The King's Edge

Corporal Xena Ace paced back and forth in front of the imposing Enforcer Headquarters, her weapons clanking at her side with each impatient step. She couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she looked up at the gray, intimidating building that loomed over the neighborhood. Suddenly, the sound of boots crunching on snow caught her attention, and she turned to see a burly man in enforcer grays making his way towards her.

The man's rank pins gleamed in the morning light, marking him as a district chief. Xena straightened up and clicked her heels together as he approached. The chief's scowl was as deep as the furrows in his brow.

"Good morning, Chief Hawk," Xena said, trying to sound respectful.

He growled at Ace, "Is the city paying you to loiter in front of headquarters? It's hard to believe that the capital city of the Turgonian Empire, the most powerful nation in the world, would pay its enforcers to loiter uselessly in front of my headquarters building without informing me."

Xena swallowed nervously. "I'm waiting for my partner, sir."

"It's five minutes into your shift. Where is he?" Chief Hawk demanded.

"He's investigating some suspicious activity at Curi's Bakery," Xena replied, hoping to appease him.

The countenance of the chief became somber as he spoke. "Allow me to clarify, Ace. Your primary allegiance lies with the emperor, followed by the city, and then those above you in the hierarchy. Your loyalty to your partner is at the bottom of the list. Is that clear?"

Xena nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good," the chief grunted. "Now get to work." And with that, he turned and strode away, leaving Xena to contemplate the long day ahead.

"Ace," the chief growled, addressing the enforcer standing before him. "Is the city paying you to loiter in front of headquarters? It's hard to believe that the capital city of the Turgonian Empire, the most powerful nation in the world, would pay its enforcers to loiter uselessly in front of my headquarters building without informing me."

"Emperor, city, you, boot. Got it, sir," Ace replied, causing the chief's tone to grow even more menacing.

"Is that a joke, Ace?" he asked sharply.

Ace's colleague, Xena, sighed as she watched the exchange. "No, sir," she interjected.

"If you can't remember where your loyalties lie, better you take up a shop like the rest of the women in Turgonia," the chief snapped at Ace.

Xena kept her face neutral, trying to ignore the heat creeping up her cheeks. "Yes, sir," she replied.

"Now, I ask you again, where is your partner?" the chief's tone had shifted, and he now spoke in a soft and dangerous voice.

"I was investigating suspicious activity at Curi's," Xena replied, lifting her chin.

The chief scowled deeply. "I see. I'll remember this when I'm filling out the extra duty roster."

"Yes, sir," Xena responded, her voice low.

"Start your patrol without him. And when he catches up, tell him if he can't arrive at work on time, you can both sleep here. In one of the cells."

"I will, sir," Xena said before turning and jogging away from the chief.

As she made her way down the snow-covered street, Xena nearly collided with a man and woman coming out of a bookstore. She skirted around them and headed towards Curi's Bakery, the scent of fresh pastries filling her nostrils. Her partner, Corporal Hunter, caught up with her, and she resisted the urge to scold him for being late once again.

"You missed a spot shaving," she commented instead, eyeing the scruffy patch on his chin.

Hunter grinned. "Want me to let you take care of it?"

Xena rolled her eyes and adjusted the pins on his uniform. "You know you're the most grandmotherly twenty-five-year-old woman I've met, right?"

"That's because most of the women you know work at brothels," she retorted.

Hunter laughed, and Xena couldn't help but smile despite herself.

"Stop being the perfect enforcer," Hunter said, backing away. "Don't you ever get tired of it? Always wearing a pristine uniform, shiny weapons, and your hair in that unflattering bun," he sneered.

Xena wrinkled her forehead and ran her hand over her hair. She argued that it was tidy and secured, which mattered more than its appearance.

Hunter remarked, "Even though you consistently arrive early to work, work overtime, and strictly adhere to all rules, it seems like you haven't progressed much, considering that you are still a corporal after six years."

"You're still a corporal after six years too," Xena pointed out.

Hunter's tone shifted to calm, and a smile formed on his face. "Actually, I'm up for a promotion. I'll be a sergeant next month."

"You, a sergeant? You don't even know half the regulations, and you're late to work every other day," Xena exclaimed incredulously.

Hunter averted his gaze and stated, "Xena, you are my colleague, and I expected you to share in my joy."

