A tall, dark, ruggedly handsome man parked his white and black MINI John Cooper Works vehicle in the underground garage and stepped out. His hands instinctively reached for a pack of cigarettes in his coat pocket, but then he remembered no smoking allowed on the premises due to a government ban. He cursed softly to himself and walked over to the elevator.

A few minutes later, the elevator chimed and the door opened with a whoosh! Standing in the cabin was a gorgeous woman in her mid-twenties with long, curly blonde hair. She was as tall as a model and wore a tight-fitting red blouse and a mini-skirt which hiked up to mid-thigh and showed off those long, slim legs made taller by her matching red stilettos. The woman gazed at him with her alluring blue eyes and smiled faintly as her heels clanked on the pavement. Clog-clog-clog!

The man nodded as she passed by, and then he entered the vacant cabin, which now smelled of strong perfume. He pressed the button for the sixth floor and jabbed the "close" button several times before the elevator door started to move.

As the door closed, a red sports car came into his view. He saw the same attractive lady smile at him from the driver's seat before she drove off. He shook his head at her flirtation and jammed the "close" button once more.

Thankfully, no one else waited for the ascending elevator, and soon the cabin reached his designated floor. He tapped his left foot impatiently while waiting for the cabin door to open with a chime. The man rushed into the lobby since he was late for a meeting with his boss.

A young looking receptionist with short, curly raven hair and a petite build sat behind the front desk. She noticed the newcomer immediately and pressed a button to buzz him in. "Good afternoon, Mister Agard. Director Wilkinson is waiting in his office," she said with her girlish voice.

"Thanks, Dorothy!" the man replied with a playful wink as he pushed open the door and entered the hallway. With rushed steps, he walked straight ahead until he reached the intersection and made a left turn. When he reached the end of the corridor, he stopped in front of the door and knocked loudly. Knock-knock!

"You're late!" the person yelled from inside.

The man opened the door and entered the office. As usual, several pieces of paper cluttered the director's desk. Also, the conference table stacked with piles of paper along with boxes and crates. The newcomer sat in the open seat before the director, a heavyset man in his late fifties who wore a brown bowtie over a cream-colored dress shirt with suspender belts pulling up his brown plaid pants. A matching suit jacket hung over the back of his chair. The visitor glanced at the sign on the desk; it read, "Director Winston Wilkinson, Arcanum Repository."

"I apologize for coming in late, sir. I went to catch a movie and had to turn off my pager in the theater," the younger man explained. "Besides, I thought my suspension runs for another two weeks?" he added with a quizzical expression.

The director opened the folder in front of him. It contained a dossier of Finley Viggio Agard, age 35, Retrieval Agent Rank S+. When Wilkinson took out the documents, the first was a black and white mug shot of the man sitting before him. Director Wilkinson adjusted his black-rimmed frames as he read the agent's last assignment. "Ah yes, you're the agent who failed to retrieve the Anode Emitter. The device activated and attracted enormous lightning bolts from the sky which struck several parts of the country simultaneously along with a passenger plane with 175 people onboard. We had to send long-range magic to destroy the black site and stop those terrorists from The Bright Dawn from further using the magical artifact for evil purposes."

Finley stared hard at his superior. "There were 500 civilian casualties on site," he growled.

Director Wilkinson waved his chubby hand dismissively. "They were collateral damage. Besides, those terrorists blended into Brightview Village, and we couldn't tell who were innocent bystanders. The Second Magister made the call under Article III of the Azurean Accord to nuke the village. The Council of Magisters reviewed the decision and gave its approval," he added. He raised his hand to forestall the agent's angry retort. "Enough! I'm putting you back on duty as of this moment."

The agent's face turned serious. "Why me? You got other field agents like Catzia and M to perform S-rank missions," he asserted.

