Chapter 258 - Drums of the Hunt

Things will be getting busy now :D

Hump wandered back to where Celaine stood with Vamir and a number of his hunters, Kelec and Eva amongst them. They were watching him as he returned, but Hump’s mind was elsewhere, stuck on what he’d just agreed to. There had been a lot of stupid in his life. Far too often he walked into situations that he knew were a bad idea, yet there had always been an element of necessity. He’d been backed into a corner and the only way out was straight through a fire.

What Yunillia asked of him now was different. There was no corner. Yet she’d proven herself as a leader over the last month, and if she believed this to be necessary, who was he to say no?

“Stop looking like someone ate your dinner,” Celaine said. “You’re worrying Nisha.”

Nisha stared up at Hump from Celaine’s feet, concern in her eyes. She tilted her head inquisitively. She wandered over to him, putting her front paws up on his legs. He knelt, petting her head and running his hand along her scaled back. She was too big to carry around all the time now.

He forced a smile. “Nothing to worry about, Nisha.”

“Other than our impending battle with the lich queen,” Kelec said.

“Not the kind of attitude I expect from a former student of mine!” Vamir said. “Better to burn—”

“Burn bright than not at all,” Kelec interrupted. “Yeah, you’ve mentioned that a few times.”

A sly grin formed on Vamir’s face. “Don’t you forget it!”

Celaine ignored them and studied Hump with narrow eyes.

She already knew something was up, so he might as well get the interrogation over with. He nodded his head to the left, leading her away from the group and wandering through the gathered crowd. Nisha followed at his heels, running circles around him in her excitement. Hump urged her to slow down but there was no avoiding the notice of the people of Drakalyn with Nishari around anyway.

The buzz of conversation filled the grassland surrounding the Great Tree. More than a thousand people had gathered in the direct vicinity, with many more beyond that that would not be part of today’s battle. All were there awaiting Owalyn’s appearance.

And then they would go war.

Hump turned back toward the tree. The Trinity of Elders were toward the front of the gathering, speaking with Yunillia, Ado, and many of the leaders amongst the village. Wolf dragons bathed in the morning sun, both bonded and unbonded alike. Hump had come to understand just how valuable such creatures were in battle, but today would be different. With time to prepare, there was no telling what counter measures the lich would have in place, not to mention the soul devouring spell she’d wielded to slay a dragon and their keeper a month ago.

“So, what did Keeper Yunillia want?” Celaine whispered.

Nisha lay between Hump’s feet, leaning her side against his calf, a sensation of reassurance coming through their bond. More and more he’d found her perception of his emotional state was maturing. She seemed to understand everything.

Hump swallowed, nervous at what he’d just agreed to. “You know Keeper Leif mentioned the secret passage into Fort Highgaze?”

“Oh no,” Celaine said. “What are they planning?”

“They need to bring down the lich’s shield around the fortress,” Hump said. “Yunillia wants me with them during the assault. They intend to infiltrate the fortress through them, and apparently, I’m to help them detect whatever magic the lich may have used to guard it.”

“Did you agree?”

Hump nodded glumly. “I did.” He shrugged. “Didn’t seem like much choice.”

Celaine paused, frowning. She didn’t look too happy about the news.

“Why are you looking like that?” Hump asked. “Do you not think I should have?”

“It’s just unexpected,” she said, then shook her head. “Well, I suppose it’s not. You’re the most knowledgeable amongst us regarding the lich’s magic. Still… it’s a dangerous mission, even for Yunillia and the other keepers. You may not be able to keep up once the melee begins.”

Hump grinned. “You’re worried about me?”

She pressed her lips together. “You wish! No. You know how I feel about underground spaces. I was just resolving myself to going with you.”

“Celaine…”

“We’re a party, right? You can’t go leaving me behind. I’ll speak to Leif—I’m sure he’ll understand.”

A laugh escaped him, feeling a little reassured at having Celaine with him. While his relationship with the people of Drakalyn had come a long way over the last month of constant battle, there was only one person here he truly trusted. One person he knew he could count on no matter what.

