Allen was 23 years old when he finally got a call to be part of the Royal Secret Service, a group of bodyguards under the watch of no other than the King himself. Other countries may judge them but they were labeled as no ordinary bodyguards, they were much stronger than soldiers and knights. Allen was proud of this job and to serve the King was his long time dream.
For his first few days upon arrival at the palace, he was mostly tasked to do the Chancellor's errands, every guard goes through this until he will get a final position. He was determined and did every job Caleb gave him, there was one thing he never expected and it's also the one thing he hates doing and that was visiting his superior, Tayne.
He was ecstatic at first when he knew their head was a woman, most women guards do only paperwork in the office but when he heard from Caleb the new head could fight well, he was dying to meet her and they did eventually. The chancellor ordered him to give a document to her in preparation for Princess Mary's birthday party and he met her and he was disappointed.
She didn't give off a powerful aura and just by looking at the mess inside her office where empty cup noodles and documents are everywhere made him discouraged even more. On a brighter note, she's cute, he thought, her long chestnut hair tied in a ponytail and beautiful emerald green eyes can make you doubt she can make a mess.
This morning, the day came that Caleb gave him a mission, his first one, even if it was only surveillance, he was happy about it. The only downside was his partner - Tayne.
"Wow, would you look at that? Colorful buildings everywhere, it's like a rainbow! It's hard to see if its night or day here" expresses Tayne when they arrived at the City.
"I heard that the mayor is quite fond of bright colors, I did not expect this though" Allen explained
"With a city like this, don't you think it's a much more target for bandits?"
"Ah! You must be the guards sent by Sir Caleb! Good Evening! My Name is Readick. Welcome to the city of Starria!" The Mayor, a chubby old man dressed colorfully with a mix and match of purple and green greets them.
"Starria?"
"Yes! Yes! Our city is famous because of its colorful buildings and as you can see it's even more colorful at night just like the stars!"
"I-I see, my name is Allen and this is Miss Tayne, she's our head of security"
Readick was surprised.
"Oh! Where are my manners, please, please let's go to my house to talk about my request shall we?"
Readick guided them to his residence, Tayne couldn't help but laugh when she saw his mansion, it was the same color as what he was wearing. The worried young Allen tried his best to stop her but Tayne laughed harder upon seeing the young lad trying his best not to join with her that he became red as a tomato! Readick laughed along with them, he knew the reason why and it was only natural.
"Hey-- pfft, Sir Readick, I'm sorry but I just got to know, did you purposely dressed like that to humor us? Because if you did, it worked! Hahaha!"
The three were seated fronting each other inside the Mayor's living room. After a good laughed together, Readick's face began to show worry.
"Sir, we apologize if we have offended you in some way, we didn't mean to --"
"Oh no lad, no, it's not like that, Miss Tayne is right. I purposely dressed like this" he sighed
"Is something wrong?"
"I heard guards from the palace are scarier than soldiers so I wore this outfit to know if that's true. Even if our city looks funny to you, we don't dress like this on purpose. When you mentioned Miss Tayne was the head of security it got me all nervous if she didn't get my joke but to think she was the first one to laugh, I was happy"
"Hehehehe, you are weird, old man, you don't have to go through that to know if we're the kind of guards who'll help because we will help yah anyway!"
Readick smiles "Oh, thank you! thank you!"
"What? I'm confuse ---" Allen blurted
"It means, this is no longer a surveillance mission or even to capture a group of bandits"
"What?"
"Old man, tell us what happened?"
Readick inhales deeply "You're right Miss Tayne, this turned out to be a rescue mission just tonight"
"What!?"
Allen stands up from the surprised, "R-rescue mission?"
Readick nods "It happened a few weeks ago we saw a group of bandits passing by the city's south exit, my people got worried, so I heightened our soldiers to guard the south gate, then they came again passing by the north gate and the worries we felt changed to fear, they were plotting something and we don't know what it was. I wrote a letter asking for help to the palace for surveillance because they didn't do anything to us yet and it took a few days for the chancellor, Sir Caleb to respond, we were so happy to know that you were coming tonight because we knew how strong the Palace's guards are so we were at ease but we were wrong.."
"W-what happened?"
The mayor looks at Allen "The bandits came back and this time they didn't just pass by, they attacked our soldiers and were just so strong and -- they kidnapped some kids and my daughter, she's already eighteen and got caught because she tried rescuing them" the two guards can hear the once cheerful old man who greeted them silently sobs.
