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This is a companion piece for The tent, called similarly The Cliff. This is around the same time of The Tent and Luke reflects on his feelings for Lyra and this mysterious huntress.

Luke Makube looked over the cliff to the small empty field below. Morning rays slowly invaded the night sky, giving everything a light orange look. The cool morning air was filled with anticipation for the bloodshed to be. He gave the scene a once over to check if everything was ready and set. The enemy had yet to realize they knew of their pathetic attempt of taking this valley and its mountains. From what he understood they planned to snipe from the mountains as a set of his men went though the valley to deliver message to the neighboring country about how he was looking forward to trading with them now that he proved he could in fact run a country.

It was pathetic really but also off somehow. It seemed too easy to find out about. So he placed his own snipers around the mountain and had his army place on hold beyond the mountain’s valley. If She showed up he’d be there leading his army against her pathetic rag tag team of rebels. He’d end her so quickly her soldiers wouldn’t know what happened.
And with that his thoughts turned to the mysterious girl who had declared war on him, His huntress. She seemed to hate him for a very personal reason he wished he knew but honestly didn’t care. He didn’t hate her in all actuality but she wanted him dead and that was enough for him these days.

He hadn’t even known she existed till she showed up in his throne room three months ago! She stood by the seat he designed for his fiancé, Lyra, for when they find her. He refused to believe his love was dead, if she was dead he knew he’d feel emptier like something was missing so he ignored his council’s recommendation he get another wife. He had only one and he knew she was out there. She had to be.

His huntress, as he started called her when she introduced herself as a hunter, stood by it as if she belonged by it and he never felt a rage so terrible as he did then. He barked at her to get away from that chair. She had just smirked at him before moving slightly away from it before sitting in his.

It was shocking he hadn’t killed her but at least she wasn’t on Lyra’s. The ignored each other for a while as Luke talked to his closest council member as they in turn tried their best not to stare at the not dead girl in the King’s chair.

Eventually their shared ignoring came to an end as Luke realized the women was still there and had yet to vacate his spot. When he finally asked who she was and why the hell she was there, she told him she was there to see if the rumors were true that the new King was a half-dragon. He of course flaunted his new additions to his body while she scoffed and threw him a look of disgust but at the same time caring and amused. He was so confused by that look he didn’t even notice when she got close. She had just stared at him before turning around and walking towards one of the many large windows that lined the throne room.

“Who are you?” He had asked realizing she still hadn’t answered that question. She turned her head to look at him before opening the window and perching on the ledge with her legs hanging on the outside.

“I’m the girl who’s going to hunt you down.” With that she fell from the window disappearing in a flash of fire and burst of cold air. He had rushed to the window thinking she had just killed herself but was met with empty skies and no dead body lying hundreds of feet to the ground.

At the time all he thought of her was a nuisance that he could easily get rid of without much thought. She was just a simple girl who knew a few parlor tricks. If he knew what he knew now, he kept telling himself, he would have killed her on the spot, maybe save himself some trouble.
But if he was honest with himself he would never had dreamt of killing her early on. She filled a hole in his life he didn’t even know existed in the first place. It was a hole left by Lyra when he realized she truly never was coming back. He never should have let that backstabbing b*****d Gregor ever near her. How could he have been so trusting of that jealous son of a…. Luke took a deep breath, looking back down at the valley from his seat on the cliff.

He didn’t want to kill her; she made his life exciting and have some meaning besides ruling over an ungrateful country. His huntress reminded him of how Lyra made him feel; something more than a ruler and like an actual person. His huntress talked to him plainly while others ran around their words afraid they’ll evoke his wrath, and they would have if they ever talked to him like she did. She was his one exception.

Sometimes, though very rarely, he got this urge to just hold her close and wish he could apology for everything. Like holding her close would keep her safe from everything in the world. It was a very strange urge being he only ever held Lyra like that with such a string feeling.

Maybe it was because she looked so similar to Lyra, if Lyra’s brilliant eyes filled with life had been robbed of everything and magically changed color as well as her hair. Yea, that had to be the reason because she looked like a Lyra who lived a terrible life and was born with plain features.

Luke gave out a deep sigh which ruffled his black hair and stood up from the spot on the cliff, his sore muscles giving out a protest at the sudden movement after not moving for hours. As he stood, he smoothed out his once crisp black suit, annoyed at the wrinkles still there. Next time he needed to come out in something more comfortable. He stretched lightly when he got to full height, his large black wings stretching far past his hands before returning to normal position of lying folded against his back. He would need to fly back home but he didn’t feel like he had done all he had to yet.

And that’s how he ended up on the edge of the cliff the tip of his shoes hanging over with nothing but air between them and the very far bottom below. Would it all end if he ended? Would the pain he feels every time he thinks of his love just stop or would it follow him when he meet the gods?

He stood that way for a while, just staring over the cliff, not thinking at all till another thought struck him. He could just fall and not move his wings an inch and it’d be over. At least he’d be able to see Lyra again. It’d be so easy too, just one step and done. Wouldn’t she be so glad to see him after all this time.

Luke had never been one to be suicidal, he had always thought himself strong enough not to turn down that road, but the step was taken and he plummeted. His wings moved on instinct and self preservation as they worked ferociously so their host would land safely on the ground without injury.

That’s how he fell to the ground, lightly on his feet with a quiet thump with no injury expected a battered mind set as he wondered if he really just did that. He threw himself to the ground, the dewy grass tickling his overheated skin with relief. Luke stared up at the morning rays that still worked through the overwhelming night that lingered at the edges of the sky.

He had really just done that. He was prepared to give Lyra everything and he almost gave her his life. He was only breathing because his body cared more about him then he did. His clawed hands found their way to his startling blue eyes as he felt the start of tears beginning to prickle at the edge of them.

For the first time since he realized his love was truly dead, he didn’t stop them.