The Silver Knight:
"Isn't this punishment... a little too much?"
The hero accompanied the revered Chōkō of Chikukei, watching the Basan chicks' playground. It was beautifully littered with colorful bamboo poles, slides, a jungle gym, and a massive, elegant, black, red, and gold bouncy castle that could harbor every child in the city, competing with Pantsi's winding trees.
A real magical place... if you ignored its secondary purpose...
Chained to a steel pole by Saniya-constraining chains, the trio of Weasel assassins was bound through the entire day and afternoon, turning back to the Prison Coop at night to sleep in a cell, other criminals taking their place.
Basans are naturally nocturnal creatures, but the same couldn't be said for their children. The Monoke chicks were notorious for their energetic personality and less dependence on sleep, much to the parents' chagrin.
That was why the criminals in Chikukei were put on... entertainment duty...
One Basan toddler pulled one Weasel's tail, another pulled his leg in a torturous tug-of-war game, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, pleading for mercy. The one-eyed assassin was used as a carpet while a chick mercilessly stepped on his back. The sickening crunch of his spine cracking was audible from meters away. The samurai was the luckiest, being used as an unwilling guest on a child's tea time with a few stuffed animals.
The brutal display of Chikukei's justice system reminded him of how Christians described Hell. A chill crept down his spine as the Chōkō looked at the scene with dispassion.
"They should've thought better before demolishing our cherished market." The Basan leader adjusted his glasses. "We can't show mercy to those animals, especially the ones who think they can step all over our economy and stay unpunished."
Asra had a few words for him. However, any ideological impasse with Chikukei could result in a fracture that would ripple through Sayama. Agreeing or not, he must shut up and leave politics in the hands, paws, or claws of the Monoke.
The hero decided to skip the subject and cut to the chase. "What makes you sure their companions are working to free them?"
The Chōkō's foot casually scratched the ground. "Our sensory specialists detected a few foreign Saniya signatures in a close radius of the playground. Also, the people are spreading rumors of a long-haired Monoke visiting this place, so it's fair to say our chances are high."
So this was it. The Knight was this close to capturing the ones who threatened Stella's life once and for all. Unfortunately, he had the feeling that the Tizohi's Chosen was much more than those five.
Oh, well... A step forward was better than stagnation.
Asra activated the holographic keyboard on his wrist. Pressing a few buttons, he unlocked his desired feature.
[Detective mode - Activated.]
The blue emote on his visor adopted a shade of green as his actual eyes scanned the ground. Even after circling around the playground multiple times, he only found a few footprints that matched a Daien's.
"How many Daien exist in Chikukei?" The Knight asked.
The Chōkō, who followed him intently, answered. "A small community found shelter in the Haru Coop a few decades ago. I doubt the bard you described is amongst them, but we should investigate them anyway."
Asra shuddered with the thought. There had to be a more efficient way to advance the investigation than terrorizing innocent civilians. But what?
...
"Any Yūrei?" He pressed further.
The Basan scoffed. "Foolish boy. The Yūrei rarely engage with any city. Prideful oddballs prefer to rely on their self-sufficiency, not even living amongst themselves!"
The guard wanted to call him out for the hypocrisy of a Basan complaining about pride. But again, it was not worth the diplomacy nightmare.
However, that narrowed the search down significantly. Now, to test the hero's hunch...
He clicked on a few more buttons on the keyboard, and then a list of contacts appeared before his eyes. Scrolling with the arrow keys, the guard selected Captain Tash's.
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It took half a second for his colleague to answer. [Knight. Any progress in the investigation?]
[Did you lock on the Yūrei's Saniya signature back then?]
[You mean Hari-onagu's?] Tash scoffed. [How could I not? Why? Are you sensing it?]
[No, but the playground is the perfect place to start. If Hari-onagu really visited her companions, she must've done so by floating to avoid leaving footprints.]
[But we should detect the leftover Saniya, burnt by her air manipulation, on the ground.] The captain guessed his thought process.
He clapped his hands together. [Precisely! No surprise that the magnificent-]
[Don't push it.] Tash's tone was cold and piercing, making him stiffen in dread until it softened again. [But your hypothesis is solid. Very well, I'll meet you shortly.]
She has not mentioned his identity since the reveal. This could be seen as a good sign, but Asra remained unsure.
......
Regardless, as long as Stella was safe, he would gladly face her wrath unflinching.
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Stella:
Ah...
It was so peaceful...
