31 NIGHT HUN (1/2)

The moon pulled all the fluffy clouds across the earth to cover her intense white waxing gibbous glow at the peak of midnight, being shy about her face kindly shaved by her dark blue backdrop that seems to be slowly dragging her backstage after two glorious days of her marvelous performances in the night sky. A boon it would seem for critters all around as they could find solace to her luminous guidance, helping for them to peek from their burrows to see her perform again for another night. A curse, unfortunately, for hunters all around as they have to take more caution in their approach to their prey, finding every skill they have in their sleeves to muster, to gain the advantage of the darkness that has been stripped away from them.

This holds true with the four brothers sitting on a hill, hiding on its thick underbrush, biding their time to act in hopes of a miraculous thick formation of those hefty cumulus clouds to build up a storm. At least a stormy cloud is better than the intermittent peeking of the moon to the earth. Even a thick cloud to cover the moon's glow would be acceptable in their case but alas, Bathala's tapestry of tonight's sky is different.

The four princes, who are all patiently sitting in a circular formation, originally planned this plot to take place at least a week from today, where a half moon is guaranteed, where night hunters everywhere can take solace from the night's dimming shade: not as pitch black as a new moon but a safe shade all the same. Variables such as further fortification of the target location clearly took precedence that led for the resolution to attack in this particular night.

Kayzar revealed that Nagozul plans to install the spire towers at the four corners of the fortress as soon as possible. With towering spires as watch towers, they will all be revealed before reaching at least a mile from the fortress. With that in place, even with the moon's two-day slumber, they will never create the element of surprise they need.

But sadly, that's just a lie. A ruse Kayzar concocted to force them to do this as quickly as possible. Though it might be true that Prodea has ordered the creation of spires on every corner, this plan is not that immediate and is not of Nagozul's priority as they are currently dealing with a much persistent problem at the moment. Kayzar tricked them into believing this because it is the only way to force them to strike tonight; the only instance for their sister Liv to lend her hand and create her special appearance, a covert appearance that is.

A flower sprouted in the middle of their stare gazing competition. It's a violet. And from behind Yosh, Iyom appeared with every intention of surprising him to create the most humiliating scream a mortal can scream, a thing so impossible unfortunately, however strong Yosh's belief on ghosts and monsters is.

Yosh just smiled at Iyom's earsplitting shriek together with his jumping act in his full effort to exert all of his energy. Yosh smiled not because of Iyom's futile and comedic attempts to surprise him but the look on Karus's face as he immediately stepped back jumping, pulling half of his sword, ready for action.

”Hey, crazy lizard kid, don't ever do that again,” teased Yosh pointing at Kayzar as his serious eyes gradually returning to its brown original tint after being temporarily soaked in crimson.

With Iyom's careful eyes, he noticed Kayzar immediately hiding the daggers he pulled in just a fraction of a second being surprised. If he's not used to control his basic natural impulses, he would've thrown that small dagger right at him. These thoughts lingered on till Yosh continued further.

”I know you're ranting that you're always tired because you never get to have a full night's rest but If you're not careful you'll be catching up on your sleep for a day or two with him here. A shame really since I have my permanent marker here on me.”

Iyom knows of Kayzar's eye technique. This eye belongs only to those mortals who have achieved power through the Veil of Transitus, an eye only available from the line of the strongest of Sibara's Lineage. The red murderous eyes known as 'the Eyes of Dim'ion' which has not been passed down from anyone over the centuries and has only been seen to the infamous murderer Yiv. A frightening revelation considering he's the brother of Yosh whom his father refers to as the incarnate of Ana'giel. A complete opposite, he wondered but he shrugged the idea as he did not want to harbor such ill-feelings towards them.

”Who are you calling lizard you dirty monkey!” he shouted at Yosh directing all his frustrations on him, ignoring his fear of Kayzar as he slapped Yosh disturbingly hard that concerned his brothers.

Yosh pulled him by the collar and retaliated by punching him. The punch would've connected, possibly robbing Iyom of his front tooth, but a force suddenly blasted the two apart.

”Be quiet the two of you,” Reus reprimanded, ”Do you want to remain hidden or do you want to reveal our position? If you want to go home now, we could call it a night. Choose!”

