Book One: Fate
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Chapter NINEteen: Journey to Tillsen
Joel awoke to the sight of a familiar roof. The room was small and rounded, like a tent, with thick wooden beams curving up to a central point on the roof with fabric filling the spaces between beams. He could hear birds singing outside the tent and from the pull over door there was some sun light shining in through the thin parting in its center. The bed he lay in had covers piled on it tugged tightly in to the sides holding them in place. He was sweating; the heat was intense and the sheets had to have been lying on him for quite some time judging by the amount of droplets he felt dripping from his brow.
Moving his feet slightly he felt they were not actually on the bed, which stopped somewhere just below his thighs. A stool had been placed at the end of the bed to prop up his feet, the bed itself being far too short. He remembered where he was then; the small tent, the short bed, and extravagant wood work beams meant he could only be in one place. It was the Dau village within the Great Forest.
He had no memory of getting there. Casting his mind back, the last thing he remembered was running towards Tai. The Sect had struck down Leon, Karen, and Tylor. He remembered being terribly afraid, afraid that they were dead, afraid that he was next, afraid of so many things. Joel had accepted that he would die and wanted to try his best before it happened, that was why he tried to fight Tai, even though he did not stand a chance.
Despite what had happened there he was, still alive and in a Dau bed. Something must have happened. He did not kill Tai as his attack was dodged and then he remembered a sharp pain in his lower back. After that there were some faded images and he could see himself looking up at Tai from the cold ground. Joel welcomed the heat of the covers after remembering the bitterly cold feeling he had flow through him. His body had gone numb and the pain had gone, he had felt dizzy and sleepy at the same time. Beyond that there was nothing else that he could remember.
Trying to bend his stomach forwards, Joel suddenly felt the pain in his back again. It was like a needle was stabbing him constantly. He quickly ceased trying to move. The weight of the warm covers over him coupled with the pain in his back made it impossible to struggle. Running one of his hands weakly and softly over his side he found that his lower stomach was bandaged all the way round. At his lower left back he felt something moist under the bandage that, when pushed, caused him extreme pain. So sudden was the sharp pain from pressing on the bandages on that location that he actually hissed out loud. He swore out loud and gritted his teeth as the pain subsided somewhat.
Giving up trying to move for now, Joel twisted his head to his right to examine the room. There was another short bed next to him which had no sheets and atop it was the satchel and bags that the group had taken to Noctern. The bags were showing age; they were all ragged and torn in some places. They had been tossed and thrown, smacked and bashed, beaten and torn, so it was no surprise that they looked so poorly.
“Joel, you are finally awake!” said a voice from the entrance to the hut.
Tylor ducked under the small beam of the door frame and sat at the top of the bed opposite his head with a relieved smile on his face. He asked how his young friend was feeling (since he did not look happy to be buried under a mountain of sheets on a small bed).
“I’m sweating like a pig under all these covers!” he complained. “And whatever’s on my back hurts like hell!”
“The covers were to keep you warm; you almost died from the cold. The paste on your wound is there to heal it, it’s an herbal mix of some kind that the Dau treated you with. It has to stay on for another day. That should close the wound and take away any infection. You were very lucky,” his friend replied.
“What happened to Tai?” he asked slowly, but then quickly added, “Oh, and what about Leon and Karen?”
“Karen’s wound closed up, but was still treated in much the same way you were in case of infection. Leon’s got some bruises, but once they heal he will be fine. As for Tai… he’s dead.”
Astonished, Joel asked for a full explanation of Tai’s demise. Tylor told him of his fight and of the strange power that he discovered, but said nothing of the voice speaking to him. Joel was amazed that he had been able to defeat Tai alone, but was thankful that the Sect was finally dead. It was then that he had to explain that technically Tai was not dead and that in a matter of days he would be reborn. Somewhat reluctantly, he also told Joel about Tai’s face and how the Sect bore the likeness of the Destined they must assassinate. It sickened him at the thought and the memory of seeing someone so evil and with his fathers face die before him.
“So does that mean that there’s a Sect running around with the face of my father, or me? That’s disgusting!” Joel said, repulsed at the notion. “…If he even was a Destined, I guess.”
