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Pansy opened her eyes as a ray of sunlight shone through a gap in the window and landed on a jug placed on a cluttered table beside it.
"What a long night," she thought, recalling the events of the previous evening—the incident that caused an uproar in the entire palace and the inquiry that dragged on until early morning. As a guard captain, she had stayed up until the courtyard lamp flickered three times.
"But… is that an airplane?" she mumbled, squinting at the sky.
"I hope someone from my tribe is on that plane… No, I hope not," she quickly regretted what she had just said.
She shifted her sleeping position from lying on her side to lying on her back, staring up at the white ceiling as her right hand touched a necklace around her neck.
She got up, kicking off the thin white cotton sheet at the foot of the bed, and brought the necklace to her lips, whispering a silent prayer that she might meet him again.
Knock knock.
Pansy quickly grabbed a black mask that left only her eyes visible and pulled it over her face. In her haste, she knocked over a jar of water, which spilled across the floor near the entrance.
The door opened to reveal Sabira. She wore loose-fitting white clothes under a brown breastplate, along with baggy pants secured by a brown belt.
As soon as she saw Pansy, Sabira smirked.
"Such a scaredy-cat, jumping at every little noise," she teased.
Pansy slowly stood from the bed and began tidying it before strapping throwing knives behind her thighs.
"Don't do that again. It's dangerous," she replied, barely paying attention.
Sabira responded in a playful tone, "Oh, come on. How else can I see your sleeping, disheveled self unless I sneak in like this?"
"That almost cost you your eyes," Pansy replied flatly.
"Still worth the risk."
Sigh. "Okay, you win," said Pansy, raising both hands in surrender.
Sabira walked over and sat by the window.
"So. I know today's your day off… Let's go on a trip outside the city!"
"Didn't you say last night you wanted to visit the bathhouses in the Heavens District?"
"Oh—uh—that? I didn't mean it. Just a slip of the tongue."
Pansy gave Sabira a suspicious look but, seeing her flustered reaction, decided to go along with it.
"I've got three days off. So I'll let you have the first day, but don't bother me the next two."
"Yup! Absolutely!" Sabira's tone was cheerful. Despite her higher rank, she had looked up to Pansy ever since seeing her fight four years ago before joining the army.
Before they could continue, a voice called from the corridor.
"Pansy!!" It was a man's voice, followed by the shrieking of several women.
"Tch," Sabira frowned and muttered. "That womanizer still dares show up here? In the female dorms, after I warned him?"
She darted out the door toward the ground floor.
Pansy got dressed slowly. She put on a white leather tunic—casual wear for palace guards on their day off, worn to signal their status and authority on the emperor's behalf.
By the time she headed downstairs, she could hear a heated argument. One voice belonged to Sabira; the other was a man's—older and deeper.
As she reached the landing, Pansy saw them. Sabira was arguing with a man likely in his forties. Two large barbarian women stood protectively beside him. His face was round, his nose oily, and his hairline receding—he looked Eastern. Though she never said it aloud, Pansy always had the urge to call him "Uncle," but refrained out of respect (or restraint).
"As I said before, we have plans today—and tomorrow, and the day after that," Sabira snapped.
"Two lovely ladies out together? Why not let me join you?" the man replied.
"Screw off. I told you not to come near the officers' dorm. Didn't my warning mean anything to you?"
"I'm Her Majesty's guest," he said smugly. "Your warning means nothing. And I don't dislike you, either. Let's have dinner sometime."
"Yuck," Sabira replied in disgust. "Get lost before I rip out your tongue."
She reached for the hilt of her saber. Instantly, the two large women stepped in front of the man protectively.
Sensing things escalating, Pansy intervened. She gently pulled Sabira behind her and stepped forward.
"As my junior and superior has already said, Mr. Tanaka, we have prior commitments. We cannot entertain guests today or in the coming days. Also, this is a dormitory for high-ranking officers of a different gender. I suggest you avoid frequent visits—unless you want your reputation ruined."
Tanaka scowled. "I don't care about trivial things like reputation. And don't disregard me just because I'm a man. I may back off today, but I'll return. I hope you change your mind by then."
He turned and walked away, muttering curses in a foreign tongue.
As soon as he was out of sight, Sabira burst out, "That pig-faced clown! Always chasing skirts, hiding behind those two hogs when things get tough. He takes my words like a joke. He should look in a mirror—greasy nose, bald head… even my mother wouldn't notice him if he was covered in gems."
Pansy let out a soft chuckle.
"You're something else. Thanks for standing up for me."
"You're too kind. Just tell him to screw off next time," Sabira said as they left the dorm and headed toward the city.
"Let's have breakfast at Soupy," Sabira suggested, and off they went.
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...
Melody woke up to the sound of beeping and a woman's voice. She found herself sitting in a strange corridor.
She jolted upright, disoriented, and looked around until she spotted Sena. She tried to stand but couldn't—her seatbelt held her down. She quickly unlatched it and fell to the floor of the plane.
Her head spun. She felt dizzy, nauseous, but forced herself to focus and caught fragments of an announcement:
"Danger! Approaching obstacle at 589 kilometers. Prepare for manual override in 2 minutes."
With a burst of panic, she shouted, "Sound A—Alarm!" and promptly vomited on the floor.
BEEP BEEEP BEEP!
The alarm blared, waking Sena. He shot up, scanned the area, and assessed the situation. In seconds, he rushed to Melody, propped her into a seated position, then sprinted to the opposite room and flung open the cockpit door.
Inside, two crew members lay unconscious, still wearing headsets. Sena pulled one away, took the headset, and sat in the pilot's seat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. This is Sena, your captain speaking. I'm honored to inform you that we've safely crossed the portal and are preparing to land on the Steppe. Please remain seated."
Moments later, the plane shuddered before rolling to a stop.
Sena exited the cockpit wearing the headset and shouted:
"Black Guard of the Golden Tiger—ATTENTION!"
At his command, the rest of the passengers, though previously unconscious, sprang to their feet in unison.
Sena chuckled and muttered to himself, "At least they remember their training."
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