Seeker of Legends (Fate of Legends Book 2), page 6
He peered at the river’s shore. There was something familiar about it.
He traced the contour of the shore carefully, then spotted something: a clearing, with a huge building built along the river. It had a red roof, and was many stories tall, shaped like a huge “U.” A long stone wall surrounded a large amount of farmland around the building, and beyond that, grassland gave way to forest.
Hunter stared at the building, knowing without a doubt that that was where he needed to go.
Alrighty then, he thought.
He scanned the area between himself and the building, memorizing landmarks that he could use to guide his way. Then he climbed down from the boulder, grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulders. The urge to stay here and rest came over him, but he ignored it, knowing that he had a long way to go before he reached his destination. If he could get there before nightfall, he wouldn’t have to sleep in the forest again.
Onward he went, trekking down the hill toward the wide river miles in the distance.
* * *
The sun was approaching the horizon by the time Hunter spotted a break in the forest a few hundred feet ahead, dense trees giving way to a wide-open grassy field. Beyond that, he saw a tall stone wall…the same wall he’d spotted from atop the hill hours ago. He strode toward it, leaving the relative cool of the shadows thrown by the trees above and stepping onto the grass. The wall ahead was maybe twelve feet high, made of fieldstone mortared together with something else. They were bones, he realized. Human bones…just like the ones in the great wall surrounding Tykus. He saw a tall, wrought iron gate at a break in the wall a few dozen feet away, a wide path made of crushed stone leading to it.
He stared at the gate; something about it was terribly familiar. Was it a memory he’d absorbed from Vi? Or from the letter he carried? Or was it from the man-tree he’d met yesterday? There was no way to know.
Hunter walked onto the path, following it to the closed gate ahead. It was made of two tall doors that locked in the middle. The doors were as tall as the wall itself, made of black metal rods with sharp tips at the ends. There were spikes at the top of the stone wall as well. Whoever lived here clearly didn’t appreciate uninvited guests.
Beyond the gate, he saw a man standing there, a guard clad in blood-red leather armor and a shiny silver breastplate. A black serpent-like emblem was painted in the center of his breastplate, and he wore a red and silver helm.
And he was staring right at Hunter.
“Your name?” the guard demanded. Hunter stopped before the gate, nodding at him.
“Hunter,” he answered. “Evening,” he added.
“Your business?”
Hunter reached into his pocket, retrieving the rolled-up letter. He unrolled it, holding it out for the guard to see.
“I’m a Seeker,” he explained.
“This letter is addressed to Vi,” the guard stated coolly.
“I work with Vi.”
“Oh really,” the guard shot back. “As I recall, she doesn’t work with anyone.”
“She does now.”
“Right kid,” the guard grumbled.
Hunter hesitated, then glanced down at his sword, sheathed at his left hip. Vi’s sword. He looked up at the guard.
“I have her sword,” he offered, drawing it from its sheath. The guard stepped back, putting a hand on the hilt of their sword. Hunter held the blade out, displaying it for the guard, who peered at it.
“How did you get that?” the guard demanded.
“Vi gave it to me,” Hunter lied.
“I sincerely doubt that, kid.”
“What, you think I killed her and took it?” Hunter shot back. The guard considered this.
“The Lady didn’t send for you,” he replied at last. “She sent for Vi.”
Hunter frowned, wondering who the Lady was. But he didn’t want to seem ignorant.
“Well I’m all she’s going to get,” he stated. “Vi was…injured. She won’t be making it.”
The guard eyed Hunter for a long, silent moment, then sighed.
“Stay here,” he ordered. “I’ll be back.”
