JULES

  "Well, uh, you see, it all just happened so fast—"

  "Shut up and tell me!" Katarina yelled. How can I if you keep interrupting me, Kat??

  "I tried out for the Shinsorai," Jules whispered so the other patron couldn't hear.

  "You're not even Shinsorii!" Katarina shouted.

  "Foolish," Whiskers said in a hushed voice.

  "Pretty dumb, man." Cyrus licked his own foam mustache.

  "Didja win!?" Rukia asked.

  The woman nearby perked up and looked over her shoulder. Jules shoved Rukia's head down low beneath the table. Whiskers looked at the ceiling and meowed. The woman rose from her bench and approached them. Jules whistled and looked outside; the clouds started to clear out and allow the sunlight in again.

  "Excuse me," she said. "Did I just hear that you took The First Step into the Shadows today?"

  Ah crap. Kat's loud mouth getting us in trouble again—And get your hand off that hilt! Katarina laced her fingers around her dagger, just in case.

  "Yeah, I did," Jules said. "It definitely seems like I shouldn't have, but I guess I couldn't help myself. I've always wanted to join—Ah, forget it."

  "You couldn't help yourself, huh?" A raven landed on a tree branch nearby that entered the pub through the open-air style windows, and the newcomer gazed at it for some time. "Sounds a lot like someone I know." Wait, that voice…

  "You wouldn't happen to know any Illusion Scripts, would you?" Jules asked.

  "What, like the Multiply and Conceal Runes?" Their eyes narrowed as they stared at each other. Cyrus looked back and forth between them. "Illusion's my strong suit."

  "Shinsorai magic's not for me. Though I did just learn a Stone Flesh Scroll."

  "What's your name?" they both asked. They looked down, then away. Then they both pointed at the other and shouted, "You!!"

  "I almost killed you!" Yeah right.

  "I yielded and gave you mercy!"

  Katarina and Cyrus stood up, ready to fight. Whiskers leapt outside the window, and Rukia fell to the ground beneath the table. The raven bounced along the branch closer to them all and tilted its head.

  "So you entered a death match?" Cyrus asked.

  "I suppose you did yield." Jules and their new acquaintance smiled at each other, and the others calmed down. "And I thank you. More than you could know. My name's Seraphina, but you can call me Sera."

  Outside, a faint whistling sound grew louder, until it morphed into the whirring noise of engines. Jules had never heard it before, but had read all about them, and knew what it was immediately. Why would one be out here?

  All captured by its calling, everyone went outside, except Rukia, who thankfully climbed back into Jules' backpack and zipped it shut with wide, nervous eyes. Through the latticework of the pagoda overhang, the zephyr floated into view.

  "Wow!"

  "So cool!"

  "It's alright."

  "Looks like the Maidens are hounding us after Marina Veridia," the woman said.

  "Come again?"

  "You haven't heard about Marina Veridia, and Wrath?" Her eyes narrowed. "They're saying he was with another Sin, too. And some other bloke." Cyrus contorted his face.

  "No, but why do you think that's the Maidens?" Jules asked.

  The raven flew away, and she pointed to the zephyr. "An Iron Maiden ship arrived just this morning at our port. They said it looked abandoned, though." Jules looked at Cyrus. You dumbass, you were supposed to destroy the evidence. "And now one of her zephyrs is comings. See the Faction crest on the side?"

  "No, you have great eyesight." Good weather seems to be a bad omen for us. Jules exchanged a look with his crew. "Welllll, it was nice meeting you, given the circumstances and all. But we've gotta get going."

  "Leaving so soon? You haven't even finished your meal, or your drinks." Jules and company were already out the door. "Hey, your bill!"

  "Jules," Cyrus snapped. "What did you do at the Shinsorai thing!?"

  "Nothing, I swear! No one even hit me. I didn't read the fine print on the entry docs, that's the only thing I screwed—"

  "YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO READ THE FINE PRINT YOU DUMBASS!"

  "How do they know where we are?" Katarina asked.

  "Doesn't matter, now. We need to find Lust and get away from anyone who can identify me." Like her.

  "Hey, what'ja do that's so bad?"

  Jules' shoulders fell in defeat and aggravation. Whiskers hissed, and Katarina stepped between Jules and the woman. "What do you mean, what'd we do?"

  "Oh, I live life on the edge, too. I know the life of an outlaw when I see one."

