Phoenix

Questioning

Sting sat outside the apartment building waiting for Emi to make her way down. He closed his eyes when he was gently kicked.

"Don't tell me you're already tired?" Emi asked with a glint in her eye.

"You were taking too long."

Emi helped the dragon slayer up before leading him to the train. Lector landed on top of her head and stayed there until they got on the train.

"What's the job anyway?"

When Emi got no response, she looked to her left to see Sting looking like he was extremely sick. She let out a small "oh" before giggling to herself. Lector had fallen asleep across from her, so she passed the time by reading her book on armor magic.

"Emi, you...gotta help me," Sting pleaded from the floor.

She shut her book and sighed before pulling him off the floor and guiding him down to her lap. His motion sickness calmed down instantly and his breathing slowed.

--------------------------------------

"So it's a dark guild?"

Sting continued to catch his breath as they walked from the train station. He leaned up against a tree while he explained the request.

"Apparently there's a dark guild that's been threatening the townspeople. They're small in number so I figured that we would be able to handle them ourselves."

Emi hummed as she led Sting and Lector to the inn. They checked in and dropped off their stuff before going to the town's outskirts.

"Do you know their schedule?"

Sting then explained that they usually come once a week to collect the ransom payment.

"Ransom? They took someone hostage?"

"Yeah, apparently it's the daughter of the head guard here."

The three of them sat at the entrance to the town and waited. They all spotted a small group of wizards making their way to the town carrying swords and other weapons. Emi sighed before standing up and dusting off her clothes.

"Will you all just leave this town alone? I'm in a fowl mood and I won't hold back as much."

The group laughed before commenting that there was nothing one small boy could do to stop them. Emi turned back to Sting, completely ignoring the group.

"Boy? Again? Why do people always do this?"

"Uh, Emi?"

"I'm not a child and I'm certainly not a boy--"

"Emi, I think you might want to turn arou--"

"And why do people always assume that I'm a guy? Why do they--"

"If you're really a girl," the leader spoke, "why don't you show us that pretty little body you have going on? I bet you have--"

Before the guy could finish, Emi had turned around and elbowed him in the face, causing him to fly back about thirty feet. The other wizards looked at Emi in horror before readying themselves for her next attack.

"Hasn't anyone told you to let a woman speak? It's quite rude. Now will you please give back the girl you've taken hostage?"

They all looked at each other before the whole group lunged at her. Sting quickly stood up and yanked Emi behind him.