The Divine Hunter

“I’m just a poor woman who finally escaped my nightmare. Can’t you just leave me alone?” Eva stood before the bonfire, the flame’s light illuminating her face, but the look in her eyes spoke of sorrow. “I told you everything I know.”

“After this time, I swear I won’t disturb your peace, madam. Unless it’s a life-or-death situation.” Roy sat on the long bench across from the bonfire, his hands clasped over his knees, and he stared into Eva’s eyes. “Yank told me that Ortolan took his father away. A gambler by the name of Flanden. Did you see them going around together?”

Eva clasped her hands tightly and fell into silence. Then she said, “One night, I awoke from a nightmare, and I saw Flanden and Ortolan at home.”

“What were they doing? What did they talk about?”

“I didn’t hear it too clearly. Ortolan only told me that it was something important. I thought it was weird that a rich merchant like him had something important to talk about to a gambler.”

“How long ago was this?”

“About a year ago.” Eva stared at the ground and pursed her lips. “He was starting to neglect me back then, but he still hadn’t started sleeping around.”

Roy tapped his knee lightly. That matches Yank’s testimonial.

***

“Another thing. Eji from the port told me that the women your former husband slept with were prostitutes.”

“And what about it?” Eva scrunched her nose up, her voice dripping with disdain.

“The prostitutes resembled you. Anything you have to say about that?”

“Are you trying to say that he still loved me?” A smirk curled Eva’s lips, and she said shrilly, “So he slept with some replacements while leaving me alone at home? Don’t you think that’s a tad preposterous? I do not care about how beautiful the women he slept with were; betrayal is betrayal. If he still loved me, he would never have neglected me. He would never have given me that much pain!”

The baby inside the bedroom let out a loud wail. Quickly, Eva went and picked him up from the wooden cot, and she patted the infant’s back. “It’s alright, Arthur. Shh… Mother’s here. Mother’s here.”

Roy glanced at the adorable, chubby infant, and he froze. He noticed a grey necklace hanging around the baby’s neck. A stone the shape of a diamond was embedded in it, and a petite pattern was carved into the stone.

The light of the flames obscured the stone, and it seemed unassuming at first. However, when the witcher came within one meter from the infant, his medallion started to buzz. Chaos energy was swirling in the air.

The witcher’s breathing turned heavier. “Unusual necklace your child has there, madam,” Roy said as calmly as he could, hiding his excitement.

Eva held her baby in her arms, a sacred gleam lighting up her face, and a loving smile curled her lips. “It’s a gift from Fahd.”

Eva started crying, the beauty mark on the corner of her mouth colored crimson by her glistening tears.

Feeling his mother’s sorrow, Arthuir started crying as well.

“I begged and begged, and he finally left. He said nothing, but I could see that he was hesitant. He was reluctant to leave. He’s Arthur’s father! How could he try to kill him? That was even worse than his sleeping around. He spared me and Arthur, but I never wanted to see him, and he granted my wish. He went missing.”

Roy held his silence until Eva was finished venting out her sorrow and fury, then she wiped her tears away.

Stayed in a loving marriage for four months, neglected her, then slept with someone else. Left an invaluable necklace for his child and then went away without so much as leaving a message. Never came back to see them either. Saved his suicidal wife and tried to kill her.

***

Everything Ortolan did sounded contradictory, or at least that was what Roy thought. He took the gambler away, slept with the prostitutes who resembled his wife, and then he tried to murder Eva. And to what end? There must be a goal, but he got cold feet in the end. There’s only one way to get to the bottom of this.

“Eva, I have a request. Can you lend me this necklace?” Roy asked. “I promise I’ll give it back by tomorrow at the latest. Or I can do you a favor.”

“Yes, one.” Eva held her baby tightly and turned back to look at the witcher, her eyes shining with tears. Hysterically, she pleaded, “Do not talk about that man or disturb my family again. I beg you.”

***

The wooden door creaked open and shut as quickly as it was opened. The witcher held up the necklace, the vague light shining on the impeccable engraving on it. It was a star-shaped pond surrounded by three willow trees. His gut told him that this was related to Ortolan’s secret base.

Krott had been waiting for a while. He said, “Mr. Pitt, I have gotten you a place to crash for the night. It’s at the Lobster Inn. There’s wine, food, and special service should you need it. You’ll love it.”

“Hold on, mate. You’re a tour guide, aren’t you? Surely you must know the entire island?”

“Oh, not to toot my own horn, but…” Krott smiled, and he pointed at his head. “I’ve memorized this whole place’s map.”

“Seen this place before?” Roy showed him the necklace.

Krott stared at the necklace for a few moments, and the look on his face changed a little. “Ah, I remember this place. It’s in the woods near the northern parts of this island, which is a no man’s land. Fished there a few years ago.”

“Lead the way.”

***

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