  "Outlaw, huh," Cyrus said. How do we get out of this? She's my face, all of our faces.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Yeah, you all just dined and dashed. Plus genius over here signed up to Step into the Shadow's Path as a foreigner, which is very illegal…"

  

  [Bounty Increased by ?6,900 for crimes committed in Shinsora. Total Bounty is now ?7,477,790.]

  "So what're you, the police?" Katarina demanded.

  "Wait, wait, wait," Jules said. "Wasn't it illegal for you to sign up?"

  She smiled wide. "You all seem fun. I wonder what trouble we could get into…"

  Ditch this bitch, Katarina thought.

  Do not play with my Katarina's heart, Whiskers threatened.

  Zephyr's landed already, Cyrus warned. Gotta end this.

  Nah, ignore all'a them, Jules. I really like her!

  Rukia—Oh, you're already in the backpack, good. Jules sighed.

  "What'd I say?" She looked at the strange bunch, all quietly looking back and forth between each other through Jules' Telepathy.

  "Nothing, but we've got to go." Jules turned and dragged his friends with him.

  "Where to?" She popped back up behind his shoulder and followed Jules a little too closely. She's like a damn shadow. "I can take you there. I know all the shortest paths in town."

  "Trying to get to the Scholars Guild." That'll throw her off. "Can you show us the way?"

  "Ha! No Scholars Guild in Shinsora. Just the Fighters."

  Idiot, I could have told you that. I swear, Cyrus thought.

  "Look, we are outlaws." Jules turned around and took out a Ryoku Crystal. His friends looked at him like he was crazy. "I need you to hold onto this and be our lookout. We're supposed to have a drop-off with some seedy guys. You fought well, so it'd be nice to have more backup. That Ryoku can be your share."

  The thrill of the hunt filled her greedy little eyes. "OK. What's the drop-off? Weapons? Illegal Runes!?"

  "Yeah, all of that," Katarina said. "And drugs. The best drugs you can…take."

  Good one.

  Shut up, Jules.

  Tell Kat to stop talking, Cyrus thought.

  "Uh huh," Seraphina said. "So where do I stand watch again?"

  "Right under that cherry blossom. Try to blend in."

  "Oh sure, OK OK. This is so exciting!" She ran off for the tree.

  Jules and company glanced at each other, then scrammed. Just before they turned a corner to break their line of sight, Jules looked back at her. She waved and smiled at him happily enough.

  "Finally lost that skank!" Katarina said.

  "The best drugs you can take—seriously!?" Cyrus shouted. "That was worse acting than in Coralhaven!"

  "Easy," Jules said. "Don't talk about that right now."

  "And you!"

  "Loverboy!"

  Ah shit, here we go again.

  "Where are we going?" Whiskers asked as he flailed on Katarina's back, one claw looped through a single thread of fabric.

  "I should be the one asking that! I was playing Samurai while you guys had plenty of time to recon the area. Boat's out of the question. Are we trapped on this island?"

  "Just keep running from her, then we can regroup." Cyrus took lead of the Party. He sprinted through the crowd watching an ongoing parade. Jules looked around for any Iron Maiden cultists, and his eyes froze when he saw a woman being paraded on a palanquin through the streets.

  THUMP-THUMP.

  Cold sweat broke out. My nightmare. Instinctively, he looked past the right side of the palanquin toward the markets lining the street. He never saw fire, or a sword, or a sword on fire, or a man sitting tailor-styled. Just a man in a brown cloak leaning against a post, outside the festivities.

  "Stop," Jules said. "We need to follow this procession."

  "What? Why?" Cyrus demanded. "We'll be out in the open."

  "Those nightmares I've told you about? I've been here before. That's gotta be Lust on the palanquin. I'm sure of it."

  "You're going to gamble our mission on a hunch from your dreams?"

  "Yes, Kat. You woke me up in Aquilantis exactly how you do in my dreams. Follow me."

  They shuffled and pushed their way through the crowds. Along some of the storefronts, they saw new wanted posters of themselves, listing their new Bounties after their supposed crimes in Marina Veridia, and their newest dine-n-dash escapades in Shinsora. Should have known Krakenbane wouldn't stick his neck out for us—not against The Iron Maiden. Can't blame him, but did sell us out here as well?

