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That was the last thing I heard before I fell into a deep slumber.
CHAPTER12
Who Is The Real Enemy, My Love?
"This is the place where we got the tip," Aki declared. Yoshi nodded, adjusting his sword, which was securely in its scabbard strapped to his waist.
"Another crystal is here," I announced, feeling the pull that had happened last time, as well as the heat of the pocket watch on my neck.
"You feel it, Crimson?" Haru asked, coming over to stand next to me.
I nodded and turned my head to give him a determined grin. "Yes. It's definitely here," I confirmed, sliding my hand in his. He beamed at the action, squeezing my hand back.
The others gathered before me, all of them ready for battle.
They wore armor-type gear created by the blacksmith at the palace. It was just in case we got ambushed again like last time, so we'd be protected and ready for action.
I, on the other hand, wore a short traditional kimono with my twin swords strapped to the belt on my waist, one on each side. The outfit was pink and gold. The silk fabric was pink with white cherry blossom petals, and the trimming was gold, which matched the belt. I'd questioned how this outfit would do anything to help protect me, but Yomato explained it was made for Kitsune shifters with the purpose of giving us agility.
Our primary strength was our speed, so wearing pants or anything constricting our legs would be more of a hindrance than anything. With the added freedom I'd have with my tails, it was the best option. I looked down to the talisman around my ankle. I’d put a few other bracelets around it so no one would realize my true reason for wearing it.
I didn't have dreams specifically about Quil anymore, only experiencing random ones here and there. As for Storm taking over, she hadn't made an appearance since the hospital. I could still sense her essence within me, but it was more subdued than it had been.
Thanks to the talisman, I felt like myself: confident and ready to get the next crystal. With how strongly the pocket watch burned, I knew it was close.
Really close.
"Why the hell do I have to be a part of this mission?"
I mentally groaned and fought the desire to roll my eyes at Erica's voice. We looked to our left, seeing her and five of the top soldiers Yomato could provide us for the scouting mission approaching us. All of the men had on armor like my guys, and Erica wore a similar outfit to mine, but in a red and black material.
"I question why myself," I huffed.
She shot me an irritated look and Yoshimitsu sighed.
“Erica, please. This isn't a playground. We can't afford for this search to fail, so everyone, please cooperate,” he said with a stern voice.
We all nodded, and Erica and I turned away from each other.
I didn't want to deal with the stern Yoshimitsu right now, and he did have a point. We wouldn't get a second chance with this tip, which had been from a reputable source.
Hakua had been doing a tour in these parts with Jeff and their parents when they spotted someone who looked like James in the area. Hakua had tracked him long enough to get a quick picture but had no idea where he went. Upon asking a few locals, we learned that the man with red eyes had been here for a few days, claiming he was a part of a company who was searching for a stolen jewel that went missing almost three months ago.
Even if this ended up being a trap, we weren't underprepared like we were last time. That was why all of us had come as a team and were planning to stick close to each other. Adding Erica and the other guards ensured that if we did get split up, we'd be in good hands.
"Fine. Let's get this over with. I have a nail appointment at four,” Erica huffed.
"Let's get going. Everyone in twos. Erica and Crimson, right up front. Haru and Quillian, in the middle. You two both have good long range attacks and can defend us on either side if trouble brews. Aki and I will be in the back, and Itsuki, you'll be in front with one of the guards. Walk further ahead to clear out anything dangerous and let us know if something is approaching. Any questions?"
"Are we gonna go in this formation the entire time? It will take us three days to go through the entire forest this way," Erica pointed out.
"She has a point, even if it kills me to agree with her," I acknowledged. I knew Yoshi was trying to protect me and wanted us going in groups, but the clock was ticking. "We don't need to spread out like before, but we'd be wasting time and risk alerting the enemy if we don't do this as quickly as we can."
"Fine. Itsuki and two of the guards, head north. Crimson and Erica, you follow them but keep a good distance and scout the area. One of the guards stays behind Crim and Erica, just to make sure no one is coming from the rear. Aki and I will take the south side. Quil, go with Malachi to the west. Haru, go with Itsuki to the east. We’ll check back here in three hours or if we sense any commotion. You all have your phones on you?" Yoshi asked.
"Hai!" we said in unison.
"Alright, let's get going," Yoshi encouraged. I pulled out my phone, checking to make sure it was on and the tracking system was working. I wasn’t going to be kidnapped and thrown on a mountain twice.
