“Well, this sucks, I would have liked to not spend another night in this carriage,” Lyra groans

“I guess that’s how they do things here, travelers remain outside at night for some reason,” Karina sighs,

“Maybe it’s a test?” I suggest

“It could be one to test our resilience or patience!” Claude’s eyebrows perk up excitedly,

“Or they simply don’t trust strangers,

This is a warrior focused nation after all,” Apollo shuts him down,

“Either way we are here to get help remember,

Those guys at the ramen shop were at least kind enough to tell us where the Chief’s ‘grand tent’ is, we only have this night to get through,”

“I hope what they said about no one being allowed to get close isn’t true,” Amelia speaks up worriedly,

“We’ll get an audience don’t worry,” Karina assures……

…….

The night commences like normal for the residents of the Tonbo district, after a long day of regular training and chores, Bakufu people like to enjoy a nice cup of tea before bed,

Some prefer a late-night spar or a hot bowl of ramen, but none the less, the night goes on like usual,

Word had gotten around that new visitors had arrived which always excites the folk,

“New opponents to fight!”

“I wonder how strong they are?”

“They better not be like that cowardly duo”

“I hope they leave as soon as possible”

“I wonder what they are like?”

All these, were thoughts of the Bakufu people that night,

“Maybe I should see for myself”…...

………

****

“Raarw raarw!” Apollo snores loudly

Lyra kicks at him to stop but he doses not stir

(Annoying)

Nights in Tonbo are covered in darkness, no one has their lights on ,nor are there streetlights,

The only blankets we have is the one of darkness that envelops around us.

Tap!

…..?

(Hmmm?)

For a split second I hear but a single step,

I look around the carriage illuminated by a light crystal,

The twins and Apollo are asleep,

Lyra is still fidgeting around restlessly,

Karina looks across at me hearing the same sound as I

(Maybe it was Lyra)

Tap-tap!

…

It sounds closer this time, but I can’t see anything near us,

Karina seems to know where it is coming from...

She gestures for Lyra and me to stay down,

Lyra does not notice however, still moving about restlessly,

“Shhh!” rolling behind her I place my hand over her mouth

Oomf!

She punches me in my stomach

Tap-tap-tap!

This time she hears the sound and understands,

Karina rolls over near the door steadily waiting

Tap!

Tap!

…… The soft footsteps stop right in front of the door

Knock-knock-knock!

(They’re knocking)

…

Karina motions for us to remain still,

The person behind the door presumably now listens in,

Thankfully Apollo’s loud snoring covers for us,

After waiting for a bit, the door begins to turn open slowly, and a covered head pokes itself into the—

Whup!

Karina axes her leg down on the head, but they reflexively pull back accidentally dropping a small hand fan darting away,

“After them!” Karina shouts, picking up the item, waking everyone else up

Lyra, Karina and I rush out at it,

“Claude, light?” Amelia wakes up still groggy

Her brother nods somewhat confused, he produces a bright ray of light that illuminates the area,

A sleek semi-armored figure stands across from Karina, not trying to run away however, it draws a needle-thin sword assuming a fighting stance

“You want to fight!?” Lyra pounces at them,

The person gracefully leaps into the air floating over the girl

“Hiyah!” Lyra tries to swing a kick

Stab!

They counter piercing the thin sword into Lyra’s ankle

“Aghhh!” she falls backwards

……

Swipe!

“This yours?”

Karina swings the hand fan at the figure, it opens up revealing its bladed edges which the shadowy figure effortlessly dodges,

Swing!

Swing!

Karina keeps trying, to no avail, land a hit on the target,

Their agility rivals that of her own

“Ok well how about this…

Sonic wave!”

Beom!

A gale-like, high pitch cracking-esc sound goes off as Karina waves the fan,

The sound blasts the figure knocking them down,

……….

They stumble up, the high-pitched frequency disrupting their perception of direction,

“Apollo get your lazy ass over here!” Karina orders,

……

“On it!

Ha!”

Apollo complies running up and smashing his great sword down on the foe,

Poof!

The person disappears leaving behind a cloud of smoke, which starts building itself into a small cloud over Apollo’s head

“Did they run?” he looks around

Poof!

The smoke vanishes and in its place the person once again appears, falling sword-first into Apollo’s shoulder,

Stab!

The blade pierces his trapezius

“Aoww!” he drops his sword, as the figure wraps its arms around his neck in a rear naked choke, their sword pointing to his windpipe,

“Apollo!” Lyra cries,

“Kage, shoot them!”

……

Raising my bow at the foe I—

(We’re no match for this person,

By the time I let off my shot they’d already have stabbed Apollo,

There is only one thing to do right now)

“We concede!” I raise my hands,

“We admit defeat,”

“Kage what the hell?” Claude had now began preparing a magic attack,

“Ughh!”

The foe releases Apollo, he stumbles away light headedly

“Wise choice,” a muffled feminine voice comes from underneath their mask,

Poof!

They disappear into one last cloud of smoke.

……

“What was that about,” Apollo mumbles,

“Someone just attacked us, I don’t think they were trying to kill us though,” I explain

“Why did you surrender like that Kage?” Claude presses,

“We could have won,”

“Like I just said, they weren’t trying to kill us, and we couldn’t win

Admitting defeat was the best way out of it,”

“Chh” Claude snorts,

(Attitude)

“We can’t even have one night in peace anymore,” Apollo groans,

“One night!”……

……..

*****

“We’re not taking no for answer,

I mean it,” Claude affirms

We stand in front a pyramid-like structure,

Actually no,

It is built more like a giant tent, an elegant one at that,

The ‘Grand tent’ is what they call it here, where the chief stays…

Blowing along its edges are several flags,

On their white canvas’ is the head of a dragon with a red ‘X’ marked across it,

“They must either really like dragons or really hate them,” Karina whistles,

……

“State your intentions,” a guard demands gruffly as our group approaches the entrance,

“We wish to see—” Apollo starts

“—No,”

“Wait, wait, wait, Its important, you see I am, err, actually the king of Soterra,”

“Never heard of it”

“….”

“Giichi sent us,” I speak up

……

Judging from the man’s expression he knows who I am talking about,

“Ok, if Giichi sir has message, you can pass it on through me,”

“Giichi is dead, and—”

“—Ok, you are permitted to enter, I am not to hear of the details regarding his death before the chief does,”

The guard moves out of the way, along with the other guards who were with him, allowing us to enter,

……

“Hmm, easier than I thought” Claude comments,

Stepping into the grand tent immediately puts us into a large spacious room littered with weapons lining the walls of the open space,

(Feels like an armory more than a place someone would live)

“Where are the rooms?” Lyra looks around puzzled

Our footsteps along the soft wooden floor echo within the arena-like room

“Is this tra—”

Poof!

Apollo is interrupted by a sudden appearance of smoke,

……….

“So, you came back for round two?”

A figure appears this time not in armor,

She carries the needle like sword with her, her neck-high black hair is held back by headband as she smiles eagerly at us, her pale grey eyes challenging us to fight,

(Is this who attacked us last night?)

“Who are you, and why do you keep jumping us,” Karina presses putting up her guard,

“Ah, I see you still have my fan, and it is you who has shown up to my house,

I presume you want a rematch?”

“Your house?

Are you the chief then?”

“Who else would I be?”