A New Purpose

Forty horsemen and a rushing carriage stormed into the courtyard of Old Mansion. When the carriage stopped and the door opened, Empress Wēi quickly got out followed by Lord Tyron. "Welcome, your majesty," said Lord Zhe, bowing as the empress almost sprinted up to him and passed him.

"Where are they?" asked Empress Wēi as guards opened the door to the mansion and they entered.

"They're in a study room that looks over the gardens." replied Lord Zhe as he hurried to catch up to her.

"And my daughter?"

"Safe, with only two sets of eyes watching over her," said Lord Zhe.

"Two?" asked Lord Tyron, confused. He knows for certain one person that'll watch her.

"Have you not noticed your helper hasn't come home yet?" asked Lord Zhe.

Princess Zhen was reading a book in the gardens, it was quiet and peaceful. She looked up and around to see no guards were anywhere near her. She then looked up to a window and tilted her head slightly as she saw the Dual Bladed Ninja stare right back down at her. "So that's how they were designed?" asked Captain Howin in the room.

"Yes captain, they were designed in case of fire and large amounts of smoke was in the room. These doors will open by having these ropes tied to a heavy piece of rock." explained the build master with the blueprints laid out on the table pointed along.

"Did we not have men guarding that thing?" asked Truman, not moving his eyes away from the window as he scanned the gardens for any movement. His left hand was on his Longus and his right arm was ready in case he needed to activate and fire.

"We did, but all were knocked out by someone." replied Captain Howin as he looked at the blueprints. "These are heavy doors, if one is lifted then all others should as well." he noted.

"You're correct, however, this person used some mechanism to prevent the others from opening while also making it easier to lift one open when I looked at the equipment." explained the build master.

"Do you have an answer as to how the other one disappeared so quickly?" asked Truman, still scanning but paying attention to the princess who was still in the gardens.

"I look at these blueprints countless times. I believe there is a secret door up there designed to cut the ropes if needed to be." said the build master.

Just then, Empress Wēi burst in followed by Lord Tyron and Lord Zhe. "Your majesty," replied both Captain Howin and the build master, taking a deep bow.

She then looked over at the Dual Bladed Ninja. Feeling her stare, he turned to her, taking a slight bow, and said, "Your majesty," then went back to staring out the window.

"I trust my daughter is out there, right?" said Empress Wēi, annoyed with Dual Bladed Ninja's lack of effort.

"Yes, your majesty." said Truman as he continued to stare out of the window.

"Very well, leave us." she said to the build master.

"Yes, your majesty." replied the build master. He gathered up the plans quickly and hurriedly left the room as the door closed behind him.

"What have you found?" asked Empress Wēi.

"It's been a week and two days since the attempt, we've been going over the facts and how they did it." began Captain Howin.

"They used the fire doors to enter the room and tried to assassinate the princess, they used a sniper configuration Roktavor." finished Truman still staring out of the window.

"Do we know how many are involved?" asked the empress.

"For sure two, possibly a third as well." replied the captain.

"And we have one, has he talked?" asked the empress.

"No, your majesty, he hasn't said a word." said Captain Howin feeling disappointed.

"Your majesty," began Truman, catching everyone in the room's attention. "Permission to use unorthodox effects. I'm not bound by the law as strictly, considering I'm a thief."

Empress Wēi pondered on his request for a while then said, "Captain, go to my daughter's side immediately and tell her I'm here."

"Yes, your majesty." said the captain as he left the room and ran to the gardens.

A few moments after he left, Empress Wēi replied, "Find out how many and if you keep my daughter safe I'll throw in any favor for anything you asked for. And as long as I don't hear of it nor see it, do whatever is necessary."

"Thank you, your majesty." replied Truman he turned from the window and gave a deep bow.

"Now I must go greet my daughter, I'll leave you two to chat." said Empress Wēi as she and Lord Zhe left the room leaving Lord Tyron and Zhōng alone.

