17 The Volunteers

From early that morning members of the Zunbera-xefis were on duty announcing to the Kingdom a brief about the assassination Quest. Some posted and handed out fliers while others paced around with voice amplifiers to share aloud the news.

It was a Quest to rid the Vampire White Queen and stop the virus that was spreading from the realm of the Blood Elves. The route required traveling through six Domains, one of which was the Werewolves', and the brave assassins would come from the Zunbera-xefi as volunteers. The meeting for the volunteers was to be held later that day.

Rue looked forward to the event and was excited like many. For once she thought something exciting was happening and one she could freely talk about. Gossips and low chatters were about nothing else.

After completing her royal duties, to keep her mind busy until the evening she spent the rest of the morning training. She had been focused on improving her telekinesis. But unlike before no one interrupted her nor made their usual denouncing remarks because she already possessed it and she also had her guards around. Her first step was figuring out how to do it again.

She could tell by her guards' unrecognizable eyes peeking behind the masks that they had changed shifts. Now there was another set of Meras to wonder what on earth she was doing and increase her anxiety.

Recreating the ferocious image of one of those bloody mutts from her most recent memories helped. She could feel the weight of the pebble as if it rested on a part of her body instead of the ground, but she could not lift it. She continued with no major success until it was evening, the time of the meeting.

It was in the same grand temple and filled with only members from her order. Rue walked through the crowd as if she had difficulty deciding where she wanted to sit. It was either that or she wanted to lose her guards in the crowd.

Several Meras called her Werewolf slayer and even joked about her volunteering, but she laughed it off. She wondered about who would volunteer, some even cast bets.

Once every soul was seated and the time came, her father was the first to stand and walk through the parted crowd towards the center stage.

Loud noises and cheers followed behind him as they knew he would do great to honor the Mera name, especially since this was not his first time.

The last Quest was twenty years ago before Rue was born and before he became Chief. However, he wasn't the head of the Zunbera-xefi at that time and he couldn't do telekinesis.

He and Dayrue were the only ones to make it back alive. He became head of the order shortly after and after Rue was born the Chief of the Domain. Being the head of Zunbera-xefi meant he automatically volunteered once he took up that title. He would surely ensure that the name of the great assassins prevailed.

Soon one of the most powerful Meras was about to leave for that dangerous journey. Rue was not worried about him making it back as she had faith in him. Her mind went on to panic about what would happen once he was away.

Sir Lucius would take over many of his duties, and she would have additional ones added to hers for training on how to rule the Kingdom. The act of seeing his face every day would affect her for the worst she thought.

The other volunteer being the same build as her father and a distinct eye patch over his one bad eye automatically gave him away. He had almost orange-pink skin from being near the flames too much as he was a head cook for their order. His face had no hair not even lashes or brows, and black hair on his head was always tied back in a small bun.

His name was Roshar and he could serve you rock and get you to ask for more. She knew he wrestled dangerous giant boars from hunts outside the Kingdom. He believed in subduing them instead of killing them so he could serve them fresh. Though his arms were capable of breaking your neck, he was also skilled with a bow and arrow.

Rue believed his reason for going had something to do with being great friends with her father even before his days of becoming the Chief. He would have great company she thought.

As he made his way towards the center some pleaded for him not to go. He would come back to corpses as they would all starve without his cooking. The faces of the other head cooks were not pleased with those lunatic predictions.

One mischievous Mera stood and demanded, "Roshar I forbid you to leave!" before a rock hit his head and bursts of laughter started.

Roshar reached the center and her father gave him a hard pat on the back. There were louder hoots and bangs from bowls and pans.

It got silent again before the other volunteer stood up. It was the one they called Skinner. Unusual for a Mera, he had no tail and like his real name he nor anyone knew what happened to it. There were rumors that he cut it off to become the swiftest and aid in his sword fighting. Most also knew him from how annoying he was since he was a professional chatterbox.

He was lean and had long jet black spiky bangs that ended at his jaw while the back was always wrapped in a topknot ponytail. His skin leaned towards the purple shade and as always he had a toothpick or stem of a plant between his lips.

The cheers and claps that erupted were not for the same reasons as Cronan or Roshar.

