DUTIES OF A CHIEF

Oh, by the gods, my head was pounding. I yearned to lie down in my bed and drift away into bliss. But I couldn't. As the Chief of Dagon City, things needed to be done, so I sat in my cold study lit by the glass chandelier that I feared may one day come crashing down upon my head...

Ah—dammit. I was becoming sidetracked and accidentally miswrote a number within the ledger before me. I sighed and placed down my charcoal pen. I put my face into my palms... I needed a moment to close my eyes—

CINDA

Sire?

My servant uttered softly.

LEON

Yes?

I responded into my palms.

CINDA

Sir Donatello is here.

I raised my head to lay eyes on my Treasury Keeper Donatello, towering seven feet tall, drabbed in a wolf coat, custom-made to fit his size. I didn't even hear him walk in. Strapping gent he was, with such brawny features, none would take him for an experienced merchant. His soft pink eyes would tell others a different story, unfortunately.

LEON

My apologies, Don.

He shook his head sincerely, his bright, golden short hair quivering along. His dark orange lips parted in a smile, creating dimples in his light pink skin as he bowed courteously.

DONATELLO

Shall I take over the rest?

I rested my chin on my knuckles,

LEON

I took on more than I could handle, didn't I?

DONATELLO

I am grateful, honestly, but I did not want to take you from your other tasks.

I waved that off,

LEON

Easy dealings Don. But...

I exhaled heavily, eying the ledger before me.

LEON

How bad is it?

I asked him bluntly, and he pursed his lips before materializing one creditor's ledger at a time—North Star, Fire Kingdom, and Earth Kingdom.

DONATELLO

Solid Blaze of North Star. His party consumed little of our resources, but he indeed took advantage of the first meal.

I massaged my temple,

LEON

Don't remind me.

DONATELLO

Both North Star and the Fire Kingdom placed a heavy burden on the city's food supplies. And Cain and his lot are still draining by the minute. By the time these two nations repay their rations in trade, winter will be upon us. And we still have not received the wagons of winter wheat from Sante June.

LEON

But, even with the restocking of food, we are still in debt.

He nodded his head in agreement,

DONATELLO

I consider we stock the food and only sell it to the highest bidder.

I scowled,

LEON

That's not particularly nice.

But he smiled back,

DONATELLO

If you want to stay in debt, don't.

LEON

I can not raise taxes any higher than it is,

I sighed in frustration as I remembered my miscalculations about Layondo.

LEON

Such a ridiculous move—on my part. I should've left them be for a while longer.

DONATELLO

Still cursing yourself over Layondo?

Don smiled at me softly before pulling up the crafted leather chair, and I nodded for him to sit.

DONATELLO

I thought it to be the wise sire. But who would have thought those vampires would be bare, harboring nothing of value.

LEON

Such a waste. And we lost our only Cleric.

I leaned back and allowed my mind to run, but Don seemed as if he had something to say.

LEON

I can see the words Adventurer's Guild hovering over your head.

I said, taking a wild guess at what he was thinking about. He nodded in admission,

DONATELLO

It will do well sire, trust in it. But I wanted to suggest something.

I leaned forward,

LEON

Oh, by all means, Don, don't hold back.

DONATELLO

The adventurers from the Earth Kingdom and those from the north on Solid's tail are still here. Rather than expending our guards and future soldiers, we can contract them cheaply to scout the southern wilds and slay the beasts that hinder our growth.

I pursed my lips. To be honest with myself, I didn't have much to say on the matter. After my horrible mistake regarding Layondo, I began to lose faith in my own decisions. It was a good thing, actually. I began to lean on my aids and trust their suggestions and advice.

LEON

Draft a provision for it and send it to me.

His smile widened, and he nodded sincerely. I could read it up and down his body that he was eager to get this Adventurer's Guild running. He knew more about it than I, so there was nothing more I could say on the matter.

DONATELLO

You will not regret this, sire. I can assure you.

He stood as a thought ran across his face.

LEON

Something else?

DONATELLO

When will you abandon your private study and claim your rightful place in the Great Study?

