin but was finding it difficult to concentrate while trying to stay alive. Boraro’s attacks were coming in faster now, but she was able to block most of the strikes, and what she couldn’t block she just avoided. She jumped back from a wild swing and backed into one of the supporting posts. Boraro’s blade bit into the wood just above her head. She slipped out from under him and realized that she had the perfect opportunity to end the battle now as the weapon’s master’s tried to wretch his sword free, but that would have been rather counter productive since she was trying to keep him alive, not do the assassin’s work for her. Just then something in the hay loft caught her eye, and she saw the shape coming in behind them. A flash of steel shot from the shadows. Kile moved quickly and managed to block the flying dagger with the broad side of her blade as a sharp pain struck her from behind. It couldn’t have been the dagger she thought as she watched it fall to the ground.

The lann dropped from her hand as she clutched at her side and the smell of blood overpowered her senses. She turned to see Boraro coming at her again. The doors to the stable flew open as more people entered. She wasn’t sure who they were and at the moment she just didn’t care as the black strands of the Maligar were once more reaching out for her, and she did her best to resist them.

Somebody yelled her name, or at least she thought it might have been her name, she wasn’t sure anymore, and she couldn’t wait around to find out. The vir swung his weapon again and without thinking she turned into his attack, bring her blade down across the back of his hand. He cursed and dropped his sword, doubling over as he clutched the wound and tried to stem the flow of blood. The smell was intoxicating as she came around behind him but instead of delivering the fatal blow, jumped up on his back and leapt for the hay loft. Shapes were now coming in through the second door as people started yelling. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, all she could hear was the blood throbbing in her ears as she ran the length of the loft, kicking open the bay door and jumped to the ground below.

She just had to make it to the western gate. From there she would be safe back in the wild.

Lights were coming on. Vir with torches were after her now, hunting her. She had to escape. She went to the hill, making for the west wall as she passed the kitchens. She could hear the voices behind her. She could hear the hoofs of the horses closing in on her. The gate came into view, and although it was still open, guards blocked her only means of exit. As the horses overtook her they parted each side of her, riderless they made for the gate. The stampede broke the guard’s line opening her exit to the forest beyond.

 

***

 

“Damn that bitch.” Boraro cursed as he grabbed a rag and started to bind his bloody hand.

“Let me look at that.” Daniel said as he approached.

“Why would I do that?”

“If you ever want to use your hands again, you’ll let me look at it.” Daniel replied as he took a hold of the Weapon’s Master’s hand and began to remove the cloth. The wound was deep but not disabling. Whether it was meant to be or not, he didn’t know as he fell into his edge and began to unravel the small strings of energy.

“You brought it on yourself.” Erin shouted

“I did? You saw her, she tried to kill me.”

“No, I saw her protecting you, or trying to.” Erin replied as she retrieved the dagger from where it had fallen. The blade had been dipped in something, but she couldn’t tell what it was, poisons were never her specialty.

The stable doors opened as a rather large, heavyset man entered. He was dressed in just his underwear and a robe, a sword was strapped around his waist but what really set him apart was the large scar that ran down the side of his face starting somewhere in the center of his forehead and ending just below his right cheek, leaving a milky white orb where his eye should have been.

“I have confined the cadets to the dorms, the last thing we need now is a bunch of unskilled wanna be hunters getting under foot.” Sir Oblum said in a gruff yet tired voice.

“That’s probably for the better.” Erin replied.

“So will you at least tell me what in all the levels of hell is going on in my academy?”

“The fugitive Veller was here.” Grey announced as he entered the stables through the far doors followed by two other hunters from the Azintar Guild House.

“Veller… Kile Veller was here? Why?” Oblum asked.

“To kill me obviously.” Boraro replied as he pulled his healed hand away from Daniel. He looked it over carefully, trying out each of his fingers before he grumbled a thank-you.

“I don’t see anything obvious about if.” Erin said as she held up the dagger.

“May I see that?” Daniel asked. He held the dagger carefully in his hands as to not touch the blade, and then fell into his edge once more. When he opened his eyes he set it carefully on one of the workbenches.

“Poison for sure, natural in origin, venom would be my guess, but from what, I don’t know, either way it looks to be the same compound that killed Saybela.”

“So if Kile wasn’t trying to Kill Garrett, then who was?” Oblum asked.

“A hired assassin from the Assassin’s guild I wouldn’t wonder.” Erin replied. “It would appear that someone involved with the death of Prince Jonland has targeted anyone associated with the matter.”

Erin wasn’t sure if she was supposed to divulge the identity of the man who hired this assassin, but figured it was better to be safe than sorry.  They were not entirely convinced that it was Prince Jonland who was behind the assassinations of the members of the so called dark conspiracy or just someone seeking a skewed form of justice for something that had been done. Erin pushed past Grey and stepped out into the night air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Noise from the Eastern Gate caught her attention as more guards, more dogs and more hunters began to filter in. It had become some kind of circus and Kile was the main event. Where was Master Latherby she wondered, if anyone could put a stop to the inevitable disaster that was about to take place, it was him. She turned as another Hunter approached.

“She’s out there somewhere.” Folkstaff said as he turned and looked back toward the west. “I followed her trail as far I could, I got close to her, but lost her somewhere in the woods. All I know is she’s hurt, and she’s hurt bad.”

“And this isn’t going to help bring her in.” Erin said as she gestured to the crowd that had gathered outside the stables. Grey was already giving his motivational speech as he dividing the hunters and members of the city guard into groups.

“What’s going on here then?” Folkstaff asked.

“Grey has it in his mind to sweep the forests with as many men as he can convince to help.”

“That… may not be a very good idea.” Folkstaff said grimly.

“I know, they’re going to try to bring her in any way they can, and I can’t help her.”

“It’s not her I’m worried about, it’s them.”

“What do you mean?”

“I said I got close to her… she’s not… acting… well, she’s not acting normal.”

“Normal?”

“I have tracked a lot of people through the a lot of places, you know that Erin. I know how people act, what they do when they’re being chased. This… This is more like tracking down a wild animal, one that’s been wounded. She’s dangerous, to herself and to anyone that goes after her now, and that’s not the worst of it.”

“What now?” Erin asked, although she really didn’t want to hear any more problems at the moment.

“The forest is alive.” Folkstaff replied.

She had never seen the big hunter so nervous, dare she even say even scared. For Folkstaff to fear the forest when the man spent most of his early career isolated within it was not to be taken lightly.

“Explain, what do you mean?”

“I mean the forest is awake and it’s really ticked off. I spotted at least seven wolves and two bears in the short period I was out there. I dare not pursue her any further, it’s too dangerous. She’s too dangerous.”

“She’s not dangerous.” Daniel shouted as he came up behind Folkstaff. “She didn’t do any of this, this is not her fault.”

“Fault or no, she’s not exactly herself at the moment.” Folkstaff replied.

“But you’re talking as if she was an animal.”

“She’s more animal now than she is human.” Erin said softly as she stared off to the western gate. Was this what Morgan hinted at, was this what the old mystic was afraid of, that she would completely lose herself to the natural world.

“Then I’ll find her myself and I’ll bring her back.” Daniel said, but before he could even take a step, Folkstaff grabbed him by the arm.

“At the moment, that would be foolish.” He said. “We don’t know… we don’t know how badly off she is.”

“But if she’s hurt, I can help.”

“You may not be able to help this time.” He said shaking his head. “This goes beyond the physical.”

“I don’t believe she would hurt me.” Daniel replied.

“Think about it, boy. Would the Kile Veller you know leave that yarrow behind?”

Daniel reached into the bag he wore over his shoulder to feel the soft, yet very nervous body of Vesper. He was surprised to have seen him in the stables alone, surprised that the yarrow had even come to him when he called. He had tried to calm him down, but it was no good, the yarrow was agitated for some reason. So agitated that he wouldn’t even accept the bit of food that Daniel offered him and for as long as Daniel had known Vesper, he had never seen the yarrow turn down food before.

“So what do we do?” Daniel asked.

“There’s not much we can do.” Erin said as she turned to where the men were gathered by the western gate. Grey was giving them their final orders and appeared very pleased with himself as he stood before them in all his glory. The guards appeared a little nervous, but it was no secret that they didn’t trust Hunters and their mystic ways. The hunters on the other hand were eager to get the search underway, a little too eager, but not as eager as the hounds that were straining at their leashes.

“The dogs.” Daniel exclaimed as he started to run across the field towards the groups of men.

“What are you on about boy?” Folkstaff called out.

“Of course, he’s right.” Erin replied as she ran after him.

“Right? Right about what?” Folkstaff called out as chased his two companions down the hill toward the western gate.

“Let the dogs loose.” Daniel cried as he came up to the first guard and wrested the leash from his hands.

“What’s all this?” The guard exclaimed.

“Release the dogs, all of them.” Daniel said as he unfastened the lead to the dog’s collar. The hound, unhindered, ran for the gate, the other hounds now pulling harder on their own leads, eager to follow.

“What are you mad boy.” One guard said, pulling the leash out of Daniel’s hand, but Daniel simply unfastened it from the dog’s collar and the second dog was quickly closing in behind the fist that had already passed under the Western gate. The guard took a few quick steps as if to follow, but thought better of it as he turned to Daniel.

“Do you know what you’ve done boy? Those dogs will tear her apart.”

Grey grabbed Daniel by the back of his tunic and pulled him away from the third dog. “What do you think you’re doing boy, releasing the dogs isn’t going to stop us, it isn’t going to help your friend.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” He said pulling away from Grey.  The larger hunter motioned to two of the guards.

“Detain him. I will not have anyone interfering with my investigation.”

“Your investigation?” Erin said as she came up beside Daniel, pushing the two guards back. “If you haven’t forgotten, this is my bounty, assigned to me by the Guild Master himself.”

“And you have failed.” Grey said as he stepped up to Erin.

“Whether that is true or not… Hunter Drain placed you under Erin’s command.” Folkstaff added. “Therefore she is still technically in charge of this search, unless of course you wish to go against the Guild Council.”

Grey quickly turned to where Folkstaff was releasing yet another dog. This one didn’t hesitate as it ran off after the others. He watched the dog head off into the woods but said nothing to stop it. He was already in hot water with Drain over the incident in Littenbeck. If this didn’t go as planned, he wasn’t sure if Drain would be as understanding. He could find himself back to delivering mail for the next few years, and not even the high priority mail, the stupid little correspondences from insignificant people.

“Fine.” He grumbled throwing up his hands. “But I will not take the fall for this, this is all on you Erin, You’re in charge”

“Release the dogs.” Erin said.

“And what do you plan of achieving with this?”

“What difference does it make, release the dogs.”

The guards looked first at Grey, and when it was clear that he wasn’t going to say anything more, they started to release the dogs one by one. There were twelve of them in all, not counting the three that had gone on ahead, and not to be left out, both Hunar and Gorum quickly followed, ignoring Sir Oblum’s calls for them to stop.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Folkstaff whispered as he stepped up beside Erin.

“I haven’t a clue.” She replied.

“Now what?” Grey asked.

“We wait.”

“For what, to pick up the pieces when the dogs tear her to shreds. I guess I can live with that.” The hunter replied as he strolled off to the dinning hall.

It didn’t take nearly as long as Erin thought it would when the guards at the western gates called out that the first of the dogs had returned. It was one of the guard dogs. As he came forward he stopped just under the arch of the western gate and sat down, staring at the group of men that had gathered. He was soon joined by a second, and then a third and finally a forth, each one just sitting in a line under the arch, waiting.

“You’re going to want to see this.” The guard at the gate called out.

A few of the hunters and one or two of the guards attempted to get a better look as they approached the gate, but the four hounds had other plans, and they rose as one, bearing their teeth. The men thought better of it and backed away. Only when they were far enough did the dogs calmly sit back down again.

