The Blessed City

King's Men gathered outside the southern border of the swampland. Word had spread of Lord Brae's pursuit of the Blessed. The teasing rumor that one of them was the prized treasure the King had sought for years lay at the end of the hunt and the greed of the reward of a triumphant capture for anyone and all who partake in the delivery drove the men to Lord Brae's camp. Riding from as far east as the Ether Mountains and as far west as the sea. Then, of course, those who joined Brae since the beginning had traveled leagues from the borstal alongside the lord himself.

The Huntsman observed the growing flock with mild intrigue. Every hour that passed produced more men from the inner swamp. Banners hung marking lords and steel rattled persistently as they worked their swords or hung their armor. Violence clung to the edges of sanity and only the glare from a lord or captain contained their foolish ways. Vulgar and crude language, however, did not raise a hair on any neck but aroused laughter from the men around whomever's tongue spoke loudest. All, except the Huntsman.

He did not tolerate such foulness. Partial to the serenity of solidarity, he tried to find the humor in the ways of men. Mostly, he took to the blatant disregard for morale. Finding humor in the single thought that not a sane woman - one who knew her own mind and had a heart as strong as a god herself - would be tainted by their ways and succumb to their gross frivolity. That, the Huntsman took comfort in; their impending loneliness.

As the men settled in the camp, the Huntsman took to the sky. Scouting ahead of the company. Beginning with the most likely route of the Blessed and flying south and east of the swamp. The land below rolled and flattened when trees - most abundant in green and bark - rose. With the view from Avox's eyes, he could see the roots of the trees rise above the dirt and sink again beneath it before the forest overtook the earth.

They could hide for days in this forest, Avox said.

"But how long would they survive?" he murmured back. "Days from the Tri-Bordered city and only a day and a half walk, less with horses, from the camp. With little to no knowledge of the hunting grounds, they would have to have the god of fortune on their side."

If the land has survived this long outside the king's touch, so may have the game.

"You are right. We know little of this land. Perhaps as much as they do. We shall keep it in the back of our minds. Let's retrace our flight and scout to the west."

Avox gave a small grunt as she turned. Still recovering from her fall, she flew slower and more carefully than before. But her strength was firm and the Huntsman worried little of her full recovery.

In the clouds, he could see for miles. The ocean spread its girth until it met the sky beyond. But where there was an ocean, there was the end of the land. Beauty in solidarity, he reminded himself as he gazed into the serene view in front of him.

It was no wonder he had chosen this path over a King's Men. He did not crave blood and suffering or lust for violence. He sought joy in discovering old anew. In exploring caverns of legends and stumbling upon a new sapling with hardly a bloom. In accidentally finding an extinct bird and bonding with it. Smiling at the memory, he patted Avox's neck. She craned it up to him, as the memory danced in her mind, too.

Yes, there was peace in his isolation. But there was so much deeper in the bond he shared with Avox.

Still, he had yet to find the treasure he truly sought. He'd mapped Dianmoore as far as his feet could take him. Flew the skies with Avox and charted even more. Documenting his hunt and paying his way with small quests and hunts on the side. Unintentionally drawing attention to his successes. But never compromising his morals.

This hunt, since the moment the king called upon him, has been borderline fatal. He never hunted people for he was not a bounty hunter. Nor did he hunt innocents - and they were innocent by all counts that mattered. Children, hardly old enough to be considered anything but, were no prize to be won. He was forced to keep his head, however. Much rested on him keeping his head.

All he had to do, he'd remind himself constantly, is find them. But he had no interest in seeing the outcome to that success.

Avox maneuvered through the shifting clouds. Turned just slightly until her wings caressed the soft puff and they rested gently on its bed. It never ceased to amaze him, the extent of a fae bird's gifts. Just the touch of her wings turned elusive clouds into solid pillows. Winter was in full bloom yet the chill was lessened by the heat of the phoenix's feathers. That itself was a blessing on the most chilling of nights.

Twilight was fast approaching. With the sun hanging hours over the horizon, he estimated there were only a couple of hours left of daylight before the moon took over the sky. Gazing into the land, he found the edge of the land. Cliffs dove down in jagged tufts until the sea beat it into a sandy submission.

As the cloud moved, floating with time, a small shiver of light glazed in front of him. "Did you see that?"

What do you believe it is?

"I do not know." Gently nudging Avox from the cloud, he followed the instincts he had honed over the years and trusted their lead. He felt the wave of energy rush through him. Passing through the veil into a world separate from the one he had left. Tiny fires flickered below like winking stars. Shadowed buildings rose in dark clusters, the light glowing from the inside. Night had fallen, here, with the sun hiding behind the mountains to his left.

Everything seemed backward. Where the sun had been dipping into the ocean before, it now hid opposite it. Forest and falls and mountains and ocean blended together as if the whole world lived there. Trees remained tall and proud. Their dark brush marked the tree lines and thinned the further up the mountains they climbed. Beyond the last tree, away from the mountains, and far from the city, there lay the sea.

But a palace obscured his clear view. Like winter fingers, towers grew towards the stars. Poised white bricks warned the cold away and shone as if dust and vine could not dull its shine. In its heart rose the tallest tower.

Descending slowly, they slid into the shadows. Crawling along the tallest tower, they peered through the stained-glass windows. The ceiling emanated an elegance that the tower could not justify but with a marble floor. Several people gathered inside its circular room. Though they wore simple clothes, the formality in their posture and the adornment of small crowns told him they were in charge.

Yet, they appeared to be arguing. He watches as their faces contorted in disagreement and discontent. All but two - the two in pure white and gold clothes - looked concerned. He took quick note of each of their features.

Once his observations were complete, he left them behind and crept around the castle. Gliding from tower to tower as Avox clutched to the brick with silent talons. Most of the windows were drawn and the lights out, offering little information as to whom resided in this mysterious city.

Nearly sure that no one else was there, he leaned into Avox to lead them elsewhere. "Come."

But she twisted her head and perked her ears. There is someone here. Rounding a final corner and dropping to the body of the castle, Avox took him to the last open room. Inside, a fireplace brewed somberly. A tray of half-eaten food rested on a table in front of it. Furnishings and plump pillows littered the ground and the seats. And three young-faced people sat around it.

He needn't confer with anyone; he knew he had found them.

The red-haired girl relaxed with her feet curled into the seat next to her. She laughed easily as the shaggy blond boy spoke. Jesting, most likely, he assumed. He bit the food in his hand and wiped the other over his mouth, still speaking. Standing at the edge of the bed was the girl who controlled the wind, the one who brought Avox down.

Underneath him, he felt Avox ruffle her feathers and the heat that simmered inside her bristled to a boil. With a gentle hand, he stroked her neck.

"She was only protecting herself. She meant you no harm."

It was not you she injured.

"If she wanted you dead - or me - she would have ensured you never rose from the ground," Avox growled at him. Ignoring her, he returned his attention to the Blessed. Murmuring half to himself half to the Blessed, he said, "I have found you. My task is done. Now, pray the gods still have mercy."

He watched for a moment more. Until the bark-haired girl straightened her back and turned to gaze out the window. If it had not been for the shadows, she would have seen them lurking. With a simple flourish of her hand, the drapes closed.

It was a sign enough for him to take his leave.