Outskirst of Yanoku, Summer of the Red Moon. The day of the Great Hunt.

Garland was at a loss for words. He made to run for Alistair but Zedd stopped him. Angry, Garland turned towards Zedd. Before he could utter a word, black eyes spoke,

“Don’t try anything stupid Garland. You may be the strongest hunter in the guild. But the chancellor has an army behind him. Keep it together and do the right thing.”

Garland jerked his shoulder forward to get rid of Zedd’s hand. “They murdered master. D’ya expect me to sit and watch?”

“I expect you to be smart about this. Viraldo brought this on himself. The chancellor fears the king more than the emperor. You should too.”

“Bah, I hate politics!” Garland was furious. “I know damn well they’re gonna kill me if I attack. But I can’t help it.” Garland clutched his hands. His nails dug deep into his palm. “They even hurt Al. I can’t forgive them for this.”

“Give it up Garland,” Zedd urged. “At least for now, the Chancellor is asking for an excuse to strip the Guild of its power. Don’t give him that. Cooperate, at least for now.”

“Yer probably right Black Eyes,” Garland said. He sighed deeply then shouted to all the people present in the Main Hall. “Put down your weapons. Our master’s broken the rules and paid for it. We’ll have elections after the Hunt.”

The tension in the room subsided. The chancellor pushed the injured Alistair to his men.

“Take care of this one. Our quarrel was with your master, not him. It’d be waste if this city lost two great men. Garland!” the Chancellor called for the strongest man in the guild. “You can begin the procession. The imperials have gone there already. They’ll be waiting for us at the cave.”

Garland gave the order and all the appointed participants moved in an orderly fashion towards the Eastern City Gates. There were three hundred participants that enlisted to join the Great Hunt.

Each participant was called a champion. The champions fought beasts in Ulmir’s domain in order to get access to his courtyard. In order to be allowed into Ulmir’s Courtyard, the champions had to hunt monsters then offer them to Ulmir in one of his altars. There were only thirty two altars, eight in each of the four regions.

Zedd walked with the other champions toward Sleigh Cave. The procession was followed by drummers who announced the beginning of the Festival of the Hunt. People crowded the streets, cheering on their favorite champions. Among the participating champions, Zedd recognized some of the warriors that fought during the Ritual of Sacrifice.

‘Only Lucius’s son is missing,’ he thought as he observed the people he walked with.

Cane was among the crowd, far from Zedd. They agreed to enter the cave separately. Zedd didn’t want the city council to associate them together.

‘I hope he doesn’t stray too far toward the courtyard,’ Zedd thought as he observed Cane in the distance. ‘I need to take care of those imperials first. Dismas will have to pay for using me this way.’

“What did ya mean earlier?” Garland’s voice brought Black Eyes back from his daydreaming. The strongest man in the guild was walking beside Zedd.

“I’m not sure I follow.” Zedd looked at Garland with a raised eyebrow.

“Ya asked me to wait, not attack. What for? Amaud broke the law. He shoulda arrested the master.”

“Do you honestly think that the chancellor gives two shits about the law?”

“Of course he doesn’t,” Garland replied. “Not after what he did.”

“The men you saw behind him are the law. Try to attack him and they will put you down. How will that help the guild Garland?”

“You saw what they did to Al, didn’cha?” Garland’s anger started building up again. His voice became louder.

“Al is alive. He’ll get over the beating. Tell me Garland, what did you think of Viraldo?”

“He was a great man, the leader of the greatest guild that ever existed;” Garland answered proudly. “And they done him in like a rat!”

“Viraldo invited the empire into the city. He gave them access to Ulmir’s domain. Doesn’t that make you angry? You didn’t approve of me joining the hunt.”

“That’s a different story Black Eyes. I don’t like you. Six imperials won’t last long in Ulmir’s domain.”

‘That’s the center of the manipulation, you fool,’ Zedd thought.

