SEVENTEEN - Xanthus VIII

Xanthus leads the Hunting Expedition to try to save Xantom.

The single drumbeat signaled the end of curfew.  Normally, that would be Xanthus’s cue to wake up, but today he was already awake.  He hadn’t slept much the night before, instead lying awake and wondering what exactly he had volunteered to do.  There are so few ways that this ends well for me.

Before he and Xanthia had finally lain down to go to sleep, she had once again brought up the two infants from the Outskirts.  He hadn’t had the energy to argue.  She rambled for a few minutes about how it wasn’t a good idea and she wasn’t going to take care of them and blah, blah, blah… He hadn’t really been listening.  Finally he just said, “Maybe while I’m gone, you can finally learn how to do something for yourself instead of relying on everyone else to do it for you.”  That shut her up.

On his way out of the castle, Thaddeus approached him, followed closely by Zultan and Castiel.  “We’re ready to escort you to the Outskirts, Sir.”

“No.”

“Sir?”

“I thought a lot about it last night and I will greet them on my own.  I need them to trust me, and to accept me as one of them.  I’m not going to do that by having an escort of guards as I start leading them.  Your rule begins now.”

Thaddeus nodded in understanding.  “Thank you, Sir.”  He turned to Zultan and Castiel.  “We’re going to start our meeting.  You know what to do.”

He’s taking command already.  That’s good.  He’s going to need to be able to handle things while I’m away.  I can’t say I was too confident in him yesterday, but already he seems like he’s warmed up to the task.

And Xanthus had walked through the front doors of the castle and walked slowly through the city, alone, for the first time in his entire life.  What am I doing?  The closer he got to the front gate, the more his heart pounded in his chest.  This is stupid.  I’m not going to be able to do it.  I was wrong to think I could face these people on my own.  They hate me.  They’re never going to follow me.

He reached the gate, where Hoyt was standing ready to let him pass.

“You’re doing a great thing, Sir,” Hoyt said.  Xanthus felt his heart skip a beat.  And then everything was clear again.  That’s why I’m doing this.  Because I’m not the same man that I was.  I’m going to make a difference.

“Thank you, Hoyt.  Raise the gate.”  And he straightened his back and stood tall while the gate raised before him.  Just outside, a mass of people were gathered, waiting and watching.  Once the gate was raised, he took a deep breath and stepped into the Outskirts.  Inside, he was falling apart.  I don’t even remember the last time I was this terrified.  I’ve been the King all my life and this is the first time I’ve actually been expected to ‘lead’ anybody.  But on the outside, he was calm.  He was collected.  He was the leader that the people needed to see.

There was a long moment of silence as they waited for Xanthus to say something.  To take command.

“Today, we have a very important mission,” he said loudly.  “We aren’t just hunting for food to last us the week.  We’re hunting for the source.  We’re going to find food to last us for a lifetime.  Together, we can save Xantom for future generations.  Let’s go.  There’s no time to waste.”  And he started walking.  I don’t know if that was enough… I don’t know if I was clear.  Were those people the hunters?

He didn’t dare look behind him.  In front of him, the crowd of people parted and allowed him to pass.  And slowly, he became aware of the fact that people were following him.  They’re following me.  These are my people, and I am their leader.

When he reached the fence that separated the Outskirts from the Barelands, he stopped and turned to face his followers.  And he had amassed a huge following.  His chest filled with pride.  They may not be the healthiest or the strongest… but they’re mine.

Emeric pushed his way through the crowd and stood beside Xanthus.  “What you see is what we’ve got,” he said.  And almost as quickly as his pride had appeared, it began to dissipate.  Once he really started looking at these people, he no longer had confidence that they would even survive to complete the task at hand.

A man’s cough cut through the silence from somewhere in the crowd.

Most of these people were half-dead already.  A lot of them looked like they had died weeks ago and had already begun to decompose.  Their skin hung off their bones, barely holding onto what little muscle they had.  Most of them didn’t have even a hint of fat on their bodies.  The worst of them could hardly move, let alone carry a weapon.  It was no wonder they were coming back with less food.  How are these people to be trusted to feed an entire city?  It’s amazing they could even work together to take down a Bareland Beast… maybe a newborn Beast, and only if every single person attacked it at the same time…

The only person who seemed unaffected by the food shortage was Emeric, who was conversely extremely large in every sense of the word.  Somehow, as Head Hunter, he had managed to forego the starvation and looked healthier than all of them.  Not only did he have a fair amount of muscle, but it was covered with layers of thick fat that clung to his body like a child to its mother’s breast.

“Are these really the people who are doing our hunting?” Xanthus asked him.  “They can barely lift their own arms, let alone a weapon.”

