Lo-Muna Vanhi's Story

"Heroic, you say?" A loud voice boomed from the crowd. Takai had leapt down from the wall and parted the sea of people around him as he sauntered graciously toward Yuwen Fortune and the stage that had piqued his interest, "Well, there are none more heroic than I, The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae!"

Audible murmurs sounded from the crowd. A notorious criminal was here in Poyo. He grinned at the assembled group, "I shall join you."

Yuwen's lowered his twin swords as whispers grew across the crowd. But soon, voices rose up.

"I'M A GREAT WARRIOR!" Another voice exclaimed. Yuwen swung his heads to see a peasantly man run forward, a chain rattling behind him. Yuwen rose an eyebrow before leaning his head to the side. Dragged behind the urine farmer, attached at the wrist by chain, was a woman dressed as a noble. Dark hair, pale skin. There was something about her eyes... something familiar, something sad. "She's also a great warrior," The man added, pulling the woman forward "You don't want to mess with her!"

"Then I will need your skills," Yuwen said with a warm laugh, giving a graceful bow to Namari and Shui.

"You will also need speed," Yuwen squinted as the crowd parted for the woman to step forward: the rabbit beast-man from earlier. Whispers of concern and of uncertainty swept across the square as she joined the two at the base of the stage. "For the safety of others, I will aid in this endeavour. There are very few who can outrun me after all."

"Then I will need your speed," Yuwen replied, giving Lo-Muna an affirmative nod and a grateful smile.

From the crowd a monkey beast-man walked, a bow swaying as he approached the stage. "Well, there are none more heroic than I, The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae!" The beast-man called. A smile grew on Yuwen's tiny freckled face. He'd seen this man before, not in person, but on wanted posters since he'd returned to the Yutan mainland. And though the crowd backed away in shock, this was exactly the type of man Yuwen needed.

"Then I will need your bow," Yuwen said, reaching out and clasping Takai's furry hand in his. He pulled the beast-man onto the stage

"GET OUT OF HERE, SCUM!" A voice screamed from the crowd as the nimble beast-man beside him ducked an incoming rock. Yuwen turned in shock to see the crowd begin to form an upset. "WE DON'T NEED HELP FROM THE FLAMING ARROW!" "Yeah! Screw the monkeys!" Another voice added loudly as the crowd began to form in an angry, frightened mass of yelling.

Sunaarashi eyed Yuwen Fortune and gave a small sigh. The bandits were probably the ones he had... business with, but it seemed he was a little behind. He didn't figure they'd caught wind of his arrival in Poyo, but he also hadn't had time to really do much investigation yet. Perhaps due to the festival, his source had never arrived.

It's almost not worth my time, Sunaarashi thought to himself, eyeing the others who had volunteered. But it's probably better to go with them directly than follow behind.

Raising a hand, Sunaarashi stepped forward, and called out. "I will join you, bithiqa."

Yuwen squinted at Sunaarashi across the lantern-lit square. He'd seen the man before, upon entering the village. "Then I will need your sword."

"A Sunen and a beast-man? We don't need to hire a bandit to fight bandits!" A bearded man screamed, his hands around his mouth like a cone.

"Then would you rather die?" Yuwen exclaimed. "Because you would not accept the help of a beast-man? Or a foreigner? Because you will not admit one can thieve and still do good?!"

The crowd quieted as Yuwen spoke. "Wise men ask for help when it is needed. I can stop these bandits, and save Poyo, but I know I can't do it alone," He admitted. Yuwen stood rose high, his gaze sweeping from the makeshift ambush team to the citizens behind them: heads becoming a blur as they lined into the distant streets. Almost every citizen of Poyo was here, as well as the visitors for the festival. The lantern light reflected off their faces, marked with fear. It reflected the mothers, and the children who clutched hands tearfully. It reflected off the guards: most of them barely seeing any combat at all. In reflected off the Mayor, the leader of this town, who had backed to the farthest edge of the stage.

