Chapter 1

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The wind tribe was known for many things; its strong warriors, its gorgeous landscapes, its strong sense of comradery and loyalty. What it isn't known for, however, is peace.

"AIKO, YOU BRAT!" Saki's voice bellowed as he ran across the threshold, drenched from head to toe in water.

The other members of the wind tribe didn't bat an eye at the sight, far too accustomed to such scenes.

Indeed, Aiko was rather persistent with her pranks, selecting a single target to torment for the rest of the day. Typically, this would result in her getting chased around Fuuga, cackling wildly.

As anticipated, the 15-year-old was dashing through the capital, skillfully dodging the people going about their daily business. Her dark hair flapped wildly against her back as if it were urging her to speed up.

Her laughter filled the surrounding air, echoing like bells. Although many complained about the girl's mischievous nature, there was no doubt that her laughter brought joy to the people of Fuuga.

Revelling in the sensation of her heart pounding against her chest, Aiko failed to notice that she took the wrong turn, and came to a dead end.

"Got you now." Saki smirked in triumph, lifting Aiko like a rucksack onto his shoulder, "I'll make sure the Elder knows exactly what you've been up to today."

"H-Hey!" The girl exclaimed in panic. No matter how many times she'd been given a lecture from her grandfather, she was still terrified of them.

There was something about Son Mundok's disappointed sigh that made Aiko feel like the scum of the earth.

"What if I take over your chores for a week? O-or set up a nice date for you and Ayame? I'm sure you've been dying to hang out with her, right?" Aiko attempted to bargain, causing Saki to simply tighten his grip on her.

"Nice try," was all he said, marching towards her grandfather's residence.

While knocking on the door to her grandpa's room, Saki finally plopped Aiko back onto the ground. Before she could run away, however, Mundok had already opened his door.

Saki was about to begin his fiery rant when the previous chief of the wind tribe raised his hand, "No need. I can already tell what happened."

"Thank you, Elder Mundok. Now, if you'll excuse me," Saki sauntered away, clearly satisfied with his revenge.

'Damn you, stupid good-for-nothing pea-brained-'

However, Aiko didn't get the chance to continue her internal monologue as she was reminded of the current issue she was faced with - Mundok's torturous lectures.

"Hi, grandpa." She chirped, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Just take a seat first," Mundok sighed in defeat, returning to his seat on a cushion in front of a low table, an empty cup of sake in front of him indicating that he was previously relaxing.

Aiko plopped down next to her beloved grandfather, pouring alcohol in his cup whilst preparing herself for the usual sting of disappointment.

However, their conversation took a strange turn.

"Aiko, be honest, are you happy here?" the Elder asked, with an uncharacteristically heavy tone of voice.

"Of course I am!" The girl replied without a second thought, borderline offended by the question.

Mundok was initially shocked by her passionate reaction, before chuckling, "Good to see you care so much."

"Why wouldn't I? I love my home more than anything," Aiko mumbled, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. This caused Mundok to gently pat her head.

Mundok paused briefly and then said, "Though, you don't need to feel chained to Fuuga. If there's a time when someone needs your help, leave without looking back."

"Are you okay, grandpa? You're oddly sentimental today. It's creepy," Aiko commented, refilling her grandpa's sake cup once he emptied it.

'Maybe he's drunk.'

The ridiculous notion left her thoughts the second it entered. If there was one thing to take away from meeting Son Mundok, it was the fact that he never got drunk.

'So what's wrong with him then?'

Aiko's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, as her eyes scanned the room for some form of weapon, just in case the man in front of her was some imposter.

"Maybe I should go back to being strict then," Mundok glared at his granddaughter sternly, causing her inch away from him with a sheepish smile.

'Yep, I'm screwed.'

What followed was a lengthy, boring lecture that practically made Aiko's soul leave her body. No matter how often it happened, being called out was never a fun thing to experience.

It was moments like these where she despised her wit.

Luckily for her, the lecture was interrupted halfway through, with someone knocking on the door.

"What's wrong?" Mundok called out, causing a young messenger to enter the room with a letter in hand.

"Elder Mundok! It's a message from Hiryuu Castle," the boy handed the folded up parchment to Mundok, panting in exhaustion.

Aiko couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards the poor messenger boy who must've been ordered to leave for Fuuga ridiculously early in the morning.

"Hey, I'll take you to our guest room where you can rest. We'll give you a meal and water too," Aiko told the messenger boy, deciding to give her grandpa time alone for him to read the message in peace.

"Oh, th-thank you." The boy stammered, awkwardly shifting at the sudden attention.

Whilst ensuring that the messenger's needs were being attended to, Aiko remained silent in contemplation.

It was unusual for the palace to talk to Mundok instead of Hak (the wind tribe's actual general). So for them to have turned to Mundok instead could only mean one thing...

'Hak is in danger.'

A/N
Dun dun duuuuun! First chapter down and I can't wait to see how this turns out. Thank you for reading and have a nice day. <3

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