Savoi’s sundress was at the top, nearly revealing her full cleavage, while the skirt displayed much of her upper thighs. There was no doubt she had put up a lengthy struggle before succumbing to her captors. However, her ordeal had no bearing on her appearance. Even with frayed hair, her defiant gaze emanated a sultry allure to a bevy of fevered oglers. Yet, she did not tremble as the other men and women did.

Eisen made his way to her, salivating like a wolf ready to devour his prey. He snatched her arm away from the flesh trader and placed his hand beneath her breast to make it jiggle. Then he spun her around and did the same thing to her buttocks.

“Well, what can I say about this sable lassie?” he asked, as the crowd cheered with delight. “This is one delicious piece of meat.”

 He spun her forward and leaned in to bite her neck. Savoi spat a large wad of phlegm in his mouth, but he merely grinned and swallowed her saliva with a grotesque satisfaction. Her stomach turned to his lascivious nature. A thousand notions of how to kill him swam through her mind, but there was no straightforward way to execute such a task without swift repercussions. Eisen continued to molest her in plain sight, which brought Yoshida’s wrath front and center.

The initial shock of Savoi’s capture and present situation had worn off. Yoshida’s horror turned his blood cold, and he laid waste to anyone in his path. In mere seconds, he bolted through the crowd and stood boldly before Eisen. Savoi was anxiously breathless, not recognizing him at first glance. Her eyes glazed over the Lesser House uniform, then up to his face. It was all she could do to stifle the streak of relief she felt in her heart.

Eisen did not take kindly to the interruption. He glared at Yoshida and recalled their brief interaction at the morgue. Yoshida’s reputation as a dangerous crime syndicates lead operative made him an indispensable asset to the Lesser House. His rank alone marked him above any of them within a 200-mile radius. It was no wonder such a man would want to challenge everyone for the flesh trader’s rare prize. Just as they were about to come to blows, one of the flesh traders eagerly intervened with another whisper in Eisen’s ear.

Eisen clapped once, then clasped his hands together.

“Where are my manners?” he said. “Most of you are new to our ways.”

He smirked at Yoshida and nodded so that more Lesser House rebels surrounded him.

Eisen confidently fixed his gaze back on the crowd. All that confidence vanished once he surveyed the scores of men injured during Yoshida’s advance.

“Oh, yes. We have ways here,” he said with a nervous chuckle.

Yoshida moved closer to Eisen, but a quick glance into Savoi’s eyes pleadingly advised him to stand down. He was unsure if she was well enough to fight, and they were outnumbered. The last thing he wanted was for further harm to come to her.

Eisen did not understand Yoshida’s withdrawal, but was relieved. He cautiously crept over to Yoshida, daring to keep a comfortable distance. Yoshida never once removed his eyes from Savoi, but kept his guard clear. Eisen felt relieved to have a slight advantage and, as a result, could make reasonable arguments.

“You want her?” he asked Yoshida. Cunningly, he continued. You stand in good company.”

Though he was weaponless, Yoshida lunged at Eisen with full intent to tear him apart with his bare hands. The Lesser House rebels stumbled over themselves trying to hold him back. Eisen took the brief window of distance to grab Savoi. Desperately, she resisted, but fell to her knees in anguish. Eisen pulled her up with a small dagger at her throat.

“I’d hate to damage such a lovely package. It’s rare that we come across such an exotic find,” he teased.

Yoshida stood motionless as Eisen commanded his men to back off.

Eisen called out to him. “Tell you what. You can have her, but just like everyone else, earn it.”

Yoshida found himself at a crossroads. His path was undoubtedly determined by Savoi’s condition. Back at the academy, he witnessed her take down twice as many men who were also twice her size. Her reluctance to fight could only have meant she was too weary or injured. He aimed to ensure that she had the best chance of saving herself if his efforts were foiled. With no clear sign she could manage, he was not willing to take the gamble on it.

Yoshida allowed himself to be hauled off by the rebels along with the remaining uninjured men. Hours later, they arrived at a stone amphitheater arena, dressed in yellow burlap togas and sandals. Eisen sent his cronies to address the men with their orders. The challenge he mentioned earlier that evening entailed a gladiator-styled duel. Eisen provided each contender with a weapon of their choice. All eyes rested on Yoshida to observe what weapon he would choose. The Dao sabre was his weapon of choice. Many pondered how he would overcome such weapons as firearms, but no one dared questioned him directly.