“I don’t think we’re in charge of this operation anymore.” Folkstaff whispered to Erin who shook her head in amazement.

The remainder of the pack, thirteen dogs in all exited the forest and came slowly down the road. Hunar, by far the largest of the dogs, was in the lead. Gorum was walking on one side of a very shaky, very pale young girl who leant on him for support. The pack stopped just behind the four advance hounds.

“Place her under arrest.” Grey shouted.

One hunter attempted to do just that, and may have succeeded if it wasn’t for the seventeen snarling dogs.

Kile said nothing as she fell to her knees. Daniel raced out to help her. The dog did nothing to stop him.

She looked up at him as he approached and he stopped midway. Her eyes were of a golden yellow with slits for pupils, much like those of a cat. She closed them slowly and when she opened them again, they were the same hazel colored eyes he remembered.

“I messed up big time didn’t I?” She said with a weak laugh.

“Don’t speak. You’re going to be alright.” He assured her as he knelt down beside her, pulling back the cotton tunic. He touched the wound on her side and she flinched.

“Did I ever tell you how bad your bedside manner was?”

“Quite a few times if I can remember.” He said nervously as he slid his arm around her and helped her to her feet. “And I told you that I would have to start charging you if you kept doing stupid things like this.”

“Put it on my bill.”

He walked her slowly through the western gate, the dogs created a perimeter around them, not letting anyone within ten feet of the pair. The other hunters could only watch as he took her to the healing halls.

 

 

 

***~~~***

 

 

 

21

 

Kile woke up to the familiar feel of cold steel on her wrist and a small warm body on her chest. She looked down to see Vespers staring back at her.

-Kile okay?-

The yarrow asked, and there was so much worry and concern in the words that she had to blink back the tears.

“I’m alright.” She told him, wiping her eyes with her one free hand. At least they hadn’t shackled both of her wrists to the bed frame.

She looked around the room and found the place surprisingly familiar. It should be she thought. She had spent many an afternoon recuperating in the academy’s hospital. The hall she was in was empty. Was it because they had no other patience, or was it because she was some dangerous criminal that had to be isolated? She tried the shackle that bound her right arm to the bed. It wasn’t very secure, nor did it fit very well and she was sure that she could either slip out of it or pull it away from the wall altogether if the need arose, at the moment she was in no moor or condition to do either. The pain in her side was down to a dull ache, the pain in her head was throbbing as good as ever.

“So what’s going on Vesper, what’s happened?”

-Kile hurt healer help.-

The yarrow replied and through his words she saw what Daniel had done as he worked his arts healing the wound on her side. It also didn’t go unnoticed that he was the one to secure her to the hospital bed. Had he done such a poor job deliberately she wondered? Was this a means of giving her a way to escape? She lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes. Did she even want to escape? And if she did, where would she go next? Maybe it was time for her to face the music. It wasn’t as if she had any more bright ideas. In some strange way it was surprisingly comforting not to be running anymore, not to be constantly looking over her shoulder.

-Gorum, Hunar help.-

The yarrow added and Kile could see the two Shinar Mastiffs as well as the other guard dogs sitting just outside the door, keeping everyone at bay. That did amuse her as she fell into her edge and reached out to Gorum. Within minutes the soft pads of his feet could be heard on the Hall’s floor.

-You live pup?-

Gorum asked as he came up to the side of her bed.

“I guess my cycle hasn’t quite come to an end yet.” She replied.

-It would appear that way.-

“Thank you, for everything you and the others have done for me, but I think it’s over now.”

-Are you sure pup?-

“Not really, but I don’t want to see you guys get into anymore trouble because of me. Thank them for me, and ask them to stand down.”

-You already have.-

Sure enough, she could feel the dogs concern for her as they reluctantly left their posts around the healing halls.

“Kile… Kile are you alright.” Daniel cried as he came into the room. The sound of his voice, although welcoming, was rather annoying as her head throbbed. Gorum turned on Daniel, which silence the awkward boy.

“I’m fine Danny.” She said as she tried to pull herself up to a sitting position.

“It’s just… when I saw the dogs leaving… I thought.”

“What? That I died?”

“Well… yeah.”

“Don’t have much confidence in your work, do you.” She said pulling at the chains that bound her to the bed. “Your handy work as well I believe.”

“Sorry Kile, They didn’t give me much of a choice, it was the only way they would let me heal you.”

“I figured as much.” She said as she let the chain fall. “Is Erin still out there?”

“Yeah, she’s still here, not that the dogs have let her into the building, or anyone for that matter, except for me.”

“Can you tell her I wish to see her?”

He looked at her for a moment before he gave a solemn nod and left.

“You should get going too.” She told the Mastiff. “Oblum will be worried.”

-He knows where I am.-

“Yeah, but I don’t want you to get into any more trouble than you probably already are.”

-Let me worry about that pup.-

Gorum said, and turned as Erin entered the hall. She paused for a moment at the door, waiting to see what the Mastiff would do. Gorum moved around to the far side of the bed and sat, watching her.

Erin took the vacant seat beside the bed. Kile couldn’t help but noticed that she looked older than she had before, even tired.

“Is… Master Boraro okay?” She asked.

“He’ll live.” Erin replied.

“I really didn’t mean to hurt him, I doubt if he would forgive something like that. Actually he might if it was anybody but me.”

“He didn’t leave you much of a choice.”

“That’s not entirely true. I had choices. I guess I must have made the wrong ones. So, what now, you’re going to take me back to Littenbeck.”

“Those are my orders.” Erin replied, and sounded as reluctant as the guard dogs felt.

“Don’t worry.” She said waving her free hand. “I promise I won’t give you any trouble.”

“That’s it then, you’re giving up?” Erin asked.

“Believe me, it’s not my first choice, but I don’t know what else I can do to prove my innocence. I found the assassin and she’s gotten away from me, not once but twice, and there are no more names on the list. I suppose I could keep shadowing Master Boraro, but I can’t see that as being very productive.”

“Is that really it?”

She paused for a moment, and then shook her head.

“No, not really… I’m afraid.”

“Afraid? Of what?”

“Of me, of what I’m becoming, of what I’ve done. I really need to speak to Morgan, but I don’t think the mystic’s have much use for me these days.”

“I’ll speak to Morgan for you, if you wish.”

“It doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?” She said as she laid back and closed her eyes. If the Hunter’s Guild has their way, she won’t be needing mystics or anyone’s help any longer.

 

***

 

They didn’t stay at the academy for very long, and in fact had set off the very next day. Their presence there was too much of a distraction as the cadets were eager to see the prisoner who had eluded the entire hunter’s guild for so long. They left early that day, making their way by the shortest route back to the city of Littenbeck and the Guild Halls. Kile rode upon a borrowed horse by the name of Tengara, or as the vir would have her believe, Cinnamon and was escorted by Erin, Folkstaff, Daniel and the every present Grey who couldn’t resist the not so subtle comments that he threw in her direction, that was until Folkstaff made it quite clear that Grey was to remain silent for the duration of the trip. They were also accompanied by several hunters that Kile had not seen before and guessed that they were members of the Azintar Chapter.

Grim had been left in the stables of the Vetta back in Azintar as no one was willing to even try to retrieve him. Vesper was allowed to stay with her until they reached Littenbeck, where she handed him over to Daniel and begged him to be good. She was led through the rear entrance of the Guild hall, down a flight of stairs through a heavy, oak door and into small damp room where a man dressed in Hunter Green put her name down in a thick book and lead her through yet another door. Beyond this door was a hallway that seemed to lead deeper into the depth of the city, lined on both sides with small cells measuring no more than ten foot square. It was here that her journey, for the moment, had ended.

The room had a single cot that had been secured to the wall, as well as a small metal bucket that she could guess its use, as a pungent odor seemed to linger around it. She sat down on the cot with her back to the wall and waited.

Whether there was a lot to be done before her supposed trial, or they just wanted to torment her by keeping her secluded in the darkened cell, she was unsure, but what she was sure about was that the walls of her cell seemed to close in around her and after the second day she was ready to confess to the crimes she had not committed if it meant she could once again see the sky. The only visitor, if she could call it a visitor was the guard that had been posted three cells down toward the end of the hall. His presence had to be for her benefit, since as far as she could tell she was the only prisoner within this section of the prison. The rest of the cells were eerily vacant.

On the fourth day of her confinement she heard the door at the end of the hall open. She knew it couldn’t be the changing of the guard since they entered through a separate doorway that, more than likely, lead to a guard room. She refrained from pressing her face between the bars of the cell door in an eager attempt to get a look at the visitor and instead sat up on her cot and waited.

There were two sets of footsteps, the heavy steel toed boots of the guard and the lighter softer boots of a hunter, or she assumed it had to be a hunter since who else would be down here in the bowels of the Guild Hall.

“Hello Kile.” The man said as he reached the cell door.

She looked up at a solemn face she hadn’t seen since her days at the academy.

“Master Adams. What are you doing here?”

“I will be representing you at the council hearing.”

He looked very much like he had a year ago. The young well kept hunter with his stack of books under his arm. He adjusted his glasses and gave her a smile that was a little out of place. He had no more faith in that smile than she did.

“Represent me?”

“Yes, you will be given a fair trial…”

“Before they find me guilty and execute me.”

He said nothing as he adjusted his glasses again, which meant that her little joke wasn’t that far from the truth.

“I need to ask you a few questions.” He said, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to her through the bars. She took it and slowly unrolled it. On the parchment was a list of names, most of them she was not familiar with and only one caught her attention.

“Who are they?” She asked a bit nervously.

“Do you recognize any of them?”

“Some of the names seem familiar but there is only one that I really know, Murphy Sans.”

“From the academy?”

“Yes, you remember, he was the fifth member of our group during the survival exercise. He helped you hand out the code books during my third year.”

“Do you remember where he was assigned?”

“What happened to him?”

“Do you remember where he was assigned?”

“We all opened our destination papers after the graduation ceremony together. It was someplace I hadn’t heard of. I think it was Roth or something like that.”

“Luth.” Master Adams corrected her.

“Yeah, that’s it, Luth. I never did get around to looking it up. He’s dead, isn’t he?” She said as she watched for his reaction.

“Yes, I’m afraid he is.”

“They all are, aren’t they? All the names on this list.”

She handed the parchment back.

“I’m afraid so.” Adams replied as he slipped the list of names back among his books.

“You wanted to see my reaction.”

He said nothing.

“How did he… what happen to him.”

“It happened on a routine deliver, that’s all I really know. The problem is, he doesn’t fit the pattern.”

“Pattern, what pattern?”

“The rest of the hunters on the list were level three or higher, he was the only probationary hunter.”

“And you think he was singled out.”

“It is a possibility.”

“And you think I was the one that singled him out.”

“I didn’t say that, but you did know him and your relationship at the academy was less than hospitable. If I remember, he did break your nose once during a combat lesson.”

“Then your information is wrong, Robert broke my nose, Murphy saved my life. If you’re looking for someone with a grudge against Murphy, then it’s Eric you want.”

Had Eric actually gone out of his way to kill Murphy? They had grown up together, even though Eric was the son of the Lord of Callor and Murphy the son of a tin knocker. They had once been friends, if she could call it a friendship. Had Eric actually crossed that line? She couldn’t see Ravenshadow having anything to do with a probationary level Hunter, but then she couldn’t really see Ravenshadow having much to do with any of the hunters on the list.

“I do not believe you killed Murphy, or any of them for that matter.” Master Adams said, shaking her from her thoughts. “But it will be brought up during the trail and I have to know where I stand if I’m to defend you.”

“What’s the use? It’s not like I have much of a chance.”

“We shall see. As you know the Crown has waived its claims, and although that doesn’t exonerate you of the death of those men, it does go a long way in supporting your case, but I won’t lie to you, it’s not looking very good.”

“Then… what’s going to happen to me?”

