This was a rather unexpected turn of events.  A vast array of questionmarks were zipping through Lucia's head as she attempted to think of a way out of her current situation.  She and her two Karayan bodyguards had barely passed through a mile of the mountain path before they found themselves in the exact same predicament that they met in the Tinto region.

Except this time it was her side that was outnumbered.  And it wasn't just a ratio of two to one.  It was more like five to one.  Or more specifically, since numbers were so small, fifteen to three.  And Paineal barely counted because he was a greenhorn Karayan elite.  Interestingly enough, the enemy were samurais.  Which was odd, because these type of samurais wore clothes which showed that they obviously hailed from the far Northern country of Harmonia.  A country which was on very poor terms with the city-states and was quite far from the Tinto region.  What could they be doing here?  Well, as long as she didn't make a move, she was safe.  Samurai tended to be honorable as part of their code.  They would never slaughter someone who had no reason to fight them and was at a great disadvantage.

Unless these samurai were some of those Toran-Jowston badlands samurai.  Those bastards were aggro to everything.

Apparently, these samurai WERE, because as soon as she was finished with that last thought, several samurai raised their swords and sent several shockwaves flying at Lucia and her two bodyguards.  Lucia jumped out of the way and the shockwave flew past her and into Paineal.  "What?  No challenge of a duel to the death?"

The samurais didn't answer and several leapt forward with their swords drawn.  Lucia was barely able to keep from being cleaved in two and barely escaped with a cut arm.  While these samurai didn't have the honour of the Harmonian samurai they resembled, they unfortunately had their fighting prowess.

There was one possible solution to the dilemma, though.  A South Window guard post was probably nearby.  Samurai generally weren't a very stealthy type of unit, and it would be easy for Lucia and her smaller group to slip away while the South Window guards distract her current enemy.  Lucia was fortunately a wielder of a rage rune.  A rune which was perfect both for crowd control and for catching attention from far off.  Lucia pointed her left hand at the opposing samurai as a fire symbol appeared above her and flashed, causing a stream of fire to rain down on her enemies and explode.  At least eight of the samurai were heavily injured.  Now all she had to do was hold them off for a little longer.

Lucia and Veeshara continued to fight against the samurai.  A sword slash there, a quick dodge there.  The samurai remained on the offensive and Lucia rarely was able to counterattack or even break out another explosion spell.  Veeshara was seriously wounded and Paineal.... Where the hell was Paineal?!?  And why haven't any South Window soldiers arrived yet, to investigate what was happening?

Veeshara withdrew behind Lucia as she stared at the twenty samurai before her.  When the battle started, there were only fifteen.  One samurai who had just arrived raised his arm and the rest of the samurai backed off.  Then he finally spoke.

"Give us the girl and we'll let you go."

The girl?  Did they mean Veeshara?  Why would they want her?  Veeshara and Lucia quickly exchanged glances, then Veeshara nodded.  She slowly walked up to the samurai, who quickly shoved her back, sending her slamming into the mountain path.

"I said girl!  Not woman!"  The man was awfully rude for a samurai.  Then again, so were the rest of his cronies.

Lucia herself was too pissed to be formal.  "What the hell are you talking about?"

"We saw you kidnap her.  We want the girl.  Kidnapping girls is our job, not yours.  The Temple of the Silver Moon does not appreciate competition."

Oh joy.  Child nappers.  How pathetic.  Samurai kidnapping children.  It almost makes Jowston look like a decent nation.  Almost.  However, they did have a point.  When the Karayan tribe took that Tinto girl hostage, it was similar to child-napping.  But Lucia couldn't afford to let her go and inform Jowston that there were Karayans infiltrating the city-state.

Lucia shrugged.  "The child is beyond the Tinto region and is being taken to the Grasslands.  You know where.  If you truly want her so badly, then go get her.  You won't have an easy time of getting past Shaleem and his elite guard, though."

"Your assuming your elite guard will try to stop us."  The samurai slowly grinned.  "But what if we were to have hostages of our own?"