“What’s so funny?” Celaine asked, her expression trapped between amusement and suspicion. “Why are you laughing?”

“A fortress full of undead and a lich and it’s the underground part that gets to you! I don’t know, it just made me laugh.”

“It’s just unnatural!” Celaine hugged her arms to her chest and shivered. “People belong above ground and in open spaces, not trapped in some dank, narrow cave.”

Hump only laughed harder. Celaine managed to maintain her pouty glare for a few more seconds before laughing too. At his feet, Nishari rolled around and showed her belly in her excitement.

Play! She urged in his mind.

Hump knelt, rubbing her belly and smiling. “We’ll play later.”

“Hump,” Celaine called suddenly, the amusement lost in her voice.

He glanced up to see a familiar face approaching—Finnian. As the man caught Hump’s eye, there was a flash of annoyance in them. Hump made no effort to hide his disdain. Ever since Finnian and Celaine had dinner, whatever respect Hump once had for the man was gone.

“Celaine.” Finnian said, nodding a greeting. He forced a smile. “Glad to see you in high spirits.”

“What do you want, Finn?” Celaine said, annoyed.

“I only wanted to wish you luck today,” he said. “I’ll see you on the battlefield. And you, Hump, I’ll be seeing sooner.”

There was something about the way he phrased it that made Hump frown.

“You’re going with Keeper Yunillia?” Celaine asked before Hump could.

“That’s right.”

“Good,” Celaine said. “I am too.”

Finnian blinked. “You are?”

She nodded. “Someone’s got to watch Hump’s back after all.”

Finnian’s smile twitched. “Of course. I suppose I’ll be seeing you both then.” He smiled for real then. “Just think, Celaine. Today is the first of many great hunts.”

“And the last for many others,” Celaine said. “Let us hope the people of Drakalyn are still here once all this is over.”

“Yes, well, there is glory in death just as there is in war.”

“You think so?” Hump asked. “Never seemed that way once bodies hit the mud, but I guess to each their own.”

Finnian glared at him. “And what would you know?”

“Is that all you needed?” Celaine asked coldly.

“Celaine, I…” his mouth twisted into something furious, but he hid it in an instant. “I’ll see you when all this is over.”

Celaine nodded. They watched as Finnian started to walk away.

“Don’t die, Finn,” she called after him.

He glanced back smiling and gave a nod. “And you.”

“Well that was weird,” Hump said, watching him go.

Celaine hummed. “Watch your back today.”

Hump grinned. “As you said, that’s what you’re for.”

The winds of essence changed. Hump looked up as sun rays beamed through the leaves of the Great Tree, tinged with silver light. They rained down upon the gathering, filled with a piercing warmth that spread through his skin, reaching his very core.

He heard whispers around him as everyone turned to the tree. The sensation of power only grew, tingling against his skin like the moment before a god pillar descended. Hump searched for the source of the power, finding it at the centre of the thick canopy. Long, winding branches stirred, caught by the wind. The sound of rustling leaves filled the clearing. The leaves fell like green snow, swaying and spinning on the wind as they fell upon them, gleaming in the rays of sunlight.

No. It wasn’t just the sunlight. There was a sliver of essence in each of them, drawing Hump’s senses like a black spot in his vision. Their beauty almost lulled him into a trance… almost. Yet it was the draw of power that was even more alluring. He reached out, catching one of the leaves in its descent. A spark of warmth burst from it, melting into his skin and disappearing, the leaf withering in a heartbeat before his eyes.

“What is this?” Hump whispered.

“She is coming,” Celaine said eagerly. Her eyes were fixed on the canopy. They were radiant with green and buzzing with specks of essence—she had lost control of her dragon blood.

As Hump turned his gaze up once more, he was stunned. The branches were shaking viciously now, swinging back and forth as if caught in a storm. Leaves fell faster, the essence within them shining brighter, gleaming silver as they flew like a million tiny blades. And then he realised, the branches weren’t caught in a storm; instead, they were unfurling like a mesmerising flower in full bloom.