“My father himself told me that you are a Destined, Joel. I guess it was no coincidence he wanted us to be good friends and grow up together, though I had no idea our fathers shared such a past… They must have had their reasons for hiding it from us for so long; maybe they just wanted us to live normal lives. Does going out with the fishermen of Samilo in the early hours sound so bad now? Compared to our experiences on the main land?”
Joel’s answer was a large smile. He laughed, but complained that in doing so it made his back hurt. He could not help but laugh as well and was once again astonished at Joel’s amazing ability to bounce back from any hurt or sadness he might be feeling.
“Well, if I really am,” Joel began, “then doesn’t that mean I can go to Noctern and speak to my father, like you and Karen did?”
“Yes, you could, but Noctern is too dangerous to return to right now. Karen is not sure when Tai will be reborn so we cannot risk it…” he paused when he saw the look of distress on his young friend’s face, “Joel it is not a good thing. Though hours past for you and Leon, to me the time with my father was mere minutes…It wasn’t long enough to say goodbye properly. It was not a pleasant thing to see him again in many respects, it made me hurt more…”
“But since I already know the legacy from you telling me I could use the time with him to ask other things! Like why our fathers did what they did!”
Sighing, he looked away.
“…If you are set on getting this time with him then we will go back to Noctern one day, Joel. For now we can’t risk it, but one day... Rest for now, tomorrow we should be ready to move again. Where we are going exactly I’m not sure, but Karen seems to have a plan.”
The kid was silent and nodded to his friend. Tylor got up slowly, making sure to bend as he neared the door so he could get out without knocking his head on the framework. He would never tell Joel (as he would never hear the end of it), but the night previous his forehead had met with the top of the wooden door and nearly made him collapse. As he was leaving he heard Joel call back to him.
“Wait a minute, Tylor! Please, can you get some of these covers off me?” Joel cried.
Laughing, Tylor went back inside the hut and removed two layers of covers from atop of Joel so he could move around more freely. He exclaimed that he felt cooler straight away, but Tylor insisted he did not move around a lot or the wound might open again. With that, he left the hut and went out into the Dau encampment.
Sometime later, Tylor found Leon sitting at a fire in the center of the camp. Dau still did not seem to interact with him, but did not sit away and out of sight of him as they had done before. Leon welcomed Tylor’s company and beckoned him to sit down.
“Joel has finally woken up,” Tylor said.
“Good, how is he?” Leon replied.
“Complaining about the heat and medicine mostly,” Tylor remarked with a smile. “How are you?”
The Hunter brushed off the remark and shrugged indignantly. He showed the bruising on his arms. He wore only his short sleeved under shirt and armored bottoms, his top breast plate was in the hut that the Dau had given him. Black and blue marks ran up his arms and white bandages had been wrapped round one of his wrists.
“My wrist is fractured,” he said, pointing to the bandage around his wrist. “Tai’s blows were strong, but I never even noticed that the impact of one had shattered the bone within my wrist… truly amazing.”
Despite the pain Leon had to be feeling, he still seemed almost amused at the battle with Tai or at the very least content. Even though Leon had lost he looked full of pride and glee. Tylor did not understand him. The Hunter rubbed his fractured wrist with his other hand and examined it closely, Tylor was not sure why.
“So tell me, Tylor… You have now had your revenge, in a way. How does that make you feel?”
“What do you mean?” he replied, puzzled.
“You wanted to kill him and did so in the end. Regardless of the rebirth he will go through that Karen speaks of, you have taken a life for a life. The form, the boy, that did those horrible things that you sought vengeance for has been destroyed, by your hand. That is against your moral standing, is it not?”
“…I don’t feel anything. My conscience might be sympathetic and is sparing me from any guilt, but at the same time I don’t feel happy either,” Tylor said slowly. “It’s not the end, so I certainly am not content and more misery lies ahead no matter what we do.”
“Indeed, the Destined do seem to live cursed lives. You could always go back to Samilo, away from the affairs of the main land. Would you do that?” Leon wondered. “You have already seen more bloodshed and death than you deserve.”
“If this legacy is true then if I did that I would be damning the world and those in it. That is something my conscience would definitely not allow me to do. Anyway, why the sudden interest in my plans for the future, Leon?”
The Hunter smirked, but said nothing. He looked back to the fire and warmed his hands on it.
“Strange… Having the fire lit during the day, I mean. The Great Forest’s canopy lets so little light through on dank days that it can get quite cold without a healthy flame.” Leon muttered out loud.