"It won't make a difference.  You attempt to take me, and I'll die fighting you.  Perhaps taking one or two of you with me and at the very least, wasting energy you could have spent on more important matters."  Lucia calmly replied.  "If they find out we're dead, they'll still fight to the death.  Maybe even harder than before.  If they find out we've been taken hostage, they'll fight to the death anyway as long as I do something as much as nod slightly to them."

This was enough to make the samurai leader burst out laughing.  "You bring up a very good point.  Very well.  We shall retrieve the girl ourselves, and you shall soon hear the news that your comrades died valiantly in battle.  Good day."

The samurais silently walked past Lucia and Veeshara.  Lucia and Veeshara stopped long enough to find Paineal behind a rock before continueing on their way.  He was wounded slightly, but not enough to incapacitate him from the battle.  The more obvious reason as to why he withdrew was easily seen with a quick glance at his pants.  Lucia sighed.  How did this incompetant get into the Karayan elite?  Who recruited him?  Oh yes.  It was Biochis.  She would have to talk with him when she got back to Karaya.  Ah well.  All the reason to take Paineal along.  This mission would be a good test for him.  At least his heart seemed to be in the right place.  Not that that was anywhere near adequate, of course.

Lucia muttered a prayer for Shaleem's safety.  Sometimes to win, sacrifices had to be made.  Interesting that this thought should come just as she came out of the mountains and reached the South Window district, because it was a lesson that South Window could never seem to learn.

South Window was the main trade center of the Jowston City states.  The people and the mayor of South Window were rather... passive.  They loved their district of South Window, but they were never willing to die for it.  A pretty major flaw.  Actually, these characteristics would be perfect if South Window didn't belong to a stupid country which had so much bloodlust.  South Window's trade policies allowed South Window to become almost as prosperous as the Jowston capital, Muse.  But at what expense?  Victory, of course.  Whenever Tinto invaded the "Jowston enemy of the month," it was always backed by South Window.  And whenever Tinto lost to said "demonic vile evil tyrannical country of the month," it was always because South Window didn't want to lose any more lives and the fighting had just started to reach the South Window troops, so they withdrew.

And if push should come to shove, this characteristic would make them lose their identity as a city-state, too.  It was yet another fact that would work against Jowston.  Of course, then there was the question of where the hell all the South Window soldiers went.  No border guards, no city guards, no patrolling guards.  You'd think they'd have a little more security considering that Jowston is going to war with Highland.

Lucia's train of thought was rudely interupted by a young lady singing a sad song, which rang above the crowd of the money hungry merchants that were running around.  A young lady she recognized.  She wore a nightgown, looked remarkable anorexic, and had a sad composure yet still managed to retain an air of beauty.  It was Kasios, Master Milich's number one singing musical bitch.

Master Milich, the flower general of the Scarlet Moon Empire.  Lucia had met him before when she was a child.  The man made several trips to the Grasslands in order to examine some of the plant life there.  He had a rather odd personality.  At least he was honorable on the battlefield.  Milich prided himself on his honour.  He was a vain man, after all.  But he also had a hobby of  poisonous destard.  Not that he'd ever use it.  Although there were rumours that he used it against the liberation army before the Scarlet Moon Empire became the Toran Republic...

"Lady Lucia..."  Somehow Kasios recognized her, too.  "I need your help!"

Kasios sung a tale.  A tale of tragedy and loss.  A tale of vile villainy and unhonourable betrayal.  A tale of how her Master Milich was captured in a valiant battle.  A tale of a lost love, entrapped in South Window's prison.  A tale which Lucia really didn't give a shit about.

"Oh, then he was gone!  Tragedy sweeps through the wind like a rose across the river, and..."  THWACK!  Kasios shut her mouth after Lucia hit her in the head with a well-aimed shoe-toss.

"Do you think I care?"  Lucia remarked.  "I have better things to do than to help out THAT guy.  Unless..."

Lucia thought to herself.  Milich was one of the six great Toran generals, wasn't he?  And Toran was the Jowston enemy of the month on many occassions.  They were currently on a very shaky peace but it was obvious that a small push was needed to break it.  Besides, Toran would never go to war with Jowston while they had one of their precious generals hostage.  It wouldn't be easy.  If South Window really had Milich in their custody, then he would most certainly be very heavily guarded.  That must be why there were no guards in the entire district!  They must all be guarding Milich!

