Chapter Eight: Nikkei's Bare Hands — Part 4

Nikkei fell to her knees, bracing herself with her sword, ready to guard against the massive dragon, should it choose to strike again.

“Who has sent you to this house I now own, Master Blue Dragon?” Orchid demanded.

“We are here by our own free will. Master Yoshi speaks ill of you and yours.” Master Blue Dragon replied, its voice a variegated hiss of dissatisfaction and curiosity.

“They are here because I woke them.” Yoshi said, stepping in front of the metal dragon.

Dressed in a warrior’s bender suit, Yoshi’s spear stood more than two feet higher than his head. “You must understand that Amber promised this Empire to my Nikkei, until the slut proved lacking. I served Amber for the length and width of my life and was betrayed everything, in the end.”

“Father, I had no idea you would choose such ruthless acts.” Nikkei said forcing herself back to standing.

Orchid let out a distracted sigh. “Nikkei is our full partner, Master Yoshi. Perhaps you can step down and accept your fate without hindering hers.”

“Enough!” Yoshi yelled, dropping his spear and running toward Bamboo.

Nikkei put herself between the twins and her father. “Please father.” Nikkei screamed, praying that Spunky and Glyph would spare the man’s life, wrongly thinking that her father would spare hers.

Jun moved quickly, slamming into Yoshi’s bad shoulder before his spear could reach its target. Yoshi fell painfully onto his back, gasping, the spear held in his tightened grip.

Jun translated for Swift who whistled out words in a rather purgative tone. “Nikkei is not Amber’s child. Why would you ever expect her to pass her riches onto a child she cannot call her own? Amber lacks such selfless capability.”

Jun yanked Yoshi’s spear from his hands. “I have fought Lord Imus Chen to a near draw, and you are no Imus Chen, Master Yoshi. No matter your ambitions, you and yours will not get past my blade.”

“Kill them.” Yoshi ordered, rising back to fight.

Master Blue Dragon assessed Yoshi, then Jun, Alon, and even Nikkei. with Its four sets of glittery eyes scanned the room and all its contents. Dozens of silver dragons waited for their Master to make a decision. Blue cracked its neck, turned to Yoshi, opened its mouth, and unleashed a wave of raw energy that swallowed Yoshi in blinding light. When the light diminished, Yoshi collapsed, moaning in pain.

“We will return to our home now, Miss Orchid Bizaar, and guard the wilds to the south for you, as we did for Amber, and for Ambria, in times long gone. We will not engage with you and yours again.” Master Blue Dragon said something in Swift’s language, to which Swift replied back, but the off-world and nonhume language had little expression of hume emotion. Jun whistled something in return. “Yes Master Jun, we will consider your offer.” The Dragons left the mansion, damaged as it was, and Yoshi with his life intact. Orchid wondered what she could hope to gain by showing compassion to Master Yoshi, but showed it just the same.

“We’re starting to hate you, sir.” Bamboo said, focused on Yoshi.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Yoshi said, his voice filled with spite. When Nikkei bent down to help her father up, Yoshi smacked her away, nearly knocking her off her feet. “You disgust me.” Yoshi said, rising to a standing position. “If I might leave now?” He said to Orchid.

Spunky didn’t give anybody the option of waiting for a command. The bander went on the bitter offensive, tearing holes in Yoshi’s bender suit and leaving telltale trails of burned skin and blood in the wake of its dissecting beams. Orchid did what she could to stop Spunky from its assault, which in moments had all of Yoshi’s body covered in painful looking lines that seemed to be something of a mix between welts, cuts, and burns.

“Stop.” Orchid said several times, knowing the bander would rip Yoshi to pieces without her insistence.

“I have waited too many quiet, miserable years for this chance.” Spunky said. “Too many years in exile on a rock nursing two spoiled brats because promises were made and rules were broken.”

Glyph dropped in close. “Please, Spunky, I beg of you, respect Orchid’s wishes. Let Yoshi grow from this.”

Yoshi, whose damaged suit still somehow held the power to open a hole between two points in space, stepped into a Snap field, leaving behind a confused assortment of adrenaline pumped youth.

“Miss Dawson, can you explain this?” Orchid looked around, finding the representative had left. “Miss Dawson?”

Bamboo spoke up. “She left during the fight. Ever known a politician to be anywhere near the problem they claim to be trying to solve?”

“Is it true what you said about me being your partner?” Nikkei said.

“Of course. You’re the one everybody preened for the job.” Bamboo said. “We’re just a couple of slobs they tried to hide away from everything.”

Nikkei let her head drop. “I’m so sorry you got pulled into all of this.”

“Perhaps you could tell us why.” Orchid suggested.

To which Nikkei’s only answer was to collapse from exhaustion into unconsciousness.

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