The carriage screeched to a halt, the wheels grinding against the gravel below. Judgment Squad stirred from their naps, groggy and blinking into the new light—except Knoxx, who let out a low grunt and rolled to his side.
"Huh? What's going on?" Azumi asked, rubbing her eyes.
Geo stood, collecting his belongings. "We're here. Wakey wakey, sunshine."
Hatori didn't wait for the others. He swung the door open with a creak and hopped out. Danzo followed shortly after. Their boots crunched on the graveled path when they landed. The world greeted them with a rush of sound. Dockside bells rang, the chatter of merchants, gulls cawing overhead, and the deep groan of massive trade ships swaying against the pier.
Hatori turned back to the rest of the squad, still slowly gathering themselves. He carefully hit the side of the carriage with his palm.
"C'mon slowpokes. We've got work to do."
"Yeah!" The carriage driver shouted. "What the emo one said. I ain't got all day y'know!"
Hatori gave a deadpan look at the driver. "Emo?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Tsuki chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she stepped down. "You do have that brooding 'don't-talk-to-me' energy, in all fairness."
Hatori grunted, but didn't object. Azumi stood on the cart, all her belongings in hand. She kicked Knoxx, who was now on the floor, still asleep. "Knoxx, get your ass up already!"
The lump didn't move. With one fell swoop, Azumi leaned down, and smacked his forehead. The sound resonated within every member, and a collective "ooh," left their lips.
Knoxx bolted upright, rubbing his head. "What the hell Azumi?!"
"Welcome to the world of the living Knoxx. Only took a hundred tries. We're in Riche, let's go."
Knoxx slowly pulled his cloak he was wearing as a coat off his legs. "Could've just shaken me," he whispered just barely loud enough for Azumi to hear.
He stretched and stepped down, and with that, Judgment began their trek into the Riche district. The cart let them off in the outskirts, a ten minute walk to the town itself.
The port was bustling ahead. Wood and stone homes lined the streets with beams crafted of oak, pine, and streaked viora. It was a beautiful duality of rugged nature and elegance. The smell of saltwater mixed with spices from market stalls spread through the air.
Traders chattered, kids laughed, and the distant clang of metal on metal rung through the air like a chorus. Seagulls swept the sky, their wings glinting in the sun.
Beyond town, a colossal lighthouse stood like a sentinel over waves, its fire flickering in the distance. Massive ships bobbed in the harbor with cargo hauled on and off like practiced rhythm.
Tsuki could only stare at the marvelous structure of Riche. "It's beautiful…"
Geo glanced over. "First time in Riche?"
"Yeah," Tsuki nodded. "APC didn't bother with the place since it claimed neutrality and all. At least, that's what I've heard."
Danzo stepped up beside them, his arms behind his back. His gaze lingered on the harbor, distant and thoughtful.
"This is the district where I left the APC behind. It's… important to me."
Azumi raised a brow. "Sentimental huh? Is that why you chose to come?"
"Yes… and now," Danzo replied. "I came for the mission. The sight does help though, and I'm glad to see it's doing well."
There was a short pause from Azumi. She was clearly struggling to say something—Tsuki had learned more about her—and she always scratched her arm when she was nervous.
She finally took a breath, and asked her thoughts. "Why'd you leave, Danzo? The APC I mean… if you don't mind."
His steps slowed. His jaw clenched slightly, and for a second, he looked like he might answer. Instead, he kept walking. "...It's complicated," he said.
Knoxx, ever the instigator, clapped a hand on his superior's back with a cheeky grin. "Aw, c'mon man! We got time to kill before we've got to town. Nothing like a juicy backstory to pass the time!"
Danzo froze. His feet dug into the gravel below. His eyes were filled with pain, a remembrance. Tsuki hadn't ever seen a look like it on Danzo.
Even Knoxx felt it—the weight of silence pressing against his joke. The back of Danzo's cloak fluttered in the cool coastal breeze.
"I… really don't want to talk about it," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
His voice was firm, but there was something underneath—woundedness and finality.
Knoxx backed off awkwardly. "...Alright, yeah. Sorry."
The silence lingered for a bit, until Hatori—always the one to cut tension with precision, turned on his heel.