Yosh mumbled in frustration as he crawled to get back at his spot, scooching over just a little for Iyom to squeeze in. He crossed his arms with a slight dirty look against Iyom as if warning him that this is far from over which he understood right away as he chuckled in regret. Everybody knows it's better to feel the pain of a punch or a kick now than to anticipate any mysterious vengeful act later. That's taxing to both the mind and the body.

”I thought you're three hundred something years old? Why are you acting like Yosh?” Karus asked laughing to the insulted Iyom.

”He started it!” he pursued.

”Just like Yosh,” whispered Kayzar with crossed arms, avoiding to look at him in snicker, insulting Iyom further.

”Well that's the famous twins, Karus and Kayzar,” introduced Yosh. ”Don't mess with them or else you're going to have a hard time.”

Iyom just pouted looking at them in all seriousness, still insulted with their remark about his childish attitude. He looked at Reus who's smiling and fixing his spectacles as he introduced himself.

”Thank you for helping us. I'm Reus, their eldest brother. I say I'm surprised that you came to our aid when you Dwendells try and keep your identities hidden at your forest.”

”It's not that we hide. We are forced to hide!” he defended now furious. ”Forced to hide by your ancestors!”

”Geez, you got the temper of a burning charcoal huh?” Karus calmed stopping him to continue ranting. ”Keep that loud voice up and you'll burn our spot to the enemy.”

”I'm sorry if ever I insinuated that you're in hiding. It's just that I really don't know everything about you, and I came to conclude that your people are hiding from us deliberately,” explained Reus. ”It seems that I still don't know anything about Dwendells after all. If it came as an insult, then I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

Iyom paused for a while looking down on the ground. ”I'm sorry. But it's just insulting that you don't know your history and I guess you're really not to blame there. I heard from Yosh that the history of the Dwendell people, our history that we entrusted with your ancestors, have been burned a thousand years ago. I guess I've been missing the ideology about how the sins of the father cannot be transferred to the child. It's incredibly rude and petty of me to burst out hating like that. I'm sorry too.” He finally smiled returning to his cheery outlook all of the sudden.

”So, the curse is true then,” Kayzar concluded with Iyom looking at Yosh as if blaming him for not telling them what he, Nine, and his father revealed to him at the forest.

”This talk about curses is getting boring. I didn't really choose to be here anyway. I'm just being forced to help this little monkey by orders of my father.” Iyom looked to the front, back and the sides looking for someone till he whispered to Yosh to ask. ”Say, where's Grog? He's the one who summoned you to the surface two days ago right? So, where is he?”

Yosh just whispered back answering, trying his best not to reveal it to his brothers who are beginning to be curious to their secret discussion. ”It's not really Grog. It's Kuya-Reus who summoned me. He just relayed it to Grog and then to your father, Master Kyrin.”

”So, you say Grog's Apprentice is that scrawny looking guy with the glasses?”

Yosh looked at Reus with observing eyes and answered smiling, ”Yep. That's him.”

”He doesn't look formidable, or something... Sure would like to talk to Grog about this mix-up. Are you sure he's the apprentice of the greatest beast on earth?”

”What are you two droning about there?” Karus asked being impatient. ”It has been two hours since midnight. We need to finish this as quickly as possible.”

”Nice thinking,” complimented Iyom. ”Striking at the hour before shift change and when they're all deep asleep will surely cause confusion and chaos in their minds.”

”Gee, thanks for the explanation General Obvious,” Yosh praised. ”Compliment us further why we're doing this in the night instead of in broad daylight.”

”Why you little...”

Kayzar clicked his tongue in sudden irritation, stopping the two again from fighting. ”This is not the time for that. Karus and I will be the one sacrificing our necks out there. Just concentrate on the assigned jobs and support us with whatever you can. If you do not do that then we're the ones who are going to die. Do not forget that this is the one and only chance we could do this. There are no repeats. Once we retreat, we retreat fully without turning back and it would be favorable if we retreat having a successful mission rather than with a failure.”

Karus caught the slight jolt in Iyom's eyes and asked further. ”You do know of your part in this, right? Or what we're doing?”

”uh....” He shook his head finally after a few seconds of thought which made the twins look angrily at Yosh that has been smiling wide to somehow calm them down.

”I'll fill him up with the details don't worry,” he mollified. ”We've done this before. We'll back you up don't worry.”

