“Alright, I’ll go.”

Hojun spent the rest of the day in utter silence. As the night set in and the neon lights came to life all she could do was stare out the window from the balcony. When she saw the Luzokapital skyline, it did nothing to hide the slums right outside the hôtel. She shook her head.

Walking back inside, Hojun sifted through the drawers for a map of the city. She remembered where Suruj had marked. The front gates of Dunong University, the most prestigious school in Buhanggilog. If Suruj was enrolled there, then it was no wonder if he used it to escape from the Dineh Kazaàd, she concluded. After all, only three muqatil ever made it out alive from that tournament. Hojun laid her head on the desk, while she never heard a knock on the door again. Jorge never returned to the room.

The sun forced her eyes open. Per usual went through her daily necessities and walked out of the room, leaving her door unlocked. Today was the day.

“Atensyón, mga pasahero. The Tovar Tram will begin to depart for Metro Liusung. Estimated time: ten minutes.”

Hojun sat in one of the passenger seats and waited. Soon enough, the tram started to churn away from the station.

“Well, if it isn’t the lady.”

She spotted Alejandro seating himself across from her, with a bottle in hand.

“Alejandro, was it? You are heading to the same destination?”

“Nope. I’m just headin’ to visit young Pérez’s grave. He supported the gang and held it up, ya know?”

The smell of alcohol on his breath was less than Hojun remembered. He had a smile on his face as he looked at her.

"You're the underboss of the Kamaong Batikan, correct? Then why haven't you stepped up as the leader?" Hojun turned her head to the sight outside. The palengkes were decorated in every bright color imaginable, as people flocked the streets of the Luzokapital.

"..." The old man sighed, holding tightly onto the glass bottle. "Lady, no one can ever run a gang as perfectly as Pérez again. I regret I be neglecting my duty as the underboss but..."

"I understand. I carry not the pressure for you to lead, however one day you need to lead them out of their grieving state."

"That's why today, I've decided. I'm going to revive the Kamaong Batikan. At that time, I'mma entrust Jorge to you. Jorge doesn't need to get involved."

Hojun widened her eyes. "Wait, why? Why are you entrusting him to me?"

"You're the princess of the Al-Qarakh House." He referenced two insignias with his hands. "The Laoyuang language ordinance you mentioned was only issued to all nobles of the Laoyuang and Al-Qarakh Houses. Anybody that listens to the radio knows the politics of them two."

Hojun was taken aback by his sudden statement and remained silent.

"While I'm dealing with the gang, it's probably gonna become a big deal in the Luzokapital. We need someone like you to make sure Jorge stays safe from the Occident." Alejandro continued, while she struggled to keep up with his words. "There's a balikbayan box that was sent from my pinsan in Azutami. It's in Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar, so take Jorge and give him the package. That way-"

His words were interrupted by a loud clap from above them. The tram slowed down and they stopped right in front of the university gates. "Oh my. Looks like we've arrived. Do we have a deal, Doña Hoyun?"

Alejandro held out his hand. Sweat ran down her neck. Of course, she wanted Jorge to live a good life, but she couldn't vouch for him most of the way. Mister Gyeong and the others wouldn't allow it. But still, she shook his hand.

"It is a promise, Alejandro."

"Alejandro Alcazar." He corrected her, before standing up. The tram doors opened, and people began to file out. Adults, students, even tourists exited one after another.

Hojun was the first one to exit. As she got out, she saw Alejandro in the passenger window unloading his luggage. He looked at her and waved. Then two people drew a pistol at him and fired.

Blood splattered over the window like paint. Hojun's breath caught as she watched him fall. The sliding doors closed. The tram began to move again. The tram continued to leave the station. She glanced between the university gates and the Metro Liusung station.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Hojun dashed towards the moving tram. She was met with several gunshots. She forced her legs to make a great jump, her heart pounded out of control. Hojun landed on the tram with her knees knocking against it. She pushed herself up, and grabbed a hold of the side of the window. The shooters weren't there. Hojun clenched her lip, as she heard more screams from inside.

She pulled herself inside the tram through the window. She looked at the people inside and noticed they were panicking, staring down at Hojun. A revolver materialized in her hands as she walked down the aisle, and entered the gangway. She saw no one. Then she headed for the driver's cabin, only to find the conductor tied up in the nearby closet.

"I wasn't expecting this."

