From atop the back of the lion type Demonic Beast, Sage waved a hand and a half-dozen riders pulled away from the main group. They were surrounding a large armored cart, escorting it up to the front of the column and towards the gates. While they were rushing to the front, there were those on the other side of the gates that had rushed into a flurry of motion. A pair of runners had already dashed away from the gates, rushing towards the entrance of the main building. The armored cart rolled towards the large gates, the wood and metal of the armored cart creaked loudly under the weight of its hefty payload. Then the gates shuddered and a crack opened up.

Light passed through the gap as it widened, and then the two giant doors swung open wide.

The crack between the two doors grew larger and larger until the two doors were completely out of the way. On the other side of those doors, dozens of guards lined either side of the path, wearing resplendent armor polished to a shine with pristine sashes and scarfs hanging from their helmets, waists, and spears. These sashes were of a bright pink pastel color, just like the character on Zhu Clan’s banners. The banner had a single pink character upon a reddish purple background. In Plum Lantern City, this reddish purple color, plum, was very extremely common; most of the Clans and other organizations that originated here used it as a background for their banners.

The guards stood in honor, holding their twelve foot tall spears straight and managing to retain a fierce look despite the bright pink ribbons dancing in the wind around them. The six riders from Sage’s side escorted the armored cart through the gates and up to the main entrance. At that time, their doors opened and four beautiful women wearing long pink coats over purple robes walked out. Each of them was more gorgeous than the last, but the six Dragoons escorting the cart seemed completely unaffected by them. They maintained stoic expressions, with their chins held high. They were all fully armored in greenish black suits of armor with brilliant emerald green long vests over them. The color of their robes were bright, but they were still not as eye-catching as the almost jade green coloring of their exposed chitin.

Just like Hoplites, the six Dragoons had the armored exoskeleton of an insect from the elbow and knee down, as well as the back and sides of their head. Unlike the Hoplites, they also had a sort of half-breastplate upon the chest and upper back area, along with two pairs of wings. Their silken armor covered their torsos, but it exposed their arms from the shoulder down, as well as having a cleverly placed opening on the back to allow the use of their wings. A cursory glance would only show them as having large arm bracers and greaves on, but the segmentation was just too perfect, and their feet even had a backwards facing claw on the heel.

One of the six quickly dismounted as the four beautiful women approached. He reached into the front of his long sleeveless robe and brought out a large key. Then he walked over to the back of the cart and inserted the key into an ancient metal lock the size of a dinner plate. He turned the key and the lock clicked. Then he swung the door open and stepped back. One of the women looked inside and then waved. Four of the Zhu Clan guards walked over and reached into the cart. Then a large chest was brought out and placed upon the ground in front of the four women. The lead woman reached down and toggled a large locking bolt. Then she lifted the lid of the chest and the other three women moved to her sides. They all reached into the chest and started rifling around inside it. Then they smiled and closed the lid. The guards brought out the next chest and they repeated the process. They brought out a total of nine chests before the cart was finally empty, each time inspecting the contents carefully.

The four women seemed somewhat pleased, smiling and ordering some of the guards to carry those nine chests into the main building behind them. The Dragoon with the key closed the cart door and then climbed back onto his beast mount. The six riders turned and escorted the now empty cart back out of the main gate and returned to their place in the crowd. Then the four women looked up and looked upon the large group of people gathered outside their gates. Their smiles faded and their eyes narrowed as they started to appraise the group in front of them. One of them crossed her arms over her chest, while the other three put their hands on their hips, taking an aggressive posture.

The one on the left stepped forward and then called out, “Captain! Your bow.”

At this point, Sage, as well as three others rode forward. Sage stayed mounted upon his lion type beast, while the other three leapt off blue leopards the size of horses. They were wearing green robes just like all the Dragoons were, but just a look at them showed how different they were from the stoic guards. Two of them had eyes of a shocking color while the third stood out because of his hair.

One of the Zhu Clan guards, who had a sheathed saber with a fluttering pommel tassel instead of a spear, stepped forward. In his hand a bow appeared. Then the woman nodded and a stick of incense appeared in front of her. She snapped her fingers and a flame appeared on the tip of her nail. She lit the stick of incense and then turned to the guard captain, “Swift Horizon Arrow, due north.”

An arrow appeared in the captain’s hand when he touched the bowstring. He turned to the north and then drew back the bow, lifting it to aim upwards for the greatest distance.

The woman gave a little smile towards Sage and then ordered the captain, “Loose.”

He did as was told and released the string. It felt much like time slowed down for just an instant, the arrow quivered on the string and then disappeared. As it disappeared the woman smiled, “Retrieve the arrow before this incense stick burns down.”

The three men who had dismounted and stepped forward quickly shared a look and then one of them, the one with bright blue eyes darted forward. He dashed towards the four women with a speed that caused the air to ripple around him. His hand moved down to his waist, reaching across his body like he was drawing a sword, yet there was no sword at his hip. Then something appeared in his hand and he swung his arm forward. The guard captain was startled, dropping his bow and reaching to draw his own saber, but he was caught off guard and moving too slowly. By the time his hand touched the hilt of his saber, the blue eyed fellow had already drawn his weapon. A black saber, with a curved blade like a crescent moon, slashed down towards the woman who had lit the incense.

Her eyes and mouth widened in fright as the blade approached her. She closed her eyes in fear and then… nothing happened.

She opened her eyes and the blue eyed fellow, as well as that terrible saber, had disappeared.