Chapter 10: An Imperial Homecoming
Several days had passed since that bizarre feeling. Gaius had put it from his mind, continuing his trip north and finally arriving in the capital. It was a strange feeling, seeing those walls for the first time in near a decade, to step inside and see the streets had almost completely changed. All the old shops near the gate he had known were gone, replaced with new ones. Some old buildings had been renovated or completely rebuilt. And the streets had been repaved, the old cobblestone apparently removed in favor of much finer bricks, making it much smoother to ride in the cart.
The cart he was riding in came to a stop just inside the gate. Gaius was one of several passengers, and as they stepped down from the back, a small group of guards were waiting to check their papers and give directions. Gaius showed them the letter from the princess, resulting in them quickly saluting, and they gave him directions to the palace.
The palace being the one thing he wouldn't need directions to find, he thought as he walked toward it. It was just as enormous as he remembered, rising high over the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. He'd always estimated the building itself to be nearly a mile in length and half that wide, and was four stories high. That didn't include the grounds, which included the gardens and a small orchard of apple and peach trees.
The size of the palace was not simply for the royal family. It was very much the hub of the city. The courts, guilds, and political parties were all here, and sections of the palace marked off for specific business as well. The halls were always packed, full of people from all walks of life. At least that's how it was during the previous emperor's reign. Walking into the public quarter now, Gaius could feel the quiet emptiness pressing down on him.
It wasn't completely empty, and small groups of people were walking the halls, but the conversations were quiet, and they walked softly. Gaius noted it seemed the courtrooms were still in business, but looking down the halls leading to the guild chambers, they were nearly empty.
With a sigh, Gaius looked for a guard, and saw two standing outside the hall leading to the royal quarter. He approached them, and held up the letter, showing them the princess's signature. "Got this letter a few days ago from the princess," he said, "It says she's expecting me."
"Oh, Lord Gaius!" one of the guards said, quickly saluting, "Yes, all the guards were told to watch for your arrival any day. If you'll follow me, there's a room prepared for you and we'll send word to the princess."
Wow. Gaius had forgotten what it felt like to get formal respect. His boss and coworkers at the bar were friendly enough, but it was a different feeling entirely. He followed the guard through the empty halls, taking several minutes to reach the room in question. Upon entering, he found a lavish sitting room waiting. A round table in the center with six padded chairs around it, with a steaming tea pitcher and two cups waiting. No one else was here, so after the guard bowed and closed the door, Gaius dropped his bag on the floor and took a look around.
This didn't seem to be a private room, and that was confirmed when he walked to the fireplace and saw it spotless. It had not been used in a long while. There were bookshelves around the room, and he casually looked over the spines. Just general history books on one shelf, and works of fiction on another. There didn't seem to be any pattern to indicate a personal taste.
He turned back to the table, wondering if he should help himself to the tea or wait for the princess. At that moment the door opened without a knock. Gaius quickly stood up straight, expecting to bow for the princess, but she was not who entered. Several men walked into the room, standing in a row against the far wall. Her bodyguards? No. There were ten of them, he counted, and then one more entered, and this one he recognized. The blonde hair, swept back, and green eyes over the smooth skin of his face, the posture, all familiar.
"Dravis..." Gaius said.
The new arrival smiled. "So you remember me. I'm honored."
Dravis Colius was his name. Ten years ago, he'd been an upstart son of a count. Exactly the stereotype of a noble brat one expected them to be. He was the fourth son of Count Neiland Colius. That many children and the incoherence started to get really thin. So such a child frequently joined the military, using his family name to rise to the officer ranks quickly and earn a title and stipend.
And they were a pain in the ass to deal with for the older officers. Especially a common-born like Gaius. Dravis in particular had talent, but was lazy. He was the kind of officer who intended to lead from his tent, never intending to dirty his own hands.
"I remember a snot-nosed brat who thought he was a greater warrior than he was," Gaius said, "I remember a lieutenant who thought himself a general that I then busted to private, along with his nose."
When Gaius had told him as such, and blocked the promotion Dravis had been aiming for, Dravis had reacted in a spectacularly stereotypical way by challenging Gaius to a dual. So Gaius, seeing the chance to possibly salvage this potentially good officer, put a wager on the dual. If Gaius won, Dravis would be demoted to private and work his way up the ranks the right way.