Tylor spent the rest of that day wandering around the Dau camp. Few were talkative, but he did not mind as the beauty of the place kept him entertained. On their passing visit on the way to Noctern he had no time to enjoy the camp for what it was, but now he had at least a day.
He had heard two Dau women chatting by one of the larger huts in the late afternoon about Leon. One said that he had been pardoned by Apollyan, the Dau leader. Even though he was a servant of the Tentra knights he had helped kill the Wraiths and kill the Brood leader. Though it was actually Tai who had killed Andros they had no reason to correct them, the Dau showing less resentment towards Leon allowed them to stay longer in the village without being asked to leave.
He did not visit Karen. She was in a hut like Joel was resting while the herbal creams cooled and healed the wounds she had received. Rather than argue against the Dau treating them saying that she did not require any assistance she let the small people do their work. If they discovered her ability to heal quickly it would rise to many questions and they had not the time to explain the legacy to the Dau.
Above all else, he was not ready to speak with her yet. Leon and Joel would be content with hearing his explanation of the power he used against Tai as being a mysterious force, but Karen (who was more knowledgeable in the Destined's legacy) would want an exact explanation. He was not ready to ask about the male voice that now invaded his subconscious, dealing with the female one (which had to be Seka) was enough.
As they treated her she had called to him; “I have a plan.” Tylor could only guess at what she wanted them to do now. Whatever it was he would most likely oblige, he had no other choice.
Well, except running away, he thought to himself
It was not really an option. Leon had suggested doing it, but he knew he could not. Running away would solve nothing save perhaps quenching his fears. His father had warned at the darkness spreading from the west and that it was getting closer to Atra’s borders with every passing day. After seeing the beauty of the kingdom and the people within it he would not condemn them to death even it if meant a life of misery for him.
There was no one else who could do it and he had a job to do. As the Center Point he had to rally the Destined together to fight. If he did carry on that would mean facing Tai again, though when that was exactly he could only guess. Would the borrowed power he had relied on in the last battle be available once again? Tylor could not take the risk that it would not. He would have to start training again, to discover his powers and become skilled in fighting like Leon was. There would be no second chance the next time they met.
The second day of the second visit to the Dau camp past peacefully. In the early morning of the third Karen got them all together round a warm fireside and set out the plan she had for the direction they would now take.
In a cold street within the dead city of Noctern a dark mist rose around a small crater in one of its darker passages. The mist took shape, slowly forming limbs of a body. In an explosion of purple light the mist became solid, creating a fully clothed figure with eyes as black as night. He slowly rose to his feet and examined the area around him.
There was nothing but lifeless houses in a lonely street of a deserted city with a dark bleakness cast over everything that felt strangely satisfying. A bone chilling coldness ran down the streets, but it did not concern him. Turning to face a building roof the figure looked up to see another shadowed form standing at the building’s peak with arms at their side. The moon lay like a huge rock directly behind the building. The second figure took center stage in the beams of moonlight casting a huge shadow across the street below.
The figure on the street floor grinned and removed his mask and began running his hands across his brow and chin. He then formed knuckles with his fists and stamped his toes against the floor. The person on the roof before him glided to the ground in front of him like a feather dropping from a soaring bird.
“A little shorter, a smaller brow, a stronger body though… excellent flexibility… perfect,” muttered the first figure to himself.
“So here you are, Tai,” said the other figure in a bitter, but womanly, voice. “You died? I see you have taken on the form of Zan’s son. I was not even aware that he had a son, he kept that quiet.”
“Lord Kass… or is it Lady Kass now?” Tai asked in a lighter, but still sinister, voice. “I see you too have been reborn, into the mistakes form.”
Kass walked forwards to get a closer look at Tai. She was shorter than him and was clad in similar armor which was covered in the same dark fabric that shrouded Tai’s new form. Pulling her hand up over her chin, Kass removed her mask revealing her youthful face. The two met each other’s stare. Two pairs of dark eyes were lost in one another’s. Just as Tai was now the spitting image of Tylor, save for the eyes, Kass now looked like Karen.
They were both older than their Destined counter parts however, and were at the peak fighting age of twenty years. Kass’ face had broadened in that time and had more visible muscle than her younger counterpart. Her hair which hung from out of her mask down to her lower waist swayed in the wind. Tai’s face had not changed much, though his body had more bulk and muscle and his hair was shorter than Tylor’s.
