2 Prologue (2)

Chapter 1: A Prelude To War

Independent Republic of Runemecia, outskirts of Teiro: Spring of the Red Moon.

On a dry hot evening, five hundred mercenaries rode through the Trach Valley, the last checkpoint before reaching the Republic of Runemecia. They were escorting two diplomats on a secret mission. Julio, the leader of the mercenary band, approached his escorts' carriage.

"Lord Trebias," he called out. A middle-aged man peeked through the carriage's drawn curtains. Time had failed to grind away the youth from his face.

"Yes?" he asked with inquisitive eyes.

"We're approaching the Trach trench," he said. "Please remain in your carriage no matter what you hear."

The middle-aged man nodded and went back inside. He gave his traveling companion a comforting smile. His traveling companion, a chubby man named Dima, frowned heavily.

"The trench is usually teeming with bandits, I don't understand why you insisted on this route." Dima said.

"It was the Prince's orders," Nicholas Trebias said. He fumbled under his seat and drew a bottle of wine. His strong fingers were buried under expensive rings. "Care to join me for an evening drink?"

It was almost sunset when the mercenary band approached the Trach trench. Julio rode in front, his eyes peeled for any action on the valley. It was an ideal place for ambushes. Against Julio's advice, the rich tailor still wanted to cross this path.

To make matters worse, he even insisted on having Julio's entire band escort them. Nothing screamed treasure like an army surrounding you. At that moment, a rider joined the mercenaries leader. He was his right hand, and his chief of staff. Julio had sent him to scout the end of the valley. 

There was an ambush coming. He could feel it in his old bones.

"What is it Julien?" the leader asked.

"A hundred men could take us down," Julien said with bitterness in his mouth. "The men are getting restless."

"Don't tell me you believe their nonsense! We are Julio's Band, The Skull Crushers. We never back away from a fight, even if gods stood in our way." Julio said in a haughty tone.

"I've seen their leader once, Julio," Julien warned then shuddered. "Just looking at him is enough to send shivers down your spine."

Julio scoffed. "Tell me how we can defend those two idiots if we're ambushed," he jerked his head toward the carriage. "Their leader might be a war-god, but the rest of em, they're like us, cut them, and they'll bleed."

"Position the archers, there and there" Julien pointed at two opposite sides of the valley. "They'll take down any lurkers above the trench. Then pull our cavalry back and send the infantry to meet the bandits first. If they're not Black Eyes's men, we should make short work of them."

Julio shot his right hand a disgusted look, "We can't let one man get into our head, Julien!"

"Hope your eyes never land on him then," Julien scoffed.

Inside the carriage, Nicholas and Dimitri were engaged in a similar exchange.

"I've met him Nico," Dimitri said with a squeaky voice. "That's no man, that's a devil!."

Nico scoffed. "You're talking about a ghost, smoke and mirrors. The NewsCo love overselling their stories. He's just a man. We have five hundred of the finest warriors money could buy, Dima." 

Dima was about to say something when a war horn, blasting in the distance, cut him short.

The horn blasted through space, echoing against the rifts of the trench like the harbinger of war.

The carriage jolted to a stop and so did all the horses around them.

"What's going on?" Nicholas shouted at the driver.

His only reply was the second sounding of the war horn.

"Are we under attack?" Dima asked at the top of his lungs, but nobody answered. He shot the wealthy merchant a terrified look, seeking answers from a man who didn't know more than he himself knew.

" To hell with it, I'm heading outside," Nicholas stated, then pushed the door open.

Julio's men were staring at the distance behind him. He turned to look at the trench. A man was holding a war horn while he was casually walking toward them. Nicholas could see his soul paralyzing eyes from where he stood. They shone a golden light that seemed to draw the merchant to them.

The man brought the war horn to his mouth and blew once more.

Horses neighed, and men started whispering and pointing upwards. Nico followed their fingers. Rows of archers stood in the cliff surrounding the trench, aiming their arrows at the mercenaries. Dozens of arrows flew their way.

 Nico hurried back inside the carriage, fear gripping his heart, and showing through his eyes. As he closed the carriage's door behind him, three arrows lodged themselves into it. Thudding loudly, their heads stopped inches away from the tailor's head..

"The hell is going on?!" Dima asked, hysteric. "Was that him? Is it Black Eyes?"

Nicholas gave his friend his most comforting smile "What are fifty or so bandits compared to five hundred trained soldiers?" he asked. He was surprised he didn't believe his own words.

Outside, chaos broke among the mercenaries. An arrow whistled past their leader and lodged itself into a rider's eye behind him. Julio quickly regained his composure and split his archers to deal with the enemy's marksmen. "Julien, take those two idiots back. We don't want them caught in the cross fires."

Julien nodded and urged his horse to turn.

In front of Julio were fifty approaching armed men. The strange man, Black Eyes they called him, led the charge. Julio's first shock was seeing the man move at breakneck speed toward his archers. No matter how many arrows they shot his way, the man would either miraculously dodge or swat them with his light releasing sword.

