Paragon

Hisui Incursion [5]

PARAGON

Hisui Incursion Arc [5]

Chapter 57 : Yura

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Sabrina's eyes opened the next morning of their own accord. Her room was windowless, but she could more or less tell how bright it was outside due to the light that filtered through the paper screens of the wooden door. She listened for a moment and soon heard Akari's steady breathing beside her. She was still asleep.

Should she get up now?

She'd already missed a day of training yesterday, buried beneath Jubilife Church. Missing another day would only make her more anxious. And in this situation that they found themselves in, curbing her anxiety was even more important than usual.

Silently, she peeled out of her futon. It only took a minute to change out of her yukata, and then she was faced with how to freshen up. Laventon and Rei were likely still asleep in the main room with the sink, and unlike modern versions, it was squeaky and loud.

Closing her eyes, her gauntlets whirred momentarily and she flicked her wrist. Immediately, her hair straightened and fell back on her shoulders. Her face instantly felt lighter, and the taste of morning breath in her mouth vanished.

She tried not to do this. Brushing her hair, washing her face, and brushing her teeth were all tasks she could accomplish with a literal flick of her wrist, but she really tried not to. She was human. The only way that claim held water was if she acted like one.

She slid open the door to the main room and as expected, Laventon and Rei were both still asleep. She stepped around them and slipped outside.

It was about six in the morning. She didn't know that because she was some survivalist who could tell time based on the position of the sun; she just knew because she woke up at the same time every day, and had for years. It was the same last night, waking up in that pitch-black little room. She'd simply waited for Kamado to come and collect her.

Light had just started to descend on the Sanctuary and it was silent out. A soft wind caressed her face, reminding her of the season since it had an icy bite to it. No matter. She'd done her training in the cold before.

Luckily, the sun was just beginning to peek over the mountains in the distance, so she could still do her training. And as it happened, there was a small hill a short walk away from Laventon's house.

But it seemed she wasn't the only early riser. Someone was already up on that hill.

Sabrina swallowed and started toward the hill. The grass felt moist beneath her sandals as she walked.

Riley turned upon hearing her approach. "Ah, Sabrina. Good morning." He smiled politely.

She put up a hand.

From this slight loft, they could overlook the small plaza of houses where Laventon lived, and the more cramped central part of the Sanctuary where most of the market lay. Now that she was up here, Sabrina could see a few people off in the distance, over in the fields, and in front of a few shops, setting up for the day.

"It's oddly tranquil here," Riley said. "You'd never know people and pokémon are at such odds seeing this."

So he said, but the pastures Akari had mentioned lined the wall further away, and though she couldn't make out any individual species from here, Sabrina could tell they were tightly caged and separated cleanly from the rest of society. It looked like there were several guards standing watch over those sectioned pens—members of the Security Corps, probably.