“Not exactly prime specimens, but you use what you get.  If I had a choice, they certainly aren’t the people I’d bring, but we don’t really have the luxury of choice,” Emeric said.  Then added, almost as an afterthought, “There are less of them than last time.”

“How did it ever get this bad?”

Emeric raised an eyebrow.  “Do you want me to answer honestly, Sir?”

“You don’t have to.  I know what you would say.  But that’s why I’m here.”

Xanthus looked at the group of people.  I should probably say something.  None of them have any enthusiasm or hope.  I can’t say I blame them, but… isn’t it my job to make them feel better about this mission?

He cleared his throat and spoke loudly so that everyone would be able to hear him.  “I know that many of you have never seen me before.  I’m sure you’ve heard rumors and stories about me, and I’m sure most of them weren’t very positive.  But I’m here now to make amends, and to try to make things better for every one of you.  I am your King, and I am here to save you.”  What was it that Willoughby did to get everyone on his side in the Council meeting?  Make it about them.  I’m not the hero, they are.  “Together, we can and will solve this food crisis and usher in a new era of Xantom.  Today will be the day that future generations speak of.  They will speak of you, their ancestors, and how you were there on the day that Xantom was saved!  You helped bring about an end to the hunger and allowed the city to live for another thousand years!”

The crowd met his speech with silence.  A few people coughed quietly.  That’s it?  Where is the enthusiasm?  I’m saving their lives, here!  They should look to me as their hero, and yet they stand silent?  He felt anger building up inside his chest.  He didn’t know it was possible to despise these people any more than he had before, but apparently it was.  They have no faith in me.  I’m their King.  I haven’t been the best King Xantom has ever had, but I can save them.

He looked at Emeric for some sort of sign or gesture, something that might explain what he should do next, but Emeric wouldn’t meet his eyes.  I shouldn’t be surprised.  He practically told me this is all my fault.

Rather than spend another moment in the silent, growing tension, Xanthus turned quickly and marched through the gate into the Barelands.  Despite their lack of interest, the crowd of hunters followed closely behind.  They marched into the darkness, Xanthus and Emeric leading the pack, holding out their torches to try to light the way.

The terrain was even worse than Xanthus could have imagined, uneven, jagged, and invisible in the darkness.  Even having experienced darkness, it was an entirely different thing when you weren’t safe in a castle.  Even in the Outskirts, with nothing but a fence for protection… I couldn’t do it.  I’m glad I was born into the Kinghood and never had to deal with the world outside the city.  It’s truly horrible out here.

“Where are we heading?” Xanthus asked Emeric.

“I thought you made it pretty clear that you were leading the way,” Emeric replied.  “I’m following you, as are the rest of us.”

“I don’t know where I’m going.  I’ve never been out here before. I would suggest that we go wherever the Bareland Beasts spend most of their time, but seeing as you haven’t been coming back with very much food lately, that probably isn’t the best option.  What is the usual plan for one of these expeditions?”

Emeric took in everything Xanthus said.  He didn’t respond right away, and Xanthus felt a growing frustration with the man.  How can he not know what usually happens?  He’s the Head of the Hunt.  Unless there is no usual plan, and that’s the reason for the lack of food they’ve been returning with of late.

When Emeric finally answered, there was fire in his voice.  “Typically, we head for the lake and we wait for a Bareland Beast to come for a drink.  Then we surround it, and we kill it.  It’s mostly a lot of waiting.  And we can’t help it that the Bareland Beasts haven’t been showing up.”

“Then we’ll head for the lake.  But your usual strategy isn’t working, so we’ll try something new.  When a Bareland Beast shows up, we won’t kill it.  We’ll follow it.  They’re coming from somewhere, and one animal isn’t going to be enough to feed the entire city.  It wouldn’t even be enough to feed the hunters we have with us now.  The creature that comes will lead us back to their den and we will have food enough for everyone.”

A small, skinny man who had been following closely behind them stepped forward to speak.  “Sir, if we don’t eat soon, many of us will die.  We won’t make it all the way back to the creature’s den.  Most of us will die on the journey.”

“Who are you, and what makes you think you have a say in this?” Xanthus snapped.

“I’m Phineas, Sir.  You had my baby returned to me yesterday.  I�"it’s an honor to meet you.  I can’t thank you enough.  I’m sorry for interrupting, I just�"”

“You’re the father.  Quintessa’s husband.”

“No, Sir.  I mean, yes, I’m the father, but I’ve never met anyone named Quintessa.”