And then Dravis had laughed when Gaius tossed the sword aside, instead putting up his fists. His laughter had stopped when Gaius introduced him intimately to the dirt.
"So is it lieutenant again by now?" Gaius asked, "I don't know how to address you."
"It's captain, actually," Dravis said, "Captain of the palace guard, to be specific."
Ah, so that was the silver star on his uniform, Gaius noted. Some of the symbols had changed since his time.
"So then, captain," Gaius said, "What do I own the pleasure of this visit?"
"Word got around that our beloved princess was digging about, looking for an old fossil that had stepped down when his country most needed him," Dravis said, "A coward who has no business here in the heart of the empire."
Gaius eyed the ten men behind Dravis. So that's what they were here for.
"I refused to kill my own countrymen," Gaius said, "If that makes me a coward, then I supposed I am a coward."
Dravis smirked, then shrugged. "Doesn't matter anyway," he said, "You can leave now and I'll tell the dear princess you turned down her offer. You walk away and don't have to suffer for it."
"Oh, so you know the princess offered me my position back?" Gaius said, "So you really don't want to have to take orders from me again."
Dravis grunted. "Damn right I don't," he said, "I fought in the rebellion. I fought to keep our great emperor on the throne that is rightfully his. And I'll die before I take orders from you who ran when we needed you most."
Got him. Dravis didn't know what it was about, since the letter had said Gaius was going to lead a special strike squad, not to be a general again. So this was personal then. Dravis was still nursing that wound to his pride from the dual. He was still an immature brat at heart.
"I'd rather tell her myself," Gaius said.
Dravis shook his head. "Bad choice," he said, "One more time: You leave now, or it's going to get ugly."
"I've made my decision," Gaius said, "I'm not going anywhere."
"Fine," Dravis said, turning and walking toward the door, "I'll leave my boys to it then."
The men behind Dravis stepped away from the wall, several of them cracking their knuckles.
"Just don't kill him," Dravis added, pausing at the door, "After all, we don't want to be responsible for the death of an imperial hero."
"You got it, captain," one of the men said.
The door shut and Gaius heard the lock click.
"So it's that kind of game," Gaius said, looking back at the man closest to him, who was coming around the table toward him, "What's your name, soldier?"
"Private Darren Cragg," the soldier said.
"Is he paying you well for this?" Gaius said.
"A fast-track to lieutenant, in fact," Darren said with a smirk.
Gaius sighed, then rolled his shoulders back, making sure he was look, and rolled his head to one side, feeling the crack as he did so.
"You should have got money for the doctors," Gaius said.
"You think you're fu-" Darren started to say, but was cut off when Gaius suddenly closed the distance between them.
Gaius moved faster than Darren could react, grabbing hold of Darren's head with one hand and pushing back and bending him backwards over the table, slamming the back of his head into the polished wood. The others were moving around the table toward him. Gaius grabbed the steaming pitcher from the table and swung it to the side, hurling the hot liquid into the face of one of his attackers. It wasn't hot enough to do serious damage, but the man screamed as it burned his eyes, and he turned sideways.
Another was coming up behind Gaius, who spun, elbow up and using the momentum of his turn to strike it directly into the man's jaw, then rolled his shoulder back forward, carrying the punch straight into another in front of him.
The rust was already falling away. Gaius had wondered if he'd still be able to fight effectively after all this time, and he already felt the answer. These men were soldiers, but they were trained to fight with blade and bow, not with fists. At least, not to the extent Gaius was.
"A blocked punch is just a waste of energy," Master Huang Xi had told him, so long ago, "If your strike doesn't deal damage, then there's no point in striking. Focus on your enemy's movements. No one can defend every part of their body at once. Find those weak points, strike when you will do damage, and you can fell any foe. If you can't land a single decisive blow, then you use many blows to chop them like a tree."
The men had come wearing normal clothes, so there was no armor to work around. As Gaius waded through them, each of his strikes finding home, it became clear that as far as fist-fighting was concerned, they were barely better than brawlers. The openings were easy to find. A kick to a knee here, then a punch to the ribs there. Every strike on a different opponent, and not a single movement wasted.
