General Kiki

Swoosh...

The sound of wind makes Hayden glance over his shoulder for a moment before he diverts his eyes to Zane, Farrell, and Kyra whose riding the horse beside him.

He touches his sword handle while another one hand holding the horse's rein.

He signaling Zane and Farrell to be ready and signaling Kyra to take alert around her surrounding.

He stops his horse followed by Zane, Farrell, and Kyra when he feels something is wrong.

"Hm? What's wrong, Hayden?" Yuina looks up at him behind her.

Draw his head closer to her, he whispers with a slow tone. "We're being surrounded."

"What?" Yuina turns her head around, try to see any silhouette around them. She didn't hear any voice at all while they traveling. All she heard is the sound of their horse galloping the ground.

Rustling sound from the tree makes all of them on alert. Within a few seconds, they have been surrounded by Aquamarine's elite squad. From their appearance who wear full gear of shinobi Shozoku, they must be the private soldier who is under General Kiki.

"You have been surrounded. Identify yourself and what reason you come to this province?" One man said, who Hayden believe is their leader comes forward from the circle they made.

Hayden and all other in-group did not take off their hood, he just casually said. "We did not mean any harm. We just passing here and intending to stay for a few days only." He tries to persuade the leader to let them go.

"We did not permit any suspicious person in our province. It best if you can prove your identity and your origin. If you fail to do so, we have to detain you for interrogation." The man said again with a firm voice.

"We did not have any obligation to do so. We come in peace and do not have any intention to do any ruckus in your province." Hayden tries to convince him again.

"Since you're a bit stubborn, I cannot let you pass this area." He signaling his men to be ready to detaining them.

Each of them is ready with their shuriken and kusarigama on their hands. Waiting for the instruction of their leader to start attacking them.

"Guess we have no option too." Hayden slides his cloak a little and ready to pull out his sword.

Yuina gasps a bit with this tense situation. She doesn't want to make a scene here, she doesn't want to get engage with any problem anymore and just want to find that last dragon without hurting someone.

Upon seeing his blade. A pair of eyes which is hidden behind the tree smiling. She sneers a bit before she put his hand on the position.

Swoosh!

A kunai was thrown straight to princess's hoodie and with speed, Hayden catches it using his bare hand before the kunai struck his chest. A small cut makes his hand bleed a bit.

Zreeett...

Yuina's hoodie rips and shown her true face. All of the other soldier there was mesmerizing to see her beautiful face and red-hair color.

While Hayden squinted his eyes to the person who dares to throw the kunai straight at the princess and him. He wants to pull out his sword but Yuina immediately holds his hand.

"No, Hayden. Please." She said and divert her eyes back to the person who slowly walks out from the tree's shade.

"Hmph." She smiles and once her face was revealed by the light, she tilts her head a little.

"Long time no sees, Princess." and she diverts her eyes to the man behind the red-haired girl after that. "General Hayden."

Yuina covers her mouth with her small palm. "General Kiki!"

"Hye there." She smiling and instruct his men to lowered their weapon and they did so before all of them bow to Yuina's group.

"We're sorry." All the man surrounding them said firmly.

"It's okay." Yuina gets down from the horse with Hayden's help.

She went to a girl named Kiki and hug her. Kiki and Yuina was a good acquaintance when she was still a princess. Even though General Kiki always look stern and serious but she is kind.

"I heard about what had happened to you, but is that true?" Kiki asks her after she breaks the hug.

Yuina shakes her head. "No."

"It's okay. You don't need to tell me the details. Enough for me to know that General Hayden is not a killer." She said with a relief voice and divert her eyes to Hayden.

She has been admiring Hayden since she was a kid. More like she's in love with him secretly. But she hid her feeling and never confess to him either. To her, it unwise if she's the one who confesses it first. Since he always with Yuina, it best for her, if she befriends with Yuina. And she also knows about Yuina feeling toward prince Hans. It makes her sure that both of them did not engage with any special feeling except for a knight and a princess.

Kiki wear red Hakama and she holding her katana with her right hand, she looks stunning and that makes Zane's eyes shone brighter.

"Uh…"

"Oh, sorry. Who are they?" Kiki glances at another three people beside Hayden and Yuina.

"This is my friend. Zane." Yuina points her finger to the man who is smiling widely to his ear and move to another man beside him.

"Farrell." and she moves her finger to the woman who looks rather calm. Just like Hayden.

"Kyra."

Kiki just smiles at them and divert her eyes back to Yuina. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well," Yuina scratch her temple a bit.

"We mean no harm. We just want to find someone, and after that, we will go our own way." Hayden answer on Yuina's behalf.

"Someone? Who?" Kiki scrunches her eyebrow a bit.

Hayden looks at Yuina and she nods her head to agree to tell Kiki about their little secret.

"Rouge dragon's guardian. That person should be residing in here somewhere."

Kiki's eyes turn a bit wider. "You..you mean..the tales?"

"Yes. The legendary dragon from the Kingdom tales."

"B..But.." Kiki stammering a little. She then looks at their surrounding before she sighs a bit.

"It's better if we discuss this matter in my castle. You guys are welcome to my castle. I'll make sure no one know about your existence here. My men are all trustworthy. Don't worry about them." She assures them and looks at the commander.

"Commander Kobe, lead them to the castle. Make sure no one know about their presence in our province. Especially, those bastard pirate." Kiki gives him an order to where he bows his head and instruct his men to give another cloak for Yuina.

"I'll be at the castle before dinner. Until then, get a good rest." Kiki said to Yuina before all of them following the commander going back to the castle.

…

"This is your temporary barrack, where you will be staying. This barrack is reserve for the elite squad but has been empty since we move out to another place. Rest well. Your dinner will be served at 6." The commander who is known as Kobe look at the five of them.

"Thank you, Commander," Yuina said and then he excuses himself from the walkway.

Yuina turns around and smiles toward four of them. "Well, lucky we have a place to stay for tonight."

"Hmm. But you almost got cut by that girl who you called 'friend'." Kyra glance at her. Feeling a bit pissed off when she remembers the scene. If not because she trusts Hayden's skill, she will surely cut the girl's hand for trying to harm Yuina.

"Come on, it just a greeting between a friend." Yuina chuckles and Kyra almost cursing out loud.

"Ugh..whatever." She went inside the room and slide close it after that.

"Hm, she's beautiful...I wonder if she already had a boyfriend or not." Zane said and Farrell knocks his head with his knuckle.

"She's not in your league, brother Zane. Give it up." Farrell said and went to the second room beside Kyra's follow by Zane after that.

Leaving only two people who still standing at the hallway. Yuina turns to look at Hayden. He staring her head for a quite long. Feeling a bit shy, she covers her top of the head with her hand and ask. "What is it? You staring at my head."

"I just want to check whether she had cut your hair or not. Or maybe she makes you bald with her kunai."

"Wh…what? Did my hair look terrible?" Yuina immediately rubs her top of the head.

"Hmm."