“I died fighting a horde of seventy warriors in the wars raging through L’Carn. After my rebirth, Lord Kain ordered that I slip through L’Carn and into Atra to find you and assist in taking care of the Destined you had found. After that my orders are to assess the kingdom again to find a speedy resolution to its siege.”
“I need no help!” Tai growled, suddenly growing angry. “I will dispose of them when I choose.”
“Ah, so you still play your sick little games then?” Kass asked with a bitter and sarcastic tone. “You are a child, Tai. You are a boy with his toys. During the time you have squandered hunting these Destined you have missed out on a great deal of wars. L’Carn still resists our armies, but had the entire Sect been together we would have crushed them all within weeks. Instead, now I find myself baby sitting you. L’Carn will not fall for at least another two months without our support.”
“I care not about L’Carn,” Tai muttered. “Our job is to kill Destined, not fight these weakling knights. And I need not hear such bitter musings from a harlot like you. Now leave me, I have vermin that need hunting.”
“You have lost them then? I cannot sense them nearby either. Lord Kain has other tasks which require attention had you not let the Destined slip through your fingers. It was reported they were untrained, how did you manage to fall to them?”
“I had that old body for so long I felt that I was actually getting old. I felt like a change,” Tai said with a grin. “Now, what are these tasks that you speak of?”
“L’Carn has sent a substantial amount of troops through the northern mountain ranges bypassing Atra in the hope of reaching either Vail or Sarento to secure more reinforcements. Lord Kain wishes us to go into the mountains, find these troops, and wipe them out.”
Tai spat at the floor and cursed, not bothering to hide his rage.
“We are not his lap dogs!” he shouted. “I will not fetch when commanded like a common mutt! Let Kain send his own knights or the Elites to do that dirty work, we have more important matters! With or without you, I shall head south back towards the capital. I will find and kill those worms that slipped through my grasp here!”
“Tai,” Kass said with a smile, “You do not think that you would get away with disobeying Kain? He made you and he can unmake you. Would you risk that fate to hunt untrained Destined? If we split up and guard both routes to Vail and Sarento we should be done in a week or two.”
“…And what do we do then? Will he have us jump through hoops?” Tai asked sarcastically in a rage.
“Then we must follow the mountains back into L’Carn and assist in its cleansing, after that we will be free to crush the lesser Kingdom of Atra and any Destined hiding within them. Lord Kain has thought up an incredibly clever ploy to break this kingdom should I not discover any other options.”
“Clever? More like cowardly. I despise these underhanded tactics, has he no honor?”
The two Sect assassins stared at one another and he could tell that Kass was choosing her words very carefully. Not to spare his feelings, far from it, she simply did not want to imply in any way that she might have thought the same way as he did about how their master acted.
“Had you been in L’Carn during the peak of the war perhaps we would have toppled it sooner meaning that he would not have to resort to such things now for the cleansing of Atra. There is a still a chance I will find a more apt tactic.”
He laughed at the very idea that Kass was any kind of tactician in battle methods. The fool was far too wrapped up in blindly following her leader to even fathom independent thinking. It was a pathetic sight. He said nothing and began pacing from left to right. He gritted his teeth and growled to himself trying to quell his growing anger. Kass muttered something that he did not hear and looked away.
“Has becoming a woman made you weak?” he asked at last.
“I am as strong as I ever was, if not stronger now that I have a fresh body, so do not speak down to me, Tai. We are equals in power, but I have fought in many more battles than you. Are you confident your skill would surpass mine?”
Kass had turned to face him again with a look of confidence about her. Tai made no motion towards her and instead stayed silent. He walked away from her for a few steps then swung round like in a drunken high with a large smile across his face.
“Yes, yes!” he cried in a high pitched tone. “That would take a few months no doubt? Perfect! Perhaps those vermin will become strong in that time and give a battle worthy of my time! And in that time I will grow strong as well, I will surpass the boy’s new power! Kain must realize my lust for powerful battles and is doing this on purpose!”
“…If your delusions are what you need so that you follow orders then so be it, let us leave towards the north mountains. We will return to Atra in time for winter, with an army that will wipe the scum from this land and pacify it for our master.”
