“The ocean breeze is softer today.”
Master
Halle smiled. “The calm before the storm.”
“Do
you think the fields will survive this time?”
“Never
once has a student ever worried about the agriculture. They’re never worried
about how the food gets to be on their plates; only that it is there.”
“They
never survive the ocean storms, yet we continually plant them and hope they
live long enough to feed us.”
Halle
laughed to himself. “Nature has its very own way, and we cannot stop that. But
it always seems to pass just after the harvest. In a way the storms aren’t ruining the fields,
but eternally restoring the land to its bountiful state so that we may use it
again and again.”
“So
we have already harvested?”
“The
harvest is due today, and tomorrow the coming storm will pass.”
“Always
cutting it close, aren’t we master Halle?” Luc called in from the door behind
Halle.
“Luc,
how good to see you. Our friend here was just asking about the cycle of the
storms.” Halle turned around to face Luc in the doorway.
The
sun was out but it was cloudy and the sky was dark. The rays of sunlight
flooded through the wooden canopy above creating criss-cross shadows on the
stone floors.
“So
how are you?” Luc was talking to the boy, who was still looking out into the
ocean. The waves were calm and gently brushing against the dozens of giant
stone pillars that rose from the ocean.
“I’m
fine. How was your patrol Luc?” They boy’s voice was dull, and it sounded more
like he was making a statement than asking a question.
“It’s
getting darker out every day, and I don’t just mean the sky. The forests are
murky; the shadows are growing every time I look back at them. I feel as if
we’re being followed as of late, but I can’t think of whom or what would follow
us.”
“We’re?
I thought patrols were run by one person?”
“We’ve
had to pull back our scouting locations and put out additional men on patrols.
Luc is right, it’s not as safe in these parts as it used to be.” Halle was
talking over his shoulder, he had turned towards Luc.
“Halle,
I think you were right. This whole time, ever since…”
“We
will talk later Luc, but not now.”
Luc
looked over at the boy and nodded. He turned from the doorway and left.
“Ever
since what, Halle?” He continued to stare out into the Ocean, almost like he
was mesmerized by the waves.
“It’s
been almost thirteen years since we brought you in here, and never once have
you missed a drop. Though I guess Luc makes it too easy for you.”
“You
told me to never ask about what happened, because you didn’t have the answers.
But I never thought to ask you about what you did know, about why everyone
treats me so differently.”
Master
Halle sighed. “I told you everything I know about you and where you’re from.
But the information could be skewered, changed over time. For all I know
they’re just stories, lies passed down through generations that suddenly became
truth and legend.”
“I
am a supposed son of the flame, or at least I was found where the children of
the flame had once lived before being destroyed. I am the last of an ancient
ancestry believed to be blessed warriors who could use fire as a weapon, and so
they were named children of the flame.”
Halle
stood silent behind him.
“But
I can’t control fire; I can’t so much as go near a flame without feelings of
despair rising up within me. Every time I look into flames I remember them
raping and killing my mother in front of me, and then it goes blank. I’m lost
and broken, but most of all I am alone.”
Halle
opened his mouth to speak, but froze at a loss for words.
“Pyre…”
“That
name, it burns into me every time I hear it. I was given this name and found
amongst the ashes of the remains of my life.”
“Pyre
was also the name of your village. I can’t say I understand how you feel, but I
can ask that you try to understand that we’re trying.”
Pyre
smiled and turned around. “I know you are master Halle, but I want to leave
soon.”
Halle
returned the smile. “Soon you will be ready, but not yet.”
“Because
of the shadows?” Pyre chuckled at the thought.
“There
are more than just shadows out there, but I’m afraid you already know that.”
Pyre
bowed to master Halle and left the balcony. He knew Luc would be around the
next corner like he always was, waiting to talk to Pyre about his training. As
he rounded the corner he saw Luc leaning against the wall opposite of him. He
almost bounced off the wall and opened his arms up into the air.
“Pyre!
You looked bummed out bud, what’s up?”
“The
storm is coming, you know I hate them.”
Luc
laughed. “The storm always comes. So how goes your exercises? “
“Same
old: sword play, archery, fitness, survival, the regular.”
“But
you obviously don’t want to talk about that do you?”
Pyre
started walking towards the kitchens and Luc walked with him.
“I
know you’re not supposed to tell me about the patrols.”
“But
you want to know anyways?”
Pyre
nodded. They walked slowly into the smallest kitchen, each grabbing a freshly
picked piece of fruit from nearby baskets.
“I’m
telling you, it’s getting worse out there. Men are disappearing when they go
off by themselves; we can’t even so much as go off for a piss alone.”
Pyre
took a bite of his fruit. “So whad’ya think it is?” His words were barely discernible.
Luc
took a bite of his fruit as he leaned over the table between them. “It’s the hunter.”
Pyre
raised his eyebrow and almost scowled as he took another bite of his fruit.
Luc
swallowed. “Remember the stories of the hunter’s forest? The one our masters
spoke of? I think it IS true Pyre, and these attacks have been happening ever
since…”
Luc
stopped mid-sentence and looked down at the table, before taking another bite.
Pyre
chuckled and took another bite of his fruit. “Ever since I was burned down.”
Luc
looked up at Pyre, and Pyre saw the worried and scared look in Luc’s eyes.
“You’re
not kidding around are you?”
Luc
shook his head. “It’s serious, more and more men have been disappearing as of
late. At first the hunter would only take down loners, men alone. But now,
groups of three and four men have been going out and only one or two might
return. We’re losing people fast, and if it’s the hunter or not, soon enough we
won’t have enough soldiers to defend the keep.”
“I
didn’t know it was this serious of an issue.” Pyre swallowed but didn’t take
another bite.
“I
think the legend of your people extended farther than just the imaginations of
men, or at least your people were enough to keep the hunter’s grounds to just
the eastern forests.”
“What
are you talking about?”
“Pyre,
if I’m right about this, the hunter was kept like a prisoner in the eastern
forest. But with your people and your village gone, the hunting range has
increased greatly. Because the attacks have grown to be so common, we don’t
even know if Armeda is untouched. I’m going to recommend to master Halle that
we send out no more patrols, and start sending out hunting parties.”
Pyre
looked down at the table, and put his fruit down. “How many didn’t come back?”
Luc’s
hands cringed against the table. “Seven of us went out two days ago for Armeda;
we didn’t make it half way before we were attacked. Only four of us made it
back, and not one of us saw it.”