"So how did she drag you here?" asked Zhōng.

"I went to the capital on her request, found out you did it and decided to check on some things, two days later, guards were scrambling and I found out someone tried to assassinate the princess. So I came with her to find out what was going on only to find you in the middle of it." explained Lord Tyron.

"And you're surprised?" asked Zhōng.

"I never would have thought you would take a vacation now," said Lord Tyron in disbelief.

"Let's say I was ordered to stay, would you believe it?"

"You always find a way out of things, and yet you didn't tells me there's something else that kept you to stay," said Lord Tyron.

Zhōng reached into a pocket and pulled out a letter, it was the same letter written by his mother as he gave it to his uncle to read it. "You stayed for this?" asked Uncle Tyron.

"I'm almost fifteen," replied Zhōng, pushing his cloak back to reveal his knife that was attached to his Longus sheath.

"So that's what made you stay, your mother's words." said Uncle Tyron as he looked back down at the letter.

"The bounty for her head has been here for months, I don't know if there is a new one for it or not." said Zhōng.

"And that's why you decided to stay longer?" asked Lord Tyron as he looked at his nephew. "What game you're playing, because it's not a game I recognized."

"A game that is going to get ugly." replied Zhōng.

"Those kinds of games, people die in them." mentioned Uncle Tyron.

"Those are the ones I'm best at, someone tries but falls to my blades." said Zhōng as he walked away from the window.

That night, Princess Zhen and Captain Howin walked past the courtyard to see Truman standing there waiting. "What's he doing?" asked Princess Zhen.

Captain Howin looked at him to see his head turn so he could see them out of the corner of his eye as his hair flapped in the breeze. His stare was cold and unfriendly and the captain knew what he was going to do. "Let's get inside, your majesty. No one wants to see this." he said as he escorted her more quickly.

"Oh, you think you can still scare me? Yeah even outside there's no way I would…" said the prisoner resisting the men who dragged him before seeing the dark blue fire eyes of the Dual Bladed Ninja.

"This is the last warning before I do it, who else is with you?" growled Dual Bladed Ninja as his stare became colder. It was different than before, instead of being filled with rage and revenge, it was filled with determination and fear. This new mist even made the guards that hold the prisoner tremble.

"Do your worst, you abide by the law right now and the things you and the captain already did is the worst you can do." said the prisoner with pride. Throughout the week, when one of them wasn't watching the princess, they would come to interrogate him to get answers. However, he was strong enough to manage them.

"Oh, you forgot about something," said Dual Bladed Ninja smiling, with a wave of his hand, the guards let go of the prisoner as he began walking towards him. "There's a method that the empress predecessor used against any criminals. Since the empress took over, the method was banned. But like you and I, we don't follow the law completely or publicly." he finished saying as he was in front of him. The prisoner looked into his cold and hot blue eyes, those eyes stared back at him, and with every word he said, there was no hint of bluff. Suddenly, with a flash, his Longus activated and grabbed the prisoner as he was in midair due to activation and took off into the sky.

Fifteen to thirty minutes went by before the Longus returned with a pale prisoner. When his feet touch the ground, he bolted heading straight for the guards and hid behind them as Truman deactivated his mech. "Did it take one branch, or two." asked Lord Tyron after analyzing the prisoner's reaction and Truman being so calm. The method he assumed he used was to let the prisoner dangle as he held his arms. They would come close to the top of the trees where young branches grow as they will whip the legs and maybe the stomach if low enough. The pain and the speed are ten times stronger than a single lash of a whip.

"Zero, he screamed just as we were coming up to a whole bunch of older ones." said Truman as the guards took the still pale prisoner away. "There is a guard that is helping them and the second person and that's it. Apparently, there's a secret door on the roof where they entered. And the second one knows where to find the client." said Zhōng reading his uncle's thoughts after the guards left.

