Clan Thief

Chapter 3

I knocked on the door to Don's dojo. "Don, we need to talk. You got time?" He opened his door eccentrically. "Kari? What do you--" He saw the body laying on my shoulder and stopped. He must have thought I've done something.

"What are you doing with that...boy? What's wrong with him?" He started eyeing him. "He called Satomi a "grandma." Don chuckled quietly. "Alright," he widened the door. "Come on in." I plopped him down on the fluffy rocking chair lying in front of the walkway. I patted my hands and exhaled deeply. "Boy, is he heavy?" Don giggled and folded his arms on his chest. A beam of sweat dripped down my forehead. I swept it away. I never realized that Vortex was already dry. Don walked to his kitchen.

"Well, I guess I should make some tea. It might wake your little friend up." I twiddled with my fingers in my lap. I kept turning my attention to Vortex, curious. How hard did she hit you? I snapped back into focus when Don called my name. "Hey Kari, What's your friend's name anyways?"

"Vortex."

"Huh, what an odd name. Where'd you meet him?" I heard the porcelain cups clinking together.

"I met him when I was checking on Lady Kana." He had a large, square table laying in the middle of the room. I sat down on my legs in front of it.

"What was he doing there?"

"Apparently he was there to check on her too. I wanted him to come with me." I could hear the tea being poured into the cups.

"Kari, I'll be honest. That wasn't smart of you. What if he betrays us?" He set down the cups and leaned out of the kitchen to yell at me.

I shook my head. "I don't think that would ever happen. I have a good feeling about him."

He came back with two small cups of green tea. He set mine down on the table in front of me. He sits down on the opposite side. "I made an extra one too, just in case if he wakes up." I took a slow sip from the tea. He makes it just perfect. The perfect temperature, a tiny mint taste, and just a hint of sweetness. He knows me like a father. "I hope you know I didn't just come to drink tea," I put down my cup. "There is something urgent I need to talk to you about. Lady Kana unfortunately was dead when I found her, which is why we are here. We want you to train us hard so we can take her down and avenge the death of Lady Kana."

I saw him put down his cup and blankly stare into it. "Lady Kana... Is... Dead?" I sighed and gave him a slight nod. He sighed back. "Alright, I'll help you. Actually, I'll fight with you." He looked back up to me. My eyes filled with hope. "You will, Really?!" He inclined. "But we can't plan an attack just yet. Chances are this woman's gonna be hard to beat, let alone kill. We need to do a little research before we can even infiltrate her base." My hands moved to my face. I sat admiring the thought of how strong she can be. He looked back to the kitchen table. "Man, that boy's tea must be getting cold. You guys should come back tomorrow and start your training once he's all rested up." I took the last sip of my tea. "I'll come here every other day. I'll do some research the other days. How's that sound?" He nodded and took one last sip of his tea. Once Vortex was slung over my shoulder again, I waved at Don and opened the door.

"Oh, and one more thing," He stopped me. "Make sure he's ready by tomorrow; and don't forget to leave your door open!" He got a good laugh out of it, but I wasn't smiling. I grimaced at him with a blush and closed the door.

Satomi saw him laying over my shoulder. "Did I really hit him that hard? He's still knocked out?" All I did was nod. I was too tired to talk. "Just keep him in your room, he'll wake up soon." She turned back to her desk. The floorboards on the stairs leading to my room started to croak. Once I reached the top step, I sighed and closed my bedroom door.