The Dark Escort

Job Description:

Kiku is on an old beaten and winding dirt road, with rows and rows of beautiful green pine trees on either side, that leads to the apparent meeting place of her newest assignment. Needles litter the crumbled brown and dusty grey path that winds endlessly into the distance. "This spot had better not be much further." Kiku says as a rider speeds past her, sending a gust of wind by Kiku that causes her  to stumble. Kiku nearly summons Astaroth to yank the man off his horse, but he turns around and rides up next to her.
"Are you Kikuchiyo Mifune? The mage sent from the legal guild Sabertooth?" The man's query was, in fact, correct. This particular mission was for a legal guild member, but someone had intercepted it and re-posted it to the dark guilds requesting a slightly different coarse of action.
"That's me, are you to take me to the meeting place?"
"Yes my lady, it is just up ahead, hop onto my horse." The man outstretches his arm, and Kiku smacks it away.
"I can manage on my own, your gesture of kindness is an insult." Kiku Jumps onto the back of the horse, holding on to the saddle and keeping a few inches between her and the rider.

Kiku and the rider arrive at the meeting spot, with a line of fully armored guards wielding pikes standing between her and a dozen carts and wagons all horse driven. An obvious focal point is the illustrious blue and golden magic driven car that sits idle in the middle of the escort garrison. Kiku begins to slide off the horse when one of the guards clears his throat as loud as he can and follows up with a demanding tone "Papers, rider." Kiku glares at the guard. The rider pulls out a parchment and hands it to the guard.
"I'm escorting this mage to the young lord, she has been hired as a bodyguard for the remainder of the drive." The guard thoroughly inspects the document.
"Alright, this checks out." He says, switching to a disapproving tone "Now you, guild mage, where's your job request?" Kiku grabs the two part job request and slides the addition to the mission off before removing it from her backpack. She juts her hand out and waves it a bit
"Here you go pup, grab a hold tight now so it doesn't drop." She says just before trying to let go of the parchment, denied her enjoyment by the guard's quick movement. He switches between looking at Kiku and the parchment a few times before handing it to the horseman and saying.
"You may pass." The guard stares at Kiku as the rest of the guards move back in formation like a human gate. They close up behind the rider as he mushes his horse towards the magic car. The click clack of hooves on cobblestone make Kiku giddy as she ponders the possibilities for this mission. Ruin the banquet, that's all it said. There's so many possibilities, so many options. A shady smirk slithers onto Kiku's face as they stop by the car and Kiku hops off of the horse. The man holds out his hand, expecting monetary compensation for his efforts.
"Your life, I give to you the infinite possibilities of a human life. May it be short and joyless." The man huffs and directs his horse back the way he came.

A butler stands by the back door of the car. "Enter, my lady." He says, opening the door and gesturing Kiku into the car. Inside the car, lounging most exuberantly is a small boy dressed in silk and furs. No more than a few years younger than Kiku, the boy looks suprised as she sits next to him, almost startled.
"Such a young mage, I-uh, didn't expect this. What guild are you from again? Can you really protect me?" The boy asks, unsure and flustered.
"Sabertooth mi' lord, and I assure you-" Kiku lifts her right hand, open like grasping a goblet. "My elemental Efreet can handle most situations." Her hand lights on fire for a moment, then extinguishes. The boy, seemingly relieved by this boast is now looking at Kiku curiously.
"How old are-" The boy is interrupted by his driver.
"My lord, we are prepared to depart, shall I give the order?" The boy bares his teeth in irritation.
"Yes, give the order. Roll up the divider as well, I'll have no further interruptions for the remainder of the ride, is that understood?" The driver nods as the window separating the driver cabin and the passenger area ascends. The car revs up and begins to move. The sound of thirty or so horses hooves' smacking on the cobblestone resounds as the caravan begins its journey to Era.

The boy stares at Kiku, scanning at her from toe to dome. Kiku is straining to not show her rage that is slowly building up inside no manners, selfish, and a disregard for his employees, this might be easier than I thought. His interest in me might get on my nerves... But I can use it. "I am Kikuchiyo Mifune, nice to make your acquaintance." The boy does not break focus.
"How old are you?" Kiku twitches.
"I'm eleven."
"Wow, a mage at eleven? Who trained you?" Kiku is slightly amused by the boy's innocent curiosity.
"That's a long story I don't want to divulge, but I could give you the short version."
"Yes, please do!" The boy responds enthusiastically.
"Well-" Kiku giggles, thinking how similar the boy is now to what she was like just a few years ago. "You see, I was once from a family much like yours, rich and powerful, but once that all faded away this was my only option left. The only difference was that I never had as much freedom as you, a cabin all to yourself? I never traveled away from the estate, and didn't have more than a few minutes a day to myself."
"Well, that's because my parents are dead, I'm in charge of the family now, I can do whatever I want!" Kiku wonders what she could do if she led this boy in the right direction, taught him the value of responsibility. What do I care of this boy's future? He's just a brat, I'll manipulate him and destroy this banquette because that is my mission. Kiku turns and hushes her giggle into her arm.