Xena looked at the snow on the sidewalk and felt a twinge of jealousy. "Congratulations," she managed to say, though it didn't sound genuine.

"I have no doubt that you'll be in line for a promotion next month," Hunter stated.

Xena was confident that she wouldn't face any consequences for lying that morning, even if the chief failed to note it in her file with a demerit. The Stumps force did not have any sergeants who were women. The empire didn't allow women to join its armies, and it had only recently started allowing them to join the city law enforcers, reluctantly.

"Hunter," Xena looked at him and touched his arm. "Just try to be a good sergeant. When you don that uniform, you are a representative of both yourself and the empire. That should matter," she said sincerely.

He stood up taller. "I will. I know it does matter."

"Good."

Hunter's attention shifted to something behind her. "Is that smoke?" he asked, pointing towards the blocky buildings near the lake. "Or just factory haze?"

Down the hill, men and machines were cutting blocks of ice on the frozen water, but the scene was blurred by smoke. Xena spotted the source.

Urgently, she grasped Hunter's arm and urged him forward, exclaiming "There's no factory there! Fire!"

They took a trolley to the waterfront and got off at the closest stop. Smoke filled the air, and they slipped and slid on the slick sidewalks. They turned a corner, almost colliding with a crowd that had gathered.

In a residential area, people might have raced back and forth with buckets to help, but this decrepit wooden building was surrounded by brick, stone, and cement. Despite the spreading flames, the spectators seemed more intrigued than alarmed. The Imperial Fire Brigade had already arrived with a self-propelled fire pump from the city, and black smoke was billowing from the stack, mixing with the plumes emanating from the structure. A thick hose was connected to the pump and a fire hydrant further up the street, with water being discharged onto the flames leaping out from the shattered windows of the ancient building. Only one corner of the structure, which featured a towering brick kiln, remained untouched by the inferno.

As she and Hunter struggled through the crowd, Xena made a sarcastic remark: "I believe you mentioned something about the city not catching fire today?"

"Did I say that?" Hunter replied.

"Heat washed over them, hot and potent," Xena said, as they approached the commotion. Debris from the fire floated in the air, consisting of charred wood and paper.

"We should help with crowd control," she suggested, but then she noticed a woman being threatened by two men in a tea and coffee shop nearby. Other shop owners were standing around watching, but not intervening.

"Or maybe we could help that lady being robbed," Xena proposed.

"What lady?" Hunter asked, turning to look. "Oh. These merchants deserve to be robbed once in a while. They control everything around here." Nonetheless, he drew his sword. "I'll take the back entrance," he told her.

"Be careful," Xena cautioned, before making her way into the front of the store. She saw barrels and canisters cluttering the aisles, while shelves stacked with goods rose up on either side. The air was thick with the aroma of coffee and tea from all around the world, but the smell of smoke was overpowering. She saw the merchant holding a stack of bills, her strongbox open, and her eyes brightened when she saw Xena's uniform.

Xena quickly focused on the two men who were towering over the shopkeeper, both heavily scarred and armed with swords and pistols. They were only slightly shorter than the stack of coffee tins that filled the aisle behind them.

"Well, well," one of the men sneered, nudging his accomplice. "Looks like we have a girl enforcer. How cute."

The other thug chuckled. Xena noticed their swords had leather wrappings that looked sweat-stained and well-used. One of them shifted to reveal a flintlock pistol pointed at the merchant. Apparently, he didn't see her as a threat.

Anger flared inside her, and her hand twitched towards her sword, but she quickly checked herself. She couldn't afford to have a weapon pointed at her chest.

"Gentlemen," she said, drawing her sword. "This robbery is over. If you put down your weapons and allow yourselves to be detained, I may be able to speak to the magistrate on your behalf. Possessing firearms, which according to Imperial City Code seven-four-three dash A, are only for military use, will elevate your crime from theft to aggressive larceny."

"Damn," the thug said dismissively, waving his hand. "Just give us the money, lady."

Xena noticed the men weren't taking her seriously, treating her as if she were being scolded by an angry chipmunk. She knew she was at a disadvantage, outnumbered and facing experienced ex-soldiers who had undergone rigorous military training. Although she had received weapons and unarmed combat training at the Enforcer Academy, it paled in comparison to the rigorous and constant training that military men undergo.