“Don’t you agree that he broke the sacred rule?” he asked. “He let the king’s enemies, pagans, get access to the largest city in the Kozagan Desert. If the chancellor hadn’t acted, the king would have. And believe me friend, more shoulders would be missing heads by then.”

“I know all that Zedd,” Garland interjected. “But ya didn’t answer the question. Why’d you ask me to wait?”

“Because the guild needs you now more than ever, the Chancellor will surely try to get someone to become the guild’s master. He’ll need a puppet,” Zedd answered.

“And who d’ya think is the puppet?” Garland asked.

“I can only tell you what the Chancellor’s thinking about. I can’t guide you through it all,” Zedd dismissively answered.

“So you’ve an idea?”

“I might,” Zedd said, still dismissive. “Listen Garland,” Zedd turned towards the strongest man in the guild. “Amaud is watching you. He probably suspects there’s something happening between you and the mysterious man. There’s danger all around you now. Don’t talk to me again in public. After the Hunt, I’ll come to have a chat with you, deal?”

“Understood,” Garland answered.

“You still don’t like me, do you?” Zedd asked before Garland took leave of him.

“I don’t,” Garland dryly answered.

“Good, use the mistrust you have for me on everyone else. It might open your eyes a little.”

Garland left Zedd then joined Amaud and his men. The Chancellor led the champions on Viraldo’s behalf. The event that was usually exclusive to the Hunters’ guild had fallen into the Chancellor’s controlling hands.

As the procession reached the cave, horns were blown to signal the champions to stop. It was midday when everyone stopped near Sleigh Cave. In the dry desert of Kozag, a canyon of pink rocks carved the way towards the most mysterious cave in the dry lands. The Chancellor stood on a cliff atop the entrance. Every champion could see him towering above them all.

“On this special day, and on behalf of the Hunters’ guild,” Amaud said. His voice boomed around the dry gorge. “I pray for Ulmir’s blessing to guide you all. The Gate will open soon. We will call your name then you’ll proceed into the cave.”

General Flavious stood next to the Chancellor. He insisted on witnessing the special opening to Ulmir’s Domain. Part of the reason behind the General’s presence was also to ensure his men get to the Gate safely. Flavious was a careful man. He knew their presence irritated the citizens of Kozag. He was confident that the Kozagans wouldn’t attack them though. They knew better.

“Each one of you will be presented with a bag,” the Chancellor went on with his speech. “Within the bag, you’ll find three days’ worth of provisions. Use them well for you can’t survive in Ulmir’s domain without them. There’s no edible food or drinking water in our Lord’s terrible, plagued realm.”

“What do you think will happen to the imperialists?” Zedd heard a champion ask another.

“I hope the Watchdog eats them,” the other answered.

“The chancellor sure loves talking,” the first champion spoke again.

“What’s up with that? First they kill the master, second they lead our procession? I say, Garland should’ve ordered us to attack!”

“Shut your mouth!” the other barked. “Viraldo was rightfully killed, why should we follow him?”

“Relax, we’re after the gold here,” the first champion to speak said. “Who cares who lives or dies? Once the Hunt begins, I’m heading straight for the altar. It’s not about hunting the biggest prey, it’s about who’s first!”

“The bigger your prey, the more gold you’ll get.”

“The smallest beast in Ulmir’s garden will give me enough gold to leave these dry lands. Away from the heat and away from the empire’s coming attack.”

“What’ll you do with the gold?”

“Like I’ll tell you that! Once the hunt starts, we’re enemies.”

“Pff, you’ll come to me asking for help I’m telling ya. And when that time comes, I’ll laugh in yer face.”

Zedd listened to other champions planning their approach to the hunt. Soon, a rumbling underground brought everyone’s talk to a halt. Even the chancellor stopped elongating his boring speech about valor and sacrifice.

“The gate is opening,” he said. “Garland! Start the roll call!”

Garland started shouting names. The imperialists went in first, in one group. Then others followed. Each champion stepped forward upon hearing his or her name. They’d receive the provisions then slide into the dark cave. After half an hour, Cane was called to get inside the cave.

