In Judaylif:

  Keleis was outside, watching as a guard patrolled a section of the wall. Oren had left her a note asking to meet with her in secret. He had said that his room was a place even his guards had to leave him alone at. However, he was on the fourth floor, the highest, so that there could be guards stationed in the way to his room.

  The hard part was getting there without being noticed by the guards and then detained.

  She waited, observing the guard carefully, before stepping forward, hiding herself behind a tree. The guard only looked up once every second routine check, so she waited until the guard looked above him and then lowered his head again, before she climbed the tree silently.

  She could have jumped up, then further vaulted herself upward from the bottom of the wall quite easily, but that would be too close to the guard and too loud altogether, so instead she climbed a tree.

  Reaching the limit of the branches that would support her weight, she pressed herself backwards against the tree until the guard looked upward again.

  Seeing nothing besides the dark tangle of branches and leaves, he continued walking, and Keleis creeped forward. She jumped off of the tree, up to the window on the third floor. She caught herself on the windowsill with both hands, hanging there for only a brief moment, before she vaulted herself up and jumped to the top floor's windowsill.

  She paused, flattening herself against the wall, not risking movement until the guard looked upward yet again, then climbed over towards a window that she knew was Oren's. It was unlocked, just as the note had said it would be.

  A day prior, Oren had distracted his guards for a moment by tripping one, ostensibly by accident. While apologizing profusely, he threw a small paper ball behind him at the top of a pillar, where it somehow stuck.

  Keleis simply had to go there shortly after the typical curfew, and jump to get the note. It stuck strangely to the wall, and, after pulling it away, when she looked at the side that had stuck to the wall, she saw strange, sparkling crystalline pieces and dust on the paper.

  Keleis opened the window. She stole into the room, her ever-present watchfulness advising her to keep her knife handy, ready to be drawn at any moment if need be.

  Oren was sitting in a chair, holding his hand upright and observing some strange reflective object that shimmered in his hand.

  Keleis stalked closer, seeing that Oren still hadn't noticed her, despite her standing only a few feet away from him.

  She stepped forward, and tapped his shoulder lightly. Oren jumped, stumbling out of the chair.

  He turned, raising his hands, prepared to fight, before he saw who had entered his room and lowered them again.

  "Catalysts, Keleis, you're quiet! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Oren exclaimed.

  Keleis smiled, then adopted a more serious expression. "So, why did you want to meet?" She asked.

  Oren replied. "You seem like an important person, as well as a weapon, so I wanted to inform you of the situation further, before Achiel got to you."

  "As in, Lord Achiel? The man who I saw speaking directly to the king?"

  "No other. I'll have to explain." He said, as he pulled up another chair.

  Keleis took the chair and sat, keeping her body angled towards the window to make a quick escape if needed.

  "Achiel essentially holds all of the power. The king rules in nothing but name." Oren said, as he sat as well.

  "Once upon a time," he said, "Achiel and my father were as brothers, but Achiel grew into a traitor. The system that was created with checks and balances on the king to prevent a despot's rise has instead created another."

  Keleis nodded, the story being the most complete explanation of the situation and the way Achiel was speaking, directly to the king.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Oren seemed put off by her ready acceptance, but continued regardless, growing more impassioned as he spoke.

  "Those guards that are supposed to be there to 'protect' me are instead agents of Achiel, intending to protect him from the consequences of any act I perform, were it to be dangerous for him."

  He stood. "We decided upon the war with Agrium once they invaded Lerne. It was our duty to help them, or so my father and I believed. But Achiel wants to withdraw, to placate The Emperor Himself!"

  "I have no knowledge of the war." Keleis reminded. "I don't fully understand the consequences if Achiel is proven superior."

  Oren hesitated. "I apologize. It's hard to take your lack of memory into consideration. It's simply not something I'm used to thinking about."

  He sat down again, calming himself.

  "Six years ago, the man who would come to be known as The Emperor Himself appeared from the wilderness in Agrium. He overthrew the traditional kingdom there, and created the Empire. Now, the Empire is the largest and most powerful nation in existence, and he is the greatest of them.