"Good riddance!" shouted one from the crowd before others backed him up. They were happy to get rid of him.

Skinner held his head high to reach the stage with the other two. His arms folded, mouth pushed out, and his squinted eyes glared down at the despicable crowd as he mumbled to himself something not safe for public ears.

Rue was sure his reason for going was to prove himself as the greatest swords warrior ever as he always claimed himself to be.

The other volunteer stood up amidst the loud cheers and began to head for the center before most even noticed her. It was not long before it got dead silent. Nervous eyes from Meras that parted the path for both her and her guards locked onto the dagger she swung around in her hand.

It was Dayrue, the only other living telekine and so was also royalty. She was dumb at the mouth and so signed, but most knew how to sign since assassins needed to communicate without making sounds. She had her infamous bored expression with a hint of irritation. It was not surprising to assume she was going again for the adventure.

She had straight shiny black hair that hung down to hide one side of her head but it was shaved clean around both sides. Some say it was to clear the path for her hearing. Her defined cheekbones and slim nose stood out on the unhidden side. The dark purple paint around her eyes made her long lashes even more defined. She was pretty once you looked past her throat-splitting glare.

As more Meras began to notice the dagger in her hand life returned to the dead sea with claps and cheers. Skinner and the other two volunteers stepped aside to allow room for her and her guards to stand.

The fifth volunteer stood and walked towards the stage. His shabby neck-length hair hid both sides of his face, but his position in front of Rue from the other side of the stage made it easy to see those dark brown eyes unlike at the funeral. But those familiar features looked conflicting in the dark red Zunbera-xefi uniform. Rue had to blink several times as she felt she was being haunted by his face.

Mumbles started among the stone-faced attendees as he headed towards the center.

"Isn't that the newcomer? Who is he again?"

"Yeah, 'tis Ezra of Hyde-Salami."

Rue knew Ezra's father's name to be Hyde which confirmed the Mera she focussed on was Ezra. It was the annoying Mera who would visit her at times in the forest and sometimes walked with her until she reached a section close to the royal walls. Those feelings you never lose for your first crush caused her heart to wrench painfully inside her chest.

His hair cast a mysterious shadow on the upper parts of his face and made the bags under his eyes darker. It was an expression that showed a loss of life mixed with bitterness. He reached to stand among the volunteers.

Rue wondered what on earth he was doing and how was he there.

Curious eyes began to look around for any others that would stand.

To her surprise, she heard in her voice, "I would like to volunteer." It spread to the far corners of the temple before it went out and heads began to turn to cast their wide-opened and shocked gaze at her. The dead silence got disrupted from Meras assisting an elderly who had just fainted.

Rue realized she had volunteered and stood to her feet. Everything blurred and her head felt clogged from her thoughts too loud in her head.

"Why did I say that? I should have just stood up like the others. And what am I doing?" she asked herself as her body moved to walk towards the stage.

The Meras shifted and parted ways for her to walk and her guards followed with one in front.

Some of the young Meras especially the males on both sides of the aisle made their disapprovals clear through whispers. One even tugged on her trouser near her ankle.

"Don't go…" he pleaded. While others asked "Whyyyy?" -- "Is this a joke to you?"

It was one of those rare times she felt every inch of her tail behind her. Once again she was grateful for her guards as they helped suppress her nervousness.

However, her brilliant plan came back to her as if she had just thought of it. It shed every leaf of anxiousness and she was able to walk with her head held high and stood up there not too far from Ezra.

Her plan was brilliant. She would volunteer and convince Ezra not to go, while the news that she was going away on that dangerous Quest would make Callum plead for her not to go and take her back.

Among the wide-opened eyes and dropped chins, no one else volunteered and so the orator announced the six volunteers for the Quest. He reminded them that the door for volunteers would remain open until noon on the half-moon in four days, as well for any of the six to change their mind and withdraw.

Everyone sprung to their feet and the hums started again as they left to go about their business and spread the hot new news to the Kingdom.

At the orator's last words Rue felt the hand of her father on her shoulder.

"My dear Rue, I will need to have a word with you later."

"Sure," she replied without losing her lock on Ezra who walked away.

"Oh no you don't," she thought as her hands rolled into a tight fist.