Let it never be said that Seto doesn't trust his monsters.
It's one of the most romantic things about him.
.
A hulking warrior, bestial, hunkered and covered in metal, approached Seto and Kisara slowly. The axe he normally carried in his hands was strapped to his back. When the two humans turned their attention to him, the beast-man took to one knee and lowered his head; he removed his horned helmet with one hand and set it down beside him. Long, tangled hair fell over his face.
"My king," the beast-man rumbled.
"Vorse Raider," Seto said softly. The beast-man perked up, clearly pleased to have been recognized. He smiled, revealing his rows of devilishly sharp teeth. "Thank you for answering my call. Your service will be remembered."
"I have ripped through the vast jungles surrounding the Barrier. I have wrestled with beasts beyond imagining from the Great Dark Beyond. I have prepared for this fight for years upon decades, my king."
"If you have hunted in a jungle," Seto said, "then you must be versed in stealth. Can you stay hidden, wrapped in shadow, and only strike when the perfect moment is upon you?"
Vorse Raider nodded fervently. "Yes, my king. Of course, my king."
"Very good." Seto stepped over, reached out, and placed a hand on his monster's shoulder. "I would have you act on your own. Keep to the dark. Eyes everywhere. Do you see? If anything approaches this house, or anywhere that I and mine are known to frequent, you will find them. You will track them. You will tell me what they do. These are my instructions to you, Vorse Raider. Do you understand them?"
Vorse Raider nodded again, this time with the firm conviction of a proud soldier. "I understand, my king," he said. "No one, nothing, will catch a glimpse of your back. No one, nothing, will have a clear view of your loved ones. Anyone and anything with designs to harm your court will be known to you long before they are ever prepared to strike."
Seto smiled. "Good," he said. "Excellent. To the shadows, then, Vorse Raider."
Vorse Raider nodded one more time, then vanished.
Kisara frowned as she rubbed her chin. She scratched the head of her little hellhound with her other hand. "Are you sure about this, my prince? Is Vorse Raider not . . . a bit volatile for subterfuge?"
Seto quirked an eyebrow. "I trust my monsters," he said. "I won't allow anyone to call me a hypocrite. Not here, and not with this. We'll know soon enough if he is a bad fit for the job that I've given him." He flashed a grin. "Trust me. I've been doing this for longer than I've any right to claim. I was trained by a literal warmonger. I know what I'm doing."
"Of course, my prince. Of course." Kisara offered a little nod. "I'm just . . . worried. I can't pretend I'm not. I know that my family will be as safe as it is possible for them to be. I know that you will do all you can to protect them. But I just wish the threat would show itself. I wish I had something I could see, something I could fight, so that I could stop worrying so much." She held up both hands like claws. "I wish I could rip into something."
"Seto put a hand on Kisara's arm. "I know," he said softly. "Trust me, Kisara. I know that feeling all too well."
"I know you do, my prince."