  "Four years later, the Empire declared war on Lerne. Osmia, a new country, ruled by the people instead of a traditional system, born from a rebellion against The Kingdom of Fraoshieval, and the newly consolidated Dominion of Icrana subsequently proclaimed their allegiances to Agrium. Fraoshieval, still in a state of war against Osmia, declared war against Agrium and Icrana, and Nethus, that is, us, followed suit. Only three nations are not involved in the war, and they are the three least politically significant.

  "Achiel believes that accepting Agrium as a Suzerain nation is the best course of action. He wants to sell out to the tyrant."

  Suddenly he realized how honestly he had been speaking, and how catastrophic it would be if the knowledge of this conversation reached Achiel or his agents.

  "I have spoken too freely. I must ask you to fulfill a request, as a result of that. Please swear an oath to never divulge this conversation. If the information I have spoken about were to reach the wrong ears, it would likely end in my sequestration, and your eventual death so as to remove the last witness."

  Keleis thought, then responded. "Very well, I swear it."

  Oren let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank the convergences." He said as he stood again. "With the way the system is structured, you don't often get missions unless you end up joining specific groups with higher ranked people to order you. Achiel is typically the only option for new members to join. However, I have been intending to create my own coalition. If we were to upset the balance of power, we could begin work in earnest.

  "For that aim, I have several things that need accomplishing, that fit well into your particular talents. And if my intuition is correct, you seem like the type of person that appreciates work, a challenge."

  That does strike me as a simple way to achieve the involvement I first woke up desiring. And being the underdog is likely to be more accomplished and compelling an achievement.

  "Do continue. I'm interested." Keleis said. "I didn't like Achiel instinctually regardless."

  Oren smiled. "That's good."

  He took a map, and pointed towards a city within the borders of the neighboring country, The Dominion of Icrana.

  "If you were to accept, your goal would be to cause a powerful soldier from Icrana to follow you back here to Judaylif. The simplest way is to take an important document or letter, and let someone see you."

  Keleis smiled, already anticipating the work.

  "When they're here, make sure you are seen defeating them by civilians." Oren said.

  He turned to look at a document adorning the wall. "Achiel has total control over the defense of Judaylif. He specifically keeps his forces back to simultaneously protect himself and stifle the war effort."

  Turning back to Keleis, Oren continued. "The only way, currently, for someone to help in the warfront is to find some commanding officer heading to the battle lines and ask to join them, and Achiel's guards ensure that they scare off any soldiers interested in taking an important figurehead like myself towards the battle.

  "To change Achiel's total control, I need the will of the people. The simplest way to do that is to accomplish victories in the war.

  "This move would bring hysteria to the population of this city. They'll blame Achiel for failing to secure the borders and allow a rival soldier to make it all the way to the capital. Because he doesn't want to lose public support, he'll be forced to send some of his soldiers to assist in the warfront. And better yet, this is a two-pronged approach. He'll lose his powerful hold on absolute personal security here, giving us greater room to act and establish an opposing force."

  He looked Keleis deep in the eyes. "Do you accept this work?" He asked.

  Keleis smiled, and answered. "Yes."

  Oren took a small blank paper, and, by observing the map on which he had demonstrated earlier, he was able to draw a near perfect replica of the spoken about section with his remarkable ability.

  Giving the paper to Keleis, he spoke again. "Don't get caught. If we are found out, treason is the crime that will be levied against us. And my father cannot protect us, either. He can't show favorites by pardoning us, or Achiel will have fuel to lead a coup. He'll cite the king's personal control and nepotism. My father will be forced to execute us, should you fail, and public trust and support for him would wane, lessening his power further."

  "I understand." Keleis said.

  "Good luck." Oren said. "I'd hate to learn of your death so shortly after meeting you."

  Keleis paused halfway out of the window. "Don't do anything foolish."

  "I will see to it that I stay immobile. Do not worry." Oren replied. "Now go!"

  Keleis jumped out, carefully catching herself on a large branch as silently as she could, and climbed down to the ground.

  Leaving the vicinity of the guard, she moved quickly but silently across the city.

  She began her journey towards an enemy nation, observing the hasty map Oren had given her, and faded into the night.