Infernal Blade

One

Endana

I stared with a cool, focused gaze at the man as he relayed the information he had stolen from the Guild. He was covered in blood, his wounds gruesome to even the most hard fought soldier. I knew from his appearance that the information hadn't been easy to claim. And for that, I respected him.

"He has regained his strength from his journey to the fjords to the South, and is ready for revenge," the messenger finished, his face paling considerably with each passing second. An alleviator was doing her best to tend to the injured man, her forehead pinched in concentration as she worked to staunch the bleeding.

"How do you know this for sure?" Reichin, a fellow Virtuoso and advisor to the Anax spoke up. His dark, midnight hair was woven in a ridiculous fashion, revealing a jagged tattoo across his ear and part of his scalp. He had been raised in the jungles far to the East, and I knew for a fact that their culture was a might different than ours. But when he had begun exhibiting the abilities suited for a Virtuoso, the Anax hadn't hesitated to assign him to training.

The messenger shook his head, his demeanor revealing he was disturbed by Reichin's question, valid though it was. "Does it appear to you that I am making this up?"

"We are grateful for your sacrifice," I spoke up, shooting Reichin a dark look to tread carefully. "Reichin merely wants to be sure of the truth you bring."

The man relaxed at my words, and he nodded. "Of course. I was there when Brevil returned. I listened as he discussed his plan to a close member of the Guild who had managed his estate while he was gone."

"How can we be sure he didn't say it for your benefit?" Another Virtuoso spoke up, Xlaina was her name. I knew her from our training years ago, but she worked in a different area than I.

The messenger gestured to the wound on his chest that the alleviator was working at. "I received this on my way out. I don't think they intended for me to leave that place when they found out I was a spy." He bit back a cry when the alleviator pressed against the wound with a medicine soaked cloth, sagging back against the floor where he was resting.

"Thank you," the Anax spoke up, rising once again from his seat. "Now rest and heal." He gestured for several soldiers to carry the man out and to the infirmary where his wounds would be treated properly.

Once the man was gone, the Anax strode from the cathedra and towards the open doors. The others took that as a cue to follow after him, but I held back. My mind whirred with ideas and half-formed plans. If Maxim Brevil had returned, then we were all in grave danger.

Maxim Brevil was the most notorious member of the Guild, a group of all the criminals in the Empire. The Guild consisted of those who continuously escaped the grasps of the Anax and other governing parties. Brevil had been missing for several years, only rumors of his sighting proving his memory not lost.

Brevil was well known for taking what he wanted, when he wanted, and then vanishing without a trace. He didn't leave survivors, except for one man tell the tale, usually having been maimed in one way or another. The stories were always gruesome, and I had never enjoyed reading up on them, even though my duty required it.

I had never gone after Brevil myself, but I kept up on his story, as well as the information of the other Guild members. Knowing their stories, as well as their whereabouts, prepared me for an event such as this.

Realizing I was now alone in the Cathedra Hall, I strode forth and passed through the gates, turning towards the left instead of following where the others had gone. I knew they would be gathering in the meeting chamber to discuss what to do, but I didn't want to arrive until I had a plan.