She watched as Tai turned and began walking up the street still with a worrying grin on his face. Kass cursed to herself. He was losing his mind. He had always been sick, enjoying death more than the victories found through doing it. Even Kain was less violent with the deaths of his enemies. With his new form came even more madness, it was as if he had a beast within him and it was taking control. Kass decided she would report his actions to Kain. Tai was over stepping his boundaries and was becoming a danger to all.
In a strange way it was as if history was repeating itself. Just as Yggdrasil’s son had become darker and more evil than the tyrant ever thought, Tai was beginning to show similar signs. Perhaps he would need to be contained as well. She dared not ask what happened to the scouts she had sent to meet with him. He had never spoken out so blatantly against Kain before, the new form had given him more confidence in himself and maybe he thought that he had discovered something that would give him more strength.
“Tai…” Kass whispered to herself. “Your lust for power and death will consume your mind and drive you insane. It will turn Kain against you. He is not foolish enough to ignore your mutiny after he himself did the same to Yggdrasil and I will be there when it happens. I will be the one to strike you down.”
The group had been walking all day. It had been a few hours since Tylor had first stepped out of the Great Forest back into the open fields and roads of Atra, which led back to the capital. Next to him was Karen walking at the same pace, slightly behind was Joel (who was struggling with the left over pain from his wound) and next to him was Leon, who was making sure Joel was keeping up with them. The Dau had assured them that Joel’s injury was not infected and would heal (though it would leave a scar) and although it would sting and hinder him for another week or so as long as he did not overly strain himself he would be fine. They understood that he was incapable of moving fast with the tightness and pain in his side and lower back and stopped whenever he requested a rest.
At the rate they were currently traveling it would take them twice as long to get to the capital from the forest as it had done to get to the forest from the capital. They had past the shanty village at the end of the forest with only a small stop to let them know what they discovered at the mansion.
Now they walked along the road in silence heading to Tentra. Once there they would restock and then go to the west of the capital to a town called Tillsen. Tillsen had the last remaining Katerano church in the kingdom and although it was smaller and did not have a special basement like Noctern’s it was a refuse they could train in until Tai found them again.
Strangely, Karen said nothing about taking Leon with them. Leon had not made any attempt to explain whether he was or not either. He had no real reason to, so he would probably part ways with them in Tentra. It was thanks to Leon’s knowledge of the land that Karen was able to confirm with him that Tillsen even had a church, which still hopefully was occupied by monks who would help them in training. They were not sure how much time they had, but every day of training would be beneficial for them. That was the justification Karen used in asking them to come with her to Tillsen. Leon had made a remark that the Katerano churches seemed very like the Demon Hunters churches and Tylor had to agree. Unfortunately, there was no Hunter church in Tillsen else Tylor might have visited there in order to receive weapon training. He did not expect monks to be able to train them in that sense.
At the first signs of nightfall the group stopped for the night. Tentra was still no where to be seen on the distant southern horizon and it rung home to them just how slow they had been traveling. Moving a short distance from the road the group set up camp; a small fire (which had to be lit using two rocks) some beds made out of folded sheets, and an animal carcass Leon had caught during the last hour of sunlight hanging on a spit over the warm fire. Leon borrowed Karen’s dagger and shared out portions of the animal. Joel muttered that he was not hungry and did not accept a portion.
“You need to keep your strength up Joel,” he insisted. “Please eat something.”
His young friend sighed and accepted his share of the cooked meat. For a time, after they had finished eating, they struck up some idle chit chat about nothing in particular. The serious side of things had been discussed already and any pressing important questions had been answered. Their new destination was set. Tylor had still not told any of them of what happened in Noctern or of his pact with the voice, nor did he intend to, not even to Joel.
In Joel’s shameless innocence he asked of Leon the question which Tylor was interested in the answer, but was not brave enough to ask. He asked to know what he planned to do now and if he was leaving the party.
“Once we reach Tentra I will have to report the existence, and indeed the undoing, of the Brood we found in Noctern. I will also tell them of Tai’s fate. I will then have to speak of the rebirth and of the Destined, especially if it is true and unknown to him, that King Nega is also a Destined. I do not know how he will react, I doubt he would travel with you to train in Tillsen as it has liberated itself much like Noctern, but perhaps he would offer any help you would need. I see me taking no part in that, so we will undoubtedly part ways,” Leon stated.