”Be serious,” Karus snapped. ”Don't forget that this is your primary village Yosh. This is no time for you to act up like a child. Our people depend on our success.”

”I know that! Geez, get off my back!” Yosh pouted looking at the ground depressed which calmed the twins who are acting a bit strange that day.

Yosh thinks that, normally, they would be happy at this event. They would be rejoicing that they can perform what they learned all those years of training and simulations but today the twins suddenly became somewhat hesitant, almost afraid, even though they are the bravest of them four. Yosh still doesn't understand this but he's catching up what they are feeling as well like a flu breaking out, the feeling of terror that seems to warn them of what they are up against.

What they're up against is not the usual enemy they are used to encounter. It is a whole new level of danger ahead of them and this is what he thinks are frightening the two bravest members of their team that in turn frightens him too. He doesn't know what his brothers are feeling, but he thinks that these are some clues that he should be sensitive about.

”I can't really help but I'll try my best to be the decoy,” Reus smiled changing the atmosphere. ”I'll watch over you two and if anything happens, I will reveal myself to the enemy.”

”You know you can't appear, Kuya-Reus,” Kayzar pointed-out. ”You have a unique elemental skill that only two people possess. Only you and father have the Life Elemental. If you do reveal yourself, you'll be giving Auntie every reason to create a civil war.”

”But if I do not then you'll perish, and I will never forgive myself if I let that happen when it is within my power to prevent it. I'll try and wait, but that's all I can promise. If I sense that you are in danger, I'll run to your aide as fast as I can.”

Karus scoffed mocking the idea. ”Don't worry too much. They are no match against us. Just maximize your part on being a decoy and we'll take care of the rest.”

Karus smiled and laughed about it but Yosh sensed a bit of disbelief. He sensed the tension that rages in Karus's mind, but he has chosen to just let it pass by and to simply laugh in support. There's nothing he can do for the matter. What he can do is just pray and trust that they make it out in one piece.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

The silent night brought coldness in the air. The cold air that has not been felt in almost a thousand years is now emerging from the horizon that has baffled everyone. It's as though winter wants to come uninvited.

Corporal Arjin shivers as he held his blanket tight, wounding it up twice in hopes to trap the heat that's been trying to leave his tired body. He's holed up in the barbican with his ever-loyal friend and superior Sergeant Djogi who has been keeping a keen eye outside the window slits even after they have been at their second shift.

”Don't you dare sleep on me this time, Arjin!”

”Yeah, yeah. This time I won't.”

”You better not!” he firmly warned directing his attention to him. ”If you do, then I won't be able to help you in your promotion. We barely escaped the fiasco three weeks ago.”

”Good thing you planned on placing us here at the Fletcher's boss,” he replied happy. ”When we're this close to the capital, there's no way we could get in trouble now!”

”I'm a smart man, Arjin, you know that. Of course, I would think for an assignment that would assure our growth. We're almost assigned back to the southern most part, almost near the trading posts, but no, I immediately seized the opportunity and grabbed it! I made it so, so that we're assigned here.”

”More like you chanced it out,” entered a Sibara at the corner, arms crossed, yawning. ”Yiv is rampaging down there and the troops with lesser essence have been recalled. They sent the Royal Strike Teams there to intercept Yiv and I doubt if there's anything that you can do, so you have been assigned here. There's no place for the likes of you there.”

”Shut up, you Sibaran scum!” he croaked feeling embarrassed. ”It's rude to enter in other people's conversations, especially when your opinion is not welcome!”

”I can't just stay quiet while you yap about how great you are. It's practically annoying. Too many weak Nagozulians jam packed in this fortress. It's actually humiliating to see your army grow this pathetic.”

”That says something about you too, you oaf!” he smiled figuring a way to get back. ”If we're the lowest of all Nagozulian soldiers, and if we're all stationed here for our protection, logic dictates that you're the lowest of the Sibarans and you'll just get in their way if you're assigned there. That same thing applies to you.”

”What did you say, boy,” the Sibara stood up now in attention with sharp eyes directing at him.

Arjin just clutched his blanket tight and gulped. ”Djogi...” he whispered warning him.

