~ Chapter 1: The Peace of Xian ~
The light from the celestial being Sol had long since set in the sky leaving in its place a dull fading light that was quickly overwhelmed and consumed by the darkness. The only illumination of the cobblestone square was the occasional appearance of the celestial light reflected by the night being Luna. However, there streamed light from the windows of the local bar and pub where a group of citizens and tourists alike were enjoying their "night in the town" and were busy drinking away to their heart's content.
The atmosphere inside was anything but calming and relaxing and the chatter from the stumbling patrons was enough to make one go insane. As with any drink that intoxicates, the inhibitions of most of the patrons were long since gone and there could be heard numerous sounds of glass shattering and people starting fights only to collapse seconds later from overexertion and consumption of way too much alcohol.
Card games, each game in varying stages of play, were in full swing at many of the tables and each of the players glanced at each other and winced with narrow eyes at the others hoping to view the cards of the other participants or any flaw in their features that would give away a bluff. A shout from one of the tables at the declaration of a winner soon turned into a brawl over cheating and such of the like.
In a separate darker corner of the bar a group of patrons, some standing and some sitting, were assembled together for some reason. The rough, burly group of men who stood in the corner watched the other patrons brawl and beat each other with all sorts of items from bottles to chairs and even with shoes. It would almost seem crazy not to come armed in a place this out of control. But hidden beneath their flowing robes were concealed short swords for protection and defense.
Behind those guards was the meeting of two people: one of which was the most powerful man of the criminal underworld while the other was merely a client working for him. The client wore a pair of white hakama pants and a brown colored kimono shirt which was covered by a lighter colored khaki brown coat. And wrapped around his head was a headband meant to keep his lengthy brown hair from his eyes. On the ground next to him, carefully hidden but easily accessible, was his katana blade.
The other man, the criminal underlord, wore clothing that shrouded his figure and hid his size. He wore a long black cape that wrapped around his neck and body the length of it long enough to hide his feet and his mouth and part of his nose from view. On his head he wore a hood that was low enough and deep enough that the shadows induced hid his face from view. But due to the dim lighting in this area anyways, the chances of seeing his facial features were close to impossible.
Sitting right next to the shadow of a man was his most trusted bodyguard, a female ninja warrior from the town of Xian. Her skills were nothing less than amazing and ever since she was left as an orphan after her father's death in battle she had honed what she had learned in order to find her father's killer and bring him to justice. Even though she was barely nineteen, she was already being regarded as the best and most feared bodyguard in the underworld. The speed at which she moved seemed to match that of the wind. Her violet tinted hair was tied up into a small pony tail and her golden eyes glazed over the crowd trying to sense any sort of trouble. Her beauty was captivating beyond measure. Her features were not entirely characteristic of a typical female ninja: she was actually very attractive to look upon even in her garb. She, too, wore a dark cape which concealed any weapons she might have concealed beneath the confines of her clothing.
"Are you sure this…place is safe?" the man in the khaki robes nervously spoke as he glanced around precariously at his current situation wondering if this was indeed a good idea.
The shadow-man merely chuckle in a deep tone and replied in a rather casual tone. "Despite the rowdiness of this bar and the relative danger of being with so many drunken fools, this chaotic bar is oddly enough the safest location for our meeting. You needn't worry yourself. If anything does go awry then I have those bodyguards behind you for your protection. And, if necessary, my lovely bodyguard here would be put to use."
"What? Wait a minute? You want me to believe that I can trust my life to that girl there?"
Scarce were the words out of his mouth when suddenly his face came crashing down to the table shaking the few drinks and items on the table around violently. His arms were suddenly constricted and he found it most difficult to even move a muscle. Then as his eyes flashed open they glimmered at the sight of a razor sharp kunai knife pointed at his face mere centimeters from actually ending his life. It took the man a moment to realize that he had just been taken down by that very girl whose abilities he questioned. But now, as he lay prostrate on the table of that bar, he began to believe the rumors that he had heard about the speed at which this ninja female moved.
"I… I don't believe it!" he gasped in unbelief as sweat began to pour out from his body. Fear had gripped his mind, and adrenaline had gripped his heart making his heart beat considerably faster. Consequently, his blood pressure rose and his breathing became more and more labored.
"She's good, is she not?" the master of the female ninja replied with a smirk of satisfaction. A nod from her master and the death-position that she had once assumed was released and her position was quickly taken back at the side of her master.
"I didn't even see her move and I was even looking at her!" the man said as he adjusted himself from just been flattened by the female ninja.