Joel sighed and said he would miss Leon’s company. Tylor agreed and Karen said nothing.
“Though we may part it may not be lasting, we need not avoid each other for all of time. I will offer you any help I can and will be interested to hear of how you’re training progresses!”
“I have a favor to ask of you, Leon,” said Karen suddenly. “I do not doubt you have skill, but even then… no normal man could last against Tai as you could, there is that and many other things that lead me to believe that perhaps this meeting with us, with Tylor, is not chance and is in fact his role as Center Point taking effect. You may be a Destined. Who was your father?”
“I am an orphan, abandoned,” Leon said after a while. “As for my skill, you have not seen the rigorous training Demon Hunters undergo; it is very fierce, intense, and lasts for many years. I am no stronger than any other Hunter who has finished their training.”
“I still ask that you come with us to Tillsen just to be tested - to be sure,” Karen said.
“Very well, if you wish it, but I will require that you wait a few days in Tentra while I report to Xeno and talk with the king… but yes, there is no harm in being tested. I will come with you to Tillsen.”
Tylor’s spirits were raised, though he was not entirely sure why. Mostly likely he had grown accustomed to Leon’s company. Though he was always serious and rarely showed his feelings he did care and was compassionate and very knowledgeable of the world. It was good that they would continue to travel together, even if it was for just a little more time. Leon had the kind of skill that would warrant him being a Destined, if he was that skilled without any Aura, one could only fathom how strong he could become. Tylor felt suddenly inadequate in comparison; it would not be fair if he was a Destined and Leon was not. The Hunter was much better suited for such a task. Leon had the training, the background, the experience, and all the things Tylor needed, but lacked. So many things had gone wrong.
“We should get some rest, especially you, Joel. If you walk much slower I shall have to carry you again!” Leon said, causing Joel to blush with embarrassment.
With that, the group laid in their make shift beds. Leon sat up for a time saying that he would watch for danger and to tend the fire. Karen suggested that he wake her after a few hours so that he could get some rest as well, the Hunter agreed. Tylor lay opposite Joel. They stared at each other lying on the sheets saying nothing. Joel had a look of content and amusement on his face, he was not sure why.
“Is something amusing you?” Tylor whispered.
“Irony,” Joel said with a smile, “You know what day it is? And here we are sleeping near one another; its like fate itself wants us to have our normal chats about this and that.”
How long had it been since he had realized what day of the week it was? It had not crossed his mind for a long time. Had the two been back in the quiet village of Samilo Tylor would have stopped over at Joel’s house to stay the night. Joel would be warm and snug in his bed while Tylor lay on the floor of his room looking up at the dull woodwork ceiling. Joel’s father would bid them goodnight and blow out the rest of the candles engulfing the room in darkness save the soft moon light and view of stars from the window in the upper corner of the room. On those nights Joel would moan, rant, and complain about all things a young man would. He would listen and complain about the complaining and moan about the moaning just like an older brother would.
How he missed those times.
“I will hear about the toils and tribulations of your life in Tentra,” Tylor whispered back, returning the smile.
The kid was content with the reply and turned away onto his back, wincing slightly as his weight pressed against his wound so that he could face the sky above. Tylor did the same and looked out at the stars. Even with the turmoil currently in his life, he could still be calmed by the beauty a cloudless night sky. He felt himself drifting into a peaceful sleep.
Leon looked to his left; Karen had stirred from her sleep. Only three or four hours had past since the others had gone to sleep, but she seemed very restless. Pulling her covers down from her body she got up and stretched before taking a seat next to Leon, who sat before the fire which was glowing amber.
“You can get some sleep now,” she said. “I will keep watch.”
“Very little time has past since you went to sleep, three or four hours by my count, are you sure?” Leon replied.
She nodded. Leon accepted that and stood up and began preparing his bed. Karen picked up a nearby stick and stirred the middle of the fire, checking the amounts of kindling left. Just as he was lying down, Karen called over to him in a semi-whispering voice, he did not catch what she said and asked her to repeat it.
“I asked if you had a moment to talk, Leon,” she said slowly.
Agreeing that he did, Leon sat himself up again and rejoined Karen at the fire. She seemed to be mulling things over in her mind as she prodded at the fire with the stick in her hand. Eventually she decided to speak and looked right at him.