"Poyo is not built for war..." Yuwen began quietly. "Your community is one of peace and happiness and these bandits have threatened that. And they've ruined Emperor day!" He clutched the hilt of his blades angrily. "And I swear to you! I swear: we will defeat them!"

"Wait!" A voice called. The crowd turned to see a man step up on the stage: Prefect Ro, weapon ready as he glared at Yuwen. "Ladies and gentlemen this man is a fraud," Ro said, his words met by gasps in the audience. Yuwen rose and eyebrow at the prefect and pointed at his own face in disbelief. Ro marched forward, pushing Yuwen back before taking his place at the centre of the stage.

"Yuwen Fortune is a liar and has ruined this festival for his own self-serving needs." Ro ripped the report out of Mayor Loy-Qui's hands and raised it high. "This is a fabricated report." Ro announced. A prefect rose another parchment in the air. "Sent via carrier hawk we've just received a message from the forest prefects. Bandit activity in the area is, and I quote, 'completely nominal.'" He threw the paper into the crowd that had grown more and more enraged. The report landed to grabbing hands. Ro turned to Yuwen grimly. "There are no bandits."

"Can you prove that?" Yuwen asked in response, defiance in his voice. "Bandits can be... very evasive." His hand lay on the hilt of his blades as the two men slowly began to circle each other on the stage.

"The prefects in the woods saw nothing," Ro spat. “You are a small, selfish man.”

"Maybe the bandits moved position!" Yuwen called, more to the audience and the soldiers he'd managed to recruit than to Ro. "Maybe they're attack the village! Maybe we have to go to the swamp and find the entrance to a secret tunnel! A tunnel that leads to the ancient cellar below Poyo! Doesn't- doesn't that sound fun!?"

Suddenly Yuwen heard iron footsteps on the wood of the stage. Large, armoured soldiers of the Prefecture were approaching, weapons ready. Yuwen turned from the soldiers down to the faces of those he hired, and the citizens beyond. Disgust, anger, and annoyance were the only expressions to be found.

"Look, I didn't lie!" He called out as the guards grabbed his arms. "There's something below this village, something worse men than me will try and get! Poyo isn't safe!"

"Please," Ro chuckled, stepping forward to the front of the stage. "I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt: Poyo is in no danger!"

Suddenly the statue beside the stage began to glow. Yuwen's eyes were consumed by light as the stone shone. And then, it blew apart by fire. A massive explosion rocked the stage, blasting everyone on it forward. A fiery piece of wood flung through Mayor Loy-Qui's back, impaling him to the stage as the crowd erupted in screams. Yuwen smashed into the cobblestone ground of the square, flaming pieces of wood zipping past him as deafening bangs roared from behind. He turned to see the town tower blowing apart, engulfed in a massive-fire ball expanding from within.

"Oh Sune!" He screamed, backing up slightly as the explosion blasted each layer of the hall apart, sending chunks and pieces scattering across town. A gargantuan piece of stone smashed apart the ground beside him as he limped forward toward a house.

"Formation!" Ro screamed in agony as he ripped his arm out from the large town emblem that had once decorated the tower, now a burning mass of molten metal which had crashed down upon the ruined stage. "Unit!" He screamed desperately through the fire and ash, searching for his men. A figure approached. "...Unit?" He whispered.

Wings expanded from the shadowy figure's form, and Ro raised his blade in horror. This was no soldier. He stabbed forward, a Tengu hand reaching out and grabbing the blade from him. The unarmed Ro dived as the Tengu proceeded to attack, flying out of the smoke and into the panicked square.

"Oh gods, not good!" Yuwen called as he pointed to the sky above. Descending from the mountain of smoke where the town tower once stood three dozen winged men, their red skin clear and their black robes fluttering violently in the winds. They wore opera masks, each one different, though even with concealed faces their race was clear.

"Tengu," Yuwen said as he turned from the approaching threat to the panicked citizens running for cover. "They were in the crowd! They were planning this!-" Before he had time to finish he was grabbed by the throat and smashed back into the cobblestone by a Tengu. One of many masked figures landing in the square. The figure who held Yuwen looked down at him. "Hello there Yuwen Fortune."

