Chapter 1
Ezra
A convocation is called every four months to assess our standing in this never-ending war, the top-ranked hunters were expected to attend and unfortunately that included me. Guess these fuckers didn't want to have to repeat anything, god forbid they did more than they needed to.
The auditorium was packed full of ambassadors, city leaders, elders and hunters. Here, we made the hard decisions. Making sure cities and surrounding towns were protected, supplied and provided with whatever else they needed.
Towns outside city borders were necessary for farming and agriculture, without them the cities would starve. The number of hunters has grown exponentially since the first rising. By that time we had already lost two cities to the waves of creatures. With only five very young and inexperienced hunters, another two cities fell quickly.
We were barely able to hold back the creatures on our first wave, we kept them a bay long enough for the survivors that were able, to escape the city before it was completely overrun. After that, we just focused on doing what was needed for survival. That is all we did, survive. Then with more hunters coming to power we were able to live again. We trained and distributed hunters to other cities that were barely holding out. We managed to keep four cities alive for a year when we started rebuilding the farming towns and expanding our defences.
Patrols and scouts constantly survey the territory for any creatures. We quickly learned that being on the offensive worked in our favour, wiping out waves before they reached the cities. The approach allowed for hunters to fight freely without structural damage to buildings by both hunters and creatures.
After ten long years, we had a perfect system in place for raids. A raid was only viable with a minimum of fifteen hunters, four medics, fifty knights and twenty workers. Now, these imbeciles want to change that, common sense replaced by greed. The city of Anatol was by far the wealthiest of the four cities, being built on top of an old gold mine. That mine however has nearly run dry. These fools want to redirect valuable resources to retake a mine overrun by creatures.
The things loved the humid dark environment, must be similar to the hell from wench they came. The mine was a hot spot for creatures, with numbers well into the thousands. No raid could take that on without serious casualties, or most likely a raid wipe.
Liam and Theon have been in an endless screaming match with the idiots from Anatol. This constant squabble has taken its toll on my mind. I pinch the bridge of my nose and slowly begin to rise.
The entire room falls silent, Anatol's ambassadors quickly sink to their seats. I am not opposed to beating sense into the slow-minded. Seems they have lost their fighting spirit, fucking cowards.
"Not a single one of my men will be used in the recapture of a fucking gold mine. If you want the mine then have your guards all march in and retake it." I growl my words out staring them down challenging them to speak. Everyone knows my temper runs hot, I have little time for child's play. None of these piss-ants would be alive today if not for me and my men risking everything to fight this war.
"Agreed," the elders of Legora answer.
I slowly lowered myself back onto my seat, with a victorious smirk. Elder Gabriel goes to stand and from the authority in his stride, I know that my victory will be short-lived.
"The elders would like to bring forward a sensitive matter, a most wonderful discovery has been made, although it may not be welcomed by all. He says this looking at the hunters and I offer him a glare in return. I don't think I am going to like this.
"The first female hunter has come to power." My jaw drops, the entire room bursts into chatter and argument. In ten years not a single woman has come to power and there is a reason for that. Woman are feeble and weak, the power would prove too much for them. They are best kept away from it all, we have enough to deal with, without a frantically screaming woman in the mix.
I slam my fisted hand hard on the table breaking it down the middle, and the room settles down back into silence. My murderous aura causes most of the pussies in the room to quiver in fear, except for elder Gabriel, the man is made from stone. Hard and unwavering.
"Please allow me to introduce Alessia of Legora."
He wouldn't! I jump to my feet at hearing the slam of a lock opening. The heavy double doors to my right slowly creek open, revealing possibly the most breath-taking woman I have ever seen.
She stands in the door frame, back straight, breasts out, with long straight flowing dark hair, piercing grey eyes and a body that could enthral every man in the room. This is why I do not like women to be involved in matters of govern, they turn the best of men stupid and act on emotion rather than logic.
She feels my eyes on her and turns to look, our eyes meet and she stares me down unwaveringly. She's cocky I'll give her that, but she will learn her place as all women do.
"Women are not permitted in raids after the shitshow in Capnar." I direct my dispute to Gabriel but my eyes do not leave Alessia's. Much to my bewilderment, she looked completely unphased by both my comment and hostile manner.
"She is a hunter, she has come to power. She will thus be allocated to the hunters, and she will be treated as such. This is not a discussion, it is a matter already decided." My head whips to Gabriel and I see the other Elders already standing next to him, a united front. I grind my teeth to stop any words from slipping out.
How long have they known about this, about her?!
"She will move into the Hunter's Hold tomorrow. We trust you will make the necessary preparations." Another Elder adds to the pile of shit already laid out in front of me.
"We do not offer special treatment to any, living by the hunter's power. She will start in the cells, just as any recruit before." A sinister smile spreads across my face, she will not like what I have planned for her.
"The weak have low standing and cannot climb the ladder if they prove useless." Liam, Matteo and Theon all bare the same smug grin as I do, with the exception of Ryker. What the hell is his problem?
"We never suggested special treatment, we only wished to inform you of the sudden addition to your Keep." Elder Thomas, clearly they have already discussed this and have made a final decision. I know any future argument at this time will only result in the loss of my timid temper.
"So be it!" I say with finality to the convocation before turning to leave.
"Liam have my aid escort the female to the cells for labour. Allocate her a bed with the new recruits."
I storm from the auditorium hitting her side, I do not look back to see the result but then if I am being honest, I do not give a shit either way.
I will have her crying and begging to leave by week's end.