Double Agent: Part One

      They didn't know who caused this unexpected drought.

      Someone there did.

      A shadow moved silently in the distance, her feet as light as a White Weewoo feather. On top of a Meridellian farmer's room a young sixteen-year-old faded blue Zafara crouched down, watched and listened to the farmers as they talked and argued. Her appearance described of a maroon cloak dress, showing her shoulders with long sleeves and fingerless gloves. A black belt wrapped round her slim waist, and the skirt seemed to have been but at the bottom with a silk undergarment. Light blue hair was tucked in a hood, and two golden loops were fastened at her right ear, representing she was one of Lord Kass' fellow minions.

      But what was most mysterious about her was not that she had no name; maybe that would explain her soulless eyes. Double Agent had no feelings, when she was scared, happy, or sad, her eyes, her face nor her mouth did not show her feelings. If she had any, that is.

      The Skeith King of Meridell called her a Meridellian Agent, to spy on Lord Kass and what he was up to. What the feeble king did not know was that the Zafara was actually an agent from Lord Kass, a double agent. The Zafara would collect secrets from all of Meridell, in return telling other things that Lord Kass told her. But to Meridell, some were usually half-truth. She told few lies to her Lord. Swift on her feet, Meridellians still ponder if she is with them, or their nemesis.

      Seeing that it was time, Double Agent stood up and did a double backflip from the roof, landing gracefully on the ground. Shifting her eyes to the left and to the right, pleased no one was watching, she ran off to the Land and Citadel of Kass, unnoticed.

      * * * * * * * *

     The former Darigan Eyrie General Kass strode to and fro his new Citadel, staring at a sheet of paper. It was a map of the former Citadel of Darigan, which explained of the places to persuade the minions of Darigan to listen to him, Lord Kass.

      "Darigan," the warlord uttered, and spat. He remembered the previous Lord; what a pity the fool was under the full influence of the Orb and The Three! Now they were with him: Valedia the Dark Faerie, Spirit of Ambition. Morsus the Ghost Gelert Swordsman, Spirit of Revenge. Caromoire the Ghost Skeith Lord, Spirit of Greed. And in Kass' mind, they would be pleased for all his vile biddings. But the Orb, which was believed to be an artifact made from a very evil and powerful Darkness Faerie, where legends say she threatened Valedia and the rest of The Three's lives to painful doom if they would not give her each of their powers.

      As for Lord Darigan, why, he couldn't control the powers of the magical Orb! The Eyrie silently admitted jealousy; that is why he had helped Jeran to slay the evil Spectre of Darigan. But now all was under his control. He had the power of the Citadel!

      Suddenly the door creaked open. Double Agent stepped in, her eyes blank. "My Lord, the judge and sheriff now swear fealty to you," she toned, bowing. Lord Kass grinned evilly and turned to his plans.

     "Excellent," he murmured, using a claw to scratch off the sheriff's name. He pointed to Master Vex's name. "He will be next."

      Double Agent's eyes shifted to his plans. From what she knew, Master Vex was a genius and used to swear his loyalty to Darigan. Today he takes no side whatsoever, even if they forced Draconacks to bite him. "He will not be easy to persuade, My Lord," she replied.

      "Then he will be locked away in his own cell," Lord Kass retorted, chuckling. "I am the new Lord of this Citadel. No one, not even that feeble Vex, will defy my power."

      Double Agent nodded and opened the door. "As you wish, My Lord," she said. "As you wish." And with that she shut the door.

      Lord Kass turned back and looked out from the Citadel tower. His new minions were toying around, whereas his soldiers were ready for a wave he would send to Meridell. But it would not do. He needed a distraction, something that would stop that accursed King Skarl from aiding Jeran and sending his strongest soldiers in battle!

      "Think, Kass, think!" the voice of ambitious Valedia the Darkness Faerie of the Three hissed in his ear. Kass finally grinned and chuckled softly.

      "Maybe, maybe my fellow Spellcaster can help," he smirked.

      * * * * * * * *

     King Skarl patiently waited. The door creaked open. A dull blue Zafara stood. "My loyal spy," he grunted eagerly, "what news would you bring to me today?"

      Double Agent did a curtsy. "It seems as though that Kass is not causing anything suspicious. As the new lord, he plans to maintain the peace between his land and us. But so far, food supplies and battle weapons run short in his land ever since he came in-"

      "Very well. Take this." The grumpy Blue Skeith shoved a thousand Neopoints in a bulging bag into Double Agent's arms. "Buy himself and his army of weaklings a supply of strong, hard-edged weapons and some food and other stuff, which reminds me tell my cooks to buy some more food too, deliver what you got to Kass, give him my regards and be off."

      Double Agent bowed again. "As you wish, your Majesty," she whispered, and silently crept out of the court. What she told the King was very false, save running out of food and supplies. They had very strong weapons; Magi-in-training were under melee course that needed more staffs, rods and spell scrolls, which Double Agent knew she could obtain in Brightvale, where Skarl's wiser brother Hagan ruled. Sometimes I wish I had a challenge to trick, like Lord Kass, she thought.

