THE HUNTED HUNTER

CHAPTER 7: THE ORDER'S DECEIT

Kael closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as the magic from the god-blade poured into him, filling him with life once more. His hands tightened around the hilt as the red and black runes on the blade pulsed like a heartbeat. 

The sound of feet shuffling brought him back to reality. He turned his head to the side and found Eldrin standing by the still open grave, staring into the pit. 

“Start talking,” Kael said, turning to face him fully. He had regained his strength-or at least most of it. "How did you find me? How do you know I was here? Why did you–”

"One question at a time, dead boy," Eldrin said, cutting Kael off. Sighing, he crossed his arms across his chest, tilting his head to the side. "You were poisoned, Draven. Your blood is drenched with the smell of rot magic.”

"I know I was poisoned,” Kael answered curtly as his jaws clenched. "You still haven't answered the question I asked you.” 

Eldrin's smile faded. "Fair enough," he muttered as he walked away from the grave and towards Kael. "I followed you back to the Citadel. After everything that happened at the Worldroot Tree, I knew your going back would spell bad for you. I waited in the shadows as you went in. I watched them carry you out into the middle of the night like trash." 

Kael's fists tightened on the god-blade. "And you did nothing?

"What the hell was I to do?" Eldrin snapped back. "Battle the Grandmasters of the Order by myself? I'm a vampire, not a mad man."

Kael said nothing, but his frown deepened.

“I… waited,” Eldrin continued. “I followed them into the forest, watched them dig your grave and toss your body in like you were nothing. I stole your god-blade back from them before they buried you and then waited until they left." He shrugged. "And then I dug you out."

Kael brought his gaze down to his vein on his hands, watching the remnants of the poisons throbbing beneath his flesh. He tried as much as he could to wrap his head around what the vampire before him was saying, but nothing seemed to make any sense. 

“They… they wanted me dead?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief as he lifted his gaze to meet Eldrin's. 

Eldrin nodded slowly, his expression grim. 

Kael stepped backward, the runes on the god-blade flashing more brightly with the rage growing in his chest. "Why?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I did everything they ordered me to do. I followed every instruction. I killed who they told me to kill. I… I trusted them."

"Precisely," Eldrin said, taking a slow breath. "And that's what made you a risk to them."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

“The vision they never wanted you to have... the one I showed you beneath the Worldroot Tree—it was real, Kael. All of it." Eldrin's voice grew cold. "The Order isn't protecting the world from the curse leaking out of the Bleeding Veil. They're consuming it. Using it. Becoming more powerful, the more it spreads." He took a small pause, his jaws clenching as he let out a soft sigh. "All the creatures you've killed–none were cursed, Kael." 

Kael's fist tightened on the god-blade. Different thoughts raced through his mind, one crashing into another. They had made him their instrument–a pawn. The idea of all the blood he'd spilled, all the creatures he'd killed in the name of duty and balance—it all caused his stomach to churn.

"They lied to me," he growled, more to himself than Eldrin. "They fucking used me."

"And when they found out you knew the truth, they tried to get rid of you."

Kael let out a soft growl, his rage seething within him like a tempest. Yelling out loud, he drew the god-blade and swung it wide, cutting the tree beside him in half. With a loud crack, the tree fell to the ground, its thud thundering through the forest.

As if on cue, the ground suddenly began to tremble. Rocks shook, and leaves from trees fell to the ground as the rumble grew. Eldrin frowned, his brows furrowing as he looked around.

“Is… is that you?” he asked, turning to face Kael but the confused look he had on his face answered his question.

Suddenly, a low, guttural bellow echoed from the trees, slicing through the wind. Different roars echoed in response, breaking the silence that had covered the forest. 

Eldrin's head snapped toward the trees, his fangs and claws slowly extending. "Damn it," he snarled.

Kael glanced at Eldrin, growling before raising his god-blade to guard. It seemed the vampire really didn't know what was happening. 

Suddenly, the entire forest fell silent, the roars and bellows ceasing abruptly. Kael's hands tightened around the hilt of the godblade as he struggled to steady his breath. His heart pounded in his chest, and his grip on the sword began to falter. Maybe the effects of Maltheon's poison still lingered.

Or... maybe he was... afraid?

“Look alive," Eldrin suddenly said, his voice pulling Kael out of his thoughts. His gaze traveled to the trees in front of him and his breath caught in his throat. 

Out of the darkness slipped giant abominations–giant werewolves with eyes glowing red like hot coals, monstrous vampires with torn wings and arms armed with silver blades. Other deformed creatures stayed behind in the dark, their hungry eyes never leaving Kael and Eldrin's. 

“They found you,” Eldrin snarled as he took a step back, his eyes widening with fear. "The Order… they sent them." 

Kael’s hands shook as he stood in a fighting stance. “How… how did they find me?” he asked under his shaky breath. “How do they know I'm alive?" 

“Your aura," Eldrin muttered. “When you were buried, I could feel it slowly fading. But it's..  way too strong now that you're out of the grave.”

Kael was about to say something when the monstrosity of a werewolf in front of him suddenly spoke.

"Kael Draven," it said with a low growl, its lips widening to reveal a set of long fangs. “The Order sent me to tell you…” he lifted his hands, pointing it at Kael as his smile grew, "... your end has come." 

He had said those words to the creatures he was sent to kill before. Now, hearing them from the mouth of a monster… 

“Shit."