The Vengeance PT.3 UNEDITED

“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.”