Crimson Guard

by Rebecca Challoner

  I made my way down to Volorn's office but followed the slight noise to the meeting room to find him gazing at a map spread out on a large, round wooden table. The room was enormous with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams, making the space seem larger but also making Volorn seem more commanding. Several chairs placed around the table but he stood, looming over the paper like an imposing figure with the world on his shoulders. Or I guess the world of Orbain's civilians on his shoulders.

  I treaded in lightly, trying not to disturb Volorn's thoughts but he lifted his head, catching my gaze. He seemed thoughtful, as though contemplating something.

  "I hope I haven't disturbed you," I said gently.

  "No, not at all. Please take a seat, we have much to discuss." He waved me over to a seat. "I see you've found your new clothing, does everything fit okay?"

  I walked over to one and dropped into it, the relief of a chair making my aching muscles sigh in pleasure.

  Volorn let out a small chuckle, "I forgot you're not used to riding. It's been a long time since we have been able to sit down in something more comfortable than a saddle or the hard ground." He picked up a fancy jug with intricate swirling designs patterned all over it and poured some water into matching cups.

  "Ahh, pulling out the finery on my account, you shouldn't have." I joked, "Thank you. But I agree, a chair is most pleasant right now as was the bed. If I didn't have to ride another horse for a month or so I will be happy. And yes, the clothing is perfect thank you."

  "Did the ointment not work?" Referring to the ointment Axel had offered me on the first night.

  He lifted the cup to me, "It helped, but it still didn't get rid of all the pain." I replied whilst taking a refreshing sip of the water.

  "Well I can't promise you wouldn't be on a horse for months, but until you're fully trained maybe." He remarked before settling into a seat opposite the entrance of the room.

  I recognised what he was doing. Having a full view of the exit to make sure he was never taken unawares. It was a trick I learned on my thieving jobs, to know all entrances and exits and to have an escape route planned. At the moment, I was at a disadvantage with my back facing the entrance. Anyone could sneak up on me from this position but I was willing to put my faith in Volorn. He wouldn't drag me all this way here just for me to be attacked and die on him.

  "...Fawn?"

  His voice pulled me out of my musings, "I plan on starting your training immediately. Myself, Thorlan, Axel and Rema will train you as we are the more advanced soldiers in the guard. You will train twice a day, with two of us and we will alternate until we feel you're ready. Or until we have been given orders."

  "What kind of missions?" I questioned, my curiosity getting the better of me.

  He considered me before replying, "We get direct orders from the Crown. Occasionally the Crimson Guard will be on the battlefield. But mostly we are sent to gather information, take down immediate threats to the crown, infiltrate the enemy. Simond and Tam have just left on such a mission actually."

  I took that in, "So we are the assassins or spies for the Crown?"

  He let out a small laugh, "That's one way of putting it."

  I deliberated it over, considering the variety of powers within the Crimson Guard, "Isn't that a waste of all our powers?"

  He took a huge gulp of his drink of water, clearly wishing it was something stronger, before setting it down and leaning back in his chair, "No. If anything we are vital to the war. By infiltrating the enemy we have found and blocked many attacks that would have slaughtered hundreds. Eliminated other assassins who would have killed our leaders. By getting the inside information we can plan ahead, evade attacks and hopefully win the war."

  A small smile crept onto my face and I couldn't help myself from jesting, "So I'm not the only thief in the room."

  Volorn barked out a laugh, his lips stretching out in a grin and his eyes sparkling in surprised delight, "I guess not, no."

  I felt an answering grin spread across my lips and I had to duck my head from a sudden blush that wanted to erupt from my cheeks. I felt something like triumph at making him laugh, the clear unexpected delight sounding in his chuckle made me feel prideful.

  We settled into a comfortable silence and I began to contemplate over what he just told me. It seemed fitting that I was 'recruited' into a unit that needed my thieving skills. That even though I was going to be a part of this war, I would be tasked to do something I had some skill in rather than run at the enemy with a large metal stick that I had no idea how to use.

  "Fawn."

  I turned back to Volorn and found him studying me. His head was slightly tilted to the side, the sunlight from the window shone brightly on his golden-brown hair and his cornflower blue eyes light brightly in the sun's rays.

  "Do you know how the war started?"

  I tried to catch my breath, momentarily spellbound by the image he created. I shook myself and thought back on what I was taught by Tawney, all those years ago when I first started apprenticing with him. "Many years ago, before I was born, there was a proposal for an alliance between Etha and Orbain. One that was set to be sealed with a marriage between the Princess Eone of Etha and Prince Ralnor of Orbain. Except, the day before the marriage, the Princess was killed and Etha blamed Orbain. Seeking retribution, they went to war with Orbain and we have been at war ever since."

