The gentle sound of a keyboard cluttered in the background as the dull light reflected in her half shut violet eyes. She sung a quiet tune, it was pretty, as if she was mimicking a bird's morning call, but it was really just to keep her awake. She flicked through the organised files located underneath her desk, occasionally taking one out to place on the side, then repeating the process until there were five accumulated in a pile.
"Wake up", she softly prodded the child on the forehead until she started to open her vibrant green eyes.
"You're still doing this?" the child replied with a pout, grabbing hold of the maroon blanket she was wrapped in, perching her head back onto the sofa.
"You've wanted me to do this for quite a while now, at least look at who I've picked". She handed over the documents to the girl, who slowly started to read each one with concentration.
"Ha look at these names, are all these people up their own asses? None of these have experien- Hang on a minute have you picked the heir?" Her attention was drawn directly to his profile and all of his written details, skimming them as quick as possible before she managed to get it snatched from her pale hands.
"Please calm down... there's important information on that sheet and I don't want it getting lost". She sighed placing the files back on her desk.

A few seconds of silence elapsed before a smirk crept upon the child's face, slowly edging to the end of the couch.
"I bet you picked him because he's the cutest prince that you ever did see. Don't you deny it, that's why you've been working with the King so you can have a proper good look at him!" She laughed as the women's face showed disapproval, the child stirring up a way to change the subject, tapping onto the edge of the desk. "I remember the fifth guy , he was the one from your last mission right?" Pointing to the document on the table.
"Yes. He's an old friend but I haven't heard from him in a while. I'm not entirely certain what he's been doing these last few years." Sighing at the document, the woman placed them all back into the draw. "So, are you happy with them or should I look further?" She asked, pulling out a larger pile of documents and placing them on the desk.
"They seem a little inexperienced but, if you say they're the right people for the job then they're the right people".
A couple of minutes had past before the child grabbed the blanket and arose from her position.
"We'll set off first thing in the morning." The woman hummed as the warm light continued to reflect onto her face.
"Aye, goodnight!" The child spoke, dragging the covers up the corridor.
"Goodnight." She replied, the glow disappearing as she flicked the switch.

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The sun beamed from over the small village, the local patrons sat around a nearby cafe, having light conversation over a warm beverage. Following down the path led a peaceful brook. Two silhouettes emerged from the shadows, the woman's figure was draped in a cape, the only visible aspect being the tips of her hair and the glow of her eyes. The child followed closely behind, hugging a tartan bear to her chest.
'We'll first get the people that won't put up much of a fight, then we'll go to the ones that are going to cause us some trouble. Hopefully we'll be finished before evening'.
'I've always wondered how we do this you know, you think, I hear, I think, you hear. Wouldn't this be awkward if you had some dirty thoughts going on in that brain of yours'.
'You really don't have a care in the world do you? Lets just concentrate on the moment and get this done.' As much as she wanted to stay serious, the woman couldn't help but stifle a smile.

Multiple figures emerged from under the bridge as they sat at the bay of the stream. They appeared to be laughing at each other, but in a scary, malicious demeanor. The woman quickly concealed herself behind a wall, covering her eyes with her hood, noting the position of each individual. A girl in her twenties could be seen approaching the bridge. Though unclear, the child managed to catch a glimpse of her pink eyes, her blonde hair swaying in the light breeze of which covered her face as she drooped her head.

"Ah here she is!" One of the figures by the stream took haste and rushed towards the blonde, it was fairly obvious that she was the 'leader' of the pack and that they were the bad guys. The others slowly closed the gap behind her, their faces crumpled like smashed cans, slapped with the most annoying smirks that you could quite possibly imagine
"Oh look what we have here, if it isn't little Ocean, aren't you a little old to be wearing fake contacts?" The leader starting poking her from head to toe, yanking onto her hair, casually pushing her back while the 'groupies' pushed her forward in a recurring cycle. Ocean's facial expression dropped from confusion to disgust, until two of the gang stepped forward, grabbing and sustaining her to the ground while another got on top, taking a handful of her hair, and cutting it with a blunt knife.
'I'm pretty sure it's time for us to swoop in right?' The child squirmed as the knife drew closer to the girl's completely vulnerable body.
Ocean started to scream as the remainder of the group beat her repeatedly, another muffling her mouth to cover her yells. All of them laughing in unison as she slowly started to lose conscious.
'Now.'

