A Legend Begins: Ch. 4

Chapter 4: The Outlawed Criminal of Tenugaia


At the morning sun's breakthrough through the trees, the light shone in a gorgeous illumination yellow light. The rays of light shone on Hunter's eyes forcing him to wake up and prepare some daily exercises as usual. He stretched his arms out, scratched his back and changed into his other pair of battle clothes he had kept in his hiking pack. The outfit he picked out was a black and yellow full bodied coat, gold pants with a silver belt buckle, a yellow glove, long black scarf with yellow lines at the end and another pair of white shoes with black soles. He had borrowed the wolf fur legwarmers from his green and blue outfit including trusty claw gauntlet that is worn on his left hand. With everything prepared for his daily training, he carefully inserted the claw gauntlet on the left bare hand and grabbed his sword covered in a scabbard. Then he held the sword around his left hip, opened the tent and emerged. Still the rays of the morning light shone in his eyes but he did not seem to mind. He always enjoyed the soft light of the sun encouraging him to play his ocarina and play the song in the light.

Hunter drew out his blade and held it up in the air. The first thing he started out with was a few quick air slashes and followed that up by swiping in a spin using his claw gauntlet. The second part is him beginning to unmask special techniques and jumped in the air slashing and swiping with his claw out in the open.

"There is no end for training," he breathed a little after using a little bit of his energy. "I ought to tell Cecily how cruel her fiancé was towards the people in Tenugaia."

As soon as he wrapped up his early training exercising, a pretty girl who looked familiar to whom he saw yesterday came by to ask for help. She was very worried that nobody would hear her voices and cried. Hunter noticed her and recognized her appearance. The girl he identified was Cecily Kerinis indeed. She was standing a little beyond over his camp site and waited for somebody to come.

"Somebody help!" cried Cecily. "My dad is being captured by the soldiers from the other side!"

Hunter came rushing to her as quick as lightning and looked at her having a concerned look appearing on his face. He despises anyone who had done nothing gets apprehended and arrested. Cecily looked at Hunter and the tears were falling down her pale cheeks.

"What happened?" Hunter asked.

"Tenugaia is in trouble," she stammered as her voice broke. "Not only that," she added before she could cry again. "They are looking for you because my father labeled you as a criminal."

Hunter pulled back leaving a horrified look on his face. "What? Me? A criminal?!"

Cecily nodded sadly.

"I think I know who is responsible for this. Damn Prince Leopold will be not getting away with this! Not only he tried attacking people, he fought against me."

"Leopold wouldn't do that!" Cecily shot back in the words of defending her fiancé. "I love him because he is strong and noble. And don't even try to fight him again, understand? He is very powerful."

"Oh is that so?" Hunter questioned about her relationship with a jerk and crossed his arms. "Wait until you see he wants to overthrow your father to take over his heir. And I am not going to dignify your relationship with a response. Other than shame on you and him."

Cecily couldn't think of anything else to say but try to ask him for assistance. "Can you come to the castle and resolve this problem, please? I beg of you, please."

Hunter tugged on the nape of his scarf and crossed his arms looking like he does not want to attempt to push his crime any further. Looking at the sad and defenseless Cecily, he put his arm around her and consoled her.

"Come on, Princess," Hunter comforted her and wiped the tears off her eyes with his scarf. "Dawdling around won't get us anywhere."

"I'm sorry," Cecily whispered softly and followed him silently all the way to the castle letting a few tears fall down her face.

~

Back at the town part of the kingdom, everyone had gone hiding inside their houses and buildings to stay away from confrontations with the other knights. Tenugaia looked empty like everyone abandoned this town that might become a ghost town. But the kingdom with filled with unfriendly knights posting flyers featuring a portrait of the criminal on the Wanted photo. Hunter pulled one of the flyers off the wall of a building and examined the portrait. The portrait had the familiar sketch of his face. He gives kudos to the artist who illustrated the image of his face in human anatomy.

"They even got my face right," Hunter showed no interest. "Nice job for them on advertising me. I could get famous like a celebrity," he added with a little sarcasm.

By then, a voice was heard from the plaza. It was the sound of a deep-voiced soldier that said, "Hunter Arkaman, come forth!"

"Come on," Cecily persuaded him to face the music.

"Not on my life," Hunter pulled away and snuck off behind a building.

He saw the clueless Cecily standing there wondering why he wants to hide from the knights. He certainly did not have the time for any stalling.

"Are you going to come?" he asked. "Not only will they be after me, they could come for you."

"Okay," Cecily blankly accepted his decision.

"Do you trust me?" Hunter asked her.

"What?" she asked feeling a little uneasy like she does not know if she could trust a stranger who is apparently a hero.

"Do you trust me?" Hunter asked her again to make it clear as she extended his hand out to her.

"Yes," she replied and took his hand gently.

"Come," he said directing her as he held her hand tight pointing his thumb of his claw gauntlet in the other direction. "This way."

