#she got big wings. tally's got wings too but smaller

[hadephobic-a]

Oh wings, something she can brag about!

[dzamie-oc]

1 - Fast

Cazden stepped up to the starting line, idly stretching his legs out. While his rider, Wendy, made some last-minute adjustments to his harness and collar, the dragon scoped out his competition. This wasn’t a major race, but he knew well that that didn’t mean the other racers were any slouches. Especially, he thought with a small smile, given his mate was racing him, her starting point a few dozen meters away. The sound of a clip being reattached and the feeling of a hand rubbing the back of his neck below the glowing-green accessory let him know that Wendy had gotten everything ready. As the other dragons walked forward to match his position, Cazden ran through the track one more time in his head.

This race was not what he’d call a marathon, but he still had to pace himself. Around the line was a nice, clear stretch of flat plains - an easy, even start for both flying and earth-bound dragons alike, as well as simple terrain for that last-stretch burst of speed. From there, a gentle dive or slide into a canyon, leading to a cave system. Unconsciously, Cazden rolled his tongue around in his mouth, thinking of the dark, enclosed stretch and the plans they had for it. After that, a quick jaunt through a dense forest, or over it through an electrical storm, “risking the life” of the human rider; once that’s over, it’s back to that plains area.

The racer next to him, a sleek, yellow, wingless dragoness, looked nervous, kneading the ground beneath her paws and checking her rider on her back. “Hey, you alright?” Cazden asked. Sure, she was technically his opponent, but that was no excuse for not helping her out before the race.

“Oh! Well, it’s my first obstacle race, and...” she started, glancing again at the woman on her back holding firmly to her harness, “well, I’ve heard the track can be, uh, lethal. Leah here insisted we enter, but I’m terrified of losing her.”

In spite of himself, Cazden laughed, quickly stifling himself and covering his face with a wing upon seeing the dragoness’s horrified reaction. “Ah, sorry, I guess your rider - Leah, was it? - didn’t explain to you, or just didn’t pay that close attention: see these nifty little collars with the shiny green light?” He tapped his own for emphasis. “They’ve got a nice, big suite of protection spells in them. Rider falls off, gets struck, anything like that? The light turns red and you and your rider survive.”

Wendy, who had moved to sit side-saddle before the race, held up her arm, displaying a much smaller version of his collar around her wrist. “Rider protection gets cast from these, dragon protection from yours. Matched to trigger on distance, too, so there’s no cheating by having the dragon sail through the rougher stuff alone.” His friend slapped her hand against his scales a few times, laughing. “Two of our first three races, this guy tried to slam me into a wall. We still finished the track, of course; we were just disqualified on account of the red light. Good luck, have fun!”

Cazden grinned at the dragoness, who returned a slightly confident smile, then he dipped his head down to let a race official inspect his collar as the human moved down the line of dragons. Finally, after this wait, it was time to fly. He felt Wendy on his back shift her weight, straddling him again and taking up a tight grip on his harness.

“On your marks...”

Cazden tensed his wings, holding them slightly out.

“Get set...”

He, with the other dragons, dropped into a crouch, powerful legs and wings primed to spring forth. Eyes straight ahead, focused on the canyon entrance in the distance.

“Go!”

In a flash, the racers were off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the yellow dragoness zip off along the ground, her body undulating like a snake’s. Cazden and a half-dozen more, on the other hand, had leapt up, beating their wings against the air as they zoomed over the plains. As the group neared the next section, the dragons moved into their own altitudes - for a flying dragon, a collision could take them both out of the race, so it was easier and safer to cede a bit of space and make it up in a further segment. 

The dragons pulled into the canyon, weaving back and forth through the rocky gorge. Double-taps on the back of his neck alerted Cazden to the number of racer pairs who had already gotten their red light. It was a habit they’d picked up early on, but didn’t really serve much purpose. Still, with careful veering and excellent control over his speed, Cazden and Wendy were second into the dark caves.

Immediately, they pulled off to the side for a quick landing. Wendy unhooked herself from her dragon’s harness and scrambled up his neck, sliding onto his muzzle. “You sure about this?” he questioned, receiving only a snout rub in response. The dragon smiled; his question had been rhetorical anyway. With a practiced tilt of his head and parting of his jaws, he let his partner climb into his mouth, closing up afterwards. With her safely in his mouth, Cazden took a few steps before flaring his wings and flapping off. It was risky, spending these seconds staying still, but he was, admittedly, garbage at the forest section, so hopefully it all worked out.

The dark, almost mazelike caves forced the dragon to his feet a few times, breaking into a run to fit through tunnels without clipping his wings on the rock walls all around. After what always felt like far too long, the duo escaped the caves, emerging into the fresh air and heading right towards the forest. Just in time, he felt the telltale sensation of a rope tugging at his front-right fang. Once to tighten, twice to test the strength, and... despite himself, Cazden curled his forked tongue around Wendy, as though he could hold her tightly enough to protect her from the magical thunderclouds he rapidly approached. Then, three tugs. “Attached, secure, ready.” The dragon wasted no time, barely flicking his head back as his tongue escorted Wendy to the back of his throat. In just one gulp, she vanished from his mouth, protected only by a rope tether around one tooth. He felt her slide down his throat, his body squeezing in a rhythm to force its “food” into his belly. Fortunately, the pair had experimented quite thoroughly - Wendy would stay well out of the acid; Cazden would protect her with his tough scales.

And protect her he did, flying straight through the magical lightning storm. He had caught a few glimpses of the four or so other dragons, all of them picking their way through the tough tree. But nobody brave or stupid enough to risk the life of their rider.

Until now.

The dragon shot right over the forest, surrounded on all sides by crackling clouds. Lighting struck his scales and flowed off, blowing up a dead tree but saving Wendy from a similar fiate. Between the frequent flashes and the torrential rain, it was hard to see exactly where to go, so he had to line himself up before entering, and hope for the best. If his collar turned red, he’d turned too far. Finally, he broke free, clear skies reigning once again the moment he flew out of the forest. Once more, one dragon preceded him, and this time, it was pure speed.

Let it never be said that Cazden’s primary purpose is to go very fast.

The dragon was the fourth out of ultimately twelve to land. He walked over to the judge’s bench, where they tallied, scored, and penalized. They acknowledged his green collar, but asked where his rider was. With a smirk, he opened his jaws, making sure to show off for his “audience,” reached in, and started reeling his friend back up his throat, until she finally sat, dripping wet from drool, on his tongue. The judges... they looked like they didn’t want to deal with the question. Instead, they sent the two home and promimsed to send the results by mail.

