Amadeus led the kings back to the temple entrance. Kijera and Kijara had a gaggle of children following them who demanded more magic tricks. The children regarded the other kings with an air of cautious curiosity. They stared at the swords on the kings’ backs with fascination, but never got within three feet of them.
“It will be dark soon,” commented Niratan as they approached the main temple doors.
“Indeed,” said Amadeus as he pushed open the heavy obsidian doors.
“Will you hunt when the sun sets?” asked Axcellus, speaking for the first time.
“Yes,” Amadeus said as he ushered the kings outside.
Gorthag’an was entertaining a small crowd of children, who were climbing up his beard, laughing the whole time. Gorthag’an would pick them out and tickle them, causing them to screech with joyous laughter. Noticing the hunter and his brothers approaching, he set the children down, despite their protesting.
Niratan faced the hunter and bowed deeply.
“My deepest thanks, Amadeus,” he said.
The hunter raised his hand. “Bowing is unnecessary. I do my duty. That is all.”
“You have my thanks nonetheless,” Niratan faced his brothers. “Let us depart before the sun sets.”
“Safe travels.” Amadeus gave them a slight wave and herded the children back inside. Before closing the temple doors, he looked at the horizon as the sky turned red in the east. It would be dark very soon indeed.
Amadeus walked upstairs to his study and found Mira waiting for him with his bestiary in her arms.
“Oh.. Hello Mira,” he greeted her.
“Hello,” she said quietly. “The other children said you’re going hunting once it gets dark.”
“That’s right. You should go join them for bed.”
Mira looked at the floor and shuffled her feet.
“I was hoping to join you instead.”
Amadeus tilted his head slightly.
“You… Want to hunt?” He asked.
Mira nodded. “I want to help you. For my parents.”
The hunter knelt down and held her shoulders, looking into her eyes. She had grey eyes, just like every human.
“You might be a child, but I see no reason as to why you cannot hunt as well, if you so desire.”
Mira relaxed and the hunter saw some joy enter her eyes, even though she did not smile. He stood and offered her his hand. “Come with me. Leave the book on my desk.”
Mira took his hand and the hunter guided her out of his study and to the room where the temple workers would wash laundry. One of the workers approached the hunter and bowed deeply.
“How may we assist you, hunter?” she asked.
“I need a small pair of boots, the smallest you have. Also a small black shirt and trousers, if you would.”
“Of course, hunter,” she bowed again and walked off.
“It’s important to wear black when you hunt,” Amadeus said to Mira. “It helps you blend in with the shadows, allowing you to stalk your prey more effectively.”
Mira nodded intently.
The worker returned with the clothes that Amadeus requested and helped Mira change into them. They were still a little bit loose, but they fit well enough with the shirt sleeves and trouser bottoms rolled up.
“Are you comfortable?” The hunter asked. Mira did two little hops to get a feel for the boots and then nodded.
“Good. You’ll make quite the fearsome hunter indeed.”
“Are you… Taking her with you?” The worker asked.
“Yes, she requested it,” the hunter answered.
“Is that wise?”
“I see no reason as to why I cannot bring her. I will be watching over her the entire time, no harm will come to her.”
“Very well. Just keep a very close eye on her.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“And keep your hair out of your face, child. You need to see.” The worker untied a small piece of string from her hair and used it to put Mira’s long brown hair into a ponytail.
“That’s good. Now you and I match.” The hunter turned his head and showed Mira his own short ponytail.
“It’s nice,” Mira said, nearly smiling.
“Come,” Amadeus offered her his hand. “A hunter needs a weapon.”
“Do be careful,” the worker advised.
The pair walked back up to Amadeus’s study where Amadeus opened a cabinet filled with all manner of close-range weapons. Axes, swords and daggers all reflected the candlelight that illuminated the room.
“Take your pick,” Amadeus told Mira.
“Any one?” She said with awe.
“Any one that you can carry and wield effectively. I’ll teach you how to use it.”
Mira approached the cabinet and eyed each weapon. She first tried to lift an axe, but it was much too heavy. She tried to lift a sword, but could barely hold it up. She finally settled on a long dagger which was much more suited to her size and strength.
Amadeus closed the cabinet and looked out the window of his study. It was already dark outside, which would draw the beasts from their holes.
“It’s time. The hunt is afoot.”
“The hunt is afoot,” Mira repeated.
The two of them made their way to the temple doors. Amadeus pushed them open and looked out into the night. From the temple he could see the entire city, cloaked in darkness, little dots of fire here and there. There was a slight breeze, which brought the smell of filth to the hunter’s nostills.
“Stay close to me,” he instructed.
Mira took his hand and they descended the steps. They arrived at the temple gate, which stood like a wall between them and the darkness.
“Once we pass the gate, stay on your guard. Keep your dagger out in front of you, like this,” Amadeus drew his sword which glowed brightly. He brought his mask down over his face and drew his hood. He unhooked his whip from the right side of his waist, keeping it rolled up. He looked down at Mira who was staring apprehensively at the gate, dagger raised. Amadeus stepped forward and pushed the gate open with a long creak.
He held his sword above his head, partially illuminating the black cobblestone street, so Mira could see, remembering that she could not see through the darkness as he could. There were no beasts in sight, but he could smell the rancid scent that suggested something vile was nearby. There were some bare bushes along the side of the street, Amadeus kept his eyes fixed on them.
“Something’s out there. Stay close.”
