The next morning....

“Maur, sir. The prisoner is awaiting.”

My dreary face is all I see. I spin my mirror around, catching glimpses of Toah on the other side between the cracks. I was talking to myself and having a strong internal debate, before I fell asleep last night. I think about what I wrote down.

We all have our breaking point. It's the point where we act like fools and those around us laugh at our immaturity. Be reassured. Have patience and courage in the face of your unwanted moments. The mockers only mock because in their trials, they never learned to accept themselves.

I think to myself some more, before the battle last night consumes me, I finally had the Lam Lathi messenger I was seeking. Her name was Lani and it was time to visit her tent in my camp.

“The time, Toah.”

Toah gives me the time and I nod. I get up from my bed. I had fallen asleep on my empty stomach. I gulp water my water and feel refreshed. I toss the cup onto the pile. I dash out of my darkened tent and into the blur outside. It was morning. My arm covers my eyes. I run back into my tent and put on my helmet. I flip down my visor. I leave my heavy jet-pack on my bed and brush off my armor. I grab two bags and leave.

“Lead me to the tent, Toah. I need time to ponder.”

“Of course, sir.”

I walk passed my men, who were still weary from the night before. We had raided Maraseer and the survivors were still counting their loot. A portion was used to fill my coffers, but I let them keep half this time. It was more than enough to keep them busy for a while.

I did manage to save Lani's diary. She had left it in her abode and I had Toah go retrieve it for me. I couldn't read any of it and I hoped to be able to one day. I was a foreigner in this land and it would always create a problem for me. Some time ago, I learned to speak Neandelerian in the hopes that I would get Neandeleria as my hunting grounds. It was never bound to happen, but I did put my hopes in that basket out of spite. It didn't work out, but one day, it still might pay off.

A short time later, I arrive at the tent of my new dancer. I whip open the tent and find her hiding under her bed. Her foot was sticking out. I lift the sheets and take a look below.

She was passed out and I turn back to my most loyal bodyguard.

“She is still asleep, Toah.”

“Isn't this the female you wanted?” asks Toah with a sneer.

I stare at Toah and then back at my sleeping messenger. I couldn't believe I had succeeded in taking her. I knew her name from the night before. It was Lani. This was the same one from the Felokyle stage. I was sure of it.

Last night, I had manage to outmaneuver the masses of tempests in the air. Many of my bodyguards didn't make it through the battle, but I had what I wanted. It upset Toah, but what did he know about costs? Probably more than me here and there, but I still believed in my plan. Toah did have many friends in my logistics wing.

“Toah. Make sure to keep this one moving around my many camps. Her tempests are sure to come looking. If they attack too much, I can pinpoint their range and locations with my charted map. I'm sure they don't want to give away their position by trial, error, and failed rescue attempts.”

“Which map, sir?”

“I don't know, Toah. I have many maps. I will find it. You may leave now.”

I throw Toah a bag of coins. It brightens his day.

“Wait, Toah. There is more,” I whisper loudly.

I empty my pockets and find a few more coins. I check my jet-pack pouch and then empty my boots. Slowly, the small lump becomes a little better. When, I'm satisfied, I place them in his hand. He runs out the tent to gamble it away.

I walk over to Lani. My shadow looms over her. I reach down and slide her across the floor like dragging a rug. Her eyes dart up for me and she instinctively reaches for a knife that is no longer there.

I watch her back away, before stepping on her ribbon cords. I wasn't going to let her go anywhere. Lani moans and tries to get away, but she can't. She looks up at me and I give a pathetic attempt at a smile.

“Hello, Lani.”

Lani eyes narrow at me. I cold tell she missed her friend. She was worried about him and it upset me. There was little I could do. Lam Lathi was on guard now. I would have to plan my next raids more carefully. I didn't have the element of surprise and the tempests were sure to lower my body count with suicides from now on. It was best to keep everyone out of range, to make a tempest attack not worth it. I look at Lani.

“I know you understand me, dancer. If you don't wish to talk. We can wait a few days.”

I had observed Lani a few times on her journey with her friend. I didn't know if he was alive. I had no other way of reassuring her that everything would be ok.

Lani tries to push at my boot, but my armor made me heavy. I lift my foot off her ribbon-cords and attempt to talk to her again.

“From now on, you will do as I say. I will need you to translate for me. In turn, I will provide you a jet-pack and train you as one of my own. I will help you rescue your friend, if given the opportunity. Anything more will receive its fair compensation”

Lani pauses. “I don't want to help you.”

I stop to ponder. I had already answered this scenario in my head somewhere.

“There is something you should know about me, dear Lani. I don't hit real women and I don't lie to ladies, like yourself. I save that for the bitches. However, my flying killers don't sing the same song. I guarantee your safety so long as you choose to help me.”

With that, I straighten myself. I set a small bag of repair tools at Lani's bedside. I was going to get her a jet-pack ass soon as her training began. It needed some modifications, so she couldn't fly away from me.

Lani frowns. He was already wiping off her ribbon cords and contemplating strangulation with them. It amused me. I look outside at the blur around her darkened tent. It was time for some fresh air. I take one last look at Lani's tent. She had drank all the water I had left for her. I grab the empty cup to fill it up again.

“I will give you a few days to decide. When you say yes, we can begin your training.”

Lani doesn't respond to me. There is a silence as I move to leave.

“Why are you doing this?,” she asks.

I turn to face her.

“This is the what I am supposed to do. Like you once were, I am a slave to my culture.”

I head out of the tent and leave Lani by herself. I nod to the bodyguards at her door, making sure the rowdy ones don't get extra rowdy with my messenger dancer. Today was a new day and it was time to move onto other things. I would play it safe, while Lam Lathi prepared to attack Neandeleria. I'm sure that was their long term plan. When they did, I would carry out my campaigns in the Ryoken lands. It would be easier when their massive force was one the other side of the world.