"Master Zed? Are you awake? We have urgent issues to attend to!"
Zed awoke the next morning to a rather abrupt start. It was his day off from training, the order, everything, and to be shouted at by Hei-An first thing in the morning was something he definitely didn't want. Syndra was not with him, in the bed. With a confused look on his face, he searched around the room, trying to find her.
"Oh."
She had passed out on the floor beside the bed. From what exactly, Zed couldn't tell, exhaustion, lack of mana, it could be anything.
"Syndra?" He whispered, nudging her should as he bent down to her.
"Syndra?" She didn't wake, but instead, tightened herself up into fetus position.
"Zed.. Not too rough.." She murmured.
"You're so cute.." Zed giggled and stroked her cheek, gently picking her up, being careful to not wake her from her slumber. He gently placed Syndra on the bed, and wrapped a small blanket around her. He made his way over to the door, and opened it.
"What is it Hei-An? Is something wrong?"
"Zed, we have a letter from the Kinkou.."
His face suddenly filled with horror and disgust. All the emotions of love and care he felt only mere seconds ago vanished, and what took it's place, was Zed's almost true, angry self. Hei-An held out the blue stamped letter to Zed, he promptly opened it and slammed the door in her face.
"Pft, rude.." She tutted, casually walking by down the corridor without a care in the world.
Zed made his way to the large, cluttered table that sat in the far corner of his room. It was full of scrolls, different shaped shurikens, potions and pieces of paper with detailed drawings of the shadow crest on them.
He took a seat, and ripped the letter open, his eyes eager to read what Shen had to say.
Dear brother,
I am fully aware of our stands as ninjas, and I never had planned to contact you about this particular event. I hope you understand that I am a man of honour and care, and always have been. I still do not wish to kill you purposefuly, but I promise if you so much as attempt an attack on anyother Kinkou camp, I will not hesisate to fight back.
I will be within your presence during the next day to discuss a plan of neutrality, there are currently bigger affairs within Ionia that threaten both of us.
I hope you understand, and that you are not too full of anger, brother.
Yours sincerely, Shen.
"What a fucki.." Syndra had woken up. She leant up and rubbed her eyes, trailing them everywhere around the room in an attempt to search for Zed.
"Zed! Good morning!" She was unusually optimistic today, and sometimes, Zed wished that would tone down a little bit, and act more reserved.
He sat at the table with the open letter in front of him. His Head was resting on his raised, interlocked fingers, and the only thing he was looking at was the window opposite, looking out into the small village of people, working, trading, carrying baskets full of food, and more importantly, looking happy.
"Zed?" She crawled out of bed and walked over to him with a confused look on her face. She reached out a hand andlifted his head up towards her. His eyes showed no emotion, and the rest of his face projected boredom.
"What's wrong?"
"Read this.." He slid the note closer to her.
Her eyes darted over the neatly written note. The first thing she noticed that this persons handwriting was very much like Zed's.
"Oh, it's from Shen, and he wants to.."
"Call a truce.. I know. I didn't expect it either."
"Why would he call a truce? It's not like the man had anything to lose."
"Akali.. As far as I am aware, they were engaged the last time I heard about them."
"When was this?"
"Six years ago."
"What?! How old is Shen?"
"29. Akali must be, hang on let me think.. 26 by now."
"You remebered that fast."
"Syndra." His voice was stern, almost as it he was talking to a child.
She turned he eyes back over to the letter, reading over it again.
"His hand writing looks like yours, it confused me momentarily."
Zed didn't react. Syndra placed the letter back to Zed and begun to get changed.
"Zed?"
"What, Syndra?"
"Why would Shen call a truce? Is there something personal?"
"Like what? Neither of them have any parents, or fami-"
"What if they have a child."
Zed looked over to her as if to say 'pray to the gods they don't', as Zed knew what would happen if their child was a boy.
"Syndra, they can't.. Surely. If it's a boy.." He stood up, and now looked like death had come knocking on his door, like he was getting ready to end his life.
"What if this is the reason for neutrality? He doesn't want to harm this child? What would happen if the child was male?"
"He would become the next Eye of Twilight."