Greetings reader, I am going to try to get the ball rolling in this chapter and get things started.
Side note: I feel like I have to listen to "Sweet but Psycho" - Ava Max when writing about Esdeath...it just seems fitting. Give it a listen to and tell me you don't feel that this song doesn't connect amazingly to our crazy general.
The start of something dangerous
The time it took to get back to the capital was cut in half as she soared through the air on top of Wraith, she watched as the landscape turned from snow to that of bright green grass and rolling hills. Having been born in the harsh winter climates of the north and then acquiring her teigu, Esdeath didn't really feel the cold as others might; the heat of summer however, was easily dealt with by regulating her internal body temperature.
Leaning back on one of Wraiths scales Esdeath brought out her worn writing journal and began to make a list of her requirement for what she expected in a lover. She would not accept anything less and expected this to be bit of a tedious endeavor since she was being picky, but would not settle for anything less then what she wanted.
Smiling a little to herself as she watched the capital draw closer she directed Wraith to the area that was meant specifically for him, far enough away from the citizen's that he wouldn't terrorize them yet close enough that he would feel/hear her call to him when she was wanted him. Not that she really cared if he ate a few people, but it wouldn't be good for PR and she being a general and all had to give a certain amount of protection to the empires citizens.
Hopping off Wraith she walked over to a small barn that housed the sheep she used to feed him. She released a few from the paddock so that he could eat. Watching as the sheep blissfully walked out of the gate, they froze immediately upon noticing Wraiths watchful hungry gaze upon them, bleating their concerns.
Grinning Esdeath picked up one of the sheep and heaved it into the air and watched as Wraith snatched it out of the air and chomped down. Huffing in delight as all the sheep scattered and starting running away from him, giving him the chase he desired.
Laughing she started to walk towards the empires front gates and was met by a courier. Kneeling and bowing his head deeply.
"I have a message for you general, from the prim minister." he said
She waited a few minutes for the man to continue but when he didn't she noticed the small trembling of his hands and the sweat dripping down his temple.
"Well, what is it." she said slightly amused looking down at the man, enjoying the discomfort he was experiencing in front of her.
Seeming to forget why he was kneeling in front of the most feared person in the empire, the man kept silent trying to remember why he signed up for this in the first place.
Tap, Tap, Tap. The toe of her boot lifted up and set back down. Tap.
"I hope your not playing some game in making me wait, and as much as I enjoy watching you piss your self and tremble, I have more important things to do then stand here and my patience is deserting me at an alarming rate. So if you enjoy having eyes to look out of and limps to move around on I suggest you start talking." Esdeath said with a raised eyebrow but otherwise blank expression.
Coming back to his sense's and remembering his message he blurted it out as fast as he could without pause while keeping his eyes trained on her feet.
"General the prime minister has instructed me to tell you he wants to meet you in the great hall when you have returned from your mission up north." The man breathed out heavily, thankful he was able to complete his mission with his head still attached to its shoulders.
"Your dismissed soldier." Esdeath said and walked around him. She wouldn't discipline the man for being nervous around her and making her wait as his nerves got the better of him. She knew the effect she had on the low ranking officers and soldiers and even some of the other generals. She gloried in her power and never hesitated in showing that she was the alpha and dared anyone to challenge her. The last man to challenge her to battle to show off his strength was a newly promoted general with a big ego. The fight took less then a minute as Esdeath was in a rather bad mood that day and went straight for the points on his body that would cripple him. Destroying the knee of his dominate leg and shattering both of his hip bones, then finished it with well placed strikes and surgically precise hits on his spine, ensuring he would never move around as a normal man again.
That display of overwhelming power and ruthlessness ensured that no one wanted to challenged her again to her displeasure. She saw it as weeding out the weak, for she wasn't even giving the newly ranked general a 10th of her true strength, and not even activating her teigu. It was her job as a general to protect and crush the empires enemies and if that meant she had to at times remove the trash from within the military so be it. She would never respect someone who couldn't even last a minute against her in a fight, let alone let themselves be permanently crippled.
Reaching the palace after walking through the part of town that made up the market district of the capital, Esdeath was greeted with congratulations on her swift victory from the nobles and politicians wishing to get on her good side, hoping to gain what ever it was they wished from the empires strongest general. Esdeath for the most part ignored everyone, but gave small nods to those she actually liked.
Coming up to the great hall that housed the throne room, she waited for the announcer to call her name and open the big ornamented doors. As the doors opened she noticed the room was emptier then it normally was. The room normally filled to capacity with fat politicians or soldiers coming and going was mainly filled with the royal guards, and the odd servants running to and from the kitchens bringing the prime minister his assortment of meats and drinks.
"Ahh, general its good to see you again. I hope your mission was a great success?." The prime minister said chewing on an unknown animals legs, his pot belly jiggling as he took a few steps forward to stand next to the emperor.
kneeling down and taking her cap off to sit it down next to her, Esdeath bowed her head and said. "Yes prim minster, my mission was a complete success and was finished just as fast as it started."
"Good to hear it general, I regret to tell you that your assistance is once again needed. I know you just returned from the battlefield but we are receiving reports of Night raids movements again. I would like for you to look into it and find out what they are planning, then squash them like the maggots they are." the prime minister said grabbing another piece of the animal he had on a plate next to him.
