Chapter 10: The First Dark Hunter
A child runs down a crowed street. Be hind him is a small black thing, chasing it. When the onlookers see the black thing they scream and run. None try to help, the black thing is too strong, and they all fear it. Then the child trips and falls and the black thing gets closer, the people watch in fear. The black thing jumps at the kid but before it lands its cut in two and dies. The people come out of their hiding, staring at the man who cut the black thing down.
"You, you killed it," said a woman.
"Yah, I did," said the man as he helped the kid up.
"How?" asked a man.
"I cut it open with my blade," said the man as he searched the boy for injuries.
"Thank you so much mister," said the child.
"It was no trouble, and you can call me Tak," said the man.
"Tak? Is that your name?" asked another man as the child ran away.
"Yes, it is," said Tak before turning and walking away from the crowd.
In a castle a king sits upon his throne and a messenger runs in and bows.
"My King, it is rumored that a man has killed one of the creatures you dubbed heartless," said the messenger.
"Really?" asked the king rubbing his chin.
"That's not possible, unless he received military training," said a soldier on the kings left side.
"What is the name of this man?" asked the king.
"It is rumored to be Tak," said the messenger.
"Exactly, rumored, there is no Tak," said a soldier on the king's right.
"Find this Tak, bring him to me, as a guest not prisoner. I would like to speak to him before the sun sets," said the king to the soldier on his left who bowed and left the court.
"Is there anything else you request of me My King?" asked the messenger.
"No, that is all, you may go," said the king with a nod.
The man called Tak walked through a town, not the one he saved the child in and six soldiers approached him from behind.
"You there, are you Tak?" yelled on of the soldiers.
Tak stopped and turned to face the soldiers, "I've done nothing wrong," he said.
"We didn't say you did. Are you the one the people say killed the heartless?" asked the soldier.
"I am the one who killed the Shadow, yes," said Tak.
"The King requests your presence, you are in no danger," said the soldier.
"I never thought I was," said Tak with a grin.
The soldier sneered and the six led Tak to the castle. The soldier who stood on the kings left walked back into the court with Tak behind him. The soldier bowed and returned to his post, Tak took a knee before his king.
"Dear boy, you may rise," said the king and Tak stood.
"Now I believe the tale even less, this is a kid, I doubt he can wield the double edged sword on his back," said the soldier on the kings right.
"He is young, how old are you young man?" asked the king.
"I just reached the age of twenty two," said Tak.
"That is young, and you posses the skill and strength to kill heartless?" asked the king.
"Yes, I am able to kill Shadows," said Tak.
"What are shadows?" asked the king.
"I believe there are many kinds of heartless, the small black ones that we know being one kind. I call them Shadows," said Tak.
"You think the king is wrong?" asked the soldier on the king's right.
"Calm down, it is very possible that I am. It would make sense if there are more than one kind, but that possibility is frightening," said the king.
"You majesty?" asked the soldier on his right.
"Tak, do you have any special abilities?" asked the king.
"Yes, I have power over ice," said Tak.
"If heartless is a general term, can you think of one that is even more broad?" asked the king.
"Darkness perhaps," said Tak with a shrug.
"That was my thought as well," said the king.
"Your majesty, what are you getting at?" asked the soldier on his right.
"It has been an idea of mine to gather men together, men with abilities such as Tak, no two being alike, and sending them to other worlds to help with the heartless there, and possible, recruit more men and boys into their leagues. Each would be knighted and higher than my army. I wanted to call them Dark Hunters, and it would be their mission to terminate every last heartless on every world," said the king.
"Sir, it would take years to train such men," said the soldier on his right.
"Not if they already exist, Tak, I want you to be the first Dark Hunter," said the king.
"Your majesty, it is an honor to be considered for the position, and an even greater one to accept it," said Tak bowing.
"Good, your first mission, before going to other planets would be to search this one and gather all the men with special abilities no two with the same. Those among them that wish to will be the other starting members, but you will be their leader until you are done or retire," said the king.
"I thank you, my king, for this job and responsibility, and I will start first thing tomorrow," said Tak bowing.
"Before you can start, you must take a knee," said the king standing up.
"My king, you can't be serious, knighting this man you just met? He may wish to abuse the power you give to him," said the soldier on the kings left.
"I am most certainly serious. I know he will not abuse this power, it is one of the better things about youth, corruption is at a minimal," said the king drawing his sword and walking towards Tak.
Tak took a knee as the king approached and the king placed the tip of his sword on Tak's right shoulder, "I, Legimus, King of this land, knight the," he raised the sword and placed it on Tak's left shoulder, "Tak, Leader of the Dark Hunters, slayers of darkness," he put his sword and stepped back. "Rise, Knight Tak."