“I must ask you if you are being completely honest with us all,” Karen began. “Your emotions seem to change when there is talk of your parents, are you telling us everything? It is important, it would help us work out if you are a Destined or not.”
“I have told you everything that I am willing to say,” Leon retorted, emotionlessly.
“So then, you do hide something?” Karen replied.
The Hunter refused to be drawn on the topic of conversation, instead he said that he was tired and wished to sleep and returned to his bed. Karen did not stop him. He could tell that she had gotten the answer that she thought she would and she did not try to press him further. Karen did not suspect malice or treachery from him, but she had finally worked out that he was not telling them something.
Tylor was awoken the next morning by Joel lightly shaking his shoulders. He refused to move at first, but a soft kick to his side convinced him. The group was ready to move on. They decide against waiting for Leon to catch another animal to cook for breakfast and just head off towards Tentra straight away. The last of the fruit was finished, which was for the best as it was starting to look unhealthy, and the last of the fresh water in the canteens was also emptied. Joel was willing to walk at a much quicker pace so they made good time over the morning until afternoon when the heat increased which made them more tired and forced them to have a break under a large tree. After that they traveled relentless and eventually they saw Tentra’s highest towers on the horizon.
By mid afternoon the group had returned to the capital city of Atra and it had not changed since they were last there. It was still as magnificent and breathtakingly beautiful. The knights within the last set of the three gates welcomed Leon, saluting him and asking of his latest adventures. A knight walked with them towards the castle talking with Leon slightly ahead of the rest of the group, no doubt informing him of current affairs in the kingdom.
Inside the castle grounds Leon showed them to his home and allowed them access. Inside, he explained that Xeno was out to the western boarder and would not be back for a day or two so they would be undisturbed. He pointed out two spare rooms that they could use. Tylor and Joel were directed to the same room that they had on their last visit while Karen’s was opposite it. He then bid them goodbye, explaining that he had to have an audience with the king, but on the way he would have freshly cooked food and some water sent to them.
“Should we not go with you, Leon?” Karen asked. “He may require proof that we Destined exist.”
“I must speak on your behalf first, perhaps then he will grant you audience to hear more. Stay and rest, I will return shortly.”
Three hours past and Leon had still not returned. As he said, food and water had been delivered to them by some of the castle’s kitchen staff. It tasted tremendous and the group gladly wolfed it down. After their meal they had kept to themselves. Karen had gone to her room and had not emerged for the last hour while Joel was wondering around the main room examining all manner of things which decorated the walls. Tylor sat in a large seat next to the unlit fire resting.
“Some of these weapons look very strange,” Joel called to Tylor as he ran his hand along a blade of a sword which was curved like a snake. “…And look at this one! It’s like a dagger, but a blade at both ends…Wait, wouldn’t it cause more harm to the user than their enemy?” he questioned and laughed.
Sighing, Tylor peered around the side of the large chair and tried to look at the rack of weapons his young friend was examining. The rack of weapons was off to the far side and round a corner down from the hallway which led to the rooms. From his seat, Tylor could only see the edge of the wooden frame and none of the blades. He had not noticed it before, either earlier that day or when they were there for the first time (but then, he had spent very little time there).
Getting up slowly, he joined Joel in looking at them. There was a wooden rack up against the wall and below it three chests of drawers following around the shape of the small boxed walls. There were many different types of weapons, swords, daggers, spears, and so on, but most had some strange feature that differed from the normal type. As Joel had pointed out there was a well crafted double bladed knife, a sword with a blade looked like a snake and a spear with a green tip.
Just then the door to the house creaked open and Leon entered the room. In his hand he held some sort of package, wrapped in cloth. The two boys greeted him as he paced over the front room and joined them at the weapons.
“Ah, are you admiring Xeno’s collection? He has me bring back any strange weapons I find on my encounters to add to it. Tai’s sword would have been a worthy piece for the collection and Pesmega as well, but that is better suited for you, Tylor,” Leon explained as Karen also emerged from the hallway.
“So, what did the king have to say?” Karen asked, ignoring the talk of weapons.
“I told him everything. He would not speak of his father to me and did not believe the claims that he is a Destined. I mentioned the slow aging as a sign of a Destined, but he did not answer. He did believe that you three are of special lineage and is very interested as to how you’re training in Tillsen progresses. To that end, he wishes me to come with you to Tillsen and send reports to him on a weekly basis.”