  He nodded, "Yes, that is a part of the story. Not everyone knows the full of it."

  I tilted my head, confused. "What do you mean?"

  He gazed into his cup whilst he spoke, his words settling around me as he brought our history to life, "Many years ago Etha was a wealthy country, not just in riches but in power. Powers like history had never seen before. Until one day their powers started to weaken, slowly at first so not many noticed but over the years Ethians started to realise they were not as powerful as they once were. Despairing at the loss of those powers they tried many things to regain what they lost, praying to many gods, holding sacrifices and more."

  His jaw tightened at that bit, his blue eyes as clear as the ocean as he recited another chapter in history, "Etha grew desperate and jealous of our powers. Grasping for a way to harness these powers they suggested an alliance, figuring that by forging a union with us they somehow would be able to obtain what they have lost. And Orbain accepted this union, for an alliance with Etha would bring prosperity, more trade, and coin for all. Prince Ralnor and Princess Eone were betrothed to each other, a day set for the marriage in a location on the border between realms.

  "But Princess disappeared the night before the wedding. When she couldn't be found the day after, they blamed Orbain and told everybody the story that one of our assassins came in the middle of the night before the wedding and killed her so we could get out of our alliance, that we were greedy and wanted to keep our powers all to ourselves. And so they started a war, over our powers and the death of their beloved Princess, a war that has never stopped."

  I stared at him, wide-eyed. That was insane, this war all because of...jealousy? Because of these powers that not everyone had? And we had no control over having?

  "How do you know all this? Why doesn't everyone know this?" I whispered.

  He tilted his head, "Because it was someone from Orbain who helped the Princess disappear. They both vanished without a trace. Over the years people have begun to believe the lie. After all, where is Princess Eone? No one could believe that she wouldn't step forward to save her people so perhaps she was dead, killed by an assassin of Orbain."

  I was shocked to my core, had Orbain started this war? Was it our country's fault for all of this?

  "You can understand why the royal family didn't want the truth getting out. It would have meant the risk of a civil war as well as a war against Etha."

  Yes, it would have. Already a loathing filled me for this Orbain man, for this idiot who was the catalyst to the war that has plagued us for so long. I leaned back in my chair and gazed up to the ceiling, pondering
everything Volorn just told me. Something about it seemed familiar, not the exact story but something......

  My mind took me back to my childhood, to one of the nights when I couldn't sleep and sought out Tawney's company to chase the shadows that seem to linger away.

  I padded into the shop and find Tawney staring blankly at a sheet of paper beside the light of the fireplace, lost to his own demons. I crept beside him and sat on the floor, resting my head against his knee as I stared into the warm fire. We sat in silence for a while before Tawney spoke, his voice a soft whisper in the silence that soothed me.

  "There once was a man, a hero, who was fiercely loyal to his people. Not to the rich, not to the royalty but to all of his kinsman. So when he saw people suffering at the hands of those more powerful, saw them reduced to meager slaves, he fought. He took action."

  I looked up to Tawney, studying his sober expression as he continued to stare into the blank paper. I slowly reached up and clasped his wrinkled hand in mine, giving the cold limb a squeeze of comfort. He turned to me, his lips softening at the gesture.

  "You see these men he fought, they had an artifact. Something that changed the world. It ruined lives, in the wrong hands."

  He looked back to the blank paper, "And came close to doing so again." He murmured to himself, so softly that I knew he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

  He was silent so long that I whispered, "What happened? To the man?"

  His lips twisted and his hand tightened involuntarily in mine, "He led an uprising and became the first King of Orbain, King Hayesin."

  I studied him, watching the sorrow and the water build in his eyes. I knew that he wasn't speaking of the first King of Orbain. He was speaking of someone else.

  "And this time? What happened to man this time?"

  His eyes clenched tightly as tears gushed from his eyes, "He died."

  I shook myself out of the memory, thinking of Tawney was too fresh, too painful. But perhaps the man he was talking about was my father...I needed to know more. To find out as much as I could about who he was and the circumstances surrounding his death.

  The memory prompted me to ask, "Have you ever heard of King Hayesin?"

  "I can't say I have." He replied puzzled but intrigued.

  "King Hayesin was the first King of Orbain." I gazed at him, letting the importance of this information roll over him. "He led an uprising against the country of Vespein hundreds of years ago because they enslaved the humans when they grew weak in power and used an artifact to take their powers from them."

  Volorn sat upright in his chair, bolting to attention. "What artifact?"

  I scrambled to remember the books that I had read on the subject, "It was never actually mentioned by name."

  Volorn stood up and paced, his hand running through his golden-brown hair, ruffling it.

  He spun to face me, "How do you know this?"

  "I read it in a book." I studied him further, "I was actually supposed to obtain a new book about King Hayesin after you captured me. There was a book on the black market and the money I stole was supposed to go towards it."