”You heard me right, you weak cockroach,” he growled never afraid. ”Actually, it's rather insulting to cockroaches if I compare you to them since they are more capable than you are.”

”Oh, do you really want that last words engraved on your tombstone, sergeant?” the Sibara smiled pulling a dagger in his sleeves.

Djogi smiled activating his ruby Amplifyer that is attached in the bronze armor at his left chest. ”Tombstone you say? How can you engrave that when you'll be cremated today?”

The loud bang of the doors surprised them both. The Sibara hid his dagger at lightning speed leaving Arjin with his amplified Ruby all glowing.

”What on earth are you doing activating your Amplifyers, Sergeant!”

”Oh, uh, sorry, Lieutenant Marko...” he immediately stepped back deactivating the charge he is accumulating. He awaited the reprimand, but the lieutenant just stood there as if waiting for his report.

”Well?” he asked after a few seconds with the confused sergeant tilting his head figuring what he wants. ”FORGET THE SORRY! JUST RING THE BELL TO WARN US! ACTIVATING YOUR AMPLIFYERS IS NOT THE SAME AS THE BELL!” he lectured and then he ran outside in a hurry.

Arjin jumped from his chair peeking at the window slit which gave Djogi the idea. He followed him and to his surprise, he saw the two again, standing three hundred feet from the barbican where they are. Yiv and the masked swordsman they call Magnus.

”Why does this always happen to us,” cried Arjin stumbling down, shivering from the cold winds of the night as well as the fear that is now robbing him further of warmth.

”Yiv!” the Sibara shouted grabbing the warning bell and rang it in a frenzy. ”Don't you just stand there you lazy Elemental! Ring the other bell!”

Djogi snapped from the terror that's been entangling his limbs and rushed to the other side with a bell hanging and rang it like a crazy person. Within seconds, the parapet walls were filled with Elemental Archers from the Eastern Sentries that stood there stretching their bows with Elemental Arrows being cradled in their places, showing arrowheads shimmering with their sharp deadly warnings.

Normally, Sibarans would rush down and attack them head-on but this time they didn't. For one thing, the Sibaran Apprentice's statements were correct. Because of Yiv's non-stop sabotage of all transport cargo to the capital, the army focused all of their soldier's strength near the trading post at the very south of Nagozul. Zeba ordered that this command came from Prodea herself and since the Generals can't confirm it, they just obeyed the order.

Prodea hasn't been showing herself to her Generals for a week and a half now. Zeba said she's preoccupied at the moment, but the Generals now doubt it. It's not like her to have this sort of strategy, a strategy that now will pay a price of blood, Djogi thought, as he rang the bell as hard as he can. This fortress is now a hollow military installation filled with low ranking soldiers and weak Sibara Apprentices. Djogi knows that Yiv knows of this very well since Nagozul mobilized the entire army to march down south to meet her in battle. Maybe that's why they are attacking tonight of all nights. Thoughts like these came flying around his mind when, before he could organize all of them to create a rational conclusion, his loyal corporal interrupted him.

”S-sir...” Arjin trembled. ”There's someone far there who is activating a disturbingly large elemental build up...”

”A build up like that resembles an army...” Djogi feared as he devotes all of his concentration to feel the massive elemental charge just behind the hills in front of them. ”Do they have a Nagozulian Army with them?”

”I don't know sir but that doesn't feel an army. I think it's just one man,” Arjin said with full conviction. Arjin is a Wind Blower and Wind Blowers are the most trusted elemental in detecting any elemental charging.

”Impossible. Only the Grand Princess Prodea has the Elemental Essence within capable of resonating that kind of energy build-up.”

”Sir?” he mumbled.

”What...”

”I'm afraid...”

Djogi tried smiling but failed to hide the fear in his eyes, ”D-Don't be. We'll be alright... I guess. They can't blast these magic walls. They can't... They won't... I hope...”

-------ooO0Ooo-------

”We're in position,” Karus whispered fixing his face mask, standing firm three hundred feet from the barbican gates. ”I know I can blast that steel door with my sword dash. I've been practicing an explosive bash like that for months.”

”Are you sure you can do that? We could just scale the wall. That's safer... I think.”

”Oh!” Karus smiled hearing the ear-splitting bells that would wake even the sleeping creatures underground. ”They just found us out.”

