CHAPTER 1 - MERCY

It was a dark, gloomy Friday, and their hearts beat faster than the ticking of the wall clock. As she calmly took a sip of wild strawberry and rose tea from her dazzling teacup, the aroma filled the air of the Eurus Hall, flying along with tension from the rest. The door burst open, and a woman with chestnut brown hair and dark brown eyes marched inside and took everyone's attention.

            "Boss Zi confirmed. They are involved with the kidnapping incident and are part of the Quislings." Handing her the two file-filled envelop, she looked with pity at the two men tied up, kneeling on the high-gloss marble floor, fully aware of their punishment.

            "You've heard her, so stop lying.  Spit out your hideout or utter your last words." She commanded. The taller man with a throbbing headache closed his eyes against the dull pain. He tried to reach her, but something was impeding his arms.

            "Speak, and I'll let you live." She stood up from her chair. The narrow straps dig into his flesh as he tried to wrench his arms free. "Argh!" He cried out in pain, but his instinct forced him to fight to escape these bonds and run free. The chains dig deeper into his flesh as he continued to free himself.

            "Zillian La Elora, even if I speak, I know you'll kill us." He forced his voice not to sound shaky as his heart hammered his chest in terror. He knew her. His master told them multitudinous things about her. A merciless, heartless woman who kills everyone who blocks her way.

            "I never saw your face ever since I joined the revolt against your Empires. May you give me the honor to witness your poisonous beauty?" He grinned.

            Grinding her teeth behind her mask, she bent down and reached for his hair. "Very well. I'll take that as your last words." She felt the pang of misery that had swept through her at the thought of the past. She can't lose anyone again like she lost her. She will be demented if that happens.

            "Carsillion." She looked at the man in General's uniform, and he handed her a dagger. Painfully he shook his head.

            "Arrrghh!" the man screamed in agony as she slides her dagger to his right cheek. The cut was deep. Deep enough to visibly see his cheekbone. She sliced open his throat like bread, and he gargled his own vital fluid. Blood splashed like a faucet as he let his aching body collapse.

            " You're a freak!" The second man started to be deranged as he witnessed the scene of blood and gore. Her sharp eyes caused him to quiver. Bloodlust. Tears are forming in the corner of his eyes; his labored breathing can be heard, and his heart is racing rapidly.

            "You joined The Quislings, yet your guts can't stand witnessing scenes like this?" Her cold voice was strong enough to paralyze his body in fear. "When your enemy is in front of you, what will you do?" she asked as she took a step towards him.

            "Please, spare me!" His voice broke.

            "Oh, so you'll beg your enemy." Her gaze transferred from her dagger to him. "Fool. When you face your enemy, you must kill him. Or else, he will destroy you."

            "P-please! I'm begging you! Have mercy!" He cried out, desperate to be free from this situation. Wishing these are all a part of his bad dream. But no, in his terror, all of these are not part of his nightmare.

            "Mercy?" This word strikes her. "Would you elaborate that word further?" Nathan and the rest stepped back, feeling commiserated for him. 

            The range runs through her nerves. "When you kidnapped those children, did you think of having mercy? When you murdered some of them, did you think of mercy? When you committed sexual assault and lawless acts, did you think of mercy?" Her anger rose higher. Her eyes are like a burning fire that would consume anyone.

            "You didn't. So why would you dare to ask me to show you mercy?" Her accent deepens; her voice was crisp, terrifying, and deadly. All warmth drained by lack of compassion. The man was not even sure if the speaker could even be human.

            "Why? Are you afraid that you'll experience what you did to other people? Is that why you are crying for mercy?" Her eyes, sharp as the dagger she is holding, pierced through his soul.

            "Foolish! You must have asked that beforehand. Not now that you have no chance left." He gasped and groaned. Losing all his hope to live, he used his remaining strength to free himself. Tears, sweat, and blood mixed as he crawled down. Dropping her dagger, she reached for her gun hanging in her black leather pants. Mercilessly, she aimed at his head and clicked the trigger. His head burst open, brains scattered, and red fluid spilled.

             

            The door banged open. Ignoring the running blood on the floor, a blonde-headed woman hurriedly knelt in front of Ashriel. Catching her own breath, she reported, "Your Majesty, Colonel John found one of the kidnapped children." Her hope rose.

            "Are you sure, Diana?" She nodded in response. "Olive, prepare the van and call The Cadre." The woman with chestnut brown hair slightly bowed and left.

***

            The throttle was applied, and the engine is running steadily at the highest allowed RPM. The ten high members are present except for John, who is currently on standby.

            "According to John, he and his men found an abandoned mansion beside the lake of the hidden gulma area of the third line district, outside Austere City. They are now two kilometers away from the old mansion waiting for your order, Your Highness." Kate reported.

            "Hand me the phone." Kate gave her the phone and loaded her gun.

            "John" The man on the other line silently listened. "We are now heading there. Don't move until we arrive." She commanded.

            "I understand."           

            The engine's RPM decreased, and the van stopped. Ashriel examined the place; it was verdant. Green and scrubby. What on earth is this place? Grassland? She asked herself, feeling discombobulated.

             "Ash, let's go," Nathan called her.

            They walked for fifteen minutes and saw a group of people standing like statues while looking at the house beside the lake, two kilometers away from them. Ashriel walked towards the tall, brawny man. "John, what are you doing?" 

            "You told us not to move, so we didn't." She paused for a while, trying to analyze his words, and took a deep breath in distress.

            "Wait, I feel like my IQ decreased?" Raith stated. "You're such a genius, bro!" He continued while laughing. John only stared at him, straight in the eyes, and he stopped.

            "Your loudness will surely beat a woman, Raith. I swear." Xieaniel commented, making everyone chuckle.

            "Just support me, dude! I never complained about your big eyeglasses. Hey John, tell me, did you breathe?" He laughed forcefully that made everyone look at him. Kate hurriedly covered his mouth and kicked his feet.

            "Shut up, will you?" She whispered angrily in his ears.

            "One more word, and I'll eliminate you, Raith. Lower your voice. We're on a mission." Nathan looked at him with a grim face that sent a shiver through his spine. Ashriel smiled, hoping that Nathan became the leader instead of her.

            "Zi, what if this is a trap?" Natsuki asked as he checked the house with his Barrett M82.

            "There is an eighty percent chance that what you are saying is true, Nat. But there is also a twenty percent chance that it is not. What we need to do now is to do our first plan. If it fails, then we will do the second one." Venice suggested.

            "Lady Venice has a point. From what I've observed, there are only six guards. Four with Caliber 5.56 mm, M16, and two with AMT AutoMag III. Three of them have grenades hanging on their waste, and the remaining three have knives." Using the binoculars, Olive explained.

            “A hideout with only six guards? Quite bizarre.” Leon stated. “Come to think of it, we saw nor encountered no one while we were walking going here. If this is really a hideout, then countless guards must be roaming around.” He continued.

            “Now, what’s the plan, tactician?”