The Huntsman of Adamos (Quartet)- draft

CH SUMMER SCHOOL

Kalen settled into his room at his uncle’s academy and looked forward to his first classes and seeing his friends. Settling into sleep, he listened to the night song of the forest of Arborea, it was his favorite planet, just like his uncle and just like his father or so his mother said. Kalen wished he could be a Huntsman like his Uncle Yuri or Mariners like his Uncle Vole and Aunt Mara, but his birth and his magic pre-destined him to be a Guardian like his nephew Arturi. He knew his mother wished she wasn’t an Oracle, she wanted to be a teacher. His sister Asha and her husband Shadz, had opened a school, as their Uncle Yuri had, rather than spend their lives stuck in one role. He wondered if he could change his fate in a similar way as he fell asleep and dreamed of exploring new worlds and realms as the father he had never met had done.

He spent his first morning in a tracking without magic class. His uncle was very strict on his belief that magic would not make up for poor skill in the forest or on the battlefield.

The Huntsman Lord Yurieth trained all his students mundane forester skills first then added using their Huntsman’s magic, if they had any, secondary. It made for a hot and frustrating morning for some students but was exciting for Kalen who was the youngest student at the school. He was sharing a room with his friend Cort, the son of Arborea’s Governor Lord Colby of the House of Orion and Lady Lessa, his mother’s close friend. They would spend their weekends at Cort’s home for the summer. Cort had shown the magic of the Huntsmen at 120, and to become like the war hero who was his mentor was his life’s ambition. When he turned 125 last month, Yurieth had welcomed him into his novice classes.

After lunch, the summer students worked on improving their tool making skills, today’s lesson was arrow tying. Lord Yurieth taught that a huntsman was only as good as the poorest arrow he tied. Kalen helped Cort and another novice named Lerren with the difficult knotting. Kalen had been tying his own arrows since he was 50 and his uncle had told him that he had to tie his own if he was going to lose them each day.

“You’re so fast,” Lerren said admiringly.

Kale shrugged, “Yeah, but fast doesn’t matter if the feathers fall off or the point is loose. If you pull like this, it tightens more evenly.” Kalen held the arrow along his arm showing how to pull the knots to make them evenly tighten against the shaft.

Cort mimicked his movements exactly and grinned. “Woah, that is easier, and stronger. Thanks, Kal.”

Kalen leaned across the table to where Lerren was struggling and moved his hands to a better spot for knotting just as one of the older students walked past and knocked Cort’s stack of arrows off the table.

“Sorry, governor.” Trindle sneered, as his three friends laughed. “Who’s your baby friend? Did daddy and mommy send your baby brother with you to school? Are you their babysitter now?”

Cort glared but Kalen was confused, he had never been around a bully before so he just stared at the taller youth, wondering what would make him say such things, it was obvious he and Cort weren’t related.

“You shouldn’t say things like that, Trindle. You’ll get in trouble for insulting a royal,” Lerren snapped and Trindle and his friends looked shocked in pretense.

Kalen had bent down to pick up Cort’s arrows when Trindle tried to kick him, but Lerren jumped in the way and took the blow to his ribs and knocking both he and Kalen into a table. Two of Trindle’s friends grabbed Cort and held him down in his chair as the other novices scattered for cover. Kalen rose slowly, warily watching the older boy as his mind ran the tactical analysis of the situation as his mother had taught him.

“You shouldn’t be here, baby. You’re not of age and you don’t belong here. Bad babies get punished for going where they don’t belong.” Trindle sneered, puffing himself up to make himself bigger as his third accomplice grabbed Lerren by the shoulder.

Kalen could feel the warrior magic of the guardians start to build. Trindle and his allies had attacked them without cause, and Kalen decided he would defend his friends as was his duty. “Release my friends and walk away,” Kalen calmly stated as he assessed his next set of actions.

Trindle laughed then jumped forward punching Kalen in the center of his chest, looking shocked when the smaller, younger boy didn’t budge or flinch, instead his eyes began to glow and Trindle backed up.