Three weeks later, a letter arrives with a package; the letter was a brief form letter congratulating them on their success; the package held a bronze trophy for third place - after the dragon/rider pair in second-place had been caught painting over a red collar with green.

[yuzusorbet]

My Sendai Holiday (April 2018) - Part 3: Weekend Sendai

Part 1 was about Yuzuru’s Olympic Victory Parade and Part 2 was about Ice Rink Sendai (links are at the end of this post).  This part is about the rest of my trip. 

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I flew into Sendai by ANA;  the cute plane below was my connecting flight from Tokyo Haneda to Sendai.   

Entering the airport, I saw a poster of our dear 若様 (’waka-sama’ = young master).  What a beautiful start to my holiday. :)  

Sendai Airport is small and beautiful.  The roof is like the waves of the sea.   And it’s very convenient too.   A linkway connects it to the train station just across the road.  (Pic below taken from linkway.)

After a short train ride, I reached Sendai Station, the main station of the city.   This is also the shinkansen (bullet train) stop.   I love Sendai Station.  It’s so pedestrian-friendly due to a huge walkway that sprawls over the roads and traffic outside, connecting the station to the malls and buildings around it.  

Inside, there are many shops and eateries.  Pic below: shops selling ‘zunda mochi’ and ‘hagi no tsuki’.  (further down this post, you will see more zunda mochi.) (hagi no tsuki is a snack that Yuzu loves.)

In the station, there is an awesome tourist information centre.   Young master Yuzu is there saying “Welcome to Sendai”..... and sometimes there are samurais there as well!  When I took this photo, instead of saying “cheese”, these guys said “zunda mochi!!!”  XD

The tourist centre was giving out beautiful leaflets with suggestions on places that fans can visit, like Goshikinuma Pond, Ice Rink Sendai, Nanakita Park and Yuzu’s monument at International Centre Station.  The words on the right-hand leaflet say “Sendai City supports Hanyu Yuzuru-senshu”.

The centre also had big stacks of ‘Weekend Sendai’!  (the travel magazine with Yuzu;  it’s free)  I already have a copy at home but I took one for a friend. 

Yuzu is eating zunda mochi in the photo above.  It’s a Sendai specialty, mochi covered with mashed edamame, and it’s sweet like a dessert.  I love it!

“Itadakimasu.” (See the white mochi under the mashed edamame?)

The photo below is the take-away cup;  the mochi inside is smaller but it tastes just as good.  Ate it a few times during my holiday, and also tried zunda shake and zunda pudding.  They were all nice, but I like zunda mochi the most.  

Next to Sendai Station, on the 4th floor of Parco shopping mall, Yuzu’s signed skate boots were on display.  He donated them for an auction in March this year to raise funds for Tohoku earthquake recovery (3.11).  The successful bidder was Japanese fashion house, Samantha Thavasa Japan Limited, and the final amount was 8.5 million yen (about US$76,000).  According to Oricon news, the money was from the staff of the company inside and outside Japan who donated their money to support this good cause.  [thanks to fan Shuko for the info] [pic below from Yahoo Japan] 

After the auction, the company decided to bring the boots to different parts of Japan to be on display and they were in Sendai during this period.   Here are the boots that raised 8 million yen: (8,501,000 to be exact)      

Near the boots display area, Yuzu’s parade T-shirts were on sale.  I had already bought mine online and they were delivered to the Sendai hotel that I was staying in.  

My first dinner in Sendai.... gyu-tan of course!  Grilled beef tongue is a Sendai specialty and oh so delicious!   Had it at a restaurant in the station.

The gyutan in the middle is the usual one flavoured with salt, the gyutan on the right is flavoured with miso.  The white thing on the left is another Sendai food, sasa-kamaboko which is grilled fish cake (kamaboko) in the shape of a bamboo leaf (sasa), believed to be inspired by the design in the family crest of the Date clan who ruled Sendai Domain in the Edo period.  It can be eaten on its own as a snack.  The rice was also very special; it had some barley mixed into it, giving it a different texture and fragrance.  Everything was very, very oishiiiiiii~~~~~ 

I ate this with my friend Ella who was in Tokyo just the weekend before to watch ‘Continues with Wings’, so you can imagine what our chat was about.  The last time we saw each other was one year ago.  So much Yuzuru to talk about. :D

The next day was the first day of sale of parade wristbands.  There were several sale locations and I went to one near my hotel.  On the way there, I saw some Yuzu-banners.  This one below says: 

“Hanyu Yuzuru senshu, thank you for touching and inspiring us. PyeongChang Olympic Gold Medal, 2 consecutive victories, you are the pride of Sendai, Miyagi and Tohoku.”  

This banner below is about Yuzuru’s photo exhibition coming to Sendai at the end of June.

And this is the line I saw when I reached the sale location at 7.45am, not too bad!  The start of the line is on the left where people are sitting on the ground, near the closed shutters of the department store.  Sale would start at 10am.  

The wristbands were sold in sets of 2 at 1000yen per set.  Only 10,000 sets were made (compared to 80,000 tees).  So these early birds like myself just wanted to be sure of getting them. :D  My friend Ella was at another sale location and she said the line was snaking up and down stairs and around the building!  xD

While standing there in line, I ate my breakfast and also shared my food with the woman in front of me and the man behind me.  They were both of middle-age and were local people living in Sendai, and since we were waiting together for more than 2 hours, I chatted with them to pass the time (and to practise my Japanese, haha).  Some things struck me from the chat that morning.

I was telling them a bit about myself, that I have been a Yuzu-fan since 2014 Sochi Olympics, and I naturally asked them, so when did you become fans?  They didn’t reply..... I was a bit surprised as I waited for their answer.  They were both thinking very hard, with a slight puzzled look on their faces, like they were trying to recall.....  And then I realised, they live here in his hometown!  Which means they would have seen him in the local Sendai news since he was very young and they have been watching him grow as a skater and they have been naturally supporting him since who-knows-when!  There is no clear-cut point like us who happened to see his performance one day and got zapped.  With that sudden realisation, I quickly said, oh you live here, so you have known him from way back!  They both nodded and looked pleased that I understood.  I guess no one has ever asked them that question before!  The man added that when Junior Nationals were held in Sendai in 2007, he went to watch and he was so impressed by Yuzu’s performance.  (Yuzu was only 12 then;  his SP was ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ and FP was ‘Firebird’.  I translated about this competition from his biography; will include the link at the end.)  I told them I was so envious that they live here and have known him for such a long time!  You lucky Sendai people!!!  

