Chapter 2

Accessing File: The Forty Gillies of Arthur Eld

In ancient times it was common for male rulers and other men of high positions to have a harem, but few rulers had them for legitimate reasons and Arthur Eld is one of those few. Many women in Gilead had been born barren and King Eld's wife Queen Rowena was one of them. In order to have heir Arthur Eld took up a harem of 40 and the two most prominent women of his gillies was the Fallen infiltrator Crimson, who disguised herself as a peasant girl who used her beauty to charm Arthur's officials into making her part of his harem. The second most prominent was Emmanuelle Deschain the daughter of Sir Kay Deschain, Arthur's most loyal knight and the leader of the Knights of Eld, the group that was eventually renamed Gunslingers.

Crimson eventually became pregnant and fled the kingdom to return to her kind as she got what they sent her for and Emmanuelle gave birth to a male heir who inherited the throne and continued the line of Eld.

Xxx

"Have you ever wondered where your family came from?" Asked a robot sitting in a chair overlooking the file that appeared on screen. "I'm a robot so I already know where I came from, but you have an ancestry that may go back to countries you weren't aware of before."

A hologram of a female A.I. appears next to the robot and says, "And who knows TOM they might be related to someone famous."

"Thank you for saying SARA."

Xxx

Gilead City, Capital of the Kingdom of Gilead, 10 years later.

The capital of the kingdom was alive with laughter and chatter. In the busy market near the castle two cloaked figures walk through the crowd ignoring the chatter and merchants who call out for people to buy their products. The first cloaked figure was tall and from the look of his face he was eighteen years old had black hair and red eyes. The second figure was a ten-year-old boy with brown hair and red eyes just like the older boy.

"This is the city of your forefathers," the older boy whispered. "When the time comes you will be it's destruction Los."

"Just as the master told me before John," Los said.

The people gather before big staircase that leads to the castle's entrance.

"What's going on?" Los asked a woman that was passing by.

"King Arthur is presenting his newborn son," the woman said. "The kingdom now has an heir to the throne."

Los turns to John and whispers, "Is this why Sammael had you bring me here John Farson? To see my father, present my half-brother?"

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you," the older Fallen whispered. "After all, once we go through the changes and look just like the other Fallen, you'll never have the opportunity to see them before you ultimately kill them."

The guards then take out horns and blow on getting the crowd to stay silent.

"Presenting King Arthur Eld and his wife Queen Rowena Eld," a knight called out.

The doors open, and two rows of knights step out and stand at attention. Then two people walk out in between the two rows. The first, was a woman in a dark blue dress she had soft brown hair and brown eyes, her face showed a look of contempt. The second, was a man with black hair, a goatee, brown eyes, dressed in armor and with a golden crown on top of his head. In his arms was a baby wrapped in blankets.

"I, your king Arthur Eld presents to you your prince and future ruler," Arthur says as he presents the baby to the crowd. The crowd cheers while Arthur's wife Queen Rowena just looks away with a look of contempt. She was not happy that the heir to the throne was not her own but one of her husband's gillies.

"Do you understand now why I was ordered to bring you here?" John asked. "This was not about letting you see your family for the first time."

"I understand now," Los replied. "Sammael wanted be brought here so I could see my future opponents."

"Good," said John Farson. " Sammael will be pleased."

Xxx

Unknown Darklands, 7 years later.

In a small arena stood a seventeen-year-old Los. He wore black clothing prominent red highlights and held a sword in his hand. His skin was now deathly white, and the sclera of his eyes are now black.

Growl!

He turns to see four growling Beowolves approach him. Behind them stands Maerlyn, the older Fallen is commanding the Grimm to follow his commands. One of the wolf Grimm lunges at Los but he disappears from thin air. The Beowolf is confused until it feels something on it's back and then a sword goes through its mouth and it falls over dead. Los is standing on the Grimm's back and he pulls the sword out.

The other three Beowolves lunge toward the Fallen. Los then tackles one of the Beowolves causing it ski across the room until it stops at Maerlyn's feet. Los then cuts a Beowolf in half and turns around swinging his sword to cut down the third. He then stabs his sword back without looking into the fourth Beowolf which had began charging at him again.

"Not much of challenge Maerlyn," Los said as he turned to the wizard Fallen.

"Then perhaps you should watch your back young one," Maerlyn said.

Los then turns around and blocks a sword strike from John Farson. The older Fallen then began to unleash a fury of strikes against Los forcing him on the defensive. He then manages to knock away Los' sword forcing him to start dodging. He then gets jumps into the air and lands on the other side of the room but too far away to get his sword back.

"How will you counter this," John said pointing his sword toward Los.

The young Fallen then gives a wicked smirk and uses his semblance to transform into his spider form. He was now a black spider the size of a lion with a strange red eye symbol on his back. He shoots a string of web at Farson's sword and pulls it toward himself. The sword flies out of John's hand and Los changes back and catches the blade. Los then charges at John while the older Fallen turns his arms into scythe like beetle arms. The two engage in combat and seem almost evenly matched this time. Then spider legs emerge from Los' back and he starts using them to jab at John. Farson is unable to block all the hits and is moved back toward a wall. Once his Aura simmers Los grins and impales the shoulders of the older Fallen into the wall causing him to scream.

"That's enough," Maerlyn said.

Los then retracts the spider legs and they disappear into his back. Maerlyn walks up to the bleeding Farson who is grunting from the pain. The Wizard Fallen then points his staff toward the younger Fallen and the black orb starts to glow and releases an energy that heals John of his injuries.

"You've learned to use your Semblance in more ways then originally thought," Maerlyn said. "But you've yet to learn any of your Fallen abilities. You haven't fully mastered the Grimm instinct to kill yet."

"I know," Los said while panting heavily. "But it will come to me."

Maerlyn looks at Los confused of the young Fallen was panting so heavily. "Perhaps it will come sooner then you think."

The doors then open and Sammael walks in with a female Fallen. She was an old looking woman who had black hair tied up in a bun.

Los bows and says, "Sammael and Rhea Dubativo."

"I have an assignment for you Los," Sammael said. "Rhea has found a large group of individuals that you will recruit to help you destroy Gilead."

"They are called the Can-Toi they have the bodies of humans and the heads of rats," Rhea explained. "They were summoned from another realm during the days of the old world. A cult of magi specializing in traveling to different realms had called them into our world, but something came with them that killed the magi."

"Whatever came with them is powerful," Sammael said. "You will either recruit it or kill it in order to get control of the Can-Toi."

"I will do as you command Sammael," Los said as he left the room.

Once Rhea and john left the room Maerlyn spoke to Sammael, "Why are you sending Los? Surely this isn't because you made it his mission to destroy Gilead."

"Of course not, old friend," Sammael said. "For the past three years Los has been trying the instinct to kill by suppressing it. This has prevented him from using his powers but eventually it will break through and he will go berserk giving him the power he needs to kill that creature."

"And if he can't master the instinct?" Maerlyn asked.

"Then we will throw him into the Pit of Hate until we have a use for him," Sammael explained while smirking.