The Faceless General left his office later that evening. The building appeared to be no more than a dilapidated shed, but beneath a trap door hidden by magic and protected by very expensive traps was the lavish office of the former boss of the Little Hand’s most violent finger. He strolled with full confidence in the cloak that was enchanted with an invisibility spell he wore. He left the worries of his volatile underworld territory locked securely down there. Now it was time to be his other self, the one that was trusted and beloved by so many.
He slipped easily around the vigilant guards that stood at the gate between the outer city of commoners and the inner noble district. Wide stone paved streets and paths lit by magic led past elegant wrought iron fences and manicured gardens. He looked around intently as he ducked into a shadowed alcove before removing his cloak and mask, folding the former inside the latter.
A few moments later Alan Krees, captain of the city guard and Bounty Office Administrator approached the gate of his own estate. It was a three story brick mansion surrounded by a well tended orchard of plums and cherries. Two of his private guards acknowledged him and opened the gate.
The landscaping looked serene and inviting, but the reality was very different from appearances here. At least half of the trees here were actually powerful golems crafted to look like trees, and several deadly troll hounds prowled the grounds, ready to attack any creature that didn’t belong. On top of that, the staff of Krees’ manor were all accomplished fighters, mages, and assassins.
There were very few people in the kingdom that were better protected, and he always breathed a sigh of relief when the heavily enchanted iron gate closed behind him.
Once inside the house, the cheerful voice of his youngest boy greeted him as he always did. The four year old’s birth hadn’t been expected. Krees and his wife had thought their child bearing days were long gone, but against the odds little Alan Krees II had been born in good health.
“Papa!” The boy shouted, running to his father with his arms outstretched.
Krees caught his son and hoisted him high before hugging him close. This was the medicine that cured the stress headache and unsettled stomach that had been plaguing him lately. His other children had all grown up and moved away, but little Alan kept the energy in their home young. His wife entered the large entry room a moment later.
She was a well bred noble named Jesa. Her still shining gold hair was now streaked with gray and worn in a traditional bun behind her head. Her hazel eyes were in a permanent soft and kind expression, and the tiny wrinkles around them only made her seem more refined. The way she smiled at him now would never let on that she had once hated the thought of marrying a Krees.
Her family, the Shepherds were old nobility that wanted closer ties to the military elite Krees family and had arranged to marry her off to Alan’s younger brother Beran. She had then fled her family’s estate in terror of the marriage. Alan Krees had ridden off into the wild after her. By the time he caught up she was in peril, in the clutches of a band of bandits. After rescuing her in gallant fashion, she fell for him and they were married. Her parents after all didn’t care to which Krees boy she wed. It had been a wonderful marriage of nearly thirty years and she still loved to tell the tale of his gallant rescue from both the bandits and the notoriously brutal Beran.
“He’s been waiting since sunset.” Jesa informed him, smiling her charming smile.
“Well that’s only natural, a good soldier won’t abandon his watch until his relief arrives!” Krees set his son down and gave a firm salute. “Well done, young Krees! I’ll take over from here.” He gave his son a big smile and tussled his hair as he moved to greet his wife.
“Welcome home, honored husband.” Jesa said with a curtsy. Krees had insisted for years that she needn’t be so proper with him but her nobility was rooted too deeply for that.
“I’m glad to be home.” Krees said, and leaned down to kiss her. He never missed a single kiss. His own father had been a distant, callous man to his family and Krees was adamant that he would never be that way.
“Giselda has prepared wild green salad with pickled plums, blackfin salmon and sweet potatoes, and cherry filled pastry for dessert.” Jesa said, taking Krees’ cloak.
“She does so well with fish. I can’t wait.” Krees led the way to the dining room where the first course and steaming sups of tea were already waiting. This was the life, and Krees vowed to do whatever it took to protect it.
They enjoyed their meal, laughing and talking the whole time. They spent the remainder of the evening in the large family room with both hearths crackling softly, a sure sign that fall was upon them. Jesa read aloud from the works of a current popular author who had translated the songs of a famous bard into gripping stories about monster hunters and far away lands.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Thus the great hydra was vanquished and the citizens of Axis finally knew peace.” She concluded the story of “Sivis the Red and The Hydra”. As per usual, little Alan never heard the end of the story, he was fast asleep in his father’s lap. Wordlessly, Krees carried his son upstairs with Jesa following quietly behind. After they put him to bed, they retired to the mansion’s master suite.
Sometime later, Krees woke up with a start from some strange nightmare that he couldn’t recall. The room was pitch black. He rolled over to put his arm around Jesa and touched something wet in her place. He gasped and felt desperately. It wasn’t a person at all, but a slimy, squishy object. He spoke the word that would activate the Candle spell on the bed’s canopy. Nothing happened.
“Jesa?” Krees whispered urgently, scrambling out of bed and feeling his way to the room’s window and heavy curtains. He ripped them open and spun to look at the bed. His eyes widened in horror. It wasn’t Jesa, but a hairless, skinless head. Every muscle that wasn’t covered in white fat was clearly visible, and the lidless eyes seemed to be fixed in a horrified stare.
“Shh...” The sound came from another corner of the room. “You’ll wake him.” The voice quietly admonished.
Krees recognized that voice and his blood chilled as his heart skipped a beat. He had dealt with the owner of that voice so many times and had sent him on countless missions that no other person could have completed. He didn’t even need to turn to know who was waiting.