  "Hey, some Etherealists are joining the crowd," Cyrus said. "While you were gone, I got a lead on them in Whispering Pines. You know, I've felt uneasy since I first spoke to them—"

  "Focus, Cy." Shinsorai Guards, Samurai, and Ninja were everywhere, but there was no sign of the Recruiters or Musashi. Lords and Quartermasters probably with him as well. Shit! "Iron Maidens coming in at the fray, look—over there."

  Hordes of them emerged from the alleyways on the opposite side of the street, all wearing golden or white armor with their Faction crest on proud display.

  "Whoah!" Cyrus pulled Jules and Katarina back. "Is that Musashi!?" The Alter and his troops marched headlong into the parade and through the crowd, straight toward the palanquin.

  "Snap out of it, both of you," Jules said. "He's got a heavier Ryoku presence than the other Alters we've met. Shake it off, and use it to our advantage."

  "This is too risky, Jules," Katarina said. "We won't intercept Lust before he gets there. We have to find another way."

  "No, I have to get her. Now's our only chance, and then we run for it—"

  We're being followed, he thought to all of them. It's a familiar feeling, possibly The Painter, but I don't know why he'd be in Shinsora. A booming message echoed off the walls and send chills down Jules' spine.

  "The Iron Maidens have arrived. We have reason to believe that there are three Sins hiding out in your city. Please be on the lookout for Wrath, AKA Jules Tideshaper, and his allies, Cyrus of no Surname, and the mystery woman."

  "Jules," Cyrus said. "I recognize that voice. He made the announcement to capture your family in Coralhaven." Jules winced.

  "Told you not to mention that place. Think it's Patience?"

  "Don't know who else could have survived."

  "Time to book it. Lust will have to wait." Jules glanced back at the palanquin one last time. He couldn't make out her face underneath the veil, but noticed a shimmering wave around her. A group of ravens erupted from a nearby tree, and Jules jumped. They cawed and swarmed over near the Shinsorai and Iron Maiden Hunters.

  They booked it down the closet alleyway, and took a left turn, a right turn, another right turn, until they ran into a group of Shinsorai and Hunters. Hey, that's my Recruiter.

  Recruiter Aki looked down at the Wanted papers in his hands, then back to Jules. Shit, those aren't altered by The Painter's Memory Script. "That's them!"

  No where else to go, Jules and his friends invoked their Ryoku Shields and combat Scripts, ready to strike. The Hunters drew their Holy weapons, and the Shinsorai, their blades. A smokescreen spread all around them, and Jules lost sight of both his targets and his friends. One hand reached out from behind Jules and covered his mouth, then dragged him backward. Jules' head spun as he immediately lost his balance. Up became down, and the black smoke turned white, then faded away.

  "Where'd they go?" Aki demanded. All the others looked around, though Jules was right in front of them, upside down. "Split up!" And just like that, the threats all ran off.

  The world rushed back into focus, and Jules' sense of direction returned. The woman from before, Seraphina—or doppelgangers of her—held each of Jules', Cyrus', and Katarina's mouth shut. She released them and merged back into one next to Jules.

  "Who the hell are you?" Jules demanded.

  Seraphina walked over to the abandoned Wanted posters. "Why are the Maidens after you?"

  "Why'd you save us?" Katarina raised two daggers.

  "What do you want?" Cyrus crafted three ice swords above his head.

  "I thought I told you to wait at the restaurant." Jules blocked her path to the posters.

  "I could tell your ruse was a farce by this one's acting." She jerked a thumb at Katarina.

  "Told you."

  "Shut up!"

  "How long have you been following us?" Guess that was you I felt.

  "I rode the palanquin until I spotted you." That shimmering light.

  "You sure know a lot about the Maidens," Jules said.

  "And they know a lot about you." She brushed against his shoulder to pass. "If you don't mind."

  "I do mind. Wouldn't want you to see that and get the wrong idea."

  "Why's that?" Seraphina asked.

  Rukia—She was riding the palanquin. Is it her? Hello? You gonna help me out?

  Yeah, Jules, yeah! I'll help you!

  I mean right now!

  "I'd hate for you to get the wrong impression of us."

  "And what impression would that be?" Seraphina looked among each of them.

  Rukia!?

  "One full of propaganda and slander."

  Yeah, I got you, Julesie! Just gimme a sec. The backpack zipper ripped open.

  I NEED YOU TO ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW, DAMMIT!

  "Lucky for you, that's not my—"

  Rukia popped her head out of the bag. "Hey, girlie! Do you know where we could find Lust?"

  Sweet Salvos, that was not what I was asking…