Chapter 14

Ven stood with a bruise on the left side of his face in Rendall’s office, he had a headache and it hurt every time he spoke. Rendall’s office was decorated with different types of swords on the walls, it was a small office with only two desks, one occupied by Rendall and the other by William. While William’s desk had a computer and phone, Rendall’s desk was devoid of any sort of technology except for a single phone. At the moment Rendall sat back in his chair glaring at Ven, he still had his armor on even though he was just doing paperwork, it was something even Ven couldn’t understand.

“You got my message?” asked Rendall.

Ven simply nodded as talking was something he wished to keep to a minimum.

“I hope you don’t normally make such rash and dangerous attacks while you’re having a friendly spar with someone?” asked Rendall.

“It happened in the heat of the moment,” answered Ven as he winced through the words.

“I see, well if nothing else you did manage to prove one thing to me, I need a sparring partner who can keep up with me or I’ll continue to waste away. As someone who is skilled with the blade, you yourself must know the number of people who truly delve into mastering the sword are far too few in this day and age. I promise to not seriously hurt you in our spars as long as you don’t do anything overly rash like yesterday,” said Rendall, “By the way, who did you train under? I know all the sword masters in Nagiri, and your style doesn’t match anyone’s.”

“I don’t mind sparring with you, it’ll help keep me from getting rusty, but I can’t tell you anything about my teacher,” said Ven as he made up a lie on the go.

“A hidden school of the sword? I thought those were things of another age,” said Rendall as he scratched his chin.

Ven just shrugged and refused to give Rendall any hints.

“You’re a stubborn man, has anyone ever told you that? Luckily for you, if you’re going to survive in this job without a gift, that’s a trait you’re going to need!” laughed Rendall, “You’re going to have to train harder and longer than anyone on this team, and I am not exaggerating.”

“Can I ask for a favor?” asked Ven suddenly.

“Depends on what it is you want, after all I can’t be too careful with you, you’re the man who managed to twist Ravendra’s offer for a reward into joining our ranks,” said Rendall with a smile.

“It’s nothing so extreme, the UTF took my AI Assistant and haven’t returned it yet, can you help me get it back,” asked Ven.

“Why do you need it?” asked Rendall.

“It’s like you said, I have to worker harder and longer than everyone else. That Assistant makes my life a little easier, I can delegate some mundane tasks to it while I concentrate on improving myself,” said Ven.

“You have no idea what the training will be, do you?” laughed Rendall.

“Not really, it’s my second day on the job,” shrugged Ven.

“I suppose showing you will be easier than explaining it. William, make sure Ven gets a copy of the team’s training schedule,” said Rendall, “And arrange for his Assistant to be returned to him.”

“Very well, Master Rendall. Will that be all?” asked William politely.

“For now, yes. Ven, follow me, you’ll be working as my assistant from now on,” said Rendall as he got up from his seat.

“Wait, what?” asked a flabbergasted Ven.

“Didn’t your chauffeur tell you that you’ll be working under me?” asked Rendall.

“Yeah, but everyone in The Honor Guard works under you, I thought it was your way of saying you accepted me into your ranks,” confesses Ven.

“Sometimes it’s best to not overthink things. I meant it exactly how I said it, you’ll be working under me, so you answer directly to me, which means you’re my assistant from now on,” said Rendall with a mischievous smile.

“Thank you, I guess, but I didn’t expect your attitude towards me to change by that much over one day,” said Ven.

“Yesterday, I thought you were a liability. Today, I think you’re someone we can use, that’s the difference, now come along, I hate being late for my appointments,” said Rendall as he picked up and sheathed his two-handed sword with one swift practiced movement.

“As your assistant, what do I have to do?” asked Ven as he walked alongside Rendall.

“Anything and everything I tell you to do,” said Rendall.

“And if I don’t do what you say?” asked Ven.

“Look, while you’re no longer a liability in my eyes, you have a long way to go before I consider you an asset to the team. I don’t know when something dangerous might happen, and when it does, I might tell you to do something which requires you to react immediately, if you hesitate, you’re dead. The only way to practice and train for a situation like that is by getting used to following my orders without question. So, you do what I tell you to do because it keeps you alive,” said Rendall.

