Hunter's Bounty (Veller) (46 page)

“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 al
va 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 holdin
g 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