"Indeed. She has been my greatest defense against countless attacks and threats upon my life. Her speed is matched by no one else alive and she is both precise and accurate. She will be more than enough to protect the both of us if necessary. Are you satisfied now? Or do you need more proof?" the man stated as he lifted his hand towards his female companion.
"N-n-no, that's all right. You have proven your point," the man stammered still in disbelief that someone could move so quickly and be in a killing position within an instant. And the very fact that it was a woman was even more nerve racking.
"Good," the reply came back as he lowered his hand back down to his lap allowing his female to relax from her poised-to-strike stance. "Then let us proceed with business shall we?"
"A-all right."
"Now the reason that I have summoned you here is because I've heard many strange and disturbing rumors. Do you know anything about these 'rumors' that I've heard?"
"Umm…" the man stammered, perspiration forming on his brow at a rapid pace. "R-rumors, sir, I don't know wha…"
"Don't play dumb with me!" the shadow of a man growled as his voice raised in volume considerably. After a short deep breath, he continued in a much more calm voice. "The rumors are about my shipments being raided and my goods being stolen."
"Oh! Hehehe. That rumor!" The man wearing the brown garb was beginning to sweat even more as his body temperature seemed to increase. He pulled on his shirt hoping to release some of the excess heat; but, it was to no avail. He focused his eyes directly at his boss. "Sir, I am taking every precaution to look into these rumors and…"
"Really?" the man interrupted. "So then you do admit to knowing about these rumors? Even though earlier you seemed not to remember?"
"Ummm… well…" the brown garbed man said shakingly. "I was doing my best to try to apprehend the villains, if necessary. But, but, sir! Many of the supposed 'missing goods' were found placed in other locations. They were just misplaced. I don't think that there is room for concern."
"Why were they misplaced to begin with?" inquired the man with the female bodyguard. "Unless the rumors are true about this whole situation and…"
"They certainly aren't true, sir! I can assure you," the client countered quickly as his voice raised to a pitch slightly higher than in a normal conversation. Perspiration beaded on his forehead and slowly rolled down his face as he continued to entreat his boss. "I told you before that we are doing our best to look into these 'rumors' and extinguish anything of the sort. And even if they were raided during shipment we would have already caught and punished the person or group involved."
"Then you wouldn't mind if I sent my own representative down there to investigate the validity of your statements." He tilted his head slightly towards his ninja guardian who simply gave a nod in response. "My guardian Wynn here will accompany you back to Xian and will also oversee that my next shipment will be delivered safely." His eyes narrowed as his gaze seemed to drill deeper and deeper into the soul of his client. "And if I find out that these rumors are true, I'll have your head. Got it, Ichon?"
"Y-yes, s-sir. I got the picture…" Ichon replied in a trembling voice as he slowly reached up and wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow. A quick glance at Wynn was all he could manage as almost instantly he felt his body temperature increase. He was burning up and his whole body, from the top of his head down to the tip of his toes, trembled as the thought of the severity of the punishment if anything were to be found amiss. On top of that, this beautiful young woman who could easily tear him apart, literally, was accompanying him back to his post in Xian and was going to be investigating for support of the rumors. And as the saying goes: if you go looking for something, you're bound to find it.
"Good. Then I need to tell you that my next shipment of goods should be arriving in Xian soon by sea. Be extremely careful with this shipment as with any other shipment. Remember, your life depends on the integrity of my goods being delivered on time, in one piece, and all the pieces accounted for. See to it that you don't mess this up." The man turned his gaze indifferently from Ichon and towards the nameless guards and addressed them. "Take him away. I'm done speaking with him."
With silent acknowledgement, the bodyguards stepped forward to escort Ichon out from the presence of their master. The pair of them stood erect and tall and their cold, icy eyes narrowed and scoffed at the man to whom their master desired to be rid of for the moment. All eyes were fixated upon Ichon as he slowly stood to his feet and girded his katana blade back to its position on his left hip. He lightly brushed off his clothing and turned to leave with the pair of guards close behind.
He kept a keen eye on the man as he left, taking careful notice of each and every one of his movements. As soon as Ichon was out of his sight, he leaned over and motioned for Wynn to lean in closer. "Keep a close eye on him and report back to me his dealings. Don't act on him unless he threatens your life. We'll see just how truthful his statement really is."
