Chapter 6 Trouble

After buying the Spirit Stone, the Young Miss' mood brightened significantly. 'So my initial guess must have been correct.' Apollo sighed to himself. She wasn't exactly being quiet in Mystic Heaven Tower so he caught most of her conversation with Grace.

"Young Miss, it would be best if took another street." Apollo suggested, Grace agreed with this idea as well. "No, I'd like to walk the main road, its nicer than those other dingy roads and I like the atmosphere. Also its faster anyway!" She rebutted arguing her point.

Hearing this Apollo didn't press the matter. She was finally in a good mood and it was simply a matter of route after all. 'But why do I have a bad feeling.' Apollo thought to himself, but soon shook off the feeling. They were 5 minutes away from the Full Moon Pavilion anyway, the odds of anything happening were slim to none.

Unfortunately as the saying goes, man proposes and heaven disposes. A shout came from down the main road. "MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY!" 

The crowds before them parted as a carriage tumbled forward. "HMPH! Why should I have to move for a lousy carriage." The Young Miss snorted, but she didn't have much of a choice.

Apollo moved grabbing both, the Young Miss and Grace, but just as he was about to move out of the way the carriage came to a halt. "Hmph! So this is where you were!" A shrill voice sounded from the carriage.

"Let go of me." The Young Miss complained as she moved out of Apollo's grasp, while Grace blushed slightly before pulling herself out. "Lapis I am surprised you came to find me yourself. Last time I saw you, you were beaten into the ground." She sneered towards the azure blue carriage.

Naturally this was the Azure Clan's carriage, the sworn enemy of the Burst Clan. From within the carriage a young girl, descended about the same age as the Young Miss. She similarly had bright blue eyes, but her hair was slightly wavy and a dark brown.

Behind her, a guard followed. He seemed to be in his early 20s and dressed in bright blue robes, the word "Elite" also inscribed on his robes.

"Hmph! You Burst Clan dogs think you're something special!? You only defeated me that time because you got lucky!" Lapis sneered as she approached the trio.

"What's going on?"

"Isn't that the Azure Clan's little princess, Lapis?"

"Who's that she's fighting with?"

"Wait that's the Burst Clan's little princess, Violet!"

"The hatred between the two clans runs deep."

The crowd muttered amongst themselves as they gathered around the spectacle. "Young Miss, I think its best we leave." Apollo suggested as he scanned the Azure Clan's party.

Just Lapis' guard alone would be troublesome, not to mention the carriage driver didn't seem like he was weak either. 'That's not even considering the fact that she probably has her own hidden guards.'

"Like I am gonna cower away, when there's that bitch Lapis in front of me." Violet spat, speaking just loud enough that Lapis could hear her. "Young Miss, you should watch your language." Grace scolded.

Opposite them Lapis was trembling in rage. "I-I see how it is! Violet fight me here and now if you aren't a coward." Lapis challenged.

Apollo was already getting tired of their bickering, and then his eyes locked with the Azure Clan's Elite Guard. Unlike him, it seemed as though this guard was all for their bickering and even had a challenging look on his face.

"Young Miss, fighting is below someone of your status. Why don't I fight the Burst Clan's guard instead. That way it will be a fair fight and won't tarnish your status." The guard suggested.

'Is he mentally challenged?' As a guard his first a foremost job was to protect. How would provoking a fight in this situation help complete that goal. Not to mention he was putting himself up on the chopping block.

"That's a great idea! But do you think those trash from the Burst Clan dare?" Lapis laughed, as the guard smirked. Immediately Violet's expression soured and she looked towards Apollo.

"My job is to protect you first and foremost, not to engage in unnecessary fights." Apollo explained to her. Violet then looked at him in annoyance. On the other hand Grace let out a sigh of relief.

"Are the Burst Clan backing out without a fight?"

"Isn't this basically admitting the Azure Clan are stronger?"

"This loss of face is terrible."

The peanut gallery gossiped between themselves. 'This is getting out of hand. If they press the issue further, I might be forced to fight.' He analysed the situation.

"How about this, my Young Miss is tired and its inconvenient for us to fight at this moment. Why don't we let the matter end here. After all fights within Pentaarch are prohibited." Apollo suggested, trying to defuse the matter.

Naturally the crowd agreed with this notion upon hearing it. The rules were there for a reason, while the 4 Clans played fast and loose with them at times breaking them so openly and in such a dramatic fashion wouldn't do good for either Clan's reputation.

"Rules? What rules? Just admit you're too scared to fight fatherless mutt!" Lapis lashed out at Apollo, leaving the young man speechless, and then his anger began to boil.

'Am I really going to be provoked into a fight by a 14 year old girl.' Apollo thought to himself, but then he shook his head and unsheathed his blade. They had already pressed the issue, and now offending his father crossed his bottom line.

"All right then! If its a fight you want its a fight you'll get! But last time I checked the Azure Clan isn't full of beggars. If you want to take up the time of my Young Miss here shouldn't you at least put forth an appropriate price? What do you think Young Miss?" Apollo declared pointing his blade at the guard.

"Ya exactly!" Violet concurred before impulsively shouting. "If you aren't even able to pay a Spirit Stone get out of my face!"

Such a large sum even made Lapis take a step back. "A Spirit Stone? Who do you think you are? If anything we can have a bet. If your guard wins I'll give you this Spirit Stone, while if yours wins....do you even have a Spirit Stone actually." Lapis shot back.

"Enough! The bet is settled, whoever wins gets the other's Spirit Stone. I am done with your incessant babbling." Apollo declared his eyes locking with the guard opposite him.

"Now are you going to fight me? Or are you all bark and no bite?" Apollo added, to which the guard sneered before unsheathing his sword. Both of their Qi erupted before they dashed towards one another.