Dax – The Assignment

The Court of Blood has always been one of structure and discipline. When not hired for a task, the daily schedule kept us busy and at the peak of our abilities. My life had been one of strict training for the past decade, and before that I had still spent half my life preparing for the day when I would be admitted into the service, as my father had before me, and his father before him.

I took pride in the life my family had created in these lands. It could not have been easy two centuries ago when the Ko’Vales and all other inhabitants of a whole city found themselves transported to a vastly different world. They went from being powerful and highly respected in their homelands to being singled out and persecuted for their proficiency with tech.

The war between the techs and mages had lasted for nearly fifty years, until an uneasy truce was called and negotiations began for a true peace. Since then technology and magic had developed together, forming new devices and alliances of even greater skill and power. The Ko’Vale name once again prospered and many found their calling with the Court of Blood, a division of soldiers who forsook their homelands and found purpose in fighting for worthy causes…or for monetary gain.

My family did not need to seek riches; our talent for creating new uses for tech kept our services in demand, and the higher the demand, the more we could charge. It was a lucrative business but I did not have the mind for tech design, and protecting others always appealed to me, so becoming a fighter, a soldier, seemed the perfect fit.

Now, after many years of service, my family expected me to slow down and take a bride. It was not in my plans and they couldn’t understand that. I had loved once, and been wholly prepared to make a life with her, but she had run away, to a place I could not follow. The Court of Blood avoided contact with some of the other Courts and Guilds, purely due to reputation. If I had chased after her then, my career would likely have ended before it truly began.

I couldn’t allow myself to regret that decision now. In the past few years I have proved my worth to a number of wealthy patrons and my services were in rather high demand. Because of my status the General of Blood allowed me to choose which assignments to take.

My past few requests had been personally rejected and given to some of my brothers and sisters-in-arms. It was for that reason that I found myself in the training arena as the sun rose, engaging in a sparring match with Corporal Zak Jaine, a friend who could actually keep up with my training schedule. It was surprising that his skills had not elevated him to a higher rank within the Court.

Using one lightning quick move, he ducked under my arm as I tried to punch him and caught me unprotected, crouching and sweeping his leg around, which resulted in my legs being pushed out from under me and I fell onto my back. Zak merely laughed as he stood and offered me a hand up. “You’re a little slow this morning, Dax,” he commented.

“I had an odd dream last night. Couldn’t get back to sleep afterwards.” It was true. I had spent most of the night staring at the ceiling in the barracks. Maybe it was time for me to request my own home away from the Court, get a little distance from it all at the end of the day.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

I shook my head. It was nice of him to ask, but I kept details of my personal life secret, and talking about the woman I had asked to marry me was definitely off-limits. “I just think I need to find an assignment to take, something to get my mind off of things.”

I settled back into my fighting stance and watched as he started to do the same but stopped. “It looks like you might get your chance right now,” he said with a nod towards the arena’s entrance behind me.

As I dropped my fists and moved to turn around, Zak lunged and tackled me to the ground. “What was it they said about dropping your defenses around an enemy?”

I shoved him off. “That was a cheap shot, and you know it.”

He continued to laugh and then shrugged. “True, but there really is a squire here for you. I hope it’s an assignment worth your time, Captain.”

The squire reached us as I stood up and brushed the dust off my uniform. I didn’t even wait for him to finish his shallow bow before I acknowledged his presence and said, “Speak.”

The boy was still young, all of twelve years old, likely just beginning his work for the Court, and he seemed a bit anxious. His crimson tunic was a bit rumpled, which often happened with the inexperienced, the lazy, or the drunk. The first could be corrected, while the other two led to disciplinary actions and eventually dishonorable discharge from the Court of Blood.

“The General sent me to give you this. He said the matter is sensitive and urgent.” As he spoke he held out a crimson envelope bearing the General’s mark, a golden ax held over a shield.

