Chapter Twenty-One

  The Dark Stalker War

  “You have the anchor, get out of here,” Cailean stayed in front of her as Gwen held the anchor tight to her chest. He had a thought of the Red Lady, she had told him he would see death in a glorious battle. He thought he already fought it, but could this be it? Could this be where he died? finally and truly?

  “Don’t leave me, not again, not until I know I can bring the spring back,” Gwen pleaded as Cailean grabbed her and brought them to cover against an ally.

  “You can bring the spring back, it's up to you Gwen,” Cailean said, “Mount up and ride to the mountains, the Druid will show you how to use it to bring the turning, but we can’t do it so long as he lives,” Cailean looked out at the battle that was happening, watched as his students ran foolishly head-on into a force of Dark stalkers, “The only way to make sure the spring comes, is to cut off the Winter’s hold on our world, I’m going to kill Gailech,” he said, drawing his swords, both short and long.

  The Prince of Night retreated to the magistrates building in the center of the city. Watching through the windows as more Dark Stalkers joined the fight while a handful stayed in the building guarding their king.

  “He took a risk giving you the anchor, he thought he could end this now, he’s wrong,” Cailean said, “But as long as he lives, Winter will have its play, I’m going to end this now,” he said.

  “But what if you die?” Gwen asked grabbing his cloak and wanting to beg him to stay with her.

  “I already died once, I’m not afraid of death. Let me find him, let me kill him, my death is nothing in service to the spring, that’s the oath I took,” Cailean said, he turned to Gwen, and put a hand on her cheek “I was probably never meant to say that oath but I did, I would probably never meet a woman as amazing as you, but I did,” he took a deep breath, “Gwen, I fight threats so old, threats without names, the Voice dies tonight,” he said, “Trust the order, guide them, they’re the hope of this world. When the Spring is found, the world will still need Hunters, and then Hunters will need the Sun Blood to protect the peace we wish for, the Red Lady told me she wasn’t done with me, and I take that as a blessing,” he grabbed her and kissed her, “Every moment I’ve been given with you has been a blessing of the Goddesses. If I were to die today, I would be honored to have as much time as I’ve had with you,” Cailean turned and with drawn swords prepared to enter the fray.

  “Damn the Red Lady,” Gwen grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her, “Damn her wishes, go, win,” Gwen said, “Win and come back to me, Winter Hunter,” she said, grabbing him and pulling him in a deep, and what could very well be their last kiss.

  Cailean turned away, looked to the streets of the city, and watched as his students entered melee with the Dark Stalker force. “Have at me Red Lady, if this is my destiny I accept it,” Cailean said, “I will find the Prince of Night, and I will sever him from this world, I will end the Voice’s influence, cut it off, let him know that the spring can not be stopped,” he said, rushing forward towards the magistrate building.

  Cailean encountered one of the stalkers, his blades made fast work of him. Perhaps these stalkers weren’t the trained fighting force they presented themselves as. He kicked the door to the building open and found himself face-to-face with the Red Lady.

  “Is this why you needed me?” he asked, not skipping a beat at the idea of seeing the Goddess of War and Death.

  “There are a dozen of the Voice’s soldiers here at the top is the Prince, you have to kill him,” she said.

  “Is this where I die? If it is I’m fine with it,” Cailean said.

  “One’s about to come from the stairwell, get ready,” The Red Lady said.

  Cailean turned and sure enough, a Dark Stalker lunged for him, Cailean raised his blades crossed and caught the Stalker’s swords in them, he threw them apart and knocked the Stalker back, and in that opening, he found an opportunity to thrust his long sword forward and slay the bringer of darkness, “If you want to kill me you have to do better than that,” Cailean said.

  “This will not be your death Hunter,” the Red Lady said, now appearing at the top of the stairwell the Stalker he just killed came from, “I’ve prepared your death, and it won't be here,” she said, “For here you will win,” she turned her head to the left, “Another is coming, ready yourself,” she said.

  Cailean rushed up the stairs and turned around the corner with his swords and caught both blades in the stomach of a Dark Stalker. He ripped his blades across, ripping out the Stalker’s innards and causing him to fall down the stairs as he died.

