"Sometimes the end is the beginning."

-Unknown

"Life has many doors Ed-boy."

- Unknown

"Life is overcome yourself, overcome is life."

- Drog Dop, Orc War chieftain

-------------------------

The king sat chagrin upon his throne, his eyes dark from the news. Tears that had long been wiped away left residual trails upon his face as he sat in the brightly lit room. No guard stood watch at this moment, he wouldn't let them. He looked at the walls and statues of his predecessors. He felt the eyes of each looking upon him with great scrutiny for all his deeds, whether good or bad. He shifted upon his throne, straightening his rather unseemly posture to befit that more of a king, a way to psyche himself back into better thoughts, to no avail. He laid his head into his left palm. for mourn today does the king. For the crooked nosed scholar, Stultum met an untimely demise indeed.

The doors opened, against what he commanded, and anger contorted his face, till he saw the intruder. His face softened, why could it not for the one who entered was the sole person he gave permission to ignore his orders. "Leave me be, I wish to mourn upon my throne."

Karl winced as he saw the pitiful state of his king and closest friend "You know I can't do that Drik." a sad smile came onto Karl's features

"I know....I know." Silence enveloped the room as the king sat solemnly on his throne his thoughts growing darker from already simmering anger. "Did they find the bastard that did this Karl?" his cold eyes burrowed into Karl sending a shiver down his spine

"No, the guard on duty was killed as well, no one saw anyone enter or exit save the servant who initially opened the door. The servant claims he introduced himself as a healer sent by the guild, gave the name Grudo Jekyrell, obviously an alias but we are using all the methods the network has to offer."

"And what of the servant?"

"In custody for...further questioning."

The king nodded "Report immediately should info be found, we both already know the group behind this."

"The Corpsemen." Karl spoke to confirm the inner thoughts of the king. The Corpsemen were a group of deadly assassin who took any job so long as the pay was equal to the risk. 

Drik nearly snarled at the thought, to think the same bastards who took away his father would take away his beloved teacher as well, no more, but he inwardly sighed, if they were capable of finding them they would already be caught, or at least one would hope. "Raise the bounty by five thousand gold coins."

Karl became shocked "F-five thousand, Drik are you sure that's enough to fully arm our entire army! Already the bounty is enough to render the kingdom coinless!"

"Enough people have died by their hands. While I know some are killed by people having good intentions as they are potentially corrupt individuals capable of hiding their dark ways, most are innocents killed by those corrupt men who seek higher station they are undeserving. Though our empire may be able to hold the tides of corruption well, other kingdoms are not as fortunate. They must be stopped."

"Drik, my friend, tell me you aren't doing this out of anger, but a clear head." Silence was his response. "I cannot do so then, while I agree wholeheartedly that they need to be put down like dogs, one we cannot afford an increase, nor would it change anything. That bounty is the highest in five hundred years for Olgarth's sake! Already those who would be enticed such by coin already hunt for them or have died trying!" Karl shook his head "Clear your mind Drik, do you really think simply increasing the bounty would do anything? The network is working overtime trying to get everything done necessary and hunt those dunidids!"

"Then what would you have me do?" Drik spoke softly, with sad eyes "Already I am a prisoner on my throne. I leave these halls without weeks of preparation and my life is forfeit, and even if we do make those preparations there's a chance. I cannot lead my armies in a crusade across the land for the band of brigands. I cannot go out into the field and see the situation with mine own eyes. I cannot go and see how the people are and their situation. I cannot or everything already on a thin thread will snap. The things I am capable of are so great yet so limited Karl. I would think after all these years, you would understand best."

"But I do, thus I implore you to come to a decision after you've mentally sobered from your darker thoughts. Stultum would encourage a level headed approach to any situation no matter the danger nor importance."

Drik's eyes narrowed "That's a rather low blow to bring the recent dead into this."

"Yes, but it is necessary since your thoughts are influenced by his cruel departure." Karl stood resolutely.

Drik bit his lip, he knew Karl was right, but he couldn't shake the pictures of his teacher in his mind, his throat slit open as blood poured out. The sounds of an apparition demanding vengeance. He couldn't and would not allow his teacher to not be avenged, he didn't deserve to die by an assassin's hand simply because his enemies knew it would affect him. He was, is a good man, and Drik would not take no for an answer. "I, King Fedrik Ravid VII of the Galdian Empire, order you Karl Del Ravid, servant, spymaster, and propagator of empire, to obey my command which supersedes all others no matter the importance." Karl winced as a glow came from Drik's forehead, the king's authority, proof one was the rightful ruler. "I order you to divert all able resources to finding and eliminating the group of hands for hire who claim their name as The Corpsemen and hunt them to the ends of the land. To that end I release the seal upon your power so you may better fulfill your duties."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Karl's lip quivered as he kneeled, a dark red diluting his irises "By your will." And the dark of Galdian Empire would know fear once more.

