The Missing Piece - Chapter Four

The Othir sat around their meeting table, heads bent deep in discussion when the two girls walked in. The table was located in the very center of the room, surrounded by eight chairs. One was empty and placed there in honor of Dameon.

The walls of the meeting room were a deep green color. Gray carpet covered the floor. There were only two windows in the room, letting in a dull glow from the sun. Chairs leaned against the walls all around the room.

As Haleema looked around, she saw Leo slumped down in his chair. He looked bored out of his mind. She felt sorry for him for a split second before changing her mind. He didn’t deserve her sympathy.

There were seven of them in the Othir, six members and Agustos, the Capo. The title of Capo was given to the leader of Bryok. The word is Italian, literally translating to leader.

He was a tall, bulky fellow with a gray beard hanging from his chin. A pair of large lens glasses rested on the bridge of his nose nearly the entire day. He looked like any other older man in Bryok. What set him apart was his style of dress. Nothing he wore ever matched.

The chair scraped across the floor as Agustos stood. Leo sat up straighter and smoothed the wrinkle in his button down shirt. Haleema laughed to herself. Leo had always gone to great lengths to make a good impression.

“Gabrielle, please join us,” Agustos said, his voice quiet. It was more of a demand than an invitation.

“That’s not my name.” Ryder mumbled. Haleema pinched her back.

“Be respectful,” she whispered. “Go. Sit.” Haleema could feel Leo’s eyes burning into the side of her head as she and Ryder sat down. Haleema refused to look at him. Ryder however, turned to him and glared, eyes narrowed.

“What did I do?” he asked.

“Everything,” she responded before leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. Leo looked at Haleema, his eyes begging for an explanation. She simply shook her head and turned her attention to Agustos.

“Welcome, Leonard and Gabrielle,” he said, arms wide. Haleema heard Ryder make a growling noise in the back of her throat. She didn’t like people calling her Gabrielle. It was her true name, but Ryder seemed to suit her better. “The Othir wants to thank you for obliging with our request to see us on this wonderful Hunting Day.”

Haleema’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She didn’t think they would actually continue with the festivities of Hunting Day seeing as they didn’t have any new Hunters. Normally there would be a large celebration for the current and new Hunters at the gate. They would have a wonderful meal before sending off the new Hunters to their first hunt.

But there were no winners this year. The Dome had blown up somehow; therefore no one had completed the test. Haleema remembered rushing in to help Leo carry out Ryder, but that didn’t count. The test hadn’t been completed, Ryder hadn’t exited the Dome of her own accord, and no other pairs had escaped. It was a devastating day for Bryok.

She could still remember the smell of burning flesh rising high into the night sky (it was nearly nine o’clock by the time the test was finished). Samuel, Leo’s friend Wyatt, and Wyatt’s partner Nerissa, were the only participants that followed Ryder and Leo out of the Dome. The rest of the participants perished in the fire or were killed by the Yeta. In all of the 175 years of the Hunters Test, no had ever died, but seven perished in this one.

Haleema couldn’t think about it anymore. It was too painful.

“We thank you for your hospitality,” she spoke, breaking the silence. “But we would like to acquire as to why we were asked here.” Agustos looked at her, his eyes full of curiosity.

“You are the Dameon girl. Why are you here?”

Haleema’s face flushed, but she sat tall. She wasn’t going to let him kick her out. It was true that she wasn’t invited along with Leo and Ryder, but she had to stay to make sure Ryder didn’t do or say anything stupid.

“I am here for Ryder,” Haleema responded. “She is gravely injured.”

“Gravely?” Ryder squeaked. Haleema ignored her.

“She is in no condition to go anywhere by herself.”

Agustos stared at her for a few more seconds. “Very well,” he said finally. “You are here as her protector. But you are a great part of what I am going to announce. I should have invited you in the beginning.”

Haleema’s pulse raced. What was he talking about? She had nothing to do with the Hunters Test. She was a Healer, not a magician. Had she done wrong by helping Leo carry out Ryder? Was there a rule she had broken?

“So why exactly are we here?” Leo asked.

“I need to understand what happened during the Hunters Test,” Agustos responded. “We, the Othir, have never seen anything like the events that occurred yesterday. We need an explanation. Gabrielle, you will explain first.” Haleema held her breath as Ryder stood. She addressed the Othir respectfully and told them she remembered nothing.