She glanced towards the back of the building, wondering what was taking Hunter so long.

One of the thugs shifted his weight to advance towards her.

With a bend in her legs and a draw back of her shoulder, Xena launched her sword with full force at the two men. Both men reflexively lifted their swords to block, but when they saw that her weapon wouldn't reach them, they burst into laughter.

Xena knew that the men were not her intended targets.

"Her sword struck the towering stack of coffee tins behind them," she said, mimicking the sound of metal crashing against metal. "The stack of objects burst open, and the thieves were bombarded with complete containers that relentlessly hit their flesh and skeletal structure. They flailed, stumbled, and fell; one of them hit his head on the counter and didn't move. The other fell, tried to stand up, slipped on a canister, and smashed his chin on the tile floor.

Xena maneuvered through the debris, stepping on the back of one of the robbers, and gathered their weapons. She handed the pistol to the merchant, who aimed it at the downed robbers with glee, while Xena handcuffed one and used some twine to tie up the other.

"Well done, Corporal," a soft voice said from the direction of the front door.

"Thank you," she started to say, and as she looked up to identify the speaker, Hunter barged in from the rear. "Where were you?" she demanded. "Did you get lost?"

"There was another guy out back. I had to...uh...um..." Hunter's mouth fell open as he stared past Xena. "Good morning, Your Highness," he eventually uttered.

Xena stood up and faced the group that had just entered. The group consisted of six towering men dressed in black uniforms with gold trim - the same as the emperor's elite bodyguards. Among them was a young man who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. He had soft, brown hair and gentle, dark brown eyes. Xena immediately recognized his face from the currency in the merchant's strongbox. This was Emperor Sespian Savarsin, who had been ruling for the past year since he came of age.

"Good morning," the emperor replied.

Xena stuttered a greeting. What was the emperor doing down here? Shouldn't he be somewhere safe, doing emperor-like things? She searched her memory for the proper protocol and found...nothing. Emperors did not typically stroll through waterfront shops. They certainly didn't mix with people of the working class.

The equally flustered merchant curtseyed deeply and said, "Your Highness, I apologize for the disorder in my store."

The emperor raised his eyebrows. The emperor took responsibility for the situation and said to the merchant, "It is I who should apologize to you, madam, for allowing this-" he gestured towards the fallen thugs, "-to happen in the city." Fortunately, our enforcers are quite competent." He bounced a little at this and smiled at Xena, more like a young man craving a friend than a leader over millions. Don't be presumptuous, Xena.

"Yes, Your Highness," she said. It felt like a safe answer.

"What are your names?" he inquired. "Both of your names?" He gestured to include Hunter.

"Corporal Ace," Xena replied. "And this is soon-to-be Sergeant Hunter," she added when Hunter failed to say anything intelligible.

A heavyset man with jiggling jowls burst through the doorway, beads of sweat shining on his face. The emperor let out a sigh reminiscent of a young boy who had been caught by his tutor.

"Your Highness, there you are. The fire has been contained. Would you like to finish the inspection now?"

"Not really." The emperor sighed wistfully.

"Commander of the Armies Hollowcrest is waiting for our timely return."

"Perhaps," remarked the emperor before he gave a sorrowful look towards Xena as he departed the room escorted by his guards.

When the group had departed, Hunter shuffled through the tins and nudged Xena with his elbow. "I think he liked you."

She snorted. "Yes"

"'Hunter's words are tempting,' I thought," Xena said. "I considered the possibility that if the emperor recommended someone for promotion to sergeant, it would be a sure thing. I felt that I deserved it more than Hunter because of my hard work. However, I quickly dismissed the thought. 'If I am promoted, it will be because I earned it just like everyone else. I won't beg for a favor.'"

"You have earned it," Hunter interjected.

"I counted eight bodies," Xena said as she cautiously walked around the smouldering and charred pile, the wet floorboards creaking beneath her feet. The basement was a treacherous spot, with the fire having damaged the support posts and beams. The location is dangerous, but I must seek solutions within this wreckage.

The fire had seared the corpses to the point of anonymity, leaving them unrecognisable even in terms of gender. The first responders had left the bodies untouched for the enforcers to investigate.

"We found empty kerosene tins downstairs," a rookie enforcer named Quets reported to Hunter, who was standing by the window. "Definitely arson, sir."