Suiken raised a brow in surprise as the walls of Poyo crumbled beneath a massive explosion. Over a dozen black winged individuals descended upon the small town, weapons in hand. Possibly a bit more about but not...three hundred as advertised. Well, that was good at least. A curious distinction between what was said and the reality of the situation but these were at least better odds. This was no longer a timer for observation. "I'm off," he nodded at the armored human. And leaped from the wall to a nearby rooftop with a heavy thud. Running as fast as he could, he couldn't help but wish it was Fall again. That was a much more suitable climate for Snow Oni, but it seemed he would have to make due.

Running from one rooftop to the next , he made his way closer towards the center of town, where the black winged bandits had landed.

When finally he landed on the ground, after a few huffs, a few of the Tengu looked on at the sudden appearance of the Snow Oni.

The Oni huffed, looking more than a little winded by his trek across the rooftops. "I hope...you do not mind if join the fray as well," Suiken spoke up, stepping to the not-quite-group on stage and bowed, lowered and extended one hand. "I may be a traveling musician...but I can fight just fine."

Lo-Muna's ears were ringing. She had managed to duck when the explosions went off but one of her ears got caught by some shrapnel. A drop of blood fell on her shoulder as she looked up just in time to see the Tengu descend from the sky. The sound of the snow oni's voice cut through the ringing as she got to her feet, looking over to see Yuwen being choked on the ground by one of the mysterious Tengu.

"Then fight!" Lo-Muna yelled at the snow oni as she raced over to Yuwen, delivering a swift, powerful kick to his assailant as she yelled, "Hands off!"

The olive-skinned man continued to pitch his idea from the stage, holding twin blades high above his head; Ginchiyo had to admit it was an impressive show, she may have even stepped forward to join him if it wasn't for the look on Ro's face. The people who did join the Olive-Skinned Stranger were all a curious bunch, and they seemed to be losing the crowd. If something wasn't done soon, a fight would certainly to break out. Ro started towards the man, and within a minute the Olive stanger seemed to have lost all credibility. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the whole situation; how had this stranger managed to fabricate a report that fooled the entire prefecture?

Before Ginchiyo truly had a chance to think further on the matter, a bright light lit up the night sky as the statue of the Mayor began to glow with the ire that only fire could truly bring. She began to loop chi through her body, bracing herself as the Mayor's steel body double erupted into a conflagration that lit up the town square, seemingly determined to burn down the place he had helped build.

Stone and molten rock flew through the air, bits of it spattering against Ginchiyo like a rain of hot oil. It stung, but no more than it stung when oil popped and landed on your skin while cooking. She raised her left arm to block a large rock, causing it to split in two, landing on either side of her. There was a crunch as the piece on her right landed, indicating it had probably hit someone who hadn't scattered fast enough. There was no time to check, as a littler over a quarter century of Tengu exploded into action.

Ro was nowhere to be found, which was just as well, it was easier to fight without looking out for others. One of the feathered idiots locked eyes with her and darted straight for her, Naginata brandished for a great swing. She patiently waited the second that felt like twenty that it took the Tengu to reach her, and as its blade clanged impotently against her neck she smashed the wooden shaft of the weapon with her right hand. The bird-man left out a caw of confusion and shock as it tried to back up. Her footwork followed his exactly as she moved forward with him. Her left hand cocked back for a quarter second, then she shoved her hand through the side of her assailants skull. Bone gave way with a squelch as she flexed her hand in his grey matter.

Stopping to wipe her gore covered hand on the Tengu's robe, she looked for the next Bird to hunt. The air was hazy with smoke, and only glimpses of the carnage about her could be seen; a pair of white ears here, a tall dark skinned man just over there. But where was the Olive-Skinned Stranger?