Heavy raindrops pounded on the rooftop of the corridor leading to the center of the arena. Yoshida stood at a distance, suitable for mentally preparing himself. He closed his eyes and steadied his breath as he reminisced. Shadows of his squad mates danced before him. The last time they were all together was during the exit exam. This time, there would be no one by his side to support him. Also, unlike the exit exam, death was the goal. For Yoshida, this meant he would have to resort back to his former glory as the 3rd lieutenant of the Gokudō Clan. Savoi’s life depended on it.

~The Waring Robins~

Days and nights passed by through deep swamps of the marshlands passed before Yoshida and the other men arrived at a villa compound. The area was heavily manned with armed guards and sealed off by a fortified mortar gate. Once inside, haggardly men dressed in sackcloth shirt and pants stood in clusters as Lesser House guerrilla berated them at gunpoint. Yoshida observed that each man wore shackles from the neck down. Most of them cowered together like frightened children receiving punishment for an unimaginable offense. Exhaustion, misery, and terror permeated through their ranks.

A powerful wave of anxiety and panic washed over Yoshida. It was the first time he felt such grief since he lost his beloved childhood playmate and sister Hinna. Though he drifted in and out of a haze, the fresh memory of helplessly witnessing his best friend’s death during the catastrophic massacre in Heddison singed deep in his heart. Then there was also the mystery of what may have come of Savoi to consider. Not knowing whether she was dead or alive, both crippled and strengthened him. He was determined to find her. No Lesser House agent or hell itself could keep him from the woman he loved.

With full composure, Yoshida quelled his anguish in time to witness the sectioning off of the men in his group. Only he and five others received instructions to follow a curious-looking man with the word Finlay inscribed on his name badge. His soft cap revealed thin strands of hair, and his mustache styled in an upside-down chevron. Finlay seemed completely indifferent to the men or directing them. Without a word, he simply motioned with his right hand for everyone to line up behind him and keep up.

Several miles away from the gate led to a bustling city. This scenery was a stark contrast from the internment camp. The stench of booze and sex provided a hint of familiarity in Yoshida. He quickly realized they had entered what could only be assumed to be the Pleasure District. The cobblestone walkways hosted dozens of stalls set up for gambling, alcohol, food, and trading.

Finlay ushered his team inside a some-what lavish tavern and guided them up three flights of stairs. Each team member received a key and told to use it to enter their living quarters. The innkeeper, a small and bald old woman, greeted them. She had missing teeth, and it was clear heavy drinking and smoking were a part of her daily routine. With an aggressively lustful purr, she handed Yoshida his key. Finlay shooed her away by tossing a coin purse down the flight of stairs.

Inside every room was a bathtub filled with soapy, boiling hot water and a fresh change of clothes spread on a bed. Yoshida quickly bathed and put on the Lesser House uniform. He cringed at the thought of being mistaken for one of them, but had no other options if he was going to find Savoi. Once the men reassembled, Finlay led them back out into the city streets. There, they joined in formation over fifty other men and waited for orders.

Yoshida recognized the leader from the morgue when he walked by. His name badge, inscribed Eisen, was more visible. Eisen’s silver teeth glowed in the streetlight as he climbed up onto a makeshift platform to speak.

 “You are here today because we have deemed you worthy to stand in the ranks of the Lesser House. We only select the best crops, so consider yourselves fortunate.” His eyes glazed over the crowd. “Don’t get too comfortable yet. We will need to weed out the weakest among you. There will be games of challenge. Only the strongest can truly be on our side.”

The men discontentedly murmured among themselves, so Eisen continued.

“Fear not! We aren’t without reason, unlike those scoundrels of the so-called Greater House. We always reward our winners accordingly.”

Suddenly, four flesh-traders rolled a large metal cage into the middle of the platform. Once the cage was unlocked, a sea of people sauntered out. Yoshida scanned across many faces of young men and women put on display. Some faces were unknown to him, but others were captives from Heddison. Eisen scoffed at each of them until one of the flesh-traders whispered in his ear.

“Well, now. It appears we have a pleasant surprise,” Eisen cackled, then pushed to sift through the crowd. “Let me see her! Bring her to me!” he demanded.

Before long, they brought a girl in a yellow sundress front and center. The men all gasped in astonishment and delight. Yoshida’s heart dropped and stomach sank at the sight of none other than Savoi standing among the women and men meant to be traded.

