Ten years ago…

I stared out the window, watching the sun slowly peek out from the horizon, bathing the city in its warm light. The night-dwellers returned to their homes and most normal citizens began to wake. Lights went on, people started to move around. Slowly, the city was coming to life. I, on the other hand, felt like death. I’d been awake for about two days now, punctuated by brief periods of sleep ended quickly by horrible nightmares.

The wound at my neck ached and stung. In my reflection in the window, I could see it was still a mess of scabs and pink skin. I’d cut my throat two weeks ago, but I hadn’t cut deep enough. And then like an idiot, I’d passed out from blood loss before I could correct my mistake. While I was out, my body had stopped the bleeding. By the time I woke up, I was out of danger and trying to off myself again seemed like far too much work so I just bandaged it up.

The next day, I’d been recalled to the Capital along with every other Hunter. We were all stationed in apartments near the Headquarters, under armed guard, while the Guild tried to calm down the public.

I looked in the mirror and sighed. I looked like shit. My hair was long and unruly. It had grown past my shoulders and I hadn’t bothered to cut it. It also wasn’t black anymore. After Sollia, my hair had been slowly graying, strand by strand. It made me look—and feel—a lot older. I muttered some curses. What good was the Hunter’s Mark in keeping me young if a simple bit of trauma would undo all of that?

I debated shaving, but what was the point? I splashed some water on my face and pulled on some relatively clean clothes. I slung my gun around my back and my sword, in its scabbard, around my hip. Then, after a second, I put them back. I had a meeting with an old friend, I didn’t need any weapons.

—

I climbed the stairs to Jala’s office slowly. I’d managed to get to the Guild with little incident, in large part because the Guild had cleared out the thousands of protestors that had been rioting outside the HQ just days before. Now, the entire square was off-limits to the citizenry. It wasn’t any skin off my back, I hadn’t been one of the people they’d had “suppressing” the protests.

As I got to Jala’s office, I paused just at the door. I thought about Jala seeing me looking, well, like I did, and decided she was far too beautiful for that. I had to at least try a bit. I sighed and turned around, trudging to the gymnasium. In the locker rooms there, I took a quick bath, brushed my hair, and generally tried to look a bit more presentable. I trimmed the mess of hair that I decided I was going to call a beard in a vain attempt to make it look at least a bit intentionally grown.

Looking in the mirror, I still looked terrible, but at least a bit more…put together. This was as good as it was going to get without some divine invention, so I put on my clothes, tried to flatten out some of the wrinkles, and headed back to Jala’s office.

I knocked politely at the door and heard her say, “Come in.”

I obeyed and stepped inside. Jala was sitting at her desk, looking a bit pissed at me. An expression I knew well. Still, she wore the expression well.

Jala was one of the most beautiful people I knew. Sure, I didn’t know many people, the consequences of a life on the road, but still, she was up there. Jala was tall, not as tall as me, but still pretty tall. She had dark skin the color of the ground after a rain. Her hair was done into locs, which hung down to her shoulders. She had a few scars, like most Hunters. One over the bridge of her nose that she’d gotten from a bandit in Tonnvy, one near her mouth from a Valerian merchant’s husband, and one on her cheek from a gryphon’s claws. The best part of the scars on her face was that I’d been there for all of them. And arguably, all of them had been my fault.

The bandit had been hiding by the road and when I killed his friend, he freaked out. He tripped over a tree root and while I was doubled over, laughing at him, he got up and tried to cut Jala down. He hadn’t succeeded, but she had a nice reminder of the whole affair.

Speaking of affairs, the scar on her mouth was really more both of our faults. While hunting a loose Duocorn not far from the Capital, I’d become enamored with a Valerian merchant. Unfortunately, she’d been more interested in Jala. So, I found a compromise that worked with the three of us. I really have no idea why Jala went along with it. I knew she regretted it though, because when the merchant’s husband came home, it was her he’d tried to stab instead of me. Oops.

The gryphon had been relatively cut and dry. We were hiking, looking for its nest, and I had to go to the bathroom. So, like any normal person, I walked to a cliff’s edge, undid my pants, and did my business. What I hadn’t known is that the gryphon’s nest had been right below my…er…stream. Suffice to say the beast hadn’t been pleased and when it attacked, I was caught with my pants down. Literally.

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“Sit down, Corporal,” Jala said, snapping me out of my reminiscing.

“Major Bridges,” I said, politely, before bowing and sitting down.

