Hathien's body laid unmoving and lifeless inside his large coffin made of plain birch gilded in iron edgings. He'd never wanted a large funeral. He didn't want anyone to mourn or celebrate his death. He only wanted to know that someone would be there to fill his gap and continue the work he started. Nobody knew who that would be now.
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I stared down at the gray face of the man that had taught me almost everything I knew over the span of fifteen years. The rage I'd felt when his assassin had escaped was now quiet but still very much alive. In that quiet I allowed it to fester and grow. It did just that until she put her hand on my shoulder. I knew it was her immediately and I felt the rage subside just as quickly.
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"The Elders would like to see you Fraey." Diana told me in a low voice anticipating my dread at seeing the Elders. They were the closest advisors to the Harbinger of the Circle. With Hathien gone there was no Harbinger and without an election they would remain in charge until one was held.
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I turned from his casket and moved through the empty cathedral. Only immediate family and close friends and acquaintances were to be allowed to view his body but everyone had already come and gone, I was the last. He didn't have a wife or children, his parents were gone, and everyone else was either half a world away or out hunting his assassin.
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She grabbed my hand before I could walk away. It caught me off guard. I looked down at her sternly beautiful face like she was insane. "Be careful Fraey, just listen and do what they say. I can tell you aren't yourself right now." She said trying to persuade me. "I can see it on your face and in the way you walk. You're angry and I understand that but they just want to speak with you." I stared at her for a moment more. She could always read me so well, like it wasn't any trouble for her at all. I nodded in compliance even though I doubted I'd be able to control my feelings.
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I walked away this time hoping there wasn't anyone hiding in the shadows that could have possibly seen her touch me. We'd both be killed for anything like that. I made my way up the staircase at the front of the cathedral where the Elders waited. They wanted to be close to Hathien. To ensure the funeral rites aren't violated was their reasoning behind it but really I thought they were just here to make absolutely certain he was dead so they could put someone else in charge. Another pawn. Hathien was never a pawn, he was the king, and that's what gave him the respect of others.
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I stopped before I walked into the room where I could hear their whispered voices. Raspy and old guttural voices. I took a deep breath because I knew I wouldn't like whatever talk they wanted to have. I never did. Very few times before now had I ever spoken to the Elders and it was never good.
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I finally stepped into the room to reveal twelve shriveled old men standing around a semicircle table made of polished granite. To my left pale noon sunlight leaked through an enormous circular window of all different kinds of colors. Above us birds could be heard fluttering through the rafters and wooden beams.
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"Fraey, thank you for coming. We understand this has been a great loss for you, we offer our condolences." One of the Elders lied. They had no leader and none of them actually cared about what we did or didn't lose. They only wanted to expand the power of the Circle. "We have a lot to discuss. You may feel more comfortable if you sit." The old man said as he waved his hand to a chair that sat in front of their table.
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I grabbed the chair and sat it down firmly across the room and went back to stand in its place. "I'll stand when you address me." I said sternly. They all looked at each other uneasily. They were used to always getting their way and being able to say whatever they wanted to anyone. I wasn't going to allow that and they knew it. "Very well." He said as all of the Elders slowly sat down.
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"We've received news from the north. Hellineans tried to assassinate King Vyncis of Braseras. They are now at war with one another but luckily Vyncis survived the attempt on his life. As you well know, the Dane family rules Helline and we've received no contact from them whatsoever, it's believed from reports that in retaliation the Braserians destroyed and burned the capitol of Helline. These thirty years of peace are over." He said grimly. His words didn't shock me. Everyone in the Continent knew the Danes and the Lazyres hated each other. Their feud had lasted centuries, this was inevitable.
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"Wars are not my problem, Elder." I retorted. I wanted nothing to do with it. "There's more. There have also been reports that the Gaunt have been sighted in Greenwood Falls. We can't attest to say these rumors are true or not but regardless, these problems will only get worse if Hathiens' assassin gets in the middle of it all. She is a threat. Which is why we're sending you after her." He told me. My heart stopped for a moment. All of it. The sorrow and the rage, it was silent for a time. I didn't speak but my look of quiet shock must have done the talking for me.
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"We are recalling all of the hunters and sentinels. We have to prepare to intervene in the north if needed. You are the best we have to offer and in our minds you were closest to Hathien. You of all people deserve this justice." He said sympathetically. Maybe I'd been wrong about the Elders before now. "We feel that there are many wars to come Fraey. We know your Gift." How did he know? I'd only ever used it once. It was a horror. An abomination. I'd swore to myself I'd never use it again. "You are not to bring her back dead or alive. You will do what needs to be done before she escape. Is that understood?" He asked firmly.
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I stayed silent for a moment. I wanted to know how he knew about my Gift. What troubled me even more was that he wanted me to use it on her. It would be better to just kill her and be done with it. "What happens after I take it?" I asked him. "What about her?" Even as I asked that question it seemed as if a deadly silence captured the room. It even seemed to get darker, like the sunlight itself was fading. "Do not fail, Fraey. We will see you when you return." He said, leaving my questions unanswered. Him telling me to leave sounded very grim. What other choice did I have? This woman needed to be brought down and the Elders wanted to give me the chance to be the person to do it. I couldn't refuse. Hathien deserves justice. I deserve revenge.
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I stepped outside the cathedral and into the grasp of the crowded city and immediately felt relieved to be out of there. I looked around at the graceful architecture of this old city. It didn't seem nearly as ancient as the Elders. How they knew about my gift bewildered me beyond questions. "Fraey?" Diana called from behind me. She was coming through the door of the cathedral, behind her I could see one of the Elders hovering over Hathiens body. Maybe that one had enough of a heart to pay his respects.
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"Is everything alright?" She asked pleadingly. I knew she could see the look on my face. Disdain was written all across me. I grabbed her by the arm and quickly ducked into the alley next to the cathedral. She tried to protest but quickly quieted down when she felt the firmness of my hand around her arm. I looked around to make sure nobody in the bustling crowd had followed us. Nobody could be trusted beyond this point until the hunt was over.
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"We're leaving right now. I've been charged with finding Hathiens' assassin." I said in a low tone. "Dead or alive?" She asked. In any other situation I would've smiled at the fact that she didn't even hesitate to show how she was ready to do anything with me. This time, it only reminded me of my Gift. "Neither." I told her and the look on her face. It spoke a thousand words of fear, she knew immediately what I meant. "Fraey you can't." She started. "I don't have a choice. What do you want me to do? Disobey the Elders? Hathien isn't around to save me anymore, nobody is." I said to her, I could feel the rage coming back slowly. I had to control it. I couldn't take it out on her.
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"Fine... but we need to be careful. You need to be careful." She told me as her face became blank. She did that when she wasn't happy with an outcome or losing an argument. "Where would we even start?" She asked blankly. Luckily I had already read all of the reports of missing or assaulted hunters or sentinels of the Circle and one strange report had come from a town only a days ride from here. Fytane, a small mountain town. A hunter from there had reported being knocked unconscious and waking up with their uniform missing. No other reports had any similarities to this one. It could only be her.
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"Fytane." I said. "That's where she got the uniform from. We'll find something there." I didn't know what we would find or if we would find anything at all. For someone to kill one of the most powerful men in the world required an excessive amount of planning. This wouldn't be easy at all. "Go get your horse. It's time to hunt."
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