Daughter of the Sword

Chapter 5

Kaneki was a bustling slum, and reminded Mai of her hometown. No one paid heed to Ruinfire’s entrance, well, at least to most of their members. People gathered from the shadows to stare at Kessie. Whispers flew among them. What was a honneko doing in a group of mercenaries?

Kessie was as oblivious as a child. No, Mai corrected internally, she feigned ignorance to their stares. Kessie had lived long enough to know when people were watching her. Yet, the half honneko woman was shouting out hello and chatting eagerly with the kids.

Speaking of the children, their fear left them as they entered the town. They were home. Now, Ruinfire just had to find the parents, and find the nearest Guild outpost to relay the location of the bandits.

Mai turned her attention to Li’Kai. The sellsword had left her wyvern outside the town, at an inn. Her aura was a calming blue, but shivers of anxiety swept through it. Why? Mai’s lips twisted into a small smile. She would observe, collect data and calculate. A new project awaited her. Who was Li’Kai? Maybe a truth concoction would work. Mai had tried one on Leila, but it was to no avail. 

“Okay,” Owen said, stopping and turning to address the group. He pulled them into an alley. “Here is everyone’s share of the money.” He doled out forty gold coins to each of the members. “I already took ten out of each to pay for the inn. The rest is yours. Mai, you and Kessie go find the parents of these kids. I will go report to the Guild outpost and stock up on provisions. Corin and Leila… Please try not to burn down the whole town. And Li’Kai, make sure that doesn’t happen.”

***

At first, Li’Kai wondered why the two needed a chaperone. After all, it seemed like Corin and Leila were responsible enough, even if Leila could barely pass as a thirteen year old. Her short cut hair didn’t help, either, when it came to looking more mature. 

Now, sitting in the Janna Tavern, Li’Kai wished she had been a bit less naive. Sipping her inexpensive cup of beer using some of the money she had taken when she left the Pan estate, she sighed. 

Leila played chess with some of the tavern’s regular customers. Li’Kai had never seen someone that good. Bets were placed, and within ten minutes the first game had concluded, and Leila emerged victorious. 

A big, burly man with muscles the size of Astoria pushed through the crowd. “That little punk is using magic to win!”

“I don’t have magic,” Leila shook her head. “You’re just scared.”

Before Li’Kai could move, Corin got up. “Don’t worry, I got this.” With a confident stride, he sauntered over to the man. “I’ll show that idiot what a good chess match is. Who thinks I can win?”

“I’ll put fifty silver on you,” the man said. “You better beat this girl.”

With a smile, Corin sat down. It then occurred to Li’Kai what they were doing, and why Owen had asked her to keep an eye on them. She could only imagine what tavern customers might do when they find that a pair of youth had swindled them. Corin had been chatting up the female bartender, who bet heavily for him. Still, a fair amount of people bet on little Leila, though it only took basic math to realize that Corin had more money riding on his win.