It was over in just seconds. Groaning men on the floor, clutching their sides, knees, or elbows where he had struck. He'd been careful to not do permanent damage. No point going all out on enemies that couldn't keep up. Now he went to the door, testing the handle. It was locked.
He spun at a roar behind him. Darren was on his feet and had grabbed the glass pitcher, running at Gaius and swinging it like a hatchet. It was easy enough for Gaius to step aside, the pitcher striking the door and shattering, glass raining to the carpet. Darren turned, swinging the now jagged ends of the handle at Gaius.
With one hand, Gaius turned the clumsy swing aside, and with the other delivered a low punch to Darren's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Gaius grabbed Darren's shoulder, forcing him upright as he stepped back around, placing Darren between himself and the door. Darren looked up, meeting Gaius' eyes for just a second before Gaius lifted one foot and planted a swift straight-kick into Darren's chest, launching him backwards into the door. Wood snapped and splintered as the metal latch ripped out of the doorframe, Darren landing on his back in the hall beyond.
Gaius stepped over him, out into the hall. Now, where did Dravis go? He looked around. If he remembered the palace layout correctly, the guard captain's office would be near the throne room. It might have been moved elsewhere, but seemed unlikely. And that would likely be where Dravis went, so that if this went poorly, as it had, he could feign ignorance by claiming he was in the office with paperwork at the time.
Going by memory, Gaius started down the hall at a jog. There seemed to be no guards this way. The place was lightly staffed due to the small number of people here these days. But from this wing, there was a large set of double doors barring passage from the hallway into the central hall beyond. Gaius pulled the handle, finding it locked as well. Yes, Dravis came this way and had expected at least the chance that Gaius would overpower his soldiers.
Kicking down these doors wouldn't be easy, but finding a way around would take too long. Gaius readied himself for the effort, then stopped. Footsteps behind him, then a scream. Gaius quickly moved to the side, turning to see Darren pass him, swinging something that hit the doors.
Darren was covered in sweat and panting hard, his hair having come completely out of control and hanging across his face, which was contorted in rage.
"You should learn when to stay down, son," Gaius said, stepping further back as Darren turned to face him.
The weapon he had swung was a knife, its blade cutting into the wood of the doors. With a yank, he pulled it free, turning to face Gaius. It was a long knife, closer to being a short-sword, and the way it had cut into the wood of the door made it clear it was damn sharp.
But he was angry and reckless now. No sooner had Gaius raised his fists than the blade was coming at him. Gaius could hear it whistle as the blade cut the air, but he braved it raising one arm. The blade struck his wrist, coming to a dead stop with a metal clang. Darren's eyes went wide, but already Gaius stepped in closer and struck upward with his other fist, straight into Darren's solar-plexus. A hard blow straight to the center of his chest, Darren was forced back, coughing the wind from his lungs in the process. One might think striking solid bone like that would not do much, but at the right angle and with enough force, and it was a damn painful place to get struck.
Darren backed up another step, looking from his blade to the hole it had cut in Gaius' sleeve, and saw the metal glint underneath the cloth. "Steel bracers," he said, "Clever."
He was right. The majority of Gaius' forearms were protected by the metal bracers he was wearing underneath his clothing, made specifically for blocking sharp blades without restricting the movement of his wrists or elbows.
"Next one goes in your ribs!" Darren shouted, rushing forward again.
Young idiot, Gaius thought. He saw the thrust. Sweeping one arm sideways, he turned the blade completely away from himself, causing Darren to spin to the side, and Gaius then lifted one knee directly into Darren's chest, right into the same spot he had struck him before. The wind knocked from his lungs, Darren couldn't cry out, the sound he made more like a dry heave.
Gaius grabbed his wrist with both hands and twisted up, yanking Darren upright, then pulled his hands around backward, now causing Darren to cry out in pain as he lost his grip, the knife clattering to the floor. Gaius then shoved him, forcing Darren back a step and releasing his grip on Darren's wrist, opening up space between them again. Darren's stumble back was cut short when Gaius stomped down, planting his foot firmly on top of Darren's. There was a flash of realization and fear in Darren's eyes as he saw the next punch coming, striking firmly into Darren's jaw but without the ability to back up to lessen it.
