Hajin woke as the morning light cut through the cracked shutters, throwing pale lines across the maps on the table. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his face as the bench made its own complaint against his back.
Aria sat on his shoulder in her child form, her translucent blue outline sharp against the brickwork. She projected the regional ledger, the blue digits floating before his face until he swiped them away.
Juna sat by the window sharpening her glaive, her ears twitching toward the street as she refused to look up when he moved.
Ash sat on the floor, his hair messy as he turned a low-grade core over in his small fingers.
The town woke slowly, the sound of wheels and distant shouting filtering through the thin glass.
"The caravan is early," Juna said, her voice low as she checked the weapon's edge, "the outriders are posting guards at the south gate."
