"Olaf." Count Shuan taking his seat at his desk, the fire still visible and smoldering in the corner of his eye. "It is time to gather the Sword Demons."
Olaf's throat ran dry, and his palms began to perspire from the announcement.
The Sword Demons were elite warriors of Whey County. Firstclass knights with refined technique, sword dancers that hold secret arts, they were the very cornerstone of the territory's military. Trained by Olaf himself, the members were unknown to the outside world but have carried out more than a dozen covert operations during Count Shaun's tenure. All of them blended into the knightage, under the noses of everyone, waiting for their call to duty.
"The men will be glad, My Lord."
"My people have been killed within my own gates, we will uproot whatever conspiracy cost them their lives."
As Olaf bowed before his lord, dusting off his pathways off with a surge of mana, the light in the corner of his eye started to fade.
By the time he stood straight, before him and the count looked out the window the fire grabbing hold of the colosseum had vanished.
"It seems Young Master Ashton has finished his work, My Lord." Olaf remarks, trying not to sound like a proud mentor.
Yet, Count Shaun picked up on the pride exuding from Olaf. "I have been meaning to ask, you are the reason Ashton showed up all rugged to the arena. Right?"
Olaf's chest swelled, just slightly. He'd taught dozens of killers how to walk in silence and strike without hesitation, but Ashton was different. Not a blade, or a breathing weapon, but a symbol. A future.
"My Lord, how can you say he was rugged despite his brilliant performance... All I did was polish a gem."
Count Shaun fell silent for a moment, recalling the consecutive battles Ashton fought in the arena. A father's approval written along his smirk, before snapping back to business.
"It is probably a coincidence that Duke Raine left before the attack but even so, have our men bring him back. There are assassins running about after all."
-
Among the tree lines striking the county roads, knights and mages stood in calm. While all inhabitants within the forest were asleep, the men of Whey stood unblinking, and with composure. Despite being on mission for longer than they hoped, the warriors were focused, like owls, dominating the night by presence alone.
Their discipline shadowed in the fact that their magical communicators ringed only half a beat. Answering the call near immediately and receiving orders from Olaf.
Bring the duchy party back to the estate. By any means.
The order was grand, something that could start a war if mismanaged. However, the knights and mages on every road grew excited. They all wished that the duke's horses would trot by their stretch of road. Each warrior wanted to be the ones to return home a myth.
But only one squadron had the chance at the glory.
It took a few minutes, the call from home had long been hung up, but a select few men were quietly thanking their luck.
The sound of horseshoes tapping along the ground, the creek of the carriage as it bounced from its motion, a stagecoach hollering.
"Go time." A mage whispered.
"Wait."The squad leader, an older Firstclass knight, senior by both rank and experience, raised a hand."Kid, take the road. Stop them cold."He turned to the others. "We'll handle the flanks. Stay sharp."
A pause. Then, low and firm:
"Just because we have execute authority… doesn't mean we jump the blade."
The orders made sense, the weakest was the diversion while the rest pounced like predators.
But the young knight took no insult. He saw this as a defining moment within his young career.
[What songs will they write? The knight that commanded a duke] he thought.
It wasn't delusion either, as the party approached, he leapt from the tree line like a jaguar. His blonde hair picked up in the wind and his eyebrows slanted as he drew his sword.
"My name is Titus Magnus, knight and protector of Whey County! Halt your travel and reveal yourself Duke Raine!"
Despite only having a single circle, a third rate knight, Titus' voice was loud. It was like a roar that echoed from youthful vigor.
But he jumped from the brush too soon, nobody from the duchy heard his introduction, only saw his image.
The sight of Titus in the road, weapon drawn, hurried the gallop of the knights on their horses.
Drawing their own swords, "Bandit, this is an Imperially protected road, I shall cut you down and take honor in doing so!"
[What? What bandit?] Looking behind and to his sides, Titus was trying to find the criminal.
He hadn't realized they meant him until the sword was swung at his throat.
He saw death in the swing, inches from opening his neck, too close for comfort.
At the last moment Titus was saved from the water spellcraft of a mage, "Kid, although you stopped them, you were a bit too jumpy." Appearing from the shadows at the side of the rode, then more knights behind him.
"That armor..." Looking up from the ground, knocked from his horse in the impact of the magic... "Whey?"
As the remaining knights, disarm and restrain the rest of the advanced attachment, the water mage responds. "Yes, and you nearly killed one of our counts anointed knights..."
His veiled threat was gut wrenching to the knight. He had experienced the ruthlessness of Ashton Whey and wasn't looking forward to what his father could do.
"Yeah," crouched beside the laid out Raine knight, "You nearly killed me!" cocking his fist back and striking the knight in the chin, Titus stands and turns to the water mage. "Our jobs done."
On the other side, the leader of the squad, Knight John is having conversation through the window of the duke's carriage.
"Duke Raine, I already explained I do not know the reason, but I was demanded to not fail." His tone became low, like he was talking to a junior and not a powerful noble.
"And I told you, Count Shaun does not have the authority to make me return. Not on these Imperial roads!"
Sighing "Imperial authority only applies to crimes committed on these roads. This is not a crime. This is an order from the master of these lands!" Placing his hand on his sword, John lets his impatience become visible.
"The master of these lands? I'll tell you what-" Duke Raine, no longer annoyed, his emotion had evolved into simmering anger, but he was cut off.
"Father, let us return. These men are more than powerful enough to force us, so lets save face and comply... Besides maybe now I can truly speak to Lord Ashton." Isebell, spoke like a witch with the temperament of a lioness.
It was like a mother soothing her child and unlike a daughter speaking to her father. Her words calmed the duke from the peak of emotion back to inner balance in a few sentences.