Two black figures moved through the forest; one with a goose insignia on his arm, the other with a rabbit’s emblem. They moved like ninjas, for that was what they were. They kept ahead of the Emperor’s guard that were unknowingly following the pair. The one with the rabbit emblem silently signalled to the other, and they paused on a tree branch just before the hermit’s hut. They would rest for a little bit before they resumed their game.

Key stopped and studied the footprint. It was faint but undeniably human. Kazi saw his proud smirk and gave a long sigh. It was not a new feeling, but seeing Key take credit for her initial work was starting to grate on her nerves. She had conjured the last shadow image of the Empress and five black ninjas fleeing from the Empress’ pavilion and they were tracking them through the forest. He was just making sure that they were still going in the right direction.

“Yes, yes. We know the direction we have to go.” Kazi muttered under her breath and brushed past Key, deliberately smudging the footprint. Saori followed her, and Minho gave a companionable pat on Key’s back. 

“You’re just peeved that your powers are only limited,” Key retorted to Kazi’s back, causing the other to stop in mid-stride and turnabout with anger. Key immediately threw up his gloved hands in preparation to block her magic if she had decided to turn him into a monkey instead of playing fair.

“YOU would only be a glorified scout if it wasn’t for my magic showing you the initial direction!” shouted back at him.

“You would be dead in the field if it weren’t for my OWN magic and healing powers,” said Key, his hands still in the air. Minho laughed at the magicians and strutted ahead, causing Kazi to direct her sense of injustice towards him.

“Oh, don’t get me started with you Minho!” she raised her voice at his back.

“Hey, don’t get me involved with your spat with Key.” Minho dodged her bait and sat on a boulder to watch his two members defend their abilities to one another. Saori sat next to him and picked up a small stone from the floor. She threw it into the air a few times, testing its weight, and sent it flying into a tree hole several feet away from them. Minho’s eyes narrowed at her silent challenge and picked up a stone too. He immediately threw it at the same tree hole, only to have it glance off its edge and fall to the ground.

Saori scoffed, “Why didn’t you do that in the archery tournament? That would’ve saved the kingdom from providing two prizes instead of the rightful one prize.”

Minho threw a glare at her before throwing another stone at the tree hole; this time it sailed neatly inside. He made a small, satisfied fist pump and leant back with smug pride. Saori scoffed again at his unbelievable behaviour. “You still missed the first one,” she reminded him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Minho patiently insisted, “The best people always win in the end.” Saori told him that he didn’t make any sense and he should just admit defeat. “Never!” was his reply. She had always found Minho’s ego to be insufferable and decided to respond by simply pushing him off the boulder.

“You’re just jealous that I am better than you!” Minho scrambled back to his feet and pointed an accusatory finger at her face. She glared at its length and considered biting it off.

“What is this?” Key interrupted before she had the chance to move. He had heard their talk and decided it was easier to convince those two of his own excellence than the other stubborn magician.

“Minho here is deluded in thinking that he is the best out of all of us,” Saori filled him in.

Key barked out an incredulous laugh and told him that was ridiculous. Minho was just a brawn with no real smarts; a magician was always a class ahead of them. Saori began to laugh at Minho’s expense when she realised that she was being made fun of too, and abruptly stopped with her own glare at Key.

“Prove it,” she challenged him.

“How?” Key asked her.

“Right here, we’ll have a little contest.”

“Ha! I am not wasting my energy levels to prove my point,” Key dismissed her. “I don’t want to be depleted like Kazi.” Kazi swatted the back of Key’s head for his last comment, telling him that she was had plenty of energy in her tank, thank you very much.

“Then how about whoever rescues the Empress first shall be declared the best of the kingdom?” Saori suggested. They mulled over the scenario and each nodded their acceptance of the challenge.

Up in the tree with two stones in its hole, the eyes of the hiding ninjas gleamed with laughter. Their game has just gotten interesting. The pair shifted lightly on their feet and leapt to the nearest tree and dropped to the ground. They quickly headed towards the hermit’s hut to continue on their tasks.