Besides asking that stupid question, I also made some stupid assumptions.  I told them, I plan to go to Nanakita Park to sit on ‘Yuzu’s bench’ and then go to Ice Rink Sendai to skate and then have dinner at the gyu-tan restaurant with his signature.... you two must have been to these places, right?  They both smiled and said no.  (What????)  The look on their faces seemed to say they never thought of doing that and there was no such need.  But they were very impressed that I knew these places.  The man took out his phone to try to help me with directions.  He wanted to make sure I knew the right route to take. Really nice people. :)  

At 9.30am, staff of the store came to set up the area and we got really excited! Soon we would have Yuzu-bands on our wrists!  The Sendai lady asked, how many sets of wristbands are you buying?  I said two of course!  But the man said ONE.  (What???)  I assumed everyone would get 2 sets each (maximum).  Especially after lining up for so long and it’s in limited stock.  I said, ONLY ONE? REALLY?  He said, yes I just need one set because there are 2 bands, one for me and one for my wife, just nice.  Oh......... somehow I was touched by that.  Their support for Yuzu is so sweet and simple.  They don’t need to go to his home rink nor all the places that he has been to, but they will line up for a few hours to buy just one set of his parade wrist bands..... These Sendai fans touched my heart..... :’)  

Since he was only buying one set, I asked if he could buy one more set for me.  I wanted to send them to overseas fan-friends who couldn’t come to Sendai and he was very happy to help. :))  

Besides wristbands, there were also parade tees on sale (only S size left). Some reporters came to interview the people waiting.  The line had grown really, really long by now, looped to and fro a few times, but still very neat and orderly.   

At 10am, sales started and the staff was so efficient.  Very soon, I got my wristbands!   Plus an extra set from the really nice Sendai man!  I was so lucky to be standing in front of him!   And much thanks to him and the lovely lady for a good chat!  

I took the above photo after I bought my bands.  There was a staff holding a big sign with the words “end of line”, so it was clear to all where to join in if they wanted wristbands.  He also held a tally counter to count the number of people in the line.  As it approached the number of bands that was available in that store, he would tell people who came to join the queue that they might not get the bands but they could try if they didn’t mind waiting in line.  I love Japan, these things are always so well-organised!  

After this, I met up with Ella and we went to Sunao Noto-san’s photo exhibition which was held nearby.  (Admission was free.)  It was a very small exhibition but the outside already took my breath away.  

Pic above: the Japanese words over “Stay Gold” say “Congrats and thank you”.   (We could take photos of the outside but photography is not allowed inside.) In the small room, there were some beautiful photos of Yuzu from PyeongChang Olympics.  There was also one photo that I had not seen before and it brought a lump to my throat..... Yuzu was standing with crutches and looking at his own photo exhibition.  It was the exhibition held in Sendai from November 3 to 21 last year.  On Nov 9, he injured his ankle and withdrew from NHK Trophy the next day.  Then it was reported that he went back to Sendai and visited this exhibition after it was closed for the day.  He also wrote a message thanking fans for their support, dated 12 Nov 2017, and it was displayed at the exhibition.  (I posted about this last year; will include link at the end.)  This photo must have been taken that evening, just 3 days after the injury.  Looking at him in crutches at that November exhibition, the emotions of those few months rushed back into me.  How high was the wall that he surmounted.... I felt so keenly the heartache..... and also deep, deep admiration and respect.  Tears started prickling my eyes.  Oh Yuzu.... you made me cry again!  Later, Ella said to me, Sunao Noto-san’s photos always tell a story. Indeed. 

That was my first Yuzuru Hanyu photo exhibition.  Thank you very much, Noto-san.  

When we left, a girl approached us and gave us this beautiful newspaper:

She is a Waseda University student and was carrying a backpack full of her school newspaper to give away to Yuzu-fans!   She said she gave us the paper because I was wearing a CiONTU tee!  Much thanks to dear Ella who gave me the tee last night and I wore it as soon as I could. xD   And thank you, dear Waseda schoolmate of Yuzu!   You made many Yuzu-fans very, very happy!

So much emotions.... and it was not even 12 noon yet! xD

From this lovely shopping area near Sendai Station, we went for a walk.  Along the way, we saw the most beautiful 7-11 store.

Many shops had signs like that, saying ‘Hanyu Yuzuru senshu, congrats!!’

勾当台公園 Kotodai-koen (park) was beautiful.  There was a farmers’ market, cherry blossoms were still in bloom, and someone was playing the guitar and singing!

More photos I took along our walk, from the park to the next subway station.

(Above: another “Omedetou!! Hanyu Yuzuru senshu”)

Then we took the subway to 泉中央 Izumi-chuo Station (N01).  From there, it’s a 20-minute walk to Ice Rink Sendai or you can wait for the bus.   For people who like to look at maps, 2 photos here:   (We were at Kita-Yobancho station, N07.) (The main Sendai Station is N10.)

I wrote about Ice Rink Sendai in an earlier post (link included at the end).  After our visit, the queue for the bus was very long (all Yuzu-fans, haha), so we made the 20-minute walk back to Izumi-Chuo Station and took the subway one stop down to 八乙女 Yaotome.  A short walk from the station was 利久 Rikyu (Izumi main branch), a restaurant with Yuzu’s signature. 

Grilled liver (square plate) and gyu-tan (round plates).  The meal was soooooo delicious, especially the liver.  I told myself that I must eat here one more time before I leave Sendai.   Yuzu, thank you for your recommendation! :)

When we were leaving the restaurant, there were some people coming in and I suddenly realised one of them was another good fan-friend K-chan!  She saw me at the same time and we screamed (or maybe only I screamed, haha) and we hugged each other!  It was so good to see her again!   And I wonder if the restaurant was just filled with Yuzu-fans that day. :D

On the subway back to Sendai Station, we saw Vegatta-kun.  (If you have not seen the video of Vegatta and 15 year-old Yuzu, please search for it. xD)

Coming out of the subway exit at Sendai Station, we saw handsome Sendai travel ambassador Hanyu-kun. :)

End of a marvellous day.  The highlight had yet to come!  Next day = Sunday 22nd April = Yuzu’s parade day!!  (link at the bottom of this post)  

A bit more on food: at the end of parade day, I met up with K-chan and, thanks to her suggestion, we had the softest, puffiest pancakes I’ve ever tasted.... they were light and puffy like clouds!  The fruity topping was sold out, so we had the plain version.  Very yummy!   

.... in this cute little bakery-cafe near Sendai Station. 

I will end this post with Sendai Station at night plus the walkway that crosses roads and connects it to the surrounding buildings:

Will do a Part 4 because it’s too long to put it all here. :D   Last part: 2 places with Yuzu’s signature (restaurant and sports shop), a shrine that he has visited before, his monument at International Centre Station, a historic pond and a castle hill..... coming next. :)  

(Please do not use or re-post my stuff without permission.) (Photos are taken by me.) 