Fifty archers lost their lives in the blink of an eye. That scene cost Julio's men all their bravery.. Panic seeped into their hearts. He, their leader, had to do something. He urged his mare to gallop toward Black Eyes.

His surprise could only be imagined as the man in question appeared right in front of him. Julio could only blink before Black Eyes's sword passed cleanly through his neck. Panic turned into pandemonium . Horses neighed and reeled. Horsemen fell and scurried away while Black Eyes's men took care of the stragglers.

Black Eyes made it to the carriage with ease, disposing of Julian cost him nothing more than a single sword swing.. He ripped the door open, wrenching it from the hinges. Dima squealed, while Nicholas stared at Black Eyes in frightened silence. The strange man's eyes slowly moved from Nicholas to Dima, then he let out a friendly smile.

"Mr. Trebias, please come out so we could have a friendly chat." His voice suggested he was a young man, no older than thirty moons.

Nicholas remained on his seat, fear nailing him to it tight. That man had the most peculiar of eyes. Nico couldn't stop staring at them.

Where people had ordinary white irises, the stranger before him had pitch black ones. Where ordinary people had round pupils, this one had a rectangular one, like a goat's. His pupils were golden. They shone as though they were a beacon, a sharp contrast to the abyss of his eyes. Hope in a dark place? Perhaps there was hope for Nico still.

The strange man grinned then, with surprising speed, pulled the wealthy merchant out. 

He looked up at the stranger, and with a frightened squeal he asked, "What are you?"

The strange man crouched, meeting eyes to eyes with the merchant, "I'm your worst nightmare, or your divine blessing. The name's Zedd Darkstar." His grin at that time didn't look any different from a demon's.

"What do you want from me?" he asked. His knees weak, his arms heavy, even if he wished to escape, his body was not going to obey.

"Me? Nothing, " Zedd said, feigning ignorance. He turned around and whistled. Soon after, a rider came galloping.

Nicholas looked at the carnage around him. Some of the mercenaries were attempting to flee, but Zedd's men slaughtered them without mercy.. They seemed to enjoy hunting every last member of Julio's Band down.

Was there really any hope for the merchant?

The rider arrived, and Nicholas immediately recognized him. "Son…" he said with trembling lips. "What have you done?"

"Is this the one?" Zedd asked the rider. The latter nodded.

"No…" Nicholas Trebias begged as Zedd held his sword high. "Please… I'll do anything… No… No-no-no-no-no-"

Zedd swung his sword. Blood formed a thin line that went around Nico's neck. His head slowly detached then fell with a heavy thud. Dimitri, who's been pretending he didn't exist all this time, shrieked. 

Zedd flung a throwing knife at him. The knife found its mark, in the neck, right underneath the man's ear. Dima fell face first into the bench opposite him, blood gushing out like a fountain from the grevious wound.

"Your father's wealth is now yours," Zedd told the young Christopher Trebias. "Serve us well, or we'll find you."

Christopher nodded. "Thank you, Black Eyes."

"Tristan will escort you back home. He'll handle the paperwork for the inheritance."

Black Eyes whistled for his horse while Christopher ordered his to turn around. "Don't forget your promise," Zedd warned before the new owner of Trebias Clothes Unlimited left. "It's not like you can escape from me.I have all eternity to chase after you."

Chapter 2: Witch Hunt

Yanoku City, Commercial District: Summer of The Red moon. 

Clamor and laughter filled the Lady Bug's tavern. It was almost midnight. Hunters from all over the continent gather every year for the Festival of the First Hunt. From scrawny young men to brutishly strong veterans, the Lady Bug was teeming with drunkards, singing and drinking to their heart's content. 

Three brawny men sat in a booth at the farthest corner of the tavern. They each sipped their ale as they whispered to each other. The noise and festive environment in the tavern didn't seem to bother them. They needed a noisy place to keep curious eavesdroppers from listening in to their conversation. 

"We must find the witch before the festival begins. We can't allow those magic users near Ulmir's gate. Viraldo will be furious," a white bearded man said. 

"She played me Alistair, master will have my head for this." This time, it was the biggest man of the bunch who spoke. 

"We'll find 'er Garland. I say we ask the Rats to track 'er for us. Rumor has it they got a good sniffer among 'em now," the third man intervened. 

"I don't like it. Nothing good comes out of partnering with those thieves," Alistair, the bearded man, said.

"Al's right. Those thieves're just a buncha greedy opportunists. There's no world where the Three Headed Dragon becomes friends with them rats." Garland face had contorted into an angry grimace.

"I may have a better idea," Alistair said.

"What is it?" Garland asked, anxious. 

Both men leaned forward, interested in what their companion had to say. They were desperate. The witch had stolen an important artifact from the guild then ran away. Garland was the main culprit in the matter. 

