Legend Reborn

Chapter 33: Runaway Family

 It was a tough year for me after I lost Kip. I stopped going to school, and really going out in general. I guess I was afraid that if I got too close to anyone, something awful would happen to them. That's why I only went to combat training for a long time. I didn't see any harm in learning how to fight. Maybe that way I would be able to protect the things that are important to me.

One particularly memorable night, I was walking home from training through some of the richer neighborhoods. The three Territories thrive off of different industries, and the wealthiest Eagles live in the affluent neighborhoods in the Eagle Territory's capital. They are the people who have ownership of the most successful trade routes or production secrets. The Bears use their strength to mine ore and cut lumber. The Wolves use their speed to grow crops and raise livestock. The Eagles use their wisdom to create handy things using the raw materials provided by the other clans. Needless to say there are a lot of wealthy Eagles, but there are plenty of poor Eagles too. I was one of the latter.

Anyway, I was walking home through the rich neighborhoods when something completely unexpected happened. It's an unwritten rule that people with money build walls or fences around their houses. No one seems to notice, but they all do it. I was walking past one of the countless houses when someone dropped down onto the street from one of the aforementioned walls. My first thought was that it's a burglar, but I decided to wait and see what happened.

The figure looked around before standing up straight. It was hard to tell what he looked like since he was partially obscured by the dark. That's when he noticed me and froze. A tense moment passed between the two of us as we waited for the other to make a move. I ended up breaking the silence first.

"I h-hope you're not a t-thief, otherwise I'll have to a-apprehend you," I told him.

"I promise I'm not a thief," the figure said. "Please don't tell anyone you saw me."

"And why should I do that?" I asked suspiciously.

"I-I'm not up to no good!" the figure insisted while waving his hands. "I just...well...it's difficult to explain." He fell silent without elaborating further.

I placed a hand on my training sword in case he would try anything, but he tickled my curiosity too. "I have time."

The figure stepped out of the shadow to reveal a shy, round face with big brown eyes. "My name is Kiku Honda." He bowed. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Honda? Isn't that one of the richest families around?" I asked in surprise.

The Eagle hung his head in shame. "Yes, it is."

"Why are you jumping over the wall of your own house?" My voice was beginning to rise. "What the heck is going on?"

"Please, keep your voice down," Kiku said urgently. "I can explain, but not here."

"You're sneaking out," I realized. An amused grin stretched across my face. "What are you up to?"

The dark haired Eagle looked around nervously. "I would really like to discuss this somewhere else..."