The Huntsman of Adamos (Quartet)- draft

CH FALSE PROMISES

Abrieth and Yurieth stood side by side watching the guardsmen corps preparing for war. They had been fighting since the invasion centuries early, but it had been more to contain the enemy. Yurieth knew what they would find when the enemy was gone, he also knew his brother and many Aetherians would be horrified. All would know the horror that had happened there since the Temples of Light fell. There would be a backlash of public opinion when the Occupied Lands were reclaimed when the people realized what had been done to their fellow citizens by the Xelusian Blood Mages and Berserker Warriors. Vaguely, Yurieth wondered if any Aetherian captives would be left alive when the offensive was finished. The Xelusians did not have enough ships to evacuate their warriors and their support staff. He also wondered how many of them would be left to die.

“Protector Lord Abrieth, Huntsman Lord Yurieth. The Guardian Valtias request you to the command center at once,” A guardsman bowed as he delivered the message.

The brothers walked in silence, many warriors bowing their heads in respect as they passed. All knew the last three victories were because of the House of Adamos. They spent every extra moment, when they were not asleep, training their warriors. The warriors and huntsmen under the Sons of Adamos where the best trained in the King’s Army, only after the House of Remus. In truth, if Abrieth had slightly stronger magic and been a third born, he would have been declared the Guardian of Adamos.

Yurieth, Axion, and Regis had taken the once-dismissed status of huntsman and made it into something many warriors wished they were. No longer were huntsmen considered mere scouts. They were spies, and strike teams that conducted attacks deep in enemy territory. When King Xerxes had declared that it was time to make the Xelusians pay for remaining on their world, it had fallen to the Huntsmen to strike fear into the otherwise fearless Berserker warriors and Blood Mages. Deep in the Occupied Lands, the enemy never traveled alone any more, lest they be forever killed and found with their body riddled with arrows or their heads removed by the curved blades carried by the Ghosts of the Forest as the Xelusians had begun calling them. Even the Assassins of the Blood Brotherhood had begun to keep a wary eye on the Huntsmen of Aetheria .

Yurieth and Abrieth both knew something was off the moment they walked into the building. Meteriel was standing outside the door of the strategy room with a cross, cold expression.

“It’s off, lads. You’re coward of a king is backing off on his plans to attack. Giving the Xelusians a century to evacuate. And promising no more attacks within the Occupied Lands,” Materiel scowled.

“In exchange for what?” Abrieth demanded hotly.

“For not killing the remaining Aetherians as they pull out and for restitution for the damage. There is a ceremony for the truce going on at the palace within the day.” Meteriel shook his head in disgust. “Xerxes is a fool. The Blood Mages will obey the letter of the treaty, but they will find a way around the restrictions.”

“Curse your own king, Assassin. Our King is trying to save as many people as he can. An invasion into Occupied Lands would surely result in a great many deaths,” Valtais insisted.

Yurieth was quiet as his mind worked the angles of the proposal. “It is a deceit. They will kill no more Aetherians after the treaty is signed because they are killing them now, before the signing, and they will kill the royal family at the first opportunity. Abrieth, get your troops to the closest towns in the buffer zone and rescue those people. Meteriel, I’ll send all my Huntsmen with you. Get as deep into the territory and make a corridor to safety...”

“Lord Yurieth, you do not have the authority to order such a thing,” Guardian Valtias snapped at him.

“No, but I do,” Guardian Regulus growled at him. “Do you perceive what I do, Yurieth?”

“That this is an assassination attempt and not a treaty offering? Yes, Guardian. The traitor you suspected in the King’s court is making his move to bring down our kingdom. We must get to the Royal Palace in the City of the Kings as quickly as we can.” Yurieth announced calmly.

“You can’t do this... the peace accord will be ruined,” Valtais argued.

“There will be no peace with the Xelusians until the blood of every Aetherian is corrupted or worse; harvested,” Yurieth announced coldly. He looked down at the hilt of the long hunting knife his hand rested on. “I know you are tired of war, Guardian Valtias. We all are, but the only way to end it, is to win it. Or I can simply end it for you now.”

“Brother...” Abrieth warned, placing a restraining hand on his brother’s arm. “We have an enemy beyond these walls to slay.”

“Our enemy is not only beyond, brother...” Yurieth turned on his heel, “My Lord Guardian Regulus, I will prepare our transport to the palace.”