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The room was covered in cream flowered wallpaper, a single bed was sitting in the right corner next to a bedside table perched with a pale yellow lamp. A cream makeup dresser was sitting in the center against the wall, next to a wardrobe and cabinet. It was quiet, nothing could be heard other than a few small snores coming from the corner of the room.
'We can leave her for the time being, lets move onto the next one', the woman stood up and proceeded to leave out the door.
'Are you sure, if she wakes up before we get back she's going to think we've kidnapped her, and well... we kinda did.'
'It's going to be fine, if it makes you feel better I can get this one alone and you can keep Seawater here company...'
"Seawater?" The child suddenly spoke, a small noise escaped Ocean's lips. The child's gaze rushed towards the patch of hair escaping the layers of the blanket. 'Whoops, I almost woke the sleeping beast'.
'Keep your noise to a minimum and please try and let her sleep, the next one should be the easiest so I shouldn't be long.' Adjusting her hood to ensure her face was covered, she disappeared within a blink of an eye.

Without taking notice of the woman's departure, the child slowly edged towards the blonde locks of hair, silently climbing onto the bed and leaning over to see the victim's face, placing her index finger onto the bridge of her nose.
"Wh-What the fuck?" The woman shot up from the covers, knocking the child away from her face, slowly bringing her palm to the base of her forehead.
"Where am I?" Her voice was harsh and crisp, demanding an answer from the child but much to her disapproval the girl only had an interest with her bright pink nails, trying to grab them with content.
"These are magnificent, how much did they cost you?"
"Don't touch me, who even are you?' Her tone was becoming more and more agitated, slapping the child's hands away.
"I'm Rin" she confidently stated, her emerald eyes beamed at the girl before shuffling down to sit on the end of the bed.
"And?" Ocean scoffed, her sight darted from one piece of furniture to the next.
"I'm 9 years of age, I'm a Gemini, lover not a fighter, my dad is an asshole and-"
"Are you fucking joking, that isn't what I meant, what am I doing here, and why is my hair so short?" Her hands frantically dragged through her hair that now fell just over her shoulders.
"We found you unconscious and brought you to our place, we gave you some erm... antibiotics, so your headache should go soon." Crossing her legs, she soon began twiddling her thumbs.
"Urgh... Thanks for the hospitality and all but now that I'm awake I can go." Ocean grabbed her bag from off the table and rushed out to exit the room, the child following closely behind.

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People from all walks of life surrounded the alleys and streets, the market square was preparing for the annual royal festival to celebrate the late Queen's birthday. People paired up to lift cargo from nearby trucks onto stalls, other's ascended up into buildings to hang golden lanterns as the smell of baked goods traveled across the kingdom. Children offered gifts to the lonely and the rich gave what they had spare to the poor. The festival was one of the busiest times in Aphitis, but it was one of the only times where the kingdom came together.
With long strides the hooded woman glided along the emptiest streets, the sound of her heels clapped against the stone pavement, instantly halting as a small child blocked her path.
"Here you go miss!" A noticeably dirty hand reached out, there perched a golden flower that pointed in the woman's direction, the woman replying with nothing more than eye-contact.
"Please take it, it will help you" The child spoke with sympathy in her voice, placing the flower in the woman's hand before skipping away. Her violet eyes followed the child, seeing that she escaped back to her mother, jumping up and down, grinning as if she completed her mission. Her eyes returned to the flower before resuming her route across the market.
Within the distance a man could be identified perched against the wall of the square's tavern, his dark complexion absorbed the afternoon sun, his beard was dirty and tattered, and his clothes were old and worn. A sign was placed asking for spare clothing and money.

As the distance between the two became a few feat apart, the hooded figure stopped in her tracks, kneeling down in front of him.
"Now now, there's no need for that". The man sat up straight, even with his big structure he still appeared to struggle to support his own weight.
"I'm so sorry". Her soft voice trembled as she spoke, tightening the grip around the flower, refusing to look at the man in front of her.
"You have no need to feel responsible" his eyes caught onto what she had in her hand, a laugh escaping his mouth. "I see you ran into my daughter, she has a knack on knowing who to give those to you know". He smiled at the woman, who slowly raised her head to meet his, concern showing onto her face.
"I know what you're thinking, and honestly I'm thinking it too. If it's true then she still hasn't realised it yet. If I'm honest I hope she never realizes but we both know it can't be helped... Anyway, is there anything I can help you with?" The man's voice was gruff, most likely due to the lack of food and water, but it didn't stop him from seeming optimistic.
"I have a favour to ask, in return I can give you what your family needs." Her voice appeared desperate, he just couldn't wrap his head around why she was the one that felt responsible.
"This must be one massive favour if you can do that, it sounds a lot like bribery..." Laughing at her offer, he nodded his head, "Don't worry I won't think too much of it, I'm in".