Ren had been taking in the commotion of the city from the walls with the Snow Oni, the disconcerting news of the 'army of bandits' soon being relieved as some Prefect took to the stage to declare some fellow, Yuwen Fortune, a fraud? He was prepared to fight if he had to, but Ren supposed it was for the best that the tiny town wasn't forced to fight off 300 bandits. Numbers that were this skewed rarely translated to success.

Before he could truly relax though, the tower at the center of Poyo erupted into flames, bursting apart and sending bits of stone and wood across the town square. Hoped too soon it seemed, but the arrival of Tengu warriors struck the sellsword as odd. A fake attack immediately followed by a real one? Strange timing. And that Goblin that had been running away from the town, what was that about? Had they helped coordinate this?

The Snow Oni had darted towards the battle, leaving Ren with the briefest of moments to consider what he would do. There really was no alternative but to fight, but what was the best way? He took a glance around the part of town he could see, noting several men, women, and children cowering. The men, while not exactly impressive warriors, had the strength one would expect from farmers. Good enough? He hoped.

Ren dropped down from the wall, making his way around some of the hidden corners of the side streets, signalling to the men in hiding. "You men, get a hold of yourselves. Your wives and children are in danger, time to step up to defend them. Go grab some tools and weapons. Knives and short blades, make sure you have them tucked into a belt. Grab spears, shovels, pitchforks, and knock the metal parts off. It'll weigh them down and slow your attacks. Use the spears and makeshift poles to keep those Tengu at a distance from you, and when they get too close, use your knives to stab at them. Aim for the heads, don't bother with the armored areas."

They looked terrified at the Yeuxkyenan. "But... We're not skilled enough to fight them! What are we supposed to do!"

The warrior raised a hand to calm them. "This isn't about fighting them, it's about controlling the battlefield. They already blew up the tower, we do not want them burning the whole town down. We keep them here in town square. Guards and Prefect's can deal with any saboteurs, and town's folk can help prevent fires."

The terror remained in their eyes, but Ren's face remained stoic and unaffected. "We will save the town. Do what I said, support the guards and Prefects, and we will be victorious." With that, the townsmen ran off to either follow the sellsword's orders, or to flee, and Ren made his way to the town square, grabbing a deserted guard's spear that had been lying on the ground.



Another Tengu dove towards the female Rabbit Beastman and Yuwen, intent on ensuring their target wouldn't escape. Before it could reach them however, and wooden rod swung past the Rabbit, through the air over Yuwen, and collided with the face of the flying assailant. A loud *CRACK* resounded as the Tengu was pulled along with the spear, being cast down into the pavement head first with a loud thud.

Ren gave a nod to the Beastwoman and the Adventuring Charlatan.

"Happy Emperor's Day."

The Tengu was very good, Sunaarashi had to admit. The way he held his sword, the extra weight behind his blows afforded by the practiced use of his wings, his footwork; it was all impeccable. The Tengu was also smart, Sunaarashi realized, as his opponent broke away from their duel unexpectedly, flipping backwards to hover above the stage, glowering down at the sand warrior.

"You are the shadow of Sune," the Tengu said, the voice holding a hint of confusion. "The one they call the Hunter. For what reason are you in Poyo?"

"Why else would a hunter go anywhere but to hunt?" Suna said, shrugging. "But it seems I've traded one kind of prey for another."

"I have no wish to die today, Hunter," the Tengu replied with what was undoubtedly a sneer. "I draw my blade for coin, not purpose. Perhaps we shall meet again."

The Tengu didn't spare any more time before launching upwards with a blast of air, the opera mask it had wore dropping from above, cracking in half as hit the stage. Sunaarashi watched the black-winged Tengu speed away, then returned to the bag he had dropped.

"To hunt birds," Sunaarashi mused, sheathing his blade and unbuckling a strap. "You need bows." To this end, he pulled one free from his bag, along with string and a quiver of arrows. Quickly stringing the bow, Sunaarashi pulled an arrow free, and with a casual pull, sent the projectile forward and through the throat of a Tengu as it passed.

The winged enemy hit the ground with a heavy thud, and Sunaarashi drew another arrow from the quiver.

