Out-> Of Safe [Zone]

A Fox, Demon, and the General.

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Saeko yawned as her eyes fluttered open. Instinctively, she raised a hand to shield her face from the light.  "That was nice..."

"Ten more minutes..." The familiar voice of a certain bird made her smile faintly. She glanced down to see the bird resting on her stomach.

As she sat up, a note on the ground caught her attention. She reached out, bringing it close to her face.

"It's me, Yanqing. General Jing Yuan wants to see you at the Seat of Divine Foresight. Also, if you don't mind, I want to speak with you after."

"Meeting him already..?" She murmured before turning her attention to the sleeping bird. Nudging him gently with her elbow. "Wake up, we gotta go now."

The bird groaned. "And here I was, having the best nap of my life..."

"Stop complaining." Saeko rolled her eyes. "Or do you want me to carry you?"

"Ugh... Fine."

With a grumble, Griffon flapped his wings and took flight as the young woman stood, hovering beside her, while trying to shake off his lingering drowsiness.

They moved to the nearest port and used the help of a starskiff. Saeko was grateful that these things existed, its like a boat and taxi combined in a way. The flight was peaceful, though she occasionally poked Griffon out of sheer boredom, much to his annoyance. She had forgotten just how strong his beak was.

After a while, they finally arrived. The Exalting Sanctum looks beautiful, she won't lie. Oh right, she must not get distracted, meeting Jing Yuan is their top priority at the moment.

"I need to remind you, it's better if we don't slip up about our true origins." Griffon whispered, standing on Saeko's shoulder.

"I know, I know, but this guy is sharp. Sometimes he may look oblivious from the outside..." She trailed off. The demon bird nodded, knowing what she would say next.

"Alright, let us hope this would be a simple convo."

"50/50 might end good or paint a target on our backs." The young woman sighed. "Don't keep your hopes high up like a balloon."

Saeko looked around and spotted a Cloud Knight, the person turned his head and motion for her to come closer. Once they got close, the knight began to speak. "Miss Miyabi, right? The general has been waiting for you. Follow me, and the bird too."

The duo exchanged glances before following the knight in silence. The air was silent as they headed to the place where Jing Yuan was waiting, Seat of Divine Foresight. When they entered, they could see statues and other things as well. Far ahead of them, a familiar man with white hair that's tied into a ponytail, waiting for them.

Sensing their presence, the man turned, his golden eyes observing them. The man smiled, and sent the Cloud Knight a nod. When the knight left, the general began to walk towards them.

"It's good to see you, miss Miyabi. Yanqing often said that you are a good teacher." His steps stopped as he stood before her.

"Did he think of me as a teacher? I never saw myself as one." Saeko shook her head. The general let out a chuckle at her response.

He turned his head, looking at one of the statues. "It is nice to have someone to watch his progress. You know how busy I am." The general turned his gaze back at her.

"Say, how do you like it here in the Xianzhou Luofu?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I like it." She smiled. "It is peaceful and pleasant."

"Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Jing Yuan, one of the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance." Jing Yuan bowed.

"I'm Hoshimi Miyabi, it's a pleasure to meet you. The bird on my shoulder is my friend, Griffon." She nodded.

"Wassup."

The general's eyes had a glint of amusement. "Didn't know that you have a bird. Yanqing said you were usually alone."

"Don't think of me as a pet." Griffon flapped his wings once. "We met at Aurum Alley and became friends."

"My apologies if I offend you."

"Why did you summon us?" Saeko placed a hand on her waist. "I doubt this is just a casual chat."

Jing Yuan nodded. "Indeed, I didn’t call you here just to talk. As you know, the Wardance is only a few weeks away, and preparations have been ongoing for the past two weeks." He began. "The security of the Xianzhou Luofu has been working tirelessly, and so far, there have been no threats. I want your help to monitor in the shadows for any suspicious activity."

"We can do that." Saeko nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"That’s all. Oh, and I hope you’ll attend the Wardance when it begins." Jing Yuan crossed his arms with a smile on his lips.

"Don't worry, we will be there. See you next time." She bowed before leaving.

-----

"I think I understand what you meant earlier." Griffon whispered, flying beside her.

"Fortunately, he has no intention to probe our origins yet." She crossed her arms as she walked.

"So, what do you think he wants from us?"

"It was like what he said, we will be watching for any suspicious movement. And because of our advantage as... Tourists, Jing Yuan knows that we have the surprise element. Bad guys won't suspect us until it's too late."

Griffon hummed. "A smart move. Though I have a bad feeling about what will happen in the future."

"We’re nearing the 2.4 events. Yes, bad things will happen a few weeks before the event begins." Her left fox ear twitched. "Ugh, I’ll have little time to train."

"Better than none at all."

(note: college is going to start soon so my updates will be slow. i hope you guys will understand because that is important to me. anyway, that's all, so if you find my chapters interesting, please leave a comment and vote, or not. bye-bye)