1 Chapter 1 - A Minor Incident at the Southern Gates

Elissa had slept for most of the trip, but a bump on the road woke her up this time. She didn't like the empire's horse-drawn carriages very much, and if she had her way she would just walk to the capital, or, Gods willing, ride a horse. "Whose bright idea was it to add tiny glass panels to these stuffy metal boxes anyway? I can hardly see a thing," she thought to herself. A horse ride would have been nicer. Having nothing to do dampened her usually cheery attitude, and her imagined adventure with her equally imaginary trusty steed only made her sour, so she took to sleeping to make time go away.

Her older brother was sitting across her, looking sharp in a fancy but uncomfortable looking colonial military officer uniform, reading from a leather-bound journal. Elissa could see a small grin on his face, like he knew what she was thinking about.

"What's with the stupid face, Zephos?"

"Bear with this carriage for just a few moments longer, we're almost to the capital," the older brother, Zephos, said.

"Couldn't you have gotten us one of the better carriages? We literally had two carriages to choose from and you chose this dinky little thing instead of the one with an actual butler serving inside it."

"This carriage isn't the most comfortable, no, but it's one of the faster ones. It was made to be used by military officers for fast dispatch within the empire, so the coachman makes fewer stops compared to the ones used by the nobility. Also, since I'm an officer myself, I don't have to pay for it."

"Figures, you miserly bastard."

Zephos laughed. "That's no way to talk to your dear brother."

Elissa sighed, looking outside the window to watch the green hills go by. "Well, I would have liked a more scenic tour of the imperial mainland. It's my first time seeing a place that's so... grassy. And the plants and trees are all different. I'm surprised by how beautiful it is."

"You'll have plenty of opportunities to see the empire in all its majesty once you've enrolled at the academy." Zephos closed his journal, and joined his sister in watching the rolling hills. "There's certainly a lot to see here, some of which you may not like."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all."

"Hm." Elissa knew that when her brother deflected a question like that, there was no way to get him to talk about it further. She had tried many times in the past, and in all times she only got a variation of the same noncommittal phrase. Eventually, she took the hint and stopped egging him on (or she just became bored of prodding him for secrets).

They became quiet for a while, which Elissa took as an opportunity to sleep again. Zephos took to writing on his journal, displaying remarkable ease and skill with his handwriting despite the bumpy carriage ride.

"I'm glad you decided not to go to the military academy after all. Father may not approve of your choice, but you'll be happier this way. The realities of the path I chose isn't for someone who shines as bright as you do."

Elissa was fast asleep by then, and Zephos was left to his writing, smiling the whole time.

...

By the time Elissa woke up, the carriage arrived at one of the capital's less popular gates, stopping near a drawbridge where a crowd of travelers and merchants were lining up to get their luggage checked for contraband. It was noon, during the height of summertime, and the city guards didn't look too pleased with their postings.

Despite its lack of popularity with tourists, this gate was still quite imposing, protected by massive walls and a seemingly impenetrable steel gate. Elissa couldn't help but be awestruck; the sheer size of the capital city made the cities of her homeland, the Eprana Islands, look humble in comparison.

Elissa went out of the carriage first, stretching her limbs and back to rid herself of some of the weariness from the long journey. Some of the travelers watched her routine; while Islanders were not uncommon in the cosmopolitan capital of the Empire, it was rare to see one wearing such outrageous garb. She wore an open-back dress that is barely covered by long, silky black hair, revealing much of her smooth brown skin. The more prudish of the bunch looked away in dismay, while the more fashion-forward of the travelers examined the intricate crimson patterns of her dress. The scholarly ones even recognized the faint lines of a family crest on her right arm, and in silent astonishment, they discussed in hushed whispers if a certain someone came to visit the capital.

A leather belt on her waist held two curved swords on both of her sides, which scared the absolute wits of one of the younger looking guards. Good-natured tourists usually only had one sword, a rune, or none at all. "H-hey, don't cause any trouble now miss, you hear?"

Elissa finished her stretching, then smiled at the guard. "Don't worry, I won't." She then pointed at a cutpurse trying to pick a merchant's pockets in broad daylight, surprised that no one had noticed him. "I'd be more worried about him, if I were you."