"That's not a lot of information on who we're dealing with." pondered Uncle Tyron as he rubbed his beard.

"It's plenty for me." said Zhōng as he left his uncle alone in the courtyard.

While Truman was coming back, Captain Howin was on guard duty by Princess Zhen's door. He was tired, parts of the day, he was working with Truman to find the others, and the other parts were him watching over the princess. Only he and Truman watched over her, no one else dared to step up when Truman asked for help after the attack. "Tired captain?" asked a guard on patrol.

"A little, yes." said Captain Howin observing him. "You guard here?" he asked, noting the design and features on his armor.

"Yes, captain," he replied.

"How long?"

"Two years captain," he said, he looked young and determined and made him remember him when he was that age. "Captain, I request to inform you that if Dual Bladed Ninja isn't back, I'll take over for a while, while you get some rest. These were his orders to me before he left." he said.

"He did?" asked Captain Howin, he looked at the guard again. He was also timid, another trait that reminded the captain of him.

"Yes, captain."

"Very well, it will only be fifteen minutes." he said standing up and grabbing his weapons. "I'll be back."

"Yes captain," replied the guard as Captain Howin began marching down the stairs of the tower.

"Captain?" said Truman, meeting him at the halfway point.

"Ah, you're back," said Captain Howin.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh, a guard here said to me to relieve me if you aren't back yet, under your orders, but it looks like you are back." explain Captain Howin.

"Captain, I never order anyone to do that," said Truman calmly. They suddenly realized who the treacherous guard was.

"He said to make it good but considering I'm in a time crunch I better take a couple of stabs and make myself look knocked out again." said the guard as lifted his knife over his head, aiming for the princess's chest. The door even locked burst open as Dual Bladed Ninja charged in at him. He changed his target to the charging furious thief, he threw the knife in a downward strike as an attack only to have it flung away by Truman's Longus in his right hand. He wanted him to as he grabbed Truman's right arm to keep the blade from coming back around. The momentum of Truman's charge pushed him back towards the wall as he hit it, he felt something cold slither inside of him. He looked down to see Truman's left hand planted firmly on a knife that was in his chest. He grabbed Truman's shoulder and heaved him up to his mouth and whispered, "If you knew the money he was offering, you would do it as well."

The guard fell to the ground as Truman landed on his feet. His left hand was full of blood, he remembered getting bloody from fights but the blood on his left was way more than anything he did before. With a twirling of his knife, he put his blades away to see Princess Zhen sitting up in shock at what just happened. Captain Howin came in with guards as he saw the body of the dead guard that had relieved him.

"Beautiful are these?" asked Lord Zào the next morning, he was trying to cheer up Princess Zhen. "These flowers were potted before my father took over."

"They sure are beautiful." replied Princess Zhen, she looked over to Truman. He was scanning the area but there was something else on his mind.

"It is the most pleasant side of the Old Empire, wouldn't you agree?" The last was towards Truman who looked unfazed. "Do you have to guard this close?"

"Considering your fiance's life was in danger last night, I would like to be very close." replied Truman. He looked down at his hand and flashes of blood from last night appeared. He had killed many people before, but this was different.

"So you are paying off a debt to him?" asked Lord Zào. Truman snapped from the past as he looked at him coldly. "Rumors have been flying that you are doing this for him. I have my sources set in locations. For example, that night you disappeared in the gardens, where did you go?"

"If anything, my lord, he owes me." replied Truman, heading down a path as they follow. The further they went, the weedier and cluttered it became. Places were untrimmed and uneven as they continued to walk until they stopped at a gravestone with dying Egyptian Blues laid in front of it. "Someone once said to me, that children aren't like their parents. They're wrong, children become part of their parents that they remember." Truman began as they read who was buried. "I barely remember my parents, I was driven by rage and strength, I've suffered beatings from them and others, and when the war was over, I was alone." he said, letting both of them soak in the information for a moment. "You'd think I have somewhere to go, but I didn't, I had nowhere. That's when I ran into him, he drove me and when we both made the black market, things got a little better. But I never felt so alive when Lord Tyron took me in, but it meant that it was saying goodbye to him."

