I walked into the new location and took a look around. What at first I had thought was a pier turned out to be a ship. A ship larger than anything I had imagined. But then I considered the person or the people who sailed on this ship and reevaluated. It was still large. Larger than anything that had the right to sail, but it was no longer intimidating.

  An old soldier stepped in front of me, looked at my fourteen foot form, and bowed slightly. “Welcome to the Midnight Hunt, lord Truechild. I am First Officer Kato. Please follow me. The emperor awaits.”

  I did not bother decreasing my size. Instead, I pocketed my torc. If this conversation did not go well, then… father would most probably try to kill me. No, not that I expected father to disagree with me. But one had to be sure. A predator like Tyran was on the loose. And if there was a one percent chance that father was summoning them and putting them into overpowered bodies… I would have to stand against him. Even if the fight would end in my death. And it would be a quick one.

  Basically, the stakes were too high, and letting father use my torc to control me was just stupid. So, I took the opportunity to look around and maybe scope out terrain to fight. Hundreds of people worked the ship. They were all professionals, walking back and forth doing their work silently. More were gathering to the sides, throwing nets into the water. The emperor was hunting for something. Something large.

  I was taken to the top and guided to the fore of the ship. That was what the front was called, was it not? It did not matter. I needed to get my head into the game. I walked past a few guards where Saha was stopped. I did not argue. I gave her a silent nod to stay and walked past them.

  “Voss!” The emperor greeted me with a jovial tone. His granite white skin crinkling at the eyes.

  “Father.” I bowed slightly and greeted him back.

  Emperor Larden grinned. There was genuine happiness in his smile. “So, you have finally decided to speak?”

  “It is essential,” I replied.

  “I see. You will speak only when it is essential?” Father laughed. His whole chest moved. The man was so full of life, and the air around him hummed. “I wish I had others like you, my son.”

  “I have questions, father.”

  “I have answers, my child,” Father agreed.

  “Tyran is a predator,” I stated and asked, “Why?”

  The emperor’s joy faded, and he looked away at the sea. He looked to his left, and another portal opened. Sage spilled out of it with two women, each holding a glass of wine in their hands.

  The emperor’s lips twitched upward. “Sage. Could you pull your trousers back up? Your brother has decided to speak finally.”

  Sage tightened his belt and looked around with a flustered look on his face. “Father. Brother. Where are we?”

  “Afillian Ocean, Sage. Now, have your partners bring Saha Voss here. Let us all dine together.” The emperor nodded at Saha standing next to the guards.

  Saha did not look lost. She looked worried. As the women moved to her, I gave her a comforting nod to calm her and turned back to father with questions burning in my mind.

  Father caught my look and sighed.

  “You said Tyran is a predator. Weren’t you one too?” The emperor asked.

  I flinched and recoiled in disgust. “No. I am a silent hunter. I gave up my emotions, my memories, and who I was to hunt the predators. Until no malice remained in the dark waters.”

  The emperor stilled. The rush of the wind stopped with him. In the sudden silence, Emperor Larden looked at me with his full gaze. The pressure was suddenly unbearable, and I would have fallen to the floor under it. But in a blink, it was gone.

  Emperor Larden looked past me and sighed. Behind me, everyone had fallen to their knees. Saha and the other women were barely able to keep themselves upright. The emperor’s guards fared better. They shot back up to their feet, and if some of them swayed, I chalked it up to the motion of the boat.

  Sage grunted and expanded to his true size. “Father. What are we talking about?”

  “Sage, your brother remembers the dark water,” Father explained. “But according to his words, he has given up all his other memories to do so. Fascinating.” He whispered the last word.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Sage looked at the emperor with wide eyes and turned to me. “I do not understand what is going on, but you just spoke. Not a head nod. Not a glance. But in full sentences. How?”

  Father laughed. “Sage, he just told you. He was a hunter. He is hunting prey.” His smile faded. “That prey, unfortunately, is one of my sons…”

  Father looked away at the sea in the distance. “Voss, do you know how long I have lived?”

  “No, father.”

  Father smiled slightly. “Neither do I. I know I slept in the middle here and there. I only woke up when the land remade itself. I have loved. I have had children. They were… They were my true children. I have wealth. I have power. I did not have joy. You all bring me joy. And someone has corrupted one of my sons.”

  Father’s eyes grew cold, and suddenly I was looking at the granite faced spearman. “Voss Truechild. Tyran was not what you call a predator. He was a brave man. A hero who stood with his brothers and sisters. Until something happened to him.” Father took in a breath, and the air warmed once more.

  “What you call a predator is what we call a damned soul. Quite like you, we hunt and exterminate them. But what is interesting to me is what you were. Would you tell me more about that?” The Emperor asked.

