The fire was fierce. Nat knew the flames were coming before they were released, before Kai even realised. He was a loose canon, too aligned with his own needs, wants and desires than of those around him. 'He would have fitted in just fine at the House of Shadows' Nat thought as she threw Hitch and herself behind a large ceramic urn, just as Kai erupted. Kai's angry realisation at seeing Skylor was thrown outward into the square in the form of a lethal fireball. The back-blast of heat was searing; the plants and flowers ignited instantly and the small garden storage area they hid in was razed from existence. Just the solid silhouette of the soot-blackened terracotta remained.
Looking out from the sanctuary of the urn, Nat and Hitch watched as figures ran screaming, ablaze; flailing and turning as if there may be some magic lever to stop the fires, if they could just find it. Before them, Kai was slumped forward a shaking mass of rage, his head curled tight into his arms, his clothes burnt from his body. Hitch went to run to him but Nat held her back and pointed through the smoke to where an angry mob was descending on their location. 'This is a mess of his own making. We can't do anything Hitch.'
Hitch threw her sisters hand away and glared at her intently. 'There must be something' she implored.
'This guy is not worth it Hitch. He's everything you want to escape at the House of Shadows'
'He is NOT' Hitch hissed at her sister.
Nat grabbed Hitch by her clothes, pulled her forward and spoke into her face. 'Look at what he's done Hitch. Look at those people he has burned. They may be evil, but he didn't think twice about his actions and he didn't think twice about the fact that you and I were right next to him!' Nat threw her down and she landed hard on the ground.
It was true. He hadn't given her a second thought. She should be dead now. It was just pure luck that the Urn had been here to shield them.
The mob had grabbed Kai, punched him and thrown him down again. The dust and smoke whipped up. 'Time to move' Nat whispered.
Some grit hit their faces from above 'Hey!' A barely audible call followed. They turned to the building behind them and on the roof above, a grey clad Ninja looked over the edge at them.
'Who the hell are you?' Nat hissed.
'His sister' Hitch knew the symbol on her hood from news footage. She had come for him, but was too late.
Nya indicated to go via the side alley to meet her.
Nat looked at Hitch and tried to pull her in the opposite direction, but Hitch stood firm. 'Kai may be a disaster waiting to happen, but I like him. I don't want to trust going back into the House. Right now I'm free and I would rather trust in a new path. You can follow it with me or wait for nothing, somewhere else...' She looked intently at her sister 'Your choice'.
Nat looked at Hitch in silent frustration. Never had her sister been so certain, so strong in her conviction. She looked up at the Ninja above, who was anxiously looking around and beckoning for them to hurry. She shoved Hitch back 'Get going then squirt'.
Hitch turned. Taking a last worried look towards Kai she saw a broken man, being broken still; dragged and kicked further out into the square he gave no fight in return. She ran to the alleyway and moving further along she leapt up onto the wall. Using the crumbling brickwork to find finger and foot holds, just enough to make an accelerated stretch to a window ledge further up. She crouched in a balance there and reached up to the overhanging drainpipe, checking it for stability before swinging up on to the roof where Nya sat waiting for them.
Nat followed and the two sisters settled cross-legged a safe distance from Kai's sister.
'So. As I said before... Hey!' Nya said.
Hitch and Nat looked at each other, uncertain how to proceed. 'Uh... Hey!' Hitch echoed.
'I am making the huge assumption that you were with Kai and not everyone else down there... who seem to want to rip my brother to shreds. Am I right?'
Hitch and Nat nodded.
'What happened? Why did he explode?'
'His someone is here' Hitch said quietly.
'Yes. Skylor' Nya confirmed 'I take it he saw her?'
Hitch nodded again.
'Are you from here?'
Again Hitch nodded.
'Talkative aren't you' Nya quipped.
Both Hitch and Nat gave Nya a withering look.
'Sorry, but come on, what is this? I wasn't expecting a game of 20 questions?'
Nat stood 'We need to move to a safe space. We can talk there. Follow me'
So Nya followed. She didn't know who they were or why they were with Kai, but she kind of trusted them.
Nat trusted Nya. She had heard her thoughts. They ran linear; a clear stream of compulsion and intent that washed over a soft landscape of honesty and integrity. Was this really Kai's sister? They were so different. She had certainly never met anyone so... good and she trusted her enough to take her to the only safe place in the whole rotten House. A place she had found kindness and compassion; that she had, until now, kept to herself. She would guard this sanctuary with her life, but right now it was the only place they could go.
Nya followed the silent sisters over the rooftops to another small alley, hidden behind a knot of shabby single room dwellings. The inhabitants spilt out onto the main street, talking, eating, playing cards and brawling. The bright lights of their lanterns made the roofs darker still 'This is servant town' Nat explained 'There is not much honour here, but a darn sight more than the House itself'. She moved over the back of the dwellings to the alley behind, where they all dropped down into the silent artery. The air, trapped and stale was not welcoming, but the soft glow of the doorway, hanging with brightly strung beads was a comforting draw.
Hitch turned to her sister 'What is this place?' she asked quietly.
'Ama's house' Nat replied and moved her hand through the beads to enter.
Hitch stopped her. 'Who's Ama?' she asked.
'Well. It's not actually her name. She is The Ama'
'The Ama? I don't...' Hitch shook her head, she had no idea what an Ama was.