~The Waring Robins~

Yoshida had just returned to the sleeping quarters from a session of tactical training. He was weary and irritated, given that the AAF team was far less skilled and disorganized than what he predicted. In his mind, even cadet Farouk had more competence and was easier to work with. Yoshida’s talent either attracted flirtation or intimidation from the batch of male and female officers. It was no wonder that none of them had seen any combat on the tour.

Just as Yoshida opened the door to head for the shower rack, Broudus stood in front of him. The men starred at each other for a moment, then Yoshida walked past him. Broudus spun around and forcefully tapped him on the shoulder.

“Uh, a word, lieutenant,” he said.

Yoshida was in no mood for meaningless conversation. He stopped in his tracks and sighed without turning to face Broudus.

“What is it, ensign?”

Broudus had been trying to restrain himself, as he was seething with anger. He collected himself, which made Yoshida shrug and walk away indignantly. This brought Broudus to a new heightened level of rage. Then words tumbled out of his mouth with spit and stutters.

“You—you gave me forty-five d—days of ex—extra duty, citing I st—stole a weapon!”

To this, Yoshida smirked and turned to face Broudus.

“I did.”

Broudus was taken aback by Yoshida’s calmness.

“Why? Why would you report a lie?” he pressed.

Yoshida looked dead into his eyes and said, “I did no such thing. On that last night guard, what happened?”

Broudus froze for a moment, trying to imagine what Yoshida meant.

“Think about it,” Yoshida scoffed. “You asked Lieutenant Savoi for help, then scurried off with her crossbow like a squirrel carrying away an acorn. I couldn’t very well let her take the fall for your stupidity.”

“Th-that’s not right,” Broudus stammered.

“Oh, it isn’t” Yoshida walked over and leaned his ear closer to Broudus’s mouth. “Do tell me all that happened.”

Broudus gulped. He knew saying the wrong thing could earn him a knuckle sandwich from Yoshida, but he also knew intimidation was the reason he was in this mess to begin with. Suddenly, he became infused with more hostility. Yoshida had given him grief the moment they met. It was unfair that he would also use his position as chief armor to bully.

“It was Th-Thomasa’s—”

Yoshida cut him off before he could finish.

“Who?”

Broudus shrunk as he dug his heels into the wooden floor.

“Lieutenant Savoi. It was her idea to offer the balm for my lips because they were burning in the cold air. I was just trying to return the favor by holding her weapon while she put it on me,” Broudus answered with a tremble.

Yoshida held his close position next to Broudus and whispered,

“Did you also return the favor by running off, leaving her to go back to the armory without her weapon in tow? Forty-five days is nothing compared to the scrutiny she would’ve faced in this god-forsaken Hoboken town.”

Broudus thought to stand down after Yoshida’s zinger. It was true that Savoi’s name was murmured under many lips since she upgraded the plain broth recipe. The AAF members were uncertain of how to perceive her. Though she never carried herself like a know-it-all, the results of her work made them all feel inadequate. Still, the matter of Yoshida’s intimidation tactics needed to be addressed. He was another anomaly in their otherwise mundane realm.

“Your presence startled me that morning. Nothing I did was meant to cause trouble for Lieutenant Savoi,” Broudus asserted.

Yoshida burst into a fit of laughter at the absurdity of his comment. Seeing that Broudus was none the wiser to the severity of his own actions left nothing else to say. Yoshida gave him a hard pat on the shoulder, then turned to continue on his way to the shower rack. Just as Broudus reached for him, Roudan came humming around the corner. The two men exchanged pleasantries before Roudan pulled out the ultrasound and palmed it onto Yoshida’s chest.

“Get a load of this!” Roudan beamed.

Yoshida looked at the paper, confused for a moment, until Roudan turned it right side up.

“Is this what I think it is?” Yoshida gushed.

Broudus felt slighted from being ignored. He rushed up to peer at the piece of paper, but his presence was non-existent to them.

Yoshida pulled Roudan in for a half-hug, then said, “I’m so happy for you. We should celebrate.”

Roudan shook his head.

“Well, there’s no more ale in the storage closet. We drank the latest shipment, too.”

By then, Roudan curiously looked at Broudus but still did not address him. He continued on with Yoshida.

“I have an idea, though. Some of us are gathering in the field to play rumble tag.”

