Hunter's Return

Chapter 20: Death

Isaac's POV

(flashback before the children appeared)

I was just in my room, polishing my shiny sword quietly on my bed.

It was silent in the castle, not a sound was heard.

Then suddenly, a great big boom echoed through the hallway.

"What was that?" I asked myself.

I picked up the sword and stood up.

I slowly crept down the hallway as I head the clashing of weapons.

"I hope my father is okay," I said.

My father, King James was a very excellent leader, if I do say so myself.

Other than a king, he was a great father to me, teaching me combat and kingly stuff, but sometimes he would go to far and annoy me.

My mother on the other hand, died because of a certain snake who murdered her.

I lost my mother when I was young. I don't remember much about her but I know she used to sing me songs and tuck me to bed.

I sighed and continued down the carpeted hallway, following the noise which lead to the courtyard of the palace.

What I saw was dreadfull. It was my father, I can tell he was harmed because he had many bleeding scars on his skin and rips on his kingly clothes. He had a metallic sword in his hand, swinging it with all his might at someone.

That someone had messy, spiky hair and red eyes of fury.

"HUNTER!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!"

"Oh Isaac!" Hunter said as he pushed father to the ground. "You're just in time to see you puny father suffer."

"MY FATHER IS NOT PUNY!" I screamed as I ran towards Hunter, trying to at least harm him.

I formed rocks of earth and hurled them towards him.

But no, the snake was too powerful. He got his bow and released an arrow which hit my right leg.

"AAAGGGHHHH!" I bellowed in pain. I lost my concentration on the rocks and they disintegrated in thin air.

Hunter smirked and faced my father who just got up.

"I should have done this years ago, to gain my authority as king!" Hunter said defending himself with fire from father's sword.

"HAH! Your metal sword is no match for my fire!" The snake said as the sword melted into nothingness.

"James you are really puny, just like your son and those children!" Hunter said as he released another arrow which hit father's right forearm.

"I just wished I made him kill you early on," Hunter mumbled to himself.

Despite the pain,  I stood up and tried to defend my father.

"Don't worry father," I whispered to him. "I will defend you."

"Okay then," Hunter said. "But who will defend you?"

When the snake said this, he tried to stab me with his knife which was made of silver.

I ducked under the sharp blade and tried to tackle Hunter on his legs with my sword.

But then he melted away into the shadows and appeared on the wall near my father. Then he solidified into a human again.

I tried to tackle again but Hunter dodged made wind under my father's feet, shooting him up to the clouds.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I yelled up into the sky. I couldn't see him anymore, he was too high.

"And now, for the grand finale!" Hunter snickered as he made a ring of fire, enwrapping me and the snake in it.

As the large, blue and red flames neared me, I got closer to Hunter, who was mockingly smirking.

When me and the snake were a meter away,  I looked up, hoping that I would see James.

Father will be okay... I thought to myself.

"No, he will not be okay," Hunter said.

"What do you mean?"

Hunter laughed. "Don't you get it?! Haven't you figured it out yet?!"

"Figured out what?" I asked as the fire died down.

Then Hunter turned into a pure snake, which wrapped around me so tightly, I couldn't breath.

I tried to swing my sword but it fell due to Hunter's tight squeezeing.

"Death Isaac, death...," Hunter whispered in my ear, his snake-like tongue flickering in and out.

I froze. Death? I'm going to die? Them who's going to be the next heir? Hunter? So many questions flashed before my mind.

"No not you dear boy...," Hunter said a bit louder this time.

Before I knew it, I was locked up in a solid metal cage. I gripped the bars so tight that my knuckles cracked.

"HUNTER PLEASE!" I yelled.

"TOO LATE!" Hunter replied harshly. "It's about time your father learned what he did to your great great grandfather!"

My great great grandfather? What was Hunter talking about? But first of all, who was my father's great great grandfather? Was it really Hunter?

I snapped back into reality and viewed the scenario ahead of me.

Hunter harshly stomped the ground with his left foot and the wind died down, making father plummet down to Earth.

"SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR FATHER ISAAC!" Hunter smirked, aiming his bow at my dear father.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I yelled as my voice cracked and tears rolled down my cheeks.

I tried to get out using rocks of earth, but the metal was stronger than before, I was useless.

Hunter released the arrow in his bow and shot father, who was a few meters away from the ground, straight into the heart.

More tears fell to my feet as my father's lifeless body landed with a thud.

"Enjoy Isaac!" Hunter mocked as he disappeared into the shadows. As he did, the metal cage disappeared along with him.

I ran to father, who had an arrow in his chest and blood was everywhere.

"F-father I-I'm so s-sorry...," I stammered as I cried.

With a very weak and soft voice, he  opened his crystal blue eyes, and said, "Take care of the kingdom for me...son," Then he closed his eyes.

"No, no no no father no! Please! Please, no..." I said trying to shake my father awake.

Why... WHY?! Why did I have to loose my father so soon? WHY?!

Suddenly, a female voice yelled, "WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED HERE?!"

I looked up to see Maxx, Leonora, Ranie and Marie with their faces full of horror.

I quickly dried my tears, stood up and ran back inside the castle and up into my room. Then I plummeted on my bed.

After a few moments of endlessly sobbing, I stood up and looked through the big window near my bed to see all the royal guards, servants and the children in the courtyard, crowding at my father's dead body. More tears rolled down my cheeks.

Why was this all happening to soon?