“Execution may be off the table, but that leaves Blackmoore.”

“Blackmoore.”

She had only heard of Blackmoore prison once, and the way the King had described it, it was not a place she wanted to go. The idea of being confined to a cell for the rest of her life, never seeing the sun or the moon, never feeling the wind or the rain, she would go mad. There was no doubt about it, she would not survive Blackmoore, she was better off if they just killed her outright.

“Don’t worry hun. I would never let you go to Blackmoore.”

Kile spun around to see the form of a red haired woman emerge from the solid wall of her cell.

“What's the meaning of this.” Master Adams exclaimed as he stepped back from the bars.

“It’s a prison break you dolt.” Scarlet replied and grabbed Kile by the arm.

For one brief moment Kile thought she was saved, but then she realized that this woman had tried to kill her the last two times they met and that it was not in her best interest to go peacefully, but before she could prevent her escape, she already had. Like water through sand she was pulled through the floor of her cell.

It was a strange sensation, like being stretched thin and then pulled through a keyhole. When she came out the other side she was dropped the ten feet to the stone floor below, the impact driving the air from her lungs and leaving her dazed. Before she could get to her feet or even take a breath Scarlet grabbed her arm again and yanked her through the nearest wall. This passage didn’t go as smoothly as the floor and she felt herself come to a sudden stop as if someone or something had grabbed her right leg causing her to fall face first onto the floor. The floor may have been wooden but it wasn’t any softer than the stone. She tried to get to her feet but found that her foot was still inside the wall. To see her leg suddenly end at the face of the wall was a bit unsettling. She tried to pull it free but there was no movement. She even tried wiggling her toes but she couldn’t feel them either.

“It’s no use.” Scarlet said with a melodic laugh as she pulled one of the many chairs over and sat down in front of her. “It’s not stuck so you won’t be able to pull it free. Aside from actually cutting your foot off, the only way out is through me.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Kile asked.

“Simple. I could free you… should I feel like it, but at the moment I don’t.  At least this way I know you can’t go… feral on me.”

“They’re going to be looking for me.”

“Of course they are, they think you escaped, but by the looks of this place, I don’t think anyone has come down here in quite a while, so we have a bit of time.”

“Time for what?”

“For the poison to take effect.”

“Poison, what poison?”

“Look at your hand.” She laughed.

Kile had been so concerned about her foot that she hadn’t felt the scratch on the back of her hand.

“Don’t worry about it too much. It's not the same stuff that I used before, although it’s still lethal, it takes a little longer to kick in, I say about an hour, possible two for most people, but you, you’re not like most people. You were able to fight off the Bari, although you shouldn’t have been. How did you do it? How did you survive the Bari serpent’s poison?”

“Bari serpent?”

“That poison should have killed you. It did kill you I saw you die. How did you defeat the poison?”

“How the hell should I know?” She exclaimed as she pulled at her leg again.

“I suppose it really doesn’t’ matter now.” Scarlet said shaking her head. “After today, nothing will matter. You see, Ravenshadow has just given me your contract. I kill you and I’m set for life.”

Scarlet got up from the chair and turned her back on Kile as she walked the length of the room, running her finger over the dusty tables.

“You see, you’ve outlived your usefulness.” She laughed.

Kile tried to free herself from the wall but the more she struggled the more it hurt, it was like trying to pull her own foot off, it just wouldn’t budge. She looked around the room to see if there was something, anything that might be used to pry herself free, although she didn’t really believe that was possible from what the assassin had told her. She could already feel her heart racing, was that the Maligar creeping in again or was it just the effects of the poison? She had heard of animals that had chewed off their own feet to free themselves from a trap. Would she do that under the control of the Maligar? Without even thinking would she chew off her own foot? The thought of such an act made her nauseous to say the least. She had to maintain control. She can’t let the madness overtake her again. What was the phrase that Scarlet had used? She couldn’t let herself go feral.

Kile closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the dusty room, the damp floor, the smell of jasmine and a hint of lavender. There it was, the smell of lavender and leather, faint, but getting stronger. She reached out with her edge, stretching as far as she could, searching the rooms, the halls, the floors until she found minds that would listen to her; mice in the pantry, a cat in the kitchen, a dog in his master’s office, pigeons on the window sill, even the horses in the street. She opened her eyes.

“So that’s it.” She said, taking a deep breath. “He no longer needs me alive.”

“Why should he. As I’ve said, you’ve outlived your usefulness.”

“So he’s given up trying to frame me?”

“It served its purpose for what it was worth. He delayed the hunter’s long enough, shifted the power struggled, and kept the west blind, all while seeking justice, or at least his version of justice.”

“At least he could think outside the box, can’t say the same about you.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Scare asked as she turned to face Kile.

“I’m just saying you’re not very… original.”

“I’ll have you know that I am one of the greatest assassins the guild has ever known and will ever know. You should consider yourself honored to have been dispatched by me.”

“Please, I haven’t seen anything too impressed me so far. I mean, I’ve seen the aftermaths of... what?... five targets, and I didn’t see anything different, they were all done the same way right down to the burning of the houses to cover your tracks, and even then you weren’t very efficient at it.  Where’s the originality, where’s the flare.”

“Originality? Flare?” She shouted as she moved towards Kile.

“Look at me. You have the opportunity to kill me for a second time, and the best you can come up with is poison… again. You’re not very imaginative for an assassin.”

“Maybe I’ll have to show you how imaginative I can be.” Scarlet said as she produced a thin bladed silver knife. Scarlet took a step towards her and that was when a small grey mouse slipped through the crack under the door and ran across the floor, passing between Scarlet’s legs and coming to a stop beside Kile.

She wasn’t sure if Scarlet was surprised by the mouse’s behavior, or she was just scared of mice, but she stared at the mouse, and the mouse stared back. It wasn’t long before another one entered the room. This one came in through a small crack in the wall behind the bookshelf and was joined by a large brown rat. The mouse came up to Kile the rat approached Scarlet who slowly backed away.

“This place is infested.” She replied as she stepped back from the rodents. “Maybe I should just leave you to the rats.

“That is one possibility.” Kile replied. “At least it’s… kind of… original.”

“I’ve seen it done before.”

Kile looked past Scarlet to see Erin standing in the center of the room, her sword drawn and pointing in the assassin’s direction. It was about time she had gotten here, although Kile couldn’t tell how the lady hunter had entered the room without making a sound. She was, however, surrounded by a few mice of her own so there was no mystery on how she had found her way.

“It would seem that I underestimated you.” Scarlet remarked as she turned to face Erin. “I thought I would have more time.”

“Did you really think that we wouldn’t have Kile under surveillance?”

“I had hoped that bringing her down here would have made for a longer search, but no bother. Now I have the opportunity to deal with both of the female hunters.”

Before Erin could respond, Scarlet struck first, or at least tried to as Erin quickly sidestepped the attack. Their weapons clashed and Erin spun in lower to counter, but her blade sliced through the air as it passed right through the body of the assassin, leaving Erin vulnerable. She jumped backward, barely avoiding Scarlet’s blade and collided with the table, sending the chairs toppling over. Scarlet tried to capitalize on her opponent’s miss-step but Erin easily knocked the blade aside and counter, only to cut through the air once again.

“You wanted originality.” Scarlet laughed. Her voice whispering through the air as her body reformed behind the hunter.

“Watch out.” Kile screamed.

Erin had just enough time to get her sword up as Scarlet’s blade came in low. She turned to face the new attack and Scarlet’s body dissolved once gain, being carried on some unseen breeze.

“The problem with hunters is that they never truly learn to use their edge.”

Scarlet’s voice was like a harsh wind as it cut through the air, and Erin had no way of telling which direction she would attack from next.

She came in behind her again and this time Erin wasn’t able to get completely out of its way as Scarlet's blade cuts a clean line on her left thigh. Erin staggered back and tried to counter but there was no one to counter against as Scarlet body dissolved back into the air once again.

“I can keep this up all day, can you lady hunter.” Scarlet taunted.

There was nothing Kile could do as she watched the exchange. Her edge was all but useless in this battle as the mice were no match against an assassin that just wasn’t all there. Her only chance to help Erin was to distract Scarlet long enough to give Erin the upper hand. If they could capture the assassin, it would go a long way in proving her innocence.

She pulled herself to her feet, or to her foot, as she balanced herself on one of the chairs that had recently fallen in her directions. She fell into her edge and let her feral senses take over. It was all a matter of timing, and when the timing was right she pushed the chair with all her might and watched it slide across the floor.

It happened so fast that none of them understood it, until it was all over. The ethereal form of Scarlet maneuvered her way behind Erin once again and the chair slid into the space of her body as she took form. Erin spun around to defend herself, but there was nothing to defend against.

“NO!” Kile cried.

Erin slowly backed away. Kile fell to her knees. Scarlet stood motionless in the center of the room.

“I didn’t… that wasn’t…”

“Kile, it’s all right, you had no choice.”

“She was my last chance.” Kile said shaking her head.

“Don’t be so sure, even if we had been able to take her in, I doubt if she would have helped you, or if the council would have even listened to a member of the assassin’s guild. Now let’s see about getting you out of there.”

“How? I’m kind of attached to the wall and she was the only one that could get me out and I just…”

“You did what you had to do, and for that I’m grateful.” Erin said as she knelt down beside Kile and ran her hand over the wall where the young girl’s leg was still attached. “It’s not one of my specialties, but I do know the skill.”

Erin got up, took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She stood in front of Kile and took hold of her hands. “Just relax” she told her as she fell into her edge

The feeling wasn’t as disturbing as when Scarlet had done it. With Erin in control it was more like floating, but all her parts floating in different directions, and then she felt herself being pulled back together until she was solid once more and was able to set both feet on the ground.

“Ow!”

“What? Are you alright?”

“Yeah… it’s just my foot fell asleep.”

Erin picked up her sword as Kile hobbled over to where Scarlet stood.

“That is just… wrong… so… wrong.” She said as she walked around the assassin.

Scarlet had completely solidified around the chair and was stuck standing up, her arms hanging limply at her side, her head lolled back.

“You… can’t… do anything for her… can you?” She asked.

“I’m afraid not.” Erin said as she came up beside her. “It’s not quite like a leg stuck in the wall. It’s a little more complicated.”

“So much for my chances of proving my innocence.”

“Come on, we should get you seen to.”

“Oh, that’s right. I was poisoned again wasn’t I?”

 

***

 

“Are you sure she used a poison, because I can’t detect any in your body.” Daniel said as he stepped away from the cot.

“She said she did, and I thought I felt it, but… I don’t know.”

“Well, either way you appear healthy enough.” He replied as he placed his things back into his bag.

“Great, I’ll be healthy for my execution.”

“Don’t say that. Master Adams says there is little chance of that happening.”

“No, he just says I’ll probably spend the rest of my life in Blackmoore, and since I’m healthy, it should be a long life.” She said as she slumped back in the cot, then she saw the look on Daniel’s face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to depress you as well.”

“How can I not be depressed, I mean, I kind of feel responsible.”

“I don’t know why you feel responsible, you didn’t do anything.”

“That’s just it, I should have helped you. I should have gone with you to the Tally house. I should have helped you solve this problem, instead…”

“Look, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. If anything you would have ended up in the cell next door.”

“Maybe.” Daniel replied. “We still have two days to find a way to get you out of this and Erin is still searching for Emara. If we can find her, that will go a long way in proving your innocence. So, don’t give up hope yet.”

“Yeah, of course.” She replied as she forced a smile, but in the back of her mind she wasn’t holding out much hope in the search for the illusive mystic. Emara was supposed to return to the tower soon after their parting, which was some time ago. With Emara’s sense of direction there was no telling where she could have transported to, that was assuming she even left the wastelands. She could have even been recaptured. There was just no way to know.