Gaius lifted his foot, letting go of Darren's as he stumbled back. Darren felt the wooden doors against his back even as he quickly reached one hand to his mouth, afraid his jaw had been broken. It hadn't been, but he heard footsteps moving quickly away, and looked up to see Gaius had already moved a good ten feet away, but now planted his feet and leaned slightly forward.
"What…?" Darren started, taking one step forward to chase him.
Then Gaius charged with a wordless roar of his own. Darren had no time to react as Gaius closed in on him, then left the floor. A huge leap, his voice an endless roar, Gaius crashed into Darren with both feet square in his chest. Darren slammed back against the door, Gaius' full weight crashing into him at speed, and the metal latch of the doors ripped free of the wood, splinters flying into the air as both doors crashed open and both men hit the floor hard. Darren clutched at his chest, pain all over as he coughed, fighting for the breath that had yet again been knocked from him.
Gaius had landed more smoothly, knowing how to roll his body from that kind of risky flying dropkick. He picked himself up, brushing splinters from the doors from his clothes as he stood.
"Just stay down this time, son," Gaius said, "I don't want to really hurt you."
"Well, isn't that just noble of you."
Gaius looked up. It was Dravis, waiting by the statue of the fallen heroes in the center of the chamber. The statue that told the story of the small number of defenders that had fought against the Bahdi invasion long ago.
"You don't seem surprised that ten men wasn't enough to bring down this old geezer," Gaius said, stepping past Darren toward Dravis.
"Not really," Dravis said, "More surprised that you don't even seem winded from the exertion."
"If you want me, fight me yourself," Gaius said, "You called me a coward, but you're the one letting others fight for you."
Gaius expecting that jab to anger Dravis, but Dravis simply smiled.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Dravis said and reached to the neck of his tunic and started undoing the buttons down the front. "You see, Gaius, I was not idle while you were gone."
Dravis tossed his tunic aside, freeing his arms completely, and also making visible the tattoo that ran across his chest and arms. Near his right wrist, the head of a dragon, with a long serpentine body coiling up around his arm, then around his back, and running down his left arm to its tail. An eastern dragon, the species that looked more like snakes than the ones that used to exist in this part of the world.
"That beatdown you gave me when I was younger did teach me one thing," Dravis said, "That those eastern martial arts you've studied are quite formidable, and without even needing a blade. I've been studying them hard ever since. Even hired a master from the east, beyond the Bahdi lands, to come here and train me. And I have been a very dedicated student."
Gaius smiled, and undid the buttons of his own tunic. "What was your master's name, out of curiosity?"
"Xiahou Yang," Dravis said.
"I don't know of him," Gaius said, dropping his tunic to the floor, "Must be relatively new. Or not worth knowing. Any master worth the title, you'd have to seek him out, not hire him like a mercenary."
Dravis looked at Gaius' own tattoo on his chest. The head of a bull, the snout extending onto his stomach, with the horns up to his shoulders, and the entire head was on fire. He had not actually gotten it as a sign of his training, but to answer the nickname his men had given him in the imperial army. "The Bull of Riastad."
"Insults get you nowhere," Dravis said, leaning his weight on his toes and lifting his hands into a ready stance, "I'm glad you got through my men. Because now I get to hand you your ass myself. I've already made sure we won't be disturbed. The emperor is off seeing to his concubine, and I ordered the patrols to keep this area clear."
"Then I don't have to worry about innocent people getting in the way," Gaius said, raising his fists to his ready position.
"You," Dravis said as Darren stood up behind Gaius, "Go tell the others to stand down, just make sure no one disturbs us."
Darren nodded, even as he still tried to catch his breath, and Gaius heard him turn and walk back into the hallway.
"Now," Dravis said, looking at Gaius.
The wait was over, and with a wordless roar, Dravis charged toward Gaius. An aggressive style, then, Gaius thought, stepping back instinctively as the first punch came toward his face. Easy enough to guard, lifting his own arm not to block it, but to push against Dravis' wrist from the side, turning the strike away from himself.
What followed was a pattern Gaius had executed countless times in his life. First was observation, learning how his opponent would behave. Dravis had every intent of pressing the attack, as a second punch came low, this one forcing Gaius to sidestep entirely to avoid the strike.