Kalen turned swiftly and punched the boy holding Lerren. Following his rotation through, Kalen kicked the retreating Trindle in the chest, then in one movement he was over the table and elbowing one of the boys holding Cort in the neck as the third fell over a chair trying to retreat. The rest of the novices started cheering and shouting. Kalen felt the movement behind him and sidestepped as the boy who had grabbed Lerren tried to punch him from behind. He rotated grappling the boy’s arm and flipping him on top of the boy who was still clutching his throat and coughing.

“Kal, Look out!” a girl shouted.

Trindle tried to stab him with a belt knife but Kalen blocked with one of the many arrows scattered on the floor. Trindle’s eyes were flashing with anger and he repeatedly stabbed at Kalen, stumbling on the uneven floor.

“Rage will get you hurt,” was one of his Uncle Abe’s favorite sayings, “Don’t let your emotions get the better of you in a fight or they will help your opponent, not you.” His Uncle Abe was the head of the Guardsman Core and their leading weapons maker.

As the enraged Trindle continued to advance, he slipped on several times on arrows strewn across the floor and Kalen saw his opportunity. The next time Trindle slashed, he overreached again and Kalen spun him, slamming his knife hand on the edge of a desk so the knife fell away, and kicking out his knees. As Kalen tightened his arms into a headlock around the older boy, his struggles became frantic then weakened as Trindle started to pass out. Kalen’s magic made him far stronger and faster than his opponent had expected.

“Be still!” Lord Yurieth bellowed. “Kalen! Release him.”

Kalen dropped the gasping boy onto the floor, suddenly the passion of his mother’s temper ignited. “But Uncle, he attacked...”

“There is no excuse for using your magic on someone who has none. Go to my office now.” Yurieth’s voice was cold and Kalen felt it was unfair.

“They started it.”

“And you used your magic to finish it. My office now, nephew.”

“Nephew?” one of Trindle’s friends gasped, “but Trind said he was Cort’s little brother.”

“It’s true, Lord Yurieth. They were taunting Cort and then Trindle tried to kick Kalen and Lerren got hit instead. Then Kalen stopped them before they could cause more harm.” Miramae, a second-year novice stated, ignoring the dark looks Trindle was giving her.

The Huntsman nodded, “Does anyone else wish to add witness to what they saw?” No one spoke, “Very well..” He paused, “What is it Saffron?”

Miramae’s tiny roommate had raised her hand, whispering, “My Lord, Trindle and his friends bully all the younger novices and girls.” Many nodded in agreement with her.

Trindle’s breath hissed out a warning as he glares at her, Saffron squeaked in fear and hid behind Miramae, who held her arm protectively in front of her roommate and her head high, fearlessly glaring back at the older boy.

Lord Yurieth turned slowly to face Trindle who was brushing himself off as if what had happened didn’t matter. “What say you to these words, Trindle, son of Trudolt?”

“My cousin provoked me,” the youth answers haughtily.

“Phaneff,” Lord Yurieth called out the third of Trindle’s friends who was trying to hide among the other novices. “Pack your roommate’s things and your own if you wish to continue this behavior. I will not tolerate bullying at my school, even if it is between family members. Danis, Damos, that goes for both of you, if you wish to bully other novices, you may join Trindle in his expulsion.”

The twin boys looked fearful and shook their heads violently.

Trindle practically shouted, “You can’t expel me! My father is an Elder on the King’s council, like his father and my uncle, and my grandfather! You can’t treat me this way, I’m a Royal.”

“Your grandfather Tudot and your Uncle Tabot were traitors to the crown, you don’t deserve to be a royal,” Saffron hissed over Miramae’s shoulder and he lunged toward the girls, only to find his arm in the Huntsman’s iron grasp.

“So, you think being an Elder’s son entitles you to attack anyone you wish, including your cousin and my nephew?” Lord Yurieth’s voice is as hard as his grip, “Both of whom outrank you and every member of your family.”

“I... I didn’t know he was your nephew, I thought he was one of my cousin Colby’s brood,” Trindle lied and everyone in the room could hear it. He could not pry his arm from Lord Yurieth’s grasp, as he was dragged down the hall and up a flight of stairs to the headmaster’s office.

Kalen was standing in Yurieth’s office fingering the binding on one of his new arrows when they arrived. He turned, surprised. “Uncle, it’s not my...”