  "We need that book." He muttered to himself.

  "Why? What good would it do us?" I asked, curious.

  "There is a reason why history repeats itself Fawn. Why Vespein and now Etha want to enslave us for our powers. Why they suddenly found themselves without powers. And this artifact may help us win this godforsaken war, depending on what it does."

  "I can get in contact with the seller. It will cost you though."

  He let out a charming smile that took over his whole face and my breath caught in my throat. He was beautiful when he smiled, those glistening blue eyes sparkled and hidden dimples appeared on each side of his face. With his hair disheveled from running his hands through it, he looked like he had just rolled out of bed after a good...

  "I knew I had a good feeling about you," he said whilst sliding over some paper and ink for me to write with.

  "Yeah." I sighed out, "Lucky me."

  Chapter 13

  Volorn dismissed me after I wrote to my black market contact. As I walked down the spiral staircase and out into the training ground, thoughts of Tawney lingered. Thoughts that I had tried to ignore for the past couple of days haunted me. Who my parent's true identity was, What was so important about the necklace that led to Tawney's death?

  "Hey, Fawn!" Thorlan's voice boomed across the plain, distracting me.

  I turned, finding Thorlan standing on the edge of the training arena. An assortment of weapons hung on a small wooden rail and two practice dummies stoop proudly but battered from the ground. Rema hovered behind Thorlan, whilst Zan and Axel circled each other in a dance of skill. They were both armed with a weapon and wearing their crimson guard armor, the swirling red design on the leather making them look more intimidating and lethal.

  I turned and walked towards them, "Hey, what's going on?"

  "We decided to get a little training since we are back. While I'm sure it's fun for some people to sit on a horse for an endless amount of hours, it doesn't help us keep up our skill in battle." Thorlan gestured to the fight, "My bet is on Zan on this one, Axel is out of practice."

  I looked to the fight just in time to hear Zan let out a war cry and rush Axel, taking the offensive and slamming her greatsword down where he was standing. Axel skipped out of the way last second and darted towards Zan's exposed side with a deadly knife in his hand. But he didn't see the almighty hand that smashed him across the face before he could touch her. I winced, hearing the sound of flesh hitting flesh from here but Axel rolled with the punch and moved out of her range.

  I looked to Thorlan, "It looks pretty savage."

  Rema mockingly laughed behind me and I turned to her, her smile lifted to a sneer of scorn. "Of course it looks savage, war is not pretty, little girl. You need to learn to expect the unexpected, to take a punch and carry on, to survive a stabbing and still lift your sword to continue the slaughter. You need to learn survival."

  She flickered her eyes to Thorlan, "I'll take your bet. Axel is a survivor, he will land the last blow."

  We looked back at the combat, Zan was slashing her sword down to Axel's position. He dodged and dove away from her until Zan let out a noise of frustration. Axel smirked, dove again but all of a sudden there were two Axel's, then three, then four. All rolling and darting until I couldn't recognise which was the real Axel.

  "Finally!" Rema remarked.

  Zan was surrounded by Axel's, all darting towards her at different times with perfect jabs of precision, not hitting her but confusing her before dashing back. Zan crouched on the defensive, her sword swishing around in a large figure of eight at a speed I never knew a greatsword could go, defending her personal space away from Axel's penetration. The multiple Axel's sped up their attacks and attacked two at a time from each side, somehow managing to penetrate her defense and leave her with little nicks on her arms.

  This dance went on for a while before Zan suddenly punched out and Axel slammed back into the floor with a bloody nose, clutching it in pain.

  "Gotcha," Zan panted.

  Axel let go of his nose and smiled before slowly fading away.

  "I believe I have you," Axel stated before appearing next to Zan with his dagger to her throat. "I win."

  I stared and stared, not believing my eyes. "What? How?" I exclaimed

  Thorlan chuckled, "He is an illusionist. He managed to distract her with his copies and trick her into thinking she won whilst making himself invisible, getting her right where he wanted."

  Rema laughed and slapped Thorlan on the shoulder, "I win, pay up."

  Thorlan grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against his chest, "I'll pay up alright."

  A blush stole across my face and I made my way over to Axel and Zan, running away from that particular conversation.

  "Dammit! I'll get you one-day Axel." Zan exclaimed whilst wiping the sweat off her brow with her arm.

  Axel lau
ghed, "There is a reason why I'm the second in command Zan, I'm not easy to get."

  He touched his jaw, "But you managed to get a good punch in there though, I was hearing bells ring for a while."

  Axel clapped Zan on the back and turned to me when he saw me approaching, "Hey."

  "Oh my god Axel, that was incredible!" I exclaimed, "I've never seen anything like it! How can you do that?"