That doesn’t make any sense.  “Quintessa?  Doesn’t sound familiar?  She said she was the boy’s mother.  She said he was sick, which it turned out was a lie, but that was the reason she said she killed two of my guards and broke into my castle.”  As soon as he said the words, it clicked.  She lied about everything.  What in all the Dome was she trying to accomplish?

“I never met her, Sir,” Phineas continued.  “My baby was stolen before I woke yesterday, and I didn’t know what happened until Silvan returned him to me.  Silvan is a great man as well, Sir.  I can see why you trust him.”

Silvan is a ‘great man?’  Silvan is lucky I ever promoted him.  Silvan would be no one without me.  And now it seems like he may be hiding important information from me.  “Did Silvan know that Quintessa was not the boy’s mother?”

“Yes, Sir.  I told him.  I was very worried about him, and very happy to get him back.  My… friend, Rhoswen, is watching him until we return home from the hunt.  I just hope that we get enough food so that I can feed him.”

But Xanthus was no longer paying attention.  His head was spinning from the revelation that Quintessa had lied about being the child’s mother, and that Silvan had purposely concealed that information in his report during the Council Meeting.  Phineas’s mouth kept moving, but Xanthus couldn’t hear what he was saying.  Silvan knew, and he didn’t tell me.  What does that mean?  Maybe it was harmless, maybe he just didn’t think it was important.  But maybe he’s hiding it from me because he knows it’s valuable information…

“Sir?” Phineas said, breaking Xanthus out of his daze.

“Your son will be fine, Phineas.  And we exiled the woman who stole your child.  Everything will be well.”

“No, I was asking about what we’re going to do at the lake.  We can’t wait around to follow the Beast.  It could be days before one even arrives, and incredibly dangerous to follow it to where there will probably be even more of them.  We’ve lost men today already.”

It was true; a few men had already fallen.  Just walking out of the Outskirts and into the Barelands had been too much for them.  They fell, and the rest of the hunters simply ignored them, walking past as though they weren’t even there.  It was futile to try to help; they would only end up getting themselves killed.  It’s disgusting, the ease in which these people give up and die.

“We don’t have a choice,” Xanthus said.  “The usual plan isn’t going to work anymore.  It hasn’t been working for weeks.  We have to change what we’re doing or we’re all going to die.  Yes, we’ll lose men along the way.  We’ll probably lose a lot of people.  But if we don’t make some sacrifices, it won’t be long before we lose everyone.”

“Sir,” Phineas spoke again.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.  I think�"”

“Do not question me!” Xanthus boomed.  “If you are unhappy with my leadership, you can go.  We won’t have a ceremony, and nobody will miss you.  When we return to the city we will tell everyone that you simply gave up, crumpled and died.  Is that what you want?”

“No, Sir.”

“Then stay quiet and follow us to the lake.”  He turned to Emeric.  “What are you waiting for?  Lead the way.”

“As you command,” Emeric said.

These savages have no respect for their King.  I’ll teach them to respect me.

It seemed almost impossible, but it seemed to grow darker as they walked further into the Barelands.  The torches weren’t lighting as far and Xanthus was tripping over small objects more than he usually did.  But that might have less to do with the darkness and more to do with the possibility that Silvan was planning something.

How could he have failed to mention that Quintessa was not actually the baby’s mother?  It explains why Willoughby found the boy to be perfectly healthy, but not why Quintessa broke into the castle in the first place.

His thoughts kept circling back to Silvan.  After everything I did for him, raising him out of the dirt and promoting him to King’s Guard, he still keeps secrets from me.  What is he planning?

“Sir,” Emeric said, bringing Xanthus back to reality.  “You seem distracted.”

“Just thinking about saving the city,” Xanthus responded.  He could tell that Emeric didn’t quite believe this response, but was unwilling to say anything.  His eyes lingered on Xanthus for just a moment too long before darting back to the darkness and the light of his torch.

“Tell me something, Emeric.”

“Anything, Sir.”

“How is it that you aren’t starving like the rest of them?  Theoretically you are eating the same amount of food as they are.  But you are surviving, and they are perishing.”

“My family has always run large.  I don’t know how it works.  And I have no wife or child to speak of.  Most of these people gather their food to share with their families and keep very little for themselves.  I don’t have that problem.”

He’s hiding something.  A tiny portion of extra food wouldn’t account for this much extra weight in one man.  Is there one around me that I can trust anymore?  Silvan has his secrets, even the Head of the Hunt… and now that I think about it, Thaddeus had a plan to lead the city far too quickly after I announced that I was leaving…

After another few hours of marching through the darkness, Xanthus could see the reflection of their torches coming back at them from just a little further ahead.

“Is that it?” He asked.

“That’s the lake.  We’re almost there,” Emeric said.

“And then all we have to do is wait.”