Knights of the Nine - Beginning of the End

Chapter 6: A Streki And A False Baby

Bags and sacks surround the stables of Wintergale. The Monster Hunters were preparing to leave for Glacé Moitié, the dessert abandoned by man and elven culture. It has been lost to time that majority of the major cities are covered in sand and that many unknown knowledge will be lost forever.

It was ten around eleven in the morning, and the city were gathered around the gates of Wintergale. Bidding goodbye to their monster protection. Derek was sitting on a crate looking at the people sheading tears for the Hunters. The Knights of the Nine never got that, yet they over ruled the Hunters in the twelve decades they've been around.

Now since the Knights are reborn, Derek will have to call in some favours from some friends.

Derek jumps onto a horse and began riding before the Hunter's leave. He didn't tell no one where he was going, he planned to be back before they'd notice. So he kicked his horse into full gear and rode.

The closest village or town to Wintergale was Borden and Fillicha, both were an hour away. Derek rode for Fillicha, where his old friend, Asher, lives. He knew that he would not refuse the option to join the Knights. As did he owe Derek too.

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The gates weren't open, the guards men lost. Not a sound in the air. Derek slowed his horse down and rode up to the gates.

"Hmm..." Derek hummed to himself as he looked at the gates.

He got off his horse and pulled the reigns to a tree. Derek tied the horse up and went back to the gates. Examining them, he found blood and burning marks on the bottom parts of the gates.

Derek placed his hands on the gates and pushed, they slowly came open. Showing the site of which three families lay on the ground, not dead yet nor alive.

Derek ran up to one of the families and shook a young lady. Her eyes were bloodshot and her shirt were ripped off, as would bandits do. Her pulse was fast yet her chest did not show a sign of a heart beat. Derek moved to a older male.

He had a small stone built into his hand, it was a burnt stone. Derek now knew what the work this was. It was the work of the Temerian Army, their mages have came through and attacked.

A door flew open and a young child came out with an axe in hand. He charched over to Derek. The boy swung the axe almost hitting Derek's legs. He threw the axe onto the ground and knelt down to his family.

"The fuck away, you are!" The boy cried over to Derek.

"I don't want to hurt you nor them," Derek walked over to the axe and picked it up. It had Temerian writings over it. "I want to help them. Do you remember what happened here?"

"What does it look like, you bast!?"

"Calm - dammit, where is Ciri when you need her? - Do you know what the Army did to these people?"

"For no that no. Y-you have to ask Jilk." The boy placed his head onto the chest of his father.

"Where can I find this Jilk?"

"At his home, 'twere at the top of the path on the west." The boy pointed north.

Derek looked at the boy confused. "West you say, but you point north."

"I am a young 'un. It look like I know an arse to an ass?"

Derek shot the kid a smile and walked over west. There were a path leading up to a creek, where there was a small hut. A hunters shack, perhaps. Once Derek got to the door he knocked.

The door opened on his final knock.

"Shit. Jilk gone hunting?"

Derek peered in and smelt the stench of a Streki - a freshly turned vampire - it was close. He took out a potion from inside his pouch and drank. Enhanced vision and hearing, only downside of the potion is that your hearing will weaken for a day and so will your eyes.