The Othir grilled her anyway just like Haleema had expected. They wanted to know every little detail, every step Ryder took while completing the test. She was only able to answer about half of their questions, and even then they were lacking information.

“What of Leonard,” Agustos asked. “How do you feel about him?”

Ryder crossed her arms and glared. “I hardly see how that is relevant.”

“Just answer the question.” Haleema hissed.

“Fine,” Ryder huffed. “It’s his fault of course. I’ve been waiting to be a Hunter all my life. I wouldn’t do anything stupid enough to ruin that.” Haleema felt Leo tense next to her. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she was mad at him as well. He had promised to keep Ryder safe. Instead, he ended up dragging her unconscious body out of the burning Dome.

“You tell us that you do not recall anything from the previous day, but you are ready to blame Leonard for this mess?” Fenrirr asked. Fenrirr was second in command. He was Agustos’s right hand man and did anything he was told. His hair always stuck straight up which made Haleema laugh.

“Yes. I am blaming him.”

Agustos looked at Ryder curiously before asking her to sit back down. She plopped down in the chair and slumped, arms crossed over her chest. Leo stood next and began his story.

Haleema watched him as he talked. His blonde hair was messy, debris still twisted into his beautiful locks. The dark color of his eyes seemed more predominant as he talked. They were her favorite part of him; the eyes. Every time she looked in them, she was whisked away to another place, another life. They were hypnotizing.

Leo was wearing the same clothes from the previous day, something that should have bothered her, but it didn’t. That meant he had been too caught up in his thoughts that it didn’t cross his mind to change. He was worried about what was happening.

Haleema felt bad for him. All he wanted was to live a normal life. He didn’t even want to become a Hunter. And out of the six girls to choose from, he got stuck with Ryder. Not only did she hate him, but she would cut down anyone in her path in order to become a Hunter. So Leo was stuck going along with her plan even though he had no intention of winning.

“And then we ran into a Yeta…”

“There was a Yeta?” Fenrirr asked. Leo nodded his head. “That’s never happened before. They’re dangerous in any situation. Who let one into the test?”

Agustos waved him off. “It does not matter. Continue, boy.”

“Yes, sir,” Leo responded. “We ran into a Yeta and scared it off. We were near to the end when Samuel jumped in front of us. I’d like to add that, if he had not stopped us, we would’ve been out before the Yeta came back.”

“It came back?” Fenrirr asked incredulously.

“Yes, but this time it was harder to get rid of. I remembered something I learned at the Academy about killing elves by stabbing them in the stomach. I figured since it was an elf giant I could use the same strategy. So I stuck it with my sword, but it did not die. Instead it advanced at us.

“Ryder went to take out its legs. It reached down to get her off and then,” Leo hesitated before continuing. “I sent a spell at it. A bombardment spell. The creature shot up and hit the ceiling, though it fell straight back down and got up again. I was so surprised that I rushed my next spell, the same bombardment spell, and it hit the ground.

“That’s when everything exploded. Ryder, Samuel and I were all flung backwards. Ryder hit her head against a tree and immediately crumbled to the ground. I knew I needed to get her out fast. That’s when Haleema rushed in to help. How she got in I’m not sure. But together we dragged Ryder out and helped Samuel, Wyatt and Nerissa out.”

Silence hung in midair, capturing everyone’s attention. Haleema twiddled her thumbs nervously. She wasn’t sure how the Othir would react. She also knew that Leo was lying, lying to keep Ryder safe. He still remembered his promise to Haleema. She still wasn’t ready to forgive him though.

She snuck a peek at her best friend. Ryder sat still as a stone, staring down at her hands. They lay in her lap folded together, her fingers entwined. She seemed deep in thought, her brow wrinkled.

“This is the truth?” Agustos asked, finally breaking the silence. Leo nodded. “Very well then, the Othir will not go deliberate.” Chairs scraped across the floor as the seven men rose. In unison, they walked towards a door at the opposite side of the room.

“Wait,” Haleema called out. “What are you deliberating about?” Her question went ignored and unanswered. When the last member of the Othir crossed through the doorway, the door slammed shut. The room felt empty in their absence.

Haleema, Leo, and Ryder sat in silence. There was nothing to say. Each was equally nervous as to the ruling which would be bestowed upon them. Haleema however, had nothing to fear. She wasn’t a magician, therefore she wasn’t ever going to be a Hunter. And she hadn’t participated in the Hunters Test so she wasn’t going to be reprimanded.