“I’ll let Vesper know you’re alright.” Daniel said as she reached for the cell door. “I wanted to bring him but…”

“It’s alright. I understand.” She said waving him off. Ever since the escape that wasn’t an escape sent the animals into chaotic frenzy, they had banned all pets from the building until further notice.

Daniel knocked twice on the door and waited until the guard let him out.

“I’ll try to come and see you tomorrow.” He said as the guard closed and barred the door again.

Kile just nodded, but she knew they wouldn’t let him in to see her again. They weren’t letting anyone in to see her until the trial, or hearing, or whatever it was that they insisted on calling it. An inquisition was probably closer to the truth she thought as she laid back down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

 

***

 

She was flying, soaring across the sky with the wind in her hair and the sun on her face. The mountains loomed in the distance and the forest passed below her, she was free. She could smell the salt of the sea and hear the cry of the gulls as she passed over the cities and the town flying ever northward toward the pillars of black smoke that rose in the distance. As she got closer she crossed into the province of Denal where the smoke was the thickest and the smell of decay lingered in the air.

The small town Coopervill far below her, nestled among the trees, was not the quiet little town she had been confined during her probationary year, the town she grudgingly called home. It was a town in ruin, burn to the ground, black smoke filled the air and the smell of ash and death assaulted her sense. It had been completely destroyed, every building, every house, The bird and bay, the old blacksmith’s shop, the guild house, even the Apple Blossom Livery was burnt to the ground,. The Western lands were all ablaze, but she didn’t care, as she flew past them over the wastelands where the uhyre were now on the move, pouring over the border as if the dam had broken. Nothing could stop them as they marched their way to Windfoil, and still she didn’t care as she continued to fly west, over the vast desert, chasing the setting sun as it descended among the lush green lands that called out to her, she could even smell it, the scent of a forest after a heavy rain.

That was a familiar smell Kile thought as she quickly sat up in her cot and looked toward the cell door. It was a smell she should have known all along and yet had never truly trusted her senses, until now. The traveling mystic in Riverport, the young guard that had shown her the way to the mystic’s tower four years ago, the young cadet that questioned her about traditions during Oblum’s orientation, the stable hand that taught her how to defend herself, they all had the same smell.

“Hello Master Latherby.”

A haggard faced guard poked his head through the small window of her door.

“Sorry miss?”

“I said, hello Master Latherby.” She replied without looking at him.

“I’m afraid you have me mistaken miss, I ain’t no master to no one.”

“Yes… yes you are. I don’t know how you do it sir, but I know who you are.”

“And what make you think so?”

“Your smell, your scent, you may be able to hide your appearance, or even change it, but you can’t change who you really are.” She turned and looked at the rather confused man. “Who are you really?”

“Ma’am, my name is Thompson, Jack Thompson.”

“Please sir, who are you really?”

The old haggard face began to mellow, and then began to melt as it shifted and reformed into something, or someone she did know.

“Luke.” She said with a smile.

“For all these years, nobody has ever found me out, I am impressed Miss Veller, and for the record, my real name is Moran, as in Moran Leafler.”

“Wait a moment, are you telling me you’re that Moran Leafler, the one that started the Hunter’s guild, what four hundred some odd years ago.”

“I see Master Adams was right, you do remember your history.”

“A lot of good it’s doing me now, but how is it that no one has ever found you out?”

“It’s because of my edge, like yourself Miss Veller, I am what the hunter’s refer to as a freak, or as you so eloquently stated, a miscellaneous.”

“That still doesn’t explain how you’re still around after four hundred years, unless… you’re not vir are you? You’re an alva.”

“Very good Miss Veller, I am impressed. Yes, I am one of the last, or at least one of the few that remained behind. Back then I thought I could mend the rift between the vir and the alva, but I was mistaken. As it is I was forced to change my appearances to look more like a Vir and less like an Alfa so that I was accepted among them and I created the hunters to pass on my knowledge, but it would appear that I have failed in that as well.”

“I’m sorry… I guess I wasn’t cut out to be a hunter after all.”

“No, no Kile, that’s not what I’m saying. You are one of the few vir that I have met that truly knows what it means to be a hunter. If anything, I have failed you. This travesty of justice should never have happened. I should have seen it coming. I suppose when you’ve been around as long as I have, you get rather complacent. I thought I understood Drain, I thought I could keep him and his sons of Terrabin under control. I was wrong, and now they are the ones in control.”

“What are you going to do now sir?”

“At the moment, not much, but it is not the first time I had to regain control of the Hunter’s guild, and I fear it will not be the last.”

“What about now, what about me.”

“I’m afraid my hands are tied.” He said sadly as he shook his head.

She jumped from the cot and moved to the door.

“You don’t really believe what they are saying about me?”

“No, of course not… It’s just…”

“It’s just what? What are you trying to say, that I have to be sacrificed for the greater good? That this is bigger than me and I have to do my part as a hunter, because I’ve heard that before, I heard it at the Academy and I didn’t believe it then. Placing the guild above the individual, if that’s what being a hunter is all about, then you can count me out. I no longer wish to be one.”

“Kile please…”

“I will not go to Blackmore. Not for you, not for the guild, not for anyone or anything.” She said and her eyes flashed with that feral instinct that even the great Moran Leafler stepped back from the cell door. She turned her back on him.

“Kile, you have to understand.”

“No, no I don’t. Good by Master Latherby.”

He said nothing more as he moved away from the cell door. She wasn’t sure if he changed his appearance back to the old haggard guard or not, but she also didn’t care. She was becoming a pawn in a game with no sides and no rules, a game that she wasn’t even allowed to play. She lay back down on the cot and stared up at the cracks in the ceilings and wondered how things had gone so very wrong.

 

 

 

***~~~***

 

 

 

32

 

They came for her the next evening. Two armed guards led Master Adams to her cell door. She wished they had given her a chance to bathe before they took her away to her trial, or even a wash cloth and some water or at the very least a brush to tame her hair. She would look a right state as they led her into the chamber with her wild hair and her dirty clothes. She would look like the wild animal they claimed she was. Maybe that would work to her advantage. Let them think she was less than human, she could play it out, she would wait for her opportunity.

“Are you ready Kile?” Master Adams asked as the guard opened the door and stepped back.

Was she ready? That was a foolish question to ask. Ready for what, this farce they called justice. In many ways she was starting to think that Ravenshadow had the right idea all along. Maybe she was destined to follow in his footsteps, to escape Blackmoore and seek vengeance, no, not just vengeance but justice, to seek justice for those who put her in this position.

Who was she kidding, she could never take that road, but if the opportunity presented itself, when it presented itself, she would put as much distance between the guild and herself as she could.

She rose from the cot and held her arms out as they placed the shackles on her wrists.

“Is that really necessary?” Master Adams asked the guard.

“Just following orders sir.” The guard replied.

Was there a note of regret in the guard’s voice?

“What now?” She asked.

“Since the crown has dropped all changes against you, you will be taken to council chamber where the Master of Law will hear your case.”

“Wonderful.”

“Master Keel is a fair man Kile, he has already reviewed the evidence and he will listen to both sides of the case before he makes his decision.”

Has he already made it she wondered?

She followed Master Adams down the hall through the double doors and back up the stairs that she had descended nearly a week ago. One would think that if they had wanted her so badly they wouldn’t have left her waiting in her cell for so long. They led her down a second hall and then a third as Master Adams rambled on about legal procedures and what to expect during the trial, but she only heard about half of it and the half she heard she understood little and cared nothing. Let them have their trial, let them feel as if they are in charge. She wasn’t planning on staying around much longer anyway.

They stopped when they reached a small door. The guards took their place on either side as Master Adams reached for the handle.

“Are you ready?” He asked her again.

“If I say no, can we go back to my cell?”

Master Adams forced a smile as he pulled open the door and ushered her through.

The room was not what she thought it would be. When he said they would hear the trail in the council chambers, she figured a small room with a single desk and an old man sitting behind it waiting to pass sentence. This wasn’t a chamber, this was an amphitheater.

It may have been dark, but she could feel the space opening around her, wider and higher than she thought possible. Rows upon rows of seats that surrounded her were filled with eager whispering spectators. Before her a long table set above the floor with not one, but seven old men in black hooded robes waiting to pass judgment. A smaller table sat down on the main floor with two chairs, Master Adams directed her to one of them.

From her seat on the floor she felt as if she was at the bottom of a deep pit, the walls of which were lined with eyes staring down at her. Before her the seven hooded men sat, but they were speaking with one another, as if her presences there meant nothing, and they were already discussing what to do with her. She could barely make out their faces under the hoods and the dim light of the glowing orbs that rested on the table didn’t help very much.

Whatever their argument was about it had reached its boiling point as the black robed man sitting in the center of the group slammed a fist sized crystal globe down onto a hard wooden block. The sharp sound was heard above the noise as it echoed through the chamber and the room fell silent. He waited until the other men found their seats.

“This trial will now come to order.” The man said as he set the globe aside, drew back his hood and picked up his papers. He looked old as he leaned forward into the light of the orb although his hair and his beard were as black as pitch and bore no sign of graying. It was in the tired lines around his eyes that told his age. He didn’t shout or raise his voice but she could hear every word he said as if he had been sitting right beside her.

“Will the accused stand?”

Master Adams motioned for her to stand up and although she really couldn’t see the point of it, she would play along for the time being as she got to her feet.

“As the members of this council are no doubt aware, the Crown has dropped all charges against the accused, although that does not clear her from those charges that have been brought against her by the Guild and by the Tower.” He said addressing the spectators first before turning those tired eyes onto her.

“Miss Veller, you are being charged with no less than seventy three violations of the Hunter’s Code of conduct, not the least of which the direct involvement in the death or disappearance of thirty six known hunters, as well as the abduction and possible death of one Emara Lon of the Mystic’s Tower. How do you plead?”

“Master Keel, I wish the violations against my client to be read for the record as well as the names of each missing hunter listed.” Master Adams replied as he rose from his chair to stand beside her.

“Are you serious?” A dissenting voice called from the far right hand side of the table as one of the black robed men rose from his seat.

“Master Drain, mind you place.” Keel replied.

“Sir, I mean no disrespect, but in light of the current events, I do not see where a list of this nature needs to be read out when it is common knowledge to all. Are we to spend the next several days squabbling over each little matter when the real issue is so much greater?” Drain asked.

“Although Guild Councilman Drain is here strictly as an observer, I do have to agree with his assessment of the situation.” Another robed figure on the left side of the Law Master called out. “The violations have already been entered into her record, I think that should suffice.”

“As you say sir.” Master Adams replied “but it is my understanding that many of those, so called, violations, occurred after Miss Veller had her hunter certification revoked, and therefore should not be held to a code that did not pertain to her at that time.”

“If I may Master Keel.”

Yet another robed figured rose from his chair, this one was also from the left side of the table.

“Precede Master Rain.”

“There is some merit in what Master Adams has to say, and it seems rather counterproductive to seek a ruling on each of the violation if those violations were carried out in the name of justice. I feel that we should not deviate from the matter at hand.”

“Agreed.” Keel replied after he shuffled through is papers once more. It appeared to be more of a nervous habit than anything else. “The violations shall not be read but shall not be a part of this hearing at this time and will be held over upon its conclusion. Is this acceptable Master Adams?”

“Yes sir, quite acceptable.”

“Then if that is all, how does your client plead.”

“Not guilty sir.”

Master Keel began to converse with the two men on either side of him as Master Adams took his seat. He reached over and pulled Kile back into hers.

“What the hell was that all about?” She asked.

“It simply means that the rules that you broke while you were on the run will not be used in this trial.”

“Is that all, couldn’t they have just said that?”

The crystal globe was struck on the block three more times as Keel spoke up.

“At this time we shall hear from mystic Talormor.”

A dark man with a long narrow face cloaked in light blue robes slowly rose up from his chair on the left side of the stage.

