*Dust, Ryuuji, Jin, Raika, Sanada and Sera had finally descended from the mountain just as nightfall was setting in. Jin collapses to the ground ready to faint*
(Jin): *Heavy breathing* I seriously need to work on my cardio.
(Dust): You need to work on a lot of stuff. Rise up! Prove to me you’re a knight. Look at Sera, she’s a princess and outperforming you like nothing.
(Sera): What? How did you know that?
(Dust): It was in your file. Sera Gallahanger, real name Sera Calisto from Calisto Island. Specializes in water magic, skilled hunter and fisher. You came to the kingdom five months ago where thanks to your training on the island, you were allowed to take your knight exam earlier than Jin’s class. You were recruited by the Red Vermillion Order where you volunteered for this espionage mission. On paper you’re a foreign exchange student, but in truth you’re a political prisoner of the kingdom.
(Sera): Impressive. Only a few people in the kingdom know about that.
(Jin): Wait, all that stuff is true?
(Sera): Yes. My real name is Sera Calisto, princess of the Calisto kingdom. The kingdom is small compared to Brister. For years our kingdom has been under the constant threat of other kingdoms and pirates in the area. Up until now, we’ve been able to hold our own but the constant battles are wearing us down. For the safety of the people, my grandfather, the king, made the decision to enter an alliance with Brister. However, it’s a very fragile alliance and nothing has fully been signed yet. In return for keeping the island safe, Brister would be given a free trade route with my kingdom. I was sent as a political prisoner to make sure Calisto would not go back on their word.
(Jin): And they sent their own princess?
*Jin had anger in his voice. He couldn’t believe the king would put his own granddaughter in such a dangerous spot*
(Sera): Please do not be upset with my grandpa. The decision was mine to be taken in as a prisoner. I always wanted to see the world outside of the island and I wanted to use the experience I learned in the kingdom to help make our island better. My experience so far in the kingdom has been good. I’ve managed to make good friends and I’m happy to see other merfolk living well within the kingdom without being discriminated against for the most part. You have my thanks for that.
*Sera bows and her stomach begins to growl from hunger. She raises her head blushing*
(Raika): *Chuckles* Looks like our little princess is hungry, we should really think about finding a place to rest for the night.
(Ryuuji): Not to worry. There’s an inn not too far down the road I frequently visit. Good food, safe area, comfy beds and it has some hotsprings we can enjoy. I’m sure Sera and Sanada could use a relaxing bath after what they’ve been through.
(Sanada): You had me at good food. Let’s go.
*The group continues to walk down the road until they reach the inn*
***
*After a few minutes of traveling, the group reaches an inn that is two stories high. They enter through the sliding doors where the lobby area is huge and has wooden floors. To the right is an area filled with couches and chairs for guests to sit and talk. On the left is an outdoor area overlooking the lake where people can go out for fresh air and fish if they felt like it. The group heads to the front desk which is a straight shot from the entrance. At the front desk is a middle-aged demihuman with a raccoon tail and ears. His hair was black and his eyes were grey. He was wearing a black kimono with plaid pants that were black, white, and grey*
(Worker): Welcome to the Takaragawa Inn. How may I be of ser- Ahh~, Master Kazuchika?
(Ryuuji): Hello, Milano.
(Milano): It’s been a while. I haven’t seen you in months. How’s the family?
(Ryuuji): They’re all doing great. Ren just got his yellow belt in karate.
(Milano): Aww~, congratulations. I see you got a party with you today.
(Ryuuji): Yeah, we just came back from a mission and I was hoping we could get two rooms and a meal for the night.
(Milano): Of course. I always have a room or two open for you.
*Milano pulls out two keycards for the group and hands one to Ryuuji and the other to Raika*
(Milano): Right this way folks.
*Milano comes from behind the counter and leads the group down the corridor to their rooms*
(Dust): Looks to be a quiet evening here.
(Milano): Yes, it’s the off season. Aside from a few travelers and mercenaries you guys are the only ones here tonight.
*Milano stops at two rooms right beside each other*
(Milano): Here are your rooms folks. Men on the left and women on the right. I’ll have my chefs get started on preparing your meals. In the meantime, feel free to relax in the hotsprings. The merfolk and your friend in the green kimono look like they could use some good relaxation.
*Milano leaves the group where they enter their respective rooms which have tatami-mats. They each put down their equipment, remove their shoes, and head toward the hotsprings to relax. Before going to the hotsprings, they receive kimonos similar to the one Milano was wearing to change into. After changing, they head to the hotsprings which are separated between male and female*
(Raika): No peeking boys. I’m looking at you, Sanada and Jin.