There sat Solution. Krees himself had coined that title. He had served with him in many campaigns back when he was Arlim the Viper, a young assassin prodigy that could single handedly capture an enemy fortress. Solution was seated in one of the two antique chairs, barely visible in the moonlight. To the absolute horror of Krees, the hands that could remove anything from existence now held the sleeping form of Alan Krees II.
“How should I address you?” Krees asked with a shaky voice, sweat beading on his wrinkled brow.
“I could ask the same, couldn’t I?” The cool voice carried a hint of wry humor. It was the voice of absolute confidence. “Is it the noble captain of the guard, old Krees? Or is it the puppeteer of the crooked nobles, The Faceless General? Or is it the cold blooded king of the cutthroats called Index? Holding three jobs must be what it takes to make it in these tough times.” Solution shook his head as he finished speaking.
“Whatever it is you want, I’m sure I can help.” Krees said, sinking to his knees in deference.
“Yes you will.” Solution replied. “Now don’t look so troubled! I came here to deliver some good news after all. You see I came to tell you that I’m going to be helping you out from now on. I’ll take over all that troublesome decision making for all of your trying jobs. But before we get into that, I need you to tell me one thing. Where does the dwarf called Robaru spend his nights?”
“We’ve given him the entire basement level of The Fat Mermaid.” Krees replied without hesitation.
“That’s a good man.” Solution stood up and handed Alan’s still sleeping form to Krees who cradled him gently with tears staining his ruddy cheeks.
“Where’s my wife? Where’s Jesa?” Krees asked, desperation squeezing his voice.
“She’s safe. Jesa will wake up in the morning with no harm as long as we can have a nice talk.” Solution assured, gesturing to the other chair.
Krees sat, still holding his son. No matter how polite and reassuring Solution was, Krees would never relax with the man so close.
“Who’s head is that?” Krees dared to ask, looking at the bloody grotesque thing in the spot where his wife usually slept.
“You don’t recognize him? I figured the fat would give it away.” Solution replied.
“Ring...” Krees responded in quiet realization. “I see he answered against your tools.” Krees swallowed a lump of bile that surged up his throat as he thought of Solution’s unique torture method.
“Indeed. He was a brave one! Now, on to the particulars of my proposal.” Solution shifted his tone to that of a friendly business man. “The particulars are as follows: I own you. Your life and everything connected to it now belong to me. You use your influence for me and no one else. Your family keeps their skin only as long as you stay useful to me. I know every dirty secret you have, and I have marked every one in your family with tracing magic of a high enough tier that no one in this kingdom can dispel it. Since we’re old friends I leave the option of suicide to you. If you take it I won’t come for your family. Do you have any questions?” Solution asked, standing up to look down at the pale man who seemed to have aged many years in the last few minutes.
“How do I contact you?” Krees asked, not looking away from his son’s tranquil face.
“You won’t. I’ll be in touch often enough so don’t worry.” Arlim walked past Krees toward the door. “She’s in your son’s room.” The voice faded as he exited, and suddenly it was as if Solution were never there.
Krees didn’t need to look far to dispel the notion that it was a terrible dream, not with Ring’s skinless severed head staring at him from Jesa’s pillow.
Solution strolled through the quiet mansion, past several sleeping guards and servants. As he exited, his enchanted mask told him clearly which of the trees were actually powerful golems. He reached up as he walked under one of the real plum trees and grabbed one of the dark purple fruits as he passed. Zell had always loved plums.
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Cora sat on the edge of the bed in Rin’s room with the twins sitting on either side of her.
“I-I’m sorry but I can’t say.” Cora answered once again.
“Please, I know something has happened to him!” Rin begged with puffy red eyes. “He never showed up and he would never just disappear without telling me. We know that you wouldn’t be home alone. If he’s not with your dad and didn’t go out of town with lady Agitha and your mom then where is he?”
“Just trust that my dad will fix it. That’s all I can say. He made me promise not to tell and I won’t break it!” Cora finally broke down, sobbing as she twisted the ring on her finger in distress.
Suddenly she was being embraced from both sides. Both of the twins were hugging her gently.
“Sorry we pushed you so hard.” Nin said. “You’re just as worried as we are. We all love that brother of yours.”
“I heard Mr. Arlim was amazing, is that all true?” Rin asked, wiping her tears and grasping desperately for any source of hope.
Cora nodded firmly, still sniffling. “He’s the smartest person I’ve ever known, and was so strong that he was the only person that the kingdom could send after level three and higher monster hunters.”
“We’ll have to give Zell a good talking to when he gets back for worrying us.” Nin said trying to comfort the other two. “He’s gotten awfully strong himself so I’m sure that whatever is going on he’ll be fine.”
The three girls stayed up long into the night, offering all the comfort they could to each other. Nin and Cora succumbed to fitful sleep around midnight in Rin’s bed. Rin sat at her desk with her head in her hands, praying fervently to any god that might be paying attention.
Cora’s voice suddenly cried out, causing Nin to jolt awake and Rin to spin around.
“N-no! There’s dead people there! Please don’t make me!” Cora wailed.
“Cora!” Nin shook her by the shoulder. “Wake up! It’s just a nightmare.”
Cora woke up with wide, bloodshot eyes in confusion. When she saw Nin she threw her arms around her and sobbed. “I don’t want these nightmares any more. I’m scared!”
Nin stroked Cora’s hair and held her close, looking at Rin with a worried expression.