The group had been walking in the rain for a few minutes now. Kisa skirted a glance at the girl.

The girl suddenly looked up, as if just struck by something. She smiled at Kisa and said. "By the way, I don't think I have properly introduced myself. I am Ferendil of the Yellow Lotus. This," she gestured towards the man. "is Giron, a warlock and my right hand man."

Wrinkling her brow in thought, Kisa said. "I thought the Lotus was violet, not yellow."

Ferendil laughed. "The Lotus clan is violet in original. The Yellow Lotus is my private group of elites. Only a few trustworthy individuals are part of it."

"Oh…" Kisa looked at her a little longer and asked again. "How come you don't look like a Lotus? I mean, you look more like a Dragon or a Serpent." The warlock shot her an angry look as Ferendil answered. "I'm afraid that is a classified secret that only a very select few may know." Chuckling a little, she added. "It is, what you call, a himitsu."

The girl laughed at Kisa's bulging eyes and shocked expression before saying "I know all the four clan's languages and you," she eyed Kisa knowingly "are no doubt a Dragon clan member."

"All?"

Ferendil nodded.

"Why?"

Staring up at the sky and letting droplets of rain fall on her face, the girl replied, her eyes closed. "It was more of a requirement for me…"

"Oh…"

They continued to walk in silence until Giron got into stride with Ferendil and began speaking to her in low, concerned tones. Kisa looked curiously at them and then cast a quick peek at the two behind her. The tall, long-limbed blades man looked back with something very much akin to anger while the other seemed to just stare straight past her. She shivered at this. Reverting her attention back to the two leading the way, she began walking slightly faster to hear what they were saying. Apparently the two were having some sort of argument.

"But Lady Ferendil, what can you possibly say to defend your actions or hers? He will never agree to that unless for very good reasons."

A sigh escaped the girl.

"I know Giron. I am only hoping that he would be reasonable today…"

He shook his head, a grim look on his face. "You cannot place your faith in luck alone nor have much hope in winning a battle of words against him, Lady Ferendil. He is by far a better orator than you."

Sighing again, she looked up at the gray and forlorn sky. "I know, I know… But still… I will have to find a way..."

At this, Kisa ran up to Ferendil's side causing the pair to look at her. "Okay, I know you guys are talking about me so who is He? The guy who's gonna hear my case?" Giron looked furiously at her, annoyed at the interruption but Ferendil seemed to see something quite worrying.

"I had better explain the condition of your case. You see, had you been found by another sentry group, you would have been brought before any of our capable warlock judges who would deal out your punishment as in accordance to the law of our clan and the laws formulated by others. However, fortunately or unfortunately, we will know later, I was the one who found you. By unwritten rules, only one person is allowed to hear any issues concerning me in the very least." She smirked a little. "That person will undoubtedly also be the one to pass sentence on you."

Kisa looked curiously at her. "Who's that?"

The smirk widened. "Lord Zymeth, Master of the Lotus clan."

A loud gasp brought the group to a halt; Kisa stared at Ferendil in shock. "HIM?!?! The monster that was one of the reasons for the war that started more than 2 decades ago??? He's going to hear MY case?!?! You can't be serious!!!"

Silence hung over the group and Ferendil turned away from her, eyes closed and expressionless. The two behind Kisa were muttering strange words under their breath; the gangly one fingering his crescent blade threateningly, Giron however was looking at Ferendil waiting for her to say something.

Kisa grimaced < Why did I say that? Otousan always told me to watch my mouth… Uhhh…> Before she could apologize however, Ferendil looked up and shook her head as if trying to forget something. She half turned her head and stared coldly at Kisa out of the corner of her eye. "I cannot hope for you to respect Lord Zymeth, I know after all how the other clans regard him but," Facing Kisa completely now, she said in bitter tones, "if ever you are in my presence, you will speak civilly of him. Understood?"

Nodding for fear of upsetting Ferendil even more, Kisa apologized. "I'm sorry… I always had a bad habit of saying things I know I shouldn't..."

Ferendil waved it off before turning again towards the direction of the main Lotus city. "It is alright. Now then, we must keep moving. We have dallied long enough." The group renewed their trek back home faster as the sun reached its highest point.

An hour had passed and the dread guard towers on the outer reaches of the Lotus fortress city became steadily more visible. Ferendil, who had been happily chatting with both Giron and Kisa up until then, suddenly became silent and brooding. From where they were, Kisa could already see the sentries of the watchtowers in their silent, unending vigil.

A shadow passed over her guide's face, a contorted look came over her as if she was mentally arguing with someone. She turned sharply to face Kisa and said. "Cover your face Miss Kisa. It would be better if only the few people to be involved knew of this situation."

Kisa pulled her hood even lower, its shadow distorting the features of her face. They passed beneath the manned watchtowers, their sentries giving a brief salute to group. Lotus soldiers were swarming here with peasants scurrying in between as each did the duty that has been allotted to them. A warlock swiftly came and blocked their path and started to speak to Ferendil a bit curtly, as if he was speaking to an ignorant child. She answered him and with a bland smile, went on her way, leaving him glaring impassively after them. As Kisa turned around to see him disappear into the mass of people rushing to their daily tasks, she suddenly realized that their two companions had already gone. They soon came to a myriad of peasant houses and rice fields, their occupants and tillers working busily at the tasks that keep the clan alive. Many stopped from their work to pay respect to the passing trio, a few gave cups of water and some food. Ferendil laughed softly and drank the water offered to her but declined the food, returning it to them. A peasant came near Kisa and presented food and water to her, saying something in the Averiun. Gulping, she looked towards Ferendil and gave a pleading look at which she cocked her head in return before spotting the peasant and smiling, waved for her to eat. Kisa eagerly took the food and said, "Thank you!" but the peasant merely looked at her blankly in reply.

Again, she looked at Ferendil and she came near and faced the confused peasant.

"Liyum obren vathi." She said with a quick nod towards Kisa.

The peasant bowed gratefully before rejoining his fellow tillers in the field and Ferendil smiled after him and raised an eyebrow at Kisa staring at her.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" she said pointedly at her holding the plate and cup. The hunger came to her again and she sat down on a rock by the side of the path and started to eat.

Ferendil wandered back to the peasants whom she was talking to, occasionally sipping fro her cup while Giron stared expressionlessly around him, refusing any refreshment from the apologizing peasants. In a few moments, they started walking again, Ferendil waving goodbye to the peasants as they neared the main part of the Lotus city.