Chapter 16 The Hunt #2
He was utterly fond of Julian and looked forward to the Vampire Prince joining in on some of the pack activities. And not just Julian, but Daemon too. They needed to run as one again. It had been too long, even before Daemon went to sleep.
Another nod. “I believe he will have a form for every type of terrain and element. Ever Dark and earthly as well. Since you helped him, he has been improving with his Weryn gift every day.”
“Not a surprise considering who his Master is.” Ryder smiled broadly. “He’s perfect for you.”
“And I for him.”
“Yes, sometimes we get the Children we deserve,” Ryder sighed as he thought of Legion, but then he thought of Siban. They were a treasure. But had they been made in spite of his intentions?
“I could take the gift of Vampirism away from Legion,” Daemon offered.
Ryder’s head snapped up and his mouth formed an “O”. He had forgotten that particular ability Daemon had. Daemon’s particular gift that none of them had. It had been already used once when Daemon had retaken the Spire.
“Being a Vampire means everything to Legion,” Ryder admitted. “It allows them to be on the outside what they are on the inside.”
A nod. “You gave them that gift, Weryn. You think that you failed them. But the truth is that you gave them something utterly precious that they had no right to.”
“I should never have made them.”
“Perhaps not. But you did. And they have had that gift for a very long time,” Daemon told him.
“Meaning?”
“Their life would have ended long ago in brutal circumstances. You gave them so much,” Daemon answered. “Ending them now, when they’ve had more than their fair share of life and death, isn’t actually a punishment.”
“They will see it that way,” Ryder said softly. “If I could have been a different Master to them perhaps…”
But Daemon shook his head. “You didn’t make them into this. You let them go on and gave them greater tools to make others suffer. But they are what… they are.”
“But if I had been…”
Daemon clasped his shoulder. “You are not Roan Tithe. You are not Artemis Alucius. You are not Lawson. You chose Legion, because they were already a monster and there was no undoing that.”
Ryder let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “I know.”
“If I took away the gift of Vampirism, they could be sent back to Earth. Put in a hospital or a jail. We could make sure they would never harm another or be turned–”
“No,” Ryder found himself saying. “No, you are right. They were given a life they should not have had. It’s time to end it. Fully.”
“If you’re sure,” Daemon said. “I will do it for you.”
Ryder rubbed his face. It was still tacky with drying tears. “I’m sure. Thank you, Daemon. For everything.”
Daemon simply nodded. He turned to go, but paused and turned back once again. “You have been waiting for me to punish you. To show you my anger and disappointment.”
Ryder nodded. “I have.”
“Don’t you know, Weryn, that I have been waiting for you to do the same thing to me?” Daemon asked.
Ryder’s lips parted. “But…”
Daemon gave a sad smile. “Both of us were waiting for the other to pronounce our doom.”
“That was never going to happen. I was angry with you. But I’m not anymore. I do understand why you did what you did,” Ryder said. And he felt scraped clean now after this conversation with Daemon. Clearer than he had been ever before.
Daemon nodded. “I feel the same way, Weryn. I am not angry anymore. I do understand. Now both of us need to let go of the past and head into the future together.”
Ryder’s shoulders lifted. He felt light. So much lighter than before. He nodded. “Yes, that’s what we must do.”
Daemon cupped his cheek and smiled at Ryder. “There are so many challenges ahead, my Soldier. I need you by my side.”
“That is where I will be. Focused and loyal,” Ryder promised.
Another nod. “Then I leave you to finish this last bit of old business.”
Ryder felt the warmth from Daemon’s hand on his cheek even as the Vampire King teleported away, likely to wherever his beloved fledgling was. Ryder was alone once more at the top of the stairs to the dungeon. But he felt renewed. He knew what to do.
He lightly padded down the steps and along the corridor until he was outside of Legion’s cage.
His Childe had been aware of him probably since he had entered the palace and was practically pressed up against the bars.
He felt pity and revulsion, but more pity.
He didn’t back away, but reached out and touched Legion’s strange scaly, furry skin.
Legion let out a soft sound of surprised pleasure.
“Master,” Legion murmured.
“Legion,” Ryder acknowledged.
“I did not think you would come,” Legion admitted.
“I was not certain if I would. But I am glad I did,” Ryder said.
“You are… glad?” Legion tilted their massive, misshapen head.
Ryder nodded.
A Master brings his Childe into this world. He must be there when the Childe leaves it.