Yurieth cut him off with a look, then said, “Nephew, please properly introduce yourself to Trindle, son of Elder Trudolt.”

“I am High Lord Kalen, son of the Guardian High Lord Kaleth, Grandson of the Oracles, High Lord Adamos of the House of Adamos and High Lady Yllumina of Yophriel; and the son of the War Oracle, High Lady Daisy; I am the half-brother of King Karstien, full brother of the Master Healer, Lady Asha of the House of Odini; and nephew of the Huntsman Lord Yurieth of Adamos, and the Protector Lord Abrieth of Adamos.” Kalen rambled off the list of names and ranks like he’s bored with reciting it.

Trindle glared at him, then said in a patronizing tone, “Sorry, I thought you were someone else, my lord.”

Kalen noticed his uncle’s eyes narrow slightly, before the Master Huntsman said, “Trindle, son of Trudolt, you are released from the academy in dishonor and for disrespecting a royal of higher rank and lying about it, please return to your family.” He shoved the stammering Trindle out the door and ordered one of the older students to make sure the discharged youth made it back to his family before shutting the door. “I guess I should comm your mother. You did well not seriously hurting the boys who instigated today’s event.”

Kalen shrugged. “I couldn’t let them hurt my friends. Not when I think he was really targeting me.”

“Why do you believe this, nephew?”

“I also felt the lie when he apologized. He knew exactly who I was before,” Kalen explained, then he held up the arrow. “Uncle, when did you start tying your arrows with green?”

“It is a new stronger binding I am testing. Why?” Yurieth could see the change was bothering his nephew.

“I dreamed you shot an arrow with green bindings at Mom and pinned her skirt to a tree,” Kalen’s voice sounded distant as if he was trying to remember something.

Yurieth chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare. What had she done to provoke me?”

“She was trying to go somewhere you and Karstien didn’t want her to go. We were all chasing Mom through the woods above the falls. She put down the gold box she has in her workshop and its clock looked at me. Then she vanished.” Kalen shrugged putting the arrow away, “It just felt so real. It was weird.”

Yurieth went to his bookshelf. “When did you have this dream, nephew?”

“I... uh... a few weeks ago. I woke up and mom was in her lab working on the gold box, she said it was an old project she was re-calibrating for a new project.”

Yurieth held open a book to him, it had a picture of the Relic of Time.

“Yes, that’s it.” Kalen’s eyes widened as he read what it was. “It’s a time machine?”

“Yes, and you’re sure your mother has it at her lab?” Yurieth was already opening a comm channel to the Royal Palace in the Crown City of Azimuth on Aetheria as his nephew nodded.

“Yes, is there a problem, Uncle?” Kalen was suddenly very afraid by his uncle's abrupt change in demeanor.

“This is Lord Yurieth, I need to speak with the King immediately, I’ll wait.” His uncle’s voice had a tone Kalen had never heard, something like fear or worry or panic.

“Uncle? Is something wrong?” Kalen repeated his worry.

“I don’t know yet. What was she doing this summer?”

“Mom said she was doing paleotopography. Maybe... maybe she was just using it to verify her findings?” Kalen remembered how boring it sounded, but if his mother was going to time travel maybe it wouldn’t be boring at all.

“Possibly, but I doubt.... Karstin, hold on, I am putting you on full room-comm so Kalen can hear you,” Yurieth hit a switch before he asked, “Where is the Relic of Time?”

Karstien hesitated, “In the vault under the castle, why?”

“Because Kalen has seen it in Daisy’s lab in the last few weeks.” Yurieth stated as he shoulders his quiver and bow.

“What?” Came the shocked question. “It takes two people to get it out. Are you sure?”

“I saw it a few weeks ago, Mom said she was retasking it for a project, paleotopography,” Kalen explained.

Karstien swore uncharacteristically, then announced, “I’m heading to her house now, before she does something stupid again. Meet you there.” The comm hummed the disconnect tone.

The Huntsman slammed his fist on the desk in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. "We have to stop her."

“I’m coming with you,” Kalen blurted. “In my dream, all three of us were there.”