The Sheathing of the Sword [DRAFT; DISCARDED]

Duty, Sacrifice, Loyalty

What a glorious sight the Five Sacred Mountains of China were.

The quintet continued onwards with their trek, moving beneath the blazing glare of the sun. Takamura led the group, as calm and graceful as ever, her kimono billowing majestically in the stiff breeze. Her hair was down, gliding behind her, the kiseru lit once more and grasped between her teeth. Her hands were lost beneath the folds of her joined sleeves. Haruhiko followed, grumbling inaudibly under his breath, and Kyoji caught snippets of his nigh-silent tirade: phrases like "retired old man" and "suicide mission" and "must have a death wish" were more audible than the rest. Kyoji was beginning to think the irritable old man complained simply for the sake of it.

Following the Dragon of Death was the Dragon of Life, Felipe. Kyoji couldn't help but thinking about their titles, and the symbolism of 'life' following 'death'. Maybe he was just reading into things that weren't there, but he thought it was pretty cool. The Puerto Rican man seemed to be lost in thought, gazing skyward as he followed those before him. Kyoji's eyes flickered to the second to last person in the line, Sonic. His blonde hair stirred surprisingly lightly with the persistent wind the group trudged against; perhaps it was because it wasn't long enough to do so. His hands were in his pockets, sleeves rolled up to his elbows as usual, and his black sunglasses, usually nestled in his hair, rested on the bridge of his nose.

Sonic turned back to glance at the youngest companion, eyes hidden behind his shades. He smiled apologetically, noticing quickly how difficult it was for Kyoji to breathe. The air had thinned out considerably as they rose in elevation, and the oxygen with it. "Please try to bear with it, Kyoji-san," he said, as polite as ever. "Gomen nasai. I wish there was something I could do to help you out." Kyoji was gasping quietly for breath, and Sonic knew it couldn't have been easy on him. "You get used to it. Believe it or not, Haruhiko-sama, Takamura-sama, and Felipe-sama weren't able to travel here as easily as they can now years ago.

Kyoji had to admit, he thought it was rather odd for a non-Japanese man to speak phrases from his native language. At the same time, however, he considered it a polite and interested attempt to learn about Japanese culture. Kyoji knew he was able to speak so fluently because, as Haruhiko's assistant for years, as well as living in Japan, he had been required to; he had told him as much when they had been talking a day ago after Takamura had asked him to leave. Trying to ignore his difficulty breathing, Kyoji thought he could escape in his thoughts, as Felipe seem to have done.

***

Kyoji huffed, shuffling dispiritedly out of the bar. Sonic appeared at the door moments later, exiting the tavern to keep him company. Kyoji glanced about: empty wine bottles, plastic bags floating about in the deserted alleyway, gritty walls and a maze of dead ends. All in all, a seedy alleyway for a seedy tavern. 'How fitting,' he thought irritably.

He slumped against the wall facing the door they had just exited, glaring at it in annoyance. Sonic chose to stand beside the door, so as to let Kyoji face him. He had his hands in his pockets, one foot against the wall for support and a demure smile on his handsome face.

"You'll have to forgive them, Kyoji-san. They are dealing with sensitive topics, ones that I very much doubt you're ready to hear. Some things are best not leaked, nor overheard.

"Then why a bar?" he asked, incredulous at Sonic's explanation of the Dragons' behaviour. "It's filled with people, surely someone would overhear?"

Sonic chuckled. "Only if it's quiet. At first glance, a bar would be the last place one would think to discuss matters of importance. After all, there are those of questionable character who tend to gather in such places. But upon closer scrutiny, one realizes that a bar is perhaps safe for the very reason many think it unsafe." Kyoji looked nonplussed, and Sonic continued, clearing up his point further. "A bar is filled with people, and as such, loud. They're unlikely to be overheard, with so much chatter buzzing about. The same could not be said in a solitary location, where the quiet atmosphere would serve to betray their secret conference much more easily."