”Heh! It took them a minute? That's unusual for an Army of Prodigies... Are you sure your intel is true? It seems they're not there...”

Before Kayzar could continue further, the Parapet Walls began to fill up with elemental archers lined neatly aiming at them with their amplified gems lighting the fortress up.

”Ah!” Karus laughed surprised with squinting eyes examining every soldier present there. ”It seems my intel is not correct after all. Only General Jowl is in there. I guess this should be a quick stroll in the park then.”

”Don't be complacent,” Kayzar snickered. ”We only got twenty minutes to finish this. And a minute has now elapsed.”

”At least Yosh will be having a great time with their Amplifyers glowing like easy targets.”

As he stated that fact, a fast hissing arrow flew impossibly fast striking one of the archers in the parapet.

”Great job, Yosh,” Kayzar jumped in excitement. ”Now if we could just hold this ground, that'll be mighty splendid indeed.”

Not long after, hundreds of flying arrows came piercing the skies towards the fortress's parapet, hitting their targets in great accuracy. The impact created a bang much like firecrackers exploding. All victims have been hit at their right shoulders, just between their armor and their shoulder guard, with a brand-new kind of an Elven Arrow that they have never seen before. It is so precise that they were discombobulated for about a minute to find out what has happened.

”Keep them coming Iyom!” Shouted Yosh with his Eagle Eyes activated. ”I need more arrows! Hundreds more!”

”Sheesh! Can you calm down, you grumpy monkey? It's not like my arrows grow on trees.”

”It is!” he laughed pointing the tree beside Iyom, a tree blackened like charcoal as if burnt with leaves withered and branches twisted.

Iyom is standing behind his life tree. Dwendells can summon a part of their life tree from their forest whenever they need it. Their life trees are a Dwendell's partner, their life source. A part of their unique powers is the immediate summoning of their life tree. The roots from their original life tree will run towards the river of life and will sprout straight in the surface wherever the summoner is. It has a hole at the middle that springs up arrows whenever the summoner requests it from their tree.

Every Dwendell can summon their own arrows that they use as their weapon whenever they need it. They call it the Seed of Life since they originally use the arrow, which has a sharp seed at the arrowhead, as a life-giving instrument that could rejuvenate a dying tree.

If it is used to a living being unfortunately, it acts differently. Basically, the arrowhead springs up Deep Roots that will slither inside the being's body disabling the region it hits. This roots integrates with the being's body and will try its best not to kill the person, even suturing the wound upon entering, granting a healing effect around that region; unless Of course, it hits the head or the heart which would paralyze it completely rendering the person to die on impact. But Iyom's arrow is different in every aspect. His black twisted arrows are unlike those ordinary white Elven Arrows.

Each arrow is unique, much like a fingerprint that can identify which Dwendell made it and his black arrows are especially identifiable to him alone. The Arrowhead is so brittle that upon impact, the seed will shoot out shrapnel of poisoned pins at the target that, although will render them in a sleep-like coma, would not create a huge injury at the target since the seed reacts as a cushion absorbing the force of the blow and will spray a healing mist around the target before exploding horrifically. All of these will happen in a split second, too fast for an ordinary eye to witness, too fast for an ordinary person to dodge too. The healing mist will repair any bruise on impact and would drench the pins with it leaving for the fast flying shrapnel to pierce the target's body then closing the hole it created, preventing anyone from pulling it off. The shrapnel will then be dissolved inside the body and that will be the poison that would lead for the person to slumber down instantaneously. An effective and nightmarish arrow that is unique only to Iyom. An arrow he's not proud of since his arrows murder dying trees but it is surprisingly effective against living enemies.

”You've a point,” Iyom continued. ”It does grow on my tree, but this is taxing you know!”

”You're not the one making it! The tree is making it! It's ridiculous to say that you're doing all the heavy lifting. Or is it that you're just too lazy!?”

”Well you don't understand the process yet. So, why are you demanding that much! Quit naggin'!”

”Guys,” entered Reus with the white light from his Amplifyer finding every means to scratch its way out of the thick bandana that he fashioned. ”They are going to be in trouble if you do not follow through with your second barrage.”

”Done!” Iyom grumbled tossing Yosh a bundled one hundred arrows that he requested. ”So, what are you going to do with that!?”

”Watch and learn. You might find out a thing or two.”