“Gather who you feel we will need,” Regulus called after him, “Abrieth, you have five minutes after we land to start the evacuation. Get your men in place. Assassin Meteriel, take Guardian Valtais with you. I think he needs to see firsthand how our enemy violates the Mandates of Occupation and abuses our citizens. In one hour, we begin in earnest to drive our enemy from this world. No more false promises and worthless treaties.”

^*^*^*^*^

Yurieth stood at the open back hatch next to Regis as the flyer flew low over the building of the City of the Kings. “Did you warn your family?”

Regis nodded, “What about yours?”

“My father is aware, however my mother cannot leave the Queen’s side and...” Yurieth gritted his teeth as he admitted, “And my betrothed is with them.”

He had tried not to develop any affection for the gentle yet angry anti-war healer, but Lady Roserae of Athenos had grown on him. Her kind demeanor and natural love of peace and beauty had lulled the part of his heart that longed for a time when war was over. Her laughter comforted him as her care for the smallest of things enchanted him. He had once seen her weep over a small sparrow that had fallen from its nest and died on the stone street. She had demanded he climb up and check the nest for more. It seemed a foolish thing to the war hardened warrior, but he could not stand her tears. She was so different from the Amazonis he fought alongside in battle. He hoped she was not killed this day.

As the flyer skimmed over the city and the Guardians and Huntsmen dropped out onto the rooftops. They all noted a large number of Xelusians dressed as common Aetherians walking through the streets. It would be a very one-sided battle, twenty of Aetheria’s elite warriors and the city guardsmen against nearly two hundred of the enemy’s Berserker warriors.

They began to quickly make their way to the Palace. Yurieth scaled the walls with Regulus and Regis. His mind found his mother and led them straight to the pregnant Queen and her Oracle.

“Mother,” Yurieth bowed slightly to her.

“Yurieth, you have felt what I have seen?” Yllumina asked calmly.

“Yes. If you saw, why are you still here? Why did you allow the queen to stay?” Yurieth demanded as Regulus spoke quietly to Xena across the room.

“Because I knew you would come. I knew you would show to the king what his advisers ignore,” His mother answered calmly.

“And if you had been wrong? If we had simply stood down as the king ordered?” He demanded and she raised an eyebrow that he would dare doubt her.

“Who is the traitor?” Yurieth demanded in cold fury at his mother’s manipulations.

“Baluthus of Baccus, allied to the house of Baalru. Half of their houses dwell on Xelusia in exile. His allegiance to our King is false,” Queen xena answered for Yllumina. “But we cannot prove it.”

Regulus nodded, “My queen, we must get you and the unborn prince to safety before...”

An alarmed cry from the hall was suddenly silence, Yurieth grabbed his mother while Regulus hoisted the Queen into his arms. Both leapt out to the balcony and climbed to the one above. Xelusian soldiers wearing Castle Guardsmen uniforms rushed out to look for them. Cursing at one another when they found the Queen’s rooms empty.

“Mother, where is Lady Roserae?”

“My cousin went to get me some tea for morning sickness,” Queen Xena answered.

Regulus signaled and a flyer dropped low and hovered. The warriors leaped across to the open hatch holding their protected ones. Then Regulus turn to him.

“Go and find your betrothed. You know what they do to healers, Yurieth.”

Nodding, the Huntsman turned and jumped. Landing lightly on the roof, he slipped into the castle and ran toward the infirmary.

Lady Roserae was already tending a dozen wounded when the Xelusian imposters rushed in and began kill them. One of the Berserker warriors laughed as he held her by her auburn braid, forcing her to watch as her patients were slain.

“Stop it... stop it... they can’t fight you... leave them alone...” Roserae sobbed.

The sound should have broken Yurieth’s heart, but instead it burned cold in anger. He dropped out of the shadows above them and firing arrows as he fell. The moment his feet touched stone behind the one who held his betrothed, the berserker’s head fell at Roserae’s feet then he cut her hair from the offending warrior’s grasp.

The healer could only stare horrified as the enemy warriors dropped dead around her, wounded in a way that no magic could heal. She knew they would not revive from. Her hair slipped free of her attacker’s hand. Reaching up she realized it had been cut and was wet. When she looked at her hand, she was horrified to realize the moisture was blood, not water. Something bumped her foot and she looked down to see a head by her feet. Whirling, she saw that Lord Yurieth was dropping the body still clutching her hair to the side.