Lucia cringed.  That would mean that she'd have a shitload of guards to get past.  Just great.  Still, the sight would be worth seeing, if only to see the effect of Milich's awful ranting on so many South Window soldiers bunched up in a tight area.

It was too quiet.

Lucia looked around the dark prison hall.  No one was there.  Not even a single footstep.  She peered around the next corner, with her back against the wall.  No one.  Nothing but the dripping of water from the ceiling.

Plip.  Plop.  Plip.  Plop.

Lucia rounded the next corner and expected to be ambushed, but no one was there.  What was this?  Some kind of joke?  Lucia felt extremely tense as she silently tip-toed through the hall.  She reached a doorway and slowly peered through the keyhole.  Nothing.  A quick pick of the lock, and the door was open.

Suddenly, someone approached!  SHIT!  Lucia had to get rid of him, fast, but she was too shocked from the endless quiet to keep her calm.

"EXPLOSION!"  A huge line of fire exploded in the hall.

Lucia glared at the small little charbroiled rat in front of her.  Damn.  This was ridiculous.  She turned around, waiting for the guards to come rushing down to see what happened, but nothing came.  There was a voice from a nearby cell, though.

"Oh, pardon me!  I must say, splendid job in disposing of that vile disgusting creature!"

Lucia had reached her goal.

Master Milich looked at her from behind the jail bars.  "Why, if it isn't Lady Lucia!  Oh!  You have grown so much since I last saw you!  If I may but ask you a favor.  Could you but please just help me out of this cell?  And nothing that would be so vulgar as being transformed into a cockroach, please."

Normally Lucia could vaguely understand Milich's ramblings, but the cockroach remark had her stumped.  No matter.  After opening the door with the keys that were so conveniently lying next to the cell, Lucia waited to be ambushed.

But nothing happened.  What?  If this was a trap, then get on with it already!

"Oh Lady Lucia!  I am so thankful that you should rescue me!  It has been such a long time since I last saw you and you were such a young child!  I see that you most certainly have a rather exquisite taste in clothing, although there is a little room for improvement.  Still, you appear most remarkable!"

Lucia nodded in agreement as Milich babbled on.  "Uh huh.  Uh huh.  Yea, yea, shut up."

Master Milich was quiet.  For a minute.  Then he started yapping again.

"How is everything?  I lost track of what was happening in the Grasslands after the War of Succession.  How is your father doing?"

"My father is dead."  Lucia coldly replied.

Milich was surprised.  "Oh?  Is that so?  I imagine he died valiently on the battlefield, did he not?"

"No."

Milich didn't know what to say.  After a few moments of silence, he hesitantingly asked, "Oh.  Then how..."

"Poison Flowers."

That made Milich shut up real real quick.

And it was a good thing, too, otherwise Lucia wouldn't have been able to hear the groaning coming from another cell.  She looked in it, and the identity of the prisoner surprised her.

It was a member of the Karaya tribe.

There was the problem of that damn accordian music which played over and over again while Milich was around for some reason, but a quick shoe to Kasios' head quickly stopped that little annoyance.

Veeshara returned from her renaissance trip and handed Lucia a wanted poster.  On it was the face of the missing Toran president.

"What the hell is this?"  Lucia remarked, as she held the poster up.

"There are reports that the hero of the Toran Republic, who's been missing for two years, is in the area.  In fact, he's been spotted already.  Granmeyer already called away ALL the guards in the entire district of South Window and brought them all here to prepare a trap for McDohl."

Lucia had a disgusted look on her face.  "So Granmeyer knowingly risks the security of South Window just to catch one boy?!?  And why does he need a wanted poster?  Wouldn't everyone recognize the face of this boy without one?"

"Actually," Veeshara replied, "Even Granmeyer didn't recognize McDohl."

It figured.  Stupid people of South Window.  They had so many countries that they were enemies of that they couldn't even afford to allocate a few bits of brain to memorize what those countrys' leaders looked like.  Case in point.  Lucia walked up to a nearby South Window merchant and yelled at him.