Yoshida waved his shower gear in the air.

“Hell no. I’m off to see if there’s any hot water left. Have fun.”

Broudus bolted past the two men to stand in the way. His eager eyes practically begged Yoshida to play so they could settle their business.

Yoshida rolled his eyes.

“Thomasa was right. You are a pain in the ass.”

Much of the snow melted and turned to town center field into a mud swamp. It was the perfect setup for a game such as rumble tag, in which the premise was merely to tag an opponent and wrestle them to the ground. When they got to the field, four other AAF males joined them. Everyone was already paired up into 2-men teams at the start of the game. Yoshida and Roudan sized up their opponents, then laughed.

“You call this our competition? They might as well roll in the mud now,” Yoshida scoffed.

Roudan smirked.

“Well, if you must know; Broudus and his mate were Charlie squad leaders back at the academy. The freckled-faced gent and his buddy were Deltas.”

Yoshida sat down in the mud and crossed his legs.

“That tracks, for sure,” he replied.

Broudus and his partner took that as a sign to begin. They ran up to Roudan and Yoshida with full force. Roudan dodged being tagged, which caused the opponent to slide down. Yoshida had closed eyes, but could hear Broudus approach. At the last minute, he kicked both legs out in front. Broudus ran chest-first onto Yoshida’s feet, then Yoshida laid on his back and lifted him into the air. Yoshida toyed with him in that position until Broudus spat in his face. Yoshida balanced himself to fling Broudus across the field. The other two players felt appalled, and no longer wanted to play.

When Broudus recovered, a crowd had formed. Most everyone pointed and jeered at him, which made him angrier with Yoshida. Roudan had already wrestled his opponent into the mud, and helped Yoshida to his feet. Broudus charged at Yoshida with all his might. The tackle started off in jest to Yoshida, but when Broudus sucker-punched him, all bets were off. Not even Roudan could tear the men apart.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Savoi emerged onto the field with a gaggle of children.

“Let’s get Uncle Haru to play with us,” she encouraged.

The children swarmed over Yoshida, who was on top of Broudus. They pounced on him with giggles and tickles, which allowed room for Broudus to slither away.

~The Waring Robins~

Between 2100 and 0900, the people of Heddison were under a strict curfew known as the quiet hours. They mandated all civilians to remain silent in their tiny cottages while the AAF assigned squads to patrol the area. Until recently, the mandate had not been in effect. A month before the newly dispatched troops, there was a bloody scrimmage between some town folks and a posse of men who claimed to be bandits of the Lesser House. Shortly after the battle, twelve consecutive tsunamis brought in a winter storm that continued to plague the land.

Heddison’s layout of was that of an oval-shaped maze with frosted boarders where lavishly tall shrubs once stood. The terrain was filled with steep rows of inclined hills. Compacted hardened snow covered the ground, which made mobility quite treacherous. AAF designated specific civilians along with military personnel to be supplied with spiked-snow boots. There was rarely a difference between the days and nights, as dense fog and continuous snow flurries blotted out both sunray and moonlight. The eerie scenery triggered fear and uncertainty among everyone.

Savoi found herself in a dilemma, as she first believed her sole mission was to find a solution to counteract the chemical warfare that brought on the cold front. However, as soon as she set foot in the town, dozens of tasks were assigned to her from different departments. When she wasn’t assisting the medics, the culinary specialists called on her to recreate the ingredients she mixed in the plain broth. Her skills were in high demand, which gave her déjà vu of her time at Calvary academy.

Even with all her assignments, Savoi was not excused from night guard. The rotating schedule placed her on duty every third night, along with Yoshida. Teams of six drudged through the perimeter of Heddison’s maze, with weapons of choice at the ready. Only one candlelight post stood in the center of the town square. Yoshida and Savoi crossed paths at the top of each hour. Brief intimate glances beneath the dim light were all they shared.

After four weeks of the tour, everyone had adjusted to the weather and routines of their fellow members. Then one night, an unusual occurrence happened. The fog suddenly lifted along with the snow for a half an hour. The distinct sound of cannons from far off was heard. On the last rotation of the night guard’s shift, Yoshida expected to meet Savoi at the light post as he had every shift before. To his surprise, she was not there. Panic and frenzy took over his mind and heart. He broke ranks to search for her. He also broke the vow of silence, asking team members if they had seen her.