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"I told you you can't leave!" Rin frantically chased Ocean back into the bedroom, barricading the door from the main lounge.
"I demand you to let me out this instant, I'm going to call the police!" Her voice became higher pitched out of frustration, digging through her bag to find her phone, the small girl waving the mobile around through the gap of the door.
"How did you even get that? Give me my fucking phone right now" By now her cheeks were fuming red, her eyes spoke hatred towards the child's amused face, running towards her to grab the phone before the door slammed shut.
"I'm sorry but you can't have it back until you cooperate with us, I suggest you read or sleep or do something until my partner comes back!"
Suddenly a loud bang erupted from behind the door, quickly escalating into multiple crashes until the wooden frame finally gave way, an incredibly angry Ocean sprinted head first into the lounge.
"If I do not have my phone back within three seco-" Her voice immediately stopped, finding herself starring into a pool of violet, causing her to slowly reduce her pace into a stand still. She wasn't certain what was happening but she felt an instant sense of worry when looking at her. She quickly averted her head to come into direct contact with a large middle aged man, cowering back into the hall she just escaped from.

A tiny sigh left the woman's lips, 'Give her the phone'.
A massive pout formed on Rin's face, dragging her body towards Ocean in defeat, placing the device in her frozen hand, who seemed to be unable to move.
"Are you okay?" Rin asked, waving a hand in front of her dazed face.
"I-I really need to get home" Snapping out of her trance she dropped the mobile into her bag and brushed past the child, her breathing getting heavier as she walked past the two figures.
A hand gently gripped upon the blonde's shoulder, the man looking at her intensely with his topaz eyes, her body tensing up from the whisper escaping his lips.
"I'm here for the same reason as you, could I possibly persuade you to hear them out before leaving? I promise it'll be beneficial for the both of us...' He smiled at her for reassurance, a small nod was all she could muster.
To the left of the room, a few steps descended into a small square lounge, three sofas outlined the surrounding walls whilst a giant white desk supported against the forth, above the desk several security monitors hung, causing a futuristic vibe. The four took a seat onto the sofas that all directed towards the center of the square. The room was silent for a few minutes, Ocean gazed at the floor while the man sat calm and relaxed. The woman's violet eyes met Rin's, giving the child a small nod for reassurance.

"Before we can tell you everything you need to know, we need to gather the remaining three people we have chosen, until then we can only give you a small piece of information. With that you can decide whether you want to stay or go". The child switched glances between Ocean and the man, their moods being the total opposite of one another. Unsure whether to continue she started to squeeze tightly onto her bear and once again began twiddling her thumbs.
"I'm intrigued, please tell us more" The man grinned at the child, causing her to become confused on why he was so happy to be there, never the less it urged her to continue.
"Very well, though it may seem rather bizarre at the moment, our request is that you both could help us along with the others. The details of what we need help with can not be discussed as of yet however it does surround military work". The word militarily violently echoed, Ocean's body perked up, her voice returning to the crisp sound of before, but remaining calm in the presence of the woman.
"What do you mean military? Do I look like the type of person that wants to be in the army?"
"I can assure you it isn't anything like the army, it will be private work that will only be shared within the people of this group. It can sometimes be risky but I can assure you the benefits are worth it. We will offer you free hospitality within the mansion, free travel, health care and specialist training according to your abilities. The pay is also incredibly generous and you will only be required to be with us during the day, leaving the evenings for you to do as you please". This didn't feel right, it had everything Ocean wanted but at what cost?
"I cannot believe this little lie your telling. How can a small child like you even know about this sort of work, just a few minutes ago you were driving me up the wall and now you want me to listen to you? Even if I wanted to, to think that I'm actually cut out for this? You're talking absolute shit saying that I'm 'chosen', you don't even know who I am!". She had no choice to keep a strong face, she was scared, this would change her life if it was true but she couldn't give in too easy.
"I may be a child but what I am telling you is no lie...Please realise that I'm asking this on her behalf, not mine" Rin looked up to the hooded figure who covered her face with her cape, who seemed incredibly anxious to be around them both.
"Each person we have picked has been chosen because of one similarity that you all share, we both know you need this job, you can think of it as bribery but the truth is we need as many people as we can get... It's almost time for us to get the next person, if you wish to stay then feel free to look around and make yourself at home, if not then we suggest you leave before we go. That's all I can say right now". After silence fell for a few seconds, Rin released a deep sigh, climbing the steps to leave the lounge square.