  “They have an archer, behind you,” the Red Lady said.

  Cailean turned and with an influenced and inhuman movement, he threw his short sword up and caught an arrow in mid-air, slicing it out of its path before leaping down a flight of stairs to embed his blades in the unguarded archer.

  “There are more, higher up,” the Red Lady said as Cailean turned back to the staircase and saw her at the top of them. “One with a Sword and shield, two great swords, they’re going to try and overwhelm you,” she said.

  Cailean rushed back up the stairs and took a turn into the hallway, he readied himself for a strike from a great sword. He blocked it and found an opening to dispatch one of the Stalkers. As he turned in his swing the Red Lady told him to raise his blades to defend, he did and caught another Great Sword in his crossed blades. He ripped his arms apart, ringing sparks and a cry from his blades as he knocked the Dark Stalker back before turning his blade in his hand and plunging it deep into the gap in the Stalker’s armor.

  “Do you want to kill me or not?” Cailean asked as he turned down the hallway and another Dark Stalker lunged for him. He met the Stalker in Melee, his blades working to block and knock the enemy away before finding the moment to strike for their throat.

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  “I still need you,” the Red Lady said, standing before the fallen Stalker, “I put a great deal of faith in you, I will take you when the time comes, but for now I need you to act here, in this world,” she said, holding her hand up and pointing down the western hall, “The Prince panics at the top of this tower, go and kill him, Winter Hunter, go and do my will,” she commanded.

  “I’m not doing this for you,” Cailean said, “Take what you want for me, but know that no fighting I do is only for you,” he said as he made his way down the hall. The Red Lady seemed to jump through the air, appearing whenever Cailean needed a warning about a Dark Stalker about to emerge and try to kill him. Cailean took the warnings with grace and readied himself for each fight. With the Red Lady’s help, he was able to clear through Stalker after Stalker. Ripping, slashing, tearing, and killing all of them as he sought his true target, the Prince of Night.

  “Two more up here, don’t you dare fail me,” the Red Lady said.

  Cailean lunged forward, both swords out, catching two Dark Stalkers before they even realized who they were fighting. He ripped his blades across and spilled their blood on the floor.

  “Where is the Prince,” Cailean said, “Help me find him, help me end this” he roared, ready for battle. He looked around and tried to find the Red Lady, but she had disappeared. Cailean continued on though, he would continue until the spring was found, he would always push forward. Up another flight of stars, in a great room, he found the Prince.

  Edmund Gailech turned to him, Steel sword drawn, “I see the Goddesses won’t go down without a fight,” he said, raising his blade up and readying himself for combat, “Don’t you see what I’m trying to do, don’t you see that this world should be ours?” he said.

  “You would subject people to a winter that never ends,” Cailean said, “Have people toil in a world of death, why? Why do you want this?” he asked, holding his blades up and prepared to enter melee with the Prince of Night.

  Edmund held true to his blade, “I know of you, Winter Hunter, I meditate as well, I have seen you,” he said, moving his sword to point right at Cailean, ready to attack, “The Goddesses want you to die, they want to control you, and you listen to them?” he scowled, “You're pathetic, you would follow a deity that wishes you dead, you follow to their wishes like its some great cause, don’t you see how we can have a world without them?” he asked.

  “This world could never live without them, they made this world, they give us everything,” Cailean said.