I took the missive from him and bid him thanks for his service. Too often the soldiers within our ranks mistreated the young recruits and they ended up leaving. Because of this our ranks were not as strong as they had once been. As the squire hurried off, I flipped the envelope over and broke the seal. Pulling out the note I immediately recognized the seal of the Lesarks, the royal family of Halesa, where I had lived all my life. The note sounded intentionally vague, simply mentioning a matter of delicacy that required the best our Court could offer to help. The note also stated that Commander Hyster, head of the royal military, waited in the War Council room for a response.

I found myself too intrigued by the possibilities to ignore the summons so I looked over at Zak and smiled. “I expect a rematch when I return, Corporal.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” he answered with a brief salute. “And I hope this assignment gets that woman off your mind. She must be something else to have you so distracted.”

She had been a mental distraction for years, ever since she neglected to respond to my proposal and then left her home in the middle of the night. I had known she wanted to escape her life, but she had gone to extremes in order to start anew. It was likely that I would never truly stop thinking of her. “One can certainly hope.”

Zak set off to run laps around the arena as I made my way to the War Council room in the Base of Operations. It was only a distance of a couple minutes, shorter if one were inclined to run. But even though the assignment was said to be urgent, one extra minute would cause no issue.

​I cleared my throat as I entered the room, and bowed my head in acknowledgment of both Commander Hyster and General Rok Al’Rae, as both were of higher rank than myself. "What more can you tell me of this assignment?" I questioned first thing. If it was a matter of urgency and delicacy then I imagined that they would not mind jumping straight into talk of business.

Commander Hyster was getting on in age, and most expected him to name a successor and retire soon enough. Still there was a strength and vitality to him as announced by his tall rigid posture and the hard glint in his eyes.

Commander Hyster stiffly turned and I felt the sharpness of his dark brown eyes, which made me very much feel like a child before being admonished for some wrongdoing. "You are Captain Ko’Vale?" he answered, deftly avoiding my question for now.

"I am, and if this matter is as urgent as the King made it sound then we should not waste time with the formalities of our protocol. So, please, tell me what I need to know."

Commander Hyster glanced over at the General and I watched my mentor give a nod of approval, as if giving him the permission to tell me the pertinent details of this still mysterious assignment. Then Commander Hyster cleared his throat. "Last night someone made their way into the palace and took Princess Alaina Lesark. We are pulling together a small rescue party to send after her, and we feel it would be best if the party is led by someone who has proven their skills in a field of battle."

To hear that the princess had been taken and no one had apparently noticed anything struck me as a bit odd, and already had my body tensed and ready to jump into action. Either the security in the palace was not as strict as was necessary, or there was an inside man working with the captors. It did not matter which answer was the truth; what mattered was that the princess was recovered, preferably unharmed.

"Then it sounds as if we have no time to waste. When and where will the party convene?" I asked, ready to set off as soon as arrangements were made.

"The four members of the party are to be gathered at the palace within the hour. You must move with utmost haste. There is no telling what these criminals will do to our dear Alaina." It was clear that Commander Hyster cared about her as much as anyone within her family. I had spoken to the princess briefly a couple different times, and she had seemed sweet and gentle, which typically worked for a maid, but was not the best demeanor for someone who would one day lead her country.

I hoped she had the inner strength to hold out against whomever had taken her until we had the time to find her and deal with her captors. With any luck it would not take us long.

***

It took only a few minutes to return to my room, change into more appropriate clothes and armor, and to gather up my weapons and other supplies for the journey ahead. So little was known about where this rescue mission would end and who or what we would face along the way, which made decisions slightly more difficult, but I had to trust that King Macon Lesark called on individuals whose talents would be of use on this quest.

Considering that we were being sent to save his daughter, it was a safe wager that he had hand selected only the best of the best. That would make things a great deal easier.

Still, I wanted to arrive to the palace early and spend some time looking over the princess’s room. There could be evidence left behind, and the state of her chambers would tell me if she had fought back or if those responsible had been smart enough to render her unconscious first. If I was to lead the group then I needed all the information I could at my disposal before I started to issue out commands.

Thankfully by the time I was ready, General Al’Rae had called for a transport and it waited at the front entrance. If the driver was skilled we would reach the palace in less than three minutes, which would give me enough time to search for anything to help find the princess before I met with the rest of the rescue party.

