text: It all began on the dirt paths outside of home. Mai had been running for gods-know how long. Her body hadn’t yet started to break down, but it was a matter of time until it began; she was but mortal, with mortal trappings and limitations. The young noble’s skirts swirled and flowed around her legs as she ran at top speed through the forest. Her lungs burned and screamed at her to stop, take a break, just for a drink of water, but Mai couldn’t afford that. A sharp reminder in the form of a thrown knife soared over her shoulder, leaving a gash in her cheek. It buried itself in a tree trunk; as Mai ran past, she snatched the hilt with a snort of disdain. *Sloppy. They were getting sloppy...and tired. Couldn’t they have just hired a decent catspaw and get this over with?* Finally, her heart couldn’t take it. It stole the breath from her lungs, forcing the young void genasi to a stop. She sat a moment, chest heaving. Water had never tasted so sweet, and Mai drank from her waterskin with the fervor of a desert traveler on the road for weeks. And that’s when she saw him. A human boy, the same age as her. Maybe her age, maybe a bit older; it was hard to tell with humans, sometimes. A little rough around the edges; dark hair scruffy from days on the road, dirt soaked into his clothes. Though the longsword at his hilt gave her pause - it was *nice*, the kind that could be found in the armory at home, it was far more likely the child of a smith than another child of nobility. Why would nobility wear dirt so proudly, smile so brazenly? There was something about that face, though. It needled the back of her brain, fuzzy with TV static. Perhaps she had run across him in Chūkū no mura during her last excursion in town, or during one of her father’s many court parties. There was just something so familiar about him... A pair of curious green eyes met her gaze, which had lingered just a tad too long for common courtesy. The void genasi immediately broke it off, getting to her feet and turning away. Before she could speak, a second dagger identical to the one in her hand in her hand pinned her to the tree by her forearm, just outside the boy’s view. Mai bit her tongue. No way was she giving them the satisfaction of a cry of pain. She would go down like a lady. The boy melted away into the shadows. Good. He’d left. She would hate to involve a stranger in her family business. With her company gone, the catspaw revealed himself: some other human in black garb, face hidden beneath a swath of cloth. At his hilt was an array of daggers like the ones in her hand and arm. Even though his face was hidden, Mai could swear she saw the catspaw smirk. “So, do I at least get the pleasure of knowing which of my wonderful siblings sent you?” No response. The catspaw simply drew nearer. Despite her better efforts, Mai felt her breath grow shallower. Was this what fear felt like? Anyone normal would be scared, with their death drawing ever closer. But she wasn’t just anyone. As they came to a stop not but five feet away, Mai turned her head up, violet eyes narrowed to slits. “No? Did they take your tongue as well as your agency when they adopted you into whatever Fates-forsaken place you work for? You speak when spoken to!” Silence. “Fine, keep your secrets. I’m sure my father will find the information some other way.” Those words gave the catspaw visible pause. The Daimyo of Death. Though there was plenty of time for the inheritance to settle, it was well known that Mai was a favorite for the spot despite her...wilder inclinations. It was also well known what exactly would come to pass to those who would harm even a hair upon her head, should the word reach the Daimyo’s ears. “Perhaps we could work something out. What did they pay you? I have gold, platinum, jewels. We could go separate ways, you with a heavier purse, and me to vanish and never be heard from again. And this little scene? Never happened.” He seemed to truly think it over. Mai felt her heart flutter, hope warming her soul. Perhaps...? Reality hit in the form the cold steel of a second dagger in her other arm. For a moment, all Mai could see was the blade embedded in her flesh. Then the pain hit, and she couldn’t hold back a yelp as she was forced flush against the trunk of the tree. Again, beneath that mask, Mai could swear the catspaw was smirking. “I’ve heard tales about this dress. Handmade, just for you. Some worthless concubine’s daughter, in clothes this nice.” He tilted his head. “That silk’s worth a pretty penny, you know. Maybe if you let take it off you, I’ll have a bit of mercy.” Terror surged through the young genasi as the catspaw stepped forward, but she kept her face neutral. She was going to die here. No, not just die...but she couldn’t think about that now. Blood rushed to her head, heartbeat thudding in her ears. She had to find a way out of this. She *had* to. Mai spit at his feet. “Go to the Hells, you piece of-“ And that’s when the boy reappeared. Longsword now drawn, he descended from a nearby tree and cleaved a hand clean off her sibling’s hiree. Letting out his own roar of pain, the man stumbled back as the human boy from before positioned himself in front of Mai. For all of a moment, Mai could see him grown up, clad in plate and a knight’s helmet. Her protector. Then she blinked the dust from her eyes, and once again a young boy remained. For just the briefest of moments, Mai let that hope work its way back into her chest. “Who are you? What do you want with her?” The boy stood his ground. He’d obviously been trained. For a moment, Mai forgot her circumstances and admired his form from her position against the tree. Perhaps she might be fine after all. “Just to bring her back to her father. This one’s a runaway. Surely you wouldn’t get between a father and his daughter?” “And would her father approve of the daggers in her arms? Or the removing of her skirts?” The catspaw’s eyes went wide. He looked from the boy to Mai and back to the boy. A tense silence ensued; again, Mai could hear her heart thundering in her ears. Then the hiree shook his head, grabbed his hand from where it rested on the ground, and walked off into the woods without another word. After a