He walked forwards into the darkness. Just as he expected, a blob of black goo lunged at his feet from under one of the bushes. Amadeus sidestepped and looked at Mira.
“What beast is this?” he quizzed her.
“A gyst,” she answered correctly. “They’re made of acid.”
“Correct,” the hunter nodded. “And what is the most effective way of killing them?”
“They’re flammable. Any fire will make them burn up.”
“Correct,” he ignited his whip and swiped at the gyst, which hissed and bubbled as it quickly burned up. Soon there was nothing left of it except the bones of the people it had dissolved.
“Let’s proceed,” the hunter said as he extinguished his whip. Keeping his sword held high.
“Miganya is a large city,” the hunter explained. “It’s impossible to cleanse it all in one night, so I take a different area each night. Last night I moved to the middle circle and through streets twelve to twenty. Tonight, I’ll move through streets twenty to twenty eight.”
Mira nodded, looking to her sides, nervously.
“There’s little danger in the inner circle, few monsters can get this far in, they usually stay in the outer and middle circle. It’s usually just gysts this far in because they travel through the sewers.”
“How does your whip catch fire?”
“Well… I’m not exactly sure. I just think and it ignites. It’s like it’s connected to me.”
They walked farther down the road and approached the inner residential area. There were some fires burning dimly along the road, but nobody was outside. Every window of every house had the curtains drawn.
“Someone’s watching us,” Mira said.
“Where?”
“That house,” she pointed.
The hunter looked where she was pointing and saw the curtains in the window of a house move slightly.
“They’re just looking,” the hunter said. “Hardly anybody goes outside at night.”
“I thought the inner circle was safe.”
“Not completely. Safer than the other circles, definitely, but not perfectly safe.”
They made their way through the inner circle and approached the large stone wall that divided each circle. In the wall was an iron portcullis that could let people in or out.
“Who goes there?” called a voice from on top of the wall.
The hunter looked up and saw five men staring down with crossbows aimed at him. Mira gripped his coat and stepped behind him.
“It’s just the hunter,” said one of the guards. “Let ‘im through.”
“Who’s the kid?” one of the men called down.
“None of your concern,” the hunter answered. “Now open the gate.”
The men grumbled, but slowly, the rusty portcullis rose into the air and they walked through.
Amadeus could feel that Mira was shaking.
“It’s alright, they’re just guards,” he reassured her.
“They shot arrows at me,” she whispered. “When I was running they shot arrows at me and wouldn’t let me through.
The hunter stopped. He had no idea that such things happened. The thought filled him with disgust and rage. He turned back and yelled up to the men atop the wall.
“Ho!” He yelled, allowing his anger to show.
One man looked over the wall. “What do you want?
“Who is the one shooting at children?”
The man was silent, but the hunter could hear the other men speaking to him.
“Just leave him,” one man said. “He won’t do nothing,” said another.
“I assure you, if another arrow is loosed at any person, child or adult, I will add each and every one of your teeth to my trophy collection.”
The men fell silent and the hunter walked away.
“They won’t bother anyone anymore,” he said to Mira. “I should have killed them, but it is not my duty.”
They continued on through the dark street. The middle and outer circle were the most dangerous. No light could be seen, providing the beasts with perfect cover, should they decide to pounce on Mira.
“Stay close to me. This part of the city is dangerous.”
Mira moved behind the hunter and followed his lead. They turned down a street, when the hunter smelled something. Something… hairy. Most likely a werewolf. The hunter could sense that it was on the opposite street. The quickest way over would be across the rooftop, but he couldn’t climb up without endangering Mira.
“Follow me,” he instructed. “There’s a werewolf nearby.”
The hunter broke into a jog, occasionally looking behind him to see if Mira was keeping up. She matched his pace remarkably well.
They rounded a corner and the hunter saw that his assumptions were correct. There were two werewolves, one was trying to break through the door of a house, while the other had its head through a window.
The hunter ignited his whip and dashed over to the wolves, he could sense the souls of three people within the house. He flicked his whip at the closest wolf, the one trying to climb through the window. Its fur caught fire and it shrieked, leaping backwards and clawing at itself. The hunter silenced it with a quick swipe at the beast’s neck. The other werewolf noticed the hunter and slowly crawled backwards, snarling. The wolf stood up on its hind legs, showing its full height. The wolf was huge, bigger than any other the hunter had ever seen. It stood about ten feet tall and eyed Amadeus hungrily. The wolf raised its snout and let out a long howl. Amadeus cut it off by severing its head with his whip, but it was too late, all over, more howls broke out. More wolves would be on the way shortly.
The hunter ran back to Mira and scooped her up under his arm.
“Time to move,” he said to her.
He dashed down the street until he came to a large square with a waterless fountain at its centre. He set Mira down.
“Stay on your guard. There will be more wolves coming. Hold your knife up, yes, just like that. If one attacks you, stab at its heart or anywhere above its neck. Do you understand?”
Mira nodded and the hunter ignited his whip, rotating slowly, watching every street. He saw one wolf barrelling towards him, foam dripping from its teeth, its long claws leaving scratches on the cobblestone.
The hunter raised his sword and prepared himself. As the beast approached him, he wrapped his whip around its neck and yanked, severing the monster’s head.
“Over there!” Mira shouted.
The hunter turned and saw three more wolves running down the street.
“Get behind me,” he stepped in front of Mira and whirled his whip above his head. The wolves stopped twenty feet away and circled, snarling. One of the less intelligent ones jumped forwards and the hunter cut it down with a swing of his sword.
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