But being so aggressive played perfectly to Gaius' own style. He knew the third punch was coming, and knew it would be a wide hook, so he leaned down, the punch crossing over his head, and as he rose, threw a punch of his own, straight up into Dravis' chin.
Dravis cursed, forced back a step, and Gaius pressed his advantage, stepping in for a low strike, but his punch was pushed down by Dravis' hand. And pressing left him open, and Dravis' other fist struck him in the side of the head hard, but he turned with it, lessening the impact, and turned it into a full spin, raising one leg as he came around.
Dravis ducked quickly, the roundhouse kick passing over his head, and this time he pressed, delivering a hard punch to Gaius stomach, just below his ribs. Gaius felt that hit, and was forced back a step. Dravis pulled back one fist, telegraphing too much how much force he was putting into the strike. Gaius saw it coming easily, stepping easily around it and quickly delivering two strikes into Dravis' side below his arm.
And it continued, a deadly dance to anyone watching, barely moving from the spot where they started by more than a few steps. Later, Gaius would admit that Dravis was good. Or at least, as good as a first year student for his own master, Huang Xi, would be. But Dravis constantly over-reached, putting all the strength he could into strikes that would not connect.
To put it simply, Dravis was tiring himself out with wasted strikes. Gaius was the winner before it had even started. He found his opening, stepping closer around an incoming punch, delivering a powerful uppercut to Dravis' ribs, knocking the breath from him, then with his other fist, immediately striking Dravis in the chin, causing his head to jerk upright and back. With no wasted time, Gaius grabbed Dravis' head with both hands, pulling it back down and raising his knee straight into Dravis' forehead.
With a cry of pain, Dravis reeled back from the impact, the sheer force of Gaius knee lifting his feet off the floor as he fell backwards and hit the ground hard, groaning and lying still for a moment before turning over onto his side. He was seeing stars and his head was swimming from the blow.
"Stay down, Dravis," Gaius said.
"Go to hell," Dravis growled, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, "I ain't done yet..."
There was a loud clack on the floor across the room, causing both men to look up toward it.
A guard had slammed the butt of his spear on the floor to get their attention. Standing between two guards was Emperor Maximilian.
"You are done, captain," the emperor said, walking toward the two of them, the guards following behind him, "Though I'll admit it was a good show."
"Your excellency!" Dravis said, quickly pushing himself up onto one knee and bowing his head.
Gaius knew he'd best give the right reaction as well, and kneeled, bowing his head as well as the emperor approached.
"I let this go on as long as I did because you two needed some kind of venting for the past," Maximilian said, coming to a stop a few feet from them, "But it's over now. That is final. Am I clear?"
"Of course, your excellency," Gaius said, "My apologies for making the mess."
"Wasn't your fault, you walked into an ambush," Maximilian said, and looked at Dravis, "And as for you, there is nothing that happens in this palace that I don't know about. You'd best remember that. Am I clear?"
Dravis did not look up, but nodded.
"I said, 'am I clear?'" Maximilian repeated.
"Crystal, your excellency," Dravis said.
"Good. Now go do your job," Maximilian said, and looked at Gaius, "On your feet, Gaius. I believe my sister is waiting for you."
Gaius and Dravis both rose. With a nod of his head, Dravis went to retrieve his tunic and then quickly marched from the hall. Gaius picked up his own, pulling it back on. "So then you know about what was in her letter to me," Gaius said, turning back to him.
"Like I said, nothing goes on here that I don't know of," Maximilian said, then he paused and smiled, "You've got a lot more gray hair than the last time I saw you."
"And you've more than doubled in size, your excellency," Gaius said, "You were still just a boy when I left. Now look at you, grown into a young man."
"I haven't been a boy since I was fourteen," Maximilian said, then gestured with one hand, "Walk with me."
Gaius followed the emperor as he turned and walked from the central hall into another passage opposite from where Gaius had entered.
"This team my sister is putting together is turning out to be quite the eclectic group," Maximilian said, "I assume you haven't met the other members yet?"
"No, I just arrived in the city a little while ago," Gaius said, "So you do know about the group, then."
"As I said, nothing goes on inside these walls I don't know of," Maximilian said, "She couldn't hide it from me even if she wanted to. Suffice to say, I also know why she came to the idea of such a group. She can tell you about that herself, however. What I'm more concerned with, Gaius, is the question of whether you're intent on seeing this through?"
