Night Messenger

Yamada, Blood Moon, and Blaze meet at a CM village checkpoint on a humid summer's night. Mosquitoes fly around the lanterns in the muggy air. As they enter, Yamada notices Gina Nackiomi drinking a glass of tea. He walks over to her and boast, "We captured Royal Dragon yesterday. Didn't you meet him once in the UR (Union Republic)?" Gina's eyes open and her jaw drops as she hears the news. She says, "What happened? Is he safe?" Blaze says, "He's fine, but his friends Eratic was left for dead and Heidi Dawson was killed." Yamada snorts, "Why would you care? That Royal Dragon was a chump anyway." Gina says, "What do you want with him?" Yamada answers, "He's going to be a hostage of ours. The Kogasuma Emperor will pay anything to get him back. I may even demand Rex Peterson to hand us the money." Gina looks saddened and puzzled as she grips her glass and swallows the cool tea. Yamada adds, "Keep out of this girl, don't get any bright ideas." Yamada and Blaze head to a nearby tavern  to celebrate. Gina asks Blood Moon as she walk by, "Did they hurt him? Where is he being held?" Blood Moon looks into the night's air and says, "I am sworn to secrecy regarding his whereabouts Miss Nackiomi. He is generally unharmed." As Blood Moon walks away Gina wipes the sweat from her brow and thinks to herself, "I have to help him escape. We had a real connection when we met all those months ago. He seemed like a good hearted man when I met him. I at least have to help him." Gina grabs her Nagianta and briskly walks out of town.

Royal Dragon opens his eyes and looks around the room he was placed in. He stands and sees he is in a cellar. A dirt floor, a small cot, a commode, and a small desk are in this poorly lit room. He walks to the door and he hears Zen Hojo bark, "Stand back from the door or else you will not be fed." Royal Dragon says, "What are your plans for me? Why did you capture me?" Zen Hojo replies angrily, "Shut up!" Royal Dragon looks around the room to see if any sources of escape are possible. He finds none. He walk to the desk and sits on a small wooden chair and looks at his torn shirt. He puts on a green T-shirt that is on his cot. He thinks to himself, "What do these guys want? I should have brought more backup personnel to the duel. I only hope my family treads easily on any attempt to negotiate with these savages."

Gina runs through the night as fast as her legs can carry her. She reaches a place where she thinks she my find help, the Fox cabin. JC Fox is watching lightning bugs as they fly in the night's sky and notices Gina running toward the cabin at full speed. JC laughingly says, "Slow down, I'm not going anywhere." Gina says, "Hello JC, I'm so glad to see you. Is Melinda here?" JC says, "I'm glad to see you too. What's the rush? Mellie's here." Melinda comes walking over from a small Koi pond and says, "Gina, what is the matter?" Gina falls to her knees and cries, "Please help me. Yamada and the Shockers have captured Royal Dragon Juno Kamihoto. They killed Heidi Dawson and may have killed Eratic. Do you know where they may be holding him?" JC says, "Why would you care? Do you have feeling toward Juno?" Gina pants, her body soaked in sweat as she pleads, "I think he is a just man and may have fallen into a trap." JC says, "You didn't answer my question." Gina looks up to Melinda and lightly places her hands on Melinda's feet and cries, "Please help me. I know you are the only ones that can help Juno in any way. I beg of you to consider any way of helping Juno." Melinda says, "Stand up Gina. We are friends, you surely don't have to beg me for help. I can't break him out of his captivity if they aren't going to kill him, but I'll see if I can visit him." JC says, "This has really upset you.", as she sees tears coming from Gina's eyes. Gina looks at both Melinda and JC and says, "If you can help him in any way I'll be eternally grateful. Please help!" JC says, "Go take a dip in the brook, it's cool and it will relax you." Gina looks at Melinda and she nods with agreement. Gina wipes the tears from her eyes and grabs Melinda and JC's hands and kiss them and says, "Thank you!" As Gina walks to the nearby brook, JC says to Melinda, "What is that all about? I didn't know Yamada was kidnapping Kogasuma royals. She is surely upset about this." Melinda says, "She likes Juno Kamihoto. I don't think it's love, but she has a strong interest in him. Juno is one of Rex Peterson's disciples and as a favor to Gina first, and as an act of homage to Peterson for helping me three years ago, I'll look into this. I'm curious to know why Yamada and the Shockers want Juno." JC says, "Do you want me to come with you sis?" Melinda looks at JC's questioning, smiling face and says, "Stay here. Valerie will be back soon and she'll worry if no one is here." JC says, "I'll worry if you are gone. At least tell me were you're going when you find his location." Melinda nods and says, "Sure thing!"