Some links mentioned: Part 1: Yuzu’s parade day  Part 2: Ice Rink Sendai 2007 Junior Nationals and 12 year-old Yuzu Nov 2017 photo exhibition: news pix and fan account 

Update: Part 4 is now done.

[kassebaum]

SanversWeek Day 4- Hogwarts AU

This is for my wonderful HP anon. You are a joy and I have thoroughly enjoyed inserting these characters into the HP universe. This piece slots in with the rest of the pieces I’ve written which can be found under the ‘hogwarts au’ tag on my blog.

The Great Hall was a buzz with excitement; the Quidditch Cup match between Gryffindor and Slytherin was taking place later. Cheers rang out every time a member of one of the teams walked in for breakfast, a mixture of exhilaration and nausea written on their faces.

The Slytherin table erupted into a cacophony of noise when their fearless Beater, Alex Danvers walked in. She looked every part the confident Team Captain as she walked to sit with the rest of her team, her fellow Slytherins patting her on the back and wishing her luck as she passed.

Not to be outdone, the Gryffindor table hollerred as loud as they could when star Chaser, Maggie Sawyer entered the Great Hall. No one but Lena seemed to notice Maggie straightening up her robes.

‘Morning pep talk before the big match Danvers?’ Lena drawled as Alex sat down next to her.

‘Oh shush’ Alex shot back, but the colour creeping up her cheeks gave her away.

‘At least tell me you managed to find all of your underwear this time, not that I didn’t appreciate finding your knickers on my pillow...’

‘One time!’

Lena smirked and handed Alex a goblet of pumpkin juice.

‘Oh like you never tease me about the time I was congratulating Kara in the showers after her first Quidditch match-’

‘Nope!’ Alex interrupted, holding up a finger, ‘no more about what you and my baby sister get up to.’

‘Oh, is because I’m a Luthor?’ Lena pouted teasingly.

Alex chuckled, so proud that Lena could now joke about her last name, even if she couldn’t forget the atrocities Lex was committing in Voldemort’s name.

‘No it’s because you’ve been a pain in my arse for the last seven years, but for some reason my sister finds your infuriating wit and sarcasm adorable.’

Lena just raised an eyebrow and slid some toast towards Alex.

‘You need to eat. Your final Quidditch cup at Hogwarts? I know how much you want to win...’

Alex nodded and took a nibble of the toast.

‘That’s if you can keep your eyes off Maggie long enough...’

‘Pffft’

‘Strong come back there...’

‘Danvers!’

Alex turned to see her girlfriend waving at her from across the Great Hall. Maggie inclined her head towards the door, indicating that they needed to head down to the pitch.

Alex swiped her half eaten piece of toast and stood up.

‘Good luck’ Lena smiled.

Alex winked and walked towards Maggie, leaning down to kiss her much to the enjoyment of the surrounding students.

They barely made it to the bottom of the staircase before Maggie pulled Alex into a semi private nook to deepen the kiss that had started in the Great Hall.

‘For luck’ Maggie murmured, her hands roaming gently under Alex’s robes.

‘I don’t need luck’ Alex gasped as Maggie’s fingertips ghosted the ticklish spot on her hip, ‘you’re going down...’

‘Oh no, when Gryffindor wins, you’ll definitely be the one going down tonight’ Maggie teased, unable to resist.

The sound of a throat clearing made the two girls jump abruptly apart.

‘Miss Danvers, Miss Sawyer...’ Snape drawled, ‘shouldn’t you be down at the pitch by now?’

‘Sorry Professor’ both girls murmured as Alex tucked her shirt back in and started heading in the direction of the Quidditch stands.

‘Oh and Miss Danvers?’ Snape intoned, ‘try not to let your girlfriend distract you too much. I want the trophy back in my room this year...’

‘Yes Professor’ Alex blushed as Maggie took her hand.

They walked hand in hand in a comfortable silence along the path content to drink in the final peaceful moment before the match.

‘Why does everyone think I’m going to go easy on you?’ Alex finally broke the silence.

‘When was the last time you sent a bludger towards me with the intention of actually knocking me off my broom instead of just making me veer off course?’

Alex didn’t reply, but pursed her lips.

‘Exactly! You just don’t want to admit that badass Alex Danvers has a soft spot-’

Maggie was cut off by Alex placing her lips against hers.

They finally made it to the changing rooms and split to join their respective teams, the nervous excitement building. Five minutes before the match was due to start, they filtered out onto the pitch to thunderous applause.

Madame Hooch reminded them to play a fair, clean game and blew sharply on her whistle. Simultaneously, all fourteen students kicked off of the ground, racing into the air.

Maggie was first to grab the Quaffle, zig zagging effortlessly around the Slytherin Chasers. She zoomed towards the end of the pitch and made her first goal within moments of the match starting.

The Gryffindor spectators were delighted, screaming and stomping their feet in the stands.

Kara sat in the stands wearing a garish clashing mixture of her usual Hufflepuff robes, Slytherin scarf she had borrowed from Lena and the Gryffindor colours painted on her cheeks.

‘No red and gold?’ Kara questioned upon seeing Lena in just her usual green and silver robes.

‘House pride!’ Lena chuckled, ‘plus, you’re decked out enough for the both of us...’

Lena cheered at the Slytherin Keeper stopping another goal, but found herself giving a smaller cheer when in the next moment, Maggie was able to get the Quaffle past him.

It was a close match; 80-70 to Gryffindor and still no sign of the snitch. Over the next ten minutes, Maggie lived up to her reputation as the fastest Chaser in Gryffindor history, scoring three more goals.

Alex zoomed past the three Slytherin Chasers and yelled out a few choice words; there was no way they were losing the match, not in her final year.

She saw Maggie making another break towards the hoops with the Quaffle securely tucked under her arm. Alex swung her bat and sent the bludger towards Maggie with all the strength she could muster.

Maggie saw the bludger careering towards her and had to roll upside down on her broom to stop herself from being knocked off. She dropped the Quaffle and it was picked up by Flint who managed to score for Slytherin.

110-80 to Gryffindor.

‘Is that how we’re playing today Danvers?’ Maggie yelled as she passed by Alex.

‘Everyone was accusing me of going soft on you!’

Maggie winked and zoomed off to take a pass from Katie Bell to score again.

120-80 to Gryffindor.

The whistle was blown for half time and the players crashed back into the changing rooms to re-cooperate.

