To say that Kaiser had gone through some shit the past couple of days would be underselling it. Glory and Wagner were the people who he looked up to with fondness and admiration. His generals were dead.

He had lost his way back home, but the thing that stung him, the thing that made him feel more powerless than when his rune had been cut, was the fact that Orion had outplayed him.

Kaiser had been idiotic, falling for a trap right in front of his eyes. Maybe he had thought that Orion was good, or maybe, just maybe, Kaiser had thought that Orion didn’t have it in him to betray Kaiser.

Now, sitting down near the canal, he let his feet dangle just above the murky waters. His hand rests on the trigger of the revolver nestled gently in his pocket. Its steel was cool to the touch. He counted each bullet holder and murmured the names of his fallen friends.

1, Glory. 2 Wagner, 3. Norman. 4, Lila. 5, Nephyl. He paused. Then counted the last one- 6, Orion Noi.

He gazed at his own disfigured reflection. Orion Noi was dead. Kaiser was sure of it. His brother he had known from childhood had been replaced by a cheap copy, hard-driven into revenge.

“I hate you.” Orion said in spite, “I hate you so much.” Tears streamed down his face as he said those words over, and over, and over, and over again. At last, he had said, “I’m going to kill you with my own two hands one day.” That was the last Kaiser saw him. After that, Orion had seemingly disappeared from the orphanage. It wasn’t until Kaiser was drafted into the military at age 16 that he recognized Orion as his commander and a general.

Kaiser’s eyes stung and his cheek felt sticky. He wiped away his salty tears. Kaiser’s hand tightened around the trigger and he stood up.

He was going to join The Kitsune; he was going to destroy Capria and all its stupid soldiers and generals and he was going to kill Orion Noi’s clone even if it kills him.

>>>>>>>>>>

He threw curses at Nahida. The brazen Mikon had sent him on a quest that led nowhere. The entire day Kaiser had either sat on top of a building, using his powers to guide him along the streets of Shareen, or he had gone in person, hoping to earn some street credit. He was careful not to run into any guards or Caprians that might sell him out. He looked at the sun sinking below the waves.

Great, he thought, another day wasted.

He pulled his arms into a jacket and pulled it over his head. He might have more luck during the night. The streets bustled with activity, and the cloudless, stormless night seemed to draw out more people.

He passed by countless people, ducking his way through the crowd until he was standing in the middle of a market.

An enormous grand fountain constantly gushed water from the top and it flowed down like a waterfall, with seemingly infinite coins dropped in for good luck. Kaiser saw coins from all over the world. Most were of Sango, but some were Caprian and, if Kaiser looked closely enough, he could make out the faded remains of Amberian coins lying at the bottom. It was from both countries were at peace. Decades before.

Shopkeepers hollering deals and discounts hoping to win tourists’ attention. Kaiser spotted a psychic’s tent with people going in and out. The entire plaza felt alive, with each tent yelling out different things. From ornaments to decorations to jewelry.

Sango used to be the richest country in the world. Their economy was unmatched and the people’s love for trading and commerce from all over the world had made it a breeding ground for innovations and ideas. Even now under the rule of Capria, most of its capital, Shareen was lively, like the city itself was alive and breathing.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Kaiser was so preoccupied with watching the bustle of the streets that he didn’t see the dark figure floating down towards them. That was until the fountain split in half like a birthday cake.

Along with the fountain, a man who looked like he was dropping coins into the fountain for good luck split in half, directly down the middle of his face. The man looked shocked as his two remains fell.

Screams and shrieks buzzed all around him as citizens and tourists alike ran in all directions. Kaiser ran along with them, not thinking about what was happening. Suddenly, a person elbowed him and he fell. Overwhelmed by the crowd, Kaiser’s best option was to crawl.

He barely managed to get to an alley. Huffing for breath, he sat while the crowd ran. I need to get out. He thought.

He wobbled and stood, then ran left, deeper into the alleyway. A few minutes of running later, Kaiser was standing before a huge, changing fence. It was locked, so his only other option was to climb it.

He reached the top and hopped down, accidentally nicking a bit of his leg, causing it to bleed, but he kept going. His breath hitched and his breathing was getting heavy.

He was starting to grow tired. The screams behind him seemed to dissipate and now just a steady hum of nearby lanterns could be heard.

Kaiser still had one more problem. This alley seemed to go on forever. His sprint slowed into a steady jog and eventually a halt, as yet another fence stood in his way.

Groaning, he clutched the fence. This looked several times bigger than the last. After struggling for a solid ten minutes, he pooped down on the ground. His legs were shaking, and he was out of breath.

Still, he looked forward and started stumbling onward. With no idea if this alley would end, he would just need to keep going further.

“Going somewhere?” A voice asked him. Kaiser raised his head. A figure with a red cloak approached him. He had a grin on his face. “Well?” He asked again.

This man was floating. Kaiser shifted, and a shiver ran down his spine. He held a striking resemblance to Saran, except that his features were a bit softer and leaner. “Are you mute?” He asked, a jester-like frown playing on his face. He sighed, “No matter.” He said waving his hand, “Is your name Kaiser Sanjit? Just nod your head or something, if it is.”

Kaiser swallowed the lump in his throat. “What if I am?” He asked, attempting to sound brave.

“Hmm.” He wondered out loud, examining his fingers. “I’ll make this blunt. I’m going to kill you in this alley and you’re going to let me. Sound fair?”

Kaiser took a step back, but his body connected with the fence behind him. “Why do you think I would let you do that?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” The man in red said, edging closer to Kaiser, “I’d have thought that Jubilee soldiers in the Amberian army would at least have known that my name is Ajax. You probably know me by my alternative name, The Hunting Dog.”

Glory’s voice rang in his ears, “Remember? If you see a man in red on the battlefield. Run as fast as you can.”

“Why?”

“You’ll know why if you are ever so unfortunate to meet him.”

Kaiser’s pupils dilated with fear, and his back was hugging the fence behind him. Nowhere to run now, is there? Kaiser thought. His hands slowly reached into his pocket, where he had carefully placed the revolver.

Kaiser exhaled deeply. Six chances. He told himself. Six chances to kill a monster.

Ajax attacked first, launching streams of tightly packed air at Kaiser. He narrowly avoided it and shot the first bullet at Ajax. He tightened the air just before it reached him and the bullet crumpled to the ground.

“Didn’t know that you owned a gun.” He smiled.

He blasted another current. It hit Kaiser straight in his calf. Pain hissed from the cut, his flesh was torn apart and the slice had just barely avoided a major artery. Kaiser looked around frantically, searching for a place to hide.

Ajax didn’t give him time. He was following up on the attack with another one. This time, the air approached in the form of a wall. Kaiser used three of his bullets to break the wall just before it made contact.

Dammit. He cursed himself for using up three precious bullets.

He spotted a nearby door and rushed towards it, ignoring the flare of pain every time he took a step. The door was locked, and Kaiser didn’t have the time or liberty to pick it. He shot the lock at point blank and it immediately gave way. Rushing inside, he was surprised and happy to find that it was deserted.

The Hunting Dog’s laughter echoed outside, “Clever! Young Jubilee!” He cackled. “It’s a smart move to hide indoors!” A moment of silence was followed by the door being cut into millions of pieces and Ajax stepping in. “It’s a smart move, but not against me.” He grinned from ear to ear.

A rush of wind came for him just as he shot his last bullet.