Yanoku city, inside Zedd’s villa: Summer of the red moon, two days before the Hunt.

Inside Zedd’s study, bookshelves were stacked against the walls. From top to bottom, the walls were adorned with encyclopedias, Old Scriptures and even some Grimoires related to elemental magic. “What’re all these books for?” Cane asked.

“Some fights are won with strength, others with one’s mind,” the revolutionary leader answered.

Zedd walked behind his desk, turned then said, “Thanks to these books my dear Cane, we will achieve our goal. Look at the map on this desk. Memorize it like the back of your hand.”

“What for?” the big bear asked.

“You’ve never participated in the Hunt. You’ll need to know the layout of Ulmir’s Domain.”

“Did you try the Hunt before?” Cane asked.

“No, but I’ve read and heard enough descriptions to know what to expect.”

“What happens during the Hunt?” the big bear asked again.

“The Great Hunt is an annual competition that tests every participant’s skills. Every year, a Gate opens a passageway to what is known as Ulmir’s Domain. The gate appears in one specific spot, at the heart of Sleigh Cave, the most mysterious place in the Kozagan Desert. Expect the unexpected,” Zedd said, his cynic smile always present in between sentences.

“Forget what you know of this world, for the Hunt is an event governed by an actual God,” he went on

“May Ulmir guide our way,” Cane prayed.

‘No, not Ulmir, that God died long ago,’ Zedd thought. “Ulmir’s domain is treacherous, full of nasty beasts the likes of which have never surfaced to our world.”

“Yes I heard stories,” Cane said.

“Hearing is one thing, seeing is another,” Zedd said while observing the map he had drawn on his desk. “Alistair told me you’re an outcast. What happened?” He knew of the big bear’s past, but wished to hear it from him.

“Shit happened, as usual. I don’t like thinking of the past.”

“As you wish,” Zedd said after a long sigh. “Now tell me, what’s the hardest prey you’ve had to hunt?”

Cane thought for a moment, “Zhang probably, but that beast was just too big to handle. And there’s Goradon,” Cane stroked his chin, absorbed in thought. “Goradon’s the hardest. It’s quick, smart and it got elemental energy.”

Zedd smiled approvingly. “Zhang is just a poor misunderstood beast. It just wants to be like humans. There’s no harm in stealing silk from time to time.”

“A contract’s a contract,” Cane commented. “Doesn’t matter what the beast thinks.”

“Oh but it does. The empire thinks we’re savages, trying to resist the perfect system our ‘savior’ thought of. To them, we’re no different than Zhang who steals silk to dress up like nobles.”

“Beasts have fangs, attack and kill without regret. They’re dangerous,” Cane commented.

“Armies kill and invade,” Zedd replied. “They rape women, kill children. They even destroy cities and civilizations. Have you ever seen a city after war had ravaged it?”

Cane shook his head.

“There’s but rubble and fire. Livestock is slaughtered. The live ones mourn their sorry state before thinking of their dead relatives. Women are raped, repeatedly. Children are taken away to the slaughterhouse or to be sold as slaves. Tell me, dear Cane, how are we different from the monsters you hunted for a living? We all kill indifferently. The victor always does as he pleases.”

Cane remained silent, pondering at Zedd’s words. “We can change our minds,” he finally said. “The beasts act on instinct. We think.”

“This is the first thing you need to forget about when entering Ulmir’s domain friend. The beasts you’ll encounter there, especially the strong ones, are highly intelligent. If you encounter any of them, you run and don’t look back.”

“Aren’t we hunting the strongest of the beasts?” Cane asked.

“We are, but we can’t hunt the Watchdog if we’re dead, can we?”

“What d’ya have in mind then?”

“Two things,” Zedd answered. “First we plan. I have compiled data on the sentient monsters that appeared in Ulmir’s domain. For five hundred years, only six have been sighted repeatedly.

“Second, we think of our reactions when the plan goes to shit.”

“What’s the use of a plan then?” Cane mocked the mastermind.

“The plan helps us reach Ulmir’s gate with minimal damage. Remember, it’s a world we know little of. There will be a lot of variables we can’t control.”

“You talk gibberish shorty. Use words I can understand.” To Cane, everybody was short. Even Zedd, who was taller than most, had to look up in order to speak to the big bear.

“Here, look at this.” Zedd urged his new recruit to look at the map he had drawn.

“The square you see in the middle is Ulmir’s castle. Every hunter who successfully finishes the Hunt’s First Phase will be led there. That’s where the final fights take place. Our priority is to reach this place unscathed.”

“Unswhat?” Cane asked.

