“He did’nt make it out.” Ava reports her head hung low.
“Then he died well Ava.” The master calmly states.
“You don’t know that! Did you feel the earth mourn for him? What if The First captured him like he did the girls we just rescued. They could be experimenting on him right now.”
“Ava, you do realize we are talking about an ogre right? The great Gaia will mourn him somewhere.”
“How could I forget that! Whatever they are doing with subs isn’t going to stop at Kitsune, hell it probably didn’t start there.” Ava’s anger is quickly consuming her better judgment.
“We all sign on to fight the hunters. We accept the risk that we could die on any mission. We do this so the innocent don’t have to die because no one was there to protect them.”
“Tread carefully Master Delmont. I have not forgotten my oath.” she says leveling a dangerous look at the master.
“Then redirect your rage where it belongs.”
“You know what, that is exactly what I am going to do!” She leaps into the air with her powerful legs and disappears over the skyline.
“Master Delmont?”
“Yes Adrian.”
“She is not going to do what I think she is, is she?”
“Avians lead short lives embattled with very strong emotions. I hope her elders have the wisdom to dissuade her.”
“From doing what sir?” Kei asks timidly.
“Many Subs have a culture of their own that are tightly woven with tradition and history. Your kind have a growing phase where the young are encouraged to enjoy their youth and endulge while they can before returning to their family skulk. I imagine that’s not something readily shared with everyone.”
“So this is one of those things that only an Avian should tell me about?”
“It would seem wisdom is not entirely lost on the young after all.”
“What oath did she swear?”
“Those of us among the subs who fight to protect others have sworn an oath. ’On my life and the honor of my family I shall protect the peaceful and the gentle from the violence of others.’ It means that we target and eliminate all those who seek to harm and kill subs in order to protect their culture and tradition from being eliminated.”
“Did you all swear that oath?”
“Yes, each Master recruits and receives the oaths of those who seek to act as they do. When that master feels they are ready or passes the torch to another the selected protector takes the role of Master and the cycle continues.”
“Then I want to take the oath.”
“Wait, really? Are you sure? This is a lifelong commitment.” Adrian interjects.
“I got that. It felt right rescuing my friends with you. I have thought long and hard about what role I will play when I return home to my kind. The most honorable thing I can do is protect that way of life. If the hunters are acting differently and you are down two people then you need me like I need this. I know now what I must do with my life.”
The Master takes a long moment to consider her words. “It appears I was wrong to assume you are brash. I will receive your oath on one condition.”
“Name it!” the fox gingerly challenges.
“Gain your parents blessing.”
Her demeanor immediately deflates at the statement. That was no small task.
- - - - - - -
“Mother. Your aide says you have not taken audiences in two days.” Eve says without announcing herself. A hint of concern in her voice betrays her.
“I take visits at my leisure my heart. With the events since the First Hunter returning I have had a great deal to do.”
Eve easily identified everything off about her statement. Being the eldest daughter she knew her mother well. She never makes excuses, explains her actions to anyone, nor does she allow herself to be too busy to receive guests. All those things could have been missed if she had not called Eve her heart; an old name her mother had not used in several millennia. “So what is really going on mother.”
“Nothing that you need to concern yourself with. I have everything under control.”
“Except you called me your heart.”
“You and your sister are my heart love.”
“Except you have not called me that since Rome.”
“Yes, well, it is one of my favorites.”
“If you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine. Why did you call me here then?”
“It’s no big deal really, I have been thinking about succession.”
“Succession? You never think about that. Every time I bring it up you’re always, ’I’m immortal dear there is nothing to fear.’ and ’Such things are for true queens not imagined ones.’. With things in the most unstable state they have ever been, now you finally want to talk about it?”
“Oh love, this is not up for discussion. I have already chosen Mel, I am just informing you about it.” she says nonchalantly.
“That’s excellent mother, for a moment there I thought you planned to ask me.”
“Just because I rarely take what you have to say into consideration doesn’t mean I am not listening. Of course I have taken precautions to ensure Mel is protected, if something happens to her you will be the only one left to assume the role of leader.”
“Protected? I thought her whereabouts was secret, even I don’t know where she lives.”
“Well it seems that the hunters are far more informed and sophisticated then the brutes we assumed them to be.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean simply that things will get worse before they get better.”
“About Taylor mother. I think he might be in a position to help us.”
“So long as Taylor is a captive of his, there’s little he can do.”
“Actually there is mother.”
“What do-” A terrifying scream interrupts her mid sentence. Without hesitation she begins pushing her daughter towards the window. “If you hide out on the fire escape he won’t look for you. He has come for me.”
“Who?” Eve asks as she steps out the window.
“My cursed. Stay hidden.” the queen instructs as she closes the window.
Eleven armed men storm the room. Among them the most recognized Hunter to take up the title. “No resistance? You protect yourself with a human janitor and secretary?”
“You didn’t really expect me to hand over more of our kind for you to experiment on did you?”
“Hmm, I suppose you might be a little smarter than that. Though when I dreamt about this day, almost every day of my life for the last Nine Millennia, I imagined some epic battle of might and wits.”
“I wronged you Michael, I have decided to face that wrong like I should have so very long ago.”
His face flashes red with rage. “I am going to enjoy gutting you betrayer! Men, haul this thing away.”