“Are you harmed, my lady?” His calm question seemed so out of place as her hands trembled while clutching at her now cropped hair. Misunderstanding her silence, Yurieth added, “I apologize for your hair, but he would not have released it in death and would have pulled you down with him.”

“You killed him, them... all of them...” she announced shakily.

“It was them or you, my lady. Come, we must find you a safe place before I go to aid the king.” He held out a gloved hand to her and she noted the blood on it. “Roserae, take my hand.” He compelled her and she did. A moment later, they were running through the halls.

A group of soldiers appeared in front of them and Yurieth put arrows through their heads before Roserae realized he had released her hand. He suddenly wrapped his arm around her and climbed a wall, hopping over the railing of an open hall. He carried her into a ransacked room.

“Stay here, they have already searched this room. The Queen and her oracle are safely away.” He turned to go, but she seized him around the chest from behind.

“Don’t leave me alone, Lord Yurieth,” she begged, hugging him.

“Lady Roserae, I have to go to the battle, you cannot be there. Stay here and I shall return for you.” He extracted himself from her and shoved her into a smaller room. “Lock the door behind me and hide if anyone comes.” He left her staring at the shut door.

^*^*^*^*^

Running across the terraces and leaping from balcony to balcony, he quickly found the battle. Regis whistled and Yurieth entered the fray without hesitation. Those fighting to get to the king of Aetheria suddenly found themselves between the king and his personal guards and the two Huntsmen. They could not retreat and they could not move forward. In minutes, nearly two dozen were dead. Yurieth and Regis stalked forward, stepping over the bodies, and bowed to King Xerxes.

“My King, the queen and your heirs are safe. The Huntsmen and Protectors are taking care of the Xelusian warriors in the city, and the Castle will be secured within the hour,” Yurieth announced.

“You stupid warriors, you destroyed the peace talks and the withdrawal accord,” Lord Baluthus shouted at him.

Yurieth noted there was no blood on his sword. Regis noted it too and asked. “How is it, Lord of Baccus, that you have no blood on your sword in defense of our king, when all others have shed the blood of our enemy to protect the royal family?”

Xerxes turned slowly to face his friend. “Baluthus, what did you do?”

“He betrayed you, my king. The Oracle foresaw it.” Yurieth announced. “His family is loyal to our enemy, not you.”

“Xerxes, he is lying. Just so he can keep the war going, warriors like war,” Baluthus stammered.

“Perhaps other warriors but the House of Adamos has always sought a return to peace. You did betray us, betray me...” Xerxes stalked forward with his bloody sword still dripping from those he had killed. “I made you the manager of my court and all the enemy come after me wearing the uniforms of my castle guard. I listened when you said the Xelusians wanted peace as much as we did.”

“You just want power, but you don’t know what power does... your plan to rule both...” Baluthus’ head landed on the floor before his words finished echoing in the silent room. No one spoke as the sound of battle faded.

“My young Huntsman Yurieth, thank you for saving my queen and my unborn sons. It is clear to me now that there is only one way to end this. We will drive the Xelusians from our world and amputate their dishonor from their society like a diseased limb,” Xerxes promised as he stared at the body of his treacherous friend.

“It is already being done, my king. Even now the Guardians and Protectors are leading the charge to rescue those in the Occupied Lands and push the enemy from our soil. The only blood feasting done today will be done by the carrion raptors,” Yurieth promised darkly.

^*^*^*^*^

Yurieth knocked on the door behind which his betrothed hid. “My lady, the castle is secured, there are wound who need...”

The door flew open and she collided with his chest, hugging him tightly. “I thought you died, I thought you’d never come back.”

Her hysteria annoyed him slightly, but he hugged her reassuringly, reminding himself she had lived a sheltered life. “My lady, I am unscathed, but I must return to the warfront. Please, come and attend the wounded.”

She trailed obediently, clutching his hand as he led her back to the infirmary. Looking around at so many wounded, she bit back a sob and straightened her shoulders. Her eyes held a calm resolve as she looked at him for what she feared might be the last time. She rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss into his cheek. In her eyes, he could see admiration and something that might be love.

“Come back to me, my lord, so we can be married.”

Yurieth was surprised by her plea, it was the first time she had spoken of their betrothal without disdain. He could only bow before answering. “As soon as the enemy is removed from our world, it will be as you request, my lady.”

As he flew back to the battle, he wondered if he would ever love Roserae the way his parents loved each other. Their marriage had been arranged too, and now they were soul-sealed. He shrugged to himself, perhaps he and his briarrose just needed time.