"We're almost to town. Let's look around and introduce ourselves to the environment."
Geo chuckled, pulling his hands out of his pockets. "Nice way of saying, 'let's go explore.'"
"Just trying to sound professional," Hatori said, a tiny smirk on his face. A rare one.
They moved forward, eventually reaching the cobbled streets of the port town. The sound of waves and the buzz of the city were now much louder. Tsuki glanced once more at Danzo, who walked with his head high, but his shoulders just a bit heavier.
The sea breeze rolled through, and their mission had begun.
Judgment Squad continued down the main road as Riche unfolded before them in vibrant colors. Children ran barefoot, laughing and smacking wooden sticks together, reenacting battles they had only been told as tales. Women strolled gracefully in flowing dresses dyed in ocean hues, arms full of market bags and imported fabrics. Men wandered in groups, dressed in everything from rough-spun garbs to thick sailor coats, their sea-worn boots thudding heavily against the stone.
To the left, the legendary Richelle River flowed like a mirror to the sky. Its water was a distinct baby blue, cutting across the city's edge and stretching beyond into the mainland. Boats glided smoothly down its surface, ferrying supplies and passengers to districts like Jon, Zimala, and even Alden Central. The river was the lifeblood of Riche—an unguarded, neutral artery in a war-strangled world.
Knoxx was whistling a tune with his hands shoved in his pockets before he abruptly stopped. "Never figured a trade port would be like this," he said. "Kinda makes the rest of Alden look run-down."
Azumi snapped. "What did you think a major commercial hub would look like? A shack with a fishing pole?"
Hatori calmly intervened. "Quit it you two. Save the bickering for when it's useful."
"I didn't even—" Knoxx started, before Hatori shot him a quiet glare. Knoxx raised his hands in surrender with his lips sealed.
Danzo's eyes surveyed the streets, completely oblivious to the events beside him. "The people here seem genuinely happy."
Geo nodded in agreement. "The war hasn't touched them. The neutrality's done its job."
Tsuki stuffed her hands into her pockets, her gaze lingering on a little girl handing a coin to a musician. The man smiled and bowed, continuing his song. Something about the simplicity struck her.
Danzo cleared his throat. "Alright, time to work. We still don't have a name or face for Riche's acting leader. Whoever reports to the council here—they've kept themselves hidden."
Hatori scanned the buildings surrounding them. His eyes glanced from the rooftops, to the alleyways to porches—everything.
"It would take too long if we searched as a group," he started. "Split into pairs?"
Danzo agreed. "Tsuki with Azumi, Geo with Hatori, and Knoxx… you'll be with me."
A slight gulp from Knoxx, but everyone else seemed content with their partner.
"Got it," Tsuki said, giving a quick fist bump to Azumi. "So, gather intel, then meet up, yeah?"
Hatori and Geo both glanced at her, an odd look on their faces. Tsuki noticed, but couldn't ask.
"Yes. Finish our scouting by dusk, and then we'll meet at The Knockin' Clogger," Danzo announced.
Knoxx raised a single eye brow high. "The… what now?" He asked, in disbelief.
Danzo smirked like a man who knew exactly how weird the name sounded. "It's a bar. Old, loud, a bit of a dive. Hard to forget once you've been."
"Where is it?" Azumi asked, chuckling a bit.
"Down by the docks. Bright red sign, kind of hard to miss. Says 'Knockin' Clogger."
The squad gave a collective "Yes sir," before each turning their own ways.
Knoxx whispered something—definitely an unfunny joke into Hatori's ear, and he followed it with a smack on the head. Knoxx rubbed it, but Hatori couldn't help but snicker.
We get annoyed with each other, we laugh, we argue…
A smile crossed her lips as she thought. A real one.
Even so, we'd do anything for one another. Memento, in my short lived reign, has taught me more than the APC had in nineteen years. More about reality, battles, life… family. To them, I'm forever grateful.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Azumi, who put a hand on Tsuki's shoulder. "You good, Tsuki?"
Tsuki just gave a laugh, still in disbelief of how her life came to this. "Sure am Azumi. I sure as hell am."
With that, each duo went separate ways, beginning the mission in Riche.