The young guard's eyes widened as he saw the thief. "H-hey, you! Stop that right now!"

The other guards took notice and rushed to apprehend the thief. It was quick work, since he was lithe and not very strong, and he couldn't run fast enough to escape the comical encirclement the guards made in order to capture him. It was so fast that the crowd didn't even have time to panic. The merchant who he was about to steal from even felt a little sorry for how bad his luck was.

A tall man who looked like the captain of the guards stood up from one of the questioning booths. "What's with all the commotion here?"

"Sir! We caught a thief trying to steal from one of the caravans," the young guard said.

The captain sighed, then looked at the thief. "Is this him? He looks quite young."

"Yes, sir!

"Such a shame that youth is wasted on one such as you. Did you really think the proud guardsmen of Caelmere wouldn't have noticed your pathetic attempt at thievery?"

The thief snarled at the captain's patronizing question. "You think your guards are all that? These numbskulls didn't even see me until that girl over there had to go and snitch!" He pointed at Elissa, who became flustered since all attention was directed at her now.

"Leave the Islander out of this, thief. We have heard reports of the Thieves Guild's plan to conduct some sort of raid on the caravans, and I have been ordered by the High Overseer herself to investigate this trifling matter. You don't happen to know what they're planning now, do you? You seem like the type of urchin those brigands would send to scout for them."

"Urchin? I'm 17! And there's no way in the abyss am I working for those assholes! They have it easy. They can just bribe any one of you idiots and they can go about stealing vases and antique dragon dung from some noble's mansion! Why would they stop making easy money and start harassing merchants in broad daylight? It makes no sense!"

"W-well, it didn't seem to stop you from doing the same thing," the young guard said.

"Shut up! I didn't ask for your input!"

"Silence!" The captain hit him across the faces with a cane, leaving the thief with a stinging sensation that forced him into silence barring a few pained noises and a hateful glare towards the captain and Elissa. "You're going to tell us what the Guild's plans are and where they're hiding, and the abyss will be the last thing you'll worry about if you don't cooperate."

The crowd started to become uncomfortable with the whole situation. It seemed to them that the captain was giving out a much harsher punishment than the boy actually deserved, with him playing up some doubtful story about the Thieves Guild in a pointless showing of authority.

At that moment, Zephos emerged from the carriage. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Elissa. I was trying to find the Viceroy's letter of recommendation, and it turned out to be in one of your bags the whole time. I think you need to learn a thing or two from mother in organizing your things."

Elissa was still quite flustered. She was put into a situation she didn't want to be in, just because she reported a crime. "Zephos, now's not the time! Do something about this!"

Zephos glanced at the scene, sighed, and then scratched the back of his head. "I didn't take you to be a troublemaker, sister."

Everyone on the drawbridge was taken aback. -The- Zephos? Did they hear that right? Even the scholars who were half-expecting to see him were astonished. With a tranquil yet imposing presence, it seemed the very air around him warned the crowed of a calm before the storm. On his uniform was a Knight's emblem, with a custom design that signified the he was the sworn protector of the Prince himself. It really was him, wasn't it?

The Biting Gale himself, Knight Captain Zephos Astarte. The pride of the Eprana Islands, and older brother of the much lesser known Elissa Astarte.

Reactions among the crowd were mixed. There were those who thought him to be a power-hungry colonial who took advantage of his friendship with the Prince to rise rapidly within the military; they were none too happy to see him back in the capital, where he could play the royal court's game like a fiddle. Others were more receptive of his arrival: he is the hero that saved the capital from crisis all those years ago, after all. The young men and women in the crowd just wondered if the girl with the twin swords really was his sister, enviously thinking that the Astarte siblings were blessed by the God of Beauty himself.

The guard captain, though, felt an immense dread, and immediately stood to attention and gave the Knight Captain a salute. "Lord Astarte! Your presence in this humble outpost is both a great joy and honor!"

Zephos gestured at the captain to calm down, and smiled. "At ease, captain. Do you mind telling me what all the commotion is about? I do apologize if my dear sister caused you any trouble."