“With no critical injuries,” Zedd clarified.

“What about the beasts we have to hunt?” he asked again.

“We only need to hunt one, present it to Ulmir as a team then enter the gate.”

“Why would we go in as a team?” Cane asked.

“I need us to register as a team to cover my tracks.”

“I don’t follow,” Cane commented.

“Of course you don’t. I haven’t explained everything to you yet. What do you think of the empire?” Zedd asked.

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“Y’know damn well how I feel, I hate their guts,” Cane bitterly answered.

“I was asked to dispose of the imperialists that were granted access to the Hunt,” Zedd declared. “It’s an offense the empire punishes for greatly. I don’t want them chasing me at the moment, so I’ll be giving them a false lead.”

“Y’mean to use me as bait?” Cane asked. His breathing got shorter. His eyes fixed Zedd’s. The man was apparently angry.

 “I’ve seen you fight Cane. You’re an excellent fighter. You think on your feet. And you’re not afraid of death. These are rare qualities. I’m not willing to let such a talent go to waste;” Zedd was trying to calm his potential partner’s nerves. “The imperialists will eat you up.”

Cane raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

Zedd approached his puzzled guest then said. “The commanders in the empire have supernatural abilities, or weapons to be precise. Rimbaldi had developed some terrifying weapons to help the Empire conquer the world. Facing them in a one on one battle would mean certain death for you. I have better plans for you. I mean to defeat the imperialists alone. But if we enter the contest as a team, I won’t be their prime suspect.”

“They’ll suspect everyone,” Cane commented.

“They’ll suspect me, especially after the Second Phase starts. But they won’t be able to find me.”  

“Yer confusing me black eyes.”  

Zedd smiled. He walked back to his desk then looked at the castle in the center of the map. “What do you know of the Second Phase?” he asked.

“The chosen ones fight to the death until a champion is decided.”

“And who gets out of Ulmir’s domain after the Hunt ends?”

“All the participants in the Second Phase,” Cane answered. It was common knowledge to all natives of the Kozagan Desert.

“How is that possible?” Zedd asked.

“Ulmir used his great power to create Avatars of the chosen fighters. The ones who die aren’t the real bodies, but the fake ones created by Ulmir.”

“Do you know how Ulmir creates those Avatars?”

“Who am I to question a God’s power?” Cane asked, offended at Zedd’s question.

Zedd’s smiled then said. “The Hunt will open your eyes Cane. You’ll see. The body your God will create for me won’t show the person you’re looking at. I’ll have a different body, a different face.” Zedd started explaining his grand scheme to distract the empire.

“I don’t need to tell you the rest. You’ll experience it for yourself. All you need to know is that the King will help the empire capture me. After all, I’ll be framed for murdering the imperialists. So your job would be to win the contest for me. For our sakes, you’d better show the same resolution as the one you had during the Ritual of Sacrifice.”

“I always wanted to win that contest. You can count on me,” Cane said.

“But I’ll need the gold you’ll win. After all, I’ll provide you with the biggest beast in the realm.”

“I’m not after money Black Eyes. Winning the contest is something I swore I’d do,” Cane said.

“I have something that would be of help to you during the Hunt,” Zedd said. He walked towards one of the cupboards then took a spherical object out.  

“This is a Crux,” Zedd started. “People in the empire use it on their weaponry and automata. Infuse it with Ether and you can shoot fireballs, lightning bolts and the likes from it. Here, look.” Zedd activated the Crux and a cool wind enveloped the study. The hot and damp room became cool. Cane took a deep breath then let out a long “Ah!” of satisfaction.

“Even the air is cleaner when you harvest the wind from the highest mountain,” Zedd commented. “Imagine if your axes were infused with fire? Or Wind? Or even Lightning? Your axes would’ve burnt Gerard’s wooden shield, not get stuck in it.”

“How does it work?” the big bear asked.

“Rimbaldi created Cruces that turn Essence, the energy harbored in Aether Veins, into elemental energy called Ether. He’s a genius with no equal in all of Hera,” Zedd explained. He then walked towards the only wall in the study that didn’t have bookshelves.

“This is my sword.” Zedd unsheathed a sword that was hanging on the wall. “This one was imbued with lightning. One strike from it is enough to char any warrior, no matter the type of armor they’re wearing. But it has a weakness.”

“What is it?” Cane asked.

“It needs to be recharged. Not all smiths are good at imbuing weapons with elemental energy. In the four continents, there are but two. One of them is Rimbaldi. He uses the Cruces. The other had disappeared without a trace long ago. He has a more mysterious, ancient power.” Zedd was actually looking for that smith to join his ranks.

