Sofia the city of flying ships part 5

Edward stopped trying to catch the woman who was bouncing around like a professional out style boxer. He started to concentrate to try and follow where the woman was. She kept still punching Edward from a far distance. She laughed thinking that Edward had given up.

"C'moon. You gave up already," yelled the woman while she hit Edward.

Edward then was listening to the rhythm of the punches. He heard a rhythm. He started to sing the rhythm in his head and at the right moment, he grabbed onto the woman's hand.

"Caught you," said Edward and stared at the woman straight into her eyes.

He cut off the hand of the young woman and she started to scream in pain. He then lunged forward and decapitated the woman with one blow.

Rufus started to concentrate his powers in his hands. He started to form the same destructive power into a circular form. The destructive divine power got even the wind to spiral around him. A divine power sphere had formed that Rufus held like a ball. The young man looked terrified. Rufus then threw the sphere in an attempt to hit him.

"Hahaha, You think you can hit me with that," said the young man and dodged it easily.

As soon as he had dodged the sphere it increased in size. It absorbed half of the young man's body and then destroyed anything inside its vicinity. The man had lost both one leg, and hand and half of his torso. The young man died right then and there.

"Hahahahaha. That truly was entertaining! Seems like the both of you learned a little bit how to use your divine powers." Laughed Kassim.

"You should have told us earlier you had a divine power you stupid cat," yelled Edward at Kassim.

"Why. This way it was more entertaining," Kassim Laughed.

~~

They started to look around the warehouse. They found all the boxes that had cannons and ammunition inside them.

"Where could they have gotten these cannons?" said Edward looking at the cannons.

"I'd recognize these cannons anywhere. They are made by Dokkeabis. The greatest industrialist in the world. They have factories making stuff day and night in their world. Those small little bastards also make weapons. Terrible weapons. They are also known as notorious slavers," explained Kassim who had a slight tone in his voice.

His golden jewelry again turned into the golden liquid. The golden liquid then floated and turned into plates to move all the boxes. He then controlled the gold and was able to move all the crates to his ship. Kassim's men from aboard his ship also helped him. One thing strange was though there were no same species as Kassim among his crewmen among his ships crewmen.

"Well, this was one hell of a deal. I feel like I was a pirate today since I made such an easy deal. Bahahaha," laughed Kassim.

~~

Soon all the cannons were in the ship.

"I should get going now. Staying on one world for too long is not good for business," Kassim.

All of them looked a bit sad.

"Will we ever see you again?" asked Rufus.

"The fates are a fickle thing. I believe if one of us really will need the other we will meet again," smiled Kassim.

The large black sails of the red fox were lowered. The winds started to move the ship and Kassim was steering the ship to go higher and higher before it could not be spotted anymore.

"You really have a way with people. Even making a merchant trust you," said Doreen.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. I can tell since I have experienced it first-hand," said Doreen and smiled.

~ ~

Later that day all the needed work had been done in the city of Sofia. It was time to go back home to Jacobstadt. The four of them got on the riverboat. They left the rest of the gang members to get the businesses ready and wait for more people to be sent from Jacobstadt.

On their way back to Jacobstadt they saw something very special.

"Look at those people over there," yelled Haley and looked at three people who were on horseback on top of a ridge.

Edward looked on top of the ridge. He immediately was shocked.

"Those are not just any people. They are grey skins," said Edward ominously.

It was a small scouting party of grey skins. They had completely grey skin and their ear flaps were longer and bigger. They wore animal leather as amour and wore colorfully designed masks made from iron. They were riding black yaks, large beasts with sharp horns. They had primitive-looking spears and curved iron swords as weapons.

"What are they doing here?" asked Doreen from Edward.

"I don't know. We are far away from the mountains and this is a heavily guarded area. They usually also don't stroll around like that in the open. We would have heard already if a grey skin raiding party was in the area. I have no idea what are they doing here."

The grey skins after staring at the four of them for a while decided to leave. They rode with their black yaks away towards north back to the high mountains.

It was the first time Rufus, Haley or even Doreen had seen a grey skin, but obviously wasn't Edward's first time seeing them.

~ ~

They went straight to old man Haufen's bar. Doreen said he got in contact with the prince to arrive there soon.

He arrived shortly there with August. All of them were amazed by the intel network the prince had constructed that enabled him to arrive there so fast.

"Hello everyone. I expect you had quite a fun time in Sofia during your small vacation," said the prince with a smile.

None of them thought the joke was even remotely funny.

~~

They told what had happened in the city of Sofia, told how they had found cannons in a warehouse that were owned by the duke.

"Hmm. I wonder how he had gotten his hands on those?" pondered the prince.

"They did have the Heian empire seal on the boxes. It would then logically mean they were from the Heian empire," said Doreen.

"Hmm….This is truly a stroke of good luck for us. We can now prove to the king that the duke has been working with the Heian empire behind his back. Having unauthorized relations with another nation and having them import weapons could easily be considered treason. My father will have no other choice than to take action against Duke Mihalh. This is truly a great win for us," said the prince with a smile thinking he had just gotten a big victory.

Doreen, Rufus, Haley and Edward just were thinking that the cannons were already far away under the hull of the red fox.

"Hmmm….about that my prince," Doreen said and then continued to explain the situation with the cannons.

The prince couldn't believe what he was hearing. It could have been such a great victory for the prince and all of them.

"I am so sorry my prince. I am…."

"It was my idea. It was a fair deal to get help from a friend. I suggested the trade," said Rufus before Doreen could finish the sentence.

The prince knew that Rufus was taking the blame for Doreen.

"Well, no use of getting mad about spoiled milk," said the prince and looked like he didn't care.

"I think our meeting here is done for now so I and August should be heading back now, but before that, I would like to talk with Rufus alone," Markus said.

All of the people left the bar. It was just Rufus and prince Markus in the bar alone.

"I'll get straight to the point. I don't know what your relationship with Emilia is, but stay away from her," said the prince in a mad tone which was very out of character for him.

"I have no relationship with her. She just happened to be at the shelter while I was there," said Rufus.

"I don't care. She should never realize our plans. She can never be in danger. Understood?"

"I will never let her get in danger. Don't worry," Rufus reassured.

The prince then started to leave the bar.

"Are you fighting for her? That motive you can't tell. It's for her right?" asked Rufus.

The prince didn't answer and just left the bar.