The Beast and the Sword Book 3: A Koi's Journey

Page 44: The Flaws of Justice

It had been a good day for Prism.

With each day of the rehab, she could feel herself getting stronger by the day. She had hope, that she would be able to go back on missions very soon.

Here she was, in the same room she had always been, doing stretches with her uncle Nolan. While Cadfan, had been reading from the newspaper.

"UNBELIEVEABLE!!" Cadfan exclaimed, slamming the newspaper down on the coffee table, "Has that King Augustus have no shame!? He's announced another damn tax hike for the Clover Kingdom! This is another excuse for him to bleed the common folk dry!"

"Didn't he do that last month?" Nolan asked as he had been assisting his niece as she reached for her toes while sitting on the floor.

"That makes it even more worse!" Cadfan told him. "Damn it all! I wish we weren't in hiding so we can DO something about this! This is not right!"

"What's a tax?" Prism signed.

"Oh, that's something everyones gotta pay every now and again." Nolan replied, "From what I understand, it's how humans keep their country afloat."

"Sounds complicated, just like my life." Theodore said with blue eyes.

"Complicated!" Alistar mindlessly repeated.

Cadfan groaned as he said, "To think he would raise up to 13% of all things! I gotta let the kids know to mind their spending from here on." He soon tore up the newspaper, "JUST WHO THE HECK IN CHARGE OF THE TREASURY TO ACTUALLY PASS SUCH A THING!?"

"Cad, maybe tone it down a notch?" Nolan said, "You're starting to sound like your dad."

Cadfan sighed as he said, "Sorry, You know back then Ace, Gooden and I helped the people when tax fares arose, and even gave Zeid advice on how much he should raise. Now we can't even do that without getting spotted.."

"Honestly I don't get how you humans came up with that system." Nolan said, "Sounds like a scam to me."

"I get that elves don't really need to worry about money, but if you were born as a hu---"

KNOCK-KNOCK--Went the door suddenly.

"Oh! Oh! Someone's at the door!" Theodore cheered as his eyes transitioned to pink before he bounced like a frog.

Prism stood, and took a crutch before she went towards the door. She opened the door with the spirits help but had been taken back by the sight of the person.

Outside was the appearance of a what a[peared to be middle aged male with a dark skin complexion wearing a white kimono with his pants tucked in. On his headband appeared what looked like to be letters, a few Cadfan knew all too well. He had a sword with his sleath on along with the many scars on his wrist and across his eye as if it was shaped like an X

Nolan noted the man's appearance as he quickly put Prism behind him, before asking calmly, "Can we help you?"

"I came to deliver a present." The man said.

"Present?" He said.

The man soon rummaged through a pouch he had been carrying before he held out what looked to be a small box, that had been beautifully wrapped. Leaning on the crutch Prism took the present from him.

"Consider it a donation for your wellbeing, from an anonymous concerned citizen young lady." The man said before bowing, "Excuse me."

The man took his leave as Prism was still taken back by the sight of him. She looked to the small box, not noticing Nolan's expression. "Box!" Alistar said as he looked to box, "Pretty ribbon!"