The guard left, walking out of view. Hunter peered through the gate, spotting a crushed stone path continuing onward toward a huge building beyond, rows of crops growing on either side of that path. It was the same building he’d seen from the hill earlier that afternoon. It was constructed of pure white stone, elegant designs carved around numerous large windows. Tall statues flanked a short stairway going up to the large double-doors leading into the mansion. The building was five stories tall, topped by a roof made of curved red shingles…the same shade of blood-red as the guard’s armor. To the right of the path was a huge statue wrought of dull gray stone amongst the crops, carved into a serpent-like form coiled upon itself, innumerable small legs sprouting from its sides like a centipede. It rose high above the crops surrounding it, easily twenty feet tall.
Minutes passed.
Hunter fidgeted, getting irritable.
Damn guard is going to make me stand out here forever, he thought.
He found himself focusing inward, as Vi had taught him to do whenever he felt a negative emotion. Was it really his? If so, why was he feeling this way? It was easy to blame the guard, but he’d learned to question his assumptions. Within moments, he found the answer: his stomach grumbled, having been fed only once this morning.
He shook his head, smiling at himself. He was hungry, of course. And like his mother, he was a bit of an asshole when he was hungry.
At length, the guard returned, striding up to the gate and unlocking it. He opened one of the gate doors, swinging it inward.
“Follow me,” he ordered. “The Lady will see you.”
Hunter did as he was told, following behind the guard, who led him across the long path toward the mansion in the distance. Looking to the left and right, he studied the long rows of crops growing in the large field of dirt on both sides. Some he recognized, like corn stalks, but most were unfamiliar to him. His dad had loved to garden, back before Mom disappeared.
He felt a pang of homesickness, wondering how Dad was doing. He’d left his father back on Earth, a man broken by the loss of his wife. Not for the first time, he hoped Dad would come after him.
But if Dad did, Hunter would have to explain what’d happened to Mom. What he’d done to her.
He felt a familiar, crushing guilt come over him, and forced himself to snap out of it, concentrating on the guard ahead of him.
Get the head. Get stronger. Kill them all.
They made it to the mansion, walking up the short stairway to the front double-doors. They were blood-red, with black serpents painted on them, similar to the statue he’d seen earlier. Two guards wearing the same armor as the first flanked the entrance. They nodded, then opened the doors, stepping to the sides to allow Hunter in. Hunter stepped through the doorway, his eyes widening as he crossed the threshold.
Damn, he thought.
He found himself in a large foyer, a huge, glittering crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling twenty feet above his head. The floor was made of polished cherry, the walls on either side painted a deep red. Huge red wooden beams spanned the pure white ceiling, and thick red beams extended from the floor to the ceiling in regular intervals, lanterns bolted to their sides. Intricate designs were carved into each beam.
It was clear that whoever owned this mansion was incredibly rich.
“Come,” the guard ahead of him urged, walking down the foyer toward another set of double-doors at the other end. More guards flanked these doors, opening them as Hunter approached. He stepped through into the next room; it was like the first, but smaller, with curved staircases ascending to meet each other in the middle one story up. The guard stopped suddenly, turning to face Hunter.
“Your weapons,” he prompted, holding out one hand.
“Excuse me?”
“No visitors may be armed around the Lady,” the guard explained. “You’ll get them back afterward.”
Hunter hesitated, then handed over his longsword, mace, and a dagger he’d stolen from one of the Seekers.
“The bow and quiver as well,” the guard added.
Hunter handed these over as well, and his pack when prompted.
“Wait here,” the guard instructed. “The Lady will be with you momentarily.” He left then, ascending the stairs and disappearing through a door. Hunter watched him go, feeling naked without his weapons. If anyone decided to attack him now, he doubted he’d be able to fight them off…unless he’d somehow managed to absorb hand-to-hand fighting skills from Vi’s sword.
He waited, seconds passing into minutes.
Then he saw her.
