Echoes of steel scraped steel and grunts reverberated in the large chamber. Two men who were both about the same height and considered tall for an average man sparred with each other solidly, the sweat rolling off their very muscular bodies and forming small puddles on the floor. They both fought fiercely even though they only sparred, and now they paused with a silent but determined glares.

One of the men wore a red sleeveless doublet, lightened up with golden decor and long black pants bearing similar golden decor. He signaled to his sparring partner, a man wearing an aquatic single sleeved shirt which covered his right arm and long beige pants.

"That will be enough for now." The man dressed in red announced.

"Very well, My Lord." The second man replied bowing his head, accepting defeat graciously.

They both went to opposite sides of the room, rinsing themselves and put on their outer attire. A couple of boys came in to slide the Lord’s long robe on after he put on a black shirt, the robe clinging off his back and almost touching the ground. When he fitted his robe on with an assuring pull from the collar, he gave a final command to the second man who was leaving, having already dressed. He only removed his shirt and put on another that was the same as before, only now he wore a leather harness that held a blade almost as wide and long as he himself.

"Kain. I wish to have a meeting this evening with the other Generals, so as to oversee the results of the project and campaign." He ordered.

Kain’s voice was cold as ice in his reply, "Just as you wish, My Lord." The young boys followed closely behind the man as he left the room first.

As soon he stepped out, a young girl walked into the room. He never learned her true age, but from what he gathered he guessed she could not be older then nineteen. She stepped in front of the Lord and knelt, "You have summoned me, Emperor Malie?"

The emperor took his time as he washed his face in a clay bowl, after which he dried his hands and face on a rag. "Yes, I was hoping you would bring me compelling results from Kailogos."

"I bring results, but not ones you favor. I have met the son of Sotor, the Earth Blade user." She kept her head bowed in respect, he knew she did not deem herself worthy even of being in his presence. The only person she truly feared.

"You have the sword?" Malie inquired hopefully.

"I have failed to retrieve the sword. It was a replica, probably meant to mislead. I have identified it to be phony, but he has died with the truth." He could hear her hand grate on the ground, she was very frustrated for being tricked so easily. So was Malie, he did not expect her to fail so miserably.

Malie spoke calmly, he has learned from the best warriors that being levelheaded always yielded far better results then even the slightest hint of anger, "Hmm... That is disturbing news. He would never has told us, he is son of Sotor after all. Have you at least been able to pick up a trail?"

"That also became a failure, seems as if they expected us by at least a couple of days. I suspect the new guardian had already left by then, so any trail would have been thin. I have evidence though, to believe the new guardian is the grandson of Sotor. A guardianship of heritage, as it seems."

"Agh!" The Emperor knocked down a couple of candles lit on a table, letting out his obvious irritation. Then he composed himself, he would not let this trifle become a thorn in his skin. "You disappoint me Kathryn. You, the Mountain’s Empire General Assassin, leading our ambushes and assuring our frontlines, neutralizing our enemies and bringing justice to those who wreak havoc in the Empire. And yet you could not pick up a small sword, or it's fresh trail?" He finished with a demeaning tone.

Kathryn replied sullenly, "I apologize for my failure."

He knew she had failed and that that was enough of punishment to her. She would never break even if tortured, she was after all his best assassin. He paced in front of her, deciding what to do next.

"Well, luckily for you,” He remarked, “I have news of another Blade. Not long ago, I have received an update from one of our recon units, they have come across the son of Shavo Ainn. They surrendered in order to come back and report its recent discovery."

"That is excellent, we need that sword for the cause of the Empire." She added.

"Precisely, which is why I am sending you. This time though, the enemy doesn't need to be neutralized. I want him alive." He gestured his finger at her.

Kathryn lifted her head in surprise, "Alive?"

"Yes, it is a hard and long quest to train anyone to master the blade. Not all have the feel for the swords. We will persuade him to our cause, he will see our way is the only way."

"As you wish Lord Malie." Kathryn bowed submissively, "Do I have a description of my target?"

Malie answered, "Yes, a young boy with curled, sandy hair. Unfortunately, that unit only had a glimpse, so that is as good you will get. I trust your instinct, you have not failed me but recently. One of our tracking units have returned to pick up a trail, they have found fresh tracks heading straight towards the Swamp Empire's Capital. I suspect that to be him. cCatch him before he makes it."

"I will do just as you said, My Lord." Kathryn replied.

"Good," He pulled out a couple of scrolls from a pocket in his robe and handed it to her, "These are copies of the full report from the encounters of the recon and tracking teams."

Kathryn grabbed them from Malie and did not turn to leave until he waved his flatly, officially dismissing her to go on ahead. Before she stepped outside through the narrow stairs however, Malie called out for one last time.

"Kathryn."

She stopped and answered, "Yes my Lord?"

He eyed the double-sided polearm, it hung from a clip harness on her back, "Do not disappoint me again."

She simply nodded. She never failed before and her Emperor did not take failures lightly, especially when he entrusted a mission personally himself, "Of course, My Lord.”