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.

The air grew damp as I left the newly reconstructed areas of the citadel behind for the older hallways. The walls changed from carved stone and marble to a dusty grey, unkempt and forgotten in appearance. Torches lined the way as windows grew scarce, few and far between.

At the end of the hallway, I stopped before a large doorway, tugging on the handle to reveal a spacious room. Or, what would have been a spacious room before all the books.

They lined every wall, all the way to the tall ceilings. Narrow windows slipped in between the shelves of books, casting dusty shadows about the room. I approached the oaken table in the center of the room, pushing aside a pile of books I had been reading the last time I was in here. A ledger of records was at the bottom. It encompassed the whole known information on the Guild and their actions of the past. Everything we knew of the criminals and their adventures was recorded in this book.

I plopped into an oversized armchair beside the table and pulled open the records on my lap. Dates and names swirled in my vision as I turned page after page, searching for something, anything, that might help us.

Maxim Brevil, being a member of the Guild, was no normal criminal. He possessed magic, and as such, it made him incredibly hard to apprehend or kill. Which made our task of stopping him that much more difficult.

If Maxim Brevil were to succeed in destroying Eynsworth as we knew it, who could stop him from killing the Anax and taking his throne? The idea of Brevil ruling over the fair lands of Udor sent a shiver down my spine.

No. I had been trained for this very purpose. Now was the time to step up and protect my kingdom, my home. My magic was attuned for this very purpose and now was the time to use it. Focus, Endana.

There. My eyes stopped on a page of artifacts known to be in the hands of the Guild. Weapons and valuables either stolen by them or found in their possession. I ran my finger down the worn page, stopping on one title.

The Recreant Blades

I scanned the words beneath the title, scanning to see if this was indeed what I was searching for. The entry was old and worn, with several words smudged, and the faded letters told me no one had read this page in a great while.

Four blades were made by the most powerful of Guild members, made to k--- one another in check. The blades were created to prevent one member from betraying the others, the only blades cap--le of killing them. One blade was given to Max-- Brevil, the title and whereabouts unknown. The other three blades were given to other Guild members.

Only one blade's whereabouts are --own. The blade is currently in the hands -- Kanika Diallo, stored somewhere in her own ho--. No known coordinates are recorded for the location, only that it is located somewhere in the Whining Forest.

Of course. I knew I had read something like this before, but it didn't help to ease the ache of reading her name again. I shut the book and leaned back in the chair, allowing myself one moment to remember her as she was, before her betrayal. Before she became the monster I trained to fight against.

Kanika had been the brave one as far as I could remember, always willing to try new things and urge me on to victory. To know her name was now included in the members of the Guild sickened me. And not only that, but she was considered one of the greatest on that list, worthy enough to have a recreant blade.

Kanika, the stronger sister, the brave one. Her laugh still echoed in my mind at times, now more like a ghost than a memory. It haunted me each day, each moment, if I let it.

"I should have known you'd be in here."

My gaze snapped to the door where a slender figure clothed in a long, golden gown stood. Arisia stepped forward, her pale eyes roving over the table and to the book in my hand.

"Do you have a plan, Endana?" She stopped before the table, leaning a hand on it in soft grace. She always looked so elegant and flawless, whereas I had stopped trying to perfect my appearance years ago.

My golden red hair didn't behave and refused to flow about my shoulders like Arisia's did. Instead, I opted to keep it in a long braid that I kept corded around my head and off my neck. Instead of the long gowns Arisia always appeared in, I opted for a tunic and pants. The apparel was much more comfortable and allowed for easier training as well.

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts like a scattered puzzle. I heaved the book back onto the table with a soft thud and shook my head. "It is madness."

Arisia chuckled, her voice like bells, high and lilting. "Aren't they always? And yet, the Anax trusts you above no one else." She shifted, the iridescent material reflecting the pale light from the room and sparkling.

I shook my head, dismissing the praise. "I am no wiser than you, Arisia." And it was true; Arisia had a skill for reading people and understanding other's thoughts.

Arisia smiled knowingly as she always did. "You have more knowledge than you are given credit for. But nevertheless," she cast a strand of caramel hair behind her shoulder, "I want to hear it."

I sighed, allowing a small smile to grace my lips. "Are you sure?"

Arisia sighed and lowered herself into the other chair across the table. "Indeed. Now spill, before I tell the Anax what you have been up to instead of attending the briefings."

I crossed my arms, pretending to be hurt. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." I cleared my throat. "I read in the records of a weapon that can defeat Brevil. It was created by the Guild, to hold eachother accountable. I believe it is the only thing that can stop him."

"And what aren't you telling me?" Arisia said, not missing a thing. I held back a sigh, not surprised in the slightest that she knew I wasn't telling her all of the information.

"The last reported location of the blade is in the home of Kanika Diallo."

Arisia stared, unblinking, with no expression on her fair face. She knew what Kanika had once meant to me, and why this would undoubtedly be painful for me. But I was prepared to do whatever it took to save this kingdom. If it caused me discomfort, then so be it.

After several moments of silence, Arisia shifted in her seat and folded her hands. Her eyes watched me with studied cautiousness, and I knew she was trying to read me. At last, she spoke.

"I see. Well, let's go tell the others then."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Infernal Blade! I'm so excited for this new story :D And these characters are already such cinnamon rolls to me, hehe. I can't wait for you to meet the rest of them!