‘Fare well friend,’ Zedd thought. ‘Don’t forget the plan!’

An hour later, Zedd’s name was called. He stepped forward, collected his bag then slid into the cave. Zedd looked at Garland before entering the place. Dismas stood behind Garland, smiling at Zedd.

‘You made a bad move Dismas. You’ll eventually pay for involving me in this.’

He advanced towards the entrance and looked down. There was a steep slope that led toward darkness. As he was about to jump into the dark cave, something else attracted his attention. At the cave’s entrance, behind one of the numerous rocks, a fox hid.

Zedd squinted, rubbed his eyes, then made another effort to look again. A white fox with three tails was observing him from behind the rocks. As soon as Zedd spotted it, the fox jumped into a hole in the ground then disappeared.

‘I don’t like this,’ he though as he slid-down the dark cave. ‘I have a bad feeling about this.’ Zedd’s thoughts were interrupted by a rumbling so loud it could burst one’s eardrums. He could see a bright blue light in the distance from which the sound emanated. He was picking up speed. He even had to close his internal eyelids to stop dirt from coming in.

The bright blue light in the distance announced Zedd’s rapid approach towards the Gate. If he were to be tripped by the smallest rock, he could trip and miss his chance to jump at the Gate. At the end of the steep slope, there was a deep hole. Nobody ever knew what was hidden deep within. Nobody who ever fell could come back and tell the tale.

Zedd got close to the Gate and readied himself to jump. As soon the end of the slope was visible, Zedd jumped at the Gate. Before Black Eyes could reach it though, a loud screech was heard. Even the people outside the cave were affected by it.

“That’s bad news, isn’t it?” the Chancellor outside asked Garland.

“That’s what we get for allowing outsiders inside Ulmir’s domain,” Dismas intervened.

“Your master allowed it,” General Flavious retorted.

“But Ulmir obviously isn’t happy about it General,” Dismas said.

“What now?” the chancellor asked.

“If anything comes up, the guild will deal with it,” Garland announced. “We’ll wait a little before sending the next candidate.”

After the screech subsided, Zedd found out that he’d come to a sudden full stop. He was floating midair, unable to move. In fact, not only did he stop, everything around him ceased to move as well. The Gate no longer emitted its usual rumblings. The screech everyone heard before had vanished. Even the sand and pebbles that followed after Zedd’s descent stopped moving midair.

“Why are you here Darkstar?” a voice, akin to the rumbling of thunder, asked.

“I was asked, quite nicely, to dispose of the outsiders that entered first,” Zedd casually replied.

“I can’t allow you in, Darkstar. You’re cursed,” the voice said.

“The gate has already opened. You can’t close it either,” Zedd said. Time had stopped in order to allow for the two to speak freely.

“But I know where you are,” the voice replied.

“Yes, you do,” Zedd said. “Outside your area of influence, but don’t you worry Utar. I’m coming for you.”

The voice emitted a sound similar to multiple thunder rumblings at once. Zedd knew it was laughing. “What can you possibly do against me Darkstar?”

“For now, nothing,” Zedd answered. “But soon Utar, soon you’ll feel my wrath. You’ll pay for what you’ve done.”

“You look different,” Utar spoke again.

“You’re not the only one who evolved over the past years Utar. You’ll hear from me soon enough. Now would you please release your spell? If Omega finds out where you are-”

At the mention of the name, thunder rumbled even louder in the cave. Soon after, the spell was released and Zedd resumed his jump into the Gate.

‘I don’t like this at all. Viraldo you son of a bitch, you invited doom upon us all,’ Zedd thought after he landed in the Faery Plains. He was at the north section of Ulmir’s domain. As soon as he landed, Zedd deployed his Fairies. ‘Go little ones, find those imperials for me,’ he mentally ordered them.

‘When the emperor hears of the Darkstar in the west, Rimbaldi will probably figure out what the Pathway’s for. I’ll give them a good distraction. Then I’ll destroy this realm and seal it forever.’