-------ooO0Ooo-------

”General Jowl, sir!” yelled the lieutenant in attention at the parapet walls in the southern face of the fortress. ”Someone's been sniping our archers just up those hills. We're yet to pinpoint his current position because of the accumulating fog and because he only shot twice, the second time was a barrage, but after his next shot, we could calculate where he is hiding.”

General Jowl quickly ran towards him as if just finished equipping, fixing his battle armor with eyes all puffy, almost irritated for those people responsible for bothering his tea with sandman. Even though they are in great danger, he's eyes sparkle a calm and focused soul as if unafraid of anything.

”Line every archer to the sides and create five feet gaps in-between. Place defensive soldiers to shield the archers and concentrate your attack below. Attack Yiv with full strength and ignore the sniper. If you can't see him then he's not an immediate threat.”

As soon as he finishes his orders another bombardment of deafening proportions came blasting half their archers on the parapet. The black arrows came from one direction but came frighteningly fast exploding upon impact as if they are laced with incendiary and saltpeter. There are no lingering traces of burns in the air so he can't figure out exactly what are those black arrows. No trace fragments can be found sticking around after the explosive impact. Only black dust of charcoal remains so he could not quite figure out who or what their enemy is.

”How many are the casualty?” he asked now concerned seeing first time the massive explosions that decimated his troops in half with the almost invisible arrows.

”Sir, a hundred and one a minute ago. This time they took about another hundred. I can be certain until another report comes in, but it seems that his limit is at least a hundred shots per bombardment. No one has died fortunately sir, but all of them are completely paralyzed as if in a deep state of Sleep of Death.”

He looked down with the masked man known as Magnus and Yiv just dancing around the fast flying arrows, almost like they are playing, mocking their offensive strikes and suddenly it dawned upon him.

”Deactivate your Amplifyers! Everyone!” he bellowed running in the parapet walk tapping every commander. ”You're giving away your positions!”

If Yiv is attacking with a fellow Daomagar, and if what he originally thought is correct, that they are in collusion with the Great Beasts, then, they are surely backed by the Elves as well. The second Elven Rebellion is happening, he thought as he ran reminding everyone to shut off the burning Amplifyers attached in their chest armor brightly illuminating the fortress.

”Keep firing on Magnus and Yiv. Do not let them rest! Turn off all light! Make this fortress pitch black!” he yelled which brought lieutenants all around to scurry and pass his orders. He went near Lieutenant Marko and whispered, ”Send a team around and find me that Elf. Use deadly force and if possible, catch him alive.”

Elves are the only being alive that can shoot arrows from a great distance with great accuracy and proficiency, he thought now feeling the seriousness of their situation. Daomagarians are skilled warriors and even great archers but they are no match for the great dexterity of the Elves. No one can strike an arrow a mile out, in the darkness of the evening, ignoring the wind direction, hitting all targets on the same spot with great precision. There's no way a Daomagarian warrior can do that and even if there is, there's no way they will associate themselves with Yiv.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

In just ten seconds the fortress became a dark lonely fort with lights smothered from every corner, giving the bright blue light of the waxing gibbous moon to wash its gray walled façade.

”Hey, no fair!” Yosh shouted upon noticing the fortress joining the dark horizons.

”Does that mean it's over? I mean, is it all up to your brothers now?” Iyom said greatly concerned.

”Hah! Blinding Darkness can't stop me. I'm a Night Hunter. That's what we do best!” with this he called in a series of whistles and from behind a fast flying owl whispered into the night sky.

”Stella? But how?”

”Stella's my eye in the sky. If they think they could stop me by merely putting all of the lights out, then I think they are clearly underestimating my Bathala-given skills. No one will be left standing in that parapet when I'm through! If there's one, I'll make sure he goes down...”

-------ooO0Ooo-------

As the Eastern Sentry's archers have anticipated, the second barrage came without fail and struck another batch of unfortunate soldiers. General Jowl could not believe his eyes. Even in the darkness, they are still getting hit. The massive explosions that ensued echoed in the night as screams of soldiers exhausting their last words resonated like a melancholic melody reminiscing turbulent times. The archers' morale are now wavering as some of them made most of their time hiding behind the parapet paneled arches of the wall instead of shooting their two enemies.