"Hi boss!"

Magus flinched as his five generals walked in the door. They were a sloppy lot; Flea had her (his? Magus still wasn't sure)cape slung carelessly over her shoulder, Slash didn't have his sword, Nazir wore none of his battle armor, Star had her hair down, and Ozzie... was Ozzie. He scowled. "Star! Get that hair in a ponytail or I'm cutting it! Nazir, get your backside BACK up to your room and I don't want to see you or Star again until you're in full battle armor!" He ignored the protests from the little Enlightened girl. "Slash, get that damn sword. Flea, put your cloak on right! Ozzie... get on a treadmill!" The soldiers jumped to do as they were told, the two youngest, Star and Nazir, going slower than the rest. But not slow enough to kill them for it. Yet.

"Nazir, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're beating the shit out of a punching bag."

"How obsrvant."

The entire army knew the two were lovers, though neither would admit it, nor would they stop fighting. Both had been severly lashed by Magus for breaking into a fistfight in the middle of a battle. Amazingly enough, their forces won, for the Guardian Knights had become confused and retreated.

Nazir, 17, was half-mystic, half-human, the product of a brutal rape of a young woman in Truce. Star was 14, a mysterious Sorceress. Both had been taken under Magus's wing since they had been found. Nazir was now a double agent for Magus, and Star was known as the "Black Widow;" she suduced her targets, then assassinated them. Neither liked their work, but they had no choice. Magus was their "father." Nazir grunted. "Did you get a new assignment?"

"Yup. Mayor of Dorinio's son."

"Why him?"

Star shrugged. "I don't ask. as long as he doesn't send me after Gregory."

Nazir wiped his brow. "Well, I wouldn't go after him, either. I don't betray friends. And it's almost my shift for gaurd duty at Gaurdia Palace." He seathed his sword. "See ya, kid. Don't get into too much trouble."

"Don't worry, I will."

Star nearly collapsed on her bed, exshausted. She barely gotten out of there alive, Jeros had managed to scream before she put the knife in his throat. She pulled off her boots, then irritably threw a paperweight at the general direction of the headpost of Nazir's bed. "Stop snoring!" Nazir growled a response and threw the paperweight back at her, missing. "I had a bad night, Nazir. Don't start." "YOU had a bad night? I just took a swordblade to the shoulder, for crying out loud!"

"And I was nearly killed!" She snapped back. "And put that rock down before I set your dumb ass on fire. I'm not in the mood." Nazir grunted again, turned over, and resumed snoring. Star sighed and laid down. Her head hurt. And she had a very nasty feeling...

"Gee. This armor was a lot bigger on Star..."

Ozzie glared at the dark-haired human across from him. "Stop wif yer attitude! You better be grateful your whore hasn't met an untimely demise yet."

"First, she isn't my whore. Second, she's a better fighter than you'll ever be. Third, sit still so I can squish the blubber in the platemail, please."

Star watched the two with amusement from the corridor. Her annoyance at Nazir for that practical joke had abated for now; and besides, if Ozzie couldn't fit into the armor, she would have to go on the raid with Nazir. And it looked very possible.

"Nazir. Don't hurt him. I'll go." Nazir breathed a sigh of relief and finally let go of Ozzie. "Thanks..."

It had been aweful.

They started snipping at each other the moment they stepped out of the palace. By the time they got to the battlefield, they had to go back because they were giving contradicting orders to their troops just to spite each other. Nazir laughed when Magus told Star her next victim was to be Cyrus for the unneeded retreat ("She started it!") and got a mouthful of fist. They instantly broke out into a fistfight, and both had to be carried off to the brigg.

Star spent a little over two hours in the musty jail cell before Flea came to get her. "Nazir isn't out yet," she explained, "but Magus wants to give you an assignment that has to be carried out TONIGHT."

She walked to Magus's room, wondering who he wanted dead. The answer that came frightened her.

"That bit about Cyrus was a joke, you see. But I've just found out that a certian trooper of mine is a double agent for the knights of Gaurdia. This person needs to be... removed."

"Certainly," she replied. "Who is it that I need to teach a lesson too? I'm sure it'll be easy if they're in the ranks."

"Oh, it will, child. I want you to kill Nazir."