Chapter Fourteen: Meeting the Mother
"Ladies," I hiss, "if you'd kindly remove these sharp blades from my neck. I do have a reason fro being in your lands."
"Then speak now before you lose the ability to," the unfamiliar one hisses at me.
"I was sent by the High Lord, I must speak to your Queen."
"The High Lord," the familiar one growls at me. "The High lord has no right to send a man into the territory of the Harpies. Maybe he just doesn't like you and wants you dead."
"And here I thought he was rather fond of me," I whisper, sliding away from their blades and drawing my own dagger. "Or maybe he knew that I could just hold my own against you lovely ladies, and that I wouldn't end up dead. May I request the names of those trying to remove my head from my shoulders?"
"I am Shara, and this is my younger sister Titan. We will take you to our Queen."
"I will not! I will not take an armed MAN to see the Queen."
"If he is the High Lord's ambassador then he means the Queen no harm."
"And if he is that bitch's man."
"He doesn't seem the type, but there are more of us to deal with him there anyway."
Shara moved ahead leaving me to Titan's less then tender mercies. She never took her eyes off of me, it's too bad that she was watching my hands and not my shoulders like she should be.
"If I wanted to kill you I still can, Lady Titan. It would be no difficult for me to do so, even with you on your guard."
"What are you then?"
"I'm a very good assassin, Lady. An assassin who made a career out of killing Queens. Maybe I killed you."
"No, I remember the man who murdered me, and you are not him."
"Then maybe I killed your daughter or sister, but you remind me of someone."
"I have one daughter. Her name is Surreal, and if you killed her I will find a way to kill you in revenge."
"You're Surreal's mother. That explains why I thought I knew you. I know your daughter rather well."
"And how?"
"I died protecting her from another assassin who happened to be my brother. To my knowledge she's still alive and well."
"She had just learned the art of assassination."
"I'm not sure if I like that idea."
"It will allow her to protect herself from anyone who wishes to do what was done to you to her." "You've made your point assassin. Now sheath your blade you are in the presence of the Queen of Harpies."
"Assassin, who are you? And why do you seek me out?"
"Lady, I have many names, but most call The Hunter of the Blood, or Hunter for short. And I seek you out on the behalf of Saetan SaDiablo, the High Lord of Hell."
"And what does the High Lord think important enough that he'd send a man into my territory?"
"There is a gate to the other realms in your formidable territory, Lady."
"This is fact known to both of us, what does he wish Hunter?"
"He wishes for you and those who follow you to the throne to protect this gate from those who seek to use for evil."
"This we will do, if simply to keep men out of our territory."
"Thank you, lady. I will take my leave of you and your formidable warriors now."
As I turn and begin my trek out of Harpy territory I feel someone fall into step beside me. I look over and see that it Titan. I suppose she just wants to know what I know of her daughter. I will tell her what I can, it would be unjust of me to with hold information from her. She is, after all, the mother of my lady and for that alone she deserves my respect.
"Hunter, tell me of me daughter."
"As I said lady, she was well when I died. The Sadist was watching over her, as was my friend Casey, who is one of the best in my business. She is well loved, and she'll go far. Her destiny is a great one. I believe that one day the two of you will meet again, and that she will find the home of her heart, her mother's people, and a good man to love."
"And you. Will she ever see you again."
"No, I am a figment of her past. We will never meet again. I was simply meant to make sure that she could reach her own destiny. And I have done this. I am content. I avenged my family, and saved my lady that is all I asked for."
"You do not ask for much Hunter."
"I do not need much my lady. I believe this is where our journey ends. I go on to the outside and you return to Harpy territory. I'm sure that one day you'll rise to greatness here, remember the High Lord. I fear that you'll need each other one day. And when you do see my lady once again, tell her that her warrior sends her his love. Tell her that it was worth it."
I ghost away from the spot where Titan is standing, and back into the darkness which id my home. I have to tell the High Lord that the Harpies will protect their gate, then I will disappear from view in Hell. I have done what I wanted to do. And the Hunter of the Blood has only ever served his own interests or those of his lady. No matter what it looks like. It's time like these that I miss the quiet comfort of a secure world were I was able to defeat everything that came my way. My life certainly hasn't been that way since I died, but maybe now it will settle down, and I can have some peace before I have to jump the next hurdle placed in my path.