'Sorry, I was completely helpless, thank you for taking over... I'm going to prepare to get the next one.' The woman lifted the cape, allowing her eyes to become visible. She ruffled her hand through the youngster's hair before heading towards the staircase located in the center of the room. Strolling through a lightly decorated hall, she arrived at what appeared to be her bedroom. The room was medium in size, against the wall to the right there was a white desk, a printer rested on the left next to a bunch of neatly stacked paper and stationary. The back left corner of the room was separated by a small step, a grey dome chair perched in the corner. A lighter grey couch-bed rested at the center of the room, draped in a pastel silver silk quilt, with two silver pillows resting against the arm rest. A white wardrobe and a set of drawers were set to the right side of the room. On each wall hung multiple terrariums, each containing a different species of plant. Two large windows sat at the back of the room, covered by transparent silver curtains. The view stretched out to a massive unoccupied area of land, in the distance you could see the concrete walls of the kingdom.

At the back of the room, a thin, curved long sword perched against the wall, the leather sheath was wrapped in chains. A beautiful golden rose was engraved within the sword's hilt, the remainder of the sword being silver. Grabbing a studded brown belt from her drawer, she began to wrap it around the outside her cape, inserting the sword across her side. Taking a deep breath she glanced out of the window, preparing to venture towards the kingdom.

Silence remained in the lounge, it had almost been 10 minutes since a word had been spoken. The six-foot male roamed the lower floors of the building, peeping into each room one by one. Ocean's pupils couldn't help but follow him, he was one of the scruffiest people she had ever seen, but he had this likable quality about him. He had this beaming smile across his face, like a five-year-old that had just been given the gift that they had always wanted. Her gaze fled when he returned to the lounge, starring at her hands as he sat directly opposite her.
"You're worried, aren't you?" The male's voice was warm, she could feel his concern over his loud words but refused to look at him.
"It's understandable, it's not every day you get offered to live in some rich ol' mansion, it seems too good to be true, right? Anyway, I'm Baron nice to meet you". He laughed at his own words, trying to gain her attention.
"I don't know what to do". Her words were shaky, tears were expected to escape from the small girl yet there was nothing, she was empty.
Running his hands through his beard, he couldn't help but sigh. "You know, they picked us for a reason, they picked you for a reason... I'm not sure about the child, but that woman. What do you feel when you see her?'
"Scared? No... I'm not scared, there's just this... I'm not sure how to explain it, a type of aura maybe?" Her eyes came up to see the man nodding, as he slowly relaxed back onto the couch behind him.
"Yeah, that's one way to explain it... You don't need to worry about a thing kiddo." The corners of his lips rose as he finally met her eyes, a small smile reflected at him.

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Several acres stretched along the distance, covered with nothing but long grass. A cluster of trees were noticed to create a moat-like boarder around the mansion. A small path of several acres had been created from the worn grass made from the previous trips returning to and from the kingdom. Two figures could be seen approaching the northern forest.
'Who are we getting first?' The child's hands grasped at the nearby foliage, pinching the leaves off nearby branches one by one.
'The kingdom would be the better option of the two, then we can gather the others and travel back collectively. Her violet orbs followed the pattern of the leaves that fled the trees, watching as they occasionally fell onto her cape, gently brushing them off as they continued their journey towards the ground.
'So, you want the Prince first yes?' The child beamed at the woman's who already knew what the youngster was going to say, but for the first time her expression was light, a small chuckle escaped her lips, shaking her head in disapproval as they approached a chained fence.

With the touch of a finger the forest disappeared, the trees became planks for construction and the fence merged into two wooden doors. Pushing the frames open the two figures arrived in Aphitis, trees were no longer in view as they appeared to have exited an old, isolated villa at the edge of the second sector. A spiked fence surrounded the building, easily restricting any way of trespassing. Construction materials, scaffolding and old machinery spread across the land behind the fence, the remaining acres were claimed by wildlife.
The liveliness of the market had risen, more and more citizens paced through the streets and alley ways, lanterns now clung towards every building they could find and stalls were set up left, right and centre. Children frolicked to and from houses, trying to sell their families craft to neighbours and friends, some more successful than others.

