Mikael never liked to talk about his children.

Hunter had to annoy Mikael to the edge of madness before he reluctantly agreed to say a few words about his children. Even then, the boy had to use his all wits to put the pieces of the story together, and his imagination to fill in the missing parts.

However, Mikael told the story of his hunt a few times over the years, when it was absolutely necessary. He would always be brief about it. Only mentioning what people needed to know. Esther's name was always the first he spoke, closely followed by Henrik's. The lie Klaus told his siblings was rarely even suggested, but he made sure to speak of his children in a better light, as though he simply lost them. For him they were never monsters, not even when he heard of the evil deeds they had done.

The only exception to such rule had to be Klaus. Yet if Mikael saw his bastard son as a monster, he never said so out loud. Mikael never talked about Niklaus, and Hunter thought his father would never do so, not even under torture. It took Hunter centuries to understand the true nature of his father's mission. He had never heard Mikael say he would kill Klaus when he found him. Sometimes, even after there should be no doubt about Mikael's intentions for his bastard son's future, Hunter did not believe Mikael actually wanted to kill Klaus.

Hunter knew better than to doubt his father. But he also knew Mikael well enough to catch when his father tried to lie.

After a few years, Mikael added massacres to the list of things he was to avenge. But first, he would get testimony of the survivors, making sure he would not blame Klaus for something he had not done. Still, the list grew ever longer. Mikael made sure never to mention Klaus' werewolf side as a reason for his hunt. If Hunter had not shown signs of being a werewolf himself, perhaps Mikael would have been comfortable in calling Niklaus a beast. But if his son was not a monster solely for his nature, then neither was Klaus.

Finn and Kol's names started to be mentioned in the later centuries when Mikael realized it was more than likely that Klaus had somehow neutralized both of them. Mikael would clutch his fists on such occasions, enraged by the circumstances his sons may find themselves in, and saddened by the thought their own brother was to blame for their pain. He only hoped Klaus had used daggers and not... Well, Mikael was more than certain he had all the remaining White Oak Stakes. Yet the thought he might have missed one stake crossed his mind. Still, for as much as he might hate Niklaus, Mikael doubted his son's cruelty could reach such a level.

There were moments, brief and far between, when Hunter thought his father was having second thoughts about his mission. Mikael always rushed to pursue a lead on Klaus' whereabouts, and it always made Hunter furious. How could he not, when Mikael chose Niklaus over Hunter time and time again?

But once they arrived at the place, Mikael would dwell on memories. He would go slowly, strolling through the city or village. Not enthusiastically; nor to be seen or feared. Not even to gloat over his victory.

Mikael would simply wait. Yet he always looked undecided while he waited. As though he wanted his children to know he was there; as though he wanted them to run.

Hunter thought Mikael did not know what to do with himself. The old Viking had never thought about what life would be like after he killed Klaus, and perhaps he never wanted to. Hunter saw his father freeze a hundred times. Each time he could have killed Klaus, if only he had moved to do so. Yet he did not.

Mikael would simply stay still, staring and waiting. He would go out of his way to be cruel, to make Klaus fear him. But he hardly ever actually attacked Niklaus. Even when he tried to harm his bastard son, Mikael would hesitate during the fight. Only for a moment, only long enough for his children to run away.

Hunter always wondered if his father truly wanted to catch his children... or if there was some other reason behind his never ending hunt...

Still, part of him could not help but hate Mikael. Hunter hated his father for his hunt. He detested the way his mission consumed Mikael, devouring his soul, and destroying every chance he had to be truly happy. Though, most of all, Hunter loathed how Mikael left him, over and over, to chase after Klaus.

Mikael always chose Niklaus. Until the day he didn't...

But Hunter could never stay angry with his father for long.

Besides, for all he knew about Cruel Bastard, all the massacres and stories, Hunter never managed to hate Klaus either.

The boy always had a nature too kind for such a foul thing as Hate.

Or that least, that is what Mikael told him, when they saw each other for the last time.

A/N: After ten thousand years, a new chapter! Thanks so much for reading everyone. There is one more chapter I want to finish, the last prologue, and then we are gonna jump into Klaus and Hunter's relationship.

If you liked this please consider leaving your thoughts! It really helps motivate me to write more.