"So you were with him, where is he now?" asked Lord Zào showing no sympathy, only interested in where the former prince was.

Truman grinned before answering, "You can't find him, he finds you. Who do you think he remembers more? His father who was scared by his own shadow that he killed thousands of people or his mother who was shy and timid but friendly and kind? To tell you the truth, he's both, an ally you can trust on and someone you don't want to cross blades." he finished closing his eyes and smiling before opening them again to reveal his demons in his eyes. "Let's say my stunt last night is routine for him and he doesn't let them go until they answer all his questions." he said.

"And that's why he is your friend? You two get along pretty well." said Princess Zhen turning towards him, showing off the fire in her red eyes. "You both lost your parents and grew up in the streets."

Truman said nothing only to stare back at his challenger, she didn't give up ground as she stared back. "She's learning quickly," he thought. "We're friends because we want to protect this empire. Do you wish for that, princess?" asked Truman.

Lord Zào's mouth dropped, no one spoke to the princess like that and clearly, it didn't affect her at all. "Well if you want to rewrite history, then his family will never exist." he said, getting ready to stomp over the gravesite only to have a blue and silver Longus reach out across his neck. "I'll warn you if you kill me, you'll be executed immediately."

"And did your father ever tell you to show respect?" asked Truman before putting his blade down after Lord Zào put his foot down. "We're not changing history, but we've painted it to be."

Later that night, Old Mansion was having another party to welcome the empress to the fiefdom. She was escorted by Lord Zhe and her daughter was escorted by Lord Zào. The two future leaders dance together for every song that played as Captain Howin and his guards along with Truman scan the room for any threat. "You should have your hair neat and trim if you want to blend in." said Captain Howin to Truman. They and other guards wore the exact same uniform and almost the same haircut, except Truman who kept his hair the same way it always has.

"The criminal is perhaps in here right now, however, he will be more cautious than anything. So why blend in? He knows who is focused and who isn't. He can be anywhere waiting to strike if we're not careful. That's in my opinion more deadly than leaving the princess out in the open." reasoned Truman watching the room. "Also you can't stand the style either." Captain Howin looked around to see his guards with the same haircut as he. With a quick move of his hands on his hair, he changed it to a style much more to his liking. "See you look better." he pointed out.

"Let's hope you're right." said Captain Howin.

"Well it's great to see you two getting along, I heard from the guards from the capital you two were like water and oil. Never to agree on anything." said Lord Tyron as he came up to them.

"Lord Tyron, I'll remind you that if it wasn't for the empress to invite you, I'll have you arrested." teased Captain Howin trying to be serious.

"Well, it's a good thing I have someone to help me escape again and I learn my lessons the first time." replied Lord Tyron.

"You sure my lord? Surely there will be a time you slip up again." joked Truman as Captain Howin quivered trying to hide a smile.

"We're going to have a massively long talk," said Lord Tyron to Truman. "I'll leave you two to do your duty."

The song ended as Princess Zhen and Lord Zào stopped to take a couple of breaths. They looked perfect on the outside but on the inside, it was complicated where their hearts felt about each other. "I'm going to get a drink, would you like one, your majesty?" asked Lord Zào.

Princess Zhen was still full of energy and stamina, she trained at school and by herself when she sat down under an apple tree and waited for an apple to fall. "No thank you, my lord." she replied politely. Lord Zào nodded and left her as he went to the table. There were girls all over him when he was at the table as he laughed and joked. It made her sad, that he didn't give her the same treatment and only the minimum at most.

"My lords and ladies, tonight we'll play a new piece of music. I called it, 'The Old and the New'." announced the conductor as applause came after to show approval.