'Urgh, these kids are getting way too close to Ted', Rin winced at the children running past, clutching the tartan bear closer to her chest.
'They're not much older than you Rin, you should learn to share' The woman answered, revealing herself from behind a back-alley way, shielding her head from the passers-by with her cape. It was obvious she was avoiding the larger crowds, much different to the child who was heading straight first into what seemed like a stampede, just before running to re-join her partner.

Separated by four concrete walls, the Kingdom makes forty percent of the overall land, making Aphitis the biggest dominion on the planet. The outer circle is designated for harbours and beaches, which has caused the hotel resorts to become some of the most famous places for tourism in the country. The next section is the largest, being appointed as entertainment and housing to the civilians of the Kingdom, which has now become the ideal spot for nightlife and gambling. Nearing the centre lies the marketplace, much smaller than the previous it is used as a shopping district, as well as a housing estate to richer families and wealthy nobles. This has slowly become a begging ground for those who are homeless, as it is the most accessible place to dig for any scraps of spare food, money or clothing. In the centre lies the royal palace, the home to the royal family. Although known as the smallest section of the kingdom, the home of the heir can be seen from as far as from the docks, the building consisting of over 60 individual floors, including its own training ground to accommodate for over ten thousand soldiers.

Several minutes had passed since they emerged from the isolated villa. Taking shortcuts along the market place they soon arrived at the entrance of the central Kingdom. Approaching the palace walls, the woman instantly noticed the usual way forward was blocked by multiple soldiers, the cause most likely being the increase of tourism during this time of the late Queen's festival.
With only one second of eye contact the child seemed to know what to do, wondering off she began to act as a ploy for the guards, reaching for the guns that were placed in their hands, looking at them with the most amused face a nine-year old could muster.
Instantaneously a hooded frame jumped the 30ft wall with ease, her cape floated within the light breeze of the morning and within five gentle steps she hopped over the top and landed with a silent thud. Confusion could be heard from the soldier's desperate mouths as their attention was fighting between the figure and the child. Loosening her grip from the men she proceeded to climb the main gate, meeting the hooded woman from the other side.
"Could have done that a little less suspiciously, they're gonna be chasing us now" the child spoke in merriment, a bedazzled smile spreading across her face.
Over the wall, gardens extended for multiple meters, two small bodies of water sat in symmetry as grape vines shot from out the ground, a stone path extended like a red carpet to the entrance of the main building, the stone walls aligned with deep crimson roses. The whole building spoke of royal blood.
'We need to make it appear like we're attacking him otherwise we have no bait for him to come with us, the King's already gave us the thumbs up.'
'The King's actually going through with it?' After looking around for a moment the youngster latched onto the woman's hood as she was flung into a piggyback, she couldn't help but admire the beauty of the structures before being somewhat dragged by the woman as she began to jog up to the palace, the pace seeming almost inhuman to any passing mortal that caught a sudden glimpse of her. With a combination of swift motions, they landed onto the third floor balcony, almost without any attention from what was happening below them.

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The inside of the palace was the definition of a dream. Gold lining sketched alongside the smoothness of the cream painted halls, bright beacons of light darted from one to another across the ceiling. Several wooden hand-painted doors branched from multiple corridors, the entrance to the elevator was painted a crisp brown, which lay in the center of the main hall.
As the elevator opened, a male approximately 5'7 in height appeared. His eyes were a light chestnut brown, and a small scar balanced through his right eyebrow. His structure was hard to describe with the baggy clothing covering his body, as his washed blue jeans dragged in front of his army boots, leaving nothing but a black loose vest top and a khaki jacket to cover his upper body, a bandage wrapped tightly around his left wrist. His long and shaggy hair hovered above his shoulders, supported by a long ponytail that fell from the top of his head.
Closely behind followed another male who was slightly taller in height. His eyes shown a hint of silver in a pool of blue, the front of his jet black hair escaping the grey beanie that laid against his head. He appeared lean and muscular, leaving the top button of his white shirt open to expose the top of his chest. A light grey buckled belt supported the black jeans, one hand slumped into a pocket making him seem rather relaxed. Suddenly a load crash vibrated the ground where they stood.
The first male immediately looked up towards the ceiling, a small amount of worry crossing his face, 'What the fuck was that? It sounded like it came from the throne room.'
'Fuck knows.' A laugh escaped the second male's mouth, pulling the other back into the elevator, pressing the up button to where the doors shut behind them.