"Oh no, you're mistaken, your Lordship," the captain said, who took immense care not to say anything that might offend his superior. "Your sister wasn't any trouble at all. In fact, she was the one who alerted us of this thief right here."

"I see," Zephos said, looking back at his sister with a wry smile. Elissa knew that her brother already realized what happened in just a few moments witnessing the scene, and had already concocted an elaborate plan to do Gods know what. "I'm relieved to hear that my sister isn't a troublemaker, after all. That said, don't you think your treatment of this boy is a bit excessive? He doesn't even look look the right age to be accountable of such a petty crime."

The thief glared at Zephos and muttered, "Piss off, I'm not a damn child."

"My lord, we have grounds to believe this boy is in league with the Thieves Guild in an insidious plot to disrupt the peaceful commerce of the city with a raid that may even have innocents killed. We only need to interrogate him. I have orders from the High Overseer herself-"

Zephos interrupted him. "I know the High Overseer. She is a woman who is strict, meticulous, and often humorless. Yet she would never accuse a young boy of such a heavy crime, nor would she hurt him in a fruitless bid to capture the ones who are truly guilty."

"But my lord-"

"I've heard enough. If you wish to see this boy to justice, then I will handle this matter myself." He gestured at the young guard to untie the thief. "I'm taking him to the High Overseer."

The captain was now as pale as a ghost. "O-of course my lord, I will deign to your judgment."

Elissa thought that her brother's bullying wasn't dissimilar to the guard captain's harassment of the thief, although the crowd seemed more relieved than her to see the situation resolved.

Zephos ordered the guards to go back to their normal postings, including the captain, who was by now in quite a state indeed. Elissa didn't think he had the authority to order them around either, since he wasn't part of the Imperial Guard, but at this point any minor legal matter seemed to be swaying to the whims of the Biting Gale. "Are you even allowed to do that?"

"It should be fine. They're the ones who chose to follow my orders, anyway."

"I think I phrased my question wrong. Are you sure you should have done that?"

Zephos patted Elissa's head, rustling her hair. "I'm sorry that I caused you distress, Elissa. I had to use my prestige to do what I felt was right."

"Okay, okay, I get it. It's just weird seeing you so popular with people who aren't from the islands. Now stop patting my head, it's embarrassing!"

Zephos laughed. "Would you have liked it better if I left this boy to his fate, beaten and bruised by that awful captain?"

The thief tried to shake off some of the pain off from the beating he got earlier, then sauntered up to the siblings in a noticeable daze. "Hey, let's not tempt fate now. I'd like to thank you, tall guy, but it feels like you've gotten me out of a pickle and into a spike pit by taking me to the High Overseer."

Zephos turned to the thief. "I was bluffing. She wouldn't have given you the time of day. I have something better in mind, something that might actually benefit you."

The thief examined his military uniform and rolled his eyes at the Knight Captain's suggestion. "Listen, thanks for saving me there earlier, but if you're an army recruiter then you can buzz off. I've heard the same spiel from those soldiers at the Wards and I'm having none of it. I don't care about the Emperor and I'm not stupid enough to die for him."

"That's a bold thing to say to a military officer," Zephos said, amused by the boy's frankness. "I don't blame you, though. Dying for the Empire isn't something a boy should be thinking about, but I'm sure the recruiters would tell you otherwise. They're eager to spill blood, lest it dries on the soil and grass grows in the battlefield once more."

"Now that's... that's a bold thing for a military officer to say." Now it was the boy who was astonished by the Knight Captain's frankness.

"Not at all. I'm just running my mouth, saying things I really shouldn't. Now, about where we're headed--"

The thief interrupted him. "You know I can just run away from you, right?"

"But you aren't running, and you aren't my prisoner. Think of me as a sponsor."

"What?"

"I'm offering you an opportunity to walk the same path as my sister. A more honorable path than that of a soldier.

Elissa understood where this was heading. "Wait, you don't mean..."

"That's right. The Sefrayle Squire's Academy. I'm offering him a chance to become a Knight."