Two pep talks later; a slightly intimidating one given by Alex and a much more relaxed one from the Gryffindor Team Captain, both teams were back up in the air, determined to bring home the trophy.

In an incredibly fast paced fifteen minutes that Winn has trouble keeping track of from his commentary box, points are scored, bludgers fly and in one heart stopping moment, the Gryffindor Seeker nose dives towards the ground. With the help of Professor J’onzz, the score is tallied to 180-180.

The crowd gasps as both Seekers take off in the same direction; the Golden Snitch in their sight. This time it’s not a false alarm.

Alex felt as though time was slowing down as she watched Malfoy jostle against Potter to get ahead. Malfoy stretched his arm out, his finger grazing the wings of the Snitch, before he manages to grasp it in his hand.

‘SLYTHERIN WIN!’ Winn boomed from the commentary box.

Alex punched the air in celebration and looped in the air on her broom; she had done it. Head Girl, Captain of the winning Quidditch team and a straight ‘Outstanding’ student. She zoomed towards the ground pulling off the nose dive that had got her onto the team as a first year and landed back on the ground to her team celebrating.

Maggie was in her arms immediately, kissing her soundly, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Alex picked Maggie up and Maggie wrapped her legs around Alex’s hips, her fingers tangled in Alex’s hair.

‘You did it Danvers!’ Maggie breathed out between kisses.

‘You’re not mad?’

‘We played a good match, but the better team won’ Maggie conceded, ‘plus my girlfriend happens to be the hottest Quidditch player in Hogwarts history...’

They lose themselves in each other eyes and lips as the noise of the crowd fades to nothing behind them.  

They lose themselves entwined in each others arms, not caring who sees, not giving a thought to the  impending war that was brewing, or the choices they will have to make.

The lose themselves in thoughts of their future; that they may only been seventeen and eighteen years old, but damn it, this relationship was built to go the distance, they were built to stumble through life together, built to support each other, built to love each other.

So they do.

[terraclae]

An introduction to Clan Canephora and her Humble Majesty's Wreck

Bit of a POV shift! Off to a clan by the sea that likes their agriculture healthy. There's a lot of characters in here who will get more time in their own shorter stories.

Lore pings: @cityofinoue @yuushanoah-fr

‘How's the hull holding up?’

There was a moment of silence that lasted too long for Stolas. ‘How is-’

‘As well as it could be holding up.’ Sounded from down below. Stolas could peer down the hole that ran from the upper main deck down through a few floors to the bottom of the ship. As it was now, it had currently been patched up with wood, steel, and whatever else would hold the water out. Bravo paced around on an elevated piece of wood with cloths tied like socks around her feet. ‘It's salvageable.’

Well, they weren't out at sea anymore so salvageable would probably do. Stolas gave Bravo a half hearted salute, marching on. ‘Sails?’ He called out above him.

‘We need replacements.’ Ren dropped down next to him in a cloud of smoke. She observed an already tattered sail being ripped apart by two other shipmates who promptly dragged it off to the sick ward. ‘There's no salvaging most of them and only Nur’s good with needle and thread’

‘She doesn't have the patience for that.’ Stolas scoffed. He glanced around the deck. ‘I'll check in with her later since I need to oversee the dead anyway.’

‘And what are you looking for now?’

‘The captain.’ Stolas said, and soon spotted a familiar shape curled around the bowsprit. ‘Wow, he really isn't doing well, is he?’ Captain Lucifer had frantically tied himself in a knot and looked mostly pensive now as opposed to his earlier panicked outburst over losing his ship. He seemed halfway between his spiral self and his more bipedal form. At least he usually had the decency however to not freak out until it was absolutely certain everyone's safety was assured and they were sailing into a harbor.

‘Let him sulk sailor, this is basically his life, remember?’ She looked a little grimmer. ‘You need to patrol if anyone is infected. Just because they seem fine doesn't mean that monster didn't rub his essence off on none of them.’

‘Yes.’ Stolas started his approach to the starboard side of the ship, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. As tallied, they lost five men, and many others had gotten wounded. Luckily none among the dead had been imperials, then he would have a bigger problem and perhaps would be left staring at his hands again the next weeks in self consciousness. Two things were on his mind right now; Altair, and the damage he had left with the centerpiece of the latter thought being Arodan’s fall off the boat. He immediately tried to find some support for his shaking knees by leaning over the side of the boat, feeling as if he might hurl. Damnit Stolas, you are better than this, he thought.

‘Whatcha thinking about bro?’ The head of a young ridgeback poked out of an empty gunport below Stolas. Stolas recognized him as Kohaku and as soon as he made eye contact with the child they clawed their way up towards Stolas until they sat besides him. ‘Why are you sad, we’re alive right?’

‘I would be happier if that was the end of our problems Haku, but it isn't that simple.’ Not if it came to shade-ridden godkings. He focused on the settlement in the distance, and knew by the stretch of coffee fields by it they had arrived at Clan Canephora’s clan grounds. Spectacular, he still had a knuckle sandwich to cash in there. He turned back to Kohaku with a sour look and was met with a grin that seemed like it could rival the sun in brightness. ‘I'm… I'm sorry I left you downstairs in the skirmish.’

‘Brother, stop saying that.’ Kohaku clasped Stolas’ face. ‘I'm fine right? We're alright, that's what matters.’ They let go and turned to look at the clan grounds in the distance. Judging the activity on the ship the rest of the crew was preparing to disembark. ‘The only thing I'm worried about is Danny though. Do you think he's alright?’

Stolas didn't reply to that initially. Death was the more likely answer to that question, as hardy as he might be. Undead was an alternative answer if the shade he had treated in Arodan functioned as he had witnessed it in others. ‘... Probably. Sornieth is big kiddo, we might not see him in a long time.’ He inhaled a little too loudly. ‘Maybe he'll stop by on the clan grounds while we’re fixing the boat.’

‘Fair enough.’ Kohaku shot Stolas a curious look and then turned to look at the view again alongside Stolas, holding their tongue. Their tail idly pat against the ship’s side, and that was the end of their conversation.

After a while Ren joined the two at Kohaku’s side, idly patting their head. ‘We’re landing soon boys. Better get your stuff, because this Ham isn't sailing for a while.’ She pat the side of the boat this time and made a mental note she had to paint the name of the boat on again. ‘Enjoying the view?’

‘I can't wait to see Dolores again actually!’ Kohaku immediately chirped in response. ‘Ren, do you have any friends within Clan Canephora?’

‘Oh kid, I don't really make friends. Don't have time for that.’ That earned a disappointed whine from Kohaku. ‘Well, except for you. You're a good soul.’ She looked around them to Stolas with a coy grin. ‘Speaking of friends, are you excited to see your old buddy again?’