Looking up Esdeath smiled "It would be my pleasure, I have some of my men already investigating their movements and they should return soon enough. I will find them and kill every last one of them."
"Good." The emperor finally said leaning in his over large seat. "General Esdeath, you have served the empire greatly is there nothing you don't wish for in return. You only ever ask to be assigned to every battle that comes up, but is there anything else I can give you for your loyalty?"
"Yes your majesty, there is something I want now." smiling Esdeath reached into one of her shirt pockets and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to a servant to give to the emperor.
"I want to fall in love." Esdeath said looking at the emperor. "I have written up a list for you. I have very specific standards and I doubt there are many who can meet them."
The prime minster could barely control his surprise at what Esdeath was saying, but the emperor looked at her list with a slight blush on his face. Being only 12 years old the boy emperor didn't understand the concept of love that well, but he knew well enough what she was asking for.
"We shall try to find a man who meets these standards, perhaps we might find luck if we start looking at the military, surely there has to be someone who can come up to par with your standards." the emperor said.
"Thank you emperor, but I have spent time with almost all regiments and no one comes up in my mind worthy enough to be my lover. I wish to train this person to stand next to me and eventually be a general, and I have my doubts we will find this person already in the military's services." Esdeath said.
After a moment of thinking the boy emperor jumped up from his throne and proclaimed in a excited voice. "I got it! we will hold a tournament. We will offer a cash reward and maybe find some interesting prospects to look at."
"That's an excellent decision your majesty, its been awhile since we've held a tournament. It will be a nice change of pace to have some excitement brought to our arena again." The prime minister said.
Happy with his decision, the emperor sat back down on his throne and looked at Esdeath with excitement in his eyes. "General Esdeath I have one more thing I would like to discuss with you. The last person you requested has arrived and is waiting for you in the conference room on the first floor. All six of the men and women you sent for are very interesting and have their quirks, but I have no doubt they will serve you well. Have you decided on a name for your new squad yet?."
"I have your majesty. We shall be called the JAEGERS." Said Esdeath "I have nothing left to report your majesty, if you will allow it I would like to prepare for my meeting with my new squad."
"Yes, yes you are dismissed general, We shall set up the tournament to happen in three days time. That should be more then enough time for people to travel and to set up the event. We will have flyers drawn up immediately. " The emperor said.
With a nod Esdeath rose from her spot and turned around and started walking towards the part of the palace the held her chambers and her soldiers barracks. Thinking she should test her new squad before properly introducing herself to them. She wanted to see what kind of people they were and asses their ability to adapt to situations when thrown together.
Coming to a conclusion on how she would go about her test, she retrieved a mask from her room and started to make her way to the conference room.
Listening to the commotion inside, Esdeath used her strong perception skills to feel out the occupants in the room, while completely masking her own aura to the point that not even a top tier assassin would be able to find her if she didn't so choose to be found.
She noticed a couple things right from the start and one of those things was they wouldn't be expecting to see her because they were bickering among themselves. That would have to be dealt with. She would not tolerate petty bickering from her hand picked squad they were to be an elite task force. The other thing she noticed was that one man in particular seemed unsure of him self and unbelievable shy, the other man she picked up on gave off a confident aura that made her need to dominate rise up and put him in his place, The other two men in the room were a little harder to read, but she wasn't overly bothered with it. She would figure them out as soon as she got the chance to test their abilities.
Smashing the door open she walked into the room and all eyes turned to her. "Well what do I have here, intruders?." She said behind her mask.
A young man with short dark hair stood up and said "hey, we were told to assembl-" Esdeath immediately dashed forward and shot out her leg, connecting with the mans sternum sending him flying into the wall at the opposite end of the room.
Sensing a presence behind her she dodged to side as a metal arm flew past her left shoulder, she grabbed it and pivoted smashing the arm and the girl attached to it into the ceramic tile flooring, cracking it with the force of the impact while simultaneously blocking the dog with a block of ice. She noticed the dog was an oragnic teigu.
"You need to prepare better if you want a counter attack to work against someone whose stronger then you. You gave off your presence and intentions before you even made your attack." Esdeath said as she straighten up.
Knocking the blade in its sheath forward with her thumb, a smaller girl with black hair darted forward. Taking her blade out of its sheath, she slashed forward a couple of times. "Even if you are just playing around, I will not hold back."
Twisting to the side Esdeath felt her mask crack and gave a big grin. "You must be Kurome and that must be the Imperial arms Yatsufusa you are holding, very impressive. You managed to conceal your presence enough that you were able to get close enough to me to hit my mask." She let the rest of the mask fall away.
A sharp intake of breath came from the brawny looking man, the one she noticed was the extremely shy one. "General Esdeath!."
"Yes, from this little display I have gathered enough information about some of you that we shall start training tomorrow morning. Until then you are all dismissed to do as you please, I suggest you go familiarize your selves with each other and the palace. Be back here in the morning before the sun rises."
With that each new member walked out and prepared themselves for what was to come, having no idea that the road ahead of them was going to be more challenging then they ever thought it would be. Especially since Esdeath, the empires strongest general was going to be over seeing everything including training.
Authors Note: I hope this chapter finds you all well. This is the start of the story really. I'm trying to bring key pieces and intentions together quickly so that we can really get into the story. Comments both good and bad are appreciated as they will only help me move forward :)