“Thank-you sir.” He said with a slight bow toward Master Keel then turned to the specters. “The mystic tower has been without a Magus for the last twenty six years, after the untimely death of Magus Curci. As you may not know, every so many years a mystic is born who is touched by all eight of the spheres, Emara Lon was such a mystic. It is the custom to prepare this mystic to become the next Magus. Whether her abducting was to cripple the tower, for whatever reason, or an act against her directly, we do not know. What we do know is that such a loss could set the tower astray without guidance. Therefore it is imperative that we know for certain the condition of Mystic Lon.

“It is our belief at this time that she…”

Before the mystic could finish his statement, there was a crackling in the air as dancing blue sparks filled the chamber followed by a flash of bright light and what sounded like a clap of thunder. Kile was sure she had just been struck by lighting as her chair toppled over backwards. For one brief moment the entire amphitheater was lit up and then just as suddenly cast into total darkness. People began shouting and few began throwing curses. The clattering of the guards drowned out the rest of voices as they moved from their places along the walls in a vain attempt to regain order. Kile could see nothing, and her first thought was that she had been struck blind by the light, but when the camber candles reignited brighter than before and looking up from her place on the floor she saw, standing on her table, the last person she thought she would see.

“Hey, Kile girl.”

“Alex? What are you doing here?”

“I hitched a ride.” He said jerking a thumb toward the woman in the brightly colored robes behind him as he jumped down from the table to help Kile up.

The last time she had seen Alex Bartlow was back at the academy on the day of graduation. The small boy was the first to reach out to her as a friend although he could be, and usually was, rather annoying. Something like the younger brother she never wanted. He hadn’t really changed much since those days, save for the mustache he now sported on his upper lip. The facial hair just didn’t suit his boyish face. It didn’t so much as make him look older as it made him look creepy.

“Not bad, At least I was closer this time Al.” The young woman in the multicolored robes laughed.

Kile looked at the young woman who was still standing on the table surveying the room, and although her hood was drawn down over her face, she was not difficult to recognize.

“Emara.” She shouted. “What the hell is going on, and where in all of Aru have you been?”

By now the guards were as surprised to see the colorful young mystic appear within their midst as everyone else in the amphitheater was, and could only stand and watch to see what was gong to happen next. Only mystic Talormor dare to approach.

“Miss Lon, what is the meaning of this? Where have you been?”

“Oh don’t get your robes in a twist.” She said dismissing the old mystic’s ire with a wave of her hand as Alex helped her down from the table.

“Do you realize the tower had been searching for you for the last two cycles? I ask again, where have you been?”

“If you must know I was on vacation… in Baxter’s Bay.”

“I will have order.” Keel demanded as he slammed the globe down on the table brining the chaos under a little more control, although there were still low levels of mumblings among the spectators.

“Mystic Talormor, am I to believe that this young woman is the same Emara Lon that Hunter Veller is being accused of abducting?”

“I’m afraid it is sir.” The Mystic replied a bit nervously.

“Abducted… who me…, I haven’t been abducted in over a month, and definitely not by Kile, in-fact if it wasn’t for her I’d probably still be a prisoner.” Emara replied.

“A prisoner? Of whom?” Keel asked

“Oh, some guy that calls himself… oh, what was it again? Crowshade or something like.”

“Ravenshadow.” Kile corrected her.

“Kile.” Emara exclaimed, noticing her for the first time as she quickly turned around, her multi-colored robes billowing out around her like a drunken rainbow. “There you are… I have been looking all over for you. You look… terrible. Do you always look so… well… unkempt? I mean, I thought it was because the last time you were a prisoner that you let yourself go, but now… you really should do something with your hair. I know a wonderful incantation that could straighten that out and turn you into a blonde in no time.”

“Emara, what happened to you, where have you been all this time? You were supposed to go back to the tower when we parted.”

“Yeah, funny thing that. I kind of… well… missed my mark. I ended up in Baxter’s Bay so I figured… while I was there I’d take a little rest, maybe do a little shopping, visit the spas, you know, I wasn't in a rush to get back to my studies… and then I met Al.” She said as she gave Alex a rather sappy smile.

“Wait, you have been lounging around in Baxter’s Bay all this time. Do you realize they thought I kidnapped you, that I possible killed you?”

“Well… no… I didn’t know, not until Al told me.”

“Al?”

“Yeah, Emara and I met up at the Flounder when I was making my deliveries. I didn’t realize she was the same Emara you kidnapped.”

“I didn’t’ kidnap anyone.” Kile shouted as she threw her hands up in the air.

“Why are you always in shackles?” Emara asked.

“I don’t know… they always seem to go with my attire.”

“Well… that’s true.” She replied as she looked Kile over. “Although it is a sight better than those uhyre rags, still… you should have a bit more pride in your appearance.”

“Em… I think Kile’s been arrested.” Alex added.

“Arrested?” Emara said, repeating the word a few times before it finally sunk in. “Oh… oh I get it. Why have you been arrested, what did you do.”

“For starters I supposedly kidnapped you.”

“Oh well, we know that didn’t happen.” Emara said joyfully as she nearly skipped around the table and with a touch of her finger and a simple word, the shackles broke off, freeing Kile’s wrists. She noticed the guards didn’t exactly appreciate this as they started to move forward.

“I don’t think you should have done that.” Kile replied.

“Why, the last time you wanted me to remove your shackles, and this time I did it without burning you, or squeezing your wrists. You see, I told you I could do it if I wasn’t rushed.”

“Yeah, that was then, this is now, entirely different situation.”

“Well, I can’t very well put them back on now can I? I haven’t really learned that one yet.”

“This is an outrage.” Drain shouted as he rose from his seat. “This is a mockery of the court. She has released the prisoner.”

“Miss Lon.” Talormor shouted as he nearly flew, and probably did, across the floor to finally come up beside her. “You cannot just release a prisoner during a trial.”

“Oh please.” She replied dismissively. “Kile didn’t do anything wrong. It was all that Crowshade… person.”

“Ravenshadow.” Kile corrected her again.

“Crowshade, Ravenshadow, same difference. You remember him, the guy in the drab clothing.”

“Well yeah, I remember him, but they don’t believe he existed.”

“That is not the point, you don’t just release prisoners.” Talormor shouted. He seemed to always be shouting.

“But is she a prisoner?” Master Adams asked, now coming to his sense after seeing the exchange between the two girls. He set his chair upright, placed his papers back on his table and fixed his glasses.

“We know the crown has dropped all charges against her, and I imagine Mystic Talormor that the Tower will do the same now that we know Miss Lon was never abducted, or at least not by Veller.”

“Is this true Miss Lon.” Keel asked from his place on the podium, although now he was standing too. “Are you claiming you were never abducted by Miss Veller?”

“What? Oh come on, do I look like a simpleton?” Emara asked.

Kile couldn’t help but notice that Talormor wanted so desperately to answer that question, but bit his tongue.

“Kile was already imprisoned for several days before I was even captured, there was no way she could have had anything to do with it. As I said already, if it wasn’t for her, I’d probably still be there.”

“Law Master Keel.” Talormor turned to address the bench. “Under this new light of evidence, it is my belief that the Tower has no choice but to drop all charges against the Hunter Kile Veller.”

“So be it, it will be noted.” Keel remarked.

“I object.” Drain shouted again, jumping to his feet. “This is an outrage. I demand order.”

“This is my court Guild Councilmen Drain, do not forget it.”

“My apologies Law Master, but the guild has not dropped the charges against Veller. She is still on trial for the deaths and disappearances of nearly twenty eight hunters.”

“I find it difficult to believe that Miss Veller could have been responsible for those disappearances when she herself had been captured and imprisoned at the time, and may have, in fact, been one of those hunters that had disappeared.” Master Adams quickly replied.

“The Tower may take the word of this child as a legitimate piece of evidence, but I… I mean the guild does not. How can we be sure? She says she spent the last few weeks in Baxter’s Bay, and had no knowledge of the fact that she had been reported missing by the same tower that believe her to be the next Magus. I find this hard to believe, and if we can’t believe her account of the past few weeks, how are we to believe her testimony that Veller was indeed imprisoned?”

“It is a fair question Hunter Adams.” Keel replied. “The Tower does not answer to the guild nor to the crown and if they wish to drop their charges based upon this girl’s testimony, that is their right, but it does not change the fact that Hunter Veller is still facing charges set by the guild.”

“But sir, surely you can see by Mystic Lon’s testimony that these charges are baseless.”

“Not without sufficient proof.”

“But then what proof has the guild shown to substantiate these charges.”

“We have been over this Master Adams.” Keel replied as he took his seat behind the bench. He looked a lot more tired than he had before he started this hearing as he ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair.

“Mystic Lon. Do you have any other evidence that supports your claim that you were imprisoned by this, so called, Ravenshadow and that Hunter Veller was with you at that time.” Keel asked as he turned his attention toward Emara.

“Evidence?” She asked.

“Yes, some collaborating testimony or proof that what you said actually happened when and where you say it did.”

“Well… yeah, just ask him, he was there.” Emara said as she pointed at Andrew Drain.

“This is outrageous, what kind of stunt is this?” Drain shouted as he jumped up from his seat once again.

“Emara, what are you saying?” Kile asked.

“Well, you wouldn’t have known would you? I mean, you were in that cell at the time, but when that creepy guy brought me before Ravenshade, he was talking to that man right there, I’m sure of it. I don’t know about what, when I was brought into the room, he took one look at me and then slithered out the other door with his arms full of stuff.”

“Stuff, what stuff?” Kile asked.

“Kile, I’m supposed to be representing you in this trial.” Master Adams said as he placed his hand on Kile’s shoulder and sat her back in her chair.

“Sorry Sir.”

“Now, Mystic Lon, what stuff?”

“I can’t really say for sure, it looked like just a load of clothing but he did have a couple of… well I can’t really call them swords, they were too thin to be swords.”

“My lann?” Kile asked

“Mystic Lon, would this be what the man you saw was carrying?” Keel asked as he directed her attention to one of the silent judges that was now holding up the pair of Lann.

“Yeah, that’s, same dark handles, same thin blades. He had them on top of a pile of clothing when he went out the door.”

“Councilman Drain, what do you say of this?” Keel asked.

“I know nothing about this. I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

“These are some serious accusations she is making.”

“And you believe her? Look at her Law master, she is but a child, she doesn’t know what she is talking about. This is all part of their conspiracy to get the Veller girl off. How can we even take someone like her seriously, she comes in here with her outlandish clothing, her freaky make-up and her pink hair and suddenly we are to believe everything she says. I don’t see her as being a very credible witness.” Drain replied.

“Is that so?” Emara asked now stepping out from behind the table to the center of the room.

Kile was afraid that Emara was going to do something rash, and she wasn’t the only one as Talormor looked worried and the guards looked nervous. Emara just smiled and pulled back the cowl of her robes. Where once she had shocking pink hair, it was now green, the shade of summer grass.

“Odd that you would remember the color of my hair sir.” She smiled.

“Your hair was pink when we were in the wastelands.” Kile said

“Really, it was purple when I met her.” Alex chimed in from his seat on the floor behind Kile.

“That’s not the point Al.”

“As you see, I never like to keep the same color too long… It’s just so… boring.” Emara replied.

“That doesn’t prove anything.” Drain shouted.

“From what I heard so far, I feel it’s enough.” Master Keel added.

“What? You’re going to believe her word over mine.”

“I am not taking anyone’s word for anything.” Keel explained. “It is just that this new information changes things a bit. It is not as cut and dry as you would have led me to believe. I feel, for the time being until we can get this information into some proper order, the accused… Miss Kile Veller, be sent back to her cell and that Master Drain be detained.”

“Detained?” Drain shouted.