‘Basil is not my buddy and he will never be Ren.’ Stolas grunted, his mood growing more toxic than it already was. ‘You know, when I stepped on this boat I didn't expect to end up here again.’

‘How long has it been?’ Ren asked.

‘A year.’ Stolas answered.

Ren stifled a laugh at that. ‘Time sure flies doesn't it?’

‘Well, at least I was productive among the Tempest Brigade.’ As was his employment in the forges of the Ashfall wastes after that. Even his brief vacation in between those two jobs had been a more efficient use of his time than whenever he was forced to hang out anywhere in light flight territory. ‘I wonder if they'll stop by.’

‘Not likely.’ Ren bluntly answered. ‘They've apparently started getting chummy with some big corporation and headed out to the Viridian Labyrinth.’

‘How would you know?’ Stolas picked up Kohaku so he could now actually look at Ren and make sure they weren't going to topple overboard.

‘I overheard Cap’n talking about it last night.’ Ren answered. ‘T’was a little hopeless. But y’know, what can you do?’

‘Spying? Really? On your own captain?’ Stolas made a disgusted noise and immediately started to make progress to distance himself from Ren. ‘Why do I talk to you?’

‘We’re friends moron, and I'm basically a puff of smoke.’ She ran after Stolas and Kohaku with the biggest grin. ‘Oddities should stick together.’

‘Yeah, whatever.’ Stolas flustered a little at that and allowed Ren to tag along to where people had started to gather to disembark. She knew him a little too well for comfort, despite the long time that had been between them speaking to each other. ‘Kohaku, go get your bag.’ He set them down on the deck.

‘Do I need to get yours too?’ He asked, rocking back and forth on his feet. ‘Don't you-’

‘No, I'll get it later.’ He said, rolling up his sleeves. 'There's stuff in there I don't want to potentially damage so I'll retrieve it later.' Ren shook her head in disappointment and Kohaku only looked up a Stolas with a questioning but innocent stare. 'I'll see you on the shore, okay?'

'Okay!' Kohaku ran off to do as they had been told and Stolas waited until they disappeared out of sight. As soon as they did he reeled around and marched towards the plank that had just been lowered from the larboard side of the ship. Ren still followed him, keeping the silence initially.

'You're not actually going to hit him, are you?' She finally asked.

'If he makes any snappy remarks about me or Kohaku the gloves are coming off.' Stolas grunted, shouldering his way past a few other crewmembers. He only stopped to allow Captain lucifer to pass who finally seemed to have taken a smaller bipedal form. He didn't look any less worn in it, his clothes still in pristine condition which only more emphasized his currently hollow stare. Quartermaster Kravitz closely followed and ushered him off the ship.

'You know Kravitz will have you tied to the bowsprit for hitting a trading partner right?' Ren added, coming to perch on Stolas' shoulder. 'I don't care what beef you have but leave it for the bar fights.'

'Can't promise that.' Stolas shook his head. 'If anything happens then so be it.' He attempted to swat Ren off of his shoulder but only ended up brushing through a handful of smoke. 'You gotta give me some way to take out my frustrations right? I mean, Basil hates me too, maybe he's thinking about punching me.'

'Stolas, this conversation is going nowhere and you know it.' She rode along until Stolas was at the very bottom of the plank and standing in the pleasantly warm water of the shallow bay. At that Ren evaporated and whizzed around Stolas' head, stopping before him so he'd come to a halt. 'Focus. And… Relax a little, will you? Give it a chance.'

'Whatever it is you two are scheming, put it out of your mind.' At that moment Ren and Stolas both nearly got knocked over. 'Ren, think about that offer I made you earlier?' The large guardian turned towards the both of them, bags slung over his shoulders and tail. 'Or do you have an alternative?'

'Gotta watch this troublemaker Franz.' She pat Stolas' head who was grimacing widely. 'Try Prospect instead, she's more interested in weapons.'

'You're kinda missing a great chance here.' He shrugged, and looked another direction. 'Like that bolt of magic is not gonna miss your head, Solly.' On that note his large paw rose up and pushed Stolas down, Ren evaporating in a puff of smoke. Franz himself ducked and folded his wing in front of them both, a sizable bolt of blue lightning reflecting off of it. 'Prospect, your aim is getting better.' The blast would certainly have hit Stolas if he hadn't shielded him.

'Ah, I swore I had him this time!' A girl with a hat far too big for her head came running up to Franz, magic still dancing on her clawtips. 'Franz is still faster than you though Stolas.' Prospect looked over Stolas, mildly disappointed. 'I thought I told you to think fast the next time I'd see you.'

'He's supposed to be.' Stolas spat, clutching his chest. Ren still swirled around his head in circles urging him to stay calm. Well, he could try. He righted himself again, checking how soaked he had gotten from suddenly being pushed down. For now he'd ignore Prospect. 'Where's Basil?'

'I see someone else is looking for me?'

Within seconds yet another figure swept into Stolas' line of sight, making the area feel far too crowded. Said figure was clad in gold and at least half a head taller than Stolas, a set of round glasses making his dark eyes seem far bigger. 'Welcome ashore again crew, it is always such a joy to have you all.' He bowed lightly, and opened his eyes. 'And Stolas, it seems.'

'Basil.' Stolas narrowed his eyes and his fists balled and shook. 'It sure has been a while but I'm sure you're not up for chitchat right now, are you?' He unflexed his fist. 'Not that running away is unusual for you.'

'Depends, I don't have temper issues like you do.' The eyes of the surrounding dragons darted between the two and turned into glares. Stolas and Basil both seemed to get the hint. 'Welcome anyway.' He stepped forward and tugged at Stolas' arm. 'Stolas, I'll drop the pretense and I'd hate to drag you along directly but I need to speak with you.'

'Hey, what's the deal man?' He yanked his arm away. 'Don't you have better things to do? And I thought I made it clear I don't want to talk to you unless you square up.'

'Because it concerns your line of expertise and I don't know who else to ask.' On that note Basil dragged Stolas along with a force unlike him. 'And no, this is not up for negotiation.'

‘Hey-What- Asshole, slow down!’ Stolas failed to jump out of Basil’s grasp until the two stopped under a tree in the shade. ‘What is your problem this time?!’

‘So many but I don't want to talk about what problems you might have with me alright, save that for teatime.’ Basil hissed, near pulling his hair out in frustration. Finally he extended his hand into a direction, pointing. ‘Look over yonder.’

Stolas turned his gaze and followed Basil’s hand to see what he meant. Before him, he saw a wide view of a field of various crops, all blackened, resembling a blackened scar upon the land. ‘What, had a fire or something?’

