Devils Own ( A Steam Punk and Mystic Tale ) 2.2

2.2

Irina watched the owl flew off. She had reinforced the lower limbs of the bird with metal casing and sharpened talons. She had set the instruction with a series of set pieces training. Tears came down on her cheeks while she hoped that he was still alive. She prayed that he would come back alive.

“Irina, he will come back.” Master Galeb standing a few steps back spoke to his daughter. “I will send Lucas on a second visit.”

“Father, why are we here?” Irina asked. “Why can’t we be like them?”

Master Galeb lowered his head. He had sometimes wished that he could have a normal life. He was the fifth Grand Master in succession. The Devil’s Own was formed soon after the Crusade, when the disillusioned knights with the wars had questioned the motive of the war. They had wandered the land they had fought on, arming them for personal wars between the dislocated Lords and Barons, or between the leaders of different factions. They were initially mercenaries but their numbers dwindled. They decided to form a new war strategy; they went into stealth killing or stealing mode. There were tasks which needed their skills, and the monetary compensation justified their risks. They combined their skills to trained new recruits in the various arts that were required. The young recruits were picked from the trained soldiers or criminals. When this was devoid of selection, the Masters focused on the streets, the lonely souls without a family. They were not selective with the gender and trained from as young as five years of age. They won’t see the outside until they are eighteen, if they do not die during training.  The training cover martial arts, weapon fighting and even the use of guns like pistols and rifles, with sessions of academic subjects like history, and geography. Some of the weaker ones who could not make the cut were given administrative roles, or as observers. The Guild then numbered over two hundred of members with hundreds more of their followers.

The Devil’s Own grew from a manor in the country side to their current home beneath the city. The Guild had accumulated wealth to but the estate and developed their own fortress within the city. The fortress was below the four blocks of the city seedier side. Unknown to the authorities, the Guild had linked the basements of the blocks into a set of intertwined chambers and build more levels below. There chambers for the recruits, the assassins, the masters, along with the other chambers for training and armory. The founders also build in escaped tunnels to the boundary of the outer blocks.  There are several entrances to the Guild basement, but they are carefully watched and traps are set.

‘Irina, like you I was raised here. So was your mother. We were recruits here, but your mother was more like you. She was a tinkerer; she created a lot of the earlier tools. She created the spring loaded dagger on the vambrace. She was good.”

“She was too good that they sent her for a task she was not to return from.” Irina hit back.

“Yes, she was good. That task was to steal some new inventions. It went wrong, and she stayed back to make sure the others escape.” Master Galeb spoke out. “That person was me.”

Master Galeb kept that secret for years and finally he revealed it that day. Irina ran to her father hoping to comfort him, but he declined her embrace. He stepped and turned his back.

“Irina, the last task that Kassius was to perform was a crucial one.” Master Galeb spoke again. “That ninth task was urgent and it could affect the balance of influence.”

“What was the Ninth Task?” Irina asked.

“The Ninth~” Master Galeb was interrupted by the presence of Master Halen. The later had walked in without asking for permission. He stepped up to Master Galeb and bowed.

“Master Halen, do you not seek my permission before you walked up to me.” Master Galeb was upset at the interruption.

“I would have announced but we are under threat of a possible major reprisal.” Master Halen was direct with his words. “The sentries had reported in of large massing of mercenaries. There are also the troopers from the United Continents. The crack divisions are deployed.  And they are not there for scenery.”

The crack divisions are the ones stationed at the borders, and are good at their work. The ones that invade this section of the city were enforcers, and they were missing that time.

“Master Halen, we had seen such massing before.” Master Galeb tried to shrug off the threat. “They may be here for the usual invasion of the street here. The authorities liked to home in on these streets once in a while, or if some nobles get their homes invaded.”

 The streets residents of the place always knew ahead of such invasion and took their own remedial actions. It was then the invasion will develop into a blood bath before the authorities withdrew. That was why the place was called the Hells Gate. It was also why the Devil’s Own laid their foundation there.

“Master Galeb. I doubt this is an invasion.” Master Halen voiced out his disagreement. “I had seen those invasions. This one was different. Crack troopers are for war. These are mercenaries.”

“Okay. Call up the assassins.” Master Galeb gave the command. “I want the senior recruits and the others armed. Send the untrained ones out. They need not die needlessly.”  

Master Galeb looked to Irina.

“Anything you may have that would help?” Irina heard her father and rushed to the shelves. She came up with some smoke and flash grenades, several prototypes of air propellant guns that fired metal balls, and even a more powerful gelignite.

“Those sticks are unstable. Just be careful where you laid them.”