As the illuminating glow of the entity Sol began to rise above the eastern horizon of Xian the joyous chirping of the native birds coming to life filled the atmosphere with a feeling of inner peace and contentment at the first rays of dawn. The gentle splash of falling water and the slow, winding, seemingly lackadaisical trail and current of the created river at the base further added to the serene environment. The retreating darkness that had once ruled the area revealed the figure of a boy well into manhood sitting above and adjacent to the waterfall and underneath the shade of a bonsai tree.
As a gentle breeze swept across the land and weaved its way through the oriental type buildings, the blond hair of this person swayed gently with the relaxing waft as it passed by him. He closed eyes in order to take in his peaceful environment and to free his mind of any distractions.
With the rising sun the boy also raised his eyes up to behold the majestic, imperial spectacle of the dawning day. The flooding of soft hues of orange and blue and pink painted the horizon and the sky above it leaving the viewer awestruck at the beauty. The brushstroke-like colors streaked through the sky and danced in a perfect, pre-created yet unique design.
Bringing his knees up toward his face, the kid wrapped his arms around his legs and looked on at the wondrous spectacle. His smile soon faded though and he dropped his face down into his knees. His thoughts no doubt were far removed from where he was. As he heard the chirping of the birds and smelled the fresh morning air, he couldn't help but sigh deeply. What a peaceful place! He thought. But still… The boy looked up once more at the now light blue hue of the sky and the yellow-ish gold light emitted by Sol and was stirred somewhere deep in his soul. He closed his eyes and stretched out. When he opened his eyes and slowly stood to his full height of about six feet. As he dusted the dirt from off his blue colored, white trimmed robes and white colored pants, his eyes were drawn alertly to some swift, decisive movement down below in the village. The wraith emerged from a certain building with something bundled in his arms. He deftly weaved from shadow to shadow, building to building ever nearing the security of being departed from the village of Xian.
"Looks like I'll have to take care of some business before I begin my daily training." A gently scoff emitted from the blond kid's lips as he observed the movements of this shadow thief towards what was hoped to be freedom. "To beat the wraith…" he began as he closed his eyes and folded his hands in front of him focusing his mind. "…you must become a wraith." The air around his body began to swirl faster and faster. A second later, he was gone and his scent dissipated with the fleeting air currents.
The thief was nearly out of the limits of the village when he decided to check on his newly acquired wares. A subtle smiled eased its way onto his face as he confirmed in his mind a successful mission. He leapt up onto a branch of a nearby tree and took one last glance back at the village and scoffed at the oriental natives. "Pathetic. There was not a soul here that stopped me. This village is so pathetic…"
The leaves of the tree gently rustled with a passing breeze and the entire area went still and silent and tranquil and hushed. For the first time in the morning, the thief was able to relish in the peace of Xian for which so many travelers seek to find in a dwelling place. "But still… It's a shame that I can't stay here longer. It is a peaceful village; but, gotta do what I gotta do."
"You know…" a voice called echoing from seemingly everywhere at once. "If you didn't steal from here then perhaps you could stay longer."
The thief's entire body tensed when he heard the voice that had caught him. His eyes shifted from place to place trying to find this person as his ears tried to pinpoint the source of the voice. Suddenly, the branch he was on and the leaves of the tree were blown with such a mighty force of wind that it seemed like the entire tree would be uprooted right there and be carried miles and miles away. It was a struggle just to maintain a grasp on the branch he was on let alone anything else. A moment later the ferocious gale ceased and the entire area as silent as a solitary confinement cell.
"What in the world was that?" the thief whispered dreadfully as through his gloved hands he felt the soft squish of the silk material still underneath his arms. "I'd better leave before…" he began when he looked down at his silk only to discover that he was holding a bundle of long, green grass clippings. "What the…Where'd it go?"
"Silk," the same voice as spoke before echoed this time not in an audible tone that could be heard with the ears but with a sensory perception somehow in the thief's mind. "How something so soft and sleek could turn a man's heart so hard and jagged is beyond my comprehension!"
The thief began to feverishly shake his head back and forth as he reached up and grabbed his head with his trembling hands in an attempt to silence the intruding voice in his head. In a voice that was far less than confident and as the thief's grip tightened on his head he cried out, "Where are you?"
"Here…"
The hushed, soft answer from behind instantly made the thief spin around quickly to look upon the face of his tormentor. On a branch behind him, the thief's eyes beheld a boy barely into adulthood with damp-looking blond hair that protruded from his head in stringed clumps some of which slipped slightly into his face. His facial features were quite sleek and his skin mostly free of wrinkles. There was however a slight scar on the boy's left cheek. Despite the youthfulness of his appearance, his piercing ocean blue eyes revealed more than just childish reasoning. His eyes revealed a maturity beyond his years that only comes through hard, life experience and determination. But there was something oddly familiar about his face and the look in his eyes.