Princess Zhen looked around and saw the captain and Truman standing at the same post. "Would you care to dance?" she asked when she came up to them and offered her arm to Truman.

"I don't think I should, princess." said Truman kindly. "Perhaps the captain here would dance with you?"

"You promise, don't you even think about getting out of it." pouted Princess Zhen. She has taken up more initiative over the past weeks than she ever did in the past year.

"What's wrong, Dual Bladed Ninja? Can't dance?" taunt Captain Howin as Truman shot a glare at him. "It's like fighting only with a beat on each step."

"Easy for you to say." said Truman looking back on his days as a prince trying to learn the steps for each dance choreography. Princess Zhen's eyes widen bigger, making her look cuter and more innocent. "Fine," said Truman rolling his eyes as he reached his hand out and she took it.

"Have fun you two," began Captain Howin before his sights dropped to the back of Truman's hip as they left to the dance floor. He wasn't wearing a cape or cloak to hide the black sword on his hip. A sword that looked very familiar as if he had seen it before.

The music began and Truman wasn't sure at first, but Princess Zhen guided him as they danced to the mysterious beginning. As the music became more lively everyone began looking at the princess and the thief. They were in awe as the two danced perfectly in step. Princess Zhen looked up to two blue eyes that showed nothing but demons were sparkling like stars. And Zhōng saw pleading innocent red eyes looking at him as they danced. They were in sync, matching everything that the other wanted to do, and soon they were the only ones dancing. "Your apprentice seems to know how to dance," said Lord Zhe, coming up behind Lord Tyron.

"Apparently so," agreed Lord Tyron as they watched.

"I told your nephew I'll keep his secret." whispered Lord Zhe. Lord Tyron slowly turned his head to look at him surprised and confused.

"In exchange for something else, I assume?" said Lord Tyron.

"I joined the empress side because of marriage, surely you understand that." reasoned Lord Zhe.

"But it won't look good if she finds out you knew." replied Lord Tyron. Lord Zhe revealed a book underneath his coat and handed it to him. "What's this?"

"If you skim towards the end of this diary, you'll find something that'll destroy the empress," said Lord Zhe. The diary was Lord Tyron's father, Zhōng's grandfather, of his last twenty years of his life. The music continued and as it sped up, the more quickly and aggressively Truman and Princess Zhen danced and the quicker Lord Tyron read through the pages until he hit one that widened his eyes. The music stopped and everyone applauded as both Truman and the princess were out of breath. She smiled at him and he returned with a grin. The biggest smile anyone has ever seen from him since the fall of the capital. Lord Tyron was fixed on one page as his mouth dropped from what he read. "Now you understand now?" asked Lord Zhe.

"In certain hands, this could destroy her." commented Lord Tyron as he looked from the book and back down. "You want this to stay hidden."

"It's the only way for sure, I keep his secret, you keep mine and never let him find out." said Lord Zhe.

"Understood, but he knows where to find things." noted Lord Tyron. "There's a person I know in the Greek Empire, I'll write to him and he'll keep it safe and a secret."

"So be it," approved Lord Zhe.

Princess Zhen and Truman were still taking deep breaths, their faces were close and both felt each other's breaths. "It's time for the toast." screamed someone as the men cheered for approval.

"I guess I should resume my post, princess." said Truman taking a deep bow.

"Thank you for the dance." replied Princess Zhen, taking a curtsy.

She made her way through the crowd leaving Truman behind. Standing there by himself as people went to the table for the toast, a cold sense slivered right by him, making him follow it. "He's here and now is the time to pounce," he thought. "Except." a dark cloak was following with a knife in his hand hidden within the cloak. Truman quickly turned around having the tip of his Longus pointed at the intruder, startling everyone around. "You were hoping to slow me down or take me out," he said.

