A Slayer's Tales

The First Hunt

Nicholas rode towards the large drawbridge gate that was the entrance to Winterria. He brought his horse to a halt as the guards did their routine checks, then continued into the city. As he rode the streets, he had horrific flashbacks to his dream - his nightmare. It was so real, he thought as he trotted through the city and towards the lower city. It had been a week or so since Nicholas' vision of Winterria's fiery demise but it had stuck with him. One part, in particular, had stuck with him: the idea that he had to find Leo Taylor and train him to be a Slayer. He didn't understand why yet, but he knew that that was what he must do.

    The sky was a gorgeous pale blue. There wasn't a cloud in sight. Children could be heard laughing and shouting, playing games, as Nicholas rode into the lower city. He made his stop when he reached the Taylors' humble home. It wasn't much, it was in the lower city after all, but it was nicer than most of the houses that sat to its sides. Nicholas dismounted his steed and tied her up besides the door. He raised his hand to knock but the door swung open before he had the chance. "Nicholas!" There was no-one at his immediate eye level, so he looked down. His face lit up as he saw the young boy he'd rescued just under a year ago. "Leo."     Nicholas' stern face broke into a smile. It'd been so long since he'd smiled. It felt like it'd been an eternity. So it felt good to do it again. He knelt down and embraced the boy's hug. "Leo, I've come for-" Nicholas stopped as he saw Leo's mother standing in the hallway. "What have you come for, Nicholas?" She looked at him, disapprovingly. Nicholas got back to his feet, the smile was now gone from his face. He looked her in the eyes, with an unbreaking gaze, "Leo. I've come to make good on the promise I made him."

    "Promise? What promise?" His mother inclined.

    "He promised me that he'd train me to become a Slayer." Leo butted in, and answered his mother's question. "A Slayer?" She said with a slight grimace on her face. It was clear she didn't approve of these plans. "Aye. That day when I saved your son, he showed bravery like I've never seen in a boy. He'd be a natural." Nicholas explained, "In fact, he was the one who asked me to train him. I had no input." With what he thought was a smart response, Nicholas gave a little smirk. Mrs. Taylor was having none of what Nicholas was saying. She'd lost her son once, on that night, and she didn't want to lose him again. "No." The word was quick and harsh, and her tone was serious. Nicholas was silent for a moment, then nodded. "He's your boy. I would never force you to give him up." He knelt down to Leo's level again, "I'm sorry. Maybe when you're a little older." Despite the words leaving his mouth, and them sounding so genuine, Nicholas was lying. He knew he couldn't wait until Leo was older. He didn't have that luxury.

    He mounted his horse and bid farewell, at least that's what they thought, to the Taylors. He spurred his steed on and they began a gentle trot down the street. "I'm sorry, Leo." His mother comforted him, "I just don't wanna lose you again." They held each other tightly for a moment. Leo understood what his mother meant but he still wished to be going with Nicholas to the Slayer's Guild. Nicholas looked back, and saw their embrace, and turned away. Deep down he knew that he needed to train Leo, but after seeing what he just saw - he couldn't bear to rip the family apart. It also caused Nicholas to think about his own life. He hadn't seen his parents since he'd started his training with Robert. It'd been decades. He shook the thought from his mind. Slayers were removed from their families so as to not cause a distraction from their profession. They had to be merciless killers, of both monsters and men. Having a caring family didn't seem to fit with that life, the Slayers of yesteryear had discovered. Nicholas continued his ride out of the city, and headed home.

    It wasn't too far from Winterria's capital. The Slayers had originated there, after all, and wanted to maintain a strong connection with the kingdom. The Guild resided in an old stone stronghold. It was perfect for them. They had training grounds and sleeping quarters. There was ample room for the few of them that were there. Nicholas arrived as the sun began to set. The sky was a fiery red, that slowly ascended into the pale, baby blue it had been just hours before. It was a gorgeous sight. "Nick, how are you?!" A voice cried from above as he rode through the gates. Nicholas looked up and smiled as he saw Cedric Ryder, one of his oldest friends. They were raised together and trained together by Robert. They were the youngest Slayers in the stronghold, so naturally gravitated to one another. "Cedric, you fopdoodle, get down here!" Nicholas laughed as he brought his steed to a halt. His friend rushed down the stairs to greet him. He dismounted and gave his friend a great hug. "How's things been back here?" Nicholas asked as they let go.