"You… look familiar," the thief said perplexed as he tried to figure out where he had seen this kid before. His gaze dropped to the grass bundle he had under his arm and he forgot all about trying to figure out where he had seen him before. He sneered and tossed the grass bundle to the ground. There in the hands of this new opponent rested the silk that was the object of his thievery. "How did you get that?"
"I could ask you the same, but…" came the reply as the boy stood to his feet and hid the silk bundle in his blue kimono shirt. "…well, I already know the answer to that. In fact, I saw the whole thing." With a huff of satisfaction the boy crossed his arms in front of him and gazed at the bandit incredulously. Did he say I looked familiar? Has he seen me before? And if so, where?
"If you know what's good for you, boy, then you'll give back the silk and leave. Little children should not interfere in matters that concern adults."
At the sound of that last comment, the temperature of the blond kid began to rise as his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed and his hand clenched into fists. "Don't look down on me because I look young! Master Feh can attest to the fact that I'm not…"
"Wait? Feh? As in kung fu teaher Feh? You're studying under that old coot? You must really be desperate," the thief snickered with an evil tone of mockery.
"Only those who are weak would consider students under Feh to be desperate," came the sharp reply from the blond. "If you don't believe me, then try out your theory on me." The boy stood erect for a second and then lowered himself into a battle stance with the back of his right palm extended outward towards the thief and his left arm behind his back.
It started quietly and then it became audible and grew in intensity. The chuckle from the thief soon turned into a bellowed laughter as his restraints were loosened. "You really are a fool, aren't you? Feh is nothing more than a foolish old man with ideals rooted in the "Golden Age" of mankind. His ideals have made him weak; therefore, his teachings have suffered the same degree of weakness, if not even more so. I bet that you've never even left this village to seek out any of the greatest, most capable teachers."
"I don't need to leave this village to seek other teachers because... because there is a strength and a peace about this village where…"
"…where everyone lives together in harmony. Please, don't try to push that crap on me because such a utopia doesn't exist!" An arrogant grin appeared on the thief's face as he continued his lecturing. "It can never exist. People will always only care about themselves and no one else. If you look hard enough in this village even, you'll find out that this village is far less than a utopia. I've wasted enough of my time arguing with a fool like you. Get out of my way, or else!"
A gentle smile cropped onto the face of the blond followed by a quiet chuckle. "Hmph! 'Or else' what?"
"You asked for it," the thief snapped back ferociously as one of his hands suddenly tossed something from behind his back at the blond.
Using his transcendent speed, the blond warrior propelled his body backwards to dodge whatever was thrown at him and then he gripped the branch that he was standing on to spin around it until his body was only a few degrees above being parallel to the ground. As his rotation came to a halt just for a split-second, the thief suddenly realized that the blond was in perfect alignment to leap directly at him. With a powerful thrust of his feet, the blond hurdled through the air at breakneck speed towards the thief with every intention to subdue him in one strike.
Thinking quickly, the thief squatted down on the branch and used his own legs to shoot up into the air hoping that the distance would be just enough to avoid the imminent blow from his adversary. A brief flash of excitement crossed over his face as he saw that his tactic would work.
Suddenly, the blond extended his hands outward onto the branch underneath the thief and then spun around directing his feet upward towards the bandit. In a smooth motion that was perfectly timed, the blond's body suddenly changed speed and accelerated vertically toward the robber. His feet connected with the stomach of the thief and that set into motion a series of powerful single kicks to the foe's mid- to upper region of his body. As the speed of the two began to slow, the blond wrapped his legs around the thief and flicked the body of the thief down towards the earth. Just as the blond found a sturdy, nearby branch and before he landed gently on it the thief crashed violently into the ground spewing grass and dirt outwards in every direction.
"All too easy," the boy smirked. As the rising dirt cloud began to settle, the slightly exhausted blond who was kneeling on the branch smirked for a second as he saw the unconscious body of the arrogant thief. But then he suddenly felt a sharp stinging pain slide across the side of his face. A second later the feel of a warm substance trickled down his face and onto his left cheek. He reached up with his right hand to see what this was and to wipe this substance off his face. The moment he pulled his hand back into viewing range the blond saw the crimson red color of his own blood!