“So, Leo,” she spoke up finally. “What have you been--”

“Why are you mad at me?” Leo asked Ryder, cutting Haleema off.

“Because you ruined my chance of being a Hunter,” Ryder retorted. It was a shame that she didn’t realize that Leo had lied for her. She didn’t understand just how much he had sacrificed for her.

“No, we both did,” he countered. His eyes never left the floor as he spoke. “You set the Yeta on fire and my spell hit it just after it caught fire. The combination of the two spells caused the explosion. If not for Haleema we wouldn’t have made it out.”

“Well how am I supposed to feel,” she complained. “Whatever feelings I had for you yesterday are gone. I can tell we hit it off somehow and made up for whatever horrible things you’ve done to me in the past, but I don’t remember that. The only memories I have are those from our years in Academy Prep and the Academy. And believe me, those aren’t the best.”

If Leo was hurt by the comment, he didn’t show it. Ryder looked more upset than him. She lowered her head into her hands, gripping her temple. Haleema would’ve asked if she was okay, but Leo turned to her.

“And why are you mad at me?”

“You promised.” Haleema responded quietly, not looking at him. She couldn’t look him in the eye, not then. The history between them was too great.

“I know.” He responded. There was a certain sadness in his voice that made Haleema want to hug him and tell him everything was all right. She wanted to forgive him and go back to loving him. She wanted to see him happy again.

But none of that was going to happen. He was going to be happy again, she knew that, but it was going to take a while. The test hadn’t been easy for him, especially being paired with Ryder. They weren’t meant for each other. They would never get along like the other Hunters.

Haleema stared at the door the Othir had exited through. She willed it to open, willed the members to come back and announce their decision. Then everything could go back to normal and she could leave. There were other patients she needed to take care of.

A shiver ran through her body as she felt a hand creep on top of hers; Leo’s. His skin was rough against hers, but his touch felt good. She felt relaxed and calm. She wanted curl up in his arms, feel the warmth of his body. He could take her away; away from the pain and the doubt. Away from all the worrying and sorrow.

She was suddenly aware of Ryder watching them. Haleema jerked her hand away from his. “Not now,” she whispered.

“Look, I want to apologize for what I--”

“Save it.” She responded, a bit too harsh for her liking. But she needed him to stop talking. Some secrets were meant to stay secrets.

Leo looked as if he was going to say something, but at that precise moment Agustos walked back into the room. The other members of the Othir were not with him. This only made Haleema more nervous. Why hadn’t they all come back? Decisions were supposed to be announced with all of the Othir present.

“I have wonderful news for you.” Agustos said, looking directly at Leo.

“Great,” Leo sat up straight in his chair, a hint of a smile on his face. Ryder had looked up as well, peeling her head out of her hands. “What is it?”

“Although you and Miss Electa sent the Academy up in flames before the test could conclude and a winner be announced, I am still inclined to assign two new Hunters.” Agustos paused to look at each of the children in turn. Haleema’s heart beat fast as his gaze met hers. There was something in his eyes that she could see, something that meant bad news.

“You mean you are going to name Leo and Ryder Hunters?” she asked, knowing as soon as the words left her mouth that it was wrong. The Othir wouldn’t reward them for their wrongdoings. The Academy, a distinguished part of Bryok, had been destroyed. Leo and Ryder wouldn’t be forgiven anytime soon.

Agustos’ words sounded cruel as they were spoken. “Leonard will be one of the Hunters, yes.” Leo stared back at him, his face frozen. There was no shock or surprise showing through. No emotion was apparent at all. He seemed indifferent, unconcerned. She knew what was going on in his head, however. Leo would be upset, wishing nothing had happened. This was not the future he had looked forward to.

It was however, one Ryder had been looking forward to. And Haleema asked the question that Ryder was thinking.

“And what about his partner. She will stay with him, correct?”

“No,” Agustos said plainly. “Gabrielle will not be joining him. You will.” Haleema looked at him in disbelief. Leo had cursed under his breath and she felt Ryder’s hand gripping her wrist. She had to speak up.

“That can’t be right,” she argued. “I’m not even learned in a magical art. I am a Healer. I follow the path of Dameon. You cannot throw me out there and expect me to accomplish anything. Even with Leo by my side.”

Agustos offered no counter argument. “Congratulations, Leonard Cisero and Haleema Achmenda. Bryok’s newest Hunters.”