“Until things can be cleared up… yes. Guards, see that Master Drain is secured in his chambers and that Kill Veller is returned to her cell.”

“Well that hardly seems fair.” Kile mumbled as the guards got her to her feet and replaced the shackles. They were going to take her back to her small ten foot square hole in the ground while Andrew Drain was able to wait out this fiasco in his luxurious chambers on the third floor.

“Don’t worry Kile, everything will be alright.” She heard Master Adams say as he collected his papers from the table.

She had only taken a few steps on her journey back to her cell when a loud pop, like the pulling of a cork from a wine bottle, only much louder echoed through the chambers. She turned just in time to see a guard go sailing through the air and striking the ground not more than a foot from the table she had just been sitting at. Her first thought was that Emara had done something rash, but the young mystic, as well as everyone else, was staring up at the judges table.

“What happen?” She asked, no longer caring about the guards, not that they cared about her at the moment.

“He’s influenced by the sphere of air.” Emara shouted.

Kile wasn’t sure who Emara was referring too, until she turned her attention to the front of the room. The stage, where the judges once sat behind their table, was now completely cleared. The table, the chairs, the judges and the guards had all been swept off and only Andrew Drain remained.

“What was that?” Master Adams asked.

“It’s a push spell.” Emara replied, “And a rather powerful one at that.”

Well that would make sense Kile thought, Andrew Drain was a hunter and therefore would have to be influenced by one of the spheres, although she wasn’t aware that there were any offensive air spells, but then again, what did she know about the mystic arts.

More guards had started to move in on Drain, although they were being a bit more cautious this time. The other Hunters, who made up a good percentage of the spectators, were just watching and waiting, although she wasn’t sure what they were waiting for, but then it occurred to her that they were still upholding the code even if Drain wasn’t. They were not going to use their edge on another Hunter. It seemed pointless, and one good fire spell would have solved this dilemma quickly.

Emara must have thought along the same lines as she started to weave her own spell, and Kile held her breath, that was until Mystic Talormor put a stop to it by grabbing her hands and breaking her concentration.

“This is not our problem.” He told her.

“What do you mean?” Emara asked looking from the Mystic to Drain as the guards slowly started to close in. “We can end this so no one gets hurt.”

“Mystics do not get involved with such matters.” Talormor said. “This is the Hunter’s problem, let them deal with it, we should be going.”

“But Why?”

“Because that is what the last magus decreed.”

“I say otherwise.” Emara challenged.

“You are not the magus.”

“Not yet.”

The debate ended with another loud pop as the guards must have gotten too close. This time Kile was able to see it play out before her. She wasn’t sure if everyone could see the magic, or only her. It was like a large translucent blue bubble that expanded from within Drain and grew at an unbelievable rate, sweeping everything aside. The guards appeared to have faired better this time as they were only pushed back, and not thrown off their feet, it was clear that Drain was loosing power. He may only have one more push in him. Was this what the hunter’s were waiting for Kile wondered? Did they know the limitation of his edge? If so it still didn’t help the guards.

“You have to stop this Andrew, before it’s too late.” Keel called out.

The Law Master was barely able to stand up, clutching his left arm as blood trickled down his face. He had been on the stage when Drain first used his edge and must have taken one hell of a hit.

“You don’t understand Keel, it’s already too late. It’s already begun.” Drain shouted, and then he was gone.

Kile didn’t need a mystic to tell her what this was, invisibility, but not the limited kind that Emara had used to get them out of the stronghold, this was the real thing.

“Block the tunnels, don’t let him escape.” Someone yelled. The guards began to back off and cover the exits. The only problem was he wasn’t trying to escape, at least not yet. Andrew Drain was heading for the wounded Master Keel.

She could see him, or at least she knew where he was. He was moving slowly among the guards that were now converging on the stage in a vain attempt to locate him. They couldn’t see him, but she could.

“Law Master Keel. Watch out.” She shouted.

Whether he heard her or not it was difficult to say. It was just too noisy with the guards rushing around with their arms stretched out in front of them like some bizarre game of blind man’s bluff.

One of the guards that had been assigned to escort her back to her cell grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. He produced a key and quickly unlocked the shackles about her wrists letting them fall to the ground. She looked up and although she didn’t recognize the face, she knew the man.

Without hesitating to second guess herself she turned and sprinted across the open floor weaving her way through the guards until she reached the stage. She was still tracking Drain who was now dangerously close to Keel and she knew she had to act quickly. Who knows, if she saved his life, maybe he would go easy on her. She leapt up onto the stage and threw her weight against absolutely nothing yet collided with a solid body. Drain reappeared beneath her, which was fortunate since she had not seen the dagger in his hand while he was invisible. He was surprisingly strong for an old man as she gripped his wrist with both hands to keep the blade at bay. The guards had already begun to move in when she saw the blue bubble building up inside him.

“Stay back.” She shouted, but it was too late.

There was that loud pop again and she was surprised at how fast he moved away from her, unfortunately he was still laying on the stage, which only meant she was moving away from him, straight up.

Her first thought was of how lucky she was that the trial was being held in the amphitheater, otherwise the impact into the ceiling would have probably crushed her, of course that also meant that she still had a long way to travel to get back to the floor.

She cursed loudly on the return trip as she watched the stone floor rising up at her fast when it suddenly stopped about a foot from her face. She hung in the air for a while until she was gently lowered the rest of the way.

“Hey it worked.” She heard Emara shout as the brightly colored mystic rushed to her side along with Alex.

“Geez Kile Girl, I didn’t know you could fly.” He laughed.

“Very funny Alex.” She replied getting to her feet. “Thanks Emara, I owe you one.”

“Who’s keeping track.” The mystic replied.

She quickly looked around the room but could no longer see Drain. “What about Keel?” She asked.

“The guards got him out but they think Drain escaped.” Alex informed her.

“How can a room full of hunters let one man escape?”

“Well, I think most of the guards were a bit distracted when you went flying through the air like you did.”

“Thanks Al.”

She fell into her edge as she reached out and connected with every mouse, every rat, every cat, every dog, every bird she could find and it didn’t take her long to locate Andrew Drain.

“Kile are you alright?” Master Adams asked as he came up to her.

“Sir, where is the dining hall?” She asked him.

“Is this really a time to eat?” Emara asked.

“The dining hall, where is it in this building?”

“It’s on the second floor, lower east wing.” Master Adams replied

“That’s where he is. He just passed the Dinning hall and is now going through the kitchen.”

“How did you… never mind.” Adams said, waving it off. “If you’re right he’s going through the service entrance at the back of the hall.”

“Then we cut him off.” Alex added.

“You can’t go anywhere Kile, you’re still under arrest.” Master Adams reminded her.

“I don’t care. I lost the assassin. I’m not losing him too.” She said as she started for the door.

“Wait, I can get us there faster.” Emara replied.

“I thought you couldn’t get involved.”

“Well… yeah, but that was before Master Talormor fell asleep.”

Kile looked past Emara to where the old blue robed mystic was lying across the table fast asleep. Emara just shrugged.

“He looked tired.” She replied.

“Look Emara, thanks for the help and all but… your aim isn’t all that good.”

“Oh come on Kile, I only have to drop us on the other side of the building. I mean… sure I missed the mark the first time but that was across two provinces, this is only one street.”

“She’s good in short jumps.” Alex replied. “She kind of helped me out with a few of my deliveries. You know, so I could get them done with faster so that we could…”

Emara looked at Alex who quickly shut up. That was the first time Kile had ever seen Alex at a loss for words.

“Okay, if you really think you can get us there, we don’t have much time.”

“Sure I can, just hang on.” Emara said, grabbing Kile’s hand.

“Kile, you can’t go, you’re still under arrest.” Master Adams protested.

“Fine, then as my court representative, you’re coming with us.” She replied as she grabbed his arm. Before he could say anything else they were pulled through that hole in reality.

 

 

 

***~~~***

 

 

 

33

 

Emara was true to her word. She did get them to the other side of the building faster than if they had gone the long route, but didn’t quite make it to the ground as they  dropped the last three feet into a back alley.

“I hate the mystic arts.” Kile grumbled.

“Where are we?” Alex asked.

It was a long narrow lane banked by an eight foot wall along one side and the back of a row of buildings along the other. Doors led out into the alley, but they had all been closed, and with good reason as the pungent aroma of trash filled the air.

“It would appear that we’re in the service alley behind the Guild Hall.” Master Adams replied as slowly got to his feet and peeled off what appeared to be a discarded banana skin from his shirt.

“This is gross.” Emara shouted. “My robe is getting…”

Kile quickly clamped her hand over the mystic’s mouth.

“Quite, we’re not alone.” She whispered.

“What can you hear?” Master Adams asked.

“Not hear, smell.”

“Smell, the only thing I smell is week old garbage.” Alex complained as he held his nose.

“Uhyre.” She whispered.

“Uhyre? In Littenbeck? Are you sure Kile?”

“Believe me sir that is one smell that I will not soon forget.”

Alex quietly sneaked a look around the corner, down the service alley off to the right.

“I don’t know about the Uhyre.” He said as he returned. “But there are at least five guys standing around down there, all dressed in robes, and one of them is quite large.”

“How did they get into Littenbeck? How did they get past the guards?” Master Adams asked.

“Probably the same way we did.” Kile replied.

“That would mean one of them would have to be a mystic.”

“Mystic…” Emara shouted in anger and Kile had to cover her mouth again.

“If the mystics are working with the Uhyre, this is bad.” Master Adams added.

Emara glared at Kile and waited for her to remove her hand from her mouth.

“The mystics are not working with the uhyre. Mystics do not get involved.” Emara protested.

“Mystics or not, we need to wait for back-up.” Master Adams replied.

“No time.” Alex said as he waved them forward. “There’s Drain now. He’s coming out of the back door.”

“Good, saves us the trouble of going in after him.” Kile replied.

“You are forgetting your lessons.”

“What, it’s simple. We set up an ambush. He has to pass through here. It’s the only way out. We have him blocked in. We can jump them when they get into the alley.”

“Jump them, with what? In case you haven’t noticed, we are not armed.” Master Adams pointed out.

She knew there was something that she had overlooked. The only thing that mattered at the moment was getting Drain, she had neglected the fact that her weapons were now in the custody of the Guild Council.

“You’re hunters. Don’t you guys have swords or anything?” Emara asked.

“I’m not a field hunter and Kile’s a convict.” Adams replied. “Besides, no weapons are allowed in the court room. What about you Alex?”

“Sorry sir, they don’t really like anyone carrying weapons through the streets of Baxter’s Bay.” He replied meekly

“Then it’s back to what I said earlier. Our best course of action is to retreat and observe, we can at least gather information.” Adams replied as he started back down the alley toward the open streets of Littenbeck.

It was the most practical idea she thought as she looked toward the streets, and it was also a means of escape not only for Drain but for her. Of course they couldn’t really pin anything on her now, not with the Councilman’s conduct in the courtroom, but she couldn’t take that chance. They could slip out of the alley, watch to see where Drain goes and then Master Adams can report back to the Guild while she made herself scarce. She would have to go back to Azintar first to get Grim, then there was Vesper, she couldn’t leave him behind. Somehow the whole idea of running away was just not very convenient at the moment. She turned her attention back to the alley and toward the Guild Hall.

“So much for that idea.” Kile replied “You with me Emara?”

“Of course I am.” Emara replied as she stood beside Kile.

“What about you Alex?”

“What do you need me to do?” The smaller hunter asked.

She thought for a moment, and then it occurred to her. It was simple.

“Give me a wall.” She said, and then fell into her edge.

 

***

 

As Andrew Drain turned the corner he stopped short, staring at a solid brick wall that now blocked his path.

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked as he looked around for another means of escape, but there were none. With the high wall on his left and the tall buildings on his right, the only way out was the way he came in, and it wouldn’t be long before the Hunters made that way impassable as well.