“Lieutenant Colonel, actually,” Jala said, absentmindedly, her expression softening a bit.

“In that case, congratulations are in order,” I said. “Maybe I could take you out for dinner?”

Jala raised an eyebrow and said, “Tempting, but we have to talk about you.” She sighed and pulled out a file folder. “You’ve been doing a good job in the field.” I noticed how she deliberately didn’t mention Sollia, which I appreciated. “If it weren’t for your blatant disdain toward authority, you’d be sitting in my seat right now.”

“Maybe so,” I muttered, prompting a glare from Jala.

“You’re a very skilled Hunter,” she said, leaning forward in her chair. “And while you might not be suited for administrative work, there are plenty of roles that would fit you just fine. At the very least, think about your pay and pension.”

“What for?” I asked.

“For a family you might want to have some day,” Jala said, annoyance barely concealed in her voice. “For a time when you’ll settle down and not be living off of a Guild stipend.”

I scoffed and said, “You were always the one who wanted a family, not me.”

A twinge of sadness passed through Jala’s eyes and the anger drained from her expression. She sat back in her seat, suddenly seeming exhausted.

“Gods above Jonas,” she pleaded, “don’t you want a life after this?”

I just stared at her. Then, I scratched at the wound on my neck. It was bandaged, but my point was still clear. Jala flinched and nodded.

“Fine,” she said. “Have it your way. But I’m not going to stop fighting for you.”

I smiled. I was trying to look reassuring, but I think it just looked sad, because Jala sighed.

“And I’ll never stop fighting, Lieutenant Colonel,” I said. I stood to leave but Jala raised her hand.

“One more thing,” she said. “And before you get ornery, this is order from up high, it has nothing to do with my…personal feelings…about letting you go off alone.

“For at least the next few months, until the public calms down, every Hunter is to travel in pairs. To mitigate the chance of something bad happening.”

“Great,” I muttered. I’d only traveled, at length, with two other people before. One had been my Master, when I was in my apprenticeship, and the other had been Jala. I wasn't too excited about adding a third to that list. “Who am I stuck with?”

“Private Elaine Char,” Jala said. “She’s been out of her apprenticeship for five years.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, “so she’s not wet behind the ears. At least I’m not stuck with a rookie.”

“Well…” Jala said. “She’s not a rookie, but she hasn’t had any dangerous postings. She has a talent for investigative work, so she’s been in the Capital for most of that time, assisting the police. This’ll be the first time she’s gone on the road.”

“Great,” I moaned, sinking down in my chair. “Now I have to babysit.”

“You know as well as I know why we’re having you travel in groups,” Jala said. Memories of a flash of Orislav steel and the screams of a family as I threw myself out a window played in the back of my mind. I pushed them away.

“Fine,” I said, just as a knock came at the door. I sank even lower into my seat.

“Enter!” Jala said.

The door cracked open and I heard someone cautiously walk inside and sit down next to me. I glanced up and saw that Elaine Char had extended her hand for me to shake.

I took it and shook it weakly. I also gave her a half-hearted smile, which she returned with overflowing enthusiasm.

Elaine Char was young and had the look of blissful joy derived from ignorance. Fresh-faced, rosy cheeks, and a happiness in her eyes that hadn’t been crushed by the world yet. She had short, blonde hair, neatly combed back, and cleanly pressed clothes.

“Private Elaine Char,” she said, introducing herself. “It’s an honor to meet you, Corporal Dreadstone.”

“Just call me Jonas,” I said, scratching my neck uneasily. “As much as the Guild pretends, we’re not the military. I’d like it to stay that way, there’s no chance I’m going to fight in another war.”

“Another war?” Char asked, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. “Did you fight in the Last War?”

I glanced at Jala, who had a satisfied smile on her lips. I sighed.

“Yes, but—”

“What was it like?” Char asked.

“War is for the old, not the young,” I said flatly. I glanced at Jala and said, “And I’m very old. You’re better off not knowing.”

Char frowned but didn’t protest. Jala took out two folders from her desk and slid them toward us.

“Your first assignment,” she said. “Good luck and stay safe.”

I sighed again and picked up the folder, flipped it open, and began to read. I hadn’t enjoyed my “vacation,” but as miserable as it had been, working was far worse. That said, a part of me was glad to get back to the road.

At the bottom of the first page, “I’ll always fight for you” was written in Jala’s hand, along with a small heart. I smiled at her and she returned it, looking a bit satisfied with herself.