--AL Mahrib slums, 12:00 AM--

Jan Jalara walked through the back alleys of the city. The cool desert air blew against his face as he navigated the twists and turns of the streets. The large neon signs advertising the tournament lit up the neighborhood casting an ethereal glow on the dingey tent-communities of the residents. Most people would avoid such a place, but Jalara felt at ease. This was home. He grew up in the slums and knew every corner of the area. These were his people, and it hurt him to see how people could be reduced to living like animals.

Sure, the tournament was good. It brought a lot of tourists who in turn brought a lot of money, but instead of the massive revenue being distributed to improve infrastructure, or create more jobs, it was hoarded by the greedy leaders of the city. The council of Sheiks. The corruption had to be stopped and that is why he started the revolution, and why he was back in the slums now. His journey brought him to a door guarded by a large, mean looking bouncer. The bouncer nodded to him as he approached and opened the door to a smoky seedy looking bar. He entered the tavern which was relatively empty save for the odd patron and made his way to the bar.

“You missed happy hour Jan,” the bartender said as he set down a glass and filled it with a brown liquid. Jan took a swig of the glass, relishing the burn in his chest.

“I’ll try to take the bus next time. Why’d you call me, Les? You know it's dangerous for me to be around here,” Jan replied.

“Oh relax,” the bartender Les, said dismissively. “The troops don't patrol way out here, and besides I think I’ve got the answer to your little...firepower problem.”

Jan sat up a bit on the barstool. He regretted that the revolution had taken a violent turn. He would have preferred diplomatic solutions, but the Sheiks excessive and violent retorts to their peaceful attempts had forced his hand. He was strong enough on his own, but he indeed needed another ringer to truly stand a chance.

“Rumor has it some foreign kid’s been tearing through the fight clubs all over the region, and I mean they are straight up dominating. The contenders left in their wake usually have broken bones or are frozen solid. People have been dubbing them the “White Witch”, and their path has brought them here for the tournament. Might be worthwhile seeking them out.”

Jan took another sip of his drink mulling the information over. This ‘White Witch’ seemed to be a capable fighter, and a powerful ice elemental. Getting that kind of firepower to join the ranks would definitely tilt the odds in their favor.

“Sounds promising enough,” Jan said. “How do I find this mysterious stranger then?”

Les slid over a picture. In it depicted a teenage girl with snow white hair and grey eyes.

“Jeez Les you weren’t kidding, she’s just a kid. I can’t ask a foreign kid to risk her life for our cause.” Jan slid the picture back over.

“These are desperate times Jan. The Sheiks have no problem using underhanded methods to try to get to you. We all know what happened to Aloy and his crew. We are all deep in this now, all of us are fighting to make a change. At least find her and see what she says. Can’t hurt to ask can it?” Les took Jan’s glass and refilled it. Jan sighed and quickly downed the burning liquid.

“I’ll check it out. But if she kills me, it's on you.” Jan said jokingly as he slid a few bills on the counter before sweeping out of the room.

“I’m sure you can make the ice witch come around,” Les said, he washed Jan’s glass and began to shoo away the few patrons so he could close for the night.

--12:00 AM, Airspace over Xai mountains--

Hanabi swirled the wine in her glass languidly before taking a sip. She looked across her seat at Akane as she quietly drank from her cup, staring out the window as the aircraft soared through the evening sky. It would be several hours until they reached their destination, but so far the trip was spent in awkward silence. She looked around the cabin catching glimpses of her other traveling companions. Maya was sitting opposite her and was deeply interested in her new book, while Akane silently stared out the window her hoodie pulled over her head and her hand resting beneath her chin. Well, she hasn’t really spoken to her Akane much. Her niece was still a relative mystery to her, and what better use of time than getting to know her a bit, She cleared her throat.

“So Akane….how are you? What’s been going on?” She asked trying to kindle the fires of a conversation. Akane looked at her a bit confused.

“Nothing. You have been with me in the compound Aunt Hanabi, you should know this.” the girl responded. The fires died out. Maya let out a light chuckle at Hanabi's flustered face from Akane’s straightforward answer. The woman composed herself, finishing her wine before attempting to try again.

“O-of course. Just wondering if there's anything I missed. So um...how old are you now anyway?”

“I am seventeen,” Akane once again answered, seemingly unfazed that her own aunt had failed to remember her age.