"I - I wanted to update my request because I thought we will be needing more guards now but I was so so afraid that it will take a few days again" the mayor hics "My daughter always said good people can laugh at the most innocent jokes that's why I tried to goof around the two of you to know you are good people"
"Did we passed, old man?" Tayne asked him giving him a smile
"Yes. I've seen how scary a guard can be especially that one guard who's always with the King"
"Tseng?" Tayne burst another small laughter "Well he does look a bit scary, hahaha"
"Miss Tayne, there's also one thing I did not mention but I need you to come with me"
They went out from the back of the mansion and Readick guided them to the south gate where there are no more colorful lights visible.
"Why is it dark here?" Allen asked
"To hide something, we wanted you to see it first before we take it down"
"Take it down?"
Tayne felt something similar in their situation as if she already knew what she's about to see, the colorful building was still there but because it was already evening, all the colors look grey and dull and finally when they reached the gate. Allen pukes from the sight and it was no longer a surprise to her, it was the same, everything.
A dead soldier was hanging on a pole and top of the pole, a black flag was waving.
"We can't do this" Allen steps back
"I apologize Sir Readick but were not sent here for a rescue mission, you must send another request that's how the protocol goes"
"No, dear sir, please, I believe the children don't have time anymore, please, please" Readick beg him
"My daughter, my daughter, who knows she might end up like that ---" he points at the dead body and starts sobbing again "Please, you're the head of security right Miss Tayne? Please I beg you, help us, help us...."
Tayne goes near the dead body and looks at the black flag [Just my luck and that arrogant King is not even here] she thought.
"Do you know where their hideout was?"
"Y-yes! I sent two soldiers to follow them and only one came back wounded the other one is as you can see didn't make it, when I knew where they were hiding I sent the others to them and they are still not back" he sobs harder "Oh, my daughter Riel!"
"Don't worry, we'll save them" Tayne assured him
"What? Miss Tayne! No! We should call Sir Caleb first then we'll regroup and---"
"They'll be dead by tomorrow"
"What?"
"I told you, they won't make it by tomorrow, the kids that is, do you want to be responsible for their deaths?"
"No-I-"
"Then, it's settled, let's go, I'll go get my weapon, it's inside the car" Tayne walks passed Allen, Readick followed her
Left alone with the dead body, Allen can feel his heart racing fast and his mind started to go blank. This is not the kind of first mission he has in mind and to think it's just him and that crazy woman. He was aware she can fight but to be able to beat guys on her own? That's impossible, his starting to get a panic attack and did the most logical thing he could think of and that was to call Caleb. He reaches inside his pocket and pulls out his phone.
*Allen?* A voice from the other side answered it was Calebs'
"S-Sir! P-please! So-so-something happened! Miss Tayne is nuts! This is, this is" he cries out
*Relax, explain to me properly, don't panic*
"Something bad happened inside the City Sir" he starts talking
-----
The moment Tayne got her huge bag inside the car, Allen arrives.
"Oh, you're here, have you decided to join me?"
The lad was hesitant to answer but in the end, nods his head.
"That's good, ready your weapon, Readick told me where to find them"
"Where is he?"
"I sent him back to the body along with a few of his people to let down the dead body" she carries her bag and start walking outside the north gate "Let's go"
Their destination was a bit far from the city but Allen understood why they couldn't bring the car, it attracts too much attention considering they brought a palace owned transportation. He looks at Tayne carrying a huge bag in front of her, it was big as her.
"Do you need help?" he offered
"Oh! No, no, I'm fine, I'm still not used to wearing suits and tuxes you know and this is the only weapon I'm comfortable fighting with"
"What kind of weapon is that?"
"A sword"
Allen stops "A sword? That big?"
Tayne laughed "Yeah, I know it's ironic knowing my height"
"Why not get a smaller one? So it will be easier to carry?"
"I can't, it should always be this one..." she smiled sadly "Oh, look, we're almost there"
Readick told them about an abandoned storage building north from Starria. It was the only building present among the rubbles of scrap metals and steel surrounding the area. Judging by the light inside, Riel and the kids might be there.
"This place looks like a dumpsite" Allen comments
"Let's go near, c'mon"
The two walk slowly until they find a loom of metals and hides behind it. They can see a black flag being raised on the roof and there were about ten armed bandits outside guarding.
"T-they are armed, where did they get those weapons?" Allen questions
"I don't know, that's what we're about to find out, ready?"
Allen was about to nod until a hand grabs Tayne's shoulder. He was about to scream but Tayne was fast to take action and shove the person behind them and grabs his neck.
"T-tayne" the person whispered
"Wh-who?"
It was dark and the only light that guided them was the moon.
"I knew it was you judging by your hair, now can you please let me go now?"
Tayne was confused because she still couldn't see the man's face so she pulls him into the light to get a clearer view.
"Hey! That hurts!" the man screech
When finally the light hit him, Tayne immediately let's go.
"Beck!?"
"Righto! It's been awhile green eyes!"
---- End Of The Chapter.