The King's Traitor

Episode 1 - The Huntress

 Kira's POV

    The moon was full and the sky unusually clear as I perched on the roof of an abandoned pharmacy in the slums of Reign. Reign, the capital of Dorlonia, had been my home for the past 11 years. I wasn't from Reign, no I was from a tribal village in the mountains. The village was small and one of the many belonging to my tribe, Dark Moon, it was called Lusnayin meaning "Lunar" in my native language. 

    Dark Moon was a warrior tribe. Which meant that my people were trained to be warriors in the King's army from the moment we were born. If you weren't born with the skills of a warrior then you weren't well appreciated. My people didn't take well to runts. We tended to be brutal, unforgiving, and prideful. I know, I know we sound absolutely lovely. But when it came to Dorlonia it was either killed or be killed. And I didn't intend to be killed. 

    Suddenly a flash of movement caught my eye in the street below immediately gathering my attention. "Gotcha" , I thought to myself as a smirk spread across my face. I slipped off the roof and fell, landing silently on the ground twenty feet below. I began to stalk the man moving in front of me my blood red cloak billowing behind me in the wind. I had the cowl pulled around my face so no one would catch sight of me. I moved gracefully, silently, the movement of a predator stalking it's prey. The only thing that might give me away now would be if the man in front of me had Demon senses. He didn't, I knew that for a fact. I had known this man since I first came to Reign 11 years ago.

    The man glanced over his shoulder as I quickly slipped into the shadows of an alley. "This moonlit night is not giving me the advantage" I growled to myself in my head. The man with the brown eyes glanced around perhaps he figured out I was following him? "Naw I've never been caught" I thought giggling to myself silently. The man whirled around and began to quicken his pace. "No", I thought, "He's the one that doesn't want to get caught". He thought he could escape me. That thought alone almost had me in stitches.

    I slipped out of the shadowy alley and continued to follow him. I decided to stay in the shadows it would make my life, and the end of his, easier. Much to my dismay, as I quite enjoyed how my night was going so far. He kept me following him for about 20 minutes leading us deeper, and deeper into the slums. The deeper you got into the slums the harder it was to stay hidden. You had many witnesses and people gathering in the streets begging.

     I watched as the man walked up to a barely standing, ancient looking brick building with a hunched back man standing in front of it. The brown eyed man and the hunchback talked for a few minutes with many gestures tossed back and forth. I studied the hunchback as Brown Eyes disappeared inside. "You're not a Hunchback are you?" I questioned myself. He moved too quick, and if you listened you could hear the clink of metal on metal under his ragged cloak, and clothing. He was more than likely a hired mercenary disguised to fit the part of a beggar. "Very clever, points to you" I thought as I approached the "Hunchback". 

    "How can I help ya Lass?" the Hunchback grumbled face hidden by his cloak. I had a feeling he was much younger than he appeared. Plus with his accent it was obvious he was from somewhere to the far South.

    "I hate to bother you Sir" I murmured trying my best to sound like a heartbroken young child. With my height I unfortunately could easily pull off a teenager. Let me tell you it sucks to be 5'2.

    "Out wid it Lass! Ain't got all day!" He growled. It only made me grin under my cloak he was professional, I'd have to give him that. He honestly played the role of a street beggar easily. 

    "Well it's just my Mother", I sighed, "She's taken a spill in the alley over there and I really need some help getting her to our little shack".

    "Lookie here Lass how da hell is a cripple like meself sposed to help you out" He sighed. Perhaps he did have a bit of a heart. To bad I was going to carve it out.

    "Please!", I begged starting to sniffle trying to sell my part, "It's not far I promise I'll never bother you again!"

    "Fine move it Lassie Im on limited time here" He sighed obviously annoyed by my begging.

    "Oh thank you Sir! Gods bless you!"  I cried gripping his arm in thanks where he shook it off murmuring something about "Slum trash" making me giggle. "Now I've really got you" I thought to myself with a wide grin on my face, hidden only by the cowl of my hood. 

    I let the Hunchback walk in front of me just slightly while I guided him to a close by alley I had observed when walking by. It was empty which only made my life easier. I stood in the entrance of the one way alley. It was only about 20 feet in length and 30 feet wide. I stood slightly baffled as the hunchback stood to his full height. "s**t", I thought "He's got to be at least 6'8". With my midget height he really did dwarf me, but the question was. Why was he blowing his cover?

    "Cut the s**t Lassie, I know wit dat accent you got to be a noblity, or a guard" he sneered unsheathing a long-sword from where his hump was supposed to be at.

"Interesting" , I mused in my head, "That's a new trick I might have to steal it."  I knew of a lot of places to hide swords, knives, and all that stuff, but I have to admit masquerading as a hunchback was a new one.