“That is a very strange strategy,” said Ven.

“You’ll thank me when the time comes,” said Rendall as he led the way to a part of the Palace Ven had never been to before.

“Which part of the Palace are we in? All the hallways look the same to me,” remarked Ven.

“That’s on purpose, it’s to make it difficult for an invading force, makes it more likely that they get confused and lost. You’ll get used to it with time,” said Rendall as he led Ven to a large fountain which connected to several different hallways. “Looks like she’s late today as well, we’ve been meeting here for decades now, and yet she has never shown up on time.”

“Who is this ‘she’?” asked Ven.

“Are you complaining about me being late?” asked a feminine voice from a connected hallway.

“You couldn’t have heard what I said from there,” said Rendall loudly as he turned in the direction of the voice.

“I don’t need to hear what you say to know what you said. You’ve been whining about the same thing all these years,” said the feminine voice, it was louder now, the speaker was getting closer.

“I came an hour after the time we were supposed to meet, and yet, I am here before you. How can you be so disrespectful of others time?” asked Rendall loudly.

“We have all the time in the world, you should know that better than anyone, you’ve been around for as long as I have,” said the feminine voice as she came into sight.

The feminine voice belonged to a short plump woman with bright red hair which reached only to her neck. She wore a long green dress which matched her light green eyes. Wearing a mischievous smile on her face she made her way towards them and Ven got the feeling this argument was a sort of tradition the two went through.

“I see you’re walking around alone again,” sighed Rendall.

“Nothing has ever happened to me in all these years, nothing will happen today. You worry too much, no wonder whenever you turn thirty you look like a middle-aged man. But we can this talk later, who’s the new guy?” asked the red-haired woman.

“Ah yes, where are my manners. Lilliana this is Ven, my new assistant. Ven, this is Lilliana, the gifted who has the power to make a person young again,” said Rendall.

“This is ‘The Lilliana’? But she looks nothing like the photos I’ve seen,” said Ven as he looked at Lilliana with a puzzled expression.

“That’s just propaganda spread by the Knight Captain next to you. The person everyone thinks is Lilliana is a fake to protect me against would be assassins. In the Palace I am known as Audrey, one of the many girls the Great Lilliana has in her service,” said Audrey.

“If your identity is a secret, is it wise to be discussing it openly here?” asked Ven as he looked around suspiciously.

“This is the one of the few places where it’s safe to discuss such things. We have a clear view all the hallways around us, so no one can sneak up on us, plus the noise from the fountain makes it so that no one can hear us unless we shout,” said Rendall.

“I am sorry but with the number of guards posted in this place, I don’t see any assassins making their way through. Unless it’s the guards you don’t trust,” said Ven as he came to the realization while speaking.

“The majority of guards posted here are honest patriotic men and women, they would die for Ravendra. But what you need to remember is this, it’s not impossible for our enemies to have planted spies into the UTF, spies who are waiting for a chance to strike. It’s what I would have done if I were in their place,” said Rendall.

“You’re not worried I am a spy?” asked Ven.

“Son, the scar on your forehead speaks for itself, I was there the night Ravendra saved you. Rather than kill those two, you were willing to shoot yourself, that isn’t something a spy does,” said Rendall with folded arms.

“Wait a minute, that makes it sound like you had a good first impression of me. So, when you were being a jerk to me yesterday, what was that about?” asked Ven.

“Oh, I meant everything I said yesterday. That had nothing to do with me being sure you weren’t a spy,” said Rendall.

“And am I glad he was a jerk to you; I’ve been telling him for years he is nowhere near as skilled with a sword as he used to be, you whacking some sense into him was exactly what he needed,” said Audrey as she pretended to swing a fake sword in the air.

“He won once, all I need to do is improve and beat him,” said Rendall. “But we are getting completely off topic, the reason I’ve brought you here today is that you’re going to be working with me as Lilliana’s personal bodyguard.”

I had a lot of fun writing the banter between Rendall and Lilliana, the idea was that the two have known each other for so long that they dont hold anything back when they talk to each other. I was hoping to add some romantic chemistry between the two, but I am not sure if that managed to come through the dialogue or not. I'll let you all be the judge of that :)

As always, stay safe out there.

Anderoth