Gurav 2nd. The day of a twelve-hour parole. They were gathered from the right wing and brought to the main building, the structure of glass and offices. The lobby contained blue carpet flooring, with a lightish blue shade Peking pattern. A large reception desk lined a side of the building, as multiple couches were arranged ninety degrees of it; along with mysterious state of the art kafei machines.
They had a specific escort to go with them; Five Al-Wa grunts in unmarked uniforms in order to monitor them. The group was restricted only to the city limits of Wakoku ‘Basad, and those five soldiers were to spectate their actions. Due to the recent protests, the ten of them were not allowed to wear their Al-Wa uniforms and had to use casual attire, but everyone wanted to change out of those monotone clothes anyway. By this time the restrictions were known, Saya’s plan was already taking place.
The ten of them crowded against the glass entrance, pushing the doors open. Filing out of the entrance, they saw the vast world before them, having been trapped in a small space for a week.
The town of Wakoku, a crucial coastal port to Azutami. Many windmills plotted the beaches, taking advantage of the sea breeze. Even if they were not close to the sea, windmills were in abundance in around two per five buildings, taking space on roofs and minarets. The melting pot of Azu architecture painted the town in contrasts of reddish yellow and beautiful brown. Arched roofs and stupas mixed creating a landscape of spikes and spheres.
Numerous boats clustered the waterside with traffic, the roar of the engines on the street as common as the seagulls' caw. Near the Kurotari Landing was the Battkan Kurotari Luxury Hôtel, that housed the remnants of the Yan Shogunate Tenshuu, the bakufu government of Azutami more than a century before.
They descended the steps of the entrance, and went into the town. The five Al-Wa soldiers disappeared.
The narrow streets, filled with merchants and shoppers on the stone walkways. Oxen driven carts mingled with buggy trucks, the sound of mooing combined with the smell of diesel confused the era.
The group slyly split as some of them detoured an alley. The divergent group of Saya, Tvuj, Hyun-woo, Toqemur, and Suruj linked each other’s shoulders.
“Alam Alkhafa,” Toqemur who wore a gray tank top sweater, casted an invisibility spell.
“Ready?” Hyun-woo said in Khoit, taking off the weights on his neck, “Alam Minjie.”
Time slowed for the five of them. Everything around them was moving at a relaxed pace.
“Why is everything so slow?” Toqemur asked.
“‘Cause our agility is so fast that our vision perceives everything else as slow. Just like the perspective of a fly,” Hyun-woo answered, “But tis’ just a serf’s work. Anyone who uses Minjie with Mahou or Dihu can spot us easier. Not only that, they will perceive us as slow instead.”
“As long as it works. Yavtsgaaya, Let’s search,” Saya ushered. Then a clunk sounded. “Ow-”
It was the sudden realization that they were invisible, and couldn't see each other. Even if they were hidden, they blended with the background perfectly.
“We should’ve thought this through when Toqemur said she could make us invisible,” Hyun-woo sighed, kicking the wall.
“Sorry guys, hehe,” Her voice was heard.
“Okay, this is fine,” Saya exclaimed, “Join arms so we don’t get lost.”
After stumbling around in the alley trying to find each other, the five of them managed to make a chain by linking arms. From there, they headed towards the direction of their first destination, the Daimyo-Wakoku Infirmary. It was easy to dodge incoming traffic, for everything around them was slowed due to Hyun-woo’s Minjie. Although difficult to maneuver, it was their only precaution to avoid suspicion.
“Hyun-woo, are you from As-Z̆onghu̐a? Like Le Prince?” Toqemur inquired about him once more.
“Yes, but don’t lump me in with that rich- AHH-” Hyun-woo stopped the entire chain, panting. “Did you do that, Toqemur?”
She laughed as the others were confused. Then they started to walk again in unison.
“Don’t do that ever again,” Hyun-woo said vexingly. “I’m from Al-Qarakh ‘Aimag, while Kwazhak is from Laoyuang ‘Aimag. As-Z̆onghu̐a be a pluralist state. The north and south are different from each other. I don’t speak like that northerner.”
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“Sorry, sorry, I’m crying from laughter-” She responded back giggling.
Saya’s eyebrow twitched. She was a bit disheveled from the trivial behavior. They were supposed to focus on finding Kwazhak and L. After a while they finally reached the Daimyo-Wakoku Hospital, a large stupa complex with a white dome ceiling. As they passed the entrance gate, they decided to split up, with Suruj, Tvuj, and Saya planning to head inside while Hyun-woo and Toqemur stayed at the front.
“Anong ang sinabi nila?” The girl said to Suruj in Galag while the three searched the Emergency Department.
“They were saying nothing important.”
