Conquest Of The Fallen: Dark Dominions

Chapter 22: The Bone Huntress

[? Monster 2.0 – Jacob Banks ft. WESTSIDE BOOGIE.]

A FULL WEEK passed in Emberfall since Rafel sent Ravenna de Vries by ship to the Isle of Corynthia to be schooled in the kingdom's elite Academy for Witches. He spent most of his days in the Manor's study, acquainting himself with the maps of the Eldorian realm—vast as it was. His nights he spent in bed, recuperating from the battles of the last moon.

Just a month on the mortal realm, and Rafel had fought in a war, flown on Griffins, killed a Sphinx, exploded the Lord of Monsters, and rescued a mermaid. He loved these little adventures. Eldoria provided a prime magical atmosphere where all factions thrived.

He loved fighting alongside his beautiful sidekicks. He had a horned Succubus. A Dark Witch bonded to a goddess of the Underworld. And a Fey Queen. He had successfully leved up to [Demon Anointer]. Thus, Rafel felt a stay-at-home moment was well deserved.

Plus, it was Fall.

The trees thick around the Emberfall Estate were reddened by flame leaves that littered the grounds. His pet Hellhounds, three large disguised as Rottweilers, happily bounded everytime during the windy evenings. The gamekeeper fairies bonded to Rafel's lordship always struggled with their leash.

It was one of such evenings. And Rafel sat in front of the double windows overlooking the lake behind the Manor, in a rocking bamboo chair. Pelicans waddled in the still blue water as he picked up reading glasses from the small cushion to the side.

He could smell the aroma of roasting mutton coming from the massive kitchen a storey below.

Cora's sultry voice accompanied the chefs, hurrying them along so dinner would be ready on time, "Blu, get to mixing the tomato paste. Hope the onions are well ringed? Don't let them out the pan until they are good fried and golden. Yinhua, let the potatoes steam some more. Yes, I know this is your domain. But I'm the taster here!

Antonio, I think the oven needs a little more heat. His Grace likes his meat browned and soft.

Yvonne, keep the mayonnaise sparingly over the salad. We don't need a case of diarrhea, thank you. So...I think that's all, people. Good job everybody!"

Rafel's hellborn perception made it seem like he was right there in the room with them. Cora's voice was clear right down to the pitch. He could almost see his Chamberlain in her voguish breeches, intimidating the poor cooks with the attractiveness of her blue eyes and bleach-white hair.

He smiled into the silence of the study, adjusting his reading glasses.

Ravenna's first letter from boarding school had arrived today.

Rafel would sooner offer himself to a Dragon's breath than admit it, but he missed her. She was the life of the party around her. Aya Naamah tried to spice up the broodiness himself and Cora were comfortable with, but she wasn't the kind of perky little creature like his Little Raven.

If she hadn't sucked his cock impromptu, Rafel would have let her stay.

"Much ado 'bout nothin'!" Rafel whispered to himself.

He picked up her letter, unfolding it. The seal was a luxuriant primrose. It spoke of the trendy taste of her school. Rafel broke it and began reading. The room was bright enough with oil lamps and sunlight. Ravenna's handwriting was like she wrote with a fiend's finger.

It was scraggly, but legible. Beautifully goth.

Her letters were like a drawing, figures of tiny creatures running across the paper scroll.

She wrote thus,

[Greetings, Your Grace!

—Shit. Who am I kidding? Good Evening, Lord BlüdThïrste. How are you faring these days? Is it also Fall there at Emberfall? Here on the isle, it is.

The leaves little the school grounds beautifully and we get a heavenly sight of migrating doves each morning.

I have met and made two friends, Percival and Brunhilda. You'd like Percival. He's your kind of man. A villain.

He too ruthlessly charms all the females he meets.

I am eternally grateful for the chance you've given me among these lot. Words cannot describe it. You know I mean it. Coming up from fuck all, being among these rich kids would make my father proud. He'd probably shit his pants at the sight of my uniform.

They serve us whole turkey for supper. Did you know that?

The oxtail stew is nearly better than Cora's steak deluge—please don't tell her I said that.

Everyone here is entitled. You'd kill at least ten each day if you were here. A bunch of little shits, gossiping in the robust dark corridors or wanking off behind closed doors. And sometimes not. The only thing Brunhilda seems to love above studying the history of past Fey Kings and warrior Queens is being an indifferent voyeur to the teenage boys jerking it in their socks.

She says they secretly watch us in the showers, so it's only fair. I believe her.

Brunhilda's mother is Countess Penderghast. I believe you know her. Percival's parents are the Queen's immediate cousins. And no, I do not kid you! They are half siblings. Pure blood Fae.

It makes Percival hot cake among the hellcats of the Academy.

I've fallen in love with the Isle of Corynthia. The school is amazing. And for the first time, it doesn't hurt to act my age. Thank you for this, sir. Few people lift their heads in class when my surname is mentioned during roll call. The de Vries legacy is near forgotten.

But I hope to revive it soonest.