Xena looked up from the bodies, "What else is down there?"

"Just some tools, a bunch of pots stored on shelves, and the biggest kiln I've ever seen," Quets replied.

"One wonders why they didn't just cremate the bodies in the kiln," Xena mused, "Why torch the whole building?"

"They?" Hunter asked.

Xena expressed her confusion by saying that she didn't know who "they" referred to, and she couldn't fathom why someone would select a pottery studio for a large-scale killing. She speculated that the bodies might have been obtained from anywhere and then positioned in the studio, leaving her perplexed about the motives behind this gruesome scene.

Xena instructed Quets to return to headquarters and inform the chief of the situation, requesting a steam wagon for the Sawbones to examine the bodies. She made her way over to Hunter by the window, picking her way around puddles.

"What do you think?" Xena asked.

Hunter turned to her, "It's a mess."

"Very perceptive, thank you," Xena replied sarcastically.

Hunter stated, "Isn't it obvious? It's as clear as daylight, wouldn't you agree?" Somebody murdered several individuals and attempted to hide the evidence by making their corpses unrecognisable. Their intention may have been for everything to burn entirely, including the floor. Unfortunately for them, the Fire Brigade was too efficient."

Xena agreed by nodding and suggested, "It is important for us to determine both the culprit and their motive for this act." It's a heinous crime."

"Hmm," said Xena thoughtfully, "I want to check out the basement. Then we need to talk to the artists who work here, see if anyone or eight anyone's are missing, and if anything strange has been happening. We also need to find out who owns the building."

"We?" Hunter raised his eyebrows. "We're patrol officers, not detectives. The chief will send a lieutenant to oversee the investigation."

Xena made a face. He was right, of course. This case would likely make the headlines, maybe even the front page. Working on it could be her chance to stand out and earn a promotion. Perhaps she could even join the investigation team.

"I bet it's Sicarius," Hunter said.

Xena blinked. "What?"

Hunter gazed at the charred corpses and remarked, "Hey, you remember Sicarius, the assassin? The guy with the one million-ranmya bounty on his head, signed by Emperor Sespian himself."

Xena was well aware of Sicarius, as his notoriety had spread throughout the empire due to the bounty. She inquired, "Yes, I know who you're talking about. But why do you suspect him of causing this?"

"He's back in town. I heard last night that one of the pickpockets we've been after all winter turned himself in. Apparently, he touched Sicarius's towel while doing his thieving rounds in the baths. He spent half the day looking over his shoulder and then came to HQ, asking to be arrested so he could hide out in a cell."

"Did the chief send anyone to the gym?" Xena asked, annoyed that a criminal would have the audacity to exercise and bathe in public facilities.

Hunter stated, "He's saying that he doesn't trust the pickpocket." Then, he added with understanding, "I can't blame him. When Sicarius was last in Stumps, we lost thirty men attempting to apprehend him."

"I remember," Xena said. A couple of her fellow Academy classmates had been among the dead. Nonetheless, turning a blind eye to a dangerous criminal didn't sit well with her. Throwing men at someone like that might not be the solution, but surely there were alternatives. If she were chief, there would be a lot she would do differently. Xena sighed. "I will go and inspect the basement,"

Several of the charred wooden stair treads were broken where the large rookie's foot had gone through. Being smaller than all the men turned out to be advantageous on this occasion, as she was able to reach the bottom unscathed.

Fallen boards, broken tables, and other debris from above littered the cement floor. She spotted a sooty covered broom in the corner and almost went to grab it. Regrettably, whoever came to investigate officially would not approve of her tampering with the crime scene by cleaning it up.

As she walked towards the kiln entrance, her foot crunched on pieces of ceramic. All the pots located on the rear shelves were intact and not damaged. So why were there shards all over the floor?

She knelt down for a closer look.

The first piece she picked up didn't seem like part of a pot at all. Cone shaped, it reminded her of a cup, but it couldn't be set flat, so it was fairly useless in that capacity. When she turned it sideways and then upside down, it resembled a perked dog or cat ear, though it was far too large to be either.

The other shards were even less recognisable. Piecing together the puzzle would take someone with a lot of time and dedication.

"There are fresh ashes in here," Xena called out when she reached the firebox.