Kile stood on the other side of the new brick wall watching Drain and his men. It was like looking at them through a sheet of water as the illusionary bricks seemed to shimmer before her. It wouldn’t be able to stop Drain and his men if they tried to pass through it, but it was impressive.

The men were all dressed in long black robes which might have been some form of solidarity with their master Ravenshadow, or they might have just had a sale on at one of the local clothing stores. Three of them were uhyre, valrik more than likely. The black robes didn’t do so well hiding their distinctively long arms or their large bare feet not to mention their rather pungent smell that even overpowered the garbage. They were actually trying the doors but found them to be both barred and locked. The forth normal sized robed figure was vir and may be the mystic that transported them into the alley in the first place, but if that was the case, why didn’t he just transport them out.  He appeared puzzled, but was studying the wall with an educated eye. It wouldn’t take him long to realize that it was simply an illusion. The fifth and largest member of the group towered over the rest, standing nearly seven feet and was probably also of the infra race as he lumber about behind them.

“Now what?” Adams asked.

That was a good question Kile thought. Alex was able to hide them behind his illusionary wall and Emara was able to hide their voices but for how long and which would fail first.

“Reinforcements.”  She replied.

“It’s a little late for that.”

“Not really, they’re already here.”

He turned around slowly to see four fairly large mangy dogs enter the alley behind him. They eyed him as they passed, but didn’t seem to take much interest as they came to stand on either side Kile.

“Okay, reinforcements. We might actually have a chance.” He said and then came to stand behind Kile and the dogs. “We’ll have to deal with the mystic first.” He told her.

“He’s already taken care of.” She replied. “I’m more worried about the large thing in the back.”

Master Adams slowly removed his glasses. Folding them up he tucked them into the top pocket of his shirt, then straightened out his jacket.

“Let me worry about him.” He told her.

Kile slowly turned and looked at him. “Are you sure sir?” She asked.

“I sure.” He replied with a grin.

“Okay, they’re in position, you can drop it now Alex.” She said.

Alex released his hold on the wall and it faded out of existence, leaving the two groups staring at one another across the alley.

“You.” Drain shouted.

“Now.” Kile replied.

Before anyone could move, three feral cats leapt from the high wall onto the black robed mystic. The man screamed as he flailed around trying to detach the animals that were determined not to let go. The dogs charged forward taking out two of the valrik soldiers as Emara dispatched the third with some spell that Kile couldn’t identify, but it sent the robed valrik through the air a good forty foot before he bounced off the wall and into the trash cans. Three Alexes appeared and started running around larger uhyre keeping him distracted as Master Adams charged in. The bookish hunter clenched his fist and with one punch lifted the large uhyre off the ground and sent him flying into the side of the building, Drain made a retreat back down the alley with Kile in pursuit.

She chased him back into the Guild house, down the service hall and saw him duck into the kitchen. She was reaching for the door when she caught the scent of heavy air. It was like the coming of a thunderstorm. She barely managed to avoid being struck by the kitchen door as it blew off its hinges and slammed into the opposite side of the hall. Waiting a moment to catch her breath she quickly ducked into the room, diving behind the kitchen cabinets as Drain released another of his push spells with a loud pop. It blew off what little remained on the counter tops and even managed to shift a few of the cabinets this time, although it didn’t seem to be as strong as the last one. It would appear that his edge did indeed have a limit.

He was old, he was out of shape, he probably hadn’t had this much exercise in quite some time. He might be good for one more push, but then his edge would be depleted. He would be defenseless she thought, that was until she heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath. Well, maybe defenseless was too strong a word.

“Come out, so we can finish this.” He called to her.

She quickly searched among the debris of the kitchen and stopped when her hands felt the bristles of a broom. She pulled it towards her and broke off the head, gripping the shaft with both hands.

“So, why did you do it?” She asked as she got to her feet. “Why side with him, why side with Ravenshadow, why frame me for the killings.”

“Why? You have to ask why… I would have thought you would have figured that out by now.” Drain said as he extended his sword towards her.

He was measuring his circle of defense she thought as she came around the corner of the island gripping the broom handle. At least the battle field he choice was free of any obstacle. His hunter’s edge had seen to that as he had quite literally pushed all the tables and chairs of the dining hall into the walls, blocking off the three sets of doors that entered the room.

“Ravenshadow and Prince Jonland are the same.” She said as she stood across from him.

“So, you did figure it out.” He grinned.

“So why me, what did I do? Why frame me?”

“I’m afraid child, you were just a means to an end.”

“What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t anything personal.” Drain replied with a shrug. “Well, maybe it was for that little bastard, but for the most part, you were just the right tool to shift the power within the council.”

“That’s it… it was all political, just so you could control the council.”

“He who controls the council, controls the Hunters.”

“So.”

“You still don’t get it do you.” He said with a laugh. “You’re just like everyone else. You don’t see the big picture. You don’t see what’s happening outside your own little world until it’s too late. Well I hate to tell you this honey, but it’s already too late. I might not have been able to bring down the hunters, but I crippled them enough.”

“Crippled them, for what?”

“Sorry, the time for talk it over, the least I can do is to get rid of you.” He said as he launched into his attack.

It was the classic first maneuver they taught at the academy, the one that Kile had come to call the two handed over the head killing blow. It was quite pathetic, that was unless it actually made contact, in which case it was quite effective. She flipped the broom handled around, deflecting the attack with ease as she spun past him and countered with a blow to the back of the leg and drop Drain to one knee. She thought she had him until he disappeared. She had forgotten about that aspect of his edge, but then he must have also forgotten who tackled him on the stage.

She had danced this dance with Carter back at the academy more times than she cared to remember, and even if Carter’s invisibility was limited, it didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t hide from her, and neither could Drain.

She backed away, giving the old man some room as he began to circle her. The idea was not to follow him with her eyes, but with her other senses. She could smell him, a pungent smell of coal oil and pork. She could hear him, his heavy rasping breath as he gasped for air. She could feel him, his heavy footsteps vibrating on the floor. She was just glad she couldn’t taste him.

He moved around behind her and came in with a low thrust. She spun, knocking the blade aside and carrying through with the momentum she brought the broom handle down across the back of his head. It snapped on impact as Andrew Drain fell forward and reappeared sprawled out on the ground. She kicked the sword out of reach but it didn’t look as if he was getting up anytime soon.

People were approaching now, better late than never she thought as she pulled up one of the chairs and sat down. There was no place she could run and she could only hope that this all counted for something.

The first one to get through one of the obstructed doors was Samuel Grey, he looked at her and then at Andrew Drain who was still laid sprawled out on the floor. She wasn’t sure what the hunter was going to do, or what he had planned to do as two more hunters came in behind him. Another door was pushed in by a fourth hunter she didn’t recognize, but the last door gave way to Master Folkstaff followed close by Erin Silvia, at least those were some friendly faces.

Erin was the only one to approach.

“You alright?” She asked.

“I suppose.” Kile replied playing with the end of the broom handle, and then suddenly remembering she had left her friends fighting a group of Uhyre. “Master Adams needs help.”

“No he doesn’t.” Master Adams said as he came in through the kitchen door, stepping over the debris. He was a bit ruffled with his hair out of place and his shirt untucked, but no worse for a back alley brawl. He pulled his glasses from his top pocket and wiped them with the tail of his shirt before putting them back on.

“What about Emara and Alex.”

“They’re just helping the other hunters clear away the ruffians.” He assured her. “You handled yourself pretty well out there… and in here too it seems.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have much of a choice.” She said as she got to her feet, but then she never seemed to be given any choices. “Am I still under arrest?”

“Well, technically yes.” Folkstaff answered as he watched two guards drag Drain away. “Only the Law Master can reverse that decision but I don’t see that as being a problem.”

“So, Master Keel is alright?” She asked.

“Daniel was seeing to him when I left.” Erin replied. “But he should be alright.”

“I have no doubt that you will receive a full pardon as well as be reinstated into the guild.” Master Adams added. “I would even go as far as to say that a fourth level certification could be in your near future.”

“You can keep it, I’m finished.” She heard herself reply.  She wasn’t sure where that had come from but once she said it felt so right.

“What are you saying Kile?” Master Adams asked.

“I don’t want it. I don’t want anything more to do with the guild, I’m through, I quit. I joined because I thought that being a part of something like the hunter would mean something, well it does, it means back stabbing, corruption, distrust, greed, politics, it means turning a blind eye to people in need because they’re not of the proper social status or they can’t afford the ridiculous fees. If that’s what being a hunter is all about, I don’t want any part of it.”

“But Kile”

“No, all I wanted was to do at least some good in this world, to prove to myself and to others that I wasn’t as useless as they all thought I was and where did it get me. I don’t belong here anymore than I belonged at the academy or back home. I quit.”

She dropped the broken broom handle, turned and head back out through the kitchen, back out to the alley and back to the streets of Littenbeck.

 

***

 

“There you are.” Master Adams said as he entered the Guild Hospital.

Kile had been sitting up in one of the hospital beds read a first aide manual with Vesper curled up in her lap. It was strongly advised that she not leave the city until everything was squared away, so she tracked Daniel down to retrieve the yarrow. With nothing else to do and no place else to go, this was as good as anything.

She briefly looked up from her book.

“You will be happy to know that all the charges have been dropped and that you have been officially reinstated as a Hunter.”

“Wonderful.” She said with little enthusiasm as she turned back to her book.

“You are also to report to the guild council at your earliest convenience.” Adams added.

“Why?”

“If you truly wish to leave the guild, you will have to give them an explanation.”

“More forms to fill out I suppose.” She said as she closed the book and set it on the side table.

“So it's true, you really are leaving?” Daniel asked as he came down the aisle. He was dressed in his white hospital robes and looked very at home in this setting. He had been busy all afternoon tending the injuries that had occurred during Kile’s trial the day before, and had little time to speak with her, or as she figured, to talk her out of leaving.

“As soon as I can.” She replied.

“I guess I’m not really surprised.” He said with a shrug.

“Will they let me keep Grim?” She asked.

“You’ll have to make a formal request, but I can’t see why they wouldn’t. It’s not like anyone else wants him.”

She slid off the side of the bed and came face to face with Daniel.

“I’ll wait for you outside.” Master Adams added as he made a discreet exit.

“Why aren’t you surprised that I’m leaving?” She asked Daniel once Master Adams was out of the ward.

“It’s what I’ve been saying all along, what I tried to tell you the night of our graduation. You’ve changed Kile, and I’m not sure if it’s for the better. You’ve been walking a fine line between two worlds. Maybe you’ve finally stepped over that line.”

Stepped over or tipped over, she wasn’t really sure.

“What? So you’re saying I’m more of a wild animal than a vir?”

“No, I wouldn’t go that far, but you seem to be more in tuned with the natural world than with ours.”

“And is that such a bad thing?”

“I don’t know.” Daniel said, shaking his head. “I guess you’re going to have to find out on your own.”

“You could always come with me.” She added.

“What?”

“Sure, think about it, we can travel to the mountains or the seas, or better yet, there are these lush green lands beyond the wasteland. We can go there. You and I. See places that no one else has ever seen before. Think about it, it would be wonderful.”

“I can’t leave.” He said shaking his head again. “They need me here, they need you here.”

“They don’t need me. They’ve been trying to get rid of me since the entry examination.”

“Things have changed Kile. The last couple of months has really shaken up the Hunter’s Guild, what with the deaths and disappearances there has been a mass exodus. Quite a few hunters have abandoned their posts.”

“It can’t be that many.”

“According to the last figures that I’ve heard, not to mention the fact that there has been a reduction in the number of new cadets. If this keeps up, there may not be a guild left in a couple of months.”

Crippled, the word came back to her. Andrew Drain had done just that, he had crippled the Hunter’s Guild, but he never did get around to telling her why.