Nat pursed her lips 'The Ama looks after the Grand Masters concubines'
Hitch looked taken aback while Nya drew in her breath... 'Woah, that still happens huh?'
'This is hardly a progressive society' Nat replied dryly. She continued into the building, stepping through the beads, which rustled and clacked together as Hitch and Nya followed. Nya pulled off her hood.
'Ama?' Nat called. The house was substantially larger than the dwellings on the other side of the alley. Through the small entrance room a stairway rose up to a balcony that overlooked a small internal courtyard. Lush green plants lined the rails and a wisp of smoke heralded Ama's appearance. 'Nat, my lovely girl!' a short round woman leant over the rail, batting aside large palm leaves. She stopped and looked at Nat's two companions. 'Who are they?' Her voice changed from melodic to demanding.
'These are my sisters Ama'
'Indeed?' The womans' round wrinkled face contorted in surprise. She waggled her long cigarette holder in the direction of Hitch and the stub of burnt tobacco fell from the end. 'This little one maybe... but this one. No! She is too healthy. Too clean' The Ama walked around the balcony looking down slyly at them and began to descend the stair '... and look at her. Why, she is a beauty! The Grand Master would not have thrown this one to the lions'
'I don't think this place is as safe as you think!' Nya spat at Nat.
'It's fine' Nat hissed back 'She's just checking you out. She despises the system as much as us all'
The Ama finally reached them. Lowering herself unsteadily from the last step, she stood barely 5ft tall. Patting Nat on the arm gently, she walked up to Hitch and smiled at her 'Yes, you are Hitch. This I can see now, welcome' and continued to Nya. 'And you, you beautiful oddity, are not of this place. Why you would want to come here I couldn't begin to guess...' she broke off to tap her cigarette holder on her chin. Nya went to speak and The Ama held up her hand to stop her 'I do not want to know child, do not tell me your story, or your name' and playfully smiled at her.
'Oh no' Nat suddenly looked at Nya. Who was tapping her watch 'What are you doing? Why didn't you think any of this before?'
'What?'
'You have a tracker. Your team will find us. They will come here!'
'Again. What? How did you know?' Nya asked.
The Ama looked between Nat and Nya and swiped the air with her hand 'Tsh. The more the merrier. But maybe you should tell me your story after all my dear!' she led Nya to a table in the small cobbled courtyard where The Ama listened intently to Nya's plight. Nya heard from Hitch of Kai's injuries and how he came to be at the House of Shadows. She could see how the small ninja talked about him and how she turned her face with shame at what she had done, for it had all been for her own selfish needs. Kai was certainly no stranger to selfish needs and he had not made one attempt to leave until today and chose to leave with her. This girl meant something to him. Though knowing Kai, he probably didn't realise yet. The way he reacted to seeing Skylor was proof of that.
'Ama' Nya began 'You have shown me kindness in this rotten place and harboured us, which I am grateful for. Yet you seem to exist in a bubble of contentment. I can't leave without questioning you and your life. My conscience won't allow me'
The Ama, looked directly at Nya an unfathomable look on her face 'Let me see now... How can I exist, knowing I am carrying out the will of this Grand Master? How can I live with the fate of so many young lives, broken and re-moulded in his chosen image?' She looked down, regret and sadness now clear on her face. 'My dear, I could not live with myself if I did not'
Nat interrupted and stood for her someone. 'A person can't just leave this place and if they did, they would be found, brought back and made an example of'
'So you stay and do nothing?' Nya said.
'No!' The Ama firmly replied. 'I do what I can, from within'
Nya, checked her watch. The teams' individual marker had combined into one of blue white and black. They were together again 'They'll be along shortly' she said to The Ama.
'Ok' She replied 'But know this young lady. You cannot imagine what my girls will go through in their young lives and they would do this alone'
'Without you'
'Or with someone else. Someone not me'
'I think I understand what you're saying' Nya said.
'Believe me when I say, that everybody needs somebody. These girls more so. I am the kind words' they would never hear. The tender shoulder they would never cry on, the stories they would never hear at night. I'm not just The Ama, I am their Ama'.
Nya nodded. She understood but still didn't like the fact this woman actually existed.
'I'm going out' The Ama said 'I cannot be here. I hope you will understand?'
'Of course' Nya replied. 'Ama' Nya called as the old woman was leaving. The Ama turned to her. 'This place won't last, we'll take it down'.
'You may well do, dear. But don't expect the monsters flames to die, there's more than enough oxygen in the world for the sparks to reignite'
Nya closed her eyes. She knew the old woman was probably right.
Nat stood and bowed to The Ama who smiled up to her. She rubbed Nat's arm and waggled her finger at her 'your future is bright! I can feel it!' she said with a smile and waddled out of the room.
Hitch came and stood next to her sister. 'Wow! Why did you not tell us about her?'
'Would you have told us?' Nat asked back.
'No way!' Hitch replied with surprising immediacy.
'Hrmph! Well there you go. Everybody needs somebody!'
'Yes' Hitch replied and smiled as she thought of Kai.
'My team is here' Nya interrupted. She walked back through to the small entrance room. The beaded screen clacked as somebody moved through. A blue cuff emerged and she could not mistake his long elegant fingers. She pounced on her someone and held him tight only releasing him to find his lips to kiss.
Hitch and Nat stood in the interior doorway.
As Cole entered after Nya and Jay's embrace, he coughed lightly 'Uh, so you going to introduce us to your new friends?'