With no time to spare, they raced around to find a room with two young men. One was in the hospital bed, sitting up, while the other was in a chair next to him wearing an black Azu haori. A hard gulp, and Saya spoke. The sahar spells wore off the instant they stepped into the room.
“L? Kwazhak?”
The two people looked at each other, and then looked at the three. Then the one in the chair stood up.
“Ms. Izdaha, what are you doing here? You should be back in the wing,” said L, with a worried look.
“Thiệu said that we could be outside for a day. And Kwazhak…”
“Greetings,” A smile drew across his face.
“Kwazhak…” Suruj took a step back. “You…”
Once glance at his left hand took them a second to realize what had happened. His entire left arm was missing. All that was left was a bandage on the shoulder. Kwazhak’s arm. He told Saya once that the left arm was the key to power for the sword. That it was the one that generated the force, while the right arm was the lever. She’d never seen anyone so powerless, so crippled. She really was a spoiled brat like Ashojan said, Saya told herself.
“Why did you do this?” She shouted. “What happened to you?!”
“...”
“She’s right,” L supported Saya, “The hell you’ve gotten yourself into? You’ve thrown yourself into the tournament and now handicapped!? Why…”
“...”
He wasn’t responding. She grabbed him by the shirt, full of bitterness. “Your left hand is gone!... Kwazhak, you said that it was most important to use the sword, right?” Her voice was broken, as if someone stole her words. “I don’t know what happened, but you didn’t have to lose an arm…”
“...” He said nothing but a smile.
“I’m sorry… Hontou ni pasensya na…” Suruj’s hands were trembling, as he fell to his knees. “I’m sorry… It was my fault that you ended up like this. I was selfish to ask you to save her. I was afraid of the reality that she would see if we continued like this. It was selfish to ask for something without anything in return, even though I’ve been doing that my whole life. I’m the one to blame for… but now there’s no going back. Both of our deaths are imminent…”
Suruj started to tear up. His face contorted in regret as he prostrated on the ground. Next to him, was Tvuj, who had not said a word, but tears streamed from her eyes. Saya did not know what happened between them. However Tvuj had revealed to Toqemur and her once that Tvuj’s parents never got along. When they exchange experiences about how they were captured by Al-Wa, it was that she and Suruj escaped from a ship together on a tiny boat.
“Is everyone finished saying what they wanted to say?” Kwazhak’s face was still content, back straight. “Stand up, Suruj Zundui.”
Was he waiting for everyone to say their feelings? He could have been processing every single bit that they were saying, in order to formulate a response. Kwazhak took a deep breath.
“Miss Saya, do not fret over my lost limb. In every battle, one has to be prepared to lose anything; eyes, fingers, toes, and others. Suruj, one’s action was, indeed, selfless. One has chosen to attempt to free another of a burden. And I respect that. One has offered me a request that would inevitably usurp the consent of this fair lady. And I apologize for that, for I have taken the chance that had been given to me by young Suruj and the Yyvubia. I don’t regret my decision, because my desired outcome has been granted to me,” He went on, without any signs of doubt, “We all hate something in this world. We’re all tired. I am sometimes tired of the world and so many injustices all over it. From seeing regimes that only care about themselves, and the fact that it does not matter to them if their neighboring country suffers. From seeing helpless people all over the world, yet we do nothing to help. From the fact that there are countless hungry people right now, at this moment. From seeing many foul lies that the media tells us about the Dineh Kazaàd. I sometimes give some money to an ill-fated person, but I never ask myself what about tomorrow? Or next month? What will happen to him? But at the very least, there is something I must do at the Dineh Kazaàd.”
Everyone was on the verge of an outburst.
“But what about our plan? Didn’t we promise to end the tournament? To kill Thiệu?” L disagreed, wiping his sweat, “What do we do now, now that we’re under Thiệu’s grasp?”
“One talks about this man as if he were the bane of the devil. When I was fighting him, I noticed that one does resemble the very man that took one as his own. You two are passionate, advocate for problems that are presented, and want everyone to concede to your plane of ideals. He even let me escape alive. Although people like that are necessary to assist the world’s function I do believe that there is a better way to resolve the tournament without fighting, or taking people's lives.”
“There is no way that this can end peacefully,” L slammed his fist on the wall, “Some things in this world require violence to be resolved, and Ms. Izdaha knows that as well. It’s the reality. Tasdaha won’t break free from Azutami unless they rise up against their colonizer. The traditions in the Khoitan people didn’t change until the formation of the tribes of Azu, Buhang, and Z̆ong through a war of sticks and stones.”
Kwazhak went silent for a brief moment. Everyone was quiet. Saya was on the verge of tears. Suruj and Tvuj never said anything.
“If you say so, then I will still be on the side of deviation when the battle begins.”