Leon took the cloth from the package held in his hand and revealed four small books. They were covered in red leather with gold lining and looked very expensive. Also in the cloth were four ink pots and feather pens.
“The tools for my reports,” he explained. “Well, one is. The rest are for you to make your own notes and observations and to categorize everything that you know about the Destined, if you wish.”
“We cannot make all our secrets open knowledge, Leon,” Karen said hesitantly.
“So be it, then simply take them as a gift. Use them for whatever you please, they bear the royal seal of Atra on the front and back and are a personal gift from King Nega to you.”
Joel took one of the books and spun it around in his hand examining the front and back. Tylor did the same, but Karen refused the offer. Joel gladly accepted Karen’s book as well and the ink meant for her. The royal seal looked like a shield and within its four halves were different symbols which Tylor did not understand. Above the shield two spear points crossed and at his bottom two small daggers lay across one another.
“Do I have your permission to come with you and to keep reports on your progress? They shall be presented directly to the king and I will not place anything in them regarding the legacy if at all possible. These reports may convince him to look into his heritage and begin his own training!”
Disgruntled, Karen reiterated her reluctance at letting any sort of report on the Destined be documented. Written proof of their state of training was dangerous, especially if it should fall into enemy hands. If they were to discover how ill trained the group was any hesitance at invading Atra because of their presence would be squashed.
“I will deliver them myself, directly from my hand to King Nega,” Leon added, trying to calm Karen’s fears.
Tylor was restless after their meeting. They had decided to go onto Tillsen the next morning once Leon had retrieved supplies for them. He explained that he would go to the western boarder after they had been in Tillsen a few days so that he could speak with Xeno. It was now night and Tylor was pacing around Leon’s home. Eventually deciding that it was best to just get some sleep, he entered his room at the end of the hall. Joel was lying on his bed on his stomach and facing the opposite way from Tylor, he turned and hid something as he entered.
“What was that?” Tylor asked, confused.
“Nothing!” Joel insisted.
Sitting down on his bed opposite his friend he noticed that on the side table between the beds one of the ink pots Leon had provided was sitting open with fresh droplets of ink dripping on down the edge. Joel sighed and moved his hand to show that he was writing in one of the books Leon had given them.
“I want to have a journal, you know, something to keep track of what we do,” he said hesitantly. “Oh, but don’t’ worry - I won’t let anyone else see it! Well not for a while… one day it might show our adventures and people will read them!”
He could only imagine how Karen would react to seeing Joel documenting the very things that she did not want Leon to write about. But Joel would not just write about that; it was a journal, so it would be his feelings and thoughts. Deciding that it was a good way for the kid to express himself, Tylor smiled.
“Just don’t show Karen. I do not want her fussing over nothing,” Tylor said.
The kid nodded and returned to writing, occasional peering at Tylor to ensure that he was not looking. Tylor would sit up and laugh every time he did, calling him paranoid in the process.
“So, we leave for Tillsen tomorrow then?” Joel asked while writing.
“Yes, in the early hours as well - so get some sleep.”
The morning came quicker than Tylor had realized. Leon had got them another horse drawn cart which was laden with supplies. They exited the city through its western gates and headed in the direction of Tillsen. The journey there would be mostly a straight road with a stop at a checkpoint town on the way which was similar to Wex. Then, after spending the night there, it was another day’s travel to the town.
According to Leon, Tillsen had declared its separation from Tentra’s rule just as Noctern did years before. Tylor could not help but wonder why so many places would decide they did not want to live under King Nega’s control. He did not question Leon about it however, as he seemed very protective of the royals at times. Karen was curious as well and had asked questions about the town and what their reasons were for breaking off from Tentra, but Leon would simply say it was nothing to do with him and he was not told. Tylor could not help but feel that things were being kept back from them. Leon was knowledgeable of his kingdom, so surely he did know and just did not want to speak of it.
What Leon did speak of was his plan when they got to the town. After seeing them to the Katerano church he would leave for a few days until he went to meet Xeno on the western boarder and then would return to take whatever test Karen wished him to take. They had a plan now at least, but it always seemed to have a way of going wrong for them. Tylor hoped he would find his answers in Tillsen and the methods he needed to unlock the power of the Destined.
Time was running out for them and for the people of Atra.
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