*Raika’s comment makes Jin blush while Sanada turns away to hide his embarrassment*
(Sanada): Of course. I would never do something so immoral.
*Raika enters the women’s hotsprings laughing with Sera right behind her. The men enter their side of the hotsprings. After removing their clothes, the men and women enter their respective hotsprings. Dust, Ryuuji, Sanada, and Jin saw four young mercenaries laughing by the hotsprings and chatting amongst themselves. Both parties ignored each other*
(Raika): How about that, the whole place to ourselves. What luck.
(Sera): Amazing. I have never seen such a splendid setting.
(Raika): First time at a hotsprings?
(Sera): Yes. We unfortunately don’t have them on the island.
(Raika): Than you’re going to enjoy this.
*Raika tosses her towel to the side and jumps right into the hotsprings. She stays underwater for a few seconds before returning to the surface letting out a relaxing sigh*
(Raika): Come on, don’t be shy. This water is perfect for a merfolk like yourself.
*Heeding Raika’s call, Sera tosses her towel to the side and dives right in. She stays submerged underwater a little longer than Raika swimming around and enjoying herself before returning to the surface*
(Sera): This is great! The water here is so pure and filled with nutrients that are perfect for the body. I haven’t felt this rejuvenated since I’ve arrived in Brister. Would it be alright if I continued to swim around?
(Raika): Of course, enjoy yourself. We’re the only ones here and I don’t mind.
*Sera smiles and begins to swim through the hotsprings happily. Raika soon turned her attention to the wooden wall separating the hotsprings where she could hear the chattering of men. On the male’s side of the bath, the mercenaries heard the chatter of Raika and Sera and decided they wanted to sneak a peek at them*
(Mercenary #1): Uh guys, maybe we shouldn’t do this after all.
(Mercenary #2): Are you out of your freakin’ mind? This is the motherload! It’s that cute merfolk and hot green-haired chick we saw before we walked in here. We gotta check them out.
(Mercenary #3): I haven’t seen a merfolk that cute in a while.
(Mercenary #4): And I haven’t seen a finer girl than that green-haired chick in forever. I gotta know what she’s hiding under those clothes.
*As the mercenaries continued to chatter and work out a plan to climb the wall and sneak a peek, the male members of Shadow Eye watched them*
(Ryuuji): Do you think we should warn them?
(Dust): Nah, it’ll be much funnier this way.
*Stacking up a bunch of wooden baskets, three of the mercenaries climb, grab the top of the wooden wall and pull themselves up. Just when the top of their heads reach over the wall, the mercenaries get pelted in the head with bars of soap. All three mercenaries fall backwards and hit the ground groaning in pain*
(Sanada): *Chuckles* You were right. This is funny.
*The three mercenaries slowly get back up while rubbing their backs and limping out of the hotsprings in pain while the fourth mercenary follows them out snickering at their misfortune*
(Dust): Take note rookie. This is why you shouldn’t try to sneak a peek at Raika: she can hear you.
*Back on the female’s side of the hotsprings, Sera had stopped swimming and was now sitting next to Raika*
(Sera): Those were impressive shots, Raika. How did you know they were planning to peek?
(Raika): I’ve got sensitive ears. Not to mention, who wouldn’t want to peek at a beautiful girl like yourself?
*Sera blushed intensely*
(Sera): Oh no! I’m nowhere near as beautiful as you, Raika. Your skin is very smooth and nicely toned.
(Raika): Thank you. But don’t sell yourself short either princess. You’ve got a nice body as well. I’m sure the boys were all over you in Red Vermillion.
(Sera): Not really. It was like that at first, but Zeke came and kept them at bay. In fact, he was one of the first real friends I made here.
*Tears started to build up within Sera as Raika brings her in for a hug*
(Raika): It’s okay. You don’t need to hold it in. It never helps. Trust me, I know the feeling.
*Sera began to sob quietly*
(Sera): I couldn’t save him. He died right in front of me and I couldn’t do anything. Why did he protect me? What was he thinking?
(Raika): He was thinking about protecting his friend. The worst thing about death isn’t the act of dying, but rather the people left behind who have to deal with it. I’ve had a few good friends who were under my watch die and there were times where I beat myself up about it. Why didn’t I do this? I should have done that. I could have done this. What was I thinking? These were all questions that ran through my mind.
(Sera): How did you handle it?