Tak got to his feet and bowed before Legimus. He then turned and left the court. The next morning he set out on his first mission, getting as many men as he can with special abilities. After about two months this task was completed, he had five more men, and they headed to Legimus' castle.
"Tak, you've returned to me, and I see you have men willing to follow you," said Legimus standing up.
"Yes my king, these five are willing to be Dark Hunters," said Tak.
"Their powers?" asked Legimus drawing his sword.
"Earth, fire, water, wind, and thunder, sir," said Tak.
"Excellent, you all take a knee so I may knight you," said Legimus and the five men knelt and were knighted.
"What is our first task my king?" asked Tak as the king sat back down.
"Tak my boy, there is no need for formalities between the two of us, you, as leader of the Dark Hunters, are on an equal level as me, or any other that may sit in this throne after me," said the king.
"But, sir, you are a king, I am your servant," said Tak.
"The Dark Hunters are you people, you are their king, and I am no higher than any other king," said Legimus with a smile.
"If is what you wish my king," said Tak.
"It is, leader of the Dark Hunters," said Legimus.
"He truly is the greatest king," whispered the man of earth to the man of thunder.
"This world will be the home base of the Dark Hunters, you will start here killing all our present heartless. Then you will go out to all the worlds we know of and kill all their heartless, you will return here when you are done and kill what has arised in your absence. Any you recruit cannot join in the fight until he has been knighted. And the day of your return here, unless it is very late, you are to report to me," said Legimus.
"As you wish, Legimus," said Tak as he and his men bowed and left.
Tak and his men easily handled the heartless on the world, and set out to the next one. The only kind they met was the Shadows, but some worlds had worse infestations than others. After a few years they had more men, they were lucky that none had dies, but injuries have occurred.
One day, when Tak was middle aged they met a swarm of shadows, the man of earth fell early in the fight, and water fell near its end. The remaining Dark Hunters brought the bodies; for they had succeeded in keeping the heartless away, back to their king.
Tak entered the court to a smiling Legimus, "Tak, you're back early, have you heard?"
"Heard what Legimus?" asked Tak.
"My wife, she is to have a child," said Legimus.
"That is wonderful news my king, but I am sorry that I come here bearing bad news," said Tak.
Legimus' smile vanished, "what has happened?" he asked.
The other Dark Hunters came in carrying the two bodies. "They fell in the fight. We were attacked by swarms of the heartless, we managed to defeat the swarms, and keep them from taking their hearts, but they fell none the less," said Tak as the king looked over the bodies.
"They will be buried in the royal cemetery," said Legimus.
"My king, that ground is for the royal bloodline only," said the soldier on the right of the throne.
"It will also be the resting place of all the Dark Hunters," said Legimus.
"My king, I must protest," said the soldier on the left of the throne.
"And I must insist, that it will happen as I say. Tak you and your men may stay until the funerals are over, but after that, I am sorry that you will need to journey out again," said Legimus.
"I know Legimus, other worlds need us as much as this one," said Tak and he and his men left.
After the funerals the Dark Hunters set out again. When they returned the kings child was born, a son he named Ansem. Years passes and so did many of the Dark Hunters. Tak was in old age and Ansem was in adolescence, his father teaching him the way to run the world. Tak was older than any Dark Hunter had ever been, and had decided that his next mission would be his last.
Tak retired and the next leader of the Dark Hunters was chosen, the one who had been there the longest, aside from Tak. Tak became Legimus' highest adviser, which he greatly appreciated in his old age. Ansem was in his early twenties when the Dark Hunters returned with word of new heartless. The first time a heartless was seen that wasn't a Shadow.
Tak was forced to go with, to see how bad it was, when he returned the king had died. Prince Ansem now ruled Hollow Bastion, but nothing chanced in how the world was managed, not even the Dark Hunters changed, aside from the fact that Tak was back in charge. All the new Heartless proved much harder than the Shadows, and on his second mission after the kings death Tak died.
No Dark Hunter was ever taken by the heartless; the surviving Hunters protected the bodies. Tak was no different; he was brought back to Hollow Bastion and buried in the royal graveyard. A few years later the Dark Hunters met three boys who wanted to join, they were told to get special abilities. On another world they found a boy with a sword shaped like a key that was very effective in killing heartless. He joined the Dark Hunters and soon after so did the other three. They were the last three to be knighted as Dark Hunters.
Every Dark Hunter died in the fight. None, save Tak, retired. Tak however, returned and died in the fight. Every Dark Hunter, save the four last, were buried in the royal graveyard. And none, save three of the last four, were taken by the heartless. The Dark Hunters defended twelve worlds from the heartless for two full generations.