"They are on assignment and unavailable. You're the only S-rank asset we could deploy at this moment. Now, you can either accept the assignment or submit your resignation. In that case, the boys at the Rehab Bureau are itching to take you back to prison," the director replied. He pushed up his frames and looked intently into the agent's eyes. "So, what will it be?"

"I'm your magic repo man," Finley answered gruffly. He has too many enemies within the bureau. If he goes back, the correctional officers will use magic and mood suppressing drugs on him; he will lose his sanity! Again. "What's my target?" he asked.

"Excalibur," the director answered with a smile.

Finley stared at him blankly. "Excalibur is a myth!"

The fat man shook his head slowly. "It's quite real, alright." Director Wilkinson handed a manila folder to his agent. "Read it."

Agent Agard quickly unwound the string on the back and opened the flap. He examined the photographs, which depicted a sword with a curved cross-guard, a black grip, and a golden pommel. Finley noticed intricate runes inscribed on the steel blade and the sword's pommel. The file included close-up pictures of these inscriptions; Finely used his magical sight to read them because he dabbled in rune creation in a past life. He learned that these magical runes enhanced the user's strength, speed, power, and most importantly, magical ability.

The agent was astounded by these enhancements because most magical weapons provided only one or two low-tier physical improvements. Only the legendary-tier or mythical-tier weapons could accept runes which enhance magical might. "Who has Excalibur?" Finley asked while tamping down his growing excitement. He began to believe this mythical sword was real!

"Liu Qiu," the director answered. "He bought it at a private auction and outbid us."

"Why him?" Finley groaned aloud. Liu Qiu was an enigmatic Chinese billionaire with ties to the Chinese government. Any action against him would result in swift retaliation from his organization and its backers. The man was well-known for his playboy lifestyle in the media, and he owned fancy yachts, cars, mansions, and even a magi-craft! He also dabbled in the world of artifacts and held a sizable collection of unique items of the Arcanum.

The agent returned the photos to the manila envelope and placed it on the table. "How do you expect me to retrieve Excalibur? Show up at Liu's office and tell him that I'm the repo man?" Finley asked sarcastically.

Director Wilkinson smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Agent Agard, I didn't realize that you're also a mind reader."

"I was joking," the agent said.

"I'm not," the director replied. "As we both know, Liu Qiu is a dangerous man with enormous backing. He's untouchable for us. Since we can't launch a special op against him, we're going to play it straight with him. Dorothy has set up an appointment on your behalf with Liu Qiu at noon tomorrow at The China Club."

"The China Club? How can a poorly compensated government bloke like me afford to have lunch there?" Finley interrupted. "Besides, I have nothing fancy in my wardrobe to wear."

Wilkinson smiled. He pressed the intercom button. "Dorothy, please come in with the package for Agent Agard."

"Yes, sir!" the secretary answered. A few minutes later, the short, petite, lovely woman with a bewitching smile entered the office carrying a black garment bag over her shoulder. "This is your suit for tomorrow. It's a rental. Try not to get wine stains on it, or else we'll have to buy the suit for five thousand pounds," Dorothy warned.

Finley almost choked on her words. Five thousand pounds? He hesitated to take the garment bag.

"Take it," she said and placed the bag on his lap. Dorothy turned toward the director. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"No," the director smiled like a kind grandpa to her. "Thank you."

The secretary smiled back and departed the office, closing the door quietly behind her.

Finley looked up from the bag and asked, "How will I convince Liu Qiu to return the sword?"

Director Wilkinson opened his desk drawer and took out a long white envelope. "Give this to him at the meeting."

The agent accepted the letter. He turned it over and discovered that the envelope had a gold seal from Her Majesty the Queen. Finley looked at his superior with suspicion. "That's it? I'm going to be your glorified messenger boy?"

The director offered his Cheshire cat smile again. "That's it. Show up on time tomorrow at The China Club and give him the Queen's letter," Wilkinson confirmed.

"Yes, sir!" Finley rose from his seat and left the office.