      * * * * * * * *

     The sun rose high in the sky the next day. Kass was beaming as Double Agent walked in, along with his Spellcaster Morguss, an elderly Moehog.

      "Hello, Morguss," he said. He turned to Double Agent. "Give me your stats, Agent!" he snapped.

      "My Lord, King Skarl does not suspect any of your plans, due to what I have told him. All goes well," she said, "but I believe we should try something to distract Skarl. That way, we have better chance of getting into Meridell."

      "And a distraction my assistant has come up with," he laughed. He nodded to the green withered Moehog, who stepped forward. "Tell her, Morguss."

      "You see, Zafara Double Agent," she cackled. "My stupid daughter Chantel has a knack for dancing instead of practicing her spells. With a bit of magic I have come up with a perfectly genius plan. I told Lord Kass and at first he was reluctant on trying it. I would send Chantel to dance for King Skarl!"

      "Pardon the verbal intrusion, Mistress Morguss," the Zafara said, "but, how would the King actually fall for some Darigan Dancer? The Meridellians think the Darigan citizens look quite horrid." She stroked her blue ear and fondled with the golden hoops. "I still cannot figure why I am not like you with appearance."

      "Er, well..." Morguss stammered. "We shall cast this spell on her, so she is more like you. Of course since you were originally half-"

      "Shut your mouth, Morguss!" Lord Kass barked. He cleared his throat and whirled around. "Double Agent, you have been most useful. You will escort Chantel to Meridell castle tomorrow at the crack of dawn. Be ready, got that? Both of you."

      "As you wish, my Lord," the maidens replied. As Morguss left, Double Agent couldn't help but turn back to her leader.

      "My Lord," she said, "must we really launch an attack on Meridell? I mean, they are only so innocent and only want peace-"

      "But they stole the Orb from us," the Eyrie replied, beginning to get suspicious.

      Double Agent shifted her eyes, deciding whether to tell her Lord the truth or not. I always tell him the truth; perhaps I should see if he is that smart. "King Skarl says that he expects your attack. He's got his troops ready. He doesn't want to take over our land, you just-"

      "SILENCE!" Lord Kass boomed, towering over Double Agent, his eyes burning. "Don't forget whose side you're on, Zafara Double Agent! I know about your little tricks. You no longer work for Lord Darigan because he is dead and you do not, I repeat, do NOT work for Meridell! You work for me, Lord Kass! If you don't I'll slay you right where you stand! Am I clear to you?!"

      Double Agent shrank back, but her eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. "Quite crystal, my Lord," she replied simply. "Quite crystal." And she disappeared, carefully shutting the door as Kass returned to his plan on war.

      * * * * * * * *

     The sun rose over Kass' land. If you saw the Kass Citadel you would see Zafara Double Agent waiting patiently at the doors of the Citadel, caring about nothing.

      The doors opened. Out walked two Eyrie Soldiers and a striking Gypsy brown Aisha with entrancing yellow eyes and green pupils. She was garbed in a red vest and a flowing crimson skirt over a white silk garment, one year younger than Zephyrne. Her amber hair had been combed into curls and shone in the beams of sun, and two golden loops were attached to her right ear. A strange circlet adorned her head, and neither Chantel nor Double Agent paid attention to the strange patterns that were woven on the pretty entrancing object.

      "Let's go," one of the Eyrie guards growled, shoving Chantel out the door. The Aisha shot a dirty look at the guards, then walked on. She stopped to stare at Double Agent, then continued walking. Double Agent silently followed.

      Time passed by like a Catamara swimming swiftly and quietly for Negg Flakes. It was before that they reached the border of the country Meridell did Chantel speak to Double Agent.

      "Is Meridell a peaceful place?" she questioned.

      Zafara Double Agent looked forward. A large castle could be seen from their distance. "Not always," Double Agent said.

      "I've always dreamed of seeing Meridell, but you know my mother Morguss." Chantel brushed some locks from her face. "I'm nervous. I'm gonna be dancing in front of the King. What if I trip or fall while dancing?"

      The Zafara stopped dead in her tracks. "You shouldn't be afraid. King Skarl can sense fear, even as much as you hide it," she advised. She caught the dismay, which ran over the Brown Aisha's face.

      They continued on, neither talking nor even shifting eyes at each other. Suddenly Chantel spoke up. "Does the name, Zephyrne, sound familiar to you?"

      Silence. Double Agent was pondering deep into her mind. That name, Zephyrne, it sounded so familiar, so close...

      "I don't know," Double Agent finally responded to Chantel. "Although I might think about it. Look, there is the castle. We're almost there."

      As the King's guards let the Darigan citizens through, Chantel held her breath. The room was enormous, and filled with stained glass windows that when beams of sunlight wanted to go in, they would come as the many colors of the rainbow.

      "Go in," Double Agent said. As the dancer timidly approached King Skarl, Double Agent followed as the doors slammed shut behind the duo.

- TO BE CONTINUED... -