I took a deep breath— this again. I'm not ready to sit in my father's place.

DONATELLO

Personally, it's quite bothersome coming this far to speak with you.

I shrugged in annoyance,

LEON

When I am ready. When I truly deserve to sit there, I will.

He nodded, and I hoped he understood where I was coming from.

DONATELLO

Pardon my leave, sire.

After working for several hours in my study, I took a break. With Kendo, another female servant, and two Guardians, I took a stroll to the East Guard Barracks that sat between the two east gates—an entrance control area. Recently, I had the area approved as a new training ground for guards and soldiers. Only because the east gates were rarely used compared to the west and north gates.

Upon arriving, I was greeted with three formations of young boys practicing basic sword maneuvers with wooden swords while wearing lightly padded leather armor. Leading them was one of my Captain of the Guards, Boradashire, cladded head to toe in full steel plate armor that harbored the city's golden griffin emblem upon its chest piece. A halberd in his right hand, a sword at his hip, and a kite shield in his left hand.

He glanced at me through the visors of his helm,

BORADASHIRE

At ease, gents!

And the boys tipped their swords into the ground and grabbed the hilts with both hands. I smiled at their obedience as Boradashire hailed me.

BORADASHIRE

Good day sire!

LEON

Good day Bora.

I strolled to his side and faced the formation of boys with a warm smile.

LEON

The future warriors of Dagon stand before me, am I right?

BOYS

Yes, sire!

They shouted as one. I chuckled, knowing the future of Dagon City was maneuvering in the right direction.

BORADASHIRE

Dismiss!

The boys saluted, placing two slightly bent fingers across their chest—the sign of the griffin—before dispersing in a chaotic buzz of childish banter and laughter.

BORADASHIRE

What brings you here?

His voice echoed from out his helm. I nodded him along as we strolled slightly away from the children and other guards on duty.

LEON

Pardon us.

I excused Kendo and my personal guards to give us some privacy.

LEON

How's the armor?

I asked, figuring the suit was incredibly burdensome, but Bora laughed and reached for his helm.

BORADASHIRE

It is great sire!

He struggled slightly to get his helm off,

BORADASHIRE

Other than taking the helm off, of course, the weight of this armor is perfect for passive physical training.

He finally got his helm off, revealing his sporadically blue and black patterned hair, deep blue eyes, and pale white face.

BORADASHIRE

You mentioned Link made this?

He asked in disbelief, and I nodded.

LEON

It's hard to believe we had such a talented blacksmith right beneath our noses.

I sighed before continuing on,

LEON

Also a bit stubborn he is. But, that matters not—where is Gate?

BORADASHIRE

He's out south, sire. Torturing the older soldiers with his training regiment.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I chuckled and looked over at the sound of construction near the southern section of the city walls.

BORADASHIRE

Quite the sudden influx of commissions,

He began to pry,

BORADASHIRE

The captain's armor, the walls, the start of an army—care to satiate my curiosity?

I smiled as I thought about the previous weeks of being painfully belittled by Solid, a Major Commander from the North Sky Kingdom, and Cain, the Executioner from the Fire Kingdom. Two of whom can literally raze this small city to rubble on their own if they tried. I shook my head solemnly at the thought before my mind remembered the death of Layondo, a vampiric nightwalker that I was forced to betray.

LEON

That night, when both you and Solid could move faster than my own eyes could see and protect me from Layondo. I knew I was not meant to be a fighter.

I turned back to look at the inspiring young guards and soldiers roughly playing with each other in front of the guard's barracks.

LEON

I tried to be like my father—a strong warrior for years. Tch, my duty as Chief was not to be my father. It was to be Chief of Dagon City.

I exhaled deeply out my nose, noticing frustration seeping into my voice. I eyed him with a wry smile,

LEON

Satisfied?

BORADASHIRE

Absolutely, didn't mean to—

I shook my head and waved him off,

LEON

No—no worries. I came to speak to Gate, but you will do, regarding your upcoming trip to the Earth Kingdom.

