“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Yinli asked, after our waiter had brought us a cup of coffee and two cups of juice for our beverages. They’d also brought a platter of delicate pastries, like we’d requested.
“Yes, please,” I said, and as an afterthought added, “Why did you call me here today?”
“There’s a mystery happening in Okrita,” explained Yinli. “Some people have reported sightings of a sea monster attacking the civilians.” I put my hands on my head, and laid my head down on the table, very confused.
“But isn’t Okrita near lakes and rivers?” I asked. “Don’t they have the spiritual powers that usually help with sword fighting? And because of this, don’t they have the ability to defeat those monsters?” Yinli nodded in agreement but then frowned, nibbling on one of the croissants that the waiter had brought us earlier. The door to the tavern suddenly opened with a bang, and some people wearing white robes entered.
“Do you need help with anything?” the waiter asked the group who had just entered.
“No,” responded one of the new visitors. “But I heard that there were sightings of sea monsters in Okrita. Do you mind if we join you?” I glanced at Yinli, who was staring blankly at the new group.
“No,” said Yinli finally, after several minutes of silence. “Please, join us.” The group of people eventually sat down, and we stared at each other until the person who had responded earlier started speaking.
“You were the person who mentioned that there were sea monsters out there, right?” inquired the person, who still remained in a curtain of mystery. Yinli smiled, and then gave a sharp nod.
“Well, that’s good,” said the unknown person. “My name is Chang, and these are the disciples, under my father’s guidance. We’re from the northern mountains, and were visiting a friend’s family when we heard of some issues in the surrounding areas of Okrita.” Yinli nodded briefly, her thoughts unknown to the rest of Chang’s group, but I could tell that she was mentally going through the options of what could be going on with the sea monster. I glanced at Yinli, and went back to eating one of the egg tarts.
“Maybe we should go explore Okrita,” I said, hesitant. Both Chang and Yinli suddenly looked at me strangely, as if I’d said something infeasible.
“I agree,” said Chang, after staying quiet for a couple of minutes. “Maybe we should go to Okrita. We should leave as soon as possible, though.” Yinli stared at the both of us, and I could already assume that shock was going through her mind as I glanced at her. As a silence fell upon the tavern, the sounds of a poetic and penetrating flute and several crashes emerged from the darkness outside. We all immediately grabbed our swords, just in case there was going to be a surprise raid of the tavern.
“Is there anybody out there?” asked Yinli. She approached the door, fear etched across her face. Suddenly the door burst open with a strong gust of wind and in came a young woman, accompanied by her little sister.
“Please help!” said the young woman. “My sister was injured while swimming in the lake near Okrita.” I immediately frowned in suspicion, wondering how they could have arrived at the tavern in time before her sister collapsed if her sister was injured, as Okrita was about a six hour walk from where we were currently stationed. I glanced at Chang, who I could tell was as confused as I was about how the two girls had arrived here so rapidly.
“How did you get here so quickly?” asked Chang, finally. “Okrita is a long way from this coffee shop.”
“We had been swimming in the lake near the town of Okrita when a strange person on a boat had asked us to get on the boat with him,” said the young girl. “But we never expected that he would go to the center of the lake, and would use his spiritual power to propel himself off the boat and into the air. We were about to twirl into the center when a person who was wearing a white robe . . . ”
“What?” probed Yinli. “What happened next?”
“A person who was wearing a white robe rescued us from the boat, but they ended up injuring my sister,” said the woman. She paused, then added, “That person who rescued us looked like him!” The young girl pointed her fingers at Chang, who I just noticed, standing behind me.
“H — how?” exclaimed Chang. “You must have mistaken me for someone else.” The young girl firmly shook her head, and stormed out of the tavern. I glanced at Chang, who was clearly shaken up by what had just happened.
“We should probably head to Okrita now,” remarked Chang. “Might be able to dig up some clues about who’s behind this entire kidnapping thing.”
“Yes, please,” I said, and as an afterthought added, “Why did you call me here today?”
“There’s a mystery happening in Okrita,” explained Yinli. “Some people have reported sightings of a sea monster attacking the civilians.” I put my hands on my head, and laid my head down on the table, very confused.
“But isn’t Okrita near lakes and rivers?” I asked. “Don’t they have the spiritual powers that usually help with sword fighting? And because of this, don’t they have the ability to defeat those monsters?” Yinli nodded in agreement but then frowned, nibbling on one of the croissants that the waiter had brought us earlier. The door to the tavern suddenly opened with a bang, and some people wearing white robes entered.
“Do you need help with anything?” the waiter asked the group who had just entered.
“No,” responded one of the new visitors. “But I heard that there were sightings of sea monsters in Okrita. Do you mind if we join you?” I glanced at Yinli, who was staring blankly at the new group.
“No,” said Yinli finally, after several minutes of silence. “Please, join us.” The group of people eventually sat down, and we stared at each other until the person who had responded earlier started speaking.
“You were the person who mentioned that there were sea monsters out there, right?” inquired the person, who still remained in a curtain of mystery. Yinli smiled, and then gave a sharp nod.
“Well, that’s good,” said the unknown person. “My name is Chang, and these are the disciples, under my father’s guidance. We’re from the northern mountains, and were visiting a friend’s family when we heard of some issues in the surrounding areas of Okrita.” Yinli nodded briefly, her thoughts unknown to the rest of Chang’s group, but I could tell that she was mentally going through the options of what could be going on with the sea monster. I glanced at Yinli, and went back to eating one of the egg tarts.
“Maybe we should go explore Okrita,” I said, hesitant. Both Chang and Yinli suddenly looked at me strangely, as if I’d said something infeasible.
“I agree,” said Chang, after staying quiet for a couple of minutes. “Maybe we should go to Okrita. We should leave as soon as possible, though.” Yinli stared at the both of us, and I could already assume that shock was going through her mind as I glanced at her. As a silence fell upon the tavern, the sounds of a poetic and penetrating flute and several crashes emerged from the darkness outside. We all immediately grabbed our swords, just in case there was going to be a surprise raid of the tavern.
“Is there anybody out there?” asked Yinli. She approached the door, fear etched across her face. Suddenly the door burst open with a strong gust of wind and in came a young woman, accompanied by her little sister.
“Please help!” said the young woman. “My sister was injured while swimming in the lake near Okrita.” I immediately frowned in suspicion, wondering how they could have arrived at the tavern in time before her sister collapsed if her sister was injured, as Okrita was about a six hour walk from where we were currently stationed. I glanced at Chang, who I could tell was as confused as I was about how the two girls had arrived here so rapidly.
“How did you get here so quickly?” asked Chang, finally. “Okrita is a long way from this coffee shop.”
“We had been swimming in the lake near the town of Okrita when a strange person on a boat had asked us to get on the boat with him,” said the young girl. “But we never expected that he would go to the center of the lake, and would use his spiritual power to propel himself off the boat and into the air. We were about to twirl into the center when a person who was wearing a white robe . . . ”
“What?” probed Yinli. “What happened next?”
“A person who was wearing a white robe rescued us from the boat, but they ended up injuring my sister,” said the woman. She paused, then added, “That person who rescued us looked like him!” The young girl pointed her fingers at Chang, who I just noticed, standing behind me.
“H — how?” exclaimed Chang. “You must have mistaken me for someone else.” The young girl firmly shook her head, and stormed out of the tavern. I glanced at Chang, who was clearly shaken up by what had just happened.
“We should probably head to Okrita now,” remarked Chang. “Might be able to dig up some clues about who’s behind this entire kidnapping thing.”