The palace guard was prepared for my arrival and, after requesting to see the princess’s chambers, two guards led me through a series of corridors and hallways until we reached the door I assumed led to Princess Alaina’s rooms. “Please wait outside,” I told them as I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Her sitting room was spacious and well-maintained, but not nearly as opulent and frivolous as I expected of royalty. Instead it seemed comfortable and inviting, as if she just wanted a place where she and her companions could spend the day without any trouble. It was unfortunate then that she had been taken from within either this room or the bedroom farther in.

I took a few minutes to study the sitting room before stepping towards the bedroom and pushing that door open enough to allow my entrance. My gaze immediately latched on to the window, that while not as large as the balcony window in the other room, was still enough for a well-trained thief or abductor to enter without issue.

There was a slight shift of movement in the dark corner and my whole body tensed, prepared to meet any form of attack. Next came a light feminine chuckle as a figure seemingly formed from the shadows. “Why hello, Dax. It’s been awhile.” It was a voice I never would forget, and one I never thought to hear again.

“What are you doing here, Lem?” I asked her, already beginning to fear the worst. Commander Hyster of the Lesark Royal Military had informed me that there would be three others joining the quest, but had not given any other specifics. If Lemley Thiel was a member of the party then this was far more than a simple rescue mission.

“Would you believe me if I said it was because you’re in the area?” she asked. Then she continued before I could utter a single syllable. “I was hired for a job, obviously. Don’t worry; I’ll keep my distance. Wouldn’t want to taint your self-righteousness.”

Only years of training and discipline kept me from outwardly reacting to her words. She was trying to push me to see if she could still provoke me as she did before she disappeared. I could not afford to slip, not when I was supposed to lead this group. “I was not informed that an assassin was hired, especially when a rescue mission does not require murder.”

Lemley smiled and it was the feral smile of one accomplished in murder, someone who did not feel upset at the prospect of watching as another being’s life left them. “I suppose that depends on who took her.”

I took a step forward, using my large stature to hopefully intimidate her, even slightly. This was something I needed her to understand, no matter what else happened. “This is my mission, Lemley. You will follow my lead, and if you cannot do that then I will tell King Macon that he should remove you from duty.”

She moved towards me with a speed that showed how much her slim build had changed over the past years. She had transformed into a walking embodiment of death, and she was fierce and capable, her toned muscles shifting under her tight attire, showing off every bit of her. I did not even have the time to figure out why she was dressed in something more suited to an evening party. Her dress left absolutely nothing to the imagination and I had to fight the urge to stare.

Apparently Lemley was not at all intimidated by me. Then again had she ever been? “Our illustrious king is the one who requested that I be a part of this, so any request to remove me would probably result in your removal instead.”

I hated to admit to myself that her words sounded plausible enough, and duty had always been of utmost importance. Being recalled from a task, especially one as important as this, was not on my agenda. When we saved Princess Alaina and returned her home we would receive numerous accolades. It would only serve to improve my status in society and within the Court of Blood.

“The way I see it, Dax, the royals are aware that you are one of the best in your Court, just as I am in mine. I am capable of putting aside our history and focusing on this mission. Are you?”

There it was. She was challenging me, and I hated that I wanted to immediately accept the challenge. But working with Lem would not be easy at all, for so many different reasons. Even setting aside the fact that having a skilled killer could be beneficial if the situation got rough, we had a past that was complicated to say the least. If I allowed my feelings to make the decision then I would recuse myself from the mission and have one of my brothers-in-arms take my place. Years of training and strategy and a dedication to duty won out though, and I simply nodded to her question. Yes, I could ignore the memories and the feelings. Nothing mattered but duty.

Lemley shifted back, no more than a foot away, but it was enough to ease the tension between us just slightly. “Good. Now I’m assuming others are joining us?”

“Yes. Commander Hyster said it would be a party of four, but was rather secretive about identities.”

“It sounds as if he knew there would be reservations should we be made aware of our compatriots.”

She was right, and I should have considered that possibility before. Having that pointed out to me made me feel just a bit unprepared. The sudden appearance of the woman who I had loved years ago had already thrown me off. What would happen when the other two joined us?

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