Chapter One
A pair of pedigreed horses which drove by men in navy stench coat ran endlessly on the forest road as if they were being chased. From the cloaking of the high trees, a foot under a black coat invisibly migrate from branch to branch in order to catch up. The person jumped and made a free fall on the man who leads.
"Commander, above you!" A holler from behind.
"Die!" it came from the person, holding a shining long dagger, ready for a kill.
But the Commander quickly manoeuvred his horse, eluding the sharpness of the knife while doing a somersault, landing on the ground. But the assassin also made an instant counter. The black long coat, even cloaking the face, only revealing the eyes swayed around and thrust forward targeting his heart. For a fraction, the Commander's steel blue-gray irises met the fierce solid green eyes of the attacker.
"What do we have here?" The Commander said in a cool tone, catching the killer's hand gripping the dagger. He was unflinching; he's stronger and taller than his attacker. However, it seems like the opposing force doesn't want to give up. "Who sent you?" he commanded the green eyed assassin... no answer.
The killer withdrew the knife, but the man's companion locked secured tightly both extremities. The killer wiggled for freedom. The Commander dust off dirt on his coat, looking younger than his rank and rake his fingers to his medium short layered platinum hair. He was handsomely made with a striking gait and pair of cool blue-gray coloured eyes.
"Lirva, be gentle to our little visitor." He ordered to his companion, he was as tall as him with long black ponytail.
"But Commander, this man committed a punishment equal for a death penalty." He twisted the wrist which the made long dagger slipped out from gasp, clashing on the cemented ground. "We should get back to the fortress to execute~" he stopped at the sight of a command palm.
"You want to execute a woman, how barbaric." he tsked as he walked leisurely at them.
Lirva's flamed eyes extinguished. "A woman?" he looked at the little feisty figure under his security. "How did you?"
The Commander closed his proximity to his killer, and now, their sight locked. "No one can miss those eyes."
They heard a growl from underneath her mask and struggled more for freedom. She wished she could incinerate the man in front of him with her green gaze, but their position made it clear that it wasn't going to happen. She glared at him as the young commander rivalled it with a sinister grin.
"If you won't tell who paid you to kill me and I might as well..."He traced the thin fabric with his index finger cruising from her cheek down to her chin and tilt her head to look at him face-to-face. "Make a pretty good use of your body." He smirked when he felt a flinched under his touch. "You don't like it or you're excited?" he teased.
The woman's head drew back and smashed with the man's hard skull with impact. "You perverted leech! I'll kill you"
The Commander landed on the dusty ground, his head exploded with tiny stars which started his drowsiness and temporary disorientation, his head was shaken, and his forehead marked by a red spot. Lirva, the Commander's Captain castigated her with tighter grip to the point of breaking her bones. The lady killer struggle more and more using all his strength to escape her captor. Suddenly, someone threw something small closed enough for a grenade but both soldiers knew what is it—tear gas. Before it could explode, Lirva loosens his hold and leapt to shelter his Commander covering their faces with his coat. They heard a cluster of murmur from her helper and threw yet another cowardice tactic. This time it was a smoke screen. Within the black gas, they heard the woman's threat.
"I swear! I'll be the one to collect your corpse, Frauel of Celestia! Be prepared!"
The Commander coughs. "That's..." Cough "Frauiel~" cough, babbled incoherent "Celestia—"
"Comma~" Cough, "no~" his eyes stings. "Time for introductions."
"How do you feel, Commander Frauiel?" Lirva asked later that night when his superior's injuries have been treated and the sting of their eyes return to normal. He replied a scowling face, pointing at the plastered forehead or maybe his face. "What do you think?" Lirva made a straight expression—Pissed off. "Thanks to the sudden switched on of my girl-O-meter, I have to deal with his humiliation!" he paced back and forth inside his grandiose room of gold and silver. "Just look what that wicked girl did! What will I do if this leaves a permanent mark on my beautiful face?"
On and on he distress about his face, his beautiful face. Lirva only gave featureless reaction, the Commander doesn't need to know what's really inside his head—That's what you're worried about instead of knowing the fact that there's someone wants you dead? His groans were mental. Talk about emergency situation and a narcissistic simpleton. While being in his own world, he didn't notice that the Commander's eyes throwing daggers at him.
"You're not listening to me again, aren't you Captain Raine?"
Lirva knew if there's a threat in his voice. "I'm listening Commander!" he franticly waves his hands.
"Good..." The young man ease, "So I was saying, it's a disgrace if I will be seen in my death bed with such a flaw, my soul will never rest until I get my revenge on that woman!"
So, he's not just a simpleton, he also worries about his name. Lirva thought. "Do you have a plan on luring her, Commander Frauiel?" he watched the young superior's lips curve up in a sinister half-smile. Guessed that means a yes.
"Are you testing me, Captain Lirva?" another threat, Lirva wanted to run away, he shook his head exaggeration. "And didn't I order you don't call me Frauiel?" hi set his glare in a cool steel.
Lirva froze. "Please overlooked my insolence Commander Eagle!" he needs to make another topic. "So, about the plan?"
Eagle strode for the nearby table, where a long dagger sleeping. In a closer look, it wasn't just an ordinary dagger—it was between a long dagger and a short sword. They thought it was a Katzbalger Sword, from Italy which designed with a large figure eight guard that protects the hand if the opposing sword should slide down the blade. However, there's more, from the hilt to its point, it is surrounded by tiny vivid carvings of inscriptions, it's crescent shape pommel instead of a disk shape, the cross-guard which protects the wielders hand were unusually thin. But the most surprising part—the blade. It was sharply smooth yet a light weight double-edged. The fuller on its center was thicker by a millimetre with more imprints of more or less Greek or Latin. The young commander swayed the short sword and admired the shining length and the effort given to forge the majestic weapon.
His half reflected face mirrored on the blade. "The pitiful prey shall willingly come to the mighty falcon." A winning declaration.