The Warrior staring Kenji down was tall, but not imposingly so. Rather it was her bright clothes, stained dark red and black, that made her far more intimidating. Her stance was steady, spread wide as though to easily absorb any blow. Likewise, her gaze was even, giving away little of thoughts.

  Ensuring her status as a powerful Warrior was the Type Beast strutting by her side. A massive bird of prey, it was darkly colored, sporting a streak of red crest feathers and a white feathered chest. Like him, it was heavily bandaged, though the beast carried itself as if the wrappings were only a minor hinderance.

  Kenji felt himself unconsciously tense at the coming confrontation and struggle to sit up straighter. He was wary of putting weight on his burned arms. The pain was a dull ache, far from the searing burn that he knew it should be. Giving up on the attempt, he settled for lifting his chin defiantly as he met her eyes.

  "Good morning, sir," she started, nodding her head respectively. She spoke in the trading tongue, though her words were more heavily warped by her accent. More so than even the healer's was.

  Kenji refused to be deceived by her polite tone and demeanor.

  "My name is {Ranger} Sherry, and I represent the {Ranger Union}," she said, Kenji not recognizing the terms she used identify her kingdom or status. "The {Rangers} are investigating your interaction with the local pack of Houndoom." She paused, offering him the chance to respond. When he did not, she continued. "Can you tell me what you were doing {off-Route} without proper {authorization}?"

  Despite himself, Kenji frowned at the question, not understanding what she was asking. Her interrogation was not going as he thought it would have, though the direction appeared to. At first thought, it seemed as if she did not care for his clearly foreign status nor where he originated.

  At the same time, he was itching to ask the foreign Warrior what kingdom he found himself in. Especially as he did not recognize her insignia or the glimpse of the city beyond the clear glass.

  Nevertheless, he refused to open his answer her.

  "Very well," she said in response to his silence. "Can you tell me how you first encountered the Houndoom pack?"

  This, at least, Kenji was far more comfortable refusing to answer. The Pokémon that teleported was clear in her desire for him to keep their kind a secret. His appearance near the pack of beasts was an accident, he was sure. It would have been far easier for the powerful creature to simply throw him off the flat topped mountain than to expend the Energy to teleport him.

  No, of all that he could tell, that information would never leave his lips.

  "Sir, the information you are withholding can lead to injury or worse for others. From my fellow {Rangers} to even {Trainers} that obtain permits to travel {off-Route} to the Shallow Mountains." Her words pleaded to his sense of honor, yet her tone was as flat as a board, equaling her expressionless face. It was more a statement of fact than a call to empathy.

  With every word she said, Kenji only grew more confused. She spoke as he had a choice in the matter, and was not a prisoner or hostage of a foreign kingdom. Unable to help himself, he finally asked the question plaguing his mind.

  "Where," he hesitantly started. "Am I?"

  The Warrior's eyes became alert as he opened his mouth, falling back slightly as she registered his words.

  "You are at {Canalave Hospital}," she told him.

  While he did not understand the words the woman said, he recognized them as the same ones the healer mentioned earlier. Moreso, she did not tell him the true answer he was searching for.

  "No," he shook his head, "Where am I? What kingdom is this?"

  "Kingdom?" For the first, emotion flickered across her face. A moment of uncertainty before her expression firmed once more. "You are in Canalave City, in the region of Sinnoh."

  Kenji stared at the Warrior, not comprehending her words. He recognized one as being the same as being part of her previous answer, yet the region was unknown to him. The name bore no relation to any of the kingdoms that he knew, nor did she seem to understand why he was asking about kingdoms.

  "But the kingdom," he persisted, desperation coloring his voice. "What kingdom is this? Violight1? Fontaine2? Greenleaf?" he finished with a whisper, daring to mention his home.

  "I am sorry," she said, unease tinging her voice slightly. "I do not recognize those names. What region do you travel from?"

  The Warrior's words were a greater blow to Kenji than any physical strike. He fell back against the firm bed, not hearing the rest of her question. He stared beyond the woman, past the walls of the room.

  "My home," he whispered, unconsciously slipping into his native tongue. "My kingdom."

  "Sir," the Warrior began, her voice hesitant. "I can have the {police} come in to help you, but missing persons is beyond the scope of the {Ranger Union}. If you are not from Sinnoh, then this is a matter for the {International Police}."

  Despair seeped through Kenji's chest, pooling on top of him like a heavy stone. He escaped the destruction of his village, the burning of his home, survived for nearly a season alone in beast ridden wilds. All for a foreign Warrior to not recognize any of the kingdoms he mentioned.

  The room grew hazy and sea salt flavored the air as Kenji felt his links surge. Two were far too distant to be affected, but one was close enough to react to his emotions. Like a root over a crumbling cliff, Kenji latched on to the only source of familiarity and held the link tight. He closed his eyes, falling into the shadowed memories before he was interrupted by a low, yet piercing, shriek.

  "Star!"

  Jerking in surprise, he was violently pulled from the overwhelming despair as his heart began to race. Fear, instinctual and disturbing, raced up his spine. The comforting embrace shattered. Instinctively, he rolled his eyes around to identify the threat and search for a means of escape. At the same time, the glowing box grew loud and aggravating with its beeps, adding its noise to his distress.

  At the foot of his bed, puffed up in front of his own bond, the predatory bird was glaring him down. The lifted feathers nearly doubled the beast's size, turning from comforting down to slicing armor. The gaze was far more intimidating, freezing Kenji's breath as he met the large bird's glowing red eyes.

  The moment was quickly broken as the Warrior stepped up next to the Pokémon. Her face expressed wariness, yet her stance was firm and ready for anything.

  Equally, Kenji felt his bond pulse, struggling to maintain its manifested aura. The crisp sweetness of sandy waters and its cool heat overpowered the harsh stench of the healing room. Kenji was surprised that his bond could do as much, considering how weak the spirit felt.

  Fear rose as Kenji realized that he nearly allowed his link to the spectral Pokémon to consume him. There were dangers to bonding with strong or unusual beasts, one of which nearly befell him. The stories were full of Warriors who linked to Types Beasts far beyond them, the power eating them alive or leaving them a husk. Worse were those who became puppets with urges of cruelty and rage.

  Nonetheless, he felt comforted by the haunting spirit's protectiveness. He could tell that it meant no harm and was only seeking to help, in the only way it could. The ghost had long used its power to protect, from hiding his presence to ensuring his safety when he was sick.

  Sending a wave of gratitude to the nearby bond, he shielded his own spirit from the link. It was akin to swaddling their connection in a blanket or curling one's toes and stomach inward. Strange, but not entirely so. Only his long familiarity with the Pokémon and their weakened states allowed him to do so easily. Better yet, his bond did not resist, though he could sense its confusion.

  Focusing once more on the Warrior, Kenji felt more himself and more present. The spirit was influencing him unduly, without even meaning to. Like his first days in the forest, he was merely going through the motions as expected. Whatever alchemical mixture the healer gave him, when combined with the ghostly influence of his bond, only served to further cloud his mind.

  Fighting off the effects, Kenji rallied his meager strength and struggled to sit up straighter. There was not enough Energy in his body to remove the drugs fully, most of it consumed with his healing. He could see the leather clad woman's urge to help as he started to shift and was glad when she hesitated. To accept such assistance from a Warrior would have been shameful, even more so considering she was from another kingdom.

  And mere touch was often enough all one needed to sense another's awakened spirit.

  Unfortunately, with the retreat of the healer's concoction, the pain made itself known. His skin was burning hot and cold in patches, tingling in the few places it was neither. A twisted grimace forced its way onto his face despite his efforts before Kenji was finally sitting more upright.

  "You say," he coughed out, the words ash in his mouth. "You say that you do not recognize kingdoms I have named," he spoke, less a question and more a statement.

  The Warrior jerked in head in a single nod. At her side, the predatory Pokémon smoothed out its feathers, though the beast still remained intent on Kenji and the colored orb at his feet.

  He could not help the flinch at her harsh nod, feeling emptiness burrow within before he controlled himself once more.

  "Then what kingdom is this? In what land do I find myself?" he asked plaintively.

  The question was more than that of course. Unspoken were the thoughts of what came next, his steps beyond this. First his goal was to simply survive, making it to the next day. Then came plans for escape, traveling past the limits of the forest and finding his way home.

  Yet this Warrior-Sherry he believed she called herself-spoke words he could barely recognize and told him that there was no home to be remembered.

  "This region," her emphasis on the term drawing Kenji out his spiraling thoughts, "Is called Sinnoh. There are no kingdoms here, only a few ancient clans that hold onto the old ways. There are kingdoms beyond," she added slowly, "But none bear the names you mentioned and are spread out across different regions."

  Her words were a hammer blow to his chest, only lightly softened by his expectation of them. Closely his eyes, Kenji thought of his next steps. Like his early days lost and alone, he only needed to focus on the next step. The one beyond that can come after.

  "And what of me?" he asked with a tired sigh. "What payment is to be required for the healer's assistance, and yours?"

  Warriors were the purview of the noble clans and the Warlord, answering to them and nearly always in their employ. While there was little chance, or hopefully need, of repaying the woman, the healer's services would be his responsibility.

  The woman looked surprised at his question.

  "Healthcare is freely offered to all and I am employed by the {Ranger's Union}. No payment is wanted nor expected." she said, eyeing him carefully. "Care for your Pokémon is another matter, but one that can be easily remedied. With the {League} set to begin, they often cover much of the charges themselves."

  Kenji frowned, recognizing words that she used earlier, along with a new one. The emphasis she placed on them made him ask for clarity, a weight similar to the one he might place on his kingdom's name or even his Warlord.

  "What is the," he struggled to pronounce the words correctly, "'Ranger's Union?' Are they Warriors of your kingdom?"

  "Warriors?" Sherry asked, eyebrows lifting slightly. "No, we are Rangers, protectors of Pokémon and the environment. I was assigned to your case as I was the one to rescue you."

  "My case?" he repeated, thinking back to her questions.

  "Yes," she answered. "The Union is investigating the situation you found yourself in, hunted by a pack of Houndoom."

  Kenji stared back, mildly surprised. While it was part of a Warrior's duty to fend off wild beasts and even hunt them down, he was a trespasser. It was entirely within their right to repel him. Had his father been the one standing in her place, the man would have merely snorted and called him a fool for placing himself in such a situation unprepared.

  His throat closed at the sudden thought, the imagined words grumbling in his ear. Staring into the distance, he could envision his father towering over him, voice growling with worried reproach. Fighting to breathe, he avoided the choking sob sticking in his throat. He could barely wheeze past the clenched muscles and Kenji desperately closed his eyes in an effort to regain control of his emotions. When he felt ready to meet her gaze, he lifted his eyes.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  The woman appeared slightly awkward at his clear distress and chose to ignore it. Kenji was grateful as her words might have driven him over the edge.

  "Are you willing to answer my questions?" Sherry, the Warrior-Ranger, he mentally corrected-asked brusquely. She moved past the emotional moment like a Warrior side-stepping a posturing Type Beast and continuing on their way.

  "Ask," Kenji said shortly with a nod.

  "Can you tell me what you were doing {off-Route} with proper {authorization}?" she repeated.

  Despite not understanding several of her words, he parsed the meaning of her question.

  "I was lost, taken from my home by a monstrous beast of shadow and spirit," he started. "It-"

  His mind twisted, stuttering as he partially remembered lost whispers and smothering claws tearing at his spirit.

  "-It left me in the forest," he finished lamely, shuddering and feeling the urge to curl inwards. "Then I survived and- moved until I was able to escape." He added, nearly speaking of the plateau before he caught himself.

  The Ranger stared at him silently, weighing the truth of his words before speaking.

  "And what of the pack, how did you come across them?"

  "An, ah, accident," he stumbled over his words. "I did not realize they claimed the mountain so broadly." His wounds flared as if roused by the memories of being chased and hunted. "I don't remember anything after that," he said with a shake of his head.

  She remained unmoving for a beat, before telling what transpired.

  "At some point in the chase, I suspect that you were unable to continue. At which point, your Pokémon," she glanced to his mother's pendant on the bed, "Took over and ran your body to safety. Staraptor and I found you then and flew you here, to the {hospital}."

  "Gratitude," he murmured, tiredness creeping in. Despite being only awake a short time, Kenji already felt the urge close his eyes. Less a sigh and more a yawn left his mouth as he leaned back into the light pillows at his back.

  The Warrior-Ranger could see his need to rest and asked another question, this one filling Kenji with hesitation.

  "And what of the flowers?" she asked calmly. "Why were the Houndoom so concerned with them?" Her eyes stared into Kenji's, watching him intently.

  He shivered as her presence loomed over him, a plane of iron that would not yield. Shying away, both physically and in spirit, he answered. He had to be careful of his words, as some mystics and Warriors could separate truth from lie. More than that, however, he was not yet ready to reveal his status as a Warrior. Forcing himself to meet her hard gaze, he answered.

  "A gift," he muttered tiredly. "I don't know why the beasts wanted them," he said half-truthfully, sure that he could guess at the reason.

  The mystical herbs were offered from younglings of powerful beasts, grown from the land of a mystic realm. Such gave them immense value, and likely additional alchemical properties as well.

  "Very well," she said, and Kenji recognized that she did not believe him. At least not fully. "As you are now a missing persons' case, as well as part of an active {Ranger's Union} investigation, I will contact the local authorities and have them meet with you. They will have their own questions and are better able to assist you further." she informed him.

  Kenji nodding thanks, tiredness crawling across his mind. He did not remember falling to sleep, only hazy dreams and nightmares. He felt that someone visited, or perhaps several, but he barely stirred. It was only when a storm approached, wind and rain beating at his dreams that he startled awake.

  Blearily opening his eyes, Kenji half expected the clear glass windows to be shrouded by clouds and shaking from the wind. His mind latched onto their oddity for a moment, before he realized that day outside was clear. Glass was valued highly in Greenleaf, but never was it so clear or abundant to be used as a window as massive as this. Brushing aside his thoughts and lingering dream, he turned his eyes to what awoke him.

  The room was filled with people, especially when compared to when he was last conscious. A quiet murmur filled the room, low conversations between most of those crowding the space. The Ranger, Sherry, was present, standing against the window, stiff and unmoving. Her bond, the standoffish bird with its piercing stare was nowhere to be seen. She was one of the few that remained silent.

  Two wore brightly colored uniforms, shades of blue with buttons and emblems of gold. For them to wear such finery, and flaunt it so openly, the man and woman had to be the authorities that the Ranger mentioned earlier. Her words came back to him slowly, stating that their role was to assist him as a 'missing persons'.' How, he did not know.

  Standing near them, almost as if he were with the blue attired individuals yet not entirely welcomed by them, was another man. His uniform was a stark contrast to the more cool colors of the two he stood by. Black, with a white undershirt, and dull eyes. Not simple, merely distant and waiting, watching.

  Loudest among them was the master healer, one of his attendants standing by dutifully as he gesticulated and spoke with another man. They were friendly, or at least more than simple acquaintances, judging by their expressions. It was the final man, the one nearest the door and speaking with the healer, that was first to notice Kenji was awake.

  He was tanned, weathered by the sun, with a stern face that nevertheless remained open. Like Sherry, he wore colors of deep red and leather. Staring at him, Kenji knew without a doubt that the man was a Warrior. And not a weak one either.

  The stranger's eyes looked over, his voice unchanging even as he continued his conversation. They were measuring, weighing Kenji with a curious glance. He gave no other indication that Kenji was awake, merely nodding silently in his direction with a glance to the healer.

  Swallowing thickly, Kenji struggled to sit up. The movement attracted the attention of the room, and they all fell silent as they turned to look at him. He paused, unsure of the studied looks that the people were giving him. It was as though they were waiting for him to speak, or react in some manner.

  The moment was broken when the passionate healer brushed past everyone with a loud voice.

  "Now, now," he started. "It's not like we've never seen a kid in a {hospital} bed before. Let's give him some space and quiet. I still have to run my tests and make sure he's up for your interrogations." A wide grin helped ease the harshness of his words, even as the others stepped back to give him and his staff space to work.

  Like before, they tested Kenji's memory and ability. With instructions to wiggle his fingers and toes, or move his limbs, the healer asked about Kenji's discomfort. He answered truthfully, speaking of the chilling burns and patches of tingling. The pain was not mind numbing nor overly upsetting. More like laying on a pointed stone, it was one he could endure.

  {Doctor} Moran nodded happily, his name one of the few questions that Kenji struggled to answer correctly. He spoke to the attendant with him, giving the man orders to write down that Kenji could scarcely understand. The others could however, and he could see the kingdom's-or was it region's?-officials murmuring quietly as the doctor spoke. Finally, the healer released him, with a pointed look and overly loud voice to let him know if the 'jabbering Aipom needed to beat back.'

  Thanking the man quietly, Kenji steadied his nerves and readied to speak with the others. The two blue clothed officials were the first to step forward, one with a collection of paper and what he assumed a writing object in hand. It was round, appearing to be metal, and wholly unlike the brushes or quills he was used to. Hats were clipped to their waists, he noticed, bearing similar sigillary as their clothes.

  The woman was the one to speak, introducing herself and her companion. She said nothing of the other man, the one in dark clothes, until he lightly coughed as if to remind her.

  "Hello, my name is {Police} Officer Jenny. With me is Officer Jones," she gestured to the man with the paper at the ready. At the cough, she flicked her eyes over to the other with badly disguised dissatisfaction. "And that is {Agent} Carl, with the {Internation Police}. You said your name was Kenji, correct?"

  Her voice was brusque and rote, aside from the introduction of Agent Carl. She spoke the trading tongue quite well, with barely an accent. Only perhaps the healer was better, and he seemed to enjoy adding inflections into his words. Kenji nodded hesitantly at the woman's question, then answered when she required more verbal confirmation.

  "Yes, that is correct," he answered.

  "Do you have a family name to go with it?" she asked.

  He hesitated at her question, the pause giving an answer of its own. Still, giving them his family name would allow them to trace it back to his home, his family. Whatever remained of it, he thought morosely. Strangely, it did not hurt as much as he expected. The wound was still a panging emptiness, but no longer was it fresh. Closing his eyes, he whispered his answer.

  "Yes," he said softly. "Sato. Sato Kenji, son of Isamu and Hajime."

  Part of him expected some reaction, a glimmer of recognition or even a frown. It was not as if his parents were widely known, but his father was still a Warrior of Greenleaf.

  , whispered at the back of his mind.

  The lack of one was damning all its own, as the man quickly wrote down his words and the woman studied him intently.

  "We can look to see if they are in the {database} or any missing children have be reported," she told him. "Can you tell me where you are from? What city or town you live in?"

  Kenji answered her truthfully, finding himself uncaring of how they might take it or use it. Not now, anyways.

  "Greenleaf, in the village of Island Root."

  The woman frowned at his words.

  "And what region was this?" she asked hesitating slightly.

  "Region?" he repeated back to her. "It was a kingdom, the kingdom of Greenleaf."

  Suddenly, he found himself growing angry. Angry at their ignorance of his homeland, angry at the unsureness of his words. How could they not know? His kingdom was the most fertile in the land. Wars and battles were fought for their groves and fields. Against both humans and beasts.

  Just as quickly, his fury drained away, leaving him weaker than before. Sighing, he fell back and watched as they reacted to his words. The two officials exchanged looks and the Agent Carl suddenly looked far more interested. Only the healer and Rangers did not react, two having heard his words before and likely informing the other.

  "And do you know where this kingdom," The barest of hesitation in her voice said more than her words ever could. "Might be found?"

  "We bordered the sea," Kenji shook his head, only able to offer what little he knew. "Some called the land Ransei," he offered.

  "Ransei," she muttered uncertainly.

  The others had different reactions. Sherry's face remained blank, either from lack of recognition or careful control of herself, though Kenji suspected the former. The lone man, Agent Carl, frowned while the other Ranger and healer glanced at each other.

  "They said there was no identification amongst your things," Police Officer Jenny shot a glare at the Sherry. "Do you buy chance have one, and remember any of it? Trainer identification number, citizen I.D.? Anything may be of assistance."

  Kenji followed her eyes and noticed his pack hidden behind her. He forgot all about the handmade item and was grateful to the Ranger for holding onto it.

  "No," Kenji said, frowning. Worry about this land he found himself in seeped past his indifference. "Greenleaf did not track its people so," he continued, affronted by the idea.

  "There are several regions that do not," the healer broke in, seeking to soothe Kenji. "Alola among them. Still, for the purposes of the League, some form of identification is necessary.

  The Police Officer nodded, supporting the man's words.

  "It is also a relatively new concept for some," she allowed. "If you had one, then it would've help immensely."

  The woman sighed and exchanged a look with her companion before looking at the man in dark clothing. He looked slightly surprised, recovering quickly as he straightened his coat and pulled out a hard rectangular of paper the size of his palm.

  "Agent Carl, with the {International Police}," he introduced himself, moving as if to hand the card to Kenji before remembering the state of his healing burns. Instead, he dropped it on a nearby table.

  Kenji frowned, not understanding the strange interaction between the blue coated officials and Agent Clark. If they were both working for the region, then surely they would have been far more companionable.

  "International Police?" he asked carefully, not wanting to offer insult but still searching for clarity.

  "A global organization dedicated to investigating inter-regional crime and maintaining world order," he explained. "We work closely with the regional government and offer our services in cases such as yours."

  "More specifically, for you that is, we have our own records, with access to other region's missing persons databases. Additionally, we can offer financial and housing assistance. Which I'm sure that the Sinnoh government will also offer," he added with a pointed look at the police officers.

  The two look affronted at the suggestion that they would not and hurried to confirm their support.

  "Of course the government will offer their support," Jenny huffed. "You know as well I that we do so for lost Trainers and found individuals all the time."

  Kenji merely stared in shock as the officials as they began to argue over 'jurisdictions' and responsibility. While most of it went above his head, he understood that the International Police were ultimately in charge of his missing persons' case while the local police officers were responsible for his well-being.

  It was all so, so to Kenji. The officials argued over who was to care for him. Not control or imprison or any darker intent. Merely ensure his safety, housing, and feed him. If it were not for how alien the situation was to him, he was afraid that he would have broken down. No kingdom would allow a complete unknown to walk free, especially not if they knew he was a Warrior.

  "I think there is one aspect of the situation that is being overlooked," a voice intruded. He did not shout or push his way forward. The man, the Ranger who appeared to be friend of the healer, merely spoke. Yet his voice cut through the room.

  Kenji shuddered as the aura filled the room. In an effort to avoid the powerful Warrior's notice, he curled his spirit tight around himself. He huddled in fear, a sapling bearing the brunt of the wind's fury.

  The three officials turned to look at the weathered Ranger, waiting for him to continue. The officers appeared uneasy while the agent managed to control himself better, though Kenji could see his knuckles tighten.

  "And what aspect are we overlooking?" the other man asked begrudgingly, when it was obvious that the elder Ranger was waiting to be asked.

  "The boy has Pokémon, three to be exact," he told them. "That means he must be registered as a Trainer." When one of the officials opened their mouth to respond, the man continued easily. "As the ones to rescue him, and considering his involvement in an active investigation into erratic wild Pokémon behavior, the Ranger Union is willing to sponsor Sato Kenji."

  "Sponsor?" the officers spluttered. Even the agent and Ranger Sherry appeared surprised at his words.

  "If he wishes to challenge the {League}, that is," he added as an afterthought. Though the way he said it gave Kenji the indication that it was already a forgone conclusion.

  "The boy was just rescued from the flames of death and only barely begun to heal," Officer Jenny said heatedly. "And you want him to take on the Pokémon {League}?" Her voice was angry and surprised, with an undercurrent of worry. As if she had lost control as soon as the stranger spoke and they both knew it.

  "He is of age," the Ranger Warrior responded, "And the season is only just beginning. Besides, traveling and seeing things beyond these walls," the man looked around in faint distaste, "Will do him some good, I'm sure."

  "A matter for the {doctor} to decide," the agent from the International Police intervened. He looked to the healer as if the passionate man would leap to their aide.

  "The boy is healing quite well," the put upon man said, his voice not nearly as exuberant as before. "In a few weeks, I'm sure he will be free of any medical complications. Perhaps some physical therapy, but anything more is simply management. Not something we do with him confined to bed," he finished with a shake of his head.

  "See," the man who had yet to introduce himself said with a smile. As if Kenji were declared whole and healthy instead. "The boy will be plenty healthy to enter the circuit."

  "It could help," the police officer who had yet to speak began, flushing slightly when the others looked at him. "With adjustment and acclimating with Sinnoh and society, that is," he finished with a mutter, returning his attention to the small bundle of paper.

  "Excellent," the Warrior stated, clapping his hands once. The sound was far louder than it had any reason to be, causing everyone to jump slightly. "If you can handle his citizen paperwork, I will begin on his trainer's license." he nodded to the officers. "We can continue the discussion somewhere more suitable."

  Having said his piece, the man walked out without so much as a second glance at Kenji or any of the others. The three officials looked resigned, commiserating together in silent looks.

  "Sponsorship?" Officer Jenny muttered before giving a shake of her head. Turning towards Kenji, she spoke to him with a more businesslike, yet kindly, tone. "Today has had plenty of excitement. Someone from social welfare will stop by, now that we have more details, to assist you further. You have Agent Clark's card, and mine as well," she add another hard rectangle of paper to the table. "If you need anything or facing any difficulties, please give us a call."

  The two officers bowed lightly, dismissing themselves far more unobtrusively. Clark joined them, after giving Kenji another searching stare.

  Alone with the healer and the female Ranger once more, Kenji decided to ask the obvious question.

  "Can someone explain what just happened?" he said blankly.