‘No.’ Basil shook his head, and quietly approached the field, stopping on a fair distance. Stolas followed him in similar thread. ‘I wish it had been a fire.’

He understood what Basil meant by just the smell. Immediately a thick, iron and smoke like smell assaulted his senses and made him instinctively clasp his mouth. ‘Good fucking gods, that's awful.’

‘You don't need to say that twice.’ He grew more grim as he said this. Basil looked at Stolas with a suspicious glance. ‘Can you purge it?’

‘... You're lucky I'm not completely awful.’ He threw Basil a snide look and marched up to the field, pulling out a small stick. It extended into a longer pole and Stolas held it out before him. ‘You'd better cover your ears, I'm gonna purify.’ Immediately the staff flashed with the intensity of a small sun and a mass of solid energy formed at the end to make a hammer, Stolas taking the now hammer in both hands and lifting it above his head. ‘Yield!’ he brought the hammer down on the edge of the field, initially hitting the ground with a dull thud until all sound seemed to be swallowed and visibly imploded. In one heavy, scorching and loud crash the earth was set alight in dancing columns of white light. After a solid five seconds the light finally started to fade, dissipating into ribbons that had burnt the shade infection off the leaves on the plant, leaving only an expanse of underwatered plants before Stolas. He shook the last remnants of energy from his staff and rested it on his shoulder, smugly turning to Basil. ‘How about that huh?’

‘Dork.’ Basil whispered, a laugh escaping him. He loved it when Stolas tried to act cool. It was when he noticed he had caught on to him smiling that he fell back to his serious facade again and reminded himself that no, this wasn't like the old times in which they used to be friends. ‘Thank you. It's been spreading now since last weeks and no one wanted to come near it.’

‘I can understand that.’ He folded the staff and pocketed it again. ‘Any idea who did it?’

'Same as always. Terminus cultists.The Shade.' He seemed tired to Stolas, weary from all that had happened, and if just for a moment he felt a flicker of pity. 'It would be easier to uproot everything again I think, move to the Viridian-'

'Basil, not again, come on!' Stolas exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. 'I just got here and you start the same nonsense of moving this, moving that, are you going to fight back or not?'

'I want to Stolas, I really do. But you know I also can't bring the rest of my clan in danger.’ Basil snapped in return, walking off. 'Don't you think I'm not stressed? My parlor is a mess Stolas, I can't be bothered to rearrange cups by color anymore, my room is a mess, I can't be bothered to do anything because it feels as if it could crash down any moment anyway.'

'That's why you have to act Basil, what are you going to do then, run back to your mom?'

'She's half in charge now actually.'

'Right.' Stolas threw his hands in the air and resigned to looking up to the sky as opposed of glaring at Basil. 'Why are we like this?'

'I don't know, you could ask yourself.' Basil sat down by the tree with a resigned sigh. 'Will we ever agree?'

Probably not, Stolas thought. He wanted to be friends again too, he could only guess Basil had the same thought. The one thing stopping them both had been Clan Canephora's situation, something they'd never agree on, even if Stolas was just glad that somehow cowardice did keep the clan safe for this long. 'Basil, I-'

'Delivery! Delivery for Stolas!'

Stolas whipped around and watched how a fairly small Nocturne landed in wobbling manner. He always threatened to fall over but was quick to swing his bag in front of him as counterweight. A label on the bag said "Langdon", which Stolas assumed was his name. 'Uh… That's me?'

'Oh good, you look like the description!' Langdon chimed, searching his bag immediately. He retrieved a letter sealed with a heavy mark. 'Letter from Arodan!'

'He's alive?!' Stolas ripped the letter from the Nocturne's hands and this time he did topple over. Stolas only briefly threw a look and then decided he'd help him up once he was done reading, ripping open the letter. He scanned it over quickly, only taking in the most important parts, then reached out to pull Langdon upright. He immediately continued reading the letter more thoroughly. 'Oh thank the Lightweaver.'

'Would you like to write a letter in return?' He paced around Stolas, still frantically dusting off his scarf and shaking the sand off. 'I can wait for you to finish writing, I think I have to refile my letters anyway.' He glanced into his bag which was a little shaken up. Dangit.

'Yes, yes, just wait, gimme a moment!' Stolas scrambled to retrieve paper from his pockets, only finding a rather crumpled piece of parchment that would have to do. No pens though, so he reeled around and marched up to Basil who looked a little taken aback. 'Two questions, first, give me a pen, second, are you still any good at diplomacy?'

'I'm not fixing your problems Stolas, negotiate things yourself.' Basil snapped, retrieving a pen that was quickly snagged from his hands. 'Why?'

'You owe me.' He gestured at the field behind him with the pen, and immediately and fiercely started to write a letter against the tree. 'I need access to the city of Paramo, a friend of mine is in there and I haven't finished treating him. I want to get him out and also that he won't grow to be a danger to others there.'

'Well fine, whatever then.' He knew what Stolas meant by that all too well so he'd best just let him. Basil turned to Langdon. 'That's in the Southern Icefields right?'

'Yes!' Langdon was currently deeply focused on organizing his medium urgency tab within his bag. 'Do you need a letter sent too?'

'To your leader.' Basil pulled out a piece of paper and a second pen he would prefer to keep far away from Stolas. 'I've heard it's well hidden, so is that possible?'

'Oh, yeah, of course!' Langdon answered, and noted Stolas had finished writing and was now reading over his own letter once more. He hurried to get his bag organized. 'Our king likes letters, even if we keep the city closed. So, give me yours once you're done writing it.' He got Stolas' letter shoved into his hands and gently put it into the low urgency tab.

'Good. Please deliver this quickly, I've decided to help this jerk.' He wrote his letter as quickly as he possibly could without making any mistakes or possibly strange remarks. Stolas' disapproving stare didn't help either but he neglected to give it any attention. 'I'd like to get this wrapped up as quickly as possible.' He held out the finished letter, folded and marked with the clan's seal.

'Got it!' Langdon eagerly took the letter and immediately filed it high priority, preparing himself for takeoff. 'Until next letter!' And gone he was, oddly fast for having frail looking wings. Basil and Stolas were left standing in silence, one looking oddly relieved while the other looked positively annoyed.

'I expect you to help out here though as long as you don't have another place to go.' Basil started, a grit to his voice.

'Who says I don't?' Well, he could head back to the Brigade but wanted to be easy to find. No matter how he looked at it it was better to stay, from the fact it meant a dry place to sleep, easy location to relative safety if he could help it. 'I'm not leaving though. Worry over that.'