"So why are you having this banquette mi' lord? These things usually have a purpose to them, like a marriage or crowning." The boy looks to his feet as he twiddles them around one another.
"After my parents died, there was some dispute as to my claim of the inheritance due to my age. I'm eight... Some of the family members want to take charge of my right to run the house, and I'm sure some of them could do some good things with this power... But it's mine, by birthright it's mine, and I don't want anyone else to have it." Kiku smirks and leans in close to the little lord.
"Why not make sure none of them can take it, you could stop them you know." The little lord nervously looked away from Kiku. "Don't fret mi' lord, I'm here to help you in any way I can, and if protecting your claim as this family's heir is part of that then I will do anything to assure that you maintain your position." The boy looks relieved. He looks at Kiku in admiration, and asks her.
"What can I do? What do I do?" Kiku strains not to let the satisfaction of success crawl over her face.
"You must kill them mi' lord, that is the only way to be sure. You must gather all those who would challenge you into one place and kill them all. Are there any in the family that you trust?" Kiku says sliding closer. The little lord turns away again, pondering Kiku's proposal, and scanning his mind for someone he trusts.
"The captain of the guard, he's always been by my side protecting me, and he's quite amusing as well." The boy giggles. "He's up tight, but that's because he worries about me, I can see it in his eyes." The boy is perceptive, but not perceptive enough to gather my intentions. "Just like you." The boy adds. "From the moment you got in the car I could sense inherent good in your soul, though right now it seems distant, like there's something keeping you away from being who you truly are." Kiku is taken aback by the boy's words, seeing some distorted truth in them these words could be said to anyone... They're so general, like those scamming future tellers, it means nothing... She coughs to try and cover up her preponderance.
"You talk so honestly, it's quite abrasive." Kiku says sliding back to her side of the seat.
"Oh dear, I've done it again... My parents often lectured me for talking to people this way, please forgive me."
"Will you do it? To save yourself and those closest to you, will you kill the others?" The boy sits with his head in his hands for a moment, mowing over this stranger's proposal to kill other members of his own family.
"They mean nothing to me, if this is what I have to do then I shall. A leader must be able to make these kinds of decisions, that is what my father told me."

The caravan arrives at it's destination, the capitol of Era. Beautiful pearlescent gates ascend to grant entry to the near army sized escort that has accompanied the little lord. Kiku and the lord get out of the car and are escorted by armed guards to the banquette hall where all of the preparations have been made. Massive Gothic-esque pillars stand ten meters apart holding up the bending vaulted ceilings with murals of old gods in their picture perfect forms of in-human beauty and masculinity. The hall ends at a grand white balcony that the little lord and Kiku are heading for. On the way the little lord talks to a few guards to give them their orders for the plan. Waiting behind the curtains to the balcony is the captain of the guard, the man that Kiku encountered when first getting to the caravan. "Welcome my lord, all is ready for your speech. Why is this little girl here? Isn't her job done already? We should send her away my lord." The little lord waves his hand and the man steps back.
"Kikuchiyo has been of much help, she has made me realize that I must take hold of my destiny with my own two hands." The boy smiles and steps through the curtain and up to the podium.
"What did you say to him?" The guard whispers at Kiku, growling.
"Only what I had to, you really haven't done your job too well up until now." Kiku retorts, smirking. The guard puts one hand on his sheethed sword.
"I'll ask this once more, what did you say to my little lord?" The tension between the two rises. They both lean in as if about to lunge towards one another. As the two are about to engage, their attention is stolen.
"Welcome!" The little lord shouts to the dining hall. "Welcome uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews, grandmothers grandfathers, and all of my cousins. Welcome to this banquette. I hope you haven't all been waiting too long, but you will have to still your forks and knives for a few moments longer. Many of you question my right, my ability to guide this family into the new age. I dissagree. Some of you have experience that I do not, some of you have read works of authors that have business strategies that could cause this family to florish for generations to come. But it is not your right to rule, it is not your bloodline that has led this family since it's creation." The crowd begins to grumble, whispers here and there. Questions of what this is leading to. "My family, beloved family, calm yourselves. I am here to deliver a message of peace, and a gift to all of you. Isn't life a struggle? You have all been fighting over who is to take my spot until I am old enough, or plotting on how to take over completely. Guards, free them of their worldly strifes." The crowd cries out as the guards who are stationed all around the banquette table draw their swords and drive them into the sitting guests. The food, untouched and still steaming, is stained with blood, dripping onto the pure white tablecloth. The captain of the guard pulls the curtain aside and watches in horror as his men pull their swords from the lifeless victims. He turns around and draws his sword. Raising his shield he says.
"You will rot in hell for this swine!" He swings and Kiku ducks under it, moving swiftly behind him Kiku grabs his ankle and shouts
"Efreet!" Fire spreads onto his foot and shin as he falls over in pain, grabbing his leg. Kiku walks over to his face and grabs his throat "This is what you get for being so rude, you really should have been nicer." The man struggles against Kiku and easily overpowers her, shoving her to the ground. He grips his sword and stands up, positioning himself to drive it into her belly. Kiku points at his head and a small rock comes out of her finger, ingiting into a brilliant display of immense light, the man is blinded and falls back to the ground with fire still lingering on his neck he can barely breathe. "Die a painful death loyal knight." Kiku says walking away. The little lord is weaping on his knees with his head in his hands, saying over and over.
"What have I done? What have I done? What have I done!?" He turns to Kiku and shouts "What have you made me do!?!? What did you do!??!" Kiku turns back to him and grins.
"I have set you free little lord, and given you the gift that my master gave to me." Kiku walks over to the boy and leans down. Whispering into his ear she says "Hatred" and walks away as the little lord collapses onto the ground in tears and drowned screams.