“Well, then I guess my leaving isn’t going to make all that much of a difference.” She said grabbing the courier bag from where it hung on the end of the bed. Vesper quickly jumped in as she slung it over her shoulder. “I suppose I’ll be seeing you around then.”

“Take care Kile.”

She crossed the room and exited the Hospital, stepping once again into the streets of Littenbeck. Four years ago she had come here all the way from Riverport, ran away from home to join the Hunters. From the day that nine year old girl was found sitting on a rock she had wanted to become a hunter, now she was back in Littenbeck and all she wanted was to leave the guild. Funny how the one thing she always wanted was now the one thing she wanted no part of.

“So, what are you planning on doing once you leave the guild?” Master Adams asked as he got up from the bench beside the door. She had almost walked right past him.

“Haven’t really given it much thought.” She replied.

“Well, there are a lot of opportunities out there. I suppose you could always go back home, back to Riverport.”

“Doubt it.” She told him. “I’m not really wanted there anymore than I’m wanted anywhere else. I suppose I’ll to go back to Coopervill, I have a few debts that I have to pay off first, maybe I’ll wait out the winter there before I…”

Before she what, before she attempts to cross the wastelands, was that what she was going to say, was that what she was really planning on doing. Crossing that stretch of dessert was not something to be taken lightly, no one has ever succeeded, but then again if someone had crossed she seriously doubted they would risk crossing it again to tell everyone.

“You never told me how you managed to take out that big uhyre in the alley.” She said, changing the subject.

“Why so surprised, I am a hunter after all.” Adams replied.

“Well, yeah I know, but as you said, you’re not a field hunter. I just assumed that…”

“That I couldn’t take care of myself in the wild, that’s why I returned to the academy to teach.”

“Well… yeah, something likes that.”

“As a matter of fact I was a field Hunter at one time, right after I got out of the academy, spent nearly six years in the field and achieved my level four certification.”

“What happened?” She asked. There was a long pause before he finally answered.

“I guess you can say… I lost my edge.” He laughed.

“Lost your edge?”

“Well, more like I lost control of my edge. You see, I’m influenced by the sphere of earth and my edge allows me to… well it’s hard to explain but I can generate bursts of strength when I need to. I got into an altercation which… resulted in the death of another hunter.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There was a trial and I was cleared of the charges. It was later deemed an accident, but it shouldn’t have happened. I’ve not used my edge since, well, since the fight in the alley. I have to say it was… kind of fun to be out there again.”

“There was something that Morgan told me once, that power that you don’t learn to control is uncontrollable. Have you ever thought about returning to your mystic for a refresher course.”

“I haven’t really thought about it much.”

“So, there’s no plan on ditching the teaching gig and getting back on the road.”

“No plan at all.” He said with a grin. “I enjoy teaching, watching the next group of hunters come up through the ranks to make their mark.”

“I guess I’m a disappointment then.”

Master Adams stopped walking.

“Do you really think that?” He asked.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“You know Kile, you’ve put up with a lot of abuse from a lot of people since I’ve known you, and from what I’ve seen, the worst of them… was you.”

“What?”

“You’ve spent so much time trying to prove to everyone that you aren’t useless that you’ve failed to see it yourself.”

He said nothing more as he led her up the front steps of the Guild Hall. They entered through the golden doors and down the hall to the council room where Master Adams stopped.

“You have to go in alone.” He said pushing the door open.

“Thank-you sir, for everything.”

The room was dark, but then most of the places she had associated with the guild had been dark, it was almost like they only existed in the shadows. She could still make out the council’s bench and the chairs but there was nobody occupying them. Was this some kind of a trick she wondered, but then she picked up that familiar scent.

“Hello sir.” She said. “I’m not really sure what name I’m supposed to use, is it Morgan, Luke, Mathew, or something else entirely.”

The shadows appeared to move as a shape emerged. He looked very much like he had the first time she had seen him in the stables nearly four years ago. She was fourteen at the time and Garret Treeman was showing them around the compound as his last official duty as a cadet at the academy. He was dressed in the same ill fitted threadbare jacket and knee high boots. His long hair, now blonde, was tied back in a tail.

“So it’s Luke.” She said.

He smiled. “I figured this face would be easier for you to talk to.”

“What do you really look like then?”

“I have actually changed forms so many times that I don’t really know anymore, but I believe this is my true form, or as close as I can remember.” He said.

“I thought I was supposed to talk to the Guild Council.” She said as she gestured to the empty bench.

“Contrary to popular belief, I am still the guild council. Granted I was rather lax when it came to running the Guild. I had placed my trust in Andrew in spite of what I thought of him and he betrayed me. He manages to sway most of the members to his side so he could seize power, but with him now being incarcerated, the members are falling over themselves to point fingers and pass blame in a vain attempt to plead their cases and ask for forgiveness.”

He sat down and nodded toward one of the chairs, but she refused.

“I don’t think we have much to talk about.”

“So, you’re set on leaving the guild?”

“It’s not like any of you wanted me here in the first place.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true.” He said as he leaned back in the chair. “If I had not wanted you here, would I have sponsored you?”

“You sponsored me?”

“Of course I did.”

“But I thought Erin…”

“Oh, she did as well. I didn’t know she was going to go through with it at the time, otherwise I would have let her put your name forth on her own, not that it really mattered all that much.”

“But why would you sponsor me, you didn’t know me, you’ve never even seen me until the day of the examination.”

“Please, I’ve been to Riverport on numerous occasions, and I know a potential hunter when I see one.”

“You’ve been to Riverport?”

“There aren't too many places that I haven't been at least once. I went to Riverport as a traveling entertainer once, and you were very inquisitive about the world outside of Riverport if I remember. I swear you would probably have stayed there listening to me ramble on if your father hadn’t come to take you back home.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s not for us to understand.” He said, shaking his head. “I feel there are things in motion, things that we cannot see, but they are getting closer. I don’t know what it is, or what will happen, but I feel you will be a part of it.”

“I don’t want to be a part of it.”

“That is, of course, your decision.” He said as a wistful smile crossed his lips.

“What… what’s so funny.”

“You remind me so much of her.”

“Of who?”

“Risa Ta’re.”

She hadn’t thought of that painting since the day it had been destroyed in the fire but it came back to her as if she was staring at it at that moment. She could remember every color, every brush-stroke, and every detail of the sad maiden in the forest. Was that why she had connected with the painting, because there was some kind of bond between them? She now carried the young maiden’s weapons, or at least she did until they had been taken from her.

“Not so much in appearance.” Luke said, shaking her back to reality. “I mean, she was an alva after all and you’re Orceen, but definitely in attitude. She was always very stubborn.”

“You knew her?”

“Of course I knew her, I knew her… very well.” He said, and a dark cloud passed his eyes. What had happened between them, what had happened to her he would not say.

“That is not what is important, what is important is the here and now, and that is the guild.”

“Drain said he would cripple the guild, he has, hasn’t he?”

“Well, that’s putting it mildly, but that’s not to say that the guild won’t bounce back. We’ve done it numerous times before, we’ll do it again. Hopefully we shall learn something from this.”

“I don’t see what this has to do with me. I mean, you seem to know what you’re doing and you have more than enough qualified hunter’s to help you.”

“True… and maybe not. Do you remember what you told me during your second year, about tradition?”

“No.”

“Okay, let me try that again. Do you remember what you told a young boy by the fence during Sir Oblum speech to the new recruits at the beginning of your second year?”

“That was you?”

“How else do you expect me to know what’s going on at the academy, but that doesn’t matter. You told me that just because it’s always been done, doesn’t make it right it just makes it repetitive, and I asked you if you would change it, if you had the power, would you change the tradition, and you told me you would. Did you mean it?”

“Well, yeah of course.”

“I need fresh minds, fresh ideas. Most of the cadets I’ve seen have already been conditioned. They follow the traditions blindly without even knowing what they mean, or where they come from. You, you rail against tradition and the stale ways.”

“Yeah, and that’s what’s always gotten me into trouble. I fear if I was a bit more traditional it wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

“You may be right.”  He said as he got up from his seat and walked to the far side of the room. “Anyway, wherever you’re journeying may take you, you’ll be needing these.”

He carefully lifted up a bundle wrapped in a cloth and presented them to her. She already knew what they were before she flipped back the cloth to see the dark worn wooden handles.

“But sir…”

“I gave these to you, not only because you were a hunter, but because of who you were. They’re still yours Kile, regardless of what you choose to do from this day on.”

She took hold of the handles and let the cloth slide away revealing the blades once again. She had missed the feeling of them.

“Thank-you sir.” She replied as she slipped them back into their sheath.

He held open the chamber doors for her as she stepped back out into the hall.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are your plans for the future?”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know. I was planning on going back to Coopervill for a spell but I don’t think I could stay around there for very long. I might just see what the wild has in store for me.”

He pushed open the great golden doors that lead back out into the city of Littenbeck, and the once quiet evening wasn’t as quite as Hunters, guards and a few civilians clamored about the streets. Something was happening that Kile couldn’t see as throngs of spectators flocked upon the courtyard.

Luke, who had somehow turned from the mysterious stable hand to Guild Master Latherby in the short distance between the threshold and the top of the stairs, descended into the streets. The hunters, upon seeing him, started to move aside and Kile followed in his wake as they made their way through the commotion. It reminded her of that day back in Coopervill so long ago, when the Hunter Marcus Taylor stood upon the stone dais holding up the trophy that he had won the severed head of an Ogre. But there were no cheers or loud praising from this crowd. There was only an uneasiness as whispers were passed from one mouth to another’s ear.

“What is going on here?” Mathew asked as he broke through the wall of spectators. Kile managed to slip past him and wished she hadn’t.

“Rick.” She exclaimed as she came to the side of the Hunter that was now stretched out on the dirty streets of Littenbeck. He was cold and pale as she took his hand and knelt down beside him. “Rick, what happen?”

“Kile… you’re… alright?”

“Yes, of course I’m alright, what happen to you?”

He tried to talk, but the effort was too much as each breath caused him to gasp and each gasp caused him pain.

“Coop… vill… gone.”

“Don’t talk, save your energy.” She told him, but was it because she thought it would do him good, or was it because she didn’t want to hear was he was going to say.

“Move aside, let him through.” Someone shouted as the sea of people parted.

Daniel knelt beside Rick and began to pull open the young Hunter’s shirt. Kile didn’t have to ask how bad it was as Daniel closed his eyes and looked away.

“You have to help him.” She told him.

“Kile… I’ll try.” He replied reluctantly as he fell into his edge.

She could see the blue strands of his art at work as they flowed through Rick’s body; she could even smell the magic as it began to fill the air, like the smell of the open sea. Whatever Daniel was doing it must be working she thought as Rick’s breathing slowed and he was able to take deeper breaths without pain.

By now the Hunter’s had moved the spectators back, giving the young healer the time and the space that he needed. Only Mathew was aloud to get any closer as he knelt down beside Steele.

“What happened son?” He asked.

“Sir… the west… has fallen.”

Those words carried through the crowd as those in the front were forced to repeat it to those in the back.

“What news is there?” He asked.

“Uhyre… thousands… over ran… Denal… Shrop… Noxton… Coopervill… gone… attacked. Kile… safe?”

“Yes. Yes I’m safe.” She said as she held his hand tighter, but he was no longer holding hers. She looked up at Daniel.

“I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do.” He said shaking his head.

“It’s alright, you did what you could.” Mathew replied as he gripped Daniel’s shoulder.

“Kile?”

“She’ll be alright, go back to the hospital, there is much to do.”

By now the crowd was breaking up, they had seen what they wanted to see. They had seen a young hunter die in the streets of Littenbeck.

She looked up at the Guild Master.

“Sir.” She said. “Sir, I wish to return to the Guild.”

 

 

###

 

Coming Soon:

Hunter’s War