Hunter fallowed Azoth down the main halls, Azoths face stiff as they reach some large doors. Hunter watched as the men guarding the gates opened them, Azoth walked in, and Hunter followed. AS they entered, six others were standing around a large table. Hunter recognized three of them as Hans, Erin and Vail, while the other three, he had no idea who they were.
"So, the mighty Azoth has let his prey slip through his fingers." A dark elf woman taunted at Azoth's failure, letting Lovell slip his watch through. Hunter clenched his fist at her. "Oh, look, it's the clone! Vann, I think it's broken the way it's acting."
A male kitsune looked up at them. "Well, HU-NT-3R, it's been a while. How does your body feel?"
Hunter looked at him. "Fine, Vann, and Crow, we almost had everything under—" Hunter stopped as Azoth stared at him. "Sorry, sir, I should not have spoken out, as I did."
Azoth turned his gaze at Crow, "You have failed more time than I've counted, plus who would have expected to have the dead protect him and was able to affect me in the process. It was not something we could all not predict." Vann nodded in agreement.
Crow scoffed at him, "Lily, what do you think of seat one's failure?"
An animilian woman fiddle with a lily in her hands. "I think the same would have happened to you, and not everything is in our control. Besides, even the clone had a hard time because there is a traitor amongst our ranks that helped him escape." Lily coldly expressed, Crow sat down.
Erin cradle her chest, "Well, I was busy with paperwork when it all happened, so I can't be blamed unless you have something to say, Hans, the backlog?" Directing the focus on Hans.
Hans huffed at her, "You think this is my fault that this happened?"
"I would agree with them on this. You let your paperwork pile up where you need help getting it done for your—" Vail criticized Hans.
"Enough!" They all turned to where the voice came from; they all bowed as they noticed that it was Lord Damora. "I did not call you all here to squabble over Azoths failure!" They all sat as Lord Damora walked to his seat. Hunter stood next to Azoth, as he was asked to come with him for the meeting. "Now, Vail, your report on the attack on Summerwind with the Marewood soldiers?"
Vail bowed at him. "Yes, milord. I was a success even though losing a few soldiers; I did find out that Lovell is with Luna and six other. I did not pursue them, though."
Damora turned to him. "And why is that?"
Vail turned to him while looking at Hunter. "Well, I found out afterwards when they were seen by a foot soldier leaving. Who knows where they ended up after taking some horses then ditching them sometime afterword's?"
Damara nodded at his report. "Now then, Lilly, Vann I need you to head to the interfering mountains, there's a small village that has a weapon that could tip the tides in our favour against Grand Dale and Everforest Kingdoms." They both nodded, Damora turned to Erin and Hans. "Erin and Hans, you will gather information on Lovell's whereabouts. Make sure none of them find out they are being watched." He then turned to Crow, "Crow, you will join Vail in recruiting more men for our conquest, and you Azoth!" He turned to Azoth; Hunter noticed sweat running down his chin. "You will stay here for now. You are all dismissed!"
Demora left the room as the other went to their assigned duties, Azoth and Hunter walked down the halls until Azoth stopped. Smashing his fist into the wall, leaving a hole deep in the stone wall. "Dam them, I will find him and kill him before the others even have a chance to do anything!" Hunter stood back, letting him vent. Azoth turned to Hunter; he looked up and down him. "You've changed in the past year?"
Hunter turned away, "How so?"
Azoth stood up, looking at Hunter's face. "there is a light the no other clone has gotten. You're becoming more aware of who you can trust, and you are becoming emotional." Azoth turned and walked away, Hunter followed him, "And it's not due to Kyles influence either."
Hunter stopped. "What do you mean, sir?"
Azoth turned to him. "Lovell has somehow changed you after you had gotten the mission." Hunter looked at him, confused. "Hunter, unlike me, I want you to leave this place but knowing you. You wouldn't if you wanted to." Kyle listened from afar as he overheard Azoths words to Hunter.
Hunter punched Azoth. "you know nothing! Why would I leave my home?!" Azoth, unfazed by it, grabbed his hand. "Sir, why do this to me? Are you saying that I don't belong anymore?"
"Yes." Azoth's voice was cold towards Hunter. "You will be killed off before you see true freedom, now come we have places to be?" Azoth let go of Hunter's hand.
Hunter stared at him, "Where to sir?"
Azoth sighed. "To the Evermore cliffs, I have some personal business there with some old acquaintances to deal with."
Kyle walked out the shadows, turning to Hunter, "Hunter!" They stopped and turned to Kyle, "Sorry, Lord Azoth, but could I have Hunter for the day?"
Azoth looked at Hunter, seeing he was surprised by Kyle's bold action. "Sure, we will leave in two days, so relax till then."
Hunter turned to Azoth as he walked away. Kyle grabbed his arm and dragging him off. "We need to talk." Hunter tried to protest as Azoth waved goodbye
Kyle dragged him to an empty corridor, letting him go. "What is so important that you had to drag me here?"