Just Stella and absolute nothingness...
"She ain't moving for a while..."
Ugh. Nevermind...
"What should I do? Stella hates it when I wake her up..."
Damn right. However, the Human's body should get a move on by now. What events transpired to result in her being in this state? The memories were all fuzzy...
"No slapping. No screaming. No tail-tickling." The outside voice hummed. "Maybe cold water is the solution!"
Crap.
"Come on, body! Don't let me down!" Stella psyched herself up. "I already took my weekly bath!"
Her mind flared with determination, gradually breaking through the void of unconsciousness. She could almost grasp control of her eyelids...
Almost... There...
...
......
.........
Hah! Gotcha!
Her eyes burst open, her body jerked forward, and her heart raced with the fear of... Damn it, it was so explicit on her mind before! What was up with that?! It was the exact issue every time she had a long dream.
Well, at least now she remembered WHY she was unconscious. Lien was a living, breathing wall that was nearly impossible to overcome.
Speaking of, where was-
SPLASH!
After her clothes were drenched beyond repair, her neurons were stitched together by the cold bath. What better time to regain her memories, eh?
"Did it work? Stella?" Lien asked.
The Human's face scrunched up into an ugly scowl. "Yep. All goody."
The pup's tail swished with childish glee, her lips bearing a toothy grin that immediately made Stella's frustration a distant memory. Thank goodness she didn't know the hold she had on the Human.
She adjusted her bottom on the bed. Its elliptical, nest-like base was made of straw, and the white cushions were as soft as an angel's skin.
"Phew! I was terrified you'd never wake up! I've never struck you that hard before!" She sat beside the girl. "You got a lot stronger, though. I'm proud of you!"
Stella's cheeks burned. "Th-Thanks..." Her eyes shifted to the hut's furniture... Wait...
That bookshelf... Those animal-shaped chewing toys... The Silver Knight's punch card hanging on a wall...
She was in Lien's hut... Shit.
"Anything wrong? You're being so quiet." The pup elbowed her arm.
Stella shook her head. "Oh. I see you brought me to your home."
She eagerly nodded. "Yep! It was closer than yours!" Suddenly, she grasped the Human's arms, slightly shaking her. "Besides! We can have our second sleepover! Isn't this great!?"
Gosh, the Monoke smelled. However, it wasn't as displeasing in Stella's nose for some reason. It was like she was smelling nature itself while strolling through the woods.
Maybe it was because she was rolling in the dirt not so long ago.
"Y-Yeah! I'm all for it!" Stella fought through the embarrassment, but when she stood up, her legs threatened to tear apart with this minimal effort, forcing her to retreat to the bed. "Shit. I'm sorry, Lien."
Lien shifted closer, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. "Don't be. I shouldn't have gone so rough on you."
Goosebumps crawled under the Human's skin with the unfortunate wording. "Y-Yeah, for sure!"
"So, as the awesome packmate that I am, you'll be under my care tonight!" Lien proudly declared. "Luckily, I've brought some snacks to spend the night!" She fumbled to catch a medium-sized, rectangular container out of a drawer, then returned.
Stella shook the receptacle, hearing its contents rustling. "Cool!" She removed the lid, hoping it was a bunch of crackers or other dry foods, only to be met with a swarm of dead beetles, centipedes, and a few butterflies.
Oops, scratch that. Some were alive.
Stella gazed at the insects, astonished at her midnight snack. "Lien, I don't think I can eat this."
The pup gasped. "WHAT?! Humans don't eat bugs?!"
Right. Stella never clarified that when she offered that centipede in the fishermen's house. Well, better late than never.
She shook her head. "I mean, unless we're starving and desperate enough..."
"Darn..." Lien frowned, crossing her arms. "That won't do at all!" She sat in a meditation-like position, pondering about something.
Stella could say she wasn't hungry or anything out of politeness, but her stomach threatened to consume her from the inside out, so fuck etiquette.
If only she hadn't wasted all her coins on all those paper poppers... Hah, but Lien's cousin's terrified expression was more than worth it, whatever his name was.
After agonizing minutes, her friend had an idea. "I'll ask Hōkō for some pego fruit!"
The Human jumped back at the proposal. "It's that easy? He gives those to you outside classes?"
The pup shrugged. "I know the old coot's favorite treat, so that's super easy."
Stella's eyes sparkled. "What is it?! Can I eat it?!"
"Caramelized Beetles."
Her face scrunched into an ugly mug. "Nasty pooches..."