***

Finley Viggio Agard drove up to the valet parking attendant. He checked his hair in the rearview mirror and confirmed that his dark brown hair looked tidy and combed over. The agent adjusted his black bowtie and then climbed out of his vehicle. He handed his car key to the valet attendant and entered the restaurant.

The China Club was located in the Victoria Square section, next to well known financial institutions which employed thousands of would-be masters of the financial universe. The workers were well-compensated, unlike Finley, and could easily afford to eat at various five-star restaurants within the area. Liu Qiu owned The China Club through a holding company; hence, it made sense for him to set up a lunch appointment at his home turf.

As Finley approached the entrance, the doorman in a red uniform opened the door for the customer. "Welcome to The China Club," the young, handsome-looking employee greeted politely with downcast eyes and a small bow.

Finley nodded his acknowledgment and entered the building. The interior was well-lit with over a dozen crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Red paper lined the walls. On the back wall were two sculptures of snake-like dragons colored in golden. The Chinese character for prosperity stood between the lifelike dragons.

A young attractive Chinese hostess with an alluring smile and almond eyes approached the newcomer. She wore a red dress with a golden dragon on her chest. A slit running along the bottom left portion of the dress revealed her bare, shapely leg. "Welcome to The China Club," the hostess greeted politely with a radiant smile.

"My name is Finley Viggio Agard, and I have a noon appointment with Liu Qiu," he replied.

The hostess bowed deeply. "Master Liu is expecting you, Mr. Agard. This way please." She turned around and walked past rows of tables filled with patrons eating fine Chinese cuisine. The woman approached the back wall near the twin dragon sculptures.

Finley noticed a Chinese man in his early-forties sitting at a small table. The man wore an immaculate dark gray suit and a Rolex watch, and he was smoking a Cuban cigar. His hair was cut perfectly trimmed, and he had a regal bearing which resembled an emperor. The man's dark brown eyes met the agent's suddenly, and Finley felt enormous power behind the gaze.

Guards stood near his table. They immediately patted Finley's body to confirm that he wasn't carrying any weapons or wands. The head guard subtly nodded to his superior.

The man at the table stood up and held out his arm. "Welcome, Mr. Agard! I'm Liu Qiu," he said.

The agent quickly approached and shook the host's hand before the two sat down facing each other. "Thank you for meeting me despite your busy schedule, Mr. Liu," Finley replied.

"It's fine. You are part of Her Majesty's Service. As a forthright businessman, I have a responsibility to cooperate with you fully. And I assume you wish to discuss the Excalibur sword which I recently purchased in an auction for fifty million pounds?" Liu asked directly.

Finley was sipping hot tea from a small teacup when he heard the purchase price. The hot liquid inadvertently entered his lung, and he started coughing heavily.

"Aiyah!" the host said with alarm as Liu patted the man's back vigorously.

It took a full minute for Finley to recover from his choking incident. He took several deep breaths and said, "I apologize for making a scene. My superior never discussed the purchase price of the artifact. And frankly, I don't know how I'm supposed to convince you to give it up," Finley admitted openly. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a letter. "I was asked to deliver this letter to you."

Liu Qiu accepted the envelope, and he opened the seal and quickly read the letter. The man's thin brows rose in shock. The man looked up and stared at his guest with narrowed eyes. "You attended the Lurelts School of Wizardry twenty years ago, and you were a classmate of Liu Shiu. Tell me how she died!" he demanded with despair in his voice!

Finley was shocked by the man's sudden loss of composure. Furthermore, these unexpected questions were discomforting to him because they recalled a dark chapter in his past. "How did you know?"

The host pointed at the sheet of paper on the table. "Her Majesty mentioned it in her letter," he answered.

The government agent swallowed. Why would the Queen reveal state secrets to a Chinese spy? "I apologize, Mr. Liu. But I am forbidden from discussing the incident which led to my classmate's death." Finley bowed deeply to him as an apology.

Liu Qiu clenched his fists before he regained control of his emotions. "In my society, we settle disagreements by duel. Let's have one and put a wager on it. If I win, you tell me what happened to Liu Shiu. If I lose, you can take Excalibur," he proposed.

Finley took a deep breath. He couldn't believe the man was ready to throw fifty million pounds away. But he still couldn't accept the wager. "Mr. Liu, your offer is very generous. But I lack the authority to accept your wager. If I may have a moment to contact my superior and see what he thinks?" Finley asked.

The Chinese man nodded.

The government agent left the table and walked behind a pillar. Finley took out his smartphone and called Director Wilkinson. "Chief, Mr. Liu has proposed a duel between him and me with Excalibur as the wager. However, if I lose, he wants me to reveal a certain incident involving a Liu Shiu during my attendance at the Lurelts School of Wizardry. The information is classified, unless I get your authorization to declassify it and pass this information to Mr. Liu," he explained over the phone.

"Give me a moment to look up the file," Wilkinson replied as he typed on his computer. The director tried to access Finley's school records and had to make a special request to gain access. A moment later, he received permission to open Finley's academic documents. He glanced at his agent's transcript. Attached to it was a special note describing what happened to Liu Shiu, and Finley's involvement in her disappearance.

Once the director read the attachment, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. He wondered how Agent Agard managed to graduate despite breaking school rules and causing his classmate's death. "You have my authorization," Wilkinson said over the phone.

"Thank you, sir!" Finley replied and hung up the call. He returned to the table with a smile. "I received permission from my superior."

Liu Qiu jumped out of his chair. "Fantastic. Let's go!"

The agent followed him. The workers all bowed to Liu Qiu, but the boss paid no attention. The Chinese man quickly exited the restaurant. In the curb, a driver held the back door of a black SUV open. Liu Qiu entered, and Finley sat next to him. Once the driver sat behind the wheel, the boss said, "Home."

"Yes, sir!" the driver replied.

Finley expected a long drive to the suburbs where rich people owned large, well-manicured mansions. To his surprise, the driver took them to the southern edge of town. The car stopped at the Wainwright Pier, in front of a nondescript warehouse.

Chinese security men, all dressed in black suits, red ties, and wearing black sunglasses, surrounded the car. One of them opened the door.

Liu climbed out followed by Finley.

When the agent entered the warehouse, he was astonished for two reasons. First, the building contained an interior garage. Second, parked in the garage was a magi-craft! The vessel used a combination of diesel and aether for fuel. It offered two means of travel: as a hovercraft to skim over the water and land, and as a low-altitude flying aircraft.

The owner noticed Finley's infatuation with his toy and paused. "The magi-craft is very expensive to purchase and maintain. But it's absolutely a joy to sit as a passenger. Perhaps one day I will invite you to sit in my plane," Liu teased. "Let's head inside." He stood before an eye scanner, and the red light next to the door turned right. The door slid open, and Liu entered.

When Finley joined him, the visitor was stunned by the opulence of the home! The front lobby filled with expensive-looking Chinese vases on pedestals. Chinese weapons such as swords, sabers, and spears mounted as display along the walls between Chinese style paintings depicting various locations in China including the Great Wall and Mount Tai.

The host led his guest further inside until they reached an indoor gym, which contained modern exercise machines and equipment. At the center of the gym was a ring approximately ten feet in diameter. Liu removed his jacket and tie and placed them on a bench.

Finley remembered that his suit was a rental, and he immediately did the same. He also kicked off his shoes; his feet pressed on the cold floor.

When the Chinese man began to stretch his body, the agent copied him. Finally, Liu Qiu stood at the center of the ring.

Finley turned to face him but did not approach. "What are the rules of this duel?" he asked cautiously.

Liu smiled. "This is a friendly match, Mr. Agard. No dirty moves; the eyes, throat, and groin are off-limits. And no weapons or magic. Otherwise, anything goes. The match ends when one party either yields or otherwise unable to continue. Are these rules acceptable?"

"Yes," Finley nodded and approached until he stood three feet away from the host. He raised his fists and adopted the boxer stance.

Liu stood upright with his arms behind his back. "You can start at any time," he said casually.

"Don't look down on me," Finley groused and threw a quick jab at his face!

The Chinese man remained still until the fist almost reached his chin. Liu turned his face with perfect timing and avoided the punch.

The attacker twisted his wrist and swung a backhand at the defender, who ducked his head to avoid the blow. Finley followed through with a snap kick to the abdomen.

But Liu sidestepped the kick as well. However, he took advantage of the opening left by this attack by snapping his heel to the back of Finley's knee.

When the agent lost his balance and stumbled, Liu Qiu delivered a vicious backhand to his face. WHAM!

Finley fell, face first, to the ground and lost consciousness. When he came to, the government agent discovered he was laying flat on his back. He turned from side to side and noticed he was inside the ring at the indoor gym.

Liu sat nearby in meditation. He opened his eyes, and a faint smile crossed his face. "I apologize for hitting you too hard, Mr. Agard. It was not my intention." He bent his neck forward silently as Finley slowly sat up.

"It's fine. I lost to the superior fighter," Finley replied with an upturned expression. He inhaled deeply, and his mind returned to the dreadful day twenty years ago. Finley was a teenager but brimming with confidence at his magical ability. Unfortunately, that arrogance cost the life of his girlfriend, and his destiny took a drastically different turn. "What was your relationship with Liu Shiu?" he asked.

"She was my youngest sister, and we were extremely close. She enrolled in your wizarding school as a foreign exchange scholar," Liu revealed. "Although the school principal informed my family of her passing, we never received her body for a burial per Chinese custom. And I was distraught at the time. However, the elders refused to discuss her. It was as if she never existed in their eyes. I tried to use my connections to hack into the school's computer system. But her file was extremely well protected and inaccessible to me. I gave up hope of learning what happened to her until your Queen asked me to ask you directly," he explained. Liu's eyes filled with sadness and longing. "Tell me."

Finley got down on his hands and knees. He leaned his head forward until it touched the ground. "Liu Shiu died because of me," he said with angst and regret in his voice.

"Explain." Coldness radiated from Liu's voice.

Finley remained prostrate as he began to talk. "I was experimenting in summoning magic."

Liu hissed at this revelation because the wizards banned the summoning arts for a good reason--summoned creatures were uncontrollable. "Go on."

"I succeeded and summoned a greater demon named Gozgaz. However, my willpower wasn't strong enough to control it. The demon snatched your sister and returned home," the former wizarding revealed.

The brother's face turned ashen. Now, he understood why there were no remains for burial and the school refused to discuss the circumstances of Liu Shiu's death. Liu Qiu also recognized that there was no way to retrieve his sister from the Demon Plane even if she was somehow still alive. He stared at Finley's prostrate form. "Get up."

Finley remained on his knees. His eyes welled with tears. "I loved your sister," he whispered.

Liu Qiu became startled by this admission. He stared into the man's eyes but found only sincerity. The older man took a deep breath as Liu realized that Finley also suffered from his sister's passing. "Did she love you?" he asked.

Finley nodded.

"For her sake, I forgive you," the Chinese man replied.

Finley bowed.

Liu helped the younger man up. "Come with me." The host left the gym and walked through the hallway. He passed several doors and stopped to open the door and entered the trophy room. Liu put on thick gloves and then removed a sword casing off the wall. He freed the blade, which shone under the illumination of the room.

Finley's eyes widened when he realized that Liu Qiu was holding Excalibur!

The master of the house returned the sword to its casing and held it toward Finley. "Take it."

The government agent reluctantly accepted. "Why?" he asked.

Liu's eyes held a mysterious countenance. "I have several reasons. First, I don't like to owe people. I'm returning the favor to your Queen by giving her Excalibur. Second, my associates have examined the sword and copied the runes. They informed me that the artifact and the inscriptions require the bloodline of King Arthur to activate. And all his descendants have passed away. Therefore, the sword possesses only an ornamental value to me."

"Third, if I keep the sword, then powerful wizards and thieves will constantly try to break into my home and steal Excalibur from me. Frankly, I don't want this hassle. Hence, I decided to dispose of it. And finally, by giving you this artifact, you owe me a favor." The Chinese man smiled broadly at the thought at having a man with Finley's talents at his beck and call.

Finley sighed and nodded. "Agreed." He received the sword from a smiling Liu Qiu. Finley soon left Liu's residence and entered the awaiting black SUV. While sitting in the back of the vehicle, Finley pulled out the sword. He touched the etchings on the blade with his fingers and felt a spark of magic! CRACKLE! The sword emanated a slight, golden aura. He quickly returned the sword to its sheath before the driver noticed.

However, unbeknownst to the agent, the passenger section of the vehicle held several hidden cameras, two of which recorded his interaction with the artifact.

Finley's heart started racing as the words of Liu Qiu replayed in his mind. Excalibur required the bloodline of King Arthur to activate. How was it possible for him to do so? But then again, church officials found him on the doorsteps as a newborn baby and his parents adopted him. Finley never learned of his true heritage, and thus, he couldn't dismiss the notion of having Arthurian blood flowing inside of him. Finley decided to keep this secret because there were dire consequences if his bloodline became known by the magic world!

The driver dropped him off at his workplace. He bowed politely before leaving.

Finley entered the building through the front entrance. He ignored the curious looks at the sword case in his hand. He flashed his ID at the security personnel, which allowed him to enter an express elevator that took Finley directly to the sixth floor.

Upon Finley's arrival, Dorthy greeted him with a warm, "Welcome back!" She informed the director on the intercom, and her boss asked the secretary to buzz Finley in.

Finley soon stood in front of the director's office. Knock-knock!

"Come in, Agent Agard!" the director called out.

The agent walked into the office. He placed Excalibur on his superior's desk.

Director Wilkinson donned heavy gloves before he touched the sword. He freed the weapon from the sheath and peered at the inscriptions on the blade. He looked up and smiled excitedly. "Good work!" The officer carefully returned the sword to its casing.

Wilkinson cast a spell, and a small, purple portal appeared. He placed the artifact inside this interdimensional storage unit for temporary safekeeping. The director looked at his agent and said, "Tell me what happened."

Finley looked at him with a blank expression. "Do you know what Her Majesty wrote in her letter?"

Wilkinson shook his head.

The agent smiled faintly. "Do you remember my phone call asking for permission to discuss the Liu Shiu incident?"

His superior nodded.

"She was Liu Qiu's younger sister, and the two were close. Unfortunately, the Council of Magisters had forbidden disclosure of the incident. The Queen bypassed their ruling and implicitly permitted me to tell Liu what happened twenty years ago. He became satisfied by my explanation and then gave me Excalibur," Finley explained.

Director Wilkinson chuckled. "Liu Qiu paid fifty million pounds for the sword. A simple disclosure of the circumstances surrounding his sister's death won't suffice as compensation for the sword. What else does he want?" the officer asked bluntly.

Finley sighed. "I owe him a favor."

"Damn!" the director slammed his fist on the table. "He compromised you!" he spat out the words in disgust.

The agent raised his hand. "Don't blame me. Blame Her Majesty for making me her sacrificial lamb," he pointed out.

Wilkinson gritted his teeth, but he couldn't refute Finley's words because he was correct that the Queen had plotted to put Agent Agard in this situation with her letter to Liu Qiu. In essence, she used the Arcanum Repository agency as her tool against the Council of Magisters!

He thought for a moment and sighed. "Finley, if Liu Qiu asks you to return the favor, please clear it with me first."

"Yes, sir!"