Hojun turned and aimed her gun. Suruj, stood unfazed in the midst of a firearm in her hand. A vein of anger appeared on her face.

"Did you do this?"

"Nah. You were taking longer than usual so I decided to wait at the station. Who got shot?"

"... Alejandro..."

Hojun guided Suruj to the place, where Alejandro was limp, as crimson soaked the floor. She bent down and reached her hand towards the body. Her hands quivered. Her gun faded away.

"It's okay, right? I can heal him."

Suruj crossed his arms and sighed. "You can't. He's been shot right in the dome. You can't use a healing spell on somebody that's already dead."

Hojun's eyes widened in horror.

"Then the local police will open an investigation." She let down her hands, talking slowly. “They’ll find the culprit-”

"Buhanggilog's presidency is vacant. They're the ones that control the Militar de la Tier̃a and the Kapulisan, so I'm afraid no one's going to investigate this. At least they'll clean up the body, and go on like nothing ever happened." Suruj was unbothered by the situation. Hojun rose up, stumbling a bit. She pinned Suruj to the wall, with an arm extended out. They stayed there for a couple of seconds.

"Do you not feel any remorse for him? This is the first time I've seen someone die with my own eyes..."

"Of course I do. Alejandro Pérez Alcazar. His cousin, José Pérez was my best friend." His eyes never displayed another emotion. His voice was filled with indifference. "José died in the Dineh Kazaàd, among many others that died in the arena in front of me."

Hojun gripped tighter onto Suruj, forcing him to bend over. "You're sick."

She let go of him, and he simply dusted off himself. The Dunong University was now far behind, while the tram dinged for the next stop. The Koridor del Oriyente, the easternmost station of the city. Suruj stepped outside as the doors slid open, his shemagh reflected in the sunlight.

“Perfect timing. Since I was supposed to tell you the plan at the university, I’ll just do it here.”

Hojun caught up with him. “You found something?”

“Yes. The flower shop in the Luzokapital was just a subsidiary. On the counter there was a home address in Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar.”

“Lungsod ng…” She thought about what just happened. The promise she made to Alejandro was to go to that town and retrieve the balikbayan box. But with Alejandro gone, and Jorge nowhere to be seen, where could she go next? Her usual face quickly returned. “Let’s go then. We’re taking the Cortez Line, correct?”

Together they waited as countless jeepneys crossed in and out of the Luzokapital. The vehicles took an arduous journey across the desert of the Ommekadi Taesi. Hojun looked at the map, seeing how the triangular path of the caravans connected Dyak-ar-salaam, Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar and the Luzokapital.

Finding their seating, the caravan traveled in groups of three or five. Every few minutes or so the vehicles would bounce up and down the endless dunes, while Hojun avoided crashing her head onto the roof.

“Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar is known as a peaceful town, renowned for the massive lake Laguna Sagar,” Suruj explained, as if he had taken the route many times before.

“It seems. Alejandro told me about it.” Hojun gripped the handrail, which caused her skin to go red. “So is Al-Wa really working over there?”

“Possibly. But here is a warning. If the Luzokapital is the home turf of the Kamaong Batikan, whose turf does Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar belong to?”

“Quite the desolate place.”

Hojun walked the gangplank, while Mister Gyeong followed after her. The port of Dyak-ar-salaam was just as gloomy as Port Sangre de Mga Diyos. The tall slums filled the city with metal heaps pointing towards the sky. For many streets ahead, the buildings told a tale of a fire that broke out years ago, and a certain ward that disappeared from the map.

“Buhanggilog is the country where its citizens want to escape.” She narrated, listening to the calm waves.

“Do you pity them, M’lady?”

“Yes, I do. But I remember my directive.”

“And that is?”

“To find my brother, Crown Prince Tayang, who was a chief officer of the Kazaàd company Al-Wa.”

As Hojun exited the solemn pier, three people passed them by. She didn’t know if it was simple intuition, or even the slightest perception of their sahar mastery; That feeling caused Hojun to look to her side at them. Two Azus and a woman of silver-blonde hair. From there, Hojun witnessed many men in tuxedos scattered across the port’s entrance. Many held rifles or handguns, and wore high-brimmed hats.

Putting up a calm front she walked towards one of the men still awake. He lay there on the floor, unable to stand.

“Would you mind telling me why you and your men have ended up in this sorry state?”

The man did not explain anything, but simply said one statement. “We are the Occident…”