Yuwen gasped as a backward bowed leg flung through the air, smashing into the tengu. Suddenly from above them the sound of feather’s slicing through air could be heard as another red-skinned attacker dove. Yuwen rose a sword in the air to block when suddenly a wooden pole volleyed over his head, smashing the diving tengu in the mask. He fell to the ground between Yuwen and Lo-Muna. Yuwen rose as across the cobble-stoned square Ren called out.

“Khe ke balem,” Yuwen replied with the bow of a Yunish gentlemen (or perhaps a scoundrel), Ren surprised to hear a thank you in the tongue of his native homeland. Suddenly an arrow volleyed toward the man. He rolled out of the way before raising his blade to defend against the overhead tengu.

Across the battlefield, a tengu’s masked mouth fell. “Gayamo!” He screamed as Ginchiyo downed his brother in arms. The tengu grunted, unsheathing his tachi and aiming it at Ginchiyo. “Stand and fight!” The tengu exclaimed, his wings beginning to flap. The fires at Ginchiyo’s feet were brushed down by the fan of each flap as the tengu lifted a good story off the air. He then dropped, his blade colliding with Ginchiyo’s as he attacked.

"Happy Emperor's Day."

Lo-Muna looked her latest savior up and down, noting the height and overwhelming amount of black the human seemed to have donned for this festive day. The other one, the human female of earlier, had also worn a lot of black. Perhaps it was the rabbit's lucky color today.

She winked at Ren and responded, "Same to you," before Yuwen gave his response and another Tengu crashed the trio's conversation. As the Yunish human dealt with that, the Tengu she had sent flying came charging back. From her belt, Lo-Muna undid the clasps on her chakrams, the cool silver giving her a sense of calm as their weight rested in her hands momentarily. She flicked her wrist and sent the chakrams in the air before catching them in both hands, tightly gripping them.

"Damn beastman!" the Tengu cried out, swinging his sword at Lo-Muna. She caught his blade with her right chakram, following up with a left swing at the Tengu's neck. He ducked back but Lo-Muna took the opening to deliver a swift roundhouse kick, knocking him off his feet and a few feet away.

"Hey Fortune!" Lo-Muna cried out, readying her chakrams again as she saw the Tengu wasn't unconscious yet. "I don't mean to question your leadership so early but did you have another plan besides ambushing them? I think the element of surprise is gone now."

Yuwen leapt in the air, his feet flying over a swing from his tengu assaulter. Yuwen screamed, grabbing the tengu's blade between his own two and sending the sword back at him. The tengu was sent flying back toward Ren. Yuwen rolled to the side, rising to find himself back to back with Lo-Muna. "There were no bandits you funny bunny, it was a ruse! I don't know who these people are!" Yuwen exclaimed. "But I do know what they're after..."

In the ruins of the stage Takai held the mayor. Mayor Loy-Qui's eyes began to open. He saw the stars of the sky at first, and the smoke of the village drifting into it, and then, slightly lower and mixed with the embers of the burning square, Takai's face. Loy-Qui raised an eyebrow at the sight, and though he tried to be still each breath he took turning into a violent cough. "Someone's with me..." A smile forming on his tired, beaten face. "And it's a beast-man of all things..." Followed by more coughing, this time blood coming out in sprinkles on his purple robes. "These are no bandits, for below Poyo... is a great... fortune," The Yutan man continued. "The statue and the tower were built to conceal... whats inside, they cannot obtain." He rose his hand to his collar and carefully pulled out an old, brass key. With another cough his hand drifted down, still clutching the object, until it met Takai's. "...They cannot obtain..." He repeated, releasing the key for the beast-man to take.

"...I've lived in this village for the last sixty years... my entire life, and I've never left it." Loy-Qui whispered as he leaned his head back again to stare up at the stars. "Now I know I never will.“

"Ah, so there are no plans," Lo-Muna nodded sagely before having to raise her chakrams in defense. The tengu she had knocked down had been quick on his feet and had made another lunge. His blade was caught on her weapons though, long enough for her to ask, "What are they after then!?"

As the Tengu was caught on Lo-Muna's chakrams Yuwen's fist came flying. The rabbit ducked as the Tengu was socked in the face and was sent staggering back. Yuwen looked down at the rabbit kneeling at his feet, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Treasure."

Lo-Muna looked up at Yuwen from where she was kneeling, a smirk on her own face, as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Treasure, you say?" Lo-Muna asked before suddenly spinning, the blunt side of her chakram catching the staggered Tengu in his mask. With a loud OOF he fell to the ground, unconscious. A cracked mask falling off his face.

She looked at Yuwen over her shoulder, "What kind of treasure we talking about here? And where is it?"

Shuin casually roasted his kebab over an open fire while the screams of panicked citizens rang through the square around him. At his side, Namari rested her hand on her hip and observed a trio of armed tengu begin to slowly encircle them. On her own she could defeat them all easily, but when she was chained to this idiot...

"Hey. Mud crawler. We're surrounded."

"Could you... give me a minute?" he responded, biting off a freshly cooked fish ball. "I'm... recharging here..."

The winged assailants charged the two stooges simultaneously. Licking the wooden pick clean, Shuin flicked it at the nearest tengu. The masked warrior flinched for a half-second -- plenty of time for peasant boy to grab his distracted opponent by the hair and send his knee crashing into his nose. From behind, the second one aimed to decapitate them both with a single stroke of his sword. Namari ducked under the passing steel, but the sudden jolt of her chain dragged an inattentive Shuin down with her as he lost his balance and dove shoulder first into the cobble.

Sensing opportunity, the third tengu angled his spear down and stabbed viciously at Shuin. The pointed head was deflected with a sharply timed kick of his cloth shoe, as it lunged mere inches away from his exposed torso. Clambering to his feet, he almost tripped again as he was pulled forward by Namari who thrust her sword halfway out of its sheath, jamming the blunt pommel into the windpipe of the tengu before her. She grabbed the reeling assassin by the collar and spun around, taking the staggering Shuin with her and throwing her meat shield into another incoming spear strike by his buddy.

The tengu let out a pained gasp as he was accidentally impaled through the back by his own comrade. The winged warrior holding his limp weight up scowled and shoved his dying partner aside, spear and all, drawing his sidearm. The first tengu with the broken nose held his bleeding face with one hand and came around the other side.

"You've got gall for a pair of worthless, runaway slaves!" The tengu swung his blade down and Shuin responded in suit by swiftly blocking with his own sword -- elbowing Namari in the face in the process.

"You stupid little... watch where you swing!" she hissed.

"Yeah? Maybe your ugly mug shouldn't have been in the way of my elbow!" Shuin expertly parried the next attack and cut the tengu down with a clean cut from shoulder to waist. As they both turned to face the last one a bit too quickly, the chained duo accidentally smashed their skulls together, sending them both toppling backwards in an almost splitting mirror image, grabbing their bruised foreheads with their free hand.

The tengu swept the legs out from under them both in their moment of foolishness, his eyes glowing with bloodlust as he thrust down with his weapon to finish them off. Shuin and Namari rolled in opposite directions, evading the piercing blow by a hair's breadth. The peasant pulled his arms inward to gain leverage for a rising heel kick into the tengu's temple, sending him careening into Namari who grasped the bloody blade of a fallen tengu beside her and jammed it deep into his flesh. Slowly, he fell over, dead.

The two rose to their feet, dusting off various folds in their clothes before immediately shooting each other an annoyed glare.

"Idiot."

"Pampered dog."

Namari fixed her messy hair with a hand behind her head, sweeping the scene with her senses. She overheard an oni -- the same one they'd run into earlier, and a conversation between Yuyu and... some woman. Something about treasure, it seemed. Was everyone in this land so barbaric?

"Did someone say treasure?" Shuin called out loud, suddenly pulling her along with a great grin on his face.