"I AM LADY LUCIA!"

The merchant looked at Lucia like she was insane, then went back to work.

Well, now that there was no reason to be paranoid about any traps or ambushes, there were other matters to attend to.  Lucia slapped the Karayan that she released from the South Window dungeoun, but he didn't respond.  All he did was ramble about trying to catch some girl.

"Do any of you know anything about this man?"  Lucia inquired.

"I'm afraid I do not."  Veeshara replied.  "All I can say is that from his current condition, he appears to be quite... er, waterlogged."

Paineal just stood there with a nervous expression on his face.  An expression which said an awful lot.  The boy needed help in everything, it seemed, since he couldn't even keep a decent poker face.  Lucia slowly gazed angrily into his eyes.

"Paineal, do you know anything about this man?"

Paineal swallowed what Lucia could only imagine was probably quite a large glob of mucus.  "Y... Yes, Lady Lucia.  He is one of B... Biochis' men."

Lucia slowly turned her head.  "And what, pray tell, would he be doing here in the city states?"  Her whip snapped.

Paineal jumped.  "I... I don't know!   All I know was that I last saw him in Two River!"

Lucia sighed.  What the hell.  She had better things to do than go chasing after a stupid commander who was doing stuff behind her back.  No matter.  She wanted to go to Muse then Greenhill but Two River was on the way to Greenhill, too.  But Paineal would have to be punished for withholding this information.  The punishment must be firm but fair.  What could Lucia do?

Lucia looked at Milich, then grinned.  She slowly glared at Paineal.  "That's it, then.  Jowston knows there are Karayans in the area.  You most certainly will have to get a disguise.  And who better to give you some fashion tips than our dear friend, Master Milich?"

Paineal's kicking and screaming as Master Milich emanated "an eternity of joy!" would have garnered quite a lot of attention, had anyone cared.  But every person in South Window was off somewhere, probably chasing after that boy, McDohl.

"Isn't this cruel and unusual punishment?"  Paineal pleaded as Kasios dragged him away to the nearest clothing store.

"Tis a most wise and fitting punishment."  Veeshara remarked.

Lucia told Veeshara to stop sucking up and go get a costume before she decided that Milich could offer her some fashion tips, too.  Veeshara promptly agreed and left.

Of course, Lucia didn't need a disguise since no one recognized her.  Why would the Jowston city-states care about a harmless little princess, anyway?  Although... she hoped Paineal's polka dot pajamas with the chocobo hat wouldn't attract too much attention.  Veeshara chose a simple blue country dress.  And Milich wore his usual attire that made him look like a freaky mushroom.  Why was Milich here, anyway?  He babbled something about finding some perfect Garden of Eden or something like that.  In Jowston?  If there were any garden of Eden, it'd be in the Grasslands, of course!  Lucia could never understand Milich's train of thought.

Lucia left the waterlogged Karayan in some inn after Milich dressed him up in a rather... unique outfit, and paid for a weeks' stay for him.  It'd be up to him to get back home after he got better.  She didn't have time to babysit every blasted soldier that acted out of order.

As if fate deemed that she should get another testamount to South Window's incompetant security and naivety, there was one more event of interest that occurred in the district of South Window.  It was at Kuskus, a small port town...

"Wow, now we have a really pretty lady tonight."

Lucia looked at all the thugs surrounding her and shrugged.  "Whatever."

*snap!*  *crackle!*  *pop!*  *rice crispies!*

She stared at the beat-up thugs on the floor.  She'd break their necks but figured that they might as well be left alive to continue to harass the idiots of South Window.  If South Window couldn't even keep their own streets clean of filth like this, why should she be obligated to help?

A large feeling of relief came over Lucia as she, Paineal, and Veeshara boarded the boat and sailed away from South Window.  Particularly because Milich was on another boat.  But it was also nice to get away from that damn stupid city-state which did nothing except pretend to back up everyone else when it was really not willing to expend any soldiers to do anything, except hunt down some silly kid who's been missing for two years.