Legion shifted from clawed foot to clawed foot. “I could–could serve you, Master. I could serve whatever cause you do. I do not care about the things that Roan does. I only stayed with him because he promised me that he could…”
Legion’s voice drifted off.
“I am sorry I did not show you the love you needed,” Ryder said.
Legion’s eyes widened. “L-love? Master loves me?”
“I do. You are the Childe of my Heart,” Ryder said quietly.
“M-master?” Legion was practically trying to squeeze through the bars even though their skin was smoking.
“Do not hurt yourself. I am going to unlock the cage,” Ryder told him.
Legion stumbled backwards in their haste to obey him. “Master knows that I am an asset? Master knows how good I can be in war? In battle?”
“Yes, Legion. You are exactly what I hoped you would be when I made you,” Ryder told him as he unlocked the cage’s door.
It swung open and he stepped aside as Legion eagerly yet uncertainly shuffled out of the cage.
They were also weak from only being fed little amounts.
Ryder had brought a bag of blood down and handed it to Legion who took it from them slowly, but then ripped open the plastic and devoured it eagerly.
Blood dripped down their chin, but Ryder did not comment.
Their long tongue slid out to lick it up.
Still clots clung to the patchy fur. Legion blinked silver eyes at him.
“Master does not seem angry with me. Master said… said I was the Childe of his Heart?” Legion asked.
“You are,” Ryder said sadly. “I am not angry with you, Legion. You are… everything I knew you’d be. And more really.”
Those silver eyes grew wide. “Master means this. But… after everything? Master can still feel this after everything?”
Ryder remembered the endless time he had spent locked in the soul gem.
He remembered watching Legion slaughter and more over the centuries, the millennia.
Maybe Daemon was right. He had suffered for a long time for good reason.
It had changed him. It had made him better.
But now to continue to suffer would be self-indulgent.
“I forgive you, Legion. Do you forgive me?” Ryder asked.
Again, those silver eyes grew wide. “There is nothing to forgive, Master! You were… you were in pain after Ashyr’s passing. You had many burdens upon you. You did your best for me.”
“I think I did not. But I am glad that we are friends now.” Ryder gently patted Legion’s shoulder.
Legion beamed. “What does Master want from me? I have told the Eyros…” Here they grimaced, “everything I know about the Sect. But perhaps there is something else…”
“I want to go on a hunt,” Ryder said. “Would you come with me?”
Legion’s maw opened in true shock. “A–a hunt?”
“I have not taken you on one. And I do this with every fledgling. I do not want to wait anymore to do this with you,” Ryder told them. “If you feel up to it.”
“Oh, yes, Master! We will hunt! We will kill!” Legion began to salivate. They quickly glanced at him to see if he approved. When he kept his expression mild, they added, “All are our prey. They shall fall before us.”
“There’s a rabirah that has been getting a little too close to the city. We must kill it to keep the student’s safe,” Ryder said. “Will you help me with this?”
“Of course! We will rip the rabirah into pieces! They are quite sweet! Their flesh is like honey and their liver a delight,” Legion enthused, drooling as they spoke of eating the creature.
“Then let us not delay,” Ryder said.
There was a rabirah. It was a monstrous thing.
It looked rather like a giant lizard, but was as large as a school bus with poisoned claws and a barbed tail.
Its mouth was lined with acid-coated spikes and it delighted in nothing less than eating prey alive.
Ryder had been intending on hunting it. Now he was glad he had waited. To do this one last thing with Legion.
The two of them left the prison. Legion shuffled more than walked.
They were still recovering but their gait became looser.
All the while they would ask Ryder a question or two, but mostly they spoke of the kill.
How this was the first of many they would kill for him.
So many killings. So much sweet flesh. So much death.
When they exited the palace and headed towards the north gate of the city, they met others on their path. Demos, Siban, Balthazar, Caemorn, Fiona, Seeyr, and all of the Weryn Bloodline that had returned to him. There were so many. Legion drew close to him.
“Master?” Legion sounded both afraid and hopeful that something negative would happen.
“They are seeing us off on our hunt,” Ryder said.
He had reached out to Balthazar mentally before he’d reached the cell, who had already understood what he had intended to do before he did, had arranged this.
“Oh?” Legion asked.
Demos and Siban stepped out from the side of the path. The feathers in Demos’ hair fluttered in the cool breeze. Siban looked elegant and serious.
“Master is taking me on a hunt, Siban,” Legion said proudly.