  “What have they given you, what have they done for you beyond telling you that they want you to die for them,” Edmund stepped back and readied his battle stance. “What gives them the right to have any dominion over this world, they may have raised the land, but you are a man, and they didn’t create us, we were always here, what right do they have to tell us how to live?” Edmund, sword ready, began to step towards Cailean as the Winter Hunter held his blades, ready to enter combat, “They didn’t create us, I say to hell with them, they gave us the winter to punish us, they think themselves so wonderful that life without them would be dark and suffering. I say that we show we don’t need them, the eternal winter will be hard on the weak, its true, but shouldn’t we strive for a world where only the strong survive?” he asked, “A world where man creates his own destiny, not one where he bends the knee and begs Goddesses who don’t even care about us for the scraps of spring that they, in their infinite wisdom and benevolence decide to bless us with? I wish for a world without worship, let the weak die, let those clinging to ancient ideas that someone else will save us be done away with,” Edmund locked eyes with Cailean, “I know that they speak to you, I know they manipulate you, tell me, what is life like as a pawn? I’m curious as I’ve always lived like a king,” he said. “I have found solace in Winter,” he said, “It is in Winter that man can truly be what he was meant to be, men without blessing, men without solace, men having to be strong, that will build a brighter world, if that means it must be cold for us to have it so be it, you will lose Winter Hunter, the Goddesses think us nothing more then their pets, they scold and chide us, its a game to them, all our lives, it’s a damn game. I work to end the game, I will bring a world without Spring, without Goddesses’ games, I will not bend to them, I will not burn our food for them, this is man’s world!” Edmund lunged forward, and Cailean prepared to block, but mid lunge, an arrow sailed through a window into the building and caught Edmund in the back of his neck. He fell down and began to rattle and spit as blood leaked from his throat.

  Cailean looked out the window and Saw Dewman holding his bow. Next to him was Gwen on horseback, holding the anchor tight. Far off he could see the dead bodies of Dark Stalkers peppering the streets. His eyes met with Dewman’s and the young hunter gave him a nod. The Dark Stalkers had fallen, and the Winter Hunters stood victorious.

  But there was a price to their victory.

  Back to back, Luris and Hurlon fought a trio of Dark Stalkers. They were backed up into an ally and surrounded. Luris was going one-on-one, favoring shield over sword as a Stalker berated him with blows, Hurlorn had one Stalker’s blade locked with the axe in his right hand and was blocking blows from the other Stalker with the axe in his left. He slammed his left arm down and threw the Stalker off balance. Acting in sync, on instinct, Hurlorn and Luris knowing each other's movements as if they were true brothers by blood, Hurlorn turned and Luris brought his shield arm up to block another blow, and then followed the moves that Cailean had taught him. Rudimentary in their repetition, but fundamental for a reason. He guarded himself, then made a wild slash at the other Stalker, he twisted his wrist to bring his blade to parry. The bronze of his sword howled as it ground against his opponent's steel blade. He ended with a lunge, getting the point of his blade right between the slits in his armor and ripping apart his insides as he brought the chipped and worked blade out of the villain.

  “Gaurd to your left!” Hurlorn yelled as the other Stalker made a play to catch Luris with his sword buried in entrails. Luris tried to cross his arms and bring his shield to defend himself, but he wasn’t fast enough. Hurlorn, seeing his brother about to take a killing blow, jumped between Luris and the stalker. He crossed his axes and intercepted the wide swing of the sword. With his other hand, the Stalker pulled out a steel dagger, and in a motion so fluid, trained, and deadly, he embedded the short blade in Hurlon’s eye.

  “No!” Luris tried to catch Hurlorn with his shield arm as he fell to the ground. He brought his sword up. Blocking blow after blow before finding his moment to lunge forward, Dropping Hurlorn’s body and tackling the last remaining Stalker to the ground. He raised his sword and brought it straight down into the Stalker’s neck. He ripped his blade out and blood began to stain the fallen snow as he brought the sword down again and again, crying out and taking vengeance against his brother’s killer.

  With the Dark Stalker defeated, Luris turned to Hurlorn, he was still breathing, Luris cradled him, “I have a tonic, maybe that can help,” he said, reaching for his belt.

  “No,” Hurlorn’s voice gurgled, “It’s okay, this is what’s supposed to happen,” he smiled, even with a blade sticking right out of his eye he smiled, “I saw her,” he said, “I saw the Red Lady, she had to choose one of us, and she chose me,” Hurlorn said.

  “Not yet, we still need you, the Hunters still need you,” Luris tried to keep Hurlorn elevated, trying to mitigate the blood loss, “You’re the next Huntmaster, not me,” Luris said.

  “I’m gonna lay with the Red Lady, she chose me, I’m gonna call her my woman,” Hurlron smiled, “Hope Fiona understands,” and with that his body went limp in Luris’s arms.

  “Hurlon, brother,” Luris tried to shake him awake, “Hurlorn!” Luris shut his eyes tight. The snow was falling around them, and in the cold of winter, he held tight to the body of his brother.