Loyal Riptide

Part 2 Chapter 2

       Shiro leaned against a wooden pillar having his feet planted sturdily on the moist floor of the bottom deck of the passenger ship as it swayed moderately against the sea. He felt horrible with nausea blooming in his throat and the fact that even children are being deported back to Aenon. He took in a shaky deep breath and looked around the room at the hooded faces of Aenon men trying to act strong and women holding their children tightly against them. But it looks like their are half children here, too with their blood a mix of human and Aenon.

He then looked at Asa who was now coming up towards him with a stern look on her face. "I found a loose window we can escape through, we don't have much time left so we need to go now." She whispered into his ear and gripping his arm and leading him towards the back of the deck near the bathrooms. Sure enough a window near the bathroom was loose when he touched it. He gently and quietly turned the window pane out of the window frame and let it fall into the ocean not far below.

Asa was the first to climb through the window as Shiro kept watch for anyone that might follow suit. There was a tight knot in his gut that made him feel like he wanted them all to follow him, as none of this was their faults for getting caught up in this mess. This agreement was clearly a way to see if Asa was truly alive still. But he took a shallow breath before climbing through the window and into the sea.

Asa leaded him through brushes of sea grass and coral until they hit the side of the mountain that Aenon is hidden behind. Before they came onto the ship Asa told him about the secret cave entrance they'll use to get inside the kingdom, this was the same entrance her and Kaiyu used when they were children. They sprouted out of the water and climbed up the rocky cliffs of the mountain until a wide mouth in the terrain presented itself and they sneaked in.

The dying sunlight appeared as they made it to the end of the tunnel that led out to the military base. But once they came out of the cave Shiro saw that it wasn't a military base anymore. Small tents and and canopies littered the barren land with families with crying children and the elderly sitting around make shift fires with garbage scattered about the area. He glanced over to Asa who already covered her face with her hood with came with the cape she wore and went up to a frail looking woman with sunken eyes.

"What happened here?" Asa asked, making her voice sound deeper than it really is. The woman slowly looked up and from Shiro could see it appears the woman hasn't eaten in days. "Her majesty made those that couldn't pay the tribute live out here after she took away our homes..." She explained slowly, "you should know this since you are here, too." Asa muttered something under her breath before replying with a simple, "I just forgot... "

She came to Shiro looking like she were about to throw up and her eyes appeared dull and full of dread after speaking with that woman. "I did this," She said, stuffing her fists into her vest pockets, "I made all these people suffer." He rubbed his hands together in an attempt to keep them warm, "There was no way you would have known this would happen, As-" He reassured, but got cut off by Asa already walking towards the market square hiding herself in the shadows of the over grown trees.

The market square looked the same as ever except that he noticed more stall children lurking around the market stalls trying to grab any dropped food they can find on the wet stone floor. His neck prickled and he shuddered as he saw the faces of these children that are no different from what he was when he was their age; poor, hungry, and full of regrets and hopes.

The crowds in the market all of a sudden started to quickly clear out and his suspicion rose so he ordered Asa to hide in an alcove under the stairs of a shop in the shadows. It still faced out towards the market but the darkness still provided them the protection from prying eyes. With the market now clear of everyone they had a clear view of the stairs that led to the tunnels that connected to the Main Lagoon.

A pair of brightly coloured hair caught their attention when it appeared from the stairs. The first man had flaming red hair with some grey strands that was neatly combed above his steely eyes, Kohsaku Nickoro, Amaya's former royal adviser. And the second man had lime green hair with bangs that hung just over his left eye. Shiro heard Asa's shallow breath hitch when she realized who that man was; Kaiyu. 

Kaiyu didn't look like the sniffling boy he remembered three years before, but now he was a tall, sharp jawed man. They watched the two talk to each other briefly before Kohsaku took his leave and Kaiyu walked up to a market stall where a small and frail saleswoman still remained and slid over a couple of silver coins before making his way towards the shop they were hiding under.

His face appeared the same except his eyes were more sleek and the sight of regrets lingered in them. Shiro began to try and get Asa to come farther under the stairs, but her foot skidded while doing so and Kaiyu's attention was on the stairs. It happened all in a flash with Kaiyu bolting under the stairs and Shiro leaping in front of Asa but was held back by her when she felt the cold end of Kaiyu's bronze coral pistols at her throat.

"Asa...?" Kaiyu whispered her name before forcing them all to move farther into the darkness of the stairs as he checked to make sure the market square was deserted. Once they were far enough away he slapped Asa in the chin with his pistol before he broke down, "Why, Asa? Where did you..- I can't believe you." He stammered over his words as the tears fell down his sharp face.

"We all believed you to be dead," He whispered, his hands shaking as he gripped her shoulders, "We searched for you for weeks after your coronation, but we never found you. Then she came." He explained as he referred to Taura. "She came and managed to slaughter most of Amaya's cabinet and anyone that refused to join her." Asa huffed and her face grew stern, "I see that Kohsaku joined and you..." She glanced down at the black outfit with a long high collared coat with the kingdom's emblem on the breast pocket, "I see that you did, too." Kaiyu waved his head down and shed some more tears, "Asa, you don't understand, she was going to kill us!"

"I believe you," Shiro spoke up, which made Kaiyu turn most of his attention to him, "I get why you had to, but tell us about the others. You know, the red heads... Miss Loruda..." Kaiyu released his grip on Asa and composed himself as he flopped on the stone wall opposite them. "Hizashi is herself for the most part, Gordy non of us has seen in a while, and Yoko..." Kaiyu stared at the ground before making eye contact with Shiro, "It's like her old self never existed."

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       Hizashi watered a bundle of sprouting tulips in a clear vase with a watering tin. Her long ponytail getting in the way again as she hasn't been able to get a haircut in quite some time. After she was finished she glanced out the stone frame of the castle to see the sunset going over the courtyard willow tree with its dead leaves beginning to fall off. A clicking of heels on the polished floor brought her back to reality and her face brightened up a bit when her sister came down the corridor.

"You're hurt and your arms..." Hizashi said as she surveyed the several cuts and bruises on her sister's arms with a little red crystal poking out from under Yoko's skin. "You used it again, didn't you?" Yoko huffed, her hair in the bun with the stick keeping it up except that now her bangs covered her left eye. She wore skin tight shorts and long laced up boots that are hidden covered by a long coat like everyone that worked for Taura wore with Yoko wearing a steel plated armor piece over her chest.

"It's fine, 'Zashi-" Yoko reassured but got cut off, "No, it's not! You don't have to keep doing this to yourself every time her majesty sends your squad out to do God knows what!" Hizashi snapped at her sister. Hizashi started investigating the crystal like thing under Yoko's skin but her sister pushed her away and into the small table that held the plant vase. It fell to the floor and shattered with pieces of glass, dirt, water and blood splattering around her as the glass cut at her legs.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Yoko gushed when she saw her sister against the wall and weeping. Her sobs banging against her skull every step Yoko took towards her and crouched down in front of her.

"I'm sorry, sister. I'll help you clean this all up." She said.