How is our silver-haired kickboxing champion, Corazón? I miss our catfights—you can tell her this. I trust Aya Naamah is keeping you satisfied down there. I won't ask. I do miss Emberfall. Even C.A.W in its rich misty glory cannot complete.

I miss you guys.]

Rafel paused his reading when the light in the room dimmed a bit. The sun was setting. He casually reached out a hand to bring a glass lamp closer to his reading nook.

"Much better." He leafed through Ravenna's letter again. In his eagerness, his mind conjured up her tiny voice saying the very words to him. Suddenly, she became the imaginary beauty sitting across from him and talking in the quiet Study.

". . .For our Elven History 101 class, we are studying the lore of the Bone Huntress. Have you heard of her? Well, as the Legend goes, Annabelle's mother was a wildling killed by an Elk. Since stags are considered to represent a good hunt, Annabelle's claims were dismissed.

No one believed an Elk would intentionally attack and kill a person.

Just like no one believed my father when he said a unicorn horned my mother to death.

These magical creatures are totems of the ancient magical dynasty, we are taught. Stags, and unicorns, and Griffins; they don't hurt humans. Typically. But I'm starting to think there is more. Though I was two years old when it happened, I believe my father.

He was a drunk and a gambler, but never a liar. He couldn't manage it.

My teacher on the subject, an actual elf with pointy ears and long white hair, actually thinks my ardent interest in her lecture is because I love her class.

NOT!

I like her, but damn! I'm here to restore my family's name. So I figure studying the Bone Huntress's lore, at the same time conducting underground investigation with Percival and Hilda is to kill two birds with one stone. As one of her favorites, my elven teacher indulges me.

As the story goes, Annabelle retreated to the Northern woods. And there she hunts the caravans that pass through. Only the little daughters are spared, and she takes them to her eerie cottage deep in the forest. As for the rest of the family, the vanish without a trace. Her armour is said to be the bones of her victims, clanging like bottles down her neck.

Annabelle is an Immortal like you. Rumor is, she haunts the village of G?ndlheim every last moon before winter. G?ndlheim is under your patronage, isn't it?

Anyway, I've got to go now. The bell just chimed for supper, and there's no frickin' way I'm missing the porridge yams and steamed vegetables being served this evening.

My regards to everyone at Emberfall. And. . .I think of that night often, of what would've happened if you hadn't stopped me. Despite what you show to people, Lord BlüdThïrste, you are a good man. And that's not because you didn't fuck me.

Your loyal ward,

Ravenna de Vries.

PS: Headmistress Shetty sends her 'love'. Whatever did you do to that poor woman, Rafel? She's a tigress—just saying."

The letter ended in that sentence. And Rafel found himself turning the paper around for more. There was nothing else. He pored over the part where Ravenna signed her name. The letters were extra gnarly over there.

Your loyal ward? Huh?

Rafel stroked his chin. The Corynthian Academy was making his fiery Little Raven into a Lady after all. But he didn't want her too ladylike. Else the entire island would burn.

This was why Rafel liked having Ravenna around. Conversation flowed freely with her. With just this letter, he knew the basics of how operations ran at the [C.A.W]. This Bone Huntress of a woman though?

Rafel figured it was a shot to check her out. She was an Immortal like him so she'd make a formidable opponent. He could level up besting her in combat. Not to mention, if there was truth to her admission about an Elk murdering her mother, there was a likelihood of it being linked to the murder of Ravenna's mother too, Eleanor de Vries.

It could help with her investigation.

Rafel squeezed the letter in his grasp. When did he go from caring only to ascend ranks to caring about a particular green-eyed lolita?

But he couldn't stop himself.

He was smoothing back the letter when Cora softly walked into the study room. Her blue eyes fell on his reading nook and she blushed. Rafel was one hell of a beautiful man, extra lush with those gold-rimmed glasses framing his amber eyes.

"Your Grace, dinner is served." Cora offered with blooming cheeks.

It was sundown outside. And Rafel took a while to respond. Lifting his gaze up to her, she colored some more as he pulled off the spectacles and rose to his feet.

"Thank you, Corazón. Shall we?" Rafel smiled.

Cora held the door open for him. And as they descended the stairs to the set dining area, Rafel turned to catch Cora staring. He thought nothing of it. His allure astounded even Lilith. Speaking directly into the ice of her irises, Rafel commanded.

"I would need something else of you, love?"

Cora looked to Rafel, enraptured. "Anything for you, Your Grace."

"Percival of the Van Imperia house, parents are cousins of the Queen. Brunhilda Penderghast, her mother's the Countess. Get me everything you can on those two. If they have sinned, Hel would have a record of it. Enquire of the unholy scribes! I want to know where they shit and who they fuck.

Everything, Corazón. Everything."

"It shall be done, my Lord." Cora's blue eyes flashed determination.

When Rafel cleared into the wide dining area, Aya Naamah was already seated. She stood at his arrival and bowed. Rafel took the head of the table. Cora sat left of him. Aya took his right. Cora made a small joke and they all laughed.

Satisfied with the two beauties surrounding him, Rafel smiled darkly into the candlelit room of a finely set supper.

No one was going to fuck with his Little Raven. Not even the Bone fucking Huntress.