Yamada walks through the woods near the CM base with Pee Wee and talk about a new summer tournament. As he walks he is startled by the sudden appearance of Melinda Fox from behind him. Pee Wee and Yamada jump back as Melinda says, "I need to know were Juno Kamihoto is?" Yamada snarls, "Don't do that again. As for Royal Juno, it's none of your business. Did Gina tell you about this?" Melinda says, "I just want to see him and see if he's okay. Nothing more." Yamada yells, "You're very tricky. Gina wants him out and she's your friend. No way scarecrow!" Melinda looks at Yamada and Pee Wee for a few seconds and then turns and slowly walks away. Yamada runs to her and says, "Where are you going? You give up like that." Melinda turns and looks at him in silence. Yamada says, "Okay, he's at the old mill warehouse at Cartashane. He's in the basement cellar." Melinda says, "That's all I asked. I will not make any attempt to free him." Yamada says, "The Shockers will be guarding him in shifts. You will have to tend to them." Melinda vanishes within the woods. Yamada says to Pee Wee, "Suzanne's daughters continue to confound me."

Royal Dragon has spent his third day in captivity pondering whether to write a letter for his release. It is now late night and he has only received a few glasses of water and stale biscuits to eat since becoming a captive. Royal Dragon thinks, "I really have to write this letter. The Shockers have warned that I would be tortured if I don't write this letter and my family will still know I was missing. I can't have the Kogasuma nation involved in this. It would shame the Emperor and my family. I have to find a way to escape or maybe to notify Rex. He could help." Royal Dragon lays on his cot and looks at the old, musty ceiling in deep thought. Around midnight he hears Yakenzo talking to someone outside  the cell's door. Suddenly a woman dressed in red and black appears. He recognizes her from Rex's description as Melinda Fox. She walk toward the desk and  places a bag onto it. She says, "Hello, I'm Melinda Fox. Gina wished to know of your condition." Royal Dragon sits up and says, "Thank you for coming. A friend of Gina is a friend of mine,...I hope" Melinda opens the bag and places a bunch of bananas, an orange, a bottle of juice, a chocolate bar, a box of raisins, and a loaf of wheat bread onto the table. She says, "It's not much but I hope this helps." Royal Dragon says, "Thank you for coming and thank you for bringing food. They have barely fed me." Royal Dragon studies Melinda Fox as she looks around the cell, being somewhat amazed at her unguarded manner as she walks around, not guarding herself from any possible attacks. He thinks, "She looks so menacing in her red and black uniform. Why did Gina send her?" She picks up the papers on the desk and looks through them. Royal Dragon thinks, "This woman is of great power, both physically and mentally. Rex told me about his encounter with her." Melinda turns and says, "I will give Peterson a note. He could help." She then turns and starts to walk toward the door, but Royal Dragon pleads, "Why would you do that?" Melinda turns and looks at him in silence. Royal Dragon looks into her piercing green eyes and thinks, "Those eyes are like razors but I can see a good, honorable soul behind them." She says nothing and turns and scribbles something on a small piece of paper. He asks, "I have one question. Rex told me about you and the way he helped you find those who killed your mother. He mentioned 28/60. Is that true?" Melinda turns and says, "That is nothing worth boasting about." Royal Dragon says, "It is rumored that the CM Lord wanted to test your skills and asked you to kill as many CM soldiers as possible within a time period of 60 seconds, barehanded, without a weapon, and you killed 28 in that time." Melinda says, "Those were 28 souls that were killed for an old man's amusement. Your brother's act of saving all those lives in the dam blast event is something that is much more noteworthy." Royal Dragon looks at her hands and thinks of what they are capable of. As she reaches the door, Royal Dragon says, "Is Gina okay?" Melinda says, "Yes, she is fine", as she exits the cell. Royal Dragon sits at the desk and eats one of the bananas and thinks, "I'll write that letter tomorrow. By then Rex should know and the Emperor will be at ease. These coarse of events have taken an interesting turn."

Diablo Batista questions Yakenzo about Melinda Fox's meeting with Royal Dragon. Batista shouts, "What did she want with Royal Dragon?" Yakenzo answers, "She said she was here to check up on him as a favor to Yamada. She said Yamada was unable to travel here because he had to have surgery to relieve swelling on his face from the fight." Batista howls, "Why did he send her? Why not Pee Wee or Ocuma Shimoru?" Batista simmers and paces and says, "It really doesn't matter. Royal Dragon wrote a letter this morning. I guess she talk some sense into him." Batista turns to Shadow Tonata and says, "Keep an eye on the Foxes. If they come here again, inform me at once." Tonata nods yes. Batista shouts, "I've decided to ask for 500,000 tales of gold now. The Kogasuma owes that to my old clan when they raided our vessels when I was a boy. Emperor Sanamoto will soon see who has the power in the CM now."

On that same morning, Rex Peterson awakes and finds a red and black arrow stuck in a tree outside of his cottage. He looks around and notices that everything is normal. He pulls the arrow from the tree and finds it has a note attached. He opens it up and reads it:

 "Royal Dragon Juno Kamihoto is being held against his will at the Cartashane Mill. He is safe but he's being held by the CM Shocker clan. They plan to demand a ransom from the Kogasuma emperor."

Rex looks at the arrow and thinks to himself for a second. He thinks, "This has to be Melinda Fox warning me. Juno never returned nor did Eratic or Heidi. I'll have to inform the emperor and get a strike force gathered." Rex then walks into his cottage and prepares for his journey to the Imperial Palace.

Continues in Time of the Dragons....

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