"I don't know what it actually is yet," Gaius said, "Just that I'm going to be leading some form of special task unit."
"I mean the empire," Maximilian said, "Are you really back?"
Gaius took a deep breath, the only sound the echo of their footsteps in the empty halls, as he pondered what the emperor really meant by that.
"I left because I didn't want to fight against my own people," he then said, "I didn't expect to be back here at all. I just don't know yet."
The emperor chuckled, looking up at Gaius with a smirk. "You'll say yes," he said, "Even when I was a child, you lived and breathed for this country. You're a patriot still, I can see it."
"I love my homeland," Gaius said, "which is why I couldn't turn my fists against it. And I was called a coward and a traitor for it."
"Not by me," Maximilian said, "You resigned through the proper methods and I gave you leave to go. I'd have brought you back sooner if I could have convinced you. Instead, I found General Tilus to take your place."
"Yes, I've heard of the Rito," Gaius said, "I suppose he must be adequate if one of the birds made officer in the first place."
"I don't care what species he is, only that he can get the job done," Maximilian said, "He's level-headed and damn smart. He is currently out to assess the eastern border stations, making sure they're up to standards and make plans should the Bahdi attempt something before we're ready for them. But I should arrange for you to meet him when he's back."
"If I'm still here," Gaius said.
Maximilian chuckled again as he motioned to a door on their left with two guards standing outside it. He knocked, then looked back at Gaius. "You will be. As many years as it's been, I know you."
The door opened from inside, and a face Gaius never expected to see was visible on the other side.
"Huang Shi?" Gaius said, nearly choking on the name.
The man on the other side of the door smiled. His head was shaved and he was dressed in dark, studded leather armor, but Gaius still recognized that face and that smirk. Huang Shi was the son of Huang Xi, Gaius' teacher, and from the far east, beyond even Bahdi lands, where human culture was near unrecognizable compared to the western nations of the empire, Hyrule, and other lands he knew.
Gaius and Shi had both trained under Xi when they were younger, but parted ways when Gaius returned west to his homeland.
"Oh, so you finally decided to show up, Gaius?" Shi asked. His accent was thick, but he had a firm grasp of the language.
"What are you doing here?" Gaius asked.
"I'm here for a job," Shi said.
"I told you the group was quite eclectic," Maximilian said, "Though I'm not sure what to read of the past you two seem to have. Good or bad?"
"A little of both," Gaius said.
"Just wait until you meet the others," Maximilian said.
Shi turned and said into the room. "You were correct, your highness, it's Gaius, and the emperor."
"Do let them in then," came the princess's voice from inside.
"I'm afraid I have to go," Maximilian said, "Many matters to see to. But I will be back for tea later."
Gaius bowed his head, and the emperor turned to walk away, his bodyguards following him. Shi stepped back into the room and motioned for Gaius to step inside. Gaius did so, taking the opportunity to glance at the sword hanging from Shi's hip. Though trained for fighting with his fists, as Gaius was, Shi carried a curved blade from the far east. A katana, he believed the name was. A weapon not of Shi's own people, but of another civilization of humans that also existed in the far east. It was a weapon that emphasized its sharpness over its weight. The weight did not compare to the swords of the west, but if it was in good condition, that blade could cut through human bones like paper.
There was Princess Vivian, seated at the table in the center of the room, waiting patiently. Gaius knew of her condition, and the fact the room was normally kept dark because she didn't need the light, but all the lamps were lit and the room bright now. It must have been for the visitors such as himself. He could clearly see, as he expected, her eyes were that same milky white color as when she was a child, and she didn't look directly at him as he approached.
"Your imperial highness," he said and fell to one knee, bowing his head, and she laughed as she heard the sound of his boots on the carpet as he did so.
"You know I can't see you bow," she said.
"That is no reason to not show respect," he said.
"You always were a stick-in-the-mud, Uncle Gaius," Vivian said, "Rise, then."
Gaius stood up. "It is good to see you well, Princess Vivian," he said.
"And it's good you answered my call," Vivian said, "There was much that I couldn't risk putting in the letter, you understand."
