into its scabbard, always tied into its scabbard). “We’ll never outrun them at this pace. You could do it yourself…” She looked at Haruka, smiling at the look she received. “I figured you wouldn’t. Looks like we’re making a stand, then.”
Haruka moved up beside her. The two monks came running out to the street in front of them, stopping upon seeing them waiting. One of the monks was the blonde Sarya, Haruka’s former partner. Neither of the two women was surprised by this. The other monk was a man with crimson hair swept to one side of his face and a sharp appearance. Unlike the other two he wore black; Haruka was a bit nervous about him.
Sarya’s blue eyes narrowed at Haruka. “So you’re siding with her now? Against your own people? Your home ?”
Isabella looked at Haruka, who just shrugged. “Choice,” she stated. “Right one.”
The crimson-haired man sighed. “I still believe you are jumping to conclusions, Sarya.” He brought one arm across his stomach, resting the other elbow on it and curling his hand before his mouth in thought as his brown eyes focused on the brunette monk. “This is very disappointing, if true, Haruka. You had a lot of promise. The Masters will not like this.”
Haruka shook her head. “Tough.”
Sarya was getting angrier by the moment and directed it at the man now. “Why are you just talking , Kyne? Can’t you see she’s a traitor?”
“Until this point it didn’t seem like she had a choice,” Kyne responded. “She was injured – by your careless aim, I might add –“
“She could’ve dodged it if she didn’t save that-“
“By YOUR careless aim,” he continued, “and you just left her. This woman…” He looked at Isabella as if awaiting an introduction.
“Oh! Isabella,” she said, a little friendlier than Haruka thought was appropriate in this situation, but whatever.
“Isabella,” he continued with a smile, “took her and healed her. So of course Haruka has been with her for this time. That is not a crime. As for the lovely knight here, she got in the way of the job, but we have no personal quarrel with her. Neither deserves death.” He looked at Haruka. “You can still come back with us. Leave with us now, and you will have no further trouble. Isabella shall be left alone.”
Alone. When describing Isabella, that word was a lot more negative than Kyne had meant it. Haruka didn’t plan to leave the woman alone at all. She looked Kyne in the eyes, shaking her head apologetically. “Sorry.”
“So you truly are choosing a stranger over the Black Sun?”
“Not stranger,” Haruka corrected. “Bella.” Isabella smiled in amusement at that.
“You’ve only known her for two days. How much do you even know about her?”
Haruka didn’t seem bothered in the least. “Enough.”
“Enough for a decision like this? This is extremely rash and irresponsible. I had more faith in you.”
“Be silent,” Isabella interrupted, directing a hard gaze at the man. “She doesn’t have to suffer your judgment. She made a decision to change her life, to live a new one. What makes you think it’s even about me? Maybe she just wants more freedom.”
Kyne smirked, looking from her to Haruka. “Oh, it’s about you.” He lowered his hands. “It looks like we really only have one choice, then.”
“Fight?” Haruka asked. Upon seeing his nod she scoffed, cracking her knuckles against her palm and tilting her head to crack her neck. “Unfair.”
Isabella smiled. “You think they should get some help?”
“Some? Much.”
Kyne narrowed his eyes. “Your overconfidence is surprising as well as disappointing. You know you can’t take someone on my level.”
Haruka studied him. “Six.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Six what?”
“Five,” Isabella added with a smile at her.
Sarya frowned. “Is this some sort of code?”
“Four,” Haruka continued, rolling her shoulders.
“How could they have a code already?”
“Three,”
Haruka moved up beside her. The two monks came running out to the street in front of them, stopping upon seeing them waiting. One of the monks was the blonde Sarya, Haruka’s former partner. Neither of the two women was surprised by this. The other monk was a man with crimson hair swept to one side of his face and a sharp appearance. Unlike the other two he wore black; Haruka was a bit nervous about him.
Sarya’s blue eyes narrowed at Haruka. “So you’re siding with her now? Against your own people? Your home ?”
Isabella looked at Haruka, who just shrugged. “Choice,” she stated. “Right one.”
The crimson-haired man sighed. “I still believe you are jumping to conclusions, Sarya.” He brought one arm across his stomach, resting the other elbow on it and curling his hand before his mouth in thought as his brown eyes focused on the brunette monk. “This is very disappointing, if true, Haruka. You had a lot of promise. The Masters will not like this.”
Haruka shook her head. “Tough.”
Sarya was getting angrier by the moment and directed it at the man now. “Why are you just talking , Kyne? Can’t you see she’s a traitor?”
“Until this point it didn’t seem like she had a choice,” Kyne responded. “She was injured – by your careless aim, I might add –“
“She could’ve dodged it if she didn’t save that-“
“By YOUR careless aim,” he continued, “and you just left her. This woman…” He looked at Isabella as if awaiting an introduction.
“Oh! Isabella,” she said, a little friendlier than Haruka thought was appropriate in this situation, but whatever.
“Isabella,” he continued with a smile, “took her and healed her. So of course Haruka has been with her for this time. That is not a crime. As for the lovely knight here, she got in the way of the job, but we have no personal quarrel with her. Neither deserves death.” He looked at Haruka. “You can still come back with us. Leave with us now, and you will have no further trouble. Isabella shall be left alone.”
Alone. When describing Isabella, that word was a lot more negative than Kyne had meant it. Haruka didn’t plan to leave the woman alone at all. She looked Kyne in the eyes, shaking her head apologetically. “Sorry.”
“So you truly are choosing a stranger over the Black Sun?”
“Not stranger,” Haruka corrected. “Bella.” Isabella smiled in amusement at that.
“You’ve only known her for two days. How much do you even know about her?”
Haruka didn’t seem bothered in the least. “Enough.”
“Enough for a decision like this? This is extremely rash and irresponsible. I had more faith in you.”
“Be silent,” Isabella interrupted, directing a hard gaze at the man. “She doesn’t have to suffer your judgment. She made a decision to change her life, to live a new one. What makes you think it’s even about me? Maybe she just wants more freedom.”
Kyne smirked, looking from her to Haruka. “Oh, it’s about you.” He lowered his hands. “It looks like we really only have one choice, then.”
“Fight?” Haruka asked. Upon seeing his nod she scoffed, cracking her knuckles against her palm and tilting her head to crack her neck. “Unfair.”
Isabella smiled. “You think they should get some help?”
“Some? Much.”
Kyne narrowed his eyes. “Your overconfidence is surprising as well as disappointing. You know you can’t take someone on my level.”
Haruka studied him. “Six.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Six what?”
“Five,” Isabella added with a smile at her.
Sarya frowned. “Is this some sort of code?”
“Four,” Haruka continued, rolling her shoulders.
“How could they have a code already?”
“Three,”
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