'Well… If it's any consolation I'm strangely glad to have you around.' He threw a glance at Stolas, knowing that had rattled something in him. Slowly he rose and walked off towards the main building. 'It's nice to have you back.' On that he disappeared from Stolas' view, leaving him in peace, at least for the moment. He had to plan his new task.

[sparda3g]

Kingdom Chapter 589 Review

Just when you thought you know what Ousen is cooking, but apparently, we have been duped. We are close to the endgame, leaving the leader to play their trump card; who knows how many they have in stock. It’s time for Qin’s spies to make their move. How the table has turned. This was an interesting chapter with a really good build-up for Shin’s first day as Qin’s Right Wing Commander.

The fans were left pondering about the twist of spies have infiltrated, like why waited this long. It’s answered here but subtlety. There’s many to suggest why, but one thing is certain is the task is not easy at all. The amount of days to wait while hiding in the enemy’s ground is all kinds of fear. It takes great kintama to take this mission. It also comes with a guaranteed price to pay: your life. This is the mission of no return.

The chapter begins with a scene from 14 days ago. As you remember from the last chapter, there was a story about a man who faked his identity as well as others. This one covers another person with a similar tactic, under the name Kantetsu, who acted injured, assured by a civilian that they will be fine. It’s essentially the beginning of the end. I don’t know why, but the narrator stating the present timeline made me laugh. It’s probably because I imagined the narrator going, “And now, back to the present time!” But seriously, it’s time to complete the objective.

The spies infiltrate the locations and disguised themselves as Zhao’s men. I like one poke fun at “Takuta” for that name. It speaks loud volume when they are preparing for their inevitable death yet not bound by any fear. This is all for their beloved lord, Ousen. They are willing to pay their life to complete this mission and before doing so, they all embrace with bromance hugs. What a nice farewell scene. This was so inspiring and I don’t even know them. That’s when you know the moment was special.

Once the mission goes off, it’s nothing but breaking news left and right for the Lord of Gyou (I don’t remember his name). It really got to suck to be him right now. I did chuckle on how the news keeps on piling up to the point he’s like, “All right, what the hell, guy!” When it comes down to it, all four large storehouses are in flame; Ousen’s trump card is now in motion. No Heki to blame on now. There’s a strong indication on why Ousen’s spies made their move now. One guy reflected that they were done using the smaller sizes of storehouses; just now, they opened up the largest ones. They probably waited for the perfect time and what’s better than taking out the titans.

There was no way for the spies to make it out alive and as unfortunately expected, all members are slayed. This would have seen as a sad end; however, all of them died with a smile. That’s what I call true loyalists; loyal to the very end. Once again, this was so inspiring and yet, I don’t know their names. All I know is they earned great respects for their sacrifices.

Lord of Gyou is in deep trouble; I know, “You don’t say.” It has been a while to see a panicked Zhao lord, even if he’s not a real fighter, so this left me satisfied. For now, he has to cover it up before everyone lose their head. Also, they want to tally up the number of sources left before reporting to Riboku. I sensed another Heki’s disaster, but now, Zhao edition. I am thrilled to know how much they have left. We may not see Riboku’s reaction just yet, but I am anticipated to see his head spin. Ousen should leave another “hoh” to ice the cake.

It’s pretty obvious by now that Kanki Army had no part of this at all. I still laugh at Ogiko whenever he shows up. Kanki was impatient for lack of action, but even Ousen’s move left him amused. Perhaps he won’t be bailing out now. Hell, maybe Ousen does have something in mind for him as well. The downfall for Zhao keeps on rising.

Speaking of rising, the hype for Day Fourteen keeps on growing, but the worn out state of Hi Shin Unit is concerning. Some of which needs a leverage to stand before they fight, and some of which are in need for recovery from wounds or hunger. To add more weights, this is the first huge day for Shin as Qin’s Right Wing Commander, and that means Hi Shin Unit is the center. What a day to kick off for these exhausted men. God speed.

It’s also a huge day for Ten as Strategist of the Right Wing. She couldn’t handle the task with her unit alone; now she has to handle just about everyone. It’s bad enough that it heavily relies on her tactical move; one blunder and it will all crash and burn. Despite the drastic shift of position, I am glad that this is happening. Fans first thought she won’t do anything throughout the arc since they went with “go for broke” move. Now, she is essential for the Right Wing, given her a big role. But the struggle remains, only thankfully for her development arrives.

How do you begin to shake her up? Why, Kyou Kai groping her, of course. Yeah, that actually happened. It’s a hilarious mood swing that threw me off completely, but because of her experience, this would cheer her up. Um, should I wonder what did she do with Ouhon? Shin thinks this would work, but Kyou Kai punches him. I can’t say I don’t fault him for trying if he actually believed it. Well, he tried. As odd yet hilarious it was, it’s the kind of mood Ten needs.

Shin earlier did try to bring in the good feel mood with morning call, but she is too tensed to respond properly. That’s been her problem since the beginning of the arc and now, it has to be dealt with. Her weakness is that she cared too much. It’s not bad to care, but it can turn against you when you’re gone too deep. In fact, I can relate to that since I often care too much on a normal situation that leads normally or nowhere. Basically, don’t feel too responsible for every action. Otherwise, ironically, it will backfire heavily.

Shin shows her that everyone is ready and able to pay their life for the sake of victory. It’s an ironic twist of trust; caring too much leaves you distrust. It’s not easy to care less or balance it, let alone her situation with life and death. But she has to know not everything has to fault under her or anyone. Anything can happen; just go with it and deal with it on the go. This is a nice good feel moment for Ten and others. It’s now the payoff is slowly paying off, so I expect a strong rebound for Ten and her tactic. With Shin and Kyou Kai ready to take out Generals, vintage Hi Shin Unit is back. Well…for those three at least.

The ending is interesting because of who ends the chapter. Chougaryuu already figured out that Shin is Qin’s Right Wing Commander. The man knows war all right. He vow to end him and his unit before the latter half of day begins. That is hell of a confidence words he spouted, but I could buy into that. Not to say it will happen, but his credibility is good. With that said, it could also indicate that his time may be up on this day. There’s a death flag raising and him taking the fall next make sense. Who will get the kill? Shin again? We’ll see.

Overall, this was an interesting chapter that answered some questions and left with anticipation for the next. As straightforward the plan was, it was great to see the loyalists paid their life and honor for Ousen; going out with a smile. The fall of Zhao continue to grow and if Shin and the Right Wing succeed, it’s going to be a fatal blow. Riboku’s reaction is saved for next time, but I can imagine he won’t be happy. Day Fourteen is shaping up to be intense. My excitement can last eternally.