In a dimly lit, opulent chamber, five cloaked figures sit hidden in shadow. Their faces shrouded, listening as two men at the center—one tall and imposing with a regal gray beard, the other scrawny and hunched—discuss the future of their group. The bearded man, Minister Thanh Rong, is stern and unyielding. His gold and red robes embroidered with a dragon serve as stately if blunt symbols of his power. Meanwhile, his smaller counterpart, Chout, oozes arrogance while dressed in the unkempt and flamboyant clothes of a pirate. A perpetual smirk on his face.

Chout sneers, "Well, well, well. Looks like the great Minister Thanh Rong needs my services again."

The minister remains still, his expression unreadable. Chout leans in, poking the dragon. "What is it this time? Smuggling? Sabotage? Need someone... eliminated?"

A slight tension flickers across Thanh Rong’s eyes, barely noticeable, but Chout catches it, his grin widening.

"Ah, that’s it, isn’t it? Well, alright. I’ve been a bit bored. Who needs killing?"

"The Vipress," Thanh Rong replies, his tone cold as ice.

The cloaked figures exchange uneasy glances, clearly unaware of the plan.

Chout raises an eyebrow, feigning disbelief. "I must've misheard. I thought you said you wanted me to kill the Vipress."

"Chout, do not make me repeat myself. The Vipress has shown that she no longer stands with the Coalition. She is a threat."

Chout, taken aback, hesitates. "She’s always been a wild one, but to take her out completely? A move like that needs a unanimous vote."

He scans the room, searching for anyone to speak against the Minister. There is none.

"You have your assignment," Thanh Rong states definitively. "Your price will be waiting on your ship."

Chout’s smirk fades. He knows better than to argue. "Fine."

As he turns to leave, Thanh Rong’s voice calls to him. "And Chout... make sure to deal with her little orphans as well…"

***

Exiting the meeting chamber, Chout slips through a series of shadowed alleyways, dodging crowds of market-goers and avoiding patrols. The stench of saltwater mixed with spices–lemongrass and garlic cloves–fill the air as he weaves through the narrow streets, finally reaching the docked smuggling boat.

His crew—an unsavory collection of cutthroats and creatures—are busy unloading treasures sent from the minister's vault, along with crates of Kiemloung and a case of Matech bricks. A man, with a single scar across his cheek approaches Chout, “Where to, captain?”

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Chout looks toward the horizon, “To the Orchid Academy… We got a snake to kill.”

His crew raise their flag–a black banner emblazoned with the image of a rat with wings, infamous symbol of the flying rat pirates–as they sail towards the moon.

***

We arrive at the familiar sight of the Orchid Academy. Trainees practice in the sparring area, just as Bian and Mai Ly once did. Their teacher is absent.

One of the trainees asks, “When do you think Teacher will be back?”

“Probably when she finds Bian and the other elder sisters, but not before giving them a stern lecture,” the other replies.

“Yeah, what were they thinking, sneaking out like that? They—” But before she can finish, a deafening explosion erupts nearby, encasing one of the rooms in a blast of magical ice. Shards of icicles shoot through the air, piercing the surrounding sisters. Screams echo through the Academy.

“Pirates!” one girl shouts. “Everyone, grab your weapons!”

The sisters scramble to arm themselves, but the pirates attack too quickly for them to engage with a proper response. The flying rat pirates infuse their magic into the very same bricks we saw earlier, unleashing a relentless barrage of cold and fiery explosions that ruthlessly tears through the Orchids, destroying everything in sight.

Chout saunters into the square as the pirates round up the surviving girls. “Orchids, ladies, where is the Vipress?” he sneers.

One of the elder sisters, shielding her younger siblings, steps forward. “We don’t know who that is. And even if we did, no one here would help you, pirate.” She spits at his feet.

Chout nods toward one of his lackeys, who charges at the girl—only to be swiftly taken down. “HA!” The Rat Captain lets out an unrestrained laugh, “The Vipress trained you well… But,” surveying the destruction and fallen sisters, “not well enough.”

The Rats close in. The girls tighten their formation, weapons raised.

Chout takes a step closer, his voice oozing with false sympathy. “Look, I’m not unreasonable. Tell us where your teacher is, and we’ll let you go. We’ll even give these girls a proper burial. Right, Rats?”

His crew of pirates nod all too eagerly.

The girls exchange glances, preparing themselves. They know what must be done. In unison, they draw their weapons. “Better to die with honor than live with shame.”

Chout shakes his head, sighing. “Always better to live.” He gestures, and the pirates strike. The Orchids fight fiercely, cutting down as many Rats as they can, but they are hopelessly outnumbered.

The same scarred man approaches. “The Minister’s going to be pissed.”

Chout retorts, “Oh, is he? Thanks for the insight. Now, search this place! There must be something here that tells us where she went.”

The nervous pirate calls out to the others, “Rats! Scatter! We’re looking for signs of the Vipress!”

They fan out, ransacking the academy.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierces the air. Chout arrives at the scene to find one of his men convulsing on the ground, foam bubbling at his mouth.

“What happened?” Chout demands.

“We opened a chest,” another Rat stammers. “A dart shot out and hit him in the neck… then he just started…” He gestures helplessly at the dead man.

Pursing his lips, Chout is obviously frustrated. “I should have known. She’s too clever to leave clues behind. Gather the men. We’re leaving.”

One of the Rats hesitates, glancing back. “What about the Academy?”

His voice turns snide. “Burn it all."