The intruder smiled and fling his knife to a rope cutting it. It led to rock and in between were tear gas grenades. When the rock began to fall, the levers pulled and the gas fell to the ground. "Everyone out!" screamed Captain Howin covering his mouth as he led Empress Wēi and Lord Zhe out of the room as it filled with thick gas.

Princess Zhen was lost, she couldn't see and her eyes were in pain. Suddenly she felt someone grab her, she was about to fight back when a familiar voice said, "Hang on," a grappling hook launched from his belt and with a jump they flew into the air until they reached the beams. They ran to a fire door as Truman with all his might forcibly pushed the door open and they were outside on the roof. "You alright princess?" he asked, she nodded as her vision was a little blurry. "Okay, I need you to guard me while I get this door open." he said, handing her his Longus while they walked to a wall and with a couple of pushed stones, this is where the door should be.

Princess Zhen felt the weight of the blade, she looked up from it and saw someone in black standing where they came out from. "Truman," she said as he came closer with his sword drawn.

"What was the code?" said Truman aloud as he tried combinations.

"Truman," Princess Zhen said again she wasn't as good as him nor as good as the best girl in her class. She focused heavily on the mech side of the sword and as the stranger got closer the sword began to shake in her hands. "Truman," she began to panic.

"Almost got it," said Truman calmly.

"Trum-!" she screamed before a cloth came over her mouth and the world around her became black as she fell down on top of the roof.

"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you, Dual Bladed Ninja." said the thief.

"Considering her bounty for her head is huge, I guess I was waiting for the right time to strike." said Zhōng as he folded the cloth away while the thief checked her temperature.

"She's cold right now, what poison did you use?" asked the thief.

"Oh, Death for a Day." said Zhōng. The thief nodded then suddenly realized he fell into a trap as Zhōng's black blade came out like lightning forcing him back. Before he realized Zhōng had picked up his Longus as well and the thief was in deep trouble. The nightmarish eyes glow hotter and his face darken even more from one swing at a time. He put his Longus away and grabbed the thief and held him midair as he pushed him off the edge of the roof. "Now you are going to tell your client this, and if you don't I will kill you." he growled. After he told him, he let him activate his mech and ran away from the roof, leaving Zhōng to look back at the temporarily dead princess.

Princess Zhen heard the chirping of birds coming out of the window as she regained her vision. She groaned as her senses began to come back to her. She looked over to see her mother looking worriedly before seeing her move her head. "Oh thank goodness you're alive." said Empress Wēi hugging her daughter as tears began to form with joy.

"Is everything okay, mother?" asked Princess Zhen, it was a whisper as her voice began to come back. She remembered being on the roof at night, now it was afternoon and she was in a room.

"Yes dear, everything is okay." cried her mother. She then wiped away her tears and with a stern voice to a guard behind them. "Let the captain know to release the Dual Bladed Ninja, his payment will go through." The guard nodded and left the room leaving them by themself.

Four guards escorted Zhōng to the courtyard where the captain was waiting for them. Zhōng was back into his normal attire with his cloak hiding his black blade once again and his cowl up over his head. "I guess this is farewell until you catch me." he said to the captain.

"More like till our paths cross again." replied Captain Howin.

"That's going to be hard to do again," said Zhōng.

"Then good luck Dual Bladed Ninja." said Captain Howin and with a nod, the four guards step away from Zhōng letting him pass.

"And you as well." he said as he pass him. Lord Tyron was sitting on his horse reading the diary again while he waited for his nephew. "Picked up a new book?" asked Zhōng as he got up on his horse, startling his uncle.

"An old diary of mine when I was about your age." lied Uncle Tyron as put it away in his coat.

"Were you a loose cannon back then as you are right now?" asked Zhōng.

"What? No," stated Uncle Tyron as he grabbed the straps to his horse. "I was a little tighter." he said as he galloped away.

Zhōng turned around to see Princess Zhen watching from the window. He waved at her and she lifted her hand back before he turned around and galloped after his uncle. He now had a new purpose, and he was going to fight for it.