There was a flash of light at the centre. Hump raised a hand on instinct, shielding his eyes. The light pulsed, then dissipated throughout the canopy, spreading down each branch. He lowered his hand as a feeling of warmth descended on him. It bypassed his defences entirely, filling Hump with a warmth that made him gasp. Heat swept from his soul in answer, his channels cycling as essence surged throughout his body, filling him with strength as if he’d just manifested his soul. Blood rushed through his body, hot with power and excitement. He felt suddenly alert, yet every shred of focus he had was affixed to a singular spot—the origin of the light at the centre of the branches.

From the heart of the silver glow emerged the dark silhouette of Owalyn. Her cascading hair draped over her shoulders, so long it almost grazed her ankles. Two antlers extended from her head, black against the silver radiance.

For a moment, everything turned silent. The tree went utterly still, the leaves froze in the air above them, and colour seemed to fade from everything, becoming dull and grey other than the silver light of Owalyn. It was as if even the world had come to a standstill.

Then, branches stirred, twisting and bending to form steps, falling into like faithful servants while the leaves remained frozen above.

Hump felt a tug on his left arm and turned to find Celaine pulling at his sleeve. She’d fallen to one knee along with everyone else in the clearing, all bowing their heads toward Owalyn. He alone remained standing. He felt Owalyn’s gaze fall on him and whirled back to face her.

She moved with entrancing grace, gliding down the branches, her footsteps lighter than a feather. Where she touched the branches, a ripple of silver light spread through the air. Each time, pressure beat down on Hump like a drum, a wave of power that seemed like it could shatter buildings as easily as it could heal any wound. She neared the roots of the Great Tree quickly, where she stood, her back to the trunk, facing them.

“Rise my children.” Her voice was soft—that of the Mother—yet it carried as clearly as if she were speaking in Hump’s ear.

The sound of feet and ruffled clothing filled the clearing as everyone rose at once.

Oops, he thought, only now realising Celaine was telling him to kneel when she’d nudged him.

“My hunters,” Owalyn said softly. “Our home has been sundered, our forests poisoned and plundered, and the light of our sky transformed by darkness. A day of blood and death is upon us, yet I walk with you.”

She placed a hand against the trunk of the Great Tree and silver light erupted from the point of contact. It shot up and down the trunk, spreading through the roots and branches, turning the entire tree radiant.

“I grant to you my boon upon the day the sun is at its highest,” Owalyn said. “Before the sun sets upon this cursed land, go forth, and fear not the Lich Queen’s darkness! And let the winds guide your arrows this day!”

Suddenly, the leaves descended once more, showering the clearing. The spark of strength Hump had felt before was nothing compared to what he sensed now. It was there for the taking, all he had to do was reach for it.

Come to me, Hump willed, and power washed through him. The power of a god. The power he had witnessed time and time against, yet never touched or wielded himself.

His blood boiled with strength. A thrill came over him, and the sound of hoofbeats drummed in his ears, beating like a second heart. The world was bright with colour once more, and the winds of essence seemed so clear he felt as if he could reach out and touch him. He gasped as he realised he’d been holding his breath. He raised his hands, laughing as he saw silver shining in his veins. Heat filled every part of him—an unending reservoir of power that filled his soul, channels, and spirit well, making them shine brightly in his mind.

This was the power Bud, Dylan, and Celaine could always reached for. The deep and complex ocean of essence that made everything Hump knew of magic seem simple in comparison.

“TODAY…” Owalyn’s voice had changed to that of the hunter. “WE HUNT!”

Her deadly intent descended on Hump. Where once it was as if Death was staring him in the face, now, it felt like it was at his back, empowering him forward, urging him to fight and kill. The drums beat louder in his ears, like horses racing right beside him.

Roars erupted around the Great Tree as both people and dragons joined as one. Nishari tilted back her head, opening her mouth as red flared in her throat. She howled as a jet of flame exploded from her, filling the air above them. A fire that might rival even Hump’s own Fire Blast.

Hump lifted her into the air easily with his strength, laughing as she continued to howl. That was all the sign he needed.

“Report to your commanders,” Yunillia shouted over everyone, standing before Owalyn. “The hunt of a generation begins today. We march to the beat of the Drums of the Hunt! To War!”