"I met a young man in this tavern about a month back. He has no affiliation to any guild but he's very resourceful. I introduced him to Dismas and he offered to pay me back whenever I called on him." Alistair jerked his head around him, as though expecting someone to be eavesdropping.

"How'll that help find the witch?" Garland asked. He anxiously fidgeted with his fingers.

"This young man is resourceful. He knew things about this city, about our guild…" Alistair turned around, making sure nobody was eavesdropping. 

"How do we contact this new friend of yours Al?" asked the third man. 

"He gave me this candle," Alistair took the item from a pocket inside his jacket, but before he did, he looked around for one last time. When the coast seemed clear, he handed the table to Garland, who sat opposite to him. "All we need to do is light it near a window in a high structure. He'll see it and come find us." 

"What strange thing. You sure it's a candle?" asked Garland. His forehead creased as he inspected it. Their third companion leaned in to sneak a peek at the candle.

"The wax moves about like a live snake! You gone and found a strange fella, Al." He looked fascinated and terrified at the same time.

"I told you, he'll come in handy. I don't know what kind of power he has. But I know he's the man for our job," Alistair said, satisfied. Garland gave him the candle back, and the latter quickly shoved it in his pocket. 

 "What're ye three talkin 'bout?" a drunken man approached the group, shouting at the top of his lungs. 

Silence suddenly fell. Everyone stared at the poor drunken fellow who dared interrupt the three hunters. Whispers filled the tavern. Some of them sounded worried, while others were excited. All heads turned, eager to witness what fate had in store for the drunken idiot.

Garland slowly got up. He towered above the scrawny man. 

"I shouldn't have come here…" The drunken man whispered, suddenly sobering up. 

Garland held him from the scruff of his neck. The man shrieked. His legs flailed as Garland lifted him off the ground. Laughter filled the Lady Bug as the man began sobbing. Garland walked toward the tavern's balcony then hurled his victim against the door. Glass and wood splinters flew as he broke the door and rolled down the empty street. 

"He shoulda known better," some could be heard saying. 

"Never talk to Garland unless yer invited to his table," others murmured. 

"I don't even know what those heroes are doing here. They got their own pub at the guild."

"Don't let them hear you say that, Garland will fling you to the city gates." 

Talk about the three hunters went on for a while before the subject got reverted to the festival. Bards resumed their singing and Alistair compensated the barman for the broken door.

The three hunters left the Lady Bug a short while after then headed towards the guild watchtower. It was the highest structure in the Guild district and also Alistair's personal quarters. The man was the Three Headed Dragons' brains. 

The three hunters got into the old watchtower and inside Al's private study. Al lit up the strange candle then put it near the window. Its flame was emerald green. The three men sat in darkness, their eyes trained on the mysterious candle. 

After a short while, the candle fire turned bright red then suddenly got extinguished. The three hunters stared at the direction of the extinguished candle, surprised at this sudden change. A gentle knock on their door brought them back to reality. 

"I'll open it," Alistair whispered, unsure why he spoke faintly. 

"Hello dear friend," a cheerful voice reached the other hunters' ears. 

"Zedd, please come in. Have a seat wherever you please." 

"How did he get in unnoticed?" Garland whispered. 

"I snuck in here of course," answered the young man, surprising the two hunters. "I assume you have some urgent matters to deal with Al." 

Zedd took a seat beside the window that overlooked the city. He took the strange candle and pocketed it. 

Alistair filled some tankards with ale then handed them to his friends and guest. The faint light from the chandelier barely illuminated the young man's face. 

"You must be Garland. The strongest hunter in the guild, it is an honor to meet you." Zedd's lips parted into an amiable smile. "And you're the famous scout, Zorah. Your work is quite admirable. How can I help the Three Headed Dragon's legendary hunters?" 

"Legendary is but a title forced upon us by the young ones," Al said. 

"Three wise men looking for a fool's help, I'll do my best to assist you," Zedd said with a warm smile. 

The tall hooded man eyed the hunters who called for his help. From under the hood he wore, Garland could only see the young man's golden shining eyes. 'Strange doesn't even do him justice. That man gives me the creeps,' he thought as he felt the young man's penetrating gaze read through his soul. 

"Have you heard of the Purple witch?" Al asked. 

"A headache to anyone who deals with her, what did she steal?" Zedd said.

"The azure star," Zorah said.

Zedd let out a long whistle before replying. "She's hit the jackpot this time. Master Viraldo won't be pleased." 

"He's in Helton. He's due here in three days. That witch has vanished without a trace. I was hoping you'd help us locate her," Al said. 

"I can do that. Dealing with a magic user is no easy task, even for hunters. You can rest assured however; you'll have your star before Master Viraldo makes it back to the port." 

"We'll come with you. I wanna make that bitch pay," Garland said. 

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. I prefer doing the tracking alone. Besides, I have a great use for that witch. You'll get your star back, and you'll never hear from that woman again."