The Precipice of Power

14 - Found

"K-Kiro!" Seira grabbed his shoulder, eyes widening in terror. "That's — that's a Scout! How did they find us so quickly?"

He clenched his fists. "You need to hide. Where to —"

"Sun! Answer me this instant!"

He cursed, scanning his room for possible ways to escape. The window! It was still open, and the forest was right outside, just a few paces away and thick enough to hide Seira in its foliage.

"I'll give you a three count before I bust this door down!"

He helped her out of bed, guiding her to the opening. "Go out through there and hide in the brush. I'll try and distract them as long as I can. Can you walk?"

She took a ginger step forwards. "I guess I'll have to."

"One!"

He boosted Seira out of the window, clearing his table of any evidence of her presence.

"Two!"

Then, as fast as his tired body would take him, he sprinted over to the door. He grasped the handle, but at the last moment he stopped, taking a moment to make himself presentable.

"Thr —"

"How may this humble Sun assist you?" He bowed before the impatient Scout, his voice as even as he could manage.

The woman stared at him, silently rubbing her temples and glaring at someone just out of sight.

"... Honored Scout?"

The mystic exhaled, a puff of fire shooting from her mouth."Her brother?"

"Yes, honored Scout." Another voice emerged from just out of sight, and he gaped.

Supervisor Ba.

How was she here? How had they found him so quickly? He took a step back, ready to grab Seira and run, when the Scout spoke again."

"Torch, I swear, if this is another one of your false alarms, I will personally ask that the matriarch lop off both your arms for treason."

She didn't believe her? Relief washed over him, but he forced his features into a mask of confusion. "I apologize, honored Scout, but what exactly are you looking for?"

Supervisor Ba stomped into view, a malicious grin plastered on her face. "As if you wouldn't know, treacherous boy! You have kidnapped your poor sister, the Brave of the clan, for your own nefarious —"

"Silence." The Scout flared her aura, shooting a jet of flame just inches from the supervisor's face. "The Huang are this close to taking another piece of territory, and the matriarch drags me off to deal with this mess?"

Of course. Hong Ma would have called off the Huang the moment Seira was reported missing, though nobody else would know that. Memories of the Saint's vision stone resurfaced, and he held back the urge to vomit.

"Pardon, honored Scout?"

She waved him back inside. "Nothing. The gist of it is that the Brave is missing. Now open all your doors."

He nodded. "Ah, of course. But may I ask —"

"No," she interrupted. "Just do as you're told."

He internally cursed. Would Seira have been able to get out of sight by now? She should have been able to, but with her injury, it wasn't certain. Still, it wasn't as if he could deny her.