“I’ll lend you this sword during the Contest,” Zedd continued.

“What about you? How will you fight?” Cane asked.

“I have my own weapons and techniques,” Black Eyes answered. “You’ll see once we get to the hunting grounds. What’s important is that you follow my instructions to the letter. One mistake and you might lose your life needlessly.”

“What am I s’posed to do?”

“The hunting grounds are divided into four parts,” Zedd replied. “There’s Ulmir’s Garden, an unforgiving forest. That’s the one you see here, south of the large square.” Zedd pointed at the map for Cane to see.

Cane listened carefully to Zedd’s plan. The Revolutionary leader explained how to get to Ulmir’s Garden. “I’ll clear the area for us,” he told Cane as he explained their plan. “The empire will surely head for the Faery Plains. There’s an Aether vein there I’m sure they’d love to exploit. I’ll take care of them before heading to the Garden.”

“Why’s that vein important?” Cane asked.

“Later friend, you’re new to this world. You’ll get lost in information if I explain every little detail to you.”

“Fair enough,” Cane admitted.

“No matter where you land, you have to find your way towards Ulmir’s Garden. This is where the Watchdog sleeps.”

“And this Watchdog’s stronger than the lizards, yes?” Cane asked.

“Yes, stronger than any other beast in Ulmir’s domain.”

“Why do we have to go through the forest then?” Cane asked. “Can’t we just find a strong beast like other hunters do?”

“Because you’ll need the beast’s strength,” Zedd answered. Cane raised an eyebrow at his host.

“I can’t explain it all to you until you’ve seen everything before your eyes. It’s easier that way trust me. All I can promise is that you’ll gain strength that all the gold in the world can’t buy.”

“What am I supposed to do then?”

“Find your way to the Garden. If you land there, then look for me near the area where the trees touch the sky. But beware of small trees with tasty looking fruits. Don’t pick any fruit in the Garden. You’ll have enough water and food with you. Use it with the utmost care.”

Zedd and Cane remained in the study for the remainder of the night. Food was brought to them by the many servants hired by the Revolutionary. At dawn two days later, both men left the house. Each took a different route to reach the Hunters’ guild. It was there that the procession would start. Zedd’s mind was racing, full of conflicted thoughts and ideas. ‘How is she alive? Audrey, I hope you’ll bring me good news from the east.’

In his confused state, Zedd didn’t realize that his body took him to the guild automatically.

‘Old habits die hard huh?!’ he thought as he observed the magnificent building that hosted the hunters.

‘How I resented this place as a child! I was pretty stubborn back then, and stupid.’ He took a long look at the guild’s oaken door, reluctant to open it.

“It’s now or never Zedd,” he whispered, trying to encourage himself. “The die is cast, the wheels are turning. It’s time to reveal what the future holds for me.”

Zedd pushed the main door that led directly into the Main Hall. Hundreds of warriors were assembled to start the procession towards Sleigh Cave. Garland was waiting for all the summoned warriors to assemble. Zedd made his way towards the strongest man in the guild.

“Garland! It’s good to know the strongest warrior in the guild will be leading us towards the gates of doom.”

“I still don’t approve of your friend living in our city,” Garland angrily said.

“Sounds like Viraldo didn’t let you drink this morning.” Zedd seemed unaffected by the hunter’s bad mood.

“Leave me alone Zedd, I hate escort jobs and I don’t like you. I can’t handle two annoying things at once.”  

“Why don’t you start the procession then? The latecomers will have to run or miss their chance at dying to horrible monsters.”

“Hmm,” Garland stroke his long beard for a while. “Those shitfaced bastards aren’t here yet.”

“You mean the imperialists? I saw them leave early this morning towards the cave. They don’t believe in our Gods, so why should they wait for our precious procession?”

“Damn it!” Garland shouted. “Are you sure black eyes?”

“Certain,” Zedd replied. “Ask your master if you don’t believe me. Oh wait! Where’s your master?”

Zedd asked an important question. Garland looked around, looking for the master of the guild. Viraldo had to give a procession speech before the Great Hunt started. It was every guild master’s responsibility.

The guild’s main door was suddenly pushed open, bringing all the talk and laughter in the Main Hall to a halt. Alistair stood at the door, bloodied and badly wounded.

The chancellor stood next to the injured man, his hair combed and pomaded. He was smiling, the custodians stood behind him, armed to the teeth.

“Viraldo is dead. He was found guilty of High Treason to our nation. For the sake of our city, I ask you to be obedient and follow my instructions. We don’t want a bloodbath on the day of the Great Hunt.”