Belmont Family/Salem/Argyle: A Hunter's Tale

[Date Unknown] Somewhere in Nascot, Sir Salem sits in his tent, reading a few letters, slowly nursing a glass of rum, and contemplating his death. This is just a ritual of his. Scanning things he doesn't care much about while drinking something a competitor crafted. The thoughts of death were just a daily thing for him. For the last ten minutes, he had read the same paragraph about seven times, having not even remembered who the letter was even from. Turns out, it had the King's seal. But he'll probably never re-investigate. He's far too busy being cynical. A younger soldier, one of the newest recruits from Perdan makes way into the tent with yet another letter. He hands the mail to Salem and speaks.

"Someone's here to speak with you, Sir. They're just outside the tent." "Let him in, please, Cayde." "Her." "I'm sorry?" "It's a woman, Ser. Says the matter is rather urgent." "Aye, well...Let her in then." "Yessir."

The first thought he had was that his Captain had hired someone to insist on taking Salem's virginity, which has happened on three occasions, one of them actually being in Nascot. Salem was wrong. The woman was young. Older than him, but still rather young. Late-twenties at least. She had brown hair that cascaded in waves from her head, and eyes about the same color as his rum. She wore simple clothing, like someone who was going day-drinking, but most of it was covered in her cloak. Grey, wool, clasped in the front. He had never met her. But he could swear he knew who she was. She spoke first.

"Sir Salem. It's very nice of you to allow me to speak."

"Aye, Miss..."

"Reighna McCoy, Ser." Yup. He knew her. "I've been led to believe that you knew who my father was."

There was a long pause that Salem was using to continue his usual thoughts of eventual fatality before he finally said, "Aye."

"Had he ever spoken of me?"

"He mentioned having a daughter, but spared me literally every other detail."

"I...I see, well if you wouldn't mind. I was hoping to leave here with some information."

He had far too much time to kill. But if there was one thing that Salem was horrible at, it was talking to people. He once faked being dead in battle, against angry peasants, just to avoid giving further orders to his men. Unfortunately for Salem, this conversation was so far the top highlight of the last seven days. He contemplated being a mime, before eventually caving in.

"What would you like to know?"

"Everything, please."

F**k... There was a lot for him to tell about...But the beginnings are always the worst part, followed by middles, and then endings. He filled his glass a bit more, set the bottle within arm's reach, and began.

"Well, I suppose as your father used to tell me; You're about to f**ken learn today, ain't ya?"

Part 2: My Self Selected Crown

"Your father was a horrible person, Reighna. Best friend you could ever ask for. But a horrible person. Let's see, uhh...Well he died a few years ago from heart complications. He probably doesn't want people knowing that he died pinching a loaf, but you asked for everything."

"Uh huh...Thanks." She grimaces.

"Alright anyway...Uhh...Well tell me what you do know.."

She remains silent, raising her brows and pursing her lips.

"Well, okay then. Argyle had an excellent childhood. He was always saying that. He grew up with food in his gut, a roof over his head, and a place to sleep. So we can skip over all of that stuff. His life didn't really begin until Eighteen, when his folks took a werewolf to their hearts. Of course, nobody believed him, but according to your father, he witnessed it, like something out of a sh*t children's tale, and wondered for the rest of his life why he was spared. Two things happened after that. One, your father vowed to murder every damn lycanthrope on this rock. Two, he got really heavy into some crazy drugs."

Reighna's eyes go downcast. Huh...Apple doesn't fall far.

"Anyway, he spent a lot of time researching how to kill a were, finding nothing but fiction all across the Perdanese coastline. Wasn't til he was about twenty-two when he met...Uh...Uhhh...Sh*t, I'm going to butcher this name. El-en-a-the-las-a? F*ck it. Blacktree. Her name is Blacktree, okay? Her story was pretty similar to his, only she didn't find out til twenty-six that her mom died squeezing her out, but nobody noticed a succubus took momma's spot and actually raised her while simultaneously sucking her father's soul through his love-bits. But Blacktree got lucky enough to put the bitch down on her own. She too vowed eternal revenge against blah blah blah."

"Sir Salem, please be serious."

"His words. Not mine. Look, after they met up, they formed what they called "House Kasteel" which was tasked with the tracking, and elimination of anything that's too much of a bitch to look at the sun. House Kasteel crumbled after seven months and split into four separate houses. Your Father led house Reign, which is probably where your name comes from. House Reign was tasked with Lycanthropes. Blacktree led House Laurent-Belmont, otherwise known as the Daimon Bane. And then there was House Zezima for the incorporeal. And house Von Ritter for the Vampires and other undead assholes."

"Laurent-Belmont, huh?"

"Yes. The relation is there. My father's brother, Gideon Laurent-Belmont was the house's forge master."

"Forge master?"

"An accomplished blacksmith."

"You're not supposed to be a knight, are you Salem Laurent-Belmont?"

"You're very smart, Reighna. Your father was the person who I trained under. He wanted to steal me from Blacktree, and take me into house Reign. Unfortunately, after he died, my parents decided to use my training as a means of achieving knighthood, that way they could use me as a way of getting closer to Kay Pergrine."

"What the f*ck would that accomplish?"

"They wanted to plot his death. Kay, being the king had made decisions that both served, and hindered the Realm...As all royal decisions do. They were affected by one of them, f*ck if I know what it was, and wanted to kill him. My folks were psychopaths, good riddance, I say."

"So this explains your pathetic ability to be a decent, chivalrous knight."

"Piss yourself. Anyway...Yeah so...There's that. Any questions?"

"Uh...That's it? No stories of his career? Nothing?"

"Look, you're asking me to recite the words of someone whom for a long time, I thought was f*cking mad."

"Will you please try?"

Salem heaves a heavy sigh. "Yeah...Yeah, okay. Let's start with the first hunt, I guess."

The grin on Reighna's face grows large. "Let's."