“Where could she be?” he asked himself out loud. Yoshida jogged a quarter of a mile away from the light post. Daybreak had not yet come, though the sky was visible. His adrenaline reached fever-pitch, trying to make out two figures ahead of him in the dark. Broudus stood next to Savoi, holding both their weapons, while she casually rubbed her fingers over his lips. Rage descended over Yoshida and blurred his vision for a moment. Broudus clearly enjoyed Savoi’s pampering, but quickly realized he crossed a line. His smile faded instantly, which puzzled Savoi.

Yoshida waited in contemplation over whether he should beat the young man to a pulp, or asking questions first. His mind wanted to go with the latter, but his heart knew that Savoi was more than likely in control of the situation. As always, she was undeterred by his arrival and continued to rub her index finger gently over Broudus’s lips. Finally, Yoshida’s temper overtook him, and he lashed out.

“What the hell is going on here?” he asked.

Broudus trembled and moved away from Savoi without a word. Savoi darted her eyes at Yoshida, then unapologetically explained.

His lips were grossly chapped, so I offered him some of my herbal balm.

Yoshida never took his eyes off Broudus.

“What, are you a toddler? Do you need your mommy here to wipe your nose and change your dirty nappy as well?” he quipped with a dead stare.

“Haru!” Savoi called to him. “That was completely unnecessary. You need to apologize to Cal at once,” she said.

Yoshida scoffed.

“I’ll do no such thing.”

“Then I’ll do it for you,” she fired back.

Savoi took Broudus by the hand, which he knew would only make matters worse.

“Thomasa, please don’t. It’s alright. Thank you for the balm,” he said, then scurried away.

I wish you hadn’t done that,” she sighed.

Yoshida walked over and clutched her shoulders.

“I thought you were lost—I thought I’d lost you.” Her expression did not show remorse, so he continued. “Thomasa, something is going on around here. The snow is melting and I know you heard the feint booms in the distance. Back at the academy, you were right; real. He pulled her head to his chest. “I don’t want to see any harm to you.”

She paused, relishing his embrace. It was the closest contact between them since they deployed. Then, feeling the need to advocate for herself, she lifted her head up.

“I was frightened graduation night, it’s true. But I have to push past that if I’m going to accomplish anything here.” She leaned on his chest again, then continued. “You know I feel the same about you, but we’re supposed to be helping instead hindering each other.”

Yoshida took her last statement as a dig. He placed a hand under her chin to tilt her face up.

Indignantly, he asked, “Is that what you call what was going on with blondie?”

Savoir smirked.

“Oh please. He is less harmful than you are. Cal is just a regular bloke from Dynsey. He’s sweet, but needy.” She paused, then chuckled. “I suppose that’s what you both have in common.”

Yoshida slightly squeezed her cheeks together, which caused her lips to purse.

“How do you mean by that?” he asked.

Savoir snatch her whole by from his clutches and walked away.

“You’re both a pain in my ass,” she jested.

Yoshida caught up with her, then gave a playful swat on her buttocks. They returned to the central station to sign off on night patrol. Back at their sleeping quarters, Savoi did not bother to remove her uniform. Instead, she fell asleep on her cot watching Yoshida attempt to make coffee. Roudan came in from the shower rack, instantly requesting a cup of hot brew.

After a large gulp, he spit the liquid in the sink.

“Yuck! What is this rat poison?”

Yoshida tried his best to stifle a laugh.

“What? You don’t like it? I made it special for you.”

“Yeah, well, Thomasa’s is better,” Roudan scoffed.

Yoshida sighed.

“Yes, well, she makes everything better.”

“Aw,” Roudan cooed. “Now, aren’t you glad I had us stationed in this safe haven.”

Yoshida took a more serious tone.

“I would say thank you, but this place won’t be safe or a haven for long. Something bad is coming this way.”

Roudan knew exactly what he meant. The signs that occurred early were telling, but Roudan still believed in the choices made.

“I don’t think we should be alarmed just yet. The opposition would have to sack the capital before they can reach Heddison. Our guys and gals have been holding strong for a while now,” he said.

Yoshida wanted to be supportive of his friend and forget all doubts, but there was Savoi to consider. He nodded towards her, then said,

“I’m worried about Thomasa. She going to spiral out again at this rate.”

Roudan chuckled at the sound of Savoi’s light snores.

“I don’t envy you. If Lily were here, I’d be on pins and needles too.”

~The Waring Robins~