I spent nearly an hour discussing Boradashire's upcoming trip. In hindsight, I should've called him or Gate to my study to discuss. But I focused ahead and returned to my estate.

With only three grand structures—the Great Study, the Great Court, and the Great Galley, we quickly strode into the Great Court that took up the east side of the estate. Inside, I met with Judge Chambers in his private living quarters to discuss his new position as Chancellor of Dagon City.

CHAMBERS

Good day sire,

He greeted me with a salute from the center of his lavishly red and gold-designed quarters. As usual, he wore the Justice attire—a black silk cloak, tunic, and pants. His light pink and white hair was tied back, barely long enough to be called a ponytail.

LEON

Good day.

I returned the greeting and stepped along his velvet carpet towards him to return the salute. We then sat down in fat velvet chairs across from each other. To my left, flanking the fireplace, were packed bookshelves, and standing before them were Chambers' two female servants.

One of them stepped forward,

SERVANT

Anything to drink, sire?

She asked with a bow.

LEON

Hot tea if you have it.

SERVANT

Right away, sire.

LEON

Also, make it sweet, please.

She nodded and took off to the back. I looked into Chambers' pearly white eyes as his pale face parted in a wide smile.

LEON

You seem to be in a good mood.

I pointed out, and his smile parted into a grin.

CHAMBERS

Before I say this,

He started, his voice soft and quiet while his eyes darted to the floor to search for the words.

CHAMBERS

I enjoy being the Judge of the City. But, I have longed to do something new—get away from the city's problems for just a day.

I smiled, somewhat understanding his plight. I couldn't imagine the number of petty problems he kept from reaching my ears.

CHAMBERS

I must say that my time as a Judge prepared me for this new role.

LEON

Have you found a replacement?

He looked back up at me and nodded eagerly,

CHAMBERS

Yes, I have. I made the decision this morning.

His eyes fell back to the floor, and his face scrunched up.

CHAMBERS

He's a bit like me. He, unfortunately, cannot show sympathy for others' misfortune.

I tilted my head at such a flaw.

LEON

That may be a problem...

Chambers nodded again,

CHAMBERS

Well aware, sire. He is well-talented, and his problem-solving ability is valuable despite his lack of emotions.

I shrugged and clapped the golden armrest,

LEON

Well, if you say so. I will trust your decision.

CHAMBERS

Thank you, sire.

LEON

So, the matter at hand.

I paused as the servant returned with my glass cup of tea and placed it on the table beside my chair.

LEON

You will be escorted by Boradashire and seven of our strongest Guardians. We're preparing the wagon and horses, and Don will soon decide which merchants will be heading out with you. Per your instructions, you advised there are no ladies or girls present.

He nodded sincerely,

CHAMBERS

Judging the attitudes of adventurers from the Earth Kingdom, tensions are still high with the announcement of the first Earth Queen.

I shook my head in disbelief as I reached for my cup of tea.

LEON

Quite bizarre, isn't it? For a kingdom that never respected ladies to be blindsided by a wealthy lady taking the throne?

I took a sip as Chambers chuckled in agreement.

CHAMBERS

As I mentioned before, sire, there are no royalties in that kingdom. If one is rich enough, one can buy the kingdom's throne.

He was right, but then I thought about Murphy Ververnot—mentioned to me by Don as the richest gent in the Earth Kingdom. I shook off the thought, less I became distracted.

LEON

We have set the day of departure to be on the fifteenth of 2nd Kaze, a solid week before the arrival of winter.

I thought about it for a moment.

LEON

You're positive you do not want to leave earlier?

Chambers shook his head as he responded,

CHAMBERS

I've placed my trust in Donatello's words about the winter trades that happen in the Earth Kingdom.

Tch—Don had persuaded Chambers to partake in the Earth Kingdom's winter trade. It was common for kingdoms to rely on internal trading during the winter as traders were sparse throughout the lands. Having Chambers arrive just as the arrival of winter allows him to take advantage of the winter deals.

We talked for a few minutes, covering the minor details of his departure, his chancellor's robe that was currently being made, and the enchanted jewelry I personally ordered from North Star that Chambers would wear under his clothes to keep him safe from harm.

After my talk with Chambers, I headed to my study.

KENDO

Sire?

She called out for me as we passed through the Great Garden that sat in the center of my estate.

LEON

Yes?

She pointed to the statue of my father—

LEON

Oh! By the Gods!

I nearly forgot again to pay respects to my father.

LEON

Thank you, Kendo!

Since my father passed away, I would come to pay respects by apologizing before his statue.

LEON

I'm sorry, father.

But, to be honest, I completely forgot what I was apologizing for. I reached down to flip open the door of a small compartment carved within the statue's base.

GUARDIAN

Sire!

I nearly jumped out of my skin as my head snapped over to the Guardian standing a few feet away from the stairs of the Great Study.

GUARDIAN

Sir Donatello requests a meeting, sire! Quite urgent, he says!

I exhaled and made my way toward the Great Study with haste.

The west wing of the Great Study housed the Hawk's Tower. The base of the tower was a room of never-ending noise, with merchants and clerks running around the entirety of the tower. But today, it was turbulent as ever as merchants were hooting and hollering.

LEON

Kari Jokul's robe,

I swore under my breath,

LEON

What the hell is going on?

Before the column of spiral steps was Don's desk, and standing before it, with his back towards me, was Don with a fat Black Hawk upon his arm.

LEON

Don?

He spun around, his face lit with excitement.

DONATELLO

Sire! Great news from North Star and the Earth Kingdom! They recognized our land claim to the south.

He snatched an official scroll off his desk and handed it to me. I unfurled it with a quick grin at Don. My eyes scanned the document and saw that it was true. I doubled back at the last few personal words written by the Chancellor of North Star, It's about time.

LEON

Yes,

I nodded to myself,

LEON

It is about time.

I rolled the document and returned it to Don, who took it with a firm grin.

LEON

What?

I asked, wondering what he could be holding out on me.

DONATELLO

North Star has also agreed to purchase the artifact.

A chill ran down my spine as I was filled with joy and a hint of grief about the artifact. We found an artifact after betraying Layondo and scouting out the ruins he and his fellow vampires settled within. I knew nothing about artifacts other than they were dangerous and powerful.

LEON

What was their offer?

I asked, feeling the anxiety swell up within me. Don opened his mouth and uttered slowly,

DONATELLO

Seventy million and two hundred thousand puries.

My jaw dropped in absolute shock. I wanted to jump around like a ten-year-old child at such news.

LEON

That's—

I couldn't even find the words as I tried to gesture with my hands.

DONATELLO

I know, sire!

He agreed spontaneously, nearly shaking with joy. Kendo and my guards began to snicker at our display of proper joy.

A thought came across Don's face as he suddenly remembered something.

DONATELLO

Ah! More news, sire.

He gestured to the Black Hawk on his arm.

DONATELLO

We were able to pull our request from the Fire Kingdom about the artifact.

LEON

Fantastic!

I exclaimed, feeling a bit of weight leaving my shoulders.

LEON

Because of Cain, I believe?

And Don nodded unquestionably.

LEON

Can't have them know of our artifact. What about the Earth Kingdom?

He shook his head while still smiling with joy,

DONATELLO

We're still waiting for a response from them, sire.

We stared at each other for a moment, smiling with glee before Kendo blurted out in laughter.

KENDO

I'm sorry, sire.

She apologized.

LEON

No—no, this is great.

I assured her,

LEON

Really a great day!

The entry doors swung open with a loud thud. Another sudden chill ran down my spine as I spun around to see Otis, our second and newly promoted Captain of the Guards.

His orange-bluish face was drenched with sweat, and his black eyes, swimming in a deep blue sclera, were scrunched up in frustration.

OTIS

Sire! Troubling news!

He attempted to fix his composure as he marched towards me. The noise began to die down as he approached me.

LEON

Speak, what is it?

OTIS

One of Cain's soldiers had an argument with an adventurer.

He looked away momentarily to prepare himself to utter the following words.

OTIS

The soldier is dead, and Cain is searching for revenge.