Riddle of the Sword

Chapter 4: The Dark Hunters

Tavia stepped back and stuttered a few times before she swallowed and nodded, she still could barely believe her eyes. It was crazy. Apparently, magic was real and had been her entire life but was just hidden amongst everything.

"Now what...?" Tavia slowly spits out, her eyes glued to Amos, "You've finally convinced me, that's all it took, I guess."

"What I've been trying to do for years," Amos responded with a large grin as he stood up, sticking his pipe in his mouth again.

Amos walked past Tavia and went to one of the wine barrels up against the wall of his small cellar. With a flick of his hand, the top of the barrel crashed to the brick flooring.

Tavia watched in awe, "And that is?"

Amos twirled his pointer finger and another leather satchel floated up out of the inside of the barrel, followed by a small pouch of coins and a few little bags of food.

"We must leave. Take these." Amos said and the satchel, coin pouch, and food bags floated towards Tavia. Tavia grabbed them out of the air, as she touched them a short tingling feeling ran through her hand before quickly disappearing. Tavia then slipped the satchel on and she placed the coins and food inside her satchel.

"Uh, where are we going? And why?" Tavia asked watching Amos as he rushed back to his bed where he grabbed the well taken care of box out from under it. He moved pretty smoothly for being old.

"Away, just away, it's coming, I can sense it." Amos said ad he grabbed the dagger and sheath from inside the box and wrapping the sheath around his waist and sticking the dagger in it.

"Uh what? What is coming?" Tavia asked her voice coming worried.

Amos turned to Tavia and opened his mouth to respond before a scream from above was heard followed by multiple other yells.

Both their heads looked up.

"We're to late!" Amos muttered to himself as he ran to the stairs. He stopped at the bottom and looked over at Tavia, "Come on!"

Tavia snapped out of her trance and sprinted up the stairs with Amos. He pushed open the hatch of the cellar.

The quietly snuck out and through the alley between the houses. Tavia glanced around the corner and saw the civilians running and screaming as buildings went up in flames.

Tavia's eyes went blank and her breathing became heavy, "What happened...?"

Amos glanced around the corner also, "The Dark Hunters!" Amos sputtered.

Tavia turned to Amos, "What?! Aren't those the workers of Ilüz from the stories!?"

Amos nodded, "They're more than just stories, they're real!"

Suddenly a man all cloaked in black with a dark hood concealing his face came riding in on a tall, heavily built, black horse wearing full armor. The man held a torch held high in is right hand while the horses reins were in his other hand.

He took his torch and held it high before he through it through the window of the bakery. It quickly went up in flames and he drew his long silvery sword.

"What are we gonna do?!" Tavia quickly sputtered, her voice shaking and her hands trembling.

"We're just going to have to sneak out before more show up." Amos replied as he flipped up the hood of his cloak and left the alley, walking down the street keeping close to the buildings.

Tavia groaned and hesitantly put her hood up also and slowly snuck behind Amos.

Tavia tried to keep close to Amos but her head kept glancing backwards at the cloaked hunter who seemed to be waiting for someone. He kept looking around him but he kept still and didn't move.

As Tavia watched him he turned his head and they suddenly locked eyes, well what Tavia thought because she couldn't see his face but he was turned right to her.

"Aye!" The man cried suddenly loudly, "Over there!" He pointed his sword straight at Tavia.

"Uh. Amos!" She cried turning around and running to Amos, "We've been spotted!"

Amos spot his head back and noticed two more hunter's have arrived next to the one, "Oh my Marendale!" He cried as he reached out and grabbed Tavia's hand, "Run!"

Amos began to sprint, pretty fast for his age and his looks, he dragged Tavia along with him. She kept tripping over herself and her dress as she tried to keep the same speed as Amos and it didn't take long before her dress got caught underneath her foot and she came crashing down to the dirt road.

"Cursed dress!" She yelled to herself as she untangled it from around her legs.

Amos stopped and turned around seeing her on the dirt struggling to get her dress and cloak untangled. He quickly ran back to her and bent down to her and began to help her.

The hooves of the large horses became very audible with the clank of the heavy armor and the squeak of leather.

Amos glanced up to see the same Dark Hunter from before standing only feet away from them on his horse. Tavia looked up at him and her hood slipped down from her head revealing her face.

The hunter gasped when seeing her face, "It's her!" He cried to his fellow hunters behind him.

"Don't you lay a finger on her!" Amos yelled to them as he stood up, his hand on the hilt of his dagger.

The Dark Hunter slipped off his horse and began walking towards them. His leather boots squeaking and crunching on the dirt. He drew his sword and held it at his side.

Tavia stared deep at the man. Her heart thundering as she tried to stand up. As Tavia finally was able to get herself to her knees the hunter kicked her back to the ground.

"Don't you move any closer!" Amos yelled drawing his dagger.

The hunter scoffed at his tiny blade and held his long sword up to Amos.

"You give me the girl and we'll leave and let you live, but if you fail to do so we kill you and finish our business." The hunter slyly said.

Amos glared sharply, "Not over my dead body."

"Fine then. You have your wish old man." The Dark Hunter chuckled and raised his sword high in the air ready to strike.