(Year 0)

I dropped down from the rafter, falling from one shadow into the next. A thin black piece of cloth was tied around my head to conceal my eyes and hair, blending in with my coal black skin, but it didn’t restrict my vision enough to be detrimental. The heavy shield on my back shifted as I landed, but it stayed fastened firmly in place.

A guard stood ahead at a fork in the corridor, illuminated by a single electric light in the ceiling, and I moved along the wall in a crouch, getting as close as possible. The corridor continued to the left and right. Based on the guard’s position, and the way they kept glancing between my tunnel and the one to the right, I judged that they were there to prevent anyone from going left. I moved forward a little further, then pulled a stone out of my pocket. I always kept a few just in case.

Dasdaka’s thunder, I love dimly lit hideouts. I pressed myself into the shadows against the left wall, lying flat. The shadows flowed across me, a warm blanket against the guard’s cold gaze. Then I flicked my wrist, sending the rock out in a slow arc to hit the opposite wall of this corridor. It cracked against the stone, not a loud sound but obvious enough.

The guard turned, warily moving forward. They knew that throwing a rock into a different hallway was a common cheap distraction, so they were careful to walk into my hallway sideways while keeping watch on the right corridor. Their vigilance was admirable. So, naturally, they walked right past me.

I slithered forward, then moved into a crouch and scurried quickly around the left corner. From there, I straightened into a run, dashing through corridor after corridor. I stopped when I saw orange light from a hallway to the right, peeking around the corner.

The double doors in front of me weren’t exactly extravagant. They were more a poor attempt at intimidating. Ten feet tall and wrought from solid iron, they stood at the end of the hallway lit by torches rather than light bulbs. A raven emblem was emblazoned in each door, just above the heavy metal bar that kept them closed.

“Welcome to Raven Empire,” I whispered to myself, since it wasn’t like anyone else was going to.

Two guards stood outside, each armed with a pistol and a handaxe. I wondered why they weren’t using their specialty weapons -- they almost certainly had them -- but figured it was more of a formality. No one was expected to make it this far without raising an alarm.

This is going to be inconvenient. I sighed and bounced on the balls of my feet, readying myself. Then I rounded the corner, dashing forward in a full sprint before they had time to react. As one guard reached for his pistol and the other for her axe, I ducked into more of a lunging run, continuing at full speed. I crossed the thirty feet down the hallway in about seven seconds, the need to accelerate taking precious time, but there had been no room for a running start.

Just as the first guard began to fire, I reached them. I lunged forward as the first bullet rushed past my head, ducking into melee range of the guard that had shot. He brought his elbow down toward me, but I moved to the side just enough to avoid it, catching him in the side with a quick jab, then rolled back before the second guard could attack me from behind. Her axe swung over my head, and I turned, smashing a fist into her forearm. She couldn’t move it in time, the axe weighing her movements, and I felt bone crack beneath my knuckles. As she moved back with a cry of pain, I jumped, kicking at the first guard. He caught my foot in one hand, raising his pistol at me with the other before I’d even swung down from my jump.

I twisted to face the floor and ducked forward as hard as I could, wrenching my leg out of his grasp and landing hard on my back, where my shield clanged against the stone floor. Rather than getting to my feet, I pushed on the floor with my hands and spun my legs around, kicking at the guards’ knees. I succeeded in hitting the first guard, and his leg buckled, but the second guard jumped out of the way. The first guard backed up, raising his pistol again while reaching to draw his axe with the other hand.

For a second, I wondered how the guard had managed to grab my foot mid-kick before I realized why. They’re from Old Shairisel! While only Shairiselan royalty could inherit Guardian powers, anyone with close enough ties could inherit increased strength as part of the Dragon Eternal’s 1500-year-old blessing.

I knew Raven Empire had been originally composed of Shairiselans, but I wasn’t sure how much of it still was after they’d started expanding their ranks.

It appeared I was going to have to take this a bit more seriously.

I reached back and undid the clasp that held Asteri to my back, then unslung it and held it in front of me. It was solid black metal and shaped like a diamond, with four wicked points. As the guard opened fire, I raised the shield, letting the bullets ping harmlessly against the strengthened metal. I ran forward, and he ducked to the side to dodge, then reached up to grab my shield. I used the leverage to spin and bring my knee into his back. He fell to the floor with a shout. I rolled forward, then spun and slammed my shield into his head, and he stilled, knocked unconscious.

I brought my shield back behind me, anticipating the blow from the second guard. I missed, and her axe bit into my calf. Gritting my teeth, I smashed my shield back into her, knocking her back, and I felt the axe slide from my flesh with a sickening sensation as she retained her hold on the weapon. Refusing to cry out, I got back to my feet. “Dragons, aid me in my strife, and through our bond lend me your life,” I muttered. The wound on my leg began to close, and the guard’s eyes widened.

“Crown Takaren?” she breathed, voice disbelieving.

“Not. Even. Dasing. Close,” I growled, ignoring the pang I felt when hearing that name. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t grief. I ran forward, then jumped up and kicked off the wall, keeping my shield below me as I cleared the guard and landed behind her. She spun before I had time to attack, swinging her axe at me, but it just clanged off my shield. I shifted my weight forward and delivered a sharp jab to her stomach, moving my shield quickly to intercept another swing. She stayed standing, backing up, and I closed in quickly. As she swung again, I swung my shield into her axe arm, hard. She screeched and dropped the weapon, and I turned and kicked her in the chest. She stumbled back, and I moved forward, knocking my shield into her head to knock her out.

I turned to the doors, yanking them open as I put my shield back into its harness. The hall inside wasn’t massive, but it was impressive nonetheless. A classic round council table occupied the majority of the space, a ring of cushioned chairs around a dark wooden table. It was mostly bare, save for a tapestry at the far end with the outline of a dragon and a raven facing each other.

There was one man in the room, and he spun around when the door opened, levelling a spear at me. He looked startled as he took me in. My mask didn’t entirely conceal my features, but it at least covered my eyes and hair, letting me give him some uncertainty.

“I’m Kiridan,” I said with a low bow. “I sought you out to join you and overthrow the King.”