“That's right! Of course, of course, you’re at the cusp of womanhood you know. Oh! Tell me is there anyone you like? Well?” The woman had grown excited at the new line of questioning, much to Akane’s dismay.

“Aunt Hanabi I’m only around relatives, and I do not go on pleasure outings. There is no way I would have time...to meet someone,” She answered.

“That’s right...but you’ve at least had to have...feelings right….aren’t you curious about love or anything like that?” The woman pressed. Akane began to fidget a bit in her seat as she pondered the questions remembering her ordeal earlier. The fiery red hair, her beautiful hazel eyes, those full and inviting lips...

“NO!” The girl suddenly yelled, startling Maya out of her reading, and bringing a surprised expression to Hanabi’s face. “I mean...no..I..haven’t” she finished quietly.

“Alright, alright no need to get touchy,” Hanabi grumbled. “Was just trying to make conversation..”. Akane gulped down her water hastily and tightly crossed her legs, pulling up her hood to ride out the rest of the flight in silence, gritting her teeth as ‘the heat’ revisited her again.

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--Al Mahrib outskirts red-light district 2:00 AM--

Working off anonymous tips and various sighting, Jan Jalara arrived in the area of town known simply as Pleasure Alley. ‘Why did it have to be here’ he groaned to himself. Simply breathing the air in Pleasure Alley made Jan feel unclean. It was situated the perfect distance away from the main business districts to give citizens willing to have some adult entertainment; a discreet yet accessible location to indulge themselves. Since it was tournament season, the Alley was more alive than usual with foreigners and locals alike, looking to wet their whistles, in a different fashion.

“What I really want to know is why a teenage girl would be in a place like this,” he said to himself. He checked the photo he had been given and kept his eye out for anyone to that might match it. It didn’t take too long, as he saw his quarry arguing with a bouncer outside of a strip club. Her snow white hair getting a pink tint under the red neon lights that illuminated the area.

“Like I said, kid. You’re too young to get in. This place is for patrons twenty-one and older,” The bouncer said.

“Look, pal, I’ve traveled a long way to get here. I have good money and I just want to relax, maybe look at a pair of boobs and get a lap dance ok? I won’t even touch the alcohol so just let me in!” The girl said, making a move to shove past the bouncer. The man stopped her and gently shoved her back.

“Rules are rules. I can argue with you all day, but the fact of the matter is unless you're going to age four years instantly you ain’t getting in here. Now beat it! You’re holding up the line.” The doorman shooed her away and began to et the other patrons inside, ignoring the further protests of the White Witch.

“Jackass,” she uttered before stomping off down the street. Amused by the spectacle, Jan gathered himself to follow the girl. He wasn’t trying to be particularly stealthy, but if he was recruiting someone to fight in a revolution, he didn’t necessarily want to do it in the open. He began to pick up his pace a bit when she suddenly rounded a corner into a dark alley. Strange, but it would make his conversation a little easier. He followed her into the alley, only to find it empty. His adrenaline kicked in as he grew alert. He couldn’t see her, but still sensed her presence I the area. The alleyway suddenly grew cold and a mist began to form on the ground. She was definitely here. “I know you’re here!” he called out. “I’m not here to fight, I just want to talk!” He thought his response fell upon deaf ears until a column of ice suddenly jutted out of the ground to knock him back into the wall. He then found himself surrounded by dozens of needle-sharp ice-spikes hovering inches for his face.

“Says the stalker chasing around a girl in the red-light district.” Her voice came from above, as she sat on a floating chunk of ice, casually checking her fingernails. “So I’m going to give you a few seconds before I skewer you. You should find some time in that window to tell me who you are and why you have been searching for me.” The ice spikes began to spin and slowly approach Jan, emphasizing her intentions.

“As I said, I only came to talk. Can you...put the spikes down please?”

The girl said nothing as she hopped off the ice chunk. She walked up to Jan, eyeing him suspiciously. He took a moment to look at her. Her eyes were grey, and her eyebrows matched the color of her snow-white hair. A bone-tooth necklace hung around her neck, and her clothing was expertly woven from the hides of various animals. Jan surmised that she must have been a hunter where she came from.

“Start talking, or else..” Her palm began to emit an icy frost from it as she got closer.

Jan sighed, he reached out his had and the girl was instantly swallowed up in a cocoon of sand.