  “I was a silent hunter. I protected the others, hunted the predators, and kept the waters safe,” I replied truthfully.

  “Sounds like an order. Were you part of an order?” Sage asked inquisitively.

  “There is no order, but order,” I responded automatically.

  “And that sounds like the motto of an order, brother,” Sage smiled.

  I blinked. “Does it?”

  Was I part of an order? I did not remember that. I was a silent hunter. One that hunted alone. I kept the waters safe. I defended the defenseless.

  Sage grinned. “If not for an order, then why would you hunt the damned?”

  “Because… It was…” I stopped. I did not know. Something told me that I had known. I… I… I was lost. There was a blank where that information had been. It was like a large part of myself was gone. I tried to push for an answer and…

  “Voss! Brother!” Sage screamed to get my attention.

  I blinked. There were sharp needles of ice floating around me. I looked down and realized that I was gripping a sword made of ice in one hand and a dagger in the other. Air was rapidly cooled all around me. Ice crystals formed and were picked up by the breeze. Those that did not formed into more needles.

  I looked from them to Sage. He had taken a defensive posture. One hand gripping the hilt of the sword on his belt. His skin had taken on a slight golden glow. And he was looking at me like a hawk.

  Father reached past Sage. His hand brushed past the needles and gripped my shoulder. They did not even scratch him. A touch from father and they broke like glass. Father looked at me and smiled comfortingly.

  “Easy, son,” Father said in a calming voice. “Do not push. The dark waters are harsh. Even to those who embrace them.” He squeezed my shoulder gently. “But I think I can give you some answers. I believe I know what you were.”

  Sage looked at Father. “What do you mean? He was a soul. Yeah, he hunted the damned, but we have seen schools of souls fight back against the damned.”

  Father looked at Sage and pointed at him. “Sage. Put your magic away. This is your brother, and he is confused.”

  Father turned to me and waved a hand. Suddenly, all the mana making up my weapons, needles, and ice crystals was dispersed. In an instant. It was… terrifying.

  Sage let go of his sword and grumbled. “I am sorry, father. One moment he was speaking in his deep monotone voice, and the next… He was a hedgehog.”

  Father smiled knowingly at Sage. “Stop your belly aching, son.”

  Sage huffed. “Father, I am older than him. Why does he get to be more powerful than me? How is that fair?”

  “That is because your brother is special,” Father looked at me with awe. “Listen to what he has told you. He protected souls. He hunted the damned. Not with others, but alone. Not to clear a path. But to keep order in the dark waters.”

  Sage exhaled. “And that means?”

  Father gave Sage a searching look and then sighed. “Of course you would not know. No one has seen your brother’s kind in a millennia. Sage, Voss here used to be a reaper.”

  Father whispered the word reaper in awe. He suddenly looked really proud of me. His smile sent a warm wave blooming through my chest. And I found that I liked it.

  “A what?” Sage looked lost.

  Father patted me on my back. “There are many stories about reapers, Sage. Some believe they are souls that are made of the dark water. Some believed that they were created by a god to help the spirits pass through. Some even believed that they are tiny fragments of a god of death.”

  Sage looked at me appraisingly.

  Father let Sage take in the new information and continued, rubbing his hands. “Oh, and I really like this one. They are an amalgamation of multiple souls with a clear sense of justice. They look like skulls and are covered in fire. Their stares can make you relive all your sins while they cast judgment on you.”

  I looked at my father with a disappointed frown. “An amalgamation?”

  Father snorted. “Yes. I know that is not how souls work, son. You are either a soul, or you disperse into essence. But mortals have a very vivid imagination. And the stories they come up with are entertaining.”

  Sage exhaled. “So, father, brother, what is a reaper?”

  “We are protectors,” I answered simply.

  Father answered at the same time. “They are kings and queens.”

  “Kings and queens? Of dark waters?” Sage asked in surprise.

  “Yes, but they do not rule. They police. No one knows why.” Father gave me a questioning look.

  “It has to be done,” I shrugged in response.

  Father looked at me. “Is it that simple?”

  “Yes. The souls need to travel unharmed. It needs to be so,” I replied with steel in my voice.

  “I see,” Father took in a breath and asked, “And the souls next to Tyran?”

  “He will corrupt them. Fill them with hate and anger. He must be doing so already. And when he has made them as dark as they can be, he will consume them,” I answered. “He needs to be stopped and eliminated.”

  Sage closed his eyes and breathed out. “So, he is a damned.” He opened his eyes and asked, “Is there any way to undo the process?”

  “No.”

  Father exhaled. “Fine. It is settled. Tyran Truechild has been corrupted. He needs to be stricken from the line.” The emperor looked at me, and his voice choked slightly as he asked, “Will you carry this task out for me, my son?”

  I nodded.