Saturday, February 11, 2006

Hunter

Today I became a hunter.

I knew that this day would come. It is the law and only a very select few avoid this fate. The thinkers and the touched ones do not hunt. I am blooded now, I can walk with my head high and take my pick of the females who are kept for us.

I was one of the chosen, one of the few who were selected to make their first kill in front of our leader. This is an honour reserved for only the best of us and my father made sure I was the best.

His lessons were harsh and more than once I cursed him, but when the leader herself cut out the liver of my prey and held it to my lips, I knew I would honour him this night. I have been chosen to lead the newest of the legions to be formed. We start our patrol at dawn 2 days from now for tonight we celebrate.

My legion will be the best, I have great plans, we will keep our borders free of our enemies and they will fear the name of the 'Vulture Legion' for that is the name we have been given.

My father came to me before we left the city 2 weeks ago, he warned me that if we fail in our duty we will be sacrificed to the gods. I did not understand then but I do now. The enemy is relentless. I have lost over half my men and there is no respite, they come with their magic and we are helpless. I have seen horrors that I know are illusions but I cannot resist them. I have seen dead men rise and tear the throats out of their former companions with their teeth. My sleep is plagued by nightmares and my days by horror.

A few of us have managed to escape the slaughter and like cowards we hide. We cannot go home, we will not bring shame on our families, so we few have followed the enemy back to their own lands, hiding and avoiding their patrols. After 3 weeks we spied the first city and I truly despaired. It is like nothing I have ever seen, it sprawls endlessly and must house millions, this race will overrun our lands. I must warn my people.

I will be sacrificed to the gods but that is the price I must pay, I will do it gladly in exchange for the chance for my people to escape, to make a new home away from this ravening hoard that will surely come.

They came at last, on the day of my sacrifice and the gods answered our prayers, as I was lifted to the altar and the voices of the people were raised in supplication and prayer I saw the great wave that would swallow our lands and destroy our enemies.

The gods were cruel, they destroyed our enemies but they also destroyed my home and I alone survived to tell the story of Atlantis.

1 Comments:

Blogger lime said...

nice creation of a mood, shez. really nice

9:01 PM  

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