Chapter 3: 2 | °°
Gin could confidently say that these were indeed peaceful times, but in front of this person... it would be a delusion. They almost single-handedly caused a war between Jade and the Federation of Varin. They went around plundering and fighting wherever they could. They had no concept of peace; just chaos. And such a person had an army of loyal followers in several kingdoms aside from Yerek.
Looking at them now, Gin could see their face clearly, the same one that was on every village, town, and city's Most Wanted posters. Of course, no one would go looking for Flower, even with that lump some of a bounty. Who would want to meet their ancestors so soon? Flower didn't wear a robe, just baggy trousers, and a well-fitting vest that had straps everywhere. Straps that help various daggers and who knew what else.
From Flower's companion's greatsword, Gin surmised him to be Kiri The Wanderlust, and the 'Wanderlust' part was just being wistful. Traveling in the vast world to get to fight the strongest of each village, city, kingdom, and beyond! It mattered not where or how as long as you were strong he would be knocking at your door for a good, but unnecessary, ramble.
"Yes, greetings," Flower agreed with a vicious smile.
Soon they parted, sparks and air ripples flying from their weapons. It was as if they hadn't moved at all as they came back to the same spot. But, this time they didn't get into a deadlock, but played offense-defense, each one trying to get the best of the other. Kiri gripped his greatsword and slashed it down as if it weighed as little as air. Flower didn't wait for the sword to reach them as they sidestepped away from the slash, if they hadn't, they would have been cut in half with as much ease as Kiri holding that greatsword. Flower dashed in haste to the right and thrust their shortsword forward intending to plunge it into Kiri's exposed side.
Kiri pivoted away and had his descending sword move with his spin, slashing diagonally towards Flower. This didn't deter Flower at all, they nimbly avoided the slash as it passed them. Without missing a beat, Flower lunged at Kiri again. Kiri was already taking a step back, he made enough room to swing at Flower from a low angle intending to hack the latter's head off. Flower didn't seem bothered by losing their chance, instead, they looked like they were enjoying themselves; a little too much.
Flower took out a dagger secured with one of the straps on their back and raised it to block the sword strike rising from their side. The second they felt the contact of their dagger on Kiri's greatsword, they directed the sword to be over them and pounced. Their eyes on Kiri's abdomen and the greatsword their guide as they covered the little space between them. Instead of abandoning his sword, Kiri gripped it tighter than earlier, and pressed down with all his might. He applied pressure on the advancing Flower, which caused them to stop pursuing him and roll out of the way of the greatsword.
"You little rat," Kiri cursed as he took a step towards the sneaky Flower who now had their shortsword and dagger ready for him.
"What are you so angry about, brother mine?" Flower laughed as they slashed away at Kiri, only to have the greatsword artfully block their every attempt. Flower had truly missed these kinds of fights.
"The Star Laver, you stole it!" Kiri said furiously. But, they both knew he wasn't really angry, his joyful eyes and smile giving him away. He may hold a grudge against Flower, but it was merely an excuse to fight. Quite frankly, any excuse could have worked. The two had fought over the shape of a cloud once, so...
"Ah, that..." Flower pretended to be deep in thought, meanwhile, still very intent on poking a few holes in Kiri. "It's a pity, I just went there, and it was handed over to me, what can I say? First come, first served."
Although Flower made it sound so frivolous, the Star Laver, a white-red crystal cube, was a great religious relic from the North-Western continent where the Grand Duchy of Mumia was located, and the religion of Taguen originated from. A country with vast influences gained from its mining and supplying of iron and smithing arts second to the gods, or so they claimed. The relic was of great importance due to its mythical ability of being able to communicate with the Gods of Iron, but it was only one of many relics in dominant religions that were claimed to have the ability to talk to the gods.
A well-known item, one that received intense ridicule, was a chair that a Grand Minister of the Braquen religion—which had the highest number of devotees in the Sado Era and the main religion of Jade—sat on and received visions from the gods to be relayed to certain key figures of a country. These items fetched for a high reward in the Underground Markets, the markets weren't necessarily underground, although a few were. The term was adopted for the markets that sold all things forbidden, illegal, and deadly.
Getting the items could be tricky. The prayer Tower used by the Taguen devotees, in the main Capital of Mu, had been raided twice before and used as a reference by other religious sites to set up security at the highest level to prevent such crimes and losses. The Taguen Tower elders did note their own misfortune and learned from them, but when a walking disaster made its way to your door, it all became redundant. Saying that what Flower did was blasphemous would be an understatement, because...
"My ass! You took it from them and burned the place down. I paid a hefty price for that!" Kiri spat in disdain.
One thing, of many, to be remembered, religious sites tended to be more flamboyant than offer the simple convenience of one reaching out to the gods, and maybe, by some miracle, vise versa. Paying for the damages demanded more than a single Gold Slip; the highest currency recognized in the Sado Era—although, the Nation of Jade did make things difficult for economic peace with its intervention of wanting the Jade Slip to be supreme instead. The penalty fee was to be used to cover elaborate designs and expensive decorations to please the gods.
However, if one did know how to get around the accusations and rulings from the wronged devotees… Say, by using their own religious laws against them, reminding them of their need to set a good example for others, and if the said someone threatened to use their infamous status of a fight-seeking legend to spread falsehoods that could be taken seriously by a certain religious group that would cause them migraines… a single Gold Slip was all one needed to pay as they left the victims in tears of sorrow and regret.
"Ah, now see... if you were like me, you wouldn't have wasted your cheap change. Once you decide something belongs to you, you take it. If it's gifted to you, you take it. If it can't be given to you... well, you take it. Why? It belongs to you, of course." With that, Flower parried away Kiri's greatsword and aimed a kick to his head.
Kiri snorted in disdain, he held his greatsword with one hand and raised it as a shield, supporting the sword's body with his forearm, and guarded his head. The kick had looked quite casual, but who would have known it would send Kiri skidding a few meters away? Gin definitely didn't.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
RedNuru
RedNuru A good read? Add to it to your library and don't miss any updates!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone