"Oh so excite! What should I wear? Should I bring a gift along and if yes, what could a Marquess like? So many things to do!" [Katiana]
Katiana was pacing back and forth in my office, the invitation clutched in both her hands.
"Dear wife, if you calm down a bit - the maids will pack whatever clothes you need, and... might I dare make a gift suggestion?"
She stopped pacing and plumped down onto one of the sofas in an unladylike fashion..
"Pshhhh.... yeah, you are right... I have maids now!" [Katiana]
Katiana sat up and looked at me.
"Wait... you said you have an idea? So tell me, tell me!" [Katiana]
"You invent perfumes all the time, yes? Today you are wearing a scent that reminds me of saffron and peach - while at first that does not sound a sane combination - on you it really works."
She sniffed the inside of her wrist.
"Eh... Saffron? Hmmm... yeah I suppose that ended up as an unexpected side note - but no real saffron was harmed in the making. Anyway where are you going with this? As if I can't guess..." [Katiana]
The last part she muttered - but I was going to pretend I hadn't heard it.
"Why not create and gift an exclusive scent just for her ladyship the Marquess?"
"Knew it... Well it's not really a bad idea, but to invent a custom scent, one needs to know the person - the type of skin they have, how oily or dry, what they naturally smell like, how much they sweat, what soaps they use, even if the water they wash in is hard or soft..." [Katiana]
"Sounds complex - so visit the Marquess, and explain to her how you will create a custom perfume with all the data you mentioned. And once you have gotten to know her situation better, you can design the perfect perfume."
Katiana grabbed a block of scrap paper and a pencil from the coffee table and started furiously writing notes.
"Ye-es.... I suppose that is not a bad idea of yours. I'll need to take along some sterile swabs, test tubes that can be hermetically sealed, acid test swipes, and {mumble mumble...} and what about... {mumble mumble...} then this, too... {mumble mumble...}" [Katiana]
I simply quietly watched her work away for a bit, before returning to my own ducal duties.
About twenty minutes later my wife jumped up from the sofa, a small booklet of notes clutched in here hands.
"Done! The ultimate 'How to create a custom perfume!' plan - eh. I'll need the help of the kitchen staff, and... yeah, I'll go bug Stephanus for these items... I'm up up and away, dear Nitram....." [Katiana]
With that she "whooshed" out - one fist strangely stretched out in front of her - to collect whatever she had been mumbling about from around the estate.
The next morning after breakfast I escorted Katiana outside where one of the armored Ducal carriages was already loaded with her luggage.
Eight mounted guards had been prepared - not from the 100 elite, but trained by them, so still very trustworthy.
Two page boys waited at the back of the carriage, and a maid was standing at the carriage door - it was one of the combat maids from 'Wings of the Goddess' that my mother had ordered to watch over Katiana.
My steward was also standing by, with some effort holding a heavy looking large black leather bag similar to what doctors and alchemists carried.
"My Lady, here are the sensitive materials you requested - our estate alchemist has sterilized and sealed everything as per your instructions. They recommend to only open this bag in a clean room. Careful this is quite heavy." [Stephanus the Steward]
She took the bag from Stephanus as if it was a small paper bag with her lunch in it.
"Oh thank you Stephanus - I didn't know we had an estate alchemist? When I get back I want to meet them!" [Katiana]
"We have five, actually, dear wife. They have their own workshop at the other side of the small river that runs through the estate - their work requires both water and a power source, and sometimes the smells they produce during experimentation are... unpleasant."
"Ehhhh? I've been here already a while, and never thought the estate runs onto the other side of that river... sheesh... I'll need to do some exploring when I'm back - what other hidden surprises await me?" [Katiana]
As I helped Katiana and the maid into carriage, I listed some of the estates sights.
"Well, there is the brewery, the arsenal with smithy, the half-dragon and horse stables, the training grounds, and the several herb gardens - one of which is in front of your quarters, so you know that one. Ah, you will be passing through the capital's high street - so I will ride along with you up to the bakery."
"Of course! Jeannette, you can have that side with this bag, I'll take this one with my hubby!" [Katiana]
Jeannette nodded and placed the black alchemists bag next to herself on the carriage seat.
Katiana and I were facing backwards, our backs towards the driver.
I knocked on the carriage wall behind me as a signal to the driver that we were ready to depart.
We halted at the weapon store attached to the bakery and I hopped out of the carriage.
"Have fun at the Marquess - and I hope you find some leads."
"Thanks you dear Nitram - I'll be back in a few days." [Katiana]
I waved them off - and the moment the carriage disappeared around the corner I entered the weapon shop.
"My Lord, I have prepared these as ordered." [Shop Keeper]
I was handed a bundle of clothes that were similar to what the driver was wearing - only the coat was a different color, and a floppy hat was included.
I walked into a back room and quickly changed into the new clothes, then exited thru the back door into the alley.
Katiana in the carriage was forced to circle around the busy big plaza in the middle of the shopping quarter before turning south towards the Marquess' estates.
On the other hand, I could run along a series of alleys without much hindrance - which is what I was doing now.
At a very specific streets near the gates leading out of the city, one of my agents had arranged for a merchant to unload building materials.
If the timing was correct... ah, it was.
I reached the flat bed cart of the merchant just as my armored carriage carrying Katiana and her maid arrived.
The eight mounted Ducal guards also were forced to halt.
I loitered in a doorway and caught the driver talking to Katiana.
"My Lady, there is a slight delay - a merchant is unloading... should be only a moment." [Driver]
I stepped up to the driver and gave him the arranged signal.
He hopped down, and we exchanged coats and hats - I carefully climbed into the driving seat just as the merchant was done unloading.
"My Lady, we will continue now - the road is clear again. [Driver]
Knocking on the cab lightly the driver than spoke once more, before turning around and vanishing into the crowd.
I shook the reins lightly and on-wards to the Marquess we drove - the eight guards had seen the whole exchange, but did not react.
Of course they were in on it all, as was mother's combat maid and the two pages.
After leaving the city gates behind us, it would take ninety minutes to reach our destination - just before noon would be when we would arrive.
We were halfway when I smelled iron on the wind - we were driving through a section of woods, and the road made a sharp curve just ahead.
"My lady, I think we have trouble ahead... Guards, to arms." [Jeannette the Combat Maid]
We rounded the curve and a small battle greeted us.
Several trees had been knocked down in front and behind an expensive high-ranked carriage.
Ten guards were fighting a group of about twenty bandits - two of the guards had already succumbed.
A voice reached up to me.
"Nitram dear, take this, and please go help out the Earl of Vusecto... we can handle the ones back here easily enough." [Katiana]
Katiana was leaning a bit out of the window and reached a sheath up to me, with a bandoulier of throwing knives wrapped around it.
My star-metal sword, Bear-Grim - now was not the time to ponder this situation.
"We only have mother's battle maid and the eight Ducal guards - behind us and flanking are about sixty bandits approaching - my first pri..."
I stopped because the two pages hopping down from the back of the carriage were neither young, not both boys anymore.
"Hey boss man, we're here - but these page outfits are murder on my nether region...." [Bartolo the Butcher of Maridia]
"Chief, we got this, go have fun over there. And Bartolo, you look cute - wear that tonight, will you?" [Egramora the Barbarian Queen]
Sigh, they must have swapped at the bakery, the rascals, and of all of the thirteen elite commanders, these two love-birds had to tag along.
But I was a bit proud of the prowess of my commanders, which was second only to mine.
"Fine. Deal with this you two. Katiana - stay in the armored carriage as long as possible. These bandits are not the same soft goons as the ones in the gambling den."
Without waiting for a reply I sprinted towards the Earl's beleaguered carriage - just in time - there were only seven guards left.
They had thinned out the bandits quite a bit, but the trend was against the Earl.
While sprinting I let loose the five throwing daggers Katiana had handed me - each one found its target, and five less bandits stood.
I arrived in the midst of the scuffle, and didn't even bother to unsheathe Bear-Grim, instead just smashed bodies directly - the shear weight of star-metal was no match against the sparse plate and mail these ruffians wore.
Within moments the area was clear, and I turned my attention back towards Katiana's group.
Two groups of twenty-odd bandits exited the woods on either side of Katiana's carriage with another twenty-odd approaching the rear.
Before Bartolo and Egramora could close with them, a bolt of lighting struck the rear bandits.
When the smoke cleared half of the bandits had been rag dolled bodily away, and in their midst stood a tall night-silk clad and hooded figure.
Even from where I stood I noticed the main feature - the figure wore an eye-less mask that let no light escape, and made my eyes water.
The Demon of Blades.