A tall woman appeared above the staircases, stepping down the rightmost one. She wore a long, blood-red dress, her pale legs showing through slits that extended all the way to her upper thighs. Her slender waist was cinched in by a darker red corset, which was studded with rubies that glittered with ever step she took. She was quite buxom, evident from the deep V-cut in the front of her dress. She wore a silver choker around her neck, adorned with even more rubies, and matching anklets and armbands. She appeared to be in her late thirties, or early forties at most. She had long black hair tied into a tight ponytail that hung all the way down to her buttocks, and deep green eyes that contrasted with her pale skin. Fine lines and a few gray hairs were all that betrayed her age; she was strikingly beautiful, with high cheekbones that reminded him of Vi, and she walked with an elegant confidence, her eyes locked on his as she came down the stairs toward him. She reached the bottom, walking right up to him. It was clear that she was not at all threatened by him; that might have had something to do with the man who followed behind her. A man dressed from neck to toe in a tight red and black leather suit, his face hidden behind a mask carved into a monstrous, grotesque expression. Only his striking silver eyes were visible, and the long metal staff strapped to his back.
The woman stopped before Hunter, eyeing him from his boots upward, arching one eyebrow.
“Hunter, is it?”
Her voice was a little deep, and slightly husky.
“Yes ma’am,” he answered, bowing his head slightly. He smelled a faint perfume, sweet but not overwhelming…and quite pleasing. He felt uneasy in her presence; despite the fact that she was probably old enough to be his mother, she was without a doubt the most attractive woman he had ever met.
“I am Lady Camilla,” she introduced. “Owner of this estate. This,” she added, gesturing at the masked man who’d stopped behind her, “…is Dio, my bodyguard.”
“Hey,” Hunter greeted, nodding at Dio. The man didn’t respond, standing as still as a statue.
“I understand you claim to be Vi’s apprentice,” the Lady stated.
“I was,” Hunter confirmed. She frowned slightly.
“Was?”
“It’s a long story,” he admitted, kicking himself for using the past tense. Lady Camilla crossed her arms under her bosom.
“How convenient,” she replied. “I’ve got time.”
“Well,” Hunter stated, clearing his throat nervously. He had a hard time concentrating around this woman. Where to begin? “Vi took me in after I was attacked by an Ironclad.”
“Vi isn’t in the habit of taking in strays,” she stated, looking him up and down. She clearly disapproved.
“I got that,” Hunter admitted. “Guess we had something in common.”
She just stood there, waiting.
“We both didn’t belong,” he explained.
“Clearly,” she agreed, gesturing at him…and his chocolate-colored skin, no doubt. Still, it was obvious she didn’t fear him the way the people of Tykus did.
“I’m an Original,” he confessed. She raised an eyebrow.
“An Original?” she asked. “Really.”
“Yes,” he confirmed. He explained how his mother had gone through the Gate years ago, and how he’d gone after her. How the Kingdom had taken him in, and the Seekers. And then how Vi had rescued him, taking him in and training him.
“My guard says that you claimed Vi was injured,” Lady Camilla stated after he was done. “Is she alright?”
Hunter hesitated, grimacing. He lowered his gaze, then shook his head. He swallowed past a lump in his throat.
“No,” was all he could manage.
“Where is she?” Lady Camilla demanded. “I’ll send my physician to her at once.”
“It’s too late,” Hunter confessed, shaking his head again. “She’s…they killed her.”
Lady Camilla’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“They killed her,” he repeated, his eyes brimming with moisture. He wiped it away quickly, hardly wanting to cry in front of this woman.
“Impossible!” she retorted, glaring at him. “No one could kill her.”
“I saw it myself,” Hunter insisted.
“Explain,” she commanded, her tone suddenly ice-cold. “If you lie even once to me,” she added, “…or if I find out you’ve lied later, I’ll have you hanged.”
Hunter felt the blood drain from his face, and he cleared his throat, his heart pounding in his chest. There was no doubt in his mind that she would do exactly as she threatened.
“All right,” he agreed. He explained everything – how Vi had trained him, how the Ironclad had attacked them at Vi’s place, and their doomed mission to the Ironclad lair. He described their battle with the Ironclad – and their Queen – leaving out the fact that she was his own mother, the Legend who’d started the Civil War in Tykus half a century ago. And leaving out how he’d killed her, realizing who she was only after it was too late.