"Of course," Gaius said, "I assume it has something to do with why Huang Shi is here?"
"Correct," Vivian said, "He is also going to be part of your team. We were just discussing his fee."
"Fee," Gaius said, glancing at Shi, "You're a mercenary, then?"
"Not just any mercenary," Shi said, "All those years ago, after you left to come back home, there was an uprising in my lands of magic wielders. They're dangerous enough on their own, but when many come together, they're even moreso. The entire nation was overthrown and wizards took control. Until recently, when they were brought down, not by war or diplomacy, but by assassinations. One by one, they were eliminated, either by men like me, or by each other trying to find traitors in their midst."
"It is quite a story, but the fact is Huang Shi is far more knowledgeable about dealing with wizards than anyone in the empire," Vivian said.
"I see," Gaius said, "Does this involve wizards then?"
"That's the problem," Vivian said, "We don't know what we're up against yet. In fact, once the team is all together, your very first order will be to find information on the Cult of White Masks, as we are calling it for now."
"Wait a moment," Gaius said, "I did hear rumors. Murders and kidnappings that were being perpetrated by people in white masks. You're telling me they're not just real, but a cult?"
"That is where the signs are pointing," Vivian said, "So does that have your interest?"
"I thought I was being called back for military operations, but this," Gaius said, "Yes, I don't even have to consider it. Saving lives is something I can easily agree to."
"Well, that was easier than expected," Vivian said with a smile, "I'm glad to hear it. I will send word to the others I've selected. They have a wide range of skill-sets and histories, some are military and some are not, but I think when you meet them, you'll appreciate the range of skills available."
"And that means we'll be working together again," Gaius said, looking toward Shi.
"For the money I'm being paid, I can stomach that," Shi said with a smirk.
"So that's the only reason you're here?" Gaius asked.
Shi shrugged. "I mean, sure, protecting the innocent and preserving the way of life, good ideals. But pay me enough and I'll make love to a side of bacon. Pay me more and I'll even act like I enjoy it."
"That won't be necessary," Vivian said, then paused as another knock at the door was heard, "I believe that is also someone you know, Gaius."
Gaius turned as Shi went to the door and opened it, and motioned the new visitor inside.
"Bloody hell," Gaius said, even more disbelief than when he saw Shi, "Lucia?"
The new arrival smiled. A vision of beauty, even at her age, perfect skin and long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes, and wearing an imperial uniform, though she wasn't wearing her sword.
"Hello, Gaius," Lucia Mecrot said lower than the average woman, "It has been a long time. And that's First Blade Lucia now."
"Don't tell me you're part of this too," Gaius said.
"As a matter of fact," Lucia grinned and saluted with two fingers to her forehead, "I'm your second-in-command."
There weren't many women in the imperial army, but the ones that were there earned every inch of it. At First Blade, Lucia was effectively among the most elite swordsmen in the empire. The First Blades served as the emperor's personal bodyguards, and also as elite units deployed on high-priority objectives. The legion's motto was "Riastad's first and last line of defense."
And he'd known her before he'd even sought out Master Huang Xi to train him, decades ago. Age was treating her more kindly. He saw no gray hair, no wrinkles, and not even any visible scars. If he didn't know better, he'd say she was barely in her twenties, but she was actually a year older than he was.
"So why didn't they pick you to lead, then?" Gaius asked.
"As a matter of fact, they did, or least, I was going to lead if you didn't accept the job," Lucia said.
"Gaius," Vivian said, causing him to turn back to her, "You were the supreme commander of the empire's forces under my father. You don't have that kind of position without incredible ability to lead. An ability that I think is truly wasted working as a bouncer. So let's make it official. Do you accept this task, to lead this special forces unit in defense of your emperor, your nation, and your people?"
"I accept, and I am honored to do so," Gaius said.
"I am grateful," Vivian said, and rose from her seat. She moved around the table, one hand on its edge to guide her, walking toward Gaius, where she had last heard his voice. Then, in an unexpected move, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Welcome home, Uncle Gaius," she whispered.
"I'm glad to be back," he said.
"So, First Blade, how long did that take?" Gaius asked as he sat down in the padded seat. Lucia had personally shown him to what would now be his private rooms, and the two of them were now alone.
