-15-
Milla stood petrified as the audience of hundreds of people observes the hound in disbelief, the entire auditorium remained silent for a few minutes until the observers began to speak among one another:
"I can't believe it's Milla Basset!"
"I heard she left Shang Mu about two years ago, I guess she's back."
"OMG, can I have an autograph!"
"Yeah! I want one too!"
"Can I have an autograph Milla Basset!"
The hound slowly steps backwards as the audience became more demanding yet flattering, "Thank you but I'm a little busy, no really!" Milla argues as she continues to slowly walk backwards as the audience became more restless.
Chan hold on to Milla's shoulders from behind, "Hey, you can take the back exit, it should take you to the casino hall." he kindly whispers, "I'll drop a smoke bomb to distract the audience."
Milla nods in response and exits the theatre through the back entrance as Chan uses one smoke bomb as cover.
At the casino hall, the hound notices the large crowd of people exiting the auditorium, she ran towards the second floor entrance and exits the casino however the crowd notices the canine departing the casino and pursues the hound to the shopping mall. Milla realizes the increasing number of people chasing after her as she runs across the second floor of the plaza, in response the hound decides to hide in the girl's bathroom until the crowd calms down, Finally some peace and quiet!
In the girl's restroom Milla relaxes and waits for her fame to diminish, however one of the girls in the bathroom recognizes the basset hound, "No way! It's Milla Basset!" the girl acknowledges.
"I'm really not a big deal, please be quiet." Milla pleas.
"Hey! Milla Basset is here!"
Milla quick grabs the girl's mouth in response but the other girls in the restroom take notice of her, the hound quickly leaves the restroom and leans against the door, the canine then looks both ways and notices a lack of people. The basset hound began to cautiously walk through the mall until one person notice the basset hound, "Guys, she over there!"
The hound quickly runs from the emerging horde of fans towards a balcony however finds herself at a dead end, "No really, am I really a big deal?" Milla reasons as the crowd of people corners her.
"We just want an autograph!"
"And a couple of pictures!"
"And want to ask a couple of questions!"
"You know there's something called 'privacy', right?" Milla argues, the people discusses among each other in response.
While the crowd is distracted Milla jumps off the balcony in desperation, the sudden action amazes and intrigues the people. The canine generates a psychic blast from her feet to break her fall then performs a roll to maintain her footing and begins to run for the mall's exit.
Kai and Norah was waiting by the shopping mall's entrance, "Where do you think she went?" Norah asks.
"How should I know, I just hope she didn't get herself into other situation." Kai monotonously responds.
Both youths suddenly hear the multitude of people when they notice the missing youth running towards them; Milla was more focused on what was chasing her than to the other two youths which results in the hound running into the husky, causing both canines to land on the floor, "Well there she is!" Norah mocks.
"Watch where you're going Milla!" Kai snurls.
Milla quickly gets up in response, "Sorry, but let's leave this place… like as fast as possible, now!" she argues.
"What's the rush?", the husky maintains his monotonic voice.
Milla makes an impatient and annoyed face in response, she points towards the raging crowd behind her, "That's why!" the hound retorts.
Kai and Norah are intimidated by the hundreds of people running towards them, the sight was both frightening yet comical, "Alright, we really should be going." Norah infers.
Immediately the party exits the shopping mall with the crowd following right behind them.
"What on Avalice happened?!" Kai demands.
"I might have volunteered in a fight…" Milla explains in a soft tone.
"Seriously?!" Kai and Norah yells in unison.
"Look, I didn't expect this to happen, and honestly everything would've went a lot better… if I didn't use my psychic powers."
"Well, let's worry more about the crowd of people chasing after us… why exactly are they chasing us?" Norah asks.
"Well, they're not really angry. They're just a bunch of fans."
"So basically they want to be seen with their favorite heroine, how shallow." Kai concludes.