couple minutes, the crunch of leaves beneath his boots faded into the forest’s natural ambience. When the boy turned back around, Mai did her best to fight back tears and wear a smile. It wasn’t long before her composure cracked; she broke down, tears streaming down her purple cheeks. The boy seemed to panic a bit at the sudden change in demeanor, but quickly got to work removing the daggers from her arms. Almost immediately Mai’s legs gave out, the stranger catching her in a quick embrace before she could hit the ground. “It’s alright, miss. I’ve got you.” Mai let herself be comforted for a moment. Not two miles from here, the person who would typically do this job would be growing cold soon. Surely her father would have come across the body, found her missing. More than any catspaw, Mai feared her father’s wrath once he discovered that she had fled the scene, though the dead body of the second catspaw alongside her mother’s might alleviate her punishment a bit. “...do you have a name I could use, perchance?” Mai blinked, quickly becoming aware of the muscled chest she was nestled against. Immediately she shoved the boy away, face burning a more reddish purple than usual. With a quick wave of her hand, the void genasi cleaned up her clothes and recomposed herself. “My name is none of your business. Now, I know a favor when a favor is due; if you could come with me, I think I know something which might suit your tastes.” Chūkū no mura wasn’t too far off; she could probably get there within the hour, if she hurried. The young noble began to walk through the forest again, with purpose. The boy followed behind after a moment. Now that they were standing side by side, Mai could see he easily had a couple inches on her; she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. His dirt-soaked clothes were as well made as the longsword, which now rested at his hip once more. Who in the world was this kid? “I’m Wolfgang, by the way.” The name hit that same wall in the back of her head, rested on the tip of her tongue. Familiar, so very familiar. But from where? “You can call me Hu-san.” “Husan? Alright.” “No, Hu-san. Like with the honorific.” “Ho-no-rific? That’s a big word, Husan. Big words for kids like you and me.” Mai was about to rip into him when she heard the rumblings of laughter from within Wolfgang. He was just fucking with her. With a roll of her eyes, Mai returned her attention to the road ahead. “So...where are you taking me, Hu-san?” “To the best ramen shop I know. My father knows the person who runs it. I might be able to get a message home from there.” “And what’s a ramen?” Horrified, Mai whirled around. “Do you even know what a dumpling is?” “Like spaetzle?” “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that.” “Like spaetzle. Got it.” ------ The Underwater Blossom was just as delicious as Mai remembered. Though he enjoyed the ramen as she did, Wolfgang took a special shine to the gyoza, quickly collecting a small pile of side dishes beside him. It was almost impressive how many he managed to eat at once, though his use of chopsticks could stand to be a little better. When she had a moment, Mai excused herself to “the bathroom” and disappeared into the back room. It was a place she’d spent many hours of her life, waiting as her father and the establishment owner talked business. Dai Akibara was a lovely man of many talents: cooking, running a business, but most of all: networking. Mai had no idea how much blood was shed to make sure this restaurant was still standing, and she didn’t really want to know. “Little Hu, as I live and breathe. I can’t help but notice you come accompanied by an unfamiliar face. Does your father know you’re here?” “I need you to take a message for me.” Akibara didn’t question it, simply grabbing a piece of parchment from his desk. When a Hu made an order, he listened. “Whenever you’re ready, dear.” “I’m fine and well. I just wandered into the woods. Stopped to smell the blossoms. I will be home soon, don’t worry too much. You can reach me the usual way if you need something.” Akibara scribbled each word down on the parchment in his neat Hokutan script. “And will that be all, little Hu?” She hesitated. “...tell him I’m sorry about Mom.” Akibara’s face contorted with confusion, but he wrote it down in his typical chicken scratch. “Anything else?” “That should be good. Another order of the gyoza, for the road. My companion did me a great service and I wish to repay him for his efforts.” “Does that have anything to do with those slashes in your sleeves?” She waved a hand over her sleeves, the silk suddenly continuous once more. “What slashes?” Akibara let out a sigh. “Amai.” Mai stiffened at the use of her given name. “Be careful. You’re always welcome here.” So it wasn’t a lecture. The muscles Mai hadn’t even realized had tensed up relaxed. “I will be, Uncle Aki. Just make sure Papa gets that note, okay?” “Alright, Little Hu. Now head out there. The gyoza should be there by the time you take your seat again.” With a brief hug, he sent her off. True to his word, Wolfgang was surrounded by a dozen extra plates when she sat down, piled high with dumplings of all kinds. Claiming a couple for herself, Mai began to pack her remaining dumplings into her mess kit for later. After performing the dance of payment - Mai offering her gold, Akibara refusing, and Mai insisting - Mai headed outside and back to the mouth of the forest. Wolfgang followed. “So, I suppose this is where we split ways. I can give you some of the dumplings if you’d like.” “Thank you, Hu-san. They were delicious, truly.” Wolfgang paused a moment. “Do you need to be home right this minute?” Mai thought about it for a moment. “Not really.” She blinked, almost surprised by her immediate response. “You want to see what’s on the other side of that mountain?” The young boy pointed off into the distance, where the crest of Hana no yama peeked through the trees. Tales told of a dragon who lived at the mountain’s peak and would grant a wish to any brave enough to ascend to his lair. They exchanged a glance. Then Mai shrugged. “You know what? Sure. And it’s Mai, by the way.” “Alright, Mai. Let’s get going, then.” And so they did.