"What the?" He reached up to his face again and tracked the blood-trail up to its source, a gash a few inches long that curved from his upper cheek to just under his left ear. "How in the world…" His gaze traced his former path replaying the scene in his mind trying to determine when he got cut. His eyes stopped on the branch where he originally stood and he noticed imbedded into the tree's bark behind it was a triangular shaped throwing knife, a kunai. Trickling from one of the sides of the sharp blade was the crimson liquid of his own blood.
"Ohh! That's how! Guess that I need to be more careful next time." As he reached into his satchel for a napkin to help stop the bleeding, the boy gazed down at the thief once more.
"Knight! Knight!"
At the sound of his name, he looked up from the unconscious body of the thief to see running towards him a young dirty-blonde haired, blue eyed girl who was dressed in a simple white silk dress that came to the top of her knees, white silky boots, white silk gloves, and a flowing purple silk cape. She was waving at him with an excitement attributed to those of a younger generation.
Figures… It'd be Jessica that finds me first. A great sigh escaped his lips as he watched the 12 year old daughter of the weapons smith of Xian running up to greet him from the ground. She stopped in front of the tree and smiled cutely at Knight and held a sheathed sword behind her back as one of her feet dug gingerly into the ground.
"Knight! I brought you this new sword as soon as it was finished! I thought that you might want to see it and all…" The giddiness in the tone of her voice overflowed from her and she began to blush underneath the eyes even more than before.
"Ohh… Thanks, Jessica!" Knight could not help but smile at the young girl's antics and her true intentions did not go unmissed by his keen eyes. Doesn't she realize that I'm seven years older than her and that we could never be together? Why is it that only the younger women like me and not those of my own age? Regardless, I'd better make sure that I don't hurt Jessica's feelings too much when I tell her…
"Jessica, where are you? Get back here right now!"
The short blond female visible jumped and quickly hid behind a tree as a larger figure came into the clearing. Knight recognized the approaching man as the weapon craftsman of Xian and the father of Jessica. At first glance, the dark haired native of Xian would seem like a rather imposing person but those who knew him closely would know that that was not the case at all. He was actually a rather calm, mild tempered gentleman who was in fact close friends with the kung fu master Feh.
"Jessica…" the man wandered about not even bothering to look up into the trees where Knight watched on with great interest. "Where'd that girl disappear to…" the man was suddenly cut short when his eyes caught sight of something. Off to the man's right and behind one of the narrow trees was the sight of what appeared to be purple fabric. I've got you girl…
A gentle breeze swept the area as the man slowly began to creep towards his daughter's hiding place. He was nearly there when he sensed some kind of disturbance behind him. At the same time that he spun around, the man pulled from his satchel a pair of shurikens and expertly flung them towards the sensed disturbance. The moment that he turned around he felt a gale of intensely focused wind zoom past his body and a second later an arm wrapped around his neck and a kunai blade flashed in front of his eyes pointed at his neck.
"Hmph… It's hard to believe that you've only been here a year."
"I have a good teacher," the voice countered as his hold on the weapon specialist loosened.
"Even so. You've learned much faster than any other student I've known, Knight." The man was finally free of the restraints and was able to turn around and look upon the face of the "disturbance."
"What can I say, Mitsuru, I'm just special." Knight smiled confidently, boastfully even.
"More like a prodigy." Mitsuru saw the gash on Knight's face. "Hey! You've been cut! How'd that happen?" Mitsuru asked with great surprise. "I never would have expected a scratch on you, especially not on your face! It looks fairly recent too!"
"Umm… Yeah, well. About that…" Knight scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously. Should I tell him about the thief? His gaze shifted ever so slightly to the ground where the thief was thrown down but a close grouping of trees blocked him from seeing if the thief's body was still there. Hmmm. Maybe not. Need to know basis. The young man pulled out his handkerchief and gently dabbed his wound a little more. "…Guess that I got too carried away with my training here in the woods and wasn't looking where I was going. Plus Jessica kind of surprised me. These branches are something else."
"Ha ha! I know what you mean. So you've seen Jessica around here…"
Right on cue the cute blue eyed girl emerged from behind the tree and presented herself before her father. "I'm here." The sheer pathetic tone of her feeble voice begged, no, demanded sympathy and pity. Her large pleading eyes made her look even more adorable but also reinforced the look of innocence that many girls learn how to manipulate to either get their way or to receive little to no punishment.
"Jessica! There you are!" Mitsuru ran over to his daughter and knelt down to give her a hug. "I was worried about you when you ran off into the woods. It's not safe out here because there are many wild animals out here that would hurt little girls like you."