As the group ran down the streets of Shang Mu they hear someone from one of the alleyways, "This way, I promise you'll be safe here." the person spoke in a soft voice, a voice Milla recognizes. Although they questioned the person's intentions they didn't have much a choice, they enter the alley and meet a young fox with a heavy sword, "It's you again!" Milla acknowledges.
The fox made a warm smile as he gestures with short bow, "It's an honor to meet you in person Milla Basset, you're truly as beautiful as I've expected, your friend too." Chan flirts, Milla blushes in response as Norah, the 'friend' Chan was referring to, gestures with a disgusted look on her face which the fox ignores.
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Norah growls with her limbs engulfed in flames, the action intrigues the fox rather than intimidate him.
"I don't know, I just met him at the casino about fifteen minutes ago, he's apparently famous."
"Surely not as famous as you Milla, however I should introduce myself; my name is Chan." the vulpine explains, "You likely wondering why I helped you escape."
"I'd hardly call that helping, we could've entered any alleyway on our own." Kai argues.
"Ah, but I know this city as well as I know my homeland. You can say I have experience in these kind of environments."
"Why should we trust you?"
"What, we can't be friends?"
"Do you honestly expect us to be your friends after only knowing you for a few minutes!" Again the husky and panda speaks in unison.
"Well, didn't Milla here do the same with you two when you first met her?" Chan argument was spot on, although Norah reluctantly submits, Kai retains his expression soon making a faint narcissistic smile.
"If you honestly think I'm friends with them, then you're a fool. I'm only hanging around with them because I can." Kai blatantly proclaims, the hound and panda with him became morbidly silent and desolate.
"Well, that's a shame. I figured that sense you traveled together you would've been friends."
"I don't need to discuss 'friendship' with you. Norah did you get directions?"
Milla and Norah remained silent, the panda girl shakes her head spitefully.
"It appears you've offended them, luckily for you I'm here!"
Kai stood in disbelief as the other two youths ignores him in a spiteful manner as they follow the more cheerful vulpine, the canine reluctantly submits and follows the group who had alienated him.
After finally exiting the labyrinth of alleyways the group began to cross the street when a limousine suddenly appears before the group almost running them over, the vehicle fiercely stops spooking the youths who later hears a woman's voice, "Why did you stop!" the woman demands in an annoyed tone, she soon exits the vehicles and storms her way towards the driver before she notices the four frightened youths standing besides her.
The woman was a panda with white fur, white hair and yellow, almost golden eyes; she wore a red dress with red boots and had a golden diamond ring. Milla immediately recognizes the woman with the other youths still horrified by the possibility of them being flattened into paper, "M-Ming Zu?!" the hound acknowledges.
Ming analyses the basset hound and her peers, "Milla Basset, is that you?! I see your fashion sense have improved and is that a sword?" she mocks, Milla's face became peach red of embarrassment.
"Ah, well isn't this convenient! It appears to be an eventful day today, it's an honor to have our mayor's wife in our presence." Chan informs.
"Well, thank you! It's nice to see there's someone knows an important figure when they see one! Hey, you're that fox kid with the sword who've been getting pretty well known at the casino, aren't you?"
"Yup, that's me!"
"Oh I'm so sorry for teasing you earlier Milla! I didn't realize you were friends with such a gifted person like Chan Fokkusu, what about you two?" Ming moves her attention towards Kai and Norah.
"Kai." The husky introduces himself.
"Norah." The panda introduces herself.
"Well, I know you came here on official business, Zaoy told me all about it!"
"Zaoy?" Kai repeat in disgust.
"This is Mayor Zao's wife, Ming Zu? She's so… young…" Norah says to herself.
Both the husky and panda shudders at the thoughts that went through their heads as Milla and Chan enters the limousine, "Hey you two! Aren't you going to come in with us?" Ming calls in a self-dignified manner.
Kai and Norah enters the vehicle which takes them to the Shang Mu City Hall.