Kyle checks to see if anyone was around, before turning his attention to Hunter. "What happened that night when Lovell escaped?"
Hunter leaned against the wall. "Someone helped him try and escape, but no one knows who he is because he wore a mask." Hunter looked down the hall, unaware that the person he was talking about was Kyle. "Azoth and I almost had both of them till this ghost appeared and did something to Azoth, crippling him in some way."
Kyle knew everything that happened wanted to hear it from Hunter, leaving all suspicions behind. "So, what happened next?"
Hunter rubbed his head, "Somehow Lovell used a teleport spell and got away. The records say he can use the five basic elements, fire, water, wind, earth and lightning. So, seeing him use psychic was something unexpected altogether. It makes you wonder what other elements he could possibly use that hasn't been reported on him?"
Kyle touched his chin, "Who knows but, changing the subject what happened in the meeting. Azoth usually tells me, but I want to hear it form you this time?"
Hunter sighed. "Not much, but I spoke out of turn against one of the other generals." Kyle was surprised to hear it. "Lily and Vann are off searching for a weapon, Erin and Hans are looking into Lovell's whereabouts, Crow is going with Vail back to Marewood to get more recruits, and Azoth was told to stay put. Like that would ever happen."
Kyle looked down the hall seeing a guard coming towards them, "Hey, Hunter, you should think about leaving here. No matter what ill still be there for you." Kyle walked away, passing the guard.
Hunter watched his friend leave, making him question what he wanted to do with his life. Hunter left as the guard ordered him to leave the area. Hunter returned to his chambers; upon opening the door, Hunter noticed a letter on his bed. Closing the door, Hunter rushed to see the message; the letter said that someone had seen the masked man from his report in the east wing at night. Hunter crumples the note his hungering take revenge upon the man. He looked out the window to see that the sun was setting, Hunter made he was to the east wing to find his prey.
As he reached the old towers of the east wing, Hunter noticed someone standing in the distance. "You came to fight me, I presume, Hunter Wild?" The man stepped into the light revealing the masked man.
Hunter noticed that his voice seemed familiar; he became curious about the man behind the mask. "Who are?"
The man swiftly moved within a meter from Hunter; Hunter stumbled back as he leaned in. "You can call me Shadow."
Hunter felt like this Shadow character was testing him. "I have a question for you before I decide to attack." Shadow gestured him to speak his mind; Hunter stood straight, staring at the plank mask. "Why did you help Lovell escape?"
Shadow touched his chin, inquisitive by Hunters' question. "Because he's one of the Seven, also the Ren-Ky of light and darkness."
Hunter looked at him, "Wait, he's one of the Ren-Ky warriors!" Shadow nodded at him; Hunter stepped back into a wall finding out he was a Ren-Ky made him realize he should have killed Lovell when he had the chance. "So, you know where is then." Hunter was filling with an old spark lost from his last mission.
Shadow drew his staff and pointed at him. "You'll have to defeat me first if you want to get any information about Lovell and, more importantly, about Ulva!"
Hunter smugly looked at Shadow. "SO, that's the ghost's name, intriguing, but I'm more interested in killing Lovell." Hunter was drawing his sword at Shadow.
Shadow was easily dodging it as he hit Hunter with his knee. Hunter gagged at the impact. "It seems you are weaker than I thought you were. Lovell seems to have changed you in how your strength is gained." Shadow was kicking him to the other side as Hunter rolled across the grounds. "To think you were high and mighty feeling you could do anything, now filled with doubt within your subconscious."
Hunter was trying to stand as the wind was knocked out. "You know nothing about me, you worm!" Hunter charged towards Shadow, Shadow blocked his attack, disarming him in the process.
Hunters blade flailing away as Shadow stood there, waiting for him to pick it up. "See here, Hunter, you are unsure of who you are, yes, you are his clone, but you are human he is not. He has the power to destroy or save this world and yet just like you is lost. He may seem like he knows but shows he doesn't. "Hunter stared at Shadow, feeling the words cut through him like a knife. "Hunter, if you stay, your friend will surely die. Leaving an unclosable wound inside you." Hunter grasped his chest as if he knew what he was talking about, as Shadows staff pointed at him.
Hunter was unsure of what to do, as he fell to his knees for the first time by someone's words. "Why are you doing this to me?!" hunter standing up to face Shadow. His hands engulfed with black fire as he through it Shadows face. "I don't need your words or your in for I will find Lovell one my own and kill him for the king!!" Shadow didn't move at the attack hit him, breaking a segment off over his eye. Hunter stood stunned in what he saw.
Shadow knocked him out before he could say any more. "Sorry, Hunter, but I can't let you know more than you've seen. I'm truly sorry, my friend." Kyle carried Hunter back to his room, sealing the memories of what he saw of his face as Shadow. Kyle returns to his chambers, hoping that Hunter would come to his senses.