The little girl merely smiled and responded to the comment with a small voice. "I know but I had your sword and…"
"Darling… Simply because you have a weapon doesn't mean that you are safe from danger. And if something were to happen to you then who would be out here to protect you?" Mitsuru lectured as he reached over and retrieved the sword from his daughter.
"Oh…" was the humbled reply from the little girl as she bowed her head low and as her lips began to quiver. "I guess… but still…"
Knight walked over to the trembling figure and kneeled down to eye level. "Jessica. I hope that you understand just how dangerous it is out here. And that your father loves you very much. So much that he'd give his life to keep you safe."
"Yeah…" came the stifled cry from the girl. "I know…" Jessica lifted her arm up and covered her face as the tears began to stream down her delicate, little face.
"Look at me…" He reached up and tugged Jessica's arm down and lifted her chin up so that their eyes could meet. A gentle smile of warmth and compassion formed on the boy's face as their eyes met. His eyes revealed the same expression of warmth as her father and an added emotion could be evidently seen. "I want you to know that as long as I'm here that I will protect you with my life. No one is going to hurt my friend. I give you my word. And I never go back on my word." Knight reached up and placed his soothing hands on her face and slowly began to wipe away the tears from her face. "We are still friends, right?" He grinned with his trademark smile and raised eyebrow waiting for her response.
"Of… Of course we're still friends!" The smile reappeared on the young girl's face as she practically leapt into the boy's arms. She rested her head against his shoulder and then looked back up into his blue eyes. "And someday, we'll get married and live together in happiness forever!"
Ohhhh… Not this again. Knight released his grip on Jessica and held her away from him for just a second. "Not if you keep disobeying your old man I won't."
"Huh? Ohh! Right!" Jessica stood up at attention and turned to her father and bowed reverently. "I'm sorry for worrying you, father. I only wished to prove that your weapons are the best."
"It's all right, dear. And you don't need to prove anything about my weapons because we have a strapping young warrior here who could do it for us," Mitsuru said as he gave Knight a sharp smack on the back.
Owwwww. Knight recoiled at the stinging sensation that now plagued the spot on his back where he was smacked. Yet he still continued to smile to keep the mood in the good condition it turned into.
"I'm gonna go see what Mom is cooking up. Come on, Dad." Jessica thrust her small hand into her father's and practically started pulling him home with all the excitement of a pre-teen girl.
"Oh all right! I'm coming!" Mitsuru replied as he finally started to walk on his own without his daughter's encouragement.
"See you later, Knight!" Jessica waved at the blond warrior of her dreams and then pressed her lips into her hands and blew an air-kiss to her future husband.
"Bye, Jessica." Knight replied as he smiled and waved, his face twisted with a look of both amusement and exasperation. That girl. Sometimes I don't know what to do with her. He smiled and shook his head slightly and turned to the woods where the light of Sol filtered through the leaves and branches creating small columns of light that sparkled and glimmered with life.
The events of earlier suddenly flashed into Knight's mind and he remembered the thief that he had utterly devastated. Moving quickly, he dashed to the crater where he had left the silk thief. Knight's eyes widened at his discovery that at the center of that radial crater lay… no one! There was not an evident trace of his presence in entire area. Knight peered around the area swiftly yet careful with the utmost caution but his eyes did not detect any presence. He closed his eyes and focused his senses to detect any abnormal wind patterns but was again rewarded with nothing.
"At least he's gone. For now… And hopefully he won't come back." Knight looked up to the branch where this whole mess started and spotted the knife blade that had cut him earlier. With a powerful leap aided by his powers, he soared up and onto the branch that was just under the impaled kunai knife blade. A good tug was all it took to remove it from the tree. This blade was different from many of the other knives he'd seen. This kunai knife was serrated rather than a straight razor edge. Hmmm… that's different… As he stood there looking at the small weapon, Knight recalled the debate that he had with the thief and looked back at the town of Xian.
"I realize that no place is perfect. But still, there is no denying that there is a certain degree of peace here that I never felt in my hometown. How deep it goes depends on the people who strive for it."
The sound of an angry growling tiger filled the air and almost instantly the boy's hands came to rest on his stomach. "Guess that I'm hungry too. I just hope that Jessica didn't eat all the food." With a snicker, Knight leapt down to the ground and dashed back into town for some breakfast.
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A/N: This is the start of the second book of my Knight series. Thanks for being patient with me. I hope to be able to update more often now that some of my other responsibilities are done! Hope that you enjoyed and don't forget to review.