--------------------

Reshiram flipped through paperwork, signing off on various documents, occasionally eyeing the figure in the corner. Six months had passed since the skeleton was bought and brought into his home and he had only grown if that was the apt term. If Reshiram would compare the then and now, previously the skeleton was like a silent three-month-old child, without any of the dietary needs. Now, it was like a two-year-old child. Able to move under its own power, but cause far too much trouble than it was worth. Rehsiram looked down at the papers again before a sound of glass shattering permeated the room. He sighed and then looked up to the skeleton hunched over trying to reconnect glass shards of an expensive vase. The skeleton looked at Reshiram and back at the broken vase, then back at Reshiram, then freezing up like a dog caught chewing up the furniture knowing full well it did something bad. 

Reshiram held the bridge of his nose, something becoming more and more common with the days passing. His anger was being held back by the mark much to his melancholy as he often found himself wanting an excuse to turn the skeleton into ash and be done with it.

"Come." and the skeleton approached like a timid child slowly "Do you know not to touch things?" the skeleton hesitated then awkwardly nodded. "And what did you do?" The skeleton made a motion with its hands of 'pushing' "And what happened?" The skeleton made another motion of his hand falling then something exploding. "And should you do things that break my stuff?" The skeleton immediately shook its skull. "And what do you say?" through a magical means not through the mark, the skeleton sent a jumble of an attempt at saying 'sorry', a prodigal improvement as this particular spell was the most difficult of its kind and took decades for the most skilled magic users as it allowed instant communication regardless of distance. Already the skeleton was more than halfway to mastering it, all that was left was properly sending the thoughts as the hard part was making the link. 

"Mhm, well go clean it up then, I don't want a single speck of glass left, understood?" The skeleton nodded and left the room, returning with a dustpan and broom and swept it up like the other servants. Reshiram sighed, wondering why it didn't use the cleaning spell he taught it. It is as it is he supposed and went back to his paperwork. The war had been ramping up and coming closer to his home. Not only that but his enterprises were facing hardship from the increase in banditry and skullduggery in the outlands and surrounding provinces. He decided it necessary to hire more mercenaries to guard the caravans, not like money was an issue for him after all. He only dabbled in trade for fun, but he still felt responsible for the lives of his workers. Just as Reshiram began to sign off on another document for acquiring certain product, another crash of glass filled the room and he outwardly groaned. He closed his eyes and laid his head back on his seat rest thoroughly annoyed by this point. 

A door opened after a few minutes, and in stepped Garius placing, even more, paperwork onto the desk. "And this is?"

"The requests for audience, aid, and other things by the elves that fancy themselves, warlords."

"Anything of actual importance?"

"Only what I gave you earlier my lord."

Reshiram nodded and the stack of papers burst into flame "Well, from now on unless a certain shaman knocks or sends such mail you can burn them, though I am certain I've told you such before?"

"You have, but they have started placing magic to verify you've touched the documents as they claim I am hiding them from you and a few say 'that one of such low birth should not be at such a great elf's side' though those are far and few between and most elves still are polite when politics are involved blessedly."

Reshiram nodded, understanding his troubles. "Very well, then since things are occurring simply bring them to me so I can burn the trash away." 

Garius nodded then turned around and noticed the skeleton once more trying to piece back something it broke. "More trouble with your pet my lord?" Reshiram sat silently in reply, shifting through more papers. Garius smiled and then went over to the skeleton and kneeled down. "You really should be more careful, should you have had flesh, you could have caused yourself great pain."

The skeleton looked at Garius and cocked its head, having heard what pain is but still not quite understanding as it held no way of feeling it save emotional and mental, though it didn't understand those at all. "Ah, I digress." Garius cast a spell cleaning away the broken glass for repairs later. "I forget what I am talking to at times." Garius stood up and strode out, the skeleton watching him leave.

Reshiram finally finished and placed down his quill, sighing in relief. He motioned to the skeleton "Come here, it's time for lessons." The skeleton rose and sat in the chair across from Reshiram, who then pulled a book from thin air. "Today's lesson will be on the basics of conjuration and summoning." and then began the lesson.

------------------------

The fight master smiled as he watched the two slaves pitted against each other. He quite enjoyed the scene as they fought tooth and nail to live another day or so like the dogs they were. He turned his gaze to his prize, the female hill giantess. Oh, a glorious six months of coin falling into his pocket it had been. The days that the giant fought on brought record-breaking crowds and everyone wanted a look at her. today was another one of those days, he looked through the hole at the massive crowd, no seat was empty once again. Already he could hear the sound of coins clinking in his pocket. Especially since the Lord himself was present. He licked his lips knowing he would be able to meet the powerful figure and wondered how he could make a connection to give himself, even more, prestiege and status. 

"Oh my ticket to power, how hard I'll work you." he smiled devilishly as his mind turned to pounding his wife later, the pig had been rather rude to him earlier, so she had to be punished. Maybe with a kid or two, the woman hated children after all. He laughed and began walking back into the tunnel leading to the cages. He had to ready the next two combatants and gather the guards to lead the giantess to her fight after that. His jumped and skipped a bit, giddy as a Sleipnir at the thoughts of screwing, coin, and rank.

Very dubious, for a dwarf that's absolutely full of himself and rather narcissistic that is.