Chapter 2: Windsong

Chapter Two: Windsong

            Walter Windsong set down the teacup he had just sipped from, visually displeased. He was sitting at his desk in his government-sanctioned office in the Arlian city of Sha, its capital. There was a large window with the curtains drawn behind his seat, letting plenty of the morning sunlight into his spacious office, allowing Walter to closely examine the letter that had been brought to him by his subordinate. He took another sip of tea and set the cup down once again, furrowing his brow. He shifted his pince-nez glasses back into place, wondering if his eyesight was already going at his tender age of twenty-six, carefully rereading the words on the parchment paper in his gloved hands. Finally he put it down, looking perplexed.

            “What’s wrong? Bad news?” the subordinate who had brought the letter asked him, concern absent from her voice. She was sitting across from him at his desk, her arms folded. She was a young girl of mixed descent, one half Tamajian and one half Arlian. Her dark hair was spiky and was cut somewhat short, and her sharp steely blue eyes seemed to look right through you. And she was not just Walter’s subordinate; she was his partner. She had gotten them both out of many dangerous situations, and Walter trusted her with his life.

“Well, Kuu,” Walter said to her, “it’s just that this tea is too cold. You know I like my tea fresh hot.”

“You made that tea yourself, Walter,” she said, unamused.

“O-oh, did I?” Walter said and then laughed.

Kuu unfolded her arms. “What’s in the letter, Walter? You looked rather unnerved by it just now.”

Walter sighed. You’re no fun sometimes, Kuu, you know that? Oh well, time to get serious, I suppose.

“Well, Kuu, this letter is from our friend over in Tamaji. It seems her fourteenth birthday has passed. Can’t believe she’s already fourteen, huh? Man, they grow up so fast.”

 Tamaji was a country far west of Arlia, known for being surrounded by tons of islands. This, plus their cultural tendencies, had led to them being largely uninvolved with other countries except for trade and the occasional international crisis. Walter had been there a few times because of his job as a member of an Arlian government organization, and as such had met some important people there, such as the sender of this letter.

Kuu, staring at Walter blankly, was obviously unimpressed. Get to the point, her gaze seemed to say.

Walter cleared his throat. “Okay, okay, I’ll get to the point. The sender of this letter and I made a little deal regarding her fourteenth birthday, you see�"’’

“What!?”

“No, no! Not like that, Kuu! Why do you always assume those sorts of things about me? Anyway,  I can’t talk about the details of the deal here, since someone could be listening, but don’t worry about it. That part of the letter doesn’t really concern you anyway,” Walter explained. Kuu didn’t look very happy to be told that some of the information didn’t concern her, but she didn’t say anything. Walter motioned with his finger for Kuu to bring her head closer to him, and so she leaned across the table.

“Anyway,” Walter whispered in her ear, “the important part is where she writes: ‘there will be someone in Dry Bone Valley soon that has the potential to be very useful to you, Mr. Walter Windsong. You should prepare accordingly; they will most likely require immediate assistance.’ ”

Kuu pulled back and looked at Walter in shock. “What!? In Dry Bone Valley? In Ban’nu!? Why would someone be there?”

Walter scratched his head. “Yeah, I know, it’s strange. There’s nothing there, just desert. Plus the Ban’nuin themselves have limitless rumors about how going anywhere near that place will get you killed, or how you’ll disappear or whatnot, so no ever goes there. Even if it has been fifty years.”

“How reliable is her information?” Kuu asked, her composure back already. Sheesh, you never stay shaken up long, do you? Walter thought to himself. It was one of the things he liked about her though. She always kept her composure for the both of them.

“Well, her information should be very reliable, actually. I’ve told you about her sources. So even though this makes very little sense, I guess we should at least verify this ourselves, huh?” Walter said.

Kuu stood up from her chair. “Who will you send?”

“Can’t I go myself?” Walter asked.

“Of course not, you idiot. If you went to Ban’nu all of a sudden, and Dry Bone Valley at that, it would raise too many undesired questions. You should send me instead.”

“Aw man, but I’m super curious about this…” Walter whined. He was joking, though. He knew it would be silly for he, the leader of this government-subsidized organization to go somewhere like Dry Bone Valley and not expect anyone to ask him why. It’d be wiser to send a subordinate to Ban’nu and make some excuse like they were “gathering information” or something. Then no one would be too curious. But even so, to send Kuu right now would be…

“All right, Kuu. I’ll send someone else. But I won’t send you. I need you here right now. That alright?”

“No objections. Don’t particularly wanna go to a deserted wasteland, myself,” she responded in her usual deadpan manner.

Walter chuckled. “ Well, then, I think I know who to send. She needs to prove her worth anyway. Go inform Alice of her new assignment, please.”

“Understood.” Kuu then turned around and left Walter’s office.

Walter picked up his favorite black top hat, matching his black tuxedo, and put it on his head. His long brown hair was tied in a ponytail behind his neck, the hair reaching down to his lower back.

He stood up from sitting at his desk, shifted his glasses, and stretched. He had a lot to do today. But before that…

“Crow, I assume you were listening just now?” Walter asked aloud.

No response. Even so, Walter was sure he was there.

“Your mission details are in the usual place,” he continued. “You should be happy, I’m giving you a chance to visit your home country of Tamaji. Have a good trip, and please, do try to come back alive.”

Walter felt a slight brush of air move past him, which told him that his guest had left. 

Author's Note

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