The woman servant placed a grape in the mouth of Akon, the prime minister as he lay on a golden couch.
The door to his office opened, revealing an Albanian soldier. He bowed. "Minister Akon, people are at the gate asking for an audience."
The minister waved his hands dismissively. "Do what we do every day. Send them away. If they make a havoc, just shoot them."
"Isn't that harsh Minister Akon."
The minister's eyes turned to slits. "Do you want to disobey me?"
The soldier bowed. "I apologize."
"Now leave and do as I say."
The soldier nodded, leaving the room.
Akon laughed, picking up a glass of wine on a glass table in front of him. "When will these fools learn I'm the one who makes the rules and anyone who disobeys me only deserves death?"
...
Aziz pressed the red stamp on the cover of his letter as he crew members ate lunch. Paolo flicked a piece of broccoli, and everyone flinched as it landed on the ground.
The sound of Aline slapping the back of his head resounded through the ship. "You idiot, how dare you waste food."
"It was just one broccoli," Paolo mumbled, soothing his stinging head.
Aline glared at him. "I'm already tired from making huge food rations for our desert trip. I don't need you wasting food."
Anisa entered the bar and handed her brother a cage with a bird. "The messenger bird you asked for."
He smiled. "Thank you."
He placed the letter in the mouth of the bird. "To Costa please."
The bird squawked, flapped it wings, fanning the prince's face then flew into the sky.
"What was the letter for?" Luna asked.
"It's for my father to learn what is happening," Aziz stated. "I don't want him to stay in the dark about this."
"Good call," Paolo said.
"If they're an army there must be lots of them, can we even stop them?" Shinzo asked.
"If I don't at least try, my people will suffer and I can't let that happen," Aziz said, bunching up his kaftan. "I won't let Leon have his way."
"If that's how his highness feels about it, we'll make sure we accomplish your goal," Paolo said, grinning. "Let's go save your people."
.....
"Have you made all the arrangements?" Leon asked Ariel as she stepped into his office.
She bowed. "All our members are located on the island. The four generals will be meeting at the guild hall in Ruksha at seven and will head here on camel."
Leon smiled. "That's good to here."
.....
On the outskirts of Ruksha, another town on Hasab Island stood a guild hall belonging to the Ascot Adventurers, the adventuring group headed by Leon.
A woman with short black curly hair sat on one of the couches in the small tearoom, flipping through a book as tea boiled behind her. Her short yellow-green striped skirt shifted as she crossed her long legs.
The door of the roof opened and a girl with black hair in a ponytail stepped in. She was not much taller than a middle-schooler, sporting a purple sleeveless crop top and puffy trousers to pair it off.
She stretched. "I'm so exhausted."
The woman looked up from her book. "You're finally here, Amaya."
The fourth general of the Ichi Army smiled. "I got distracted by the cute goats we met on the way… anyways, get me some tea and snacks, Kia."
The second general of the Ichi Army stood up, adjusting the long sleeve of her white crop top. "We're the only ones here, so you can have all the cookies you want."
Amaya laughed. "Well don't mind if I do."
The sound of a sonnet filled the room as the door opened. A boy with a blue captain's hat over ruffled blond hair stepped in, a rose pressed to his lips. "Hello, my ladies, I have come."
Kia rolled her eyes. "You've clearly lost your mind, Bolton."
The third general of the Ichi Army laughed, picking up her hand and kissed it. "I am just a pretty boy who wants to share love to the world." He twirled around, his brown coat flowing with him. "Both men and women I aspire to hold."
Kia rolled her eyes. "Just take a seat."
Amaya took a bite out of her cookie. "A playboy as usual."
"Don't feel bad that I can't embrace you, since you're a kid."
"I'm twenty-one," she snapped.
Bolton laughed. "Is that so?"
"Jacob is sure taking his sweet time," Amaya commented thirty minutes later.
Bolton snickered. "Maybe he got lost."
"Who did you say got lost, Bolton?"
A man with black long hair cascading his face in a green jacket over a black pair of trousers stood at the door, his arms crossed.
Bolton smiled. "You of course, you like acting all stoic, but I know you're the clumsy type." He took a sip of his tea. "I've studied men and know your type very well."
"You're so disgusting."
"I'm not the one who'll be a virgin for life."
The first general of the Ichi Army reached for the sword on his waist, but Kia stood in front of him. "Now, now Jacob we have to calm down and not get sensitive about these things."
"Move aside Kia, I'll kill him."
Kia showed him her watch. "It's seven, we don't have time to fight." The generals straightened themselves at the mention of the time, Kia grinning. "Let's go meet the boss."