The duo darted fast to avoid getting caught by the other knights. Some of the knights noticed Hunter and Cecily and began to attack them. Hunter drew out his blade, slashed them numerous times and swiped the others with his claw out of the way.

"Vaya con dios, in peace." Hunter prayed to the fallen knights. "But it's for the best."

"You sound apologetic," Cecily looked at him.  "Are you always like that in every fight?"

"Always," Hunter replied once again showing no emotion. "Killing your opponent can be insanity but without your protection, you can find yourself lying on the ground in defeat for it is too late for regrets."

"Wow," Cecily gaped in amazement and giggled. "You could become a poet one day. I'll be sure to read your stuff soon."

"That would be an honor," Hunter smiled but changed his mind onto the serious matter. "No time for dilly-dallying. We're almost there to the castle."

Through many perilous battles against the knights, Hunter and Cecily took them out one by one in successful matches. Many of them may have fallen but Cecily prayed for their deaths in respect. They eventually reached the castle and went inside through its large doors. Everything inside the castle sounded dead as nothing can be heard from the main room of the castle. However, voices were heard in a faraway distance in another room. Hunter didn't utter a single word and focused on listening to where the voices are coming from.

"My ears can listen up to about over one-hundred feet," Hunter began. "We'd be able to find the King and Queen instantly."

"Do you think they are here?" Cecily said looking worried. "I do hope they are not deported somewhere else."

"Shh," Hunter hushed her for a quick moment. "I think I hear them in the throne room."

"Let's go," she tugged on his sleeve. "I don't want any more disaster around us happening."

Hunter nodded, took her hand and ran down the halls to make their time faster. The layout of the castle was confusing at first but became easier for the two since Hunter had the common knowledge to solve difficult labyrinths and other places to find the correct location. After running too much, they decided to slow down and walk for a little bit until they regain their breath. And finally, they have the reached the door that leads to the throne room. To stay clear, Hunter told Cecily to hide near a wall and placed his ear on the door listening to Leopold holding control of King Terrance and Queen Amelia. He had no business with the Queen and spared her. With Terrance on the other hand, he threatened the King that if he doesn't get any war supplies from his men, he would have him deported and executed in a prison island.

"Leopold!" King Terrance gasped. "Why on earth do you want to rule over Tenugaia?"

"Because I am right and you are wrong," Leopold replied. "If your men refuse to help us out, we will have you beheaded."

"Look who's talking," Terrance scoffed. "I stopped supplying you with weaponry and armory because of you and your men's dirty deeds. I will not have madness like murder in my generation."

"Whatever you say, Your Majesty. Let me tell you something about your daughter, Cecily. She makes good use as a housewife for my executioner and owner of the Eclian's Death Island, Ruthbert. Everything about her cuteness just sickens me to the bone."

"Why would you do such a thing to your fiancé?" Terrance grew angrier wanting to strangle him for saying such crude things about his daughter. "You want to marry her just so you could make her working as your slave?"

"My point exactly," Leopold crossed his arms. "And either surrender Cecily to me or I'll have my men whisk you away to the Prison Island for the death row. What is it going to be?"

Terrance had no other choice but to surrender. "Take me instead. I will not let you harm my daughter. Not nobody, not no how can lay a finger on her."

"As for Hunter Arkaman," Leopold mentioned about Hunter. "He will join you in a painful death along the way."

"He may be an outlaw," Terrance began. "But the way I see you abuse your own power. I'll have that Arkaman boy pardoned. Cecily told me he saved her from a wild bear."

"How sweet of him to steal my beloved fiancé," Leopold grew jealous. "That man is responsible for wreaking havoc against my royalty."

"Royalty or not," Terrance sighed and lost his patience. "I haven't met Hunter but I can see that he is truly a hero for saving my daughter. Your accusations for the attack at the plaza were very unnecessary."

"Shut up," Leopold grabbed him by the collar of the King's robe. "I don't care about his 'heroic' antics. He's a disgrace to my royal family!"

Outside of the throne room, Cecily began to feel devastated how she felt betrayed by her beloved fiancé who promised her a fulfilled dream of ruling a castle together. That dream was all smashed to pieces as she slid down her back on the wall, sat down and covered her face with her hands and began to cry. Hunter consoled her once again and calmed her down in comforting words.

"Don't waste your tears," Hunter said wiping the tears off her face with his scarf using it like a tissue. "That bastard Leopold is going to regret this."

The heated argument between Terrance and Leopold continued until Hunter became sick and tired of hearing their shouting match. To break up the fight, Hunter kicked open the door with his foot and the doors swung open fast causing a loud crash between the arches. The loud boom had the power to conclude the fight as it was time where Hunter came in to save the king from being deported. Leopold and Terrance looked over behind them and noticed Hunter standing there impatiently but didn't see Cecily as she was hiding near the doorway.