The black carriage drove steadily on the road. The wildlife in the countryside around fell silent on its passage, a mix of awe and fear stopping life for a moment. Even when the bad omen was out of sight, a sense of quiet danger remained.
Inside the carriage, Jessica was watching out the window. So much had happened in the last few days. She remembered the old female healer fondly. The cracked house and the shared pastries. A safe place, a place that felt like home. This is what the hunters protect. We have a tough life so that other people can be happy. The old lady's words echoed in her head, "Trial by fire?" Then, "I respect the hunters, but I don't like their recruitment methods." Jessica nodded, she understood what her friend meant. Her training under Chala had been tough. But there was no denying it had been effective. She could feel it even without a relic weapon and shadow power. She was stronger, sharper. Her mind was clear. And she was pretty sure she had become Chala's apprentice. It seems that wherever I go, I rise to the top. She enjoyed the warm feeling, a smile on her lips. Dreamily staring outside, lulled by the moving scenery, she let her mind go blank. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.
"We will soon be there," Chala's voice brought her back to reality. She looked at him and noticed the subtle change in his body language. Colder, more distant, of course, she thought, that is his professional face. He can't be like he was with me when we reach the base. She timidly asked, "How should I behave once we're there?" Her mentor gave a rare smile, his eyes sparkled for a second. "Just be yourself, we have nothing to hide." Then the cold mask etched itself in his face again.
The carriage stopped, Jessica peeked outside. They were at the bottom of massive stone walls. A portcullis opened, and the carriage drove in. The metallic jaw shut behind them with a loud "CLANG."
Chala exited the carriage, Jessica stepped outside, offered her hand… and met only air… Her mentor was standing, back turned to her, a few paces away. She rolled her eyes. What was I thinking? After climbing down, she joined him. In front of them, two dozen hunters were kneeling, head bowed, right fist held to their hearts. A grey-haired hunter slammed his chest with his fist and shouted, "We salute the gloves." Behind him, all hunters repeated the gesture and the words. Jessica felt a chill crawl down her spine as she heard the echo. "We salute the gloves."
The silence stretched, Chala seemed at ease, calmly watching the revering crowd. Jessica gaped, "So you're the leader." Her mentor glanced at her before shaking his head, "No," he simply said. The woman was confused and didn't let go. "Who is the leader then?" Chala pointed to the grey-haired hunter who spoke first. "Him." Jessica looked again at the kneeling man, his submissive posture, the slight trembling of his body. He is afraid, she thought. "He doesn't look like a leader to me. What does he even do?" She said out loud. Chala pondered momentarily before saying, "The rules, he makes sure everyone follows the rules." The scholar strongly thought she knew the answer, but she needed to be sure. "And who makes the rules?" Her mentor looked at her and said flatly, "Me." Then he walked forward without another word. After he passed the kneeling men, they slowly got up and returned to their task. Jessica looked at Chala's back, rolled her eyes, snorted softly, and thought, Typical. Then she walked quickly to catch up.
A looming castle stood against the mountain. Half built, half carved inside the rock. Smaller buildings were scattered around. Jessica guessed she saw a training ground on the right, a flat area with lifeless mannequins waiting for their next ordeal. Chickens roamed freely, pecking at the ground from time to time. She looked to the left; there was a long, simple building with characteristic noises coming from it. It opened on a muddy space, clearly trampled daily. Animals, they breed their own animals. Behind the farm, a few fields peeked out. And they grow some cereals too, not enough for a whole castle, but it's still something. The recruit shook her head. I didn't think their base would be so complete. But again, what was I thinking? That they meditated, waiting for their next battle, not needing food or beverage? She snorted at herself as she caught up with her mentor.
They walked past the front door of the castle. Jessica was a bit surprised but let it go. It seemed they were aiming for an isolated building, still quite large, like a small house had sprouted extra parts over the years. The mismatched roof made Jessica smile, she already liked the place. Chala stopped at the door and knocked. There was no reaction. He knocked again, louder. "Yes, yes, I'm coming, who is disturbing me anyway? I was in the middle of…" A disheveled hunter opened the door. He was maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. "Master Chala?" He said, paling quickly. Jessica put her hand on her mouth to hide a spluttering laugh. The hunter clearly cut his hair himself, with a knife, and a lack of talent. She looked at his face, he felt older, but his traits were young, almost childish. She shrugged and looked around, letting Chala do his thing.
"Grent, I brought you something," said her mentor. The disheveled hunter's shoulder slumped, "Great, more tedious work. Ok, I'll get to it." He was about to close the door when Chala added, "It's something new." A spark of interest lit up in Grent's hazel eyes. The hunter leader finished, "It's blue." The young hunter almost sprang out of the house, "Where is it, where is it?" Chala pointed toward the wall, "In the carriage, by the entrance." Grent was about to run toward the new discovery when he noticed Jessica. "Hu? Hello? You're new? I'm Grent?" Jessica couldn't hold it any longer, she spluttered an easy laugh and said, "You're not sure what your name is?"
A long, awkward silence took root. Grent tried to speak, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of the water, but no sound came out. Jessica was not helping, she couldn't stop laughing, and the more she tried to stop, the more she laughed.
Chala shook his head and intervened. But Jessica noticed his slight smile. "Jessica, meet Grent, Grent meet Jessica. Jessica was a star student at the College of Magic. She is now a hunter recruit, and you will treat her as such." The look Chala gave Grent with those last words was ice cold, the hunter nodded quickly.
The mentor looked at Jessica, "Grent is doing a lot of essential work here. He is the keeper of the hunter's library. He also researches new knowledge by studying monsters we bring back from hunts." He smiled, "I think you two should get along well."
The two young hunters looked at each other again, reframing their earlier first impression of each other. They both smiled and gave a little nod. Chala continued, "Grent, you will give Jessica full access to all our research, old and new." Grent's eyes widened in surprise, "Of course, master Chala, unrestricted access." Jessica spoke, "Thank you, Chala, this means a lot. Can I stay and help with the blue porcupine?" Her mentor seemed to ponder for a moment, then he said, "Of course, we will be here a few days, there is no rush. Study this specimen, take the time to rest and recover. You deserve it." He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked intensely in her eyes, "Without you, we wouldn't even have this specimen to begin with." Then, as he stepped away and started to walk toward the castle, he glanced back, "And try not to break our scholar on the first day."
The two scholars watched Chala walk away. Grent broke the silence, "Those last words were they for you or for me?" Jessica shrugged, "I don't know, maybe for both of us." They glanced at each other, smiled, and had a quick laugh. Grent said in awe, "Master Chala touched your shoulder." Jessica's eyes were looking at the small figure entering the castle. She answered dreamily, "I know, right?"
After a few moments, Grent frowned, "You said it was a porcupine? A blue porcupine?" Jessica looked at him and gave a half smile, "At least, it looks like a porcupine." She shrugged, "If porcupines are blue, open portals between worlds, glow in the dark, and throw electric bolts." Then she spluttered in laughter again. Grent's eyes were wide, he was gaping widely and shamelessly, like a child who had just received his dream gift. She bumped his shoulder playfully. "Stop that." The man scholar blinked twice. "Stop what?" Jessica let out an amused sigh. "Nothing, let's go study what no one else did before." Grinning, they walked toward the carriage, together.