Zypher shuffled down the halls, dragging his finger across the tablet.

"Rape," he mumbled, "why do they always include rape? Can't one prisoner in this giant hulking prison thing just be, I don't know, minor thievery, survived four years. I'd even take a murderer over all these rapists."

He slid to the next contender on his list, a girl with Autumn hair and black eyes. Normally, he quickly went over then women, knowing most of them were probably scared shitless during their time in the prison. It wasn't her ferocity that caught his attention, it was her looks. She was...beautiful in a wild way.

He scrunched his nose in discontent before sliding her profile away. He was too busy to deal with women. Especially murderers.

"Zephyr!" A voice called, making the young black haired man look up.

Jogging towards him was a man dressed in the titanium steels of the guards uniform. To add to it, a long jagged lance was strapped to his back.

Zephyr smirked. "You know you're not supposed to use my real name in public, Reiko."

The guard rolled his eyes before giving a mock bow. "Oh, please forgive my rudeness you benevolent princeliness."

The prince gave him a smack over the head before continuing his walk. Reiko, who was often referred to as Rei, walked by his side.

"So, what're you doing, your benevolent princeliness?"

Zephyr rolled his eyes before showing his the screen of his white tablet.

"You're candidates? You're choosing from criminals instead of the guard?"

"Father said that I needed to hunt them down and kill them. A criminal might be a good merciless killer, right?" Zephyr caught Rei's look. "I'm allowed four people, Rei. Don't even think I wouldn't bring you along."

The steel plated guard gave the prince a smile. "So, picked any of the prisoners yet?"

"None. They're all...not what I'm looking for. You take shifts at the prison, right? Any suggestions?"

The brown haired man with tan skin tipped his head back in thought. "Well, there is one but it's a little vicious. More than a little. But if you're hunting, this one'd be perfect."

Prince Zephyr passed his tablet over to Reiko. Tan fingers touched the search box at the top of the screen and entered the code 'CE-1'. He tapped the same autumn haired girl he'd passed over.

"Her?" Zephyr asked. "You think she would be good? She looks kind of...scrawny."

"Don't let her looks fool you, your highness. I've watched her in the monitors. She's been in the prison for four years and never once sustained an injury other than a scratch."

The prince let out a low whistle. "She hasn't been, uh, touched?"

Reiko shook his head. "Her first day, they tried to but-" he shuddered. "You don't want to know. She made a name for herself in the prison. The Hunter."

"The Hunter?"

"She's a crazy killer but, if you're desperate and offer the right price, she'll get the job done. I saw her cut out a man's arm just this morning. The prison definitely didn't kill her spark."

Not being one for bloodshed, Zephyr shuddered. "You'd think, for a maniac like that, the simple hunt might be enough?"

The guard shook his head. "Not sure. No one really talks to her. She likes weapons though, from what we can tell. Hordes them in a little bunker in the prison."

They walked in silence for a minute before the prince spoke up. "You watch her a lot?"

Rei's face lit up a whole new shade of red. "Not because I want to!" He shouted, startling a quiet servant girl walking by. "I mean, yeah, she's pretty but-ugh. Don't do this to me, Zeph, it's my job."

The prince gave a quick laugh before taking the tablet and giving the girl another look.

"You sure she'd be good? Even as a girl?"

Rei's eyes darkened, if only for a moment. "She's terrifying. If you want someone hunted, she's the one."

"I'll think about it."

Rei gave him a quick nod before jogging off again, his short break over.

Knowing him, Zephyr thought, it probably wasn't even a break. He probably got bored and ran away from his duties.

Giving the autumn haired girl another look, he saved her profile in his data bank, right next to Rei's.

After finding his extravagant room in the halls of the smooth white palace, he plopped into his bed and pulled the screen up again.

One criminal seems like more than enough, he thought, opening the archives for the eligible medics.

Medics. Father told me I could only bring four others. He probably assumed I'd pick from the guards alone, Zephyr thought. But a medic might be needed. Especially with the crazy criminal hunter girl.

He narrowed it down to four, then two, and then one. A girl named Alma. She looked young, maybe fifteen or sixteen, but her profile was astounding. She was a quick worker and had been training since she was rescued from the battlefield at the age of three. Adopted into the Saints as a medic. Her religious alignment with the Saints might be a bother, but they weren't the kind to leave even a criminal hurt.

Zephyr added her to the collection as well.

"Who else could I need?" He thought aloud. "Maybe a mechanic? No. How about a-"

There was a knock at the door, making the prince jump.

"Your father's called!" A male voice said from the door. "Are you awake, your highness?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

Giving a long exaggerated sigh, Zephyr tossed his tabled into the charging station in the corner and left the room.

The man who called him hadn't really specified where the king was, but the prince had a good guess.

The study seems to be a popular place with the king, so that's where he checked.

As expected, King Edmund was sitting behind his desk in his study, looking at the screen on his computer and paying no attention to his son.

The king was an older man. His face clearly shows his age of sixty years, along with the gray and white hairs sprouting from his head. But nothing from his chin, because the king like to keep a nicer look. More kept and clean.

"Father?" Zephyr asked, the automatic door sliding closed behind him.

The old man startled with a jump, closing a tab on the screen before looking up.

"Good, Zephyr. You got here fast." He had a strong voice, like his father had and like Zephyr, the youngest Fa-Lin also had.

"Well, you called."

Zephyr looked nervously around the room. The old king didn't call him unless something serious had happened. If not, he left a message on his phone.

"Right, of course. It's about the team your gathering for the hunt."

There it was.

"That eastern guard of yours, I expected him. He's a good man, that Reiko, no matter how lazy."

Zephyr gave a nod, holding a breath as he continued.

"And then the medic. Smart planning, I'll give you that, but she's so young. Only fifteen years old. Do you really believe she could be of any help?"

"I've read her profile three times over and placed her against other candidates as well. She seemed like the smartest decision."

The king's head bobbed.

"It's about the criminal, isn't it?" Zephyr asked.

The king nodded again. "Do you know what she's in for?"

"Murder."

"Yes, yes. Murder. But do you know who she murdered?"

The prince blinked and then shook his head.

"Diane Earnheart. Her mother."

Zephyr blinked again, staring at his father. He didn't know that, never read up on her profile. Rei's recommendation was enough for him. More than enough.

"I'll keep a shock collar on her," the prince offered.

"You won't take her."

"I will."

"You will no-"

"Father, this is my succession. Just like when you hunted your fathers enemies to succeed him, you chose your team. You trusted their judgement and it obviously worked well for you. Now it's my turn. I'm choosing Reiko, and I'm choosing Alma, and I'm taking that criminal. Because this is my choice."

The older king let out a stressed sigh before leaning back in his chair. His old calloused hand came through his hair, tugging through his knots and tussles.

"Cecily Earnheart," the king said.

There was still an edge to the Prince's voice when he replied with, "What?"

"That criminal, your criminal. Her name is Cecily Earnheart. She's dangerous and terrible and I remember the look she gave me when I sentenced her. It kept me cold in my seat. That animal. But, I suppose, it may be a little less dangerous if you kept a shock collar on her."

Zephyr have his father a kind smile. "Thank you."

"I'm not offering you any assurance, since that's against the rules, but I had an assassin on my team. Hired from the guild. She said she'd do anything for the right price. I'm not saying you should pay an assassin from the guild, but... The old hag started training assassins for us after I became king."

Zephyr gave him a lopsided smile and then a bow.

He stalked out of the room to her a long coming from his pocket, signaling hat he received an email.

Taking the phone from his pocket, he opened the email.

Royal Assassin's Keep

Zephyr smirked.