Hiun Yaede, the oni mage and sorcerer, stroked his chin as he stood on the deck of the ship, the other refugees behind him. He was looking forward to being gone of this place. But they wouldn’t leave yet. The foreigner—the fire mage—had left with the woman in white.

Something told Hiun that he should have gone with them immediately, especially when he saw that boy sneak off after them. What was his name? Yoshi? Ishi? Yes, that was his name.

He sighed, scratched his brow as he looked off into the forest where he’d seen Ishi disappear after the other two. They were quite unaware he had followed.

Why do I help them? I do not even belong here.

“Very well…” he said ponderously as he made for the gangway.

“What are you doing?”

It was that bossy knight woman—the one who gave him an ill look the first time she had seen him. “I am… leaving the ship,” he said, gesturing toward shore.

“I can see that,” she said, a note of frustration in her tone. “If you’re not here when it’s time to depart, I won’t be waiting for you, mage.”

“That is… fine with me…”

As if casting him from her view, she turned without saying a word and strode to bark orders at some unfortunate soul on the other side of the deck.