    "Actually if we're being completely honest here", I teased sliding back and forth across the entrance way to the alley gracefully, "I'm neither, but I'm flattered you think I'm of Noble blood". He looked at me with eyes full of hatred. It was obvious that he didn't care much for Dorlonians or their King. Oh well not's like he would last through the night anyways.  

    "Not dat I care Lass, but now dat you bew my cober Im gonna hav to kill ya!" He spat with a bright manic grin stretching across his brute face. He had scars covering his face, blue eyes, and blonde hair. To be honest if he wasn't my enemy he'd be good looking.

       "Acutally Lass", I spat teasing him the look on his face priceless, "You're the one who's going to be kicking the can tonight". He studied me for a moment with a look of interest.

    "Who'd ya tink you are Princess? I'd like to see you take down the dreaded Igor!" He exclaimed cockily, and excitedly. Studying me even more. He didn't see me as a threat and I knew it 

    "Stupid mistake Igor" I thought to myself. I could take him down with my hands tied behind my back. 

    "Me?", I questioned gesturing to myself, "You really care who I am?", I said teasing him, "Well if you absolutely must know..."

    "I'm Alexander Astefan's High Huntress, and tonight is the night you die" I crooned. The color drained from his face as I reached into my black riding boots with gold buckles, and pulled out a matching pair of silver daggers that had rubies encrusted in the hilts. 

    "By that look on your face I guess you've heard of me", I clapped excitedly as I giggled, "That makes this soooo much more fun!" As I brandished my daggers and lunged for him.

    Brown Eyes POV

    My hands were sweating nervously as I opened the door to the warehouse. This isn't the first time I've made a journey to this place lately. No it seemed as if all my waking moments were filled with fear for these few minutes I'd be here. I'd left Igor outside to guard from intruders, he worked for my boss that I was meeting here tonight. 

    The warehouse itself was ancient in appearance. The bricks beginning to crumble, the ceiling with water stains, rats running on the floor, and many, many bugs. It was a far cry from my lavish Noble Mansion in the heart of Reign.

        "Glad to see you could make it Jaconis" I heard a man exclaim. I looked up tasting the metallic taste of fear on my tongue to see my boss sitting at a lavish chestnut desk with gold accents. A humorous addition to the aged state of the warehouse. My boss met my eyes and a chill ran down my spine, and the first thing that ran through my mind was "Demon scum". 

    My boss seemed human enough with his chestnut brown hair styled into a pompadour, light stubble on the face, stocky, tall, and well clothed. Too well clothed for the slums, but his dead giveaway of race was his eyes. I caught his eyes at that moment, and I was staring into the eyes of a cat. Greenish-yellow with black slits in the center. Those eyes could scare a man to death just as they did me.

    "Now tell me Jaconis did you bring me news of Astefan's plans to relay to my superiors?" He questioned. He'd have tons of superiors, and then they'd have superiors in order during wartime, like now, to keep their Nobilities identities a secret. 

    "I wasn't able to get them Boss", I murmured dejectedly keeping my eyes on the ground, "Astefan doesn't tell us his plans."

He snarled at that, and I mean an animalistic snarl showing off his extended canines that all Demons had. "What do you mean you couldn't get it!". "I've given you too much time all ready!" He yelled causing me to cower and shake in fear.

    "Please sir!", I begged, "I just need more time please don't hurt my family!, I was crying now at the thought of him hurting my two month old daughter, "I'll get them to you I promise!!".

But my boss never did answer my pleading. As I looked up in horror when I heard him make a choking sound only to find the tip of a knife protruding from his throat. Eventually he fell to the ground dead from asphyxiation and blood loss as I looked up to greet my savior, and thank him or her for saving my hide. Only to be greeted with my worst nightmare. 

The King's High Huntress

    Kira's POV

    I wiped my knife free of both Igor and the Demon's blood with the hem of my cloak and stared at Brown Eyes  from under my cowl. Finally, accepting that he wasn't going to start talking I slid the pair of daggers into my boots trying to calm him to the point of understanding. 

    "Hello Lord Jaconis" I purred looking him up and down, "What a sad bag of bones" I thought observing his deteriorated state from all the stress of the past few months. Lord Jaconis was one of the King's advisers, and had been at the Diamond Palace since I had first been there. He had shaggy brown hair, a clean shaven face, was as thin as a reed, at medium height, and had brown eyes.   

    "High Huntress" he gasped and stuttered, terrified of me. Obviously I didn't blame him.

    "I wonder what my King will think when he learns that one of his most precious Lords is a spy for Lyrion Morei?" I tutted drawing this out because in the end it made the game more fun for me. 

    "Please have mercy!" He cried only beginning to sob harder. It honestly annoyed me and I just rolled my eyes at him.

