Ulsper barely had time to shout a warning before the figure leapt from the walkway, landing behind Nem Koel and Suthe in a graceful crouch. He realized he had shouted the warning in Shun Dwo only when Suthe was slow to react, but at least Nem Koel was prepared by the time the figure had sprung, dagger out at the pair of them.

Suthe, to her credit, had enough presence of mind to hurl herself out of the way – with a small yelp – while Nem Koel took a series of rapid steps back to absorb the force of the blow. The man both parried Nem Koel's first swipe and struck out at her in the same fluid motion, and Ulsper rushed forward to help. She was good, but this stranger easily outmatched her, and Ulsper didn't miss the way the trainee was favoring her right arm.

Nem Koel ducked and tried a feint, but the man saw through the ruse and knocked the knife from her left hand, where it went spinning through the air in Ulsper's direction. Ulsper ducked as the blade flew over his head, pinging off a blue-tiled support column behind him.

Looking back up, he realized the distraction had cost him the opportunity to intervene. Nem Koel's adversary had now intercepted another of her attacks, grabbing her right wrist and twisting until her back was to him and her arm was caught up at an awkward position. She moved to break free, but the man's right arm had already wrapped around hers, immobilizing it as he pressed his dagger into the back of her neck.

Nem Koel froze, a resentful scowl on her face as her last knife hung uselessly from her fingertips.

"Not another step," the man ordered in Shun Dwo, and Ulsper begrudgingly stilled. A glance to his left showed that Suthe was still struggling to get to her feet, unaware of the command that had been issued.

"Tehke magerah, Suthe," he translated, and she froze as well, looking up at him with a furrowed brow before shifting her gaze to Nem Koel and the man holding her hostage.

"Are you Enji?" Ulsper asked the man, and was met with a hiss from Nem Koel as the blade dug deeper into her neck.

The man gave no answer, and Ulsper tried a different approach.

"Irikri sent us. You're surprisingly talented at combat, for a mere smuggler."

The man found amusement at that comment, and his topknot, which had loosened in the skirmish with Nem Koel, shifted a little as he shook his head with a scornful chuckle.

"I wouldn't survive in this profession if I weren't. People tend to underestimate the perils of, as you say, merely smuggling."

So it was the person they'd been looking for. Though older than himself, the man was much younger than Uhi, which was around the age Ulsper had been expecting Enji to be. Rather, the man was perhaps in his early thirties, with a smooth and lightly-tanned face that made him seem even younger. Ulsper took note of the man's nondescript chestnut-brown robe, carefully crafted to blend in with crowds. While it was an ordinary shade, the fabric was sturdy and crisp, and the hem of the sleeves was subtly embellished with thread that caught the light in small golden shimmers, hinting at the profits that came with his line of work.

"I suppose you choose to risk greater dangers for the sake of earning a higher profit," Ulsper commented.

"Yes," the man named Enji said, moving his blade so that its tip now rested at the side of Nem Koel's neck. "But usually those dangers aren't so perilous as Sylterran soldiers swarming the district. I'd appreciate an explanation, now."

The topknot came fully undone at that moment, and his black hair fell, slithering over his shoulders in a sudden motion. The man did not even blink at the change.

"We didn't send them, if that's what you mean—," Nem Koel began indignantly, but broke off, coughing as the blade sent a thin line of blood streaming down the side of her neck.

"It's quite apparent you brought him along, and he is a Sylterran soldier, is he not?"

The man's gaze locked with Ulsper's, waiting for an answer.

"I'm Sylterran, but I'm not one of them," he said, careful to keep his voice steady. Enji's movements were like those of an angry snake, dangerous and ready to strike at the slightest sign of provocation.

"Then what are you, if not one of them?" Enji pressed, his hold on Nem Koel not loosening in the slightest.

"I'm who they're looking for," Ulsper said. His grip tightened on the hilt of his own dagger as Nem Koel let out a small whine of protest.

"Then you are still to blame—knowing they follow you, you still led them here!"

"They were in Fai the last time I saw them," Ulsper explained. "I tried to make sure I'd lost them completely before coming here, but they must have learned I bought a ticket here and took a later train. They think I'm hiding information on the Twin Blades, but I know nothing besides excerpts from a monk's journal, which I've already told them about."

A muscle in Enji's jaw twitched. "So you want to learn more, and share that information with them, too."

It was heartening, at least, that he didn't outright deny the weapons' existence, and Ulsper continued with renewed urgency, his eyes darting briefly to Nem Koel in an unspoken plea for her to be patient for just a bit longer.

"No, I—we, need to find out the truth before they do and make sure the blades are kept hidden!" Ulsper corrected. "No country should have that much power – it's why they were hidden in the first place, after the Dragon Age. That much power in peacetime will only lead back to war. Pretia paid a heavy price for their creation, and I don't want to see history repeat itself."

Enji tilted his head to the side, considering Ulsper's words. "If they exist, and they've remained hidden for this long, then surely they will stay hidden forever," he said. "Bringing them to light now would only ensure that they would get stolen, eventually."

"The monk's journal has changed all that – it was recently discovered," Ulsper explained, impatient at how much time they had already wasted. He strained to hear any sounds of pursuit outside the warehouse, but the walls had been made thick to protect the goods within from moisture, and it was impossible to tell where the soldiers were. "The journal had an account of the swords being brought out of Pretia and disassembled but not destroyed, in case they would ever need to be used again. That realization has sent the whole region into a frenzy to be the first to get to them. Montmyth has even already found a piece."

Enji's eyes hardened, and he raised his chin, studying Ulsper for a long moment in silence. Nem Koel's labored breathing was the only sound between them. Finally, he spoke.

"If this is true," he said, softly, "then you have gone through a lot of trouble just to find me." He narrowed his eyes. "What assistance could I be of to you?"

"The legend of the blades mentions that they were forged in Pretia," Ulsper said. "Of the two countries that it split into, Andilir is the one known for its forges and craftsmanship, and therefore is the most likely place where they were created." He took a breath. "They say you're a design expert. If you know anything about how the swords were made—for instance, what kinds of stones were in the hilt, what symbols might have been engraved, or maybe what metal would give them such power—I think understanding their design would help us in identifying them, and relocating them to where they can no longer be reached."

Enji inhaled slowly, and then let his breath out in a long sigh as he thought it over.

Suthe, Ulsper noticed from the corner of his vision, was having some difficulties staying still in her awkward half-standing position. Trying to be subtle, she was slowly straightening up, but the motion didn't go unnoticed by the smuggler.

Enji's eyes darted to Suthe, the disturbance interrupting him from his deliberation. "I said don't move." His eyes flashed a challenge, and Suthe stilled again at the hostile tone, her worried gaze darting from Ulsper to Nem Koel's pained expression.

"She doesn't speak Shun Dwo," Ulsper said.

Enji whipped his head to face him. "She seemed to understand well enough," he growled.

"But she really doesn't—" Nem Koel's assurance was cut off again with a deeper jab at her neck, and she sucked in a breath.

"I can't trust you," Enji said, then rephrased. "I don't trust you."

Okay, here's the next part!  And yes, I did have a little bit of inspiration from a Flying Swords of Dragon Gate photo, so I figured I'd just add it to the chapter for fun since this story is a mess anyway  XD.  I was hoping I could edit this chapter down, but it still ended up being too long, so the next half of the chapter will be continued next week, hopefully giving me enough time to give it one more run-through and check for errors.

What do you all think of Enji so far?  Thanks for reading, and have a great week!