It wasn't as opulent as the princess's room, of course, but more built as a workspace. A desk in one corner, with plenty of papers he'd likely need, a bookshelf stocked with many books he hadn't looked over yet, and dining table with four seats, one of which he now sat in.
"I got the promotion during the rebellion," Lucia said, "Saved the emperor's life, in fact, during the battle here in the palace. He was still a boy, then, but you should have seen it, Gaius, how quickly and readily he stepped into the role of a leader. I stopped seeing him as a child that day."
"So how did you save his life?" Gaius asked.
Lucia undid the button at the neck of her uniform, pulling down the left side of the neck just enough to show the scar on her left shoulder just below her collarbone. She had no visible scars on her face, but that one was clear, and Gaius bet she had more underneath.
"That's from a crossbow bolt that would have gone into his throat if I hadn't stepped in front of it," she said, pointing at the scar, "I just saw the shooter and reacted. And it's the reason I can't wear low-cut dresses anymore."
"He was obviously grateful," Gaius said as she walked around the table to set down in the seat to his left.
Lucia laughed. "He berated me for it. Called me a damn fool, and said he needed live soldiers more than dead heroes. Told me I needed better armor if I was going to do it again, and a few weeks later, a brand new set showed up made specifically for me." She paused, smiling and let out a sigh. "Best damn armor I've ever seen. I hit it with a sledgehammer and it didn't even dent, but light as a feather."
"Who's the smith?" Gaius asked.
"Signature on it is the same as the Hyrule royal smith's stuff," Lucia said, "The set must have cost a fortune to get from a foreign smith that's employed by their royal family."
"And the promotion with it?" Gaius said.
"Promotion to First Blade didn't happen until years into the war," Lucia said, "But I did get the push to First Legion as soon as I was back in the field, and I shot up rather quickly after that when the emperor realized I was marching with his legion in the war. Actual promotion to First Blade was about four years in, when we were finally really pushing back against the rebels, when their leaders started to fall one by one."
"And I tried to ignore it all," Gaius said with a sigh, "I didn't want to hear it, that we were divided against ourselves."
"Was going to happen sooner or later anyway," Lucia said, "When a nation is as large as the empire, it's a lot easier for the traitors and power-hungry to slip their schemes around unnoticed. It'll happen again in the future, but not for generations.
"You haven't seen him like I have, Gaius," she went on, her tone going down, "Maximilian in the field is like a man possessed. No emotion, no hesitation. Just plans, orders, and reactions. He thinks further ahead than anyone I've ever seen. I've been given orders that I had no idea what the point was, only to see it once I fulfilled my objective. A battle for him is like a children's puzzle. He picks it apart and finds the solutions."
"And he likes to put people on spikes," Gaius said.
"The traitors, yes," Lucia said, "But it's not like they don't deserve it. Whether on a spike or beheaded, the result is the same. And the spikes mean their body remains an example for some time to come."
"You trust him a great deal, then," Gaius said.
"More than I can say," Lucia said.
"Then I'll try to trust him too," Gaius said, "Because I still trust you."
She reached over to put her hand on his and squeezed gently. "You won't regret it," she said, "You'll see. Our nation is wounded now, but we're going to rebuild it, and it'll be even greater than before."
Gaius took the chance. Nearly a decade since he'd last seen her, but he took her hand and pulled her toward him and kissed her. She stiffened for just a second, then relaxed, moving completely out of her seat and putting her other arm around his neck, nearly in his lap as she returned the kiss fiercely.
"I wasn't going to beg, but I'm glad to see you're still a good kisser," she whispered as they parted.
With one hand, she started undoing the buttons down the front of her uniform, and Gaius smiled as he reached around behind her. "You aren't wearing your sword because it's your off-day?" he asked.
"That's right."
Gaius pulled the hilt he found from the back of her belt out to the side and pushed the button near the guard, causing the switch-blade to spring from it with a click.
"So what's this for? Shaving your legs?"
Lucia smiled, taking it from him. "Just because it's my off-day doesn't mean I'm ever unarmed," she said, then with a swing of her arm, threw it to the side, the blade sticking hard into the wood of the bookshelf with a loud thump, then rolled her shoulders back, letting her jacket slide off her arms before throwing them back around Gaius' neck and going back for another hard kiss.