"So, what are we going to do until he comes back?" Bruno asked.
"Whatever you want..." Esco said and went off.
"Well, that's an option..." Bruno said and looked at Nazo.
"I'm going to train with Roza since she's a wind user." Nazo nodded his head towards Rosa.
"You can do... whatever you want." Nazo added, and with Rosa they left as well.
"It looks like I'm on my own today." Bruno chuckled, but then his smile disappeared.
"*sniff* *sniff* I guess I should pay a visit to some locals." He added.
Just before Bruno left, he looked up into the trees. Bruno had a feeling that someone was watching him. He shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
"The one in the hood and that fatso split up, and their captain left a few hours ago." Said a female voice.
"I appreciate your service..." Amaan hung up.
"So they are in Minami territory." He added.
"I'm going to pack my essentials and head there..." Bill said.
"Be sure not to let them escape alive, just spare their captain, when he returns, I want to speak to him personally." Amaan said.
Bill left the room and Amaan leaned against the table.
"So they were hiding in your town, huh? Koon." Amaan mumbled.
"It has been twenty years since our last encounter." He added.
--- On the beach ---
"It's noon, ya have practiced this whole mornin'. You should get us through, I bet my boots on that." Koon positively said.
"Let's put the raft on the water." Perros said, and so they did.
Perros finally faced the mist. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and began to focus. Wind started to gather around him. Perros raised both hands in front of him and opened his eyes. A gust of wind was unleashed from his palms, sending Perros several meters behind him.
"Aight, again, but less two in the front, but one in the front and one in the back." Koon said.
"Also put a bit more power into the back one, once we get on board." He added.
"Right..." Perros coughed up sand and stood up.
They both got onto the raft. This time Perros was sure of himself.
"In the front and in the back." Perros mumbled.
At last he exhaled slowly, and a current of wind began to release from his palms. And so they went into the mist.
"It's been a few minutes, how're ya holding up?" Koon asked.
"Yeah, fine... I guess..." Perros said wearily.
"We still have a way to go..." Koon said.
"I'll say it up front, if ya're tired, I can take over..." He added.
"But what's in it for me?" Perros asked.
"The longer I can sustain it now, the longer I'll be able to sustain it next time." He added confidently.
Koon looked at him, what Perros said reminded him of someone.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Perros said in wonder.
"I like the way ya think." Koon said.
"If ya keep this up... ya might achieve the desired title." He added.
"Well, thanks..." Perros blushed.
"But I'm serious... until I fall, I won't stop trying." He added.
An hour into the ride, Perros dropped to his knees and panted.
"Okay... you can take over..." Perros said exhaustedly.
Koon blew a raspberry and picked up a faster pace than Perros.
"At this rate, it should take us a day or so..." Koon said.
"Do your best." Perros gave him a thumbs up and fell asleep.
--- Back at Tera ---
Nazo and Rosa walked through the forest towards a clearing where Nazo could train.
"It's kind of out of the blue, but do you know how the Stars are related to the government?" Nazo asked.
"Well, they're there to administer the territories and protect the peace, I'd say, but..." Rosa said.
"But?" Nazo wondered.
"But each of them has different standards for that..." Rosa said.
"Amaan charges everyone such high prices that it's almost impossible to live off from what's left, Luma works all her people to the bone, yet Koon, despite being given the title of "The Killer", is the most rational of them all." She added.
"And yet the government still backs them up, I guess?" Nazo mused.
"Correct." Rosa said.
"From what I've heard, you've already turned one of them on your group..." She added.
"You mean the scrooge?" Nazo said.
"Yes, Amaan..." Rosa corrected Nazo.
"A powerful man, but reckless." She added.
"What do you mean?" Nazo asked.
"He's willing to use every penny until he gets what he wants. He'll pay anyone. Even the biggest scumbags..." Rosa explained to him.
As Rosa finished talking, not far from them, they overheard twigs snapping and bushes rustling.
"Come! We must surround the town before they go somewhere else." Said man #1.
"The boss said we can kill anyone, except their captain!" Man #2 shouted triumphantly.
"Yeah!" The rest of the mercenaries shouted.
Nazo carefully looked at them through a bush. It was a group of mercenaries followed by two sheriffs.
"Tsk, we have to warn Bruno and Esco..." Nazo whispered.
"Like you said... They don't seem tough, but I don't think this is all of them." He added.
"They hired from Amaan..." Rosa said, as she and Nazo hurried back to Tera.
Bruno was finished trying the local cuisine and bought some ingredients.
"It's so pretty today..." Bruno gazed dreamily at the sky.
"I think, I'll cook something..." He added.
"Bruno! Bruno!" Nazo's voice came from a distance.
"Nazo?!" Bruno said in a surprise.
"What's the rush?" Bruno said calmly.
As Nazo stopped before him, he exhaled and explained.
"What are we going to do?" Bruno said with concern.
"We need to find Esco and hit the road!" He added.
"You don't say..." Nazo said in a hushed voice.
"Any idea where he went?" He asked.
"Yeah..." Bruno mused.
"...no." He added with certainty.
Nazo looked around once more and thought for a moment.
"Has anyone seen Esco with us yet?" Nazo asked thoughtfully.
"Well, he joined us after the incident with the Twins gang, so other than the locals, I'd say probably not." Bruno said.
"We'll leave a letter with someone..." Nazo said.
"You don't think we'll leave him here, do you!?" Bruno was surprised.
"We don't know where he is. We don't know when he'll return." Nazo moved closer looking into Bruno's eyes.
"But he's still in the area. We'll meet him later..." He added, turning away from Bruno.
Bruno didn't like this plan, but time was against them. They had to hurry or Nazo and Bruno would face certain death.
"Roza, is there someone like the mayor or someone we can trust?" Nazo asked.
"The barman." Roza replied.
"He's one of Koon's closest friends." She added.
"Well..." Nazo said while writing the letter.
"Can you give it to him and tell him it's for the little talking raccoon?" He added.
"Of course." Roza smiled and ran off.
Nazo and Bruno stood on the main street that led to the staircase to the temple. Nazo thought they had enough time to escape before the mercenaries and sheriffs got there, but he was proven wrong.
"So you're here?" A voice came from the roof of one of the houses behind them.
Nazo and Bruno slowly turned around. What they saw did not please them.
"You must be one of the sheriffs..." Nazo said gruffly.
"You're a bright one... Mind if I introduce myself?" The sheriff was sitting on the edge of roof with a slight smile on his face.
"I'd do it even if you refused." He added and chuckled.
" The name's Azraq, Sheriff Azraq to you." Azraq said and stood up.
In the blink of an eye, he was out of sight.
"And while we're at it, why don't you tell me where your captain is?" Azraq stood behind Nazo and Bruno, holding their shoulders.
"How did he---" Nazo and Bruno slowly looked behind them, but Azraq sent them flying.
"So are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" Azraq said.
"Easy... easy!" Bruno shouted from the ground.
"That's not for YOU to decide." Azraq raised his voice and flipped a dice.
"Seven, you're lucky, so we'll do it the easy way." Azraq smiled mischievously.