Prologue: Darkness Cover

Euileen clapped happily as he watched the spinner spin. Unknown to him he had an audience. His gleeful laughter cutting a wound deep into the person who solemnly watched from behind the glass.

“Juileen, I know you know who this is. You know what situation you becoming a part of a Strike Force Team put this someone under. Your constant refusal to follow orders and act in the proper disciplined way is starting to grind down on our patients. Your warning is clear, and you will carefully watch this or face further disciplinary action.

“Boys? He’s all yours.”

Juileen watched in horror as three men twice his age swept into the room, their faces set in sneers that made his blood run cold. With fast motions they had grabbed Euileen and pulled him to his feet.

“Your brothers been bad little one, unfortunately we can’t do anything physical as punishment to him as he is needed in top condition. But I think if the punishment for him were to go to you, the message would be clearer.” Before Euileen could utter more than a pathetic whimper, both boys knew exactly what punishment Euileen would receive on his twin brothers behalf, a gag was roughly forced into his mouth.

With quick movements the men tied Euileen’s hands to a ring in the ceiling so as to hang him from his hands before violently ripping the shirt from his body. With that they left the boy hanging while they left the room.

Ten minutes later the men returned, this time with whips.

“As you can see Juileen, each of these men held a different whip. One of soft supple leather, the second of hard unforgiving leather and the last plaited with sharp metal bits. Each will hurt your brother, but progressively they hurt more and can in the case of the last whip leave lasting marks on his flesh. For now we shall start with the first whip, but if there is a next time the punishment will be worse. Twenty lashes boys.”

With the instructors command the first man stepped forward beginning the lashes. After the second one Euileen was screaming. By the twentieth small trickles of blood could be seen, they had broken the skin of his brothers back. By this point tears were flowing down Juileen’s face as well as Euileen’s.

“You have learnt your lesson Juileen?”

“Yes sir, I have sir.” Juileen’s voice came out soft but hard. The respect present was not something he was actually feeling.

“Good, you will attend to cleaning your brother; you will not speak to or heal him. AM I heard clearly Strike Member Yult-four?”

“Crystal sir.”

With that the training master left the boy. Juileen made his way stoically into the room, clinically cleaning his brother. Although not a word was spoken his twin understood and forgave him. Both had been close all their life and Euileen would take any punishment for Juileen and forgive him as would Juileen for Euileen.

~~~

The seven kingdoms were in complete chaos, over the last seven days nearly all the members of the leadings families of the seven kingdoms had been assassinated. It had left the kingdoms in complete anarchy as the only people able to take up the mantle of leaders were not even out of the crib or exiled in disgrace for unspeakable deeds against the people.

This was not an ideal situation for most, but for the culprits it was like a gold mine.

Over the past seven days the best of the ‘Moonshield Academy’ had snuck into the castles of the leading families and slaughtered them in cold blood. The only ones left alive were children under the age of one.

The scenes that met those who were servants on the mornings after the slaughters were the bodies of their rulers and their rulers’ families in their beds still looking almost as if they were peacefully asleep. The blatant sign of their non living state their missing heads. Those heads later found throughout the city piked and on gruesome display for all to see.

What had been accomplished that night was the start of a twenty year war. As each of the seven ruling families of the seven kingdoms had only left one child heir under the age of one it would be twenty-one years before any was old enough to take their place as ruler by the laws that governed their right to rule.

As a precaution each of the seven babies was sent to a small secluded island outside the reach of any of the seven kingdoms and those that might wish to control and or harm the children. As their protectors the fiercest warriors of the seven kingdoms.

But with no one to rule a string of corrupt governors and regents were put into place. Wars broke out and soon the seven kingdoms were demolished. Soon after thirteen distinct groups had formed. Ten dictatorship rules by force and three rebel army groups.

These groups fought and bickered. And in the background, children were going missing, their families being found dead the night after.

Where these children were taken… the infamous Moonshield Academy. At the academy they were taught how to fight, and how to kill. They were to be the next generation of super assassins, like those who had destroyed the thousand year peace of the seven kingdoms. Twenty years later the thirteen elite groups were sold like cattle at market to select leaders. Their lower ranked comrades used as supplements when they were themselves killed. These assassins themselves nothing but children.

And while this happened, the next leaders were secluded in ignorance, learning all the skills they would need when they once again took their place in the world of the seven kingdoms as the leaders. Little knowing the absolute turmoil their kingdoms faced while they grew.

~~~

It was late at night, well past the strict curfew that had been placed on citizens not three weeks previously. In the small beachside town all was silent, not even the sot scurrying of rats could be heard. With a grace born completely from practice a cloaked figure strolled through the town as if it were not so late or so dangerous to be out. His destination could be easily guessed to the most casual of observers, but with the curfew there was no one to observe his passing but those who were waiting for him at the end of the street.

Unlike the figure cloaked in black the figures at the end of the street were bathed in the bright light of a nearby street lamp. With a slight bow in greeting the cloaked figure came to a stop a meter outside the circle of light, patiently he waited for the others to address him.

“What news Kaelin? Will have we a deal?”

“They will be ordered to attack the central rooms. If you can subdue them they are yours, otherwise it is out of our hands.”

“Good, Good. The Yve Emperor and his family shall be killed by the time the sun rises after their ill fated attack. You may go organise your attack Kaelin, don’t sent too many the unneeded will be killed on sight if they have not fled already once those fur have been captured.”

“Very will Caisen Saber. When next we meet, shall the spirits shine on you till then.” With the murmured farewell General Kaelin Guave turned and walked silently away from the group of four men.

“Can he be trusted Caisen?” asked one, the youngest of the group.

“Of course not Lieutenant, he would betray those of his own army for the death of another leader. But I doubt he knows who he is really dealing with in this case.”

With a final disgusted look after the cloaked figure the men who had been waiting turned and left the town. They had their own dealings to complete before the sun rose the next day.

Miles away, unsuspecting of the plots against them four figures slumbered in their chambers, blissfully unaware of the adventures the fates had in store for them.

~~~

This scene played out thirteen times over a single month, the thirteen assassins groups swapped for simple assassinations or even at times gold and jewels. The Moonshield Academy keeping their rigorous training schedule like nothing was amiss.