    "Now why would I do that?", I continued condescendingly, "Should I have mercy when you didn't have mercy for your own people?". "You sold priceless information to Lyrion Morei!" I shrieked angrily. 

     "No, no! I never gave him anything I promise!" He sobbed harder. Honestly at this point he should know that this begging wasn't going to earn him any points from me. 

    "Then why the hell would you sell your country out in the first place you little traitor twerp!" I growled. I was running out of patience and eager to kill him and go home to my soft goosedown bed. I highly doubt I'd get out of bed tomorrow morning. I was exhausted. Fighting Igor, and tracking this man down all night had really drained me. I didn't have the patience to listen to Jaconis's excuses. 

    "He threatened my family" Jaconis said softly, almost dejectedly as if he knew he was fighting a losing battle. I felt a pang of sympathy travel through me. I knew his wife Fiona had just given birth to a baby girl not long ago plus his son Edmond was only five. 

    "No!", I growled in my thoughts, "He is a traitor no matter, and traitor's deserve no mercy!"  My duty was to my King and my country first. This man could not be allowed to live

    "You cost yourself your life when you first became a spy for the Morei Brother's", I said neutrally as I crossed my arms over my chest playfully, "Perhaps if you would've come to Astefan for help then you might live to see your children one last time".

    "Do as you wish to me Huntress", he said with the look of a man who has given up, "but all I ask is that you spare my family. My Fiona, Edmond, and Seera had no part of this". I felt sick, what would become of his family? I wasn't completely heartless, but I had no matter in the handling of his family. 

    "The King has every final decision I play no part in it. Your family and their well being is of no concern to me" I growled tiring of this conversation more with each passing minute. I needed to get out of here before Igor's body was discovered in the alley. I had no interest in dealing with witnesses not tonight. Not when I was not level headed enough to maybe spare their lives. 

    "I guess the rumors were true the King truly did find the perfect woman for the job", he jabbed before spitting the last part venomously at me, "a heartless, cold b***h to play his little lapdog!"

    I freed one of my knives from my boot, and stalked close to Jaconis who was kneeling on the ground and glaring up at me. I chuckled humorlessly before answering him "You forgot something?". He looked at me confusedly for a heartbeat before his face went ashen, and I sliced my dagger across his throat. He collapsed choking. 

    "I'm also a heartless, trained killer, but I'm sure that you know that by now" I crooned as I slid my knife back into my boot. I surveyed the warehouse noting the two dead bodies and anything that could implicate myself. Finding nothing I walked back up to Jaconis's body and pulled his seal necklace off his neck. The necklace had his house seal upon it easily telling everyone he was a man of power. It would also prove to Astefan that I had indeed caught the traitor. Once of course I brought back one other thing.

    I approached the Demon who I had killed earlier and gave him a once over. A average, middle aged human looking man with his brown pompadour, stubbly face, and good build. He would've been a warrior had he been a true human, but alas he was a Demon, and his cat-like green eyes easily gave that away. "At least Demons can't come back from the dead." I thought to myself as I shivered voluntarily. That would make them less humane then they already were. 

    I patted down his pockets searching for one thing and one thing alone. His crista as the Demons would say or crest as we would call it. It would tell me his rank in the Morei's army. I was hoping that perhaps I had taken down a Morei, but alas I didn't figure that a Morei would be a simple errand boy like this. And would you guess it I was right! He was just a mensageiro or messenger. "This man has never had contact with top branches." I thought to myself with a sneer. Useless to me, and more than likely useless to other Demons too. His ability probably had no value if he was this low in rank.

    I stood up and brushed myself off. Inside I was congratulating myself on a job well done. Tomorrow I would meet with Astefan and the High Hunter to discuss what happened here tonight. I would be long gone by the time the bodies were discovered, and everyone would think this was something that happened accidentally. No implication to King Alexander, the High Hunter, or myself. Not that they could do much if I was implicated, as I technically was doing my job.

    I wondered what Lady Jaconis would do now that her husband was dead. "Oh well not my problem." I thought to myself. If Astefan was being his usual charming self he'd probably strip the Jaconis family of any lands, titles, and riches. They would more than likely be shunned by Dorlonians. His daughter and son would have a hard life, but it was his fault for getting involved with Demons in the first place.

    I whirled facing the entrance as I heard a scream distantly. "Whelp someone found Igor." I thought to myself as I giggled silently. I quickly did a final walk around just to make sure everything was taken care of. "Time to get out of here before I get caught" I thought to myself as I silently took a running leap for a windowsill about 10 feet off the ground. I caught the ledge and eased the window open. Luckily there were no creaks or broken glass shards as I slipped to the ground and took off into the moonlight night.