End Chapter Fourteen
"Ladies," I hiss, "if you'd kindly remove these sharp blades from my neck. I do have a reason fro being in your lands."
"Then speak now before you lose the ability to," the unfamiliar one hisses at me.
"I was sent by the High Lord, I must speak to your Queen."
"The High Lord," the familiar one growls at me. "The High lord has no right to send a man into the territory of the Harpies. Maybe he just doesn't like you and wants you dead."
"And here I thought he was rather fond of me," I whisper, sliding away from their blades and drawing my own dagger. "Or maybe he knew that I could just hold my own against you lovely ladies, and that I wouldn't end up dead. May I request the names of those trying to remove my head from my shoulders?"
"I am Shara, and this is my younger sister Titan. We will take you to our Queen."
"I will not! I will not take an armed MAN to see the Queen."
"If he is the High Lord's ambassador then he means the Queen no harm."
"And if he is that bitch's man."
"He doesn't seem the type, but there are more of us to deal with him there anyway."
Shara moved ahead leaving me to Titan's less then tender mercies. She never took her eyes off of me, it's too bad that she was watching my hands and not my shoulders like she should be.
"If I wanted to kill you I still can, Lady Titan. It would be no difficult for me to do so, even with you on your guard."
"What are you then?"
"I'm a very good assassin, Lady. An assassin who made a career out of killing Queens. Maybe I killed you."
"No, I remember the man who murdered me, and you are not him."
"Then maybe I killed your daughter or sister, but you remind me of someone."
"I have one daughter. Her name is Surreal, and if you killed her I will find a way to kill you in revenge."
"You're Surreal's mother. That explains why I thought I knew you. I know your daughter rather well."
"And how?"
"I died protecting her from another assassin who happened to be my brother. To my knowledge she's still alive and well."
"She had just learned the art of assassination."
"I'm not sure if I like that idea."
"It will allow her to protect herself from anyone who wishes to do what was done to you to her." "You've made your point assassin. Now sheath your blade you are in the presence of the Queen of Harpies."
"Assassin, who are you? And why do you seek me out?"
"Lady, I have many names, but most call The Hunter of the Blood, or Hunter for short. And I seek you out on the behalf of Saetan SaDiablo, the High Lord of Hell."
"And what does the High Lord think important enough that he'd send a man into my territory?"
"There is a gate to the other realms in your formidable territory, Lady."
"This is fact known to both of us, what does he wish Hunter?"
"He wishes for you and those who follow you to the throne to protect this gate from those who seek to use for evil."
"This we will do, if simply to keep men out of our territory."
"Thank you, lady. I will take my leave of you and your formidable warriors now."
As I turn and begin my trek out of Harpy territory I feel someone fall into step beside me. I look over and see that it Titan. I suppose she just wants to know what I know of her daughter. I will tell her what I can, it would be unjust of me to with hold information from her. She is, after all, the mother of my lady and for that alone she deserves my respect.
"Hunter, tell me of me daughter."
"As I said lady, she was well when I died. The Sadist was watching over her, as was my friend Casey, who is one of the best in my business. She is well loved, and she'll go far. Her destiny is a great one. I believe that one day the two of you will meet again, and that she will find the home of her heart, her mother's people, and a good man to love."
"And you. Will she ever see you again."
"No, I am a figment of her past. We will never meet again. I was simply meant to make sure that she could reach her own destiny. And I have done this. I am content. I avenged my family, and saved my lady that is all I asked for."
"You do not ask for much Hunter."
"I do not need much my lady. I believe this is where our journey ends. I go on to the outside and you return to Harpy territory. I'm sure that one day you'll rise to greatness here, remember the High Lord. I fear that you'll need each other one day. And when you do see my lady once again, tell her that her warrior sends her his love. Tell her that it was worth it."
I ghost away from the spot where Titan is standing, and back into the darkness which id my home. I have to tell the High Lord that the Harpies will protect their gate, then I will disappear from view in Hell. I have done what I wanted to do. And the Hunter of the Blood has only ever served his own interests or those of his lady. No matter what it looks like. It's time like these that I miss the quiet comfort of a secure world were I was able to defeat everything that came my way. My life certainly hasn't been that way since I died, but maybe now it will settle down, and I can have some peace before I have to jump the next hurdle placed in my path.
End Chapter Fourteen