Lo-Muna turned towards the newcomers, raising an eyebrow as she recognized the man from earlier who had flexed. The woman was also beside him and the rabbit beast-woman was able to get a better look at her. She noted the fine things she wore and also how lovely the woman looked, albeit a bit out of place with everything.

She didn't have time to dwell on it however as she slid an arm around Yuwen's shoulders, a cocky smirk on her face.

"Sorry, kiddos, that's our business. Besides, we still got Tengu to fight in case yall hadnt noticed," Lo-Muna said, brandishing her chakrams.

At the outskirts of the the town square Ro and a few of his men had managed to recreate formation, stabbing their way through a downed tengu and approaching Samyan and Sunaarashi. "You're right, " He spat, wiping his blade away. "They've not gone after the townsfolk, they want something else."

Ro watched as the few remaining Tengu flew over, dividing and changing tactics in the air. Some switching to go down and fight while others disappearing into the black smoke of the burning heap where the town-tower and statue used to be. "...Why blow up a tower... unless there was something underneath it," Ro whispered, turning to Sunaraashi and Samyan. "We have to attack them at the base of the tower, in the smoke - they're doing something there, I know it."

At Shuin and Namari's appearance Yuwen immediately uncoupled himself from Lo-Muna, swinging away from her arms to face the two. Yuwen combed the curly bangs out of his face as he approached the two. "Yuwen Fortune," he introduced, grabbing Shuin's hand and shaking it. He took Namari's, but instead rose it to his mouth and placed a kiss like a true yunish hero. He paused, his face scrunching up. "Sorry, you look..." He blinked. Familiar...

Suddenly there was a roar, like the sound of a beast wounded. Yuwen turned to find the source of the sound. Across the square Kaor, the mighty beast-woman he had spoken to earlier, was surrounded by a duo of Tengu. "This is no time to be divided," Yuwen whispered, turning to Lo-Muna, and then the others gathered. "That beast-woman needs our help."

Lo-Muna didn't stick around to hear the last of Yuwen's words. Her heart had raced when she had seen the bear beastwoman in danger and there was an anger that bubbled within her. The ears on her head straightened, pointing towards the sound of the Tengu's steps.

It had annoyed her when Yuwen had removed himself but she was glad of it now. Her feet had begun moving and the grip on her chakrams tightened. She was running and then, in the air. One of the duo raised their swords but it was knocked out of their hand, one of the chakrams clattering beside it. Lo-Muna landed nearby, the other weapon raised and ready to come down on their heads.

"Back off," she growled before charging towards one of the Tengu.

Ren raised an eyebrow at the Yunish man, who thanked him in fairly good Yeuxkyen, with a dialect far better than most foreigners could manage. "Bin qui." Came a response of 'you're welcome' in Yunish that bore the marks Ren's of foreign accent. The rabbit woman's response had been far less formal, leaving Ren cocking a smile and giving a slight bow of the head in response.

Before he could respond further, a Tengu had been thrust in his direction, instinctively triggering Ren to grab at the winged warrior's closest arm. Ren gripped tight as he pulled the Tengu's right arm up and over the Yeuxkyenan's right shoulder. The attacker's chest met Ren's back, and before he could fight back to regain control of his arm, Ren dipped down slightly as he pulled the Tengu up and over his shoulder, slamming him down into the stone street with crushing force.

The arm, already heavily damaged, was finished off by Ren using his foot to break it. He considered mercy for the briefest of moments, but after a brief look of the battlefield realized now really wasn't the time. The swordsman quickly and efficiently drew his blade, pierced the chest of the Tengu, and quickly wiped the sword clean of blood. He let out a slight sigh before having his attention caught by talk of... Treasure?

Interesting twist to all this. The arrival of a prefect helped confirm the import of this attack. Ren almost moved to question the Yunish man, 'Fortune', about the treasure more, but he was interrupted by the roars of the bear beastwoman from the Inn earlier.

He supposed it would be prudent to lend his assistance. Before he did though, he briefly turned to Ro. "Backup? Is there any forces that can help us in taking the tower from them?"