“As I said... I Just want to talk.” Jan’s statement was interrupted as he quickly summoned a wall of sand to shield him. The cocoon that held the girl suddenly exploded and a burst of deathly-cold air spewed out freezing the alleyway solid in seconds.

“So you’re an elemental as well. Figured it’d be something like sand being from around here.” She brushed the frozen sand off of her shoulders as the remains of the cocoon shattered. Jan stepped from behind his now-frozen sand wall.

“I guess that’s why they call you the white witch,” he said. A frown appeared on the girls face.

“Is that what people have been calling me? It makes me sound like some fairy tale villain.” She gave Jan a once over before relaxing her guard. “Despite those powers of yours you don’t seem like a bad guy, so I guess I can tell you my name.” The girl reluctantly extended her hand to him. “Its...Eira.”

Jan took the girls hand, it was soft yet had a refreshing coolness to it.

“Jan Jalara, revolutionary and the most wanted man in Al Mahrib,”

“I could have figured that from the wanted posters, but you don’t strike me as some ordinary criminal. No one around seemed eager to identify you or turn you in,” observed Eira.

“That's because I have the honor of being the personal enemy of the Sheiks, the governing body who run the city and also the parasites who are bleeding it dry. I’m trying to fight this corruption and help create a prosperous future for everyone.”Jan proclaimed. Eira nodded thoughtfully before patting him on the shoulder.

“Noble cause there, good luck with that Jan,” she said as she spun on her heel to walk away. Jan couldn’t let her walk away. With her strength, she would be an invaluable asset to the resistance if he could win her over, but all of that would be useless if he could not do that. He had to hit her close to home.

“You’re from the Ainu tribe aren’t you? This city is a long way from the tundra’s of the north isn’t it?” She stopped and gazed at Jan over her shoulder as he called after.

“What of it?” she said. He could feel her begin to get on edge as the air began to grow frigid once again.

“You are hunters. You value strength over everything and have the resilience to survive in the harsh elements of the north. You need money. Your people are suffering due to the changes in the world. That’s why you’re here. You want to fight in this tournament to win the prize money and make a better life for your people. You and I are quite alike in that matter.” He slowly walked over to the girl who had still not turned to face him. Her head was and her hands were balled into fists.

“My clan is..starving. Developers are moving into our territory, forcing out our game and threatening our way of life. I am to be the nest chief, therefore it is I who must save them. I..cannot afford to come up empty here.” Eira’s words may have been shaky, but Jan could still feel the conviction that they held. He walked around her and knelt so that he could meet her eyes which were clouded in thought.

“Work with me. I really believe that we can do some good together. Lend me your strength and help me make a better life for the people here, and I promise you that I will do all that I can to make sure the same is done for yours. You have my word.” Jan held her hand out to her in a gesture of friendship. Eira stared at it for a few moments, before taking it and giving it an accepting squeeze. She spotted something over his shoulder and a wolfish grin appeared on her face.

“Sure, but only if you get me into that tiddy bar.” He turned around to follow the direction she was looking to see a large neon sign of a nude woman standing next to the words “Scandalust”

“If this is the way I get arrested, I swear...”

-- Al Mahrib, Consulate Palace--

Sheik Amon sat in the lounge, the expensive silks that made up the couch gave his old bones mech needed comfort. He watched a news report profiling some of the more popular contestants at the tournament on the television screen. The tourists' excitement was electric as the large coliseum district was packed with guests and vendors. Good. He and the others would be poised to make another killing this year. There was a small knock on the door before one of his attendants came in.

“Report,” Amon said

“Good news your eminence, It seems your request had been accepted by the Hattori’s” the attendant reported

“That is excellent. With them, on our side, the safety of the tournament is assured. However, that still leaves the problem of Jan Jalara. The revolutionists have started launching attacks on our armories and stealing from our banks, their forces and support grow by the day. If he isn’t stopped we will have a full-blown civil war soon.” Amon put his hand in his head in frustration

The attendant cleared his throat.

“Well sir, we could use the Hattori to take care of him couldn’t we? It would be an extra cost, but I am sure they would be more than capable.”

Amon’s eyes brightened at the idea. “That's brilliant!” he exclaimed. “Go, take the next day off. Enjoy the festivities of our tournament, I have provided you with an adequate bonus.”

“T-thank you sir!” with a bow the attendant hurried out of the room.

Amon reclined on the couch letting the cushions envelop him. Soon, his problems would be dealt with and then the council’s reign would be solidified. It was only a matter of time...