(Raika): You learn to cope with it. You’ll beat yourself up, but eventually you’ll start to move on. My advice to you, would be two things. One, remember this pain and use it to get stronger, so that you never lose another comrade like Zeke again. Two, continue to live. If you really want to honor Zeke and his life, continue to live a life that you can be proud to tell him about when you see him again in the next life.
*While Raika was comforting Sera, the others could hear the light whimpers of Sera*
(Jin): Sounds like Sera is letting her emotions out over there.
(Sanada): That’s good. She needed this. What about you? I imagine your week has been emotional.
(Jin): It has been. Nothing compared to what she’s been through though. You guys really are amazing. You take on each mission not knowing what dangers you’ll face. How are you guys still sane?
(Ryuuji): It helps to have friends and family you can turn to, to keep yourself anchored to reality.
(Dust): This is the hard part of being a knight, rookie. It can be brutal, stressful, and insane. It’s the one thing the academy never teaches and it pisses me off. They send you off into the field not fully prepared for the mental and emotional stress that comes with it.
(Jin): I just hope I don’t end up like that guy back in Messner Village.
(Sanada): You might, but you won’t. Because I as well as the others will be there to bring you back.
(Jin): Seriously?
(Sanada): That is the major benefit of being in an order. You never have to handle everything on your own. You can rely on others to offer you a hand.
(Dust): Don’t jump the gun too soon there, Sanada. Rookie here still hasn’t decided if he’s going to join our order yet.
(Sanada): Really? Back in the village it seemed like you fit right in with us. Is there something holding you back? You guys didn’t let him spend a day with Raika did you? That’d be enough to drive any man to insanity.
(Raika): I heard that, Sanada.
(Sanada): I stand by what I said.
(Dust): Ryuuji’s fault. He fed him to the lioness.
*Ryuuji gets a scared look on his face*
(Ryuuji): Uhh~, let me explain.
*Ryuuji quickly gets up and runs out of the hotsprings with Dust chasing after him*
(Dust): *Laughs* You can run all you want Ryuuji! But if he doesn’t join it’s because of you!
(Jin): Yes, I did spend a day with Raika, but it was actually good. I learned a lot from her. I learned a lot from the others too. Everyone has been so good to me not just in Shadow Eye, but in the Black Tortoise Order as well. But I have to live up to my family’s name and I don’t know if I can do that in Shadow Eye. Don’t get me wrong, what you guys do is important, but is this really the right place for me?
(Sanada): I understand where you’re coming from Jin. I too had my doubts if this order was the right fit for me when I became an honorary knight. Tell me, do you know the tale of The Child and The Kite?
(Jin): No, I’ve never heard of it.
(Sanada): Understandable. It is a famous tale we students at the Wind School have been told many times. The tale goes like this: There once lived a child who came from a poor family. Every day, the child would go out to fly his kite and everyday the string would break, and the kite would fly off. However, the boy never despaired because he knew the wind would carry the kite through the field and it would get caught in a tree. He would always climb the tree, retrieve the kite, and reattach the string. One day however, when the boy was flying his kite the wind shifted and his kite flew in an unfamiliar direction away from the boy’s village. For the first time ever, the boy is afraid that he will lose his most prized possession. Thankfully, the kite landed in a tree. When the boy retrieved his kite, he noticed something shiny on the ground, so the boy dug and found gold coins. That boy took the gold home to his family and gave them the good life they deserved. I am sure that in your mind you have an idea of the knight you must be, but have you ever asked yourself what kind of knight you want to be?
*Jin was puzzled by Sanada’s question*
(Jin): I, don’t know. What knight do I want to be?
(Sanada): I cannot answer that question for you. Only you can answer that question. I’m sure the knight you must become will be good. While the knight you want to be is unknown and full of mystery, there is a chance you will discover something you’ve always wanted. If you decide Shadow Eye isn’t for you, I wish you luck in whatever the future holds for you, but if you decide to stay I look forward to hearing what kind of knight you want to be. I am sure you will make the right decision. *Sanada gets up and leaves the hotsprings to leave Jin alone with the words of Sanada repeating in his head. What would he choose to do? Stay with Shadow Eye and become the knight he wants to be or leave in pursuit of becoming the knight he must be for his family’s legacy?*
Author’s Notes: Another chapter down. Taking a break from the action and returning to Jin’s inner conflict. Should he stay with Shadow Eye or join another order to continue his family’s legacy? We’ll finally get an answer next week as we approach the halfway point of the volume. Look forward to Jin’s answer next week.