He finished by describing how he’d found Vi dead outside of the Ironclad lair, and how he’d managed to absorb her last memories. How he’d hunted down and killed her murderer, and how he’d vowed to destroy the Guild of Seekers. And Dominus, the Duke of Wexford…the man who’d betrayed her in the first place.
Lady Camilla listened silently while he spoke, her face expressionless throughout. When he was done, she turned away from him, taking a deep breath in, then letting it out slowly. She stared off at nothing in particular, looking for all the world like a statue.
After a long, uncomfortable silence, she finally turned back to face him. Her expression was stony, but her green eyes glittered with moisture.
“I see.”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his gaze.
“Were you lovers?” she asked, her tone blunt. Hunter glanced up at her, shaking his head.
“God no,” he answered. Her eyes narrowed, and he held up both hands. “I mean, she would never…she didn’t like people like me.”
“Like you?”
“Guys,” he clarified. “She preferred women.”
“Ah,” she replied, relaxing visibly. “But you clearly cared for her.”
“I did,” he confirmed. “I loved her,” he added. “She was my best friend.”
“You only knew her for a few weeks,” Lady Camilla countered. Hunter shrugged.
“I can’t help how I feel.”
“Clearly,” she agreed, eyeing him. “You’re an Empath, aren’t you?”
“A what?”
“A sponge for emotions,” she clarified.
“How did you know?”
“You don’t emit as much emotion as most,” she explained. “Therefore you must absorb it quite well.”
Hunter nodded. She was correct, of course.
“I do,” he confirmed.
“Why are you here?” she inquired.
“I want to avenge Vi,” Hunter answered. “To get the Ironclad head back, and to get revenge on the guild and Dominus.”
“Why get the head back?” the Lady inquired.
“Because Dominus wanted it bad enough to kill Vi for it,” he replied. “So I’m gonna take it from him.”
“I see. And what makes you think I would help you?”
“All I want is work,” Hunter replied. “I’ll be your Seeker.”
She arched one eyebrow, giving him a withering look.
“You?” she scoffed. “You’re no Seeker.”
“Tell that to the Seekers I killed,” he retorted. The corner of her mouth twitched.
“Killing does not make you a Seeker,” she countered. Still, she seemed pleased with his answer. “Suppose I do hire you,” she stated. “What’s in it for you?”
“I get to absorb skills from artifacts,” he replied. “So I can get good enough to get my revenge.”
“Ah,” she murmured. “Like Vi.”
“That’s right.”
“You’ll never be as good as Vi,” Lady Camilla declared.
“Maybe not,” he conceded. “But I’ll get as close as I can.”
She stared at him silently for a long moment, then nodded.
“Very well,” she decided. She turned about then, walking back up the stairs. “Come.”
Hunter followed her up the stairs to the floor above, the masked man – Dio – following behind him. Hunter found himself studying the Lady’s figure, which he found equally compelling from behind. He tried not to stare, though she would not have known he was doing so, but found himself incapable of resisting the urge to. They walked leftward down a short hallway to another flight of stairs leading up to the next level, then made their way through a labyrinth of hallways, eventually reaching a set of red double-doors at the end of a long, wide hallway. There were two men flanking the door, each dressed similarly to Dio. Their masks were different, however, and each wore long, curved swords sheathed at their hips instead of Dio’s metal staff.
The two men bowed as the Lady approached, opening the doors for her. She stepped through, Hunter and Dio following behind her into a large room.
It appeared to be a library, this room. It was of similar construction as the rest of the mansion, but shelves lined the walls, and various items lined those shelves. Mostly books, but also chalices, various weapons, and even human skulls. And some animal skulls. Each item, save for the books, was held in a glass display case. The display cases appeared to be multilayered, with at least three layers of glass surrounding each object.
On the far wall of the room hung a large map, roughly ten feet squared. The Lady walked up to it, then stopped, turning to face Dio.
